ic Birth Trauma

[Supercape]

GM

 

December 13th, Late Morning...

 

Season of the Yule...

 

Cheap and awful Christmas music played on a short loop inside Far Out!!! game store. Browsing the games, videos, and electronics was fun. Listening to Mariah Carey belting out what she only wanted for Christmas for the third time, less so. 

 

As Endevour browed, she was watched by a woman at the counter, who was clearly "cool", or  trying to be, whilst serving customers. 

 

She was sat down, head phones in ears, with short black hair and vaguely blurred ethnicity. She had headphones in her ears, and a leather jacket, in almost complete contempt of staff rules. 

 

And she was studying Endevour intently...

 

 

[The Sailor]

Sakurako adjusted her trademark navy blue sailor collared blazer under the navy peacoat she was wearing as a overcoat, and her pink and white waterproof backpack slung over her shoulder. The pink-haired supergenius in training was a growing regular at the shop, mostly seen looking at the MMORPG selections. As she picked out a couple "Cards Against Humanity" expansions and a new 128 Gig flash drive she walks up to the counter. Smiling she put her choices on the table. "I think this will be all today."

Sakurako didn't read the fact the woman at the counter was in a bad mood. She knew the holiday rush was a consumerist nightmare. She was probably not paid very well either. "Oh, I'll take that 8-pack of AA batteries behind you, please."

Sakurako reached into her skirt pocket for her wallet where her debit card was. She was on a limited allowance for now, as the family was moving into things and they wanted to see how Sakurako adapted to the new surroundings first... and her first mid-term grades... before a raise of any kind was in order.

[Supercape]

GM

 

The woman at the counter took her things and plugged them into the bar code reader. She moved slowly, with a tremor, uncoordinated. Sakurako noted that she was sitting down, and had a pair of walking sticks by her, under the counter. 

 

"Cards against Humanity, huh? How ironic" said the woman, tossing them back clumsily after bar code reading them. 

 

"I seen you here before, I think" she asked Saruako. She was not exactly rude, or blunt, just rather brazen about her questions. 

 

"Saruako, am I right?" she said as she took the young womans credit card. 

 

"Saruako Hino" she said, rolling her tongue over the surname. "Now theres a name to remember....is that really you?" she asked, pointedly. It was not exactly unfriendly, but neither was it exactly freindly. 

[The Sailor]

Sakurako adjusted her glasses. "I think it shouldn't suprise anyone who plays this game." She said, her smile starting to erase. For a moment she clears her throat. "Ataxia..."

The cleark looks up. "Genetic Ataxia... it's a condition that affects a person's reflexes. The two ways it expresses is either through a genetic defect or a brain injury and you don't look like you've had a tumble somewhere. Not reacting to the typical medicines?"

Sakurako gives the clerk her ID. "Thanks for checking identification. Good security policy. I just moved in town recently. Arrived from Tokyo visiting relatives. My grandpa wasn't feeling well so we circled the wagons to help him out." She said, with her South Londonian English accent. "Well that and all the humanitarian stuff, but that's neither here nor there."

She smiled again after her House-like analysis. "So any hobbies? Well outside of the obvious with the electronic gaming options here."

Edited December 14, 2014 by The Osprey

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Hobbies, yeah, you could say..." said the woman vaguely. Her name tag said "Hannah", 

 

"Hacking computers, getting secrets, anarchy, that kind of thing" she explained, as her co worker, "John" grunted his dissaproval. 

 

"And yeah, its Ataxia. Bummer, eh. Guess some people get the good genes, some the bad" she said, again, her voice a cracked hotpot of emotions. 

 

"..." she paused, nervously. 

 

"...look, if you really want to help, I could use your help. Truth is, I know all about you and your family. Or at least, as much as I could hack around the world. I came here to find you. And now I have. Will you meet when I finish at this dump?" she asked, almost pleaded. She glanced at the work clock. Just under 2 hours till it shut...

[The Sailor]

Sakurako adjusted her glasses, handing a basic business card, made of pink parchment-like paper to her. Endeavor was printed in a corner of it with an e-mail address that looked randomly generated on it with a QR Code. She whispered... "There is my personal e-mail, use a disposable e-mail address. I don't take any messages with lesser than 1028-bit encryption."

She sighed. Still whispering. "Are you in immediate danger... as in within the next few moments? Otherwise I will meet with you as requested... just send the location to that e-mail." She pulled out her smart-phone and pulled up the internet for a moment, activating the email associated with that business card by takign a picture of the QR code... Continuing the subterfuge... "That address is valid for 48 hours now... Although I wager you'll make it soon. Like in two hours."

After completing her transaction, she nodded. Returning to a normal voice. "Tell me where the party is tonight, okay? I've been wanting to get a taste of the Freedom City night life." She said, with a smile to suggest "play along".

[Supercape]

GM

 

2 Hours later...

 

As Hannah walked out of Far Out!!! her Ataxia was more visible, she was walking with the aide of two sticks, and was clearly clumsy. That said, she was in good shape - she had to be, walking was such an effort for her. 

 

"You came. thanks for that" she said, sitting on a bench on the pavement and lighting up. There was something very punk about her, very...grown up, maybe, despite her age. 

 

"I'm in no immediate danger, thanks. I do however have a rare form of progressive ataxia. Ill be dead in ten years. Twenty if I am lucky. Sooner or later it will all go, and so will my lungs" she said, apparently resigned to the fact. 

 

"What I am looking for is a cure. It is...possible...I think. I am no expert, but I am good at computers, and finding things out. And I got wind of the Circus Maximus. You heard of them? They do all sorts of improvements. Biochemical, cybernetic, that sort of thing?" she puffed away at her cigarrette. 

 

"Anyway, I looked it all up. Plugged into places I shouldn't have. If anyone knew, or could prove anything, I would probably been in the slammer. The 'nets alive with this kind of gossip. Proteus, Darwin-X, the Circus Maximus, the list goes on..."

 

She stamped out her coffin nail. 

 

"I found out about some guy. Underground. Left the Circus Maximus, stole a whole load of there secrets. He does...implants. It could help me. Trouble is, he is hard to get hold of. And dangerous to. And I can't fight very well..." she said, indicating her sticks. 

[The Sailor]

Sakurako when she showed up was fully in her Endeavor regalia... suit, vest, everything. The helmet was open and down though, she was wearing a pair of goggles to provide some form of hiding her face... although most people knew who she was. She was on the horns of a dilemma. She was going to engage in an elicit, black-market medical procedure, and with untested consequences.

"So let me guess... you need me to get to him, to acquire his help, as I'm better ready to deal with a conflict if it comes to blows, correct?"

 

Sakurako checked her EM Wand, to make sure the batteries she slotted into it were all ready to go. "I'm going to be honest, I am not a fan of working with black-market medics... who knows what bloody business they are involved in. It rustles my jimmies something fierce." She sighed. "But I'm stuck in... I can see what I can do to get a hold of this person. You need this, Hannah. And I'll help you."

She looked down at the ground after holstering her EM Wand. "One question... where do I start to find this Street Doc? ...and one statement... If this requires me to do anything blatantly criminal... I'm out."

Edited December 14, 2014 by The Osprey

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Huh, well I can't blame you there. I'm not a criminal, you understand? I just want to do what I need to, to survive. Every day, I get a little weaker. I'm running out of time"

 

"To be honest, I have broken a ton of internet laws to get where I am. I'm not going to turn back now. If I need to bend laws, or even break them, to stay alive, you bet I will. But don't think I don't have a heart, even if it is bitter. I'm no supervillain" she almost chuckled at the last point. She did at least smile. 

 

"Word is, he took refuge in the Sewers. Which ain't far, but its a bit dark, and a lot smellly. I got the plans, and I got an email" she said, pulling out a rather weathered but still good quality laptop. 

 

Images, scans, and code flickered past Endevours eyes...

[The Sailor]

Sakurako's computer glitched as it tried to take that datapulse. There was an incompatibility with the interface. All she knew, was the sewers were where she was headed. She closed her helmet, and sighed."Seems that data was incompatable for some reason. But it looks like I'm going sewer swimming."

"Is there any way to contact you after I speak to this guy? I'll have to do this the old fashioned way, I'm afraid."

She groaned... she was going to update her suit's OS to understand the specific files sent. "Otherwise see you soon. I'll try not to raise too much of a stink. Not that I'll notice." She sighed, glad she had a sealed system. Last thing she needed was an illness from the bacteria in the sewer... or to drown in it.

Edited December 14, 2014 by The Osprey

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Yeah, there is a great way to contact me" answered Hannah. "That thing between your nose and your chin...what is it now...great piece of hardware..." she said, mulling over the riddle before snapping her fingers. 

 

"Your mouth! That's it!" she laughed, like a muted explosion. She enjoyed laughing. it was not exactly at Endevour, or even herself. it was a laugh that said "I'm glad to be alive". 

 

"That's right, sista, I'm coming with you, like it or not! Doctor Sparks, or whoever he is, well, he knows me, or at least of me. I can talk to him. From what I understand, he is paranoid as hell, and when you escape from the Circus Maximus with blueprints of their tech, I can't say I can blame him!"

[The Sailor]

Sakurako adjusted her suit, slightly annoyed. "Well, as we're not in an immediate time restraint we're going to swing by the local Target to get some supplies for you. Namely a rainsuit, rubber gloves, trashbags, a painter's respirator, and a life vest. Last thing I need is for you to catch something or drown... At least while you're under my protection."

She sighed. "I wonder if my mom had times like this. That and I'm going to have to explain this purchase."

"Anyways this is for you, so I wager you want to actually make it out of this at minimum as you came in. I just ask you stay behind me, follow my directions to the letter, and if a fight does break out you hide. Like... make yourself more scarce as free-floating helium in the atmosphere."

"Oh... if you can get this guy to talk to me, I might have an offer to give him so he's in at least more sanitary and safe conditions. I doubt he likes being in a sewer, and if he's as smart as you say he is, I think Hino Corp could use a medical expert."

Edited December 15, 2014 by The Osprey

[Supercape]

GM

 

Later...that evening...

 

The sewers, predictably, where wet, smelly, and dark. 

 

"What a place to hide out" grumbled Hannah. She was making slow progress, taking each step slowly, and using both sticks in either hand. The wet surfaces did not make it easier for her. Twice she had already slipped over, and had the bruises and grime to show for it. But, you had to hand it to her, she had dogged determination. 

 

"I can make it. I have to make it..."

 

Hannah could guide them with her tablet, with its downloaded plans of the sewers, but it would be slow, slow progress. And it was late. And, to reinforce the point, it was smelly...

[The Sailor]

Sakurako decided to keep her helmet open for now, if she was smelling things, Sakurako might as well suffer along. Although the second painter's mask she was wearing kept the actually dangerous stuff away. "Maybe I should have had you walking in front... sorry for not catching you quicker on that last slip. At least that rainsuit and the gloves are keeping you clean."

 

She smiled. "Hanging in there, partner? Hopefully we don't have long."

Sakurako looked at her watch... she knew she was past curfew at this point... she was totally going to lose lab privileges for a week for this. "You know, you're... pretty brave. You don't know what you might have to deal with, you're walking in the sewer with those canes, and you're willing to face danger to get this. I understand you're life's on the line as is and this is a pretty big long-shot. But... I hope it's worth it for you."

 

She looked around. "So... where to next?" Sakurako said, keeping her wand in flashlight mode. Although it's shortened range wasn't the best. Although it did help prevent then from going into two areas with exposed electrical components. "This'll teach me not to update my programs."

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Its not far now...about a hundred yards, just up here, to the left...God it reeks...." complained Hannah, who was struggling from the falls and the effort of walking this far. 

 

Pffft...

 

A dart whisked through the air, small, barely a centremeter long, loaded with drugs. 

 

In front of them, almost unseen in the dark lights of the sewer, hovered a small machine, no more than a foot in any direction, floating in the air with most faint of wobbles, with eyes and tubes pointed towards them both....

[The Sailor]

Sakurako turns to where the sound came from, then notices a dart sticking through the material of her suit, she pulls it out and hears the hissing air from her life support system that was keeping her warm for a moment before the suit sealed itself. She realized the dart injected whatever it was, and it became obvious as Sakurako couldn't move at all. She couldn't say anything as she saw her attacker finally. She could only breathe, hoping this was their person's form of security. She just hoped she could shake off whatever this was, and soon, or she and her friend might be toast. At least her hand holding her wand was also frozen. If she could just command her arm and fingers to move!

Edited December 15, 2014 by The Osprey

[Supercape]

GM

 

the hovering microbot was small, but strong. Almost without sound, it went up to Endevour and extended to short but powerful arms, tipped with three pincers. Whilst initially threatening, as the silent grey arms reached for her, they were not claws for rending. Rather they closed around Endevours arms and hauled her up bodily, slowly, to her feet. At this point there was a slow whine from the microbot, as it struggled to move her. Strong, it was, but still small. 

 

As she rose to her feet in the grip of the Bot, it started to drag the superheroine away, her limp body dragging across the slime and muck of the sewer...

 

"Hey! Hey! Whats going on!" yelled a surprised Hannah, to a speechless robot...

[The Sailor]

A display pops up on the helmet that suddenly formed over Endeavor's face. There was the sound of it pressurizing, then a HUD display said what was happening as she felt another bee-sting, this time as the suit injects an emergency counter-toxin, as the suit's NBC protocols kicked in. In no time the universal antidote kicked in, but Endeavor had a suspicion.

This was a non-lethal security drone, trying to take her somewhere. It wouldn't have used such a drug to keep her out of commission, but she needed to play along for now. Sakurako wanted to answer Hannah, but that would just blow it. She stayed limp, making sure she seemed out of it.

Thing is, she had an option... this thing wasn't a Olympic athlete, she could easily break the grip if there is an issue. Just inflate her life preserver and it's hold will hopefully break from the vest's sudden expansion. Then it's time to zap anything that moves. For now though she had to painfully bide her time.

Edited December 16, 2014 by The Osprey

[Supercape]

GM

 

It was not far. Perhaps a minute, or two, how the microbot flies. It would also not be hard for Hannah to follow, even in the wet and the dark, as Endevours feet dragged two furrows in the grime as she was dragged to...

 

Dr Sparks Hideout...

 

Doctor Sparks was a short man, only a few inches over five feet with a large bald head and twinkly green eyes. The rest of his face was far from twinkly. Tired, nervous and like a weasel high on caffeine. 

 

That Mr. Sparks drunk coffee was like saying a fish drank water. Half of the bubbling test tubes and glassware he had here was dedicated to coffee making. And it was delicious coffee. 

 

The other half, well, it was hard to say. But Endevour was smart enough to figure that Dr Sparks was a cybernetic expert. He knew his robotics, and he knew his flesh-machine interfaces. His white coat was little grubby, but there was no sign of any augmentation on him. 

 

"Welcome, welcome, my dear lady. Oh, I know you can hear me. But move, well perhaps not move. I think my little guard dog did very well did he not? My own design. They keep the surrounding tunnels free from the sewer dwellers, both human and other. You would not believe the Rat problem here!" he laughed, unpleasantly and pleasantly at the same time. 

 

As she was dragged in, Endevour notices multiple concealed cameras around the tunnels, and even some wired explosives...

[The Sailor]

"Actually, I can, Doctor." Sakurako calmly said. Non-threateningly in her English accent. "Name's Endeavor. I put one and one together that this was a security measure and not a threat to My companion's life or safety. Or my own. Unless she has an allergy that isn't stated, of course. I did have a back-up plan in case I was disastrously wrong, but that seems to not be needed."

She smiled. "This isn't about me though, it is the person with me that requires your aid. It's... sort of a matter of life and death. She wanted me to come here in case you needed a bodyguard." She looked over to Hannah to let her introduce herself, and hopefully to be let down gently. "Umm, mind letting your guard drone to let me go, this... is starting to get uncomfortable, Doctor." She said so with an embarassed tone as her flight system prepared to be let go. Didn't want to unceremoniously be dropped to the floor, after all.

[Supercape]

GM

 

"What!" said Doctor Sparks, surprised. He considered a moment and then, with a flick of his hand, the Microbot let her go. 

 

"I must develop a stronger serum! The neurotoxin was supposed to last at least a few minutes..." he said, annoyed with himself. 

 

"Please do not try to arrest or restrain me. I am not possessed of super strength or laser vision, like many of my creations, but on the other hand, I have made sure this miserable abode and my good self are at least protected" he said, referring to the floating Microbot. 

 

"I have several of my little robots patrolling the immediate sewer vicinity, and they can be recalled. This odious place is wired with explosives and cameras. I am not a paranoid man, but when you leave the Circus Maximus with all their best blueprints...one must be cautious, to say the least" he explained, nervously. 

 

He picked up another hideously strong cup of coffee and started drinking it, hands shaking. 

 

"And...who have you brought? I was expecting..." he gulped, nervously, "...company..."

 

Something about his words were sly, anxious...not exactly untruthful, but evasive. As if the greater truth was twisted and hidden be hind lesser truths. 

[The Sailor]

Sakurako raised her hands up after holstering her EM Wand. "I'm Sakurako Hino, Callsign Endeavor. I'm not here to arrest anyone. In fact... I may be able to help your situation, if you are willing to hear me out after you talk to Hannah here." She said, keeping as calm as she could. "Trust me, your boobytraps and drones are not necessary." She said, opening the helmet of her suit again, and taking off the respirator before shutting down the suit's systems, making it like she was wearing a suddenly baggy drysuit. "My suit can counteract the agents you used for your paralysis serum... and a rather fascinating one at that."

"But this really isn't about me, sir, it's about Hannah." She said, looking genuinely concerned... almost begging. "Please... hear us out."

[Supercape]

GM

 

"Hannah... you m-m-mean..." mumbled Dr Sparks, his words almost tripping over themselves. He consulted the cameras on his control panel. Sure enough, Hannah was defiantly moving towards them, sticks in hand, grit in her teeth. 

 

"You mean your...wait...you don't know who she is, do you?" he spluttered, just catching his tongue. 

 

"I know her, though. Wait...this will be interesting to say the least..." he said with an almost demented chuckle. Whether that was his very nature, or sleep deprivation and caffeine intoxication was hard to say. 

 

He wiped the cold caffeine sweat from his brow. 

 

"Yes...yes...well she will need another minute to limp over here" he said, harshly. "So, tell me what you were going to say...I will certainly listen!" he said with a smile 

[The Sailor]

Sakurako's posture loosened. "I don't know who she is? Of course I do. She's the usual afternoon clerk at the game shop I frequent. She came to me knowing about me and my family. So... I had to see how far this rabbit hole went, you know? Then again it seems you're in a bit of a bind yourself, my friend. These Circus Maximus guys seem very... insistent on getting you back."

 

"You know there's two corps in town that could use cybernetic and genetic research. Biotech is the big thing these days. At least in terms of being trustworthy. And that is Hino Technologies which just opened a firm here in Freedom City, and Archetech which is building a pretty substantial presence itself."

"If you need protection from Circus Maximus, I'm sure either corp can assist. On my end my parents might be able to help, at least temporarily until a better protection can be found for you."

Sakurako started to feel the clammy, humid nature of the sewers... as well as the smell. "And if it's all good for you, I'm going to reactivate my suit... I hate sewers. The suit's unarmed and is just environmental protection."

She presses a button on her wrist and the suit tightens back to her and the helmet reforms again, and the suit puffs out slightly as the life support comes online. "There... gonna remember that smell for a while."

[Supercape]

GM

 

Doctor Sparks chuckled when Endevour gave her insight into Hannah's identity, but his temper quickly soured when she mentioned the Circus Maximus. 

 

"Yes. On that issue, you are not wrong" he said, rubbing his tired eyes. "In truth, I underestimated their determination on the matter. I had expected antipathy, but not to this magnitude. I find myself in quite a bind. And in danger of being ripped in two in a farcical arena fight against one of the very cyborgs I helped modify" he confessed. 

 

"The smell, I can manage. It is more palatable than dismemberment" he said, regaining some defiance. "But tell me, how could you protect me? I am a criminal, after all. My experiments and employers have hardly been legal. And whilst I am no murderer, I aided and abetted gruesome fights, fights to the death. I would ill stomach years in prison..."

 

"So tell me, do you offer an escape from my bind? And one without me facing the justice of this country?"