THE ALLIANCE EXPO

[metamods]

Who: EVERYONE
What: A crisis occurs at the Alliance Expo.
When: April 13
Where: Central City
Content Warnings: character death, loss of autonomy/self, mass destruction

THE ALLIANCE EXPO

Every April, Central City hosts a guild publicity event known as the annual Alliance Expo, ostensibly to memorialize the Godfall Incident.

Most people will have heard this major historical event referenced by now — the name is inscribed on city monuments, evoked in political debates, taught in a history class, and reimagined for movies. If not, at the Expo itself, informational booths paint a very black and white picture of how good triumphed over evil.

On April 3rd, 1985, a young metahuman named Starstruck nearly obliterated Central City. Seeing the risk of his unchecked rage unraveling reality itself, heroes and villains joined forces to stop Starstruck and save the world from its certain destruction.

In the wake of the incident, Metahuman survivors came together — not as heroes and villains, but as citizens of the planet. At this first Alliance Expo, they created the Guilds with the common goal of protecting this universe.

Since the 80s, the Expo has opened to the public. Like the Alliance itself, it has evolved (or devolved?) to be more commercialized. Nowadays, the Expo is a publicity event where vendors sell branded merchandise and knockoffs of licensed and unlicensed heroes alike.

OPENING CEREMONIES —

In the spirit of its early days, when the Expo was meant to be a point of connection for all metas, it still offers free entry to metahumans who are in costume (or whose identities/meta status are known). As with any convention, inside the crowded Central City Convention Center, attendees must wear their badges on lanyards as they navigate booths and schedules. The show floor provides curated museum-style exhibits about the Godfall Incident and other pieces of metahuman history, as well as art installations and even some branded food and merch stands that venerate the heroes who saved the day.

Of course, non-metas attend as well, but in smaller numbers. Many of them are fans of capes, who arrive dressed in dated costumes of their favorites and chat about their favorite era of a particular hero's career. Having paid for the rare opportunity to rub shoulders with their idols at this prestigious event, they may overwhelm new heroes with requests for autographs or comments (or critiques!) about their wardrobe. In addition to fans, meta attendees may run into investors sidling up to heroes with hopes of getting in on the ground floor to make a mascot of the next big hero under the guise of altruism.

A speech from Frances Starling kickstarts the opening ceremonies. Following her scathing, undisguised criticism for the commercialization of a tragic event (and reference to the particular surprises it posed to its stakeholders), she acknowledges that she feels an obligation to be here. She devotes most of her speech to addressing the new Confluence-created metas about the danger that comes with being a metahuman and a citizen of this world, emphasizing that no meta is obligated to throw themselves headlong into danger. Metahumans, she says, deserve the chance to live a quiet, modest life as much as anyone else.

The dazzling display that follows is anything but modest. The Expo's opening ceremonies continue apace with indoor fireworks, a hologram movie, and a band with a lightshow. In addition, new metas get the chance to perform in a variety of ways:

• The Alliance's staffers are more than happy to facilitate any talented metas who wish to show off their skills during the ostentatious opening ceremonies.



• Some time later, new Alliance heroes are ushered onstage to debut their hero identities to the world. An announcer excitedly reads code names as facilitators nudge the new heroes onto the stage to parade around the catwalk and show off their costumes and gadgetry. Stars explode around them, and time is made for anyone who wants to give a little speech.



• The Expo has also pre-arranged a dramatic performance with the new guild members: just as the new Alliance heroes make their debut, new Society members arrive to "crash" the celebration and cause mischief. In the loose scripting that prepared participants for the event in advance, staffers encourage them to ham it up and mug for the cameras. Some may have pre-arranged choreography — of their own, or at the behest of the Alliance's marketing team. For playing along and making the heroes look good, Society members will be rewarded handsomely ... off the record, of course.

THE SIMULATION —

Squat in the center of the show floor is this year’s big draw: a virtual-reality simulation recreating the Godfall Event, developed using the memories of witnesses and edited for gamification. According to the brochures, it's part training exercise and part memorial for all the superheroes who fell against Starstruck.

The marketing team of the Alliance clearly had a field day. Programmed using state of the art Winters Industries technology, the simulation allows anyone to step into the role of a hero and relive the Godfall Incident — or at least, a heavily sanitized version of it. Even the marketing team recognizes that it would be upsetting to faithfully recreate the carnage of that day and market it to the world. Though it claims to be recreated from the memories of those who lived it, the introductory cutscene provides a more palatable version that plays out like a Saturday morning cartoon:

You are a hero of the 1980s. The costumes are bright and colorful, the hair enormous and flowing. The hues of the simulation are oversaturated and vaguely psychedelic. You may find yourself delivering bombastic, alliterative catchphrases or striking dramatic poses for no particular reason. It’s fun! Just go with it!

At the center of all of this, Starstruck destroys (random, and of course) unoccupied buildings with his energy blast powers. A classic 1980s cartoon villain, his hair is the biggest and the pointiest, and he’s wearing spikes and eyeliner. The VR replica doesn't quite match the brochures outside, but it’s close enough, right? As soon as he spots heroes approaching, Starstruck stops destroying (random and, of course, unoccupied) buildings to monologue at length, cackling about his plans to destroy the world and how you heroes can do nothing to stop him! This is a VR game, not just a cutscene — participants can interact with Starstruck. Go on! Walk up and punch him mid-speech!

Any attack will start the battle in earnest. As promised, this is just a silly sort of beat-em-up game. Starstruck has several different patterns of energy attack, which he’ll mix up some. In his second phase — indicated by him getting angry and glowing red — he whips out some larger attacks, but he’s never too difficult to defeat. You came in here to play a fun game, maybe try out some new powers, and ultimately feel like heroes, and that’s what the game is going to deliver.

You know. Probably.

Notably, Atomight appears to be perturbed by all of this. The hero does not stay on the show floor long, excusing himself curtly after the simulation is announced. Any who linger too close to Conference Room C may hear an explosive argument between the leader of the Alliance and the head of marketing. It seems that Atomight painted a very different picture of what this event would be, and the marketing team of the Alliance ran wild without the input of its chair. He returns to the event, though. Obligation keeps him rooted here, unhappy but unwilling to abandon the dream that founded this.

A GLITCH IN THE MATRIX —

As everyone is distracted by the glitz and glam the Expo offers, no one notices as someone makes their way to the simulator’s core console and slip a USB into the drive.

Inside the simulation, something subtly shifts. The bright colors dull to something more realistic. The punches and kicks lose their sound effects. The screen tears briefly as the simulation splits, duplicating itself into multiple instances. Then it all goes dark.

When the lights come back on, participants stand in the midst of a mostly destroyed Central City. A massive column of light shines in the center of the city, so bright it hurts to look at. The air sears your lungs. People scream, racing away from the slowly expanding field of energy, leveling buildings as it goes.

At the epicenter stands Starstruck, and the energy that is destroying the city is radiating out of his form. However, on closer inspection, he's changed too. This is no longer some over-the-top, dramatic villain. This is a teenage boy, looking terrified, alone, and unstoppable.

And you know he can’t stop.

He wants to, you can tell he does, but he can’t.

So you need to stop him.

It’s no wonder Atomight didn't want this celebrated.

You struggle to remember that this is a simulation - for some, the thought may slip away entirely. It feels real enough. Hero, villain, unaligned — however you think of yourself doesn’t matter. You’re standing shoulder to shoulder with friends, lovers, and enemies to do the unthinkable. Some of you may be freshly sprung from the maximum security metahuman jail. Some may have bolted away from parents, donning makeshift costumes, knowing that this may very well be your last stand. Others still may be in plainclothes, your metahuman status hidden to the world until this exact moment.

While some participants may retain their own values and minds others can be compelled by the AI of the hero role they're placed into in any of the following ways:

• TURN AWAY AND RESCUE CIVILIANS — Some heroes can't face the moral quandary posed by Starstruck's fall. Maybe you leave the hard choices to others and focus on what you can do and who you can save.



• CONVINCE OTHERS TO TRY TO REACH STARSTRUCK (OR DO IT YOURSELF) — If you've taken on the role of one of Starstruck's teammates, you may stand between your friend and the adult heroes trying to take him down. You're driven by the sense that if you could just get within earshot and talk to him, you could reach your friend and calm this whole thing down.



• FIGHT THROUGH YOUR FRIENDS TO STOP THE VILLAIN — Those in the position of grizzled heroes or cynical villains may believe the situation is well past something that words can solve. You've seen the reports, and you know you have less than an hour to stop this kid from destroying the planet. You’ve weighed his life against the billions on the planet and have made your choice, no matter how much it sickens you to do so. And now you have to snuff out this child’s terrible light, even if you have to fight your way through your own loved ones to do it.
  
  
• DESTROY THE WORLD? — Especially unlucky participants may get shuffled into Starstruck's AI and stand as the harbinger of this apocalypse, right at the epicenter of the blast.
  
  His emotional state — your emotional state — swings wildly between anger, horror, grief, and regret. But one thing is clear: he never wanted this. And neither did you. Loss weighs heavily on you, dragging up your own dark feelings and memories of loss, inadequacy, pain. It assails the senses and doubles you over. As the darkness encroaches, the energy around you pulses and expands further.
  
  You can't hold the energy in; your powers are out of control. Will you ask someone to end it — and you with it? Or will you decide that if you have to die, the world should go with you? Or maybe your friends can find the right words to talk you down, miraculously saving you from your own might.

OUTSIDE

It takes time to notice. At first, the party continues apace — until alarms blare. The technicians and technopaths stop what they’re doing and run for the simulation room. Those who run after them and can read the monitor data can't quite determine what exactly has gone awry — but on thing is clear: the participants aren't responding to reality, and many seem to be in genuine distress.

The technicians are also distressed as they declare that the simulation can't be shut down. Pulling the power could cause serious damage to those still inside — the safety protocols, after all, also rely on that power, and people inside are throwing around attacks that could seriously injure each other if they weren’t safely within a VR space.

Those on the outside can work to save the trapped participants:

• Can you help the technicians diagnose the problem?


• Can you convince them that you should go in and pull people out yourself like in Sunset Falls? Careful - that might not exactly work the way you expect, but it’ll be easy to slip past the distracted workers if you really want to try.


• Maybe you want to investigate what triggered the failing in the first place and go for the convention center's security footage, which reveals the masked figure with the USB. How will you track them down?


• Got another plan? To pursue these and other options, please collaborate with other players to develop a plan and pitch your approach to the mods HERE.

AFTERMATH —

Maybe you defeat Starstruck, or whatever unlucky person happened to be playing him today. Maybe you somehow manage to talk them down this time. Maybe you stood by and let him destroy everything, unwilling to sacrifice one life for millions. One way or another, thanks to the work of those outside, the simulation reaches its end.

For those emerging from the simulation, the VR Hall comes back into focus. Medical staff run inside — mercifully, the safeties didn’t fail. As real as it all felt, no matter what powers were being thrown around, no one comes out physically hurt. After a brief check-up to ensure that there’s no lingering side-effects, the healers and medics determined that any scarring you’ll walk away with on this day is all mental.

Those who return to enjoy the rest of the Expo will find the mood sobered. However, plenty of vendors still need to offload their wares, and plenty of attendees want their money's worth. Nothing even really happened, right? Just a glitch? In spite of all you’ve just seen and felt, the Expo kicks back into full swing pretty quickly after the situation’s resolved, as if nothing even really happened.

The booths and informational posters with their shiny, marketable version of the Godfall Incident are still firmly in place. Knowing what you know now, can you really rejoin the party...?

Not wanting any negative PR, the Expo organizers are offering everyone involved in the VR incident a free goodie bag of convention swag! Enjoy your branded lanyards and tea cozies. If that isn’t enough, they may be able to slip you a little hush money.

IN SUMMARY...

• The Alliance Expo is part job conference, part tech conference, and part comic-con, and all metahumans attend for free. New guild heroes and villains will be publicly introduced.


• While operating as intended, expo attendees can relive a light-hearted, propaganda version of the Godfall Event via VR simulation, where participants step into the shoes of a real hero who existed during this time to experience a light-hearted, Saturday morning cartoon version of events.


• After someone sabotages the simulation, the simulation becomes realistic recreation of the Godfall Event. Participants may be overwhelmed by the programmed AI's memories and motives, and can take the role of either any hero or of Starstruck himself, a terrified teenager who lost control of his powers.


• The simulation runs multiple simultaneous instances, so multiple characters can take on the role of Starstruck or the role of his savior and/or killer.


• Those outside the simulation can work together to investigate or fix the crisis. To pursue these and other options, players should use the OOC community to collaborate and develop a plan to pitch to the mods HERE.

Please direct any questions regarding this log HERE.

Comments

[portolan]

Balthier understands, deeply, the irony of being unable to process support so deeply craved. And David has so much he's carrying.

"There's no rush." Better to let some of it out instead of let it fester.

[helpdesk_hero]

There isn't the weight of the world on his shoulders, but he still might have more than he was able to shoulder.

"There is. I need out of here. I need to be out of these clothes. I need to be touching as little as I can until my power is back up to handling my walls."

[portolan]

Balthier squeezes him, kissing his back. "I'm sorry you're hurting in so many ways, love." He intends to pull a little more of this away, though.

"Tell me when to let go."

[helpdesk_hero]

"Would that you never did," he answered, voice a little broken. But then he tries to steel himself.

"Come on. Let's see about getting me out of here."

[portolan]

Would that he could do more. This has to be enough today. He gives David one last squeeze before disentangling himself, waiting for David to stand before taking his arm again. Then it's back to the elevator. As they wait for it, he throws a few more pieces of David's headache onto others.

"Where is your hotel?"

[helpdesk_hero]

He can feel Balthier still pulling at his pain, because he can feel it lessening. Too fast for it to be reasonable or real. And David wished he could ask the man to stop. But the suffering was so much that he didn't have it in him. The sooner reduced, the sooner he hoped he'd have his power back.

"I got lucky. Company scooped up a pair of rooms in the hotel across the street."

[portolan]

He promised he would only pull the pain to the point David could, more or less, get back to the hotel. And that's clearly not where he's at yet. He'd like to pull to the point David can get his defenses up again, but he doesn't know how much that will take, and he is starting to feel the early signs of strain from using magic.

At the new information he clicks the lowest floor instead. There will be plenty of people in the lobby to siphon to, and there are chairs if David needs one.

"Do you have the key or do I need to retrieve it?"

[helpdesk_hero]

Small favors of proximity. David sighs as he carefully leans his back against the wall of the elevator, hands once more tucked under his arms and head forward to prevent issues of his head touching something.

"I don't. All but my phone I left at the booth with Angelique. She had afternoon shift."

[portolan]

"Am I taking you there, or do you want me to leave you in a seat in the lobby and go get them for you?"

[helpdesk_hero]

"I need you to get them. I don't have it in me to override an electronic lock right now," he answered. And he didn't know Balthier had picks on him.

[portolan]

"I can also force it manually," Balthier offers. "I can retrieve your things after and bring them to you."

Because the more he siphons off David, the more he's concerned at how deep this is. Especially because he's going to hit his limit on that soon.

[helpdesk_hero]

David went to serious depths since the last world to hide just how bad his defenses being shattered left him. That he would continue to hide it now, disguise the depths of his tolerance for pain, shouldn't be too surprising to himself.

He should be lectured later. But hey, he was standing a little straighter.

"That sounds best. Thank you."

[portolan]

That lecture will come. Especially as Balthier understands his power better, and through it just how much David is insisting on carrying alone. He's happy David is accepting help today at all.

The elevator gets to the ground floor and Balthier takes his arm again, carefully pulling them around the busier parts of the floor and toward the doors.

"Promise me you'll ask if there's anything I can bring to make your more comfortable. Or order for you." Not having to make decisions when he's sick is one of Balthier's most cherished forms of affection.

[helpdesk_hero]

"I hadn't thought much beyond buying brand new swim trunks and floating in the hotel pool for a few hours."

Which he supposed he would get to do because of other guests.

[portolan]

"Give me your size and I'll get them while I get your other things."

Does he want to go dig through a store for an item he's not particularly familiar with while he feels like this? No. Does he even consider not insisting he do it? Also no.

He does break from pulling David's headache to throw off just a smidge of his own before he wears out. And a little more than he means to slips, indicating he should stop soon lest he risk transferring all of David's headache.

[helpdesk_hero]

"Not only will the pool be too crowded, love, but I doubt the stores are selling swimwear yet. Please don't worry," he insists.

"And you can stop now. Things aren't spinning so much."

[portolan]

"You know, in the desert swimming is year round. I hadn't even considered there are seasons for it here."

He's navigating them down the street to the crosswalk now, careful of any groups. "You don't get to tell me not to worry, though. You already told me I get to love you; that's part of it."

He wavers on whether or not to stop, though. He doesn't trust David's judgement on this, but he is more stable on his feet.

"I'll compromise. I am very close to being unable to keep going. Let me exhaust that and I will stop. And I promise I am being conservative in my estimates; I am not pushing." Not today. That wouldn't help anything.

[helpdesk_hero]

"I didn't tell you not to worry. I asked you not to worry about buying me something," he says.

Was this the time for semantics? It was always the time for semantics.

"Better deal: you can take care of me better if you aren't hurting with my pain. Spend the power clearing your own suffering?"

[portolan]

That gets a grin from Balthier, because it does mean David is feeling a little better.

"I stand corrected. A rare feat. And I already have, my moon, enough that I needed. But I like that you asked. I'll split the remainder and make us both a little unhappy with my decision."

They step into the lobby and he ducks aside to focus. It's only a few more each, but while he's still bone tired, he doesn't feel quite so much like the air is pressing around him. "What floor?" he asks as they resume toward the elevator.

[helpdesk_hero]

IF David isn’t quibbling he either is trying to protect someone he loves, or he’s very, very unwell. At least Balthier already knows that about him. It’s easier that way.

“You could sit corrected if you prefer,” he offers with a smile. “But yes, we’ll both be unhappy, but it will be fair. Thank you.”

He’s moving a bit better, so he can probably make the elevator on his own at this rare. Even if he just wants to stay at Balthier’s side.

“The tenth. Room fifteen. And is it pathetic that I’m half considering asking them to send up a full trash bag so I can strip down and just sit on that until my strength is back?”

[portolan]

"I will leave the moment you ask me to, but I'd much prefer to sit with you. Well, maybe near you today," Balthier agrees. And sitting sounds divine.

If David pulls away from his hold, the only thing that will keep Balthier from taking his arm again would be fear of brushing skin. He calls the elevator once more.

"I would be more judgmental of you forgoing an action that would lessen your suffering. And if I get to enjoy the view, well, boyfriend's privileges."

[helpdesk_hero]

“Why would I ask you to go?”

It seemed an impossible thing to fathom actually. Something Balthier’s mind didn’t want to touch.

“Boyfriend’s privileges indeed. Though I don’t imagine it will be an entertaining view. Still, I think I need to redouble my efforts to create a power suppressor for myself, for when I’m this vulnerable.”

Granted it would mean he also couldn’t pull on his projections to defend himself, but he didn’t know with how he felt that he’d be able to hold the necessary attention to keep them.

[portolan]

He gives David a yeah now that you said it is's stupid grin.

"Because I have a habit of wanting to retreat alone to a corner when I am miserable, even if I would vastly prefer you follow me. I will absolutely stay."

They're in the elevator, and it's blessedly quiet again. He must be more tired than he thinks, if he's this happy for decreased sensory input.

"I think that's wise," Balthier agrees. He didn't know that was an option. That would make things much better for David, and he can keep him safe enough while he recovers if they already have the time to hide away.

[helpdesk_hero]

It's a very good grin, and conveys so much. Damn but he loved this man.

"I guess we're both like that. Distance when we're hurt. It's probably an instinct. But since I now know you'd prefer followed, I'll log that in my mind."

Truthfully, were his powers not so beyond him to truly control at all times, David would not consider it. He feared that, being without his powers. For him it's whole senses he's cut off from.

David's powers are so often my synaesthesia lmao

[portolan]

It's probably good David know that. Because Balthier won't be able to ask when he's that upset.

The elevator reaches the desired floor and Balthier guides his love down it. This is becoming a habit of theirs, one having to lead the other when they are less than themselves. Once he would have hated that kind of dependence, but now it's warm and comfortable. Safe.

He reaches the desired door and finally removes his hold. He glances around, then gets to work picking the lock. Different from home, but not wildly, and he has experience with thousands of years of lock technology -- magical and otherwise -- to draw on.