Futuristic Sparked

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

A solid five minutes passed. MJ found the path, and the door was, either unluckily or luckily, right next to the crying Johnny.


--------------------------------------------

"...Why am I here?"

Bant sat up with an almost eerie smoothness and looked around the room with a squint. "Rochie, wh- Oh shit!" Whatever grace unconsciousness had graced upon him was completely lost as he laid eyes on Mayfield right next to him, and he all but dived out of the pile and onto the concrete before he scrambled to his feet, screaming at the top of his lungs until he was a good ten feet away. He abruptly stopped in both sound and motion, took a breath, and dusted himself off. "That was an overreaction. The young woman was clearly in distress, and its likely she didn't even do that on purpose. The human brain is wired to overreact to things that harm it. And holy shit did that harm me I don't think I've ever hurt quite like that. Wow. What the fuck, honestly"

He cleared his throat and turned on his heel to address the group directly. "Now, officer, am I still under arrest- C.D., why are you- Nevermind. Officer. Am I still under arrest-"

...

"Rochie. You didn't do something to the good officer, did you?" He asked, a measure of both concern and curiosity in his voice "She seems much less.... screamy."

 

[Prospero]

A solid five minutes passed. MJ found the path, and the door was, either unluckily or luckily, right next to the crying Johnny.


--------------------------------------------

"...Why am I here?"

Bant sat up with an almost eerie smoothness and looked around the room with a squint. "Rochie, wh- Oh shit!" Whatever grace unconsciousness had graced upon him was completely lost as he laid eyes on Mayfield right next to him, and he all but dived out of the pile and onto the concrete before he scrambled to his feet, screaming at the top of his lungs until he was a good ten feet away. He abruptly stopped in both sound and motion, took a breath, and dusted himself off. "That was an overreaction. The young woman was clearly in distress, and its likely she didn't even do that on purpose. The human brain is wired to overreact to things that harm it. And holy shit did that harm me I don't think I've ever hurt quite like that. Wow. What the fuck, honestly"

He cleared his throat and turned on his heel to address the group directly. "Now, officer, am I still under arrest- C.D., why are you- Nevermind. Officer. Am I still under arrest-"

...

"Rochie. You didn't do something to the good officer, did you?" He asked, a measure of both concern and curiosity in his voice "She seems much less.... screamy."

Rochefort, arms crossed sighed aloud from his monitoring.
The good doctor had opted to sit by the nest of pillows, idly working something as he spoke. "She was in pain. I dealt with it by creating something that frankly, is a load of bullshit." He scowled, but there was no hiding his excitement before he cleared his throat.

"Er, anyway...The machine intercepts her nerves before pain registers and shunts them away elsewhere. It's a temporary fix and frankly, I could do better but needs must. Aha." He held up what he had made now, what looked like a scanner as he added

"I had to cannibalize another watch of yours. Hopefully, I can determine what her mutation has done before I can start to create something that can reduce it."

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Rochefort, arms crossed sighed aloud from his monitoring.
The good doctor had opted to sit by the nest of pillows, idly working something as he spoke. "She was in pain. I dealt with it by creating something that frankly, is a load of bullshit." He scowled, but there was no hiding his excitement before he cleared his throat.

"Er, anyway...The machine intercepts her nerves before pain registers and shunts them away elsewhere. It's a temporary fix and frankly, I could do better but needs must. Aha." He held up what he had made now, what looked like a scanner as he added

"I had to cannibalize another watch of yours. Hopefully, I can determine what her mutation has done before I can start to create something that can reduce it."

"Do NOT!"

Bant was obviously not a quite man, but his booming command held none of the underlying irreverentcy of his shouting and cackling from earlier. For the first time since most of them had met the pair, Beckett and Bant looked related.

"...My friend. I must implore to not do anything regarding banticles until I have caught you fully up to speed to what I know." He said, his voice earnest and sharp at the same time. "These are not even physical mutations. There is so much even I do not know, only that it has ruined my dear CD's life unless I manage to fix it. Let alone what it has done to all of you! You do not even know how your own power truly works yet, and you are using it to play with what may very well be a new discipline of physics entirely. Though it gives me shame to admit it, you are the one person I was glad to drag into this mess, because I will certainly need your help. But swear to me that you will not play directly with the forces powering us sparkeds until you have caught up to me, and hopefully pass me up. Please."

"...What the fuck is going on?" Beckett half squeaked, the resounding yell having knocked them back into consciousness as if they'd been smacked upside the head.

 

[MyrtenRose]

A solid five minutes passed. MJ found the path, and the door was, either unluckily or luckily, right next to the crying Johnny.

Her stride out of this place slowed the closer and closer she got to the exit out of here as the sounds of someone sobbing their damn eyes out got more and more clear. When the door was in view, she came to a sudden stop looking on at the guy who had run off ahead of her.

Her first instinct was to run up right next to the guy and ask what was wrong, but...well, that thing he had, that uh...devourer. And obviously there was a lot wrong right now. MJ maintained a respectable distance and cleared her throat to get the guy’s attention.

“Hey. You...you going to be alright?” She wasn’t quite sure what to say.

 

[MidwayLives]

A solid five minutes passed. MJ found the path, and the door was, either unluckily or luckily, right next to the crying Johnny.

Johnny had been so consumed by grief that he hadn't noticed MJ at first. But then the sound of footsteps gave her away and Johnny tore himself away from his crying to acknowledge her. His face was red, his cheeks stained with tears that were still coming. Stumbling back, [Melancholy Hill] loomed up beside Johnny, it's eyes slowly shifting to look in MJ's direction. Johnny was too upset to sit down and rationalize what was going on. So of course he immediately jumped to the worst case scenario. "She's come to take you back. They won't let you leave." She was the one who could see other's memories or something. That power had made Johnny uncomfortable. He didn't want somebody he barely knew peeking around inside his noggin. A loud screech filled the hallway as [Melancholy Hill] extended it's claws and dragged them downwards against the wall Johnny had previously been slumped up against. "We're Infected just like the doctor said. We can't be allowed back out on the streets without doing what we're told." Johnny took another step back but in his paranoia with his thoughts escaping past [Melancholy Hill]'s lips, he fell back onto his ass and started to crawl further back. "I-I won't go back...I won't....I can't ..."

He didn't want to hurt anybody who had never done any harm to him. Shoot, she was in the same boat as him. But his emotional condition plus his paranoia running wild wasn't doing him any favors. What if she used her powers to mess with his head somehow? What if he lashed out without meaning to and....sent her to that place. It'd only been described in vague terms by [Melancholy Hill] but from what he'd been told, Johnny thought of a world completely shrouded in darkness with the only light coming from whoever's trapped there, gathering everything they've ever been afraid of. The concept of such a place existing and Johnny being the only way to get there horrified him. There was a way to get out but he doubted most people could do it. Conquering your fears didn't happen overnight. He still had nightmares that tore him from his sleep and left him screaming while bathed in a cold sweat.

"Plea-Please don't come any closer....I-I don't want anything to happen.."

“Hey. You...you going to be alright?” She wasn’t quite sure what to say.

"....Alright?"

Johnny steadied himself and stood up straight, his fists clenched at his side. The tears were still running but he had managed to conquer his trembling lower lip. It seemed MJ's innocuous question hadn't been what Johnny wanted to hear. Then again, what was the right thing to say to someone in his shoes? "I-I haven't been alright for m-months! I didn't want these stupid powers! I didn't even want to still BE here!" The man shouted, his hands loosening and moving upwards to rub at his eyes again. "I'd been trying to plan it out for months. I didn't know how I was going to do it but I wanted to...to..." Johnny choked.

But his power didn't.

"To die."

"..." Johnny let that hang in the air as images flashed around in his head. The day before the fair, he'd clocked out from work early and made comments about putting in his two week's notice, something his coworkers had taken as a joke at the time. They saw how hard Johnny worked but never bothered to interact with him beyond the workplace. If they had maybe they could have talked him out of writing the note he'd left on his desk at home. The family had gone out for dinner without inviting Johnny along since he had a night shift and by the time the next day rolled around, he was gone. Ready for something to happen. Instead, he got a fate that so far seemed to be worse than getting crushed by an experiment go wrong or blown up or anything else. "We're shunted around from place to place and we're....we're just supposed to suck it up and go about our lives?! How can I go about with this thing hanging around me? " [Melancholy Hill] stayed quiet and Johnny gestured to it. "Only we can see it but even when it's not there, I still feel it. Beside me, towering over me. I'd be better off getting away from others and get used to [Melancholy Hill] watching me..."

Turning away from MJ to face the wall, Johnny wiped at his eyes using his forearm and [Melancholy Hill]'s mouth opened as wide as it could, revealing the portal that was lodged in it's mouth. "I don't think we'll ever be alright again..." [Melancholy Hill] lashed forward towards the portion of the wall that Johnny had been facing.

*BWOOM*


The chunk of wall vanished and Johnny took a step forward. "You...You should get out of here. " Stepping through the hole, one of [Melancholy Hill]'s eyes turned towards MJ and it spoke once again. It's deep voice echoing throughout the hallway. "Thank you for trying..."

 

[MyrtenRose]

"She's come to take you back. They won't let you leave."

"What? No, that's not it at all." She replied, keeping her eyes very very averted because yeah holy crap that thing is gonna haunt her dreams for weeks. "I actually--"

"I-I won't go back...I won't....I can't ..."

"Well you don't have--"

"Plea-Please don't come any closer....I-I don't want anything to happen.."

"Neither do I but--"

Johnny steadied himself and stood up straight, his fists clenched at his side. The tears were still running but he had managed to conquer his trembling lower lip. It seemed MJ's innocuous question hadn't been what Johnny wanted to hear. Then again, what was the right thing to say to someone in his shoes? "I-I haven't been alright for m-months! I didn't want these stupid powers! I didn't even want to still BE here!" The man shouted, his hands loosening and moving upwards to rub at his eyes again. "I'd been trying to plan it out for months. I didn't know how I was going to do it but I wanted to...to..." Johnny choked.

"...Okay." MJ backed up a few more feet. "Yeah, I know we didn't exactly ask for this and we got a lot thrown at us back there but if we could just stay calm, that would be--"

But his power didn't.

"To die."

"Oh." That one she sure didn't know what to say to, she wasn't qualified to handle that sort of thing. "It's not really my place but...well, if you ever need someone to talk to about that...I mean there's a hotline for that. Unless you knew that already...or used it." She replied, trying her best to nervously tiptoe on the subject without crossing a line.

"We're shunted around from place to place and we're....we're just supposed to suck it up and go about our lives?! How can I go about with this thing hanging around me? " [Melancholy Hill] stayed quiet and Johnny gestured to it. "Only we can see it but even when it's not there, I still feel it. Beside me, towering over me. I'd be better off getting away from others and get used to [Melancholy Hill] watching me..."

"I can't say what we're supposed to do or not and I don't have a good answer for you on how to deal with that...thing." She was still averting her eyes from it, desperately looking anywhere else. "But I don't think you'd be better off running away. This group...yeah, things kinda seem like a mess right now. And that's putting it lightly. But if anyone could fix that, it probably is the guy back there who got us all into this shit. He could hopefully make you...you, again."

Turning away from MJ to face the wall, Johnny wiped at his eyes using his forearm and [Melancholy Hill]'s mouth opened as wide as it could, revealing the portal that was lodged in it's mouth. "I don't think we'll ever be alright again..." [Melancholy Hill] lashed forward towards the portion of the wall that Johnny had been facing.

"I hope you're wrong on that."

*BWOOM*


The chunk of wall vanished and Johnny took a step forward. "You...You should get out of here. " Stepping through the hole, one of [Melancholy Hill]'s eyes turned towards MJ and it spoke once again. It's deep voice echoing throughout the hallway. "Thank you for trying..."

"...Right." She resumed her walk, raising a hand to the edge of her eyes and masking her sight of the creepy creature thing. It was only when she had one foot out the door that she hesitated. Without turning around, she asked: "Well...are you gonna stay here? Or take off to wherever you're running towards?"

 

[Prospero]

"Do NOT!"

Bant was obviously not a quite man, but his booming command held none of the underlying irreverentcy of his shouting and cackling from earlier. For the first time since most of them had met the pair, Beckett and Bant looked related.

"...My friend. I must implore to not do anything regarding banticles until I have caught you fully up to speed to what I know." He said, his voice earnest and sharp at the same time. "These are not even physical mutations. There is so much even I do not know, only that it has ruined my dear CD's life unless I manage to fix it. Let alone what it has done to all of you! You do not even know how your own power truly works yet, and you are using it to play with what may very well be a new discipline of physics entirely. Though it gives me shame to admit it, you are the one person I was glad to drag into this mess, because I will certainly need your help. But swear to me that you will not play directly with the forces powering us sparkeds until you have caught up to me, and hopefully pass me up. Please."

"...What the fuck is going on?" Beckett half squeaked, the resounding yell having knocked them back into consciousness as if they'd been smacked upside the head.

Rochefort was torn.

It had been the most serious he had ever seen his friend and it was easy(even for himself) to buy into the 'Barmy Bant' reputation sometimes and forget that there was an actual, trained scientist behind that facade. That he was cautioning him to slow down was more disquieting than anything he had yet to encounter so far, and that had included being actually kidnapped and writhing in a cell. His hands shook slightly and he cleared his throat, moving them to Bants shoulder to pat awkwardly, suddenly looking exhausted as he spoke.

"Fine. It feels like a violation of my oath, but these are unique circumstances." He looked down at C.D., his hand moving down to squeeze his sometime assistant on the shoulder as he spoke. "Just a discussion between men of science. Rest in the meanwhile." Having said that, he looked to Bant as he cleared his throat and spoke.

"Very well then. I will not go any further till we have a better idea of what we're dealing with. But I refuse to do nothing when at the same time, not when I have the power to help."

And while he couldn't do much regarding the Banticles, he had an idea of what he wanted to do here. And he moved off to a computer set and assorted junk, tv-screens and more as he held out his hands. As everything swirled together into a massive computer set, every screen flickered with static as Rochefort sat himself down and spoke briskly.

"With the information on the watch regarding the Banticles, I think I can create something that can help us find them...At least for now. An encompassing web, spreading throughout a network of traffic cameras, store recordings and more."

Finishing the last bit, he applied his power and the screens stopped flickering as a massive web emblem appeared on all the screens, in one large whole. Rochefort smiled as the speakers intoned out.

"What Is Our Purpose?"

"To serve and protect. To find those in need of help and aid them."

"....What Is Our Designation?"

Rochefort considered, thinking before he finally smiled.

"Arachnos."

 

[Indolent]

"... What the fuck?" The following that transpired had been enough to coax her from her anger, her lips forming an o in a bout of confusion with the raised eyebrow to signify that in excessive detail. Whatever the hell she had done, it seemed to have had the effect of placing the cop in detention albeit in an excessive fashion with her body apparently having... cracked the very ground from the force of impact. Adrenaline was at an all time high but her fight or flight system was ratcheting down and her faculties came back one by one as she staggered to the side, blinking and wincing in alteration.

Shit, had she just barreled over for the officer without regard for her left leg? For that matter, the throbbing pain made its displeasure known, reverberating from her leg upwards into her body as she went rigid to weather it ebbing tides. "Holy motherfucking ow." When it passed, there were a few matters on her mind. The first namely being the inquiry as to the officer's condition because, ye, she wasn't inhuman or anything like that.

"Did I, uh, break your face?" She grimaced at the image, though she dared not to investigate in close detail because ye, leg. She threw a look around, glancing to see if Becks and Bant were fine and oh it seemed like two of them had rabbited.

"... Alright then--ooooh come on no, not again."

Off she goes, floating once again into the unknown.

 

[Corvette]

Gunnar was snapped out of his trance as the officer hit the floor. His stomach grumbled, a loud, wet gurgle that would be audible to everyone in the room.

"Hood?" he couldn't make the "f" sound without exterior lips, but he hoped what he'd said could be understood well enough to be a question of food. He glanced up as Jacks floated away. A pang of hunger racked him and his vision darkened.

"Hunnnnngraaaaah," Gunnar breathed out predatorily as Jacks made sounds resembling a wounded animal, whining cries that signaled weaker or weakened prey to a predator like Gunnar's new form, long o sounds signaling distress. He dropped lithely to all fours, yellow eyes trained on her like a cat stalking a bird, or a hawk stalking a rabbit. He prowled for only three strides before pouncing at Jacks's air-suspended form, a blur of gray skin and dark brown fur with wings extended, forelimbs outstretched, dark claws tipping each finger, capable of tearing through steel.

Midway through his leap, he seemed to come to his senses, eyes widening and his jump becoming not-so-graceful, with Gunnar tumbling through the air uncoordinatedly and spinning off-course. Gunnar, of course, now back in control, sounded the alarm, a rather pitiful exclamation that sounded like he was about to cry, eyes darting from side to side in a panic.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOH!"

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Bant had assured them all that he’d erased what few records Helcorp had managed to scrounge up during their capture while Beckett had been ‘rescuing’ the rest, and reiterated Beckett’s earlier point that they should go home and rest. Begrudgingly content that her uncle and those left behind could handle themselves, Beckett drummed their fingers on the seat next to them, watching the ocean whizz underneath them as they took the rail line home. It was one of the fancier mag trains, with a carbon-glass bottom. Even though they’d ridden on them before, they found themself entranced at the sight, the small, amused sense of wonder they usually felt welling far past that until an almost breathless “wow…” snuck past their lips.


There was a snort and a muttered “tourists” from another seat, and their eyes snapped up in a flustered growl that found no one making eye contact with them. They slid back in their seat with their arms crossed and their cheeks burning, the embarrassment dumping itself into their stomach and seeping out into their bones until they felt the side of their eyes glisten. They sighed and covered their face, then slid their hands down to their mouth as they took a deep breath


This power sucked.


The ocean disappeared beneath them as the train entered the underworkings of District 8 and the braking system brought them from a hundred to ten miles per hour far quicker and gentler than they could’ve thirty years ago. It hovered to a stop at the station, and a pleasant ding dong sounded just before the doors opened as Beckett pushed themself to their feet and joined the crowd milling out to the loading area. They just needed a few hours to themself to unwind. Just some peace and quiet after a day and a half of hell-


*Beep beep!*


They froze at the bottom of the steps leading to the streets on the surface and looked down at their watch. One Sparked. Two hundred meters away. A chance to help someone before this whole debacle inevitably blew up.


“....UuuuuuuuUUUUUUUuuuuunnnnnnghhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmrgh” they beat their fist against the concrete wall before tossing their head back and going up the stairs on the other side of the station instead, the opposite direction from sweet, sweet home and sleep. They brought up their AR messenger and hit up the program in everyone’s watches without looking down, tapping on the illusion of a keyboard only they could see. ‘Hey. I know we all literally just left like twenty minutes ago but if anyone’s near district 8 I might have found a sparked. Its not like I can get hurt even if they’re already active, so just a heads up I guess. If you’re close could help or something idk’



------------------------------------------------------


As one conference of new power in the city adjourned, another was beginning.


Matthew Davidson had looked back on the events of the day and decided he’d had worse days. He hadn’t fulfilled his contract, which was negative, obviously. He had a reputation to uphold after all. The counterpoint was that he’d come out mostly unscathed from a violent encounter with a bunch of crazed civilians who’d apparently gotten fucked with some shit that gave them fuckin superpowers. So that was a plus. As to where he was now, he’d yet to decide if that was a positive or a negative. He had been ushered into a conference room and asked ever so politely not to leave or he’d be shot and have his ashes dumped in the atlantic. A representative had come in, and he’d informed the poor lass that she could fuck off, and that the only person he’d speak to was the one who’d given him the contract.


The Board.


The Board of Helcorp had a bit of a reputation. Despite the company’s stellar reputation in the public and political eye, the deeper echelons of the underworld knew them better as one of the best clients when it came to corporate sabotage, political assassinations, and for some reason illegal archeology. But despite the pay, it was a small number of people who even knew they offered work that took the job. People had a tendency to disappear when they fucked up on their jobs. Not exactly uncommon in the line of work of course, but… the miniscule number of people who came out of their encounters with Helcorp’s cleanup crews alive had some absolutely nonsense stories. Black ops squads who walked through walls. Fourteen year old kids running around blocking bullets with samurai swords. Matt had dismissed it all as an absolute crock of nonsense, either put up by the corp’s dark PR team as a warning with a sense of the chuckles or over-embellished re-tellings by people who’d admittedly earned it by surviving a fucking helcorp cleanup crew.


Of course, that was before he saw some scrawny civilians take a superdense slug to the chin and not get a bruise and destroy a robot with their mind or something. Clearly, there was some things in the world he didn’t understand.


Despite his work, Matt was a true citizen of Adhentu. He hated not understanding something. And when you didn’t understand something, you formed a hypothesis, ran an experiment, and examined the results. He was gonna be a right n’ proper scientist.


Which is why, as the door slid open, he deftly pulled his sidearm and blasted the man coming in square in the face.


Blood splattered against the outside hallway, and whoever was leading the security team waiting outside swore and began to bark orders. The corpse Matt had just created did a very un-corpse thing and gently raised an arm to calm them, didn’t fall down, and strode into the room as the whole in its face was already starting to repair itself. It was the corpse of an elderly man, black hair with numerous strains of gray streaking through its slicked back hair that accentuated his sharp, only slightly wrinkled features. The corpse smiled and slid into the seat across from Matt as it clasped its hands in front of it.

“Matthew Davidson I presume. Certainly a bold choice, shooting your employer after you failed a job.” Came the deep, gentle and smooth voice from the corpse. “You seem rather unsurprised that it didn’t work.”


“Caught that didja?” He answered as he holstered his gun. “Wasn’t all that bold a choice really. Felt pretty sure that wasn’t gonna work on you. No, a bold choice is lyin on a contract.”

“Lying is something I never do on a contract, Mr. Davidson”


“Really? Because when I took the job to oversee this facility, I was told that I’d be watching over, and I quote, ‘political enemies, indentured scientists, and unwanted witnesses’. Do you know whats not on that list?”

“I’m sure you’re about to tell me” the corpse replied, unfruffled


“Runaway fuckin science experiments gone wrong, is what.” Matt sneered. “Whatever the fuck happened in there wasn’t normal. It wasn’t something that should happen. And you bet your ass I’m not takin responsibility for it. This loss is on you boss man. I can’t plan for fuckin psychics when I don’t know they fuckin exist. Our contract is void, and if your anything like your rep says, then you’re not gonna do shit to me for fuckin it up.”

The corpse gave a slow, amused blink, before it held a up finger as it cocked its head. There was almost a minute of silence as it stared up at the ceiling, its expression occasionally twitching, before it glanced down and resumed its smiling.

“Agreed. You are free to go Mr. Davidson. We will have to debrief you, and the Nondisclosure agreement still applies, but you will have your pay.”

“You misunderstand me mate.” Matt drawled as he leaned forward. “I don’t want to wash my hands of this. I want to know what those fuckin freaks were”


The corpse stared him down for a moment, its reactions seeming to be a few steps slower at every action it took. “I see. I apologize Mr. Davidson, but you’re not going to like the answer. I don't know what they were”


“...Excuse me? You’re gonna play the “I dunno” card after I put a hole in your head two minute ago???”

“Of course. Those are two entirely different things. I’m sure you’ve picked up on the fact that the world is larger than you know, but perhaps you’re underestimating how large. I can assure that what I am and what they are, are two entirely different things.” The corprse replied, completely still save for its lips


Matt drummed his fingers on the table as he bit his lip. “... Bullshit. You’re lying.”


“I’m hurt. You’ve just mentioned my reputation, Davidson. You’ve clearly done your research, which means you know that I never lie.” Came the smiling answer. He was starting to hate that smile. Even with the wound gone, everything inside of Matt was screaming that the thing in front of him was a corpse. Long dead and something that shouldn’t even be, let alone being able to smile.


“...fine then. I want what you got.”

The Board cocked its head to the side. “Pardon?”

“You still want these people, right?”

“Well of course. We’re concerned that how they got their powers is infringing on Helcorp research. Who knows what could happen if the wrong people got their hands on them?” The Board said in seemingly genuine concern.


Matt snorted.


“Right. Well, I’m offering my services. And instead of money, I want it. Whatever it is that’s making them special, or what made that bullet through your skull a minor inconvenience.”

“And we should take you up on that… why?”

“I got out of that room, unscathed, without any powers. Just think about what kinda work I could do with em?”

The Board settled back into its chair and put its fingers together. “...Very well. This can be arranged. We'll have to create a vacancy, but I think between today and your past work for us, you've earned the spot. Welcome to Helcorp, Matthew Davidson”

“Real shit?” Matt asked, leaning in farther

The corpse smiled again, its dead teeth frighteningly perfect

“Real shit”

 

[Indolent]

Gunnar was snapped out of his trance as the officer hit the floor. His stomach grumbled, a loud, wet gurgle that would be audible to everyone in the room.

"Hood?" he couldn't make the "f" sound without exterior lips, but he hoped what he'd said could be understood well enough to be a question of food. He glanced up as Jacks floated away. A pang of hunger racked him and his vision darkened.

"Hunnnnngraaaaah," Gunnar breathed out predatorily as Jacks made sounds resembling a wounded animal, whining cries that signaled weaker or weakened prey to a predator like Gunnar's new form, long o sounds signaling distress. He dropped lithely to all fours, yellow eyes trained on her like a cat stalking a bird, or a hawk stalking a rabbit. He prowled for only three strides before pouncing at Jacks's air-suspended form, a blur of gray skin and dark brown fur with wings extended, forelimbs outstretched, dark claws tipping each finger, capable of tearing through steel.

Midway through his leap, he seemed to come to his senses, eyes widening and his jump becoming not-so-graceful, with Gunnar tumbling through the air uncoordinatedly and spinning off-course. Gunnar, of course, now back in control, sounded the alarm, a rather pitiful exclamation that sounded like he was about to cry, eyes darting from side to side in a panic.

"OOOOOOOOOOOOOH!"

"What was that." Jacks wobbled in place, swiveling uncontrollably without clear view of whatever made that nose. "Sounded like a big fucking cat--" What her brain immediately labeled as a monolithic nightmare entered her peripheral view and in an instant, whether it was out of a deep seated fear of the unknown or she simply forgot that Gargoyle Gunnar was a thing, she screamed. A rather piercing sound erupted from her vocal chords that it was perhaps better to call it a shriek instead. Her eyes snapped shut as instinct compelled her to formulate a meager defense, in the form of both arms flailing out in both an aimless and useless bid to deter the careening predator.

Gunnar's trajectory was off kilter just a smidge but it was forgiving enough that he contacted her swinging hands. His world suddenly flipped upside down as instead of colliding and careening in a downward descent, he continued upwards, falling towards the ceiling with the resultant impact a certain cacophony.

Jacks could only squeak out, eyes sewn shut, as she asked. "Am I dead?"

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

-------------------------------------------------------------


Tammy Rotehemd was not having a good day. A good week even. Motherhood was hard enough when the family trip to the founder’s fair didn’t end in an explosion. It had been terrifying, and while her and her son Michael had been able to get away, she’d been feeling… icky, ever since. Like there was a tightness stuck in her chest. Like there was something inside her that desperately wanted out. It had been giving her a terrible fever, and she had to pause their daily walk to dip into the mall’s bathroom for a few minutes before she passed out. She splashed her face and took a deep breath as she glanced into the mirror. Her tan skin was darkened with an unhealthy flush, and her dark hair was scraggly in its ponytail. Frankly, she looked like a mess. What if she had been hurt in the accident, just not physically? They’d been assured on the news that the accident hadn’t given off any radiation, but what if they were wrong?


“I’ll just schedule an appointment” She muttered to herself as she looked down to splash herself again. She heard the door to the bathroom open behind her, but paid it no mind as looked up to steel herself. She had to put on a smile. No reason to make Michael worry- “AAAAHH!”

The man who was standing flush against her back had gotten there without a sound. His arms were long and gangly, almost too much so, and definitely so for his malnourished torso that had a dress shirt and jacket hanging ever so loosely over it. She couldn’t see his legs, but they must have been long too for how he towered over her. The hat he wore was almost comically old fashioned, a tribly or fedora or whatever she didn’t know hat names and none of that mattered because as she turned around he pushed up against her, his gaunt and pallid cheek against hers as he took a long, powerful sniff. “Huehuehyuck! I was right, you’s smellin just like me!” he chortled in a chunky southern drawl.


“E-excuse me? Who the fuck are you?!” She shrilled, trying to push him back. It should have been easy considering how he looked like he was 80% skeleton, but he didn’t bunch as he chuckled a deep belly laugh and took her hand.

“I DUNNO! I Think I was someone else before yessunday, but today I’m someone else! AND IN A BIT IMMA BE EVEN MORE SOMEONE ELSES, HUEHUEHUEHYUCK! But I ain’t gonna fault a lady’s last wish so I’lls tell yous what I’m thinkin ah callins myself.” He leaned down and kissed the back of her hand.

“You c'n call me... Mr. Capgras."

"...L-last wish?”

He looked up at her and grinned. The grin was far too wide, stretching past his face entirely in a grotesque disregard of biology. Tammy found herself staring at a thousand needles. The needles were covered in blood. Her hand was gone.


She started to scream, but a too big hand with too long fingers suddenly clamped her jaw shut from the top of the head to the chin, and a few seconds later the bathroom floor was sloshing in blood.


--------------------------------------------


Michael sighed from where he was kicking his feet on the bench. Mom had left him here what had to have been eleven billion minutes ago. Why did moms always take so long in the bathroom? It had come up in class a few weeks ago, and the entirety of Bjorn Elementary’s 3rd grade class had decided that it was a societal problem that needed fixing, and this agony had only enforced Michael’s solemn resolve to fix it.


Unfortunately, mom had very sternly told him to stay on the bench, and he knew there wasn’t a stop at the bakery at the end of their walk if he didn’t listen. He huffed again with the level of drama only achievable by the most accomplished actors and bored nine year olds as he rested his hand in his chin, but he lightened up as he saw mom exiting the bathroom with a bright smile of her own. She’d been so antsy every since the whatever at the fair, the sight of her genuinely smiling took a weight of his tiny shoulders he hadn’t even realized he’d been carrying. His smile faded however, as mom looked around in apparent confusion. “...Uh… mom?!” he called over. Her eyes snapped over, and her eyes brightened as she all but sprinted over to him, completely unconcerned with the flapping of her dress showing off just a bit too much leg before she scooped him up in a bear hug that made him shrill in surprised delight that he had to pretend he wasn't feeling, for honor's sake. “MOOOOM, STOOOOP!”

“THATS ME, MOM! Oh, this is so exciting, I’ve never been a mom before!” She crooned as she twirled?”

“Uh, what? Stop being silly mom” He said as he snuggled into her neck- “M-Mom?”

“Yes, new son?”

??? Why was she acting so weird? “U-uhm… where’s your...ear?”

“...” She gently put him down and put a finger up. “Give mommy just one second.”

Michael stared in deeply concerned confusion as she sprinted off towards the bathroom. A few seconds later, she came out chewing something and covering her lacking ear as she jogged back. She knelt down in front of him. “Ok. Put your hand on mine.”

“Okay…?” he said, putting his hand against hers on her head.


“Now say abracadabra!”

“Abracadble.”

“Close enough!” she cheered as she pulled their hands away. When they did, her ear was there, and Michael giggled in surprise, and the sound looked like it almost brought tears to mom’s eyes. She sighed and gripped his hand as she stood up. “Now come on. We’re supposed to stop at the bakery now right? And then its home, where uhh… husband? Will be?”

Michael beamed at the mention of bakery as they started walking. “You mean dad?”

“Yes! Your dad! My JEFFY! We met…. At school! We had our first time stoned out of our minds!”

“Your first what?”

“Nevermind dear” she crooned. “Let’s get your cookies. We’ll get enough to share at school tomorrow!” Michael gasped in excitement and all but dragged mom along, who laughed as she let herself be led.


She hadn’t quite digested where the bakery was yet.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[MidwayLives]

"...Right." She resumed her walk, raising a hand to the edge of her eyes and masking her sight of the creepy creature thing. It was only when she had one foot out the door that she hesitated. Without turning around, she asked: "Well...are you gonna stay here? Or take off to wherever you're running towards?"

Johnny froze.

"...I'm gonna keep running until I can't run anymore."

With that he jumped out through the hole that he'd made and [Melancholy Hill] took it's place beside him once more as they continued onwards. Going home wasn't an option as far as Johnny was concerned. When he'd left that place on the day of the fair, he had no intentions on ever going back. Staying at a friend's place wasn't an option either. What if somebody came after him or what if they had powers of their own and decided to pick a fight with him? The offer had been there for him to stay at the lab but he had declined that as well. He knew others like that lady who'd tried comforting him meant well but he had too much pride in himself. He couldn't swallow it and go back after running away like a coward.

"You regret running away..."

"I do. But there's not much to do about it now. I've got some money. Maybe we can just rent a hotel room and-"

"You're scared, Johnny. Scared that someone out there will be able to see me."

Johnny had been reaching in his pocket for his wallet and threw up his hands after hearing that. "Okay, so I am scared. I'm terrified. I don't even really know what the hell I'm doing. Anything else you'd like to broadcast??"

"No."

Johnny shook his head and continued on. With there no doubt being other 'Sparked' out there, keeping [Melancholy Hill] out was a risk but he had to. If something happened and he was attacked, the split second between summoning it and an enemy attacking could mean whether Johnny died or lived.

~~~

‘Hey. I know we all literally just left like twenty minutes ago but if anyone’s near district 8 I might have found a sparked. Its not like I can get hurt even if they’re already active, so just a heads up I guess. If you’re close could help or something idk’

Johnny had noticed the message and then turned his attention away from it and kept on walking.

"You're scared you'll end up eating them by accident. Sending them to that place would almost certainly lead to mental trauma if not outright death. You don't want that burden, do you Johnny?" Johnny swung out at [Melancholy Hill] and caught it right in the stomach with his fist, causing him to stumble back due to the feedback between the two. "What kind of hero am I supposed to be with something like you? What are we gonna do? Terrify this guy into not using their powers for evil? If my back was against the wall, I don't know if I could stop myself from doing that. I almost did it to that dickhead who captured us."

"He was trying to kill us. It was justified."

"Doesn't matter. He still would have been screwed if we'd ate him."

"You'll end up helping despite your arguments."

"..."

Goddamn it, he hated that talking to this was like practically talking to himself. It meant he'd only be calling himself stupid if he insulted it.

 

[MyrtenRose]

Man...today's really been out there.

The thought weighed heavy in her mind, as she sat in the back of a taxi on the way to the heart of District 1, gazing absently out the window. In the last 24 hours, she'd been caught in a freak accident that imbued with these banticles and gave her superpowers, woke up in some Helcorp holding cell, got a massive nosebleed, singlehandedly staged a prison break, got flashbanged, came really close to death by shotgun or hostile robot, got gassed by a rescue party and taken to a hidden lair, cursed out some crazy cop, had a little chat with a suicidal dude and the thing that seemed like it had been pulled straight out of a twisted horror flick. All that...

And yet it was only now, on the way home that she felt overwhelmed by fear and dread. How in the hell am I going to explain this to Mom and Dad?

At first she thought of her new abilities. Memory, she can see them, feel them. But...

Her eyes closed, drawing up a memory of her own from a while ago. Breakfast, alone in the kitchen. A bowl of cereal and some toast. Her nose scrunched up and she could feel a trickle of blood beginning to run down(she was glad this was a driverless taxi)...and the breakfast in the memory changed. Instead of remembering that she'd had cereal and toast, now she saw that pancakes and eggs sat on the table before her. I can...can change them too.

Still, that didn't really matter. By now there were too many people who knew about the accident at the fair. Even if she made her parents forget that, they could just easily learn from another source. Not an effective solution. MJ bit her lip.

No, she would have to be honest with them and the fact that she had been caught up in that accident. But what of afterwards, going missing for...to be honest, she wasn't exactly sure how long it had been. The daughter of one of Adhentu's best scientists/engineers and renowned district attorney just vanishing couldn't be swept under the rug. The thought of telling the truth, the whole truth, ran through her head. If there was someone out there who could take a major corporation to a legal battle in court and win, it'd be Dad, but...not without loads and loads of airtight evidence. She just didn't have that. Plus it would let so many others know that superhumans now existed. The fallout that could ensue from that being public knowledge...no, that wasn't an option either.

Goddammit man.

What, then? The only real option was some of the truth, mixed up with lies. The problem lay with what lie could possibly be convincing enough. She'd been to some of the best schools around here, so she knew people...but between actual school and the forced homeschooling from her parents...the closest thing she had to an actual friend was their butler, Edward Grey. Even now, not in school, still the domineering nature of her parents didn't leave much for personal freedom. No, saying friends had gotten to her after that and she'd spent the time just recuperating and hanging out...that wouldn't work.

And there was no telling what kind of police response Dad pushed for to go find me and--shit! I should have memory-read the cop!

The facepalm that followed actually really stung. Jeez. "Ow."

She was getting nowhere and the taxi was getting closer and closer by the second. "Hnghrm..." She wasn't sure what kind of anxious panicked noise that was exactly but in desperation she sat up in her seat and had another destination added to the trip before it brought her home. When she arrived, the door opened immediately after the taxi came to a halt and she was out in a hurried walk, calling over her shoulder. "Wait for me!" More for her benefit than anything else.

She stopped just before a building, the loud music within blasting loud enough that she could hear it clearly even out here. Her eyes lifted to the neon sign. One of this district's most famous bars. MJ looked down, eyeing the bouncer. Normally, one of her age would not have been able to get inside, but that was not a problem a little green couldn't solve. Same with the bartender inside. And when she came back out, it was with a few bottles in tow. And then some.

"Okay, let's go!" She exclaimed once back in the ride. The rest of the ride went smoothly. She sipped enough drinks to ensure alcohol would be on her breath.

That done, she focused on the memory she had taken from one of the bar regulars on how he acted while drunk out of his mind...or at least as much as he was able to remember before he blacked out. There was barely any time for more than a deep breath before she got home now.

She shut the car door with a loud enough bang that she was sure could be heard even through the thick walls of their home. The walk up was less than graceful, she made sure to stumble at points and letting one of the bottles fall out of a faltering grip, letting it hit the ground with a loud clink. Her fingers fumbled on trying to ring the doorbell, missing narrowly several times before the front door predictably opened, Dad standing there with his just as predictable stern face.

"Hey! Daddy-o, so niceeeeeeeeeeeeeeee to....uh...............see ya! Yeah, that's the word!" She snickered, which followed with a godsend as she actually burped. And fell into his arms. "You wou--wouldn't believe how crazy this was!"

-------------------

"...Let me get this straight. So you're saying after that strange affair at the fair, when you came to...you were so grateful that you were still alive that you immediately went to District 16 and hit the bars in celebration. That's where you have been all this time."

"Uh-huh. Exactly right. This is the...the part where the game show host would tell ya what you won." MJ grinned lopsidely.

The piercing gaze that followed seemed to stare into her soul, and only after what seemed like an eternity did her father relent.

"Right. At least you are unharmed. Who knows what could happen if this occurs again?" He stood and walked away.

Even pretending to be drunk, what he left unsaid didn't escape her notice. He would not tolerate something that could ruin the family's reputation. When he was out of sight, she exhaled out of relief. Her heart was racing a mile a minute. Though...as far as first time acting went, she felt she could have won a damn award for that performance.

That done, she went to her room, locked the door and pulled the stashed watch out of her pocket, going over the message again and finally replying. "If I showed up, would I find a mess like the one I left?"

 

[Corvette]

Gunnar spun head-over-heels as Jacks's gravity planted him directly on the ceiling, his momentum carrying him into the latticework of steel beams and concrete supporting the sewer system. He was hitting the structures hard, denting the steel in places and cracking concrete with his upwards fall, but Gunnar was thinking no less clearly than before he'd been subjected to his hunger-induced atavism. The structures held well enough, and Gunnar found himself lying, staring down at the floor, upon the underside of one of the beams on which he had landed squarely.

"...Sahree," he called down to the distant ground, unable to locate Jacks through the mess of infrastructure he'd dinged himself on. "I hun-gree. Dunno huat ha-end." He stood shakily. The gravity that bound him was stronger than normal. He glanced at his wings, then at the relatively cramped structural architecture around him. Even if he could fly normally--which he wasn't sure he could, yet--under increased gravity and in this environment it would be impossible.

"Huen gone?" he asked Jacks, locating her "above" him. He was referencing the gravitational effect on him. "Can go daon shoon?" He winced. He wished he could be more articulate. Hopefully Jacks understood.

At any rate, he'd begin jumping from structure to structure--aware that they were probably relatively necessary infrastructure but also aware that he very much wanted to get down from there.

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"If I showed up, would I find a mess like the one I left?"

'I mean I'm not going to try to eat you or yeet you into the ceiling if that's the mess you're referring to. Wait, you were already gone then. The detective's on board now so my uncle isn't arrested. I think. She was still a little out of it when I left'

'I can confirm I am not yet in jail' Bant cut in with a message of his own.

'There you go' Beckett continued. 'I'm going regardless. Shouldn't be a big deal. Not like anyone else has had more time to adjust than we have, so I can't imagine anyone's gone full supervillain yet '

Around twenty minutes after they sent that last message, they were closing in on the sparked. Frustratingly, it seemed they'd been following whoever it was in a circle, wandering the same blocks in a winding pattern, almost as if the sparked knew they were being followed. Beckett glanced up from their watch's compass to where the fuzzy arrow was pointing, and just briefly caught the glimpse of what looked like a duster coat of all things slipping through a revolving door up the block. They glanced up at the sign of the building.

Bank of American International

Well, it couldn't be more of a boring, low stress environment than a bank, right? They probably didn't need to worry about whoever was inside sparking. They took a few steps forward and practically jumped out of their skin when they heard a pair of gunshots go off inside the bank. They sprinted to the edge of the building and poked their head over to look inside. most of the bank's patrons and workers had crouched down to the floor, at the apparent orders of the one person still standing in the middle of the room. A well fed middle aged woman held the oldest looking gun Beckett had ever seen over her head. She wore a black stetson and duster jacket, with jeans and cowboy boots of all things. what little Beckett might've seen of their face at this angle was covered with a bandana, and in their other hand the old revolver's twin was pointed at a teller who was currently moving through the bank with a burlap bag gathering wallets and other finery from the bank's patrons. Beckett held the watch up to the window, praying that what they assumed was the case was wrong.

It was not wrong. The wannabe outlaw standing in the middle of the bank was sparked.

They swore and stepped back around the corner. 'ok I lied apparently there has been enough time for them to go supervillain they're literally robbing a bank right now'

'I'll be right there'

Beckett huffed and lowered their watch, turned to look back in the bank for a moment to see if anything had changed, and then punched Bant in the cheek out of surprise when he suddenly grabbed their shoulder, immediately going pale as they realized what they'd done. "Oh shit are you ok?!" They hissed quietly "I didn't think you could go that far?"

"What, do you think District 8 doesn't have wifi now???" Bant hissed back, before he slaped Beckett's ear. Not in retaliation, but to put something in it; Beckett's face was suddenly enveloped in a colorful mask of light that covered everything but their mouth and chin, and their eyes were suddenly lit up with a display.

"...What."

"Now go, do hero stuff!"

"THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE SAID WE WEREN'T DOING! THIS IS NOT A SUPERHERO THING!"

"THAT WAS BEFORE A POWERED INDIVIDUAL STORMED A BANK. Could you live with it if regular cops went in their and died because they didn't know what they were dealing with???"

Beckett pursed their lips in frustration and snapped a finger up before they slowly lowered it to poke their uncle in the chest. "This is not-!"

"Beckett, dear. I know you like to be stubborn, but there's an actual chance someone gets killed if you don't go in there."

They were gonna strangle him. They in fact briefly reacked over to do so, before they threw up their hands and stormed towards the bank doors as Bant sent out one last message.

'If anyone made it to D8 to help, we're on Telegraph and Haas, Bank of America International, let me know so I can give you something before you get here'

 

[Prospero]

Rochefort was no frontliner and he knew it. Even his military life was focused more on medical under fire and less on creating more cases. Add his leg into the equation, and you did not have the makings of Batman. That didn't mean he was entirely useless however, not in his mind, after all...

Every James Bond needed a Q.

He had been a busy, busy man throughout the night as he absorbed and went to work. He had taken several trips as well to the scrapyards, grabbing everything he could viably get his hands on, taking them back with sheer grit, determination and the ability to make his own minions.

Two of his servitors had been broken down, converted into the fabricators he needed. The rest churned the raw materials, formed the delicate parts he needed as slowly, a factory floor began to surround the man with Arachnos overlooking the entire thing. The machines themselves had a certain rythmatic beat as well, like Creation itself was dancing to Rocheforts tune. It was almost intoxicating and sans times for sleeping and eating, Rochefort was happiest where he was as he saw his creations come to life.

Drones for dropping off and picking up evidence, additions to the watches Bant had made to further enhance their ragtag groups capabilities.

Of course, there was the question of testing but he was sure they'd get to it in time.

And what do you know!

Rochefort was about to get his wish as his screen flickered to reveal the point of view of C.D., looking through their eyes as he monitored life signs, points of access and more before he spoke, the transmission distorting his voice to something a bit more...

Well frankly, it was sinister enough but should obfuscate anyone thinking to peek in.

And if you had to pick a robot voice to do this kind of stuff, why wouldn't you synthesize Frank Welkers?

"Arachnos online. Life signs monitored. Don't worry, the mask is a creation of my own and will aid in field research regarding the Banticles. Think of me as the cricket on your shoulder."

From his seat, Rochefort leaned back as he began the search protocols for anyone else monitoring. If they were involved, sure as beans others would be interested as well. Couldn't have that and he glanced to the side as his current creations began to slide off the assembly line, working constantly through all this time.

"Eventually my machines will take a more proactive role but for now, I can only upgrade your current equipment and send it to your locations. It's a learning process."

 

[MyrtenRose]

'I mean I'm not going to try to eat you or yeet you into the ceiling if that's the mess you're referring to. Wait, you were already gone then. The detective's on board now so my uncle isn't arrested. I think. She was still a little out of it when I left'

'I can confirm I am not yet in jail' Bant cut in with a message of his own.

'There you go' Beckett continued. 'I'm going regardless. Shouldn't be a big deal. Not like anyone else has had more time to adjust than we have, so I can't imagine anyone's gone full supervillain yet '

"Not gonna...eat me or yeet me? ...I'm just gonna thank myself for getting out when I did. Anyways, that's good." MJ replied, already going for the window of her room. She'd never really needed reasons to justify her sneaking out and getting away from this place for a while, but now she'd cleared it up with dad and a little lie and more than that she had a really good and legit reason for sneaking out of here. Albeit a secret reason. The security on their place was pretty tight, but she knew the blindspots like the back of her hand and within a minute of that reply, she was down the street, hailing for another taxi.

'If anyone made it to D8 to help, we're on Telegraph and Haas, Bank of America International, let me know so I can give you something before you get here'

It made pretty decent time too. Enough so that by the time this message arrived, she was close. Reading that message though, she couldn't help but roll her eyes. She couldn't be sure but in her mind new sparked + bank = fucking cliche. "Oh wow, look at me. I have new powers and the first thing I do with them is go rob a bank. I'm the villain in half the superhero team-up comic books." She shook her head.

"I don't know how much I can help, but I'm close."

 

[MidwayLives]

'If anyone made it to D8 to help, we're on Telegraph and Haas, Bank of America International, let me know so I can give you something before you get here'

This was the kind of trouble that Johnny didn't wanna get mixed up in. He was praised for his bagging skills and the speed at which he scanned items as they were slid across the row. Not for hsi fighting abilities or his creature's ability to send whatever it ate to a hellish dimension. Now, he was supposed to go stop a bank robbery? Who did he think he was? Some kind of superhero? Once again, Johnny read the message and turned away, patting his wallet where it was securely tucked away in his pocket. He just had to get a hotel room or something and spend the night there and think about his next move. Maybe he could change his name, move out of the city, start a new life. Only with a hellish beast that could read his thoughts attached to him forever and ever. Yeah, one hell of a drawback.

Apparently his pacing around had caught the attention of someone at least.

*tap tap tap*

"Something on your mind, pal? I could hear you pacing all the way from over here."

Looking up from his watch, Johnny looked over to a nearby bench. A walking stick was beside a relatively youthful indvidual with long flowing brown hair and sunglasses on. Seemed a bit odd to be wearing them now but then while most would have connected the dots between the stick and the man, Johnny...didn't. "Oh..Uh, no I'm fine. Just.."

"Loud phone. That's your phone going off, right?"

"Huh? My phone-"

Johnny's eyes widened as his watch started going off meaning he'd found another Sparked. But the way the compass was pointing, no it couldn't have been. Johnny's bottom lip trembled and he could barely find it in himself to form a rebuttal. The man simply grinned and tapped the end of his stick on the ground once more. "Well, was I right? Was it a phone?" Johnny took a step forward, unsure of what to do next. To run might incite a chase or make him look like a madman. But what if this guy was one of the 'wrong hands' that Bant had mentioned? Oh, to run away and still find himself staring potential trouble right in the face. Good going Johnny.

"We should sit. Avoid any trouble or causing a disturbance."

The man simply continued to smirk and patted the empty space on the bench beside him. Johnny sighed and went to take a seat. He had a really bad feeling this was going to backfire in someway and it was gonna be painful. Just as Johnny opened his mouth to introduce himself, the man waved him off.

"Johnathan Higashikata. You prefer being called Johnny. Name's Andrew but you can call me Andy."

"..." Johnny had been scared and now he was just plain unnerved. The man turned his head to face Johnny and smiled. "Something wrong?"

~~~~

The last thing he remembered was that goddamn explosion. It knocked him flat on his ass and everything had gone dark after that. When he came too, he recalled being pulled away by some older looking guy. He figured the old guy had gotten mixed up in that mess too and decided to be a good Samaritan. Well, it would have been appreciated but Danny Jenkins still couldn't shake the feeling that something was just off! He'd gone home to his apartment and as usual, locked the door behind him. Not that anybody ever came to visit but it gave him just a little peace of mind. Made him felt fortified and safe. Given what he'd just gone through, he was gonna need some time to wind down anyway. That explosion had brought unpleasant memories to the surface and Danny didn't deal with his problems well at the best of times. Opening up his fridge, he grabbed a can of Budweiser out and slammed the door shut once he'd obtained it.

Pacing around his room, he plopped down onto his couch and stared at the blank television looking back at him. It pained him to see the man in the reflection. Th man he'd become since moving out here. He thought it'd have been a change for the positive. To help him better come to terms with the criticism that his former countrymen had thrown at the US. But instead he'd only felt completely and utterly miserable. Opening up his wallet, he looked at the crumpled up business card of the therapist who had offered to help him if he gave a call. He'd been reluctant to seek help, believing he could handle his issues on his own. But maybe it was time for a change. Maybe he needed someone to guide him...

~~~

"Stop! Thief!"

Jean had lived a complicated life for as long as she could remember. Put-upon mother, piece of shit dad, lovely little sister she'd do anything to protect and yet here she was running for her life from a street vendor that she'd snatched a hot dog from. With as many toppings as she could muster of course. She would have paid for it, honest. But she needed to save up her money to keep the wrong kind of people off her back as she was currently living in a run down warehouse. Wasn't exactly the Ritz but it was better than living on the street or in a jail cell. Juking into an alley and knocking over a couple of garbage cans behind her to try and throw off her pursuers, Jean desperately began to climb as best as she could. She just had to reach the fire escape and she'd be good to go!

Stepping over the garbage cans, the men who'd been pursuing grabbed her by the arm. "All of this over a f'ing hotdog!" He snapped only for Jean to kick him square between the legs. Stumbling back, Jean climbed atop the dumpster and jumped, grabbing onto the bottom of the ladder that was attached to the fire escape. Pulling herself up, she reached into her pocket and threw down five bucks. "Thanks!"

"Thanks for what?! The assault or the hotdog?!" One of them shrieked as hsi friend comforted him. As Jean made her get away, the uninjured friend had picked up the dollar bill and looked it over. "What the..." It was a gag dollar! Hearing the cursing fade away, Jean felt a bad taste in her mouth and it wasn't the hotdog. She hated jipping people who were just trying to get by like she was but she couldn't afford to screw around with the guys she paid off to leave her alone. The last time she did? It....didn't go so well...

~~~

I believe myself a faithful attendant of God. When I spoke, people listened and behaved as good Christians should. Yet, these days if someone were to look at me, they'd think of me as a caricature. The image of the current 'face' of America. An elderly bigoted fool with too much time on his hands. Those folks could believe what they wished. Sticks and stones may break my bones but word would never hurt me and besides, it was the proper thing to turn the other cheek so to speak. I didn't listen to the naysayers of the world and have ventured out to this city to call out my fellow Americans who I believe fled here because they couldn't handle the truth. America was still America, they were the ones who refused to change and accept reality, not I. That atrocious fair...What a complete and utter mockery of our Lord. The Lord doth provideth and he also taketh away. Such was the likely reason why that terrible explosion occurred. God had looked down upon the fair with contempt at what was a perversion of what was good and decent. I, on the other hand, had come to protest. My colleagues of the faith had suggested me both in private and public to back down. I could be arrested, deported, etc. But there is one thing Henry Crane refuses to do and that is back down. As a reward for my loyalty, I'd been shaken but not horribly injured after the explosion. I even went as far as to help drag two youths to safety. I don't quite know what became of them but I hope they're alright-

*knock knock*

-Ah, there is the door. Likely the deliveryman with my package. Putting on my reading glasses, I stepped to the door and opened it. I had rented out the top floor of this apartment. I was worth it, God's Attendant deserved such a position in my humble opinion. The man held out the package to me with a clipboard in his other hand. I took the package post-haste and signed without hesitation. I thanked the man for his service and closed my door once more. I sat down upon my bed and grabbing a nearby pair of scissors, I cut the packaging open and inside was a letter from my daughter. I loved her so. Adjusting my glasses, I began to read and let me tell you, I love my daughter and my son with all of my heart. But....this letter...

"Hello dad, hope you're doing well. Daniel and I got worried about you after hearing of that big explosion at the fair. Are you okay? I know you don't really tend to use social media but at times like these, I wish you did! Would have made finding out about you would have been much easier but I know you like doing things the old fashioned way so here we are! Hope you like the stamps by the way! I specifically asked for ones with crosses on them. I know it's not why you came there but I hope you're enjoying your time in the city. It's really a beautiful place isn't it? Derek and I were hoping to have our honeymoon there!"

All good so far, didn't much care for my daughter Cassidy's husband, Derek however. He didn't believe in our Lord and Savior and I made it abundantly clear my distaste for him and he didn't shy away from his dislike of me either. That much I could respect him for. Her mother(bless her soul) would have been happy so long as Cassidy was. I am not so easy to please however. My son, Daniel often tells me I should go out and try dating again. I find the idea of doing so disturbing. My one true love is gone from this Earth and I'll meet her again someday. Nothing and nobody could fill the void she left. Anyway, I continue onwards:

"Now, I know you might not like to hear this, dad. But if you've read this far then I figure I might as well come out and say it: Danny and I think you should come home. We both know how much this matters to you but you're sixty two years old. We want to spend time with you! Not have to worry about you in a foreign country getting hurt over a difference in opinions. We want your grandkids to meet you since...mom's gone.-"

I couldn't believe what I had just read! I raised my children to follow the teachings of Christ all their life! At the same church where they were baptized, we held the service for their mother. This is much more than a 'difference of opinions!' I'm not some petty cankerous old miser. I'm doing what God has asked of all those who worship him! I'd noticed she referred to Daniel as Danny as well. She knows I tend to baby him. Playing on my emotions might work any-other time. But not here. Now, what was that about....GRANDCHILDREN!? The letter dropped from my hands and I clutched at my chest. My Cassidy having a child with...him?! I was afraid my heart couldn't take the stress of such a horrible idea. I fell to the ground with a thud and was left gasping for air like a fish out of water. It was a pathetic sight. Not at all befitting a reverend. However, the pain in my chest was dulled and I felt a horrible, burning sensation in and around my face. It felt as if I'd plunged my face into Hell itself! By the gods, it BURNED!!!!

I must have caused quite a stir. I could hear someone from the lower floors running up the stairs. Likely coming to check on the 'poor old man.' As if I needed to be seen that way. I was very in shape for my age and did my best to regulate my health. But being healthy wasn't doing anything about this BURNING!!!! It hurt, it HURT! I clawed at my face like a cornered fox, anything, anything to stop the pain! But then....it stopped. I could hardly find my breath. What had caused all that? It couldn't have just been a mere heart attack. Could it...? It was at this time my knight in shining armor had arrived and was rapping upon my door with a awe-inspiring fervor. I staggered to the door and opened it just a crack. I didn't need him spying in on my business. "Yes...?"

"Oh, hello Mr. Crane are you okay?? I heard yelling and banging and got worried and-"

"I'm fine, Mr. Carpenter. I'm just fine. Had a bit of a scare is all but I'll be alright. Thank you."

"Well, if you say so,I won't second guess you. Nice mask by the way!" I was taken aback by that statement.

"What mask?"

"...The one you're wearing? The skull one?"

"...If this is some attempt at humor, Mr. Carpenter, I am not amused. Good day."

"But-"

"Good. Day."

Th door was shut and I stepped away from the door. Honestly, he had attempted to help me and then turned around and insulted me? What a rude little man. Ugh, I supposed my daughter expected a reply. Well, if she believed that the news of her and Derek having children was going to bring me home then she had-Another...thing... I froze in front of my mirror. Who had put this skull mask on me? Had Daniel snuck it into my luggage and I fell into it during my health scare just now? No, Daniel knows I would have been quite upset at him for such a gag. But then...As I reached up to remove the mask, I had noticed that my hands seemed skeletal too. When had I put on a skeleton costume? When did I have time to do that? As I ran my fingers along the mask, I froze. Thre was no seam where the mask ended and I couldn't find a zipper. On top of that it felt real. I was beginning to lose my composure. What in God's name was going on here?! I slammed my hands atop my dresser and stared into my mirror. Staring at me was a skeleton dressed in a reverend's clothing, pitch black nothingness in the eyesockets. The skin-free jaws moved as I gasped in horror and confusion. This was no costume or bodysuit or trick. This was me. As I tried to think about what could possibly have happened, I covered the sides of my head as I heard a horrifying hissing noise growing louder and louder behind me. Looking over my shoulder, I shuddered and screamed at seeing what appeared to be a pile of...static on the ground before me. Had I gone mad?!

Waving at the thing to stay back, I noticed it was following my hand's movements. I attempted the trick with the left hand and the same effect occurred. Had I created this thing somehow? Was this tied into why I looked like this? Too many questions and I had zero answers. Unless...

...

That had to have been it! It couldn't have been a coincidence that this had happened so soon after that explosion! I hadn't come out unscathed as I'd previously thought! Something had happened to me and I believe I know why. The explosion, me saving those two boys, receiving that letter, my reaction, it all made sense. This had been God's plan from the start! I had come here to see that hsi will be done and so it shall be! Why this form specifically, I do not understand. But the Lord works in mysterious ways. Opening my drawer and grabbing a pair of tight black gloves, I slipped them on over my hands and grabbed my scarf off the coatrack and slipped it on to obscure the lower half of my face. It might have seemed at odds to wear such a thing outdoors in this weather but as if I gave a damn what others thought about my attire anyway. My hat would keep the top of my head hidden and a pair of sunglasses would complete it. I'd get a better grip on what had happened to me and then this city would see. They truly would.

The static inched closer and closer to the letter as Henry got himself situated.

"And I heard as it were, the noise of thunder; One of the four beasts saying "Come and See" And I saw. And behold, a white horse."

It drew ever closer and closer...

"And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts, and I looked and behold: a pale horse. And his name that sat on him, was Death."

It absorbed the letter into itself, rendering it into nothingness...

"And Hell followed with him."

 

[Indolent]

Well, that-- whatever all of that had been-- had been something, for a lack of a socially adequate term, of a clusterfuck. Not only had she been gassed and schlepped away to an unknown location by the selfsame loony toons uncle doctor of Beckett's that gave her powers, there was also the matter of the cop and her ambush with the scene that followed. Then there was the one that proceeded almost directly after, what with the local zoologist going native and sizing Jacks up for a snack. Both a monumental nightmare and intense rush for the girl, it was not long before she grappled with her irascible tendency of floating and vamoosed the premises before anyone else could have said wham bam, thank you ma'am.

Though she left Beckett a brief, coded message that indubitably only she understood: "ｰ( ￣▽ )_皿~~"

For some inexplicable reason, on her way out, there was a hole in the wall. Recent one by the looks of it. Not that it mattered, it was an avenue to blowing this joint and before long, she was nestled comfortably within the back seat of an air cab. Hers was a strange, happy mood and the crinkle of a paper bag revealed the reason swiftly as she hummed an incoherent tune to herself before slinging back another gulp of the cheap liquor. None of that wine in a box shit, that was for wusses. Vodka and its flavored compatriots were where it was at and holy mother of god, as acrid as their alcohol content might have been, their flavor was top notch even for cheap shit.

The whipped cream flavored one was banging.

Then:

“....UuuuuuuuUUUUUUUuuuuunnnnnnghhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmmrgh” they beat their fist against the concrete wall before tossing their head back and going up the stairs on the other side of the station instead, the opposite direction from sweet, sweet home and sleep. They brought up their AR messenger and hit up the program in everyone’s watches without looking down, tapping on the illusion of a keyboard only they could see. ‘Hey. I know we all literally just left like twenty minutes ago but if anyone’s near district 8 I might have found a sparked. Its not like I can get hurt even if they’re already active, so just a heads up I guess. If you’re close could help or something idk’

Jacks blinked blearily and pawed at the message, halfway forgetting how to interact with the technology amid hiccups. Her eyebrows knitted together in intense concentration, forming the makings of a fuzzy caterpillar, so as to beat back the warm glow of alcohol as she meandered in thought on the message and her options. With alacrity bordering on the fantastical even by a drunkard's standards, Ms Dempsey arrived at a decision, exemplified by the haphazard finagling of the projected keyboard to formulate her response.

"σ(≧ε≦ｏ)"

Without further ado, she set herself on her way towards the designated location with insistent ushering of the automated vehicle to go faster.--

'If anyone made it to D8 to help, we're on Telegraph and Haas, Bank of America International, let me know so I can give you something before you get here'

"Thash were we gotta gogo."

Before long, one Jacks Dempsey found herself on Telegraph and Haas, by the Bank of America International. Her eyes blinked and slitted as the light hit her, eliciting a wince before she struggled to double and triple check her headings. Giving up, she shrugged, and ambled up for the establishment, the faint yet familiar crinkle of brown paper following behind with her newest friend well and firmly in hand.

"Ahm comin, Becksy."

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Bant caught sight of Jacks just as Beckett went through the doors, and his brief grin of excitement was quickly dampened when Jacks almost stumbled face first into the wall. "Oh shit." He powerwalked over to her and put an arm around her shoulders to steer her past the door and towards the alleyway he was temporarily lairing in. "Jacks. Jacks. Do you know what I asked you to do? To stay calm. You remember that, right?" HE asked as he stuck a device in her ear. She was greeted by the same Heads Up Display that Beckett had seen, save that hers had a warning light flashing in the corner about 'poisoning detected' or some nonsense.

During her stride up to the bank, MJ passed what looked like Bant holding someone dressed like Jacks had been when she'd last seen her a few hours ago, save that their head had been replaced by a starfield, with two particularly bright lights passing for the eyes.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When the bank doors jingled happily as they opened, the hostages nearest to the door instantly shrank away in fear. The bandit in the middle, however, seemed unconcerned as she turned around in a half pirouette, turning the gun she had towards the ceiling onto the door instead. The smile was audible as she spoke in a southern belle drawl that was almost as sweet as it was fake. "Well I'llllll be, this robbery ain't been goin on for more than a minute and y'all are al....ready.... here?"

She stared at the dazzling mask of color that was covering Beckett's face, and slowly squinted.

"uh."

Beckett gave a deep, controlled sigh before they gave her a firm glare."Look. This wasn't my idea. But I do need you to come with me before you hurt anybody."

"Oh my god. Its happening." the bandit breathed, sounding far less cowgirl and much more fangirl. "Its really happening. Already! oh my gosh its happenniiiiiiiing!" She giggled to herself before her eyes suddenly hardened and she levelled the gun at Beckett. "Sos, seems like us outlaws ain't the only one who got some new toys to play with. Well I'll have you know, you law bound muffinbutt, that I ain't no regular bandit. You's steppin up against Calamity Janet herself!"

"...Okay. I'm not doing this. Put the gun down or I am actually going to kick your ass."

"I'd like to see you try, you colorful government hippie!"

"ARE YOU JUST GOING TO TAKE THAT, ARDENT!?" Came a voice from the door as two other people were pushed inside. Jacks in her star mask, and MJ in what looked like a digitized privacy filter floating over her face. "GIVE THIS DASTARDLY VILLAIN WHAT FOR!"

"..." Beckett slowly clenched their hands and unclenched them a few times, briefly contemplated turning their boiling ire towards the voice outside the door instead, before they half groaned and growled before they charged forward for the bandit in black.

 

[MidwayLives]

Johnny was feeling torn between two worlds. To go and try and save those at the bank would be the point of no return. He'd become a 'hero' and had to figure out how to balance his emotions alongside saving people. Then on the other hand he could keep running until he simply couldn't anymore. Nobody would have to worry about him or the devourer he'd been attached with. But all of that wouldn't matter if he didn't figure out what was going on with the guy he was currently sharing a bench with. His long brown hair cascaded down his shoulders with his torso and arms obscured by a black turtleneck with matching jeans, his eyes were hidden away by a pair of thick black sunglasses and his ears wiggled.

"You're gonna ask me how exactly I've been able to predict all of this. Aren't you?"

"....Well, if you already knew why say it? Just to rub it in my face?"

"Pretty much." The man who'd identified himself as Andrew Winters gestured over in Johnny's direction. "That thing that went off. It wasn't a phone and you wanna know how I know? When the alarm went off, it should have sounded more muffled if it'd been a phone. You're out in public and it'd be so obnoxious to whip your phone out the second you tripped an alarm notification. It'd get people staring when you're already worried about doing whatever it is you set the alarm for. Plus it only seemed to go off once I'd gotten your attention. Pretty perceptive, huh?" Andrew asked, tapping the side of his head. Johnny wouldn't give him the validation he'd been hoping for. "Yeah, it's not a phone..." Andrew tilted his head. "Then what is it? C'mon, Johnny boy, don't try to play me..." Andrew's voice grew cold and he tapped the bottom of his walking stick against the ground. "I heard something talk and given how close it sounded, it had to be right beside you or at least in your general vicinity if I'm spitballing. But....I never heard any footsteps...You've got something weird going on, just like me. Don't you?"

Well, Johnny couldn't very well dance around it if this guy could somehow figure out what he was going to say and do next. "...Yeah."

"With each passing moment, it seems more and more likely, this is an enemy..." [Melancholy Hill] chimed in, voicing Johnny's worst fears. But Andrew brushed them aside just as quickly as the beast had announced them. "Enemy? Nah. Don't quite know how I got this thing but it's been doing wonders for me. How'd you get yours?"

"..."

Johnny wasn't going to share something like that if it had any potential of putting the other people he'd met at Bant's lab in danger. Moreso when they were off risking their lives while he was talking to a Sparked stranger he still didn't fully understand the intentions of. "Staying quiet, huh? Well, that's fine. I didn't need to use AUX to forecast that." That piqued Johnny's interest and he looked over with a quirked eyebrow. "...AUX?" "Yeah, AUX. Short for AUXILIARY. Like that input setting old TVs had, y'know?" A blank stare and lack of response was all Andrew would get. "Whatever. Anyway, it's what I called my...I dunno....power? I say AUX and it's the 'trigger' I need to hear ten seconds into the future. That's how I've been hearing what you'd say and do before you even did it. Sorry for freaking you out. I've been having fun getting kicks out of it."

...Future foresight? Well, that was a terrifying ability if it got into the wrong hands. Thankfully so far it seemed that this Andy guy was kind of a trickster but didn't seem overly bad. "...I can eat things with mine. It, uh, sounds a lot lamer than what it actually looks like in action. I-well, it called itself [Melancholy Hill]" Johnny admitted and Andrew chuckled. "Aha, don't sweat it man. I'm sure it's fine. I was caught up in that whole fair thing and figured I was fine for the most part. But a while ago, I was about to cross a busy crosswalk. Then..." Andrew dropped his walking stick. "Lost my stick. Figured a good Samaritan would bring it back to me but nobody did. I had places to be and so I decided to just bite the bullet and go for it."

Johnny leaned in, somewhat enraptured by the story. "...Weren't you scared...?"

"Oh yeah, definitely. I could have gotten hit by someone not paying attention and died on impact. My heart was racing and as I took the first step forward, everything seemed to freeze and suddenly I heard the sound of the car closest to me coming and then it getting quieter as it continued on and then the sound of footsteps quickly hurrying ahead. After that, everything re-focused and I could hear that same car's noise. I stayed where I was and heard the car go past me and I realized the footsteps I'd heard were mine. I didn't know what was happening but I kept rinsing and repeating and eventually I got past the crosswalk and somebody returned my stick to me."

"...Wow." Truth be told, Johnny was happy that somebody had seemingly found happiness in this whole mess. He sure couldn't see any brightsides to having [Melancholy Hill] with him. "...I...I just don't know what to do, Andy. I can't get into all the details but there's a bank robbery going on right now and I should go there and help but I..." Johnny trailed off and Andrew shrugged. "Eh, I wouldn't worry about it. That's what police are for, right? I mean, what are you? Some kind of superhero...? Shit like that only exists in comics dude. Dunno where or why we got these powers but I'm not gonna worry about anyone but numero uno. You should just do what feels right for you. C'mon, I'll show you something."

"But Andy I should really-"

"C'mon. I think the bank can go a few more minutes without their shining garbage disposal." Andy extended his hand clearly indicating that he wanted a handshake. "...Don't make me use AUX to find out if you shake my hand or not." Andrew teasingly warned and sighing, Johnny accepted the hand and shook before both rised to their feet. Tapping his stick on the ground, Andy pointed in the direction of a couple of seemingly well-off ish guys who were around his/Johnny's age. "Watch this..." Stepping towards the crowd, Andrew paid attention to the voices and which one sounded closer to him. The owner of the voice that sounded the closest would be bumped into. Gritting his teeth, Andrew shouted. "HEY ASSHOLE, WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING!!!"

"Wha-Who the hell do you think you are man??" The youth exclaimed, moving to face Andy only to stop upon seeing his stick and sunglasses. "Ah, hey man, what'd you bump into me for...?" His tone considerably softer now. Irritated at how uncomfortable the guy sounded now that he'd taken a good look at him, Andrew smirked. "Dunno. Could sworn you were the dipshit who bumped into me." He taunted before placing his free hand on the guy's chest and giving him a hearty push. His friends by this point were snickering under their breath. "C'mon, Brad, you gonna let that guy push you around like that?" His nostrils flaring and his cheeks flushed with embarrassment, Brad looked Andrew in the face. "Listen man, I don't know if you're really blind or if you're just faking it but you're really starting to piss me off. Just back off and leave me alone."

"Or what? You really gonna slug a blind guy?"

"I didn't say-"

"Tell you what, I'll make you a deal. I'll leave you alone if you can punch me. If I knock you on your ass then you owe me....Ten bucks let's say. Sound fair?" Andrew offered and Brad was flabbergasted and his friends were left in a mix of feeling uncomfortable as well and howling in laughter. "C'mon Brad, the guy's clearly faking it. Look he's got a friend with him. They're probably just trying to mess with you. Let it go..."Emboldened by his friends' words, Brad scoffed. "Yeah, yeah they're right. What if you're just lying to try and scam some money out of me? Huh?" Flashing Brad and company a bemused smile, Andrew moved up to grab his sunglasses with his back still facing Johnny and pulled them off.

The looks on Brad and co's faces said it all. "....Holy shit...What the hell happened to your-" Placing the sunglasses back on, Andrew let out a sigh. "Well, hope that was enough proof for ya. So, you accept my offer or what? I've handled worse than you but maybe you'll get lucky..." The taunts kept on coming and although he was disgusted by whatever he'd seen behind Andrew's shades, Brad balled up his fists and Andrew went to work.

"AUX..." He murmured softly under his breath and his opponent's moves were revealed to him. He could hear one punch coming from the right, aimed for the side of his head, one punch coming from the left for his gut. Easy enough to deal with. Preparing himself mentally for what would come next, the punch came in from the right just as AUX had forecasted and Andrew lifted up his forearm to block it and then kneed Brad in the gut before he could throw the second one. "Ugh!" He cried out as he stumbled back clutching at his stomach. "AUX.." Brad would stumble a couple more feet back and then raise his left arm and called out for Andrew to let this whole thing go. Returning to reality, Andrew gripped tightly onto his walking stick and swung it to sweep Brad's feet out from under him. Crashing onto the ground, Brad crawled back and fishing into his wallet, he practically threw the bill at Andrew's feet and after being scooped up by his friends, retreated with them. Shouts of 'freak!' echoed in Johnny and Andrew's ears, both garnering different reactions from the men. Andrew had seen it as another job well done whereas Johnny was disgusted.

"That...That was.."

"AUX."

/"That was wrong, you...you can't just use your power like that! He didn't even know you had it! The whole thing was unfair!" Footsteps grew closer as Johnny approached. His right fist clenched up as did the fist of whatever thing was accompanying him. Probably the manifestation of his power. Whatever [Melancholy Hill] actually was.

As Johnny began to step forward, Andrew cut him off. "Weren't you just saying something about not wanting to be a hero? Yet you're gonna stand here and tell me I can't use my power to benefit myself? Ever since I lost my sight, people have treated me differently Johnny. With AUX things are different now. People can take pity on me all they want, I'll make em regret it." Andrew spat and Johnny's eyes narrowed. "I can't let you do this anymore..."

"...Yeah? What are you gonna do about it?"

There was nothing but silence between the two. Andrew didn't feel he had to use AUX to predict what Johnny would say next. "I'll stop you." Andrew couldn't have looked more exasperated. "Stop me? If that's not the most cliche thing I've heard today. Well, okay, Johnny you wanna play hero? i'll make you a deal. You and me, right now. AUX vs [Melancholy Hill] You land a punch on me? I stop full sale. No more scamming folks. But if I win?"

"If you win...?"

"I get all the money in your wallet. I heard when you patted it before you even did it. Sounds like you got quite a lot in there. Would probably last me a while." Andrew teased and Johnny's gaze hardened. He could only hope whoever'd gone to the bank was handling it as best as they could.

"I accept."

~~~~

"Hello? Yes, um, my name is Daniel Jenkins and I received a card from your office. I was told to call it if I ever felt like I needed someone to talk to? Oh, the office is really busy today? Well, with the explosion at the fair, I mean I guess people might be scared. I'M not, I just, uh wanted somebody to talk to y'know. I mean I get out a whole lot and I have friends but-"

"Sir?"

"Um, yes?"

"To see the therapist, you'll have to schedule an appointment. Like everyone else who sees her."

"Oh...Um, I knew that, heh. Well.." Looking over at the calendar he had hanging off a rusty nail that was slapdashed hammered into the wall, he squinted his eyes and focused. "Well, I'm free...just uh...about every day it seems." He muttered, sounding a bit more dejected than he wanted to.

"Please excuse me for a moment sir, it'll be just a second."

"Oh! Okay, yeah, no take your time..."



Well, at least the hold music was nice.

~~~

Well, she'd gotten away from those guys it seemed. All she had to do now was make sure she got the 'rent' money to those jerkoffs back at the warehouse she called home and things would be cool until next month. But although she'd managed to get away without a scratch, it still pained her to have to hurt honest working people like that just to get by. But the consequences of not paying up were too much for her to go through again. Clenching and unclenching her left hand, she exhaled and pushed away the memories that were starting to surface. This city wasn't her home and had never been but it was the only place she felt safe enough to hide out until she could either get her family here or get to Mexico. Neither option sounded reasonable in the foreseeable future but she'd have to try her best nevertheless.

Pocketing the money in the left pocket of her jeans, she rose to her feet, having climbed up from the fire escape to the roof of any ol apartment building. She was sure if she loitered around here long enough, she'd get in trouble. Best to just keep on moving. Pulling her bandanna up to obscure her mouth, she looked towards the closest rooftop to hers and grinned. She'd seen videos of people doing it and always thought it was the coolest shit. If she timed it just right, maybe...

Before her mind could catch up with her body, she was already in full sprint mode. Leaping from the edge of her rooftop, she stretched her hand out....and was just a inch or two from success. Which meant she was going to...to.....holy shit!!! Flapping her arms as if she were in a cartoon, she noticed the pavement growing closer and closer with each passing second. Was this really how it was going to end?! Her dying because she blundered an attempt at parkour? On paper it sounded like a cool way to go out. Attempting something only the skilled could pull off. But in practice? They were gonna be dragging her broken body off in a bag if she didn't do something quick. But what could she do?! In times of desperation and danger, she'd always sought comfort in one thing: Mr Brightside. It was a song that by this point was no doubt probably considered dated by some. But when traveling by herself and hiding from the law as a youth for as long as she could remember, it allowed her brief moments of solace.

Now if only it could save her from breaking something important!!

"Mr Brightside!!!" She shrieked. She wasn't sure why she'd done it. Maybe as a last attempt to bring herself some comfort before the inevitable happened. After all, there was no way a normal human girl could save herself from the situation she'd gotten herself into. But if the feathered wings suddenly protruding from her back were a sign of anything, it definitely wasn't normalcy. Flapping softly, Jean touched down upon the ground instead of smacking into and severely hurting if not killing herself. Looking from side to side, she opened her mouth and then quickly cupped a hand over it. Anything that came out of her mouth was going to be a scream and she didn't need to attract any attention when she looked like she'd plucked the wings right off an angel and stapled them to her back.

...A dark place for her thoughts to go when thinking of an apt comparison but fitting nevertheless in her mind.

Rising to her feet, Jean was grateful that she was still in one piece. But the fact that two big massive wings had appeared from her back and saved her life did two things.

1: Saved her life.

2: Confused the hell out of her.

But more importantly: "...how do I turn em off?"

~~~

I'd exited my room with a piece of paper and envelope in hand. Regardless of the current predicament in which I found myself, my daughter had written me a letter and so it deserved a reply. One that would hopefully explain to her why my mission here was of much greater importance than a mere trifle of 'differing opinions.' I still couldn't believe she'd said that. But then I suddenly had a skull for a face so I supposed today had just been full of strange occurrences hadn't it? I'd write the reply, grab some stamps from the post office, and then mail it off. Then I'd continue about utilizing the gift I'd been given. As I continued down the hall however, I paused as I noticed a young girl-had to be around 3-4 at the very least-running around with an ice cream cone. Double scooped, one vanilla and one chocolate. I had a bit of a sweet tooth as a young man but now I've grown weary of such things. They only served to rot and destroy. Something I didn't need more of in my life. Noticing that her father who I'd shared words with a couple of times due to how obnoxious his daughter's singing had gotten and disturbed my attempts to read and or sleep, wasn't anywhere to be seen, I sighed and attempted to continue on my way. I'd done my bid and raised my two children into adulthood with my dear Maria's help. I had no desire to raise yet another child, certainly not one that was not my own. Her father should have been ashamed at letting her roam freely as she pleased. It was no doubt disturbing to the other denizens of this apartment complex as well.

*splat*

"..."

She looked up at me and I looked down at her, my blank eyesockets thankfully obscured by my sunglasses. What had once been two luscious scoops of ice cream were now flowing down my pantleg. The child hadn't been watching where she'd been going and had bumped into me. Seeing her lower lip begin to tremble, I felt a growing urge to groan building up within me. If this child caused a scene, I'd no doubt hear the endless amount of 'there goes mean old Crane again' that I'm already swamped with whenever I happen to voice my complaints. I don't see why, I pay to live here just as everyone else does. My age shouldn't matter at all when I complain. But as I had no desire to hear this child's bellyaching, I knelt down and spoke. "It seems my pants have decided to make a meal of your ice cream, young one."

"Y-Your pants ate my ice cream, m-mister crane! Waaaaah!"

"Indeed, they did. I hope this teaches you a valuable lesson about running in the hall. Now, why don't you go along and find your father? I'm sure he'll be understanding." I had attempted to be comforting. I didn't make any mentions of another ice cream. When Daniel or Cassidy dropped their snacks, I made a point of telling them to be careful in the future. Some food grew on trees, sure, but you still needed to pay to get that food and money certainly didn't grow on trees. This child would not have that however and stamped her foot in petulant anger. "No! I want my ice cream back! Waaaaaah!!"

"Child, do you know how much your father paid for your ice cream? He had to work to get it. So, shouldn't you take this as a lesson for you to do better so next time when you get ice cream that you don't run around and bump into your elders with it?" I'd tried one more time to be reasonable and play to the child's love of her father. It still didn't seem to click and by that point I had enough. Gripping onto the child's shoulder, I scanned the hall to make sure it was just the two of us as I used my other hand to pull down my scarf and remove my glasses exposing my ghoulish visage to the child as I whispered. "Child, I've tried being reasonable with you but in truth I don't care about your ice cream or your whining. Do you want to know what happens to little girls who whine?" I focused as the girl seemed too terrified of my face to even speak. Suddenly, I could see her eyes darting around as the sound of the static hissing grew louder and louder. Brushing the scoops of ice cream off my pantleg and onto the ground, the static appeared from within the floorboards and engulfed the ice cream. The ice cream began to dissipate before vanishing completely, having become one with the static. I then willed it to disappear back beneath the boards and away until I called upon it once again. "Do you know what that was child? It was static and do you know what your crying is? White noise. Something I don't want to listen to. Now, do you want my static to come back?"

She shook her head no. Children were sometimes smarter than they were given credit for.

"Good. Now, get out of here before I make you and your father disappear like that ice cream. Go!" I exclaimed, losing my whispering on the 'go!' The girl fled from me and banged on her room's door as I readjusted my attire. Watching as her father opened the door with his daughter clinging to his leg almost immediately, I waved to him. "Hello Charles." Knowing that I didn't particularly care for him, Charles meekly waved back. "H-Hi Mr. Crane. I-oH...Oh no, did Lisa get her icecream on you? I'm SOOOOO sorry, Mr. Crane!" He exclaimed only for me to wave it off. I had scared his daughter sufficiently enough. No need to torment him as well. "It's quite alright, Charles. Accidents happen. Though I'd encourage you to keep her from running around unsupervised. There are rather 'unsavory' characters living here."

"R-Right, sorry again, Mr. Crane. Are you sure you don't need a tissue or a napkin? I can pay for the dry cleaning if-" What a meek spineless man. I hadn't even raised my voice at him and yet he was bending over backwards to compensate me. It was almost a shame i disliked him as much as I did. Almost. "It's quite alright, Charles. Really. It's just ice cream, I used to enjoy the treat quite a bit when I was her age." That seemed to be the moment when his daughter finally spoke up. "Daddy, daddy! M-Mr Crane has a skeleton face!! He showed it to me and made my ice cream disappear and said he'd make us disappear!!!" She sobbed and I looked to Charles. I still didn't have the best of grips on my power but it seemed Charles was none the wiser. "Lisa, I can't believe you. First you bump into Mr Crane and spill your ice cream on him and then you make up some ridiculous story?? I think it's time out time for you, young lady. Sorry again for the disturbance, Mr. Crane. I have no idea where she got 'skeleton face' from!"

"Oh, don't worry, Charles. Children say the darnedest things don't they...?" As he continued to struggle with his daughter, I continued on my way and as I passed them with Charles's back to me, I looked back and the daughter's eyes met with mine and I pulled down my scarf once more and flashed her a grin.

"AAAAH!! Waaaaahhhh, d-daddy!!!"

Childish, sure. But I simply couldn't resist. Now, all I needed was a pen from the lobby and I could continue. But what I'd called the static back there. White Noise...White Noise...Yes. Yes, I liked the sound of that.

 

[MyrtenRose]

During her stride up to the bank, MJ passed what looked like Bant holding someone dressed like Jacks had been when she'd last seen her a few hours ago, save that their head had been replaced by a starfield, with two particularly bright lights passing for the eyes.

"..." That was a different look. And an awesome one. "I want one."

"ARE YOU JUST GOING TO TAKE THAT, ARDENT!?" Came a voice from the door as two other people were pushed inside. Jacks in her star mask, and MJ in what looked like a digitized privacy filter floating over her face. "GIVE THIS DASTARDLY VILLAIN WHAT FOR!"

"..." Beckett slowly clenched their hands and unclenched them a few times, briefly contemplated turning their boiling ire towards the voice outside the door instead, before they half groaned and growled before they charged forward for the bandit in black.

She did get one, though it wasn't as cool looking. Regardless, once inside...well, first she was thinking about how she would really need some kind of nom de guerre. MJ just didn't have the same ring to it as something like Ardent. But now was not the time to think too hard on that. She remained where she stood, just focusing and trying to dig out what power this Calamity Janet had gotten. The better to know how to proceed...just in case Beckett's charge didn't work.

 

[Indolent]

Oh there was Bant. Hi Bant, wait why'rewegoingthiswayBecksisn'tthere--

She was greeted by the same Heads Up Display that Beckett had seen, save that hers had a warning light flashing in the corner about 'poisoning detected' or some nonsense.

During her stride up to the bank, MJ passed what looked like Bant holding someone dressed like Jacks had been when she'd last seen her a few hours ago, save that their head had been replaced by a starfield, with two particularly bright lights passing for the eyes.

"Ain't news ta meh." She groused at the astute observation of the blatantly obvious, a hiccup punctuating her words pointedly as she felt around clumsily. "But all dis, tho, def'ntly new. Tha hell was in that drink???" She aimed to follow a single entity in the starfield that surrounding her dome and effectively accomplishing a 720 degree spin, bringing on further dizziness. "Shit."

"ARE YOU JUST GOING TO TAKE THAT, ARDENT!?" Came a voice from the door as two other people were pushed inside. Jacks in her star mask, and MJ in what looked like a digitized privacy filter floating over her face. "GIVE THIS DASTARDLY VILLAIN WHAT FOR!"

Oohp. It was all she could do not to topple over, exercising the sheer willpower she cultivated over the years. That and the shooting pain in the one leg helped for something to focus on. She blinked blearily and looked around, grumbling as she strained to remember-- Oh yeah, some nefarious wrongdoing underway at the bank and there was Beckett! It all came together and she stepped forward with her right arm outstretched, a gesture signifying her intent to help.

Only she tripped and, through instinct, caught herself with her extended arm. Right through the very flooring of the bank, with the cacophonous crunching of cement reverberating from the impact. She expected pain and found confusion accompanying it. She blinked repeatedly and clasped around for something but found no purchase. Where there had been a floor was now a pit with her arm dangling within its interior, as a result of an astoundingly focused expulsion of gravitational waves emitted from her right arm.

"... I'll be fine, 'll walk it off." She insisted aloud from the floor.

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

MJ felt her powers reaching into the woman as she concentrated,

Janet was having a pleasantly dull day. It wasn't her first year at the fair, but-

Then the ground next to MJ exploded, briefly snapping out of her power. When she turned back to Janet and 'Ardent', she saw Beckett diving forward, Calamity Janet midair with one hand pushed against the top of Beckett's head to help her vault over, and the other pointing a gun at her.

Then she got shot.

The bullet cracked into her forehead... and bounced. The force was definitely enough to make her stumble backwards and disorient her, but it was far from a lethal or even wounding blow. Yet before she or Jacks could recover from their balance, the bank was suddenly filled with the sound of shattering glass as almost every light in the bank seemed to burst in the span of a few seconds, the entire room suddenly shrouded in darkness. The hostages started screaming. Someone stepped on Jacks' back, and the window to the street was suddenly smashed apart behind them as Bant's voice crackled to life in their ears.

"What just happened?! I heard gunfire, are you ok?! if you are she's getting away south down telegraph but seriously it sounded like somebody got shot was it Beckett?!

"We just got done discussing why that wouldn't be a problem!" Beckett snapped as they leapt out the window themselves and snapped their head in the direction that Bant had directed, and blinked as something bounced harmlessly off their forehead. "Yea she's going this way." They growled before they took off in a sprint after them.