Project Daedalus (Issue #4)

[Agamon]

Out Front
Barrett shrugs at Misha's query. "No, but, they've been gone, what, over three hours? I bet they're back by now, probably on their way here."

He accepts the cold beer back from Jennifer with a, "Cool, thanks." and is about to take a swig when the phone at his side starts beeping. He rolls his eyes. "Aw, man, what now? Geez, never a moment's rest..."

He opens it up and answers. "What's u...Eagle?? What the hell's going on?"

Angela's also answered from out back. "Jen? Are you okay?"

Screaming Eagle looks terrible. Covered in dirt, sweat and blood, the entire left half of her face is a bruise and her left eye is swollen shut and she appears both quite tired and in pain. What can be seen behind her looks like a war zone. "I don't have time to talk. We need both of you down here, now. And if anyone from Aegis is available, bring them, too, especially Misha." A tremendous crash can be heard from her end. She looks up and back again. "Hurry!" is all she says before ending the call.

Barrett's face turns a shade of white. "Get everyone together, we're leaving," he says, dialing out on his phone, and saying into it a quick, "Prep the aerodyne, fast, we're leaving immediately."

Out Back
"Oh my God," Angela says as she hangs up. "Tyrone, get your team together, we're leaving right away," she says quickly.

 

[Tokiwong]

Out Front
Barrett shrugs at Misha's query. "No, but, they've been gone, what, over three hours? I bet they're back by now, probably on their way here."

Misha pauses for a moment.

He accepts the cold beer back from Jennifer with a, "Cool, thanks." and is about to take a swig when the phone at his side starts beeping. He rolls his eyes. "Aw, man, what now? Geez, never a moment's rest..."

Misha listens for a moment...

He opens it up and answers. "What's u...Eagle?? What the hell's going on?"

Angela's also answered from out back. "Jen? Are you okay?"

When he hears this, his eyes narrow slightly, "Not good," he says under his breath.

Screaming Eagle looks terrible. Covered in dirt, sweat and blood, the entire left half of her face is a bruise and her left eye is swollen shut and she appears both quite tired and in pain. What can be seen behind her looks like a war zone. "I don't have time to talk. We need both of you down here, now. And if anyone from Aegis is available, bring them, too, especially Misha." A tremendous crash can be heard from her end. She looks up and back again. "Hurry!" is all she says before ending the call.

Barrett's face turns a shade of white. "Get everyone together, we're leaving," he says, dialing out on his phone, and saying into it a quick, "Prep the aerodyne, fast, we're leaving immediately."

Misha nods, looking to the others, "Anytime, anywhere I am ready..." he says.

 

[Calinon]

"Kiro, Rachel, get out front and find Sarah and Misha. We've been called into duty already," Tyrone says as he rushes into the house. "Sorry, mama. We gotta go. Take care of Alita if you can," he says as he runs upstairs. Opening Miguel's door, he says, "Sorry, Miguel, we have to go help AF, now. Mama will look after Alita.

"Aaron! Get into that uniform and get out front with the others," he calls out. "We're leaving!" He hurries into his own room, dresses in his outfit, and quickly runs outside.
I assume the Aerodyne is coming to us, rather than the likely long drive back to Freedom Plaza? If not, well, the drive should be fun.

 

[Elementor]

Coming out of the bedroom in his new uniform, Aaron is excited to show it off for everyone but the house is in chaos as everyone dashes around. Heading out front, he looks around and wonders aloud, "Whats going on?"

 

[Mimic]

Opening Miguel's door, he says, "Sorry, Miguel, we have to go help AF, now. Mama will look after Alita.

Dammit, Miguel mutters as he watches Tryone leave, he spends a few minutes looking towards the door and then back to Alita.

Be strong Alita, he whispers to her as he strokes her hair. I'm going to find Tryone's mom, she will be here for you until I get back. He says as he gets up and goes to find her.

I don't want to leave her but it would seem that I don't have a choice, I hope you don't mind watching her until I get back, he tells the lady. Don't let her leave, tie her down if you have too. She may get violent but I don't think she will have much strength left, if we can get her though the first 24 hours the rest should be easier.

Miguel will grab his duster and head out front with everyone else.

 

[Shalimar]

When her enhanced hearing picks up the Tyrone telling Aaron to get her and the others, she runs to the bathroom and slips out of her clothes. A quick form change and she is running through the house on four legs, her paws scrabbling for purchase on a few of the surfaces, she slips out of the door behind Aaron, and stands looking up at the others. Her lean graceful form seems to be channeling excessive energy as she runs around the yard in every which way looking for the source of the trouble. Finally she assumes the classic sit position in front of Misha, looking at him as if to say, so what do we do now?

 

[Calinon]

"Angel, Devil and Silvertip need our help," Tyrone, now dressed in his typical uniform, says in response to Aaron. "Cumulous, do we need to head to HQ or is the Aerodyne coming here?" he asks the woman.

 

[Agamon]

Alita glances back wearily at Miguel as he leaves. "N-no, Miguel, you said you'd st-stay with me. Please...don't leave," she sobs.

Downstairs, Kiro watches as Tyrone races upstairs and Rachel races to the bathroom. Curious, he follows Angela, who came in after Tyrone, but stoped in the living room to turn on the TV, which is still tuned to CNN. Miguel and Tyrone catch this as they come downstairs.

An aerial view of downtown Baltimore comes into view, or at least that's what the caption at bottom of the screen says. Roughly 6 or 7 blocks of buidlings are anywhere from half-standing to completely destroyed, fires dotting the area, with upended vehicles and other debris littering the streets.

"...members of American Freedom try to once more contain the elite that is the cause of all this damage. Police are evacuating people from the immediate vacinty as quickly as possible." The camera zooms in to try and focus on a struggle between what looks to be Jersey Devil and a very large, perhaps as tall as 10 to 12 feet, naked man. The man grabs Devil, who is behind him, trying to put some sort of hold on him, and tosses him into the side of a building. As Devil stands back up, the man picks up a nearby overturned car with one hand and tosses it like a wadded up ball of paper at another building across the street. The entire wall of the building collapses and the twisted remains of the vehicle burst into flame.

"No one knows the motives of this powerful elite, aside from random wanton destruction. Nor are we yet aware how he's come to free himself after already twice being apparently defeated by AF. We now take you to an eyewitness report. Jim?"

"Thanks, Tawnia. With me is Ron Wheeler, proprioter of a local coffee shop. Ron, please describe for us your first encounter with this elite."

"Sure. Was in my shop, serving a customer when this guy in some sorta hospital gown walks in, looking confused. Thought he was on drugs or some escaped psych ward patient, he kept just wandering around, bumping into things. One of my customers got angry when the guy bumped his table and spilled his coffee. That's when it hit the fan. The guy picked up the table and threw it at the wall, smashed it to bits. I called the cops, told 'em I had a crazy elite on my hands, while my customers ran out of the shop, screaming. I had to leave, he just kept punching holes in the walls, tossing around tables, and such, until he punched though the wall into shoe store beside my shop.

"The cops got there, but they couldn't stop him. Their bullets slowed him down some, but didn't seem to really hurt 'im. He pretty much had the whole side of the street trashed before American Freedom came in. Boy, they kicked his butt good, didn't even break a sweat. They had him cuffed and sent him away. But before I could even get ahold of my insurance guy, I hear he's busted out of those weird eilte cuffs they got and is totally trashing the neighborhood again."

Jim finshes the tale. "From there, American Freedom managed to defeat the elite again, that time having a little more trouble than the first. It did not stay down long, however, and the elite, having continually grown in size and power, now only seems to be distracted by the presence of the the AF members on site."

Angela shoots Tyrone a worried look. "Barrett called HQ, I think he's here," she says, glancing around the house.

Outside, Barrett finshes his conversation on the phone. "The aerodyne will be here in 10 minutes. And it should only be a 10 minute flight to Baltimore," he says. "Do whatever you need to to get ready," he adds, sounding impatient at the thought of waiting.

 

[Mimic]

Miguel pulls Tryone over to the side.

Can you do this without me? He says gesturing towards the television, I promised her that I would be there for her, I don't think I should leave her like this. He adds looking up towards the stairs. Will your mom be able to handle her?

Uncertainty is easily recognised on his face, part of him wants to go but another part of him wants to stay and help out his friend.

Regardless of what Tryone says Miguel will go over to Sarah. Hey, I need your help, my friend is in alot of pain, can you put her to sleep? Make it so she doesn't wake up for 6 to 8 hours?

If Sarah does put her to sleep he will thank her and will go to Baltimore with a lot less guilt.

 

[Calinon]

"You signed the contract like the rest of us and given the situation, we probably will need everyone," Tyrone says calmly. He continues, trying to sound supportive, "Look, man, she's not going to get better today, whether you stay or not. She's going through withdrawal. Prepare for weeks of this. If you want to help her, check her into a clinic tomorrow. But for now, it's time to do our job. And yeah, Mama can handle anything."