S2E7: Meanwhile…

Featuring: Aster, Izzy, Void, Red

Last episode, we saw The Engineer disable Seraph’s technology, Bon Chance gather a band of villains to kidnap the Mayor, and the emergence of Janus, who had snipers shoot New Seraph and Sundog.

Aster discovers that another version of her superhero tracking software is being used. Tracking down where it’s active, the heroes find that someone has been fitting boxes On-Off Iconwith advanced technology to CCTV cameras, particularly in the region of City Hall. The technology seems impossibly compact and advanced for current manufacturers. The circuit board is marked with an off-on symbol as a logo. They manage to disable some of the hardware – but it seems to have been being installed for a long time.

Stop. Hanging. Out. With. SUPERVILLAINS

The heroes are horrified to see Sundog and Blue teaming up with Bon Chance and other villains to storm City Hall, and rush down – too late to prevent the conflict, and the shots fired from Janus’s snipers. It seems the CCTV camera hacking was used to plan and coordinate the snipers – but how did Janus know the attack would happen?

Red makes contact with The Engineer on the communicators – and he confirms he’s been disabling Seraph’s old technology, which he built, to prevent his son Todd getting his hands on it. The Engineer says he won’t act against his son directly, but he’ll help in other ways if he can. 

From what they say, the heroes think the snipers used bullets made of “space ruby” and filled with the blue “power suppressing” liquid.

S2E8: Fallout

Featuring: Joule, Sundog, Blue, Red, Glitch

Seraph stood between Bon Chance’s gang and the Mayor, but was felled by a sniper shot arranged by Janus. Janus has issued a threat to all mutants in the city. How will the city react?

The camera shows Bon Chance in the sights of a sniper. The gun fires, and the scene moves to slow motion. Just as the sniper shoots, a blast of energy from Hard Light causes a flare of light, and we see the sniper flinch, only slightly. The crosshairs now aim a little high and to the right, and as the bullet moves towards her, Bon Chance is moving the other way. It clips her hair, but misses her head – and ricochet’s from the pillar behind her. We see the ruby tipped bullet crack on the pillar, and oose blue liquid – the broken bullet spins sideways, and passes through Sundog’s flaming aura. By the time it hits her, most of the bullet has gone, leaving only the ruby tip, and a splash of blue liquid.

Time speeds up. Sundog is down and bleeding. Blue takes an unconscious Sundog across the city to Dr Liliana. In Lily’s hideout, we see Lily call in Sundog’s mentor TJ (the retired Alpha Achilles, who hasn’t been seen publicly in decades). Lily says to TJ, “Are you still managing to suppress your powers?”

Later, across the city, a series of minor “accidents” are happening to powered villains and powered heroes who are engaging with human criminals. Janus issues an ultimatum: “Policing should be left to the police.” Public opinion is split, there is definitely support building for Janus’s anti-vigilante position.  Most superheroes are lying low.

 

Joule, Sundog, Blue, Red, and Glitch discover Elastica assembling a team to attack a police convoy. Elastica explains that the convoy contains the evidence of what Janus did on the rooftop, and she’s concerned the police are suppressing the truth, or working with Janus. She plans to steal the evidence – our heroes aren’t sure whether to help them, or stop them. 

But the convoy appears, and Hardlight and Elastica leap into action to stop the truck. Then all hell breaks loose. There’s a bus that won’t stop heading towards a bunch of civilians — Blue and Joule hurry to stop anyone getting hurt. But Janus, somehow, knew this would happen, and has set a trap – there are bombs under the street that trigger when Joule draws on the local electricity, and drains the power preventing the bombs from triggering. The street explodes, and through superhuman effort, Joule contains the explosion.

This is how it was reported on the news:

TV News

We were sent the footage of a major incident in Chinatown

High quality footage shows Red throwing caltrops across a street. A civilian car spins out of control and crashes into a police van, escorted between two police cars. Red is seen leaping across the street to the civilian car, coming under fire from the police. Blue leaps down from a rooftop and stands off against the police, protecting Red.

Joule is seen creating a barrier of energy that the police seem to be behind.

Hard Light sends a spinning disk of light that slices through the top of the police armoured van. Sundog leaps down onto the police van and blows off the damaged section of roof. Nocturna jumps down and grabs police officers and seals them in their car.

Then Joule seems to channel energy – the whole street dims – then there is a massive explosion from under the street. Then the camera cuts to show stunned people in a wrecked street, and lights going out across the city.

Wrecked Streets and Electricity
Aftermath of powered attack on police van

The final image is of Sundog removing a case from the police van.

The newscaster says, “this footage does seem to have been edited though. Witnesses recorded the following on their camera phones. “

Lower quality footage shows the street erupting from underneath, and Joule throwing an energy barrier across the explosion, containing it. That’s when the lights go out.

The newscaster says, “it’s hard to be clear what exactly happened. Witnesses seem to suggest that Joule stood to protect bystanders from a superpowered attack on a police convoy though. “

The Mayor’s office has been asked for comment. We’ll report back if we hear more.

TV Panel news discussion:

Backdrop photo of Joule restraining a massive explosion with an electrical barrier, while the lights of the entire city go out.

Phineus Thrupp (news reader): “What we saw last night was a non-government superhero displaying signs of potentially Alpha level power. Joule tapped the electricity of the entire city to save the lives of those cops and civilians. I’m just glad that power’s in the hands of a true hero, instead of a vigilante like Nightfox”

Pierre Crook (scientist): “But that power shouldn’t be in the hands of anyone. It’s not guided by the police, the city, or the government. I would call on Joule to surrender herself to the proper authorities, so that she can be regulated like the weapon she is.”

Trinity Taylor (chief of police): “I want to say, on record, that I am grateful to Joule for saving the lives of 11 police officers last night. The attack on a police convoy by mutants was despicable, and put many lives in danger. And the antics of our so-called saviour, Janus, just make everything worse. Joule, if you want to work with the police, come forward and identify yourself, and we’ll find a way to make that above board”

Harmon Simons (Mayor’s spokesman): “You can’t possibly be considering regularising the police’s relationship with an out of control monster like that!!.. ”

(show breaks down into arguing)

 

Later

Our heroes discover that the explosives set up on the street had the on/off switch logo, and were specifically designed to trigger if someone drained electrical power from their circuits – ie, targeted at Joule.

The evidence retrieved from the van comprised:

  1. A single sniper bullet with a red crystal tip.
  2. A small video camera attached to a box of electronics — the same future tech as the explosive
  3. Fragments of something that broke. Look like a smashed up drone.

S2E9: The Older Generation

Featuring: Void, Blue, Aster, Izzy, Nightfox
Guest Stars: The Engineer, The Saint, Whisper, Seraph, Dr Lily

The Engineer, The Saint, Whisper and Seraph seem to have been deeply involved in how present circumstances emerged. Is there anyone who knows what happened? Or are there records?

Blue and Nightfox are on patrol (together for mutual protection) near the University. They’re both attacked – with molotov cocktails aimed at Blue, and gunshots aimed at Nightfox. Both seemed to be warnings, but did show understanding of their weaknesses. Finding it hard to keep up with Nightfox, Blue gets hungry for pizza.

Izzy heading home with shopping alone – spots Nocturna breaking in through the window of an office building. Becoming Ghost, she goes in to see what she’s doing. As Ghost, she can see that Nocturna is a psychic construct wrapped around the Korean teen, Kim. Ghost pulls the construct off Kim, and it disappears. She chats with Nocturna, tries to persuade her to stop being a vampire.

Nightfox and Blue see Todd having pizza with Charlie. They seem close.

We see a flashback of Alice accessing bank records for her mothers account, and showing Void that their mother (Whisper) was being regularly paid by Archimedes. 

 

In the Sanctuary, Void discovers a message on a screen, “Assuming it was one of your two who accessed my bank account – it’s probably time you knew the story. If you don’t already know, you’ll find answers in Seraph’s computer system. You’ll need this code, or the Saint’s code – and then it’ll take two descendants of the original crew to unlock it. Im sure you can figure out how.”

In Seraphs lair above the Art Gallery, with Jenny’s help, they find a genetic scanner – which registers Void as related to Whisper, and Blue as related to Seraph. Unlocking the system they see a video record from 2000 along with a set of files. 

 

Flashback scene. Nov 2000. 

The Saint, Seraph, Dr. Lily, Whisper and the Engineer are all in a van.

 

Captions and narration describe each of the characters in the van:

Seraph – cover name Angela Jones

Seraph

Seraph is a clone of the original Seraph, who was badly injured in a previous battle. She is being mentored by the Original Seraph. She wants to live up to the image, and ensure that the Seraph identity is immortal, and a shining hope.

She does know she’s a clone, but considers herself a successor rather than an invention. She gets irritated if anyone suggests she’s not a real person.

 

Sebastian – The Saint

The Saint

The Saint is a young, angry “found in the wild” mutant who Archimedes have recruited to play a villain role in their staged crimes, replacing Whisper who used to be their villain.

Sebastian is already chafing at the role Archimedes has assigned him, and is looking for ways to break free and decide his own future

 

Charlie Müller – Whisper

Whisper

Charlie gained her powers by being given illegal mutagens as part of an Archimedes program. She was trained as an antagonist for the original Seraph, until she lost control of her powers and crippled Seraph. She can feel every use of her powers changing her, awakening your darker self. As she’s been replaced “on screen” by The Saint, she’s expected to ensure everyone stays “in role” during the mission, using her mind control powers if needed. 

Charlie is starting to have second thoughts about Archimedes

 

Jim Summers – The Engineer

The Engineer

Jim has always been a technical genius, but recently he’s been able to run technical experiments in his head and know how they will go before he does them. His gadgets make him the equal of any mutant, and Archimedes provides all the funding he needs.

This is his first field mission. He’s determined to be “on screen”.

 

Liliana Bedelia

Dr. Lily

Liliana has a deep and abiding sense of guilt because she unlocked the genetic sequence that let Dr Crook clone Seraph. Her role in this is not publicly known – she was only a research assistant at the time.

She is field commander for Archimedes on this mission. It’s her first time in the field. She just has to get the others to play their roles, that’s all. Sell it to the public.

 

The mission is shown via short video clips and photos, clearly orchestrated by Archimedes. A group of minor supervillains attack the warehouse, only to be confronted by The Saint, to be told “work for me, or die”. The Saint and The Engineer stand off against the villains – while Seraph waits to fly in. Unexpectedly, two minor heroes approach, and Whisper is sent out by Liliana to deal with them and prevent them from interfering. The scene of Whisper dealing with the heroes brutally, leaving them seriously injured, is marked “NOT FOR AIR”. The footage ends with Seraph flying in, and driving off The Saint in a grand battle.

 

Later, at Blue/Sundog/Glitch’s flat.

Blue arriving back to the flat full of pizza and tipsy

“Hey! GUYS! Turns out I’m part Whisper! Also I saw Todd at a pizza place!”

She immediately goes to bed and fails to explain any further.

S2E10: The New Villains

Featuring: Nightfox, Red, Joule, Void, Sundog

Bon Chance, Elastica, Nocturna and.. one other are carrying out the Saint’s vision of a new generation of mutants. But what is that vision, and how will Janus respond.

Also, who is this Todd who is entangled in Nightfox and Joules social circles – is this really Janus, and what is he doing?

 

In Void’s lab, After analysing the bullet from the evidence case stolen from the cops, the team discover that there are two types of organic material in it – the hard red space ruby, and the blue suppressive liquid. 

Todd Rosenburg bears a strong resemblance to early photos of Todd Summers (Janus). Joule’s ex Sarah is now dating Todd’s friend Nikki – and Todd, of course, is dating Nightfox’s friend and confidante, Charley. 

The gang heads to the university labs to talk to Nikki, who is a postgrad genetics and microbiology person. They discover that Todd’s father is supposedly the genius who owns Lionhead Electronics (whose files were stolen in the Season 1 bank robbery). 

They go over to the university lab – Charley is working on bulletproof material. In the same lab, Todd is working on stuff to go on the outside of aeroplanes. Todd’s lab is only for materials — similar to Charley’s projects. Charley is working on long-fibre materials like kevlar — i.e. bulletproof. Todd is working on short-fibre materials — fireproof. These can be woven together to make something both bulletproof and fireproof.

Nightfox uses his exceptional senses to analyse a carpet tile from the lab. VOCs including formaldehyde, plasticisers, glues. New electronics, electronics factories suggested. Todd presses a button on a machine which makes a loud ultrasonic sound, making Nightfox wince. Todd looks smug.

The team work out where Todd’s other lab might be from considering what types of things he’s likely to do there. Both the docks and the area where Sundog lives have places where they scrap vehicles. And the Lionhead Electronics factory is conveniently located. They make parts for mobile phones. 

To ensure Todd isnt there – Joule and Red go for dinner with him, Charley, Sarah and Nikki that evening – while Sundog, Void and Nightfox break into the factory.

In the factory, they discover the plans for a flying wasp-like drone, armed with a power suppressing stinger. The factory has otherwise been cleaned out. As they leave, they are attacked by a drone in the street – as if Janus was expecting them to be there.

In the restaurant, we see Todd checking his watch at 9:30pm, exactly when the drone attacks. He looks smug again.

Void throws up a barrier to prevent the drone reaching them, but the drone flies through the barrier as if it’s not there and stings Nightfox, who seems to become much more clumsy.  Sundog blasts a fire escape off the wall and the drone is crushed under the falling wreckage.

S2E10.5: Under the Sea

Featuring: Blue, Glitch, Sundog, Red

Special Issue – A psychic giant crab asks for help? What is threatening the blue underwater mutants that live off the coast? Is it the new offshore drilling rig – or something much more serious.

 

The giant psychic crab from episode S2E3 and S2E5 contacts Blue and Glitch by sending images – and the team go to meet it. It takes them out to sea, where they discover the blue mer-people from Untitled S1E1 near an abandoned drilling platform, and underneath them, an air-filled dome community. The merfolk take our heroes down to the dome, where they explain that they are the partner and children of Trident, the British aquatic Alpha. He came to the dome to kill them all, they think – but the crab surprised him and drove him away.

Most of our heroes go to the surface to try and intercept Trident – while Glitch stays below to hide the dome with illusions, and make Trident think it’s been moved. 

Sundog, Blue and Red meet Trident, who tells them that Archimedes has jurisdiction over Storm City and has ordered that his children are a security threat, and need to be removed. If he doesnt do it himself, they’ll send a strike team. 

Glitch gets very distracted by an attractive merboi called Finn, and the experience of “sharing air” under water. The illusion gets a bit less good.

Sundog, Blue and Red agree with Trident that they’ll fake the aftermath of a fight between Trident and Seraph, and then Trident can disappear along with his family. Fren Crab will help them move the dome south, out of Archimedes jurisdiction, and where no-one will look. 

The fight between Seraph and Trident doesnt make the news, which only makes the conspiracy theorists believe it even more.

Conspiracy forum: 

Red: Trident and Seraph destroyed an oil rig after he killed all his children and I think she might have killed him. It was clearly in Storm City territory and he decided to go for it anyway and it was a big fight. 

Horus: Clearly lies, that rig has melted metal, neither of them have fire powers. Obviously this is some sort of false flag coverup to hide what the state is really doing off the coast.

Brit123: Seraph could never take Trident anyway. He’s a true Alpha!

(forum discussion ends up spiralling into personal insults)

S2 E11: Finale part 1

Featuring: Aster, Izzy, Nightfox, Joule

Janus’ plan becomes clear, and others are unwittingly entangled in it. But is Janus wrong in intent, or just in method? Can enough of what he intends be discovered in time to stop him?

Izzy is in the supermarket, when she runs into Kim – the teenager who becomes Nocturna. Kim is with another girl, holding hands, and looks happy. When she sees Izzy, she runs over, and gives her the Nocturna comic book. Kim says she doesnt need to be Nocturna any more – and Nocturna is in the comic book. She wants Izzy to return the book to where she stole it from.

Taking the book home, Aster and Izzy examine the book. In Izzy’s head, Betty tells Izzy that there really is something in the book. Nightfox notices a signature on the inside cover of the book – “Imaginos”. The team remember that Imaginos was the daughter of The Imagineer, an Alpha who could make anything he could imagine real. Imaginos is dead, according to all records, killed by her own powers, that she couldn’t control. Izzy locks the book in Aster’s safe.

Aster discovers that Janus is using her software again – to track supers. He’s particularly focussed on tracking The Saint and his crew, and the area around City Hall. The team haven’t been able to track Todd since they raided Lionhead, but Aster determines that what he’s doing would need powerful computers, and a fast network connection, so starts narrowing down where he could be. 

Nightfox gets a message from Charley, saying that she, Nikki and Sarah are going to go see Todd’s new office. The location is an under construction office building – with excellent security – the network connection and power have already been installed. Charley tells Nightfox that they are meeting Todd in his office on the 37th floor, so they head there immediately.

They meet Todd in an office at the end of the hall on 31st floor – Charleu, Nikki and Sarah are nowhere to be found.  The hall has ultrasonic transmitters which means Nightfox can’t use his enhanced senses. Todd monologues at the team – about how he can predict the future with his computer models, and he foresees a future in which the “cauldron” Archimedes have created in Storm City leads to all out powered gang warfare in the streets, and a corresponded crackdown that leaves thousands of people dead. So he’s going to precipitate the conflict early, so he can stop it. He claims he will provoke the Saint into attacking the Mayor – and then save him. But he might have to take out BonChance first, her powers seem to mess everything up. He claims he has no superpowers, just is good with technology, and he seems to have strong feelings about powered people.

Nightfox gets another text from Charley, saying that they have figured out they are not on the 31st floor – they’re on the second floor, but someone has obviously changed the signs to confuse them. He tells her to take the lift down and leave – and Izzy decides to become Ghost and go find them – leaving Betty with the group.

Betty verbally lays into Todd, telling him bluntly that he does have powers, and how pathetic he is. Todd is stunned, and easily overpowered by the team. 

On the second floor, Izzy discovered three inactive wasp-drones, and that the three women had gone down to the basement by accident – and discovered Todd’s computer system there. 

The team destroys the three drones, but decides not to destroy the computers yet – they don’t know what the drones will do if they stop getting their orders. They take Todd to Seraph’s tower, and lock him in the cell. Todd protests that this is kidnapping, and demands that they call the police.

 

 

Thu 8th April: S2 E12: Finale part 2

Featuring: Sundog, Red, Void, Glitch, Blue

Can the wheels set in motion be stopped?

Todd has been captured, and is in the cell at Seraph’s tower. He’s loudly pointing out that they can’t keep him here forever, and smugly assuring them that his plan will work even if he’s not there to activate it. It’ll all happen at 18:00 today.

The team meet with the Saint and explain that Todd believes he can provoke him into attacking the Mayor. Sundog says she thinks she should melt Todd – but the Saint says that no matter what, he’s the Engineer’s son, and that would send the Engineer over the edge, and he’d stop at nothing to get revenge.

Joule is still at Todd’s office building, in the basement, and can destroy his computers at any time. But they are worried this will just activate his plan early, even if the drones are less intelligent without the computers. Also, the computers should let them track down the drones.

Sarah shows the team a picture of a dissected “space ruby”. The ruby is hollow, like a nut, with hard material only on the outside. 

Since Todd said he’d take out Bon Chance first, the team go to meet with her, to try and warn her. While they are there, two wasp-drones appear. The wasps are very hard to grab, because their propulsion makes them slippery – and they have space ruby incorporated into their design, making them immune to powers. 

Blue gets stung while trying to grab a drone, and suddenly feels very weak. Sundog makes an energy construct that can grab one without being hurt – then Void destroys it. While they are engaged with that drone, the other one circles around behind, and stabs Bon Chance through the chest – she seems dead.

The team use the computers to track the drones. There are 19, all near City Hall, and all in pairs (apart from the one that got away after attacking Bon Chance). The team start hunting down and destroying drones, along with The Saint, Elastic and Hardlight. Nut its taking too long. City Hall is defended by police, including snipers on the roof. New Seraph arrives in a truck and flies up to the roof. Everyone is tense and expecting trouble.

Between the team, and the Saint’s team, when 18:00 rolls around, there are still 15 wasp drones left. Then, at 18:00 exactly, the news broadcast comes on, and Phineas Thrupp leads with the story that he has evidence that the Mayor has been conspiring with Archimedes to put mutagens in the city water supply. He’s also personally been involved in murder – he shows a video of the Mayor killing the Saint’s son, James.

The Saint loses it, just as he told Sundog the Engineer would if she killed his son. He is intent on killing the Mayor. He goes to a nearby rooftop, along with Hard Light and Elastica, lurking in shadows… presumably planning.

Although they are fighting wasps, Sundog abandons the rest of the team and flies over to the roof where the Saint is with Hardlight and Elastica. She tries to talk him out of killing the Mayor — “This is just what Todd wants!”. Her plasma inadvertently lights up and reveals the Saint and his crew to the snipers on the roof of City Hall. A sniper shoots the Saint in the chest and he falls.

Sundog, already fighting her own rage to do the right thing and not just kill everybody, flies to the roof of City Hall and melts all the guns so nobody can shoot anyone else. New Seraph flies over and punches Sundog with energy charged fists, triggering a catastrophic meltdown in which Sundog melts the roof – NewSeraph and all the snipers fall through. Wasp drones close in from all directions.

In the nearby cellar, Red is hit hard by a wasp. The sting shatters the space ruby around her neck, and she falls to the ground, apparently bleeding from the chest. Blue tries to help her, but when she touches Red, she feels weaker, and Red accidentally pushed her across the room – seemingly super strong. Void carefully tends to Red’s injury – but when they hear the explosion, Blue and Glitch run outside.

On the roof, Sundog is a maelstrom of fire. Blasts melt all the wasp drones, sending molten metal raining down on the streets below. One blast targets Elastica and Hardlight, sending them flying from the nearby roof.

Blue looks very determined, and leaps into the air… for the first time, flying. She flies to the rooftop and grabs Sundog. She’s unharmed by Sundog’s plasma aura. She talks Sundown down from her rage, and then scoops Sundog up in her arms and flies away.

On the street below, Glitch, Red and Void are looking up in stunned silence.

Credits roll. End of Season 2

Mid Credits Scene:

Phineas Thrupp, showing footage of Blue flying to the roof and grabbing Sundog “Clearly, we can see that Seraph is back. Storm City can rest easy again.” Showing image of Sundog burning through the roof of City Hall, and raining molten metal down on the police below “And hopefully Seraph will turn this one into appropriate custody. Looks like we have a new major supevillain to rival the Saint… Sundog”

Post Credits Scene

An online TV show called “Viewcube”

Hey there heroic peeps! If you live in Storm City you may know me as Red. I wander round the city with a bow and arrows and try to help where I can, how I can. You can’t do better than your best right? Well I am changing the name and the look because now I actually have powers! Some of you may have guessed that I didn’t before, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. Anyway, new powers, new branding and all that, so I’m going with Ruby Star, I think it’s got that little bit of sparkle that fits my new look.

*gestures to pieces of ruby embedded in her chest*

This is Ruby Star saying: Keep on shining!

 

Season Two – First Half Recap

Meet Our Heroes: Groups

Thu 29th Oct: S2E1: The Bank Job

Featuring Aster, Nightfox and Izzy
Transnational Bank in downtown Storm City has been robbed, contents stolen from a number of private deposit boxes and data vaults. The police are looking for high tech criminals, but the bank branch’s head of security believes superpowers were involved. He privately reaches out to our heroes to help him figure our what happened. He confesses that he has the power to detect superpowers being used, but he was off work that day – so he’s sure they were used.
Investigating the vault, and camera footage, our heros find a number of anomolies. They deduce that one of the deposit boxes was rented by Bon Chance under a false name. She stored a valuable stamp collection, but while accessing it with her accomplice The Engineer, they placed a  tiny metal shim into the vault door to make it intermittently fail to close properly.
On the day of the robbery: The Saint, Bon Chance, and the Engineer enter the bank branch. When the door to the vault is open because a previous customer is leaving – The Saint freezes time on the bank floor for everyone other than Bon Chance and the Engineer, who proceed down the the vault to open it. The Engineer disables the cameras, apart from one which his technique didnt work on. The vault door hadn’t closed properly, and they walk in and rob it.
They steal the following:
Bon Chance: The stamp collection she deposited, papers from a box belonging to Archimedes COO Pettr Hansen, and papers from an antiquities dealer.
The Engineer: Data records from LionHead Electronics, jewellery and gold coins from a vault owned by a wealthy citizen.
When they return to the bank floor, time resumes, and they all walk out just before the alarm goes off
Aster, Izzy and Nightfox were able to prove supervillain involvement, saving the bank security managers job.

Thu 5th Nov: S2E2: Fireworks

Featuring: Void, Sundog, Joule, Blue, Red

Joseph Manchetti’s house has been burgled, and a rare collection stolen. He believes it was mutants responsible, so his Outfit are harassing and assualting young people with obvious powers all over town.
Violence erupts all over the streets. Outfit thugs assualt known or obvous mutants with baseball bats and clubs. More dangerous mutants are shot at. Mutants respond by standing up for each other – there are more mutants putting on costumes and taking to the streets. The Outfit thugs demand to know who is responsible for the disrespect to their boss.
Alice puts on the Whisper suit, and teams up with Snakeboy and Leatherskin to form the “City Guardians”, and stand between mutants and those trying to harm them.
An ice-skating Canadian in hockey gear, calling himself The Puck King, stands in defence of the Lower West side.

Our heroes have an awkward standoff with “Whisper”‘s new team of reformed villains… then are called to Manchetti’s pizzeria, which is apparently being destroyed by mutants. They arrive too late to stop it. but witness the damage caused. The culprits were Elastica, who was

Nocturna - vampire

responsible for most of the violence against people – and.. a vampire, who didn’t hurt any person, only property.

Joule spots the vampire on a nearby rooftop, and flies up to confront her, but finds herself being very awkwardly flirted with by an impossible caricature of a vampire.

Wed 11th Nov: S2E3: Immigrant Issues

Featuring: Red, Glitch, Sundog, Blue

Scarlett is approached by her neighbour, Jacqueline, whose ex-boyfriend, the huge Eastern European Guy, is upset about something. Talking to him via Jacqueline, Scarlett finds out that he’s concerned that Chinese gangs are moving into the Ukranian village, and that mutant powered violence will erupt. He thinks Scarlett has some mutant friends, so asks her to pass the message on.
Glitch gets a similar message from Yuri, and told that local gangs are meeting at Mike’s Taco Hut (a ‘Mexican’ restaurant run by a Californian surfer).
Glitch, Blue and Sundog are sharing a flat now, so they head off to investigate. Meeting with Red at  the Taco Hut, they meet the HEEG, who it turns out is a local Ukranian gang leader called Alexandr. They agree to investigate this ‘Chinese invasion’.
Visiting the new factory they were pointed too, they meet some teenage Korean girls, and discover that its a crab-processing plant, run by a Korean family who were being harassed by Chinese gangs on the other side of the river. But Red’s space ruby seems to get warm and glow slightly near the factory, so they return at night to investigate.
Breaking in, they discover that the rear part of the factory contains a gigantic car-sized crab in a tank, guarded by people who have mutated crab claws and shells – along with papers which show that river water makes crabs mutate and grow to huge size… and possibly that eating enough of the crab meat mutates people too.
Blue discovers she can talk to the crab psychically – it claims it’s being held prisoner and forced to endlessly make new crabs for the factory. The team christen it “fren crab”, and release it, and the other mutated crabs into the river.
Returning to the Taco Hut, they manage to persuade Mike that crab tacos are off the menu, and stop gang attacks on the now-destroyed factory.
Meanwhile, a white and gold clad hero was seen in the skies over Storm City – the press speculating that Seraph had returned.

Thu 19th Nov: S2E4: Strangers and Thieves

Featuring: Aster, Izzy, Void, Nightfox, Joule

While Joule in Void’s sanctuary, the equipment starts malfunctioning. Joule tries to sense electrical disturbances, and detects some from a van driving around the neighbourhood that match with the equipment disturbances. Dispite not being in her costume, she travels along a lighting bolt into the back of the van, and is quickly shot by the driver who is wearing a red demon mask. His gun penetrates her electr

Retired villain: The Engineer

ical barrier. Joule loses control of her powers, and the van explodes, causing property damage and some injuries to bystanders. Void helps her escape undetected as having been in the van – when they check security footage later, they see a man watching the scene who fits the build of the man in the demon mask – and the build of The Engineer who helped rob the bank.

After Aster gets a phone call from Frank Manchetti asking about her ‘mutant downstairs neighbour’, she contrives to get her team of “security consultants” invited to Joseph Manchetti’s house to figure out which mutant might have carried out the robbery.
Investigating, the team find evidence that someone invisible to cameras (but who still leaves footprints), and someone who can flow along the ground like a liquid, broke in through a side door.
Izzy realises that her alter-ego Betty is sure she can convince Frank Manchetti that it was an inside job, and not a mutant robbery. Betty promises not to get anyone killed who doesn’t deserve it. So Izzy scouts out the Manchetti house as a hard-to-see Ghost, while Betty conspires. Nightfox persuades Betty that its a better challenge to get no-one killed.
Betty frames one of Manchetti’s thugs as the inside man on the theft, while ensuring they are tipped off in time to escape.
Ghost hears Joseph Manchetti talking to The Saint on the phone – it sounds like they’d had a deal, but Manchetti considers it over.
Frank Manchetti listens to Betty, and calls off the war on mutants – sending the hitmen after his own thug instead.
Our heroes overhear Outfit thugs saying they still plan to go after the stretchy girl and the vampire, for attacking the pizzeria,
new Seraph
New Seraph is seen, wearing a different costume.

Wed 25th Nov: S2 E5: Crabs and Angels

Featuring: Glitch, Sundog, Blue, Red
Red discovers The Saint and Bon Chance on the fire escape outside the apartment opposite hers. She phones Bon Chance and persuades her to come visit. Bon Chance spends a long time talking and flirting with Red – after they leave, Red searches the fire escape and finds a list of names, one of which is Alexi, her neighbour Jacqueline’s young but super strong son.
A Midtown radio station announces a crab fishing content off Storm City harbour, since large crabs have been seen recently. Glitch, Red, Sundog and Blue go down to try and stop a catastrophe happening. They prevent a fishing boat bringing a giant crab ashore, but fishermen persist, and three giant crabs come ashore. Locals and fishermen open fire at the crabs to little effect, then Blue and Glitch somehow talk psychically to the crabs and persuade them to go deeper into the sea. New Seraph arrives, talks to the radio, and takes credit for stopping the crab invasion. She does, as Red requested, tell journalists that eating crab meat isnt safe right now, as the river and sea water has somehow become contaminated.
The team check out the next name on The Saint’s list, a young woman called Angela. Angela lives in an expensive house near the sea – and the team sneak in while Sundog argues with her father on  the intercom. They meet Angela in the garden – she floats down from her window in an energy bubble. When they ask Angela what she can do, she traps Glitch in a bubble and starts shrinking it. Red punches Angela to stop her, and Angela sends her flying across the garden with a light blast. Things are still tense when they leave.
The final name on the list is Kimoto Lee, who they deduce is one of the teenage Korean girls from the crab factory. They head down to speak to her, only to find Bon Chance, The Saint, Elastica, and a man with circuit-board tattoos on the roof across the road, and Kimota standing in her window looking at them.
Sundog attempts to tackle the villains, but loses control, creating a fiery explosion that destroys most of the rooftop. Elastica and Grid are blown off the rooftop, probably badly hurt – and The Saint is dazed. Red vaults up to the roof, and takes The Saint out with a stun arrow.

Between S2 E5 and S2E6

Message from Jenny Yoo to everyone on communicator
Thanks to Red – I seem to have The Saint locked in one of Seraph’s temporary containment cells in the penthouse. I can’t keep him there for long – I mean, technically, that’s kidnapping. We either need to hand him over to some sort of authority or let him go.
Broadcast from Jenny Yoo on communicator
So, I’ve got The Saint in a a holding cell at the Penthouse. Seraph always said this one should be able to hold him. But to be sure, I’ve removed his armour and anything that looks like a weapon. I left him his mask, because.. you know.. old school values. I can’t stay and watch him all the time though – anyone who wants to take a shift, let me know. He’s awake but not saying much more than “you should let me out of here, it’ll be less destructive” and “how long do you think this can hold me?”
One thing seems to have really annoyed him though – in a “pocket” on his armour I found an SD card. It just contains one set of documents, scanned. I’ve put a copy on Seraph’s computer, you can come take a look at the gallery or the penthouse, depending where I am.
The SD Card
The SD Card contains some letters between Pettr Hansen – former COO of Archimedes Industries and till recently Warden of Midtown Prison, and Bob Jones – Mayor of Storm City. They reveal a conspiracy to leak mutagenic agent into the Storm City river, and that Archimedes Industries was controlling both Seraph and Whisper. It also contained some personal revelations for some of our heroes.
Nightfox awkward chat with Charley
Charley invites Jesus over. On her workbench are a pair of boots for his Nightfox suit. She burbles excitedly about them, and he tries them, but it… seems like she’s waiting for something.
They go for coffee, while out, Charley says to Jesus, “I just wanted you to ask about me and my life. Nothing’s wrong. It’s all really good, honestly. “
“Oh-kay. Why don’t you fill me in on what’s been happening with you? We haven’t had a chance to catch up in a while.”
She’ll talk about her lab work, projects, all sorts. But Jesus seems to be figuring out that’s not what she wanted to tell him. Eventually she says really fast “…. and I have a boyfriend. “
“That’s great!” Jesus seems happy for her, although he looks a bit awkward and guilty. Charley is also nervous and anxious. “He’s like super smart, and he does science too, and he’s already been accepted for a PhD and ….”
The camera pans away, leaving the reader unsure if they ever figured out what she was trying to say.

Thu 3rd Dec: S2 E6: Revelations

Featuring: Joule, Nightfox, Glitch, Blue

Joule is at Seraph’s tower, guarding The Saint. She’s reading through the data on the SD card taken from The Saint. Blue arrives by teleport to take the next shift, Glitch comes along with her just because he has never teleported before. We see Joule reaching the last page of the SD card, and notice the name “Sarah Flynn”, then.. her hair goes blue, and the room explodes with electricity. Blue and Glitch duck behind the teleport console as many parts of the room catch fire.
Nightfox is in Seraph’s base above the Art Gallery, reading through the SD card documents with Jenny Yoo, when an alarm sounds, and Jenny tells Nightfox that theres a fire in Seraph’s tower. Nightfox decides to head over, and asks Jenny to teleport him – but he has to vault out of the way at the last moment, as an incoming teleport starts while he’s still on the pad. An older man in a red demon mask stands there. The Engineer says “I’m sorry, Jenny, I can’t let him have this technology”, and slams a metal spike into the teleport pad, which starts to burn with purple fire.
Nightfox says he needs to teleport to the tower urgently, and the Engineer says, “better get there the old fashioned way”. Nightfox leaves.
Meanwhile, in the tower, just as the fire is under control, the teleport pad explodes in purple flames. Just as the group get the second fire under control, Nightfox arrives by swinging onto the balcony, and the defenses activate. In all the chaos, an upset Joule runs away down the stairs.
Some time later, the team are shown finishing tidying up the mess. The Saint is still in his cell. Alice calls Nightfox and suggests the team cover over to discuss the Saint’s SD card. Jenny say’s she’ll watch the cell while they do that.
“Jay, Alice, James and Todd”

In the coffee bar of the bookshop, behind a CLOSED sign, the team discuss the document. Alice shares a picture she found, of herself and Jay with two boys, when they were younger. On the back of the photo it says “Jay, Alice, James and Todd”. She links that to the names of Jim and The Saint’s sons from the document. They also discuss the revalation that Archimedes Industries and the Mayor were controlling both Seraph and Whisper.

Jesus (Nightfox) gets a text and photo from his friend Charley. It shows her out for dinner with two other women and a young man, with the caption “Having fun with Todd and some friends”. It looks like a double date. Jesus and Sienna recognise one of the other women as Sarah Flynn. Jesus asks Alice if this Todd could be the same person – she’s not sure, it was so long ago – so he guiltily decides to track Charley’s phone and find out where she is.
As they head off, Jenny calls and asks who is guarding the cell – she left it with Sundog, but on the cameras it looks like no-one is there. Blue heads to the Tower to check and take over.
Nightfox and Joule watch from a rooftop across the street, while Glitch disguises himself as a random person waiting for a date, and takes the table next to the group, relaying what he can hear through the communicator. Nightfox feels guility spying on his friend. They hear Charley say that she’d wanted to invite her friend Jesus and his girlfriend to come to this dinner too, but the conversation didn’t go the way she’d planned.
In the Tower, Blue replays the video feed with remote help from Jenny, and finds Sundog talking to The Saint.

The Saint: “… We didn’t ask to be like this. They fed us alien mutagenics, poisoned our water, so they can ‘grow’ more ‘assets’. But now we are like this – now we’re better than them, they want to control us, experiment on us, put us in boxes. They call me a villain because I fight against corrupt police, corrupt government, corrupt corporations. They fear us, because to them some of us are unimaginable. We are not their assets. We need to be free. And we need to stand up for ourselves. And against those that sell out to corporations and governments. “

On the video Sundog looks convinced. The Saint suggests that if Sundog really wants to see what’s happening, she could go and find Bon Chance, he’ll point the way. Maybe she’ll agree that Bon Chance’s plan is worth doing.  Or she could let him out.

Sundog says she’s not letting him out,. But takes details on where to reach Bon chance.  And leaves.

Blue asks The Saint where Sundog is. He says he’ll tell her if she lets him out. And why worry, she’s strong enough to throw him back in the cell, right? Blue looks thoughtful, then opens the cell. The Saint tells Blue that Sundog is meeting Bon Chance on the river edge near the Depot. Then as Blue steps forward, everything freezes, and he says “You forgot I could freeze time, didn’t you…” The Saint steps out the window.

Back in the restaurant, Glitch and the others hear Blue on the intercom say “Sundog’s gone to join Bon Chance. At the river. Near the Depot. I’m going to stop her. … Oh.and.the.Saint.escaped.Bye”.

Almost immediately after that, Todd looks over at Glitch and says “Isn’t this when you leave?”. Glitch looks confused, and leaves.

Blue meets up with Sundog, Bon Chance, Elastica, Nocturna (the vampire), and Hard Light (Angela.. now in a blue costume). Sundog tells Blue that they are going to arrest the mayor, and force him to admit he conspired with Archimedes to put mutagen in the rivers. Blue looks unsure, but says she’ll come too, as long as no-one is getting hurt.

City Hall – our gang of villains plus Sundog and Bon Chance advance on the main door,

Hard Light

where two ordinary looking security guards don’t seem to know what to do. Then there is a streak of white and gold, and the new Seraph lands between them and the door. “I can’t let you do that”, she says. “Oh, let me…”, says Hard Light excitedly. She steps forward, encloses Seraph in a force bubble, and starts crushing her. It doesn’t look like Seraph is strong enough to hold back the shrinking bubble.

Things get chaotic and in the chaos, Joule, Nightfox and Glitch arrive. Blue managed to persuade Sundog to disengage. The team stop Bon Chance from getting inside City Hall.

Then a shot rings out, and Seraph drops to the floor with a bullet wound. Blue rushes to her side. Nightfox pinpoints a sniper on a rooftop a few blocks away. As Blue checks Seraphs wound, she discovers the bullet seems to be made of the same red material as Red’s “space ruby”, and the wound is leaking a blue liquid. The bullet was slowed down by body armour, which the real Seraph didn’t need, but this one is wearing.

Before Nightfox gets to the sniper, a second shot rings out – just missing Bon Chance as she stumbles. But this round ricochets and hits Sundog, dropping her to the floor. The villains all flee.

Nightfox finds and disarms the sniper, is wearing a mask with an Off switch logo on it. He’d left a card next to him with the same logo. The card had a handwritten note, “If you want to know why, check the news at 10pm”.

Union City hero – Nova

People wearing jumpsuits in the same colours as Seraph’s uniform arrive, and claim to be her backup team. Blue and Glitch carry her to a truck with them, and they seem to be set up to help her. Before handing her over, Nightfox pulls off her mask, and recognises the face beneath. Its Nova, a Union City hero. As the doors close and the truck drives away, they overhear someone in the truck say “Call Dr Crook”.

As the team takes Sundog to medical help, they hear an interruption to the 10pm News.

 

 

JANUS

The TV News broadcast is just starting to talk about a supervillain attack on City Hall, when its interrupted.

Ladies and Gentlemen, and those who prefer neither accolade. I apologise for interrupting your scheduled television, and also for concealing my identity. When you understand what I have to say, you will realise why I have to remain anonymous.

For that reason, you may call me Janus.

 

For a long time, both corporate and government interests have used your city as an experiment. What happens when mutations greatly increase, and regulation is light? You’re beginning to see the signs of that now – open warfare between mutant and non-mutant criminals in the street, destruction of public property by powered explosions. 

I can tell you where this leads – to the destruction of human society by those of power, to a world in which those without power are ruled by those with it, and those with great powers dominate those with less. 

I will not let this happen. I have demonstrated my ability to prevent it, by having one of my agents neutralise the powers attacking City Hall.

But,  I am like you, a man with only his intelligence and wits to stand against great powers, and huge financial interests. 

So here is my promise. I will use my technology, my knowledge and my assets to disable any mutant who uses their powers to commit crime, including the crime of vigilantism, within Storm City. Then I will allow the police, the courts, and justice system to deal with those crimes. There will be no more rampant display of mutant power on our streets, I will stop it.

And if you want to stand with me, find me, and let me know. I will not be so difficult to find for those who share my goals. Those mutants who oppose me, you will never find me. I will be the ghost who hunts you in the dark.

Now, I return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

 

MID-SEASON BREAK

 

Season One Recap

Meet Our Heroes: Groups

Ma*lrats, Season One: #1, #2, #3, #4, #6

Untitled, Season One: #1, #2, #3, #4, #6

Images: Newspaper headlines with picture of the superhero Seraph: “STORM CITY HERO STILL MISSING”, “SUPERPOWERED CRIME RISES IN STORM CITY”.

NARRATOR: In Storm City, the largest American city to reject the DPP crackdown on mutants, after the cities renowned hero Seraph disappears, two new superhero teams emerge.

Images: TV newscaster talking to his co-host on air, “I wish I knew who these… mallrats… were. I’d love to offer my graditude”. Images of Sundog, Sputnik and Ghost clashing with supervillains, while a young woman drives a car into Red Blade before he can unload some jars of red liquid from a truck.

NARRATOR: One team begins in the public eye, rescuing TV newsman Phineus Thrupp from supervillain Bon Chance. Then clashing with the same villain and her associates over a raid on a police vehicle.

Images: Four masked heroes engage with identically clad paramilitary men who were attacking a civilian. The same four heroes among the crowd in an abandoned bus depot being used for an illegal rave.

NARRATOR: The other begins much more in the shadows and the streets, and for a long time, isn’t even named by the media.

Images: An image of a crowd showered in red liquid, and a boy catching fire. Cut to an Italian restaurant, and pan through the kitchen, into a backroom to show Aster and Izzy sitting across the table from some scary looking businessmen. The camera pans back to show Benji working in the kitchen, and then follows him into the freezer where he steals some vials of a glowing blue liquid from a case.

NARRATOR: Our Mallrats discovered that some rogue police officers were trading in a red drug that accelerates superpowers, while organised crime is gathering a blue drug that suppresses them.

Images: Rakshasa lurking across from a pawn shop, watching two men leave. A huge Eastern European man hammering on an apartment door. A man made of shadows exploding into vapour when Joule strikes him with lightning. Red holding up a large ruby-like stone.A young boy, balancing a fridge on top of a tv, as if they was a a pair of wooden blocks.

NARRATOR: Meanwhile, our other group of young heroes discovered a plot by John Zuko, a lieutenant of the same organised crime syndicate to force young mutants to commit crimes for them.

Images: The Saint, confronting Jenny Yoo in a crowded gallery, “I had nothing to do with Seraph’s disappearance”. Bon Chance, stabbing her finger onto a map. Cupid, floating in the air as Sundog looks out a window at him. Nightfox, Joule and Red.. confront a giant snake-man on a rooftop.

NARRATOR: The supervillains of the city have not been idle. The Rogues are planning some sort of retaliation against the police. And Zuko’s young powers have confront our other heroes.

Images: New footage reporting a powered escape from Midtown Prison. Images show a person shaped hole in the wall, and helicopters overhead searching.

NARRATOR: Prisoner SW-05 escapes from Midtown prison, and both of our groups encounter her.

Images: A closeup of SW-05 who looks remarkably like a younger Seraph. Cut to Jenny Yoo running medical tests on SW-05. “Its not an exact match… More like a sibling, or a child”

NARRATOR: Both of our teams have built relationships with Jenny Yoo, who secretly ran Seraph’s mortal affairs. Jenny helps them investigate whether SW-05… Blue.. is a clone of Seraph.

Images: Glitch looking through a glass wall to where a young man is strapped to a surgical table under what looks like a large metal plate connected to pipes. A research assistant is loading a bottle of red liquid into the machine. He’s struggling, and clearly swearing, although no sound comes from the room. Glitch holds his head, shouting “NOOOOOO!!”, and we hear many screaming voices, and see both security guards and men in white coats start running.

NARRATOR: Glitch discovers that Archimedes labs are using the power accelerating drug to force a young mutant he used to know to create clone soldiers for them.

Images: Joule, struggling to hold an electrical barrier across the bus depot entrance. Dozens of police are outside. Void, stepping up to the barrier, and touching her head as she talks to the police.

Images: Aster, wearing some form of supersuit, scuffling with Bon Chance on top of the prison wall. Sundog and Cupid exchanging energy blasts on a rooftop. Blue, facing off with Red Blade. Glitch, reaching out a hand towards Cupid, who falls to the ground.

Images: Nightfox swinging out of the darkness and destroys some sort of sonic weapon. Then being forced to the ground under a wave of police officers hitting him with batons. Red, Void, and Joule charging to his rescue.

Images: Sundog steps through a broken wall into a room with two tall glass tubes are inscribed “Seraph” and “Whisper”. The room is heavily covered in dust, clearly not been accessed for years.

NARRATOR: Both our groups of heroes engage with events set in motion by Archimedes Industries…

Images: Red, Joule, Nightfox, and Void emerge through smoke to meet the press and TV cameras. A newspaper page, partly covered by a fist that’s just slammed down on it. The headline reads “New superheroes Citizens uncover Archimedes Industries plot.”

Images: The Mallrats with Phineas Thrupp on a rooftop. Phineas says, “There’s enough here to shut down Archimedes for good”.

NARRATOR: Archimedes Industries is shut down in Storm City. The Rogues are in prison. The downtown police precinct is under investigation. And our heroes are much more in the public eye.

Images: Nightfox, in front of a TV showing Phineas Thrupp. Nightfox exclaims, “That’s not how it happened!”

 

 

 

 

Scene 1:

Aster and Blue are in Seraph’s old base with Jenny. We see Jenny take a swab from Blue’s mouth, and put it into a machine. The screen flashes up some numbers, and Aster and Jenny look at it. “It’s not an exact match”, ,Jenny says,  “More like a relative.. a child maybe. Not a clone”

We see Jenny hand Aster one of Cherub’s old supersuits, “Customize it as you like. Its bulletproof – you can add gadgets. Just don’t want to see you hurt out there. “

Glitch is couchsurfing with Sundog, when the window lights up with a pink heart. Cupid is standing outside. Sundog goes out to talk to him. “We’re going to bust the prison open tonight, show what’s happening there. If you want to make a show of it… show up at 8:42pm. Make sure we bust open Building 4, where Archimedes do their research”.

Scene 2:

The Mallrats meet Phineas Thrupp and a camera man, on a tall rooftop a couple of streets away from the prison, looking down over the buildings. Phineas says, “Seraph has been gone too long. The city need heroes. It’s time to introduce them to their new heroes”. Aster and Glitch speak to Phineas on camera. The cameraman looks confused, and calls Phineas over. Phineas looks back at Glitch, “Did you know you look.. different on camera”. He shows Glitch, who discovers his illusions dont work on camera. Phoneas promises to hide that on the footage. Aster promises to get the TV station some footage of what’s inside that building. And stop the Rogues.

Scene 3:

A pink energy heart blows through the prison wall, and Cupid flies overhead. Red Blade, sword in hand, heads for the hole – Blue stes out and blocks him, her hand blocking his sword.

Sundog and Cupid swap energy blasts on the roof of a prison building with a 4 painted on the end. Both of them miss, and the roof of the building is ripped open, exposing rooms and corridors below.

Glitch moves over to protect Building 3, which is marked High Security Prisoners. He reaches out with his powers to calm the feelings of the prisoners – but the image shows him holding  his head surrounded by jagged text.. (ANGRY)… (trapped)… (scared)… Glitch looks in anguish.

At the wall, Bon Chance approaches Blue, who trips over some rubble and falls – and smiles at Aster. The wall under Aster’s feet crumbles, and she nearly falls.

Cupid suddenly goes for Building 3 – but we see him surrounded by confusing, disorienting images as Glitch raises a hand towards him. . Bon Change runs to help Cupid, and as she runs away, Aster throws the contents of a bottle of blue liquid over her. Bon Chance screams, “Noooo…”

Scene 4:

Inside Building 4, Sundog steps through a broken wall into a room with two tall glass tubes are inscribed “Seraph” and “Whisper”. The room is heavily covered in dust, clearly not been accessed for years.

Blue and Aster find Dr Lily in her office. Archimedes clone soldiers approach, but Dr Lily waves them away, and tells them to evacuate the other scientists.

Lily takes the whole team to see the cloning chamber where Sundog is. “This room isn’t my project”, she says, “its from before my time.” “Blue was my project, she’s Subject 5. Dr Crook worked on Subject 4, who was evacuated yesterday. Lily explains that Blue is like a child to her, and she’d never harm her. 

The soldiers come back to evacuate Dr Lily, and the Mallrats let her go.

Scene 5:

The team are back with Phineas Thrupp on the rooftop. Aster shares some footage from her suit with him.  Phinea says, “There’s enough here to shut down Archimedes for good”.

Blue is walking away, when a voice whispers in her ear. “I’m always here for you, Five”, it says. The opposite panel shows Dr. Lily talking into a radio.

Scene 1:

A montage scene across two pages:

Sienna standing by her bedroom door, hearing her mother talking to her partner! on the phone about the pawn shop raid. “What do you mean you’re not coming? Transfer to central precinct? I didn’t even know you’d applied!”

Jesus sneaking out of his Maria and Scarlett’s apartment very early in the morning. Scarlett leaving her room just after he leaves, glances at the front door.

Alice comes into Jay’s bookshop early in the morning, while Jay is having coffee. Jay turns to her and says, “Can we talk about using mummy’s suit?”

Scene 2:

Early morning, one police car, and just three police officers down the street from the pawn shop. Joule’s mother seems to be in charge, but looking around anxiously.

The team are on the roof looking down. Red picks up her mobile phone. Joule’s mother looks at her phone, there’s a text from Red “You’ll need backup.” She picks up the radio.

The team see Zuko and Candy sneak away from the side of the pawn shop, They move across the rooftops

The team break in through the roof of the pawn shop. Red fires in a net arrow, and the team drop in after it. Leatherboy, snake guy and iron boy are there – two of them tangled in the net.  “The cops are about to raid”, Nightfox says, “Zuko set you up. Get out the side door quickly”

The police kick in the door of the pawn shop. It’s empty. As they are searching the building, Joule’s mother finds Red’s used net arrow, and tucks it away in a bag.

Scene 3:

In the Depot, underground. Alice is DJ’ing, Jay is standing next to her chatting. Behind the console, some of Whisper’s equipment is wired into the sound system. Jesus is in the crowd in his mundane garb with Maria. Red and Joule are among the crowd in their superhero costumes – not looking out of place among the superhero wannabe’s dancing on one side.

Lights and sirens come on at the entrance to the Depot, and outside we see a policeman picking up a loudhailer. Suddenly, the entire entrance is sealed off with a cracking wall of electricity.

Inside we see Joule, straining to hold a barrier across the whole entrance. Jay pulls on her Void costume, and steps forward to the barrier and talks to the cops. “Can you let the … normal people out? They’re just here to dance.” She touches her head as if concentrating, and the police officer says.. “Oh.. Yes.. That’s what my orders are”.

Joule opens a hole in the barrier, and most of the people start filing out. Jesus is among them. As they leave, Jesus says to Maria, “It’s not right what’s happening. Go call the TV stations, let’s see if we can get some cameras here. ” Maria nods, and asks Jesus to get clear so he’s safe.

Next panel – Jesus changing into his Nightfox suit in a phone box.

Police raid starts – Joule seals off the entrance to the Depot with electrical wall – sealing cops out, and everyone else in. Void persuades cops to let “normal” people evacuate – Jesus goes out with them. Persuaded Maria to call the TV stations.

Agents get out of an Archimedes van, and join the cops. They set up some sort of sonic weapon and start to attack Joule’s barrier. The barrier holds.  Void sets up a teleportation portal in the back of the Depot starts to evacuate everyone via teleporter. Behind her, Alice is putting on Whispers suit, and moves towards the cops. Void intercepts her, “Alice, I need you to evacuate these people and protect them, that’s more important. We’ll be right behind you.” Alice goes through the portal, Void goes back to stand up to the cops with the others.

Outside, Nightfox swings out of the darkness and destroys the sonic weapon with a baton. Then he’s seen being forced to the ground under a wave of police officers hitting him with batons.

The barrier goes down – Void, Joule and Red run out, and in a chaotic battle scene, they pull Nightfox free and they all escape up the ramp towards the river.

Scene 4:

Our heroes emerge through smoke to meet the press and TV cameras. Red and Nightfox speak for the team.

Red: “What you’re seeing here is illegal operations by Archimedes Industries, working with a rogue police precinct. They’ve been kidnapping mutant kids off the street, dosing them with illegal drugs, and tonight, they tried to snatch a whole club full”

Nightfox: “If you turn your cameras down there, you’ll see Archimedes agents who all look very similar, illegal weaponry… Pretty sure you’ll find this whole raid wasn’t approved.”

Journalist: “Nightfox.. Red.. Are you all a team? What’s your team name?”

Red glances at Nightfox then says, “We’re …. Citizens”

 

Scene 5:

 

Closing page: A newspaper page, partly covered by a fist that’s just slammed down on it. The headline reads “New superheroes Citizens uncover Archimedes Industries plot.” The camera pulls back to show Phineus Thrupp. “You might have the public fooled, Nightfox, but I know you’re still a menace”

He walks away, and you can just see a second newspaper story “Superheroes stop prison raid”.

 (see Mallrats #6 for that part of the story)

 

Mallrats Cover

 

Scene 1:

Introducing…. Glitch!

Aster is out buying a replacement carpet for her apartment with Sundog. They’re just loading it into the car, when ..

Aster gets a phone call from Jenny Yoo, who asks her to see if she can provide some positive direction for one of the artists who exhibited in a show. He’s broken free of a gang, and needs a better outlet for his ‘talents’. Also, didn’t Aster say she needed someone stealthy?

Glitch, who looks like a young man with ripped jeans and punk style, watches the smartly dressed people going into Aster’s build. He shrugs, and briefly shimmers – and suddenly looks like a preppy young man.

Glitch comes out of the lift as Sundog and Aster struggle with a large carpet. He helps them inside. Shortly afterwards, Aster’s neighbour shows up with a clipboard, claiming that the building has regulations about the type and colour of carpets. The carpet behind Aster clearly doesn’t fit the regulations.

Glitch walks to the door and says, “This carpet looks fine to me”, and gestures to it. The carpet now looks boring regulation blue. The neightbour disappears muttering.

 

 

Scene 2:

Working over her special software, and now with occasional access to Seraph’s records, Aster pieces together what’s happening with the red liquid. It seems there are shipments every two weeks from the downtown Police Station to the prison, that use police as driver/guard. All other transports to the prison use prison drivers.

Aster finds a pattern. Every two weeks, a prison van drives to Archimedes Industries, on the North Side of Storm City – but the prison drivers return to the prison in a separate vehicle. Security staff from Archimedes Industries drive the van to the Downtown police station, and then police drivers drive it back to the prison. There are no records on what is being transported.

The team decide to scout out Archimedes Industries early, to see if they can make a plan to break in and track that van the next day, when the next trip is scheduled.

Scene 3:

The Ma*lrats are in a car outside Archimedes Industries Storm City lab. Its a set of interconnected single story buildings, inside a secure fenced compound. Cars come and go, through a guarded gate with a barrier.

Aster tracks the cameras and find the ideal moment to act.

Glitch swipes a passcard from a man who is leaving.

Kate (Sundog), delivers a package, distracting the guard at the key moment when Glitch walks past, changing his appearance to look just like the man he stole the card from. She also notes that the cameras at the guard’s post only cover outside the buildings.

Glitch swipes the pass, opens the door and is inside the building

 

Scene 4:

Outside at the compound gate , a black Humvee, carrying six men in full body suits and masks with red visors arrives. Aster monitors them with cameras, while Sundog watches them closely, still lurking inside the compound. Sundog who is closer, notices that every one of them is the exact same height and build. Aster observes that they all move eerily alike. “Clones”, says Sundog. “But that science is.. ” Aster starts, then is silent as she sees the men head towards the building door that Glitch went into. Sundog communicates, “Glitch, you have… clones… coming in”

Scene 5:

Glitch’s badge says “Dr Jones”, so its not a surprise when a young woman runs up to him. “I thought you’d left! I wanted to ask you something before you go… I have.. moral concerns about The Subject. I’m really.. not sure he’s.. consented”. While Aster whispers advice in his ear, Glitch says he’s sure that all proper concerns and ethics reviews have been done. The woman, whose name badge says “Patricia Morse”, looks unconvinced.

Glitch accesses Dr Jones office – there are many books and papers which Aster is able to determine relate to cloning – research that is thought to be a decade or more from human cloning.

Cut scene: Outside, Sundog watches the six agents unlocking the door and heading into the building.

Leaving Dr Jones office, Glitch meets the six agents. The lead agent tells “Dr Jones”  that they need an extra delivery to “The Facility” tomorrow: four more units. The agents go down some stairs to a lab area to arrange that.

The team remind Glitch that today is just a scouting run for the security, but Glitch wants to see what the agents are doing – so changes appearance to match one of the research assistants leaving the lab area, and walks through.

The lab contains large tanks, containing shadows that might be people. Two agents are loading large bottles of red liquid into a case, and locking it.

Glitch walks to the back of the lab, where in a room behind glass a  young man is strapped to a surgical table under what looks like a large metal plate connected to pipes. A research assistant is loading a bottle of red liquid into the machine. He’s struggling, and clearly swearing, although no sound comes from the room. Glitch recognises the young man as Yuri – a former gang member who disappeared two years ago. Yuri was the only gang member who looked out for Glitch when he was in the gang.

Dual Panel: in a security control room, a guard watches a screen that shows Glitch, as his punky styled youth, walking through the lab. In the lab,  one of the guards answering his radio as he looks right at Glitch’s disguised form, “No, I dont see him. Only the usual researchers here.” Glitch seems unaware that his illusions dont’t show up on the cameras.

Seeing Yuri, Glitch loses control of his emotions – a blast of rage and fear explodes through the entire compound, staff start running and screaming. Even Sundog and Aster outside feel that blast of raw emotion.

Glitch flees from the compound, pursued by agents, his illusion has collapsed. As he gets towards the exit door, Sundog burns it open, and sends a blast of plasma down the corridor to give Glitch time to escape.

 

Scene 1:

Red is standing in Void’s Sanctuary, with the red gem in her hand, and a determined look on her face. She puts the gem into the medical scanner: “It’s the only scanner in here. Maybe it’s biological”. The scanner unexpectedly prints a message on a slip of paper. “Non biological. Use scanner B4”. Void has no idea what scanner B4 is, but the sanctuary is full of things Void doesnt understand yet. The team search the lair for something, and find a thing that looks like a top loading washing machine, labelled B4. Its never done anything before, but now – there are lights on. They put the gem in the machine, and it spins up, and down again.. then produces a a printout that seems to be a molecular composition.

 

Scene 2:

Albert, the Shadow Walker, arrives at the bookshop. He’s a very mild-mannered young man with glasses. He thanks the team for letting his shadow go, and explains that if his shadow dies without returning to him, he doesn’t remember what it did.

The team ask him about the raid on Jacqueline’s apartment, why was he after the kid? Albert says he doesnt remember what happened, but that Zuko said that if a child that young was a mutant, then the parents probably were too. He was to try and provoke the mother into revealing her powers. The team debate if its true that powers inherit like that – Void says that its probably true of her and her sister. But they’d need to ask an expert.

Albert explains that he’s told Zuko the jewellers had already been robbed when he got there. His family are still threatened by Zuko – so he can’t break free. He’s meeting Zuko tomorrow, and will let the team know when and where.

Later, he calls back. Zuko doesnt want to meet at his shop, he’s had recent “mutant related security issues”, so wants to meet somewhere public. In aa quiet space right in the middle of the meat market at 8am, so he can secure it, but mutants can’t interfere out of the public eye.

Scene 3:

The team decide to go visit Dr Anthony Pauling. They still have his notebook, he’s an expert on the mutagen in some sense, and they need more info on the “space ruby”. Plus he might know more about whether powers are inherited.

While they are on the way to see the professor, the news shows a powered escape from Midtown Prison. From the damage, it looks like someone just ran through the prison wall, leaving a person shaped hole. Red and Void decide to go and investigate, while Nightfox and Joule go see the professor.

Scene 4:

Joule and Nightfox arrange to meet the professor on the roof of the biological sciences building at SCU. They return his notebook, and it turns outhe’s quite a fan of Joule, who he see’s as a real hero. He offers to do experiments on her powers.

Dr Pauling explains the notebook a bit- he was investigating environmental contamination of mutagen in the river. He’d found that the levels of mutagen present were very low, but considering how expensive and controlled the mutagen is, and how much volume is in the river, he thinks it must be a deliberate contamination rather than a leak.

He had found traces quite far up the river within city limits, but when he applied for more budget to look into this, his existing budget was cancelled, the university told him to stop his project, and those “agents” came after him.

Looking at the analysis printout on the “space ruby”, Dr Pauling hadn’t seen anything like this before – neither the analysis method, nor the substance it described. His opinion is that it is a complex crystelline compound, definitely not something like a ruby or naturally occuring gem. Some of the symbols in the analysis do not correspond to known elements, so he’s not sure what their analyser means – but the structure does relate to substances found alongside the mutagen. His guess would be that this would somehow either suppress, or amplify energies related to powers – if energised it might form a “laser” type beam. Further experiments would be needed – and he doesnt have the equipment, or budget.

Scene 5:

Looking at the hole in the wall on TV as they head towards the prison, Red and Void conclude that running through a thick, reinforced wall like that would require super strength, speed and invulnerability. Red and Void can’t think of any villain who could do that. The only mutant they can think of who could do that would be Seraph. But Seraph could have just flown over the wall.

They manage to find some signs of damage to buildings near the prison that suggest someone super-strong, running very fast, brushed against walls. They are slowly tracking the route, but the escapee is moving much faster than they are.

Overhead, a Midtown Police helicopter instructs locals to move inside their buildings and stay away from the windows. Then agents show up – men who seem to be very similar height and build, and in way of moving. They’re wearing advanced military gear. Red and Void hide in a doorway, behind a false door construct that Void creates, but the agents seem to have tracked them to the alley they are hiding in. Red pulls off an amazing bounced arrow shot to make noise that sounds like they are running across rooftops, and the agents move away.

 

Scene 6:

The team scout out the meat market before it closes. Its a stone building, open at either end, with a steel frame inside the building. The central part is open space, with stalls scattered around, and they can see one stall in the centre with clear space around it, probably the meeting space. The market opens at 6am – by 8am it’ll be busy, presumably what Zuko wants.

The team plan to get in place early, before Zuko does the same.

Mallrats Cover

 

Scene 1:

Frank and Wren from Manchetti’s outfit visit Aster at home. They deliver a hamper of Italian foods, wine, coffee. The bottle of wine enclosed looks rather expensive.

Cut scene shows Benji, working in the restaurant, putting the wrong wine in the hamper.

Aster’s annoying neighbour is there for the start, but Frank ushers her off politely. Frank explains to Aster that Dr Rodd conned them into shipping something very valuable and illegal for him, thats why they won’t give it to him. Now some of that drug is stolen, and Dr Rodd was knew they had it. They want to talk to Dr. Rodd. Aster calls him for them. Dr Rodd begs Frank not to hurt Aster, he’s known her since she was a kid (lie). Dr Rodd agrees to meet Frank.

Scene 2:

Cupid shows up at Sundog’s house – threatens to come in if she wont come out (writes on the window the wrong way around because hes too dumb to reverse the writing). Sundog comes out and chats to him: demands he stop levitating because it’s rude. Cupid looks surprised, but stops levitating. Cupid says that the Mallrats must be pretty smart and sneaky because they figured out about the red stuff so fast, it took the Rogues a month. He claims they didnt know what the red stuff was till it broke, now they think that it was being sent to the prison to start a powered riot and justify a crackdown. Cupid asks the Mallrats to investigate – it’ll get messy if he does it.

Scene 3:

In the resturant, Chef Razeto explains to Benji that he put the wrong wine in the hamper. Patiently, he teaches Benji how to appreciate wine – with a focus on Italian wines being the best.

Scene 4:

The team gather at the library the next day and exchange info.

Benji and Aster argue about Benji being so young – Benji explains he’s been the adult in his family half his life, he’s not a kid. They come to an understanding.

While they are there, the news shows a powered escape from Midtown Prison. From the damage, it looks like someone just ran through the prison wall, leaving a person shaped hole. That would require super strength or speed, and invulnerability. Aster checks who shes knows is in the prison – it doesn’t match any prisoner she’s aware of. Even allowing for a power boost from the red liquid, it seems unlikely to be anyone. The only mutant she knows of that could do that is Seraph. But Seraph could have just flown over the wall.

The team investigates as best they can via CCTV feeds and news media. They only see a blur. They reckon if it *is* Seraph, she might go back to her penthouse tower. So they decide to go there.

Scene 5:

The team go to Seraphs tower – when there, they see Jenny Yoo go in. Benji scouts out the taxi she arrived in to confirm her ID and where she’s come from – and confirms it was her, and that she came from the Angelus Gallery. Eventually, Sundog burns her way into the top of the tower through an “impenetrable” steel door, and confronts Jenny. Security systems in Seraph’s penthouse respond to Jenny’s voice command. There’s a tense standoff, then Jenny invites the team to come up in the elevator. 

The Ma*lrats discover that Jenny Yoo is Seraph’s assistant. She also came her to see if the escape could have been Seraph. She lets Aster use Seraph’s computer to track the escapee, but.. they’ve disappeared somewhere in downtown Storm City.  Jenny gives the Team communicators so they can keep in touch with each other and her.

 

 

Issue #3 opens with a repeat of the last panel from Issue #2

 

Scene 1:

Closing panel: the shocked look on Nightfox’ face as he could have left Maria in great danger…

Nightfox runs for the teleportal without explaining – his teammates still don’t know that he is Jesus Martinez. Red picks up her phone, and texts Maria, asking if everything is OK.

The next images are seen from two perspectives – Nightfox looking in the window, and photo’s on Reds phone. <<I didn’t expect this>> is the text on Red’s phone, along with a photo of her TV balanced on top of her fridge. Nightfox, watching from the window sees the young Alexi stacking furnature as if it weight nothing.

Scene 2:

The Angelus Gallery a bit North of downtown Storm City, in an area full of smaller theatres, and bars. Two women walking with a small dog are in the background of the scene, passing a window with a red neon “brunch served all day”, and a rainbow flag in the window.

Inside the gallery, we see the sign for the exhibition, “Difference and Similarity: works by young mutant artists”. The gallery manager, Jenny Yoo is showing some well-dressed people around exhibits, while at the back of the gallery, Alice (from the Depot) is setting up DJ equipment, with help from another young woman she has … some resemblance to.

Vignettes as members of the superteam arrive, in their normal identities. Sienna arrives with her ex-girlfriend, Sarah, the two of them moving to look at the artworks. Jesus, Maria, and Scarlett arrive together – there’s some tension between Jesus and Maria, and Scarlett moves over to make smalltalk with the pair at the DJ console. Alice has headphones on, so Scarlett ends up talking to the other woman – Alice’s sister, Jay.

Camera’s in the room track Alice, Scarlett and Sienna. Jay notices the camera attention. A cut-away scene shows a shadowy figure in front of CCTV monitors, watching the three of them. The shadowy figure picks up a walkie-talkie, and we see Jenny Yoo touch an earpiece.

Jenny gathers Scarlett and Sienna into a corner to chat. The panel reveals that Jay is close enough to overhear, and radiating lines show that Jesus is using his superhearing… and paying no attention to what Maria, next to him, is saying.

Jenny explains to Scarlett and Sienna that Rakshasa has been recalled to Union City. He has a DPP permit to operate there, and … she’s concerned that he was recalled as soon as he asked the DPP if they had any new information about Seraph. Jenny points out that the team have been using one of Seraph’s old bases, and that they can’t continue to do that without Rakshasa being there. She offers to help the team out occasionally if she can.

The conversation is interrupted by the arrival of Phineas Thrupp and a camera crew. Vignettes of his interviews show him taking a generally anti-vigilante perspective, although he’s positive about the art. He specifically mentions that “Nightfox is a vigilante menace, and must be stopped” when talking with Jenny. His presence seems to irritate Alice, which leaves Jay looking concerned. We see Jay touch her temple and concentrate for a moment – and suddenly Phineas Thrupp remembers he needs to be on the other side of town – and leaves, dragging a confused camera man with him.

Scene 3:

There’s good music playing, low key. A few people are dancing, but mostly looking at the art. Scarlett and Sienna are behind a larger piece of art. They hear gasps and shouts of alarm from the attendees, and look around the artwork to see that The Saint, most powerful and influential supervillain of Storm City, has arrived.

The Saint confronts Jenny Yoo. “I wanted you to know”, he states loudly, “that I have nothing to do with Seraph being missing. I am somewhat missing the challenge since she departed”.

The people near the door are seen fleeing outside, including Jesus and Maria. Jesus bundles Maria into a taxi – she seems very worried about him, but he refuses to leave just now. Maria doesn’t seem to worry about Scarlett.
Alice can be seen with her hands on the DJ console, sparks running from her fingers. The audience still remaining start to dance, and The Saint turns to face the DJ. His foot is tapping along with the music. Jenny tries to escape but The Saint grabs her arm. Scarlett, over by the punch bowl, throws a ladle at The Saint, who overreacts, and hurls a metal ball at her, barely missing. He hesitates, and Jenny steps away from him. Other objects telekinetically fly at the Saint from the table next to Scarlett. 
Joule, ushering people out the back door, grabs hold of a main power cable, and electricity runs down her arm. The lights go out. As they do, Nightfox vaults through the front door, snatches Jenny, and heads to the back of the gallery. Joule, stepping inside, throws a wall of electricity across the room. The Saint reaches out a hand to test the barrier, and as he does… a chain link fence manifests inside the electricity, conducting and focussing the power. Cursing in exasperation that he can’t get through, The Saint leaves.

Scene 4:

One panel of Jesus staring at Storm City TV and Phineas Thrupp talking. “That’s not what happened!”, he exclaims.

Scene 5:

Red, looking at a list, with several items crossed out. “I got this from Zuko’s pawnshop. He’s been getting that shadowy man to steal things for him – I can’t see a pattern, or why he’d go after Jacqueline, but… in two nights, he’ll be stealing a large ruby from a jewellers shop. We should be there to stop him.”

Scene 6:

The team walking through Jay’s occult bookstore – where Void (Jay in costume) opens a secret door at the back. “It’s a sanctuary, not a lair!”, they say, as the team look around at what looks.. rather like a supervillains lair. “I’m not a supervillain, so its not a lair!”.

The team use a teleportal (remarkably like Seraph’s teleportal) to get inside the shop. The shop is suspicious in a few ways – it has mostly cheap jewellery, but one tray of expensive antiques – and even though the shop is closed up, the jewelley is not put away at night.

Before long, a man made of shadows flows under the door, and then solidifies. The team intercept him as soon as he arrives. Capture, he seems desperate, and admits hes working for John Zuko, who has threatened his family. He claims that he will die soon, and that if he doesnt get back to his own body before that happens, he wont remember anything. The team ask him to come find them, and they will help protect his family – then let him go.

Then they decide to cut open the safe, and see what this ruby is. The ruby is about half the size of a hen’s egg, and has Russian authenticty paperwork that mentions Tunguska. Nightfox examines it, and thinks it is not a ruby – but something else. Possibly something from the Tunguska meteor strike.

Team take the ruby back to Void’s sanctuary to study it. Red christens it the “space ruby”, and is already planning how it fits into her costume.

 

With thanks to Derek for most of the work on this issue

Scene 1:

Splash page opening is Nightfox leaping into a wall of sound and flashing lights as he dives towards the DJ console, and its speaker stacks and light rigs. He plummets into a kaleidoscopic tunnel which ends up with him crashing to the floor surrounded by concerned dancers and mumbling “too bright… too loud…”.

Outside, Rakshasa and Red argue about who is going in after Joule and Nightfox. Rakshasa eventually goes in. Red has an internal debate about being recognised, then follows.

Rakshasa enters, shrugs off the hypnotic effect of the music and, ignoring the dancers, heads for the mobsters he’s after.

Red arrives and also fights off the music: she sees Joule dancing in the crowd and Nightfox down on the floor, surrounded by concerned people. Acting quickly, she shoots a Stun Arrow at the DJ: it hits, and the impact knocks the DJ back a step – but the DJ seems to absorb the electrical jolt.

Nightfox gets up, shuts his eyes, and jumps blindly towards the stage; Rakshasa has had enough of the music and cuts the power with a thrown knife. As the power fails, Joule is released from the musical effect. She makes her way towards the DJ’s stage.

Panic breaks out as the dancers are released from their spell and separate out into groups of mutants, “straights” and gang people. It looks like there could be a stampede for the exit or a nasty fight, but Red takes control of the situation. She calls on her reputation as a known crime-fighter, commanding the attention of the crowd and gets the non-mutants to leave in an orderly manner.

Rakshasa corners the two mobsters, a man and a woman. After a brisk fight, he ties them up and hangs them from the ceiling. The man is terrified by his fear aura, but the woman is more strong willed and contemptuous. He does however find out that they are working for The Outfit, specifically John Zuko, who is having them extort young mutants.

Nightfox lands on the stage, knocking the DJ (a young woman) to the ground. He turns, ready to fight, but Joule gets up on the stage and puts out a hand, helping the woman to her feet. Joule and Red talk to the woman, Alice, and find that she’s using her special power to stop fighting and make everyone happy in her nightclub. Rakshasa thinks he recognises Alice as looking rather like a former villain Seraph tangled with. He isn’t sure, though.

Red and Joule find the blue aquatic boy they went to look for and persuade him to go back home. They also talk to some of the mutants.

Heroes head off to their secret base.

 

Scene 2:

Group sitting around Seraph’s shiny white and silver base. Some reassurance and praise around the group.

Rakshasa talks about the clues he’s found about young mutant kids being used by the Mob to carry out crimes. He has a lead to a pawnshop he wants to investigate. He also identifies the DJ as being very like a former supervillain and foe of Seraph’s called Whisper. Whisper had group emotion control powers, but was normally pulling the strings of other villains.

Nightfox gets a call from Maria: there’s a big guy hammering on the door of the apartment opposite, she is frightened and wants him to come over. He tells her that he’d be right over and to call the cops. He tells the group he has a private problem to deal with, and gets teleported to a rooftop a few blocks away from Maria and Red’s apartment.

Just after he leaves, Joule and Red decide to go to Red’s place for hot chocolate, leaving Rakshasa to go through computer files. They teleport on to Red’s apt block roof.  Nightfox sees them arrive and go down into the building, changing into civilian clothes. He changes as well, and goes in through the front door as Jesus.

Rakshasa (as Deep) calls the DJ and arranges for her to perform at an event at Seraphs gallery. He then heads out into the night.

Scene 3:

Red and Joule get to Maria’s place to find a huge Eastern European Guy [HEEG] hammering on the door opposite, and calling a woman’s name (Jacqueline). Red knows that the apt is occupied by a single mother and her young son. HEEG doesn’t speak any English and is insistent and intimidating. Red gets between him and the door and tries to calm things down. Red arrives, and is able to speak to HEEG in Spanish. Maria is watching from her door and is advised to wait inside until things calm down. The HEEG is apparently very concerned about the woman inside. Jesus persuades HEEG to stop bashing at the door and that Red would check that the woman was ok. Jesus and HEEG wait in the stairwell.

Red calls the woman’s name, and on getting no reply, picks the lock and goes in. Joule waits outside.

Red finds a young boy in the front room, and passes the kid to Joule to take care of. She then goes into the bedroom to find the kid’s mother lying injured and unconscious. She is then jumped by a shadowy figure and hit hard.

Joule and Jesus both hear sounds of a fight. Jesus persuades HEEG that the cops would be there soon, and HEEG leaves.  Joule passes the kid on to Maria, and goes in after Red. Red and Joule fight an increasingly desperate Shadow Guy: Joule finally hits him with a bolt of electricity and he explodes into a cloud of shadows, which dissipate to leave no trace of Shadow Guy.

Red and Joule check out the room, and Joule finds a business card for a Pawnshop. They get Maria in to help the injured woman, and the cops finally arrive, including Joule’s mother. The injured woman is taken to hospital, and Red promises the cops that they would look after the little boy until his mother was able to return home. After a round of hot chocolate, Joule says she has to leave, and Red asks Maria to look aver the boy. Maria accepts (thinking that Jesus would be staying to help), and Red and Joule leave. Jesus then drops a bombshell by telling Maria that he has to go too! She chases him out the door in a fury.

 

Scene 4:

Rakshasa is lurking outside a dingy pawnshop, watching a mobster he recognises go in. He decides to jump them: they go rolling in to the building and he finds himself surrounded. There is a furious fight, which ends with the mobsters fleeing. He searches the building, and finds evidence that a number of children with powers are being exploited by a mid level Outfit boss, John Zuko, going against the Outfit’s policy of not using mutants. Among the kids the audience recognises Red’s neighbour’s very young child.

 

Scene 5:

Back in the base, the group compares notes.

Joule and Red describe what happened at Maria’s place, meeting HEEG and Shadow Guy. Joule also shows the business card. It turns out to be the same pawnshop that Rakshasa has just visited. He shows the group what he’s found. The group realise that the kid they’ve left with Maria (and Jesus’ extended family) is one of the super powered children – and the boy has super strength!

Closing panel: the shocked look on Nightfox’ face as he could have left Maria in great danger…