Metahuman College, Issue Two: Paths Converge

This is the In-character threat for the Metahuman College game, where the players may post for their characters. Both players and onlookers can post any out of character comments in the OOC thread. Thanks!


Current students
The following students have been selected for a scholarship to the prestigious Greenwood Academy.

Winter Hawk (Watching Cloud Rice): Rybaer
Rumble (Jonn Birkey): Nuke261
Proton (Marcus Stevens): Keia
Black Star (Mai Hoshiko): Calinon
Nighthaunt (James Dunbar): Synchronicity
Rinea (Rinea Silverstar): Amulet

No longer with us...
Destroyah G-1 (Maxwell Helmdig): Dmcfee

The space ship imitated the flying saucer stereotype. The cockpit was a sphere, which rested on the center of a fifteen foot disk. The ship should have burned up upon entry into the atmosphere, but the alloy within the alien metal had kept the ship intact while internal mechanisms kept the pilot from being cooked alive. Pity, the Affinian had survived the descent only to die during impact.

However, Shannon Steele was not reflecting upon the fragility of life as she sat in the depression that had once held the pilot’s chair. “I can’t wait to take this thing apart,” she said gleefully as she rested her hands on the control panel.

“Be careful up there!” Reid Richards snapped as he emerged from his office, carrying an armful of tools. “Just because that ship is powered down does not mean it is harmless!”

Shannon rolled her eyes skyward. “I know, dad,” she replied, putting emphasis on the last word that teenagers commonly used to try to make their parents feel foolish. Then, she noticed a single yellow light flashing on the control panel. “Hey, I thought you said this thing was powered down….”



Light-years away, a matching yellow light blinked upon an extensive map of the galaxy. A tall, grey creature examined the map, before bowing to a second grey creature. “Leader, we have pinpointed the source of the distress beacon to a pursuit unit in system 236T58I. It appears the pilot landed on the third planet from that system’s sun.”

“What was the pursuit unit’s objective?” The Leader inquired.

“Destruction of the Davinian survivors,” the first creature replied.

For a long moment, the Leader regarded the map, the blinking yellow light reflecting off of its large, black eyes. “Dispatch an exploration team to those coordinates. Orders are to determine if that planet will make a suitable outpost, to recover the pilot and the ship, and to terminate any Davinians on sight.”

The steady rhythm of footsteps on the concrete was the only sound that could be heard. A woman walked alone, her eyes upon the ground as she made her way through the alleyway, searching. “Ah ha!” she said aloud when she finally found what she was looking for. Reaching behind a garbage can, she retrieved an amulet, it’s green stone glowing softly. “There you are little one!” she cooed as she held the amulet aloft.

She paused as the amulet flickered, before nodding her head. ”Yes, I saw the star-child. She is like me.”

Once again, the amulet pulsed in some silent communication. At this, the woman shook her head. “No, not yet. I wish to learn more about her first.” With that said, she tucked the amulet into a pouch that hung at her belt before continuing on her way. “And to do that, I shall have to find her. What a fun time we shall have when I do,” she added to herself, before vanishing into the night.

Deadshot walked slowly through the seedy apartment, searching. James had done a thorough job of cleaning the apartment; there was nothing to indicate that they had stayed there, and nothing to indicate where they had gone. Very thorough.

Smiling faintly, he retrieved a cell phone from an inside pocket of his jacket, and dialed a number that he knew from memory. It rang once, before it was answered. “They’re gone,” he said, without waiting for a greeting.

“We are tracing them now,” the voice on the line replied. “I’ll be in touch when I know where they have gone.”

Deadshot nodded, but did not bother to reply. A soft click indicated that the other person had already hung up. With a sigh, he took a seat on the couch, and stared out the window. Then, after a moment of silence, he reached into his pocket to pull out a crumpled photograph. It was a picture that he had stared at many times before, and had memorized the faces of the three people who had posed for it. A middle-aged man stood in the center of the photograph, smiling at the photographer. He was young, with short dark hair and wire rimmed glasses. He held the hands of two children: a boy and a girl. Both of the children were clad in dark clothes, and regarded the camera with uncertain expressions.

Deadshot ignored the images of the children, focusing instead on the figure in the center. “I found them once, father. I’ll find them again. This time, I won’t let them get away.”

It was then that the cell phone rang…

“Hey, Trent. Dinner.”

Red Hawk barely looked up as a bowl of thick, grey gruel was pushed through a slot in the wall. He sat slumped in the corner of his cell, glaring down at the cold stone floor. The guard who had passed him his dinner paused on the other side of the energy field, staring in at him. “Trent! Eat your supper, before it gets cold. You know how bad that stuff can be when its cold.”

Slowly, Red Hawk looked up, glaring first at the guard’s face, then at the name on the guard’s badge. Jenkins. “Red Hawk,” he said slowly. “My name is Red Hawk.”

Jenkins smirked at Red Hawk, the energy field that separated them lending him courage. “They took that fancy suit of armor away from you, remember? You’re not Red Hawk anymore. You’re just Dominic Trent, inmate number 057234 at lovely Blackridge prison.”

As Jenkins spoke, Red Hawk slowly got to his feet, advancing slowly toward the guard until he stood right in front of them. Only a foot of distance and a barrier of pure energy separated them. The two stared at each other for a long moment before Jenkins finally broke the eye contact, unnerved by the degree of hatred in Red Hawk’s eyes.

Then, the lights went out.

Surprised, Jenkins took a step back, his hand instinctively going for the stun-baton at his belt. The energy barriers that kept the inmates in their cells bathed the hallway in an eerie red light, providing just enough light to see a dark figure standing at the end of the hallway.

“Identify yourself,” Jenkins called out, trying to keep the tremor out of his voice. With slow, measured steps, he approached the dark figure. In the dim light, he saw the figure move to extend an arm toward him. Within Jenkins’ chest, the tiny spark of energy that initiated his heartbeat was extinguished, stopping the pump that sent lifeblood to his vital organs. He grabbed his chest, as if willing his heart to beat, but to no effect. Making soft gasping sounds, he slumped to the ground. After a few moments, even those tiny sounds ceased.

Red Hawk stood at the door of his cell, straining to see what was going on in the hallway. He took a step back when a familiar figure appeared in the doorway.

“Red Hawk,” the Technowizard said smoothly, a slow smile spreading across his face. He regarded the other with icy blue eyes, before shaking his head, almost sadly. “You failed miserably.”

“Not my fault,” Red Hawk protested weakly. “Three punks-“

“Should not have defeated you so easily,” the Technowizard cut him off. “I do not like failures, Red Hawk. I really should kill you where you stand, or at least let you rot in that cell.”

As he said that, the Technowizard reached out with one hand, and Red Hawk took another step back. As he watched through widened eyes, the Technowizard held his hand before the control panel that controlled the barrier. Sparks formed between the panel and his fingers, and moments later the barrier vanished.

“However, I am feeling generous,” the Technowizard added at last, a small, cruel smile forming on his face. “One last chance, Red Hawk. We are going to Ireland. This time, you will acquire the objective, or you will die trying.”

An elderly woman made her way through the thick forests that surrounded Greenwood Academy. Her movements were slow and deliberate, but held an energy that denied her apparent age. She was clad in a pair of pants and a simple jerkin, her long grey hair tied back with a leather cord. A bearskin covered her frail shoulders, keeping her warm.

She paused at the center of a clearing, and looked around with soft, brown eyes. “Come out, Great Raven,” she called out at last. “None of these hiding games, my eyes are not what they once were.”

A raven fluttered down from one of the branches, alighting upon the ground near her feet. “Who is playing games, old woman? I know your eyes are just as keen as ever.” With that said, the raven began to change, until it’s for was that of a tall young man with a cloak of black feathers.

The next few moments passed in silence as the old woman looked around slowly. “You were right about these lands,” she commented at last. “The spirits here are old, powerful.”

“And they are waking up,” Raven added with a dark look in his eyes.

The old woman nodded, a slight smile on her lips. “You seem troubled, Great Raven. Could it be that you are concerned about your wayward granddaughter?” The Raven did not answer at first, and the old woman continued. “If you are so concerned about her, Raven, then why not warn her about what is to come?”

“She misuses the ways of her elders, she does not truly understand the traditions,” the Raven replied resolutely. “She is unfit.”

“Rubbish,” the old woman remarked. “She is but a child. Give her time to learn, to gain wisdom with age. You forget that these are not the days of old, Raven. You no longer have the luxury of deciding who can or cannot walk with us in dreams.

“Silence, crone. I did not ask your council,” Raven snapped.

Several long minutes passed in silence, before the old woman spoke up again. “While you sulk, the spirits here continue to awaken.”

“I am aware of that,” the Raven replied, taking a deep breath. “Let this be a test then. If she is as ready as you believe, then she should have no trouble dealing with these spirits. But this is to be her test, Bear. Do not interfere.” With that said, his form shifted once again to that of a raven. Without another word, he took flight, circled the school once, and began making his way west.

The old woman smiled as she watched the Raven leave, pulling the bearskin more tightly around her shoulders. “I never directly interfere,” she replied to the empty air, before fading from sight.

Meanwhile, back at Greenwood Academy...

Once the group was dismissed, their ‘mentors’, Siren and Wes, stepped in to make arrangements regarding the powers tests. Each student would be tested individually, and the tests would take place the following day.

For the rest of the day, the students were left to their own devices. Much of it was spent learning their way around the school, getting to know the other students, and just generally hanging out. Most were still suffering from jet lag, which resulted in early bed times.

Breakfast was as eventful as it had been the previous day; Lucky the leprechaun was now not the only one trying to steal breakfast. He was joined in his efforts by an orange tiger that wore a blue bandana, and a white rabbit.

Once breakfast was over, it was time for the tests to begin. Marcus, Jonn and Rinea were to report to the training rooms first; Mai, Cloud and James would take their tests later in the afternoon.

Following breakfast, Watching Cloud will mostly just bum around the place. Assuming the parents are still here, she'll spend a little time with them and make it clear that she's happy with her choice to attend this school.

Before lunch, and weather permitting, she will wander outside to the gardens for some alone time. She'll find a cozy spot in the grass to lay back and engage in the behavior for which she was named - watch the clouds and let her mind wander.

She will report to the training rooms promptly at her appointed time.

Marcus Stevens (Proton)

"I noticed the leprechaun and the tiger with the bandana, but I missed the white rabbit. Was he in disguise or somethin'?" Marcus stated to Jonn and they made their way from breakfast. "I was too busy looking for a brown vampire . . . you know, that's got to be some kind of test for us . . . I just know it."

Rinea was jovial through the day rest of the day, but again disturbed Cloud in the evening by wanting to talk all night, and picking up the conversation immediately in the morning as if Cloud had not drifted off to sleep.

Rinea is concerned about the appearance of additional indigenous breakfast thieves, but does her best to hide it. She arrives at the training room for her test a bit early, hoping to find out more about what is going to happen.