ic Power Vacuum

[RocketLord]

GM

 

7:30 PM, Wednesday April 3rd, 2024

Kingston, Freedom City

Near the Doomforge

 

Years ago, the House of Usher had returned to Freedom City. Living in the shadow of the Kingston Doomforge, they had been gifted with strange and terrible powers, which they had used with their connections and wealth to become one of, if not the, major player in Freedom City's underworld. Drugs and power, it all ran through them. Anyone that opposed them wound up dead. They went unnoticed by the heroes of the city until the Raven learned about their presence and, together with his allies, he managed to chase them out of the city, and finally take them down after a lengthy international chase.

 

Now, a major criminal enterprise suddenly disappearing is not without its issue. So far, the Usher's lieutenants and henchmen had played nice. Still getting paid and receiving orders, even if it was rarely, really helped there. But now? No money, no orders... well, someone has to try to step into that power vacuum.

 

"C'mon, ya bum! Is that all ya got!?" 

 

Four men on motorcycles, the infamous Devil's Advocates, are fighting a young man and woman in the shadow of the Kingston Doomforge.

 

Cueball, the first of the bikers is a large man with a classic German helmet and a large axe. He has a full beard and is only wearing an open denim vest on his upper body, torn jeans on his lower. He is the one that is yelling, as he swings around his axe.

 

Another has a long face and semi long red hair, pulled back in a bandana. He is smiling widely, wearing the same type of vest as Cueball, but with much less impressive physique. He is known as the Born Loser.

 

The third is deadly pale, with patches of black hair, wearing a red bandana and the same style of clothes as the other two. Buddy is missing several teeth and, going by looks alone, might already be dead.

 

The fourth is their leader, Angel, dressed in black costume with bone prints and a skull mask, along with a brown leather vest with several chains wrapped around his upper body, leather boots and leather wraps around his wrists. He is wearing a leather hood pulled over his head. He is their leader

 

They are fighting against Purple Haze and Scarlet Mist. A brother and sister combo that Paper and Nightscale has fought before.

 

Scarlet Mist is wearing all red. Dark red body suit and long gloves, and a lighter red cloak with a hood. Even her hair is red, as she takes on a semi-gaseous form.

 

Purple Haze is wearing dark brown jeans with metal knee guards and heavy combat boosts. Like the bikers, his chest is bare, while he is wearing a purple sleeveless coat. His messy long hair is brown, while rainbow colored smoke and mist flows from him into the surrounding area.

 

"The Doomforge's ours, Angel! Beat it before we get pissed!"

 

They are already causing property damage. The few people that were near the Doomforge are already caught in the fight.

Edited March 31 by RocketLord

[RocketLord]

The STORMCROW

 

Stormcrow is already racing through the city on the Stormchaser, going as fast as he can. Multi-Girl is with him, holding onto him while they race through the streets.

 

This is, in part, his mess. He should have seen this coming. The Raven trusts him to keep an eye on things here while he's busy, trusts him and his team to deal with things... and he didn't foresee that the Usher's henchmen would end up causing trouble. 

 

"Guardians, anyone that can read me, we got trouble in Kingston near the Doomforge. A bunch of villains are fighting over scraps, putting people in danger. Get there as fast as you can, and we'll link up once we're there."

 

They're close, and getting closer. Won't be long, but they need the others, too. He looks ahead still, while he talks to Bernie.

 

"These guys are serious trouble. We can't take any chances. As far as I remember from the Raven's files, the Devil's Advocates are powered by demons, and the siblings they're fighting can turn to gas and do all kinds of nasty things with that."

[Lone_Star]

GHULE

 

Vik was in Kingston eating her take-out dinner in an alleyway: several raw, dripping steaks she purchased from a nearby carniceria. To avoid strange looks, she mostly ate her meals on the go - she wasn't in the store long enough to attract any real attention, and blood dripped from her chin as she took another huge bite out of the steak. Oh my god, this is so good. It's seasoned to perfection! 

 

As she ripped off another bite, she received Charlie's call. "I'm on my way," she said, finishing what she could. It seemed that every time she was in a superhero battle, she left it starving, so it was good that she got a chance to eat beforehand. She pulled out her brand-new iPhone, courtesy of Charlie's family plan. She was still in awe of it: it left her old burner phones in the dust. She called an Uber, and paid extra to have it pick her up immediately. It's no Stormcycle, but it gets the job done...

 

 

[Thevshi]

Multi-Girl

 

Bernadette had her arms tightly (but not too tightly) around Charlie's torso as he guided the Stormchaser down the street. Where it not for the serious reason that had them up in Kingston, the redhead would likely be enjoying it more, not that she needed an excuse to get this too close to Charlie.

 

Instead, she was more focused on his brief summaries of what to possibly expect when they got there. "Well, don' they all sound bloody delightful." She joked with a smirk he could not see. "My options against the twins are likely ta be rather limited."

 

The redhead had heard Vik respond that she was on her way and hoped that more of the team was on the way as well.

[Spacefurry]

Paper

 

A paper motorcycle wove through traffic, pulling off moves a real one could never do. On its back rode a young man wearing a hooded coat, a white mask covering his mouth and nose and a short scarf flicking in the wind. It was a new look he was trying out since his return from Tokyo with his girlfriend and teammates.

Paper goggles shielded his eyes as he pulled the bike down an alley shortcut. Behind the mask and goggles though, he was pissed. He had been half way to meet Neko for a dinner date when Charlie’s message appeared as a text on his phone.

Neko was understanding about the whole hero thing, but easily pulled a promise to make it up to her later from him. 

A simple 'OMW' text was all he had replied with.

 

Now though, he was mad and needed someone to take it out on. A few weeks ago, that probably would have been Charlie himself, but the boys had made steps towards building bridges so Leon would have to settle for punching whoever was causing the problem.

 

A paper ramp and he easily cleared the street and darted down another alley.

 

To be honest he only half read the text before calling his girlfriend. Something about the Devil’s Advocates and a couple of scrubs squaring off. He was a street kid, he’d heard of the DAs but he and his siblings had always tried to steer clear of them and the weirdos they had worked for.

Rumor was they were running on demons, which to be fair, back then was a little hard to take seriously. But now that he’d gotten around some more himself… Well, maybe it wasn’t so far-fetched.

 

A sharp turn and he skidded under the trailer of an 18-wheeler, just to pop up right as he pulled onto Lindroos Bridge heading into Kingston. 

 

He should probably check the text again, but Charlie will probably just repeat himself once he gets there.

[RocketLord]

GM

 

As the heroes begin to arrive, the action is already on. Scarlet Mist and Purple Haze has already dissolved into their mist forms, rampaging around the Devil's Advocates, as they fight back. It seems that their demonic powers is enough to at least hurt the siblings. 

 

As the Born Loser is thrown back by Scarlet Mist crashing into him, he crashes into a group of fleeing bystanders. While cuts begin to appear on his body, he laughs. While he begins to heal, everyone around him fall to the ground, suddenly skeletally thin, as if they are starving. The villains doesn't care, not in any way but finding it amusing, it seems.

 

Fighting these villains won't be enough. The heroes will have to save everyone around them as well.