SSR: S is for Subtitles!

[Artificial Idiot]

Yep, it's finally here. :D

Anyway, first off, if you don't recognise any of the people/places chances are I added them into their respective list in the SSR main list. I would apprciate it if all parties involved in this RPG read the main thread BEFORE posting. Thank you :)

And if you don't know what the frag is going on here, PM me please.

P.S Also, number one RPG rule. Take off your signature in ALL posts in this topic.

* * *

"You are now on the first floor" Droned the automated voice of lift's speakers. "Have a nice day!"

Two figures stepped out of the lift. A smaller figure, with a face so sober, it challenged a tomb stone, draped in a fur long coat. And another, with a face that could be a tomb stone, with a more conventional brown, long coat wrapped around him. To say the later figure overshadowed the other would be an understatement.
The two walked, side by side, down the corridor of the apartment complex. The wooden floor boards creaking under their weight. It was situated in a decent part of town. More cheap lodgings for those who can support themselves, then squalid, over priced holes from the bowels of hell for those with nowhere else to go. It had running water, a lift to each floor, bathroom facilities in each room. Not a millionaire's paradise, but it was decent.
The smaller of the two figures checked a piece of paper. He examined the scrawled writing on it's surface and then stopped outside a door marked 66.

"This is the place." He said to his larger counterpart, who nodded.

The smaller figure rapped lightly on the door. At first there was nothing. But it wasn't long before he heard the creak of the floor boards, the giggling of a young lady and all kinds of rustling associated with getting ready. Soon the door opened slightly, a waft of perfume assaulting the men's nostrils and then a devilishly handsome face poked though the gap.

"Yeah, what do you want?" He asked, sweat dripping down his face.

"Hello, Mr. Coal. My name is Detective Starbright and this is my associate..."

"Detective Donovan." The larger figure interrupted, face covered by the rim of his hat.

"We have urgent business to discuss with you." Starbright, aka Tracer Bullet, continued. "May we step inside?"

"Now... well, it isn't really a good time right now..." Coal replied uneasily.

"I happen to think it's a perfect time." Said Donovan, cracking his knuckles.

"Indeed, no time like the present, eh Mr. Coal?"

"Alright, alright! Just gimme a minute, okay?" Coal said before ducking back into his apartment.

"Heh, I did pretty well, didn't ?" Donovan whispered once Coal had gone.

"You make a pretty good thug, Granite. Ever considered taking it up for a living?"

"Nah, I heard the pay is lousy."

The conversation was cut short by the door being flung open. Joshua Coal now standing fully clothed in the doorway. A young, blonde haired woman pushed past him. Her face, for what brief glimpse Starbright caught of it, was red with anger. She pushed past the two "detectives" and ran down the corridor.

"Baby! I'm sorry! We'll talk later, yeah?" Josh yelled after her. But there was no response. "All right Officers, you can come in. But this better be damn important!"

* * *

Meanwhile, in the classier part of Lutonopolis, where the upper class took up residents and looked down upon the lower classes from their silver towers, noses held high. Riona Chasey lay spread out on her expensive, four seater sofa (as three seaters were awfully small), lazily watching the afternoon go by in her luxurious apartment.
There was very little to do at the moment, so she'd decided on a quiet night in front of the TV. However, TV programming was one of the few things in her life she couldn't make perfect, and she was stuck with "Attack of the Wolfman" some persudo horror/science fiction melding.

"We interrupt this broadcast for a special news bulletin." Special news bulletin's happened all the time. What with the amount of costumed creeps hanging around the city. However, this one made her sit up and listen.

"Top Scientist Geoffry Walker was reported missing yesterday by guards situated on the inner levels of the Wescorp compound. One was seriously injured, however the other described the situation as a kidnapping, carried out by a large man with bull-like horns.
"Officials are baffled by the disappearance and in a statement, a Wescorp exec described the events as "Regrettable", and says that the guard involved "Must have taken a serve blow to the head. Bull horns, how absurd." The guard hasn't been heard from since.
In other news, Communist leader Vladimir Krasny today announced to the world that work had already begun on a space programme. With the Cold War coming to a stalemate, their are fears that this is a sly tactic to hit the moral of Neo-Englanders. The USNE Space Association have yet to respond."

Riona sighed, she was about to lay down again, when there was a knock on the door. She didn't really feel like company at the moment. Maybe if she didn't answer they'd go... even as she thought it there was another knock. She sighed, no pleasing some people.

"Come in." She muttered lazily.

"Hey there." Said a gruff toned voice as a figure stomped into her apartment. "You better listen up, sweetie. 'Cause I'm your Guardian Angel!"

* * *

Tanya Wescorp fumbled about with the keys to her home. Room 37, Block 24 of Tower 82 of the Wescorp Compound. She'd never really understood how to work keys, faint memories of high tech key cards clouding her mind.
She eventually figured out the infernal mechanism, the door swinging open. She had a fairly standard, but sufficient. As an exec of Wescorp, she lived better then most of the grunts at the bottom of the pyramid. She had everything she needed here, not to mention a good cover.
She was about to strip off her Wescorp uniform (which she was proud to bare!) when something sent a shiver though her spine. A slight breeze had entered her apartment though an open window. She hadn't left any windows open when she'd left for work this morning... something was very wrong.

<<Do not be alarmed>> The words seemed to float though her mind, rather then being an actual physical sound. <<I wish no harm upon you. I just wish to converse>>

"Who are you!" Tanya yelled into the darkness. "I demand that you show yourself!"

As if out of nowhere, a figure in a long, grey dress and purple cape appeared. Her skin was a sort of off-yellowish colour, her eyes pure white and her hair silver. It was obvious she was not of this Earth. But then, neither was Tanya.

<<I apologise for any shock brought on to your person...>> The alien began, sounding slightly unsure of herself. <<... However, you did request for me reveal myself>>

* * *

Murat wiped the sweat from his forehead. He'd been working late at the Lutonopolis university and had completely lost track of time. He'd been working on a paper describing the theory of Anti-Matter. What it was, how it could be used and his own, personal thoughts about it. It shouldn't have taken him so long, but he'd felt the need to flesh it out. A lot.

"Murat Aziz, I assume." Murat turned around to meet the voice who had addressed him. It didn't sound like any of the lecturers or students. He was quite surprised to see a man dressed in a finely made Pin-stripe suit and a bowler hat. Umbrella swinging at his side.

"That's me." Replied Murat, not sure what this man wanted from him.

"Good evening. Sorry to barge in like this." The figure took a seat at a desk opposite Murat. "My name is James Wintergreen. I've heard you have quite... spectacular talents. And was wondering if we could discuss them."

"I don't know what on Earth you are talking about, sir. I am just a humble student."

"Is that correct?" James felt around in his jacket pocket, until his hands clasped around something that was roughly of a round shape. A juicy, red, apple to be precise. "Well, in that case, catch."

Wintergreen propelled the apple directly towards Murat at a moderately high speed. Enough to give somebody minor head damage, perhaps. And then watch curiously to see the reaction.

[Wesforce]

"You've revealed yourself" Acknowledged Tanya Wescorp, regarding the new figure coldly and edging around her to the hidden compartment where she kept the device that allowed her the alternate name she habitually used. "Now please be so kind as to explain yourself! Wescorp doesn't take kindly to intruders."

She waited for a reply, tensely, waiting for the odd effect of the words that would materialize in her head without being heard...

[VO]

Riona rolled over onto her back, and stretched, letting out a catlike yawn and looking up over cascading auburn hair from the edge of the sofa. The man standing in the doorway was platinum blond, with rugged features and a smile so cheesy it was practically edam. Despite the warmth of the apartment block – it’s wealthy residents would not freeze like the common or garden ones who dwelt in the poorer areas of lutonopolis– his muscular frame was encapsulated in a thick winters coat, dripping meltwater from the whirling snowstorm outside – with suspicious bulges atop each arm, like a Wesball player’s shoulderpads. Riona’s eyes were nearly blinded by the reflective glare of his bleach-white teeth and wrap-around ski-glasses.

“Who the hell are you?” She sat up, and looked up and down at the muscular stranger. A vague gurgling noise seemed to be being emitted from his clenched teeth. He certainly wasn’t bad looking – but seemed to have that kind of squeaky-clean look applied forcefully to him with a large and untactful paintbrush. His eyes were also fixed on her, and not her face.


At this moment, Riona realized that she was only wearing a flimsy nightdress – she’d only got up a few hours before - and this was definitely not the amount that you’d want a strange and possibly psychotic man who you’d never met before to see you in. She squeaked, and grabbed a cloth from the ebony-wrought sidetable next to the couch, sending an expensive and tastlessly ornate lamp crashing to the floor.

“Heheh”, ranted the strange man. “I preferred the other view”. His jaw hung fractions of an inch below his face when he spoke, and one eye rolled disturbingly. The bulges on his back moved slightly..

Riona silently, with one hand concealed behind a pillow, began to morph a handgun – something she’d practiced before, but not quite for a reason as strange as this.

[Nyerguds]

From the moment Murat looked up, he knew he couldn't dodge the apple. His brain worked at full-speed tring to come up with a solution, as he saw the apple approach towards him, inch by inch. He knew he couldn't just let it knock him out... he'd never been fully unconscious since he got 'Charged', and had no idea if his body would be able to contain the massive energy stored inside him. Being shot in the bank had been bad enough.

Every nerve in his face stung as the black pigment of his skin started outputting his internal energy as a strong negative gravity field. A small electric charge rolled over his face as the apple slowed down and fell. Murat caught it on the way down, and threw it back to Mr. Wintergreen, who caught it in mid-air.

Murat sighed. "You have no idea how big the risk was you just took. If you'd have any idea what you're dealing with you really wouldn't be so eager to knock me out."

[Apache_Longbow]

Coal turned his back to the men and walked into his apartment. What the hell is going on? He wasn't just having a good time with a random woman, for godness sakes. He was having a good time with a woman named Juliet Johansen! And you only got ONE chance with Juliet Johansen. Maybe, if he was lucky, she might reconsider, but he doubted it, and...

Suddenly, he got his mind back to the real world and remebered the strange goons who had knocked on his door and started this whole thing. He turned to them.

"Hello gentlemen. Please, do sit down." He smiled slightly, and sat down in a chair opposite the couch they immediatley rested upon. "How can I help you?"

[Blue Aurora]

"Good evening Mr. Coal," replied the shorter detective, "a client of ours wishes to meet you."
"What were your names again? I forgot,"
"I'm Lance Starbright and this is my associate, Phil Donovan,"
"What do you what of me?"
"Well, our client - James Wintergreen - wishes to meet you."
"And what if I say no?"
A sinister crackling of Phil's knuckles filled the air.
Joshua's chocolate eyes popped out by a centimeter, flashing with fear.
"Ok, ok! You don't need to get touchy."
Inside the man's heart, he felt a small flame burn up for this "Mr. Lance Starbright."
"Goodie, lets not keep Mr. Wintergreen waiting, shall we?" Phil beamed, then pushed Joshua Coal out of his flat and into the awaiting lift.
They walked inside.
Lance "Tracer Bullet" Starbright pressed a button. His jet-black '64 Impala drove up to the front of the flat.
This is going to be a long damn ride. thought Joshua Coal.

[Artificial Idiot]

(GM NOTE: Hmm, BA, two things. First, please try to space your writing out a little more, as it is dreadfully hard to read (look to everyone else as an example) and second, DVD players didn't (publicly) exist in the 70's :p)

"On the contrary, Murat, I had some idea what I was dealing with. Perhaps not a full scope, but I had full confidence in you." James placed the apple flat on the table. He picked up the paper Murat was working on in one gloved hand. "Anti-matter, how interesting."

"Look, I have no idea what you want with me, but I'm guessing it isn't to do with physics." Murat gave him a long, cold look before continuing. "So, could you just get on with it?"

"Very well." Wintergreen fumbled around in the lining of his jacket. He produced a crumbled and folded news paper that looked far from fresh, The Daily Rumour to be precise, and unfolded it on the table in front of Murat. "Do you remember this event?"

"Hmm..." Murat mumbled as he studied it curiously. He suppressed a gulp. "Sure, it was that bank robbery where everybody got killed due to faulty electrical wiring."

"Everybody... except you."

"Look, I don't know what you want, but I'm fed up of this game..." Murat began, but was almost instantly cut off.

"I quite agree. So, let us drop all these deceptions, masks, games, and get on with it." James started to peel away the skin around his face. As it came off, rubbery strand, by rubbery strand, Murat knew he was looking at a completely different person. He looked into two lifeless eyes which were surrounded by a twisted merging of flesh and pale skin. "I've dropped my mask, Murat. Now, let's see if you're going to be a little more Co-operative."

* * *
<<Once again, I feel the need to apologise. However, I was unable to approach you directly>> The alien watched as Tanya nodded in cold acceptance. <<My name is Magda, I hail from an advanced Alien race from across the Universe>>

"Yeah? Well that's just great." Even as the words came from her lips, she edged closer and closer to her secret compartment. "Doesn't explain why you are here, in my apartment, though."

<<You and I, are one and the same. I am not of this world... and neither are you>> The words sounded as though they were spoken with some degree of difficulty, as if they had been memorised earlier and not spoken directly from the mind.

"Not of this world? Well, I have been know to go a little strange after a few drinks, but I think that is a bit of an ex.." Tanya stopped in mid-speech. She realised that the air seemed to thicken around her. Like a dense fog that felt like a stone to breath. The figure, who had looked so lost and frail when Tanya had first regarded it, was changing. It was then she realised, the figure hadn't blinked all the time she and Tanya had been talking.

<<Do not attempt to deceive me!>>

The figure, Magda, had a new quality to her voice now. It had power. Each word hit Tanya's mind like a sledge hammer, leaving a ringing echo in it's wake. She wasn't sure if it was just the wind, but the figures cape, dress and even her hair flapped around dramatically, giving the illusion that she was filling the whole room. And if all this wasn't bad enough, a third eye was now fixated on Tanya. This one, however, did blink.

<<I-I apologise...>> The alien sounded almost shameful. Even though Tanya knew full well she knew exactly what she was doing. <<Please, calm your emotions. I have... a proposition for you>>

* * *

"Look!" Yelled Coal. "I was drunk, ok? I mean, what's a guy to do? How was I supposed to know he was a criminal?"

Granite watched as the detective played his games. For a game it was. if it was up to him, they'd have just been straight with him, none of this nonsense, which was so obviously putting the guy under strain. However, Bullet had wanted to do it this way. And who was Granite to argue? He could see now why he had been sent with Bullet in the first place, to keep him from getting toasted. The video was good though, very convincing. Granite still wasn't sure how he'd got old Wintergreen to wear all that padding, but all he'd said was...

"Bullet has his methods, leave him be."

So here he was, aiding in the mental breakdown of some poor, average, chump who happened to be able to roast a whole pig in a few seconds for no obvious reason other then his partner enjoyed the chase.

"Yes, but still Mr. Coal, innocent men could be killed due to your actions. Do you expect me not to charge you?" The detective continued. Granite sighed. He couldn't wait for this part to be over, even if it would probably end with him being one step closer to molten rock.

[Blue Aurora]

Note: I edited it, so you continue it off this part or the one in which I plan to have Tracer drive the car to Wintergreen's.

A


"WAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!" wailed a most unhappy Joshua Coal, "WHAT IN THE ****ING HELL DID I DO GODDAMMIT!"

Bullet half-smiled beneath his bear-skin trenchcoat. Joshua Coal, a gentleman moments before, had been stripped of his politeness and was a crybaby. A sea of tears was slowly forming.

Granite knew that Tracer was a psychological expert. He knew that his ways can help cough up some thug's info or help a new team member join the SSR. But Tracer was not an official member himself. He was only a resourceful detective that assisted them.

"Ok, I'll tell ya the truth."

"Huh?" said a flabberguasted, reddish-brownish eyed Joshua Coal

B

The black Impala slowly drove down, creeping up toward Wintergreen's house. Tracer's '64 Impala was no ordinary Impala. His car was actually designed by an ex-Wescorp scientist who specialized in mechanics and robotics. It was made out of a carbon fiber chassis and its armor was lightweight adamantium. Its engine was taken from a sports car, so it could accelerate quickly and efficiently. The tires were not made of vulcanized rubber, so it could not be burned by flamethrowers or acid, let alone slip from oil slick. It was armed with dual .50 caliber machine-guns concealed in the iron bumper, radar-guided and heat-seeking missiles were concealed on the top of it. Smokescreen bombs were stuffed in the exhaust, and it contained an EMP cannon.

The three men jumped out and ran into his flat, which was conveniently located on the ground floor. Granite passed Tracer the keys and they went inside. Granite blocked the only exit - the door.

"Now all we need to do is wait for him to come back with Murat..." whispered Tracer,

There, take your pick!

[CKW]

She's hot! And I thought it could be another lame teen with the "look at me! I have superpowers, I rock!" stuff.

Fallen Angel stood for a second.

Ok, dude. Back to the job.

"As you probably have figured out, I am not a salesman..."
Fallen Angel began to speak. How in hell had been convinced by Sunny Avenger to recruit people? Even Angel knew he wasn't the more sociable guy in the team. He reached his pocked, and drew something slowly.

For just a split second, Riona didn't draw the gun against Angel, while he was pulling out a lighter and cigarettes.

Oh, great, for how she had attempted to move she thinks i am a thug or something like that.

"Mind if I..?"

He pointed at the cigarettes and the lighter.

[VO]

"Wait a second", said Riona, sitting up. "Mind if you tell me who the bloody hell you are?" She kicked a velvet cushion away, and it slipped onto the floor.

The strange man grinned again, flashing bleached-white teeth.

"Baby, you better not have other plans, because you're flying with me tonight!"

Riona raised a perfectly-positioned eyebrow.
"I mean it, cassanova, or I call security."

To emphasise this point, she picked up the small all-purpose remote control that had been lying on the table next to the couch.

[CKW]

So the girl wants to play hard eh?
"I eat grenades with ketchup for breakfast. Security would be as easy as pie, and nevertheless unneccesary casualties."
He looked back at Rionna,and the remote control.
"You want an explanation, and I've come to talk with you. It's a fair deal.
They call me Fallen Angel. I was sent in the name of Solar Avenger. He is interested into assembling a team of "special people" and he thinks you might come in handy."
He paused for a while.
"Mind if I smoke?"

[VO]

Feeling blood rush to her cheeks at the thought that someone may have discovered her powers, Riona quickly composed herself, and rolled her eyes. She'd heard about people like this on the news - "fighting crime", albeit, it seemed, by dressing up in ludicrously coloured tight outfits, and calling themselves stupid names, like "Captain Iceland", or whoever this guy thought he was - Fallen Angel? pfft. Sounded like another tuneless "punk" band.

The man infront of her was still waving his cigarette around - a cheap and nasty brand, by her opinion. However, he probably wouldn't shut up about it if she didn't let him, so she conceeded to it by nodding towards the ashtray on the table. The smokey fumes of the man's cigarettes seemed to do nothing to curb his disturbing aura.

"This is crazy," said Riona slowly. "What makes you think, me," - she indicated the opulance amoung which she lived - "would do anything towards benefiting this organisation, or whatever it is you work for?" Organisation was about as nice as word as she could think for whatever those costumed idiots thought better to call themselves.

[CKW]

"Well, we are fighting crime currently, but you are not the person who feels compelled to help in "altruist" goals. Your main ideal is the money, judging for how expensive are the goods you can afford. Sadly, even a fraud as good as yours is still a fraud. Look. Your money falsification is perfect... However, money does not provide ways to autentificate it, it also provides ways to track down their source. The ID numbers of the moneypaper help into that."
Rionna fumed.
"Go away, you fiend. I'm not joining a costume party to fight for some ideals."

That broke the jar of Angel's patience.
"Is it funny for you, girl? I´ll SHOW how funny it is our appearance!"
He removed his coat, while the wings expanded fully. The flat seemed to shrink with the size of the feather apendixes.
His body armor, with ammo belts, and grenades attaches also showed off.
"If we don't fight crime, what is left to us? We are something so close and so far from mankind..."
He stopped, and lighted out the cigarette.
"However, if you wish to call me by my real name, it is Kurt."

[VO]

Fallen Angel's swanlike wings slapped against the celing of her apartment. His weapondry twinkled under the elegant lightning. His boots trod mud into the expensive carpet.

"Jesus...", whispered Riona. She paused a moment, and this man - Kurt - knocked into the lighting with a buzz of electricity. "Uh, sorry", he said, and dripped ash onto the floor as well.

She continued to regard his wings, and an uneasy silence followed.

"Get out of my apartment now," she said crisply. "I'm not like you, and never will be."

[CKW]

Angel coughed.
"Damn, why should i try to convince you? I'm not interested at all, it's that blasted Solar Avenger, personally, i don't think WOMEN like you are suit for hard works. You definitely don't look like you have guts, at all.Look for me, you can go to your little rotten rich life and die of boredom. I don't care."
And he tossed a card to her.
"If you, in the case you changed your mind, decide join, meet me here, at the Glassworks. At midnight."
Angel took his coat, putted it again, and cursing , grabbed the door and slammed it.

[VO]

Riona listened to the sound of his boots stomp away down the corridor. She exhaled, relieved.

What could have given that man, and whoever he worked for her identity? It didn't seem like he knew about her powers, or her previous life, but it was obvious that he did know something. Even though he'd known about the money thing (which incidentally she hadn't used much, it had been much easier to make most of the things that she needed), and it hadn't been long after she inherited her powers that she realised that she could stroll into the Lutonopolis Art Gallery, and, with the help of a camera, go home and recreate the peice, selling it on for a tidy profit.
Still, it was the kind of things to send shivers down her spine. She'd have to do something about that - move out of Lutonopolis, certainly, - Gibraltar Free Enterprise Zone seemed nice, and reasonably far away - change her regular appearance so that she wasn't recognisable and take up another psuedonom - she'd pretty much got used to this one, which was a pity.

Riona stood up, and took the card from where it had landed on the floor, quickly scrutinising it. It featured a dark silhouette of a man, with a light bulb instead of a head. Written below this was an address : "Ye Olde Abandoned Glassworks, 1445 Deanway, Lutonopolis." Below that, scrawled in a childlike script, were the mispelled words "Cactch u later, babe".

She took the card between both hands, and tore it into tiny peices, dropping them into the wastepaper basket. She then sat down again on the couch, and used the remote control to call the building's cleaners to get the mud out of the carpet, and returned to her life of luxury. Tomorrow, she'd find another place, another name, and another appearance, as far away from here as possible.

[Nyerguds]

Murat looked at the face of Solar Avenger, barely believing what he was seeing.
"I... see." he said. "But I still don't understand."

"No, of course you don't." Solar Avenger's face twisted into a smile. "It's quite a long story, however all that matters now is that you have quite an unstable power Murat. Perhaps you need help with it, perhaps you don't. But you seem like a man who would be willing to put it to a purpose. And I want to give you that purpose."
"What purpose is that?" Muras asked.
"One you're already familiar with, as far as I know. Fighting crime."
"That would be dangerous."
"You're already doing it."
"No... I know what you mean. You want to take this big scale, right? Why else would you need help? Seriously, the risk is... enormous. Worse than you can ever imagine. The bank robbery thing was nothing compared to that. It was just a bullet wound. But if I were to die... this entire city would be reduced to a boiling crater. Are you really prepared to take that risk?"
"Are you?" Solar avenger replied, calmly.
Murat looked Solar Avenger in the eyes again, this time with grim determination on his face, and lightning zapping through his retinas. "That was not the question. I do this to live."
Solar avenger smiled. "Then I just don't let you die. Don't worry, it won't be just you and me. There will be more."

Murat closed his for a few seconds to calm himself. When he opened them, his eyes were normal again.
"Very well. In that case, I'm prepared to help."

[Artificial Idiot]

(GM: Right, this situation is getting SERIOUSLY out of control, so I'm going to put this straight now. Also BA, I'd apprciate you giving other people an opertunity to post before leaping in there with another characters reaction (as it was SERIOUSLY out of character to have Coal bawling his eyes out). Also, don't put thoughts into other character's minds, only owners know their characters thought waves.

Right, so here's what I'm going to do. Starting with BA's old post (if you want it I have it backed up), I'm going to ignore the A and B post by BA (sorry BA, but one part throws Coal way out of character and the other just makes very little sense) and carry on from what I posted earlier. Sorry this has sort of turned into a mess, but it's my fault for trying something like this without giving people info.)

"This is crazy!" Coal yelled at Bullet. "You can't seriously expect me to spot a dangerous criminal, especially in that state!"

"Do I look serious?" Bullet fixated his stern expression on the man, but he say, unmoved.

"Frankly, you've just cost me the more hottest girl in the higher years of Lutonopolis Elementry. And for what? To throw wild accuscastions that mean nothing around?" Coal stodd up, his fist's balled. "I think it's about time you left... 'officers.'"

"Alright! Enough of this game Bullet." Granite said, stopping Bullet before he could start on another one of his pointless accusations. Granite got to his feet, easily towering over Coal. "Right, I'm going to be straight with you, but only if calm down!"

"Fine." Murmered Coal as he slid back in his seat. Thinking of all the hot loving he could be partaking in instead of this... this... he didn't even have words to describe it!

"Mr. Coal, we're not really detectives... well, he is, but I'm not... If you know what I mean." Coal nodded, unimpressed. "Basically, Mr. Coal, we're part of a team called the Secret Reserve.* And basically, I guess you could call this a member drive."

"And what makes you think I have the talents to join this little 'group?'" Coal sat back in his chair, reguarding the figures coldly. "I'm just your avarage Joe, as normal as you are, Mr. Donovan."

"Exactly my point." Granite removed his wide rimmed hat, his stone eyes staring directly at Coal, who was now sitting there gormless and making odd O shapes with his mouth. He watched as Granites stoney grey flesh, reformed and turned back to living tissue. Or something a lot like it. Those cold, stone eyes were now soft and brown. "And please, call me Granite."

(*Things like ULTIMATE, AMAZING, ASTONISTING, SENSATIONAL, etc., etc. are usually only added into the title of said comic book :p)

* * *

"Perfect." Proclaimed Solar Avenger, once more fumbling about in his jacket pockets. He pulled out a crisp, yellow card. A dark figure trapped in a light bulb embossed on it. "Meet me, and the others, here at Midnight tonight. All will be explained."

"Midnight." Murat rasied an eyebrow. "Not supersticious, are we?"

"When you've lived in this line of work as long as I have, it pays to be." Solar Avenger smiled. The words were almost an exact mirror of what a great man had once said to him... a long time ago. "I hope to see you there, Murat."

With that, he pulled a new plastic face from his pocket, carefully moulding it around his face. He looked nowhere near as realistic as when he had come in, but with the added touch of the bowler hat, it seemed convincing enough. He scooped up his umbrella, and left. Leaving Murat, his work, the apple and the paper behind.

* * *

No sooner had he left then he saw Kurt standing in one of the corners of the University. The ashes from a lit cigerette falling into the snow, leaving several minutre craters benath him. James, for that was who he was now, pulled his coat around him. Not like he needed to protect himself from the falling snow, but it was out of habit more then anything.

"Aren't you meant to be doing something?" James frowned. Something about the man's posture... something had gone wrong.

"You know I'm not a people person Sun..." The fixated frown of Wintergreen put him off. "James. You shouldn't have sent me out after her."

"What happened?"

"Downright refused to come, I mean, can you believe that? I tried everything! My devilishly good looks, my charming personality, even the wings didn't impress! Talk about an Ice Queen!"

"I think we've found the root of this problem." James replied, drily. "I'm going up there to sort this mess out myself, you just get back to the head quaters and see if Magda and Granite have had better luck."

The German nodded and walked off, leaving a trail of fag ash behind him in the fresh white snow.

* * *

Minutes later, James found himself standing outside one of the... what was the words they used these days? God only knows what slang these fancy, modern places branded themselves, but it was a far cry from the rest of Lutonopolis. A far cry from London.
Sighing, he carefully knocked on the door with a gloved hand. His jaw nearly dropped when he saw the woman who answered it, but he managed to keep his composure, barely.
She was quite simply stunning, beautiful in almost everyway. And with the amount of clothing she was wearing, it was hard to see how Kurt had actually failed this mission. He gave himself a mental kicking. He knew this was all an illusion. Created by a woman with an extraordinary gift. A gift, currently going to waste on designer labels and exquisite furniture.

"Miss Chaseley, I assume?" James asked, standing proud and tall as if the presence of this creature demanded him to prove himself.

"That's me." She replied simply. "Look, can this wait, I'm kind of busy right now."

"I'm afraid not. May I come in?"

While Wintergreen knew this was the place to be in Lutonpolis, and that only the filthy rich could possibly live here, it was like stepping into a whole other universe. It was like the late Buckingham palace, condensed into a few small rooms, yet losing none of it's grandness. Now he understood where Kurt had failed. Why would you want to fight crime, when you could have all this?

"I Would like to apolgise to you, Miss Chasey, for the behaviour of one of me... associates."

"If you mean the guy with the wings and grin so big it could fill the thames twice over then I'm no...."

"Calm down, Miss Chasey. I'm not here to pressure you into anything." James interupted her. "Quite frankly, Kurt is the most arrogant, pig-headed, self-centred man I have ever had the displeasure of meeting. And I can understand if you would want to throw me out on the streets right this instant."

"And why shouldn't I?" Riona said sternly.

"I was hoping we could at least have a cup of tea first, perhaps?"

[Wesforce]

''A proposition." Tanya said, tasting the word.

"I'm sorry", she said, remembering the punding her head had just taken from the inside, "But I'm afraid you'll have to go through Wescorp front desk if you want a Wescorp exec's services, just like everyone else."

Tanya didn't like being intruded on. She didn't like being belittled in her own little corner of this alien reality.

Just a little closer... With my Displacer Screen I'll giver her a taste of hard bass...

<<The time for frivolities is soon to pass. You know what I'm talking about. And it saddens me that you would think of using weapons on a friend.>>

Tanya stopped in her tracks.

"Okay. Before I go any further, how did you know who I am?" She said, wihtout saying who she was.

She folded her arms, trying to regain a posture of martial respect, and faced down the Intruder.

[Blue Aurora]

"Thanks Granite, you said what I wanted to say, but then again, it doesn't matter." Bullet paused.

"Why didn't you tell me in the first place?" Coal asked, reforming his eyes as the classic, cute little bambi eyes,

Bullet rolled his eyes. "Don't think the innocent bambi eyes will make us tell you."

"Who is the leader of this 'Secret Reserve?'" asked Coal who quickly forgot his question,

But before Bullet could open his mouth to speak, Granite cut in.

"He is James Wintergreen."

"Wintergreen??!!! I thought you two said he was The Auctioneer."

Bullet slapped his own face. A huge red shape of a hand was on the Detective's face.

"It was a psychological test."

"Ok, now I understand."

"Good, now shall we meet Mr. Wintergreen?"

Coal paused, thinking.

"Ok."

[VO]

"If you must", Riona said wearily, gesturing to the ominous white machine standing in an alcove of the flat, able to produce probably every flavoured tea under the sun. "I think we're out of Chinese Apple, though".

"Suits me", muttered her visitor, fumbling with the machine, and removing his chinaware cup too late as droplets of the hot liquid splashed everywhere. "Sorry," he said, regarding the mess he had created. "I suppose you're wondering why I'm here".

Imbecile, thought Riona, but smiled icily. "If it's something to do with that idiot Karl - or whoever he was, as you seem to imply, I really don't want a think to do with you." The stranger turned to face her, allowing Riona a good look at him away from the shadow of the doorway and his bowler hat - his face had a kind of amorphous quality to it - almost as if he was wearing a very sophisticated mask.

The man pulled a chair for himself from under the table, and sat down. Riona remained standing - how dare he do that, in her own home....

"Miss Chasey, I don't think I formally introduced myself.", he began, sipping at his tea. "My name is James Wintergreen, and I represent a very special branch of national security. I believe Kurt gave you my card..."

"So what? I'm not interested" Riona cut in before he could continue. She'd had enough of this - maybe she should have gotten out of here as soon as that Kurt man had left beforehands.

"If you please, Miss Chasey, I'd like for you to hear me out before you turf me back onto the streets. I work for a group dedicated to preserving the security of the Neo-English people - and I sincerely believe that you deserve to be a part of it."

Riona was quite taken aback by the audacity of the man - not only had he walked in here mere hours after his idiot servant had talked rubbish for half an hour, but here he was in person trying to finish the job himself.

"I assure you, sir, that I have no desire of any kind to become a policewoman. I think that the merest glance at where I live suggests that. Also, if judging by your associates... unique... appearance that you're one of those organisations" (she thought of the various documentaries she'd seen about the 'ICE BREAKERS' and other superhero groups.) "I have no desire to either dress up in spandex tights nor battle steriotypically costumed villains, obviously intent on galactic domination. No amount of persuasion, nor the charming good looks of your friend, nor the murder of any relative or significant other of mine by criminals will convince me otherwise. Besides, I wasn't under the impression that I had any supernatural abilities whatsoever. Were you?" She flashed him with pearly teeth.

"Well," said Wintergreen. "I expect I should be going, then. He stood up, placing his cup back into the autowashing facility of the tea machine, and took a step towards the door, before taking a folded peice of paper out of a jacket pocket.

"I don't suppose you could explain this, then?"

[Artificial Idiot]

Wintergreen watched her mouth drop as she saw what was in his hands. She recognised the name, coat of arms and even signature of the man who signed it as being from the Slumberdown Lab in Dorset. The lab she had once worked in. It was a tally of the number of experimental Nanomachines. One collumn noting how many there were on production, the other how many there were on a later location.

"And I know, almost exactly, where they are, Miss Chasey." He watched calmy as she snatched the paper from him and torn it to pieces. To which he simply shruged. "You don't think I'd actually let the real document fall into your hands, do you Miss Chasey?"

"So? It's just numbers!" She protested.

"Then why were you so eager to get rid of them?" He stepped inside her house again, drifting over towards the ice framed window. Cildren were down on the streets, playing in the snow. Which, like Lutonpolis, went from crisp white to sludgey black. "Do you ever look out on the world, Miss Chasey. I mean truely, look. Watch as the children frolick joyfully, or perhaps as Wescorp exec's drive past in thier flashy cars. They need protection, Miss Chasey. And we can give it to them."

"Why bother? The police are there for a reason." He looked her her briefly. Arms crossed tightly, face red with frustrastion.

"Oh come now, you're an inteligent woman." To this, Riona let out a "Hurmph". "Surely you watch the news, the amount of villains with extraordinary powers is rising day by day. Just one of these people is enough to take out the entire police force. They can't handle it, we can."

He walked back to the door, stepping on the wet area of the carpet.

"And if you're still not convinced, Miss Chasey. I know who you are, and I'm sure the media would be delighted to know your little story."

* * *

<<Perhaps you would like to... sit down before I begin?>>

"I'll stand." Tanya stated, coldly.

<<Then I shall begin>> Magda lowered herself to the floor, although was still floating, if only inches about the ground. <<I was commanded to locate you.. Miss Wescorp... To inform you of an oppertunity. My... companion pieced togeather the events of your arrival to this world by various small clues. It was an enduring task, but he unravelled the mystery>>

"I see. So you're from the Government, eh? Come to arrest me and throw me in that area fifteen place?"

<<No>> The word was so simple compared to the rest of the alien's long winded speech, it took Tanya by surprise. <<I sense in you much.. compassion... confusion... A sense of duty. I am, in part, part of a team who call themselves the Secret Reserve. We dedicate ourselves to removing illeagal activities. The leader of this team, has requested your presence especially... And sent me here to confirm it>>

[VO]

"Well". Riona fought to control the urge to rip the man's head off. HOW COULD HE? Where could he have found these! She'd gone to incredible lengths to protect her identity - the whole place had even been burnt down six months after she left! And now he was using her past to blackmail her into joining his crackpot organisation!

"Give me your card," she said crisply, at which he produced another copy of that which she had torn up later. "I shall be meeting you at the arranged time and place."

"Very good miss Chasey. Good day to you, then." Wintergreen cocked his hat, and opened the door for himself. "I'm very sorry about your carpet."

"So you should be," Riona replied with venom. Wintergreen exited and closed the door. She exhaled, muttering under her breath :

"Fragger."

[Apache_Longbow]

Coal's eyes were glazed over as he sat on his furniture. Had he really just seen that? The Donovan man...He was made of stone? But how could that be? It was impossible...it was an illusion or something. What the hell is going on?

"What are you?" asked Coal, trying to stay as calm as he possibly could under the circumstances.

"I'm a boy, inside a rock. That's as simple as I can put it." Coal sat there, even more confused now. The statement had done nothing to help him.

"So why are you talking to me? What good am I?"

"Cut the crap, Coal. We know about you." Starbright kept the angry expression on his face as he fumbled in his pockets for a cigarette. He brought one up to his mouth, then cupped his hands around it and fished out his lighter. "Don't act dumb."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Starbright. Care to explain?" Coal watched as Starbright flicked the lighter. Nothing happened, even after a few more harder tries. Coal smiled. Or Maybe I can explain. "Do you need a light, sir?"

"Yeah, sure."

Coal walked towards him, and brought his hand up to the end of the cigarette. Suddnely, a burst of flames jumped out of his hand, searing the cigarette as well as brushing up against Starbright's face, and burning a few holes in his coat.

"You know, you should really pay more attention. If you really knew about me, you would have seen that coming." Coal watched as Starbright let out a yelp and fell to the floor, rolling on the ground to put out a few small fires that still remained in his coat.

"Shlt, Coal! What the hell do you think you are doing?" Donovan quickly stepped in the way.

"Look Coal, ignore him. Just meet us at the glassworks tonight at midnight. Take this with you." He handed Coal a yellow card, with an address and a symbol of a dark figure trapped inside a lightbulb. "Thats where it is, be there unless you want another visit." With that, Donovan turned around, picked up Starbright by the arm, and left.

[Wesforce]

Tanya felt a chord being struck here. Though deep down part of her rankled at the intrusion, or suspected she was being led into some kind of a trap,, what the otehrworldly woman was saying seemed to go along with what Tanya thought.

'Requested my presence personally? Well thats all very well and good ma'am, but I do believe I'll have to take this up mayhaps another time.' Tanya said, turning and walking into her en-suite shower cubicle, unbuckling the silver braiding of her uniform and preparing to take off her tunic.

She turned around and smiled at Magda.

'Leave me the details, if you want. I need a shower. Do you mind?'

Despite her brush-offish attitude however, Magda could see no doubt that Tanya would stay true to her word, she just wanted a bit of privacy. Understandable: For a Wescorp exec to be 'outed' in any way as a subversive would be trouble.

[Artificial Idiot]

GM note: Any char who wasn't told to come to the glassworks, won't be here unless stated otherwise.

Midnight swept over Lutonopolis like a dark cloud. The inner city was hauntingly quiet, with only the murmur of radio's as they played to themselves, the viewers having fallen asleep hours ago. Dustbin lids rattled, as stray cats strutted about like they owned the place. There may have even been the dull echo of gunfire, or other assorted violence, if you listened hard enough.
This area of the Inner City had fallen on hard times ever since the Wecorp Complex had been built. Well, that isn't true. It had been slipping ever since the Victorian Era, but the Complex was just the last straw. Abandoned factories, graffiti covering their once proud Wescorp logos, loomed over the dirty little houses.
And yet, even has stray pieces of glass held onto broken windows for dear life, an unseen war was raging over this area. Wescorp and CKW Enterprises on going debate about weather Wescorp actually owned the factories and if they were free for take over was a constant battle. Two major companies, the most high-tech facilities in the world at their disposal, arguing over these relics. Almost unbelievable.
The glassworks however, was a different matter. It stood, somewhat detached from the other buildings. Along the banks of the River Lea (which had artificially been diverted this way for the purpose of the factory). It had been an experiment in hydro-electricity at the time. Said to have been a guiding light in the new age. But now, it was just another smear on the stained window of the slums.

BBBBBZZZZZT

The high pitched, built in alarm rang in Solar Avenger's head. He'd set it to go off exactly at Midnight, and Midnight it must have been. His eyes opened slowly, taking a few experimental blinks. The inside of the glassworks was pretty bare. A few unmarked crates, broken down machinery, and the steel platform that Solar Avenger himself, was crouching on. It overlooked the entire glassworks, and had obviously been used by supervisors and inspectors.
He let out a yawn, and would have stretched had he trusted the structure beneath him. If there was one good thing about being a cyborg, it was that you could sleep pretty much anywhere, in any position.

"Kurt, this is Solar Avenger, come in." He whispered into his advanced radio communicator. It was rather lucky the plans for them had fallen into his hands, they were invaluable for keeping the team informed.

Outside, a winged silhouette swooped in a wide arch over the glassworks. He came in for a perfect landing on top of the roof, coming down on one knee, one hand laid in front of him for stability.

"Hey there Sunny, have a nice nap?" Kurt, his voice slightly crackled, came over the communicator.

"Can you see anything yet?"

"If you're asking if they have arrived yet, then I ain't seen nothing."

"Some of them might already be here." Solar Avenger said, more to himself then Kurt. "Just sercure the area, and get down here when I give you the word."

He shut the communicator off and waited in the darkness. From what Granite had said, thing's hadn't gone too smoothly with Coal. Magda had also displayed worry about Tanya, almost convinced that she had not handled the situation correctly. Although, both were pretty sure they would be here, if only out of curiosity.

[Nyerguds]

Charge looked around, floating in a dark corner of the glassworks. He could see the door at the left below him, and Solar Avenger on the platform across.

He had noticed the winged figure when approaching the glassworks, but didn't think it would've been wise to alert anyone to his presence. After all, he had no idea whether the winged thing was hostile or friendly. He managed to get into the building unseen.

He didn't know if Solar Avenger had already seen him... but he had seen Solar Avenger. He'd never forget that face.
He wouldn't be surprised if he had seen him already though. Now he had put off his sunglasses the white of his eyes contrasted with the darkness, showing two bright white spots.

He looked down at the door, then looked on his watch. Solar Avenger looked like he was waiting for someone... and he had told Charge there would be more people.

Well then... I'll just wait.

[Blue Aurora]

Lance "Tracer Bullet" Starbright quietly walked into the old glassworks factory.

The glassworks factory was old and derelict. Its machines, once filled with life and joy, were now rusty, sad little things. There were bits of glass bottles lying all over the conveyer-belts. The unfinished bottles probably would have ended up as some fruit juice container or a milk bottle if the glassworks hadn't closed down. They had no future. Even if one bottle, if it had a life and it knew such a thing as luck, or if it was simply lucky enough, it would end up as some thug's weapon.

But the Secret Reserve recently took over this rotting bag of bones and established it as their secret headquarters. Chief McAndra, the skillful police chief who loathed the SSR, often had his men patrolling the area Wescorp and CKW Industries fought over. This place was the last place they would expect the SSR to be.

Tracer continued his walk. He had often done business with Chief McAndra, and he played the role of 'negotiator,' since Chief McAndra always argues with the Solar Avenger. He didn't care of the blotches ruining his fur trenchcoat nor of the smells. Time seemed to have become part of the mud and rain, which frequently occured in the Neo-English capital.

He took out his mobile phone and spoke to the Solar Avenger.

"Tracer here, is this Sunny?"

"Yes, Sunny over."

"Did Granite -"

"Yes."

So much for the call. he thought, remembering that Granite had told it for him.

"Tracer over and out." he spat, then turned off the machine.

The walk across to the meeting room - a one-time storage - seemed like an eternity, but at last he was there. The entrance to that room appeared as an ancient rusty door. "Authorized personnel only" was painted in a maroon red. But it was fading, as result of old and tear, slowly getting swallowed by the rust. Tracer knew that the Solar Avenger will be inside. He turned around to make sure whether there wasn't any spies before stepping on a little scanner (which looked like a broken microwave) with his right foot.

A small, streak of green raced across the leather shoe. The door opened. He quickly dashed inside before the door closed, disappearing without a trace. It was as if this never happened.

[VO]

Riona Chasey moved through the snow, caught up in a multitude of fur clothes and other warm garmets. She sniffed distastefully as she picked her way through the ruins of the glassworks, and each breath sent a haze of mist from between her perfect lips. Not only had that man blackmailed her, but he was bringing her here, to this run-down hellhole, in the middle of winter.

As far as she could tell, the place was deserted; she hadn't seen a soul on the way in, even the tramps she might have expected, huddled round a burning barrel. Infact, the place, save for the crunch of her soft and elegantly attired footfalls into the snow, was almost as quiet as the grave.

Suddenly, a whooshing filled the air, and a huge winged figure plummeted down from somewhere high above, landing in a crouch before extending his body to full height. It didn't take much, especially with the obnoxious brand of aftershave the man was wearing, for Riona to realise that this was the one who Wintergreen had sent to her apartment earlier.

"Hey babe," said the man in his strange quasi-european accent. "So you decided to join the party, eh?" He stepped towards her, and Riona stepped backwards, tripping over a mound of snow concealing some fallen beam or abandoned crate.

[CKW]

(if you mind, let me know so i can edit the post)
Kurt catched up the motion of hers, and he quickly grabbed her by an arm, preventing her from falling.
"You should look where you walk, milady. Snow can be treacherous."

"What do you think you are DOING!? Let me off!?"

"Well, of course, but would you like to be stabbed by glass waste?"

He pointed out at the several broken glass pieces that were behind her, and as delicate as he could be, placed Riona in her vertical position back again. She would have fell over the sharp knife-like glass layers if it wasn't for him.

[Nyerguds]

"I think it'd be better if you'd leave the lady alone." Charge's voice echoed through the abandoned building.
The two people on the ground looked up, and saw nothing but two white eyes in the corner.

Charge started sending energy to his right hand, ready to release a lightning bolt to the winged man. Electrical charges zapped through and over his arm, lighting up the corner, and revealing the metal strips in his suit.

[CKW]

"Or you will do what, zap me? That won't work. Even so if you dare to try your luck, i believe we had a meeting. And in a meeting, people talks."

Kurt waved his finger.

[Nyerguds]

"I don't like the way you talk." Charge said, while floating down.
He stopped at the bottom of the corner, and floated towards the two people, his feet staying about an inch above the snow that was blown into the old glassworks.

"Tough call... Charge." Kurt replied in his usual casual way.

Murat frowned, and stopped floating. As his feet sank into the snow, the lightning on his arm disappeared.
"Hm... you're with Wintergreen, aren't you?" He glanced at the platform. The figure sitting there didn't move, but Murat was fairly certain he was watching.
"Yep. Call me Fallen Angel."
"I see." Murat replied. He looked at the woman. "Then I take it you're a new recruit, just like me, right?"

[Artificial Idiot]

(Let's give this another try, hm? Oh and CKW, BA drop your sig please.)

Solar Avenger frowned. Murat had seen him. Although, it was to be expected, given the nature of his powers there are probably a few quirks he doesn't even know about. Not like he knows much about any of them, just vauge ideas of what they could do. And from what he'd seen of Murat, he liked it.
In an ideal world, he'd have liked to have waited for the others. The woman, Tanya and Mr. Coal. But with Kurt's public relations skills, there was simply no time.
He stood up on his perch above the others, his organic joints and muscles giving him hell. He couldn't just lock them up for hours like he could with his artificial ones. He stood up, double checking that he'd set his L.M.D (Light Manipulation Device) at the correct levels and then, it was show time.
He shone, like a becon in the night. Catching everybody off guard, even Murat and Kurt. Especially Kurt. Such a waste of energy this was, in the middle of the night no less. But he could handle it. He dimmed the light to that of a toruch glow and walked down towards the others.

"Kurt, Any sign of Tanya or Coal yet?" He asked as he approached the small gathering.

"None yet." Kurt replied, taking his attention off Murat. "But Bullet come in though the back door a few minutes ago.

"Idiot" Sighed Solar Avenger. He should have been here earlier. So much earlier. He turned his attention to Miss Chasey. "So glad you could make it, Miss. And Murat, it's so good to see you again."

"Likewise. But what now?"

Solar Avenger smiled.

"We wait."

[VO]

"Not like I had much of a choice", muttered Riona to midair, as the idiot winged oaf stood protectively over her. "Sorry to break this too you, papa", she said aloud and sarcastically to Solar Avenger- "but is is just a little bit cold out here" As if the emphasise this, a gust of wind swirled snowflakes across them, and Riona shivered, despite being the most wrapped-up of all of the assembled.

[Wesforce]

A deafening, terrific blast of light and sound shattered a dozen of the miraculously intact-panes of glass, but none of the headstrong would-be superheroes even flinched from this onslaught.

Silhouetted against the moonlight, a slender figure in a revealing silver leotard somersaulted though a destroyed window, coming to rest on the floor in a low combat crouch, casting her mirror-visored gaze upon all in the room in turn.

A man in a metal-striped suit confronting a leerng, winged man, who was in turn distressing a well-made woman armoured in furs against the cold.

And the centrepiece of it all, the man she instinctively knew as solar avenger. It was in his dress, his bearing, the way he addressed the group, that he must be the leader of this little gathering. He had been verbally knocking their heads together when Tanya had made her untimely appearance.

'Who wants to be Equalized?' Tanya - The Sonic Equalizer - snarled.

But her interruption wasn;t welcomed, and she had the impression this group had been waiting for her. Quite a while, by the looks of irritation - from Solar Avenger most prominently.

'Hey - Next time have your pet alien get me a taxi, okay?' Tanya, laughed. No-one reciprocated that laugh.

Kicking some of the snow off her furry boot-covers, Tanya reached to her belt and turned up her Sonic displacer screen - a piercing wail of ultrasound that went right through everyone, the jagged wail of feedback - BANG!

She somersaulted neatly down into the centre of the group.

'Okay, what gives?'

[CKW]

Kurt stared oddly at Solar Avenger. What would do that toaster boy with an hysterical little cow in a silver leotard babbling about in fancy poses?

Ahem. Oh boy, what a crazy slut.

He shrugged, his wings flapped.

"Yeah, whatever. Sunny, go on with your speech." He nodded to James.

[Artificial Idiot]

"What makes you think I have a speech?" Solar Avenger paced a few steps closer towards Tanya. He looked her up and down, then smiled. She had energy, she had a sense of timing (despite the fact she was late) and you could say she had style. Not like style mattered, but the media liked it. "Good Morning, Miss Wescorp. I'm so very glad you could make it. Although, if you put the same amount of energy in your time keeping as you do your entrances..."

"Ahem!" Interupted Riona, impatiently. "It's not getting any warmer around here."

"Patience Miss Chasey." He allowed himself a sly smile. "And if it's warmth you're after... you'll like our next guest."

He watched Riona as she adjusted her furs and muttered something about a "radiatorman" sarcastically. He knew it wouldn't be easy, not with her. She's rich and angry, very angry. Not a good combination. He looked at Kurt, his concerns were obviously elsewhere.

"As to the who, how, where and why business..." He continued. "Everything will be explained soon."

[Wesforce]

Tanya noticed the winged creep was staring at her now, mumbling things under his breath. Words like 'slut' and 'tart' were probably going through his mind. He probably didn't realise he was saying them.

Tanya realised - he wasn't saying them. They were just so forefront in what passed for his mind that they verily leapt out and assaulted Tanya's advanced ears.

Tanya didn't look at him, but turned a few steps away. Imperceptibly, her hand hovered over the buttons for her sonic displacer screen...

*VWeeeeeeeeep*

The sound shot through the group, making the assembled characters either wince, or wonder if they'd really heard it. A high, almost ultrasound note.

'What the...' Said Kurt, with blood fountaining from his nose.

[Nyerguds]

(agh, dammit, Wes ps0tted already. This should happen before Tanya blew Kurt's nose off)


Murat couldn't help smiling at the mention of a "radiatorman". The cold didn't bother him at all, since he could easily convert his internal energy to heat to keep him warm.

But something was obviously bothering Miss Chasey... she didn't look like she wanted to be here at all, and Wintergreen didn't seem to want to make her feel very comfortable either.

"What are you smiling at?" she snapped at him. "You find this amusing?"
"Very." Murat replied. "Seeing as we already have a 'radiatorman'."
He showed her his hand, fingers spread. Unlike most black people, the palm was just as black as all the rest of his skin.
Riona immediately felt the heating effect as Murat's hand started emitting infra-red light. She frowned, not sure what to say.

"But I prefer to be called Charge." Murat said.

[Apache_Longbow]

Coal trudged up to the glassworks, picking up his pace as he glanced at the time. Damn, he was late! It was snowing lightly outside, and Coal could tell it was freezing, although he had the advantage of keeping his hands warm. He was dressed in a long overcoat, with jeans and a t-shirt under it, as well as a scarf to wrap around his face. My feet are freezing! he thought as his soaking shoes crashed into another deep pile of pillow-soft precipatant. We can fix that though, can't we?

Coal knelt down and stuck out his hand, and let a streak of flames fly. A long line of snow vanished instantaneously, leaving nothing but now-warm pavement for him to walk on. He jogged the rest of the way into the glassworks, and as he entered he saw a group of people standing around, waiting. Just as he had expected: They had already started.

"Hello all. Sorry I'm late, time got away from me." He walked towards them and brushed off his shoulders, the piles of snow dropping harmlessly to the ground.

"Ah, Mr. Coal. I'm so glad you could join us. Please, gather around with the others." Coal didn't know who the guy was, but he already had him pegged as some sort of boss or leader. He just had that feel about him. Coal walked nearer to the group, spotting a beautiful girl who was bundled up and still shivering. Might as well help the poor girl out he thought as he strolled up besides her.

"It's cold out there, isn't it?" He smiled gently as he put his left hand on the small of her back and began to warm it up. She turned to him, and even though she must have felt the warmth, she still looked disgusted. He guessed that he hadn't been the first to make a move on her tonight. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a sound, another voice echoed through the empty glassworks:

"Hey, what's with the shirt?" It was another girl, this one much more...out there. Coal glanced down at his t-shirt, and noticed it was on backwards, as well as inside out.

"I, ah, had to dress quickly..." he said with a twinkle in his eyes. Juliet had paid a late visit, and they had 'worked everything out', although the group didn't need to know that. The boss-type person was the next to speak.

"Okay, now that everyone has arrived, we can move on with things..."

[Artificial Idiot]

He stared coldly at Tanya, and then Chasey. This wasn't going well, not at all. They hadn't even properly formed and there was already infighting. Was he that terrible a leader? He'd have to ignore it for now, there were more pressing matters.

"Mr. Coal, could you stop mulling over Miss Chasey and give us some light?" Solar Avenger asked, sighing inwardly. Like flies to flypaper... not like he could blame them. And of course, they didn't know what he did.

"What..." Asked Coal, mildly distracted. "Oh, yeah, sure."

A burst of fire lept from his hands, illuminating the dark features of the glassworks far more effectivly then his own dim light. He switched the L.M.D off, if only to save power, and walked over to a nearby machine. It was large, heavy and had a conveyer belt running into it. He wasn't sure what it's purpose was before they'd "modified" it, however it now served a new purpose.
His hand hung over the control panel and thn he started to punch in the correct mix of buttons and levers. There was a low hissing sound, smoke drifted into the room. A rectangular outline formed on the side of the machine and then fell away to reveal a doorway.

"Follow me. Kurt, watch our backs and close the door behind us."

Solar Avenger began the long desent down. Down the stairway that led to the HQ of his little group of heroes, the secret reserve. Coal followed behind him, illuminating the way, he was followed by Murat, Tanya, Riona and Kurt.
He stopped at a plain, steel, reenforced doorway, punching in a keycode on the panel to the left. With the sound of the unlocking mechinism and the low creak of the door, they were in.
The room they entered could have been something out of a science fiction TV series. It was round, with perfect, gleaming steel plates making up the walls. There was a huge TV screen that dominated one part of the room and the rest was made up of a large table and several padded, red chairs.
Some of the chairs were already taken. With Granite and Bullet and a man who looked like he should be out on the streets sitting togeather. With an old Japanese man sat futher apart and an alien woman floating on the outskirts of the chairs.

"I'm hoping to expand it one day." Solar Avenger said as he wandered over to the TV screen. "Please, make yourself at home.

[Wesforce]

Tanya noted with amusement how cold all the others were. She laughed at them inwardly - Her furry boot covers might have been designed for this situation, even if she had nicked them from a passed out girl in the toilets at the Annual Wescorp Elektrofest (Unofficial).

This Mr Coal seemed to be an interesting chap. Tanya knew from well-won experience that anyone with a back-to-front T-shirt was wotrth watching. Goodness knows, Wescorp could use a few - make a change from all the no-necks at the office.

Tanya made herself at home in one of Solar Avenger's chairs and crossed her legs. 'Don't mind if I do, thanks!'

She took in the set-up, mirror-fine steel reflecting in her mirrored visor and creating infinite images of all the group.

'Planning on running Lutonopolis all by yourself, Mr A? With all this, it wouldn't be a fair bet you could.'

[CKW]

"Solar Avenger. Are you here to blind us forever?" The street man replied.
"Why do you say such a thing?"
"The mere sight of such poetry to the eyes, such feminine examples of perfection makes me so unworthy of watching them that i'm willing to blind myself i am not worthy of stealing a gaze from them."
And then he tried to bow down, the best he could, as he was sitting.
"Aw, c'mon, drop the ****, Don Juan" Kurt mocked up.

"Such are the words that come from the lips of a man whose nose bleeds from the excessive pressure of ill thoughts."

Kurt just grumbled.

Score one for myself Thought ryan.

[VO]

Sacre Bleu! WTF was that, CKW?

"Great Christ and All His Angels", whispered Riona, looking around, Dr. Who had nothing on this. Nothing at all.

The floor below her gleamed with efficient chromic polish, marred only by the damp patches of the melting snow and ice from outside. She felt colour rush to her cheeks with the glowing heat of this place - whoever had made it must have been completely filthy stinking rich, not just mildly perfumed rich like she had been until her forced induction into this organisation.

She glanced at her reflection in a mirrored panel on the door, pushing a strand of auburn hair out of her face. This whole place, you could see yourself in almost everything - looking around the room, hundreds of other Rionas glanced back, apparently unperturbed, along with the rest of the motly collection of freaks (although, the man called Coal seemed, interesting, to put it in words), that she was with, and she wondered how on earth she was going to get out of this mess.

[CKW]

(oh, well. i was burnt out. feel free to edit it.)

[Nyerguds]

Charge looked around in the room. Having a natural affinity with power he could feel the energy running through the complex. It must be shielded pretty well though, since he didn't feel anything of it outside.
One thing was certain.... this must've cost a awful lot.

He grabbed a chair and sat down with the rest, putting his sunglasses in a small chest pocket on his suit.

[Artificial Idiot]

"Cute, Miss Wescorp, very cute." Solar Avenger said, in a delayed responce to Tanya.

The screen flickered to life as his hands played across a small keyboard at it's side. An image appeared, the same dark figure trapped in a light bulb as what was on the card. And the more observant amoung them may have seen it on Solar Avengers's chest as well. His own, personal insignia.

"I plan to change that when we come up with a group symbol." Miss Chasey just snorted loudly at this comment.

The image flicked again, to a balding man, pale faced, thin as a rake. His glasses hung off the bottom of his nose, as if contemplating sucicide. The bags under his eyes dragged them down so low it looked as if they would seep under his glasses and beat them to the punch, they were also bloodshot and red-rimmed. What could only be a lab coat was draped over his shoulders.

"This is Dr. Geoffry Walker, a scientist in the employ of Wescorp. He was working on a purely classified project on the lower levels of the Wescorp complex..." He paused to let the information sink in. "He went missing last week, kidnapped."

"And why can't the police handle this?" Chasey questioned.

"Magda, the gun." The woman, who was seemingly standing in the corner, floated up to the screen, giving Tanya a thankful look as she went past. She handed him a piece of metal, a melted chunk of twisted steel and plastic. It might once have been a pistol. "This was found at the scene. As well as two guards, one unconcious who woke up in a blubbering mess and the other dead... from a punctured lung and servre loss of blood. Small shards of bone were found in the area of the wound. Other guards were found with simular wounds and concussions, as well as more of these."

He let the remains of the gun slip from his fingers, the clanging sound as it hit the floor made some of the group jump.

"It's obvious these attacks aren't natural, and it is equally obvious that the culprits were after something... priceless research, the Doctor's expertise, raw material... who knows what?" He paused, giving them a sterner gaze then they had been used too. "But some things should be crystal clear to you by now. We have to find out what in the world Wescorp was doing down there, the identities of the thieves and what they are up too. Now, are there any questions?"

[Wesforce]

A hand shot up, from Tanya's couch.

"Do you have to be so mean about Wescorp? I mean, it could be completely innocent research, you know?"

Eyes narrowed on her from across the room.

"Well, we don't have to be so...terribly confrontational... with Wescorp... You know?"

"Why not?"

"Couldn't we just... work together?"

Silence flowed through the room. A tumblweed would have blown past if there was a breeze. You could have heard a pin drop. The echo of a tiny pin-sized icicle resounded around the room.

"Okay, I guess not." Admitted Tanya.

[CKW]

Then Ryan's calm voice sounded again.
"You know, I agree completely with your plan, lady Tanya. Working with them... Isn't it a good Idea?"
Subtile winks towards Solar Avenger tipped off him.

Why not explain to everyone that we will impersonate Wescorp employees, Solar?

[Nyerguds]

Charge sighed. "Miss Wescorp... be realistic. You heard and saw what the kidnappers were capable of. If they wanted the doctor so badly, he must know something that would make these people even more dangerous, either financially or physically. Wescorp won't just share that information. Besides, no offense, but I trust Wescorp about as far as I can throw them."

He grabbed the molten gun, and immediately sensed the traces of radioactivity.
"This gun is irradiated! How would a gun get irradiated to the point of melting? Not something anyone could do just like that. I'd like to meet whoever did this..."

He looked at Solar Avenger. "But what bothers me most is the bone shards. If whoever kidnapped them had - or was - some kind of very powerful and most likely controllable radiation source or device, why attack the guards with... bone shards? The very fact you brought this up to us makes me think we're dealing with other people like us here. Now, I don't know much of other people with extraordinary powers, but given the chance on freak accidents I'd be surprised if there were many with several of them combined."

He put his sunglasses on again, still looking at Solar Avenger. "We're up against organized crime with extraordinary powers, aren't we? Just as I said... you're taking this big scale."

[Artificial Idiot]

"Very good, very good. You are quite correct, however all evidence points to it being two people. One I have a feeling I know... the other, God only knows what monstrosites are being unleashed these days." Solar Avenger took a few paces forward, and then stopped. "But the who doesn't matter at the moment, just because we can place a face, doesn't mean we can place an organisation or motive."

"Why not? Surely you have some big super villain index somewhere?" Coal asked, Solar Avenger just smiled.

"If it were that simple, Coal, everybody would be doing this job." He ignored tehe muttered sarcastic comment from Miss Chasey. "Villains aren't like us. They flicker from place to place, going wherever their motives and money takes them. However, things will be much clearer when we know the why behind it..."

"And how do yo intent to find this out?" Ryan was still winking at him. He sighed, all that brainpower and yet so little experiance.

"I know what your thinking Ryan, and it won't work. Only a fraction of staff are allowed on the lower levels and sercurity is tight."

"He's right, not even some high ranking chairmen are allowed down there." Tanya backed him up, although she still seemed to be... hurt.

"Miss Wescorp, I don't mean to sound harsh towards the company, but Wescorp won't co-operate with us. Mr. Dean Sr. has made his stance on "super-humans" very clear, and it's not good." Tanya's head sank a bit, but she'd come around eventually. "As for getting in, there are a number of ways. I've obtained plans to the sewers and air-vents of the complex, however if you wish to take the gung-ho approach and rip the place down, it's really your choice. Although, not advised."

"So that's that? We're breaking into the compound like thieves?" Ryan protested, obviously fuming that his plans hadn't been accepted.

"That is that. Now, does anybody else have any suggestions or objections to offer?"

[CKW]

"Houdini."

Ryan let out this words slowly.

"Do like Houdini, create a distraction, so that security will be tighter in a place BUT where we are storming in, wich it will be considerably weakened. Then we will get past the security easily, unnoticeable, and the most important, they won't know what hit them, if we do it rightly."

Kurt cutted the witty pretty face.
"And how will you do that, smart ass?"

"I do think that letting you MY working railgun to blow stuff up will be a good distraction."

[Artificial Idiot]

"Wise man once say, United we stand, divided we fall. Distractions only serve to distract the distractors." Jet wheezed slowly, forming each world like it was a precious jewel. "However, Wise man also say, cover your weaknesses and your strengths will cover you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ryan snorted. Solar Avenger frowned in no general direction.

"Long ago, before you were born, Japanese military create such a plan." Jet began, just as slowly and wisely. "They send few men like self against an army, while others sneak behind lines and plant explosives." Jet paused to intake breath, he was getting quite old now.

"Yeah, heard about that." Muttered Kurt quietly. "Backfired on them completely..."

"Not your story!" Shrieked Jet in a sharp intake of air. Kurt cursed and then fell silent. "English soldiers see attack coming, they see and suspect! They manage their numbers wisely, attacking party is overwhelmed and bombing party slaghtered soon after. You be overwhelmed like attacking party!"

"He's right." Said Solar Avenger to Ryan. "Wescorp is paranoid right now, and they won't hesitate to use force. They'll kill you as quick as clap eyes on you." Ryan was about to speak, but Solar Avenger silenced him. "And besides, not only might we need your technological expertise in the building, but how on Earth did you plan to get that beast of a gun of yours inside in the first place?"

Solar Avenger turned to the keyboard. He taped at it a few more times and the picture changed, from the good doctor, back to his insignia and then into a screen split into three pieces. The lower and larger screen was a plan of the lower levels of the Wescorp complex it's self, the one above it and to the right was a layout of the ventalation system of the same levels and the one on the left was a layout of the sewers benath it.

"Here." He pointed to a small room marked 'Research lab 16' "Is the room that the doctor was kid-napped from. As the more observant of you may have noticed, there is a solid titainium door at one end of the corridor it is on, and an equally solid wall on the other side."

"How on earth did you..." Tanya whispered in amazment. But Murat cut her off.

"So it's a simple matter of going in and closing the door behind us then?"

"Not quite... We still need a way in... and a way out."

"That's easy." Said Ryan. "We just disguise ourselves as Wescorp workers, get as far as we can, one of us makes a distracstion and then bang! The rest of us can get though with ease."

"And ends up slamming the door in the face of someone else and in turn, getting them killed." Muttered Miss Chasey, with a hint of sarcasm.

"Well, who says the distracstion has to be violent?" Asked Ryan. "You're the shape shifter, you can just turn into a foreman and evacuate them from the area. Or maybe a fire alarm..."

"There is simpler way." Jet caught the attention of the room yet again. "Wise man seeking answers, looks at ground below his feet."

Solar Avenger gave the keyboard a few more taps, ejecting the air-vent layout from the screen and then super imposing the sewer plans onto the building layout. Sure enough there was a sewer line that ran right under the complex. It would just be a matter of digging up, which would be an easy task for them... However, Ryan's theory had merit too. A non-violent distracstion was genius! He'd have to put it to vote. But there was still the matter of how they were going to get out.

"So, what do you all say?" Solar Avenger asked after a few minutes thought. "Keeping in mind we need an escape plan as well."

[Wesforce]

Tanya was reticent about continuing. The whole operation still struck her was wrong, somehow.

But everyone was getting into it: Ideas began to flow, the characters became animated. Exuding an almost indiscernible sheen of sweat as she glanced around, Tanya realized she wouldn't be backing out of this. How could she, when Solar Avenger banded around her name (and with it her status and eomloyer) like nothing?

Rationalizing quickly, she decided she could acgtually do good by going along. Maybe she could lessen the group's chance of detection by creating a sound null zone, or by stunning opponents without killing the. The sonic displacer screen could be a means of escape too. She mentioned these points, quietly.

[Blue Aurora]

"I could offer a plan." Tracer Bullet interrepted. There was an instant moment of silence, and he was in control. He had not spoken since the beginning of the meeting.

He cleared his throat.

"First off, I could break into the compund by clearing out the guards. Then, I'll give Kurt a signal, then we can go through...covert ops style."

Solar Avenger paused, thinking.

"I'm up for Bullet's plan."

"Anyone else?"

[Artificial Idiot]

I'm ignoring the speech part of that post if you don't mind, it's not in my characters personality to send you into a suicide mission.

"No." The response was so flat, it took everybody by suprise. "The wescorp complex is out of everybodies league, Bullet. Especially yours. I'm sending no one in alone. The guards would have you shot or locked up in no time. And besides, I have a special lead I'd like you to follow for me Tracer."

The detective noded, took out a cigerette, but Solar Avenger shot him a glare that could have re-frozen the artic and he stopped in mid-light. Coal gave him a cheeky wink, he snarled back at him.

[CKW]

"Hmm. It's clear that using a simple trick, style of the Trojan Horse, we can enter. However, if we want to use another trick of the style we need to be more careful. Or be traditional: run for the fittest exit."
Ryan thought out loud.

"Yeah, way to go Einstein. But any *****ing ideas on how can we do it?" Kurt snarled.

"Where do the Wescorp people take the corpses of slain intruders, Solar?"
Ryan muttered slowly. It was a bit wacky. To appear they have died and thus being dragged out of the scene... If they were paranoid enough, they would "clean" the area as soon as possible... and would take the assumed corpses out.

He looked at everyone that showed a confused face.
"What? I know it's wacky, but it's an idea."

[Nyerguds]

"Oh sure, and throw away any secrecy about our identities right from the first mission. Way to go, idiot, but I'd like to graduate in this city, not be thrown in jail." Charge replied. He was getting extremely annoyed by the stupid plans thrown around, and it was making his Charge side surface. And Charge was far from the patient person Murat was.

"Now, looking at this, the plan is obviously to get in there without any casualities... on either sides, right? No 'taking out' guards, no blowing up stuff."

He turned to Solar Avenger again. "The sewers. If there is a way to access the complex through there I doubt they'll have much personnel guarding it, and I can generate strong electromagnetic fields to mess up any security camera's. But what we need now is a time window."

He looked at Tanya. "Do you have any idea how much time before Wescorp people will come down to check on the camera's after a short disruption?"

[CKW]

It was time to end the relaxing stupid ideas.
"The standard Wescorp procedure is about to send a patrol after 2 minutes of a device stopping working, 1 minute if it's an extremely risky area.Pardon me for my sudden intervention, lady Tanya."
Ryan cutted off.
"Wesley told me.It's amazing how the big boss can talk about these petty matters, specially when enjoying a good wine."
He snapped his fingers.
"THat's why i'm wearing a helmet on the assault. Wesley Jr would be pissed if he finds out i have been breaching into dad's property."

[Artificial Idiot]

"Hmph." Snorted Tanya at his arrogance. "Well, it seems your infomation is out of date. Recent wescorp testing has shown that our guards respond in half the time they used to, and for your information, Wescorp Complex employee responce times are the shortest in the nation, dare I say the world!"

"And that translates to?" Sighed Ryan.

"A decrease of 35 seconds, give or take." Said Tanya, who was now so far up on her high horse, the fall would have killed her. "All thanks to Wescorps advanced, new communications systems and increased number of guards for a section!"

Solar Avenger supressed a snicker. He'd expected drastic upgrades due to the recent attack, and it was good to have Tanya to keep them up to speed.
He thought about what Murat had said, and checked the computer screen. He glanced at the ajoining corridor to the one they needed to target. There was a staff only bathroom there, with a shower that had a steel grate that led right down to the sewers... the pipes leading up were quite large too... could easily be widened.

"There's a bathroom we could come up though, but we'd need more time to actually get from there to our target area." Solar Avenger thought aloud.

"Well..." Began Miss Chasey in an idle voice. "Send me up first. I can set off a fire alarm, or something ,like you suggested and buy us more time."

"Excellent. Miss Chasey can go in first, then Murat to disrupt the sercurity cameras and hide our passing. We'll need Ryan to hack any electronic lock they have put on the door, and then we should be free to investigate for at least a good 15-20 minutes."

"Investigate for what?" Asked Tanya, an eyebrow raised.

"We need to find out what Dr. Walker was working on, why the research would have been so interesting to an outside source." A grave look came over Solar Avenger's face. "And also what on Earth attacked and abducted the good doctor."

"Quite vauge, hmm?" Shrugged Coal, who seemed to be quietly snickering at the stupid ideas being thrown around.

"Very. But it's our best shot at finding a lead, I'm ready to bet Wescorp have already cleared out Walker's home." Solar Avenger turned on Bullet, his ego still looked rather stung. "Bullet, I want you to go down to Lutonopolis Community General Hospital and find a patient by the name of Mick Millerson. He was a guard on duty during the attack, quite possible he saw something of the attacker..." he paused, knowing was Tracer was like. "And for goddness sake go easy!"

"What about an escape plan?" Asked Ryan.

"With all hope, we can come out the same way we come in." Solar Avenger called up his inbuilt clock in front of his eyes. One twenty five... the meeting had gone on for an hour and a 25 minutes. "Well, if nobody has anything they'd like to contribute, I'd call this meeting over. Please collect one of the red buttons that my lovely alien assistant is handing out, keep these on you at all times. They will blink when I need you."

Everyone started to get up, but he paused them with a raised hand.

"And also, try to think over some secret indenities and costumes, assuming you don't already have them. We can't risk being known about."

[CKW]

"Just one more thing, Solar."

Ryan grabbed the button.
"When will we break in?"

"Why do you ask such a thing, rookie?" Kurt snarled.

"This isn't a school trip. It is the first mission for us as team. Time is needed to rest before the storm. Time is needed to let people settle their ideas, calm their minds, and comfort their bodies."

[Artificial Idiot]

"I'll be in touch whenI have need of you." He replied, almost absent mindedly. Then he realised, he hadn't really explained what to do with them. "Listen, when they blink, meet me around the Grassy Knoll powerplant. There is an open sewer there we should be able to get into realitivly unnoticed, and it's not far from the complex."

"You still haven't answered my question." Said Ryan, stubbornly.

"Think Ryan. We wait around too long, and Wescorp will get really paranoid and start wiping all information from the area clean. We need to act, and act soon."

[Wesforce]

Tanya waited around the glassworks complex, the figures nodding their minimal goodbyes - A slight nod of the head here, a glare there, a lustful leer from here...

Kurt and Ryan... Kurt with his Wings. He was coming this way... Suddenly Tanya felt the need to be very far away from here.

'I'll Equalize things with you later' She winked, twisting a dial on her belt.

An ear-piercing screech, sudden millisecond total silence... And Tanya was gone, displaced.

***

Tanya made her way home circumspectly, mind buzzing. She had agreed to help break into Wescorp with these assembled weirdos, and thiogh Solar Avenger had laid out a good case for her, something still rankled. Call it honour. Loyalty. Some such nonsense that they forced into the minds of military recruits, lest independant thought foster.

And that comparison seemed to disturb Tanya.

Eventually she reached home, her small flat, making her preparations and awaiting Solar Avenger's call with trepidation: She had no idea when he would call. Perhaps she could do something for him from inside the building?

[Nyerguds]

Murat accepted the communication device the floating girl gave him, and looked at it. It was fitted to be wearable as a wristwatch.
Murat smiled, put the device on is wrist and gave a short nod in Solar Avenger's direction. Solar Avenger returned the gesture.

He looked around. He'd love to know the full extent of this place. How big it was, how much energy was used here... where it came from...
But those questions could be answered later. Murat took his sunglasses, put them on, and stepped into the cold air of the snowy night.

Well... better get some sleep. he thought, and blended into the black night.

[CKW]

Kurt raised an eyebrown.
"Shouldn't you get a super secret ID, ryan?"

"Oh... that... Yes. Hmm..."
The walls reflected a silver glare from the lab lights. The glare was so intense... so pure... It reminded him of the old times, where nobles had horses and swords. And had Knights.

"I'll be the Silver Knight."

Kurt reppressed a laugh.
"Anyway, it's time to rest a little, Ryan."
ANd so, Kurt waved his hand in a pseudomilitar gesture. And left Ryan alone.

"...yeah. Time to rest. Hope tomorrow will be a new day."
He sighed to himself.
"... and hopefully i won't be a stubborn idiot anymore."

[Artificial Idiot]

Solar Avenger watched as everybody left. Oddly enough, Miss Chasey was the last to leave. Probably to avoid the crush, he reasoned. The look she gave him was pure evil, not like he could blame her. It wasn't long until only Magda, Jet, Granite and himself were left.

"You gonna open up the other doors, Or do I have to make a new one?" Asked Granite as he rose from his seat. Solar Avenger idley flicked a switch under his desk. Parts of the wall moved away to reveal several other doors.

"Night then." Rumbled Granite as he vanished though one.

Jet got up quietly, walking to the door that had been left visible all the way though the meeting. As it swung open, it revealed a much larger metal room. That too was lined with doors, stairways as well. Each one led to another part of the main HQ.
Jet only usually stayed when it was cold. And today definatly qualified as one of those days.

"I'll call them in tomorrow evening. It's winter so it should be dark enough to sneak into the sewers unharmed. And also, the guard is lessened during the night." Solar Avenger muttered to the alien hovering over him as he slipped into a chair. He was different now nobody was watching, like a puppet with his strings cut. "I'm going to do some preparation in the training room, you get some rest."

<<I would much prefer it if you halted to regenerate>> He looked into the pale yellow face of Magda. He knew she wouldn't take no for an answer, and he was in no mood for futher arguments.

He got up, moving towards one of the many doors. A cable ejected from his right arm and plugged it's self into the lock on the door.

Welcome Solar Avenger

Droned the dull, monotone, female voice. The door swung open and Solar Avenger entered the lift that would lead him up towards his "home".

* * *
(GM Note: To avoid confusion, the back-up (Granite, Jet and Kurt) team will only be controllable when/if they are needed.

It was about six O'clock when they had all gathered at the powerplant, give or take ten minutes. Solar Avenger was quite proud of them. They had all managed to come up with a crime fighting handle and disguise themselves well. Even Miss Chasey had a suitable name, no disguise though... but then, she didn't really need one, did she?

"Follow me." Solar Avenger instructed as he led them to the open sewers around the back of the powerplant.

It was a long, tiring walk from there on. However, with BBQ Master, as Coal had called himself, lighting the way and Solar Avenger consulting the sewer map he had uploaded to his system, it was impossible to get lost. But even when they were under the complex, it was still hard going.

"Right." Said Solar Avenger, once they had reached their destination. "Diva, are you ready?"

"I suppose." She sighed, obviously finding the stench repulsive.

"Right then, Granite, if you would do the honours."

Granite, who Solar Avenger had brought along to lift those who couldn't fly up though the hole, knelt down so Diva could climb onto his back. The plan was that after Diva had done her stuff, Charge, BBQ Master, Sonic, Knight and Solar Avenger would go in first. Granite, Jet and Angel hanging around in the sewers as back up.Hopefully they wouldn't need them though.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside Lutonopolis Community General, Tracer stamped out a ciggerette. With one last puff of smoke, he entered the building, wandering up to the reception.

"Millerson, Mick, Millerson." He asked the receptionist with a smile. He never usually smiled, but she was an attractive woman, just out of school probably. Hospital staff were getting short.

"Family or friend." She sniffed. Her nose blocked by cold.

"Police." Answered Tracer, flicking out his badge.

"Oh, ward 5, first door on your left, Officer." She sniffled, wiping a tear from her eye with a tissue.

"Thank you for your time, miss." Nodded Tracer as he walked away.

[CKW]

Ryan seized his kevlar helmet. It was a good disguise, and could help to get some armor, but it was HOT in there. He slided up the composite transparent visor, the only part that hadn't been sprayed with silver paint. He looked at his waist. Why was he carrying the short sword, anyway?

Adds personality He thought to himself, while typing something in his wrist laptop, and checking the heavy pistol was in place.

Hope that we don't need to make a shootout

He checked the grenades, too. NFG. Could be useful.

[VO]

Riona, - or as for some reason that idiot Wintergreen man had insisted on calling her, Diva, was lifted up towards the grate by the hulk of a man - Marble, or Basalt, or whatever he was called - gloved fingers catching hold of the bars, checked for anyone in the bathrooms, and, with a heave augmented by the nanomachines in her body, pushed it up and away, before scrambling up into the room, knees on the cold floor. She was wearing one of the normal opulent outfits she wore normally - expensive, attractive, and not suited to the sewers at all. Luckily, she'd convinced the rock-man that had just lifted her through to carry her most of the way - he probably wished her skirt was shorter as he lifted her through into the Wescorp compound. It smelt awful in here. Wescorp obviously didn't pay their toilet cleaners very well.

Diva looked around, screwed up her face at the smell, and wondered, why the hell am I doing this?, and dusted off her outfit. She'd have to wait until someone came into here, try and get a look at their uniform, and morph it before going any further, to blend in on her mission.

The door swung open, Diva spun around, and she spotted both the urinals and the obese Wescorp employee, wearing an ill-fitting blue overall and letterbox glasses make his way in. She realised why it smelt so bad in here.

The man looked at her, mouth gaping open at this vision of loveliness inside the men's bathrooms. Diva took the oppurtunite to slap him - morphing her hand mid-swing into something almost as hard as the floor she stood on. The man went down like a stone, head bouncing off a urinal and splattering in a pool of yellow liquid. Riona looked distastefully down, and considered washing her hands.

"Basalt? Hello? I've got something coming down for you." she said, as she dragged the unconcious body across the floor, taking care to touch as little of it as possible, and dropped it down the shaft. That was probably a better idea than leaving it here.

***

Diva made her way down the corridor, wearing morphed clothing made to look like the man she'd just dispatched, only slightly more wearable. She'd changed her apperance too - although she retained a similar figure, her hair was now black, her skin bronzed, her eyes brown, with a lock of red hair remaining mid-brow to signal to the others who she was. These were very basic cosmetic changes - anything more complex, such as changing stature or facial features severely, was pretty painful. She hoped that there would be other female employees down here on the research floor, and that they'd have a similar uniform to her - she'd had to guess, seing as Wintergreen had been idiotic enough to put her up in a mens bathroom, and she was definately not going to change sex when she morphed.

A Fire Alarm. That was what she had to find, but, as she made her way down the corridor, full of windows into rooms with eager-looking men and women, most wearing glasses or goggles, worked. There were sensors on the celing, but she needed something ideally with glass to smash. She also needed one somewhere near where she'd got in - without that, she could end up lost in here Forever.

Doors went past, one after another. Suddenly, she saw what she wanted.

DANGER. EXTREME FIRE HAZARD. EXTREME CAUTION.

The dark-blue door, unlike many of the other rooms, did not have the glass windows with which to look in. Quickly, checking both way to see no-one was coming, Diva morphed a cigarette between her fingers (one of the first tricks she had learnt to do with her powers), pushed open the door, and tossed it in. She quickly made her way back down the corridor. Then there was an explosion.

[Wesforce]

Sonic Equalizer heard the explosion, with her finely tuned hearing. Then came the dust and the screaming, the yuppies networking, bacon frying...

She shook her head, clearing the memories of her work at Wescorp for now. There was a job to do.

She jumped to her feet - and listened intently at the space they were about to jump into.

'Clear.' she whispered when satisfied, and went first, her SonicBlastmaster 3000 out and ready to deal with anyone in the corridor. Humans could be rendered unconsious by sharp, high-pitched tone. Droids she would deal with using a few ragged power-chords, frying their circuitry and making them explode (it would have a similar effect used against humans in that matter. The Blastmaster 3,000 was very versailte - She hadn't even plugged in any effects pedals yet).

'C'mon, you Wescorp bastards.' She whispered, the words feeling oddly satisfying to her. 'Who wants Equalization?'

[Artificial Idiot]

Solar Avenger had tried to keep his composure as Miss Chasey had been lifted up. He'd had the temptation to look up as she'd been lifted, however he'd had years to practice keeping his composure. So instead, he inspected Kurt and BBQ Master as they hung around innocently titling their heads.
Next thing he knew, Miss Chasey was dropping obese guards on top of him.
He idley watched Kurt return to his rather lively conversation with Ryan, which he had only broke away from to tip his head upwards. Solar Avenger almost raised an eyebrow. They seemed to be getting on extreamly well, better then anyone else out of the group. And so fast too... how odd.
He then turned his attention to the guard lying on the floor. Typical. Wescorp were employing just about everybody these days.

"Dear me, can't be having that." He shook his head. "Granite, hold please."

Granite lifted the guard and held him against the wall of the sewers. Solar Avenger grabbed a stray pipe, bending it over the form of the guard. It only just fit.

"Can't have him running off and blowing our cover, can we?" He told the shocked onlookers as he motioned for Coal to wield the pipe to the wall.

"I think it's already been blown." Said Charge, as the he heard the dull explostion.

"A minor glitch" Shrugged Solar Avenger. "Now Charge, if you please?"

* * *

It wasn't long before they were all standing in the bathroom. Solar Avenger allowed Charge to go though first, after he had knocked out the camera in the bathroom (just in case). The rest stood in the stinking yellowing liquid as the fire bell rang relentlessly in their ears.

"Personal hygine obviously isn't on Wescorp's top priority list." Muttered BBQ Master, provoking some sort of grunt from Sonic.

* * *

Charge floated out of the bathroom. Taking out two of the camera's around the door. He was about to continue, but he felt a strange output of energy. Robots.

Hello Humanoid! This building is on fire. Please evacuate the area. Failure to evacuate will result in a warning program being activated. Unauthorised personal will be prosecuted. Have a nice day, humanoid!

Six Wescorp Extinguisher Droids rolled into the area. They had basic, triangular bodies, with a simular shaped head set on a metal rod like spine that also connected the body to the tracks that counted for feet. the face was made up of speakers for the mouth and ears and glowing red eyes.

Looked like their cover was blown already.

[Nyerguds]

Charge considered his choices quickly. Destroying the robots would most probably get Wescorp security here right away... but there was another way.

A small lightning bolt zapped through the corridor, connecting the six robots. Then, Charge immediately reversed the polarity, sucking the robots' batteries dry in a matter of seconds.

Low batterzzzzz....

The robots were silent. He doubted a battery drain would trigger any kind of security alarm. It most probably activated some kind of maintenance signal, but nothing that would get any guards on their necks right away.

"Right, people. Let's get going."

[CKW]

Ryan shook his head. If he wasn't wearing a helmet, people would see raising an eyebrown.

"Nice trick." He said at charge's actuation. But something else caught his attention. A crack on the wall showed up black wires. Ryan took little time on finding what were.Optic wires. Communication wires.

"Hmm... Interesting." He searched one of his pockets. "Where'd it go?"
He stopped, and grabbed a small, white device. It had a plug on its upper part with another optic wire, wich ended in a jack. An optic hijacker.

"Ryan, what's the delay?" Solar Avenger frowned, while ryan began to dig on the crack with a screwdriver.
"I've found a communications wire. Give me some time and i'll know where the patrols are, their current worries, and what ordered for food. If i'm lucky, i could find some extra info about the research, too."

[Artificial Idiot]

"What appears to be the problem, hm?" The foul smell of moustache wax and cottage pie drifted over the sector control room as Sercurity Commander O'Brian entered.

"Sir, we seem to have a breach in the lower research sections, labs 1-18." Said one of the pale faced opperators as he gazed at a computer monitor. "Extinguisher robots 590 to 596 are down from battery failure, after reporting to an explosion in the area."

"That all?" Grumbled O'brian.

"No sir, it appears somebody is hacking our communications system."

"Oh dear, dear me. Looks like we got those type of filthy bastards again." O'brian turned on his heels. "I'll go organise a welcoming wagon for them all, you shut off all power to the area. I want those filthy super-humans coming away with nothing, you hear me?"

* * *

"Oh dear..." Muttered Ryan under his breath.

"What do you mean "Oh dear"?" Asked Solar Avenger.

"Energy levels are dropping." Said Charge, looking up at the lights as they started to flicker and die. "They are cutting off the power."

"We better hurry this along then, before we get some company." Solar Avenger started to run for the door at the end of the corridor, the others followed him. "Right, Diva, stay out here and try to throw anybody that comes off our scent. Me and Charge will work on getting the power back and shutting this door. Knight, run to lab 16 and wait for the power to come back online, then get me a copy of every piece of information on that god forskaen thing! Sonic, Coal, start looking for some clues. Patches of melted metal, signs of a strugle, broken equipment, footprints even! Anything that looks suspicious."

After giving out the commands, he turned towards the door and tried to heave it downwards. But it was useless, it was jammed. It needed power! He pulled at it again, but no use. He gave a rather hopeless nod to Charge and the braced himself for the worst.

[Nyerguds]

"It has to be powered." Solar Avenger said to Charge. "Can you do that?"
"No." Charge replied bluntly. Solar avenger frowned.
"I can't just power the door on its own." Charge continued. We' have to dig into the walls and get the cables out; and I didn't sense anything from there earlier, so they're probably shielded inside these walls. You'd pretty much have to dig through the walls, and that wouldn't help much if you want to close it."
He looked around. "I'll have to reactivate the power grid the door uses to pull that off."
"But can you do it?"
"Depends how much other stuff is connected to that grid. This is really tricky; if I use up too much energy Charge might die."
Solar Avenger frowned. "Charge? But..."
Charge cut him off. "Nevermind. I'll explain it later."
He walked over to Ryan. "There are power cables in here too. If you'd allow me?"
Ryan stepped aside, giving the black man some room. Charge felt in the crack and found the power cables. "Solar, can you help me with this? I can't pull them out."

Solar avenger nodded. With his cybernetic body, it wasn't hard to make the crack larger and pull out the cables.
"Break them. I need to have two ends."

Solar Avenger snapped the cables in two. Charge quickly sorted the different cables, sending electric pulses through each to test what they connected to, and how much power they'd need. For a second, the lights flickered on. He saw the electronic terminal of the door light up.
"Crap; it's connected to the main grid. I won't be able to keep this up for long, so please hurry... and give me some cover if anyone comes. I'm a vulnerable target."

He took the two cables, one in each hand, and started powering them. Charge looked annoyed as the lights flickered on once again. "And somebody PLEASE find a switch to put those damn lights out!"

[Wesforce]

Sonic Equalizer waved all the others to silence around her.

'Going to try something, chaps. Hold up.'

A quick twist of a dial on the sonic displacer screen and-

'Ow!' Snarled Ryan, as blood started running from his nose. 'I wish she wouldn't keep doing that!'

Anaylysing the echo from her Ultrasound, Equalizer noted a few areas of interest - an area of weakened floor plating that had been hastily plated over. It appeared to have some kind of heavy dent in it. She walked over to one - it was going to take some effort to rip away, and see what had caused the damage underneath.

'I need someone really big and strong!' She whispered in a commanding tone.

'Won't ripping off floor plates make a lot of noise?' Said BBQ Master.

Sonic Equalizer said something by way of reply, but had twisted another dial on her displacer screen deadening all sound within 5 feet of her position. She winked.

'Freakin' show off.' Grumbled BBQ Master.

[CKW]

Ryan wasn't paying attention. He was acting. Quickly. Man vs Computer.

Accessing...

Ryan's head buzzed. Danger! He frenetically, introduced an abort command before they have traced him. And he tried another back door, the last one.

"GOT IT!"

He finally yelled, still typing like mad. Copying the files.

"ladies and gentlemen, I have the BIBLE of data of this building!"

He rushed to disconnect, not before sending a power raise order that would fry the security CPU's.

[Blue Aurora]

Tracer Bullet walked through the hospital room, a room of pure white: white bedsheets, white bed, white castor wheels, white pillows, white pillowcases...and so on and so forth.

He was the only person not wearing white-colored clothing. The nurse had told him that Mick was the man at Bed 13. It seemed like an eternity walking down toward the injured guard's bed.

At last he arrived.

Mick was a man about 5'10, he

[Artificial Idiot]

(GM NOTICE! - If you read this post, then I fragged it up and forgot to add a Diva bit in. So if you're rereading this post, I ADDED A DIVA BIT!)

He kept telling himself to try to keep calm, but in a way, Solar Avenger's head was spinning. So much was going on at once. Silver Knight had the data, Sonic and BBQ Master had obviously found something and it wouldn't be long until the guards started coming. But he had to keep his cool, he had too. He pushed the "close" option on the door's manual interface. It was done in an instant.

"Good work Charge, you can let go now." As if by magic, the power instantly went off as the wires slipped from Charge's hands with a sigh of relief. "Knight, keep that data SAFE. Lose it and I'll have your hide."

Ryan nodded, slipping it into a compartment in his armour. The metal panel BBQ Master and Sonic was working on finally slipped loose (Coal having melted the screws) to reveal what layed underneath.

"Good heavens!" Tanya gasped. Turning off the "No sound zone" she had set up in the area. "That is not right!"

There it was, set in the cold steel as if it was mud, a hoof-print. But it looked rather wrong to Solar Avenger's eyes. It definatly wasn't the conventional kind you'd find on a horse or a cow. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but as he looked around, he could see that there were several damaged areas. Some covered up with plates, some not. It was his guess that even the crack Knight had found in the wall was casued by some epic struggle.

"Small imprints, pieces of pipe ripped from the walls, large impressions in the walls... probably guards, cracks, quick fixes, areas that have been melted..."

"Irradiated." Charge interupted.

"Thought as much." Solar Avenger muttered without thinking. "Anybody still need convincing it's super humans we're dealing with?"

"Ok, so we got the research, we got the evidence, now all we need is a direct and safe escape route. Which if I'm not mistaken, you just cut off!" Coal glared at the door.

"There is no easy or direct way around this I'm afraid." Solar Avenger said rather calmly, considering the cicumstances. "We'll soon have company. And I'd rather they wasted energy and resources on that then us!"

* * *

"Well, well, well. Looks like we got ourselves a walking battery boys!" Commander O'Brian examined the area as he and his taskforce stepped into the abandoned research labs.

"ugh...." O'brian's head turned to face the weak groan. It was a woman, a vewry attractive one, in Wescorp uniform. Oddly enough, O'Brian had never seen her before, must have been a raw recruit.

"They.... got me.... sir!" She choaked. He could see that she had a black eye and slight brusing around the neck area. Those bastards!

"Which way did they go?" Asked O'brian, the woman weakly raised an arm and pointed. Research lab 16. Same place too. "You stay here and rest, we'll send a medical team for you soon.

His team moved out acxross the corridors, leaving the wounded woman behind. But they found their way unexpectedly blocked. God forsaken animals had managed to close the doors! Not good. And reports from the control room indicate a power surge in the cut off area. Not good at all.

"Right lads, what are ya all standing around givin' me that soddin' dopey expression for! Get that accursed door out of my sights, On the double!" His highly trained taskforce, bless their souls, gave him a short sharp salute and then went about thier assigned task. It wasn't long until O'Brian heard a creak, or was it more of a grind? Whatever it was, it was the sound of sucess. Of victory.

"Door's moving, Sir!" Said Black, one of the senior members of Wescorp Sercurity,inc. "Encoutnering very little resitance."

"Good. Now remember men, look 'em in the eyes, show no fear, and whatever ya do, bring 'em in alive! Those eggheads in the research blocks'll pay us a fortune for these God forsaken misfits!"

O'Brian watched as the door was heaved open by a few experimental hydrolic jacks. O'Brian still wasn't sure why they couldn't have just cut though it, it would have been so much easier and cheaper. But it didn't matter, all that money would be repaid when he sold his Super Human beggers off. There was no way tey could lose, they have the numbers, the equipment and of course, his own tactical brain. The team stormed into the area. O'Brian couldn't help but smile. The battle had begun.

* * *
Tracer pulled up a chair besides the frail, bed ridden man. He looked as if he'd been hit by a sledge hammer, and was definatly out for the count. But still, he had to talk to him, Solar Avenger had insisted.

"Mr. Millerson?" Tracer ventured. The man slowly opened his eyes to a squint, groaned, and then they snapped shut again. "Mr. Millerson, my name is Lance Starbright, I'm with the police."

This seemed to have more of an effect on the old man, who stirred, staring at Tracer with bloodshot eyes, which for a second seemed just as squinted and dopey as the last time, but then widened instensly.

"Police? Police? Oh god, dear, mericful lord you HAVE to help me!" the man seemed to choak on his own words and movements as he sprang from his lying postion to grip Tracer's coat tightly. "Oh God, oh GOD!"

"Calm down, please Mr. Millerson!" Tracer said as he tried to unlatch him from his coat."What's happening? What do you know?"

"A bull... bull, I swear it was a bull! Broke in, broke in with a woman, oh god, dear merficul GOD the woman! Everything she touched.... melted like WAX! Oh God... Oh God...." Millerson burst into tears at this point.

"Are you saying a bull and a super human broke into Wescorp?"

"No, No!" Yelled Millerson, suddenly taking an angry turn. "The bull, it was, it was... AAAAIIIIIEEEE!"

The corpse, who was Mick Millerson, slumped in Tracer's arm. Dead. Tracer could see the canister that had hit him in the back. Probably filled with some kind of deadly toxin, capable of killing a man in seconds. Millerson never stood a chance.
He looked up, the killer was still standing there. A woman, a nurse to be exact. A rather pretty little thing too. Short, dark hair, dark brown eyes and he dare not mention the legs. But the smoking gun and sinister grin on her face made her a lot less appealing. She gave him a mocking wink, and then turned and ran.

[Nyerguds]

Crap.

Charge's brain worked at full speed, trying to come up with a solution for this tactical problem, but he soon realized he didn't have any specific data on the abilities of his teammates... the range of everyone's abilities, how long they could keep it up...

Crap.

The room lit up when Solar Avenger sent a blinding flash of light towards the guards.

Murat knew what he had to do... but these weren't just criminals. There were highly trained guards, doing their job.
But they're a threat! Charge argued with Murat. We cant let them hurt us!
We've wasted enough energy for now. Murat threw back.
Then we just don't use electricity.

Charge smiled, grabbed a small solid iron cilinder out of his belt, aimed it at the guards and started channeling magnetic energy through it. It took him some energy to aim it at the guards, but magnetism wasn't too tiring.

Time for some action!

"Knight, get in front." he said quickly. "You're playing human shield today. BBQ, get behind him, keep them away with your flamer."

The guards didn't seem to be too surprised when the magnetic field started pulling at the guns in their hands. They just seemed determined not to let go.
Barbecue Master's flamethrower didn't seem to have much effect though; the plastic shields the guards carried seemed very heat-resistant.

Suddenly, Ryan's was thrown back, and was stuck on the metal cilinder Charge was holding.
For a moment, Charge considered to stop powering the magnetic field, but then he felt the energies channeling through the armor.

The armor is ferromagnetic!

Charge smiled, and doubled his powers. Through the metal armor, the magnetic field amplified so much it immediately ripped the guns out of the hands of the guards. Dozens of machineguns hit Silver Knight's armor.
"What do you think you're doing?!" Ryan yelled over the sound of the guns knocking him in the head and chest.
"Disarming them, obviously."
He quickly modified the field, pushing away Barbeque Master and Solar Avenger, who apparently both had quite some metal inside them too. As the rain of guns stopped, Charge saw one of the guards grab his communicator.

He quickly turned around. "Sonic! Can you create a sound-free zone around these guys?"

[Blue Aurora]

"Hey you!" yelled Tracer, get the hell back here!" he did his Quick Draw - an inhumanly fast grabbing of his trusty Desert Eagle - and fired two shots.

Panic quickly filled the room, a sweaty doctor had called for security, his clean-white coat rapidly turning damp and sticky. The woman revolved around and fired the dartgun. Tracer dodged it; doing a move similar to the move Neo did in the Matrix.

The woman was now out of the door. Two bullets were trapped a few centimeters from the doorway. Tracer swore and ran outside, to see the woman going down a lift.

Damn! Now I've to take the long way down! thought the detective, who made it for the fire exit. It didn't take long for Tracer to arrive down there (as he was as fit as a professional athlete), but the woman had hijacked a taxi. She gave a heidious burst of laughter before tossing out the corpse of the dead taxi-driver onto the ground, then speeding off into the night. Tracer swore.

He knew had no idea who it was, but his guess was that it was the Blue Aura, who had killed the poor guard before he could blurt the rest of the details out.

"When I get that wretched mother****ing swine...." growled Tracer

[Artificial Idiot]

(GM: That was a good post BA, however it would be a bit better if you'd refrain from referancing to other sources of material (I know that move is hard to describe, but it felt a bit out of place), otherwise, nice job. :))

Tracer sighed. There was nothing more he could do here. At least he'd gathered a bit of information. He took out his solid steel ciggerette case, he needed the tabaco at a time like this. He flipped open the lid, and that's when he saw it. The glare of headlights behind him.

"And they say smoking kills you." He smirked.

The taxi had spun around violently, he was surprised he didn't hear it looking at the skidmarks. He watched as it sped towards him, running down the corpse of the driver as it hurtled down the road. Tracer dived into a few stary garbage bags as the taxi maginally missed him and impaled it's self on a lampost.
Tracer groaned, climbing to his feet. Fast as lightining, he drew his pistol, aiming catiously at the car. Although the car was smouldering with small flickers of flame, it would have easily been surviable.

"Humans." A sinister, accented voice from behind him spat. He spun around, only to find a fist directly in his path. "Predictable."

Tracer could only watch in horror as the nurse, the same dark haired, dark eyed woman who had stood there with the dartgun, transformed. Her skin became a deep red, her hair grew like a serpent, wrapping it's self around her body and then becoming a firey orange and her eyes started to glow with a fierce, yellow light.

"Should have run while you had the chance." Tracer aimed the gun directly at her, she didn't even flinch.

"I had to, how you say? Bury the pitchfork?" Tracer pulled the trigger, nothing but a click. But it couldn't be! He'd only wasted two rounds at the hospital and he was sure he didn't have an empty chamber. He shot again, click. "I took the, ah, conservity? To disable your gun while your back was turned."

"What?! I demand to know how!"

"Like this." The woman seemed to disperse into a fine, red mist and then reform in the same spot. "You like?"

"Certaintly going to make things interesting." Said Tracer, as he raised his fist in a defensive stance.

The woman said no more, instead lunging to Tracer with a right hook.

* * *

"Good work Charge." Solar Avenger muttered, leaning against a nearby wall. "Just warn me next time, it plays havoc with my systems."

Charge didn't get a chance to apologise, a booming voice rose over the assembled super heroes as O'brian, megaphone in hand, attempted communication. It was much more polite then Solar Avenger had expected.

"Criminals, you are in direct violation of Wescorp company policy! Surrender now, or we are authorised to use deadly force!" Solar Avenger smirked. He was trying to play it calm, but he was livid. One little push, and he'd get careless. "I repeat, Surrender or we WILL USE DEADLY FORCE."

"Surender so they can lock us up and use us as test subjects? Pfft, yeah right." Whispered Coal to the others.

"Wescorp would never be that heartless!" Sonic protected.

"Yeah, they might give us warm dinners on Sunday's if we're lucky." Said Ryan sarcastically.

They do have style though. Nice shields... Let's break them." Solar Avenger smiled, he saw Coal's eyes light up with excitment. He then turned his attention back to O'brian. "We'll have to reject that lovely offer."

"You SWINE! Oh, you'll regret this, ALL of you Super Human bastards... I'll have all you FREAKS disected on an operating table, assuming there's enough left of you scarny buggers to cut up!" He was absolutly livid. Just as Solar Avenger had wanted him to be. "Men! Ready yourself for hand-to-hand combat!"

Like little wind up soldiers, the Wescorp sercurity guards stood to attention. Every single shield raised. Solar Avenger didn't even hear the order to attack, nor did he have time to tell his team to go easy on them, it was like a walking wall. Only this walking wall moved fast, very fast.
Solar Avenger wasn't sure if the first thing he hit was shield or helmet, but something definatly hit him back. Several things. The fight seemed like a blur at first, a swarm of Wescorp personel. He didn't even have his edge with these bloody glare resistant visors they had. And there was still more then enough to take on the others. He just hoped they weren't doing as badly as he seemed to be.

* * *

Diva opened one eye. She'd lay down here, pretending to be injured. The captain hadn't seemed to take much notice of her. Some people were coming to take her away soon, futher into this place.
The action seemed to have started as well. With that loud mouth commander screaming the odds and then the charge of the sercurity. Leaving the Commander quite foolishly unguarded.
Whatever was going on with the rest of those freakish people, she had to move, and move soon.

[Wesforce]

Sonic! Can you create a sound-free zone around these guys? Charge had said.

I Can't project my sound exclusion that far Thought Sonic Equaliser.

And call me Equaliser. Sonic on its own just sounds too... Odd. Why that was, she just couldn't fathom.

But the time for fathoming was over, as the walking tide of Wescorp blue was upon the SSR, and if they knew or cared of Equaliser's part-time loyalty, they didnlt show it on their sinister reflective faceplates.

Backing off to gain time while the Solar Avenger dodged blows, Equaliser espyed the Wescorp Officer, O'Brien, red-faced as he barked orders, caught up in the excitement, almost frothing at the mouth.

First things first: She muttered an earnest apology to Sir Wesley before unslinging the Blastmaster 3000 - Bracing the Flying-V guitar ahape against her hip, flicking a plectrum from between her fingers and laying down a series of devastating power chords that reverberated through the air like ripples in water, unbalancing Solar Avenger who was caught by the edge of the jagged waves, which then crashed against the massed shields of the Wescorp men.

'HOLD FAST!' Yelled O'Brien as the shields vibrated with ragged intensity, the men digging their heels in to stop their grip being loosened.

Well Chief, your men may be good, but how well will they do without your orders?

She switched on the Sonic Exclusion zone - everything around her fell into unnatural silence, but the Wescorp men would only be affected by this if they were within five feet of her. She she had no choice but to go and mix it, up close.

She ran, leapt and somersaulted straight into the Wescorp phalanx, just over the briom of their shields. The Silent zone overcame the men before anyone who'd seen her had time to yell a warning, so she gained some measure of surprise.

Swinging the Blastmaster 3000 like an axe she clobbered a Wescorp man squarely over the armoured head, but all she could do was try and divide the phalanx, and maybe give her squadmates more time - The Wescorps men's power came from their massed ranks after all - individually each man was no match for one of the SSR.

And whatever the SSR did, they'd have to with no communication.

Ah. Thought Tanya. Should have thought about that...

[CKW]

(just to point out it, Nyer. Ryan's armor is made of Kevlar, a kind of plastic, and therefore isn't ferromagnetic. Not even the lead plate all body armors have is ferromagnetic. Shield is also made of Kevlar. It would be stupid to use a metal knight like plate, when they proved useless to stop firearms in the past.).
Ryan suddenly felt sick. His head buzzed like mad, his hear becoming numb with the ringing. He was about to pass out.

Something really bad was going to happen. Pronto.
He tried to focus on what was giving him such premonition...

Tracer!? Tracer is in danger!? ... But... i don't usually...have premonitions about other people!

[Blue Aurora]

Tracer dodged the blow, to give the heidious lady a kick in the belly. She blurted out in pain. Sprawling backwards, she hissed and spat blood-colored saliva beside one of the detective's tailor-made loafers.

"You must be the Blue Aura?" the detective question as he took out his shotgun.

"Why yes, you loathesome, vile little worm." Blue Aura hissed then gave a kick in Tracer's face.

Pain was ringing in the man's face, quickly turning as red as the color of rash. He accidentally wasted the shotgun round, the cartridge hitting a mailbox. A white gust of letters spilt everywhere, some carried away by the wind.

Then he fell to the ground.

I haven't felt like this the first time I was in karate class. thought an embarrassed Tracer Bullet.

The woman raised the hook and plunged down.

[Artificial Idiot]

(GM: BA, I seem to have missed the part where I wrote Blue Aura had red skin, orange hair and the power to change her molecular structure. Could you please point it out to me? :rolleyes:
In short, some observation of what you are reading and not jumping to conclusions would come in handy.)