Read the previous chapter here.
[Begin a Session: Unexpected return of an enemy or threat]
Thread: The Machine Collective – Aiden Bell
Oracle: Defend Reputation
Aiden Bell is attended to by his personal physician, Dr. Carly Clayton, formerly known as the hero Aegis. Clayton tells Bell he appears to be okay but wants to know how he was able to change into Captain Quantum, given that he was supposed to have expunged the entity years ago. Bell spits at her with rage, throwing his food tray across the room.
“It was a filthy dirty trick by that bastard Silver Sentry!” spits Bell. “And I am going to destroy him!”
Main Story Thread: Time Cops on Patrol
Oracle: Escalate Crime
Kismet is on a field mission with Incognito, Paragon, and Mothgirl, with Panthra leading. They are responding to reports of strange lights from a warehouse damaged in the alien invasion. Panthra suspects it could be some loose tech that needs to be taken and locked up. Kismet and Incognito take the back of the warehouse while Panthra leads Paragon and Mothgirl in through the front. While exploring, Kismet discovers a small camp that includes tech that isn’t alien.
Time Travel – take -1 Spirit
Gather Information – [Miss w/a Match: 4 + 2 + 1 = 7 vs 9 | 9]
[Pay the Price: You are separated from something or someone]
Kismet attempts to peer into this location over the last few hours with his time travel powers as the trap is sprung. An energy dome comes up to cover Kismet and sends intense feedback through his brain, overloading his time-peeking powers. Incognito slams her fists against the dome to no avail.
“It looks like a trap Mr. Enigma would have used,” Incognito remarks, mentioning her ex-mentor before she began to try to do good rather than crime. “Gimme a minute, and I can figure this out.”
Kismet’s brain finally settles down, and he looks for where the energy dome is coming from.
Secure an Advantage w/Wits – [Miss: 2 + 2 + 0 = 4 vs 10 | 6]
[Pay the Price: You are delayed or put at a disadvantage]
The dome still generates mind disruption waves, and Kismet’s vision becomes unfocused. He glimpses a figure moving in the shadows. Incognito says she’ll be back and vanishes into the recesses of the warehouse. Kismet worries his attacker is about to strike. Tempus Wright emerges from the shadows.
Kismet doesn’t know him, but Tempus knows the young hero. “Finally got you.”
Kismet notices this man has traces of scars on his face, a fair amount of stubble, and his hair is greying.
To the reader, they would realize Tempus looks several years older than the last time we saw him.
“You don’t know how ironic this is, kid. I’ve been waiting to see you be the one trapped for once.”
Kismet can tell this man is unhinged by how his wide eyes take in the captured hero. “Sir, I don’t think I’ve met you before. Maybe you have me mistaken for someone else? We can talk it out if you’ll take this energy dome down.”
Compel w/Heart – [Weak Hit: 3 + 3 + 0 = 6 vs 2 | 8]
Oracle: Evade Nature
Tempus mulls this over for a minute. “Okay. But you’ll need to wear this.” The man presents a futuristic-looking wristband from one of his utility pouches. “It’s going to keep you from doing your time thing.”
Kismet agrees.
Kismet snaps the bracelet on after the dome is lowered. He feels a little groggy from what the device is doing. “I’m a time cop,” the man begins. “Sergeant Tempus Wright. I hail from the Collapse Point when all reality ends. You triggered an alert, multiple ones, in fact. I responded to one in 2080 and discovered… your powers have…will cause a lot of trouble.”
Kismet is stunned and asks for more information.
Oracle question: Will Tempus explain in detail what he encountered. Odds: Unlikely [Ask the Oracle: No]
“That’s enough for now,” replies Tempus. “Part of my job is keeping the timestream secured, which means you can’t know.”
Kismet asks: “So, what do I need to do to prevent that future you saw?”
Tempus hangs his head momentarily before drawing his chrono-gun and aiming it at Kismet. “You have to die, kid.”
Kismet attempts to slam himself against Tempus before he fires.
Face Danger w/Iron – [Weak Hit: 6 + 2 + 0 = 8 vs 9 | 5] [Lose -1 Health]
Kismet knocks Tempus to the ground but feels the time cop’s fist connect with his face. Pain radiates through the young hero.
Oracle question: Will Kismet’s teammates arrive at this moment? Odds: 50/50. Answer: [Ask the Oracle: No]
Kismet wonders where his teammates are. He could really use them.
Interlude – Thread: Coup at the Academy
Oracle: Eliminate Advantage
Grail, the lost Arthurian knight who turned into a modern-day superhero, is with fellow Academy instructor Amaya. Amaya fires a small blast of radiant energy that fizzles a security camera in the hallway, allowing them to break into the Academy’s security center undetected. Amaya promises it will look like a hardware failure.
Grail explains that she’s searching for something she heard Bell mention: a contract with the Forge City PD. After a few tense moments, she finds it. Aiden Bell has made a deal with the city police to immediately put the Academy’s graduates into a new division: EOD (Enhanced Operations Division). Bell was clearly going to roll this out with input from the instructors or students. Grail is going to make sure everyone knows.
Return to the main story thread.
Something is happening inside Kismet. He feels his stress levels increasing as he wrestles with Tempus for the chrono-gun. The bracelet around his wrist is holding him back. Kismet is sure he could turn the tables against this foe if he could get it off. Is Tempus just a crazy person? Is Kismet responsible for something horrible that will happen? Kismet focuses his full resolve & tries with all his might to pull the inhibitor bracelet off.
Face Danger w/Heart – [Weak Hit: 2 + 3 + 0 = 5 vs 7 | 3] [Take -1 Health]
Kismet feels Tempus’s elbow slam into his ribs. The boy’s brain lights up in pain, but he still manages to pry the inhibitor off. He’s roiling with rage. Stress levels increase until something new happens.
Time Travel: Redo – Take -2 Spirit
Kismet watches as Tempus and everything around them slows to a crawl and then freezes. Even scent and sound are frozen in a hollow world. Kismet can feel his powers developing. He’s not just able to see into the past. He steps out of the warehouse and realizes he’s floating in the neon void of the timestream.
Before him is a massive spool, like a film reel. He can reach out and roll it forward and backward, but it is locked onto his personal timeline. He goes back to just before he stepped into the energy dome trap. Kismet steps forward, watching his present self overlay onto his past self with all the foreknowledge he possesses.
Incognito is frozen but then begins to move as the timestream flows again. Kismet can’t believe he just did this and wonders if he’ll get into trouble with Panthra. This feels like something a student would not be allowed to do. With additional knowledge, he’s able to scope out the warehouse before Tempus gets the jump on him.
Gather Information – [Weak Hit: 5 + 2 + 2 = 9 vs 3 | 10]
[Gather Information: Affirms a previously understood fact or clue]
This time, instead of stepping out into the open, Kismet puts up an arm. “I think this is a trap,” he tells Incognito. She arches an eyebrow. “What are you talking about, Olmeda?” The shapeshifter has a relatively strong cocky streak, part of her time with Mr. Enigma. Kismet notices what looks like a tablet computer to the side of this strange encampment. He picks it up and taps the screen. Images appear.
Oracle: Depleted Technology
Tempus appears to have recorded this through his goggles. The time cop is being drugged by metal tentacles through a corridor. The corridor opens into a large room, a solarium that has fallen into disrepair.
Through Tempus’s eyes, he sees a host of robots and cyborgs gathered on either side of the room. Standing at the front on a raised section is a person wearing a long coat and outfitted in cybernetics. Their face is entirely covered by a helmet.
The figure speaks, distorted: “You have come to this place to fail Tempus Wright. I remember meeting you in that little trap you set up all those years ago. How you took me back to the Collapse Point, locked me up in solitary for an infinity. You haven’t done it yet, but I’m going to make sure it never happens.”
Tempus lunges as the person. The drones that float by their side zap Tempus with an increasingly intense laser beam. He screams out in pain but manages to pull the mask off the person. Kismet watches the screen and sees an older version of his face, augmented with mangled tech. The screen fizzles out. He grabs Incognito by the shoulder just before she steps onto the spot that triggers the energy dome. Then Kismet taps his earcomm, “Panthra, we’re over near the back of the warehouse. It’s a trap. I’ll tell you more when you get here.”
Kismet looks down at the tablet. Incognito didn’t see the video; he’s the only one who knows anything other than Tempus. He pretends to drop the tablet, making sure it shatters with the fall. He has to be able to change the future he glimpsed. These powers can do it. But can he do it alone?
[Mark Progress on Time Cop on Patrol]
[Mark Progress: Incognito relationship:2 boxes]
Epilogue – Thread: Coup at the Academy
Oracle: Risk Technology
Grail flies her cyber-pegasus to the western outskirts of Forge City. She waits by her faithful steed until Silver Sentry emerges from the treeline.
“Awfully clever of you to use that horse of yours to contact me. How’d you know?” Sentry asks.
“Verily, I have realized that all life wrought by machines must be bound to a common source! I sought the counsel of my steed, Passelande, and with her aid, mine message found its way to thee!” Grail responds.
Sentry looks impressed, but a bit wary. “I trust the horse, but not sure about you. What is it you wanted to show me?”
Grail hands over copies of the documents detailing the EOD. Sentry’s face grows concerned, and anger appears.
Grail continues: “Thou art concerned for the well-being of young Nano, and rightly so! Know that I, too, care deeply for her and for all the students of the Academy. Yet, Headmaster Bell hath struck a perilous bargain, and I am convinced that we shall need thy strength and the might of the Machine Collective to put an end to this folly!”
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