Log:Harbinger's Arrival, Scene 1

Harbinger's Arrival 2017/09/08 	 Harbinger Zero Bullet Eve Jet Mechanica Yamin

1

North of the industrial park urbanized Colonial Bay comes to a stop. Here are roads winding through countryside, complete with a couple of farms, though human habitation is scarce. One road, however, though as rural and as winding as the others, is better made up and more travelled: Hero Lane itself. It twists under shady oak and laurel trees, leading up a small hill to a domed building with golden double door bearing a large red P - decades ago home to the Protectors, Colonial Bay's first organized superhero team, and now a superhero museum.

A MagLev line leads cross-country from the industrial park to the Hall of Heroes, then turns sharply to head for the arena and Transport Nexus.

Why is Bullet in the area? Well, she loves this place. Hell, she shows up in costume now and then and volunteers to give tours of the Hall of Heroes. She's memorized so many of the names and backgrounds of the heroes inside. She's gotten her supertech holo-disguise that just alters enough of her features to hide her identity from the general public without the need for a mask.

So it is that she's coming out of the Hall of Heroes, a sandwich from the museum snack bar in one hand and a bottle of lemonade in the other. She bounces her way down the stairs, her cape flouncing with her energetic, happy and enthusiastic movements.

Eve has gone on a long walk, to clear her head, get away from people and try to work out what the hell has happened to her. Her feet have taken her to Hero Lane, perhaps because it's quiet on the north fringes of the city, or perhaps because the Hall of Heroes is somehow a destination that feels right in her current confused state.

Zero isn't one for tourist traps like the Hall of Heroes, despite her feeling for who may be idolized inside. Still, she pays her respects as she rides by on her motorcycle.

She, Yamin & Mechanica were following up 'lead' in the industrial park that required steady hands, steel stomachs & a temperment preferring discression. These are things the all-female squad The Furies have in abundance. In fact, they're a woman short- but their PI is on another case at the moment.

You know what they say about many hands...

A new thread, leads the trio to the Hall of Heroes- which surprises Zero as she follows the hacked autocab MEchanica and Yamin are traveling in.

A meteor streaks across the sky, barely noticed by most, and those who bother to notice don't tend to pay it much heed, given the large number of metahumans in Colonial Bay. It isn't even detected by Starguard's early warning systems. The object flying at high speed crashes to the ground outside of the Hall of Heroes, on the otherwise sedate Hero Lane. The few tourists run for cover as debris flies through the air.

Eve heads the other way, not worried by a shower of debris. Unaware of any other heroes on the scene, she figures she'd best check it out!

Okay, flying heroes coming in for a landing aren't uncommon. Sure. But as Bullet notices that it's not slowing down... her perceptions speed up all of a sudden. And in the instant before it crashes to the ground, she is moving at high speed. She's flashing through the area and grabbing civilians to pull out of the way... a dozen or so of them moved before the impact... and then she skids to a stop by the impact crater. "Whoa!" she calls out. "Anyone out here hurt?!" Because, as fast as she is.. she couldn't get -everyone-...

The rooftops are the sidewalk super-highway to those so acrobatically-inclined, but there is nothing terribly inefficient about ground-level nor public transportation. Yamin lifts a hand to hail one of the numerous taxis in the vicinity when the sudden violent arrival of a non-terrestrial object interrupts.

It's another day for Jet, which means hes taking yet another flight above the city. He can't help but think there is something more productive to do with his powers. Thats why he is flying above this paticular city after all. Though there are sights to be seen elsewhere, diasters tend to happen here. As he flies by, a meteor comes down, clear as day. Some things are a lot easier to notice for someone in the air. As Jet sees it crash down at the Hall of Heroes, Jet comes down to take a closer look. I DID say that disasters tend to happen here...

The meteorite glows...somewhat ominously, as these things tend to do. Several of the civilians nearby start to take pictures of it, with statements like, "Wow...nearly hit us." "What is it?" "Think it might give me powers if I touch it?"

Rocky has accepted an invitation to join this location...

Rocky has arrived...

Eve says, "I wouldn't. Trust me, powers seldom work out like you hope!"

Eve of course sounds like the last person who would know about such things. Or most things, come to that.

With everyone else focusing on the impact.. Bullet surges up into the air. "Be careful what you wish for of course..." she mutters as she turns her eyes skyward and scans upward just in case more is coming.

Eve enters the crater to examine the meteorite more carefully. She's pretty sure that she's still pretty much immune to everything.

Mechanica decides a detour is in order. She redirects the autocab's GPS to turn towards Hero Lane and get her closer to the sudden meteor crash site.

Rocky looks up from repairing the sidewalk across the street as the meteor impacts outside the Hall of Heroes. It takes his a few minutes to process the event properly, wondering first if perhaps a gas main or water line had exploded. One he notices the vapor trail, he searches skyward, curiously, trowel still in hand and bespattered with wet concrete. After a few moments he looks back to earth, thoughtfully. "Well, at least there's never any shortage of repair work to be done, at least, in this city . . . " Rocky thinks to himself as he heads across the street toward the impact site.

A straight glowing crack forms in the 6 foot diameter meterorite, along the circumference...like someone was cutting it open.

Zero happens to be closing her eyes to get a 'feel' for what's happening inside of the autocab with the other members of her newly-formed crack squad of Bad *** Beauties. Instead of the information she was looking for- that being the status of what's happening in the car, instead she's given a semi-lucid view of the meteor passing overhead. SHe knows her compatriots will get there- so she ditches her bike in a n unused spot and then begins sprinting across the open space, leaping, and slinging herself over obstacles with her linegun.

Eve says, "Get back - it seems to be opening!"

Yamin make her way towards the impact crater. Upon hearing the one pondering abilities from contact, she begins to advise against doing so. Just in time for the 'meteorite' to begin to open. Her advice alters to a direct, "Move away from it!"

Eve for herself just stands facing the seam and braces for whatever might be coming out.

At the cry from Eve, Bullet notices the flying Jet up there but.. her head snaps down and her eyes lock on the glowing crack, "Oh sh**..." She shakes her head, "Everyone back away from it!" she calls out, about to do her superfast grab and run trick again.. but hesitating for just a moment.

Jet sees the crack open up in the general direction of him. "Oh. This could be bad." He repositions himself so he is at least 45 degrees from the direction of the crack, and a safe distance to boot.

The meteorite doesn't explode outward. Instead it falls into two halves, and what was inside...stands up. At full height, it's twelve feet tall, and carrying what looks like a halberd, made out of energy.

Harbinger(#2866TOn)

This being stands about twelve feet tall, and is wearing what looks like shimmering armor. At different angles it looks green or purple or chrome. Its helmet has flared sides and two glowing eyes emanate from within. The armor itself is mostly full of clean lines and doesn't have much ornamentation, though it looks vaguely reminiscent of medieval platemail. In its hands is what looks like a halberd formed of energy, sized appropriately for a twelve-foot-tall being.

Once the Autocab is in sight, Mechanica spools up her translocator. After another second, she blips out of the autocab and reappears by the crashed meteor. "Que es la...ohhhhh." The question turns into a sound of understanding.

Eve says brightly, "Hey there. How's it going? Come in peace, I hope?"

"Well, that's both awesomely cool, and ominous as all get out." mutters Bullet as she drifts down and sets her feet on the ground in front of the creature, "Do you speak Uh-Murkan?" she asks with a bit of a smirk.

"Oh." Jet was not expecting that, but at this point, Jet has no idea what to expect. He gets a bit closer to hear everything that is being said. He doesn't say anything though. Not yet.

Harbinger reaches out his hand, with the fingers splayed, as if it is decreeing something. It then speaks, though in a language that is unknown by most on Earth.

Zero arrives in time to see the halberd wielding meteor-riding giant stand to his full 12-feet. She swallows hard before taking account for what heroes she sees present.

Rocky sips his iced coffee and lifts his thermos in salute to the alien halberdier in a friendly gesture. "Yo 'dere! Alloo! And, Wel'come to Earth. How's youse doin' to-day? Had a nice flight, I hope. . . whereat is youse from at?" Rocky continues solicitously as he finishes making his way across the street, his large granite hands held up in a nonthreatening manner. (Unless it's scared of coffee?)

Shaking her head, Bullet shrugs, "Sorry. No Comprenday." she states, "No Hablo?" She looks about to the others and shrugs, "Beats the heck out of me what it's saying."

Harbinger tilts his head as he sees a lack of response from the beings around it. He tries again, this time in the language of the Guild.

Eve responds, "Pefi! Nga'ha!" Which is about all the Guild language she has, unfortunately. Still, a friendly greeting is better than nothing.

Eve thinks. o O (I hope I didn't mispronounce that and say teapot again.)

Harbinger tries again, this time in English. The translation is slightly mechanical sounding, and comes out slightly broken. "If you wish to live, you must evacuate. Flee. Doom is upon you. The planet will be ."

Eve says, "Uh-huh? Well this planet is often . What's this doom exactly?"

Yamin remains focus on the emerged individual, as many others likely are, but she does not attempt a greeting. Instead, she listens. However, nothing makes sense to her until the final, likely artificially translated, words. These certainly grab her attention. "A threat to the entire planet? When? What form?" She knows that evacuation is an unfeasible option in most any case.

Harbinger waves his hand and a disc of energy forms under his feet, and he rises in the air about a meter. He turns to Yamin, "I am the Harbinger. I foretell of its arrival. It will the planet."

"Doom?" Zero says, "Ominous is right." She says looking up to Bullet before asking, "So are you the Doombringer?" She puts her hands on her hips and walks forward to stand opposite both Yamin and Mechanica so both are within her sights. In her mind, she's trying to put Bullet's 'strengths' to good use with her and Yamin's fighting style as well as Mechanica's dramatic flair.

"Oh yup... he's the Doombringer" She says as he takes to the air.

Eve says, "Ok. What's 'it'? And can you say what's it's going to do in words of one syllable or less?"

Shaking her head as she lifts off the ground, hovering in front of the thing's face. Maybe ten feet before it. "No can do Muchacho. Occupado. Y'know?" She gestures about at the people near her, "Nine billion people kinda trump any -one- unnamable dude coming to try to give an eviction notice."

Eve thinks. o O (I get the feeling I'm not being taken seriously. Again. This is getting seriously annoying.)

Rocky looks inside the meteorite, to see if there is anything else in there. Space Rocks! His professional curiosity is evoked. Rocky examines all possible surfaces of the meteorite while the others negotiate for the survival of the planet. As best as Rocky can read the situation (and yes, he -can- read, and write too! thank you for asking). . . this fellow isn't really here to negotiate. Whether the Harbinger does anything useful to avert Extraplanetary Dooms, or just runs around like Chicken Little shouting about the sky falling will no doubt become clear forthwith.

Mechanica slips over to Zero at the warning. "Well, this sounds pretty bad. I've never tried stealing a -spaceship- before, but I could probably do it," Mechanica suggests to Zero. The deadpan plotting nature of her voice sounds serious, but Zero knows Mechanica well enough to realized she's joking. "I just couldn't fly the thing. Ohhh, but good news...Starguard has some handsome pilots for us to kidnap into indentured service."

The Harbinger touches a button on its gauntlet, and it says again, "Evacuate if you wish to live. Your planet will be consumed for its essence. I am the Harbinger, and I must foretell of our master's arrival to those who will listen."

Eve knocks on the Harbingers leg. "Hello, yes? We're *listening*. What we want is more detail."

Folding her arms under her bustline, Bullet lifts both brows, "You evacuate. Go tell your boss that he's not invited. That he doesn't get to come here. Tell him that if he -does- try to us... he's gonna get  in his ." She nods her head, "We've got plenty of metahumans. Starguard.. and you know..." she inclines her head, "You wanna do that to the whole world, I bet we have some prisoners in the super duper max who'd love to  someone too."

"Your master's arrival is not welcome if destruction is the intent," Yamin offers a more ...formal response to Harbinger. "Any attempts at consumption would meet with significant resistance. Perhaps you should convey this, so that your master can reconsider the choice."

Rocky nods as clarity emerges. He drains his coffee. There is a noise. A noise . . . as if 7 pounds of popcorn had just exploded a microwave oven. Rocky finishes cracking his knuckles, and the large, round, dusty man with a couple of craggy, rocklike features suddenly and crunchily becomes a large, round, dirty rock with a couple of man-like features. Oh my! It's a Rock Troll !! Rocky isn't sure how much time they are being given before "The Arrival of The Master" but at least they now know that an ultimatum is on the table.

Hearing every word, Jet continues to hover, remaining still and silent. Though there seems to a be a good chance the rest of the world hasn't heard of Harbinger's warning. Either way, its probably better if they hear. This Harbinger is an obvious meta. If its a serious threat, its better of to have the rest of the world help fight it off. If its an even more serious threat, the rest of the world has to be able to evacuate. He doesn't say a word though. What if this Harbinger is just a lunatic? What if someone else mentions something useful? Too many unknowns. (crap, this pose took a lot of time, let me catch up and roll danger)

Jet hastily moves out of the way so he is nowhere near above Harbinger. The movement appears quite sudden, as he has been still the whole time.

"Everyone get back! NOW!" Zero says as her ESP is triggered by impending danger to her immediate person.

Rocky shouts!: "Ev'ry one GET A'WAY from that Space-Dude! Run!"

Harbinger raises his weapon and strikes the ground with it. A column of energy, a good twelve meters wide, extends downward into the ground....and upward, into space, like a gleaming pillar, with Harbinger at its center. The ground rumbles and shakes. Jet gets a brief glimpse of a symbol on top of the column before it passes him, but there's no telling what it means.

Eve doesn't back away.. Her concern is providing cover for anyone else. The closer, the more people she's shielding.

Zero isn't particularly strong or tough- well not compared to 75% of the heroes assembled here. She runs and throws herself tot eh ground at the last moment.

Mechanica quickly activates her quantum drive. She flickers and fades, becoming transparent like some digital ghost.

Seeing things coming, the Halberd lifts in slow motion, and then crashes into the ground. Bullet can already hear the sizzle, see the motes of energy gathering and she's in motion. No sense in staying there and getting hurt when she can get away. Her cape furls about her legs as she flies straight backwards... arms spread out to her sides... and then the blast strikes and her cape is blown back from her legs as she stops just at the edge of the column of energy. "Hey now. Careful there! You might hit someone!"

Rocky isn't going to DFC unless he's already been hurt real bad. Dodging is for people NOT made out of heavy, hard-to-move matter. Like rocks. ((Bring the pain, please.))

Mechanica almost vanishes within the column of light. She squints her eyes and tries to see if Zero and Yamin were able to get to safety in time.

Eve is blown clear free of the crater, but somehow lands on her feet some 10m distance, Her clothes, though, have been vaporised. Perhaps they're constituting that smoke that seems to be hiding non-PG-13 parts.

Harbinger can be seen inside the column, but only barely as the cosmic energy swirls and streams in both directions.

Yamin instinctively brings arms up in front of her at the sudden column of energy that still leaves her blinking afterwards. Her immediate concern is all of the mundane spectators and noncombatants, regardless of any future impending doom. Hopefully, the display of force will be more effective to clear bystanders than shouting the obvious. She rapidly returns her focus on the being that was (is?) within the maelstrom, to study it. A powerful being, it seems, but powerful is not omnipotent.

Zero looks from Mechanica and Yamin, hoping one of them has a plan. Punching is clearly not an option for this fight and besides kicking, that's her skill set under world-ending duress.

Eve shouts. "OK. You can doom clothes at least. That was uncalled for!"

Harbinger continues to channel energy into the column, and it continues to grow. It's already visible from space, perhaps even from Tranquility, on the moon.

Head whipping left then right, Bullet is in full on thinking and moving faster than most brains can react. She flickers and vanishes before skidding to a stop next to a large panel truck (or something else large and appropriate.) She checks to make sure it's empty, but she seems to recall it being that way earlier. But her hands reach down for the framework of the truck and she grunts as she hefts it with a flexing of her muscles. Then.. almost seeming like it was impossible, she lifts into the air and starts climbing... her plan is to wind up this phase and next phase... accelerate the thing to -her- full speed before launching it at the creature.

Eve really wishes she knew what happened to her staff - as it is, she doubts she can even get Harbinger's attention. Well, unless it likes naked girls. So instead she stands ready to pounce and be a human shield, if necessary.

Zero sees a familiar wrinkle in Yamin's keffiyeh, so Zero reaches out and touches her mind with a loose telepathic connection useful only for conversation. Its time for The Furies to collaborate and coordinate!

Zero thinks to Yamin, .o0(You look like you have a plan- what is it? I'll tell Mechanica- then we can strike, together.)

Mechanica sprints out of the blast area as fast as she can to put some distance between her and the torrent of energy. Once far enough outside, she skids to a halt and spins along the ground to face back to the Harbinger.

She rapidly taps along her left forearm as a holo-keyboard appears above it. "That stuff is dangerous. Is that a beacon or something?" She asks mostly to herself as she activates her tech scanner.

Yamin moves nearer to this Harbinger and its energy column, though remains outside of the latter. It's painfully obvious that this entity is powerful, which brings even more concerns regarding its 'master.' She studies Harbinger and the column from her position, attempting to gain some insight before taking any direct action.

Jet says, "Jet hovers upwards, obviously not wanting to get hit by any attack that Harbinger might have. then he shoots a tornado into the center of the base of it, where he sees Harbinger (or the last known location if he can't) Jet figures that the massive energy beam might be a safe spot for Harbinger, so it might be a good idea to try to force him out of it."

The tornado starts up...and Harbinger doesn't seem to notice, still focused on its task.

Rocky pulls the energy weapon out of Harbinger's hand. It becomes clear as soon as it clears the column of energy that it's not...really a physical object. It starts to dissipate in Rocky's hand. But then again...so does the column of energy. Harbinger looks up angrily at Rocky.

Zero does as told by Yamin, and watches as the more powerful heroes engage- looking for a weakness to exploit.

(Huh- good call. The column is breaking apart.) She thinks to Yamin

Eve dashes between Harbinger and Rocky, ready to take anything that might be coming his way. "Hey there! Remember me? Let's stop this fighting and talk it out...."

The energy column drops a moment later, leaving a hole down beneath the glowing disc that Harbinger is standing on. It goes down...quite a ways.

Harbinger's disc glides forward toward Rocky, and past Eve. The energy weapon forms in his hand again as he approaches....and then he takes a swing at Rocky with it.

Rocky looks at his hand, watching the halberd disintegrate. "Hmmmm..." he wonders, but then his face brightens when he sees the Earth-doomer column go poof. His face darkens when he sees the Harbinger's anger.

Harbinger swings through, striking Eve who gets in the way. He declares, "Your doom is upon you, Terrans!"

Eve lands on her feet again. "Yeah yeah. Heard you the first time. Why don't you go doom some other planet? Neptune's nice and bog and no one would miss it much."

Glancing at the truck in her arms, and then down at the figure in the energy column, Bullet nods to herself. She starts moving towards Harbinger, picking up speed QUICKLY. Her cape rustles behind her as she flies straight for Harbinger. She's giving this everything she has... her legs pushing against the ground with every ounce of strength she can muster, and her arms over her head, holding the bottom of the truck's frame as she is trying to turn the thing into a giant Krispy Kreme Battering Ram. There's gonna be Boston Creme -everywhere-!

In fact, she and the truck charge into where the energy field was, her voice rising in a battle cry that is almost a kiai and an exultant yell of sheer effort. Giving until it hurts. This is a pain that is going to linger... "Truck You!" she calls out as she impacts, the truck virtually exploding on impact. In fact, there -is- a Michael Bay explosion, and Bullet comes flying back away from the impact... bouncing once, twice... and lying still.

Harbinger is knocked back only about six meters...and the disc zips underneath him before he falls to the ground. He gets back to his feet, bruised but unbroken.

Eve says, "Or, you know, you could run back to your boss at tell him that the first Earthlings you met could beat you up. So, if he comes here he's likely to be doomed!"

Rocky -isn't- a Terran. And he -doesn't- want the Terrans to be doomed either. And digging holes is -his- job, not Mr. Spacey Tin Can's job. And rupturing a planet's core is very -very- rude, especially when it's not even -your- planet. Sheesh! Rocky marches over to give the Harbinger a piece of his mind. As any given piece of Rocky's mind is quite liable to be dense, thick, and ponderous, the big H had probably better watch out. . . Rocky tries to knock the Harbinger off or through his floating disk and "bring him down-to-Earth" just a tad. Since the halberd evaporated when it hit Rocky's rocky hand, maybe Mr. Big will evaporate if Mother Earth can smack him a good one. Teach him somemanners, maybe!

and Zero

Rocky grabs the Harbinger, and, instead of squeezing him like usual, more or less just mushes his face into the dirt.

Harbinger gets grabbed and pulled toward the ground, and slammed into it.

Eve figures she'll keep with the plan, and act as meat shield for Rocky or whoever else gets attacked. She moves accordingly.

Rocky smushes Harbinger's face into the ground, giving him a personal introduction to Mother Earth. "You caighn't bring yer doom 'pon my Ma, no sir. Not iffen I's gots anything to say 'bout it!"

Mechanica stares at the downed behemoth. She supposes the other Furies aren't interested in a tactical retreat to a nice tropical planet. She lets out a rattling sigh at the missed opportunity as she finishes trying to analyze the Harbinger. She drops her left forearm, the holo-keyboard shutting off, and raising her right arm. A laser port pops up from the top of her bracer. The back of the barrel begins to glow magenta before a stun beam fires off at Harbinger.

Harbinger does react to Mechanica's strike...but not anywhere near as much as expected. He likely is at least partially resistant. He grunts as he's hit, though that's the limit of his reaction.

Jet says, "Jet moves diagonally around Harbinger, so that he is on the opposite side of the tornado. The energy is noticably emanating from his body. Then he... waits. "