The Shadow
Hero
Life and Light: Shadow-Force Reborn (Updated May 8, 2019)
Hello out there! This is a solo Mutants & Masterminds campaign following on from a very long-running Champions game retired fondly years ago, dubbed "Shadow-Force". Details on the setting are posted in this thread.
Some of you may remember me as the writer of The Shadow Knows!, another solo M&M campaign but one very different in tone. (The similarity in names between "The Shadow" and "Shadow-Force" is pure coincidence - the two worlds have nothing in common, except for an in-joke or two.) This is more of a four-color experience. Plots have been laid for this current campaign for quite some time; it's been good to get it in action!
The game is usually played over the phone, though the GM - who goes by SuentisPo online, or SP for short - and I sometimes manage to get together for a marathon in-person session. Work scheduling issues often get in the way, but we will probably manage to game every 2-3 weeks. (I have a backlog of existing sessions to start posting, so that'll tide things over for a while.)
This first post is actually a short-short I wrote as a proposal to SP about how to start off the new game. (It involves retconning one of the final adventures of the original campaign.) He approved it.
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Life and Light
Jon stirred, moaning. He'd never felt so much pain, not even his first day as a superhero when he'd been shot multiple times. Somebody was saying something, but it took him a while to take it in. "Photon, can you hear me? Photon, can you hear me?" Finally, he managed to croak, "Yes, Alpha, I'm awake." The computer's voice radiated relief. "Good. Do you need medical attention?"
"Dunno yet. Hurts like anything. Just a second." Taking a minute to catalog all his aches and pains, he cautiously tried to turn over and get his legs under him - then yelped as his ribs shot fire all through his torso. "Yowch!" Reflexively, he reached out to the zero-point, the timeless quantum satori of subatomic reality. His body scintillated for a moment, then he stood up. "Er. I think I needed some until just now. What just happened?" X-97 Alpha was uncharacteristically silent for a moment. "You, uh, took light-form for a split-second. Strobed on my camera." "What?! And I'm still here?! And in one piece?" "Seems so." "No broken ribs any more, either. Weird. Anyway... Whoa! What the heck hit me?!"
"Jessica." "Huh?! Erebus' girlfriend?" "Yep." "She, uh, doesn't have powers? That was no ordinary blow." "Didn't. She's been infected by the Shadow Realm, and apparently it's gone to her head. Shot you in the back with a darkbolt." "Why me? Oh, right. Duh. Light powers." "Right. She probably saw you as the biggest threat around."
Jon collected his wits, trying to take in the situation. The room - the dining area of the Shadow Force base - was a mess, chairs and smashed crockery everywhere. "Where is she now?" He started striding to the Situation Room. "Opened a portal to the Shadow Realm and left." "Where's the rest of the team?" "The Phantom and Erebus are in the Shadow Realm too. No word for several hours. Bazooka and Brimstone are out on patrol; I've called them back in. Beta's doing Show and Tell for some school kids; he'll be back soon too. Technoid... he's puttering. As usual." "Yeah." Technoid hadn't been the same since he'd been accidentally melded with his armor and other inventions a couple months previous.
Soon the remainder of the Shadow Force was gathered in the Situation Room. Jon outlined the situation with Alpha's help, then appealed to Bazooka. "What do we do now?" The older man shook his head. "Not much we can do. Unless Scott can whip up a Shadow Realm portal?"
Technoid smiled distantly. "Probably. With time. My other project takes up much of my attention." Bazooka barked at him, "Dammit, Scott! Mike and James are your friends! You've known them longer than we have!" The cybernetic gadgeteer shrugged. "I value their existence. But there are... higher issues... at stake." Bazooka shook his head in disgust. "Higher issues which, as usual, you can't be bothered to explain." "Quite correct."
Jon broke in, "There has to be something we can do!" Bazooka shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "Erebus is the only hero I've ever heard of with Shadow Realm power. We wouldn't even have heard of the place if not for him." Brimstone offered hesitantly, "Maybe there's a mage out there who can cast a spell to contact them?" Beta's mechanical voice stated flatly, "Contacting the Guardians is the logical course of action."
Everyone except Technoid (who continued to stare off into space) stared at the robot. (Beta wasn't usually known for his brains, and didn't talk much.) Alpha enthused, "That's actually a great idea, brother!"
Jon nodded. "It is." The Galactic Guardians were the resident superhero team of Washington, D.C., and were some of the most powerful beings on the planet. They also acted as an informal information clearinghouse and liason for hero teams throughout the country. "I suppose you'll talk to them, Bill?" Bazooka shook his head. "I know how to fight; I leave the talking to those who can do it." "Right. How about you, Liz?" (Technoid and Beta were obviously out of the question.) Brimstone shook her head too. "Go for it, Jon. You've dealt with them before."
Jon swallowed, "Er, yeah. OK." Fighting down his sometimes-crippling shyness, he told Alpha, "Open a line to the Guardians." "Got it, Photon." A videoscreen came to life, and Starflare looked directly at him. "Photon! Good to hear from you guys in Seattle again. What's up?" Jon flushed - Starflare was too cute for words. "Er, uh. Yeah." Starflare smiled patiently, used to her effect on young men... "Uh, the Phantom and Erebus have vanished into the Shadow Realm, and we don't know how to go after them. Plus, at least one person - Erebus' girlfriend - has been infected with Shadow power. Frankly, we're at a loss as to how to proceed."
The Lady of Light frowned. "I see your problem. The Shadow Realm is 'far' from the Earth dimension, I'm told. Not many people have been there. I'm sending Dr. Miracle your way, he might be able to help." "Thanks..." Jon was interrupted by a POOF and an impressive puff of smoke as the mage teleported in. The effect was somewhat spoiled by the fact he was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, and mismatched socks. Swearing softly, he snapped his fingers and his costume appeared around him. "Right, well, yes. Let's get started."
After several hours of arcane manipulations (literally), Dr. Miracle sighed helplessly. "Sorry, kid. There's nothing I can do. I can see vaguely into the blasted place, but not well enough to find them. If I had a Shadow-imbued object or person to work with, I could probably do better, but... Buck up, though. Erebus is the only expert on the Shadow Realm around, and a survivor like no other. As for the Phantom, he's a Class Five psychic and a top-notch hero - we've had an eye on him ever since the P.S.I. incident. They'll turn up."
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After a month of the two heroes not turning up, Bazooka called another team meeting. The ex-military man's face was hard and sad. "Let's face facts, people. Mike and James aren't coming back any time soon. And they, with Scott, are the core of the team. They're gone and Scott is useless. What are we left with in terms of a team?" He looked around slowly, and continued, "I have no illusions about my own ability. I've got powers, yeah, but I'm not versatile - I shoot things and that's it. Liz has a few more tricks, but she's in pretty much the same boat. Beta punches things as well as shooting them. Jon, you're versatile, but frankly you're green as hell. What's more, none of us have the contacts in the city and beyond that the Phantom had; and with Jessica gone, our bankroll could dry up at any second."
Jon said quietly, "You're talking about splitting up." "What choice do we have? We're going through the motions at the moment, and sure we can handle any bank robbery or whatever that turns up. But if another mentalist like the Doctor comes to town, do you think any of us stands a real chance? He killed the Freedom Squad single-handed, and if the Phantom hadn't been there to protect us we'd all be dogmeat too. Every single one of us, except maybe Beta. What if Diabolus comes back? Without Erebus, none of us has any magical ability. Hell, even Forestrike and his gang would probably push us over at the moment!"
"So, what? We're going to stop hero-ing? Seattle needs us!" "No. Liz and I have talked, and we'll keep at it together - either here or in Phoenix where her folks are. But by hanging out our shingle as a team, as Shadow-Force, we attract a certain class of enemy, get into certain kinds of trouble - bigger trouble than we can handle. I don't like it either, Jon, but that's how it is."
"And what about Mike's body?! He's still on life support in the vault while his mind astral-projects to God knows where!" Bazooka sighed. "Jessica's dad will likely find it cheaper to put him up in a hospital than to maintain this whole base. It's the least he can do."
Near tears, Jon asked, "Alpha? Beta?" Alpha said slowly, "I'm wired into this building. I can be reinstalled elsewhere, but frankly it'd be a pain - both literally and figuratively." Beta stated, "My father is dead and my brother is here. I have friends here. I will stay." Jon nodded slowly. "Okay then."
Speaking to a press conference later that day, heart pounding, Jon told his city, "Yes, Shadow-Force is breaking up. But I for one will continue to stand up for Seattle for as long as there is life and light in me. X-97 Beta stands with me. If there is anyone else out there with the power and the heart to join us, we will welcome you."
"But even if not - even if we have to stand alone - we will not leave our city to those who would prey upon it. We just won't."
"You have my word."
Hello out there! This is a solo Mutants & Masterminds campaign following on from a very long-running Champions game retired fondly years ago, dubbed "Shadow-Force". Details on the setting are posted in this thread.
Some of you may remember me as the writer of The Shadow Knows!, another solo M&M campaign but one very different in tone. (The similarity in names between "The Shadow" and "Shadow-Force" is pure coincidence - the two worlds have nothing in common, except for an in-joke or two.) This is more of a four-color experience. Plots have been laid for this current campaign for quite some time; it's been good to get it in action!
The game is usually played over the phone, though the GM - who goes by SuentisPo online, or SP for short - and I sometimes manage to get together for a marathon in-person session. Work scheduling issues often get in the way, but we will probably manage to game every 2-3 weeks. (I have a backlog of existing sessions to start posting, so that'll tide things over for a while.)
This first post is actually a short-short I wrote as a proposal to SP about how to start off the new game. (It involves retconning one of the final adventures of the original campaign.) He approved it.
---------------------------------------------------
Life and Light
Jon stirred, moaning. He'd never felt so much pain, not even his first day as a superhero when he'd been shot multiple times. Somebody was saying something, but it took him a while to take it in. "Photon, can you hear me? Photon, can you hear me?" Finally, he managed to croak, "Yes, Alpha, I'm awake." The computer's voice radiated relief. "Good. Do you need medical attention?"
"Dunno yet. Hurts like anything. Just a second." Taking a minute to catalog all his aches and pains, he cautiously tried to turn over and get his legs under him - then yelped as his ribs shot fire all through his torso. "Yowch!" Reflexively, he reached out to the zero-point, the timeless quantum satori of subatomic reality. His body scintillated for a moment, then he stood up. "Er. I think I needed some until just now. What just happened?" X-97 Alpha was uncharacteristically silent for a moment. "You, uh, took light-form for a split-second. Strobed on my camera." "What?! And I'm still here?! And in one piece?" "Seems so." "No broken ribs any more, either. Weird. Anyway... Whoa! What the heck hit me?!"
"Jessica." "Huh?! Erebus' girlfriend?" "Yep." "She, uh, doesn't have powers? That was no ordinary blow." "Didn't. She's been infected by the Shadow Realm, and apparently it's gone to her head. Shot you in the back with a darkbolt." "Why me? Oh, right. Duh. Light powers." "Right. She probably saw you as the biggest threat around."
Jon collected his wits, trying to take in the situation. The room - the dining area of the Shadow Force base - was a mess, chairs and smashed crockery everywhere. "Where is she now?" He started striding to the Situation Room. "Opened a portal to the Shadow Realm and left." "Where's the rest of the team?" "The Phantom and Erebus are in the Shadow Realm too. No word for several hours. Bazooka and Brimstone are out on patrol; I've called them back in. Beta's doing Show and Tell for some school kids; he'll be back soon too. Technoid... he's puttering. As usual." "Yeah." Technoid hadn't been the same since he'd been accidentally melded with his armor and other inventions a couple months previous.
Soon the remainder of the Shadow Force was gathered in the Situation Room. Jon outlined the situation with Alpha's help, then appealed to Bazooka. "What do we do now?" The older man shook his head. "Not much we can do. Unless Scott can whip up a Shadow Realm portal?"
Technoid smiled distantly. "Probably. With time. My other project takes up much of my attention." Bazooka barked at him, "Dammit, Scott! Mike and James are your friends! You've known them longer than we have!" The cybernetic gadgeteer shrugged. "I value their existence. But there are... higher issues... at stake." Bazooka shook his head in disgust. "Higher issues which, as usual, you can't be bothered to explain." "Quite correct."
Jon broke in, "There has to be something we can do!" Bazooka shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "Erebus is the only hero I've ever heard of with Shadow Realm power. We wouldn't even have heard of the place if not for him." Brimstone offered hesitantly, "Maybe there's a mage out there who can cast a spell to contact them?" Beta's mechanical voice stated flatly, "Contacting the Guardians is the logical course of action."
Everyone except Technoid (who continued to stare off into space) stared at the robot. (Beta wasn't usually known for his brains, and didn't talk much.) Alpha enthused, "That's actually a great idea, brother!"
Jon nodded. "It is." The Galactic Guardians were the resident superhero team of Washington, D.C., and were some of the most powerful beings on the planet. They also acted as an informal information clearinghouse and liason for hero teams throughout the country. "I suppose you'll talk to them, Bill?" Bazooka shook his head. "I know how to fight; I leave the talking to those who can do it." "Right. How about you, Liz?" (Technoid and Beta were obviously out of the question.) Brimstone shook her head too. "Go for it, Jon. You've dealt with them before."
Jon swallowed, "Er, yeah. OK." Fighting down his sometimes-crippling shyness, he told Alpha, "Open a line to the Guardians." "Got it, Photon." A videoscreen came to life, and Starflare looked directly at him. "Photon! Good to hear from you guys in Seattle again. What's up?" Jon flushed - Starflare was too cute for words. "Er, uh. Yeah." Starflare smiled patiently, used to her effect on young men... "Uh, the Phantom and Erebus have vanished into the Shadow Realm, and we don't know how to go after them. Plus, at least one person - Erebus' girlfriend - has been infected with Shadow power. Frankly, we're at a loss as to how to proceed."
The Lady of Light frowned. "I see your problem. The Shadow Realm is 'far' from the Earth dimension, I'm told. Not many people have been there. I'm sending Dr. Miracle your way, he might be able to help." "Thanks..." Jon was interrupted by a POOF and an impressive puff of smoke as the mage teleported in. The effect was somewhat spoiled by the fact he was wearing jeans and a T-shirt, and mismatched socks. Swearing softly, he snapped his fingers and his costume appeared around him. "Right, well, yes. Let's get started."
After several hours of arcane manipulations (literally), Dr. Miracle sighed helplessly. "Sorry, kid. There's nothing I can do. I can see vaguely into the blasted place, but not well enough to find them. If I had a Shadow-imbued object or person to work with, I could probably do better, but... Buck up, though. Erebus is the only expert on the Shadow Realm around, and a survivor like no other. As for the Phantom, he's a Class Five psychic and a top-notch hero - we've had an eye on him ever since the P.S.I. incident. They'll turn up."
------------------------
After a month of the two heroes not turning up, Bazooka called another team meeting. The ex-military man's face was hard and sad. "Let's face facts, people. Mike and James aren't coming back any time soon. And they, with Scott, are the core of the team. They're gone and Scott is useless. What are we left with in terms of a team?" He looked around slowly, and continued, "I have no illusions about my own ability. I've got powers, yeah, but I'm not versatile - I shoot things and that's it. Liz has a few more tricks, but she's in pretty much the same boat. Beta punches things as well as shooting them. Jon, you're versatile, but frankly you're green as hell. What's more, none of us have the contacts in the city and beyond that the Phantom had; and with Jessica gone, our bankroll could dry up at any second."
Jon said quietly, "You're talking about splitting up." "What choice do we have? We're going through the motions at the moment, and sure we can handle any bank robbery or whatever that turns up. But if another mentalist like the Doctor comes to town, do you think any of us stands a real chance? He killed the Freedom Squad single-handed, and if the Phantom hadn't been there to protect us we'd all be dogmeat too. Every single one of us, except maybe Beta. What if Diabolus comes back? Without Erebus, none of us has any magical ability. Hell, even Forestrike and his gang would probably push us over at the moment!"
"So, what? We're going to stop hero-ing? Seattle needs us!" "No. Liz and I have talked, and we'll keep at it together - either here or in Phoenix where her folks are. But by hanging out our shingle as a team, as Shadow-Force, we attract a certain class of enemy, get into certain kinds of trouble - bigger trouble than we can handle. I don't like it either, Jon, but that's how it is."
"And what about Mike's body?! He's still on life support in the vault while his mind astral-projects to God knows where!" Bazooka sighed. "Jessica's dad will likely find it cheaper to put him up in a hospital than to maintain this whole base. It's the least he can do."
Near tears, Jon asked, "Alpha? Beta?" Alpha said slowly, "I'm wired into this building. I can be reinstalled elsewhere, but frankly it'd be a pain - both literally and figuratively." Beta stated, "My father is dead and my brother is here. I have friends here. I will stay." Jon nodded slowly. "Okay then."
Speaking to a press conference later that day, heart pounding, Jon told his city, "Yes, Shadow-Force is breaking up. But I for one will continue to stand up for Seattle for as long as there is life and light in me. X-97 Beta stands with me. If there is anyone else out there with the power and the heart to join us, we will welcome you."
"But even if not - even if we have to stand alone - we will not leave our city to those who would prey upon it. We just won't."
"You have my word."
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