Age of Heroes: Issue 1 Some Assembly Required

[Shameless]

"For the record Devon, this is an incredibly bad crazy idea."   Dr. Julia Henderson looked at her benefactor,  Devon Abshire, and sighed.  They had worked together since meeting at MIT, almost twenty years ago.   Devon's family owned a large multinational company, and had been working on advancements in construction materials and other technologies to make things better for others, while making profit, like any business.   
 

With the Event, both Devon and Julia gained superhuman abilities.   Julia was already a genius, but since the event, her mind expanded in exciting new ways.   It's safe to say she has mastered almost every major mundane scientific field, and can speak thirty different languages fluently. It was this that led to her choosing the codename "Codex"  She was the driving force behind the new solar batteries and advanced solar cells.  She helped Dr. Henry Fuchida develop and perfect the Hypercombustion motors.
 

To say she's been a major boon to mankind is an understatement, and while she is a Registered Superhuman, she will never be one of those wearing a costume, fighting crime.  She and her parents were in a severe auto accident when she was quite young, and her parents perished, but Julia survived, though she was left paralyzed from the waist down.  When she gained a powerful intelligence, and a brain capable of storing such vast information, it did little to enhance her body.   She gained one other power, which only a handful of people in the world possess.  She can see the future, information known only to her, and Devon.   It was based on her visions that the two of them were now acting, making the best choices to hopefully avoid the worst of futures.
 

Devon Abshire was a man who had it all.  Wonderful parents, a loving, wealthy family. He was a gifted athlete and a brilliant student.   While he'd already earned a business degree, he wanted to learn something else, and chose to study light.   At MIT he met Julia, and while she was cold, she warmed up to him as they had some similar interests.  
 

Once they graduated, She went to work for his family's company, and they worked towards new ideas, even before the Event.  

After the Event, Devon had gained superhuman abilities as well, though given the nature of them, he registered as well.  Family connections were used, and he decided to live out an old fantasy, he wanted to be a hero.  With Several seemingly unconnected yet potentially dynamic abilities, he chose the codename  Dynames.

Currently, the two of them were staring at a wall of computer monitors, though it was two screens in particular that held their attention.   Each of those focused on one of two unregistered heroes, people Codex's visions had shown to be instrumental to the best futures for the area.
 

"You know we aren't supposed to work with the unregistered."  Julia said quietly.  
 

"I know, but by taking this first step, maybe we can show them it's not a bad idea, and frankly, They are going to be involved in what happens here."
 

Julia just nodded, and felt him leave the underground headquarters and wondered silently which of the two of them he'd go to first.

Arc was currently engaged in halting a jewlry store robbery in South Houston, there were four criminals, and they had two hostages, the clerk and manager who had been locking things up.  Two had guns trained on Arc, one was trying to get the rear exit open, and the leader held a gun to the clerk's head.  "You back off right now sparky, or I blow this ladie's head off."  To emphasize his point he pulled the hammer back on the revolver in his hand and pressed it to the side  of her head.
 

Big Time, on the other hand, was helping out at the site of a battle that she'd just finished with a pack of Lobos juiced up on AMP.   AMP of course being the new drug that could increase muscle mass and toughness coming across the border from Columbia and Southern Mexico.   The Lobos of course were a gang with ties to the Cartels, and they were bringing in a large load of AMP tonight.     Law enforcement, the paramedics, and the fire department were there, turning a blind eye to Big Time's activities, she'd saved alot of lives tonight, and prevented over a metric ton of drugs from hitting the streets.   

[Exile_Jeane]

AMP was an ugly drug that Big Time had only really heard about while operating in San Francisco, a grotesque mockery of her own abilities. The advertisement of super strength and the prospect of being able to turn yourself into a Super in a world rife with them on both sides of the law made it all the more tempting to a criminal trying to make their name and fast buck. Never mind the painful withdrawal pains or permanent damage doses of the body warping drug could inflict. Not to mention the collateral damage of someone sporting the deadly combo of new super strength and reduced agility.

 

So Big Time had made it her personal focus to get involved whenever a code 894, 'AMP users on a rampage', came across Her Baby's police scanner on her night time patrols.

 

Carol liked to think that a giant woman in a literally glowing black-and-gold costume charging into a fight got the point across that what they were doing was *not* okay. That was three-quarters of the reason she'd volunteered to field test every odd ball gadget the Engineer could dream up in exchange for it. Presentation was important after all. Her day job had taught her that in spades, and, besides, it saved her a lot of closet space and time in the morning.

 

She shook her head, bringing herself back to the moment. Winning a good brawl always got her mind drifting. She'd been lucky tonight, caught a literal ton of the stuff from getting into circulation, and the collateral was less than normal, the worst of it from a final thug she'd kicked through a store front after he'd driven a lamp post into her side. Yeah, it was healed now and the blood stains would come out with a little hot water, but it still hurt. Combined with a few choice comments in Spanish she was just bilingual enough to get the gist of, it had gotten on her nerves, and a booted foot bigger than his head had put an end to that nonsense.

 

So here Carol was, doing her bit to make sure the roadway was clear and keep an eye on the AMPed thugs until they could be carted off.  And then it was a few blocks jog to Her Baby and away.     

[Nina]

The Arc dismissed concern for the two who were aiming at it/they/them, they were not an immediate threat as their weapons would probably not harm it/they/them much even if they could hit it.  It/they/them noted the progress the fourth was making in getting the rear exit open, again not an immediate threat.

 

"I will let you leave as long as you do not injure the woman or anyone else." Its un earthly voice crackled as it turned its full attention onto the gang leader.

 

Earlier...

 

Laundry sucks, thought Tess as she loaded her dirty clothes into the washer at the closest laundromat to to work. The washers and dryers at her apartment hadn't worked in over a year and bitching to the land lord was a waste of breath. She needed to move, find a better place. She could afford it. 

 

<Why don't you?>

Arc.

The voice in her head. It always knew what she was thinking. Always. Why was it that when they were switched she had no idea what it thought unless it let her know.

 

"Because..." Tess shook her head hating herself for thinking this way, "I have been there so long I just don't need more change."

 

She shoved the last of her weeks accumulation into the washer, the only stuff she bothered to separate were her work uniforms which were in an adjacent machine. She walked over to the change machine while digging in her purse for what little cash she had. Her shoulders slumped when she saw the out of order sign tapped over the dollar slot on the machine.

 

"Fuh" She muttered then blew out her breath in exasperation. Well there was a convenience store next door she could get change there.

 

Two minutes later Tess stood at the convenience stores door pushing and puling. It was locked and there was a sign which read 'BE BACK IN 10MIN'. Tess hung her head.

 

She looked around. Across the intersection was a large strip mall, with a Burgerking, she could get change there. if they weren't all closed.

 

Tess crossed the intersection and as she climbed the curb she glanced right at the closest store in the mall. Harver's Jewelry. She turned left toward the Burgerking.

 

<wait>

 

"What now"

 

<the store that sells artifacts of mineral and metals. Look Back>

 

Tes stopped, squeezed her eyes shut then turned and looked back at the jewelry store. "Don't be so dramatic. Its a jewelry store." 

 

She squinted as if that would make her see better. "Shi..." she could see five people inside the store, some of them were rifling through the jewelry cases and one was holding a gun on the other two.

 

"Its a robbery, I need to call the police" 

 

<There is no time Tess, let me out>

 

Tess felt a tightness of fear in her chest. But Arc was right the cops would take to long. Tess looked around and seeing no one, ducked down between a couple of parked cars as her right hand clutched her left wrist her thumb rubbing the blue iridescent gem on the bracelet with intent....

 

There was a flash of blue electric light unseen by any prying eyes. and The Arc, an extradimensional agent of the LAW, stood his Potentiality nacelles spinning about his Plasma form He seemed to flash across the parking lot and into the store to confront the criminals...

 

Now...

 

The only sound was the rapid breathing of the crooks and the terrified civilian hostages and the soft electric crackle of plasma meeting air.

 

"The choice is yours," that alien voice says clearly. "escape, or face the Wrath of Justice."

 

 

 

 

 

[Shameless]

Dynames appeared atop a roof in the warehouse district near the port, where Big Time had battled the Lobos.   He watched Big Time clear up the worst of the debris, before discreetly starting to move away.  Unseen by anyone, he moved through the air above her and descended to just above head level for most people, before calling out to her.  "You did well tonight, Big Time."   Even as he spoke, he became visible, his black  and red outfit instantly recognizable.   The silver accents almost match his stunning white hair, though it offset his dark skin.  This was the City's primary Defender, Dynames.  Of course, he looked completely different than he did when he was Devon Abshire, but that was a good thing.  Being registered didn't mean you couldn't have a private identity.

"I mean that.   You handled that situation very well."

Spoiler

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

The two thieves with guns trained on Arc looked to their boss questioningly.  "A Hero letting the criminals escape? you must be new, and weak."  As one all three turned and shot at Arc, as the woman screamed and the leader released her.  Only the man working on the exit didn't attack.

Spoiler

Arc needs to defend against a 4 rolled success attack.

 

[Exile_Jeane]

There was a heartbeat where the seven-foot-tall woman's striking green eyes considered Dyname with a flash of suspicion, lips quirking to betray an annoyance hidden for the most part behind her mask. It was back-handed compliments like that which had driven her from the city of her birth, comments that most heroes hadn't been making since she proved her usefulness on the scene here. But, but, as he walked his way back from that conversational cliff, Carol relaxed, dark features blooming into a smile.

 

"Thanks. The day I let street thugs get the best of me at this point is the day I hang up the mask, but I appreciate the compliment," she responded warmly, "How can I help Houston's Hometown Hero? The authorities have the AMP dealers secure if you want to get more info from them. I only saw enough during the fight to know they had way too much on them to let them get away."  

[Nina]

On 2/2/2024 at 12:59 PM, Shameless said:

The two thieves with guns trained on Arc looked to their boss questioningly.  "A Hero letting the criminals escape? you must be new, and weak."  As one all three turned and shot at Arc, as the woman screamed and the leader released her.  Only the man working on the exit didn't attack.

 

The Arc had anticipated this, indeed, had wished for it. 

 

The guns barked sending lead at the Arc who stood unmoving, seemingly not reacting at all, but looks deceive. It/They/them had altered its Corporeal state phasing from a sloid to a pure energy state. The bulluts passed harmless through its form to impact on the shatter proof glass behind it.

 

At the same time its potentiality nacelles flashed and spun in an intricate pattern wrapping the two civilians in shimmering plasma force fields protecting them from harm and the violence to come.

 

Spoiler

 1st FF is 4 sux 2nd is 6 sux

 

[Shameless]

As the bullets passed harmlessly through Arc's phase-shifted body, the two energy shields flickering to life.   As if to test their strength the leader turned his gun on the female hostage and fired a  round, only for it to harmlessly hit the energy shield and disperse all kinetic energy without harming her.   "Franky get that door open now!" the leader called, seeing they no longer had hostages, and that their attacks would do nothing to Arc.

There was a series of clicks, as the lock disengaged, "Got it boss..."  The door was opening, and they'd soon be able to escape.

 

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

Dynames frowned.   "What I'd like to talk to you about isn't something regarding tonight's events.   You hit them where it hurts tonight, and they're going to come after you hard.  They sent three metahumans after Falcon when he made that bust in El Paso, so friendly advice, watch back, You unregistered heroes are operating without any kind of safety net."

He smiled.  "Before you get mad and think i'm trying to recruit you to get registered, I'm not.  So long as Local Law doesn't have an issue, we don't have any either.   There's so much going on, I can't handle everything here on my own anyway.  Even though it's actually kinda against the rules, I did come here to ask you to help me with something.  You see, in three days, something is going to happen nearby that could very well destroy the entire city, and my powers alone are no where close to enough to stop it.   That said, With your help, and that of another of our locals, I think we'll be able to pull this off.   So I need us to all be on the same page."

He gave her a few moments to think, then nodded.  "I can't say all the details here, but if you're in, then we'll pick up our other potential teammate and head home.  There it'll be safe enough to discuss everything to the best of our knowledge."

Edited February 5 by Shameless

[Exile_Jeane]

Carol ran a hand through her hair as she digested that bit of news. She was willing to believe that the Lobos' AMP supplier could be some kind of thinker or tinker, and someone like that could, maybe, perhaps, run the tape on her public fights in San Fran to find out what could actually hurt her, but she considered it a long shot at this stage. Besides, she had Big Time's reputation to consider. Running away to government protection the first time the heat turned up on her? Over her dead body, thank you. 

 

She had enough experience with the side effects of burn out to want nothing to do with being a 24-7 super. And the risks of that with registration were too damn high in her experience.

 

The megamorph model smirked as she digested the second half of Dyname's pitch and found it much more to her liking. Telling that Dynames was willing to bend the rules enough to bring her in as well as show her his base. If she had a better base than an (very nice in her opinion) apartment and a downtown storage unit, she'd return the favor. Some day.

 

"I'll hear you out. I've got a few hours before my pillow calls me too loudly, and I'd be happy to walk into a crisis with more warning than a building falling down," she responded as they came into sight of Her Baby, happily parked right where she left it, helmet secured in place by the same measures that ensured a Bad Time for anyone who might try to steal her favorite thing. She shrank 17" and lifted up the helmet, poised to pull it onto her head.  

 

"You've got food, right?"

[Nina]

The door in the back was swinging open which distracted the two goons facing Arc.

 

With a thought its body solidified and Arc swung its fist wreathed in electric plasma! 

 

One! Two! Striking at both crooks!

 

Spoiler

1st strike is 4 sux, 2nd strike is  5 sux

 

[Shameless]

Dynames nodded.  "Of course."  Once she had mounted the bike, he reached out and placed a hand on the bike, and the bike and two heroes disappeared.  They all reappeared in the Dynames HQ, and Julia looked up at them.  "I see you've returned with Big Time."  Her tone was cold and almost robotic, until Dynames pitched forward dropping to one knee, then fully on the floor.  "You idiot, the bike was too much.  "She came around, revealing her wheel chair. "Big Time, bring him, he'll need a little rest after that stunt."

The woman speaking was another registered hero, Codex.  She rarely appeared in public, but was well regarded.   "There's a bed in the first room down the hallway to your right.  You can lay him in it.  He'll wake up shortly.  Then he'll go get our other potential recruit for this endeavor.  I know he promised you some food, and you'll find two doors down from the room you put him, a stocked kitchen.  Feel free to eat what you like, and then you can come back here to the control room."   She returned to the desk, and the wall of monitors, showing various locales in the city.  

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

Arc's electricity wreathed fists pummeled the two the two crooks into unconsciousness with a pair of blows that left the room smelling of cooked flesh and ozone.  The Leader backed away to dash out the door, but the last crook failed to get out of the way and the two went down in a jumble of bodies and cursing.  The woman was still screaming and the manager watching on in shock from within the protective field.

[Nina]

Arc phased into intangibility and arced across the room becoming solid once again and delivering the Wrath of Justice on the gang leader and his henchmen.

 

Spoiler

Arc blinks across the room and strikes at the leader and the door guy. Blink is 4 sux, leader takes a 6 sux strike and the door guy gets a 3 sux strike as an after thought

 

[Exile_Jeane]

Not expecting the sudden translocation of herself and her bike, Carol had one foot up to stow the kickstand even as he crumbled to the ground. Her look of concerned confusion was masked behind her motorcycle helmet, any thoughts of giving the room she was in a once over forgotten in the wake of Codex's censure of the other hometown hero. She dismounted from the machine and removed said protective item, mostly a nod to legal riding requirements.

 

Dynames felt no heavier than a bag of feathers once she had him hefted up on her shoulders, not that she expected him to. That was half the trick with the secret identity game, remembering how to fake 'normal' reactions when not in the mask, so the small fake grunt she made was almost unconscious.

 

One short walk and unload of the other hero into his bed left her shaking her head. Not judging. Heck, tough as she was, there were times after she'd taken hit in the wrong way that had left her on her back waiting for the bad to stop and wishing she could black out easier. It didn't *sound like* Codex was unduly concerned at his state, so Big Time would leave the man to his nap and upcoming censure.

 

That thought bringing a grin to her lips, she left the room and towards the promised food.     

[Shameless]

The small Kitchen was well stocked,  with things that required cooking, and things that didn't.  There was fresh fruit and vegetables, even an unopened pack of chicken breasts, and both cold tea, and soft drinks, as well as bottled water.   There was a small four burner stove and oven, and a microwave.  A quick search showed some plastic and ceramic plates and glasses, along with metal silverware.  Truly it looked like the Kitchen of a small apartment.

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

 

With another pair of stunning blows, Arc disabled and and knocked the last two criminals unconscious, and the store manager looked at it with awe.  "Thank you for saving us and stopping them.  The police will likely be arriving soon, as when they looked away from me i was able to trigger our silent alarm."
 

[Nina]

Arc quickly grabbed up the firearms and released the civilians. "You should wait outside for the authorities." The man and woman readily complied. 

<Arc, what is going on Im going crazy in here>

 

"Do not worry Tess everything is under control. The authorities will arrive soon." Arc said this to his alter ego trapped in the Chaos Zone at the same time as he used his powers to bind the criminals in ropes of plasma which would hold them for about ten minute then dissipate.

 

In the Chaos Zone...

 

Tess closed her eyes as two huge planetoids colored and shaped like giant marshmallows collided in front of her and exploded into a million tine pink Buffalos with wings which flew away in all directions. This place is going to drive me insane. "Arc we don't want to get involved with the cops. Let me out of here so we can slip away."

 

Arc held the collected weapons' and encased them in a plasma forcefield ball and increased the energy a hundred fold melting the guns and vaporizing the bullets. "We should reveal ourselves to your authorities. It would be much easier to do our jobs if we had proper resources."

 

<oh for fuh...This isn't our Job Arc. I they knew about us, you are an alien something or other they would slap you in a cell and leave me trapped here in this effed up place.>

 

"I would not let that happen Tess. You know that."

 

Tess looked around the silence was unbearable. Herr bubble was floating as if in a stream but through a void passing over ribbons of energy which connected islands or rock with strange shapes standing on them like guardian trees from some sort of fantasy tale. The sky above and below flashed purple, streaked with red lightning. then green and the lightening became black. Back and forth. Tess hit the bubble with her fist and it rebounded softly. She didn't notice but that show of defiant force had slightly altered her bobbles course in the great ever changing expanse.

 

<Let me out please. You know i can't stand it in here.>

 

 

[Exile_Jeane]

"Nice digs," Carol offered to the ceiling, operating on the assumption that Codex had some form of surveillance. She made quick work of a sandwich and some water, not wanting to keep her hosts waiting. She did spot some perfect apples on her way out and claimed it as her final tribute, making her way back down to the control room. She could hear Codex even before she entered the room, cursing at something unseen. Hmmmph. That wouldn't do.

 

"Sounds like something is going sideways. Nothing too horrible, I hope," she called out as she entered the room and spotted Codex yelling at one of her screens, pausing to let the other woman look back at her before taking a bite of her apple with a smirk. 

[Shameless]

The sounds of sirens neared, and Arc felt a sudden jolt.  It wasn't actually electricity, but something much more primal, much more massive.   It was leading away from the store, out east.   The pulse of energy wasn't wholly unlike their own, and as such a true curiosity, as until now, Arc's energy signature was wholly unique on this planet.  After a few moments, the pulse faded, only to return a dozen seconds later.

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

Codex looked away from her screens to Big Time and sighed.  "There was a break-in at one of the jewelry stores.   Arc, our other "recruit" if you will, handled it."  

She sighed.  "Not a problem in and of itself, but given Arc's appearance, it's still generally best they don't interact with already keyed up law enforcement.  They aren't registered, and could it could always raise issues."   

"Still, that's not why I was turning the air blue.  We just got a massive energy spike at the Cedar Port Industrial Park in Baytown.  It's actually similar to Arc's.  Now thankfully there's not alot of people there, but if its something hostile, then it's not likely to stay there.  The immediate problem is whatever is causing the disturbance is interfering with all the security cameras, so I've got no eyes on what's going on.  Of course, local police are enroute, but they won't get too close, in case it is hostile."
 

"So, we go Investigate."  It was Dynames, standing there with a hand on the door frame, still in costume.  Codex looked at him, and concern passed over her face, then vanished.  

"No more exceeding the weight limit.  You do that again and you'll be lucky to wake up again within a day."

"I am aware."  he said pointedly.   He looked at Big Time.  "So, this wasn't what I was intending, but it looks like we're going to need to go check this out, are you in?" 

He smiled, "and if you are, you will have to leave the bike here this time.  I promise, it'll be perfectly safe here."

Just as they were talking, a news bulletin came up.  "Reports of a massive explosion in the Cedar Port Industrial Park have citizens concerned.   Authorities are warning civilians to stay away as they seek to determine the cause..."  Codex muted it, as The physical landline phone rang.  "That'll be Perry."   

Dynames moved to pick up the Phone.  "You saw?"

"Yes."  

"Get there and figure out what's going on, bring your friend if she'll go."  Dynames frowned.   Perry did know about what was going on, and was in his way, looking the other way, but to directly order them to bring her along.."

Dynames was about to protest, but Perry cut him off.  "Big as the explosion was, there's bound to be injured and lots of debris.  I am tentatively calling a Code Blue.  You are authorized to temporarily draft any locals you need to get the situation under control.   It will take me at least half an hour to get there.   I expect updates as things develop."

Dynames just nodded.  "Understood."

He looked to Big Time.   "There it is then, are you good to go?"

 

 

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

 

Aspen Thicket was in her family home in La Porte, When a news bulletin interrupted the program she'd been watching.   There'd been a massive explosion at Cedar Park Industrial Yard, which was only a few miles northeast of her home.  What's more, that was actually where her father worked.  The news report was advising everyone to stay away, but did mention that the local superheroes were likely to be headed there.  There was no video of the explosion or site,  and no real details on the level of destruction.

[Nina]

Tess twisted around in the bubble her eyes squinched shut tight and reopened. The colors had shifted to violent pinks and yellows and everything was upside down from  where it was a moment ago...

 

<Arc, come on let me out. You know I can't stand this shi...>

 

Arc stood still its mind racing analyzing what it had felt.

 

<Arc!>

 

"Tess, I felt something, something I have not felt since I arrived here."

 

Arc filled in Tess mentally about the pulse.

 

"I must investigate this Tess. It wont be long I promise."

<Arc!>

Arc phased through the door and into the air a purple blue streak It headed toward where it felt the pulse had come from. Tess would have to wait.

 

[Exile_Jeane]

Shared power signatures were always something to keep track of, either a new team up or rivalry in the making. She knew much less than she wanted to know about Arc, despite crossing paths with him a few times on larger problems. Whatever had caused that second hand emotional surge she felt from the thing behind her own powers was something Carol needed to figure. Besides she was often the first crane one the scene when it came to moving debris.  

 

"Alright, considered me tempted," she answered with a deliberate little pose to highlight the grin on her face and the apple in her hand, "I'm in."

[SalmonMax]

Meanwhile, in La Porte...

 

 

Once upon a time, you wouldn't have caught Aspen dead watching the news. Especially not the local news. Now though? Here she was in her faded old blue jeans and hoodie, feet up on the table in a way that she could only get away with when her folks were both at work, watching Dan and Ann drone away about boring shit because maybe there'd be a piece about gang activity, or some 'unusual findings' about mysterious activity at some supposedly abandoned building. Or a crime wave.

 

Seriously though, there had to be a better way to keep up with this kind of thing. Life must be nice if you were a sponsored superhero.

 

Aspen was about to turn the TV off for a while when the special report hit the screen. An explosion at a factory? That got her attention.

 

Only to send the blood draining out of her face as the anchors said which factory it was.

 

Immediately she had her phone out and was tapping out a text to her dad. Cedar Ridge...explosion at Cedar Ridge. as she texted Aspen glanced at the clock, trying to gauge when her mom would be off. She probably wouldn't hear about this until after that...at least Aspen hoped not. She sent a text to her mom as well, warning her that she was going into town and might be home after she was. And THAT was just the God's honest truth.

 

Another problem being a shoestring budget superhero? No car. At least she didn't need a costume though. She kind of wanted one, but she didn't strictly speaking NEED one. Budget.

 

Aspen then hurried into the garage, grabbed her bicycle, and opened the garage door to wheel it out onto the driveway. Without the garage door controller, she still was able to trigger a short burst of radio that caused the door to close behind her. So that was cool.

 

She tuned into the city wifi then and got a GPS map going in her head, then set off pedaling as fast as she could make the cycle go. Which wasn't by any means superhuman. She was stronger than she looked, but also heavier than she looked. Even so, the factory was just a couple miles off. She could get there. She had to get there.

 

Still no text back from dad.

 

Shit.

 

 

[Shameless]

Dynames nodded and handed Big Time a earbud.   "Here's a communicator. If you would,  take my hand."  He began to levitate  When Big Time did, her view shifted, and they were amidst the wreckage of one of the laydown yards that made up the facility.   Dynames wasn't winded this time, and spoke quietly.  "We'll split up and search for both survivors and the source of the strange energy.   Call out on the communicator if you find anything."

As an afterthought, he added.  "Tap it twice to activate it.  It will initialize, so that sync's up with your abilities."

All around them was destruction, some of the materials were melted and there were still fires active.

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

For Arc, They arrived at the site of the explosion, None of the buildings were still standing intact, and there was debris everywhere.  What was telling was that the entire area seemed to have been bathed in a unique energy that was very familiar to Arc.   The pulsing had ceased since they'd arrived, leaving them to their own detective skills.
 

The ash in the sky from the still burning fires didn't affect the extradimensional hero, but from the level of damage, aid would be some time in coming, if anything still lived here.

 

 

--------------
Aspen's ride took some time, She only just managed to get onto the bridge before police arrived and closed off all traffic, which was a pretty fast response for local police.  When she arrived at the southern part of the yard, it looked like multiple bombs had gone off, and the flames were still burning.   There were no signs of life, only the smell of burning ash.   
 

The warehouses were mostly gone, though it did certainly seem that they'd been on the southern side of the blasts that had started this, as their southern walls were more intact than any other.

[Exile_Jeane]

"Shall do, Fearless Leader," Big Time offered with a flippant salute, using the other hand to trigger and, for want of a better term, 'attune' the device to her powers. Last thing she wanted was to have to bend over and get a (very expensive if her experience with other tinker heroes was any measure) bit of grit out of her ear. Seeing Dynames heading in the opposite direction, the megamorph model triggered her gifts, adding 19-some feet of height and a considerable amount of mass to her frame. A discrete squeeze of thumb on ring finger saw her super suit light up at the same time, bathing the area around her in light.

 

They wanted to find survivors and potential bad guys? Well, being a giant glowing woman in clearly Good colors would attract the former and bait the latter.

 

A pleased grin danced across her lips as she saw that the comm badge had, indeed, sized up with her. Good. Time to go looking with a little perspective.

 

Spoiler

Triggering Growth to lvl 8 with a side dish of Glow.

Making a Perception+Investigate roll...

Exile_Jeane Request: [8d6] Roll: [5, 5, 5, 4, 4, 4, 1, 1] Three Successes before minuses from threshold, me thinks.

 

[Nina]

Arc arrived at the scene and hovered over the devastation. It scanned the area with its analytic vision taking readings and looking for the source of the energy.

 

At the same time he floated through the wreckage looking for survivors.

 

<What is it Arc? What do your see?>

 

Arc opened his mind to Tess, "Something exploded, I am analyzing the energy."

 

<Is anyone hurt? You need to help them!>

 

[SalmonMax]

Aspen's figurative heart figuratively leapt into her throat at the sight of the devastation. The heat blooms from the flames were bright white when she tuned her vision to the IR spectrum, but she left it there regardless, hoping to spot the heat of survivors trapped under rubble. And while she would of course help any survivors, there was one in particular she was looking for as she moved forward through the ruined perimeter fence into the husk of the factory.

 

There was no power on site now of course, but one other thing occurred to her as she went. In addition to scanning IR light, Aspen, now Alecto, started monitoring wireless signals in the bandwidths allocated to civilian cellphone traffic. If anyone had reception, and their phone still worked, it would be a constant chatter of data as it updated its GPS, applications, and a dozen other constant trickles of input/output with the cell network and internet. Doubtful that triangulation would work, but she could at least figure out signal strength and use that as a rough index for if she was getting closer or farther away...

 

"Hello!" she called. "If anyone can hear me, make noise! I'm here to help!"

 

Alecto, moved cautiously into the hollowed out warehouses as she moved north, deeper in, hoping to find less places where the destruction was less complete.

 

 

[Shameless]

With her increase in Stature came an increase in what she could view of the surrounding area,  and this proved to be effective.  About forty feet away she saw movement, a human arm extending from the rubble, it was burned and crisped, however both she and Dynames could hear a rhythmic pounding of metal, though it was getting weaker. 

"Be careful as you approach."  Dynames called out, even as he moved through the air, his hands empty, but from the news reports, Big Time knew that could change at a moment's notice.  He was looking in another direction, and seemed abit preoccupied.  
 

"There's something else off to the North, I'm moving on to investigate."
 

(You may make a might check to remove the rubble if you choose)

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Arc could no longer feel the pulsing of the familiar energy, but there was a a residual energy in a blast crater North of it. Arriving at the crater, which was over thirty feet across, several things stood out.  The crater was a perfect hemisphere, and the inside of it was completely vitrified.  There were trace amounts of radiation, some of it not of this dimension, or Arc's.
 

(may make a perception check for more details on the site, or intellect check to recall the specifics of this radiation.)
 

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What was most surprising to Aspen was that where there should be something, there was in fact nothing.  There was no electronic chatter in the vicinity.   Then suddenly, there was.  A man's voice, over a mile north, from the ping.  She heard his words, and the voice sounded familiar.  "There's something else off to the North, I'm moving to investigate."
 

It was unlike any other signal she'd seen, heard, or felt, and it was moving.   Once he stopped speaking, it was back to endless silence, at least electronically.  

[Exile_Jeane]

It was a matter of a few long strides to bring herself to the rubble site, kneeling to consider the wreckage and its possible hidden reservoir of survivors. Start at the edges and near the top. Do not touch anything that looks loadbearing unless you have to and only if you've already changed the configuration to make it fit the first two criteria. And if a fight breaks out, try to make herself the target over anyone else there. 

 

Well, nothing for it but to try. A look of determined focus crossed her lips as she started to work her way through the ruin, shifting massive pieces of concrete and steel like unwieldy pool toys in search of the source of the sound and survivors, "Whoever you are, Keep going. I'm here to help."

 

Spoiler

Might Check

[9d6] Roll: [6, 5, 5, 5, 4, 4, 3, 2, 2] 

Whew, 6 successes pre threashold.