EPIC M&M: Issue 6 (IC)

[Calinon]

Mega-City of New York, EPIC HQ
October 14, 2120
Johan

At first, Jennifer agrees to your idea, until it becomes evident you are leaving the city. She becomes more than a little panicked, and her 'bunny' reacts negatively as well. Rather than face down the troll and a girl with powers that may rival your own, you choose the safer route, back to EPIC HQ. You exit cyberspace into your room, leaving your monitor a smolder wreck.

Much to your surprise, the bunny eared troll exits with you, and unlike your experience before, it doesn't vanish. You see a few computer chips and a processor, probably from your ARIS unit. From these eminates a pink energy field that makes up the bunny-troll. You also notice he now has a puffy pink tail.

Jennifer is thrilled at her ability to keep Mr. Bunny with her.

You go into Rebound's room and contact Sanchez, who is more than a little surprised that you are in New York. Wisely, you keep Mr. Bunny and Jennifer hidden from view during the conversation and keep secret the fact you violated perhaps one of the most secure mainframes in America, and busted a criminal out of jail.

Of course, hiding a giant, pink, bunny eared troll isn't easy. It takes about three seconds after you contact Sanchez for him to make an appearance... *fade*

Brazilia Medical
October 14, 2120

Sanjay
"I don't think flying is going to happen," Anna says, managing to regain her footing and start awkwardly walking about the room again. "But the doctors say my real powers will surface once the nanobots finish healing my back and nervous system!"

Several Johans give you a signal to shut the heck up, and five of them drag you outside.

"Yeah, there is man," one says.

"Little arrogant bastard too," another says.

"And he stole my gadget thingy," a third says.

"Yeah, broke free of my control," the fourth says.

"And he sure better not think he's getting my room!" exclaims a fifth.

"If you see him," the first says.

"Don't trust him," the second says.

"Probably like that double of Kevin's," adds a third.

"Evil like split," the fourth says.

"Feel free to melt his head," adds the fifth.

"No head melting at all!" exclaims Sanchez, who storms up from the cafeteria. "Are any of you the 'real' Johan?" she demands.

"No -- nope -- nuh uh -- not me -- he's in..." they say in order, then all topple over as Sanchez tosses a little device into their midst which explodes, sending a tiny dart into each of them. They all vanish before they hit the ground.

"No head melting," she re-iterates to you as she goes into the room you were just dragged out of. It becomes quickly evident that she found the 'other' Johan. "Yes, the one with the Armor," she says with a roll of her eyes at your question. Everyone say your goodbye's for now; Thunder wants to head back to New York within the hour. *fade*

Vince

Your new size and big wings allow you to successfully fill up the hallway. Unlike in America, rather than screaming and running away, cameras flash, and the autograph hunters press you for signatures. You are more than a little surprised that someone seems to have been selling posters of you, since they are what people ask to get signed. It's a pretty good poster too... and current.

The reporters ask you questions about what happened, and you manage to give vague answers until Thunder finally arrives. You learn then that Anithos made an appearance and was killed. In a few short minutes, it's all over and Thunder allows the reporters access to the cafeteria. Titan, Sanchez, Empath, Straightjacket and Tara are nowhere to be seen. After a brief few minutes, the Thunder and yourself gather a few remaining members of the team and head for the parking garage, preparing to head for New York. *fade*

Michelle
It's not too long before Thunder again finds the two of you. After giving you both a few moments to compose yourselves, you, along with Empath, Vince, Cosmo, Loki and Rebound head for the parking garage, then on to the airport... and home. *fade*

OOC: That's it for you guys; just an epilogue to write up now!

 

[Calinon]

Epilogue...

An SAP Research Facility
South American Mountains

SAP security forces buzzed over the secret lab housed in the SAP facility as scientists worked to carefully catelogue the genetic samples within. All were working under the watchful eye of Allison Vaile. Thanks to the efforts of EPIC, the recent media coverage and a nearly unanimous vote of the shareholders, she now had full control of SAP on behalf of her secret benefactor.

"Ms. Vaile! Look!" said a scientist, rushing up and thrusting a pad at her. A security guard nearly broke the man's neck as he stopped him with a chokehold from getting too close. Ms. Vaile casually took the pad and nodded for the guard to release the scientist.

"It's a genetically complete sample of Anaconda," the man said raspily, rubbing his throat. "It looks like they really did collect it from Neutr...."

"Have it destroyed."

"But ma'am," protested the scientist. "The benefits of working with such a perfect virus..."

"Destroy it. By day's end, I want Anaconda wiped from the face of the Earth."

A Military Research Facility
Africa

Zobari Nomusu sat stiffly in the reception room. Despite years of being a member of EPIC, he was still a practiced soldier and it showed in his stance and the unwaivering neutrality displayed on his tanned face. Underneath that exterior, he was seething.

General Atsu Afifi had kept him waiting for nearly an hour. As the sixtieth minute ticked by on the wall clock, he rose to attention and strode towards Afifi's door. The soldier serving as receptionist rose and moved to block his path, a decision that enabled Sandstorm to demonstrate the superiority his many years of combat training afforded him over the young soldier. Leaving the man laying unconscious on the tiled floor, he threw the doors open to Afifi's office and stormed in.

"Your stalling tactics are over, Afifi," he scowled, striding confidently up to the desk. "You have much to answer for."

The man behind the desk simply shuffled the papers he had been examining together and closed the folder they were in, a folder marked "TOP SECRET." Afifi looked up, his white smile a stark contrast to his richly dark skin. "I trust my aide will recover?"

"You should worry less about your aid and more about yourself. Your projects here have not escaped notice. General Melamu himself authorized me to investigate matters. Keeping me waiting is not a wise idea."

"Oh, I am very intimidated," Afifi responded drolly. "But suppose we eliminate the drab and boring banter and just show you the lab work we are performing here."

At that moment, a feather could have knocked the hero down and that surprise was etched upon his face. "Come, I have nothing to hide from you," Afifi said, rising and leading Sandstorm into the research labs of the base. The labs, it seemed were all conducting legitimate research, and it surprised Sandstorm that nothing was out of the ordinary.

"I think you'll find our final lab of particular interest," Afifi said, leading Sandstorm into an enclosed room with tons of monitoring equipment. One wall was glasteel, providing a barrier between the scientists and soldiers in the lab and several men in several chambers on the other side of the wall.

"This is where we are working on our genetic virus," Afifi said calmly as the door clicked shut behind Sandstorm. "Once complete, it will eliminate the mutant plague infesting the Earth. Only mutants loyal to me will have access to the antivirus," he said, walking away from Sandstorm. Several soldiers interposed themselves between the hero and the General.

It took Sandstorm a moment to absorb the information so plainly presented by Afifi. When it had all sunk in a mere moment later, he surged forward, prepared to use his powers to besiege the lab with a blinding sandstorm....

And instead fell to the ground.

"Your powers are not working?" Afifi said with a knowing smile as his soldiers pounced on the prone man, beating him senseless. "I must say, I am very glad you have come. With the Anarchy attack on our forces recently, we are very short of suitable test subjects. And with the original virus now in our hands, stolen right from under the nose of your EPIC younglings, I think our first mutant test shall be very soon. Put him in cell three."

Mega-city of New York
M-Tac Holding Facility

Captain Carmella Majors stood in the security office in her civilian clothing, having been using her off hours to review the escape. She was currently reviewing the brief image of the man who broke the young girl out of her cell.

"He obviously has the same powers the girl does, but we never protected the systems from someone breaking into the cell with them, just out of it," the young officer said as the two second image spun and whirled, showing nothing but a swirl of color here and there with nothing readily discernable.

"Go back," Majors said flatly.

"I don't know what you're looking for ma'am. It's all just a jumble."

"Again."

"We've been looking at this stuff for the last two weeks. What are you looking for."

Majors hand shot forward, hitting the panel and freezing the image as she leaned over the young officer. "Zoom in on that," she said, pointing at a tiny object on the screen.

"What is that? It kind of looks like a trident? Maybe some sort of icon?" the young officer suggested as he manipulated the image.

Majors stood back up, looking down at the officer, her cybernetic eye glowing. The officer quickly looked away. If Majors took offense, she didn't show it.

"No," she said flatly. "It's an E."

Here's Issue 7!