PART ONE: LEGEND HAS IT

You then decided to name your MeChip...

"Anything to say today, Kodlak?" It was another reference to Bethesda. Shiloh was certainly a big nerd in regards to videogames.

Jade had named his butler Jeeves, the thought of having his old friend along for another journey comforting him. "And...?"

All MeChip functions are connected directly to your senses, so only you can see your MeChip floating in front of you.

Jade

"Ticket paid for, sir. Two dollars deducted from your account. And might I say, you are looking as stylish as ever. Coffee will be served in an hour at your place, as requested." MeChip Jeeves says inside your head, with a slight British accent. He disappears, and you were rather looking forward to the idea of having delectable coffee to wake you up and get you energized today.

Shiloh

"Your ticket is paid for, young master. Two dollars have been deducte from your account, but you can earn them back just as easily. I can see the fire in your eyes, young one, you will find the Legend status that you crave." The Nord says, giving a valorous nod before fading away, unseen and unheard by anyone except you.


Both

Waiting on the platform, you spot an old-fashioned newsstand and decide to reward your flying-restraint with a gossip MeZine. Usually you try to get your hero news from more credible sources, but you secretly love the trashy magazines.

So you skim the screen that runs across the newsstand, looking over the digital covers displayed. You then wave your MeChip, aiming to purchase…


Hero People ($3)

The Dirt Rag ($1)

Capes and Cowls ($5)

Under the Uniform ($10)

Shiloh briefly hovers over "Under the Uniform", but then he remembers his friend right beside him. The mere thought of purchasing -that- magazine beside Jade makes him shiver and feel disgusted with himself. Quickly shifting, he lands on "Capes and Cowls", shrugs, and makes his transaction.

Jade waves his hand over "Under the Uniform", purchasing it and completing the transaction. He wouldn't read it in front of his friend, however, so he purchased another magazine to pass the time; "Hero People".

Shiloh

Capes and Cowls is the premier hero-fashion MeZine, currently featuring a special on recent trends in hero bootwear. Of course, Heela is on the cover, modeling ankle boots that show off her sinewy mega-calves.

Jade

That was an easy choice, since your favorite hero, Rebellion, is on the cover. He's been the leader of MC's premier Powered team, The Millennial Group, for years.

In this issue of Hero People, Rebellion is giving an interview on the Group's latest roster change.

Jade covers his mouth with his hands, trying so hard not to laugh. He had to do this, he had to.

"...into fat girls, huh?"

"I needed something to read on the way back." Shiloh looks at Jade with indigence. "I don't want to look at your ugly mug all the way back."

"Oooooh, low blow you bastard." He laughs, "But seriously? Hero fashion?

"I just want to see if there's anything else for inspiration for my costume." Shiloh musters up a shrug as he walks, looking back at the sidewalk to ensure he doesn't run into anyone. "I mean my costume right now is great, considering the time I put into it, but...you know, just make sure it reflects me."

It was well-known that Jade didn't put too much time in to his outfit. "If it keeps you safe, I don't see the problem here. Although, that might be because I have a much, much better taste in design then you."

"Ah huh. Even though you've said over and over you didn't design your costume beyond the first draft?" Shiloh could only roll his eyes as he moved along.

Jade warily looks from left to right, scratching the back of his head. "Well...well....damn it."

Both

You finally emerge from the Metro-Way in your neighborhood: MC's Eastern Fringes, which consists mostly of public housing projects, pawnshops, and liquor marts. Despite its lack of charm, the Fringes are still home, so you start to relax as you approach your apartment building.

A loud crunch of glass snaps your senses to attention. Half a block up you spot a body that has been thrown through the windshield of a car. A teenage boy with writhing snakes coiled around his outstretched arms stands on the sidewalk nearby.

Before you can even blink, the body in the windshield leaps into the sky. It's another teenage boy whose woolly knees bend backward, like a goat's.

Shiloh

Slugger, you curse to yourself—another animal gang fight. The Eastern Fringes are home to a large portion of the animalistic Powered population, widely known to have the most inter-species tension. There's an especially fierce feud between two local Ani-gangs, The Cloven and The Scales.

Both

As goat-boy bounds through the air, snake-boy reacts. His arm-snakes surge forward, straightening their impossibly long bodies and clamping on to goat-boy's thighs with their teeth. Snake-boy then whips his arms back, using the snakes as levers to smash goat-boy into the pavement.

Knowing goat-boy won't be able to survive much more snake-thrashing, you run toward the scene and…

Jump into the fray, striking hard and fast. Shiloh

Hang back and contain the situation from a distance. Jade

Commit your attacks together, as a team. Shiloh and Jade

"Jade!" Shiloh pointed ahead at the pair and made a motion with his hands - putting them together before pulling them away. It was a simple command, developed from years of secretly putting simple fights like these down.

"Got it, bro!" Jade reached out with his hands, visualizing an energy wall between the two Ani-gang members.

YOU HAVE ENTERED A FIGHT

Jade - Combat

Palms facing outward, you concentrate on activating your energy Powers. You feel a familiar pressure build up in your forearms and visualize a wall between the teens.

With one push, a burst of energy erupts between the fighters, crackling through the arm-snakes. Snake-boy screams, releasing his grip on goat-boy.

Power: 95
Health: 100

Goat-boy breaks the energy shield with his cloven hooves, getting up and jumping in the sky using his strength, aiming to land on Jade to take him out in one blow...

This attack has opened up a small window for Shiloh to use his telekinetic powers to eliminate Goat-boy from the playing field.

Snake-boy flees!

Shiloh rolls his shoulders and concentrates on goat-boy, reaching out with a hand. Unfortunately, he miscalculates - or simply loses control - and throws all the pressure in his arm into the goat-boy. It sends him flying, and Shiloh tenses as the boy hits the ground.

Shiloh - Combat

Goat-boy flew in the distance, hitting the ground with a violent 'squelch'. Seeing the limp body in the distance, you can't help but shudder. Who would have wanted to continue fighting?

COMBAT HAS ENDED. YOU ARE ALIVE.

"Damn!" Jade says, looking at Shiloh, "What was up with that? Did your Powers have some sort of problem?"

Shiloh doesn't respond, already running straight for the downed goat-boy. The thumping of his heart overcame every other sound around him. His fingers rested themselves on the boys neck, and Shiloh shook with relief at the weak yet still there pulse. He brings his hand up, running it through his hair before shaking his head.

He focused his eyes on both of his palms now. It had begun to happen far more frequently lately. Grandma dismissed it, but here he almost killed a boy. Almost.

Jade ran over, checking goat-boys pulse. With relief, he puts a soothing hand on Shiloh's shoulder. "It's going to be okay."

Both


Your only goal here was to stop the teens from killing each other, since getting involved is technically an illegal act of vigilantism. Nobody ended up dead, and that is ideal.

Before any Powered individual can start a career as a professional hero, he or she must apply for a Powered Hero License. To lessen the number of applicants, the DRPR makes the process rather lengthy and expensive.

Shiloh

You've completed all the paperwork and passed the Power competency tests, but you've been saving up for a while to pay the hefty application fee.

Both

So, with goat-boy neutralized and snake-boy gone, it's time to leave before you get into any unnecessary trouble.

"They were at it for almost five minutes and no one did a thing."

You turn around to find a mother and her young daughter standing on the sidewalk, both looking relieved. The mother presses a tissue to the little girl's forehead, against a small cut.

"They were blocking the door to our building," the mother says. "We tried to run inside but got hit with some debris. These Ani-gang fights have been getting so much worse lately…Anyway, who do I have to thank for stopping them?"


Tell her who you are—the neighborhood needs to know you're watching over them, license or no license.

Stay anonymous—you don't do good deeds like this for the attention, especially since it's not even legal.

Shiloh looks between the two, running his hand through his hair again for a moment. Making his decision, he merely offers up a smile before turning and walking off. "Call 911! He's going to need medical attention."