frenchkissed: (【 825 】)
charles edward allan brock ([personal profile] frenchkissed) wrote in [community profile] metalogs2022-07-20 07:50 am

Can You Do It In The Dark?

Who: Eddie Brock [personal profile] frenchkissed, Peter Parker [personal profile] 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!


eatsnutsandkicksbutts: (SG - IT'S ON NOW)

[personal profile] eatsnutsandkicksbutts 2022-08-04 02:54 am (UTC)(link)
Honestly, apart from the squirrel, Doreen's in pretty much the same boat. It feels like trying to fight someone through a tub of molasses, everything's too slow, and none of the hits land the way they should. Doreen is quickly realizing that she really has to brush up on her fighting skills, because without super strength and speed to rely on, her technique is pretty damn rusty!

Sometimes, though... sometimes you have a lightbulb moment, and the opportunity to fight smart instead of fight hard comes up.

Doreen grabs the squirrel-in-the-face guy by one of his flailing arms, and smacks his hand into the webbing on the other guy's neck, so that they're stuck together at an awkward angle.

"Hah! Yes! You just got webbed, jerks! Now go home and... uh..." She gives Peter an aside glance. "... This stuff does dissolve, right? Eventually?"
tinglesense: (spidey - unbelievable)

[personal profile] tinglesense 2022-08-23 04:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Peter actually laughs at her move. Hey, it's ingenious. Between her and the squirrel and his own floudering, they...managed. At least these guys are stuck together now, so they have other problems to worry about that aren't committing robbery or arson or whatever they were planning.

What a mess.

"Yeah, it takes a couple of hours," he answers.

To the confused would-be criminals, he says, "Gotta watch out for your bad ideas. Sometimes you're stuck with the consequences!"

It's a terrible joke, but it's on brand.

Back to Doreen, though, "Let's leave them to figure that out, huh?"
eatsnutsandkicksbutts: (squirrelgirl129)

[personal profile] eatsnutsandkicksbutts 2022-08-24 01:54 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh, snap!" Doreen cries, as Tippy leaps off the crook's face and skitters back up to her shoulder. "Take that as a lesson, guys: don't be huge jerks, or you'll get hit by karma, squirrels, webbing, and sick puns!"

Buuut yeah, they really should get out of here. She gives the jerks some fingerguns before turning to leave alongside Peter.

"So, hey, this is probably weird, but there's another You in my universe, and we're kinda work friends? I'm Squirrel Girl, usually I have a tail, it's a whole thing. Nice to meet you!" The Spidey from her universe is also taller than this guy, but she's tactful enough not to mention it!
tinglesense: (spidey - dude for real)

[personal profile] tinglesense 2022-08-30 12:11 am (UTC)(link)
Peter manages to laugh at Doreen's ability to be upbeat here. He usually manages pretty well as Spider-Man but listen, it's been a rough goddamn year. Or something. How long has it even been since the thing with Mysterio started? Hard to count when you bounce to another world.

"Squirrel Girl? Honestly, this is the least weird thing to happen in days," he says, amicably, and slides out the door. He holds it for her. Where they go after this, he's not sure. He can't climb up a building and because of the strength and flexibility differential, he can't web sling either.

"But it's nice to meet you, too." He's almost waiting for the height comment, since everyone likes to point it out, but bless her for not saying it out loud.

"Normally I can actually, y'know, fight. But everyone's powers kinda got zapped by this machine thing," he says. He can't cop to it being his fault here while he's Spider-Man, but whatever. He wouldn't be surprised if Squirrel Girl knew already, since apparently Peter Parker's secret identity is the worst kept secret in several universes.
eatsnutsandkicksbutts: (SG - I KNOW right)

[personal profile] eatsnutsandkicksbutts 2022-09-06 02:28 am (UTC)(link)
Look, he's still taller than her, that counts for something! (Granted, Doreen's 5'3 so this isn't hard, but still!) Their lives are already so damn weird, this might as well be happening, right?

"Gosh, right? This sucks!" She says, following after him and throwing her hands in the air in exasperation. "Literally everything about this sucks right now. It's like trying to fight in slow-motion! And not in a cool, Matrix-y bullet time kinda way. Is your balance way off, too? I could barely even walk for like an hour."

Don't worry about the secret identity, Doreen doesn't know his whole deal, and Peter's found the one person in the multiverse who's worse at keeping her identity under wraps than he is! Although, uh... Otto offered to let her crash on the couch, so that might complicate things!
tinglesense: (oh okay)

[personal profile] tinglesense 2022-09-07 04:49 pm (UTC)(link)
"Oh, man, yeah. I feel like a toddler or something, all wobbly and off. I can't get the calibration right for my web shooters, either, since they work on the assumption that the way I move and how strong I am is a certain way."

He can shoot them, as demonstrated with those goons in there, but swinging is out of the question.

"I feel like we're just causing more chaos out here but what do I do, y'know? I can't just let everyone out here trash the whole city."
eatsnutsandkicksbutts: (Doreen - I dunno...)

[personal profile] eatsnutsandkicksbutts 2022-09-11 01:32 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh, oof." That bit about the web shooters gets a sympathetic wince. "I'm sorry dude, that's gotta be rough."

A Spidey who can't websling...! Say it ain't so! It's so weird to think of Spider-Man as just being stuck as a regular dude!

"... Yeah, I get it," she sighs. "We need airhorns or something. Maybe squirt guns, or really big get-along shirts. Some kind of crime deterrent that doesn't involve as much fighting on our parts."
Edited (the bird metaphor wasn't working!) 2022-09-11 01:40 (UTC)