CONFLUENCE 02 | CENTRAL CITY UNDER SIEGE

[metamods]

Who: All everybody
What: A Confluence strikes! Cerberus appears!
When: January 15, 2022
Where: downtown Central City
Content Warnings: Comic book violence

CENTRAL CITY UNDER SIEGE!

ALL IT TAKES IS A SPARK

Like static in the air before a thunderstorm, magic begins to thicken in the streets. Central City is perhaps one of the least magical places in all the world. It's grey, it's bleak, and it's fueled by very human and very sensible people. This is not a place where the mystical or unusual thrive, not unless they run off of human corruption and greed.

Yet the mystically sensitive who dwell within the city feel a shudder run down their spines as the sun begins to set. Those who fell from the sky may feel the hair on the backs of their neck begin to rise, an inexplicable sense of dread setting in.

The air goes very still.

The people on the street stop dead in their tracks and stare at the heavens as if spellbound. The clouds above have gone from a friendly winter white, quietly dusting snow on the world below, to a writhing mass of grey and black.

No one had called for a confluence. The guild usually rings the alarm days in advance if they sense something coming their way, or blares a siren an hour or two before danger sets foot upon these busy streets. Yet everything is quiet. A few nervous citizens check their phones to be certain they didn't miss a warning of impending danger, or a sign that there would be some kind of show to celebrate a birthday or anniversary they'd forgotten about.

And then suddenly thunder rumbles. A flash of lightning streaks across the sky. The heavens split open and for a split second they reveal infinity. And then people begin to fall. Hurtling towards the ground at breakneck speeds.

It's the exact same as what occurred in Little Love. Those falling from the sky come into awareness just in time to register they're about to make impact with the ground, or a car, a building, whatever is underneath them. They pulverize the surface they strike and pull themselves up from the crater, magic crackling in the air around them.

SUPERZEROES

Confluences give people powers. That's part of the deal. And while those of you who just fell from the sky are discovering your new gifts, others are also suddenly uncovering their own brand new talents.

And as this is the birthplace of heroes, as most have grown up looking skyward to see capes and villains performing feats no ordinary person could hope to achieve, many have been waiting their whole lives for just such a moment. And while some are immediately overwhelmed by these new powers and give in to panic, unlike the terrified citizens of Little Love, the people of Central City are far more prepared for this possibility.

Newly empowered townspeople may jump in to help deal with the evolving chaos, but their lack of control of their powers makes them a bigger threat than whatever threat they were trying to stop. Others will shamelessly take advantage of the chaos to live their villainous dreams, robbing stores and taking revenge on their shitty bosses, landlords, or exes.

The reserve members of the Guardian Alliance spring into action. The heavy hitters are elsewhere, trying to contend with a different catastrophe on this night. They're rookies, inexperienced and unable to keep up with the raw power and ruthlessness of newly awakened metas. Fantastic, an aerokinetic and one of the newer recruits, seems to be the only one even remotely holding his own.

It's clear they need your help!

STICKS AND STONES

A bolt of purple lightning arcs through the skies. Yet the thunder that follows is unlike anything you've heard before. It's the din of thousands upon thousands of voices whispering at once, the sound both terrifying and deafening. The mystically inclined may pick out the snatch of a spell here or there, the telepathic may be overwhelmed by the rush of millions of panicked thoughts rushing through their head, before it stops.

The second bolt of lightning strikes the ground, burning a magic rune into the ground it strikes. The thunder that immediately follows is utterly ordinary - the magic is no longer in the clouds. It's thickening the air around you, overwhelming your senses. The mystically inclined may feel themselves suddenly at full charge, capable of preforming feats they never could before as this ambient magic begins to well up under their skin. Even those who've never once uttered a spell may find themselves capable of wielding temporary spellcraft.

The side-effect may not be worth the boost.

Quickened by the heightened emotions of the people, the magic in the streets is undirected and franticly trying to find a way to be useful. The hearts of the people standing in these now dangerous streets beg for strength and protection — and the magic, desperate to aid them, tries to fulfill these wishes. The urgency of their feelings begins to shape it, transforming words into spells.

“A Penny for your thoughts?” for instance, may compel someone to speak their mind if you hand them a coin.

Saying someone is “Strong as an ox” may have them transform temporarily into an ox. “Beat around the bush” may make someone want to start beatboxing around a shrub. Metaphors become literal, similes become spells, and the already chaotic scene becomes all the more difficult to settle.

WHO LET THE DOGS OUT

Just as the situation appears to be settling, a massive paw the size of a large truck smashes through the ground, claws gleaming. A snout pushes through next, and then another, and then another, until a massive, shaggy beast is clawing its way free from the pit. Fire leaps out to lick at its heels, the screams of the long-dead howling in its wake.

It's all sharp angles, blocky and wrong - the detail on its fur seems to be painted on, and you have the distinct feeling that if you were to touch it you'd find it smooth. Whatever this is, though it's breathing and solid, you get the impression that it was never meant to be real. This is the approximation of the guardian of the under world, an artist's impression, not the real thing.

And yet it's recognizable as the Guardian of the underworld itself; Cerberus growls low as it surveys the city, the vibration of it intense enough to rattle the buildings and ground directly underneath it. The rubble begins to displace itself and fall, leaving terrified people directly in harms way. Those not doomed to be trapped or crushed by rubble turn away and run, nearly trampling each other in their desperation to get away.

And then the theme music starts.

The punchy beats of a RPG Battle Theme are thunderously loud. They're coming from nowhere and everywhere, centered on the animal monster in front of you. If you squint, you can see what appear to be hit bars hovering above it. Four of them, in fact. One for each head and another for its massive body.

The right head turns to the side and opens its maw wide and barks, and the sound is a physical blast, obliterating the nearest building. The left head turns to the left and licks a strip up the nearest building, which immediately beside it begins to lean in on itself as the acid from the animal's saliva begins to melt through solid stone. And the center head simply lowers to the ground, opens its mouth, and takes an enormous bite out of the street below. Then another. And another.

Setting into a rhythm, the beast begins to walk forward. Barking, biting, and slobbering as it goes.

Though the Guardian Alliance appears soon on the scene, they look just as baffled and stressed as the newly awakened metahumans directly in harms way. Things get worse when Atomight surges forward, intent on saving the day, only to find his shoulder slam into a barrier surrounding the Confluence's area of influence. Baffled, the hero reaches out to touch it, then turns to shout an order at the Silent Mystic hovering at his side. Far below them, the terrified citizens crowd around the base of this barrier.

You're going to need to buy yourselves some time.

AFTERMATH

Victory fanfare plays as the beast finally falls. Exhausted and faced with a mostly destroyed city, the guild places a call back to its headquarters to bring everyone back. The spell reaches out for whatever metahumans it can find in the area and pulls.

All the metahumans who were involved in the Confluence — new arrivals and old (if a week can be called 'old') — to a white training space that has already transformed into a luxurious waiting room.

Atomight arrives quickly. For a moment all he can do is surveyed the gathering of metahumans in the room, his expression terribly grim:

"Thank you for your help out there. The casualties would be so much higher were it not for those of you who risked your lives to save strangers. I wanted to say that before I said anything else.

Unfortunately, today's incident was not as random as the one that occurred last week. This appears to be a result of the spell to open the portal to return you all home. As you can see, not only did that not work, but it backfired spectacularly. I've never seen magic act like that, or a Confluence occur because of something a handful of metas did, it's..."

He stops. Giving his head a shake.

"... I'm sorry. I truly am. But I believe that we may be looking at something more permanent. The Guardian Alliance will do everything in our power to return you home, I swear to you, we have not given up. I'll be conferring with," there is the briefest of pauses as he considers how to word, "the other Guild's leader once he is in communication range again as to what our next approach will be..

For now... As this may be your home for a while longer, I wish to formally extend an invitation to those of you who wish to use your powers to defend the innocent to join us. That was incredible work out there. And we would be honored to count any of you among our ranks."

SETTLING IN

You're not going home anytime soon. Reports continue to pour in from across the world — dimension-hoppers can't open portals back home, time-travelers are temporally locked to this point in time. Not only is something wrong metaphysically, but even Atomight has admitted that efforts to fix it have only worsened matters.

So, not 24 hours after the newest Confluence, the Guardian Alliance makes arrangements for all new arrivals in the Diadem Hotel.

The Diadem Hotel is a luxury hotel usually reserved for the obscenely wealthy. It's rooms are enormous, the beds quite literally enchanted to offer the perfect night's sleep, and the food would usually cost your life savings just to sample. But given the circumstances, the Alliance feels it only fair to offer you a little comfort on their dime. Everything is complimentary, and everyone gets an Alliance credit card to spend on entertainment, clothing, and whatever other necessities they might need. The cards appear to have an obscenely high limit and there doesn't seem to be an expectation for you to pay it back.

There's a shopping center immediately across the street that will reluctantly open its doors the next day. It has an impressive array of outlets that cater to your every need. Food, clothing... and swords? If you can think of it, it's for sale. Although anything clearly supernatural or metahuman seems to be at a minimum and offered under the table. You can grab clothing made to withstand any superpower and a surprisingly mediocre Taco Bell order while you're at it. There's a Super Cinema in the shopping complex across the street that's showing the latest Mystic Mike movie, a franchise wherein a fictional male stripper gets magical powers and begins fighting crime using a pole as a staff.

Following all of these nice amenities, you might get approached by members of the guilds and invited to join. Depending on your character's actions, over this log and the previous one, they might get approached by one guild and not the other. Recruiters are charming and personable, talking up the perks of being in the Guilds (see more on our FAQ and Guilds page). They won't be harassing anyone, but a "no, thank you" might be returned with a "think it over" and offer of a calling card.

Central City isn't exactly the nicest place in the world. Wander too far from the shopping district and you'll find yourselves thick into territory controlled by the local non-meta crime syndicate... but maybe that's where you want to be. Maybe you're here to see just what this world is dealing with. If you're going to be stuck here you might as well make yourself useful, right?

Or perhaps you're not the heroic type. Maybe this is simply scoping out the competition.

Regardless, it won't take long for trouble to find you. Test out your new powers, do a little thieving, stop a few muggings - this is your time to use as you see fit.

CLIFFNOTES

A week from the date of the Test Drive meme, a second Confluence occurs within Central City.

Words begin to have the power of spells. Characters must be exceedingly careful how they phrase what they say (or go all out if they want to get experimental!), and what common colloquialisms they use.

A boss version of Cerberus appears. We will not be threading out the fight, but we will allow characters to sign up for an RNG for getting the last strike on each head. Please sign up by head — one per character.

Player characters (and the residents of the town who have gained powers) are magically transported to the Guardian Alliance's headquarters. They will be held in a magical room for a period of about twelve hours, then transitioned to the Diadem Hotel.

Characters are given luxury suites at the hotel, and a credit card with an unlimited balance. They're free to mingle, eat, shop, and check out the world they've been dropped into.

Please report any noticeable player caused collateral damage or casualties caused by player characters on the plotting page

You can talk with Atomight here. Please list your questions in full. We will not be threading, but we will summarize any answers and responses he will give.

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code bases by tricklet

Comments

kamala khan / ms marvel | marvel comics

[bestversion]

( i. all it takes is a spark — ms. marvel )

[ this has happened before.

once, the sky had split apart back in new york. now, it was the same thing, except people were falling from the sky. kamala wished carol was here, like she had been last time. but she banishes that thought. captain marvel would have helped, but she wouldn't be helping her any time soon.

but that doesn't matter.

kamala is the one with the power to help. and even without it, she would do the same.

gritting her teeth, she elongates her hands, catching people as they fall. it hurts a lot and it is taking a lot out of her to keep doing it.

but she perseveres, even as she cradles her injured hand with a smile. ]

It's okay. I've got you. I've got you.

( ii. who let the dogs out — ms. marvel )

[ okay. she can do this. this isn't too bad. and . . . while this is a bit out of the wheelhouse for her, she can do the same as the other heroes.

probably.

she looks at cerberus. he looks back. and ms marvel wilts. ]

I — I can't punch a dog.

[ so much for that. ]

( iii. settling in — kamala )

[ having an unlimited credit card is nice, even if she has ammi's voice in the back of her head, "meri beti, just because we have money doesn't mean you can be reckless."

even from far away, it rings like a bell. she sighs, looking at the various hoodies longingly. maybe later. she turns around to see . . . a group of recruiters. oh no. kamala slowly backs away as they surround her. ]

U-Uhm, I'm really not . . . interested . . . Seriously . . .

[ someone help her out. ]

( iv. wildcard )

[ got another prompt in mind? hit me up @ timmtams or pm this journal! ]

settling in

[resurrxion]

[ josh has been here a little over a week now. he's got his bearings. he's been bombarded with requests to join ever since the big man gave the go-ahead, and frankly, he's already over it.

if not signing on to this bullshit means he has to give up his anonymity, so be it. he's already on edge about the pitch they're giving, feeling barely healed anxieties about his powers being his soul worth starting to rise up the moment someone approaches him talking about what a gift he has. like he oughta be giving it away. it's not that bad, he knows. it's what every kid with powers wants to do, make the world a better place, protect their friends and family, blah blah blah.

but it scrapes right up against old traumas.

and that's why he's rudely shouldering through the crowd to get between them and the girl. ]

Hey! [ he jabs a finger at the closest one, mustering up all his I am a New Yorker, born and bred, fuck you get outta my way energy. his voice is loud, the queens accent piled on thick. ] She's just a kid! Whattaya doin' cornering her inna mall like a buncha freak vultures? Scram!

[bestversion]

[ oh thank goodness. she sends up a little thankful prayer before quickly shuffling away from the recruiters and closer to josh. she's not against conflict, but she's still figuring out who she wants to be here. being closed in with requests and teams after all she's been through —

she's not ready. ]

What he said!

[resurrxion]

[ this poor kid. he's got one arm up to shield her and the other curled to a fist like he's willing to throw down if they don't take no for an answer.

the recruiters are maybe smart enough to know they shouldn't push their luck. kamala's more definitive rejection is the nail in the coffin and slowly, oh so slowly like they're expecting her to change her mind, they start backing off.

letting out a sigh, he turns to face her with a lopsided smile. ]

Some people got no manners. You alright?

ii. doggo

[rehandle]

[ He's not stopping - there are heroes flocking to this thing like moths to a flame and the city is still struggling elsewhere - but when you check in to make sure something's covered and overhear I can't punch a dog it's frankly irresponsible not to make sure nobody's standing around waiting to get themselves killed.

She's just a kid. Except she isn't just anything, he'd seen her land an impressive catch not that long ago, so leaving her to it isn't the ethical nightmare it could be. He still doesn't feel quite right flying off while she agonises over hurting a creature that could and will happily burn, bark or bite her to death, so he drops down nearby, close at hand to fend off any heads that might come sniffing. ]

The feeling is not mutual, so I'd recommend you figure something else out fast or get out of its way.

[bestversion]

[ dr. strange. she recognized him immediately. it made her wonder if any of the others were close by. if tony was here . . . would he listen to her? or sam or vision? she wasn't an avenger anymore. she gave that away.

but it didn't matter. she won't take the easy way. ms. marvel centers herself. ]

I've got a healing factor. I can take anything it throws me.

[ this is half a lie. if the dog started throwing lightning, she was done for. still. ]

Maybe we can pacify it. Keep it still long enough to — I don't know. Talk to him. Scratch his ears!

[rehandle]

[ I've got a healing factor. It's not the first time he's found himself both caught off and unsettled by the tenacity of teen hero-types. But she keeps talking, and what comes next is wild, so the rest goes swiftly pushed into the background. ]

You want to talk to it. [ That's a nice plan, in theory, but - ] That's you versus the dog and every hero in this city.

[ The odds aren't the best. ]

settling in

[jimmies]

[ Jimmy walks straight into the middle of this conversation. Soon he's standing directly between Kamala and her guild recruiters. ]

Hey! Can you take my picture with that statue over there?

[ He does have a camera hanging from a strap around his neck and the energy of an over-excited tourist. And there is a statue over there. ]

[bestversion]

Uh . . . sure.

[ she eyes the recruiters before putting her hands out for the camera. a super old camera. kamala's not even sure how to work one. ]

[jimmies]

Super-duper! Thanks a bunch. It's really hard to do selfies with this thing.

[ Jimmy leads Kamala over to the statue. It's an elephant sculpture, for some reason.

The recruiters at least try to shove her a business card as she attempts to escape their clutches. ]

why are the dogs out

[slidesrightoff]

[Though not thrilled by the prospect either, Eddie had been (sort of) punching the dog, if only to keep it away from eating or melting people. It wasn't like he wanted to, but talking to it seemed out of the picture.

Eddie glances over at the newly arrived hero and watches her shoulders sag. Man, now he's just feeling worse about this whole thing.]

Do we have a choice?

[Because it feels like they don't have a choice.]

[bestversion]

Yes!

[ the answer comes out emphatically. ]

We're heroes. We don't take shortcuts.

[slidesrightoff]

[Eddie bites on the inside of his lip to keep from retorting that he knows plenty of so-called heroes that take shortcuts all the time. She seems young and doesn't seem to have had her life turned upside down due to superhero negligence. No reason to be a downer right now.]

I mean, yeah, but that house just got melted.

[He motions to said house. Well, half a house, with house goo dripping down.]

settling in

[obediences]

[ lucky for her, luther is very interested, and good at catching the public's attention, and good at noticing when someone's shrinking away from said attention and in need of someone to deflect. so a massive 6'5" man gently inserts himself between kamala and the crowd, asking: "hey, could i take a look at those brochures?"

and he just... takes all of them, one for each specific team, another pamphlet for the guild itself, a few on the various cities in this world, and he politely fields their questions. he used to be good at this part: wrangling reporters, making conversation, fending off the rabid public. so a few minutes later, he's managed to safely scatter the recruiters like a cloud of flies, chivvying them off, while he turns back to the teen girl with his handfuls of those bright cheery brochures. ]

Sorry bout that. They seemed a little pushy. You looked like you could do with some help.

[ then he holds one out — he's got extras, now — with a quizzical look. ] You sure you don't want any of these? Otherwise I'll keep them off your hands.

[bestversion]

[ wow he is tall. and big. like . . . one of the chris people. the australian one? still she smiles, sheepish. ]

I mean, maybe it's a good idea to read up on them. I just don't want to join too quick and have it be a huge mistake.

[obediences]

That's probably a good idea. Don't sign any paperwork until you've read as much about it as you can. I've got a lot of homework ahead of me, myself.

[ he holds up one of the brochures, squinting at the page: stock models in themed spandex, beaming at the camera, some of them eating salad and laughing. he makes a thoughtful noise in the back of his throat. the glowing sales pitch doesn't happen to leaving the guild afterward, so he's gonna have to do some of that deeper reading too, and trying to figure out all the implications attached. ]

Huh. It does say it doesn't come with any specific responsibilities, at least. But I wonder if it ties you down for a certain amount of time. Like a phone contract.

Puppy!

[kid_flash_found]

With the dog being seemingly mechanical, Bart would normally not question it, but...well, he did have a dog, once.

"Well, we can't just let it run around trashing the neighborhood, either," Kid Flash feels the need to point out.

It had only taken him a split-second to change and run towards trouble the moment it started.

[bestversion]

So we get it away!

[ wow, he's fast. she doesn't know many speedsters. not that it looks like he's from her universe. ]

Can you get his attention?

[kid_flash_found]

"We can find out, but I'm not really fit to be a chew toy. More of a one-trick pony," Bart says, figuring he should lay that out. "I'm Kid Flash, by-the-by."

He waits a moment for her response, but then notices the giant robot-ish dog thing going for some civilians with the bad luck to have turned the corner, and he darts off in a blur, shouting at the top of his lungs.

"Hey, Spot, lookatme, comeandplay!"

iii

[pinkxeno]

[ Mina to the rescue!

She doesn't mind the attention and is glad to hear others out, specially since she does want to make the right decision on which faction to join, but she understands not everyone is ready for that spotlight. As she is reading through a pamphlet, she spots kamala being overwhelmed by the recruiters.

And her natural instinct is to help, so she approaches with a big grin ]

Hey! If you harass her too much, she ain't gonna join you, you know?! [ Mina tries to get between Kamala and the men, although she keeps her big smile ] You gotta be nice and remember we just arrived, it's all suuuper overwhelming!

[ and after she turns to the girl ] You okay there?

[bestversion]

I will be, thanks.

[ the recruits, miffed, seem to finally dissipate. ]

Thanks for the assist.

[pinkxeno]

[ she watches them leave, proud it wasn't much of a fight ]

No problem! They seem kinda desperate to have us joining them.

who let the dogs out

[amenace]

[ Harleen stares up at the giant dog with wide eyes. It should be scary because that thing could definitely eat her in a single bite, but she's excited. ]

That is a very big adorable doggy! [ Nevermind the fact that he is causing untold destruction to everything around him.

She yells with a bounce. ]

Why would you punch the doggy? [ Her attention having been caught by Kamala's words. ]

[bestversion]

I guess people think in order to stop it, you have to punch it.

[ which. they're not wrong. she's punched creatures before but she's never liked it. ]

[amenace]

But he just seems really scared and maybe hungry. Punching isn't going to help that.

[ Normally, Harleen would be all for punching. It's how she often deals with things if yelling doesn't work. But she definitely draws the line at punching animals, even if they are massive and destroying everything. ]