ic [IC] Fight the Power

[olopi]

GM

 

The man didn’t know how to react. He simply stood there, quietly, quaking in his boots. He turned his attention away from the head sticking through a hole, and instead look around the van. When he, out of the back door (which still was open), spotted the sirens. And the cars belonging to them, which had now caught up a fair bit. Neither they nor the van were driving perfectly, the wet street making the entire chase slow down somewhat.

 

With that, he instead focused back on Synth. “What …. What do you mean? Help? How?” He tried to take a step towards the face, when suddenly, the entire van, rather violently, stopped. Not a crash, there wasn’t enough noise for that. But while the scientist was thrown against the wall (more painful this time), Synth’s head just smacked into the metal surrounding it. Which wasn’t nice, but not too painful.

 

And then, having come to a stop, the van began to reverse. Much to the anger of the labcoat. “WHAT IS GOING ON?!”

[Supercape]

Synth (as Knuckles)

 

"That's a good question. I hoped you would tell me what's going on..." said Synth, half to himself. 

 

The smack had cut open his face on the jagged torn metal. Not enough to hurt him, but there was a gash, and a trickle of blood, that gave his already nasty look an even more battered one. 

 

The ladder of intrigue was a slippery one, it seemed. He suspected that the man in the van only half knew what the score was. There was someone higher up? Surely this man was not the architect of the whole show?

 

But for now, he took his head out of the van to garner a look at the scenery. And, with a little shuffling, fluid and precise, he leaned over the Van to get a look at the driver. 

 

"What's going on?" he asked the very same driver, head hanging from the roof, upside down, with a nasty gash and a pair of wild eyes. 

 

It was a good question. 

[olopi]

GM

 

The now even more agitated scientist tried to pull himself upwards by holding on to the benches that were part of the van, managing to do so without too much issue. “WELL, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE?” He sighed and got back on to his feet, but by then Synth had already retreated back to the van’s outside, and climbed over to the front.

 

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what was happening. Two police cars, sirens running, were parked on the road, blocking off access. Clearly whatever this was, it was serious enough for FCPD to immediately skip a few phases. The driver was reversing, probably to take the intersection he’d just passed, but Synth’s sudden distraction meant that he looked over. His reaction was, all things considered, appropriate. “AAAAAAAH.”

 

By the time he’d regained his concentration it was already too late. Another *crash*, these were starting to become far too common, as the back of the van connected with the sidewalk, and then a hydrant, a fountain of water shooting upwards. Not that the van cared much, it continued to drive backwards. And then, once it had arrived back at the intersection, the driver took a sharp turn into it, the pursuing police car now only feet away.

 

With a fairly straight bit of road coming up, the driver took his eyes off the road for just a second once more, and instead glanced over at Synth. “Self-Explanatory, right?”

[Supercape]

Synth (as Knuckles)

 

Still clinging on, Synth nodded in agreement. 

 

"Cops and crooks. Getaway Van. I get that..." he replied. 

 

The thing was, it was a tricky situation. What exactly could he do? If he stopped the Van, then the police would be upon them, and, well...they would have the devil of a job separating who was the crook and who was the concerned citizen. They would probably all be arrested. The labcoat and driver would probably be bailed for dangerous driving but little else. And Synth would not be able to afford a good lawyer or bail. 

 

So, he was in the vat of vexation with the scientist, unpalatable as it might be. 

 

"Step on it then! I don't want to end up in the slammer!" he yelled at the driver, before flipping acrobatically back to the hole in the van. 

 

"Guessing you want to deal with just me, rather than me AND the cops?" he ventured. 

[olopi]

GM

 

The driver looked back at the mirror, only fort he red and blue to reflect onto his face. Did he know what he was doing? Probably. Was he doing it well? Yes. Was that enough to be safe? Perhaps. It was hard to tell if he’d be able to outrun them. Still, he tried, putting all his concentration back onto the road. “What does it look like I’m doing?”

 

Back inside the van, the labcoat had by now gotten back up once again, after continuously getting knocked around the van. By now, he was holding onto whatever he could find with both of his arms, clearly growing tired of it all. Which reflected in his attitude, too. “Neither. “

 

That was all he had to say, not even turning to look at Synth. Still, all hope was not lost. The van was coming up on a bridge. Which did offer a few possibilities of escape, all things considered. Even if most of them probably weren’t a good idea.

[Supercape]

Synth

 

"Well, beggars can't be choosers" replied Synth. With a graceful flip, as the Van hurtled along, he grasped the edge of the van, clung tightly, and did a full swing into the Van. 

 

"You don't get to experiment in me, on anyone. That's low. I guess you think you are doing them a favour. But I guess that's just the lie you tell yourself when all you are really doing is serving yourself. Or maybe someone above you has the screws on you. I don't know, but carrot or stick, this chapter is over" he said, almost calmly, although disgust and rage at the scientist stormed his head mightily. 

 

Steady steady...climb up the chain...

 

He reached out to grab the man, taking gauge of the upcoming bridge. 

 

"Can you swim?" he asked, grimly. 

Edited April 14, 2017 by Supercape

[olopi]

GM

 

By now the cars had gotten so close, when Synth swung into the van’s back, his silhouette was visible in the headlights. And, similarly, when swinging over, Synth could see the police officers in the car, observing his movements with surprise. And, probably, some degree of fear. Inside, the scientist was still at the front of the van, so it took a few steps until Synth managed to grab onto him.

 

A few steps, during which he protested loudly. “What?! What are you planning! Get! Away!” Still, without anything to help him, he couldn’t fend off Synth, who hardly had to try. And then, once Synth had dragged him back towards the open doors, he realized his position thanks to Synth’s comment. “What? Nonono! You can’t be serious! The fall’s gonna kill both of us! Don’t d-“

 

And just then, then van arrived at the bridge. The drop wasn’t … too … bad, perhaps 60 ft. or so? The van was driving on the outermost lane just now, the only thing separating Synth and the open air was a barrier, something that he could easily jump over. But the van was drifting inwards, so the opportunity would soon be gone.

[Supercape]

Synth

 

It was higher, now, when one was directly above the water. It would be easy enough to dive for Synth; but carrying another man?

 

"I'm serious. And you started this, not me...." he answered soberly to the man, judging the distance carefully. but there was no time. It was now, or it was never. 

 

"So I really hope you can swim. And believe me, there is plenty more of this kind of fun coming up. Until I stop you and your friends"

 

With that, he seized the man, holstering him easily. And with a pneumatic spring, he leapt from the van, clearing the barrier, and into the yawning drop. There were only seconds in the air, and it was a devil holding the man through the jump. But as the water approached, he did his best to twist in the air and land feet first. A belly flop would be dangerous even for his herculean constitution...

[olopi]

GM

 

The last thing Synth saw happen on top oft he bridge were the van’s brake lights lighting up. And then, in came a drop. Gathering this much airtime was rare, even in Synth’s line of work. Not the collection one, but the one he was currently doing. And yet, there wasn’t much to do in a situation like this, other than to wait, get ready, and brace for the rather nasty impact. It wouldn’t go well. Yet, it would probably go a lot better for Synth than for the man he was carrying, who was doing his damnedest to escape. Not that he accomplished anything.

 

“YOU! IDIOOOOOOT!”

 

He continued to scream the entire way down. It felt a lot longer than it actually was. But below him, Synth could very much feel the water approach. It’s sound. It’s smell. It all was closing in faster than it really should’ve. And then, impact, his feet hitting the water.

[Supercape]

Synth (as Knuckles)

 

I may just be a fool, but no road is wise right now...

 

That was his last thought as his feet hit the water. 

 

Wffff! That stings! was his next. It stung more than he thought. The water, for a moment, felt like hard steel, just before it parted almost explosively, and then he was sinking. The water rushed around him as he felt his body go numb from the impact. It swished up his nose, and for one moment he thought he would pass out. His vision constricted and he felt his grip loosen on the man he held above him. Perhaps the man had suffered worse, or perhaps Synth had taken the impact and now his prisoner. But withe vortex of water and the shuddering jolt, he had lost grip of the man...

[olopi]

GM

 

It was hard to tell just what was going on. This was one of those times where supernatural senses didn’t help, but instead hinder. It just made everything more difficult, every sensation much stronger. Synth took some time to center himself, to figure out what was going on. With it being completely dark, and slightly rainy, that wasn’t easy. Almost everything was darkness, only an oh-so faint light indicating what (hopefully) was the surface.

 

The surface, which probably was the first stop for now. However, his … captive, had escaped his grasp. So that was another thing to figure out. It wasn’t easy, not with the general conditions. Was there something over there? What about there? Was this slight draft just the natural current, or was it somebody sinking into the water? Were the various sounds just raindrops hitting the water, or was it something else?

 

Synth had enough oxygen to stay submerged for some more time. Whether or not that also went for the scientist, that wasn’t clear. The scientist, who, almost certainly, wasn’t currently floating on the water’s surface.  

[Supercape]

Synth

 

To be on the safe side, he spent a second concentrating,reducing his swollen muscles to a more normal size. It would reduce the metabolic demand. Might need to stay under for a while...

 

It was dim but not dark at this depth. Of course, the labcoat may have sunk further. 

 

If he passed out, he's going to be breathing in water...

 

Various memories bubbled. The scientists of that research facility. Oxygen saturations. Lung physiology. Drowning. A half dozen medical experts seething to help almost reflexively. Useful information, but..

 

Not now...!

 

If he could find the man, he would need to swim as fast as possible to catch him...

[olopi]

GM

 

And then, Synth saw him. Not too far away (as was to be expected), slowly sinking to the ground. His silhouette just very barely visible thanks to the ripples in the water it created on the way down catching the attention of Synth’s skin. He hadn’t submerged too far just yet. But judging by how he didn’t move at all, the fall had taken its toll on him regardless of Synth’s assistance.

 

It didn’t take long to grab onto him and to ascend back to the surface. Slowly and carefully, still. Was pressure difference an issue at this depth? Most likely not. But it was better to be safe than sorry. Once he was back up grasping some air, Synth managed to get a quick scan of his surroundings. Up on the bridge, there were multiple police cars, their sirens creating a lightshow of sorts. And on both sides of the shore, some were approaching too. And not on a direct course with the bridge.

 

As for the scientist, he was out cold. Just that, as far as Synth could tell. No apparent serious injuries, and his heart was still beating. His breathing took a few seconds to get back on track.    

[Supercape]

Synth

 

There were some things that were invisible to the eye or the nose. Or even to skill examination. Percussion to the chest, normal resonance. Central Venous Pressure, normal. 

 

A concussion or bleed, well that would take a little more to spot than even Synth could muster, with several world class experts memories clustering around her brain. 

 

It might take a while for the man to come around, and with police cars rumbling on the bridge time, whilst not critical, was still a precious commodity. 

 

He hauled the man over his shoulder, recognising that they did not exactly blend in. For one, his clothes were ripped, wet, and hanging off him. 

 

A hiding place for brief reprieve would be best, although emphasis on the brief. And somewhere with some clothes, would be a bonus. Those thoughts in mind, he scanned the banks of the river...

[olopi]

GM

 

There wasn’t much in the way of hiding places around the river’s banks. Granted, there weren’t many places to access the southern bank from the street, as there really only was one slope leading downwards. The northern side was flatter, with access from the road to the bank only being a matter of parking the car and getting out of it.

 

And neither side really offered a cave or anything, both were empty, save for a few bushes and the occasional tree. Hardly enough to hide properly, even if it would probably work for some time, until people got too close. Still, it was probably the best thing in the area. There always was the underside of the bridge, the supports offered some surface that was removed from the streets. But anybody on them was easily seen if any light would come their way.

 

Of course, the northern bank wasn’t far removed from the next few buildings. Most of them were two to three stories, probably the usual store on ground level, with apartments above. It wasn’t a residential area, Synth knew as much from his job.

[Supercape]

Synth (as Knuckles)

 

The terrain was not giving. If only he did not have an unconscious man to worry about, he could swim underwater and have every chance of evasion. But, alas, the man was still out cold. Perhaps the alternative, the man flapping and screaming, would be worse. 

 

There was not much for it, but to cross his fingers and hope was on his side, and eyes did not stray. 

 

"Come on, you lump of meat" he grunted, swimming as fast as he could - and in fairness, that was very fast - towards the norther bank. 

 

If he could make that, then it would be a sprint to the buildings and look for cover and clothes. Synth was opposed to breaking the law in principle, but he was not married to the law, either. If he needed to steal a few clothes in order to stop human experimentation, then that was a fine balance of ethics to his mind. 

[olopi]

GM

 

Swimming north wasn’t too difficult. The water wasn’t entirely calm, but calm enough that it was hardly an issue. And at Synth’s speed, the current wasn’t an issue either. Neither were any other factors that would’ve probably messed with most swimmers, and after a few short seconds, Synth arrived at the bank, scientist still on his shoulders.

 

From there it was a simple sprint, perhaps sixty feet at most, towards the nearest building.  It was a line of buildings, their backsides looking out onto the river. Prime estate, all things considered. And while Synth could recall some of the area’s layout, there wasn’t much he knew about the individual buildings. Just what he saw. A few different buildings, their backsides pointing towards the river. Some with a window-front, some with only scattered ones. And only two with an apparent door.

 

A quick look revealed that there was nobody around just yet, even if sirens were approaching from all directions. And a quick sprint later, he was at one of the building’s doors. Unsurprisingly enough, it was locked. But considering the area, the question of security systems posed itself…

[Supercape]

Synth

 

Awesome Aces

 

Said the sign. It seemed to be some second rate sports shop which looked neither awesome nor ace. It probably had a security system. But Synth would not be able to disarm it, and even if he could. He didn't have the time. Besides which, the cops where already on the lookout. All he needed was a minute or two. 

 

Swelling his muscles, he kicked the door down with a mighty grunt of effort. 

 

He had to presume an alarm would sound, either silently or audibly. But the police were somewhat tied up already. In any case...out of options. 

 

Contracting his muscles to normal size again, he whipped on a new hoodie and joggers to replace his torn outfit. And then...yes...

 

It hurt of course. This fast, it always hurt. But at least he didn't have the burning of changing skin tone, or the agony of gender change. 

 

In his cheap gym wear, he know looked just like the man he had dumped on the floor. The mysterious scientist. 

 

[olopi]

GM

 

Foot hit door, and that was all it took. The alarm was many things, but silent wasn’t one of them. Immediately, bells rang across the entire store, in at least three different places. And it was the very loud variation of them. Synth didn’t have much time. Not that he needed it. It took only a few seconds to place down the man he was carrying and slip into new clothes. A plain hoodie, with a not entirely but somewhat matching set of joggers. Finding them hadn’t taken much time, size wasn’t much of an issue with Synth.

 

Still, by the time he’d gotten fully dressed, something had changed ever so slightly about his situation. It took some attention, but it was clear that by now, some police were approaching, even if they were some distance away. Hard to tell more precisely with all the noise. The more pressing matter, however, was the scientist, who was no longer unconscious. Not that he was all that conscious just yet, either.

 

“Wh… what is … happening?”

 

And then, Synth caught his attention, the former’s face currently warping, just taking on the latter’s look. Which, unsurprisingly, led to a significant reaction. With him doing his best to create distance only managing to bump his head into a clothes stand.

 

“AAAAAAH”

[Supercape]

Synth

 

"Officer, it was me! Yes, me! I have to confess! I was experimenting on unwilling suspects! I caused a crash at the bridge! I'll confess, please, I'm willing to cooperate!" said Synth, doing his best to impersonate the scientist. 

 

"Ill give you the address. You may even catch the people I was working with. Just tell the judge I was helpful, grant me leniency!"

 

"Yes, that's right, it was me. Take a good look at my face! Of course officer, I am happy to pose for a mugshot!" he continued pointing to "his" face. 

 

He reverted back to his own voice again, this time addressing the scientist. 

 

"The game's up. No road out here leads to freedom and a relaxing two week vacation on a tropical island. I told you I would stop you, and I will. The only question now is, how hard do you fall, and who are you going to take with you? Because if you don't tell me how to bring the empire down, its going to be as bad a fall as I can make it, and as you can see, I can make it pretty bad. And in fact, I can make it even worse than pretty bad..."

[olopi]

GM

 

The man continued to back off, crawling backwards. He didn’t do a very good job at it, which, to be fair, was to expect from somebody who had probably almost drowned just before. He did his best to figure out his position, the constant ringing of the alarm bells clearly not helping. All the while, between whimpers, he did his best to continue talking.

 

“What? Wh …. What… You … I ….”

 

Then, he took a deep breath. Maybe he was trying to stall? It would make sense, given his current predicament. Even if it was almost certain he would not be able to hear the approaching police cars. Which were getting closer at a rapid pace.

 

“What’s … going to happen now? “

 

“Which empire? This is my project! …. I mean, wait. Who do you want to … know about?”

 

His voice changed ever so slightly on that last sentence. Perhaps he knew more than he let on to, or he had had some kind of eureka moment. Or perhaps, he was now so scared his emotions just shut down completely.

[Supercape]

Synth

 

Time was running out...one way or another. 

 

If need be, he could give the cops the slip. He hoped. As far as he could tell nothing indicated "super powered" activity. But still, getting arrested was not something he intended to do. 

 

"It's your project? all on your own? Those sirens are getting awfully close. You must want to get thrown in jail. Or worse"

 

Synth had noting but contempt for the death penalty. Savages! 

 

But still, the implication may help right now. 

 

"So you can either tell me everything. Right now. Who supplies your subjects, and who do you sell your results too. Who bankrolls you? Or you can get in more trouble than you can ever conceive. The choice is yours. I've stopped you. The only question is am I, or am I not, going to bring down the people you know..."

[olopi]

GM

 

The man considered his words, whatever he’d say next clearly was important. He considered, and waited, not saying anything for a few seconds. Not out of resistance, but because he was thinking of something. Thinking, or just stalling, of course. And then, after a few valuable seconds, he replied, his voice still doing the same thing as before.

 

“Well. The entire company. Knight and Williams. …They’re behind all of it! I’m just following orders! They wanted something new! … And I did my best to give it to them! I only did the research. … They were behind everything else!”

 

“It all came from way up high! Board, … owners, … what do I know! … Maybe even from beyond that! I just did what I was told. It was that or lose my job!”

 

It sounded genuine enough. And judging by the sirens, Synth didn’t have much time remaining. At best, it was thirty more seconds before they got here. And of course, he had to get out of the store somehow first. Off in the distance, he could see the first red and blue pierce the darkness already…

[Supercape]

Synth

 

Knight and Williams!

 

The next target of the investigation was clear. Evidence, however, was spartan at best. It could only mean that for now, Synth was going to have to operate outside the law. Not his preference, but the cards had fallen that way. He had no wish, at least yet, to sacrifice his identity and be hunted by SHADOW again. 

 

"Tell it to the cops. See what kind of deal you get. Because the house of cards is coming down"

 

With that, he turned and fled. Even those words might have cost valuable seconds, and every second counted. 

 

What he wanted to do was get back to the lab where they had tied him down, but wearing the scientists face. That would mean evading the cops, and ensuring that the real scientist was at least tied up with cops and the law for an hour or two. 

 

So he didn't run that far, not just yet. Just through racks of clothes, and cut price sports gear. Even picked up a baseball bat, just in case. And then, he hid, observing...

[olopi]

GM

 

A police car shot down the streets only seconds after Synth had gotten into a more favourable position. The brakes were pulled far too early, making it slide along the wet street for a fair distance before coming to a stop, nicely parked in front of the store either way. Whoever was driving either had a lot of luck or knew what they were doing.

 

And immediately, two people left the car and fanned out, sidearms drawn. That was the point when the scientist made himself known, still on the ground, tucked away to the side. They’d not see him at first, but he wasn’t out of sight either. “Help! … I was kidnapped and … left here! Think I may have broken something! “

 

The two officers turned towards him, and seeing his face, flashing in red and blue, used hand signals to communicate with each other. Both walked off to the building’s sides. Synth wasn’t entirely sure what for, but it was probably fair to assume his only unlocked route of exit was about to be compromised.