Futuristic Arcadia: Heroes World Brave

[Lord Saethos]

Peter cocked an eyebrow at Sasha. Now, Peter didn't know Sasha from Adam, but the person he remembered encountering back in Atlas City seemed... Different from this.

Perhaps Fang also had its claws in him. That could complicate things in ways Peter couldn't predict. As fun as that could be, he really wasn't in the mood for complicating his life further at this specific time.

"Sheesh, now I feel like a bad omen. First your friend group breaks up, and now I gotta tell everyone that your parent's are getting divorced? Not how I saw today going."

He chuckled a bit while shaking his head as he produced a cigar from one of his pockets. As he lit the thing, he thought of how the Marshal was missing out on the celebratory smoke.

"The whole divorce thing wasn't a joke by the way, kind of a metaphor, trying to help illuminate what's going on in the world. I do apologize for interrupting your painful goodbye with my own stuff, but to be honest, my stuff is kind of... Everyone's stuff." His demeanor became more nonchalant as he began taking in small mouthfuls of grey smoke.

"Tell me something gang... What do you remember about the fight in Anthem City?"

He cast a glance towards the door the general had gone through. Hopefully the General actually gave them the privacy he requested. The Brave had already caused him enough problems.

 

[PiePillager]

"Anthem City?" Henry muttered, turning to look from Sasha to Peter. He still had many questions for the recently found teammate, who didn't appear to want to speak much on the matter regarding his allegiances at present, but Peter's question caught him off guard enough that he thought it should be quickly addressed. "That's when we fought against those two factions warring in the city," Henry recounted. "Was difficult, but we took them down eventually," he went on, his response somewhat vague.

 

[DarKnight36]

Sasha's eyes narrowed at Peter's mention of Anthem City but he said nothing as Henry explained his recollection of the events.

***

"There's a message for you, sir," the General's secretary said, handing the General a sealed folder as he seated himself in the other room. The General raised an eyebrow but broke the seal with a practiced hand. His eyes perused the contents.

"You haven't heard from the commander who brought you this?" the General asked, raising his eyes to the secretary. When the response was a shake of the head, the General nodded to himself. "See if you can get in touch with them. They may need assistance."

The General closed his eyes and concentrated, unsurprised to find Jacques was blocking him. "And see if we can get eyes on Jacques. I want to know where he's at."

***

Jacques strode confidently down the brightly lit hallway, heading straight for the Black Room. Technically, it was Lab 3A, an old hangar that had been transformed due to the presence of the Sliver, but no one used its official name anyway. He'd already passed through the security checkpoint with no trouble. It seemed that the General either wasn't aware of his pending arrest yet, or was under orders to keep things quiet if possible. Either way, it was good for Jacques.

Jacques entered the outer area of the lab, passing by the two guards stationed there. They barely glanced at him as he passed - Jacques was a familiar face here, after all. Even if he was no longer stationed here, he was one of the regular visitors.

The door shut behind him and the three lab workers looked up in mild surprise.

"Ah, good day sir," Ivanov, the lead tech, said, covering his surprise. "We weren't expecting you."

"It's a bit unexpected but I need the Sliver opened to 9D7F," Jacques said, smiling pleasantly. "There was an old review of past notes and we want to try that one out."

"9D7... F?" Ivanov repeated, his face paling slightly. "Isn't that, ah, one of..."

"Orders are orders," Jacques said, still smiling as he approached the other workers and the equipment. "I'll take care of it, so just get it plugged in."

"Um... d-do you happen to h-have those orders... sir?" Ivanov said, his hands slowly moving towards the desk near where he'd been standing. "Just to..."

"Ah, to hell with it," Jacques muttered, gesturing. All three lab workers were instantly flung across the room, colliding with the wall on the other side of the lab with loud thuds. The entrance opened as the guards quickly stepped through, their weapons at the ready. Jacques gestured again, the guards smashing into the floor and then cracking against the multi-layered ballistic window separating the hangar from the rest of the equipment.

"I'll just do it myself," Jacques grunted, seating himself at the main station and beginning to run the start-up sequence. Fifteen minutes... he just needed fifteen minutes.

 

[obscured_light]

Akiko's eyes searched Sasha's gaze, his face, and she swallowed loudly. They didn't leave his face as he listened to Henry explain what clearly should have been Sasha's response. A gear began turning in Akiko's head and she tilted her head to the side, contemplating the events that had led them here.

"Anything to add, Sasha?" Akiko questioned, her demeanor much calmer now.

 

[DarKnight36]

Sasha shook his head. "Why bring this up Peter?"

 

[Lord Saethos]

Peter looked between Henry, then Sasha, then Akiko, then back to Sasha.

"Interesting... Y'know, I bring this up specifically because when I talked to quite a number of people who'd been in Anthem City that day, they had similar responses to you."

He sauntered over to the general's desk, unzipping his tactical vest, and pulling out two folded newspapers, laying them down next to each other.

"Everyone was exceptionally vague. Couldn't remember much. Now, when I was interrogating some of the Red Death and Union folks, I assumed I'd get evasiveness, pretty typical for members of criminal and terrorist organizations. But what wasn't typical was how vague even my own people were. How vague the US soldiers were, civilians, etc. And you wanna know something else?"

His gaze lingered on Sasha for a moment.

"None of you were there at the end."

Peter took another drag of his cigar, letting more smoke billow as he rolled his fingertips over the desk, hovering close to the newspapers.

"I saw you there. I saw you fighting. And then... Poof... Gone without a trace." He pointed to a newspaper, on the left side of the desk from where The Brave stood facing it.

Two simple headlines read:

Atlas City Tribune - May 15th, 2045
Aftermath of Anthem City Attack - Secretary of Defense Victor Novadrak Still Missing, Search Continues

And

Culprits of Atlas City Terror Attack Still at Large, Residents on Edge From Second Tragedy in Only Weeks

"Now, I know you're a busy bunch, politics may not matter to you, so you might have missed some of the recent goings-ons. Fortunately, I do pay attention to these sorts of things. I pay attention to a lot of things. So it's strange to me that you're here right now, and the Secretary of Defense of the United States of America is missing."

Peter pointed to the other paper. "Because for the past couple months, he wasn't missing, and you were. And it's also strange because until yesterday for me, this FANG terror attack had never happened."

He pointed out the various article titles in the second paper, at the right side of the desk.

Spoiler: Newspaper

• Article: Search Continues
• Article: New President, New Cabinet
• Article: New Director of National Intelligence
• Article: Legal Aftermath of Capitol Battle

• 
  

  
  

  
  

  
  Search Continues
  Bodies of President Ford, Top Brass, Still Missing in English Channel Following Possible “Monster Attack”
  ----------------------------------------
  By Anika Chopra
  
  London, UK – The devastating loss of President Gordon Ford has left America reeling, and the search for the remains of him, and some of the top members of United States governance, has brought no clues or closure as of yet. Memorials have been held for the missing President, Vice President, Secretary of State, and other high-ranking officials. The tragedy occurred in the early hours of May 8th, VE Day, as US Naval ships, carrying the President and other dignitaries, crossed the English Channel from Dover to Normandy. The gathered dignitaries were intended to travel from Normandy, to Berlin, "retreading" the paths of Allied Troops who had defeated the Nazi regime 100 years ago that day.
  
  Tragically, the naval flotilla was attacked by an unidentified creature that many are calling a "sea monster", and which has already drawn parallels to the attack on Atlas City. Naval radar have attempted to track the creature's path, but to no avail, having seemingly vanished from detection. Meanwhile, the search for bodies continues, and of the ones recovered, the President and other high ranking US officials were not among them.
  
  Speculation grows that the attack on the President's Ship, as well as the riots in Washington DC, were coordinated by Anti-Super terror groups, in response to a bill President Ford was attempting to pass that would see greater Super integration into the military, law enforcement, and other defensive branches of American government.
  
  

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  New President, New Cabinet
  President Victor Novadrak Begins Making His Leadership Picks
  -----------------------------------------------
  By Stacy Kirkpatrick
  
  Washington – Following his swearing in to office, and the selection of Attorney General Claudia Burke as the new Vice President, President Victor Novadrak begins selecting new members of his cabinet. With the deaths of numerous senators and congresspeople, numerous special elections are being quickly ran across the United States to fill empty seats. However, to help a speedy transition for the new President, and to restore stability in America, the senate is expected to sit with the surviving members, and is likely to approve most of President Novadrak's appointments with reduced delay and debate. Peter Radovan, who quickly rose through the ranks of the illusive SINS agency to become its Director, after an attack on SINS offices a mere few weeks ago left the former director dead, was quickly approved by the senate to become the new Director of National Intelligence, following the death of Douglas MacNamara during the Capitol Supers and Anti-Supers Riots.
  
  New Vice President Claudia Burke was quickly chosen by President Novadrak after the chaos both for VE Day, and the Pro and Anti-Super Riots in Washington, likely due to both her role as the Attorney General, as well as her work with Novadrak in the Department of Hero Affairs (DOHA). VP Burke was also present at the riots in Washington, directing members of the FBI, NAHLA, and other Law Enforcement agencies. During the outbreak of violence, the Secretary of the Treasury, a long time friend of VP Burke's, attempted to escort her in his own government vehicle to a safer location. The car was attacked during the violence, likely by Anti-Super extremists, and the Secretary of the Treasury was tragically killed. VP Burke was barely able to escape thanks to the brave efforts of FBI agent Amira Turner, and other law enforcement agents.
  
  

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  Exclusive Interview with Director of National Intelligence, Peter Radovan
  
  We sit down for an exclusive interview with America’s new Director of National Intelligence, to learn more about his time as a top spy, and how he plans to use that experience to overhaul the country’s defenses. Only mere weeks ago, Peter Radovan had quickly been promoted to be Director of SINS (Supernatural Intelligence for National Security), following an attack on their headquarters that lead to the tragic death of its former director. Clues are still sparse as to whom was responsible, but it is suspected it may be connected to other incidents of Anti-Super terrorism in the United States, particularly by the Witchfinder Generals. During the riots in front of the Capitol, members of the Witchfinder Generals were able to enter the Capitol without detection, likely by carrying ampules of a narcotic which enables temporary superpowers for non-super humans. This lead to various members of government being killed, including Douglas MacNamara, the former Director of National Intelligence, who'd been present at the Capitol to assist in security services and intelligence gathering on protestors. - More on p. 8
  
  

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  Terrorism Charges for Battle in the Capitol
  
  Following brutally violent clashes with Super Activists, Anti-Super Hate Groups, and even a few Super Supremacists in the Capital, charges are finally being laid against all participants for the atrocities that took place, costing the lives of civilians, members of congress, the Speaker of the House, Senate Pro Tempore, the Secretary of the Treasury, and even Douglas MacNamara, the former Director of National Intelligence. The events took place in the late hours of May 7th, at the same time the Naval Flotilla of the President was attacked in the English Channel. This is leading many to speculate that the attacks were coordinated, but it is as of yet unclear who all may have been involved.
  
  The Riots began first as protests, by Pro and Anti-Super demonstrators, over a bill proposed by President Ford for greater Supers integration in the military. The Pro-Supers side was composed of advocates who both argued that Supers should be allowed to engage in the armed forces if they so choose, but also of those decrying the President's bill as "exploitative" of supers, and "weaponizing" their abilities for military purposes. The Anti-Supers side, by contrast, was made up of various groups completely opposed to Super involvement in the military, seeing supers as inherently posing a danger to the safety of non-Supers. Other various hate groups were also in attendance, but were not aligned necessarily on the bill itself, but rather attempting to seize this as an opportunity to amplify their own messages and goals.
  
  The bloodshed in the Capitol had many competing parties involved, but chief among them were members of the Anti-Super terrorist organization, the Witchfinder Generals. Conflicting communications have been uncovered between members of the organization which indicate it may have been a splinter cell, operating outside of the orders of the organizations commanders. Agents from SINS had been present to try to keep the peace between the heated factions, both Pro and Anti-Super, but were forced to open fire after the protests turned into bloody riots. Hundreds were killed in the foray, and several thousand injured, with significant damage being caused by members of the Witchfinder Generals. Evidence was recovered by SINS and NAHLA indicating that new narcotics may have been involved, which grant users temporary super powers.
  
  Some also speculate there may be a connection with the events that took place in Anthem City, but that is still unconfirmed. – More on p. 12
  
  

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Peter scratched his chin gently as he looked to the group, his posture almost felt like that of a homicide detective trying to get a confession.

"Like I said, you folks might not be that keen on politics, but I think it's fair to assume you'd try to stop an anti-super riot, or save the life of the president from a sea monster. But of course, how could you do that? You weren't there. You were here."

He took a moment to thumb the second newspaper as his glance met Sasha once more. "The way I heard it, this isn't your team's first time going to strange places. You catching my meaning? The gravity of this? And more importantly, why I have to talk with all of you."

 

[PiePillager]

"..." Henry was silent for a moment, observing the newspaper Peter had placed on the table for him and the rest of the team to read. The articles presented were concerning to some extent. Concerning, but not surprising...to an extent. He had long known and mentioned to the others that a sort of time manipulation had occurred some time ago. The nature of it, they did not have the time to investigate, nor the means without any proper leads, but they were aware. The fact that SINS and likely other government organizations around the world had also picked up upon it, did not come as a surprise either. These events often have signatures, to some extent. Telltale signs that they occurred, although without so much as a metaphysical breadcrumb to be followed.

The fact that the Secretary had been missing....that was something very unforeseen.


"What I can tell you Agent Radovan is that we truthfully barely know any more about this than you do," Henry noted. "Not how it started or why it happened, or the exact details of what it is. All I can tell you is that time was altered irregularly by an unknown party. Something you've assuredly had a hunch of yourself. Not much to go on, I know," he sighed apologetically. "But if it's led to the secdef being potentially chronically displaced then I suggest you put your best researchers in the field on the task. We usually have our hands full, but if we ever have the time, maybe we can help you out. This concerns all of us."

He thought for a moment, before adding, "All that said...you and your squad didn't fly all the way over international waters just to tell us this, I assume?"

 

[Wing06]

Klaus leaned against the nearest wall, arms across his chest. He felt his blood run cold at the mention of the battle in Anthem. Peter was asking about things he couldn't understand, and until only a few months ago, Klaus would have. Time was behaving erratically; it started with him being unable to travel forward, then when he was caught in the explosion of his weapon back in Atlas City. The events in the Atlantic a few weeks ago, time shifting without his tech, all pointing to something being out of order. His mind then wandered to Australia, the events in the police station, and the assassin who'd be there for him.

"Henry has a point, Mr. Ratovan. There's more you aren't telling us."

 

[DarKnight36]

"Sir, I think we have a problem," the General's secretary said. "Jacques, he just accessed Lab 3A."

"What?" the General blurted, his eyes snapping to the secretary's screen. "He still had access to that? How?"

"I don't know, but if he..." The secretary's words were drowned out by the screech of the alarm as it began blaring out.

Shit, the General thought. SHIT.

***

Before Peter could respond, the alarm blared into existence, a horrendous noise that could leave no doubt that something terribly wrong was occurring. The door slammed open and the General barged in.

"Brave, I need your help, and fast," the General said, moving up next to Sasha. "Jacques has gone rogue. He's accessing the Sliver. I need you there. Now."

Sasha's expression immediately flipped from detached apathy to intense focus as his head jerked to face the General at the mention of the Sliver. "You're not serious. You're not serious."

"I don't have time to argue. It's Lab 3A, do you know the way?" the General asked Sasha.

"...Yes," Sasha said after a brief pause, the word like a hot knife through butter. He turned to the others. "Let's go, we don't have much time. I'll... try to explain on the way."

 

[PiePillager]

"Can't say I'm surprised that THAT guy went crazy on you," Henry stated, standing up. "But we won't let the same thing that happened in Atlas happen here. Or worse." he assured the General. As Sasha began to lead the way, Henry asked, "Whats this Sliver thing and why's it got you and the General looking like you've seen ghosts?"

 

[DarKnight36]

The Sliver, at first glance, looked like a pane of glass, about 15 feet in height and roughly half that in width. However, upon closer inspection, one might notice small ripples forming on the surface, all within the viewer's near or mid peripheral vision, like the surface of the glass was actually made of water. Focusing on these ripples caused them to disappear, like an optical illusion. Then, of course, there was the humming, a song made out of intricate energies that occasionally could even be viewed within the visible light spectrum. The Sliver was a work of some unknown artist, beautiful and haunting.

In stark contrast, the machinery surrounding the Sliver was bulky and crude, meant to coerce the energies of the Sliver into patterns. As Jacques watched, these machines slowly but carefully picked up the entangled threads of the Sliver's power. Cracks formed on the Sliver's smooth, translucent surface. Pieces of the Sliver began twisting, ripping apart and back together as the machines did their job. Through the cracks and holes, Jacques could see his goal, his destination. Another world, vastly different from the one he was currently standing in. His destination awaited him.

He glanced at the clock. Ten more minutes.

***

"The Sliver was discovered during World War 2, when Russia invaded Germany," Sasha explained as the group began running down the hallways of the Russian facility. "A large pane of glass, tucked away in a German warlord's bunker. It was quickly realized it wasn't what it seemed, however, and it was confiscated for secret research. But it wasn't until the early 2000s that a man named Pospelov discovered what it actually was. Through some accidental experiment, he managed to crack the glass. And what he saw through it drove him into an obsession."

"Pospelov named the glass structure the Sliver, because through one of these cracks, or slivers, he'd seen another reality," Sasha continued. "By 2010, Pospelov had cracked the code so to speak. He'd built machines that could fully open the Sliver. Multiple expeditions were mounted to explore what was on the other side. Dozens of expeditions, led by Pospelov himself, until his eventual disappearance."

 

[PiePillager]

"So it's some kind of gateway. Things go in as opposed to something leaking out like the cube around the same time," Henry mused. "Question is then, what is Jaques hoping to get out of it? What does he stand to gain by opening accessing this other reality himself?"

 

[DarKnight36]

"Henry..." Sasha said after a moment. "When did I ever say that things couldn't come back through the other side?"

 

[obscured_light]

"S'true, things come from the other side all the time," ghost expert, Akiko proclaimed as she pushed up her fake glasses. "It's not about him accessing it, it's about what he's giving access to."

 

[DarKnight36]

"No, I do think... in this case, at least, Jacques is planning to enter the Sliver himself," Sasha said, leading the group further through the facility, passing workers who were busy heading for the nearest shelter. "My guess is he is returning to where he came from."

"Well," Sasha corrected himself. "At least, where part of him came from... Just like me."

 

[PiePillager]

"So, he's like you. Is it the same case as with all of FANG'S homegrown agents?" Henry asked.

 

[DarKnight36]

Sasha just shook his head, his mouth tight as they turned the final corner towards a massive metal wall with a vault-like door attached. A more normal door was set in the left-hand wall, labeled Laboratory 3A.

"Are you all ready?" Sasha asked the group quietly. "You saw what Jacques can do back in Atlas City. He won't hold back this time. Plus, there's the Sliver. He's activated it and although I believe the world he dialed it into won't have anything dangerous crawling out of it, there's no telling how it will react to our powers once we start fighting. So... if any of you have something to say before you go in there, now's your chance."

 

[obscured_light]

Akiko stared at the imposing door before them. She considered Sasha's words and her gaze shifted to him, studying him for a few seconds before clearing her throat.

"I do, actually," she said, pulling out shades and putting them on the bridge of her nose, causing her to look up over them to look at Sasha. "But privately, if possible. Is the lab available?"

 

[DarKnight36]

Sasha nodded slowly, leading Akiko to a nearby room. It was small, filled with chairs and a chalkboard. "Akiko..." he said after a moment, then sighed. "What did you want to say?"

 

[obscured_light]

Akiko walked over to the chalkboard, back turned towards Sasha. She considered the pieces of chalk carefully and then turned towards him, the sunglasses pushed all the way back on the bridge of her nose. She crossed her arms over her chest as silence lingered between them.

"Sasha," Akiko said, sounding hesitant for once. "Buddy. Can I call you a buddy? Can I call you a pal? I'm not so sure anymore with what's happened... so do you wanna maybe explain yourself before we go face the current big bad?"

 

[DarKnight36]

"What is there to explain?" Sasha asked tiredly. "I escaped from Fang years ago. I bluffed my way into keeping them from coming after me. But they called my bluff. I didn't really have a choice."

He looked away. "I knew you'd come after me. All of you. But I also knew I wouldn't be able to come back. All that talk of fate and destiny and honestly, it's all just a load of crap."

He smiled, but it was a lonely smile. "I don't really feel sorry for myself, you know. I had fun, but there's no... saving me. I always knew this would be the case. I just hoped I'd have more time before..."

He trailed off.

 

[obscured_light]

Akiko didn't say anything, didn't even crack a smile. Her brows were furrowed and she seemed to be in deep though as she listened to Sasha. A silence weighed between them as she thought it over, ceasing her thought process with a small slap on her chest. She marched on over to Sasha and stopped right before him, a hand extended.

"I meant it, Sasha," she insisted, looking directly into his eyes. "You help me with Alpheum, and I'll help you with Fang. I don't care what it takes, who I have to face, they can't have my partner in this whole mess. I, Akiko Bong, will make sure you have more time. Endless time with us."

She smiled at him, no trace of hesitation or doubt in her face. She did pause for a second.

"At least, until, y'know," Akiko added, using her other hand to move her thumb across her neck and stick her tongue out. "Not by Fang though. Probably."

 

[DarKnight36]

Sasha stared at Akiko. Was she stupid or just stubborn? Maybe a bit of both. Akiko was strong, all of them were but... it was true. He couldn't imagine they could save him from Fang. Could Akiko defeat Jacques? Sasha couldn't see it. Together, they could beat him, Sasha was sure, but how many of them would Jacques kill? Sasha could feel the fear coursing through him at the thought of how many dead friends he would leave behind in the room beyond.

Still, all he could do in this moment was swallow that fear, smile as genuinely as possible, and say, "Sure, Akiko. Thank you. Let's... go back and join the others. We don't have much time."

 

[obscured_light]

Akiko didn't move.

"Sasha," she said, raising her outstretched hand slightly. "Don't underestimate us."

 

[PiePillager]

Henry had knelt down, his head bowed. Praying perhaps? Taking a rest? Just thinking? It was hard to say. As Sasha and Akiko made their way into the room, he stood up and looked back towards them with a determined nod as if to say he was good to go and acknowledge that they were as well. He looked to both Klaus and Lynne who both seemed ready as well.

"Everyone prepared to do this, then?" he asked aloud, as he approached the vault. "Then let's roll. Keep your guard up. We know what Jacques can do more or less, but like Sasha said, we don't entirely know what awaits us once we step foot in there."