ic Vibora Bay - Storm of the Century (IC)

[Heritage]

Seeing the massive amounts of heat Speed-Demon was generating in both himself and the creature, Torque decided it was probably best to get out of the air and hunker down. Her rotors pulled inward as her hull shifted into a heavy riot vehicle, which dropped about three feet onto its fat tires and heavy suspension with a thud. The techshifter locked her parking brake just in time to be rocked by the blast, the shock so intense that her left wheels literally left the ground for a few seconds. 

 

As debris continued to slap into the ground and the rain hammered down, the riot vehicle slowly rolled over towards Betsy and Persephone; as it moved closer, it began to shrink and collapse into itself, maintaining the same steady pace as it became a tall, graceful African-American woman. She wore green coveralls, black work boots, large gold hoop earrings, and her long braids wrapped up in a scarf of bright red and gold. Despite her part in the hectic battle, her pleasant face bore a serene smile, and her deep rich voice was calm and soothing, though it seemed to bear no noticeable accent and minimal inflection. 

 

"The creature has been defeated; well done, one and all. Are there any injured who require transport to a hospital?"

Edited September 16, 2019 by Heritage

[RocketLord]

CHEVAL

 

The fast, burning one started hitting the beast, and it just exploded! Quickly moving in front of Persephone and Betsy next to him, Cheval threw his arms up in front to shield his face as he was splattered by the beast's destruction. Slowly lowering his arms as things seemed to calm down, he looked around at the rest of the gathered group. He stood tall, placing his hands at his hips, even as he couldn't take his eyes off the vehicle that became a woman. 

 

After a brief pause as he got his bearings, he shook his head in response to the woman that had been a vehicle moments before. "I am afraid not, my friend. There's still more to be done here." He pointed to the hole that he had fallen through, which Persephone had just mentioned. "When the beast threw me into the caves, I found signs of desecrated sigils and holy symbols. It might have something to do with this beast." He looked over at the man in black, crossing his arms and nodding. "I know a little of magic. What do you need?"

[Avenger Assembled]

Woodsman 

 

"That thing was magic!" Riley did not like yelling, but the downpour and thunder overhead made it necessary to be heard. "I saw it just appear out of nowhere by the edge of the swamp!" He made a gesture, back to where the creature had come. "If somebody knows how to find magic people, we should go back there and look for where it came from!" Don't freak out about the lady Transformer or about the lady covered in plants, you're trying to go monster-hunting. Woodsman had seen weirder stuff in Freedom City, but he wasn't immediately sure what. The distant sound of sirens told them emergency services were on their way despite the storm, so he took the opportunity to limp over to his fallen bike, which had miraculously survived its rapid skin when he'd leaped onto the back of the beast. "Somebody does that once, they'll do it again!" 

[Thunder King]

"You're probably right." Speed-Demon said, taking a moment to catch his breath. "I don't know anything about magic, but we gotta make sure someone doesn't make another one of those things. We cannot afford another one of those."

 

He looked around. "Anybody got a plan?" 

 

He was not the guy with the plan. He was the guy who hit things quickly and maybe helped people. He didn't know anything about magic at all, just that his powers were magical in nature. The spirit inside him wasn't helping, either. He wasn't sure if it could.

[Heritage]

Looking back towards the swamp, Torque shook her before looking back at the others.

 

"I know not the ways of magic, but I can provide transport. There are few places on Earth beyond my reach."

 

She then took several steps away from the group, turned to face them, and then impossibly expanded into a sporty black airboat. After a few seconds, the swamp craft folded back into the young woman, who wore a small smile.

 

"You may call me Torque."

Edited September 16, 2019 by Heritage

[Tiffany Korta]

The Immutable Betsy Brooks

 

With a cough and a stream of expletives Betsy picked herself up looking around at the assembled heroes.

 

“Well when I started my day I didn’t except to be saved by Bumblebee and Megan Foxglove! Thank you both from I guess the bottom of my new spleen!”

 

She patted down her pockets before taking out a packet of cigarettes, only to look with some disappointment with the rather battered packet of ciggie bits. She looked at Persephone before carefully putting them back in her pockets.

 

“Disgusting habit anyway! I’m Betsy Brooks and probably no one here knows me but I have quite a few connections among the supernatural community here, guess that makes me the expert here.”

[Amelia]

Persephone

 

Quote

"I’m Betsy Brooks and probably no one here knows me but I have quite a few connections among the supernatural community here, guess that makes me the expert here."

 

"Sure looks that way. 'Persephone' is the stage name. Pleasure to meet you. Wish it was under better circumstances." The tree branch holding the green-skinned woman above the ground dipped and rested in front of Betsy. "Hop on if you'd like a ride down. Sounds like you're the only one who'll make any sense of it all."

 

The tree branch gently lowered Persephone down into the hole Cheval had emerged from. Her hair illuminated the chamber for a few feet around her in all directions with a soft violet glow. She gave the tree branch a quick pet and kiss before stepping down onto the sandy floor. "Thanks, Sweetheart." The branch moved backward, hugging the edge of the hole. Persephone walked around the cave, tracing her fingers along the faded remnants of the symbols that had once been etched into the walls. "All Greek to me, I'm afraid." She rubbed the gold cross hanging around her neck a couple times. "My faith's personal, not scholarly. My background's in Science. When it comes to the spooky stuff, I'm about as useful as a steering wheel on a mule. But if there are any plants, they'll talk to me." She leaned in close to the wall and whispered. "Hey there. Anyone down here?" Then she knelt down, touched her hand to the ground, and leaned down until her mouth almost touched the ground. She whispered again. "Not the best soil to grow in, I know. But Life usually finds a way. Did any of you see what happened here? Can any of you show me?"

 

[RocketLord]

CHEVAL

 

So, the beast was magic of some kind? Cheval nodded in agreement with the man in the dark outfit. "If that's the case, then the things I saw below might have been seals keeping it in place." As Persephone descended into the cave, another realization came to him. [color=silver]"And if that's the case, then that means someone must have broken those seals on purpose!"[/color] And they might still be down there. He had no doubt that the two women could defend themselves, but still...

 

"I'll join them below." He quickly added, before moving to the edge of the hole. He jumped over the edge, digging his fingers into the edge to try and slow his fall some. He probably wouldn't be hurt, but he might hit either Betsy or Perspephone. Reaching the ground, he called out to them. "I recognized some of the symbols. Christian images, Voodou. Seems like someone desecrated them with fire."

[Avenger Assembled]

Persephone 

 

The wilting came and took the marks. Very hungry. But we live. Do you have any water?

 

Woodsman 

 

Riley's plan was to track down whatever had summoned that thing and put an arrow in it, but he didn't feel the need to share that. He peered down the hole after the creepy plant lady, then looked up at the others a moment before Cheval and Betsy jumped down after her. Gonna be real-ugh. With a deep sigh, he took the crossbow off his back and snapped a bolt home - then fired it down into the hole after the others. The flare arrow hit a wooden fragment right in the center of the hole, casting an eerie red light on everything inside the crater that was now rapidly filling with water. 

 

Down below, Betsy and Cheval saw much of what the latter had seen before - this had once been a magic place, a holy place, but it had been recently drained of power and sanctity - very recently. 

 

"Hey," Woodsman said suddenly. "You." He had no idea what Sagrado Corazon called himself, so instead he said, "You put those things down. Any idea what brought 'em up?" 

[angrydurf]

Chris was happy to have most of the gross matter that had washed over him at hte beasts fall be burned or washed away and was enjoying the relative fresh air when he was snapped back to the present by Rileys insistent question.  He slowly shook his head as he approached the hole the others had descended into.  "I am not certain."  He admitted, "They were, restless, abominations before ..."  he shook off repeating the rantings of the Voice verbatim. 

 

Taking a deep breath he began again, "The dead have earned their rest I sent them back to it."  he explained as concisely as he could and peered over the edge, "I don't know of magic really."  he shrugged and looked back up to Riley, "But the big one was heading to another church over a few blocks."  he offered helpfully, "Maybe it was destroying these symbols or maybe it was called by them being destroyed?"  he offered the theory with a shrug, "Might be more intact ones at the next potential target."

[Heritage]

As she'd mentioned, any sort of magic was beyond Torque's comprehension. But she understood things like logistics and transport, and these were areas where she could help. 

 

"So we have some idea of where the creature came from and where it was going. Which location is more time sensitive? Would it be best to divide ourselves or remain together? And I we do divide, who goes to each objective?"

[Tiffany Korta]

The Immutable Betsy Brooks

 

 

Betsy carefully examined the marking and considered the various options of what had caused this, she had come across this kind of thing but never on this kind of scale.

 

 

“Holy sites, built on holy site built on holy site, these places have always held power and for now that thing just slurped the whole thing down. Or someone did using it as a link, though it can’t be an easy thing to run.”

 

She really needed a drink or at the worse a ciggie right about now, but for now she’d have to go at this unhelpfully sober.

 

 

“We need to shut this ****er down before they drain the other sites of the city.”

[RocketLord]

CHEVAL

 

Following Betsy closer to the markings, Cheval nonetheless kept his distance. He knew a little about magic, yes. Only what Ogoun had passed on to him, or the Voodou lore that Nana Dee had taught him, but it had at least been enough to recognize some of these symbols. He stroked his metal beard the woman spoke of holy sites and powers and links. It was a bit beyond him, if he was honest. He was used to just punching bad things, maybe speaking to spirits. Or punching them, if they were unruly.

 

"I believe the beast was heading towards a nearby strip mall. The place is nearly abandoned, but there's a couple of churches there. Maybe they have symbols like these?" And if someone had done this, then perhaps, they were heading there now. 

[Avenger Assembled]

As it turned out, there wasn't much to see in either direction. 

 

A quick trip by car or foot could tell the heroes that the churches threatened by the monster were all still intact; thankfully none of them occupied during the storm. There wasn't much they could do without breaking through barred-up windows or boarded-up doors, but they were able to find historical plaques nearby that said that there'd been churches on these sites (though not in the same building) for over a century. Whatever that monster had been, it had targeted some of the oldest holy sites in Vibora Bay. 

 

As for heading into the swamp, superpowers made flooded roads and streets passable - but also made clear the devastation wrought by the creature's wake. Maybe it had stuck to the middle of a fairly large road (the only reason it hadn't done truly apocalyptic damage to the city in its wake) but the smashed cars and overpasses as it went showed the human cost of its rampage. There were wounded here, and dead, the former shocked to find Vibora Bay turned out to have a lot more heroes than anybody was expecting. 

 

Without the ability to offer significant aid, and with real metahumans in his company, Woodsman pressed on to the bridge where it had all begun. All he'd seen was still there - the smashed cars, the dead cops, the blood and the carnage - and a new body. 

 

The new corpse was laying on his back in the middle of the road, still warm enough that Riley's infravision had just about been able to spot him. Big dark eyes gazed sightlessly up at the black sky overhead, a tufted beard over an open-collared shirt that couldn't quite hide the bone-deep slit in his neck. The note pinned to his chest hadn't run in the rain - not yet, anyway. 

 

YOUR ENEMY IS DEAD. 

 

"What - what the hell?" growled Woodsman.

[angrydurf]

He couldn't say he was surprised nothing more had been revealed at the churches, he couldn't say why but he felt he'd have known if they had been desecrated as well.  Chris rode along with the others as they backtracked towards where the creature had emerged from the swamp.  When they came upon the injured and frightened citizens he paused to offer what consolation he could, a few words of strength, it lightened the load, and those watching carefully might note a telltale glow at a touch here or there granting at least relief from the pain of injuries.

 

At the sight of hte body, bodies, Chris was nearly sick again and he stood back, "Can anyone search for evidence or should we call the police?"  he asked uncertainly, "This seems placed and..."  he shook his head.  Even if this was the one behind the creature he didn't deserve this.

[Thunder King]

"Oh, God." Speed-Demon staggered back when he saw the corpse. He had been running beside the group, letting his own two feet guide him. "Um, does somebody wanna check him for ID? 'Cause I don't think we're gonna find anything about who did this. Not in this storm..." He was a bit reluctant to do it himself. 

 

"This is unnerving as hell, honestly." He looked over at the others. "I say we figure out who this guy is, put his wallet on his corpse, and drop him off at the morgue. If the person who did this was able to find out who we're going after and leave him for us to find, what are the odds we're gonna find him in a storm?"

[Amelia]

Persephone

 

Quote

The wilting came and took the marks. Very hungry. But we live. Do you have any water?

 

Persephone glanced up at the mouth of the cave, and the storm raging above it, and chuckled as she rubbed the sand at her feet. "There's water plenty comin' your way, my Darlings. Just sit tight." She stood back up and turned to her fellow heroes. "The plants couldn't tell me anything we didn't already know. I figured as much, but it never hurts to ask."

 

Quote

At the sight of the bodies, Chris was nearly sick again and he stood back. "Can anyone search for evidence, or should we call the police?" he asked uncertainly. "This seems placed and..." He shook his head.

 

Persephone moved up alongside Chris, lightly squeezed his shoulder. "Can I borrow you for a second, Sweetie?" She took his arm and gently pulled him away from the carnage and the other heroes. "Listen, first I just wanted to say, what you did with the corpses back there, that was amazing. No more violence, no more desecration, you just stopped it. You should be really proud of yourself. You saved a lot of lives, and a lot of people some extra heartbreak they don't need right now on top of everything else. I didn't want to make you feel self-conscious in front of everyone, but I saw you lose your lunch when pieces of that monster started redecorating the neighborhood, and you don't look too far off from a repeat performance. And I'm sure the helicopter ride didn't help. I'm sorry I didn't get to you sooner." She closed her eyes tightly, gritted her teeth, and clenched one of her hands into a claw for a few seconds. A wispy dark brown root sprouted up through the skin on the palm of her hand, growing branches several times as it grew. Once it was a few inches long, it stopped. She opened her eyes, grabbed the base of the root with her other hand, shut her eyes again, braced herself, and yanked it out of her palm, keeping her mouth closed to stifle her scream. When she yanked it out, the soft glow from her eyes momentarily flared up so bright that Chris could see the light behind her eyelids. She grabbed Chris's hand and pressed the root into it. The root smelled faintly of licorice. "Chew on that like it was a stick of gum. Suck up all the juices you can get and keep chewing until it loses its flavor. That should keep your stomach settled for the rest of the night, no matter what else happens." A shiny amber liquid trickled out of her nostril. She felt it with the back of her hand, then pulled one of the leaves that made up her costume out and used it to wipe her nose. "Sorry." Another purple leaf grew back in its place on the back of her hand almost instantly.

 

Quote

"Oh, God." Speed-Demon staggered back when he saw the corpse. "Um, does somebody wanna check him for ID? 'Cause I don't think we're gonna find anything about who did this. Not in this storm...This is unnerving as hell, honestly." He looked over at the others. "I say we figure out who this guy is, put his wallet on his corpse, and drop him off at the morgue. If the person who did this was able to find out who we're going after and leave him for us to find, what are the odds we're gonna find him in a storm?"

 

Persephone dropped into a crouch near the corpse. She shut her eyes tightly again, tensing every muscle in her face. Another trickle of amber liquid fell from her nose, and from the corners of her eyes. She slowly stood back up, her hands open upward and cupped as if she were lifting something. Roots as thick as her arms poked up from the ground beneath the body, lifting it several feet up over the water while they wove together into a multi-tiered structure similar to a bunk bed. Leaves sprouted from the wood and pressed together in an overlapping pattern similar to the leaves making up Persephone's costume, forming a canopy over and around the body. The corpse rested on a wooden lattice, through which it dripped water down into the second tier of the structure, which was basically a giant bowl. The bowl had already collected the water which had been under and around the body. Once the structure was assembled, Persephone staggered, nearly falling over. She yanked another purple leaf away from her glove and wiped the sap streams from her face, then crumpled up the leaf and tossed it aside. Her shoulders sagged. "There. If, by some miracle, there's still some evidence left that the storm didn't wash away, now it's preserved to the best of our abilities, and the police can collect it at their convenience. If any of y'all are detectives, feel free to reach in and see whatever you can figure out, but otherwise, I reckon we should disturb it as little as possible. Whoever did this needs to be found. They probably think they did the world a favor tonight. But they didn't just prevent all the bad things this man would've done. They also stole all the good things he could've done."

 

Quote

As for heading into the swamp, superpowers made flooded roads and streets passable - but also made clear the devastation wrought by the creature's wake. Maybe it had stuck to the middle of a fairly large road (the only reason it hadn't done truly apocalyptic damage to the city in its wake) but the smashed cars and overpasses as it went showed the human cost of its rampage. There were wounded here, and dead, the former shocked to find Vibora Bay turned out to have a lot more heroes than anybody was expecting.

 

Persephone walked over to Speed-Demon and rested a hand on his shoulder. "That was mighty impressive the way you evacuated that family from the church. They were gone so fast I didn't have time to say 'Hi how are ya'. I'm sure you'll be in their prayers for many nights to come. And as bad as this all is, it would've been a lot worse if you hadn't nipped that overgrown gator in the bud like you did. A lot of people still have their homes, their jobs, even their lives because of you."

 

She turned around to face the whole group of assembled heroes, stood up straight, and raised her voice slightly so she could be heard over the howling winds. "Our city called for help tonight, and all y'all answered that call. Each and every one of y'all are as good as gold in my book. I'm proud to know you. And it doesn't feel right to ask anything more than what you've already given." Her thoughts drifted again to her residency at the hospital. "But some nights, the hits just keep on coming and they won't let up. Some nights, every time you put out a fire, two more spring up behind you. On those nights, the only thing that gets you through it is each other. You lean on them, and they lean on you, and that's the only thing that keeps any of you standing. There's still a lot of work to do here, and we might see the sun before it's done. Anyone who doesn't have it in them to keep going, you go on home with our blessing. Some folk only have so much to give. But everyone who's got their second wind, we're about to be busier than a one-eyed cat watchin' two mouse-holes. Here's how I see it." She smiled. "And these aren't orders, just suggestions, so I'd appreciate it if the cowboys could try and keep their spurs from janglin'. You two," she pointed at Speed-Demon and Torque, "You're the fastest, and you're the only ones this storm can't slow down. As soon as these people are ready to move, you can move them. You can get them to the nearest shelters that have room for them. This frog choker's got plenty of gas left in the tank, and they don't need to be out in it. You and you," she pointed at Cheval and Betsy, "You're the strongest ones here by far. There's a lot of debris here, wrecked cars and collapsed overpasses. You can move that debris, free anyone who's trapped, clear a path for anyone who needs one. And you two," she pointed at Sagrado Corazon and The Woodsman, "I think you're best with me. Look around, talk with people, help me organize my priorities, figure out who's tore up worst and who can wait a spell. I can't be everywhere at once. If you know any first aid, you could even keep someone alive until I can haul tail over there to work my magic."

 

She addressed the group as a whole again. "And after this is all finally over, well, that won't mean it's really over. Disasters, stressful situations like this, they can leave a mark. You might want someone to talk to about it, and there's nothing wrong with that. Come find me after and I can help you sort that out."

 

Once she was able to get a moment more or less alone with The Woodsman, Persephone spoke more quietly to him directly. "It looked like you took a nasty fall back there, Sugar. If you like, I can patch you up like I did the others, and like I'm going to do for these people. Won't take but a minute and you'll feel a lot better."

 

Edited September 21, 2019 by Grumblefloof

[Heritage]

Torque was kept busy ferrying people around, mostly in the form of a massive pickup with an oversized cab and dual rear wheels to better handle Cheval's load. Seeing the devastation the great beast had wrought, she was actually glad she was no longer saddled with human emotions, though from time to time she felt a sharp twinge where her heart should be; even a machine could not remain unaffected by such horrors.

 

Sometimes she became a small school bus van to carry the healthier survivors to a nearby shelter. Sometimes she became an ambulance or a medivac copter to rush a critical patient to the hospital. And sometimes she merely drove to the morgue. 

 

When the various heroes met back together, and encountered the murdered man who may or may not have responsible for the nights horrors, the techshifter was exhausted, which was puzzling to her; she no longer had to eat or sleep, so where did this fatigue come from? And then she heard a voice in her head that sounded a lot like her mother.

 

Your soul is tired, baby girl.

 

Persephone's words touched her like a balm, and the strange young woman tipped her head back to let the rain pour down her face before she looked towards the others. "I no longer have flesh and bones to feel weary. I have no stomach to rumble with hunger. I have no brain to be clouded by sleep. You shall have my service as long as it is needed."

Edited September 22, 2019 by Heritage

[Avenger Assembled]

Geez robot lady what's your deal. But there were other things to deal with than friendly robots. "I'm fine," Riley said to Persephone without removing his nightvision gear. "Work to do." 

 

"No pockets. Work clothes?" Woodsman searched the body, and the area around it, a scowl in his voice even if his face wasn't visible. Can't see a damn thing. Nobody leaves footprints on solid concrete, except - "Look." 

 

He shone his flashlight at marks around the body, a circle of what might have been footprints, almost completely washed away by the storm. "Nothing comes. Nothing leaves. They just dump him here. Will join others in moment." He'd already taken out an all-weather camera to start snapping pictures. 

 

-

 

Taking the greatest role in working with the people of Weston meant that it was initially Persephone who got the tearful thank-yous, the embraces, and even the surprise pictures being taken. It was obvious the people here were grateful for their help - after all, people in Vibora didn't have quite the familiarity with superheroes that people in other parts of the world did. But as everybody went about their night's work, rescuing the injured, tending to broken power lines, it was clear _everyone_ was getting attention - whatever they'd done to stay in the shadows before this, it wasn't going to work for much longer. 

This was especially true after emergency services, somewhat belatedly thanks to the storm, arrived to work alongside them - police, fire, EMTs, sailors from the nearby base, everyone in Vibora pitching in to clean up after the storm and the beast's rampage. People had died tonight, it was clear, in the dozens maybe - but prompt action by Vibora's defenders had turned what could have been an apocalypse into a near-disaster. Woodsman kept his nightvision gear on as he worked; it made it easier to spot people in the darkness of the pre-dawn hours. 

Eventually, the wounded were in hospitals and the dead identified - and the rain was, as if by a miracle, beginning to stop. Before the heroes left, they all had a message passed to them - Mayor Barker wanted to see them the next day. 

 

The next morning, the news was full of stories of the horrific "Croczilla" that had attacked during the night's torrential storm - and of the mysterious heroes who had saved the day. There were at least shadowy pictures of all of them out now, and clearer ones of those who hadn't been careful, or at least discreet, during the post-disaster cleanup. 

DOES VIBORA BAY HAVE ITS FIRST SUPERTEAM? 

 

 

 

[Thunder King]

Speed-Demon was riding the high of his first big superhero outing. He didn't care that much about discretion, and he knew there were dozens of pictures of him. That suited him fine. He felt like he did a lot of good. He was beyond exhausted and planned to practically drop into a coma by the time he was done, but he was good for now. 

 

He knew a lot of people were hurt and a lot of property was destroyed, but he made a difference.

 

Edited September 23, 2019 by Thunder King

[angrydurf]

Chris was glad for the excuse to look away from the body and Persephone could a feel a quaver in his lithe frame as she laid her hand on his shoulder.  He quietly took the offered root and robotically placed it in his mouth, "Yea thanks."  he mumbled and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, "I, uhm, haven't really, seen...."  A body before, not that he remembered, he couldn't even finish the sentence.    But with her aid he seemed less pale and steadier on his feet.  He looked to her with some concern narrowing his eyes, "Don't push yourself too far either."  he asked plaintively. 

 

Steadier after the talk and boost from Persephone Sagrado Corazon returned to the scene glad the body was at least covered now.  He moved from one group to the next ushering the badly injured to Persephone and keeping a wary eye on the plant controller that was giving so much.  Where he could he worked his own abilities to help the milder injuries or stabilize a victim for transport.  He mostly focused on calming and entertaining those displaced but unharmed, finding 'lost' toys or heirlooms fortunately intact, at least after a little push on the walls of reality.

 

By morning his mother was beside herself with worry so he got an earful but managed to slip away to see what all this Hero talk was about.  Getting his costume cleaned without her noticing was a miracle in and of itself and he still wasn't sure he deserved to be there no less if he was going to reveal himself.  But he tossed a loose hoodie and jeans over his costume and joined the crowds making his way close to the dias as he tried to decide how to proceed.  He had been able to help the night before.  More with them than without.  But he also wasn't sure he was more aid than liability.

[RocketLord]

CHEVAL

 

Cheval had worked. He required no sleep, he required no rest. He had done as Persephone suggested and put his strength to good use, rescuing all that he could, or placing vehicles that had been thrown to the side by the beast right. Hopefully, some would still work, giving their owners some little relief, at least. It was hard work, and even if he did not sleep, the darkness in his endeavour grew on him. So many dead, so many that they could not save. The smiles of those they saved helped, but still... he had faced much already, but not random destruction like this. Of course he had to help? What else could he do?

 

He gathered with the others around the body of the man that was, apparently, their enemy. He remained silent, even as the Woodsman searched him. An enemy? Perhaps, but there was something even more disturbing than the man's dead body here. His spirit lingered still, and yet, it was like nothing Cheval had ever seen. It was dead. He stood, silently watching past the man, to the spirits that would probably escape the eyes of the heroes present. Should he tell them, when he wasn't even sure what it meant? The killer had killed not just a man, but his spirit... Even for someone that was an enemy, even for someone that might have brought the beast alive, this seemed wrong. Ultimately, he decided to stay silent on the matter, at least until he could make sense of what he had seen. 

 

Marcus continued working through the night and morning, offering help, encouragement and a friendly smile to the victims and the other heroes both. While his thoughts might grow dark thinking of the killer, he kept up the facade. He had to. After all, he was Cheval! If the people of Vibora Bay could not look to him for hope and reassurance, then who could they look to?

[Tiffany Korta]

The Immutable Betsy Brooks

 

Betsy looked at the dead body with a frown, she’d seen more than enough dead bodies in her time (some to be fair that were still happily moving around) and it never made her feel any better. Which she guesses was really a good thing.

 

“Well this is ****ing convenient, to convenient if you ask me…”

 

She couldn’t see anything supernatural about, but that wasn’t saying it wasn’t nor that it couldn’t be a bloody vigilante running about.

 

“I’m not happy about this and I’m going to keep digging into thus, hopefully it’s as they say, and Star Base stays open through anything because I need a strong black coffee or two.”

 

She reached into her pockets and took out a set of slightly crumpled business cards, with her full title that people seemed to like. Though she never really got the Immutable part.

 

“If anyone want to contact me my mobile number is on the bottom.”

[Amelia]

Persephone

 

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"Don't push yourself too far either."

 

Persephone laughed and gave Chris's shoulder a squeeze as she broke away. "Don't hold your breath, Pumpkin. I've made it thirty years without taking any of my own advice, and I'm not about to break that streak tonight."

 

Once she had healed everyone whose injuries could become fatal in a matter of minutes, Persephone took a "break" from medic duty to return to the corpse claimed by the note to be the perpetrator of the night's carnage. She knelt down onto the ground, pressed her palms against it, and turned her head so that her ear was almost touching it, tickled by the couple of inches of rainwater still rushing by. "No, he wasn't just dumped here. This is where he died. Here, or someplace right near here. The plants saw it. The killer was...also touched by death in some way. Another zombie like that gator, or some Doctor Frankenstein type. Maybe that type of wizard, you know, the ones who raise the dead, there's a name for it, can't remember..." She grabbed onto the improvised table she'd crafted for the body and pulled herself to her feet. "Sorry. Not much to go on, I know. But they weren't eager for a closer look, any more than most people would be."

 

Quote

Betsy reached into her pockets and took out a set of slightly crumpled business cards, with her full title that people seemed to like. Though she never really got the Immutable part.

"If anyone wants to contact me, my mobile number is on the bottom."

 

"Oh hey there, Honey, can I see those for a second? Got a pen?" Persephone took the handful of business cards and scrawled something on the backs as she spoke. "This...is the name and number for a local psychiatrist...one who has experience...dealing with metahumans. She charges on a sliding scale, and she can be discreet." After handing them out (to everyone except Cheval), she returned to her personal mission to heal every single person injured by the gator's attack.

 

As the night dragged on, both the green in Persephone's skin and the violet in the leaves covering that skin gradually but noticeably faded. Even the petals on the medicinal flowers she kept growing out of her hands were steadily becoming pale, washed out. Each expression of heartfelt gratitude from the friends and families of the wounded invigorated her a little, but the smiles she gave in reply grew weaker as the hours passed. By the time the sun came up, the twinkle in her eyes had long since been replaced with a thousand-yard stare. Still, she remained to answer every question the rescue workers had for her, she posed for every picture anyone wanted to take with her, and she promised the city official who approached her that she would meet with the mayor as requested, leaving unsaid how she would do this even though she'd much rather go home, sleep for a week, order a week's worth of take-out, then go back to sleep for another week.

 

Once the innocent victims had all been tended to and evacuated and the police took full control of the crime scene, Persephone finally left, but not before offering a big hug to each of her fellow heroes. "See y'all at the mayor's later today, weather fittin' and the Lord permittin'."

 

Edited September 24, 2019 by Grumblefloof

[Heritage]

"A necromancer." Torque blurted out in response to Persephone's question. "They're called a necromancer." She accepted one of Betsy's cards with the psychiatrist's number on it, then simply went back to work, the card disappearing into the whirring mass of machinery, but was then visible on the dashboard of the black SUV she'd become.

 

The transforming heroine worked tirelessly throughout the rest of the night, assuming whatever form was needed. When asked to take a photograph, she politely demured in human form, but was willing to do so in a vehicle form, and was even willing to take requests; this lead to a lot of unusual pictures of exhausted yet smiling people leaning on an expensive sports car with TORQUE 1 plates. This kept her identity protected (for now), and still gave them the keepsake they desired.

 

At the end of the night, she accepted Persephone's offered hug and gave her a slight smile. "Yes, I will be there."

Edited September 26, 2019 by Heritage