Archive Mutants & Masterminds: Legacy - Issue #3 Swords & Sorcery

[z-Watchwoman]

It was weird the way that Aina nodded and smiled at her, as if she felt a kinship to Serene due to their connection through Watchman. Serene didn't feel that toward her; in so many ways, Aina was just her mother all over again. But where her mother had been little more than a silly twit who hadn't meant to become a mother, Aina had planned it with a cold-blooded determination.

But despite the way that her half-sibling had been conceived, she wanted to meet them. Since Aina hadn't denied it, Serene was assuming it was a boy. A brother.... I gained a sister and a brother today.

Watchwoman opened her mouth to ask about the Fountain of Life or the Orb of Arcadia, but Aina's next remark cut that off. "Shit!" Watchwoman cursed before putting her hand to the transmitter in her ear. She knew that touching it didn't help, but the instinctive gesture happened anyway. "Echo, what is your status? Is everyone alright?!"

[MegaGirl]

MegaGirl sat huddled in her customized seat in the converted Cargo-bay, trembling from after-affects of Icky-Demon's mind-searing revelation. It wasn't fair, Karra tried so hard to be a good girl, a hero, but the Demon was trying to make her believe she wasn't, and he didn't even know her. Or does he? He showed you all those... those things...

Karra's unusually dark thoughts were interrupted by the warning klaxon, the view-screen showing the breaking asteroid rimmed in flaring red light. Immediately, Karra jumped to her feet and ran for the ramp door on the floor. I can help! I can do this! Those space-rocks aren't so big! I'll show the Icky-Demon! I will!

"Let me out!" Karra demanded, her feet stamping the floor making the entire ship shake.

"Karra, just wait-"

"Now!" she roared and rather than risking Karra ripping her way through the hull of the ship, the ramp-door hissed open, the open space shimmering faintly with the atmospheric force-field preventing the air from escaping into space.

MegaGirl barely waited for the ramp to slide open enough for her nine-foot stature before she flew out through the vastness of space, heading directly for the shattered remains of the Planet-Chunk-Thing, her grin fierce and bright. It was just like having fun in asteroid fields. With blows that struck with nuclear force and strength enough to shift millions of tons, MegaGirl darted through space with a speed and grace that would tax any space-going vessel, doing what she could to stop the Broken-Space-Rocks from hitting the place where her friends lived.

I can do this, I can do this, I can do this...

[SalmonMax]

Echo was just reaching for the ship's comm control when Watchwoman's voice erupted from the audio transducers.

"The team is fine, we were able to leave the prison," she replied. "The redirection was successful, until the entire asteroid shattered from within. That result should not have been possible. Even if the fusion explosion hadn't been vented, there wouldn't have been enough energy to destroy the entire fragment. There may have been explosives in the prison we didn't know about though, or other unforeseen variables."

She took a deep breath. "The fleet is currently engaged in attempting to reduce the incoming fragments, but this is not far from a worst case scenario...only the full fragment impacting intact would be worse. I will be using the ship's sensors to isolate and direct firepower onto the largest fragments in hopes of diverting them, or reducing them to below impact mass."

Another slight hesitation, and Echo added, "MegaGirl has gone EVA to attempt to destroy the fragments by hand. She was very upset. It seemed unwise to ask her to stay." Another pause; with a trace of peevishness. "She rarely listens to anyone but you in a crisis anyway."

As Echo spoke, because she was Echo, she was already interfacing with the ship's computer and sensors. They confirmed what she suspected. The fragment of Pluto had cracked along faultlines from the internal stresses of the blast that had torn it apart. These faultlines formed the edges now of the large fragments, while shearing forces created by their relative movement shattered the ice and crust farther out, making a halo of smaller fragments all around them. That was the bad news. It made getting to the larger pieces more difficult. The GOOD news was that the explosion had been roughly spherical, and that as a result, roughly half the ejecta was actually caused to accelerate away from Earth even faster. The other half, unfortunately, had been knocked back into the collision path.

"Do you have any instructions?" she asked, even as a plan emerged from a series of quick simulations.

[Djane]

Djane sighed. "Well... I guess the ritual's the thing to do. Can we still do it, o Dragon Queen, even though it's shattered?"

[Celestial Centurion]

The Centurion's attention toggled instantly to the new crisis, "I'm going up there, where I can do some good." Herak waited for no further comment. In an instant golden light solidified over his body cladding him once more in the armor of the stars. The transformation lasted only an instant, the glow that suffused the armor did not fade, but instead grew brighter as the Celestial Centurion's form became pure energized plasma; the very stuff of the stars.

Without a word he burst forth from the room, leaving a jagged melting hole in the nearest wall. The luminous form of a man clad in ancient armor streaked away over the city and into the sky in an instant covering a hundred miles in mere seconds and reaching orbit like a lambent flame hurled from the surface of a world attempting its last defense. Moving at speeds faster than light itself he crossed what gap remained between the Earth and the projectiles threatening its people before stopping instantly, plasma shedding from his form as he regained solidity. The energy was not wasted, but instead became the first volley in a n ear continuous stream of stellar fury that lashed out at the largest of fragments burning and pitting into the rock as the Centurion strove to carve the ballistic debris away.

[Joani]

On board the Military Ships the Captains were struggling to coordinate their defensive countermeasures. Huge chunks of rock and debris were scattered like a carpet over an area larger than the eye could fathom.

Some of the ships got hit by the rocks, some survived the impacts, others got seriously damaged and even destroyed. The Invincible made a tight turn, skimming over the defensive line of the Military Vessels. Echo’s uplink with the system empowered by Matrix projected a realtime simulation of the chunks of asteroid rock with calculated trajectories. Within nanoseconds Echo had determined which pieces were dangerous and which could be neglected (in terms of causing only minimum damage).

As soon as she got a reliable result she relayed that information to the team through the use of their Legacy Rings. A Heads-Up Display appeared virtually out of nowhere and Echo marked those rocks that needed immediate attention. Soon the Celestial Centurion and MegaGirl were able to coordinate their attacks and prevent more damage to both the fleet and earth. TK took advantage of Echo’s detailed information and pushed away those chunks that managed to escape or slip through the defensive perimeter thus reducing the amount of falling debris on the planet to an absolute minimum.

In the meantime Aina refocused her attention on the ritual moving the dimensional Rift towards the largest remains of the original asteroid. It was still of a dangerous size and should it hit the planet it would surely cause permanent damage and wipe out all life on Earth. Without waiting for Watchwoman’s approval the Dragon Witch nodded at Djane deciding that now was the time for action and not debate.

„With your help we could end this madness, just make it happen, Djinn. Make it happen.“, she implored but Djane would still have to wait for Serene to formulate the wish.

Watchwoman could follow the coordinated efforts of both the fleet and her team and they were slowly making progress. Yet some small chunks, hardly larger than baseballs made their way through the atmosphere and hit the planet in various places. Their impacting force greatly diminished by the defensive countermeasures, still they destroyed several miles of landscape wherever they connected with the planet. Time was running out and while the defensive perimeter was holding, the number of spaceworthy ships continously reduced as their pointblank defense couldn’t hold up against the amount of debris floating around orbit. Small parts transformed into deadly projectiles which damaged parts that were not armoured.

„There is a 32,64% chance we won’t be able to stop the Core-Asteriod in time, Watchwoman. We can’t be everywhere at the same time and no ship is capable of focussing enough firepower to destroy that asteroid.“, Echo reported still searching for options how to stop that deadly Asteroid.

Click to reveal..

I’m not really accountable for correct numbers and laws of physic – this is a game and I’m not a physician (physicist?) Anyway – CC, MG, TK and Echo are all fatigued by the physical strain caused by their efforts to fend off the remaining rocks. The Fleet has lost a considerable amount of vessels (some are damaged beyond repair, some are destroyed and a good deal is damaged but still going but not at 100% effectivity), all in all roughly 50% of the ships are still good and fighting. Your intervention has saved quite a few ships from certain destruction (as well es preventing more chunks to break through the barrier) but it’s still far from over. You could handle the situation if it wasn’t for the remains of the original core piece, which still harbours the Delta Prison Complex. As Echo calculated – there is a chance the remains of the planetoid will still hit Earth. It’s time to decide what to do (any good ideas will of course be considered aside from the options presented by my post). Fire away!

[z-Watchwoman]

"Wait, Centur-" Her cry was cut short as he disappeared creating a Centurion-shaped hole in the wall of her house. "That's... Shit, Hudsy, please alert Alan that we have some major repairs to be made to the exterior wall in the Ball Room."

That done, she returned to the crisis at hand. Something tickled in her mind, and Serene drew a deep breath. "Djane, I wish that the asteroid and its debris would miss Earth without any further loss of life or damage to the planet." She hoped that by leaving the wish open-ended, that Djane's magic would make everything go perfectly - that the planet would be saved with them trying to dictate exactly how.

Regardless, the wish should work - she hoped.

[Djane]

"As you wish, master." Djane's gaze became unfocused, as the magical power swelled up within her, hand-in-hand with the compulsion... not a bad compulsion this time, partly because it was to save her whole planet, and partly because it came from Serene.

Mist formed around her, shimmering in the lights of the mansion. She turned her gaze to the roiling magical forces at Aina's command.

Originally Posted By: OOC

Djane is, I believe, out of Hero Points, so she is at the mercy of GM fiat here. Her Complication hardly applies since this is something she'd do herself.

[SalmonMax]

In the realm of information, things were flying apart as rapidly as the asteroid had. The fleet was damaged, and acting on its own; each ship well intentioned but insignificant in its piecemeal efforts. Even with Echo trying to coordinate their actions, it wasn't enough. Resources were going unused. Time was being squandered. Earth would suffer for it. And even for Echo's enhanced neurons, there was simply no time to create and test a new plan. Normally creative leaps and leadership was Watchwoman's forte, but she was busy and far from the nerve center of things. So Echo took a leap of faith, because it was all that there was left to do.

Communication channels opened.

"MegaGirl, Centurion, rendezvous with Invincible behind the asteroid. I need both of your help."

"Watchwoman, I'm uploading a tactical diagram of the asteroid and its trajectory to Earth impact to your HUD. I need you to target the ritual at the designated point in the asteroid's trajectory...not on the asteroid itself." In the accompanying file was a holographic image of the Pluto fragment with the prison, moving along a line showing its projected course. There was a red dot on that line marking the spot where Echo was requesting that the 'rift' from the ritual be placed.

"All ships of the terrestrial fleet, I am taking command. The remaining fleet will be organized into four task forces named A, B, C, and D. Task force assignments will be uploaded shortly. Captains Huxley, Earns, Ford and Luntz, you are all now field-promoted to Commodore, and will be in command of your respective task forces. Stand by for data upload and software update."

The holographic field in front of her reconfigured, and she entered in the fleet instructions, assigning each task force to fly adjacent to the asteroid, surrounding it's equator. With them around it, and the Invincible behind it, the only clear path for the giant space rock to go was directly forward. Towards Earth.

In another window she coded frantically, creating an application that would change the control utility for the ship's gravity compression plates; the source of virtual gravity on board the ships. By linking each plate to each other plate as a phased array, they could be made to project a coherent beam of gravity waves. It would be hell on the plates, and would probably burn them out...but they only had to last a minute or two, if Echo planned correctly. All the ships in a task force, using those gravity compression beams, would exert a powerful force on the asteroid. In fact, the whole fleet pushing at once might even deflect it from Earth...but Echo believed that such a strategy would fail. It left too much open to chance.

She pulled up a communications window again as she started the upload to the fleet. "MegaGirl, Centurion...I need you both to push the asteroid forward...as hard and as fast as you can." Echo looked at Testarossa, in the ship with her. "You too...use your psychokinesis on it."

"Forward?!" Kara exclaimed in dismay. "But that'll make it hit the Earth faster!"

"It won't," Echo promised. "But you have to do what I say. The faster it's going, the better this plan will work. I'll explain it to you after it's over if you're still interested. I promise."

"You don't have to do that," Kara replied, regaining her sunniness, "I wouldn't get it anyway. I trust you."

"Me too," Testarossa agreed, "But I hope you know what you're doing."

So do I.

As the two supers flew towards the dark, encrusted surface of the plutonic chunk, Echo modified the gravity plates of the Invincible.

"Watchwoman," she called, strapping into her seat. "We're ready!"

---------

In the sanctum, Watchwoman nodded grimly at Aina. As the reptilian woman started the ritual, Djane's magic streamed out from the genie to twist and coil around her. Watchwoman felt the spell curl around her from the inside out, pulling at her, squeezing her, demanding her essence to fuel the spell. She realized quickly though that it was different this time...not nearly as painful or unpleasant.

Aina snarled something like a chuckle, "It's working! With the power behind this weakened with distance it can't block us! Not with the genie's aid!"

Fighting the pain of the spell, Watchwoman linked HUDsy to the system relay, getting a visual of Earth. She saw the asteroid, the planet...and yes, there in space was black smoke and red lightning spreading. Opening like a mouth to swallow the oncoming projectile.

------------

Spinning on its axis, the asteroid shuddered when the rift appeared in its path. Fierce earthquakes wracked it, and cracks along its edges widened and split, throwing debris looping off into the void. The powers that were ascendant in the prison sensed the rift and stretched their hands out. Sigils of burning red flared to life all along the empty and forlorn corridors of the prison. Blood gurgled up out of drains, and the souls of the former inmates howled in anguish as their essences powered a spell of unthinkable might.

-----------

It was two minutes to impact when Echo got the call. The asteroid was veering. It was turning away from the path that lead to the ritual. Echo studied the vectors, and ordered task forces C and D to activate their gravity beams. Virtual masses flared, and suddenly the asteroid felt a great pull directly opposite its previous veer.

Echo held her breath without realizing it. If the asteroid was strong enough to break their hold...to complete its course change despite their efforts, nothing else mattered.

Another comm signal opened up with the sound of cheering in the background. "It's working! Ma'am it's working! The pull from the gravity beams is canceling out whatever that thing is doing!"

Echo permitted herself a congratulatory smile...and that's when a planetoid hit MegaGirl and Centurion.

Or more accurately, the asteroid they were pushing suddenly started pushing back. Hard. On the Invincible, Testarossa groaned and lifted a hand to try to focus her powers more efficiently. Almost in unison, she spoke as communications came in from MegaGirl and the Centurion outside, all saying more or less the same thing. The asteroid was trying to slow down.

With a nod, Echo said over the ship's intercom, "All crew secure yourselves. Entering microgravity in five seconds." She waited, then switched over to the gravitational beam, causing the ship's gravity to cut out.

But there wasn't an entire task force behind the prison's comet...and the legendary strength of a few superhumans wouldn't equal a fleet of ships. The asteroid slowly but surely reduced its speed...buying itself time before it was swallowed in the void.

"MegaGirl! Centurion!" Echo called. "Put everything you have into this! The slower they move, the easier it will be for them to turn!" The cyborg nodded at Testarossa as well, including her in those instructions. She then called up power schematics and started routing more energy into the gravity beam.

Kara pushed until even her arms felt as if they were made of red hot iron. Her hands had sunk into the softer ice on the surface and pushed down to the rock underneath, leaving her elbow-deep in a chunk of Pluto. The pain was spreading down her shoulders, into the muscles of her back and sides...

Centurion wasn't doing much better. His hands and vambraces glowed with heat from the power he was channeling, solar and cosmic energy that evaporated the ice and seared a crater into the crust beneath his fingers. He'd hit a harder patch, but even it was glowing yellow-white now, and it was getting harder to exert his strength.

Testarossa's muscles were fine, but she felt dizzy, almost delirious. She could feel a trickle coming down from her nose, but the bridge of the Invincible was spinning far too fast for her to risk letting go of her chair's arms. Somehow though, through the migraine and the constant ringing in her ears, and the annoying itch of her eyeballs that made her want to scoop them out and stomp on them, somehow TK managed to keep her focus on the asteroid, and not let up even as she overtaxed her powers to the breaking point.

But it was working. The asteroid was picking up speed again, even if unwillingly. Against what should have been possible, three superheroes were for all intents and purposes playing Tug Of War with the Devil himself....and winning.

It surged forward...as much as a city-sized landmass can 'surge,'...and tried to veer again. The fleet was ready for it, pushing and pulling to constrain the death meteor to a course that would lead to it vanishing.

But just as it seemed to give on that, there was another card to be played. From the prison center speared a ray of red light, neatly transfixing the interworld Rift...

[Celestial Centurion]

Originally Posted By: SalmonMax

Communication channels opened.
"MegaGirl, Centurion, rendezvous with Invincible behind the asteroid. I need both of your help."

Herak had been laying into the larger asteroid with a near continuous stream of superheated particles, plasma still burned in some of the gouges and his hands constantly leaked stellar material, even the elbow joints of his armor were aglow with radiate power. When Echo's call came in through the Legacy ring he had been given the Centurion was already beginning to feel the draining effects of fatigue. "Sun's great strength," he remarked as his form once again took on total luminescence, and he swiftly maneuvered into position.

"Great Hælious, grant me your strength for this task. This world must be saved." Herak begged into the void, looking to this system's star. All of my power is your to command my Champion, every aspect of my being. At first the Celestial centurion failed to grasp the meaning of the reply, but then Echo's voice came into his mind again with further instruction.

Originally Posted By: SalmonMax

Echo pulled up a communications window again as she started the upload to the fleet. "MegaGirl, Centurion...I need you both to push the asteroid forward...as hard and as fast as you can."

Though there was no air, and though he no longer required breath at all, Herak inhaled deeply, calming himself and preparing for the task ahead. Calling upon the near limitless reserves of mass and gravity possessed by Hælious, the Divine Star, the Cosmic Centre, the Solar Consciousness, The Celestial Centurion focused that power and might into his body. Solar light flared from every edge, every gap in his armor, as he channeled unimagined power into his hands and forced the asteroid forward as as he could provide thrust.

Click to reveal..

Spending 1 HP to negate/recover fatigue (2 HP remain)

Spending 1 HP to gain a heroic feat: Extraordinary Effort! (1 HP remains)

Using Extraordinary Effort to: Power stunt a gravity based Enhanced Strength off of his Solar Array [32pts, Rank 32 (limited to lifting/moving)]

Using Extraordinary Effort to: Add 1 rank to the new Gravitic Strength power

Total Strength for the task at hand is 36; 1,600 megatons of lifting/moving mass

[MegaGirl]

Karra was tired and sore, which for the superhuman giantess, was a feat in itself. They had broken the Planet-Chunk-Thing, but it seemed that wasn't enough to stop it from breaking the Earth, which was a little unfair. Even more unfair, the most dangerous piece of Chunk left (according to Echo) was fighting back, not going where she was trying to push it.

I'll show it! The Icky-Demon lied. It LIED! We are Heroes! I'm a Hero! And we're going to stop this stupid Planet-Chunk-Think-Chunk.

Karra had always been strong, frequently well beyond too strong for her, and those nearby, own good. Except this time, the Planet-Chunk-Think-Chunk was being stubborn. Fortunately, MegaGirl was stubborn too, rarely even conceiving of failure.

Even as the Celestial Centurion flared brightly with the power of... of whoever he said gave him his power, Heels or Helium or whatever, MegaGirl screamed with effort that went unheard in space, forcing away her searing fatigue. The over-sized girl's sculpted, powerful muscles bulged and flexed as she pushed herself beyond a limit she had never even tried to reach before.

Click to reveal.. (MegaGirl Mega-Strength Activate!)

Spending a Hero Point to negate Fatigue (1 HP left)

Using Extra Effort: Power Stunt - Alternate Effect for MegaGirl Array - Entire Array for Power-lifting.

Effective Strength for Lifting/Carrying Capacity = 39 (12,800 megatons)

[SalmonMax]

The effect of the beam was immediate for those in the mansion; if the ritual creating the portal had been like picking up a heavy stone, now it was more like picking up a skyscraper. Watchwoman gasped and sank to one knee as the strength fled her body. Dimly she was aware of Djane, lit up like a New Year's Ball with magic power that streamed from her to Aina, who's face was frozen in a rictus of agony. It was immediately clear that without the wish, either the ritual would have failed, or one or more of them would be dead from the strain. Even WITH Djane's power, it was clear that they might not be able to maintain the gate long enough for the asteroid to fly through it.

Somehow, Watchwoman managed to send a message through HUDsy, selecting letters with her eye movements, because even moving her mouth was too much to bear at the moment.

-RIT DIFF++ UDR ATTK-

The message appeared, highest priority, hovering holographically over the control stand in Invincible's darkened bridge.

Testarossa risked a glance at it and grimaced. "What does it mean?"

"They're under attack. The difficulty of the ritual has increased," Echo surmised.

"Damn that prison," TK swore. "I wish we'd just bombed it off the planet when we first went..."

Echo paused. That had been an option, albeit an unattractive one. She wondered what contingencies had been prepared to repulse such a tactic. It was inelegant, violence-centered thinking...but it gave her an idea.

She contacted the fleet, or one ship in the fleet. "Captain Rierdon, this is the Invincible. I have a change in your orders. Sound red alert and move ahead of the asteroid. Bombard the prison complex with all weapons."

The only full battleship left in the fleet acknowledged her commad and soared out to its new position. Turrets swiveled and aimed. Missiles locked on. An instant later space between the ship and the prison was alive with gigawatt laser and particle beams, weaving between exhaust plumes from the hornet swarm of warheads plunging down towards it.

Sure enough, a red crackling shield appeared in a dome over the complex, blocking the attacks completely. But the attack on the rift stopped, and Echo narrowed her eyes.

Its resources aren't infinite either. There's only so much it can do at once. Attack the portal, try to move, protect the prison...they must be draining. This has been taking a toll on it as well.

"Invincible!" crackled the communicator. "The gravity plates on my ships are starting to overload!" Another voice cut in, "...they're not designed for these power levels!"

Echo watched the tactical display, as ship after ship started turning red as its plates finally burned out from the demands of herding unruly demonic asteroids. She eyed the display, the ETA, the distances.

"Maintain position as long as you can," she instructed. "Meet at rendezvous point once your plates overload. Riordan maintain bombardment until my mark, then get out, full speed."

"Aye!"

She watched...the distance closed...then she barked, "Now! Disengage and return to rendezvous point!"

Now it was just the Invincible, its crew, and the two super-strong aliens outside, bringing up the rear. The moment the fleet started peeling away, and the bombardment sopped, the giant space rock started trying to slow its spin, trying to wrench itself around.

"Keep pushing it!" Echo called. "Don't try to keep it from turing, it's too late for that now!"

With one last shove of telekinesis, alien muscle, and solar-powered might, the gigantic fragment of Pluto soared forward with renewed speed...and Echo was proven right. Whatever was moving the fragment was just a bit too slow to cancel out all the momentum it had gathered up. Still spinning and tumbling in space, it fell into the spatial rift.

Echo opened the comm immediately and sent, "It's through! Close it!"

The chunk whirled around as it hurtled, and with the prison now facing them, it looked like the pupil of a giant, bloodshot eye in space. An eye deformed by all-consuming rage.

Then the curtain fell. The eyelid dropped. The rift, and its cargo, were no more.

[Joani]

For a moment there was silence. Almost peaceful silence. Serene slowly regained her senses, the pain ebbing away in waves and only leaving small echoes causing a minor migraine. On the floor was lying the prone and unconscious body of the Dragon Witch. Blood was flowing from nasty looking wounds and it was hard to tell if the reptilian woman was still breathing or dead.

Just before she could worry about the Dragon Witch’s condition she heard a soft painful moan next to her where Djane had been. She didn’t believe her eyes at first and thought that Djane was just lying further away than she remembered but she was only a few steps away, yet Djane’s frail body looked disturbingly small. When she realized what had happened to the young Djinni she could hear the cheers of joy and success over the comlink. People were screaming madly and laughing and for a short moment she wasn’t sure if they had succeeded or failed.

„We did it!“, Echo’s voice was clearly distinguishable from the background clamoring with unusual relief and human touch. It looked like they had saved Earth. Serene looked across the room not sure what to do first. She felt exhausted and burnt out but knowing that Earth was saved did much to bolster her confidence. Still the question lingered – what price had they paid for their success?

Out in space the prone bodies of MegaGirl and the Celestial Centurion where drifting. They had pushed themselves to their limits and beyond. Echo’s attempts to hail them remained unsuccesful. TK didn’t hesitated and ordered the Pilot to get as close as possible to her friends. She would use her powers to gently guide them on board and take them to medbay. It was hard to tell if they were injured but leaving them drifting in space was not an option.

The Celestial Centurion was the first to wake up, his inherited healing powers slowly restoring the damage he suffered from the strain. His waking was rather violent and he almost jumped off the gurney still thinking they were in immediate danger. Next to him was MegaGirl’s huge shape. She was unconscious but looked mostly unharmed. Parts of her uniform was torn to shreds but she was still modestly covered. A quick look at the monitors told him that she was delirious but stable. It looked like she had pushed herself too far and her body was only slowly recovering.

The commchannels were overloaded with cheers and salutations for the heroes. It didn’t matter how much damage had been done, how many ships and lives had been lost, everyone was relieved that they had managed to save Earth. Echo was smiling at herself, glad that her plan had worked out but it would’ve never worked without her friends help and the fleet. She was sure she would remember this day for a long time. Looking at the spot where the asteroid had been she could see something... odd. Using the onboards optics to magnify the immediate area where the Rift had been she could see a distortion. It looked like a scar and the scans didn’t make much sense. There was a roughly 2 mile long and a quarter mile wide scar in the space fabric which bent the light in odd ways. Whatever the ritual was doing it had left a mark in space...

Click to reveal..

Some facts: CC and MG are physically ok – this is just for dramatic purposes. You’ve spent your HPs and are not fatigued but I felt it would be odd if you just shrugged it off. You’ll recover quickly although MG will feel like every inch of her body is aching. CC will feel similar – as if they’ve been put through the treadmill for several days in a row without a break and only water to survive. TK and Echo feel drained and exhausted – TK especially has a really bad migraine.

Serene feels physically drained and exhausted, too. But it seems that Djane and Aina have taken the greater toll. Djane currently can’t use her Variable Array (the Wishing stuff) and is reduced to about a foot in size making her look like a Windling without wings. Djane really really feels spent. Azzkett (or whatshisname again?) is lying next to Serene wincing slightly but breathing steadily. He seems to be doing ok but is too weak to move.

You’ll all have some time to ´recover´and can post freely. If you have questions just ask them. Congrats for saving Earth! I will finish this chapter on Thursday, 13th and start a new one on that same day. PP rewards will come before the next Chapter

[Celestial Centurion]

When the crew hauled The Centurion on board they almost didn't recognize the hero. The golden armor was grey, cracked in places, and melted into nearly unrecognizable slag in others. It's luster and resistance gone the armor nearly crumbled at the touch and as they laid Herak out in medbay the plates began to give way, shattering into fragments of falling off as chunks of slag.

Revealed from beneath the armour, Herak himself looked worse for wear, worn out, and drained. Dark circles surrounded his eyes and made him appear gaunt. Once connected to the medical scanners his heart rate was shown to be slow, but steady, he was alive, and would live, but had clearly pushed himself to the brink of exhaustion; unconsciousness protecting him from pushing himself further, to actual, physical, harm.

[z-Watchwoman]

"Azzy," Serene moaned and touched her cat. His big silver eyes rolled to her, asking her to stop the pain. Swallowing hard, Serene rolled to him and rubbed his thick shoulder. A weak purr rumbled out of him and he relaxed a touch.

Serene glanced around, her eyes widening as she saw Djane. "Oh, god," she whispered, feeling suddenly sick. "Djane!" She crawled over to the genie and picked her up, cradling her in her arms. "Djane, are you..." The word alright died on her lips because Djane was more certainly not. "What..." Again, her question died on her lips. "Djane, what do you need?" she finally asked, brushing baby-fine blonde hair away from the genie's tiny face.

[Djane]

"Whuh." Djane's eyelids fluttered, and slowly split open. She blinked, trying to focus on Watchwoman's face.

"Did we do it...?" Djane's voice was soft, small and tired. More than anything, it felt drained. Djane was a being of pure magical energy, and so much of herself had gone into the wish. She felt exhausted, like she'd been running a marathon for five days in the desert without water. But she was alive. And as she heard the cheering over the comm, she smiled.

"We rule."

She closed her eyes, resting her head back. "I... I think I'll be okay. Just tired. I can recuperate in the lighter, I think. Lots of magic to soak up... it's nice in there. You should see it."

[z-Watchwoman]

"Alright," Serene said softly, sliding across the floor to the Dragon Witch. She kept Djane's petite body in the crook of her arm, more for Serene's comfort than Djane's. "I'll get you there."

She reached out and put her fingers on Aina's wrist, looking for signs of life. At the same time, she ordered, "Hudsy, contact League HQ. I need a shuttle to transport our injured. Also, let Alan know I need him for emergency first aid in the Ball Room.

"Echo," she sent out over the ring, "I need status checks when you have a moment. How is everyone?" Please don't let anyone on my team have died, please!

[SalmonMax]

"Watchwoman...you're all right." Echo's voice is audibly relieved. "MegaGirl and the Celestial Centurion both severely overexerted themselves...but their doing so most likely made the difference between success and failure. There were casualties in the fleet, but all of us made it through."

"Is everyone there all right?"

[MegaGirl]

Karra lay in the medical bay, curled up into a large ball, her knees tucked tight beneath her chin, eyes squeezed shut. She ached, her whole body was sore in a way it never had been before, her hands and forearms a darker bronze than her natural skin from her burning heat of moving a Planet-Chuck-Thing-Chunk with her bare hands. Her lips were peeled back in a tight, fierce grin.

I told you! I told you! I told you! We did it! We're heroes and we saved the world! MegaGirl boasted to her demon-induced doubts.

But in a shadowy corner of her simple, no longer as innocent, mind, a figure stood, as tall and powerful and beautiful as her, painted in a palette of emphatic white and grey and black. Her eyes were dark pools and she laughed mockingly, lips curved in a contemptuous smirk.

[z-Watchwoman]

"Echo, stand by for status." It took her several moments to find the signs of life in Aina; the woman’s pulse was very low and slow. It was similar to hibernation, which worried Serene. However, when you were dealing with alien physiology, this might be normal. Another good sign was that her wounds weren’t bleeding despite having no outside medical care; that was very encouraging.

“Ma’am.” Alan was suddenly kneeling beside her. “Allow me.”

“Thank you,” Serene murmured and slipped back to allow him access to the prone otherworldly being. Still cradling Djane, she moved back to Azkatt’s side. The big cat was just starting to stir, making pitiful noises as his mistress slid over to him. Serene began to pet him; soon her pet had his head on her lap, a soft purr vibrating between them.

“Ma’am,” Hudsy said suddenly, “the shuttle has landed on the helopad out back.”

“Please direct them to the Ball Room,” Serene said. “We’ll need at least two stretchers.” Hudsy acknowledged and she returned to the League comm. "Echo, everyone with me is alive as well. They'll need some recovery time, but I think everyone's going to make it. I have a shuttle inroute for us, and I'll be joining you soon."

A few minutes later, a medical team came into the room. They wasted no time loading Aina up on the stretcher. As she was being secured for transport, half of the team approached Watchwoman. “Watchwoman, do you need the stretcher?”

“I think I can walk and I have Djane,” she said, “but my cat… what?”

“Uh, nothing,” the men said, his momentary lapse in controlling his facial expressions quickly smoothing over. “Let’s load up the… cat.”

It took some soothing from Serene, but Azkatt allowed himself to be put on the stretcher. He was rolled out to join Aina. The shuttle lifted off as soon as it could, pushing into the air with a muted roar. Azkatt had ridden on one before, but not while hurt or restrained. Serene had to pet him constantly to keep him calm and even then he didn’t stop his soft whining growl.

Things were easier once they got to League HQ. Watchman had long ago installed a small facility to care for Azkatt; the familiar surroundings along with the release from the backboard did much to calm him. Serene waited only long enough to see that he was settled before she went to her room and took the lighter from her safe. “Alright, Djane,” she said softly, glancing down at her weakened friend, “what do I do to help?”

Click to reveal..

Treatment +7 (1d20=17) = 24

[Djane]

"Just need to rest. Pop the lighter open and I can slip inside. The interior pocket plane is pure magic... really nice palace. Warm breeze, bright sun..." Djane's eyelids struggled to stay open.

"If you need me for anything, just flip it open and use the lighter. Uh... and tell the others thanks, for me. I like this planet. Even when I don't - I still do."

[Celestial Centurion]

With time the Centurion awoke. Slowly at first, he stirred. Herak sat up slowly, his head throbbing, and tried to stand. Weakened by his exertions he nearly fell, grappling with the bed he barely retained his feet. He looked around, slowly sliding down to the floor as he saw Megagirl on a nearby bed. Did we succeed? Was that thrice damned hunk of rock diverted?

[z-Watchwoman]

"I will," Serene promised, flipping the top of the lighter open with her thumb. “Get some rest,” she advised gently. She watched as Djane’s body turned to mist and slipped into the lighter. Once she was gone, Serene started to put the lighter back in the safe, only to hesitate. After a moment, the teen superhero put the lighter in her belt pouch. She felt better having Djane nearby.

It was a short walk to the medical bay, where MegaGirl was still unconscious. The Celestial Centruion was up – holding tightly to his bed, but up. “Hey,” Watchwoman called a smile on her face. It was a genuine smile from the girl; she was truly pleased to see Herak stirring.

The smile faded as a thought occurred to the young woman: to take off her hood. These were her companions; they had faced Hell itself together. Her father had told her to never remove her hood; to never show her face. He’d wanted her – taught her, even – to live in shame and secret. And Serene was tired of it. She’d been denied other members of her family because of secrets. Why should she continue like that?

Her fingers shook a little as Serene opened her hood and tugged it back. For the first time since she was twelve, she dared to be seen in public as who she was. Raven black hair with a slight wave fell around a face that was breath-taking in its beauty. Her red eyes were striking against her dusky skin and the Al-shecs glands on either side of her face glowed a soft red.

She stopped by MegaGirl’s bed and picked up her hand, then looked at the Centurion. “Thank you, from Djane, myself, and my planet for what you did,” she told the servitor of Helios, giving him another smile. “I doubt we could have done any of this without you, or that we would have lost someone trying. Thank you.”

[Celestial Centurion]

Herak watched as the youn woman removed her mask, exposing the beauty beneath. She seemed nervous about the act, unsure, as though revealing her true appearance were something she was unaccustomed to. "Thank you," she said, her lips continued to move but most of what was said was missed, as Herak watched her from his position on the floor, his tired eyes all but drinking in her beauty.

Finally he blinked, shook his head weakly, and asked, "So we succeeded then? Your world is saved?"

[z-Watchwoman]

Serene took another look at the Centurion. With her message delivered, she realized that he looked awful. And he was sitting on the floor. He also appeared to be having comprehension issues. "Uh, yeah, I just... Yeah, you did. We did, but you didn't have to help us at all, so I'm grateful that you did." She took one last look at Karra and released her hand.

Walking over to Herak, she slowly knelt in front of him. Despite being upright herself, the ritual had drained her and Serene had done a lot since she'd last slept. She could tell she was nearing the end of her reserves, but she had too much to do before she rested. "Between the efforts of you guys in space, and that ritual Aina did, the asteroid is gone and Earth is safe."

She rose again, using the bed to help pull her up, then extended a hand to him. "Would you like to get off the floor? I can get you a chair, if you don't want to be in the bed." She flashed him a tired, wry grin. "Least I can do for a hero of Earth, right?"

[Celestial Centurion]

"There is no need," he spoke quietly, "to do anything." He took her hand, and with her assistance regained his feet. "Starlight. My powers derive from the stars themselves. I will recover more swiftly if I can get out into the open. Your people did not know, but it would have been best to have left me in space." Herak leaned agains the bed as he spoke, conserving his energy, his fatigue as evident as it was severe.

[Tesstarossa]

Teletha sat with the others who weren't hurt but the doctors wished to see anyway. It could wait, she'd been hit hard by some fragments. She saw Watchwoman and followed behind her, too tired to say much. Kara and Herak were in their beds, and Watchwoman unmasked herself.

She felt like an intruder, having seen something she shouldn't have, and turned to leave, not wanting to intrude further.

[Djane]

The inside of the lighter was a palace.

There were sheer curtains and marble floors, a warm breeze and a sun turning the world orange on the horizon. It looked like a sultan's palace. Normally Djane hated the place, since all it did was remind her of her plight. Today she was glad to see it, because in the main bedroom, there were pillows and a bed soft as a duck's down.

She half-floated, half-collapsed into the bed, already slipping away. Her arm dangled over the side, touching the floor, and she could feel Serene close by, keeping the lighter close.

She smiled. Then she slept.

[z-Watchwoman]

Serene nodded. "We should get you to an airlock," she said, moving to his side. "I'd like to walk with you, but might need to lean on you, if that's ok." He didn't look strong enough to make it alone, and seemed too proud to visibly take much support. Perhaps he'd let her help him in a more subtle way. After all, he'd be appearing to help her.

This close, there was a phantom hint of vanilla hanging around her. She smiled at him, only to catch sight of movement beyond him. "Tessa!" she said, suddenly discomforted. A blush ran over her cheeks, making her spots fade into her reddening skin. Serene knew that it was silly, but she felt a little naked without her hood. Everyone who saw her would know who her mother was; they'd all know why Watchman was ashamed of his daughter.

Secrets and shame. Remember you're tired of it. Holding her head a little higher, Serene said, "The Centurion needs to get out into space. I was going to walk with him to an airlock. Could you sit with Karra, please, until I return? I don't want her to wake up alone."

She'd always been protective of the half-Shytari, but the knowledge that Karra was her half-sister as well made her even more so. Her voice reflected that new sense of guardianship as she spoke to Tessa.

[Celestial Centurion]

Herak nodded, too tired for words, and too tired to point out that Watchwoman's logic was flawed. If she needs to lean on me to get there whom will she lean on to return?, he wondered. The Centurion offered a bare, weary nod to Tessa, unaware what role, if any she had played in the days events.

With Serene at his side he made his way down to the nearest airlock, taking direction from the young woman since he did not know the layout of the ship. His nose itched, rankled by some smell that he could not identify. By the time they reached the airlock he was glad to be free of the alien scent, whatever it was Serene had been unaware of it, likely it was not unpleasant to her senses. Herak stepped into the airlock and iut quickly cycled, drawing the atmosphere out of the room before opening to the void of space. Watchwoman observed him through the window as he drifted out, sans armor, into the cold vacuum, and into the direct light of the Sun.

As the pure solar radiation hit him Herak felt energy pour into his weakened muscles, and with a thought he burst alight, radiant plasma replacing his flesh. With a wave he departed, a streak of incandescence that moved at the speed of light toward the Sun.

[z-Watchwoman]

Herak taken care of, Serene went back to the infirmary. She found herself stumbling at one point, and realized that her attempt to cover up for Herak hadn't been that far from the truth. The young woman paused to lean against a wall for a moment to regain her breath before pushing on.

Back in the infirmary, she smiled at Tessa. "Are you alright?" she asked. "I assumed so, since you weren't in a bed." Serene looked drawn and tired, but she remained upright.

[Tesstarossa]

Tessa nodded, looking at Kara. "Nothing impairing my abilities physically."

She shook her head. "We won, but we're no closer to the truth."

"That's how it feels to me. Our parents are all "broken" for lack of a better term, We pulled this off with outside help, and the entire Team made it through. We got really really lucky."

She looked at Kara. "It may not seem like it right now, with the injured, and considering the stakes, we did well, I just can't shake the feeling of failure."

"I wasn't able to do much, just move rocks around and explode a few demons. I should be capable of more." She seemed to shake, and sighed. "It's selfish, I know, thinking like that, but If I were better others might not have gotten hurt."

She looked back to Serene and smiled weakly. "And you, your Father would be proud of you after this. You took charge as he did, and won. Your leadership help save the world."

"You should get some rest I can take care of things for now, I can contact you when Kara wakes."

[z-Watchwoman]

"Thank you," the half-human said in reply to Tessa's compliment.

Serene tiredly shook her head. "You did great, Tessa," she assured the other woman. "If you feel you need training, we can help you get it. But I didn't see anything wrong with your performance. We all did our best, and its a tribute to our skill that we didn't lose anyone."

Sighing, she moved to Karra's side and took her hand again. "I'll rest once I've seen that Echo is alright, too. Do you know where she is?"

[Tesstarossa]

"No, though I'd be willing to venture the docking bay overseeing things, or communing with Matrix to be likely scenarios."

"Her plan was fairly sound, things shouldn't have gone awry like that."

[MegaGirl]

Karra's large hand closed instinctively around Serene's, engulfing it completely in a desperate, gentle, and implacable hold. Her eyes opened, giving her Best Friend a weak smile. But beneath her heavy lids, her gold-green eyes glowed faintly and Serene could see something in them she had never seen in Karra before - it was the loss of innocence, or at least, the beginnings of it.

"We did, right, Serene? We saved the World and are Heroes now? It's not a trick like what the stupid Icky-Demon showed me..." The girl in an oversized young woman's body shuddered, then shook her head, trying to dispel any thoughts of the Icky-Demon. It was...icky.

Karra's smile fade as she looked down at her hand holding Serene's then over the rest of her body curled up into a large cot on the modified cot. "I... hurt, Serene. Why do I still hurt? Is this what being sick is like?" Karra frowned, more of a sulky pout really, unaware of the single tear rolling down across her cheek, eyes growing heavy once more with pained exhaustion. "I don't like it."

[Celestial Centurion]

Deep within the sun the Celestial Centurion rested. Coruscating flame and atomic fire curled about his luminescent body lending him warmth, power, and life. Herak drew on the immeasurably vast power that lay within the star and recovered quickly. His minor wound closing and burning away in mere minutes, his fatigue and weariness would take longer, an hour of rest and he would be restored. Mortal sleep was still needed, and could have done the job that the sun now did, but the Centurion felt that there would be little time for rest. The events of the past few days were only a precursor to something larger that loomed over the cosmos. The Celestial Centurion, Herald of Hælious, recovered for what he expected would be a great task ahead.

[z-Watchwoman]

"You overextended yourself," Serene explained gently, smiling at her newfound half-sister. There was more concern and gentleness than there had been before, on top of the care that Serene had always shown for her friend, Karra. "But you did save us. We couldn't have done it without out. Rest and recuperate. You'll feel better soon."

"You sure?"

Serene chuckled. "Yes, I know it feels back now, but you're strong. You'll be up in no time. The doctors say you'll be fine soon."

A wave of tiredness swept over Serene and she opened a communication through the ring. "Echo, please come in. I want to make sure every's OK before I-" Die. Pass out. "-relax. What's your status?"

[SalmonMax]

Echo responded immediately. "You can relax. I'm uninjured. My contributions to the crisis were purely organizational. MegaGirl and the Centurion, and to lesser extent TK, all suffered far more than I."

"I...am trying to learn from this. I'm monitoring the medical beds as well. Please let them know I am pleased that they are recovering. I will visit them as soon as I have finished my first review."

[Joani]

As soon as Serene heard that Echo was fine and everybody else was basically not in danger anymore she allowed herself to let go and sacked to the ground right where she was, giving herself to blissful unconsciousness...

She woke up feeling mostly rested. Alan was pouring her some tea and she felt Azkett’s snout gently pushing against her hand purring like a cat.

„How long...?“, was her question and was immediately interrupted by her Butler who obviously knew what was on her mind.

„8 Hours, 12 Minutes, my lady and I must say you should stay in bed for another 4 hours at least but I assume you don’t want to take my advice. I’ve prepared your uniform and there’s a message from Legacy HQ which I was asked to hold back until you have recovered. Do you want to read it now?“

Reaching for the cup Serene slowly got up. She was in her Pajamas and briefly wondered who put it on before she reached for the Memo from HQ. Taking a sip she inhaled it’s rich scent which was heavily mixed with honey. Alan knew how to lighten up her spirits.

When she opened her eyes she activated the message and started reading it.

„MegaGirl has fully recovered, your father’s condition is unchanged.“, Alan added before he left the room giving the young woman a fatherly smile.

Status Report Legacy Legion, Highest Priority FYEO

Invitation

The President of the United Nations has recommended you and your team for the highest Decoration ever awarded since the creation of the Justice Society.

You and your team bravely saved Earth from destruction putting your own lives on the line for the lives of our entire Nation.

This day shall always be remembered and to honour your commitment you are invited to participate in tonight’s ceremonial celebration.

The message had an official signature and there was no doubt about it’s origin. Serene could only smile half heartedly, yet a certain pride spread in her for accomplishing something great.

„The fight is not over, yet.“, she acknowledged the message and shook off the stiffness in her limbs. People were expecting from her to be present and show strength – a Legacy she had inherited by her father.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Click to reveal..

Ok, we are transitioning to the next Chapter and I’d like to freeform play the next events of the celebration. Everyone is invited (yes, you too CC!) and expected to come. You have recovered from your injuries, the world is at your mercy :evil:

A few facts: It is the evening of the following day after you saved Earth. The Planet is save and the damage done is relatively small compared to what was at stake. Many ships could be salvaged and many people were saved by the Justice Society in the wake of the catastrophe. Aina is still unconscious and treated in the Medical Center of Legacy HQ, right where your Parents are. Their status is unchanged, though. Stable, but not improving. Take your liberties in describing the events of truly celebrated heroes. I will take over as needed and prepare the next chapter. If you have questions – ask them, as usual

PS: Djane will be awake and refreshed - but she's still as small as she was after she made that wish. She also currently can't access her power that grants wishes

[Djane]

Djane woke from her slumber, feeling rested but stiff. After a few stretches, she looked around the palace, and then knelt and touched the floor.

Serene was absent - but that wasn't unexpected. It's not like she'd sleep cuddling the lighter, after all. So Djane walked into the grounds and towards the pool which served as the gateway between Inside and Outside. It was warm in the sun, its shimmering waters catching the light like diamonds.

She dove in. A moment later, the top of the lighter popped open and a cloud of mist exhaled, and the mist began to condense into the shapely form of Djane. She looked around wherever the lighter had wound up, and frowned.

"Everything's still too big..."