Generation Legacy Issue #7 "Innocence Lost" - Part 1

[Tokiwong]

James tries to pay attention during the briefing by Pramoj about Strength. He is worried about what happened to Tommy and Kelly, but he wants to be a value to the team so he takes notes on his PDA and studies the location, different faces. When the briefing is over James will ask Pramoj if they have a medical facility on base and if he can go there, he needs to study and try and memorize the location in case anyone needs a quick medical t-port evace. James will also ask for and satellite city maps and study different locations around town that he can get to in one extended teleport.

Pramoj is more then willing to oblige. He smiles warmly to James, and then says a few words in Thai, and the monitor switches to an overland map of the region surrounding the Ultimate 80's A-Go-Go establishment. Out to 25 miles in all directions. From the map it is clear that the region is rife with similar types of clubs, parlors, and less savory establishments.

Pramoj states, “We can set up emergency evac points wherever you need them,” he pauses, “I am curious should I use your codenames or your actual names? I assume each of you has the customary elite codename yes?”

He clears his throat, “As I was saying, we can have reinforcements stationed if needed. For quick relief if need be. But I am sure elites of your caliber should be able to handle this with ease. The UNJE has the utmost faith in your abilities.”

Kiyana watches, “Wow…” she says smiling, “I am a little nervous…” she blushes, “this is so exciting.”

Yoshi paces, “Damn I am anxious, I hope Mark hurries up, we got Water Margin thugs to crack on. I wouldn’t worry too much about Strength, Pramoj, we can handle that chump easy. We are just using him to get to Honor, and then its payback, Legacy style.”

Kelly

The girl giggles, “No not just your thoughts, but my thoughts as well. And I can control it, its part of my power. I would not worry too much about Neuro, he may be here, but I control this mindscape. You can think of this as just a little world in our own minds, and the rules obey the rules of our real world for the most part. Now to begin,” she smiles.

The little girl steps away from Kelly, and gestures to two paths. “The right path will take you deeper into your own fears and regrets, although at first it will seem benign, it will grow more and more oppressive we go. I suspect that somewhere in that direction is Neuro, nestling among your more fevered thoughts.”

The little girl continues, “The left path will take us deeper into your psyche, and not just your worries and thoughts, but your memories, and personality. The very essence that makes you, you. Each path is fraught with dangers, that we will face together, but as they say I can only show you the path, you must walk it. I will warn you, the deeper we go, the less control I will have, and the more the world will react to us, as we leave this safe region. If you ever wish to return, then simply cry out, ‘Sanctuary’ and we should be brought back here.”

“Now as I said before you must choose your path,” the little girl spoke.

 

[Hammerhead]

Ryan smiled nervously, masking his fear and anticipation. This is it. Our first real mission, a chance to prove ourselves. Let's hope we don't screw up, because this is going to be on the news for sure.

"Uh, I think all of have codenames, although for the life of me I can't remember Mark's, but we all prefer our real names here." Ryan then examines the monitor, checking the exits of the club.

It feels nice to be the one doing the ambushing, Ryan thinks, recalling all of his previous battles. His eyes scan the monitor, and then move up to his friends...their smiles, their eyes, their faces...against someone like Strength, who left broken and battered corpses in his wake. Ryan has a sudden vision of Anika in a similar state, dead, and he shakes his head, trying to clear the image from his mind.

"I never had much time to think, before they happened," he says softly, as if something were stuck in his throat, suffocating him. I've never had time to think, to predict, to imagine, to fear what could happen...I've always just responded. Can I do this? What if something goes wrong, and innocent people get hurt? Or worse, one of us doesn't make it back home? Ryan's face is sullen as he focuses on the monitor.

 

[Karl Green]

Pramoj is more then willing to oblige. He smiles warmly to James, and then says a few words in Thai, and the monitor switches to an overland map of the region surrounding the Ultimate 80's A-Go-Go establishment. Out to 25 miles in all directions. From the map it is clear that the region is rife with similar types of clubs, parlors, and less savory establishments.

Pramoj states, “We can set up emergency evac points wherever you need them,” he pauses, “I am curious should I use your codenames or your actual names? I assume each of you has the customary elite codename yes?”

He clears his throat, “As I was saying, we can have reinforcements stationed if needed. For quick relief if need be. But I am sure elites of your caliber should be able to handle this with ease. The UNJE has the utmost faith in your abilities.”

James smiles cheerfully "Well generally the extent of my range is about 8 miles anothough in training I have pushed it closer to 30 miles but I really don't want to go that far unless I really have to. If we could set up on within 8 miles of this Go-Go place I could make that a lot easier. As for code names sure you can call me Traveller, but I will answer to James also."

Kiyana watches, “Wow…” she says smiling, “I am a little nervous…” she blushes, “this is so exciting.”

Yoshi paces, “Damn I am anxious, I hope Mark hurries up, we got Water Margin thugs to crack on. I wouldn’t worry too much about Strength, Pramoj, we can handle that chump easy. We are just using him to get to Honor, and then its payback, Legacy style.”

James give Kiyana is braves smile and takes her hand to give it a light squeeze. When he lets go he does a quick wink but then goes back to studying the maps, and getting a good idea about the lay out of the area

 

[Shalimar]

Kelly looks clearly perplexed as to which way to go, which area of her mind to enter. "I really want to be back to myself again, so that means that I should go to the left, but...I want Neuro out of me as quick as possible so I should go right, I don't know... What do you think?" she asks the girl, trying to peer down the different paths. When she remembers what the girl said, she blushes, "I guess I have to pick though, huh? Well, lets go get Neuro out of me and then we can fix everything else he did to me, is that ok?" she asks the doctor, starting off on the path into her fears, wondering what she'll find, wondering, and fearing it.

"So like my powers, do they work in here too? I 've seen cartoons where people could do anything that they wanted since its their thoughts, could I like shink Neuro till he like disappears or somehing?"

 

[Samnell]

The image goes dead.

Mark stared at the blank monitor for a moment. Could McCallister really be the spy? Why would he tell me that stuff unless- Unless he wanted to get me on his side.

If I don't trust the UN, who do I have to go to? McCallister. Who gave me stuff to make me question the UN? McCallister. Who told me the UN had a dark side when I questioned him on it. McCallister. It all fit.

"He was trying to turn me." That jerk wanted me on his side with the people that killed Tommy and Kelly! Mark got up and walked back to the others.

"Got news, guys. Paragon just called. Justice Elite is making getting Tommy's and Kelly's killer top priority and McCallister just quit. Jun Min has his job for now. Paragon told me they think McCallister might have been working for the Pantheon," Mark announces icily.

EDIT: to avoid the language filter's smilies.

 

[Tokiwong]

"Got news, guys. Paragon just called. Justice Elite is making getting Tommy's and Kelly's killer top priority and McCallister just quit. Jun Min has his job for now. Paragon told me they think McCallister might have been working for the Pantheon," Mark announces icily.

Kiyana gasps, “Mr. McCallister is Pantheon, how? Why? I don’t believe it!” she cries.

Star thinks for a moment, “It could very well fit, Kelly did say she had a problem with Mr. McCallister and now she is dead, only hours later. But that is completely conjecture and it’s hard to believe he would do that. But I cannot see a reason for the UNJE to lie to us.”

Yoshi shrugs, “Whatever,” he says with a shrug, “sounds good to me. I can flip off that old man next time I see him, anyone who messes with the UNJE deserves to have their ass in a sling. Kiyana quit your crying I doubt he shed a tear when Tommy and Kelly bit it. I doubt he would cry for you, so don’t cry for him.”

Kiyana sniffles, and buries her head in James’ shoulder.

“Jesus, cry me a river, he was a Pantheon spy,” Yoshi says loudly, “whatever we thought about him does not matter. The truth may hurt, but it isn’t like it changes anything. Justice Elite will handle Surge, then Mr. McCallister, and any other Pantheon terrorist. We have to handle Strength, lets focus on that.”

Kelly

“In this world your powers are an extension of yourself, they should operate as normal if they are needed, but the true confrontation is not one of violence, but of the self,” she follows along as the pastoral wind swept hills give way to a seedy city underbelly where all things Kelly are up for sale, from the cheap and gaudy to the perverse and disgusting.

People leer at Kelly, as she passes, and rain begins to pour as the elite makes her way down the street. Despite all the people she feels terribly alone, and cold. The little girl shivers, “Your fears gnaw at you, Kelly, tell me what is it that you fear most in this world?”

 

[Agamon]

Anika watches Pramoj's briefing, which does little to dispel her self-doubt. She looks to Ryan, hoping to get a reassuring smile from him, but he doesn't look very pleased with the prospect of the fight either. Giving her head a shake, she berates herself mentally. "C'mon, we can do this. We can take him down before he knows what hit him." The look of uncertainty turns to that of grim determination.

"Got news, guys. Paragon just called. Justice Elite is making getting Tommy's and Kelly's killer top priority and McCallister just quit. Jun Min has his job for now. Paragon told me they think McCallister might have been working for the Pantheon," Mark announces icily.

Grim determination becomes shock and disbelief. "What?? Great Wodan, why is all of this happening? McCallister killed..." She all of a sudden becomes angry. "No. Enough already. We have a mission ahead of us. No more distractions."

"Yoshi is right. Thanks for being upfront with us, Mark, but frankly, that info could have waited. We have a job to do. The sooner it's done, the better," she says firmly. Turning back to the monitor, she adds, "So, what's the plan?"

 

[Shalimar]

Kelly again looks puzzeled, an expression the doctor must be getting bored with quickly, "I don't understand, a confrontation of self... whats a confrontation of self?" she asks, the little girl, curiously. Trusting the doctor, but still wanting to be sure before she goes any further, she looks up at the sky an does her best to make it sunny again, to make the rain dry up.

"I...this is embaressing...and silly...but I think...I think the thing that I'm most afraid of is that I'm a bad person, that no one really likes me, can like me...Neuro, he keeps telling me... he keeps saying that I'm just a puppet, just a toy, for anyone, that no actually cares about me, they just like me because I'm rich, or because I can sing, or cause how I look. They just want what I can do, not me, it makes me feel soo lonely, thats why I like Tommy so much. He doesn't need anything, he, well, he doesn't need me, so its like its really real and not just him pretending." she tells the child, haltingly at first, being uncomfortable, but slowly being more willing. She looks around uncomfortably as the cityscape around her emphasizes that she feels like the world sees everything about her being on sale, even her body.

 

[Tokiwong]

Kelly again looks puzzeled, an expression the doctor must be getting bored with quickly, "I don't understand, a confrontation of self... whats a confrontation of self?" she asks, the little girl, curiously. Trusting the doctor, but still wanting to be sure before she goes any further, she looks up at the sky an does her best to make it sunny again, to make the rain dry up.

"I...this is embaressing...and silly...but I think...I think the thing that I'm most afraid of is that I'm a bad person, that no one really likes me, can like me...Neuro, he keeps telling me... he keeps saying that I'm just a puppet, just a toy, for anyone, that no actually cares about me, they just like me because I'm rich, or because I can sing, or cause how I look. They just want what I can do, not me, it makes me feel soo lonely, thats why I like Tommy so much. He doesn't need anything, he, well, he doesn't need me, so its like its really real and not just him pretending." she tells the child, haltingly at first, being uncomfortable, but slowly being more willing. She looks around uncomfortably as the cityscape around her emphasizes that she feels like the world sees everything about her being on sale, even her body.

“Well we all need our external reservoirs of strength, Kelly. How do you see yourself, not so much what you think others think of you. How do you picture the person that you are now?” the little girl asks.

The weather slowly changes under Kelly’s will, but does not fully abate. It seems her power does not fully affect this area, and the feeling of cold, unrelenting loneliness and exploitation remains. She passes by a window that has her looking at Tommy selling compromising images of her over the virtua-web. Another image has her agent selling her music, likeness and anything else for money. Mr. McCallister berates Kelly in another fleeting image before she finds herself alone in a long alley with the young girl at her side.

 

[Shalimar]

"I'm me...I, I don't know what you want me to say." the popstar says slightly vexxedly, but obediently, she turns her thoughts inward, trying to think about how she sees herself. As she is thinking about it, her body undergoes changes, coming to match what she thinks of herself as. Her hair slowly grows shorter, and shifts itself into the type of pigtails that a child would wear. Even as her hair changes, she begins to get shorter, but her dress stays the same size, becoming humungous on her, like she is a little girl dressing up in big girl clothes, one who looks kind of silly doing it.

The child popstar starts to sniffle at the image of Tommy selling pictures of her and him when they were lying together. "He wouldn't do that, he cares about me, he wouldn't do anything to hurt me, he loves me, like I love him," she protests to the image, as if arguing would make it go away.