Oregon: Hot Spring Harbor

Huh. What a...weird heartbeat. ...Bang. (...) (...) ...Bang.

Sneering slightly as she hugs him, he closes his eyes and clenches his teeth before wrapping his own arms around her. It's pretty uncomfortable for him. Moving up at an awkward angle, he moves at a horrifying speed into space. As he approaches the atmosphere, he flies backwards out of it, using his body to shield her from the heat. Massive amounts of heat fly over him like a gentle breeze-she'd barely be able to feel it at all. Actually going that fast would probably be...disorienting, even without air pressure flying into her face. Ugh-if it weren't for the vampiric durability and the whole 'Psychic' thing, most of her flesh would probably be off already. Zealot opens his mouth to say something, but-air is too thin. The thoughts flash across his mind, and...huh. If she doesn't pull her hands from his back and make sure they're in his shadow, they'll burn off. So will every other part of her body not in front of him.

Continuing on into space, the immediate pain would be replaced with a...dull pulling. Continuing on slowly for a moment to allow her to catch her breathe...well, sound would stop. It's...huh. Have you ever heard complete, utter silence? No birds chirping, no ambient noise...nothing? An odd, effortless floating sensation; keep all limbs on the Zealot at all times, kids, or they'll burn right the fuck off.

Catching the thought Zealot made, she pulls her arms back to her chest. They're burned somewhat and it hurts a little but she'll recover. She tries to speak as well, but, well... no air! The silence is absolutely horrifying as she's greeted with the ringing of her own ears; the very same kind you'd find in near absolute silence. Two words, however, kept echoing in her head: 'It's terrifying.' About halfway in flight they change to 'I'm scared.'

The part that wasn't as scary about the void of death as space was, was that in the void there was NOTHING. Not even the stars. You could just float around and go to sleep, or just close your eyes. Here?

What would be the stars and other planets zoom by her vision, redshifting into the distance.

Continuing on through space at a...well, a kind of ridiculous fucking speed, Zealot slowly closes in on Titan. The massive ball of rock sits...oddly, in space, almost looking artificial. So perfectly, utterly round, so uniformly colored...a distinct haze sets itself over what seems to be the surface of the planet, but it isn't a surface at all-it's the incredibly thick atmosphere. Moving himself through that haze and into the planet proper, Zealot quickly touches down onto the surface and allows Signal to leave his grip.

Gravity Lad had been nursed back into health by some kindly old couple in hot spring harbor. They fed him some soup and said a military convoy had dropped him off, and concerning their history with metahumans, they should treat him with the hospitality required.

Weird. Gravity Lad was reminded of the android that kidnapped him and put him in a van, making him listen to Miley Cyrus until he was dropped off in a bag unconscious. He was confused as to whether or not the android meant him harm. Why didn't he just kill him? Why did the android give him to this old couple, knowing of their kindness? Why was he exposed to Miley Cyrus?

Gravity Lad needed answers. He wondered where the android would be at this current time.He thanked the old couple and complimented them on their extensive Justice memorabilia collection, and escaped out of the house. Determined to find the answers to those burning questions. He decided to stalk a military vehicle patrolling the city, searching for survivors of the incident. He jumped on the vehicle and hitched a ride.

The vehicle's drivers eventually knew all they needed to know about the town for now, and made the trek eighty-miles southwest to a base hidden in the mountainous...mountains. The area was typical of a military complex, though on a much smaller scale. There appeared to be a bunker cave off in the distance. A fairly strategic location, one might say.

A gun firing could be heard on the premises, many of the soldiers held their ears and winced in pain. The aural assault was accompanied by a brief but intense flash of violet light, and suddenly a smoking crater was carved in one of the mountains. Strange, no weapon on earth could be that loud or destructive.

Gravity Lad, still hidden from the men and using his super awesome espionage skills, was observing from a roof on the complex. He was shocked by what he was seeing, how could one weapon do that much damage? It wasn't nuclear, Gravity Lad thought, was it of alien origin? He saw vampires only a couple of hours ago, he wouldn't start doubting the existence of aliens or little green men either. He decided to spy on the group of men all huddled together discussing the test to investigate.

The men, huddled in a group, removed the soundproof headphones they wore to test the weapon. The only one in the group holding the strange rifle, did not. Wait, was he even wearing any? Strange. Wait, was he blue? Also strange.

"The weapon's destructive potential is far too great. I would equate its tremendous power to a violation of many of the Geneva convention's protocols." His voice seemed to be louder than the others, perhaps for the sake of people who had hearing damage or something.

"Please. Anyone who saw that our boys were brandishing one of these would be too scared out of their mind to try messing with the US of A." One responded.

"Where were those things days ago at the harbor?" Another piped up.

"I chose not to bring the prototype; I saw no need." stated the first.

"Okay, okay, but why the fuck didn't you do anything."

"I saw no need."

"You disgust me."

"Apologies."

With the last word, the first man walked off somewhere, gun in tow. One of the soldiers followed him while the rest of the group dispersed.

Gravity Lad followed the two soldiers. He can't let these merciless soldiers keep the weapon. What is America turning into? We are a nation of free men, not bullies. He waited until the two men were relatively alone, alone enough for Gravity Lad to jump in quickly and use his EXPERT KUNG-FU SKILLS.

He punched the man with the gun first, better to take him out than the other guy.

well, no

provides just enough time for the first to recover and aim the weapon and-

JUMP-

The man was vaporized into a blue mass of smoke.

^ that doesn't get to happen
the first parts do, that part doesn't

Agent 58664, by this point having heard about the events at the facilities, decides that there might be information about DarkForce in the facility's networks.

As Agent walks into the city through the harbour (because roads are for weak hobos) he sets about Gathering Information about the facilities, talking to various townspeople despite his haggard appearance.

One of the townspeople, blissfully ignorant to the disturbance, suggests he see his friend. Her husband worked at the facilities and died at the facilities.

At the widower's residence, a spry your woman sings melodiously as she hangs laundry out to dry in her back yard, and spies the bearded man staring daggers at her.

Hm. Cyrus loved daggers.

Meanwhile, at the base, one of the soldiers was attacked by a small boy. His knuckled would meet metal. The blue man stared down at the child, and at the same time gestured for the other man not to interfere. He then began:

"What brings you here, child? This facility is off limits. I left you in the safety of the town, did I not? How did you get here?"

Gravity Lad was still kissing his knuckles. That hurt. He looked at the blue robot. The same thing that kidnapped him.

"I'm a young guy with an insatiable appetite for danger. A lot of stuff has happened in this city, and you always seem to be in the center of it. That weapon doesn't belong here. That weapon shouldn't even exist. It just brings about pain. Like your face to my fist."

58664 approached the woman slowly; his appearance could startle most people.

"Hello, my name is Chett Manstachio," he bluffed, "I trained with your husband, but we ended up in different fields. I've come to visit him."

Agent had judged that it would be reasonable for news of that man's death to not be widespread, and if the lady launched into a sob-story, she might offer him food as an excuse for her emotional behaviour. It had been a long time since 58664 had properly cooked food, or even a properly made sandwich.

"Child, rest assured that the situations you bore witness to are under control. My presence there was coincidental, though I will lend whatever strengths I can to stopping those beings should they prove to be a bigger threat. For now, my resources are best placed here. This weapon is excessively destructive, yes. It is merely a prototype. Rest assured I will not allow any man or woman to carry it in its current state."

He continued: "I apologize for your hand injury."

"Oh, you were friends with that psycho? Listen buddy, that guy dying was probably the best thing that could've happened to me."

She hiked up the dress she wore, revealing a a large scar.

"That bastard tried to cut me. He tried to cut my leg off so I couldn't run from him. I don't...I don't...ugh..."

She began to shed tears as she relived that awful moment. All of those awful, awful moments.

Gravity Lad looked at him. This tin can seemed to be confident and in control of the conversation, yet he doesn't know the reality of the situations. He can't feel the pain others feel. Words are hollow to him, how could he expect him to understand?

He puffed out his chest,walked towards him, and looked at him eye to eye. "You don't know control. Allowing the deaths of innocent lives is not control. Letting the government continue making more of these after the 'prototype' is not control. Telling me you're in control of this weapon instead of a man with honor and responsibility, one that knows pain, one that knows what this can do, does not assure me of anything."

Gravity Lad scowled. "What makes you special? You were designed for this? You were still made by men, you're still just as imperfect as them."

58664 eyed the scar with a raised, yet unimpressed eyebrow. Ever since his first crystallization, his empathy and emotions had seemed numbed; not dead, but dull. He had wondered if this was an effect of DarkForce; as it could not feast on his memories as it had the first time, it now targeted his emotions. Agent could feel, but if anyone called him a cold, callous asshole, Agent could not fault them.
The man who had done this obviously was not a proficient fighter and he was ashamed to be lumped in with that thug. Agent would've taken the leg clean off.

And then the woman began to cry, tears pouring freely down her cheeks.

He gave her 2 pats on the shoulder and said, "there, there."
If he could remember his training, 58664 was sure he would know how to console an emotional wreck like this, but as it stood, he only had his numbed emotions to rely on.

"I did not "allow their deaths". I spent my time there merely researching. The events were tragic, yes, but my intervention surely would've lead to countless more. If you must know, I will tell you the research was vital to saving possibly thousands of lives. I was present at the final moments of Eagleopolis and many people there died, I myself was powerless. I inadvertently helped the problem, even. I do not intend to let that happen again. My research, as you were told, is quite vital."

He raised the gun and turned his attention to it as he continued.

"You know not of what you speak. I, not a man, and spearheading this weapons development because men can feel pain. A man will will recoil in pain. A man will lash out in anger. A man will sulk in depression. A man will flee in terror. I do not feel these things, that is was makes me special. I know more than you can comprehend, lad. That is what makes me special.

Tell me your name."

MEANWHILE:
"There there? What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Tears streamed down the woman's face, but she was no longer concerned with them. Her tone was that of frustration. "What the fuck are you even doing here? If you want to fucking talk to a security guard, fucking go across the street and bother one that's still alive, you senile bastard!"

With that, she angrily made an aboutface and returned to her laundry. Women, am I right?

It turned out that the woman had been useful after all. Stone-faced, 58664 left the wailing woman.

As he approached the door, 58664 kept an eye out for signs which might reveal how many people lived in the house (children's toys, 2 cars in the driveway, etc.)

He knocked on the door.

A sheepish looking man responded to the door knock, though he only opened the door by a crack. He poked his eye through and asked "Uh...hi...c-can I help you?".

He almost seemed panicky, shell-shocked even. His eyes (eye?) widened as he looked the man up and down. His breathing began to accelerate as he completed his scan.

"Hello, sir. My name is Chett Manstachio. I'm here to debrief you concerning the incident which occurred at your place of employment. if I may have a few minutes of your time?"

Lying to people came so naturally to 58664 that he wondered if he had been a compulsive liar. He could say the most ridiculous things without missing a beat.

"Ch-chett...right...weren't you one of the janitors or something? Or maybe that guy's name was John..."

The man began to calm down when it because slightly more apparent the elder wasn't out for blood or anything, and he opened the door a bit more, allowing sight of the man's full self but not the interior of his home. He leaned against the door.

"What exactly did you need to know?"

"Sir, there has been an ongoing investigation of the fiasco. Several other guards have pinned you as one of the reasons why their attempts to subdue the individuals who escaped. Their stories, however, do not add up. Now is your chance to set things straight. What was your role in the fight against the Supers? What exits did the Supers use? Why didn't the facility's counter-measures hold up? How much damage did the Supers do to the structure?"

The man's eyes widened again and he swung the door all the way open.

"Woah, what? I'm not taking the rap for this, really it was Devon's fault, but he died, just like his hopes and dreams." The man smiled at the last statement, Devon was a faggot and the world would be better off now that he killed himself like the big gay pussy baby that he was.


"Me, myself, I was just on C-level looking for a girl who looked like she didn't belong, and then we got the go ahead to go up the stairs and there she was, with this little boy, right? Then Cyrus, y'know...did his thing...that guy is weird, y'know? Anyways, out of nowhere, I-shit-you-not, Zealot come down and just...punches him to death! I got right the fuck out of there and I left those guys to do their thing. I think there was a robot there, but I don't know if he did anything."

He seemed out of breath when he concluded his story.

"Really officer, that's all I know. I thought I told you guys all this already?"

"local law enforcement is not the only level of government investigating these affairs, sir. Now, this robot you mentioned, had you seen it before? Was it a regular feature of the base? And I ask again: Have any entrances been compromised due to the Supers?"

"Oh...right...of course. Uh, I dunno. I saw it a few times when he helped to bring in the subjects to study. He gave us ashes and that...thing...I have no idea what it was, honest. But that was months ago. He came back and started using the botanical and anthropological equipment for maybe three weeks? And I don't know about entrances, man. As far as I know there's only one way to and from the base, and that'd be the tunnel. But Zealot? He just fucking flew in and scared us off, there's always that."

He then raised a single eyebrow and inquired "Wait, who exactly are you? W-who do you work for, really? Let's see some ID, buddy."