City of Heroes: Hands of The Clock
Rating (whole story): PG-13, for fantasy violence, deaths, mild language and use of a fictional drug.
Copyright Issues: City of Heroes is © 2002 NCsoft Corporation and Cryptic Studios, Inc. All rights reserved.
City of Heroes is a trademark or registered trademark of NCsoft Corporation.
Zuerst approached the security checkpoint for Boomtown. There was actually a line up of Heroes waiting to get in. After the Rikti war, some areas of Paragon City had become so dangerous they had been labeled Hazard Zones or Trial Zones. Those areas were declared off-limits to most civilians, and Heroes needed a certain security level to enter. This was made possible by the enormous Force field Walls that were built during the war as a barrier against the alien onslaught. Ironically the technology only exists because it had been reverse-engineered from the Rikti.
Normally getting through the security checkpoint was pretty painless. All you had to do was present your Hero ID card to confirm your security level, and go on through. But it seemed Jake had been right, something big was happening, and a line up of Heroes from all parts of town trying to get in like some kind of exclusive nightclub was a sure indication.
As he started to turn towards the back of the line, a familiar voice called up from the front.
"Hey Zuerst!" It was Gwendolen, AKA Ashen Fury, "I saved you a spot in the line! Come on!"
Zuerst looked over towards the various annoyed looking costume clad superheroes that filled the lineup, figured none of them would attempt to pick a fight over this, and joined his fellow Super-Group member near the front of the line. Some questioned why she had named herself Ashen Fury, because in most cases she seemed very peaceful, to the point of not really knowing what was happening around her. But those who have seen her in combat would know her as the battle-crazed woman she could be.
"So, Jake called for you too, eh?" She asked.
"Well, he broadcasted his call over the Super-Group channel with no specific person mentioned..." He started to respond.
"Hey, I'm just making conversation! So what do you think he wants? I hope it's not like that other time."
"Somehow, I doubt this many people are here to see him snipe a bunch of cans off the roof of a skyscraper and have me jump up and stack them again."
"Yeah," she chuckled, "But that was worth it when that one guy who happened to be passing by used his gravity power to make the cans to heavy to knock down."
"That was amusing. Still, I think back, and even without the gravity power, those cans could probably have hurt someone had they been hit after a fall from a tall building like that."
"Zuerst, we were in Boomtown! Who would be there to get hit, a Lost Headman? Frankly, I think that'd be pretty funny. There preaching and BANG! A can bounces off his TV-helmet! Would the other ones just burst out laughing? Do the Lost laugh? I gotta try that someday.
"Anyway, you're too focused on worrying whether someone could get hurt when you could prevent it or take the damage yourself. You can't jump out in front of everything. Sometimes, things just happen. But then, that's why you're The Valiant Zuerst!"
Zuerst chuckled at the title the news reports were now giving him, but then got very serious.
"I may not be able to jump out in front of everything, but I'll always do what I can to make hurt no harm comes to innocents." He said.
She gave him a half-smile. "I'd expect no less from you." Then she looked up ahead and found that they were next in line. "Hey! Finally!"
The Hero ahead went through, and the security officer, who was looking a little rattled and a little exhausted, asked for their ID cards. They showed them, and he waved them in.
As they stepped through the huge door, they were stuck by sight of Boomtown, a sight that would cause some to break down and cry. Zuerst must have been here a hundred times, and it still had an impact, moving from the glistening skyscrapers and business prosperity of Steel Canyon, to the dead, burned and hallowed out husks of buildings, roads and lives that was Boomtown.
Except it was different this time. It was common to see groups of Heroes near the entrance, waiting to form into groups to take on the super-powered fiends that filled the zone. But this time, there were hundreds of Heroes as far as the eye could see, leaping, running and flying in various directions.
As he entered the zone, Zuerst overheard a group of Heroes near the entrance talking.
"...But, how do you destroy a whole block in Boomtown?"
"Yeah, wasn't it destroyed to begin with?" "No, I meant without anyone noticing. There had to have been some Heroes out patrolling the area or something."
"Maybe whatever did that got those Heroes too?"
"Holy shit. What if Dianne were in there? She comes to Boomtown for missions sometimes... Oh man, she must have been in there, that's why she didn't return my calls..."
The conversation faded from earshot as Zuerst and Ashen Fury moved further into Boomtown.
"Well," Gwendolen asked, "Where to?"
Zuerst looked up in the air "Want to just go in the direction most of those flyers are headed?"
"Sure."
Ashen Fury took a moment to focus, and in a second was running so quickly that she would be able to easily overtake any speeding cars (had there been any on these desolate roads.) Zuerst fired his legs and effortless leaped atop a nearby building, then bounced off that and landed on another, then jumped from rooftop to rooftop, following the flocks of flying Heroes in the sky.
As he approached whatever all the fuss was about, he could begin to see a large multi-colored mass of Heroes, heavily contrasting against the gray surroundings. As he got closer he could make out news vans.
Finally, he landed on a rooftop overseeing the crowd (where about ten other Heroes were currently standing.)
He stood there for a second, trying to figure out what was wrong with this picture before him. He recalled some of his memory files of past times he had been here, and found a match. That's when it hit him. An entire block was missing! Buildings, streets, sewers, everything, it was gone!
A huge hole was there, as if it had all been scooped out. Huge chunks of concrete littered the inside of the hole as well as the surrounding area. Sewer water had flooded the inside of the hole now that it seems the pipes themselves are missing. (Which would also help to explain the only ones in the hole were the flying Heroes, who could stay above the who-knows-how- deep water.) Overhead, a news helicopter surveyed the scene, escorted by a group of Heroes. Along the edge of the hole, the Heroes had gathered and were discussing what could have done this. Among the countless Heroes were news reporters and police investigators, busily snapping photos and recording everything they could. This was probably their first time in Boomtown, seeing as it was normally dangerous for ever an unprepared Hero. But right now, with so many Heroes together, this was probably the safest place in the entire city.
Suddenly, something flew overhead which immediately got a roar of gasps from the crowd. The figure slowed down and hovered in front of the crowd. It was The Statesman! On cue, the entire crowd of Heroes burst into applause and cheering. For many, The Statesman was the reason they had taken up a life of heroism. Having been the first Superhero to appear in Paragon City, it was the brave acts of The Statesman and later other Heroes who followed him that ridded the city of organized crime before the Second World War. He was the founder and leader of The Freedom Phalanx, an organization of Superheroes devoted to saving the world, training new Heroes, and making sure line between Superhero and vigilante isn't crossed.
When the din died down, the Statesman began to speak.
"Fellow Heroes, as you can see, something very strange and destructive has happened here. As of yet, no Super Villain has claimed to be responsible for this, nor do we have any leads as to what caused this. The paramount question is, can whatever happened here happen again, especially to the inhabited areas of the city? Unfortunately, without more information we can't know that. And I assure you, The Freedom Phalanx is working to try and solve this before anything else happens.
"However, if we all concentrate our efforts on this, another Villain group may seize the opportunity and start something in another part of the city. And so, I ask that you Heroes continue your duties as normal. This will prevent any unrelated dangerous incidents. Take solace in knowing that The Freedom Phalanx is working with other Hero groups on this matter. We are working with Hero Corps on this investigation, and The Midnight Squad is currently working to determine whether this incident has a mystical origin. So go out there, and keep the city safe! Thank you."
As the multitudes of Heroes cleared out, Zuerst just stood there. He never was one for premonitions and such, but somewhere deep inside him, he could sense a dark, morbid feeling of dread and anticipation. Something bigger was going to happen.
Rating (whole story): PG-13, for fantasy violence, deaths, mild language and use of a fictional drug.
Copyright Issues: City of Heroes is © 2002 NCsoft Corporation and Cryptic Studios, Inc. All rights reserved.
City of Heroes is a trademark or registered trademark of NCsoft Corporation.
Zuerst approached the security checkpoint for Boomtown. There was actually a line up of Heroes waiting to get in. After the Rikti war, some areas of Paragon City had become so dangerous they had been labeled Hazard Zones or Trial Zones. Those areas were declared off-limits to most civilians, and Heroes needed a certain security level to enter. This was made possible by the enormous Force field Walls that were built during the war as a barrier against the alien onslaught. Ironically the technology only exists because it had been reverse-engineered from the Rikti.
Normally getting through the security checkpoint was pretty painless. All you had to do was present your Hero ID card to confirm your security level, and go on through. But it seemed Jake had been right, something big was happening, and a line up of Heroes from all parts of town trying to get in like some kind of exclusive nightclub was a sure indication.
As he started to turn towards the back of the line, a familiar voice called up from the front.
"Hey Zuerst!" It was Gwendolen, AKA Ashen Fury, "I saved you a spot in the line! Come on!"
Zuerst looked over towards the various annoyed looking costume clad superheroes that filled the lineup, figured none of them would attempt to pick a fight over this, and joined his fellow Super-Group member near the front of the line. Some questioned why she had named herself Ashen Fury, because in most cases she seemed very peaceful, to the point of not really knowing what was happening around her. But those who have seen her in combat would know her as the battle-crazed woman she could be.
"So, Jake called for you too, eh?" She asked.
"Well, he broadcasted his call over the Super-Group channel with no specific person mentioned..." He started to respond.
"Hey, I'm just making conversation! So what do you think he wants? I hope it's not like that other time."
"Somehow, I doubt this many people are here to see him snipe a bunch of cans off the roof of a skyscraper and have me jump up and stack them again."
"Yeah," she chuckled, "But that was worth it when that one guy who happened to be passing by used his gravity power to make the cans to heavy to knock down."
"That was amusing. Still, I think back, and even without the gravity power, those cans could probably have hurt someone had they been hit after a fall from a tall building like that."
"Zuerst, we were in Boomtown! Who would be there to get hit, a Lost Headman? Frankly, I think that'd be pretty funny. There preaching and BANG! A can bounces off his TV-helmet! Would the other ones just burst out laughing? Do the Lost laugh? I gotta try that someday.
"Anyway, you're too focused on worrying whether someone could get hurt when you could prevent it or take the damage yourself. You can't jump out in front of everything. Sometimes, things just happen. But then, that's why you're The Valiant Zuerst!"
Zuerst chuckled at the title the news reports were now giving him, but then got very serious.
"I may not be able to jump out in front of everything, but I'll always do what I can to make hurt no harm comes to innocents." He said.
She gave him a half-smile. "I'd expect no less from you." Then she looked up ahead and found that they were next in line. "Hey! Finally!"
The Hero ahead went through, and the security officer, who was looking a little rattled and a little exhausted, asked for their ID cards. They showed them, and he waved them in.
As they stepped through the huge door, they were stuck by sight of Boomtown, a sight that would cause some to break down and cry. Zuerst must have been here a hundred times, and it still had an impact, moving from the glistening skyscrapers and business prosperity of Steel Canyon, to the dead, burned and hallowed out husks of buildings, roads and lives that was Boomtown.
Except it was different this time. It was common to see groups of Heroes near the entrance, waiting to form into groups to take on the super-powered fiends that filled the zone. But this time, there were hundreds of Heroes as far as the eye could see, leaping, running and flying in various directions.
As he entered the zone, Zuerst overheard a group of Heroes near the entrance talking.
"...But, how do you destroy a whole block in Boomtown?"
"Yeah, wasn't it destroyed to begin with?" "No, I meant without anyone noticing. There had to have been some Heroes out patrolling the area or something."
"Maybe whatever did that got those Heroes too?"
"Holy shit. What if Dianne were in there? She comes to Boomtown for missions sometimes... Oh man, she must have been in there, that's why she didn't return my calls..."
The conversation faded from earshot as Zuerst and Ashen Fury moved further into Boomtown.
"Well," Gwendolen asked, "Where to?"
Zuerst looked up in the air "Want to just go in the direction most of those flyers are headed?"
"Sure."
Ashen Fury took a moment to focus, and in a second was running so quickly that she would be able to easily overtake any speeding cars (had there been any on these desolate roads.) Zuerst fired his legs and effortless leaped atop a nearby building, then bounced off that and landed on another, then jumped from rooftop to rooftop, following the flocks of flying Heroes in the sky.
As he approached whatever all the fuss was about, he could begin to see a large multi-colored mass of Heroes, heavily contrasting against the gray surroundings. As he got closer he could make out news vans.
Finally, he landed on a rooftop overseeing the crowd (where about ten other Heroes were currently standing.)
He stood there for a second, trying to figure out what was wrong with this picture before him. He recalled some of his memory files of past times he had been here, and found a match. That's when it hit him. An entire block was missing! Buildings, streets, sewers, everything, it was gone!
A huge hole was there, as if it had all been scooped out. Huge chunks of concrete littered the inside of the hole as well as the surrounding area. Sewer water had flooded the inside of the hole now that it seems the pipes themselves are missing. (Which would also help to explain the only ones in the hole were the flying Heroes, who could stay above the who-knows-how- deep water.) Overhead, a news helicopter surveyed the scene, escorted by a group of Heroes. Along the edge of the hole, the Heroes had gathered and were discussing what could have done this. Among the countless Heroes were news reporters and police investigators, busily snapping photos and recording everything they could. This was probably their first time in Boomtown, seeing as it was normally dangerous for ever an unprepared Hero. But right now, with so many Heroes together, this was probably the safest place in the entire city.
Suddenly, something flew overhead which immediately got a roar of gasps from the crowd. The figure slowed down and hovered in front of the crowd. It was The Statesman! On cue, the entire crowd of Heroes burst into applause and cheering. For many, The Statesman was the reason they had taken up a life of heroism. Having been the first Superhero to appear in Paragon City, it was the brave acts of The Statesman and later other Heroes who followed him that ridded the city of organized crime before the Second World War. He was the founder and leader of The Freedom Phalanx, an organization of Superheroes devoted to saving the world, training new Heroes, and making sure line between Superhero and vigilante isn't crossed.
When the din died down, the Statesman began to speak.
"Fellow Heroes, as you can see, something very strange and destructive has happened here. As of yet, no Super Villain has claimed to be responsible for this, nor do we have any leads as to what caused this. The paramount question is, can whatever happened here happen again, especially to the inhabited areas of the city? Unfortunately, without more information we can't know that. And I assure you, The Freedom Phalanx is working to try and solve this before anything else happens.
"However, if we all concentrate our efforts on this, another Villain group may seize the opportunity and start something in another part of the city. And so, I ask that you Heroes continue your duties as normal. This will prevent any unrelated dangerous incidents. Take solace in knowing that The Freedom Phalanx is working with other Hero groups on this matter. We are working with Hero Corps on this investigation, and The Midnight Squad is currently working to determine whether this incident has a mystical origin. So go out there, and keep the city safe! Thank you."
As the multitudes of Heroes cleared out, Zuerst just stood there. He never was one for premonitions and such, but somewhere deep inside him, he could sense a dark, morbid feeling of dread and anticipation. Something bigger was going to happen.