Can You Do It In The Dark?

[frenchkissed]

Who: Eddie Brock frenchkissed, Peter Parker tinglesense, and you!
What: Meddling kids lead to an entire city of people losing their powers.
When: Jul 20 — Jul 31
Where: Excelsior!
Content Warnings: Potential violence, identity issues
Opt-Out: Don’t be in Excelsior during this event!

CAN YOU DO IT IN THE DARK?

An investigation headed by Eddie Brock and Peter Parker results in not only a city-wide blackout, but hundreds of metahumans losing their powers!

In the days that follow, those affected by the blast will be forced to contend with what it means to exist without their powers. All the while, bad guys will be looking to take advantage of the situation and move in on vulnerable areas within Excelsior. People who are used to relying on their abilities will need to find new ways to fight back.

In the end, all powers are restored, but not without some hijinks along the way.

RUMOR MILL —

Everyone loves a good urban legend. There's the story of Bloody Mary, the vanishing hotel room, the one about the tall, slender man who dresses in a tuxedo, that story about the abandoned bunker beneath Excelsior that no one can get into, the one filled with untold riches and gold... Naturally, some stories are more far-fetched than others. Some die off as whispers in the night, while others get entire forums dedicated to them. Leave it to bored teens take it upon themselves to go urban exploring in the dead of night, or hokey paranormal YouTube reporters saying they've found the clue that everyone's been missing.

Maybe you even went poking around yourself, having caught wind of these rumors and wanting to see the land of legends for yourself.

Unfortunately, most hunts lead to dead ends and boring drives home. There's nothing to see, really. The bunker doesn't even exist. It's all just a thrilling goose chase to pass a boring evening.

...

But if it did exist, shouldn't something more practical than a mountain of gold lie inside? Eddie Brock seemed to think so.

If nothing else, these rumors sure are a conversation starter.

Stranger Than Fiction

Unsurprisingly, like most rumors, there's a hint of truth to this bunker of gold story. With Spider-Man's technomancy powers and Eddie's investigative prowess, the two are able to find the source of all these rumors. There's no untold riches, but there is a treasure trove of strange, old technology.

However, investigating this space quickly goes awry when Peter's technomancy accidentally brings something to life.

Upon being powered on, a machine rapidly begins draining the power from the city. One by one, skyscrapers flicker out, televisions go dark, refrigerators stop humming. The entire city is steadily plunged into darkness, silence. Like with most power outages, most wait for the lights to flick back to life. Here, there's no such luck. Waiting for things to right themselves won't yield any results.

Once that realization sets in, it might be best to help those who really need it. Beyond the crying, frightened children and the teens who can't bear to part with their computers, there are those for whom the darkness holds unseen terrors. Be there for those in need, for those afraid of the dark, for those who've gotten separated from their families and can't find their way back on their own.

No power also means no computer systems, which means no credit cards. And who carries cash these days? No, in times like this, it makes sense to go back to the old bartering system.

Someone on the street is hawking four flashlights and a can opener in exchange for some batteries. Someone else is looking for what he can get for two cans of tuna and a roll of dimes. Get in there and make a deal!

Or... you could get in with the good crowd and begin looting stores. But, no, you're heroes! You should stop the looters! Ignore that little voice telling you otherwise. Instead, join up with those organizing shelters for everyone and working to get people out of the city as quickly as possible.

I Don't Want To Be You...

Just as people are beginning to work through this city-wide blackout, the real trouble begins. Not long after this loss of power comes, well, a loss of powers. All the juice in the city has to be used to fuel up something. Instead of a super-mega death ray, or some other magnificent murder device, the machine in question sucks away superpowers.

Metahuman abilities, extraordinary talents, basically, anything that makes a metahuman different from their average human counterpart, is drained away and trapped within. Of all the devices for Spider-Man to stumble into...

How this power loss manifests varies from person to person.

A keen observer might notice the correlation between someone's emotional attachment to their powers and just how difficult it is for them to be taken away. Someone who has a strong connection to their powers, for example, might go through immense pain when it comes to losing them. On the other hand, someone who never wanted powers in the first place might not even realize they've lost their abilities until it's too late.

Like the power outage before it, simply waiting for your abilities to return to you won't be enough. Even if you leave the city premises, your powers won't return to you. For all intents and purposes, this is who you are now.

Punch, Kick, Bite... Fight!

What better time to contemplate your identity without your powers than in the face of danger? Ne'er-do-wellers exist in all shapes and sizes, and some take it upon themselves to take advantage of this chaos. While powers might have been the preferred method for taking care of trouble, knives, fists, and guns still work just fine. Hoodlums and robbers roam the streets, wielding all sorts of makeshift weapons. They'll corner anyone in an attempt to see what they can get.

Chief among these miscreants are Lola and the Gang, a once quiet gang of Pink Lady and Greaser-types armed with brass knuckles, switchblades, and cigarettes.

Chances are you'll smell their brand of smokes before you see them rolling up six deep and ready to brawl. Hand over everything you own and they'll leave you be, but put up any resistance and it's time to scrap.

Of course, you could try to talk your way out of this, but their patience for talking is small enough to flip your lid. So make like a tree, and get to fightin'.

Even if you don't encounter them, there's no telling what number of con artists, thieves, jokers, and jesters you'll encounter. Be sure to keep your wits about you!

Topsy-Turvy

With the recent spur of Confluences, more metas have made their home in this world than those who crafted this device had ever accounted for.

Eventually, both in part to a team of dedicated scientists and due to the device's own shortcomings, the device containing all of the powers in Excelsior will combust. Powers, neatly contained like orbs, are sent bursting through the sky on their hunt for their rightful owners.

These orbs, somehow, know where they're meant to go. They're far from sentient, but they know their homes and they know they're meant to be there.

Things rarely go as planned, however, and these power orbs are eager to get into anybody, or any body, they see. Once they're free, chances are you won't make it far without taking an orb straight to the chest. Within moments, the new power is absorbed into your body and, congrats, you're now capable of super sonic hearing! Or acid spit! Or the ability to have pockets that never get full! Who knows what you might end up with.

Along with the new dose of powers comes an image of their rightful owner, something that the orbs brings along with them—a mental portrait of someone you may or may not have met before. You could do the right thing and help these wayward powers get to the right person, or you can take your new abilities for a spin and try your hand at being a god for a day.

Be careful, however, because these powers won't stick around for long. They've got a home to get to! The last thing someone needs is to try out their new flight abilities only to lose them mid-air.

AFTERMATH —

With the device in shambles, power steadily returns to the city and, though it may take some time, all superpowers end up returning to the right people. There's no clear indication of who this technology belonged to or what its original purpose was, but surely Reddit, Facebook, and Conspiracy!YouTube will be in a tizzy trying to figure it out.

IN SUMMARY...

• Peter and Eddie stumble onto a device that wipes the city of its power and all metaheroes within it of their superhero abilities.


• During the blackout, gangs attempt to take hold of the city.


• Those who leave the city will not regain their powers, but those who enter the city will lose them. Eddie and Peter will also be asking for help from any mech-heads, scientists, tech specialists, and anyone else who might know how to turn off the machine.


• When the machine is destroyed, powers don't immediately go to their rightful owner. Characters might cycle through as many as ten different powers before their rightful abilities are returned to them.


• Ask any questions here!

Comments

[doctopoda]

[The name doesn't immediately ring any bells, but - Brock. That's that Eddie fellow's last name, isn't it? Otto can see Dylan much better than the boy can see him, especially since he instinctively raises a hand to spare his eyes from that flashlight beam. He's young. He looks hurt.]

Otto Octavius.

[He sets himself back down on the ground, the bright lights of the actuators lowering to a more normal human height. And then promptly being joined by two more! His voice, though, is gentle.]

What are you doing down here?

[codicies]

Octavius?

[ Dylan thinks back to Eddie's livestream, remembering the handle popping up in the chat. It had stood out to him, because he's met a scientist named Octavius before — and because Eddie seemed friendly with him on the stream.

Dylan lowers his hand from the bat, relaxing as Otto's tone softens. ]

I'm looking for Eddie Brock. After the stream cut out I couldn't reach him, so... I came to Excelsior to look for him.

You were watching too, right? You asked him to send you coordinates. Do you know where he is?

[doctopoda]

I'm sorry, I don't. We lost contact before he could.

[He'd lost a decent amount of time waiting up on the surface to see if the message might come through - but then the cell towers went down. He'd seen no better option left than to come searching himself.

It hasn't been as quick as he'd have liked. The power loss - the superpower loss - throughout the city hasn't affected him too badly, reliant on the actuators as he is, but it's made an already tenuous situation worse. He had to wade through a lot in the streets to make it down here.]

But Peter, the boy with him, is one of my housemates. I started close to our place and I've been working my way out.

[It's not a perfect system, given how easily Peter can cover long distances, but better to have a system at all. As he speaks, Otto digs a flashlight out of his pocket and flicks it on. He may not need it, but he can see how he probably looks weird and scary standing here in the darkness. He's not wearing his glasses here; the concern in his eyes is visible.]

Are you hurt?

[codicies]

I've met Peter before. He fixed my phone. I—Oh, wait! I think I might have something that could help!

[ He shrugs his backpack off and starts rifling through it. At Otto's question, he pauses and glances at his arms. The wounds aren't gushing or anything, but they're still fresh. ]

Oh, uh, it's not too bad. I've got a first aid kit but having trouble getting the bandages to stay on. I brought a lot of stuff. I've got protein bars if you're hungry.

[ He reaches in again and pulls out a folder with a small stack of papers in it, along with a map of Excelsior he'd scribbled notes on. He stands back up and offers the folder to Otto. ]

I've got some of Eddie's research on the bunker. I didn't see any coordinates, but maybe you can see something in here I didn't.

[doctopoda]

Ah, excellent! Peter didn't leave much of anything behind.

[Not that he went digging too closely; he does want to respect the kid's privacy. Otto takes the papers, holding them so that he can look at them with one of the upper actuators rather than with his eyes. He'll need to take a minute to leaf through them all, but it's certainly better than nothing.]

Not too easy, to bandage your own arm. I can tie it up for you.

[codicies]

[ Dylan gives a tired but grateful smile at the offer. ]

That'd be great, thank you.

[ He watches with interest as one of the actuators appears to be looking it over. He grabs the first aid kit from the bag and brings it closer, but doesn't take his eyes off the appendage. ]

Can you see out of those things?

[doctopoda]

I can. They've got cameras. Better than my own eyes, especially down here.

[Light hurts him, these days, but that hasn't exactly granted him darkvision in return.

Otto hands the papers off to a different actuator to take the first aid kit. He'd prefer to use his hands here. The AI can identify any interesting-looking patterns in the notes well enough on their own, but he doesn't think they've got much of a bedside manner, and he can't really split his own attention well enough to do both at once.]

[codicies]

Wow. That's cool as hell.

[ He offers his arms and stands still, letting Otto maneuver him as he needs while he works. ]

Do you see all of it at once, or do you have to consciously switch between them? I could kind of do something like that back home, but it was hard to process all at once in my head.

[doctopoda]

[Otto smiles at the compliment.]

It is hard to process. I've had a lot of practice, but I still find it disorienting sometimes, if we're all looking at different things or there's a lot going on.

[The cameras, though, were at least part of the original design. He got used to the visual feeds during development - in another life, practically. It's different outside of a lab environment, but the ability carries over.

As he talks, he checks Dylan's arms, is relieved to see the boy had the sense to clean the wounds, and then sets about re-bandaging them. He's careful, but firm; it seems like he's had practice. An actuator is watching this as well, holding steady over his right shoulder.]

I do see all of it at once. Looking at one thing, like your arm here, it just gives me more angles. A little strange, but you get used to it. If I'm focused on something they aren't...that's a little bit like having a greatly expanded peripheral vision. You see things in the corner of your eye, even if you aren't really looking at them.

[codicies]

Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Still really cool.

[ Dylan had never personally met an Otto Octavius before, but the name was infamous back home. Still, this guy acted nothing like the the supervillain he'd seen in the news. He opted not to bring it up; Knowing this place, Otto's probably heard all about the exploits of his counterparts in other timelines.

Though now that he thinks about it, there is one detail that seems weirdly out of place. ]

So... you said Peter lives with you? Is he the Peter Parker from your universe?

[ And do you know about his extracurricular activities? he wants to add, but dismisses it. Secret identities are not to be trifled with, especially when this version of Peter doesn't know that Dylan knows. But also, Spider-Man living with Doc Ock is really fuckin' weird, man. ]

[doctopoda]

...no. My universe's Peter isn't here.

[He does look up at Dylan's face momentarily, at that. It's common knowledge that there's a lot of Peter Parkers running around this dimension, he supposes, but the assumption that Otto might have known one in his universe before all this...that says a little bit.

Otto takes other peoples' secret identities just as seriously, though. So he doesn't say anything.]

We had met before all of this, though. I spent a bit of time in his universe, due to a magical mishap. How does that feel?

[He's done rewrapping those arms, and lets go so Dylan can test the tightness of the bandages.]

[codicies]

[ Dylan's eyes meet Otto's when he looks up. He hears that hesitation, and Dylan suspects Otto does know, after all. But he doesn't press the issue.

He flexes his fingers, testing the range of motion in his arms. The bandages hold tight, and he grins. ]

That's perfect, thanks so much!

[ He starts packing up the first aid kit & putting it away as he keeps talking. ]

So this isn't your first alternate universe either, huh? This is my second one, too. Apparently hopping realities is... well, I guess it's not common, but maybe happens at the same rate people get struck by lightning. That's just a guess, though.

[ He's not usually this chatty, but being stuck underground with darkness pressing in from every side makes him really want to fill the silence with something.

He puts the first aid kit back in his backpack and pulls out a protein bar. ]

Are you hungry?

[doctopoda]

Of course.

[Otto will take the papers back from the actuators while Dylan packs up, his attention now turned to absorbing their impressions. Truth is, he has his own suspicions. It seems like Dylan knows who both he and Peter are. But if he's willing to let that lie, Otto is too.

At the comparison, he snorts.]

That may be true.

[Just a little joke about how he shot plasma into his own spine!

He accepts the protein bar with a murmured thanks, though he's back to flipping through the papers to the ones deemed relevant and hands it off to an actuator rather than opening it immediately. Being more familiar with Excelsior than Dylan, it's maybe not surprising that he can make a bit more sense of some of this; after a moment to review the actuator's conclusions, he nods.]

Alright. I think this is something. If you're up to a bit more walking, I think we should head that way.

[Part of him rather thinks he should get Dylan topside to safety instead, but...well, the surface isn't going to be particularly safe anyway until they can find the bunker and work out what happened. Arguing over that will waste time he doesn't have.]

[codicies]

[ Dylan shrugs the pack back onto his shoulders and nods. He's seen the news reports about Doc Ock back home, and his tangles with Spider-Man — but his dad was one of Spider-Man's villains, too. So he's willing to believe that maybe he doesn't have the whole story.

Besides, there's a chance that this isn't even the same one from back home. Eddie trusts him, and so does Peter, so that's enough for Dylan to at least give him a chance. If it's the wrong choice, well... he'll figure it out then. ]

Yup, I'm ready to go.

[ He's exhausted, but more mentally than physically. Navigating the tunnels in the dark had been draining and disorienting, but one foot in front of the other is an easy, repetitive motion. He doesn't have to think too hard about it, he just has to keep pace with Otto. And in this creepy darkness, he's definitely moving at a quick pace. ]

[doctopoda]

Alright.

[Otto, for his part, isn't particularly tired. He's been walking with the actuators most of the day; that can be a bit of a strain on his back, but it leaves his legs perfectly well-rested! He's walking with those now, the better not to outpace Dylan.

With one actuator holding a flashlight to help light their path, he takes that protein bar back from another and finally opens it up. He actually hasn't really eaten today, not since well before that livestream.]

So, I take it you're related to Eddie?

[codicies]

[ Dylan looks thoughtful for a moment. He hasn't really talked about this openly yet, but there's no real reason to hide it. ]

Sort of. Alternate universe stuff.

In my reality, Eddie Brock is my dad.

[doctopoda]

[Otto has no sense of it maybe being a weird or secretive topic. The kid did introduce himself as "Dylan Brock". Once he explains, though...he looks sidelong down at Dylan, brow furrowed.]

That must be strange.

[codicies]

Tell me about it.

[ It comes out almost like a laugh, but he's got a bemused look on his face. ]

I haven't even been here a month, and I like him a lot already. He's... different, but he's still Eddie Brock, and Venom's still Venom.

But I don't think there's any kind of standard etiquette on how you're supposed to interact with your dad in an alternate timeline who doesn't have a kid, so it's been kind of awkward, too. We're still trying to figure it out as we go.

[ He'd gotten to meet an alternate version of mom once, but having no mother back home to compare her to, he felt more comfortable calling her "Mom." But Eddie, well... he doesn't want to feel like he's replacing his dad back home. ]

[doctopoda]

Well, I'm glad you're able to work through it. I know multiversal differences can be strange - though I've never dealt with anything quite like that.

[Mostly, everybody thinks he's some sort of homicidal nutcase. Which would've been fair, if he'd been brought here even twenty-four hours earlier, but as things are it just gets a little tiring. But he's never met anyone who seemed to even be on good terms with some other Otto, much less an unexpected family member.]

This way. [He indicates as they reach an intersection.] My universe was very...ordinary, compared to some of the stories I hear. And that's coming from me.

[The robot tentacle guy!]

[codicies]

Sounds like you're from one of those worlds that barely has any superhumans at all. Eddie's is like that. Which is weird, because to me Venom and Spider-Man are so... interconnected. Like, even before I knew my dad was Eddie Brock, I knew about his rivalry with Spider-Man. Everyone did.

[ Dylan follows Otto's direction through the tunnels, listening as he talks. At that last line he looks back to Otto with a thoughtful side glance. ]

You know, there's an Otto Octavius where I come from, too. Robot arms and all. He's... well, he's not ordinary, but pretty low on the weirdness scale compared to some of the stuff that happens where I come from.

[doctopoda]

Yes, there does seem to be a number of us out there.

[He sounds mildly annoyed about this! The part about Venom and Spider-Man definitely gets his interest, though.]

Really? My world had Spider-Man...and the Green Goblin, several years ago. [:(] And then myself. I'd never heard of anything like Venom before arriving here. I was one of the stranger things in that world...though I've certainly gained a new perspective since.

[codicies]

Wow. Just the three of you? Not even the Sinister Six? This must be pretty early in Spider-Man's... spider-ing.

[ There's an uncomfortable pause as he mulls over Otto's short list. ]

Green Goblin... Norman Osborn, right? I met him once. Kind of. Would very much like to never meet him again.

[ He's trying very hard to keep his voice steady as he remembers being shut away in a closet full of weapons as Carnage-Norman tried to claw his way in. It's a valiant effort, if not an entirely successful one.

Dylan decides that was a bad subject to dwell on. ]

I haven't met Otto Octavius, though. I mean, the other one. From my world.

But from what I've seen, you seem like a way better version of him. I'm... really glad you found me down here.

[doctopoda]

He started about two years ago. But he will have a long career - I met a version of him from the future, briefly.

[He can't say what else Peter ended up facing, of course. Maybe some of these other foes he's seen or heard about ended up appearing later on. What's important is really that Otto knows, no matter what he faced, the boy survived it.

He can't quite suppress an eyeroll at the mention of the Sinister Six. God, his counterpart is embarrassing. Norman, though...]

I'm sorry you had to see him like that. The Norman Osborn I knew was a good man. The Goblin was the product of a stupid, reckless decision - but I can't really throw stones there.

[No matter how he is now, after all, everyone knows him as the monster from their own worlds because of the actuators. And that's exactly what they are: a black mark. The best possible version of him simply wouldn't have them, would have been smart or prudent enough to avoid it all.

But hey - no reason to linger on any of that.]

Well. I'm glad to have met you, too. [He smiles.] These tunnels are much more bearable with a little company.

[codicies]

Two years... wow. Where I come from, Spider-Man's been around since before I was born. He's just a part of life, like the internet or cell phones.

...Or the mutant rights movement.

[ Admittedly, the thoughtful look he gives at that last one is a liittle bit exaggerated. Dylan suspects there's no mutants where Otto comes from, so it might be fun to see if he can get a reaction.

But his expression sobers a little when his thoughts shift to a more serious subject. ]

Yeah... It sucks how easy it is to screw everything up with one mistake. Even when you've got people who love and support you, if you're not careful, you can drag 'em down with you.

[ He pauses, trying to figure out where the line between "making conversation" and "dumping your trauma" stands for situations like these. Talking about Carnage's attempt at stealing his dad away would also mean having to explain Carnage which Dylan isn't quite prepared to do right now, so he opts for something else. ]

Norman... kept hurting people, over and over, even the ones who tried to help him.

Norman's grandson is a friend of mine. Me and dad lived with him and his parents for a while when we were homeless. I mean, I don't really know a lot of the details, but... even as an outsider, I could feel how badly the goblin stuff affected the family.

I guess what I'm getting at is... you're doing better. If you're trying to turn it around only two years into Spider-Man's career, you've got a better spot for stone-throwing than you think.

[doctopoda]

[Otto just arches an eyebrow at the "mutant rights" thing. True, his world doesn't have them, but he's met enough people from this other world to have heard the term at least. The fact that there's a rights movement is news. But then - well, of course there would have to be.]

His grandson!

[Hm! Good for Harry - nice to hear one version of the boy has settled down.]

My version of Norman passed away after only a month or two of the Goblin. No one even knew it was him - I only found out for certain later on. [He'd formed some theories shortly after, but...well, what would the point have been in sharing those?] I like to think it would have been different, if he'd had the time. But I suppose we'll never really know.

[Peter could've helped him, maybe. They did it once. But...well, bygones. This is getting a little grim anyway.]

I have heard some stories about my other self. Remarkably long career.

[His tone is not impressed. It's more "how is that man not dead several times over"]