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Claremont Academy, Room 203 8:30 PM, August 28th, 2019 It had been an eventful first day back to Claremont. So many new students, so many new friends, and then, of course, there was the whole issue with Leroy and Judy and the ill fated marriage proposal, and Micah getting caught in the middle of all that. Pan had wanted to know more from his friend, but, as he had suspected, Micah had not wanted to share too much in front of everyone that had shown up on the rooftop, so he had decided to wait. The Forever Boy had his own ideas about Micah's frustrations, of course, but was there any point to him just blurting them out, aside from scaring Micah off? No! Of course not! It was still light outside when they reached their shared room, even as the sun was slowly setting and the first stars were beginning to appear on the sky above. Pan's side of the room was, of course, quite a mess. Not that he had many belongings, but the ones he had managed to accumulate with the extradimensional student funding was strew across his chair, desk and bed, including clothes, bags and various trinkets he had found interesting, including a ship in a bottle that was currently on his bed. Slipping out of his shoes, he stretched and took a few steps up, away from the floor, just to stretch, before calling out to his friend. "Well then, time to get to business, no? Is there anything about Leroy, Judy and you that you need to get off your chest, my friend?" His voice was calm, reassuring. He was here to help, after all!

Claremont Academy, Freedom City Early November 6:00PM Once again, Claremont had invited a guest to the lecture hall, and again it was going to be someone a bit controversial. Serena Mustafic, known to the hero community both as Corona and formerly as Revolt, had been asked to come to give a lecture on being an ex-supervillain and how crime didn’t pay. After a few questions, she had found out she hadn’t been their first pick, but the first had referred them to her. Which made her suspect who it was, but she couldn’t be sure because they weren’t telling. Attendance wasn’t mandatory, which meant that Corona’s daughter Mia was off hiding in her room, away from the potential embarrassment. Not that Serena knew that. Instead, she was more focused on the sudden crowd in front of her. She wondered, briefly, if she had gone insane agreeing to do this. She forced the thought back down and approached the podium. She was dressed in full costume, complete with grey tights, black trunks and leather jacket. She figured if she was talking as a superhero, she should look the part. Rubbing the back of her neck, she waited for the introduction to happen. “Alright, everyone, this is Corona. She is here to talk to you all today about what makes a supervillain, how bad it was to be one, and how you shouldn’t become one. If you want to ask a question, please wait in turn and try not to interrupt,” said the host. Corona sighed, and leaned up to the microphone. “Hi, everyone. I’m Corona. Some of you might know me as Mia’s mom, others might not know me at all. I’m a superhero now, but back in the early 90s I was a supervillain called Revolt,” she said. “I was a member of a team called the Delinquents. We were formed basically right after the Terminus Invasion in ‘93.” “Uhm, some background. Before I got my powers, I was in and out of the foster system and I was pretty poor as a kid. I drifted from home to home, and started committing crimes when I was… Jeez. I don’t know. 10? I was angry at the world. Everyone, really, and I ran away a lot. It made me pretty ideal fodder for being turned into a villain. I was kidnapped by a man named Will Wu when I was 15 years old, and I was given superpowers. In exchange, I was expected to commit crimes for him along with four other teenagers.” “Before you get the idea I was entirely the victim in this, I was pretty into it. For most of my life, I had felt powerless, and suddenly having powers and the ability to act on a lot of anger I was harbouring… It felt good. It let me be blind to the fact that I was causing a lot of people a lot of pain. I think there’s a very large subset of super-villains who are people who felt powerless and then when they did gain extraordinary abilities they just… Got drunk on it. That’s not… I don’t want it to sound like I am making excuses for myself. But I think it’s important to remember that a lot of these people out there are people who are hurting in some way, and there might be a chance for you to make a breakthrough to them.” “Uh, but getting back to my story here. I was a supervillain for around three years. I fought with groups like the Freedom League, there’s a very embarrassing photo of me fighting Lady Li…” she paused, and looked up at the projector screen behind her, and sighed as she saw a teenage version of her attacking the Lady Liberty of the 90s. It was a newspaper clipping, underneath a headline of ‘DELINQUENTS AND FREEDOM LEAGUE CLASH’. “Yeah. Not proud of that one. Anyway,” she said as the image switched off. “I was caught at the end of those three years and sentenced to several years in jail, which was kind of a wakeup call for me. Once I got out, I made the decision that I was going to go straight. Most of my compatriots went straight along with me… Some didn’t. I am still dealing with the fallout of that today. I never finished high school, so I was really limited in my job choices, which meant after I had my daughter, money was tight as ever, and a few members of the super community paid me a few unwanted visits to let me know that I was being watched, which was a little spooky, not going to lie. Recently, I made the decision to return to the super world, but as a superhero. It’s been difficult at times, but it’s a lot more rewarding.” She paused. “Well, that’s the short version of my life story. One thing I really feel the need to say is that I know a lot of you are probably in a similarly crummy point in your life, and you might want to lash out. Your powers might make it easy to lash out. And for a time, it might even feel good. But consequences always catch up to you, and more than that, you’re not just hurting the people you think you’re lashing out at. Your actions tend to ring outwards. Which is why I think if you are angry at injustice, or the way you’ve been treated, what you should be doing is using your abilities to make the world better. Yes, I understand a lot of you are angry at the world and you probably have a lot of right to be. But the world does not need another super-powered jerk bullying people because they’ve been abused, or hurt… or whatever has happened to you. What it does need is more people doing good. That doesn’t necessarily mean going out and punching bad guys, either. There are a lot of really good organizations out there that can benefit from people who are super strong or can fly. Disaster relief really benefits from metahuman help. Like, unimaginably so. So… Just try to use that outrage for good, I guess.” She looked over at the host. “How was that? Was that good? Should I start taking questions?” She nodded at the answer. “Alright, if anyone has any questions, I can answer a few.”

Claremont Academy, Freedom City Early November Just Past Midnight The room was dark, illuminated only by the flickering of the screen. Mia rested on her side, dressed in a sleep-shirt and comfortable pajama pants. Normally, she just went with the t-shirt, but it was colder in Lulu’s room than it was in her own. Danica had to maintain a fairly warm temperature, after all. It was normally tolerable, but it was good to get out of it sometimes. Normally, the sound coming out of her laptop would have been Japanese, but she had been forced to agree to use the dub this time. It was a concession she was not entirely happy about but she agreed to it anyway. Not everyone tolerated her weeb trash, and besides, the screen wasn’t the biggest anyway. After a few moments, though, a thought passed into her head. She turned on her side, and looked over at Lulu. They had been through a lot. Even though the Black House had, externally, only had them in there for an hour or two at most, the interior made it feel longer. A lot longer. It had helped her build a stronger bond with the girl, and honestly, she liked hanging out with her even if they did seem to occupy really different worlds at times. “So,” Mia said. “You wanna go get high and maybe get a pizza or something?” she asked Lulu. “No class tomorrow or anything.”

Early November 2019 The Smith sisters didn't talk much about what had happened to them over Halloween. Judy had shown up for class on Friday looking a little the worse for wear; and Ashley hadn't appeared again until that Monday, sporting a smile, a few bruises, and bright pink bubblegum hair. But now it was November and it was time for some fun - and some important conversations. As usual, Ashley entered Leroy's room first, looking around to make sure Kam was out before gesturing for Judy to follow her in. "Hi honey!" she said cheerfully, standing on her toes to kiss Leroy on the cheek. "You already for our date in Mia and Danica's room?" Judy had certainly dressed up for the occasion, wearing a maxi-skirt and snug blouse whose dark colors went well with the bright cross around her neck and tan skin.

GM North End, Freedom City Saturday, October 26, 2019 11:05 AM Dr. Martin Meyer was having a rough day. First, his five year old son had come down with the flu unexpectedly, meaning he had to watch over the poor kid who was busy puking his guts out. Then, he got a call from his job at ASTRO Labs demanding he come in. They weren’t particularly sympathetic when he told them his kid was sick, so he had to scramble to find his son a babysitter. Now, he was running late and getting a million angry texts because some lunatic super had melted the asphalt on the road, causing a jam. “Metas…” he hissed under his breath, trying to ignoring the vibration of his phone in the seat next to him. “Oh, doc,” came the voice of a young man that made Dr. Meyer jump. “I would say I’m disappointed you seem to hate us meta-people, but I’m not really surprised.” Martin wheeled around, eyes wide, to see one of his charges, Gabriel Napolitano, sitting in the back seat. “Why aren’t you at the lab?” Martin asked, his throat suddenly running dry on him. Slowly, his hand began drifting toward the glovebox. “The lab? Why would I want to be at the lab? They’re gonna take my powers away there,” Gabriel said. “You’re going to take my powers away. I don’t think I want that.” Dr. Meyer slowly popped the glove compartment open, one eye settling on the gun inside. “Gabriel, you’re sick. The source of you powers is unstable, you could…” Gabriel barked a laugh. “Oh, yeah, that’s what you keep telling us,” he said. “But somehow, given that you’re reaching for that gun, I’m starting to think you’re just scared of us.” Martin stopped, his hand drifting back toward himself. “Us?” Just then, a terrible screeching noise came from above him as molten fingers dug into the hood of his car and began to peel it away. Within moments, Martin could see her standing above him, her skin glowing like molten steel: Angela Ruiz. “Hey, Dr. Meyer!” she said, still visibly smiling despite the brilliance of her molten skin. Martin, realizing he was in serious danger, quickly grabbed the gun and let loose a bullet right into her midsection. She cried out, and Gabriel rose up to to try and help her. Martin used his chance, and threw himself out of the car, running through the cars to try and find a way to safety. “Help!” he cried. “Someone help me! They’re going to kill me!” Gabriel watched as his girlfriend reverted to her normal form, clutching her stomach and groaning. Despite the residual heat, he threw his arms around her. “Angela!” he cried, realizing then that he might be about to lose her. Gently, Angela pushed him away, and pulled at the bullet hole in her suit to reveal that there was no actual damage. “…I think I’m really durable,” she said with amazement. “…Yeah, there’s no damage. Hurt, though.” Gabriel’s eyes lit up, and he kissed her furiously on the lips. “Oh, honey, I love you.” “Aw, I love you too, Gabe,” Angela cooed, her voice sickly sweet. “Do you wanna go and melt Dr. Meyer’s skin off?” Gabriel grinned ferally. “Yeah, I sure do. Let’s go make him die screaming.” With that, he dissolved himself back into toxic smoke, and rose up into the air, looking down over the maze of cars. “MEYER!” he roared. “COMING FOR YOU, BUDDY!”

GM Z-Space The AnneX August 20th 2019, 5 PM, Earth Prime Pacific Time Zone Z-Space was quiet, as it usually was. The sky and almost everything that could be seen were swirling patterns of randomly intermixing colors, each heralding its own universe or dimensions. Stray bits and pieces of known and unknown universes, giant rocks with strange architecture floating through the sea of color, everything appearing close enough to touch, no matter where you stood. Everything that had fallen between the cracks of its own reality or out of its own broken reality were here. High above, but still seeming so close, a giant derelict vessel drifted by, pushing by multiversal waves, buffetted between the emissions of energy released by cosmic destroyers and defenders of each individual universe. This was Z-Space. Chaos and peace at once. A window in to all the universes that were, could be and might be. And on a particularly large piece of rock, perhaps one quarter the size of Manhattan, in a structure that had been dubbed the AnneX by its occupant, a purple portal appeared to lead Justice and the Meta-Naut into Z-Space.

Interviews. The teacher had elected to have the students interview each other. Mia didn’t really have any interviewing skills at the best of times, and her chosen partner didn’t make things any easier. There was an air of mystery around Judy, even despite her general warmth and openness. What made things worse was that the class was uneven, so Mia had been also assigned to interview the other Smith sister, Ashley. That was perhaps a bigger challenge, given the general… Reservedness with which Ashley seemed to approach the world. What was worse was that this interview constituted a fairly large portion of their grade, enough that skipping it wasn’t really a consideration. In order to make things easier, Mia had offered up some information about herself first, in the hopes that it might help create a bridge between the two of them. However, she didn’t really have an idea of where to start beyond the basics. “Alright,” she said, clearly unsure of herself. “I’m Mia Mustafic-Markov. I was named after Mia Zapata, from a punk band called the Gits. A big secret about me is that I have a middle name, Nadezhda, from Lenin’s wife, which my dad’s parents gave to me. I don’t use them because that’s super embarrassing. They were descended from Trotskyists who fled the Soviet Union during the 1930s,” she said. Her tone was robotic, as if reciting things from rote. “My birthday is September 1st, 2003.” She paused. “Now you guys go, I guess.”

October 19th, 2019, late afternoon Claremont Academy auditorium, backstage "Whoof! That is some dust!" Leroy crawled laughing out from under a pile of fallen costumes and the hanger box they'd been stored in. In the dim, harsh light of prop storage the doublets, robes, hats, gowns and shawls seemed like a great sprawling mass of fallen humanity, struck down by some horror. The sleeves reached pitiably, shawls and hats created the shadows where faces might lurk and the robes and gowns hunched and billowed as if something was still lying within. Jumping lightly to his feet, Leroy beamed happily. "I did say we would find it, and behold: we have! Now, to select the costumes for the main parts. Jack, an oppressed farmer boy; Red Riding Hood, a child forced to care for senior citizens in leiu of proper civil programs; Cinderella, a scullion with aims to seize political power; and finally the Bakers, man and wife, seeking fertility assistance." Despite not really needing to breathe, Leroy took a breath. Smiling proudly at the titanic pile of costumes and random assorted clothes, he tossed off the robe he'd worn on the way with Max to the auditorium's backstage. Under it was his usual tunic and trousers, black and threaded with green and pink flowers. "What say we split up which character we pick for, Max? That way, we will bring our own tastes better to the fore." Kneeling at one side of the mountainous pile, he smiled across it to his schoolmate "By the by, what did you do to be set to this? I grievously burned my Farside Flan in Extrasolar Ec!" "I helped burn them." The great green dragon Dio shifted under the pile, revealing his reptilian face and spiny crest. He sounded not the least bit sorry.

Raya's apartment, Emerald City, Oregon September 30, 2019 Morning Groggily, Raya opened her eyes to find herself staring up at her ceiling. There was a slight throbbing in her temples, and her mouth was dry and tasted like salt and alcohol. Shifting, she felt a presence next to her, and turned to see a slumbering face next to her. A smile crept over Raya's lips, but it faded following a sharp spear of a headache running through her skull. Sighing, she sat up, and saw three empty bottles of champagne sitting next to a bucket full of water and some rapidly disappearing ice cubes. "Ah, man... Those are like a thousand bucks each..." After giving herself a moment to chastise herself, she rose from bed and went over to her drawer. Looking in mirror atop it, she saw her hair had gotten wild and her eyes were slightly red. She shrugged, and pulled on some stretch pants and a Compass Rose sweater that dropped down off her left shoulder. She wandered into her vast living room, taking a look at the Emerald City skyline from her windows, before flopping down on her leather couch in front of her coffee table, and more importantly, her 150 inch TV. Her setup was impressive in the living room, art pieces and trophies from adventures hanging on the walls. A Brazilian flag sat between two abstract pieced, a little reminder of her heritage. "Hey, SmartHome... Start morning routine, and place an order for two fiesta breakfasts for room service," she croaked, rubbing at her eyes. She saw a small flash of light from a device on her coffee table, and it chirped "Alright. Done." Raya heard the hiss of her percolator coming to life, and sank deeper into her seat. Flipping on the TV, she called up Netflix and began to watch her 'toons as she waited for her new companion to wake up.

Freedom City Exposition Center October 19, 2019 12:00 PM "Compass Rose International Tech Expo: Tickets $25, students and heroes enter free. Open Saturday, October19 12 PM to 4 PM, Sunday 2 to 6 PM." Compass Rose International. One of the few companies on the bleeding edge of space tech, attempting to fill a gap that had begun to form in the early days of the new millenium and had only grown over two decades. Spurred on by renewed interest in the ideas of space colonization and exploration, the company had carved out a healthy niche for itself in a fairly short amount of time. It had come to Freedom City for a few reasons. The first was the fact that, not so secretly, the company had been seeking to expand its operations to Freedom City and was hoping to make a good impression. There was also the fact that Freedom City had a fairly sizable meta-human population, and hiring one of those would be a real boon if they had the right power set. The convention centre floor was bedecked in multiple exhibits, ranging from rocketry dioramas to model Mars habitats. There were also little recruiting stations proclaiming "work for Compass Rose!", complete with contact details and resume drop-off zones. At the front of the hall was a stage, a lone podium sitting in the centre and flanked by chairs on either side. Raya wells sighed, dressed in a black pants-suit with a white halter top underneath. It was a far cry from her usual style, but she had been told to tone it down. The only real personal flourish she had was a purple cap with a flat brim and a pair of ray bans. Next to her was Compass Rose's communications director, Sam Rio, an older man dressed in a simple blue button down and grey slacks, with his widows peaked black hair slicked back. "I can't believe you made me come to this," Raya said glumly. She had been hoping to visit a world where Hannibal had crushed Rome, but she had been strongarmed by Rio's charm. "You're the CEO," Sam said, side-eyeing Raya. "It would be weird if you weren't here." "I am not the public type of CEO," she said. "You know that." "Look, just smile and shake some hands, make a a speech, you'll be fine. Hey, look, we got our first arrivals," he said, gesturing to the entrance. Raya grimaced. "Greaaaat."

Lantern Hill, the Morgan House Corner of Newton & Salem Noon, August 31st, 2019 Weather: Partly Cloudy, 80 °F, Wind ENE 8 mph The historic Morgan House stands out from the normal colonial and victorian era architecture prevalent in the Lantern Hill district as a testament to the American Craftsman style. On June 30th, 1908 the original colonial structure was blown apart by an explosion and the Morgan Family ultimately chose to build a new house rather than try to replicate the old property. The cause of the explosion still to this day has never been fully explained, with the current owner Thomas Morgan saying that his grandfather told his father it was 'probably something he was working on in the basement'. The Morgan family has always been known as innovators of some stripe with the majority of their wealth coming from a variety of small patents and shrewd investments. Still, being one of the old families of Freedom City has caused no amounts of rumors to exist about both the house and the family that resides in it. While the Morgan House is on the national historic location list, it is still a private property and entry is only allowed for friends of the family or approved guests. However, the current owner occasionally hold exclusive philanthropic parties at the location and has recently worked with the Freedom City Historical Society to make a personally narrated virtual walkthrough of the house available at the Clark House. Today however, the fact of the gate to the property swinging open to admit a pair of teenagers on a scooter would have caused some on the historical society to weep bitter tears of jealousy as they putted quietly onto the property and parked near the detached garage.

October 31, 2019 Lantern Hill "This seems awfully high-profile," said Judy uncertainly as she looked out the window of the historic mansion rented out on behalf of the federal government. "Tell me again why we're meeting the space people in the middle of town, on a night when the streets are crowded with people?" Judy had dressed for the occasion so she could 'pass' if spotted. Dressed in denim and a jacket, she looked vaguely like an outlaw with her domino mask, black cowboy hat, and the bandanna she was not leaving tied over her face unless absolutely necessary. "It's the easiest way to do something covert in Freedom City," said Ashley with an easy shrug, looking downright unrecognizable to her Claremont 'friends' in a black jacket and white dress shirt, a look that matched the other agents who were along for the ride today. "That is, do it in plain sight. The average person who spots their ship coming in, if they spot it at all, will think it's a superhero thing, and superheroes are too busy dealing with the usual Halloween magic BS to dwell on a ship they know is friendly. And if anybody does spot the Lor, well, they're just partygoers on their way to a party." As she spoke, she and the rest of Judy's team were heading down the corridor and towards the central atrium of the mansion - the better to be there when their contact arrives. "Ah guess that's why Ah don't do the planning," said Judy philosophically. A part of her rather wished they'd gone on to the haunted house Mia had been talking about, but of course going to an unvetted spookhouse wasn't something she was gonna be able to do in Freedom City - or ever, for that matter. Oh well, she thought, probably nothing scarier there than at the Hell House at the church back in Oklahoma City! She took another look at Ashley, narrowed her eyes, and said, "Agent George, are you wearing makeup?" Ashley smiled thinly, glad Judy was remembering to stick to protocol. "Ms. Cahill," she said with a smile, "I am officially off-duty once our guests are finished with their work and you're on your way back to school, which means there's a Halloween party out there with my name on it." Ashley was, in fact, wearing makeup - a striking red lipstick and a smoky eyeshadow, and she'd even freshly dyed the tips of her hair pink before coming out again. If she slept in on Friday, she could probably stay out as late as she wanted. Or...whatever. "Nice," said Judy, smiling back. She had never really liked Halloween, so she wasn't put out at the idea of missing Claremont's Halloween party - it wasn't like she could eat candy anymore. "Well Ah hope you get yourself a good treat." She distinctly detected a blush on her guardian's cheeks, and smiled even more broadly. Maybe she'll loosen up a little bit if she gets a boyfriend! It must be hard for her to find a date...

GM Royal Hill August 20th 2019, 4:30 PM Sirens, shots being fired. The roar of motor cycles tore through the streets of Royal Hill, as three figures escaped the scene of their crime, weaving in and out of traffic on full speed on their bikes, quickly leaving the police cruisers behind. They were all dressed in black, as were their bikes, with heavy bags full of money strapped to their sides. Each seemed to have fire arms of some kind in their hand, occassionally turning to shoot back at the cops in case they got too close. Far behind, they had left behind an armored truck, doors blown open with explosives. A diamond transport, the driver and guard had been left alive, but hurting. New wares for some other upscale jewelry shop or another in Royal Hill, the robbers were sure to get away, unless someone intervened.

Lantern Hill, Freedom City October 31, 2019 8:00 PM Mia Mustafic-Markov looked especially spooky this Halloween night. She stood out front of a haunted house, her face marked with a false glasgow grin complemented by fake red blood, and her face was made even paler by white make-up, her eyes made dark and sunken looking by black makeup rimming them. Her neck had a similar false wound, and her denim jacket opened to reveal a white shirt marked by fake blood and three long slash marks over her belly. Yet, the effect was diminished some by the fact that she was dutifully staring at the screen of her phone. She had decided to invite out her Orange Squad team-mates (and Danica!) for the night, in order to get to know them better. And what better way to get to know them than scaring the bejeezus out of them with a Haunted House? Yet, unfortunately, it seemed she was the first to arrive. Which did make sense. She could teleport, and most of them… couldn’t. The choice of venue seemed cool. The Black House, they called it. Not the most creative name, but it was supposedly one of the scariest things ever. It traveled to different cities every year, almost always big ones, and was apparently so scary some people had to check into therapy after visiting. That probably wasn’t true, but it was a pretty great selling point and Mia wanted to check it out. But right now, she was here alone. She looked back at the great mansion behind her, watching as people stumbled out, pale-faced, while more brave looking souls headed on in. Her attention turned back to her phone. Opening up her group text, she hammered out a reply.

Vibora Bay. Easton Tangle. Dragoneer’s Townhouse. It had been a few-ish days since the whole giant…zombie…lizard…thing…and Dragoneer was still just a bit cranky. It was all right, honestly, he’d had a concert and then a match so he’d been having a busy and productive night. But maaaaan, what a way to make your debut onto the scene. UDK was dressed as he always was, and was pacing in front of his own front door. He’d never admit it, but meeting new people was stressful. He never knew how they’d respond to his unique brand of personal charisma. The townhouse was full of his merchandise (posters, action figures, one standee, etc), with photos of friends and family (except those with the surname Maguire) scattered on the walls and tables. Hey, Niro? The invitations went out, right? I didn’t daydream that? Didn’t think about it instead of doing it? Niro Saki, bestest pal to the one and only Ultimate Dragon Knight, was seated on UDK’s couch, reading a thin paperback. He too, was dressed as he always was. Around him on a few tables was a lovely spread of refreshments. The bigscreen television was on but muted. He did not look up. No, Dragoneer. You followed through. I watched. UDK nodded and kept pacing. Cool. Cool cool cool. Cool. I guess they’ll…be here when they’ll be here. He blew air out through his mouth. Niro turned the page. A watched pot never boils. The moment I leave is when the first one shows up. Paranoia. Gospel truth. I somehow doubt that. Dragoneer stopped pacing. All right, I’ll…watch TV, I guess. He sat down in his recliner and unmuted the television for the latest celebrity news. Ironically, it was not news to him. Because it was about him and his move to Vibora. Click. New channel, hello sports.

Fall 2019 Claremont Academy Gay-Straight Alliance First Meeting of the Year The tables were set with neatly baked rainbow cupcakes that Judy felt no more than the slightest temptation to eat, the walls hung with rainbow flag images and pictures from LGBT history, and the Recording Secretary of the Claremont Academy GSA (the only member of the club who hadn't graduated last year) was ready to greet the new arrivals as they headed into the converted classroom. She'd been a little nervous her first meetings as her sister's 'ally', sitting in a room full of people she'd been taught to believe were wrong, but Ashley's refusal to take an active role in the club had forced her to take an active role herself, and within a few months she'd found herself fitting right in. We gotta get some new members this year, she thought with a glance at Ashley, I can't be above secretary, because I'm an ally! With a smile, she flung open the door, gold cross gleaming around her neck, and said, "Howdy, y'all! Welcome to the GSA!"

GM October 4th, 2019 10:30 PM Betlehem Heights A lot had changed on the streets of Emerald City. Things had changed since the events of late August, and something had slipped into the city during the confusion. During the month of September, something new had started spreading through the city. A new drug, something simply called Power. Small white pills with a capital P. Swallow, and two minutes later, you gained random super powers for fifteen minutes. It was a rush, it was exciting, and it was of course completely destabilizing. Street fights evolved into super powered brawls. People fell from the sky, the rush running through their heads. And sometimes, the sheer power simply burned them out, like a candle that burned too bright. At the docks, Magh'kee witnessed a fellow worker swallow a pill, then, with his brief surge of super strength, he did the work of ten men, before the heavy blocks he was carrying fell on him, crushing him. At Compass Rose International, Raya Wells saw a security guard shoot lightning from his eyes at a man that triggered the metal detector. Turned out he had a metal plate in his skull. At Elysium Academy, Elliot Elijah Elder saw other members of the Omega Squad suddenly showing all kinds of different powers that they never had before. To call it strange would be weird, and then one of them offered him some of the Power. The school shut it down as soon as it was discovered, but Elliot grew curious. However they got on the track, all three would eventually end up in Betlehem Heights. The only place to get Power.

Claremont Academy, Kord Dormitory. Sunday, October 6th, 2019. 11:00 am Contrary to popular belief, Adam and Lulu were not joined at the hip; sure, they had a very close relationship, but they didn't actually do everything together. For instance, this particular Sunday Adam was planning to work with some of his classmates on a science project, which was very cool, but not quite his girlfriend's cup of tea. She decided instead to head on over to the Bayview Mall to maybe do some shopping, or at very least check out the cool Halloween costumes and scary props for sale. She and Davyd had both expressed an interest in doing something fun for the holiday, so maybe she could- And then the idea hit her, and she loved it. Dressing up in a red jacket, green sweater and burgundy slacks, along with some black riding boots, she headed down to the second floor and knocked on Room 213's door. "Hey, Davyd. Do you have a sec?"

City Hall, Vibora Bay. September 5th, 2019. Noon. In a conference room just down the hall from the mayor's office, seven very unique individuals were gathering around a long table in comfortable chairs. Coffee and bagels had been provided by the mayor's staff, but several of the heroes of Hurricane Dorian craved more substantial fare, so a take-out menu for the Mediterranean place next door led to the room now being full of the smell of seasoned lamb and other savory delicacies. While the food did indeed smell delicious to young Taye Sullivan. So while the others were splitting up the various meats, rice and breads, she poured herself a cup of hot water and took a seat. "It's indeed exciting to have the opportunity to work with you all again," she said in her clear, deep voice as she fished two clear Ziploc bags out of her coverall pockets; one appeared to hold a few pieces of rusted metal, the other several spark plugs. "Of course, last night's work largely took place in the heat of the moment, with little or no planning. it will be interesting to see how we work together when we have more time to talk about things like strategy or logistics." Taye gingerly took several pieces of rust out of the bag and carefully crumbled them into her hot water, which she then stirred with a plastic spoon. "Perhaps we should first take the time to talk about our abilities, strengths and weaknesses before we go any further? As of right now, I am primarily limited to assuming vehicular shapes, but I hope to move beyond that by testing myself further." She took a sparkplug out of her second bag, popped it in her mouth, and washed it down with a sip of rust tea, all the while looking at the others expectantly.

Stomping through the airlock Fa'Rua slammed a fist against the close and cycle button and strode purposefully toward the cockpit. Her face was a stormy mask of seething outrage as she made her way through the ship. Jolan looked up from his console questioningly and sighed, "I take it then the interview did not go as planned?" He didn't need a diplomats training to see the truth in his words, nor a twins bond. He'd felt the oncoming storm since she left the colonial scout corps offices of course. So he wasn't surprised at her demeanor and had practiced carefully a response, "Fa'Rua such things always happen for a .." ""Don't you say reason." she coldly cut him off as she slung into the pilot seat, "Buckle up, I'll show them who can't perform under pressure." and slammed the emergency docking release. "I hardly think exiting the base without tower consent is going to improv...." Her brother didn't get a chance to finish before the ship dropped occ eht docking ring and she punched the engines to max quickly overriding the inertial dampeners to press them both into their seats. Over traffic controls complaints she wove effortlessly through the heavy traffic and shot free of the station making for the system rim as the computer started the jump calculations needed. As soon as they broke the heliosphere there was teh lurching twisting sensation of the space fold and they were flung thousands do parsecs to a distant lifeless system, "I don't want to talk about it Jolan." she growled as she stood and stopped toward the rear of hte ship, "I'll be in my bunk start the long distance scans." Flinging herself onto her bunk she glared death at the bulkhead for a long minute before flipping open her com pad and sliding into private mode. She flipped through the recent photos and conversations and let out sigh and thumbed open the chat window again. Hey you. You around. She hadn't bothered to check the terran time before sending the message. Nor did she wait for a response before continuing. What in the void is wrong with men. Why do they expect us to be twice as good as some square jawed jock still trying to figure out how to hold his flight stick to even consider us competent. Temperament under pressure my sweet ass. I'm under more pressure getting up in the morning then these old men have seen on their worst day. Sorry if you're busy I just needed to vent to someone who might get it and not spout platitudes. The messages came in fast and would leave whatever device Ashley had set to receive them buzzing enough to likely draw more than just the owners attention if she wasn't alone.

GM October 10th, 6PM, 2019 Riverside, the docks, the cargo freighter Viper Star At the captain's shout, the previously stunned and frightened crew dove under railings, slid back hatches or simply discarded bulky survival suits to reveal the sleek, glowing and deceptively-primitivist designs of Dakanan technology. The rustic sound of their propellor cut abruptly, replaced with the distinct thrumm of a daka-controlled propulsion system. The formerly-leisurely pace of the Viper Star noticeably jumped, the freighter turning to head for the North Bay. "I'm sorry," Captain Imamba said, thoroughly looking it, "but we can't wait until everyone who needs our help can afford it. And I can't let loyalty to Dakana stand in the way of my duty as a thinking, feeling human being. Crew, attack!" The crystal arcs crackled, red light flashed, and the air filled with the muted roar of sonic pulses hailing down on the small group of students!

GM Nestled in a clearing off some forest roads in rural Alabama, Dixon’s Travelling Carnival brought the night to life with bright lights and loud noises. No one could remember, exactly, how the carnival had gotten there, for even people living nearby had heard no signs of cars nor the machinery necessary to set up the rides and other amusements. Nor could the sheriff remember any permits being granted, but when he checked, he found them supplied several months ago, with all the correct signatures. Many had chosen to stay away, calling it all “too spooky”, but even more decided to throw caution to the wind, visiting the mysterious carnival to see what the hubbub had been about. Interestingly, this was not the first place Dixon’s had been. It had first popped up in Montana, then after that was seen in Texas, followed by Louisiana. Now it was here in Alabama. And coming with it was a challenge - face the Painmonger, and win a grand prize of $20 million. The Painmonger was a wrestler, one who specialized in taking down superpowered wrestlers. So far, 30 challengers had faced him, and all had failed. Some said the challengers came away strange. It was enough that Brom Steele, a professional wrestler famous for taking all sorts punishment with nary a scratch had decided to investigate. That was two weeks ago, and now he was missing. None knew what had happened to him, and the carnival claimed ignorance. It seemed like someone else would have to take up the torch of investigation. But who?

October 12, 2019 Earth-B-Vacant-19 As they stepped through the portal into the other dimension, the first thing Daystar noticed was that it was quiet - with only the familiar background hum of her radio bracelets sounding in her ears, and the distant whisper of the radio transmitter in the nearby basecamp. The second thing was how everything looked. A lifetime in Oklahoma, then DC, had not prepared her for the fall splendor of Earth-Vacant-B ("not quite Sanctuary but with a lot more nature!"), a world frequently visited by Claremont students looking for their first taste of extra-dimensional adventure. This was a world where humans had never been evolved, one where whales filled the oceans, animals the vast forests of North America, and birds the skies. Fall here was chillier than back home, she supposed, though it wasn't really an issue for her - she slipped her hands in the pockets of her light windbreaker as she looked up at the vast forest of gold and red. "Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the Lord hath wrought this," she quoted under her breath, smiling in awe as she looked all around. For her part, Watchdog wasn't nearly so blown away by all the scenery - maybe because she'd been here ten years ago and had gotten crapped on by a whole lot of birds. "Let's keep moving," she murmured from inside her mask as they headed out into the center of the small encampment, where Mr. Jorgensen was waiting for them. Jorgensen was the school's new biology teacher, a smiling, easy-going guy who students sometimes took too much advantage of. He wore a plaid flannel shirt and jeans to greet the students as they stepped through the gateway, his thick beard adding to the impression of "hipster outdoorsman." "Hello everyone!" he called with a wave. "Keep moving and drop your stuff in the designated areas." This wasn't quite the rugged outdoor life of survival training; Claremont's small basecamp had places for tents, firepits dug, and even a generator and radio transmitter installed by previous generations of students. They'd been careful, though - outside of the small encampment here by the edge of the South River, there was little sign any humans had ever been here. And indeed, hardly any had...

Claremont’s Tech Laboratories, After Classes New intern, and former student, Valeria Velásquez looked around on of the very tech labs that she studied in only a few years ago. Considering some of the stuff she got up to she was pretty surprised that Summers had given her chance to become a teacher here. With a deep breath she open the door to allowed any of the students who wanted to do after school studies, wondering if anyone would actually show up. Not looking just in case she called to anyone outside. “Everybody come in and find yourself a seat.”

GM The Painted Desert, Arizona October 3rd, 2019 14:00 PM Survival class, that was what the guest teacher had called it. If you were going to be a hero, then you could end up out in the middle of nowhere, and you needed to know what you could do to survive. The fliers on Blue Squad might have argued that they could just fly away, but the Doctor Alexander Macedon had not accepted any objections, and a day later, Blue Squad had found themselves in the Painted Desert in Arizona. They had all been given proper gear stuffed into heavy backpacks, and now they had been dropped off near the Rainbow Visitor Center by the van that had picked them up at the airport. Doctor Alexander Macedon looked like a man in the early 70'es. His skin was tanned by the sun, and seemed slightly leathery, from years of being out in the harsh sun. His thinning hair were grey, almost bordering on white, as was his scraggy, unkempt beard. He wore a black eyepatch over his left eye, with a pair of horn rimmed glasses over both eyes. A cowboy hat on his head, he wore a beige dress shirt, with the few buttons closests to his neck open, revealing his grey chest hair. He had rolled the sleeves up, with an brown bomber jacket stuffed into his backpack. He wore dark grey fatigue pants and a pair of heavy dark boots. Something about him made him seem even older, and one the way here, he had made it more than clear that he didn't want to do this or have anything to do with a bunch of super powered kids, but he owed someone a favor. Standing by the side of the road in front of the teens, Macedon held up a map, making sure they could all see it. "Listen up, kids. This map is our only clue to where we're goin'. We're gonna be crossing through the Painted Desert here, and we're gonna survive off the rations you've brought and what we can find, but make sure you don't do anything to harm the nature around here. No smashing rocks with any of your fancy gadgets or powers or anything like that. We're gonna go off road, and gonna end up at the Painted Desert Visitor Center, with some stops on the way. It's gonna take a while, so save on those rations." He made a short pause and lowered the map. "Now, who's up first for learning how to read and follow a map? Yer all gonna get yer turn."