A Catnip Plantation production!
June 21, 2017: The adventure begins!
Undisclosed Underground Location
A well-dressed man appearing in his late fifties walked calmly into an abandoned factory building. Shattered glass and rusted machinery surrounded him as he walked through the relic of American industry. He was handsome, with thin brown hair and green eyes, but had a bit of a worn face, which expressed the fact that he had not lived a peaceful life. A thin scar braced his forehead, and his eyes gave off the look of someone who knew what he wanted in the life, and what he needed to do to get it.
While this mysterious figure seemed out of place in his setting, he moved with a purpose towards the back of the factory. Opening a rusted door, he headed down a set of stairs leading to a different kind of place entirely. He walked down a hallway with clean white walls as he heard the faint sounds of voices and running machinery. As he walked forward, a blonde woman younger than him wearing a lab coat stepped out of a brown door at the end hallway.
"Sir, I'm so glad you could make it, we've made incredible progress. The machine... it's ready..."
A wicked smile broke out on his face, the way he smiled made it clear that he did not do so often. "Take me to it". He ordered simply as he followed the woman inside. Another man, equally well dressed but with a darker complexion, stepped forward to meet the first.
"Prometheus, good to see you. I am very interested to see this plan finally enacted." The second man said with a bit of a smirk.
Prometheus offered a curt nod in return, "Make sure everything is prepared on your end Solomon, things are about to move very quickly." With that he moved on from the man he was speaking to and towards the center of the room where the "machine" sat. It was a large circular device held up on two square platforms. Dozens of wires ran through the device and all connected to a mysterious crystal that sat in the center. The crystal sparked with pure energy that seemed to be flowing through the wires and into the machine itself.
Prometheus stared at it for a moment, his eyes gleaming with possibilities. He watched as it began to be wheeled away by lab workers, following it towards to roof. Once there, he and the others stood around the machine as the blonde scientist began shouting orders. "Alright, flip the switch, three... two.... one!"
The machine was turned to full power and suddenly the sky was filled with sparks of electricity, and the crystal itself began to glow a deep red. Under the booming sound of the energy bursts around him Prometheus smiled to himself and spoke. "The Reckoning is upon us..."
"This is Richard Morrison live from New York city, where a sudden burst of freak electrical storms seem to be causing havoc across the city. Reports of ordinary people suddenly obtaining superpowers are spreading like wildfire. Quick Shot is currently leading the Freedom Fighters to break up a riot outside of Madison Square Garden, but reinforcements have been called into the city as well. Voltra and Reactor are currently in a heated battle with members of the Hellfire Gang. The city has become a warzone... John, look out! That was a stray fireball straight from Inferno that almost hit us. The Mayor's office is urging people to stay in their homes and stressing the unsafe conditions. We strongly support this statement and stress that all our viewers follow it. Now, to our field reporter in Los Angeles, Jeanine?"
"Thanks Richard, Los Angeles is also dealing with this chaotic turn of events. However here at Los Angeles National Bank, we're seeing a different side of it. An attempted robbery by the notorious villain Thunderstruck, was thwarted when a hostage inside the bank suddenly gained super-strength, and tackled the bank-robber to the ground before Captain Quake and the other members of the Stars could even arrive on the scene. We have also heard that Naja and Starlight are engaged in a sizable battle against the Weatherman in San Diego where he is attempting to free zoo animals from captivity. In national news, the President has announced a state of emergency and help centers are popping up across the country sponsored by Delta Pharmaceuticals, seeking to help those who have newly acquired powers. Now back to the studio for our international perspective..."
"This is Jordan Haze with news from Europe where the Confederation of Heroes has been busy seeking out the source of this mysterious mass powering event. Another mystery is where the United Champions are, as there have been no concrete sightings of them since the chaos has started. Meanwhile in New Delhi there are reports of New Delhi Nagas working around the clock to protect new superhumans from themselves. This danger is clear as children who have suddenly gained powers have been reported to have started fires, caused earthquakes, and even severe weather storms. For now all we can do is stay safe, and let the heroes do their jobs."
Mars Asarin sighed as he sat in his 9th period math class, counting the seconds for the bell to ring and the day to be over. He hated being forced to sit in high school when he should reasonably be working on his first doctorate degree by now. His grand parents insisted he live a "normal" life however so he here was. He had to admit, his high school was nicer than most. All the classrooms had high tech computers and air conditioners. They had two very large gyms, a pool, and even a special facility for supers to train their powers. It was funded by tech billionaire Craig Thomson, someone he hoped to get an internship with one day. As he sat there, not even bothering to take notes, he heard a sudden crash and a scream coming from a nearby science lab.
"Jimmy, calm down!" Mars could hear Mr. Andrews, one of the school's science teachers, shout. Mars and a bunch of other students ran out of class towards the classroom to see one of their classmates, Jimmy Mathers, at the center of a small tornado swirling around the room. "No, I hate this place!" Jimmy shouted as a desk chair slammed into a nearby window.
While others started running away in fear, Mars headed towards the boys’ bathroom with a purpose. In his school bag sat his collapsible armor that he kept for emergencies, and if this wasn't an emergency...
He sprinted into a stall and emerged a few minutes later wearing sleek black combat armor; a helmet also covered his head, with a visor that was currently open to reveal his face. The armor was pretty basic, but it had a few non-lethal tricks and would protect him well enough trying to get Jimmy and others to safety.
However just as he entered the room a desk came flying towards him, and Mars just barely managed to dodge in time. Unfortunately dodging meant he was knocked into the room's sink. Mars rubbed his helmet covered head instinctively, "This is going to be harder than I thought..."
"Alright team, mission accomplished. We're moving out now. " Stated Sonia Morais. She didn't technically exist, but if she did she would be known as Queen Cobra, the leader of the War-Hounds. Sonia was 19 years old, and had a small build and height. Her face was thin and her hair black and wavy, with signs that it is well taken care of and styled. The team she worked for was a covert ops group created by the US Government to utilize superhumans against national security threats. Currently they had just infiltrated and destroyed a drug compound belonging to a local drug lord named Omar Guarita. Sonia sat on the roof of the compound, tugging on her baggy combat fatigues as they waited for their evac helicopter when suddenly she heard some noise. Assuming it was their ride she turned to speak to the others,
"Alright people get ready to.... Holy shit." Cobra said suddenly, as she looked down at the city beneath them. Cars were wrecked, buildings were on fire, and it seemed like an army of supers had been unleashed. Their helicopter could be seen coming in but was suddenly struck by a flash of lightning. The tail caught fire and crashed right beneath them. Sonia quickly grabbed for her headset, "Boss, evac chopper is compromised, requesting another one asap.
There was a long pause until a voice spoke back, "Negative Cobra, you're going to need to find another way out of there on foot. All air traffic is compromised. " That was their mission coordinator and government contact, A.K.A. their boss. He was mysterious, only going by the name Floyd, his code name being Eagle Eye.
"But sir..."
"Don't question me Cobra, sending anyone else in is too dangerous. Just lay low, and get out of there without causing too much attention to yourselves. Eagle Eye out."
With that he was gone and Sonia sighed with frustration. She paused, taking in the surroundings for a moment. The complex was surrounded by small shops and restaurants. Off to the distance a little there was a large building that Sonia thought to be a mall. Once she had looked around enough she turned back to the people she was now responsible for keeping alive. "Alright we're on our own here. Good Girl, get down there and see if anyone survived the crash. Arturo, go on ahead and try to find us some kind of shelter or get away vehicle, we're too exposed out here. Bu, go with him to keep him safe. Keep your comms on at all times and don't start any unnecessary fights. Everyone else follow me, we're going to see what the hell is going on down there."
With that Queen Cobra's skin began to harden and take on a reptilian look, a long slithering tail growing behind her. Once the transformation process was complete she jumped off the roof gracefully, landing on the ground and waiting for the others to follow her.