Hero Academy #3: Shades of Grey

[sun_tzu]

Some time has passed since the Hero Academy went on hiatus. It is now early February, and the Big Apple has been (relatively) quiet - the New Predators haven't been heard from (neither has Dr Knack), and while Lady Sting has apparently been consolidating her control over the triads, she's done it quickly and efficiently.
Nothing of note has been happening at the Academy. Sekhmet (who has been monitoring information on White Knight), Powerhouse and FX still live there; Leshii was given the clearance to come and go as she pleases. Celerity has been busy elsewhere - you don't really know what with.
All four of you are at the Academy when the doorbell rings.

Hero Academy #3: Shades of Grey


((Let's get this game on. I've had to make a few changes to plans here and there, but I hope to make this an interesting chapter for you guys.))

[Axelgear]

Sekhmet, however, doesn't hear it. Her feet had barely touched the ground and her gear was always ready to go, an iPod Touch, a gift from her parents as a belated Christmas present, along with a small pendant around her neck with an ancient depiction of Sekhmet's face, the mythical one, placed in the centre. Tapped into the local internet, she is listening to police radio and local news intermittently, waiting for any sign of White Knight. Her focus had diverted to it entirely, it consuming most of her time. Still, the guy had made himself scarce, trying to use the traditional KKK tactic of random violence. When, where, and what his attacks would be were entirely random, only ever striking people who didn't fit his vision of what a "proper" society was. Sekhemt couldn't track him... It didn't stop her from trying, though...

[Green Bean]

Leshii looks up from her attempts at an anti-triad plan. It hadn't been going well; she'd assumed it'd be easy enough for her to sew a little chaos with her powers, but Lady Sting was consolidating her power base too quickly to find an vulnerable area to probe. It probably didn't help that the crime boss already knew there was a shapeshifter working for the white hats.

Glad for the distraction, Leshii gets the door, shifting into a bellhop's uniform with a stylized HA.

[sun_tzu]

Leshii looks up from her attempts at an anti-triad plan. It hadn't been going well; she'd assumed it'd be easy enough for her to sew a little chaos with her powers, but Lady Sting was consolidating her power base too quickly to find an vulnerable area to probe. It probably didn't help that the crime boss already knew there was a shapeshifter working for the white hats.

Glad for the distraction, Leshii gets the door, shifting into a bellhop's uniform with a stylized HA.

There's a teenage girl in a wheelchair in front of the door. "Um, hi? This is the Hero Academy, right?"

[Green Bean]

"That's what it says on the hat." Leshii touches her cap, and the logo switches from HA to Hero Academy. "What can I do for you?"

[sun_tzu]

"That's what it says on the hat." Leshii touches her cap, and the logo switches from HA to Hero Academy. "What can I do for you?"

"I... My name is Sarah. I was wondering if Sekhmet was here?"

[Green Bean]

"Hang on, I'll get her." Leshii reaches her arm out and taps Sekhmet on the shoulder. "You've got a visitor!"

[Zarthrax]

FX taps away at his datapad. Lessee. 500 shares of Datacom for $48 a share equates into .... 150 shares of Microsoft. I figure I buy enough Sony and Microsoft, they have to start sending me consoles. Let's check my other stocks... While typing on his pad with two fingers and holding it with two more, his other hand stirs the scrambled eggs so they don't burn. "About a minute more on the breakfast. Last offer, anyone else want any?"

[Axelgear]

(Grrrr, GITP keeps swallowing my posts...)

Sekhmet spins suddenly as Leshii taps her on the shoulder, following the arm to its source, taking the headphones out of her ears. In the intervening time, she'd gotten much more used to flying, not so shaky as she once was, touching down and taking two steps as she neared the door. "Hey Sarah, what's up?" Sekhmet asks, placing a hand on the back of the closed of the two doors, leaning against it, her other hand idly swinging the headphones without her realizing it.

[Green Bean]

Leshii decides to give Sekhmet some privacy to talk to her friend. She saunters over to FX. "Nah, I already ate at home. I could use a snack, though." With practised ease, Leshii grabs a half-dozen raw eggs and cracks them into a pitcher. "Cheers."

[sun_tzu]

(Grrrr, GITP keeps swallowing my posts...)

Sekhmet spins suddenly as Leshii taps her on the shoulder, following the arm to its source, taking the headphones out of her ears. In the intervening time, she'd gotten much more used to flying, not so shaky as she once was, touching down and taking two steps as she neared the door. "Hey Sarah, what's up?" Sekhmet asks, placing a hand on the back of the closed of the two doors, leaning against it, her other hand idly swinging the headphones without her realizing it.

Sarah awkwardly smiles at you. "Hey. Hope I'm not bothering? I mean, you're not in the middle of some urgent save-the-world thing, are you?"

[Axelgear]

Sekhmet shakes her head, dismissing the notion that she was busy. "No, no. Just monitoring the airwaves is all. Come in, come in." She said, motioning her through the door, double-checking to make sure it was wheelchair friendly and closing the door behind her. "So, what can I do for you?" She asked, walking into the main room with the others. "Do you want a drink before we talk?" She added quickly, clearly a bit glad to just have someone "over".

[sun_tzu]

Sekhmet shakes her head, dismissing the notion that she was busy. "No, no. Just monitoring the airwaves is all. Come in, come in." She said, motioning her through the door, double-checking to make sure it was wheelchair friendly and closing the door behind her. "So, what can I do for you?" She asked, walking into the main room with the others. "Do you want a drink before we talk?" She added quickly, clearly a bit glad to just have someone "over".

"Sure, thanks."

Once inside, Sarah begins talking.
"I've been...adapting. Can't say it's been easy, obviously. And I still wanted to thank you for the ride. But, the reason I cam here...Remember how, in the hospital, there was this sort of spark between you and my leg? Because, after it happened...I could kind of faintly feel my toes. And the days afterward...well, after a while I could feel most of my legs. Still can't move them, but I went back to the hospital for a checkup, and they say something - they have no clue what - repaired a little bit of the damage that bastard did to me. And...I've googled "Sekhmet", and read the Wikipedia article, and...well..." She seems at loss for words.

[Zarthrax]

Leshii decides to give Sekhmet some privacy to talk to her friend. She saunters over to FX. "Nah, I already ate at home. I could use a snack, though." With practised ease, Leshii grabs a half-dozen raw eggs and cracks them into a pitcher. "Cheers."

"You know that doesn't actually work, right? That's one of those movie myths that's just been widely accepted as fact 'cause Stallone did it in Rocky."

[Axelgear]

"Sure, thanks."

Once inside, Sarah begins talking.
"I've been...adapting. Can't say it's been easy, obviously. And I still wanted to thank you for the ride. But, the reason I cam here...Remember how, in the hospital, there was this sort of spark between you and my leg? Because, after it happened...I could kind of faintly feel my toes. And the days afterward...well, after a while I could feel most of my legs. Still can't move them, but I went back to the hospital for a checkup, and they say something - they have no clue what - repaired a little bit of the damage that bastard did to me. And...I've googled "Sekhmet", and read the Wikipedia article, and...well..." She seems at loss for words.

Sekhmet is surprised and happy to hear the story, saying Sarah is welcome for the flight, and is glad to hear of the recovery. It is when the obvious subject of who Sekhmet is becomes broached that she suddenly loses her happy demeanor. "Oh... Wow... Sarah, look... That's a complex subject..." She is at a loss for words on the topic. Techno-Paladin had told her some things, some that would make giving any answer a bit like explaining how you're not the John Smith or Jane Doe they want but you have the same name, appearance, and even similar DNA. Sekhmet tries to come up with a sensible answer, though, and says "Look... What do you think I am?"

[Green Bean]

"You know that doesn't actually work, right? That's one of those movie myths that's just been widely accepted as fact 'cause Stallone did it in Rocky."

"I'm not in training; I'm just trying to build mass. More mass means more extra arms and longer stretching and stuff."

[sun_tzu]

Sekhmet is surprised and happy to hear the story, saying Sarah is welcome for the flight, and is glad to hear of the recovery. It is when the obvious subject of who Sekhmet is becomes broached that she suddenly loses her happy demeanor. "Oh... Wow... Sarah, look... That's a complex subject..." She is at a loss for words on the topic. Techno-Paladin had told her some things, some that would make giving any answer a bit like explaining how you're not the John Smith or Jane Doe they want but you have the same name, appearance, and even similar DNA. Sekhmet tries to come up with a sensible answer, though, and says "Look... What do you think I am?"

"I...don't know. You really sound a lot like the Egyptian Sekhmet...But it's just a myth, right? I mean, sure, there's such a thing as magic, and we've got a flying elf city ruled by an insane sorcerer flying over the Atlantic, but there's no such thing as gods, is there?
...The FBSA website said you were super-strong, could fly, and had those fireball tricks...but not much else..."

[Axelgear]

Sekhmet is afraid to laugh a little at the worried suggestion. Sekhmet shakes her head softly, smiling at the atheistic statement. "Oh, there's gods alright. Plenty of them, I think. I dunno, really, I'm new to this whole bit." She explains, creating a fireball in her palm for effect. "I'm sort of a semi-... Demi-... God... Thing. I dunno, really. The details are still sketchy. I dunno about the whole clouds and pearly gates bit but if I'm real, why not that?" She asks with a shrug. "There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy." She comments cheerfully, then pauses and brings a hand to her cheek. "Ra's eye, I just quoted Shakespeare, didn't I?" She then pauses and frowns. "And said Ra's eye... That's a new one for the books..." Distracted by her thoughts, she suddenly snaps back to reality, shaking her head. "Anyway, as to where I'm from and what I can do, both are sort of a mystery. A part of me's from here, a part... Somewhere else, and until a few months ago, even flying was kinda tricky. What's still to discover, I can't even guess." She explains with a shrug.

[Zarthrax]

"I'm not in training; I'm just trying to build mass. More mass means more extra arms and longer stretching and stuff."

"There's a quip there somewhere. Forget it, it's too early in the day for biting comments. Keep my acid tongue in shape by using on super-villians. Tried a stand-up act for a while. Vegas was nice, but I called it quits when I got into it with Don Rickles."

[Green Bean]

"I appreciate your mercy." Leshii takes a few gulps of her pitcher, then indicates Sekhmet and Sarah. "So, what do you figure's going on with those two?"

[Zarthrax]

"As long as the upstairs doesn't explode, they could be having a torrid lesbian affair for all I care. Quiet is good, unless it's the gurgling quiet..."

[sun_tzu]

Sekhmet is afraid to laugh a little at the worried suggestion. Sekhmet shakes her head softly, smiling at the atheistic statement. "Oh, there's gods alright. Plenty of them, I think. I dunno, really, I'm new to this whole bit." She explains, creating a fireball in her palm for effect. "I'm sort of a semi-... Demi-... God... Thing. I dunno, really. The details are still sketchy. I dunno about the whole clouds and pearly gates bit but if I'm real, why not that?" She asks with a shrug. "There are more things in Heaven and Earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy." She comments cheerfully, then pauses and brings a hand to her cheek. "Ra's eye, I just quoted Shakespeare, didn't I?" She then pauses and frowns. "And said Ra's eye... That's a new one for the books..." Distracted by her thoughts, she suddenly snaps back to reality, shaking her head. "Anyway, as to where I'm from and what I can do, both are sort of a mystery. A part of me's from here, a part... Somewhere else, and until a few months ago, even flying was kinda tricky. What's still to discover, I can't even guess." She explains with a shrug.

Sarah seems unsure of what to say. "So...you're still trying to figure yourself what you are?"


Just then, something happens.
Everything goes gray.
Everything.
It's like the world just turned into a black-and-white movie.

((sorry for the on-off posting...currently on a trip to see some family out of the country.
Where's Mick_the_rogue, anyway?))

[Green Bean]

Leshii looks confused, then starts shifting her eyes into different positions, seeing if it was an angling problem.

"Guys, is it just me, or did we just lose colour?"

[Axelgear]

Sekhmet is about to respond but, as colour bleaches away, she pauses, waving a hand in front of her face, blinking once or twice, then glancing about. "I... I'm getting a blank-out here." She answers, looking about, even creating a fireball in the hopes that it would create some sort of colour too. "Hey, Sarah... I think we should probably hold this for another time... Seems like something bad is about to happen." She says with a worried glance about, furrowing her brow as she glances about and levitates to a window, clearly worried.

[Zarthrax]

Leshii looks confused, then starts shifting her eyes into different positions, seeing if it was an angling problem.

"Guys, is it just me, or did we just lose colour?"

"Yup, we just lost color. Where's my fedora, trenchcoat, and vocal simulator when I need 'em?" FX takes the event in stride.

[Green Bean]

Leshii grabs the TV remote and switches to the news. Before anyone could do anything about the monochrome menace, they had to find out how far the problem has spread.

[sun_tzu]

((Really sorry for the delays. Between my trip, the forum outage, and various things distracting me, well...
Anyway. Onward with this!))

The TV shows a live interview on a talk show whose studio is situated in Los Angeles. It's all in black-and-white, but that might just be the TV - the people in the show don't seem aware of anything wrong.
Then, suddenly, the talk show disappears as a man's face takes its place. You all recognize that face: It's Madman, the mad scientist to end all mad scientists!
"Hello there, my dear New Yorkers! If things seem a bit...gray at the moment, then no need to worry, your eyes are perfectly fine. I've simply decided to take the colors of the Big Apple hostage."
You notice that while he speaks, text is rolling beneath him, like on CNN: Madman steals colors from New York City - Miraclesmith tests new crystalline structure - Garzor still out there -
"Now, most of you might say that what I'm doing is insane. Well, it's also been said that the majority gets to define sanity, so I guess I won't argue with that - creating enough synthetic humans to have the majority vote would be too much of a hassle."
Omni-Crusher project making steady progress - Tidal Wave launches reform plans - Young Champions win skirmish against Lord of Frost's armies -
"Aaaaaaaanyway, I've already sent my ransom note to City Hall, and, as soon as the mayor agrees to my demands, I'll have your colors returned, alive and unharmed. Mad scientist's honor. So, ta-ta for now!"
Lady Sting strengthening own hold over triads - Dr Knack creeping out Brotherhood of Kotos - White Knight to lead mutant supremacist meeting in Queens today, Colonel Lopez close to finding where -
And with that, Madman's signal ends.

[Zarthrax]

FX watches the broadcast stoically. "Well, this can't be good..."

[Axelgear]

Sekhmet watches it as well. Questions bubble in her mind like "Why is he doing this?", "How is he doing this?", and "How will I ever organize my clothes now?". The obvious thoughts of people having trouble with signs and traffic lights comes up but those are regulated by shape, symbol, and location, so they couldn't be too much trouble and-Wait... White Knight? Immediately, Sekhmet lifts off the ground and glances to everyone just long enough to acknowledge them while yelling "Yes! He slipped up! Sorry, I gotta go!" And, with that, she flies up and out of the window, not even glancing back as she bolts up to high speed and races towards Queens. She'd get him, this time...

[Zarthrax]

FX frowns at Sekhmet's departure. "That ordinarily would be good news, except for this much bigger problem. I worry about her lack of focus sometimes..."