EPIC M&M: Issue 6 (IC)

With a groan Vince gets back to his feet rubbing his nose slightly, "I really have to practice my stopping." Picking up the collapsed "Ms. Vaille" he follows Sanjay out of the elevator just in time to watch him toss the necklace in the air.
 

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"But there must be something else besides that, otherwise your armor shouldn't have deterioted the way it has. Could it be that you are my duplication power, separated from the rest of me? It would provide an answer to why you have lost the heightened mental capacity, but retained the ability to duplicate."
 

Michelle will attempt to magnetically grab the flashing amulet, if she can grab it she will push it as far away from her and anything else as possible (80 feet). Once it is as far away as possible she will fly straight up taking it and the empty elevator with her
 

SAP Headquarters
Johan

"Wha?" your other self says with a confused look on his face.

"He said you and him have different abilities now," Loki translates.

"Well duhhhh! I know that, idiot!" Johan (version 2) snaps back at Loki.

"Maybe he's too dumb to have made the armor now, wouldn't you say, mate?" Rebound says.

"Hey, I'm like sitting right here!" Johan (version 2) complains angrily. "Now let me out of these thingies!"

"You mean the handcuffs?" Rebound asks.

"Yeah."

"Who's the idiot?" Loki quips.

"And if we did, what then?" Rebound asks.

"I'll off spanky there and get my brain back, of course!"

Rebound and Loki share a glance and say, "Riiiiight..."

A buzzing drops down to you as Tara lands between you and the building, a whirlwind above her carrying much debris from the building; glass and concrete. She steps back, releasing the whirlwind and it clatters to the ground loudly.

Then, from well above....

Neutron, Speed Demon, Metal Mistress
Neutron flies out and hurls the necklace towards Metal Mistress. Metal Mistress starts pulling the elevator out and wraps the necklace in another magnetic field as Vince starts stepping out of the elevator to take flight. Gavião de Gelo leaps out from the building, flapping his wings to gain momentum enough to fly. Then...

KRAAAAACK-OOOOOOM!!!!

The explosion rips through the air, shattering windows and bursting into a significant fireball. Vince slams back into the elevator with Ms. Vaile. His head nails the steel control panel, and he is knocked out! Gavião de Gelo is slammed back into the building, sliding briefly down the glass before he starts to plumet earthward. Neutron is blasted up, into and through a window, slamming into the suspended ceiling of the office within before obliterating a pair of filing cabinets, taking the twisted remains of them with him through the office wall and into the hallway. Somehow, he manages to remain conscious, though in significant pain. Metal Mistress is blasted the opposite direction, cartwheeling through the air, her vision swimming as she falls towards the ground.

Everyone takes 1L.
Conditions: Vince KO, Gavião de Gelo KO, Metal Mistress stunned, Neutron prone

The elevator tips, then starts falling back down the shaft. Vince dazedly comes, seeing the skyline whip by before there is a screeching sound and the elevator starts rapidly slowing down. The roof is suddenly peeled back and Cosmo reaches down and pulls you out of the car by your horns, handing you off to Straightjacket who grips the elevator car in one hand, clinging to the sides of the shaft with his legs, and holds you around the chest in another massive hand. He leaps down, picking up Ms. Vaile and leaping straight up to cling to the side of the elevator shaft.

"Let 'er go," he says, and Straightjacket releases his hold on the elevator for a more secure hold on the elevator shaft walls.

Neutron slowly extricates himself from the file cabinets as the distinctive sound of Loco comes bursting down the hall. The spinning form barely pauses before ripping through the office Neutron just plowed through and running down the side of the building in pursuit of the falling Gavião de Gelo.

Michelle sees the ground rapidly approaching, then an instant before impact something slams into her back and spins her around. The impact finishes the job the explosion started, and she passes out, faintly acknowledging that she is alive before she does so.

From the ground, the remaining epic members see Loco pass Gavião de Gelo and hit the ground, a whirlwind of air catching the unconscious winged man and setting him gently on the ground. They also see Michelle about to hit the ground when a large portuguese man in weightlifting tights slams into her, and spins her around so she lands on top of him as the pair slam into the ground. The shockwave shakes the area as concrete and dirt explode from the long crater the two create.

Debris rains down, and Rebound quickly moves to provide cover for as many as he can as Tara tries again to create a whilrwind to catch the largest pieces. Johan (version 1) uses gadgets to provide as much force field coverage as possible.

Camera crews are rolling, people are running for cover and the wail of ambulance and fire fighting vehicles are soon heard rapidly closing on the area.

Time to close this scene! Chapter is still going though :) I just need to be able to consolidate both groups around the same time in New York. A post for everyone will be coming sometime Tuesday or Wednesday if everything holds!
 

INTERLUDE
Telecommunications have been restored, and on every channel the same news broadcast is being played. Camera footage displays, showing vague details of most of the incidents at South American Pharmaceuticals. The final explosion is caught in complete detail, however, from the mid-air fireball to the catching of the elevator and rescue of those inside, from Neutron being blasted into the building to Loco racing out and saving his winged teammate, from Paco and Michelle's devastating impact into the ground to the remaining EPIC members stopping the falling debris from causing serious damage or injuries.

"... fortunate to be alive today. Several members of EPIC and the SAEF have been taken to hospital, along with dozens of police and workers at SAP.

"Police have taken into custody Rao Telda, head of the board of directors, several other prominant members of the board and mid-level aide, Chelsea Price. While no official report has been given, Telda appears to have made a play for power in SAP against Alison Vaile, going so far as to attempt to have her killed twice."

The image changes to the conversation with Telda in the parking garage and his subsequent activation of the explosive device.

"Moments after this occurred, the explosion that sent so many to hospital echoed through the city.

"Police are currently being tight lipped about charges against Rao Telda and his fellow suspects, but evidence against the perpetrators of these events is already being gathered. In an interview with EPIC members, evidence was presented that Telda may also be responsible for the attempted murder of one of EPIC's members," and the images change to an action shot of Neutron, "Sanjay Mohan, though details are sketchy at the moment.

"Rest assured, more details will soon follow.. I'm Ina Sosa," the report ends.
 

Brazilia Medical Facility
October 14, 2120

Metal Mistress
You wake up to find yourself in a hospital bed. The room you lay in is a comfortable one, and the TV is playing an interview by one Ina Sosa showing in great detail many of the events you just went through. There is a new uniform with EPIC emblazoned on it lyaing across a chair past the foot of your bed, though you are wearing a comfortable medical gown without a breezy backside. As you wake up, you are pleasantly surprised that other than a minor complete body ache, you appear mostly unscathed.

Thunder stands with his back to you, watching the television reports and flipping through channels to see other video feeds of the incidents of the past few days and appears unaware that you are awake. Tara sleeps in a recliner nearby.

Speed Demon
You come and don't quite recognize the ceiling. The smell, however, you recognize. Once more, you are laying in a hospital bed. A large TV is on playing video and commentary on the events of yesterday, and sunlight is streaming through the window on your left. Your head is throbbing as you sit up, hearing a litle jingle above you. Looking up, you see a pair of oversized corks imbedded into your horn tips, a string of bells between them. A "Do Not Disturb! Will Eat You!" sign is dangling from the string of bells.

A grey haired businessman sits at the table in the room, reading the paper and turns to you as you sit up and jingle. It's your father, and he seems quite happy you are awake.

"The doctor said you would recover soon," he says, dropping his paper and coming over to your bed. He looks you over with a researcher's eye. "Those are new, those are new, that's definitely new," he says, looking at your horns, wings and tail in order. "Your eyes seem far more normal than last time I saw you. How is your vision?"

While he is focused on you, you notice it doesn't look like he's been getting much sleep. His hair isn't exactly perfect as it usually is, and his eyes have big bags under them.

Neutron
Unlike the others, you were quite conscious when they brought you in. While Rebound has long since gone to bed, exhausted from his growth power, and Loki is getting checked over and detoxified, most of the night for you has been spent speaking with members of ISA as they gather evidence against Rao Telda and his co-conspiritors. Thankfully, early in the process, Empath, Sanchez and Thunder arrive, with Empath sitting with you, Cosmo and Straightjacket to help with your statements. Finally, as dawn breaks, the police have all the information they need. Cosmo and Straightjacket head off to get some sleep, but for some reason Empath seems most interested in keeping you occupied with questions and such.

After a while, you start to get really irritated at being cooped up for so long, not to mention curious as to why you haven't yet been attacked by Monica. Which is about when you realize she wasn't at SAP Headquarters with the rest of EPIC.

Johan
You are sitting in a Brazilia Medical laboratory with an old doctor, Sanchez, who arrived with Thunder and Empath some time ago, and your other self. Some while back, your other self managed to disperse the rest of the duplicates. The two of you have been the guinea pigs in several tests, trying to figure out what is going on.

"Well," Sanchez says. "Same DNA strands, for the most part. I mean, slight differences here and there from a seperation of powers I'm betting."

"But that doesn't explain this," the doctor says, pointing at a screen facing away from you.

"Doesn't explain what!?" exclaims your other self, strapped currently to a table much like you are.

Your curiosity causes you to glance over and you experience a momentary shift in your vision. Little white lights zip by you as you seem to momentarily go down some sort of black tunnel with sparkling lights, then you find yourself examining the same data the doctor is. Apparently, you are generating a minor electromagnetic field, where your other self is not. And the heatsink in this computer is in major need of replacement. You aren't quite sure how a hospital this advanced could have a computer with such low memory. And that is a horrible security hole in the network.

With another shift of vision, you find yourself looking across the room again.

It'll all become clear soon... maybe. Muahaha.

October 26, 2120
Dover, England

Dover Medical Facility

X12
It takes you a matter of moments to heal the injuries of Kodiak and Trailblazer, the former quickly making his way outside the hospital and back to the jet to "prepare for our return trip." For some odd reason, you don't buy that for a moment. Someone here seems to have heard of you. The hospital administrator is coming towards you with one of the hospital doctors.

"Oh boy, here they come partner. This is probably our cue to mosey off with furball," Trailblazer says as they approach.

"We have several patients who could desperately use your healing touch," the administrator says without even so much as an introduction.

"Now, lady," Trailblazer says. "I reckon that you can do just as much for folks as X can, and you don't end up hurt as a result."

"And I don't believe I was speaking to you," she says sternly. The administrator cuts a matronly figure. She is in her 50's with grey hair pulled tightly back and agressive wire rimmed glasses, giving her a stern look to go with her waspish voice. "Now come along," she says, reaching for your arm to drag you off.

You also see Empath talking to Raisa in the lobby, a rather headed discussion at that, though their voices are at least subdued.

Jay
Titan talks with you and your father for a good long while. After hearing of your military training, he doesn't take long to agree to you joining the school.

"I'll talk with the European Council about getting you released to EPIC service. With the threat of Anarchy looming over your head, I doubt there will be much opposition to you coming stateside, amigo," he says. "I am more concerened with you, Lord York, and your safety. Anarchy is not to be trifled with."

"I realize the danger, thank you, Titan," your father says. "But with the entirety of my resources at my personal disposal, I assure you I shall be quite safe. I am also given opportunity to test my devices in the field. I am sure Ms. Sanchez shall find studying them most interesting," he says with a bit of a frown. "But honing them shall give my son an advantage, so I suppose that cannot be helped."

"What devices, hmm?" Titan asks.

The cases are opened as Kodiak comes back on the plane. Inside are several items, and both cases seem to contain the same items. He pulls out a rather amazing looking assault rifle. Unlike a sniper rifle, it is relatively short, only about 3 feet in length.

"The YX assault unit," Lord York explains. Titan doesn't look too pleased. "Do not worry, Titan. I have no intention of giving my son a lethal weapon. The discharge is light based, delivering a charge of energy to overwhelm the synapses of a target. It can blind a foe, or exhaust them as well, can penetrate most armor thanks to the beam being compsed of light, and has both single and autofire capability."

Setting the gun back in the case, he pulls out an armband Jay has already seen. "The YX stimpjack injector. It delivers a charge of medical nanobots to repair danage to tissues and organs. This is specificaly DNA geared to Jeremy, so it won't work on anyone else, but can be activated by a thought or when a sensor in the band indicates he is in need of aid. It needs to be recharged often, however, a flaw we are working on remedying."

"I'm sure X12 will appreciate that particular device," Titan says.

"This belt," he says, pulling a thick metalic belt from the case, "is a prototype we call the YX deflection field. The field will automatically attempt to deflect any incoming physical or energy attack from the wearer. The field is invisible, but," he says with a meaninful look at Jeremy, "it will degrade with use until it is recharged, so do not think it makes you invulnerable.

"Finally, this helmet is something I am tweaking for military use here in Europe," he says, drawing out a lightweight helmet with ocular sensors. "This helmet grants the wearer the ability to see in the dark, detect most invisible foes, as well as having a self contained radio broadcast and reception system that is very difficult to jam.

"I plan on making some other alterations to other devices, but I think this should, coupled with Jeremy's ability to boost his physical abilities, keep him quite safe," Lord York says, resealing the case.

"Keeping Sanchez from tearing those apart will take nothing short of a miracle," Titan jokes. "I'm sure Kodiak can handle it."

"I believe, comrade, that the proper response to that would be 'go to hell,' " Kodiak rumbles.

"Well, with that pretty much settled, do you have any questions about the EPIC facility? Because it is not simply a training ground; it is also a school. One you'll be joining mid-semester I might add," Titan says to Jeremy.
 

"Look, ma'am," X12 says, recoiling from the woman, "I don't necessarily mind helping your facility, but I'm not just a machine you can drag about as you wish. We're on time constraints for tracking down some dangerous criminals - this isn't a good time for us.

"If you bring me charts, ma'am, I'll find out how much time we have, and I'll help as many cases before we leave as I can."
 

"I've been thinking -no surprise there, I gather-, but maybe this is a result of my rig-built neurocomputer interface? I experienced a wierd out of body happenstance, which ended with me being transported from the van to the SAP security control room with a virtual construct of their defenses.
I believe my duplicate here was in existance when the telelocation happened, so it could be possible that my body thought it was dying, triggering a reaction reported with some duplicators to carry on living in their duplicate. But since I didn't really die, only part of my essence made the transportation.
But I'm still not sure if that explains the electromagnetic field... Maybe you should have the heatsink and the memory on that computer maintained and upgraded, respectively, it could be a miscalculation."
 

D...Dad?? DAD!! It is so good to see you again! Looking a little embarrassed, Vince reaches up and tears the bells and note away from his horns. They are promptly crumpled and tossed aside. "Yeah, I think I have kinda started growing into my eyes. You'll notice I'm a fair bit larger than before. I keep growing and mutating and I'm not sure if it's done yet. My vision is actually even better than it was before so I seem to be maturing that way too." With a gesture towards the corks on his horns and the discarded note Vince adds, "It hasnt helped me in keeping a low profile or winning friends though. How are Mom and the twins? Geez, how are you?? You look tired and that is coming from a guy that runs around cities for fun."
 

"I have got to stop waking up in a hospital beds." She says quietly not wanting to wake up Tara.

"Was anyone else hurt in the explosion and how did I not become road kill?" She asks Thunder as she pushes herself up into a sitting postion
 

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