Honey Badger
Honey Badger
A South African expatriate enhanced by a copy of the Cyberline formula, martial arts, and a special costume
View Character Profile
Age
32
Date of Birth
March 29, 2040
Children
Gender
Female
Eyes
Brown/Yelow
Hair
Brown/Silver
Height
5'10"
Weight
154 lbs
The Last Time I take Orders from Sprite
Scarlet Sprite communicates to me that she's got a hitchhiker on board her hover car named Gloria. She's a LFER supporter, but without any kind of powers or equipment. Great, I thought, a
groeperig- hopefully she won't be too much of a liability. I glared at the two IERA agents, one of them with an electrowand and the other with a blaster. I remembered how devastating those wands could be, so I went after the electrowand agent first. I charged forward and ran him through with my questionite claws, and the dwaas found out that human flesh and body arm were of no match for weapons that could cut through titanium. I hit with him such force that he even fell backwards, and I yelled "Remember Clarksville" as I dropped him- or was it her or something else? Whatever- that was one less IERA agent to worry about.
The blaster was furious. He confirmed that the agent was male, referring to the fallen one as "like a brother to me." He tried berating me as an animal, savage , monster, mutant, and terrorist. Nothing that I hadn't heard before, but his audacity made me retort that it was "your faction that killed my father [and] darken cities!" The varke opened fire on me and scored a lucky shot, entangling me with energy bonds. Meanwhile, the Level 37 operatives inflicted devastation upon the other IERA and the darkening generators. Switchblade destroyed one of the latter, while Maven transformed into some kind of sludge and attacked the blaster going against me. She let out an inhuman screech as she shredded him to pieces.
Sprite proceeded to smash through one of the darkening machines with her stolen hovercar- shattering it to pieces. Glad to see that she could operate one of those as well as her boney. I asked Sprite over the comms what do to do next as it looked like the machines were all destroyed. That was when she ordered me to turn on Level 37, which I obliged, broke free of my bonds, and slashed at Maven. The blesmol had a thick hide, feeling pain but without any bleeding as I didn't put the full force of my claws into the blows. At least they made her let out a wounded screech.
As they say in my country, Voël verander van kleur maar nie van veer: a leopard doesn't change it spots. Level 37 expected the betrayal, being the paranoid and ruthless bastards they were. Ignis unleashed an inferno upon the hovercar, nearly killing Gloria and stunning Sprite. Luckily, I got the opportunity to stab Maven a few times, making her bleed- but not enough to incapacitate her. She hissed, tearing and rending into me with her claws as Switchblade attacked me for a double-team. I survived their double-team combination, but was left bleeding and panting furious from the force of their blows.
Luckily, I had an unexpected guardian angel of sorts. The poltergeest returned to strike at the Level 37 agents and distracted them. As expected, Scarlet Sprite retreated in terror- that klein katjie realized she had made a disastrous call. Then the flying IERA operative showed up, the swaeltjie, and swiped at Switchblade\draadtrekker and made him wince a little bit. This gave me an opening to counterstrike at Maven/teef, but it wasn't enough to drop her. Then Switchblade grabbed me while his partner engulfed me. As they did so, I feared that I was doomed. My adrenaline surged as I pushed to break free, and thanks to the Cyberline treatments I not only broke from Maven but also from Switchblade. This left me exhausted and with a headache. I muttered to myself: "dit is die laaste keer dat ek bestellings van Sprite!" (this is the last time I take orders from Sprite).
Avenging Clarksville
So just as Level 37 and me and Sprite were about to throw down, we all get orders to stand down. Apparently Perry worked out a truce with Level 37 to team up with them against the IERA. I was surprised that Switch Blade and Maven were willing to go with it, but I was equally surprised to be battling invaders from another dimension. Sprite and me made our way to a safehouse to get our new orders and met up with Siren. Perry ordered us to join Level 37 in a strike against the IERA in Clarksville, we would ride on the same transport together and launch a coordinated attack to disable these "dark conditioners" to banish anyone deemed an enemy by the UN-IERA. This is some kind of technology that the IERA is using I guess a common foe can make strange bedfellows, or as I would say in Afrikaans die hiëna en aap slaap saam wanneer die leeu rondsweef.
We all jumped out of the air transport, flying or leaping to a particular attack point. Sprite went after a flying car piloted the IERA. Apparently the varke were rounding up surviving victims from the area for their little darkening project. I went after an IERA sniper that was providing overwatch, while the Level 37 villains attacked the generators. As I charged the agent, that flying bokkie reappeared and screamed at me to surrender and her name was Nite Owl. I gave a loud introduction, "my name is Honey Badger, I'm with the LFER and I don't surrender. Remember Clarksville!" Those words got under her skin and she swiped at me. Her first attacks weren't that effective, so I ran the sniper through with my claws- leaving the vasgesteek vark dying from powerful blow. I turned around to face Nite Owl, just as Switch Blade arrived.
Nite Owl then scored a hit on me. It gave a strong bruise, but her blows weren't strong enough to stun me. Then Ignis showed up and unleashed her flaming attacks upon the little birdie. The bokkie managed to dodge out of the way, and she evaded subsequent strikes from Switch Blade. Unfortunately for her, I saw an opening in her defenses and struck- burying my claws in her. The stab from my questionite claws wasn't good enough to stun her, but it left her bleeding. She clearly wasn't used to fighting someone who could do that and fled the rooftop, flying away like a bang konyn. I heard on the communicator that Siren was in a furious battle against the IERA super that could turn into a crocodile, whom I fondly remembered tearing to shreds with my claws in our last encounter. This battle was rather topsy-turvy, with the two taking turns stunning each other. Sprite called for help first, so I pushed my strength to its limits and lept over the building to help her out. I just hoped that the kid could hold on for the moment.
I landed like a badger into the alleyway, just as Scarlet Sprite commandered the IERA vehicle- carrying the stunned ugly Level 37 villain that I refer to as a teef but I think is called Maven. A weird name for such a hideous thing, something like blesmol or gruwel would be far more fitting. Sprite revealed to me that she was given some kind of secret mission to capture that creature by Perry. What the hell he would want with "her" I honestly don't want to know- back in my homeland we'd put down such a dangerously hondsdol dier, not try to keep it in a pen.
It looks like there is still one of those generators that's nearby along with those agents. Something invisible attacked me, but I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. I luckily managed to break free of this poltergeest's grip, and then I hear Siren go down on the comms. Dammit! Just as things were going so well...Apparently there is more work ahead of me and Sprite when it comes to avenging Clarksville. Hopefully those IERA varke won't kill or take the kid hostage, but I don't trust restraint after all the evil they've done across the world. And then once we're done with them, there is the matter of our untrustworthy allies and Sprite's little secret mission. I just hope this isn't yet another instance where that klein katjie screws things up. Just when we were making such a good team...
Enemies from Another Dimension
After the mission to Clarksville, my team and I returned to New York City. Hopefully Perry and his people can get the information they want from the survivors. At least we won a propaganda victory against the IERA moefoks- I hear "Remember Clarksville" is all over the internet and has become the new fad in terms of culture-jamming. Siren got assigned to another mission, but Perry had a new mission for me and Scarlet Sprite. There is a new super in town named Ignis, who has fire powers. Her origin is so mysterious that our orders are to persuade her to come in with us or detain and capture her. Apparently she doesn't like the IERA either as there are videos of her unleashing firestorms upon them, but might be friendly with Level 37. I volunteered to scout ahead by using my clinging skills and I got visual contact with a quartet of armored figures.
These armored figures were made of a strange metal and designs that I had never seen before. They're also gigantic- at least three times my size! I reached out to Professor Moses who volunteered that they were likely from another dimension. It would've sounded bloody bizarre to me before I came to this city, but with Scarlet Sprite's talk about getting her powers from an extradimensional entity made me reconsider everything I thought I knew. The figures were terrorizing the locals, scaring them away from the scene and opening fire with energy weapons on anyone who got in their way. Looks like we had no choice but to battle those enemies from another dimension. We hoped ons het nie 'n leeu se balle met 'n kort stokkie gekrap nie, we weren't pushing our luck with this one.
I hitched a ride with Scarlet Sprite on her boney to get to the dimensional invaders. She bellowed that she was going to ram the nearest one. I thought it was a bad idea and leaped off the motorcycle- performing a graceful feline landing. I watched as Die berge het ń muis gebaar- Sprite rammed into the creature without any effect whatsoever. I saw a few blocks down the fiery figure known as Ignis fighting alongside two of the Level 37 operatives I encountered in the past: Maven and Switchblade or as I call them Draadtrekker and teef. They had their hands full fighting both the IERA and the dimensional invaders. The invaders split up in two: half battling me and Sprite and the other two fighting Draadtrekker and Ignis.
I engaged the closest blue metal baster with multiple stabs from my Questionite claws. Dr. Moses asssured me that these could cut through any material on the planet, except for questionite or kelvarite. They had trouble penetrating the invaders' armor, proving his theory that they were from another dimension quite correct. Eventually, I managed to land a blow that injured the creature. Meanwhile, I watched as Scarlet Sprite and Ignis struggled to injure them while Switch Blade only had limited success. I realized that there was only way Sprite and I could beat these creatures: through teamwork.
We started coordinated attacks: her punches/kicks and my claws. We put all our strength in our attacks, pushing ourselves beyond our physical limits. Finally the creatures started to buckle under the force of the assault. First we knocked out one, and then the other. Our victory left us exhausted and panting furiously, and thankfully the creatures proved to be worse shots than the IERA agents- blasting the hell out of the nearby buildings and streets. Meanwhile Draadtrekker threw his enemies into the portals from whence they came while teef slaughtered the IERA agents. I don't like that monster, but I got some amusement out of seeing her tear through the government scum. It's nice to see evil fight evil for a change.
It seemed that Ignis threw in her lot with Level 37 so that means that Sprite and I would have to do things the hard way: detain and capture. We recovered our energy and prepared ourselves for the next fight. Here's hoping that Siren or the Commandant show up (preferably both) shortly as I'm not looking forward to a 3 on 2 battle- especially considering what happened the last time we tried to fight Switchblade. One thing that I remember hearing from Ignis, something about "Kazar warriors." I guess that must be what they're called.
Sprite and I are finally making a good team. Maybe this is the start of a beautiful friendship, or maybe it's just a good day. Whatever. I'll take what I can get.
Remember Clarksville!
After our last mission turned out successfully, Perry gave us some time to rest, relax, and hide. I enjoyed going clubbing with Siren and even Scarlet Sprite at Club Nightstar. It was in the darkened part of New York City, giving me flashbacks to the parts of South Africa where I used to roam. They play some befok music that you can headbang, jam, or dance- sometimes in the same night. Plus they have boerwors and curry fries, which aren't easy to find- and a wonderful mix of whatever dishes they can scrounge up from this diverse place or the rest of the world. They got cheap drinks too, stuff that'll get you buzzed or high fast without breaking the bank. Still, the food and drink wasn't as good as the stuff back in South Africa - the place has a kind of magic when it comes to that, even if it attracts the worst kind of people to any position of power. When we exhausted our fun there, I took my teammates to the club across the street- the music there was a mix of latin dance and hip hop and the patrons saw us as outsiders. Naturally, there were some domkops and dronkies that wanted to start a fight, which we ended as quickly as it started. Questionite claws are quite handy for that. When that was over, I kept going but Siren was flou and passed out. Scarlet Sprite and I parted ways, but I promised to take the kid home. I wasn't going to be a loslappie, so I didn't go to anyone's place or invite them to mine. I dropped the kid off at a nearby safehouse, changed back into Klara Engelbrecht, yoga and fitness instructor.
It was boring to return to my shorter, less superhuman self but it meant I could hide from my enemies with a lot more ease. It was also nice to earn money and enjoy the perks of being just another a choty goty . The clients tipped well, while the studios and gyms made good on their incentives. I got a few offers from blessers, but like I said- I'm not a loslappie or blessee and I turned them down. Things were quiet for a bit, but I heard the word on the grapevine that a city in the American heartland had not only resisted the IERA and their regulations, but had actually thrown back an invasion force of IERA agents. I celebrated in private with some dagga, but my euphoria was cooled by the knowledge that those bliksems wouldn't let the poor gomgats get away with it.
I wasn't surprised when Perry reached out and re-activated the cell for a new mission. This time it was just me and the lighty. I use that term with affection as Siren saved my boude back in the sewers. He told us that the IERA had hit that place with a "hemoglobin" bomb, a really nasty weapon that destroys electronics and the living while leaving buildings intact. Our mission was to go to Clarksville, search the place, and return with any surviving people or technology. I knew the IERA used it in Africa, and I saw what it did to a township that harbored me after I killed that corrupt judge and his friends. Those maaifoedies are capable of real evil- it's a shame that they control the media so the normies think they're angels. Perry got us transportation over there- and after a tour through the heartland we arrived in Clarksville.
The place was just as devastated as the township was. The place was not only dark but strewn with dead bodies- not just the resistance fighters but civilians, innocent people who just wanted to enjoy freedom. The place not only reeked of the stench of the dead, but also of the weapon. Gaseous clouds covered the place, concealing anything beyond reaching distance. My nightvision goggles were of little use- I'll have to see if Dr. Moses can give me an upgrade- but I kept them on to protect my eyes just in case. They came in handy, but I'll get to that later. The kid noticed a survivor- a langeraad hybrid of bear and human clad in some kind of martial arts outfit. He tried some kind of paramedics, but told me that the beast was stuck in coma. He had only survived due to his regeneration. The funny thing is that he reminded me a little bit like me in some ways- strength, beastial claws, martial arts, and tall but I'm a lot less hairy. I picked up the gelukkige beer, thankfully my strength was enough to do so without slowing me down.
We headed into the mist, combing the town for any surviving tech or people. That's when one of the IERA agents attacked me with some kind of blinding spray. He was clad in the usual body armor and helmet that I'm familiar with- but he was better trained than the usual grunts but with the same judgement. I guess he didn't notice my protective mask, because he was horrified when he realized I resisted his attack. We got ordered to surrender by another agent, this one a pretty little bokkie flying above us. Then a burst of electricity coursed through me and Siren, but it was weaker than the projector expected. I charged forward, attacking the growing shape where it had come from. The domkop had tossed aside his armored jacket to show off his muscles as he turned into a giant crocodile, but he didn't expect me to get there so fast and shred him with my claws. I slashed him to pieces with my questionite claws, but this langeraad just barely survived but was knocked unconscious by the pain.
I continued fighting witht the agent who had attacked me, but he realized the errors his partner had made and kept dodging and blocking. The best hit I could get on him was only a glancing blow that left a cut in his armor. Siren disoriented the remaining agents, but I think my devastating assault on the crocodile-man demoralized them. The flying bokkie evacuated her unconscious teammate while the other one fled. Siren urged me to let them go, and with some reluctance I did. I was tempted to make sure that they suffered the fate their masters had imposed upon Clarksville, but the bokkie semed as traumatized as much as Siren at what the bomb had done. Their retreat gave us time to clear out the rest of the city, but all we could find was another superhuman- a woman with cybernetic implants. She's likely dead, but I took her with us along with her ursine comrade. We radioed to Perry for evac as it was likely that the IERA would retaliate.
As we headed back to NYC, a battle cry kept flashing into my mind. I'll have to tell the others to spread the word. We will make the IERA ashamed of their atrocity, and their actions will unleash an unstoppable call to vengence among the masses: "REMEMBER CLARKSVILLE!"
Success in the Sewers
After the last mission's debacle, we had to lay low for a little. Dr. Moses gave me some additional cyberline treatments to augment my resilience and stamina, and LFER got a new recruit on the team: Siren. Siren is an aquatic mutant with sonic-powers, so he's been useful in a city of islands and rivers. He's no Timber, Commandant, Nightwing or Backup- but he's still a sight for sore eyes. I was getting tired of being stuck with the pyn in die gat Scarlet Sprite. Thankfully, it wasn't too long before Perry reached out to us with a new mission: to retrieve more of those energy traps. These ones were located somewhere in the NYC sewers, but we were likely to encounter opposition: most likely Level 37, the criminal organization that het ons omgefok on our last mission. Whatever trepidation aside, I was excited to get some vengeance on the Draadtrekker that called himself "Switch Blade" when we last battled at the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument.
We made our way into the sewers with detection devices to find the energy traps. The place not surprisingly reeked of an unholy stench. Siren confided in me that he also had a grudge against the IERA and their tyrannical darkenings. It was refreshing to hear. We approached as stealthily as possible, but encountered a bunch of giant mutant crickets. They resembled the giant mutant frogs we battled at the farm. I happily tore apart the buggy little basters with my claws, which was a welcome release. Siren complained about it- talk about a skaapie! Those bugs were trying to eat us- so who knows how many innocent people or pets those chitinous basters have already eaten so far! I was just putting them out of their unnatural misery. Apparently Siren didn't know my reputation- guess the merman doesn't surf the net or watch much media.
Anyway, Scarlet Sprite continued forward as I had control of the situation. She showed off her new invisibillity power and disappeared, fooling me that the containment case was just laying around later on. We briefly worked together to find the energy traps. Naturally, as soon as we nabbed them, Switch Blade decided to show up. He was followed by a hideous freak that called itself "Maven", having disguised herself as a crazy homeless lady. I battled with Maven while Switch Blade chased after Sprite. Fortunately, Siren unleashed his powers against the obnoxious intangible/dense villain and delayed him long enough to let Sprite escape.
He then had the audacity to interrupt my fight with Maven by putting a barrier of water between us. Such a shame! I had hoped to continue fighting claw versus claw against the hideous teef, pitting my questionite ones against her mutant biological ones. I'm confident I would've won the day, but not if Switch Blade had joined in. Speaking of him, that moerfok decided to crash our escape (as Sprite was too fast for him) and nearly knocked us out. Thankfully, some of those mutant crickets suddenly came back to life and attacked him- which gave Siren and me the distraction we needed to escape. I was able to lose the blue Draadtrekker. Next time, I'll make both of those terrorist bastards bleed for all the trouble they've caused me.
On the bright side, Perry was happy that we finally succeeded on a mission despite interference. Sprite did her usual snark about how we should've worked together better, but I'm sure that splitting up the way we did allowed her to escape with the mission objective. She just can't resist being a nat naai, but I can't say that I expected better from someone who claimed she got her powers from magical faeries. Probably was more like overdosing on some dwelmmiddel cocktail like those others at What Ails You (still the stupidest name for a bar ever) and she's too bloody embarassed to admit it. I did appreciate how Siren was able to nearly disable Switchblade, even if the vroulik skaapie complains about how "brutal" I am. I just don't understand what makes people so weak- they think that they're better than their opponents by pulling their punches. To appease some fairy tale figure? To give them some kind of high? For the sake of a bloody piece of paper written by some toff with his degree up his bum? Where I come from, if you don't do that- you get verkrag or dead. And no one gives a damn about you, especially if you didn't stand up for yourself or your own.
Well, I'm sure that the kid will change his mind when he sees what Level 37 is capable of, or the IERA for that matter. In the teamtime, it's time to celebrate success in the sewers. I think I'm going clubbing, and the kid and Sprite can come along too. I hope I won't regret the second invitation.
Learning and Failing at Teamwork
So the mission starts off with Perry giving us orders to obtain some experimental energy traps from an IERA facility at the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument. He gave the courtesy of giving us containment units for these traps, which seem to be leaking energy. Unfortunately, the LFER cell is down to me and Scarlet Sprite- no Backup, Commandant, Nightwing, or Timber. Sprite has been her usual nat naai self, with the endless snark. Luckily, Dr. Moses and his people trained me to handle dealing with such unpleasant individuals which takes incredible patience. Thankfully, she kept her mouth shut during the briefing so we were able to get to the monument site on time.
Shockingly, Sprite offered to give me a ride to the various collection points. So we learned teamwork as we began collecting the energy traps- she used her bike's speed to get to each point and then I used my martial training to contain them. We repeated the process from target to target. Luckily, we didn't have to deal with any initial obstacles or opposition- until the mysterious intangible man showed up to try to take the third energy trap from us. Scarlet Sprite revved up the motorcycle and swept past him, letting me grab the object right from underneath his nose. Serves that Draadtrekker right!
He then had the audacity to try to take the containment unit from me! Too bad I was just too quick for him. Thank God for Dr. Moses' serum. I'll have to let him know how well it boosted me against the intangible man. Unfortunately, Scarlet Sprite decided to continue to engage with intangible man who retaliated to our attacks by smashing his own containment unit and sending us flying with an energy explosion. Donkie kont! That Dopkaas move cost us precious time and left us at Draadtrekker's mercy.
With little endurance thanks to the draining effects of the energy traps, I tried my best to engage the intangible man but his defenses just proved too strong. Scarlet Sprite was of some help as her attacks managed to hit, but didn't do enough to drop him- but as I collapsed from the lack of reserves, the Draadtrekker grabbed the containment unit and flew to escape. Then, my teammate made an incredible leap and grabbed the unit- but she was too weak to wrest it from him. However, in their banter the intangible man finally acknowledged that he was with "Level 37." I'm glad my suspicions were correct.
As I tried to recover, an IERA recon jet decided to make a dramatic entrance. It demanded for Sprite and Mr. Level 37 to hand over the containment unit. As I was exhausted and barely conscious, I had no choice but to flee the scene. Bliksem! Thankfully, my clinging claws had their uses, my stealth training kicked in, and the skyscrapers provided enough cover to flee. Not another mission failure! Godverdoem! I swear if I ever see the intangible man again- there will be hell to pay. Luckily, I was able to escape the IERA dragnet by changing out of costume and hitting the alleys and subway tunnels. Hopefully, I won't have to put up with too much snert from Perry.
I'm going to check in with Dr. Moses and see if he can give me some additional treatments so that I won't be so afflicted by such energy backlashes in the future.
Mission Failure
The bear guy continued throwing down with me, but his clumsy claw swipes failed to land. I kept stabbing him with my claws, but they weren't as effective as they should've been. Eventually after what seemed like an eternity, I managed to knock him out and leave him bleeding. Serves him right for serving drug dealing scum like Doc Rollie. Unfortunately, my little distraction meant that the Level 37 agent got to the drug dealer. Scarlet Sprite reached out to me and asked me to try to protect the goth girl, in return she'd go after the dealer. Believing her to be faster than me, I took the offer. It was probably a mistake, but I guess I owed her one.
I grabbed the goth girl, who wasn't too keen on letting me to do so. I tried to persuade her to join LFER, but this koppige teef didn't want to listen to any reason. So when her other GENO-using pal woke up and tried to deck me, I grabbed her and tossed her into him. It's a shame that it went down that way, but some girls are just tewe. I hope she likes a life of villainy to one of a freedom fighter, but that's her dumb call to live with.
I headed over to see how Scarlet Sprite was doing, but found that as expected the IERA had turned on us. The Level 37 agent had been too fast for her and got away with Doc Rollie. Damn fool! I cursed myself for agreeing to her scheme; as it turned out just as well as her stupid motorcycle jump over the East River. So naturally, the IERA threw a tantrum and we got in a fight with Assault. He ended up being too slippery for me to land a hit before he went airborne and started zapping us. Sprite ended being little help during the fight. One day I hope she'll be effective in a fight. Perhaps.
Where the hell did The Commandant go? He was in the first round of the fight outside the NYC subway. Last I remembered he was chatting with the IERA agents that weren't super-powered. Well, I hope things went better for him than the rest of us- but we could've used his help. Nightwing and Timber would've altered the outcome of that fight, but since they were gone our operation was one giant disappointment. I'll have some bones to pick with them when I see them again. They better have some good excuses.
I wasn't in the best mood after we escaped from the subway. Scarlet Sprite wanted her motorcycle back, so I helped her fish it from the bottom of the East River. She happened to know a tow truck driver, so that was our ride back. The debrief on the way back wasn't much better, but at least I was able to win most of the fights I got into that night. On the bright side, Scarlet Sprite and I are now even. And I won't be listening to that girl again. She's a slap away from the windmill/ń Klap van die windmeul weg hê.
This was a mission failure, and I will have my revenge. Assault, Battery, Doc Rollie and this Level 37 agent are all going to pay next time. And this is not only the last time I listen to Scarlet Sprite, but also that I make a deal with the IERA scum.
Grimoires and Golems
Less than a full day later, my cell got a message from Perry: apparently the previous mission wasn't a failure. "Doc"/"Rollie" ended up being an impostor, so the GENO drugs were still in play. The Commandant returned to us but had little answers to my questions and seemed confused about the whole thing. Very strange. It's nice to have someone around who can charm the IERA as well as boost me and Scarlet Sprite in battle, but I'm not sure if I trust him given that he has a bad habit of disappearing and seems to get along a little too well with the IERA. I chewed him out even worse than Scarlet Sprite, who at least tried her best during the recent mission (even if she seemed out of her league and a bit too reckless for her own good). Hopefully he doesn't go AWOL again. I do miss Nightwing and Timber, those two were reliable allies that pulled their weight and showed me surprising respect. Perhaps they'll be available next mission, which wouldn't be a moment too soon.
Perry ordered us to find the drugs and track down the actual drug dealer. We returned to the subway to follow the lead, and did a little bit of breaking and entering into the surveillance rooms. Sprite got a bead on the alleged Level 37 agent who was intangible as usual. I followed him deeper into the subway, but ended up in front of some kind of secure vault. The vault was guarded by a golem, who engaged me as the intangible man disappeared. The golem was a massive humanoid creature made from rocks. I've seen enough popular fantasy culture to recognize it. It was a long and grueling fight as we traded blow for blow. His fists couldn't land a blow on me and my claws couldn't tear through his rocky hide. Occasionally he landed a blow, but it was never powerful enough to knock me out.
Thankfully Dr. Moses' serum gave me the recovery to bounce back up and continue stabbing into him. Finally I landed a finishing blow that incapacitated the creature, who reverted back into human form. The Commandant caught up with me and I advised him to keep an eye on the golem. I then used my claws and knowledge of security systems to hack through the vault, and my rejuvenation allowed me to endure the strange traps awaiting me. The place wasn't right- it began bending reality. This wasn't storing mad science but some kind of magic, I think. I pressed on and found that the prize was an ancient book. I think I remember from the latest Dungeons and Dragons movie (entry number 10) that it's called a Grimoire. These books contain powerful magical secrets. It seemed to be source of the all the strangeness around me, or at least could give me answers.
I snatched the accursed thing and then the whole place started falling apart. I ran for the exits, sensing that there was some kind of final trap that had been sprung. I just managed to make it to the exit with the encouragement of The Commandant, who told me that it was a trap out of a Lara Croft or Helena Shaw movie: a rolling boulder. Thankfully, my serum-boosted strength and agility were enough to power me away from the boulder and get past the reality-bending stuff. I landed to safety with honey badger-like grace as The Commandant began babbling about the sudden death and "dusting" of the golem-man. We escaped the abandoned and collapsing subway tunnels, meeting back up with Scarlet Sprite.
It's a shame that we couldn't find GENO or Doc/Rollie, but maybe I found something just as powerful for our cause. If this grimoire contains the magical secrets like its movie and game counterparts, this could be a real game-changer. I wonder what happened to that strange man in the blue suit and if he found anything? Well, perhaps this tome could give us something to help counteract his de-solidification powers. That could give us a real change at stopping him the next time he shows up to interfere. Hopefully Perry knows someone who can deal with this new find. I just hope that someone isn't the Scarlet Sprite. God help us all if she's the magical expert in the LFER.
Where is Timber, Backup, or Nightwing when you need them?
Subway Rumble
I followed Scarlet Sprite, Assault, and Battery into the subway. We left The Commandant behind to discuss things with the IERA agents. Apparently "Doc" now goes by "Rollie," according to the IERA supers. We quickly found ourselves in a subway rumble with Rollie's minions who were armored up and equipped with energy rifles. Meanwhile, the mysterious superhuman in blue engaged a pair of GENO-enhanced bruisers. The minions were easily defeated, but there was another opponent that lurked in the shadows.
I was busy dealing with the minions, but there ended up being a teen girl with enervation powers lurking within the shadows. She managed to use her powers to frustrate Assault, Battery, and the man in blue. I made my way over there and watched the fight between Rollie's henchmen and the man in blue (I suspected he was with Level 37, this criminal and terrorist organization that's popped in the news). Since the battle was evil versus evil, I dryly remarked that I'd let them it out. I then proceeded to assist the others. I realized that the enervation powers were coming from a waiting room, so I combined my questionite claws and Assault's super-strength to destroy the cover.
Then out came the fleeing teenage goth girl. Battery confronted her, while the suspected Level 37 agent disappeared. This made the GENO henchmen chase after me, so I turned around to confront them: my claws against theirs.
I'm not sure what happened to Scarlet Sprite in the battle. The strange nymph seemed to have disappeared in the chaos. I'm sure she's all right.
And...according to Dr. Moses, Assault and Battery were supervillains (Thunder and Lightning) before they got recruited by IERA. Well, I'm not surprised that a bunch of globalist tyrants would recruit from the worst elements of society. It's the same snert I saw back in South Africa. Still, I'm glad that they are being constructive by taking down a bunch of drug dealers. I'll keep working with them until the formula is in sight and then it's on if they get in my way or try to arrest me.
Back on the Hunt
Some time after the recent mission out to the rogue LFER cell in upstate New York, my team got the news that "Doc" and GENO were back on the NYC streets. We headed out towards the East River and managed to get visual confirmation of several individuals involved with GENO heading into the subway. Finally, we are on back on the hunt after what seems like at least four months! My team consisted of me, The Commandant and Scarlet Sprite. I had only met The Commandant recently- he's clearly got military and law enforcement experience and has taken charge of the LFER cell. He's a little bit of a goody two-shoes and has insisted that I not use my claws to maim and kill my enemies, especially if they're IERA or other official police. It's with some reluctance that I've complied with his orders, but I've found that destroying those opponent's weapons and armor removes them from the fight just as permanently as planting my claws into their body. He's otherwise fairly mysterious in terms of his background and motivation, but at least he's not like Resin who wouldn't shut up about both.
The Scarlet Sprite is a little strange (I don't really get the magical folks or this talk of faeries), but I like her sense of confidence and desire to help innocent people. Naturally, once I got confirmation of those persons of interest- Sprite decided to perform a motorcycle stunt over the river and next to the subway entrance. It didn't turn out well for her as her motorcycle took the plunge, but she landed on the side of the river. The Commandant and I ran the long way around the bridge, encountering several IERA agents. Meanwhile, an unknown super showed up with his own agenda and battled the IERA super-agents known as Assault and Battery. Scarlet Sprite got in on the action as well as the targets ran into the subway.
The Commandant managed to use his knowledge of paramilitary protocol and incredible charisma to talk down the first agent that we encountered, while I disabled the next agent by destroying his energy rifle with my questionite claws. It was interesting how he kept mentioning that he and the agent were on the same team, but I'm not going to turn down a gift especially when a dangerous drug is hitting the streets. He and Scarlet Sprite seemed to convince the IERA agents to help us deal with these GENO dealers, while the unknown meddler went intangible and disappeared into the subway.
Sigh, I do despise the IERA - they're nothing but another version of petty, incompetent, cruel, and tyrannical bastards I dealt with in South Africa- but their help could be useful against Doc and his dealers. Still, I don't trust them with this drug and you can be damn sure that I'm not going to let it fall into their hands. Plus, Assault dresses up like she's modelling for a swimwear line. Then again, I'm not going to underestimate someone who can lift a car and hurl supers with incredible force- no matter the way that they dress. I wonder who this third party is? Could he be affiliated with this terrorist group that calls it Level 37? I wonder...
Attack of the Killer Frogs
Me, Nightwing, and Timber made our way down through the bunker till we came to a set of doors. I easily tore through them with my claws, only to receive a hail of bullets from the rogue LFER's commander. Thankfully most of his shots missed or I dodged; and the few that hit bounced off my armor. Nightwing and I engaged the commander, bringing him near unconsciousness. Just as we were about to knock him out, I got shot at by a sniper on the other side of the room, so I charged over there. Timber got distracted by a pizza man that suddenly arrived in the bunker, more on him later.
The sniper ended up being Oppenheimer, the very woman that my team had been assigned to verify her status. She confirmed it to me via whisper when I climbed on top of the crates where she was hiding. Of course, a super showed his face on the scene- I didn't recognize him but Nightwing did. Nightwing engaged the interloper in a friendly conversation for some reason, only to have the newcomer reveal that he was working with the rogue LFER cell. The new guy called himself Resin, but I like to call him "Rhino Snot" or (Reenoster-Snot in my native Afrikaans. He started interfering with meddlesome barriers, denying the terrorist reputation of the cell.
Meanwhile, I ended up grabbing Oppenheimer, then destroying her rifle, and throwing her next to Resin. We whispered the plan, but apparently Rhino Snot overhead us. The ceiling opened up further down the bunker so Nightwing flew down to investigate. He was attacked by a swarm of giant mutant killer frogs, who had already eaten a bunch of the rogue cell members who had been unlucky to get in their way. Luckily, the attack of the killer frogs failed, as they leapt at and missed my armored friend. It was likely the work of those gas canisters leaking, just like the giant slug my team and I encountered at the farm.
Nightwing and I agreed that our mission had been accomplished so we tried to exit. Unfortunately, Rhino Snot conjured another resin wall that blocked our escape. Nightwing was pretty pissed off, as was I. Thankfully, the do-gooder challenged us to deal with the killer frogs- and I was in the mood for a meal of frog legs! I charged forward, slashing into the frogs with my claws. Their thin skin was no match for my claws and I tore them apart with ease. Their counterattacks missed or bounced off our armors. These creatures were dangerous against unarmored and surprised opponents, but far less so to a trio of superheroes. Rhino Snot and Nightwing helped me finish them off, leaving a pile of dead frogs in our wake.
The enemy finished off, Rhino Snot and I engaged in conversation while he allowed Nightwing to check in on Timber. The tree guy decided to chow down on the pizza that Rhino Snot had delivered, leaving us to fend for ourselves in the fight. That lui verloorder left us to fend for ourselves! Well, he became a lot less attractive in my book! Oppenheimer and the commander fled the scene, leaving behind the canisters. Fortunately, it looked like these hadn't been opened.
My conversation with Rhino Snot was a mixed bag. I got some questions answered, but he had a most insufferable habit of going on wild tangents and throwing around bad jokes like a bombing standup comic. He was under the delusion that his cell was a group of heroes, saving the lives of the innocent with their little gas canister project. According to him, the gas cures dying victims from various ailments such as lethal injuries to severe cancers. It clearly has some nasty side-effects, as far as being turned into an addictive and dangerous drug to give people superpowers or turning ordinary animals into mutant monsters. I explained this to him, but he remained most stubborn. He even kept calling me French, which was incredibly annoying. My accent is far closer to Dutch or German than those pampered frogs! Plus he thought I was Canadian- the fool! South Africans, especially Afrikaners, are proud, tough, and resilient- we aren't the whining, weak, apologetic cry-babies like the Canucks!
The ignorant busybody then tried lecturing me on how he didn't kill people. What a chump! Morons like him are why criminals continue to terrorize innocents and the corrupt rule our world with a tyrannical fist. I reminded him to check in on his friends, who clearly have ties to the GENO drug dealers I've been fighting as well as the bastards responsible for the NYC blackout. I thought it best to change the subject to our origins, and he went on a lengthy, boring, and ego-stroking monologue. I replied with a succinct summary of why I became a vigilante and got my abilities. Rhino Snot grew bored of my questions and then headed off to find Oppenheimer, so I took the opportunity as an exit cue.
I met up with my comrades, we extracted ourselves from the bunker, and we headed back to the bokse vragmotor to head back to NYC. We will have quite the report for Special Agent Kingsley. Hopefully he's got a report on GENO and Doc.
Terrorists in a Bunker
I made my way down the hole to the bottom of the ladder, seeing a door to a bunker. The door was surprisingly open, but I was greeted by a hostile guard. It was one of the LFER renegades! I quickly engaged him and slashed him with my claws, knocking him to the floor. Nightwing flew past me, engaging the other agents below. Finally Timber charged past me and knocked out the wounded guard. We went down the stairs to engage the remaining LFER renegades.
Nightwing had a clever trick with a darkness field that blinded his opponents while he used his suit's radar to allow him to operate freely. He used this to avoid attacks from the guards while then striking at him with attacks of his own. Meanwhile, Timber went on a rampage throughout the bunker- knocking around and then knocking out his foes. Unfortunately, Dr. Moses' super-serum didn't come with radar so I was at a loss in the darkness. Thankfully, Nightwing dropped it to let me finish off a guard. Some of the ones knocked out earlier came to, but were no match for all of combined together.
I had nothing but contempt for these people. They were the fools who launched a terrorist attack against New York City, putting the city in a blackout. This kind of move will only alienate the public and handed the IERA bastards the PR victory that they had wanted. I've killed people with my claws, but they were all corrupt government officials and criminals- they all deserved it. I never struck at civilians, especially innocent people who had nothing to do with corruption and tyranny. These bliksem almost made me ashamed to be in the same group as them- and I was seething with anger- I almost performed coup d'graces on the defeated terrorists, but Timber and Nightwing talked me out of it.
We then pressed onward into the bunker looking for Kingsley/Oppenheimer. And hopefully the gat in charge who can explain what the hell is going on with these canisters.
Slug in the Cornfield, Down in the Hole
The organization sent a handler to me, Timber, Sprite, and Nightwing. This liaison informed us that our cell needed to go "upstate" to a farm determine the status of a missing undercover LFER operative, obtain mineral samples from the canisters, and ensure team safety. Apparently Tarah Kingsley/Rachel Oppenheimer has gone undercover with the rogue LFER cell that claimed responsibility for the recent NYC blackout. She has technology that allows her to disguise herself as a different woman. LFER lost contact with her 48 hours before. The briefer clarified that it's standard procedure among LFER in America to investigate lost contacts, which was not the case in my homeland due to scarcer numbers on our side. Sprite made lots of promises and talked tough during the meeting, but was unable to participate in the first leg of the mission. I'm not surprised- I dealt with "rebels" like her before who like to run their mouth but never deliver when the chips are down. Perhaps I'll see her later on the mission, but I'm not holding my breath.
Regarding the rest of the team, I like Timber the most. I like boys that have his size, upbringing in the country, a plainspoken nature, and his muscles. He's a rooinek after my own heart! He's always dependable and his strength has come in handy on a few occasions so far. Plus he seems to have some kind of crush on me. Bronson Stoddard has a nice ring to it as well. It sounds like a Country or a Rock Star. I like those kinds of music, far more preferable to the electronic-auto-tuned-rap garbage that everyone else listens to these days. Nightwing's been pretty reliable so far, even if he's a little more secretive and mysterious than Timber. It's nice to have him up in the sky keeping an eye on things. We have some things in common as far as being stealthy and trained in martial arts. He's also not a showboat like Sprite, so even better. I think we 3 make a good team, and I liked that Backup fellow as well. It's a shame I haven't seen him in a bit. I hope he's all right and I'll be on a mission with him again so that I can find out more about him.
Timber, Nightwing, and I all travelled to the farm from the insertion point in a delivery truck. We found that the canisters were leaking some kind of gas, and put on our masks to protect from the fumes. We collected samples, but found the farm mostly deserted. Well, deserted except for a giant slug which proved surprisingly fast for its girth. Growing up in the Dark Continent, I heard stories of such monstrous creatures mutated by technology or pollution, but it's the first time I encountered one in the wild. Nightwing was able to do aerial surveillance and warn me of its attack, which I avoided. Sadly, I didn't get the opportunity to tear the creature apart- Nightwing and Timber kept on engaging it when I tried to lure it into several traps. Such a shame, as I was hoping to use my questionite claws on it. On the bright side, I was able to get a sample from it without getting injured by its acid secretions.
Nightwing noticed a hidden underground hatch in the cornfield. I headed over there and opened it myself, dropping down into the hole below. I wonder what further awaits us. Where the hell is Kingsley/Oppenheimer? What happened to the rogue cell? Perhaps down there I'll get my answers.
The Bad Doctor
Timber and I got info from Perry as to some possible locations to the drug dealer known as "Doc", who is one bad doctor. GENO is a nasty drug that's been causing chaos across the city, by giving its users super-powers. We visited several locations across the city, but didn't get a hit until we visited the last location. It was a warehouse that actually had the lights on and I overheard sounds of activity. As the Americans say, it wasn't my first rodeo or raid on a criminal operation- I've even raided government/law enforcement operations, but they were no better than the criminals. There wasn't much need to wait and I noticed that the operation had left their electrical box unguarded- it was the perfect time to cut the power so I did it with my claws. Timber was surprised by it, but there was enough time for him to transform and for me to climb onto the roof.
We dealt with the lookouts and foot soldiers for the operation with ease. I got to jump down on one and then throw him into another, while Timber took out the last one. We got a surprise visit from another vigilante, this one clad in red and driving an impressive motorcycle (what we call "boneys"). She introduced herself as "The Scarlet Sprite" and despite her initial suspicion, we found that we had common values and common enemies. She was aware of the LFER, but hadn't joined up just yet. We teamed up and cleaned out the lab- surprisingly Timber didn't have any kind of ability to see in the dark. I didn't have that problem.
We then had to deal with a pair of supers that were serving as henchmen for the bad doctor. One seemed to be a hybrid human-bear and the other had similar super-strength and toughness but without the fur. Timber took care of the first one, while I handled the latter. Both of them put up a fight but we managed to defeat them. Unfortunately, by the time I made it into Doc's office the bad doctor escaped. Scarlet Sprite attempted pursuit, but he had enough time to pull off a successful getaway. Thankfully, the drug lord was in a hurry and left his papers and computer behind him; so we snagged those for taking back to the safehouse.
We concluded the mission by extending an invite to the Scarlet Sprite, who shared our antipathy to the IERA. She followed us to the safehouse. She definitely has the enthusiasm and the right attitude, but I didn't really get much of a glimpse of her combat abilities. Her boney will be most useful for any need for extraction in the future.
We don't Need a New Drug
Nightwing and I decided to patrol the streets on the way back from dropping off the unconscious bikers. We made our way around via rooftops and the skyline. I didn't mind taking a ride from Nightwing, as he had the flight speed that I lacked. And he was a gentleman about the ride, which was also appreciated. I'll have to ask Dr. Moses if he could make improvements to the treatments to give something comparable to the rest of my team in terms of movement. We ended up overhearing a drug deal going on between a pair of junkies and a dealer, and the mention of a "drug that gave you superpowers" piqued our interest. Nightwing swooped in from the rooftop, while I used my claws to jump down. We easily knocked out the drug dealers, he did it with a passing strike and I did it with a grab and kick.
We confiscated several syringes full of the drug from the junkies and dealer, and it appeared that this new drug is the same as the one we encountered at the "What Ailes You Bar" bar. We proceeded to interrogate the dealer, who said that his name was Hervé. Hervé did his best to resist, but a demonstration of my claws' power convinced him to reveal everything that he knew. Apparently he had been supplied drugs by a mysterious figure known as "Doc" who would call him and let him know where to pick up the syringes. The drug was named GENO. We informed the hapless dealer we would let him go, but that he should pursue a new line of work and location or we wouldn't be so merciful next time.
We headed back to the safehouse and chatted with Dr. Moses. He was grateful to have additional samples of the drug to analyze and deconstruct- hopefully to design a counteracting agent or cure. We then headed back out on patrol. This community clearly looked neglected, decayed, and lawless- it most certainly doesn't need a new drug, especially one as addictive and dangerous as GENO.
Getting Answers and Backup
We headed back to a LFER safehouse with two of the bikers in tow. One of them was the leader "Geno" and the other "Dick" had with electricity powers. I happily proceeded to interrogate the two with the assistance of Timber and Nightwing. I got some answers from the prisoners, but found out that they knew little. Geno and his gang of Hellions were regulars at the bar, loved to start fights, and didn't have superpowers before. He did confirm that the bartender was new, so it's likely that this mysterious man drugged Geno and his gang as part of a test or out of sadistic amusement. As expected, Geno and Dick weren't the most cooperative- but my claws extracted their cooperation, and my backhand and boots knocked them out when they tried to escape or resist.
We had a surprise visitor: a local vigilante with invisibility powers. He adopted the name "backup" at my suggestion and seemed fascinated by my accent. I'll have to work on my American accent, as my accent is a bit more distinctive than I had thought. Perry, our LFER commander, instructed us to drop off the prisoners at a certain location with the assistance of Backup. The drop-off was successful in the back of the bar, and we headed back to the safehouse. The young man is rather intriguing, as he reminds me of the street/country children I interacted with back in the old country. Plus he shares my contempt of the IERA and their bootlicking politicians, bureaucrats, lawyers, activists, and thugs with badges.
He's a native of the city and knows a lot about the IERA and their allies' operations. As much as I'm sure Perry and Dr. Moses would like me to lay low, I'd like to make an example of a few of those bastards. Just like I used to do in South Africa. It will send a message to the corrupt globalist tyrants that NYC is not "their city," and that their minions no longer have immunity from consequences. All I'll have to do is persuade Timber and Nightwing to my plan. Timber does seem to be enamored of me, perhaps I can make use of it. I do find him charming and a hunky specimen thanks to his size and muscle, especially as I'm used to looking down on men when I'm in Honey Badger form. I know my mom wanted me to marry by this age, but the IERA and the SA regime had other plans. Well, maybe something will come of this, but I'll take this one step at a time. Perhaps beating up on some IERA thugs would make just the perfect first date for us!
Taking Out the Trash
I engaged the mutated bikers at the same time as the now-bigger tree-man from New Hampshire. Then a man in flying armor showed up and closed in on the mutants. We managed to fend off and defeat them, and I took particular joy in blocking the attacks and then replying with devastating counterstrikes. Since the mutates weren't trying to kill anyone, I used my hardened gloves and boots against them rather than my claws. I know how lethal that they can be! I didn't get the pleasure of knocking out any of those losers- it seems that the tree-man and the power armor dude took that all for themselves. The tree-man introduced himself as Timber and the power-armor dude said that his name was Nightwing. I swear I've heard of the latter's name before, but I can't quite place it. We still took out the trash though, so a win is a win.
I noticed that Dr. Moses had placed the bartender in a clinch and was working on interrogating him. As I headed over to him, I was interrupted by a mysterious man who introduced himself as my LFER contact named "Perry". He spoke with Timber and Nightwing and persuaded them to join me in the LFER. I had heard about the renegade cell, which was a shame that they did their best to discredit our cause- but I'm glad that they've been expelled. My mentor mentioned that we should grab samples of the drinks that the bikers had, as they probably contain some new drug that's been hitting the world recently. I managed to find a couple of syringes filled with a mysterious liquid. We headed over to a safe house, taking along some prisoners.
I'll have to get to know more about this mysterious Nightwing, as well as the amusing Timber.
Barfight!
Dr. Moses and I made our way to New York City. It was an amazing city! Far larger than Jo'burg, Pretoria or Cape Town! Well, as they say- everything is bigger in America. However, it was not the city of lights I remembered watching on television as a youth but rather a place plagued with outages and crime. We were told to explore the city and wait for outreach by our LFER contact. We ended up making our way to "What Ails You," which was the strangest name for a bar that I've ever heard of. The place was a bit of a dive, but I enjoyed the cold beer on tap- even if I tend to prefer mixed drinks.
The place was slightly busy. I took notice of a huge bearded man and his mother, quite possibly the biggest "momma's boy" that I've ever seen in my life. I barely came up to his shoulders even in my heels! And I'm not exactly a petite woman, even when I'm not in my svelte Honey Badger form. He did have a charm about him, introduced himself, and told me about how he was from a place called "New Hampshire." I know it's a province of the United States, but apparently it has something of a unique culture compared to its neighbors. I told him about where I was from and he was rather fascinated with my accent, he had a rather interesting one as well- different from the native and foreign-born New Yorkers.
Then a group of biker showed up, got drunk and started behaving rather boisterously. Suddenly, they went catatonic. I rushed over to one and called for someone to call emergency services. Not only did no one listen to me, but I noticed that the bartender was acting strangely: he seemed amused by the whole state of affairs. I noticed subtle physical changes in the bikers, and figured that now was the time for Honey Badger. I rushed over to the women's loo after warning Dr. Moses. He whispered to me that he noticed the same thing and suspected that the bikers were about to transform.
In the loo, I made my way into a stall and activated my bracelet. Dr. Moses had loaded the bracelet with nanites that would transform my clothes into Honey Badger's costume, complete with weapons. Their presence would then trigger my body to morph into my Honey Badger form, and it was rather pleasurable feeling myself grow three inches along with my muscles. Dr. Moses' formula certainly had some welcome side-effects as it disguised my body via changes in hair color, eye color, and facial structure. Of course, it didn't disguise my accent as I would find out later.
Once I had transformed, I made my way out of the loo and back into the bar. There, I found that the biker gang had transformed into a mutated versions of themselves: an animal hybrid (a "minotaur" from Greek myth), speedster, electricity controller, brick, and telekinetic. I taunted the group, recognizing that they were about to go on a rampage- hoping that they wouldn't attack Dr. Moses or any of the innocent folks at the bar. I didn't notice that the big man from New Hampshire was getting even bigger and becoming like a tree until he smacked the minotaur across the room. That's when the barfight commenced!
How It All Began - The Origins of Honey Badger
I was born in Jo'burg (Johannesburg to you yanks but my parents raised me at our family estate in the Northern Cape. This part of the South African countryside was a far safer location than the strife-torn cities and townships. It dated back to the 19th century when the Engelbrechts arrived in country, having undergone the Great Trek with many other Afrikaners. Not only did they grow crops, raise animals, and make beverages; but they also provided power and energy through the use of experimental technologies and local fuel sources. I was home-schooled, which gave me a far better education than the average youth would get in the "public schools" or refugee camps. I'm truly grateful for what my parents did for me, giving me a happy childhood and a sense of stability even as things fell apart around the world. I wasn't confined to the estate, and made friends among the locals regardless of their language or skin color. They appreciated what my family did for them and their community.
When peace returned to South Africa, I was fortunately of the age to attend university studies. I left my family for the big city of Cape Town. I enjoyed athletics, having done dance, gymnastics and football (soccer to you yanks), but I opted to study business at the behest of my parents. I did find that I enjoyed Dr. Samuel Moses' chemistry course, which I took as part of a mandatory science requirement. Dr. Moses had a passion for teaching that his colleagues lacked, and this motivated me to study hard and engage with him. During office hours one evening, he confided to me that he was working on a secret project. It was to re-recreate the famous Cyberline formula used by America's elite PRIMUS force back at the start of this century. It was his own private initiative, as the formula had been lost in the chaos of Dr. Destroyer's takeover.
When I completed my studies and graduated, it was then my life took a sudden turn for the worse. The government had never liked my parents, as they had the wrong skin color, politics, culture, and income level. My family had reciprocated this affection. I never was one for politics, preferring to avoid it, given my family's reputation, but I guess this time politics came for me.
The government had declared my family's enterprise to be illegal, and the IERA was more than happy to do their dirty work. this was an escalation on the government's part. I got word that IERA with the help of the government's jackboots, raided on my parents' estate.
By the time I arrived, most of my family had been arrested. Not only that, but our fortune had been confiscated by the government and property destroyed by the IERA. I endured the trauma of watching the torture that the so-called "rule of law" gave them. As he knew the fate that the legal profession had in store for him, my father took his life.
My mother and siblings were despondent, and we were forced to watch as she was sentenced to the rest of her life in prison. My sorrow turned into fury as I watched the government and society I had trusted oppress my family and destroy everything I cared about, all with the sanction of the IERA. Both of them were responsible, and had not only ruined my life but ruined the lives of the community that resided around my family's estate. They had promised equity, equality, prosperity, and justice; and only delivered oppression, poverty, suffering and blackouts. This ignited within me a permanent disgust for those that claimed authority, as they were no worse than the criminals that they claimed to oppose.
Once the "trials concluded, Dr. Moses reached out to me. He gave me an offer: he would protect me financially and legally; and in exchange I would 'volunteer' to be his test subject. It seemed to me that I didn't have a choice, so I accepted his offer.
His "Neo-Cyberline" process altered my body chemistry, making me three inches taller, more muscled, with silver-white hair and yellow eyes. The subsequent treatments allowed me to shift between my normal and my new form that gave me greater strength, toughness, and agility. With Dr. Moses help, I designed a costume, acquire martial arts training, and augmented the costume with weapons. Now I was a challenge for the IERA and South African government.
I took upon the name "Honey Badger" out of fondness for the African animal and an old internet meme and prowled the streets of Cape Town, Jo'burg, Durban, and Kimberly as a roving vigilante. I wasn't able to find the officials or commanding officers responsible, but I was able to exact my own justice on the judges, lawyers, bureaucrats, and police responsible. These acts, coupled with dispatching other evildoers (murderers, drug dealers, arms dealers, rapists, burglars, corrupt cops, crooked officials), made a name for myself in the ensuing decade. To many I was a hero, but to those in power I was a dangerous terrorist. This made me an ideal recruit for the League of Free Energy Resistance, whose ideals I shared.
Once I had drawn enough notoriety and attention, the LFER decided to extract me and Dr. Moses from South Africa to the United States. It was hoped we would better assist their operations in this main theater. I found myself a stranger in a new land, but still dedicated to the cause of revolution.
That's my story of how it all began. Thanks for listening, but which side are you on?
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