ic Never Was (IC)

[RocketLord]

Spaceman

 

Ducking under the blow, Parker glares at the time shade. He can't be held up here, he has a job to do. He has to stop it now and... then the large woman appears with the shield, blocking a blow. He blinks once, stares and then Lawrence is there.

 

"Good. I don't know how long I could keep up trying to distract the guy in the robe. He didn't really seem to care about me at all." Which honestly made sense, if the bad guy did all this to get at Lawrence, but still, Parker would have liked to do more.

 

He nods at Vueritz' plan. He had listened to hear before, but sounds like she is finally reading. Good. He's just about done. He has no idea how much more energy he has to give.

 

The already intense black crackle that are rising around intensifies, his entire body beginning to appear as if it is dissolving, as he tries to push his power as far as he can. He looks towards the bad guy in the robe and nods at Lawrence.

 

"Alright. Let's go."

[The Sailor]

Torpedo Lass II

 

Mizuki wasted no time in scooping up Baz and arriving at the device. "Alright Baz... give that doohickey everything you got!" She said, setting him down.

 

Mizuki charged up a ball of energy itself and it slung into what counted as a receptacle to the device, making it glow a bright bluish green for a moment... She slumped to her knees. She put everything she had into that one... "Time to give that jerk what for!"

Edited September 12 by The Sailor

[Supercape]

Gamma Buzz

 

"You aim true, my marine friend! Almost as if you had Cockroach agility!" said Baz, giving two thumbs up.

 

"Right then..."
 

He tensed, summoning up all the gamma energy in his body, forcing it from his veins, his beating heart, his twisted intestines, up, through, into his eyes.

 

"GAMMA BUZZ, BABY!" he yelled.

 

Every ounce of available energy, and perhaps something more - derived from sheer will - was put into a blinding blast of green gamma laser, shooting straight forward!

 

 

[Thevshi]

Timeout

 

The golden energy from Michael lit up the jury-rigged device in Vueriz's hands and was quickly followed up by a volatile ball of energy from Mizuki and the green gamma radiation from Baz. Vueriz could feel her device vibrating in her hands from the combined energies that had overcharged it. She was uncertain how long the hastily adjusted systems could handle all the combined energy, hopeful she would be able to use it soon….

 

A short distance away, Lawrence and Parker both turned and focused on the black robed figure, black crackling energy surrounded Parker, while Lawrence was almost hidden behind a temporal distortion as he began drawing fully on his power. Then suddenly both released their power at once, aimed at the robed figure. There was an explosion of crackling black energy that seemed to fluctuate in time, surrounded by temporal distortions. In front of the dark figure, the combined energy seemed to reverberate across a temporal barrier, dancing across it as it seemed to try to pull apart the barrier. While the two teen’s combined power did not breach the barrier, it certainly seemed to be weaking it in preparation for Vueriz's device…

[Kaede Kimura]

Blue Bolt

 

Vueriz watched with relief as Michael's power was pulled into the energy capture vent, and Mizuki carried Baz towards her. This was going to work. It had to. Then Mizuki sent one of her phosphorescent spheres into the vent at the same time as Baz's energy beams.

 

That, she hadn't planned for.

 

Her eyes widened as the modified Meson Driver thrummed as it amplified the energy within again and again. Light began to shine through the thinnest parts of the metal and the whole contraption started heating. It was going to have to be fired soon, or else it would explode in her hands.

 

(Don't think about it.)

 

Refocusing, she looked up as Lawrence and Parker focused their efforts on the shield, and she could see the barrier struggling against their combined power over the space-time continuum. But on their own they would not succeed.

 

Wordlessly she cried out as she aimed the glowing Meson Driver, blue, green and gold shining through the advanced metals as arcs of power jumped from it. Vueriz didn't even remember aiming. She could feel the building heat on her hands as she pulled the trigger and the tripartite beam leapt forth in a nearly blinding flash across the entire light spectrum. Vueriz desperately wanted to close her eyes, the light searing at them at the same time as her weapon seared at her hands. The beam was still continuing as the first splash of molten metal from her hasty upgrades hit the ground, heat poured off it into the surrounding air while the beam drilled into the barrier.

 

Almost as suddenly as it began, the beam cut out. Melted pieces of the Meson Driver sloughed to the ground as the Zirtimzara collapsed to her knees again, staring at the enemy before her, looking to see if her efforts had worked.

[Thevshi]

GM

 

The tri-colored beam of energy erupted from the heavily modified Meson Driver, streaking across the park towards the massive temporal distortion erupting around the robed figure. The bright beam of energy drew the attention of nearly everyone around the park.

 

The beam struck the temporal barrier at the point where Lawrence and Parker's powers had been focused, resulting in an explosion of the various combined energies. The air shimmered with temporal distortions and the black crackle of Parker's powers as the multi-colored shockwave spread.

 

When the bright flash of the explosion had subsided, the dark robed figured could be seen slamming to the ground some thirty feet behind where it had been hovering. Around it the temporal barrier that had been protecting it could be seen shattering under the combined attack.

 

But even as the figure pushed itself back up and began to rise, many of the heroes scattered about the park took the opening to target the being behind everything. From one side, Captain Thunder (hovering in the air and healed by Lady Liberty) unleased a powerful lightning bolt at the figure. At the same time, Deadalus, Lady Liberty, Siren and Star Knight similarly unleashed ranged attacks of various energies. From the other side, Paradigm had risen higher in the air, as beams of bright energy erupted from her eyes towards the robed figure. Several of the other Praetorians joined their leader in targeting the robed figure, as Traveller, Moon-Moth, Magnetar and Dragonoid unleased magnetic, fire and magical blasts.

 

The varied energies slammed into the robed figure almost simultaneously, resulting in another massive explosion. When the flash and smoke cleared, there was a large crater in the ground, the robed figure lying at the center. No…I…I…was….so….close. It stated weakly. You…re…friends….are…still…doomed. It added, before ripples of temporal energy washed over it and the figure was reduced to dust that swirled in several directions before vanishing as well.

 

Around the park, the remaining time shades of the Crime League and the aliens that the figure had summoned vanished. High up in the sky, massive temporal distortions could be seen as the invisible barrier that Lawrence had sensed began to collapse.

[Supercape]

Gamma Buzz

 

Baltazar felt exhausted, depleted, like the last embers of a barbeque (a radioactive barbeque with uranium coals of course). 

 

"Errrr.... did that work?" he asked, forcing his eyes up to the sky. It looked more vivid, more strange than he could comprehend. 

 

"That looks weird. I mean... obviously I completely understand the quantum blahblah effects of the spacetime thingy. But perhaps someone else could explain it to help all the others understand it? And perhaps whether it is a good thing, or a bad thing, or a really really bad thing that I don't want to hear about if it is. In fact, if it is a really really bad thing then dont tell me, just give me a bunch of cherrypop lollipops and tell me its all going to be ok and the la-de-da faries are going to whisk us all away to a playground where we can play computer games all day..."

 

His eyes turned to Lawrence. 

 

"Lawrence, you are almost as clever as me! You explain it all! In language the others will understand.... obviously I will understand anything you say, but its for the others benefit!"

[Poncho]

(Golden Star)

 

Michael had put all the energy he could into the thing without him being concerned it was going to explode. He'd given Parker a boost, he'd punched a mummy, he'd dealt with a bunch of drones, he'd (helped, a little) wrestle Paradigm to the ground.

 

If there was anything left in his battery, it was a flickering, half dead ember of a burnt out flame, clasped to his chest in a raging storm. If he even had the energy left to walk he'd be surprised at himself

He wasn't sure if they'd won, but the time person was done for now? It seemed. They'd managed to break through and then the big heroes had blown him to dust? It seemed like it, at least. Not that that meant they were gone...maybe they'd just come back. But for now it seemed like it was safe, the shades gone. So he ignored how tired he was and all the bruises and injuries and how little he had left to stand up and survey the area.

 

"...Is everyone okay? No one's too badly hurt or something are they? Let's try and make sure everyone's accounted for if we can." He said with an even smile. But he himself didn't move just yet, concerned if he tried to take a step he'd stumble or maybe fall over entirely, and completely fail to live up to the image he wanted to set. He wasn't sure how Parker and Lawrence were doing, but he was almost certain they'd be fine, and probably totally cool and confident. And he couldn't be that far behind. He wouldn't be that far behind. He needed to be strong too.

 

"If someone's hurt, let's try to get them gathered up."

Edited September 16 by Poncho

[The Sailor]

Torpedo Lass

 

Mizuki got back to her feet, catching her breath as she felt her reserves starting to be replenished. Her eyes now having just a faint greenish phosphorescence to them. "Yeah, I'm alright."

 

She looked up at the weakening temporal field. "Seems things are about to get interesting again shortly... that field that robed jerk had up looks like it's had it's last gasp. if we end up back in our own time here's hoping we got our smart phones working so we can make sure we all made it back safe and sound." Still looking up she gulped. "But I'm totally hoping I'm just being pessimistic."

 

 

[RocketLord]

Spaceman

 

Parker has never felt like this before. Never used his power like this. Never used that much. He almost feels like he is starting to disappear into the black crackling energy that keeps bubbling off him. But he keeps pushing. They need time and space to do this. To give Vueriz's machine a chance to break through. 

 

And then...

 

She does it. Vueriz breaks the barrier. Exhausted, Parker drops to his knees. He doesn't have anything more to give. At least he doesn't have to. All the past heroes, everyone, they just pile on and in moments, the robed figure is gone. 

 

The black crackle dissipates around Parker, just a few bubbles continuing to flow from his hands. 

 

Grunting with some effort, he climbs back up. He is clearly looking worse than any of the others have seen him before. 

 

"The barrier's going down, Baz," he explains. He can feel it disappearing, feel the distance to it eroding, going away. "Any idea what that's going to do, Lawrence? Break down this place?"

[Thevshi]

Timeout

 

After the combined firepower of members of the past Freedom League and members of the Praetorians dealt with the robed entity, Lawrence had looked to the sky along with the others. The blond haired teen tapped into his cosmic senses, his eyes going completely blue and glowing with energy.

 

"Yes, the temporal barrier I sensed around the city is collapsing, so nothing is blocking me from getting us out of here any longer." He replied. "But as for the rest….that is harder to say. At the moment, the timeline appears to be stable, but that does not mean that the entity could not just shut it down once we are gone." His eyes began to return to normal as he looked back over to his friends. "I am not entirely sure what this timeline consists of. It could just be this city, or the state, or Earth, or a fully complete alternate timeline. I cannot even say for certain what its connection to the normal space-time continuum is."

 

Lawrence let out a small sigh. "We cannot stay here. But, I am worried about taking us back without at least first trying to locate the timeline the others have been placed in. If we are outside the space-time continuum, then they would be as well. We might have a better chance of locating them here than going back to our timeline."

[Supercape]

Gamma Buzz

 

"Exactly," said a wilted Baltazar. "That's exactly it, I am sure of it.... well done, Timeout old buddy!"

 

He gave two thumbs up. 

 

"And, errr, how are we going to locate the timeline the others are in? I mean, can you do that?"

 

He looked around. 

 

"Can any of us do that?"

 

A final thought struck him. 

 

"And who was that guy? and why did he want you? Collapse?"

[Poncho]

(Golden Star)

 

"Right." Michael was suddenly serious again, turning to Lawrence. "Please, we need to find the others before we try to get out of here. We can't just lose or abandon the others." he agreed. He was thinking of Carmen, but it was the same for all the other students as well, he didn't want to abandon any of them. 

 

What could they do to help this timline? This little splintered off segment of the world that they didn't belong in, from a time before they were born or whatever. If they even existed in this timline. They weren't strong enough to save this place if the assembled heroes couldn't, and outside of Parker and Lawerence, this seemed pretty far outside of the comfort zone of most of the others.

 

"I don't know anything about this specific timeline or whatever, but, well...I trust Paradigm and the Freedom League to manage to protect it. We should focus on protecting our own friends and timeline, and getting back to it."

[Kaede Kimura]

Blue Bolt 

 

Vueriz' head was pounding and her hands throbbing as she looked up at the collapsing temporal barrier. They had done it, everyone was alive. 

 

She exhaled a long breath and blinked away tears.

 

Her friends talking brought her back to the present, they weren't done. Their other friends were still in danger. She looked down at the melted remains of the Meson Driver. Her most advanced item other than her board. 

 

She gathered it up, having to pry it off the concrete slightly and looked it over. It would never work the same again, but... her eyes could sense traces of radiation emanating from the melted wreck, matching the energy signatures of Baz, Michael and Mizuki. She could build something new from this. Multiple somethings. 

 

She jammed the remains of the Meson Driver into its holster and gathered up her grenades before returning to the group. "It might take a bit, but I could try building something to locate the timeline the others are trapped in?"

[Thevshi]

Timeout

 

"The robed entity was the same one that came after me when I was ten." Lawrence replied to Baz as the teen asked about the defeated entity. "We have never been able to figure out who or what it is, but it certainly appears to be afraid of Collapse."

 

Up in the sky, the Communion spacecraft that had been in position above Freedom City had retreated back up into orbit (or beyond). The Communion’s advance within the city seemed to have been halted, and Deadalus and other members of the Freedom League seemed to be conferring with the various aliens that Lawrence had returned to normal off to one side of the park. The Praetorians had helped deal with the last Communion drones in the area and where not gathered around Paradigm not far from the group of teens as they discussed finding their missing friends.

 

Lawrence looked over at Vueriz as she mentioned trying to build something to try to locate the other Claremont students. "I have little doubt you could." The blond teen replied. "But I am not sure our friends have time to wait."

 

"I think I can possibly find them a bit quicker." He added as his eyes began to glow bright blue with cosmic energy once again. "However, the question is what to do when we find them. Even if we can get them out of where they are, there is still the matter of a Freedom City facing the Terminus Invasion without a Centurion to stop Omega." He paused a moment as he seemed to begin looking out into nothing before adding, "but….I think I have an idea."

[The Sailor]

Torpedo Lass

 

"And what idea is that?" Mizuki asked, crossing her arms. "Last I checked I'm no time lord and I wouldn't make much of a companion... yet." She said. "What's the plan. I don't think we've got much time here other than just doing the first thing that comes to mind..."

 

She looked up. "Just wanna get back to our skies again...." She turned to Lawrence. "...but the timeline's more important."

[RocketLord]

Spaceman

 

They can't just leave things to collapse, but they need to move, too. Lawrence has an idea on what to do about Omega, who the others are facing? Looking around, Parker has an idea of his own. 

 

"This timeline was collapsing, right? Could we bring everyone here to help deal with Omega in the other timeline? Make it a better place like that?"

 

He's not sure if it's possible or even something Lawrence can do, but he feels wrong leaving anyone behind if this timeline collapses.

[Poncho]

(Golden Star)

 

"But taking the Praetorians out of this universe before they're supposed to wake up could cause issues later, though I guess with the Communion handled less so, but they've also stopped the Star Khan, but I guess he was Communioned..." he frowned and scratched his head.

 

"What if we dropped all these Communion drones into the Terminus and let them fight it out?"

[Thevshi]

Timeout

 

"No, this timeline is currently stable." Lawrence replied with a shake of his head at Parker's comments. "What I said is that we have no way of knowing what will happen to it when we leave."

 

The blond teen continued to seemingly stare off into nothing as his eyes glowed with cosmic energy that trailed out of them in thins wisps before disappearing into nothing. "I am not so certain I would want to give the Communion access to the Terminus." Lawrence replied to Michael's suggestion. "But regardless, there are not nearly enough active drones in the area to do much if we did send them there, never mind having any chance of stopping Omega."

 

"This timeline, to the extent it actually is one, is already drastically altered. Heroes that were supposed to be there to help my mother earlier not being there, the Communion arriving seven years ahead of time, likely even more that we are unaware of. Removing the Praetorians from it seems unlikely to do more damage than has already been done. And what the other Freedom City needs is an organized force that can challenge and stop Omega. Particularly if they know to focus on damaging his containment suit."

 

The sixteen-year-old stopped talking for a moment, his eyes narrowing slighting. "Found them. Everyone seems alright, perhaps a bit worse for wear." He paused again before adding, "they seem to have met up with Archer and the rest of Force Ops and have been right in the thick of fighting Omegadrones."

 

Lawrence paused a moment before taking a deep breath. "Okay, I think I can open a portal to there for the Praetorians and pull our friends out. Someone get Paradigm's attention so we can explain our plan to her."

[Supercape]

Gamma Buzz

 

Baltazar scratched his antennae. "Lawrence, disturbing the time-space continuum is way beyond me. I don't understand what the consequences will be. But, this I do know. You know more about this than anybody here. And I trust you."

 

He looked around at the others. 

 

"We all trust you. And doing nothing can be as bad as doing something, right? So, what I am trying to say is. Whatever way you turn, we will be right behind you. We got your back!"

 

He gave two thumbs up and a smile that seemed as genuine and loving as he had ever given. 

[Poncho]

(Golden Star)

 

"Oh, I'll go get her, well, me and Parker." He volunteered Spaceman casually because he knew Spaceman would probably want to. Plus, Spaceman did the heavy lifting of wrestling her down, so it made sense. For his part, he just wanted to spend more time with his 'Superhero', as it were.

So he floated over towards where Paradigm and the rest of the Praetorians were, waving his hand.

 

"Excuse me, Paradigm, Moon Moth, everyone. We were wondering if you'd give us a hand. The uh...inter-dimensional Time and Space Manipulator who did this has some of our friends trapped in an alternate timeline where Omega- I don't know if you know who that is. He's like...the ultimate of all Bad Guys, basically. He's really strong- is attacking the City, but he's removed the Hero whose supposed to stop the Invasion. Are any of you healthy enough to go help out in that timeline? We're all pretty beat up and tired and uh, none of us are exactly on the level of any of you right now. So we think you could help protect that city. If you damage Omega's containment suit, it should weaken him significantly too."

[RocketLord]

Spaceman

 

"Ah, my mistake," Parker responds to Lawrence's statement about the timelint. All these planes do depend on the other parties being willing to do as they ask, of course.

 

He finally shrugs when Lawrence explains what they will do and what changes they might make. "I can't speak for everyone else, but you know more about this than the rest of us. If you say this is how we do it, then we'll do it."

 

And then... Michael volounteers him to go and get Paradigm. Parker winces for a moment. He's not sure if that is what he should be doing. They had wrestled her down together, and they had freed her, but even then, it feels off.

 

Still, he nods at Michael and follows him towards Paradigm, hovering by them as he starts explaining everything. Parker gets what he is doing, but it is going too longwinded. "What Golden Star is trying to say is that we could really use your help. There's an entire timeline that could end up falling to Omega, and we're not nearly strong enough to make a difference. Would you please help us?"

[Thevshi]

Timeout

 

It was not lost on Lawrence that for once Baz did not try to bluster his way around the issues with making further changes to both the timelines at issue and offered his full support behind whatever course of action Lawrence chose. The blond teen gave his roommate a warm smile, appreciating his support, turning his attention to the others and giving them similar looks as they also indicated their support. He then turned back to looking off into space as he seemed focused on the other timeline where their friends were still fighting for their lives.

 

When Michael and Parker approached Paradigm, the Praetorian paragon regarded them with something of neutral expression. She seemed a bit more guarded than the older version of Paradigm Michael had met only a few days earlier (although physically they appeared identical). But then she gave a small nod. "You and your friends saved not only me, but my teammates from the Communion. We all swore long ago to defend those unable to defend themselves."

 

In short order, Paradigm and the other Praetorians were gathered around Lawrence and the other Claremont teens. Between Lawrence, Deadalus and Captain Thunder, they were able to provide them information about the 1993 Terminus invasion and how Centurion was able to stop Omega, albeit at the cost of his own life. The Praetorians in turn provided the Freedom League members with information about their ancient battle with the Communion, should it be needed to deal with any further Communion threat.

 

As the final preparations were made to send the Praetorians to the other timeline, the teenage Velocity looked at the gathered Claremont teens, having been somewhat unusually quiet. "Well, it has been a bit strange, but certainly been interesting getting a chance to meet you all." She finally said with a wide smile before zipping over to where the various members of the Freedom League had gathered some distance away to watch.

 

Lawrence focused on an empty space in front of him, as ripples of temporal energy began to surround him. "Everyone stay close. When the Praetorians go through the portal and our friends enter on the other side, I will wrap it around us to take us all back home."

There was a ripple in the air in front of Lawrence, as a distortion in the time-space continuum ripped open, expanding to wide portal of temporal distortions that hung in the air. Then, Paradigm and the other gathered Praetorians moved into the portal, disappearing from view….
 

[The Sailor]

Torpedo Lass

 

"Well here goes nothing..." She said, getting close to Lawrence.

 

"Hurry it up guys... last bus of the route!"

[Poncho]

(Golden Star)

 

"Uh...T..thanks." Michael said, waving. "I appreciate the effort." he said. Then the Praetorians were gathered up, and just like that, they were gone again. It didn't matter what happened, or how it happened, it seemed like the Praetorians were always ready to head off to save the next crisis. The same with the Freedom League really; that being a full grown Hero, that being a Super Hero, meant that whenever you were needed, you were ready, that you could always go just a little bit further.

 

Michael was partially jealous, but also in awe. He couldn't do that yet. He wanted to. Eventually. But for now he had barely managaed to help keep one disaster in check, and now he was watching the real heroes head out to save the world- another world- again. He sighed at that. How much further did he really have to go? He looked at how confident and casual Lawerence and Parker were too, and could only feel frustration at himself.

 

Would he ever get to be that good? Could he ever succeed like that? Maybe he wasn't cut out for it. But he had to try harder. Always. 

"Yeah. I'm ready to go as soon as we find the others. Seems like we've done everything we could right now...I'm ready to make sure everyone gets back home safely." Michael said, smiling at the others.