DreamLyrics™ Play-by-Post Forums Alternate Reality PHX: Phoenix Reform Academy Natus sub tenebris stella - Ben

Ben was ‘home alone’ again. This was often, in fact, the case. His parents didn’t take him along when they did ‘their thing’. He wasn’t ready yet. Wouldn’t be reliable. Wouldn’t act with conviction. They did leave him an ‘assignment’ however. Research on the various ‘Hero’s’ and their strengths and weaknesses. Not his favorite subject.

The tv drones in the background, a local newscast ...

Ben

He sat in the study with his feet up on the edge of the coffee table, a file in hand. Several others were scatteted about on the couch, each containing information on one of the so-called 'heroes' of the city. His dad expected him to have this information learned by the time that they got home. It was not a good thing to disappoint his father!

The television droned on, the constant background noise of American youth!

The drone changes slightly.

“Dramatic turn of events, as some sort of fight has broken out at the Santech Research labs, Ironside and ... Lady Grey? Haven’t seen her in action in a long while. From witness reports it seems Dark Star may be present as well as his partner in crime ...”

By sheer coincidence, he has just been looking through Lady Grey’s ‘file’.

Ben

The words caught his attention, causing him to forget the folder in his hands as the newcast continued on. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees as he watched the screen.

He sees, then, from a distant camera lens, his mother, teleporting outside ... and then teleporting agin, seemingly confused, directly into the face of the waiting Golem. And in one swift motion she crumples, like a doll with its strings cut.

Another figure stands nearby, looking intently on the scene, but not seemingly acting.

Ben

His eyes flare open wide and he leans in toward the television.

"No! Mom!" he exclaimed, fear for her safety evident on his face.

The figure leans down, evidently checking her pulse, then rises, nods and turns.

Just in time for the figure of his consumed father to come hurtling out of the building himself. The strange figure of Golem starts bulking at the knees. And then ...

Dark Star starts looking around wildly, confused, concentrating on something which doesn’t seem to exist. Golem straightens, stands up.

The lone figure still stands at a distance, unmoving.

The reporters are silent, for the moment letting the riveting footage stand for itself. How often do you get a direct live shot of a ‘supers contest’ at such close range.

Ben

He is on his feet now, folder falling to the floor where the pages scatter like leaves from a tree.

Eyes watch with disbelief until his father appears and he lets out a shout.

"Get them father!" he said. His father was one of the most powerful people ever. There was no way that they could stand against.....

"What? No.....what are you.....dad......" he says, heart pounding in his chest.

The Lady standing to the side moves in closer, and she raises a hand as if channeling something through it ... and he slumps.

Moments later an alarm goes off right behind Ben. The one that had been set to go off at the house if they ever both went unconscious at the same time.

Ben

A cold pit forms in his stomach as the strongest person he knew folds like a house of cards, Ben's jaw dropping for a few seconds until he is snapped out of his shock by the loud alarm.

It took a few more seconds for reality to sink in but then trained reflexes kicked in and the seventeen year old moved for the hallway where he waved a hand and pulled up the wood encased steel door of the hidden room. Inside was a communications station, arms locker and three backpacks hanging from hooks on the wall. Another door opens to a tunnel that leads down and out.

Ben grabs the go bag that his parents had prepared for him and left the family home.

The tunnel was eerily quiet and has a harsh white lighting, and the clang when the emergency door close behind him sounded like a trap closing. The trip down the tunnel alone with his thoughts seemed to take forever. But finally he found himself deposited in a wooded area by the lake. The light of the full moon filtered in through the trees, and a cold breeze blew through the air. There was a hanging thickness to the atmosphere that perhaps bespoke oncoming rain.

He was well and truly alone.

Ben

The cold breeze had goose bumps rising on his arms as he started to move through the trees, heading northwest away from the house toward a nature preserve. They had a car stored in a garage about five miles from here. He just needed to get to that, then make his way to the safehouse and figure out a way to get his parents free.

It is a long hike alone with himself, and then a long drive, but he finds himself at the ‘bunker’ - and a well equipped one it is, tools, grappling hooks, everything one could need. A secure database, a satellite uplink, and a note.

“Well Ben, looks like you may be on your own now. We’ve given you tools. Go out an make your mark. The world is yours for the plucking. Take it. Squeeze. Bring it to its knees. You are better Than them. Make sure they know it.“

The an Erie quit and time to think. Or perhaps plan?

Ben

He had never thought that this day would come, sitting here in the cool bunker that his dad had built. They had joked about it being their 'doomsday' home. A place to come if the idiots that ran the government ever actually were stupid enough to push the button. But once he had found out his parents secret identities and activities the bunker had made a lot more sense. This was the place where they could regroup if things ever went wrong.

But Ben, like so many kids, had thought his parents were paranoid. With their powers there was no way that they could ever be beaten. His dad was one of the most powerful supers around and with mom's fast escape ability...how? Who had that Lady Grey been? He didn't remember her in any of the files that his dad had had him look at. Was she someone new? Or perhaps someone very old. No longer in the game. That kind of made more sense given that she was hanging out with that rusted piece of steel Ironside who had been around since the Jurasic period or something!

Now here he was sitting in the bunker with the piece of paper in his hands. He looked it over again, taking in the words. They were telling him to forget them. To take what was here and go take the world for himself. To forge his own destiny.

"Well yeah, not like I haven't dreamed about getting out on my own. Out of dad's shadow." he muttered, looking around at everything they had provided.

And if it had just been his dad then maybe he could do that. Take his mom and go start somewhere else. But they had mom. He couldn't leave her! She might not be the best mother in the world but she was all that he had.

"Shit...."

He got up and headed over to the database to figure out what information he had to work with. To figure out where they would have them and how to get them back...at least mom...

What he found out is that they would no doubt eventually end up in the Black Hole. Inexperience as he was, he knew that once they were there, they were beyond his grasp. Before that, however, they would be at court. A preliminary session before their appearance before, most likely, Eidolon. He would have a short window, between when they were transferred to the court and then again when they were being transferred back to prison. So perhaps two chances.

Maybe not large ones, but that was what was there. He figured he had maybe a matter of days at this point. After the initial public appearance all proceedings would be in the Black hole, where powers could be suppressed.

Ben

He poured over everything that he found and made some basic plans. They wouldn't be expecting another gravity user since they had dad in custody so tomorrow he would drive toward the courthouse and see what he could find there.

After a restless night's sleep, he showered and dressed in non-descript clothes and pulled a baseball cap low over his features before heading out to the car for the drive into the city for the main courthouse.

The court building was imposing and fairly standard as these things went. The structure itself was relatively new, as it had been constructed with the sorts of defendants that would be in it in mind. There were, of course, a good number of security guards nearby, and at least one he was pretty sure was a super - although he could not identify the one. If he got things right, he should at least be here before their arrival ...

Ben

He parked the car two blocks away in a lot, taking the time stamped ticket from the man in the little booth. Ben pulled his hat down a bit more and shouldered his backpack loaded with several flash bangs, wire cutters and two changes of clothes.

Ben slung his leg over the chair of the outdoor cafe across from the courthouse, ordering a coffee and settled in for his watch. He wasn't sure which of the guards over there was powered but he knew at least one of the was. He breathed deeply, mentally preparing himself for the fight that was to come.

He wasn’t sure, and it was probably paranoia. But he almost felt like someone was watching him. Following him. Stalking him, a distinctly odd feeling.

Ben

He sipped his coffee, ordering a bagel with cream cheese to buy more time without raising any suspicion of loitering.

But that didn't help the prickling of the short hairs on the back of his neck. He stretched his neck, glancing around as if getting rid of a cramp and looked to see if anyone looked away suddenly.

A rather unassuming man is sitting in a car eating a bagel himself. And a woman is sitting with him.

Ben

He averts his eyes from the people in the car, continuing to look around as if he is just out enjoying the morning coffee and people watching.

Could they be cops, keeping an eye out? Makes sense. His parents are big time and he wouldn't be surprised if they don't have snipers around too.

He adjusted his plans for his snatch and grab, waiting....

(Since the images didn’t come through its Mariel and Eric the power nullifier from the staff thread.)

OOC: Okay. Waiting on your action post unless Ben recognizes them from files

(Mariel might almost look vaguely familiar, but then again he can’t put his finger on it. The guy not at all) he sees multiple cars pulling in. It looks like what he was waiting for.