Mantle for an Outcast (RPG)

The black canvas of space was so unforgiving. As he shoot past the stars, it reminded him of the battle he’d left, for what seemed like seconds. Although he’d been traveling for hours. He wanted to take in the natural, untouched, un-bloodied space that supported everything. It amazed him that everything he’d done, killing, and still there was always more to do.

As he returned to the solar system containing Earth, he let out a cathartic sigh, knowing that it would not be long before he would see the face of another human being. Approaching the outermost atmosphere of the planet, everything looked and felt the same. There were no signs of trouble, at least no yet…

Coming ever closer to land, he could see that things were definitely not the same. In the city of , home base of the New Outsiders, and home to some of the most creative minds in the world, there were no signs of the life that once thrived there. There was no music in the streets, and even the daily arguments that took place on the streets were gone. Had he been gone so long, that everyone decided to get along? People walked the streets in silence, cars moved slowly through the still crowded streets. One man, seemed to be in a hurry, as he moved through the crowds, he ran into the street and was almost hit by a yellow taxi. The driver, who could not contain himself rolled his window down, and yelled out “What the hell do you think your doin’ eh…You think you superman or somethin’?”

Just then, a robotic voice seemed to come from nowhere. “By order of the Conqueror, you must be annihilated.” Soon enough, a robotic figure came from the tops of the building adjacent to the car. It shot out a plasma bolt, and the car exploded on contact. “What the hell is going on?” Slight though to his self. All the peace and tranquility was forced, these people were scared to death, fearing if they stepped out of line they would meet the same end as the cab driver. Knowing that this was not the time for him to be a hero, as he had just gotten back, Slight didn’t want to have a whole calamitous scene. He decided to go back to N.O.H.Q, where his team was residing at the moment.

It upset him a little bit, that they had not done anything to stop this Conqueror guy, but he knew that they had never dealt with any of this before hand. As he decended upon the front doors, he put his palm on the scanner, it read his print, and the door opened. He walked inside, and noticed that everyone was there. Perfect, he thought. It was time for him to truly take command now. “Hey everyone” The members responded in unison.

“Question…I just got back from some business, like maybe and hour ago, and it’s only been like…what a month since I left, and now is like a silent phalanx. What the hell happened?” Magick reached for the remote, and Slight thought to himself “this is not the time for you to be watching to television. But as the screen faded from black to color, there was a commercial on. She said “watch” so he did. As the commercial went on, he realized that it was not, but an ad of sorts. He listened as a masked man spoke “I am the Conqueror, the supreme ruler of this state. Anyone who oppose me shall be defeated.” As he went on he explained how to conduct yourself while in public, and that meant complete silence, and a slow and steady pace.”

After it seemingly ended, the reel started again. Magick spoke “He’s completely taken over the TV, and Radio station so that all you here is that message. It started right about when all the other teams left for whatever missions they are on. There have been multiple tries to take back NY, but all of them have failed.”

“Have you all tried anything.” She said no in a quiet shameful way. “We were waiting until the other teams came back” Shaking his head in dismay, Slight said “Okay, I am going to let you all in on something, the mission I was on…well let me start from the beginning. A couple months ago, a man named Darkchild destroyed the , killing hundreds including my family. After finding this out, I went into Dark Oracle and killed some people.” He watched as their eyes widened. “After that, I went into space, where I found a friend, Andferne, Leader of the Ice Dragons, and leader of the Blue Lanterns, it was a war, all out, and hundreds died, and yes I did kill some people, but they were all evil.   After I realized that war mongering was not how I wanted to do things, I returned. That’s where all the teams are... We are the only ones left, so, now…We fight!”

It was meant to rally his fellow outsiders, but it did little. “Look he said, this team has been in existence for quite some time, and yet we have almost nothing to show for it. If we want to be recognized as a team that can hold their own we have to start acting like it.”

He continued on with his plan, which he hadn’t really thought out, it had more or less just came to him. “First we need to evacuate the city, getting the innocent life out of here is our number one priority. Next, we need to dissassmeble the guardsmen that watch the city, then we need to find this Conqueror guy. Do we have any intelligence on the matter?”

One of the newest members Tonight, spoke up and said “He’s very arrogant and cocky, he doesn’t think he can be stopped. Everyone knows exactly where he is. The guy built a machine that somehow generated an invisible force field around the state so that no planes or airstrike are helpful. The Conqueror lives inside this machine at the Empire state building.”

“That good, really good, now we have a plan and a location. Now all we need to do is put it into play. But first I need some sleep.”

 You see I’m a great lover of the written word, language, and all around literature. My name is Janet Buchanan, and I am a human gifted with the extraordinary ability to control paper with my thoughts. This ability allows me to understand the words that are on the paper, and control it’s movement, I’ve even used it to read another persons mind…I’ll elaborate on how that works later but let me explain what brought me to this place known as the New Outsiders.

She walked the streets of , and saw that everything was orderly. Just like she liked it, disarray got under her skin. She cut through much the crowds, and made her way to the public library, with her new book in hand, she stepped into the palace like structure, and took a seat near the far back, just to make sure she was in complete solitude. Usually she could still hear a noise coming from the outside, arguments, cars horns, and just calamitous happenings that were part of the famed city. But now, since a mysterious man, only know by The Conqueror, the streets were completely silent, and there was no noise to be heard.

Janet sat down at the broad table next to the window. The blinds were partially closed, so that just enough light shone through on the pages of her book. Opening to the first page, she began to read. Already it seemed like a good read, but she knew better than to judge it from the first seventy pages. All the while as she turned page after page, after page she absorbed the knowledge from each page, and cherished it as if it were her child.

It was the last ten pages, and she was so excited, it had only taken her thirty minutes to read a three hundred and fifty six page book, a new record. Then a sudden “BOOM” came from the foreground of the library. Janet’s head tilted backwards, at the thought of her last minutes of reading being tainted by a constant noise. Still reading, she tried to concentrate on her book but, the noises seemed to be getting closer and louder, she turned to look up and there was a robotic man destroying bookshelf after bookshelf, setting them ablaze with his flamethrower weapon. Janet’s eyes widened in horror, the books she held in such high esteem were being destroyed she had to stop this thing.

At the same time she did not want to destroy any of the books, but it was necessary so she chose the latter. She took her book and ripped some of the pages out, all of them except the last ten, and sat them down on the table. “Hey, what are you doing, you can’t do that, stop please.” She said this in a low voice, on purpose so that the robotic man could not here her, for she also had a primal side, one that loved to fight and kick ass. It was much different from the docile side that most people often mistook for weakness. “Can’t say that I didn’t warn you” Janet took the stack of papers and threw them into the air. The fluttering noise drew the attention of the machine man. As they floated threw the air, Janet stretched her hands out, with her fingers spread apart, she took command of the paper. Each piece flattened out, they met edge to edge forming a wall. With a flick of her finger, the paper wall flew forward and wrapped around the robotic soldier. She clenched her right fist and swiftly moved it towards the wall. The paper that covered the man, crashed into the gray stone walls, and kept him there. “Why are you doing this to the library, there is no reason for it, oh and by the way you owe me a new book.” The man did not respond. “Fine, I have other ways of obtaining the knowledge of which I seek.”

She stepped back and surveyed the area. “There” she thought. It was a piece of paper, singed, but still mostly white, and blank. She picked it up, and placed it against the robot mans, exposed face. Thinking at the paper, “stiff” and she slit a tiny cut into his temple, a paper cut is always painful. The blood leaked out, and ran onto the paper. As it dried it separated into forms, letters, thankfully the man was native to this country, or she would have had to touch the paper to gain the knowledge. But since he was American, the literature that covered the paper was English. Janet read “Destroy all forms of written knowledge of the outside world:  newspapers, books, etc… This is in effort to erase all contact with the world outside our domain. For now, we only have as a state, but we will be expanding very soon.”

Frowning at the findings, she quickly ran out of the burning building, leaving the man covered in the tensile strength paper. Not knowing what to do, she just acted like she normally did, meekly, and docile. She needed to find people who could help, but the police were all abducted, and taken to the prisons. There had to be someone, who could help. It was obvious that the other super heroic teams that protected the Earth would have come by now if they were still around, but they weren’t. So that left her with no other option but to use her powers in broad daylight, and send out a message to anyone that could help. The newspaper stands were still intact, so she ran over to it, and opened the door. She ripped it into little shreads, and flung them once again into the air. Guiding them with her mind, they rose and rose into the air. While they were high enough, she furiously moved her hands in the air like a man on fire, guiding the paper into place, forming letters as big and bold as she could. The message read “Anyone that can help meet me at the front steps of the NYC library.”

All she had now was hope that a hero saw her message. Now was the hardest part, the wait.

Boom!as people watch as 1 of the most famed villians Panther being knocked you shall be exterminated you are no challenge to The Conquerer said the robotic suited man said do not make me angry ha I have seen the most worthless bug you are no match,I said do not make me angry or else or else what you can not beat us,(Allow me take control)The Darkness told meI will not I shall beat him fire boom aahh you are a pathetic little bug I told you are no match. 


2 Hours latter
We got him know we shall spread this virus over the Rebellion and they shall be crushed and no one will stop us exept me just be quiet dont even try too get away this is for this regions biggest rebels I told you not too make me angry or you will die,silence or else or else what we are here now you shall be sampled what do you mean sampled you shall see aaaaaahhhhhhh that is it put him asleep do not do that or else or else what nothing can break this chains they are Diamonds and Titanum mix I said not to do that nnnnnooooo good now that he is asleep I sense a powerful energy serge in him what it going off the scales aaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh that is it this fool thought he could keep me away and you thought you could put me asleep shoot him now oh now what are those Dark Aura coming from him fire now boom!Good job men wait how can he still be alive (chains break off) oh no being choked to death ha now time to get away go go go ha more souls yum good Boom!!!!!!!! the gates have been destroyed fire Dark Aura Shield he said (Plasma bounces of) oh no aaahhh ha little sub-speices now where is there so called The Conquerer aaahhh he is at the empire state building but their is a shield aroud it this is going to be fun but first i have to find some people to help me.

The pale moon seemed to be his only friend as he sat alone amongst the lonely roof tops of the city that ignored his very existence. With a heavy sigh he looked below into the very heart of the ignorant streets, It had been along time since he had touched heroin and after what happened last time he would never go back. Sometimes he wondered if he just did it to see if he was alive, the small prickle of pain as the needle pierced his skin and entered the vein and then came the sudden rush that took away all your problems with it. Was he really a man or just an image of along thought dead hero?  Looking down at his navy uniform with the Union Jack across his chest. He felt a pang of pain, even his country wanted nothing to do with him, A man alone is never a happy sight. Stepping to the edge the tip of his toes where just edging closers and closer and from beneath his mask he whispered to himself “Would anyone even notice” a single tear dampened the inside of his mask and suddenly he felt iron like hand pull him from his demise, as he fell backwards all he could see was a shadowy figure standing there. As he rolled back onto his feet the image became clear and words escaped him as he stood in the presence of the man whose blood flowed in his veins Sovereign Son.

He never moved and kept his back to Last Arrow and just looked out at the city lights that dimed out the brightness of the stars “You know, no one ever stops to just take in the wonderment of how far we have all come. I mean the human race is a glorious thing”. It was him the living legend standing there as if nothing had just happened, He was different then when they first met, he wore no costume or badge he just stood there. “What…How” was all he could muster to say to the man that had changed his life, given him so much and all Last Arrow did was p!ss it away. What do you say to that man when you meet him again and he just saved you from killing yourself? Sovereign Son let out a small laugh as he turned to face Last Arrow, Sov deep blue eyes seemed to trace the very soul of Arrow as he sat almost powerless in the mans gaze. “Did you know I lost someone else recently?” It was a question but everyone knew of the connection between Nighthunter and Sovereign and Nighthunters death was common knowledge to anyone who would listen. “Of course” Arrow muttered pulling himself to his feet and regaining a bit more of his senses. “So you think your life is worthless, the blood beating in your veins is my own! A curse that I would never have wished upon you”. He was trying to confuse him keep him from where his mind had been just a few moments ago at the edge of the building.

“It is not a curse” Arrow muttered back at him, behind gritted teeth. Sovereign ran a hand under his chin and the smile that seemed to sit on his face vanished almost instantly “Then why do you treat it as such?” you walked into that one a voice screamed in his head. “You have made mistakes; I of all people understand that. But do you know what makes us heroes?” Last Arrow let that question sit in the air for a moment and looked away from Sovereign “Every day we take a punch, may it be from Gambler to Darckchild. Are families can be killed and our houses burnt. But I was told by one of my students that we have to keep getting up and show people that we can bring them hope even in our darkest hours. You see that one single light of hope can turn even the most empty of hearts into a beating powerful weapon in our never ending fight….so this is it your darkest moment and here I stand in front of you needing that hope!” What did he mean he needed hope….Then it all began to fit in his words where not pointless before, he was making sure I understood the situation. “You know, no one ever stops to just take in the wonderment of how far we have all come. I mean the human race is a glorious thing” He was catching Arrows attention with his first statement making sure he was in the right mind,  “Did you know I lost someone else recently?” making the connection to Nighthunter so Arrow would know he was needed in the world.

Then in a moment as Last Arrow turned his head back to face him with his answer, Sovereign Son was gone. Walking back to the edge Last Arrow looked down and gripped his fist. Sovereign Son was right it was time to look for that hope he had in his heart. The world needs heroes and Last Arrow was one of them, but he needed help his mind would still wonder and what if he got lost again, would Sovereign Son save him as he did before. No he could not count on Sovereign and he would not be allowed back into Ice. There was only one person left to turn to someone who’s name had been past to him on his travels “Slight”  he said in a gentle tone as he dove of and swang into the night sky. A shadowy figure sat on a roof top not to far away with a watchful eye “that a boy, make me proud”

When Slight walked in, after being gone for so long, it was good to see a fresh face. For months he had just wandered around doing nothing. He was actually thinking of giving up on the hero business. Ever since his experience with the sentinels, he hated protecting the people that hated him. For him it was useless. But something pulled him back every time he tried to leave.

After so much time one can find solace in television. That was what kept him there, at the New Outsiders base, all the highest technological advances, and most of all just knowing that he had a place to call his own, a home, a family. Giving that up would be stupid, so he did not. About two months ago, when all the hero teams seemed to disappear, a man named the Conqueror took over .

He’d taken over the airwaves so that only his message would be played, over and over again, he watched it. Trying to find something new, but it was to no avail. Not being the talkative type, he just listened to his leader and nodded his head like a good member. Slight went up to his room and went to bed. “He’s right you know.” He said it as softly as he could, so that there would be no response.

Umbrae got up from his seat in the plush black leather sofa. He loved it, more often than not he would wake up in the night to find that he’d fallen asleep on it. He decided to go to his room to. On his way he thought about the words that came to everyone. “If we are going to be recognized as a team that can hold their own, then we need to start acting like it.” He was right, and Umbrae knew it, but how the hell was he going to help.

Having never done anything besides the minor team missions, and a little something on a larger scale, he had nothing to show for his time as a hero. Umbrae wanted that to change. And he knew how. Training. Something he hadn’t done in almost two months. After coming to this realization, he took a detour from his room and went to the training room.

The door opened and he walked in. It shut behind him, and he began.

The sun shone down on his face, waking him up peacefully and gently. The night before he’d been so tired, and grumpy. He would have to apologize for how curt he was, he knew that bringing something like this down on a group that had never really experienced such was wrong. But at the same time, he felt what he said need to be said. Never the less, he sat up on his bed. One of the metal coils had poked through, and had made a gash in his arm. The wound was fresh but the blood was dried up.

Slight went to the bathroom and ran the shower. It had been, sadly to say since he had a real shower, one that was in a confined area, one that he’d not created himself. Undressing himself slowly, his body was cramping from the fatigue of his journey. Opening the door, the hot steam blasted him in the face, shrouding his sight in comforting heat. As the rest of his body entered into the shower, he almost felt like crying. One doesn’t know how good they have it, until what they have is gone. Truer word could never be spoken.

Standing there, not even soaping up, just standing, and letting the sting of the water caress his back. Slight began to think about his life. All the memories that he had stored up in his heart, and an empty space that could never be filled, all of this mixed with his recollection of the war of light. Images of red and yellow light sparked through his eyes. A little fear welled up in his stomach. Then visions of blue and green, violet and pink. Comforting. He knew that he’d been cleansed by the healing light of Andferne, but nothing would ever erase the pure hatred he felt towards Darkchild, the man that killed his family.

Forgiveness was simply to lift the burden from his heart. It did nothing to wipe away the hate. Slight was beginning to think that even if he somehow got amnesia that he would always have an innate enmity for the man. In a surge of sudden anger,  he hit the wall, not breaking a single tile. The force hurt his hand, causing his knuckles scrape and bleed. Placing it in the downpour of water, it shone with a light blue radiance, healing. Quickly, as he been in the shower for twenty minutes, he grabbed the soap and a cloth and washed up.

After the shower, he went back to his room. Opening to the door to see a familiar image. It was his room, the one he’d grown up in. Slight rubbed his eyes roughly, and hard, revealing his regular dwellings. “Am I going crazy?” he thought to himself. First I see the ghost of my mother, and now I see my old room. Still a little dazed from the happening, slowly sat down on the bed. He pulled on his jeans, and t-shirt, and stared out the window. Then for a moment he thought he was going crazy again. In the pale blue sky, there was a message. “Help, come to the Library” the message read. “Okay then, but you’ll have to wait.” It was to his understanding that the Conqueror was not one to disturb peace, and he would not do anything that would disrupt the golden silence of his kingdom.

Going downstairs, he jumped a couple of steps, somehow jovial at the day. His decent was quick. It had been almost three and a half days since he’d last eaten, and his stomach was growling like a beast. He walked into the kitchen, pulled on the black handle of the fridge. Inside were foodstuffs that put a smile on his face. “Cold Pizza” was what he was in the mood for. He grabbed a slice and bit into it. Within a minute he had devoured the entire thing.

Satisfied he walked back into the living room. Clearing his voice from the lingering food “First off, I want to apologize for my behavior last night. It was a mix of exhaustion, anger, and absent mindedness. But what I said is how I feel. And as leader, or co-leader, I want to lead this team into a bigger direction, a larger direction. One where we can do good for all, instead of the few. I know it sounds like I’m trying to push things past the limits of my power, and maybe I am, but right now, the city in which we live in is under the control of a maniac. Does anyone want to sit around and let that happen?  It may sound strange, but I got a message from looking out my window. Someone…no everyone needs our help, and we will help them. And besides stranger things have happened to us before”

Rallying his team, was not his strongest suit, he would have to work on it. Letting out a cathartic breath, he felt more at ease. Of course this could not last. A sharp pain struck him in the mind. He squeezed his eyes at the intense pain. Suddenly words and voices popped into his head. “Slight” someone had said his name. But it wasn’t anyone in the room, he knew everyone voices, this one was unheard before. He softly muttered to himself, “I am going crazy” Images started to take shape in his mind, they were of a man, he was shrouded in darkness. “I’m going crazy” he said again, so that no one could here.

Unknowingly he had opened his mind up to the world. During his time in the Light Wars, he had used the power of telepathy granted to him by the Oracle. Now it was uncontrolled, and he would be able to receive random thoughts. It just so happened that someone was possibly looking for him, so he added “look for a guy shrouded in darkness.” Not knowing if they guy really was.

The trigger happy crusader stood on the porch of a cabin deep into the woods. He had been drenched in blood that was not his own. And he was staring into open space as if he had been sizing up an adversary, but there was nothing but air between him and sky. Unless he was seeing something no one else could. Toying, with himself by pressing the gun barrel firmly to the side of his head. Further proving that he had somehow, lost all forms of sanity he was mumbling to himself. “Guess whos a dead man….you’re a dead man…no you’re a dead man…well you’re a live man…I can keep cheating death, like always…you try.” It was pitiful, how could such a neutral monarch lose all stability? The world may never know. He walked back into the cabin dragging out two bodies. A couple, man and woman. Their crime, illegal abortion. Their punishment…well as you could see Ruin handled that. He didn’t believe in an eye for an eye, he believed in an eye for two eyes. He rolled six bullets around in his right hand, he had to leave the law enforcement some type of evidence. He enjoyed sending them on wild goose chases. He stuff three bullets into the mouth of each corpse, before proceeding to the backyard area of the cabin. As he returned to the front, he held a large red gas container. He walked into the home, and laid waste to every square inch possible before lighting a match. As he walked from the home, he tossed the match over his shoulder and listened as the hungry fire went ablaze….

The Next Day

He awoke on the floor of the new outsiders headquarters. With his mastered, reflexes he propelled himself into a standing position. A joyful smile, on his face, as joyful as a care bear. It was amazing, it was as if he had no memory at all of the past days events. Or, maybe he was crazy. Or maybe he didn’t have any control over what happened the previous day. Moments in time the team gathered, for what seemed to be a pep speech from Slight. Honestly, Ruin paid little attention. He was in his own world. His mind was all out of wack. After the speech was finish, he felt a quick migraine coming on. Taking Moltrins and Tylenol, he then rested hoping to heal. He needed to be ready of the Outsider, ever were to go into battle.

There she sat, waiting for help, and no one came. She was beginning to think that there was no one left to help. Janet let out a quick huff, and stood to her feat. She walked away, almost amazed that none of the super robot things hadn’t come and taken her away. Maybe they were scared, maybe they knew that she was not to be toyed with. Nope that couldn’t have been it, since it was only one of the things that she had fought. It was her best guess that they were waiting for her to get out of the city, so they could really let loose on her.

For that she would not go out of the city. She thought to herself, “This conqueror guy sure is crazy, he kills people for making noise, and then I pretty much kill one of his minions and none of the rest even come to check it out. As she walked, she took what was left of her book out. “Just the cover.” Being angered all over again, she took off to the nearest book shop.

She came upon a nearby one. It was a mom and pop place, but surely they would have the book she wanted. Opening the door, the bell that informed the staff that customers where their jingled a happy ring. An old woman walked out of the back and greeted Janet. “Oh goody, it’s been a long time since we’ve had a customer.” “Hello, I was just wondering if you have this book.” She took her singed book cover out, and showed it to the owner. “No, I can’t say that I have, but I do have others, You remind me of myself when I was young, Let me get you a couple of books from the back.” The woman walked back to the hall, she disappeared under the drapes and reappeared within seconds.

“Here you go, I love these books with all my heart, they are my favorites. I think you’ll enjoy them too.” Janet took a look at them and smiled. She’d never read any of them, so this was a new challenge presenting themselves. “Okay, how much?” The old lady smiled “Oh no honey, their free, this is my own little library, just get them back to me when your finished. I know you are trustworthy, I can tell these things about people.”

“Oh, okay.” Janet walked out of her new favorite place in all of . Beginning to think she was scot free, but no. Nothing ever went as planned, she should have learned that from the days at the Academy. Three Conqueror robots descended around her. Immediately she stuffed the three books into her bag, as to not let them be destroyed. “Greeting” A voice rang out. “I’ve been watching you for a day or two. And as you know, because you’re a smart girl, that I am the Conqueror. I come to you to offer you a job.”

She replied “Whatever you have to offer, I want nothing to do with.”

“Wrong answer, and you didn’t even let me finish, what a shame.”

The robot that levitated behind her, released a blast from it’s built in phaser. She was out cold. The robot swooped down and picked her up. They brought her back to the HQ or the Conqueror.

It was a couple of hours later, and she woke up in some type of holding cell. She could hear voices coming from the outside of her cage. The walls must not have been very thick or soundproof, because they were clear as day.

“The Conqueror, has now captured his first of the meta’s. She’s a human with the ability to control paper of all things. Actually it’s pretty useful, and powerful. Okay, she’s still out so giving her the serum will be a breeze.”

They were going to control her with some type of mind controlling agent. “How gross, and that must be how he was able to get all those prisoners to follow him. There’s no way I’m gonna be forced to wear one of those metal suits. I have to get out of here.”

Just then, one of the guards walked into the room. She laid still, he went over to her body. Lurking over her like a killer in the night. Janet jumped up, and punched him in the temple, knocking him out cold. She took off down the hall.

Now there were guards following her, so she increased her speed. She found herself in the main room, were there was a throne. The windows were clear, and there was a stack of confiscated newspapers lying on the floor. One option presented itself, jump out the window and form a plane with the newspaper. She did so, and was now soaring above the city. The robot quickly followed in hot persuit. She came upon a hidden building, unknown. Suddenly from the ground spurted laser guns and things of the like. They shot at her and the robot men. She guided it lower trying to evade fire from behind her and a evade fire from the ground. Holes burned through the paper plane, and she fell ever closer to the window, in a last effort, she guided it to a window. She jumped and crashed through it. She had cuts on her, and up, there was a man looking down upon her.

Slight walked in and saw Ruin Cross. A new edition to the team, bloodied and tired, he didn’t even bother to ask what had happened. This prompted him not to order the team out. It was all to obvious that they needed to soak up the information he’d given them. Even he sometimes couldn’t believe what he’d done. But all was forgiven now, and besides everyone’s done something wrong. Before he was taken over by the Dark Oracle he was always the first to judge someone based on their actions. After all they spoke much louder and clearly and truthfully than any word could ever. But, now he thought that it had all happened for a reason, that the ordeal was meant to happen.

Shaking his head clear of all the thoughts he walked up the seemingly countless stairs and walked into his room. He paced around, trying to think of why he had started hearing voices. Nothing came to mind. Although quandaries did pop in here and there. One option was that he’d gained a new power. Another was that he truly was going insane, either one was not suitable for the current situation. Not ten minutes had passed and more trouble started.

Peering out the window, he saw the ground lasers pop up from their conceals, and start to shoot at something unknown. Was someone trying to attack his home? If they were, this would be a perfect opportunity for his team to start their mission. Tired or not, it was a principal for him to protect their place of dwelling. All of a sudden, a woman crashed through the window. Just a quickly as that had happened, he saw the Conqueror robots following in hot pursuit. Slight went to the window, and put his hand out of it. Being careful of the broken, glass he thrust his palm forward sending out a powerful blast of telekinetic energy. It crashed into the incoming robot men, and sent them plummeting to the outskirts of the woods that surrounded the estate.

“Who the hell are you.” He said, in a stern cold voice. This woman, who was admirably pretty, just destroyed property. As she stood to her feat, she dusted herself off, and pricked herself on a piece of glass that had been stuck into her sweater jacket. “Here come with me, on the way, you can explain to me what the hell just happened?”

As the two walked, she told him, that she was captured by those men, and she escaped. And if by chance was lead to a place that seemed safe enough, that they able to help. She told him of her power to control paper, and the plan that the Conqueror was trying to implement, and how he had gained some many followers in the first place. Slight led her to the bathroom and ran her hand under warm water. He healed her hand quickly. “You need, to be with us. It seems as if fate has lead you here to our team. By the way, was that you that put the message in the sky?”

She answered yes. Slight walked her down the hallways and stairways, and introduced her. “Everyone, I know you must be tired of hearing my voice, but we have a new member, he name is Agent Paper, but we can call her Janet.”

Was it a good idea for him to join another to so soon, it had not gone well in the past? There were no hard feelings between him and ICE if anything he understood why they had asked him to leave. The cool night air was still fresh on his face as his eyes looked over the surrounding area. Just moments ago he had almost taken his own life and now he found himself wondering if this was the right path to take. A small smile crossed his child like looks and the moon shone down on him as if it was a stage light directing focus onto the lead role. Never before had he felt so lost and found in the same moment. Joining a team could lead him to make the same mistakes as the past, on the other hand he would have team mates that would be like a family, something he was missing. But the most important thing would be that his life once again had direction and purpose and maybe that would be what gave him the strength to carry on. His mind was racing as all these thoughts began to beat around in his head.

The roof top that he sat upon was dark all but the all seeing moon and the dazzling stars, even with all this wonder, his eyes fell onto the tv aerials that sat on the graveled roof . They would be sitting below him enjoying their escapes from the normal world, watching the latest episode of a tv program that made their hearts beat that little faster and all that while they would be safe. Not many people knew the truth about villains and heroes, people longed for power and great adventures, some find it on websites as characters they wish they could be, others in games or on the tv, some people even idolized the heroes they watched today, Andy, Last Arrow and even Gambler where all house hold names at some point all heroes that kids would pretend being. Running fighting their friends as they pretended to be the VV or the Hellfire Club picking the most powerful and all us heroes wished for was to be one of them, A normal life with friends and family. To sit on a Friday and watch tv or go to the cinema with your friends, such little things in the lives of normal people makes us heroes jealous the freedom to have that normal life was what they fought for and something they could never have.

Biting the bottom of his lip he turned back this was what he was made to do, He could never have a normal life, not after the things he had seen and done. All the information that was stored in Sovereign Son head now sat in his, Who really shot JFK and why the white house was built where it was. No it was time for him to join the ranks on the front line once again and let people enjoy the lives they lead and maybe one day when his sins and trials where over he could die a grey haired man happy at the fact he helped people live. It was time to find slight and the outsiders, several hours past as he slipped between lasers and detection alarms. All his training was being used to its full extent as he worked his way past the monumental levels of security that where installed in the Outlaws home. Finding a shadow to hide in he listened as they began to speak ““Everyone, I know you must be tired of hearing my voice, but we have a new member, he name is Agent Paper, but we can call her Janet.” Letting out a small cough he stepped from the shadows that hid his body “Slight can I have a word” a cheeky smile came across his face.

Apparently the more glitzy and glamorous heroes had been disappearing, words spread of some 'Light War', that left a vacuum. Nature abhors a vacuum and up steps this 'Conqueror' - a media showcaser of no small means, hijacking all the radio and television signals. If I watched telly I'd be annoyed, but that was a luxury I gave up a long time ago - the desert has no radio, redemption needs no channels or soap opera mediocraty.

The problem isn't just his commandeering of the airwaves, but his suiting and booting of normally low-life scum, punks and perps Chokmah would normally eat for breakfast, giving them powers and abilities comparable to my own or even of those of the missing high ranking heroes. Various remaining heroes have tried to stand against him, failing miserably. That left only the Outsiders to stand up and match themselves against the 'Conqueror'.

Chokmah tried the security lock again at N.O.H.Q.

Palm print not recognised. One attempt left, please contact your administrator.

Chokmah, in his quest for redemption, had heard about the New Outsiders - a rag-tag group of heroes, cobbled together rather than assembled, each one not quite fitting in elsewhere, yet aligning under a common banner. He'd meet Slight previously, before Slight's excursion into outer space, who'd invited him to join. But it didn't seem like he'd had a chance to update the security protocol.

Chokmah didn't dare try the security lock again, unsure of what would happen when he ran out of attempts. He called out to the shut windows above, but nobody came, so he turned to return back to the quiet city.

-wooosh- A sound of a jet-pack landing behind Chokmah. He wheeled around, before him a petty villain in one of the power suits.

Chokmah withdrew a machine pistol with one hand and a flick katana with the other.

Didn't you get the memo. The petty villain spat. There's no more heroes left here, what does that make you - a wannabee?

I may not be a hero. Chokmah cried. But I'm gonna heroicly kick your butt.

Chokmah reduced his weight and leapt into the air, his machine pistol spit-spatting a spray of bullets at the villain - each one of which click-clackered off the powered armour. As Chokmah began to fall back to earth he drew the sword into a stabbing arc, ready to strike the enemy.

-Hwark- The bad guy screamed, the power suit amplifying the cry into a sonic weapon, smashing into Chokmah and sending him flying backwards.

That's right wannabee. The villain shouted as he bore down towards Chokmah sprawled out on the ground.  All the bad guys got powers now.

Chokmah lay prone, recovered from the sonic blast, but baiting his opponent. Hadn't the guys in N.O.H.Q. heard the scrapping yet?

The power-suited criminal loomed above him, probably ready to scream another blast, possibly ready to liquify Chokmah from the inside.

At the last moment Chokmah reached out, grabbing the villain by the ankle and reducing his bodyweight before flicking his wrist, normally a weak movement but against the reduced weight of the villain more than enough to fling him several hundred metres into the sky. Chokmah returned the favour by reducing his own body weight and leaping up behind him, his machine pistol stashed once more in his overcoat. Up in the sky and amongst the clouds he reached his opponent and Chokmah went wild with his katana, his foe was flailing with unfamiliarity in the environment. With a snicker-snack his blade made quick work of the wires and tubing of the villains power-suit. The flailing bad guy was trying desperate to land a sonic cry upon Chokmah but soon his cries became a hoarse cawing. Chokmah stowed his weapon and reached forward to grab the bad guy, once contact was made he increased the bad guys weight so he plummeted back to earth, smashing into the ground and ripping up a crater outside the N.O.H.Q. building.

Chokmah gracefully landed next to him. Hello? Outsiders? It's Chokmah! The new guy? I've got an informant we could use. Hello? He placed his foot upon the unconscious villain, laid out in his ruined power-suit.

The door to N.O.H.Q. opened behind with, he sighed with relief, it looked like he was in.

Holly looked at the N.O.H.Q. It had been mutiny...She hadn't been able to change her ways and she had no other choice but to resign her title as leader over to Slight. The building was cream white but shone like ivory under the light of the full moon. It was a beautiful monument and a warm home from the outside the building just looked like any other three story house. To any passerby they'd just suspect it belonged to some charming family, a father who left for work early while some dotting more prepared snacks in the kitchen and awaited her little ones. Holly called it hiding in plain sight, who would suspect that a group of superheroes' home sat right in the middle of the suburbs?

The front door was bewitched, curtesy of Magick and Crysta, when opened to a civilian an illusion of a cozy home could be seen, the same went for the windows all any of the nosy neighbors would see was an average normal family going about their uneventful lives. Inside however, was a battle simulation room, a training room (the gym), an indoor pool, the fully stocked kitchen, the basement that used to house two of Holly's cars and three of her motor bikes, the second floor roomed the male members of the team while the third housed the female members. The lamp outdoors blinked off for a good 3 minutes and Holly could hear groans coming form inside. She allowed herself a small smirk. She had been the one in charge of paying the electricty bills and such, it was funny how these people could be entrusted with the lives of others but not the deadline for the bills.

She had payed for the building with her hard earned money, she had drawn out the blue prints and designed each person's room to fit their needs and unique tastes and yet it not longer felt like hers. Slight had taken over and she was more of an Outsider than any of them. A large crash made Holly dash for cover and she watched cautiously from the bushes. Her mouth hung open.

"Chokmah?" she asked in a hoarse whisper

She sat frozen in the shadows. He had disappeared and hadn't answered any of her SOS, she had thought him dead. What was he doing back?

Crysta was riding on her bicycle, on her way to N.O.H.Q., Or where she stayed. She had just been in London battling the dudes that wanted to take away the London Dungeon and all those stupid unfun cathedrals. Mostly she fought for the London Dungeon. She had then conned a rich sales person out of three thousand bucks and payed for a ticket home, leaving her with two thousand to do whatever she wanted.