Zenith Watch #4: A Miracle of Science

[mutecebu]

As Bravado is shoved towards DT:
Blast, should have gone for the ricochet.

As Checkmate ends yet another fight with a piece of paper, DT strains to catch a glimpse of the page.

The moment Agent Zero turns his attention to Checkmate DT levels his gun at Zero and launches his force field out in a swath, cutting the agent off from the Adrian girl. The field then expands and splits, leaving a gap of air; DT wasn't about to let a forcefield piercing bullet get by. Checkmate might be comfortable, but DT was not about to lower his guard.

Inwardly wincing at the pain, he looks over his shoulder and smiles at the girl.

"You're okay. You're doing great. This'll be done soon."

[HellFencer]

Nightbane

Zach raised an eyebrow in confusion and said, "And for those of us with the nosebleed seats, what does the paper say?"

[sun_tzu]

As Checkmate ends yet another fight with a piece of paper, DT strains to catch a glimpse of the page.

It appears to contain...financial records. With all the codes involved, it's impossible to make out exactly who is transferring money to whom, but it looks like hundreds of millions (possibly billions) of dollars (and dozens of other forms of currency) being shuffled around over years across the globe.

Inwardly wincing at the pain, he looks over his shoulder and smiles at the girl.

"You're okay. You're doing great. This'll be done soon."

She looks at Doublethink, at Agent Zero, at Checkmate, and back at Doublethink. "Is...is he a friend...?"

Agent Zero looks at the paper, and pales. "That's...How did you..."
"That will be enough, Agent Zero" Checkmate cuts in. "In the eventuality that you do not cease and desist immediately, this information will be made public. Very public. I imagine it would not be in Shadow's best interests for the identity of its corporate backers to be revealed. An international conspiracy needs its fundings, after all."
Agent Zero says nothing at first. "Very well. Take your little toy with you," he points at Kathy, "but enjoy your little victory while you can. Now that you have tipped your hand...it's only a matter of time before we find and eliminate you."
"No comment." Checkmate then turns to Kathy: "I believe some of the Zenith Watch's members could use your healing abilities at the moment."
"Right!" Once again, her powers activate. All of your wounds, including Bravado's, heal completely. The martial artist gets up, feeling his knees.
"Well, let's head out, then." says Checkmate.

[mutecebu]

Corporate backing. Interesting. DT's suspicions regarding Omnicorp were rekindled again.

She looks at Doublethink, at Agent Zero, at Checkmate, and back at Doublethink. "Is...is he a friend...?"

Good question.

"Yes he is"

As his burns heal and the skin regenerates, DT gives a sigh of relief. That hadn't been pleasant. "Thanks."

DT keeps his eyes on Agent Zero. They were just going to leave him? It felt... wrong. DT's blood was pumping, he was still wound up for a fight. He was unsure how the team would fare against the agent, though; he didn't have enough information. Their primary objective was to rescue the girl, and he had to ensure her safety.

One thing he wanted to know. He scanned Checkmate, looking for any technological elements. Checkmate must have had some sort of forcefield as a backup... or *something*.

DT offers his hand to the girl. "Are you ready to go?"
He didn't say go home. The poor think probably wouldn't be able to return to her home, there was likely some witness protection program for her in her future.

[sun_tzu]

Good question.

"Yes he is"

As his burns heal and the skin regenerates, DT gives a sigh of relief. That hadn't been pleasant. "Thanks."

She smiles. "I'm still new at this, but it works."

DT keeps his eyes on Agent Zero. They were just going to leave him? It felt... wrong. DT's blood was pumping, he was still wound up for a fight. He was unsure how the team would fare against the agent, though; he didn't have enough information. Their primary objective was to rescue the girl, and he had to ensure her safety.

One thing he wanted to know. He scanned Checkmate, looking for any technological elements. Checkmate must have had some sort of forcefield as a backup... or *something*.

The scan is...interesting. It seems like a lot of nanotech is embedded in Checkmate's seemingly normal clothes - this stuff could compete with Venture Industries. There is a force-field surrounding him - you find yourself reminded of the physics thesis he wrote on the subject, though it's hard to estimate the field's capabilities.

DT offers his hand to the girl. "Are you ready to go?"
He didn't say go home. The poor think probably wouldn't be able to return to her home, there was likely some witness protection program for her in her future.

"Sure."

((Have Checkmate lead the way out and fast-forward a bit, or do your characters have anything to do in the meanwhile?))

[HellFencer]

Nightbane

Zach still didn't know what the paper really said, and was only more confused when corporate backing was implied. He sighed deeply and turned to look at DT and the little girl. It was interesting to see him being so nice to her, and made Zach wonder about the prospects of a Rod-jr. In addition, he could see how pent up DT was about Checkmate's interception.

Walking over to him, Zach put his large ebony hand onto DT's shoulders and said in a low tone, "I understand, but I doubt we could take him without severe losses. Plus, she's our main concern." Zach looked down at the girl and hoped she wasn't terribly frightened of him. He liked children, but they often didn't like him...

[Blackbird]

Eagle Owl eyed Agent Zero warily through out the bizarre exchange. It didn't feel right just walking away, no matter that their chances of success without severe casualties were slim at best. But still, they had come for the girl, to save her. Eagle Owl shook to try and clear it. Remember why you do this. He turns to Agent Zero. "We're going but I'm not done with you, not yet. You'll be brought to justice for all you've done." With that he goes to Kathy and the others. "Lets go."

[mutecebu]

((Whoops, looks like my post didn't go through.))

"I understand, but I doubt we could take him without severe losses. Plus, she's our main concern."

DT nods, in complete agreement. He followed Nightbane's eyes, and guessed his friend's thoughts. DT knew how Nightbane felt about his appearance. DT felt that it wasn't bad as Nightbane might think, though; now that they were gaining some celebrity status DT noticed people's responses changed somewhat and are nolonger as frightened.

DT offers his hand to the girl. "Are you ready to go?"

"Sure."

DT debated whether to pick up Kathy or not. He had never been a parent, and wasn't sure the best way to comfort her. He compromises, and offers her his hand.

"All right, then. Let's be off!

DT looks back at the wreckage of the tank. He scans it, and tries to determine if this was the same tank they defeated earlier, comparing it to data recorded from the last fight. Was there an ID number? Is there any sign of damage repaired similar to damage they inflicted last time? Any other unique or identifying features?

[sun_tzu]

DT looks back at the wreckage of the tank. He scans it, and tries to determine if this was the same tank they defeated earlier, comparing it to data recorded from the last fight. Was there an ID number? Is there any sign of damage repaired similar to damage they inflicted last time? Any other unique or identifying features?

It's a bit difficult to tell, especially after Kathy's damage-fixing performance...but, after half-a-day (subjectively) of going over videos of the fight in his head, Doublethink can see that the Mecha-Tank's neck apparently underwent repairs at some point prior to your fight. This would very strongly suggest that it was the same Mecha-Tank the Zenith Watch fought in Megalopolis.

DT debated whether to pick up Kathy or not. He had never been a parent, and wasn't sure the best way to comfort her. He compromises, and offers her his hand.

Zach looked down at the girl and hoped she wasn't terribly frightened of him. He liked children, but they often didn't like him...

Kathy seems happy enough to hold Doublethink's hand. She keeps stealing glances at all the members of the Zenith Watch, but doesn't seem afraid of any of you, even Nightbane. If anything, she seems star-struck.

As you follow Checkmate, encountering smears of blood here and there along the way (if Doublethink tries to compare this to criminology data...those smears were probably Shadow agents; whatever crushed them into thin paste must have spread immense force on a large surface), he leads you to a room where the ceiling - and dozens of feet of metal and concrete above it - have apparently been disintegrated. A force-field then appears in the shape of stairs, allowing you to climb out of the base.

"So...Shadow has corporate backers? What, do they give Nike slave labor, or code for Microsoft?" Bravado asks as your group follows Checkmate out, to a flying vehicle placed at the entrance.
"It's more subtle than that," Checkmate explains once the vehicle has taken off. "This is all part of Shadow's deals with the Faction. In fact, that's part of the reason I elected to use that specific form of blackmail - since all the data I used back there was available to the Faction, it will reinforce Shadow's suspicion that the latter are the true backers of the Zenith Watch. Other hints over the coming months will help feed their paranoia."
"I don't really know what you're talking about," admits Kathy, "but what should I do? And where's mom?"
"Ah, yes." Checkmate pauses. "I would have preferred not to use it, but, as soon as we're far enough that Shadow can't detect us, we will be teleporting to the place where your mother is currently located - we cannot afford to lose the time that getting there through other means would take."
"Huh?"
"Katherine...you have the power to heal. When you meet your mother, you will need to use it on her."

[sun_tzu]

"Mom got hurt?" The worry makes Kathy's facial features tremble.
Checkmate sighs. "Katherine...Your mother is alive. And, once you heal her with your abilities, she'll be just fine. But I won't hide this from you - she did, in fact, get hurt."
"But..." the little girl seems to be struggling with difficult concepts. "I don't get it. Why would anyone hurt mom? Why did those people do all that to me? Why did they hurt the Science Watch?"
"That would be the Zenith Watch. But to answer your questions..." Checkmate takes some time to think his answers through. Quite unlike the times you've talked to him. You get the feeling he's not used to talking to kids. "The world, to put it plainly, isn't safe. There are good people in it, such as your mother or the superheroes here with us. There are also, however, individuals more than willing to break every rule, and every person, that dare stand in their way. Shadow, the organization that abducted you, is full of such people. They wanted your powers, and they were willing to go to any length to get them."
"So everything that happened - everyone who git hurt - was because they wanted my powers?" Her voice is shaking a little.
"Don't blame yourself. It is hardly your fault that Shadow acts like that."

[sun_tzu]

Katherine goes silent for a moment. She then speaks up again: "OK, so it was the shadow people's fault, because they wanted my powers. But, doesn't that mean none of it would have happened without my powers?"
"Well, if it weren't for your rather unusual abilities, Shadow would simply have tried something else. They are a world-spanning conspiracy decades in the making; you cannot yet conceive how many plots they handle at the same time. Additionally, were it not for your powers, hundreds of people at the Megalopolis hospital would still be ill or injured right now."
"So my powers aren't a bad thing?"
"Power in itself is neither good or bad. It is its application - the way in which you use your power - that gives it meaning." You get the impression Checkmate is struggling to adapt his usual speech patterns in an attempt to say things the little girl can understand. "Your powers, quite honestly, are amazing. The power of entropy, the power of creation...You are, dare I say, a living thermodynamic miracle."
"A what?!"
"A thermodynamic miracle. An event theoretically possible, yet so unlikely as to practically be impossible.
You can repair things. Even life itself. You reverse entropy. And that, Katherine, is a miracle of science...For I have little doubt that the source of your abilities is quite advanced a science. Speaking of which, we will absolutely have to discuss the origins of your abilities..."
"I don't really know much. I was at home, when there was this blue lightning or something, and things were fuzzy. I got surprised and fell on my butt. It hurt a bit, and I wanted to stop hurting...and it did. Just like that.
After that, odd things kept happening. Especially when my broken toy fixed itself when I wanted it to. Then I fixed Tommy Ribnut's asthma ((Ha! There's your explanation!)), and made him promise not to tell anyone, because I figured lots of superheroes keep their secret identities.
I told mom, and said that, since I could fix the dead flowers in her garden, maybe I could bring back daddy too. She said no - she says daddy is in Heaven, and we should leave him there. But I thought about helping people, and decided the hospital would be the right place, and then..."
"...And then Shadow came."
"Yeah."
"An interesting tale." You noticed Checkmate slightly twitching at the "daddy is in Heaven" part, but he seems set on ignoring it. "We shall discuss it further...But for now, let's teleport."
The following second, all of you suddenly find yourself inside Checkerboard's base, in front of a door. Serenity is right there to greet you. "Sir, we are maintaining surveillance on our query as requested."
"Good. Back to you in a minute." Checkmate then kneels down to face the little girl. "Katherine...Your mother is in the room on the other side of that door. Your powers can heal her, but, you need to understand...She's badly hurt. Are you ready to face that?"
She hesitates for a couple of seconds. "Yes."
"Good. There you go."
As Checkmate opens the door, Katherine hesitatingly enters. There, you see Mrs Adrian, still comatose, breathing through a medical apparatus.
Katherine pales a bit. Then she raises her hands. "M-mom...Be OK...Please be OK..."
Once again, a soft glow fills the room.
Then Mrs Adrian opens her eyes. "Kathy?"
The child jumps at her, hugging her mother forcefully. The mother, confused, hugs back, looking at her surroundings. "What...what happened?"
"It's a long story, mom...But I guess it was a...a..." Katherine then turns to Checkmate. "What were those words?"
"Thermodynamic Miracle?"
"Yeah, that. You know," she grins shyly, "that might actually be a good name..."
"Shorten it to Miracle."
"Good idea."

[HellFencer]

Nightbane

Zach blinked awkwardly as Checkmate explained the little girl's powers and its implications. He hadn't anything to add, as it was a brand new concept for him as well. When her mother wakes up and the two reunite, Zach can't help but smile warmly and elbow Emerald Agent in comedic style.

[mutecebu]

DT was feeling very sympathetic towards Kathy. He also felt kind of sorry for Checkmate, but thought he was doing pretty well, vocabulary aside.

I told mom, and said that, since I could fix the dead flowers in her garden, maybe I could bring back daddy too. She said no - she says daddy is in Heaven, and we should leave him there.

Good girl. DT shuddered to think what could happen if Kathy had tried. He had some new found respect for her mother, not everyone would have answered that way.

DT notices Checkmate's twitch.
Come on. Let it slide. Good.

Seeing Kathy and her mom reunited, DT was happy it worked out so well. The girl would have an interesting life, that was certain. She would need her mother.

Zach can't help but smile warmly and elbow Emerald Agent in comedic style.

DT punches Zach's elbow.
"Hey. Pick on someone your own size!"

DT turns to checkmate, and asks through his teeth,
"So... what's the plan for her security?"

[sun_tzu]

DT turns to checkmate, and asks through his teeth,
"So... what's the plan for her security?"

Checkmate whispers back: "More complicated than your average witness protection protection program. Shadow - to name just one - will be willing to hunt her to the end of the Earth, and they have enough infiltration in the federal level to find her eventually, maybe even soon. At this point, Checkerboard is practically the only organization that can keep these two safe - at least, for the next few years. Beyond that point, I am hoping for Shadow to no longer be relevant.
And in case you're wondering...They won't be the first civilians Checkerboard has helped hide. You've met Rose Tucker earlier; it might surprise you to know that she is not, in fact, a member of this organization, and has never participated in any of our operations."

[Blackbird]

Eagle Owl looks at the happy reunion somberly, knowing how close things had been. Hold onto her for as long as you can kid. There's a touch of sadness in him as he turns his back to the mother and daughter, moving to DT and Checkmate. "We should continue this conversation outside, let them enjoy this while they can."


If/when they exit the room, Eagle Owl continues. "Someone should teach the girl about using her powers. But I won't tell you how to protect them, you've no doubt already got it all figured out. Just promise to call us if there's ever any trouble. Ever."

[HellFencer]

Nightbane

DT punches Zach's elbow.
"Hey. Pick on someone your own size!"

"Alright, just find me one," Zach said with a smile.

Zach felt Eagleowl's sentiments and would head out of the room as well.

[sun_tzu]

If/when they exit the room, Eagle Owl continues. "Someone should teach the girl about using her powers. But I won't tell you how to protect them, you've no doubt already got it all figured out. Just promise to call us if there's ever any trouble. Ever."

"I will inform you. Though I do believe that, with the protection Checkerboard will be giving these two, it shouldn't be an issue for a long time.
However," Checkmate's voice rises a notch, "there is one more thing that is, perhaps, even more important than all of this: The source of Katherine's powers.
As has been stated several times today, her abilities are unique. Unlike anything ever seen before. Magic, mutation, advanced technology...none of it has ever shown the ability to replicate such powers. Which begs the questions: How can she do that, and can other people potentially do the same?"
"We've been investigating," Serenity joins in once Checkmate has led you to a nearby room. There's a big wall display, on which you can say the Adrians' neighborhood. "The following video was taken by the city's surveillance cameras." Suddenly, some kind of blue lightning strikes across the neighborhood, entering the Adrian household.
"This does, indeed, match Katherine's story", says Checkmate. "One may speculate that this effect, whose nature remains unclear, somehow empowered her. What I would like to focus on, though..." he points at a spot on the screen, "is this." As you can see, the lightning may have hit the Adrian household...but it originated from the house of one of their neighbors. "Interesting tidbit: This happens to be the home of Dr Benjamin Tycho, a brilliant physicist who, until a year ago, was working for Venture Industries. To be more specific, he was involved in their inter-universal portal research. He seemed to be interested in their potential for time travel. And entropy is inherently linked to the arrow of time..."

[HellFencer]

Nightbane

Zach raised an eyebrow at the last bit of information. "You're saying... she's got the power to affect time? I don't know much about it, but time is really just things decaying, right? If she can reverse that, then she's time traveling. Er... she's making others time travel?"

The massive ebony brute scratched his head, shuffling around his bleach-white hair. "Wait, so... if she could use this in a big way, she could travel back in time, cause everything around her would just reverse its decay..." He shook his head as if to make sense of it all. "Kat, that's a neat power you got there," he said with a wink.

[sun_tzu]

Nightbane

Zach raised an eyebrow at the last bit of information. "You're saying... she's got the power to affect time? I don't know much about it, but time is really just things decaying, right? If she can reverse that, then she's time traveling. Er... she's making others time travel?"

The massive ebony brute scratched his head, shuffling around his bleach-white hair. "Wait, so... if she could use this in a big way, she could travel back in time, cause everything around her would just reverse its decay..." He shook his head as if to make sense of it all. "Kat, that's a neat power you got there," he said with a wink.

((You've left the room where she is reuniting with her mom, remember?))
"There seems to be a link to time control, at least. 'Things decaying', as you put it, is the layman term for 'entropy'. Entropy only increases with time - that is how thermodynamics work. Katherine's influence on time apparently allows her to control the process, either accelerating or even outright reversing decay."

[sun_tzu]

A voice comes from the screen; you recognize it as the voice of "agent White":
"Mission control, do you copy? The Dr is still inside his home. Not sure what he's doing right now, but I'm almost certain he doesn't know we're here."
"We've probably waited long enough," says Checkmate, "it's time to..."
There is suddenly a flash of light on the screen, and the house is obliterated. It doesn't look like an explosion - it looks like a large part of it just isn't there anymore.
"...Mission control?"
"...Hold your position." says Checkmate, with an eyebrow raised. "Let a drone investigate."

[Blackbird]

Eagle Owl turns to look at Checkmate, studying his expression for his reaction. "I take it you didn't expect that. That didn't look like an explosion. Just exactly who else has access to the kind of teleportation technology you use?"

[sun_tzu]

Eagle Owl turns to look at Checkmate, studying his expression for his reaction. "I take it you didn't expect that. That didn't look like an explosion. Just exactly who else has access to the kind of teleportation technology you use?"

"This was not standard teleportation," says Checkmate as data appears on-screen. It's subtle, but...he seems angry. "It would appear that Dr Tycho and half his house have been catapulted forward in space and time."
"Sir?" asks Serena. "What should we do?"
"Get every amount of data from this place you can before the police shows up. I will analyze what we have. Serena, you are in charge of this operation until I get back."
He then leaves the control room ((I assume you follow)). "Not the optimal conclusion, but at least we have kept Katherine out of Shadow's clutches. That will have to do for now. Speaking of which, we probably ought to get back to the Adrians."

[HellFencer]

Nightbane

"Right behind you, boss," Zach said. The whole situation was over his head. He'd never had to deal with such large scale things, nor overbearing organizations that lead to global decisions. It was just all too much for the simple construction worker to take in, so he fell in line like the grunt he was.

[Blackbird]

Hm, he seems agitated. He must have not expected this. Madman? Or somebody he hasn't even told us about? Eagle Owl kept his thoughts to himself, following Checkmate in silence. Although rescuing the girl was of course important, keeping powers such as hers from the wrong hands was important. And now they had no idea where the creator of those powers is... He had a bad feeling about this.

[sun_tzu]

On the way, Bravado asks Checkmate something: "By the way...Back when we were with Agent Zero, he said some things about agent White. It sounded a bit like...I mean...Was White in the KGB?"
"Back in the days, the KGB had a rather good track record against Shadow" explains Checkmate. "White was part of the task force that dealt with them at the time. After the end of the regime, said task force became dangerously under-funded...And for rather obvious reasons, anyone associated with the KGB was not exactly popular. In no small part, White joined Checkerboard in order to be able to keep up the fight against Shadow."

Bravado seems to still be mulling this latest revelation when you meet the Adrians again.
"Kathy has explained everything to me," says her mother, "at least, the parts she knows. It's...a lot to take in, but, as far as I can tell, it was your Zenith Watch that rescued us. Thank you. I...I can't really find the right words to thank you" she looks at your group.
She then addresses Checkmate: "I'm...afraid I don't know who you are...?"
"You may refer to me as Checkmate. I am an ally of the Zenith Watch, and in charge of your family's security for the foreseeable future."
"Our security?"
"I'm afraid so. While Shadow has temporarily given up the chase, they still desire young Katherine's abilities for themselves.
Normally, such situations require calling upon the Witness Protection Program. Unfortunately, with the forces aligned against you, even the FBI and FBSA would not be able to protect you for very long. My organization, on the other hand, can provide you and your daughter with the protection you need, at least until a more permanent solution has been found." Noting her confusion, he adds "We may discuss this at length once you have recovered from your high emotions."

[fireinthedust]

Emerald Agent was quiet, perhaps rightly so for endangering the mother so non-chalantly before. Still, I guess it all worked out the way I planned; we got the girl back and healed her mother. Turns out I was right. Heh, scary thought.


So what's our next move? I mean, we've taken down a Shadow cell, and we've got records of their financial activities. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to go after their corporate sponsors? Cut off the beast's head at the neck, so to speak, rather than charge through it's teeth. ...I know there's a hydra reference waiting to happen, and I'm sure backers of Shadow are as slippery as they are, but before they have the chance to bolt maybe we could "have at them". I mean, it should take time to move billions of dollars and personel.

[sun_tzu]

Emerald Agent was quiet, perhaps rightly so for endangering the mother so non-chalantly before. Still, I guess it all worked out the way I planned; we got the girl back and healed her mother. Turns out I was right. Heh, scary thought.


So what's our next move? I mean, we've taken down a Shadow cell, and we've got records of their financial activities. Maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to go after their corporate sponsors? Cut off the beast's head at the neck, so to speak, rather than charge through it's teeth. ...I know there's a hydra reference waiting to happen, and I'm sure backers of Shadow are as slippery as they are, but before they have the chance to bolt maybe we could "have at them". I mean, it should take time to move billions of dollars and personel.

"I assure you, we're already working on that. If the Zenith Watch's assistance is required at any step, you will be informed very quickly." ((But, not this chapter. I believe we've had enough of Shadow for a while. ))

[fireinthedust]

In that case, I'm ready to get back to the Zenith Tower. It feels like ages since I got some sleep.

EA stretches his neck, a popping sound coming forth from the stress of the fighting and teleporting for who knows how long.

[HellFencer]

Nightbane

"You and me both, Greenthumb!" Zack said, swatting EA on the shoulder. "We should order out..."

[sun_tzu]

"By all means. We'll arrange teleportation to the Zenicopter. We'll have to work out a cover story for what happened, though - if anyone asks you where the Adrians are, I suggest you answer that Katherine used her powers to have both escape, in a manner similar to Dr Tycho."
As you head out, Miracle Katherine waves farewell. "Good-bye, Zenith Watch! Hope to see you guys again!"

((Presumably, you can get to your HQ without a hitch, and answer the police's questions without problems. If there's anything you need to do in the meanwhile, go ahead.))