Axiom Hadrian Avner Foster
Energy Fragments by the Dozen!!
Axiom enters the park and finds his containment box waiting for him. He goes over to the first fragment and then reaches with his TK to bring the box to him. He finds that being in close proximity to the energy fragments drains away some of his personal energy. He decides to hide underground, hopefully away from the effects of the drain. The box is heavy and requires a lot of effort from him to keep bringing it along, but he keeps up the capture of the spheres!
Unbeknownst to him, Blue Devil, Crimson Cyclist and International Terrorist have also entered the park and are busy scooping up fragments as well.
He keeps getting reports from the other IERA agents on site and hears about the dangers represented by these unstable fragments as well! The agents figure out that having a 4 stream assault on the fragments has the effect of putting them into a neutral state! Good to know. Unfortunately some civilians were lost into the ether as well. Perhaps they are going back to The Hollow?? This could be dangerous as a low energy way to vanish peoples, he will put that into his report as well!!
He is doing well in gathering the fragments while safely underground. He's gathered roughly 7 fragments when he comes above ground to look around the area for the next biggest concentration of these items. Then he hears it, the unmistakable sound of the Crimson Cyclist's noisy motorcycle! He checks in with the guys manning the VTOL jets as to what they are seeing. "Uh... roger that Sir Axiom, we've just spotted the terrorist known as Honey Badger, a red Biker Chick and a Blue suited guy all attacking each other!! What orders do you have??"
'Seriously,' he thinks to himself, a known terrorist and two supers that have been in his reports for weeks now and they don't know what to do??? Hiding the frustration in his thoughts he tells them "Engage these supers and take them out, use lethal force as they are quite tough!!" The agents comply but first they make their presence known, Axiom rolls his eyes. In the meantime, he grabs his box of fragments and hides them underground in case any of this faction are trying to steal his!! Come to think of it, if Crimson Cyclist and International Terrorist are working together, they must be in the same faction!! Obviously Blue Devil is not if they are fighting!!
He tunnels over towards the fracas and observes what is happening. Once the agents have knocked out the two supers, the IT has escaped custody, Axiom retrieves his unit and gathers up as many of the remaining fragments as he can. 'Looks like I could have 20 of the dang things!! Woot'.
He gets onto the intercom and tells his team not to kill these supers, maybe we can get information about them or their factions that we can put to good use! So Blue Devil and Crimson cyclist are taken into custody. Overall, today was a good haul!!
Clarksville? Really?
It was supposed to be a routing Mission. Sure LFER has been spotted in the area, but we were a well oiled machine, we should have done better out there. But, I am getting ahead of myself.
Our mission briefing said that Clarksville, Tn was exhibiting a lot more energy production than a town of that size should. Our orders were to find the source of the power fluctuations and destroy them. We were given power to address any powered persons we found on site and 'Darken' them. I don't like that, being a person with abilities means I could suddenly be darkened myself, that would be awful.
I don't think the intel we were given was adequate. We suspected we would face some powered resistance, but not what came at us!! There were 4 para's, one went by the name Hollow Blade, Bear was the second, one was their leader, did not catch his name nor the name of the fourth one.
I was attacked by the one named Hollow Blade, I wonder if she was channeling energy from that place of the vanishings? Her weapon cut through my defenses fairly easily. The only thing that helped was my ability to go underground. I wonder if Spencer was smart enough to outthink the para, I hope so - he did just look like a business man.
Bear seems to have some deadly claws that cut through flesh & bone as if they weren't even there. He did a nasty slice & dice on Charles Broadwyn, you will be avenged my friend.
The leader (Unknown name) was a bad shot, he kept missing the intended targets. In his favour he did not seem put off by missing but took it all in stride.
The fourth one, I only had a brief glance at, he seemed to have some green energy weapon he was firing at Night Owl, kept missing so we don't know what effect that would have in the long run. He also seemed able to do fair sized leaps as he closed the distance between our team and himself fairly quickly (the green energy again?)
Final result is we lost one good man, two if Spencer couldn't talk his way out of their hands. At a last ditch effort, I telekinetically threw George up to Night Owl and she grabbed him and flew to safety.
As a side post I saw Spencer talk his way away from Hollow Blade, wish I knew what he said, maybe I should learn to read lips?
Spirited Uprisings!
Begin writing your story here...SPIRITED UPRISINGS!
Reports come in of several ghostly things transpiring in downtown. With my luck its just people wearing bedsheets and scaring the locals cause its Friday the 13th!! Ooooo Spooky!.
So I go, nothing else really to do tonight anyway, so might as well see what trouble I can get into. I'm almost at the scene when who shows up but Motorcycle chick!! So now I know something is up, she flits past me to the end of the street and almost drives over one of the floating sheets.
At this time, I figure I'd best go underground, so I do!!
Following as quickly as I can I keep an eye on what's going on upstairs! There are like 25-30 of these floating sheets with glowing eyes coming out of some portal at the end of the street. The awful part is when they get close to some people they slide into them, then consume the flesh and muscle off the people, leaving behind only bones. Not sure what this effect is for but its grisly!!
Then seemingly from out of nowhere comes the Blue costumed man! Ya know, we don't know what faction he's a part of but he seems determined to get to the source, I'd best tunnel ahead of him, at least I won't be slowed down by the sheets!
As fate would have it, Blue Guy, red rider & I all get to the Nexus at the same time!! coming out is some guy in fancy oriental (?) clothing? Happy that he's found a way back to our world, I wonder if the floating sheets collected energy from their victims to grant the passing of the boundary between realms? Oh that is heavy thinking for a beleaguered mechanic! Will have to pass ideas along to the brains of the organisation.
Blue guy and Red Velvet start attacking this guy, he's calling himself Maru?? What kinda name is that??? Wait, there's more... Maru the spirit conqueror?? I think this guy has delusions of grandeur!! I start blasting at him from underground. He can take a hit it seems.
It looks like the others are trying to push him back through that portal, oh no they've succeeded, I dive through it at the last second, turning I watch it close. "Uhmm, was that a mistake??"
Maru stands up and turns towards where the portal was. I melt into the ground and follow him to see what he gets up to next!
The Journey Home
This story is about how i get out of the Hollow.
=================================================================
Maru, seeing the closed portal, turns and heads back to a building off in the distance. I follow him, he goes into the building, finds some people and starts yelling at them. I cannot hear him down here so tunnel up and create a small hole in the floor to listen in on what he says to them.
"... and furthermore, I encountered 3 powerful foes in that dimension, they found me fairly quickly, how did they manage to do that??"
Stammering one of the 5 others in the room tries to explain, but Maru isn't listening and slaps him down, silencing him. Ranting still further, he turns back to the gathered 5, "I will go back there again, but we need to make me stronger so I can repel the attackers. I've told you everything, now go find out how to make me more powerful!! He stalks out of the room.
Assuring himself that Maru is gone, Axiom comes out of the ground and approaches the 5 people. They all appear to be young, but ageless. He tells them who he is and that he was one responsible for thwarting Maru. They are shocked and surprised that someone has willingly come to the Hollow. He learns from them what the Hollow is all about.
Time seems to pass differently here in The Hollow than it does in the real world. Havrian spent what seemed like weeks convincing these portal experts of who he was and how he needed their help to return to his own time/world. They agreed to help him if he in turn would help them to get rid of Maru. Without much choice in the matter, he agreed.
He used those apparent weeks of time to learn about the portals and how they used machinery to create the right resonance to open the portals, he learned that even changing one aspect of the vibrations would send someone to the wrong plane. with a plan in his mind, he learned the tinkering's of the machines they had used in the past and fiddled with them, using his knowledge of mechanics, electronics and engines. With the 5 scientific specialists, he found out who they were and that they were from different planes of the multiverse. This he couldn't wrap his head around. But he trusted them.
Maru kept checking on them to see what progress they had made in further powering him up, they told him that by adding this slightly different variable vibration they would grant him 5x the power he'd had previously. He wanted more but eventually gave in to their request to test this new ability, if it was successful they could expand it.
Axiom remained underground whenever Maru was nearby. The machines were set up and placed in a specific ritual, he would later realize was a teleportation circle. They did the work and got everything in motion, underground with Maru's back to the one machine, Hadrian turned the knob another degree telekinetically. When all was in place and the machines were turned on. They opened up a portal, augmenting Maru's powers, he could feel the increase in his powers and crowed triumphantly. Just a he was growing accustomed to the rise in power, Hadrian grabbed him and threw him into the portal, away from the Hollow, but not to earth. Maru raged impotently from the other side as the portal closed on him.
Axiom appeared out of the ground and greeted the 5 portal specialists, they helped him reset everything to earth and helped him to get through to return home. He offered to help them more but they refused, saying he had done enough by ridding them of Maru.
He steps through the portal and arrives in Tokyo.
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aftre some confusion surrounding his arrival, he is brought to IERA headquarters in Japan and finds out he's lost a week of time while in the Hollow. He is brought back Stateside and gives a full report/debriefing on the findings of the Hollow and Maru.
Denver?? Seriously?
OKay.
So we are sent out to Denver of all places, what could possibly be exciting in this mid-western town?? Well, apparently there is a huge energy signal coming out of this building, and its not sanctioned, of course it isn’t! So they send us to investigate. George, myself and a new girl named Night Owl… Just Who is that??? I kill myself!
Anyway, we find the building source and its somewhere in the mid section of a really tall building (The Republic - sorta reminds me of that old Star Wars series). Night Owl flies up to try and find an entrance, leaving George and I, really George, you need a code name… I open an emergency door after disabling the alarms. We hit the stairwell. George falls behind and tries to use the elevator but has no Access Card. Back to running.
I get to the 49th floor, and we hear Night Owl get into a scrap with some Blue Suited guy. We’ll have to recover any video footage we can find of this fellow. He hits like a freight train (or so I’m told) and can also change his density to move through walls. He also used a density attack to hold people in place. We’ll need to try and find some type of counter to his powers. May need more interaction to procure that information.
Blue suit, lets call him Azure for something useful, hey George maybe we can give you a colour coded name, like Teal or Chartreuse?? Heads off into the elevator shaft looking for someone called Jerome, likely a code name!! We’ll check the logs to see if we can track this fellow too. I sever the cable for the elevator to prevent them coming up to where we are easily.
We search the building over, Night Owl (after some help waking up) on the 50th Floor, Chartreuse running down after Azure and Jerome and me scanning the floor above from the relative safety of floor 49.
Knighty finds a stone obelisk in one of the offices that is giving the strong energy signature. We’ll need to find out how it was transported here. It is very heavy!
More paperwork is in my future. What a surprise
Bedknobs & Bookstores
Here we go again, sent off on a mission to rescue "Peculiar" items from a Bookstore at Fort Collins. Why are we here? Shouldn't we be looking at the cannister mutagen that has been used against us at least twice? Nevertheless, here we are.
The building is on fire and the smoke is causing confusion and possibly hallucinations as some ghostly dogs are moving throughout the smoky area. The dogs start attacking us, I force shield up it takes a bite at Barry the Blaster guy. Not drawing blood, Barry almost laughs at it. He retaliates and knocks the beast out, it disappears into the fog, I think I hear it crashing along the ground. My Penetra vision allows me to see through the fog and the dog's tongue is lolling out of its mouth, looks like it may be out for a bit.
Suddenly a red motorcycle comes tearing onto the scene, and its driver seems to be dealing with its own demon mutts.
I flee into the ground and move towards the building, my team seems to be getting swarmed by these mutts, but I'm certain that Frankencrock can take them down, cause he's a scaly lizard and a large one at that!
The motorcycle comes around again pursued by mutts, but the driver seems to have lost control and goes crashing into the bookstore. I see the driver, also all dressed in red, get up and start looting things within the bookstore. "Hey, those are our items your looting Red Riding Hood," But she can't hear me, being underground as I am. I figure I should grab some of those items myself - I send my telekinetic hand to grab things as well.
The dogs start chasing after Red Riding Hood, they must be able to smell her or something. I can't see her but the dogs can sense her.
I snatch a plain looking cup, it looks like its wood, but isn't being consumed by the fire, I drag it out and place it on the trellis across the way.
The upstairs window breaks and somehow the bike that had crashed into the bookstore is now firing up and outside the bookstore. That doesn't make any sense, but there it is!! I try to disable the cycle by shutting it off, but Red Riding Hood just fires it up again and takes off again. Note to self, you need to practice with messing with vehicles so they can't just ride off into the sunset!!
I turn my attention back to the bookstore and grab another item out of the store. Then a third item.
As the IERA agents head into the building, I'm dragging another item out of the building, and suddenly a giant cockroach comes tunneling through the ground after me. I tunnel out of the ground and superleap to where I'd placed the items. The roach keeps following me. I grab the items and leap away from the following bug. It attempts to follow but I get away, score a success for IERA!!
Just a little help from my friends
It’s been a slow day, Tomas & Berto were looking for kicks. They’d heard there was a new designer drug on the street that gave superpowers! Well, that was the claim at any rate. But they wanted to go try it out!
They checked with a friend who had street connections, he said to look for the “What Ailes You” logo. You’ll find what you’re looking for within 3 blocks of that!! They hurried off. Spent the next 90 minutes wandering through Spanish Harlem, when they saw it.
They got out of their Jimmy and started wandering the street. Then they found Hervé and he was just finishing a deal with two other kids when this winged creature came out of the sky and attacked him. A chick came sliding down from the rooftop using some kinda claws to slow her fall.
Tomas & Berto hid. They watched from across the street. The two purchasers tried to inject themselves without luck. The chick with the claws retracted them and snatched them from the one guy, who complained that “Buy your own, that’s mine!” She slapped him and he went down. The armored bird guy hit the other patron, but not too hard, he didn’t look like he could take much of a hit. The heroes turned their attention to Hervé. They started asking questions, and even threatened poor Hervé who put on a brave face about not answering them, but he told them everything they wanted to know, all while denying them answers. It looked the Bird was going to really take a piece outa Hervé, but the clawed girl (A cat? Really a cat and bird working together?) scratched her claws along the walls effortlessly making a hole there. Hervé offered up his cell phone. Said they contact him with it when more product is available!
The heroes, leave Hervé and the other two guys. Flying up into the sky together like star crossed lovers.
Disappointed, Tomas and Berto figure they won’t be getting any of that drug tonight, so they wander back to their Jimmy and drive off.
(/Start foreshadowing)
After they're gone, a pregnant lady gets out of a minivan across from where the drug deal was happening. She goes over to the next alley and starts rummaging through the garbage. She pulls out a Ziploc bag with a few syringes in it. She hurries back to her van. Inside she rubs her stomach and says, “We’ll find and destroy those monsters who killed you Herman, I swear it on the life of our unborn child!”
(/End foreshadowing)
Various Perspectives
IERA Holding Facility <Date Forthcoming>
The IERA staff Manager Reece Day, looked out over the gathered agents talking together in the Common Room. As she approached the front of the room the conversations grew quiet. When she raised her hand, the room was silent.
"Attention all staff, we have a change of protocol, (a groan goes through the room but is quickly hushed), Our Prisoner Roland Drake is being moved to a Level 2 facility. The Echelon have asked for Drake to be moved. " She looks down at the roster and adds, "Droit and Fierro, you will accompany these officers as extra enforcement should the need arise." Again she looks around the room, "Departure is in 30 minutes sharp, Dismissed."
The other team members look at the two men and nod in their direction. Droit and Fierro head down to get suited up.
Herman Droit, IERA Agent Type A - 8 year veteran within IERA.
Sterling Fierro, IERA Agent Type E - 1 year recruit within IERA.
As their getting ready the two men talk together, Fierro asks how things are at home, Droit smiles and tells him that Molly is still expecting, only 6 months along, but they aren't worried.. This is their 5th child. One boy at 12, then twin girls at 9 and the last boy at 5. Sure the pregnancy was a surprise but they love kids. Droit had recently gotten a promotion to Lt, and the extra money from the promotion would help them to manage the extra mouth to feed. When asked Fierro proudly talks of his recent marriage, Helen looked beautiful in her mom's wedding gown. Can't believe he's been married for only 3 months!!
They chat a little more and then check each others gear to be sure its all sealed properly.
They head back up to the departure point. There is the security van, heavily reinforced, 4 SWAT agents are also on board. They wave to the police and head over to the Charger "We get the cool vehicle for this escort," Droit tosses the keys to Fierro. Fierro grins and gets behind the steering wheel.
The SWAT cops play a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who goes where. Two head to the front of the vehicle the other two stay behind. Roland Drake is brought to the convoy vehicle by non other than Chromium Condor, he is handed over to the SWAT cops and they bring him inside the vehicle. Everyone climbs in and the convoy heads out.
Mission is going uneventfully, its a 3 hour drive and more than half over when things start to happen. A couple souped-up SUV's start dogging our convoy just after we pass Chattanooga. For some reason the transport vehicle slows down and pulls over to the side of the road. Fierro slides past it and pulls over just ahead of it. The all hell breaks loose.
The Cops exit the cab and come back at the SUV's with weapons drawn. Within seconds, the lead SUV unloads an armored man. The SWAT team opens fire on him but he evades their attack. Some other creature comes out of the SUV, it looks like an Alien reject but lunges at Henry Samuelson, somehow missing him. Droit runs down to make sure the prisoner is still secured. Another agent further down shoots at the cop stunning him. Another costumed character comes out of the SUV and runs into the security van, without opening its doors! Officer Oscar Fiens grabs his head and yells in agony.
Things are moving really fast now, Chromium Condor comes down and tries to hit the Agent who dives under their SUV, causing CC to hit Oscar and take him out of the fight. The Alien attacks Henry and nearly cuts him in half. Oscar even though stunned nearly vomits in his mouth. The Alien then charges at Droit and cuts into him nearly decapitating him in one shot. The van rocks as something is happening inside, when the doors open the other costumed figure steps out with Drake in tow. They head over and get into SUV 1, a second Drake is seen leaving and getting into vehicle 2. They drive off.
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Level 37 facility.
James Garcia was happy he had been chosen for this assignment, it meant he would get a good bonus upon successfully completing it! He never even thought it wouldn't succeed!
His actions in the fight allowed the other powered people to do what they did best. He's not sure that eviscerating the enemy was a good thing but it was done!
He did feel good about taking out the Chromium Condor though, maybe that would be worth more? Hopefully.
He did look forward to his next assignment, that was certain!
