RocketLord Posted January 11, 2019 Posted January 11, 2019 GM The Super Museum January 11th, 4:15 PM Starting in a new school was always difficult, especially right in the middle of a semester, but as Reina had come to find out, Claremont Academy was really not a regular school in any way, and as all the fellow students had returned from their Christmas Breaks, she had found out just how special the school was. Young men and women flying around, color-coded squads that competed against each other, the strange and the wonderful. And of course a lot of the regular school drama: Love, hate, rivalries, jocks and nerds and everything in between and beyond. One particular student, one Pan Barrie, had quickly welcomed her to the school, and as he did whenever given half an excuse, he had done his best to make Reina feel at home. And on this particular day, he had invited her to the Super Museum in Midtown. He had only just heard about it, and he had been really excited, and now they had just reached the end of the line, and he had paid for their entrance (claiming that it was just what friends did), and was getting ready to enter the museum proper. A few blocks away, a pair of men were making their way through the crowds. They were tall, clad in heavy trenchcoats and fedoras. Really not as inconspicuous as they might believe. One had a blonde handlebar moustache, the other a full brown beard. Both seemed to be bald, or at least had their hair hidden under their fedoras The one with the moustache was holding out a device, a dark green tablet device with handles on the side. The image on it showed a radar image, with streets and buildings, and a great big red dot, which covered a wide area, but seemed to be shrinking as they moved towards it. "Is this it, brother?" the brown haired one asked. "Are we getting closer?" The other shook his head. "Still hard to tell. We'll get there soon, I think."
Curious Key Posted January 11, 2019 Posted January 11, 2019 (edited) Reina had never been good with assertive people back home, and Pan was just another example of how that hadn't changed when she moved to Freedom. It felt like she'd barely had a chance to stammer out more than a few words to him when he took it upon himself to escort her through the city. Which might have not been bad, necessarily, but it was certainly overwhelming. There was so much about Claremont that set her off-kilter, so much about Freedom. There were heroes everywhere. She was standing in the hero museum alongside one of them. Reina was one of them. Reina was one of them. Staring up at a scrolling digital collage of Centurion's myriad adventures, Reina clutched at her heart and tried to steady her breathing. "...Um..." She swallowed, still staring at the screen. "...This is one of the oldest, best museums of super history in the world, fans are always desperate to come here... Pan?..." Finally she turned toward him, eyes darting to meet his for a moment before sliding shyly down. "...Thank you for taking me..." Edited January 11, 2019 by Curious Key
RocketLord Posted January 11, 2019 Author Posted January 11, 2019 Forever Boy Pan had only just heard about the Super Museum, and he just knew he had to go. A place like that was bound to be full of tales of adventure, mystery and action! Just the place for him to go! But going alone would have been boring, would it not? He had already explored Freedom City on his own and with others, and frankly, he had always found it better to be in company than to be on his own. Too much of that in his life already. So! Reina it was! She was new, had just transferred, and Pan knew all about being new in this city (well, world in general, but he let that one slide), and she really seemed to like super heroes, so this would hopefully be great for her! The line had taken ages, but they had made it through, and Pan paid. After all, he was the one that had invited, and he didn't mind at all! And from what he had seen of her so far, this was Reina being excited, so it was all good. He was flitting around all over the museum, staying close to Reina and still looking around everywhere. It was so exciting! All these heroes! All that they had done! "You are very welcome! I thought it was something you might like, and I have wanted to go for a while, so it was the perfect opportunity, was it not?" He kind of wanted to fly, but stayed grounded. Secret identity and all that. What a silly concept, for him at least. He looked up at the digital collage. A man in blue and gold, with a white cape. The Centurion? He was important, was he not? He had been mentioned a lot of times at Claremont, but Pan honestly didn't know much about him. "So, this is the Centurion? I have heard him mentioned. That big statue in the city is him, is it not? So..." He paused, looking from Reina and to the collage, then back again. "Everyone speaks very highly of him, when I have heard him mentioned, but I have few details! Who was he? He must have been very important!"
Curious Key Posted January 11, 2019 Posted January 11, 2019 Her shyness momentarily forgotten, Reina's gaze swung back up and pinned Pan with a stare. Didn't know much about the Centurion? How? She struggled to come up with an answer that made sense to her, only to abandon it completely once she realized exactly what Pan was asking. "...Ah!" Her mouth broke open into a wide smile. "...Centurion was the first heroes of the Golden Age!" She said, beaming. "And probably the strongest hero ever! he founded the Liberty League AND the Freedom League, he's always fought against Omega..." Reina kept gushing, giving the overview of Centurion's life and accomplishments, his villains and friends. But, as her stories approached the modern day, she started visibly deflating. Until, finally she reached the day of the Terminus invasion. "...He kept Omega and the Terminus out, but...He died." She crossed her arms and looked back to the collage, shoulders sagging. "...That's what the statue is for..."
RocketLord Posted January 11, 2019 Author Posted January 11, 2019 Forever Boy Pan was honestly startled. He felt almost physically pinned by Reina's gaze, unable to look away. There was just something so frightening about that look, something that he had never expected that Reina would be capable of! He was just about to slowly back away, to ask what kind of social faux pas that he had committed this time, when she started smiling, and then started talking. And talking. And talking. Now, some might have gotten bored. Some might have wandered away, or tried to change the subject. But not Pan! No, this was interesting! This was tales of adventure, of action! Of heroes and villains! Of dastardly deeds and great victories! Oh, he would have liked to meet the Centurion! A mighty hero, if he had ever heard of one! "He sounded like a great hero." Pan replied, with a smile. He had his hands in his pockets, staring up at the collage as it changed, showing a picture of the Centurion standing triumphant above Nero, some flames still burning around them. "It sounds like he gave his all to save others. What more can a hero ask for?" Oh, he would very much have liked to meet this Centurion. He had been active for a long time before his sacrifice. Was he immortal, then? Or perhaps just long lived? Curious, curious. He turned to a nearby display. A set of action figures of the original Freedom League. Centurion, Deadalus, Lady Libery, Bowman and Pseudo. Reina seemed to know so much about all of these. "I do not think I have told you, but I am not really from around here. I mean, not at all." He looked around. There were a lot of people around, so he probably shouldn't share more. "So please! Tell me more! It is much more interesting to be told tales of heroes than to just read about them! I know about the Freedom League, but this were the originals, were it not?"
Curious Key Posted January 12, 2019 Posted January 12, 2019 'Around here,' Pan had said. Reina adjusted her glasses, giving Pan a long, considering look. She got the impression that Pan meant something pretty out there, when he said that. Centurion and the Liberty League were a global phenomenon. In order to not know who they were at all, you'd have to grow up under a rock, or... ...Well... She turned away and scratched at the back of her head. "If you want to hear more..." Losing her old intensity, Reina nevertheless did her best to fill Pan in on the members of the liberty league, and what exactly they had done. There were so many to talk about...Dr. Atom, Siren, Midnight and more. Reina ended up taking the lead guiding Pan around the museum, though he seemed infinitely more interested in her stories than the actual displays that talked about them. Eventually, she moved on from the liberty league to the Freedom League. "...But my favorites are Lady Liberty and The Raven, I looked up to them lots..." She reached back and twirled absently at her hair. "So strong, and smart, and brave, and pretty..." Her voice turned distant and wistful, staring up at a old newspaper of the new Ravens' first appearance in the city that they'd pinned up on display.
RocketLord Posted January 12, 2019 Author Posted January 12, 2019 Forever Boy Pan listened, and looked. True, he did not know much about this world yet, but he was learning, and as Reina correctly guessed, he was much more interested in her stories of the heroes. The displays were good, sure. They showed him images, gave him faces and costumes to group with the stories, which was nice, but it was always better to be told a story. It might be a biased view, but he did like that. It added so much more color to the stories. He looked up at the display with Raven. Lady Liberty, she said? He grinned. "Have you met Monica yet? I think she is in the Green Squad. She calls herself Lady Liberty." He winked at Reina. To tell the truth, Pan wasn't exactly close to Monica, so he didn't know her story, but Reina might be interested, if she was the new Lady Liberty, since the powers seemed to change wielder every now and again. Still, as interesting as this was, Pan had other questions. "You know a lot about heroes, but what brought you to Claremont? It is not exactly a normal school, from what I have gathered. Why did you want to be a hero?" He spoke normally, but aside from Reina, no one would hear it. Some Pixie Dust was all that was needed, and everyone around them would just hear two teenagers talking about the exhibits.
Curious Key Posted January 13, 2019 Posted January 13, 2019 Reina's eyes lit up. "...That's..." Her tongue felt all tangled up. Oh my god, there was a new Lady Liberty? At Claremont? Reina could barely believe it. Of course she hadn't heard of her, she would have...What would she have even done, really? It wasn't like she could just talk to her, what if she was a bother, what if Liberty thought Reina was a creep, what if... "Um..." But when Pan asked about her, it seemed to pull her out of her reverie, her shoulders slumping as she turned half away from him. Reina grabbed her wrist, unfurled and her fingers and looked down, staring for a moment at the stars imprinted into her hand. "...There's so much about heroes to look up to. They do so much good, for so many people. I..." She swallowed. "...spent a lot of time wanting to be one. Wishing. Then, I got lucky. Now...Its not dramatic, or sad, or all that good a reason, but..." She took a deep breath, closed her fist and looked up at Pan with an anxious little smile. "Now I can finally be one..."
RocketLord Posted January 13, 2019 Author Posted January 13, 2019 Forever Boy Oh, Reina liked hearing about Monica. Pan lit up in a huge grin in reaction. He would have to introduce them some day! Her pulling back at his question was not the reaction he had hoped for. He liked to know what made his friends tick. What inspired them, what was the reason that they worked so hard to become heroes. What they hoped to achive, why they did what they did. Most tended to have deep reasons, some did not. Did that make their aspirations to be heroes any less? No, not according to Pan, at least. "Luck. Or maybe fate." Pan winked at Reina. "I have found that it is often difficult to tell one from the other. Maybe you were meant to be at the right place at the right time?" He had seen both luck and fate in his time, it all depended on the person, it seemed. "And besides, who says that you need a dramatic or sad person to be a hero? You want to be a hero, then that is brilliant! Why would your reason be any less valid than that of Lady Liberty or the Centurion? You saw what they could do, you saw how they helped others, and you were inspired! Just think about how many people this world holds, and how few seem to feel like that, or, if they do, act on that impulse, even if they have powers or abilities that set them apart? You wanted to do good! I find that exceptional!"
RocketLord Posted January 13, 2019 Author Posted January 13, 2019 GM "I have always wanted to visit this place." The man with the brown beard in the trenchcoat and fedora said, standing in the line to the Super Museum. He was looking all around at the sights around them. "Hey, how many of them do you think have hit us over the years?" The other one grunted. His eyes were strictly focused on the device. They were close now. The big red dot had shrunken. Their goal was inside the museum somewhere. "I don't know, brother. At least a third of the ones that's been around in the last five or six years?" He gave the device a smack, startling a woman in the queue in front of him. "Sorry." The line moved slowly, but they would be inside soon.
Curious Key Posted January 13, 2019 Posted January 13, 2019 "That's..." Reina was abashed, scratching at her neck and staring at her feet, fidgeting. It was such a small, pointless thing to get worked up about, and here she was, drawing comfort out of Pan when he'd been the one to take her to the museum to explore. How ungrateful could she be, to dump her stupid little problems on him when he'd done so much to try to make her feel welcome? "...Kind of you to say." She crossed her arms and gave Pan as authentic a grin as she could manage. "...Who else have you met in the school? Haven't been around long." She said, gently steering the topic in another direction. "...Anyone interesting...?"
RocketLord Posted January 14, 2019 Author Posted January 14, 2019 Forever Boy Pan shook his head. "Kindness has nothing to do with it! You wish to be a hero, and that is admirable! Whatever the cause, you are doing something great!" The illusion of a normal conversation and them just standing around that Pan had cast around them was probably a good thing, given his little outburst. And the accompanying pose, where Pan stood with his legs slightly apart, pointing up to the sky with one finger. He couldn't help himself. It was just how it was. Still, the next question diverted his always mercurial attention. "Oh, I have only been here since the start of this semester. Not that long at all. But there are very many interesting people at the school! Just look around, you are bound to see someone that is something wholly unique! I am rooming with Micah! He can control the weather! The Blue Squad has Leroy, he's a prince from Earth 2, and he has his dragon Dio along! And there is Ashley and Judy. I do not think Ashley has any powers, at least she have yet to demonstrate it, but she is a great shot, and is pretty much leading the team! Judy has something to do with radio waves or electromagnetism or something like that. Honestly, I am not quite sure! Vanya is cool, he can become a bear! And Adam is really strong! They are all amazing, and great friends to have!" He paused a moment to breathe. Again, his mouth was moving a thousand miles a minute. He was grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, and Nicole! She has this awesome magic armor! And Corinne, or Zenith. I do not think a lot of the other students like her very much, but I do! We danced in the air at the fall dance! Oh, and Veronica Danger and Alex, they were part of the reason I could even attend here, and..." He paused, maybe realizing that he was just going on and on. His grin grew a bit apologetic. "Sorry, sorry! I am just so happy about all the friends I have found here!"
Curious Key Posted January 16, 2019 Posted January 16, 2019 (edited) No matter how sincere he was, Pans' praise rang like empty platitudes in Reina's ear, making her bristle like a cat stroked the wrong direction. Luckily, her distraction had worked wonders on Pan, his train of thought speeding along the rails she'd laid down. "...They all sound wonderful!" Pan hadn't given Reina a lot of 'useful' information, but he was happy. He felt very genuine, in a way that made Reina expect him to turn around and call her an idiot for thinking it was real, except he'd been keeping it up for a long time and was deep enough into it that Reina was increasingly more sure that this wasn't going to turn out to be some meanspirited ruse. "Only a matter of time till we meet, too..." Reina thought. Pan was pretty easy to get along with, but the others? She was nervous. And Pan would say something optimistic and cheery whether it was actually likely for them to get along with Reina or not, so she had no idea if they'd like her... Edited January 17, 2019 by Curious Key
RocketLord Posted January 17, 2019 Author Posted January 17, 2019 Forever Boy "Ah, don't worry! You'll do great!" He didn't worry. Why should he? Sure, there were problems and lots and lots of teenage drama at Claremont. Pan was not blind to that in any way, but he did like to focus on the positive aspects. She would probably get along great with Judy, though Reina and Micah might end up with a very silent, very awkward room. He dispelled the illusion around them, and pointed the way. "So, what about those guys over there? The Atom Family? Know anything about them?"
RocketLord Posted January 17, 2019 Author Posted January 17, 2019 GM The talk about the Atom Family would have to wait, it seemed, no matter if Reina got started or not. Both of them noticed a pair of men that approached. The very pair with the trenchcoats and fedoras, looking like very bad attempts at disguises. One of them was still holding his tablet, holding it up in front of himself. He lowered it slightly, his lips splitting into a wide grin. "Hey, brother! That's it!" He raised his free hand, pointing towards Reina and Pan. Who he was pointing at exactly was a bit unclear, and it just seemed to be in their general direction. People around were starting to notice the two large men in trenchcoats that clearly seemed to have intentions for the two teenagers, most trying to keep their distance. The other man responded, moving closer to Reina and Pan. "Come now, we ain't gonna hurt you kids. Just come along."
Curious Key Posted January 17, 2019 Posted January 17, 2019 Reina looked at one man, then the other, her heart drumming in her chest as panic tossed thought to the side and demanded she move, now! Good advice. Reina seized Pan's wrist and dashed across the museum floor, not caring where she was headed as long as it was away from here.
RocketLord Posted January 17, 2019 Author Posted January 17, 2019 Forever Boy Oh, what was this now, then? A pair of men, dressed rather oddly. Pan had only seen clothing like that in movies before, so this was curious. And they demanded that he and Reina come along? And that they would not hurt them? The not hurting part was a plus, was it not? Still, wanting them to come along with no explanation? No, that was not good enough, was it now? He was already starting to gather Pixie Dust. A slight glow was forming in his hands. Keep a secret identity, that was what they taught at Claremont, but he did not really have an identity to hide here on Earth, did he now? And then Reina grabbed him and run, the glimmering dust falling behind for a moment as he was pulled along, dashing across the museum floor. Now that was unexpected! Pan could not help letting out a laugh.
RocketLord Posted January 17, 2019 Author Posted January 17, 2019 GM "HEY!" The man with the tablet shouted after Reina and Pan as they dashed away along the museum floor. "Stop!" The two men looked quickly at each other, then gave chase. A quick view of the tablet would have shown the red dot focused on Reina and Pan, but the two men were not looking at it now. They could see their targets, they didn't need to use the scanner anymore. The crowds parted around Reina and Pan, then spread even further away from the large men. A man tried to step up, shouting for the men to stop, but he was quickly brushed aside as they ran, almost as if he wasn't even there. Whoever the men were, they were fast and strong, and they were slowly gaining.
Curious Key Posted January 17, 2019 Posted January 17, 2019 They might have been fast and strong, but Reina was NOT. She was already panting pretty hard after her dash, and when she looked over her shoulder, there they were, not just following but gaining. She needed out. Her eyes snagged on a neon red 'EMERGENCY EXIT' sign. But that's for emergencies... She hesitated. This is one! She forced her way through, alarms singing out behind her in the museum, hitting a wall of crisp January air. Reina staggered out the door, into a filthy side alley, lined with overflowing dumpsters. Her panic told her to keep running but her body wasn't having it. She let go of Pans' wrist—when had she grabbed it? she didn't remember—and leaned her hands on her knees, gasping. What were they supposed to do what were they supposed to do what were they...Reina froze, turned over her left hand, looked at her palm and swallowed.
RocketLord Posted January 17, 2019 Author Posted January 17, 2019 Forever Boy Pan had honestly not expected Reina to be capable of such action. It was fast, it was bold, and... it was absolutely exhausting for Reina. He should have thought of that. He could probably have helped her move far faster, but this wasn't really the time for that, was it? He knew what he wanted to do. The men were clearly after him or Reina, maybe they had recognized him from some of his adventures? Maybe they were after Reina? He wanted to know. Not knowing would drive him nuts, he hated not knowing why he was being chased, after all. In any case, they had a short moment to make their choice. He was not quite sure what Reina's powers were, so maybe he should just leave it up to her, after all? "They'll be here in a moment." He looked over at the door, his voice rather calm, despite the situation. He had been in worse situations more times than he could remember. "What do you say? Fight or flight?" Pan's own costume was already appearing, red and green with a green domino mask, as glittering Pixie Dust spread over him.
Curious Key Posted January 17, 2019 Posted January 17, 2019 "...They'll just keep following..." Reina wasn't sure how those men had found them, or what they wanted, but either way, they weren't going to stop. They were gonna keep hunting until they were stopped. Either they were after her, or after Pan. If they were after Pan, she didn't feel good leaving him. And if they were after her, well... "...We don't really have a choice..." She raised her hand in the air, the sigil glowing brightly as magic unfurled around her. In a swirl of luminous stars, her clothes reformed around her, baggy pants and hoodie adjusting, her glasses vanishing from her face and her scarf shot out behind her where it hung, suspended in the air as it lashed anxiously back and forth. "...If we don't fight now, won't we have to later...?"
RocketLord Posted January 17, 2019 Author Posted January 17, 2019 Forever Boy Oh, this was just brilliant! Pan's lips split into a wide grin as he watched Reina transform, bright stars all around, her clothes becoming her costume. It had made his costume change seem outright boring! And they had a choice. Of course they did. They could run, but the men might just find them, depending on how they had. They could fly. Pan could, at least, and he could probably carry Reina, but, even then, maybe the men could fly too. You never knew what would happen in this world, and Pan found it absolutely wonderful! "Maybe. You can never tell what people can do around here, can you now? Still, I agree. I want to know what they want with us." He moved away from the door, taking to the air in the small alley. Why box themselves in, if they could help it, after all? Glitter falling from him, he readied himself.
RocketLord Posted January 17, 2019 Author Posted January 17, 2019 GM "HEY!" the two thugs came barreling out of the door, audibly knocking it off its hinges, and sending it crashing into the alley, though, mercifully perhaps, it did not hit any of the two heroes. The two thugs paused for a moment, looking at Forever Boy and Aurora. One of them raised the tablet, looking at the red dot, then lowered it again. "It's them, brother!" The other one smacked the first in the back of his head. "Of course it is them! Are you an idiot?" With a grunt of disapproval, the first one put the tablet down on the steps, then they both threw away their fedoras and coats, revealing battlesuits underneath, and rather advanced ones, at that. The blonde haired thug had a dark red armor, the other had a dark grey, but otherwise, they were identical. All but their faces were covered. The chest of each bore an emblem that looked like a stylized E, and they appeared to have blasters of some kind on their hands. With a little adjustment, the two thugs put on a pair of highly stylized glasses, the color of the others' armor, connected to the armor with black cables.
Curious Key Posted January 17, 2019 Posted January 17, 2019 Oh wow, they looked well-equipped. The armor and blasters looked real scary. She'd hoped against hope that they'd back off once they realized they were dealing with superheroes, but it looked like she was wrong... Aurora started floating a couple feet above the ground, scarf flicking too and fro while she held up her left hand. A lance of purple light flew from her unsteady hand, while she hoped against hope that it would strike true.
RocketLord Posted January 17, 2019 Author Posted January 17, 2019 GM The thug made a sound that a human body was not meant to make as the Starbolt founds its mark straight in his chest, with enough force to make knock him off back into the wall, the back of his head hitting it with great force. He groaned in pain, instantly reaching for the back of his head. The other thug shouted "Brother!", then quickly turned his attention to Aurora. The other thug quickly moved forward, jet boosts from under his feet raising him into the air as he raised his fist in turn, taking aim with the blaster as he shouted. "What is it with you super freaks and always shooting first!?" A blast of dark blue, almost black, energy shot out from the blaster, only barely missing Aurora, but hitting the wall behind her, causing several bricks to fall down.
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