Stand Alone 8

Sapphire sat up and yawned. “I feel like crap,” she declared to the empty chamber. She stood up and stretched before walking to the wall and requested water from the food-generating device attached to it. Soon there was a knock on the door, and it slid open silently. A young female alien entered and bowed before her.

“I am called Zoe. and I have been sent by the Archivist to assist you with anything you may need this evening.”

“Evening? I was only asleep a few hours.”

“Incorrect. You were asleep almost one whole day by your Earth standards.”

“Well shit, that kind of screws up my plans then. I was only planning on being here for a few days before getting back home and trying to deal with this Coming Darkness thing.” Sapphire sat back down on the edge of the bed and held her head in her hands.

“You came to us in search of Knowledge, and that knowledge tends to add more questions. Perhaps you are looking at the problem in the wrong way?” Zoe had moved across the room silently and was standing to the side of Black Sapphire now.

“When I was still on Earth with the Dark Avenger, and before Zero happened, I had access to his database. And the files written by the heroes involved in all the cases he handled with the WMD and the IED and his other various alliances like the Raven Institute and the Family. I thought they were as complete as I could get before I discovered that you people existed. Now I have access to a font of the universe's knowledge and I don’t know the correct questions to ask it.”

“Correct. I was once taught by another of the Catalogers, one who became exiled. He is only referred to as the Nameless now. He told me two simple things. There’s always a Bigger Picture, and everyone has a boss.”

“So I should ask what the bigger picture is.”


Stand Alone 8 - V

We were the future of the world, this Earth.

The five of us made a pact to change things.

We were wrong.

*******

“Alright, let’s go around the room and introduce ourselves. I’ll start. My name is Richard Reader.” He tipped his cap and sat back down as the next member stood.

“Harold Prick.” Reader cocked an eyebrow. “Please don’t call me Harry,” he sat back down.

The next man stood up and cleared his throat before speaking. “Andrew Jessup, and that’s my sister Erica sitting in the corner. I have to watch out for her and she had no place to go tonight.” Reader nodded and continued to ignore the young woman. Andrew sat back down and looked to the next in line.

“Oswald Johnson.” He stood and returned to his seat quickly and looked to the final member of this group that Reader had brought together.

“Rex Ruthless.”

 Harold gasped. “Don’t you already have a company that you run?” he asked. Ruthless nodded. Harold quickly followed up. “Why do you even need to go to college?”

“Because while I am in the top one percent of the world’s most intelligent people, there are things that I still do not know. Also, it is my father’s company, and I am only technically the Vice President of it.” Harold frowned. “For now,” Ruthless finished. Harold leaned back, suddenly slightly scared. He shut his mouth and looked back to Reader.

“We five are the future. We have the highest GPA's and make up the most brain power in the entire school. Each of us has similar interests in science, astronomy, genetics and other various fringe sciences. I propose that we work together to make the world a better place.” 

Ruthless snorted. “I do not think that I will or can work well with others. I tend to be a brutal taskmaster when it comes to doling out assignments, and I expect them to be done my way.” Rex spoke honestly. 

Reader listened and nodded his assent. “I am the same way when it comes to my experiments.”

“I work with my sister when it comes to the things that... fascinate me,” Andrew added. “We make a great team.” 

Erica smirked from her chair. “Only when you get something right,” she muttered under her breath.

Richard Reader stood. “Any one of us can change things as an individual, but as a unit, we can change and progress the entire world along any path that we choose.”

TBC in Demonology 107

History 101 - Part 4

My name is Mercedes Whitman and I am a hero on a foreign world. Im the daughter of two heroes, and was trapped on this Earth during an Event that sealed the way back home forever. They call me Black Sapphire when I'm out patrolling the streets, and this is my Blog.

SATURDAY SUPER STORIES - HISTORY 101: Part 4 - "Proving Grounds"

"You don't know anything about me, creature!" Black Sapphire screamed Shrulk.

"I know enough, girl. I know you miss your mommy and daddy. I know you're weak. I know that tonight... YOU DIE!" Shrulk stomped the ground, and it cracked beneath it.

"I've already told you... I have a date tonight!" She concentrated and felt her muscle mass downshift, increasing in her legs. Her speed augmented and she lanced forward like a missile, her right hand forming a tight fist. She drove the attack into its sternum and drove the air from its lungs, her wrist screaming in protest. She managed not to cry out in pain.

Shrulk swung its left arm wildly and managed to hook her around the waist and toss her away. She spun in the air and turned her shoulder into the wall she was slamming into, her protective armor taking part of the impact. She cried out this time as her shoulder came loose from its socket.

"Sapphire, concentrate. I'm getting readings that your blood pressure is elevated, but still within range. You're not in danger of passing out yet. Pop the shoulder back in and finish this." Walters spoke calmly into the headset.

"Yessir." She regained her footing and turned, slamming the injured shoulder into the wall and crying out again as it snapped back into place.

"You okay over there girl?" Shrulk asked mockingly as it stalked towards her. "You have power inside of you... nothing like the Star Force that burns in so many of the heroes of this world... but similar... stronger... unique."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

It laughed. "We know you aren't from here. Our benefactor told us as much. A few stranglers remained after the Event... those who came through the Kaleidoscope Cascade before it was... sealed."

"You weren't there! You don't know what happened. SHE DIED TO SAVE US ALL!!" Sapphire screamed.

Shrulk shrugged. "It doesn't matter in the larger scheme of things. What happened, happened. What's done is done. I don't care. What I do care about is killing you, and moving on. The Star Force remnants that burn within me need to feed on the others, and grow stronger. It wants to whole! The Matrix demands this, and I obey."

"These larger than life jackasses always monologue. He/she is really going to try and kill you now. Finish it quickly. The police are on their way." Walters spoke quickly.

She flexed her hand and rolled her shoulder. "Okay, let's end this." Her muscles burned as she augmented her speed and strength in unison. The effect only lasted a moment but that's all she would need if her gambit was to pay off.

The first squad cars pulled up a few moments later, and found Shrulk unconscious, buried in the wreckage of a burning tow truck. It looked as if the thing had slammed into it from behind moving a few hundred miles an hour.

"No sign of that vigilante Black Sapphire, Commissioner."

The Commissioner nodded and went back to direct the scene. "We need to contact Column and get this thing locked back in the Spiral as soon as possible."

"Yes, ma'am." The officer ran off and started making calls.

Several blocks away Black Sapphire crawled into an alleyway, bleeding from several wounds, dragging her leg behind her. "Got the job done, but I'm pretty sure I ripped a few tendons when I swapped my momentum to the truck."

"It was smart hijacking the close circuit cameras to keep it in your line of sight."

"I'm glad you approve. No way I could take that thing in a straight up brawl. It's stronger than SuperDude, and stronger than the last time I fought it."

"It must have killed someone else with Star Force ability then... someone minor since we haven't reported anyone major missing lately."

"What I find odd is... since the Event, all of you guys, heroes and villains, have been retired and laying low. Why suddenly is someone this major-league acting up and drawing attention."

"That's a very good question and something we'll need to look into. Get back here as soon as you can." The comm line went dead. She sighed.

"Just another day then..."

END HISTORY 101

Next Issue: STAND-ALONE 1

History 101 - Part 3

My name is Mercedes Whitman and I am a hero on a foreign world. I'm the daughter of two heroes, and was trapped on this Earth during an Event that sealed the way back home forever. They call me Black Sapphire when I'm out patrolling the streets, and this is my Blog.

SATURDAY SUPER STORIES - HISTORY 101 Part 3: "Original Sin"

Their hands locked and the test of strength began, neither willing to give ground. Shrulk drove her back a step, sweat beading on her forehead. "Why don't you die?!"

"Can't... have...a...date...TONIGHT!" She twisted her left heel and pivoted, turning into the grapple and pulling, forcing a shift in their momentum which her power latched onto and increased. Shrulk lost its footing and flew half a block away, into a parked SUV.

"YES!!" She hopped a little.

"Don't get cocky." The voice growled into her ear-piece.

*******

Rex Ruthless smiled as Shrulk was unloaded from the Column special transport. He held out his hand and the creature shook it. "We haven't been introduced. I am Rex Ruthless, and I have facilitated your release."

"We know who you are Mr. Ruthless. What we don't know is why?" It responded.

"That's the easy part. Because I crave knowledge, and through that knowledge I can gain power. My dream is to someday rise above the wealthiest and most powerful people in the world... not that I am not already ridiculously rich and powerful. I wish to have a legacy that stretches far into the future, and to do that I must start here, in the present." The creature nodded its head. "So to begin that quest I have freed you and built you another lab. I call it ARC One, the Advanced Research Collective, the first of many such facilities that I hope to build all over the Earth. You have carte blanche to continue your research, and maybe someday you will find a cure for what ails you."

"What if we don't want to be cured?"

"That, of course, is up to you."

Shrulk nodded again.

"Allow me to leave you to your task." Rex turned and climbed in his limo and it drove off, leaving the Jessup's to their life as it was.

Months pass...

The last of the switches were hit and the system powered itself on. Various bits of machinery twisted and adjusted themselves as the perfect trajectory was plotted. Shrulk hit the last button. The machine pulsed and immediately the screens around the room lit up with data.

He/She looked over the readings and smiled. "This proves that Dr. Kirby was right, the Star Force is real. The Universe is evolving." Randall spoke quietly.

"At least the Stars are." Erica replied.

"These other readings prove that we have been imbued by a portion of one of these Star Forces, and also that there are more than a dozen readings scattered around the globe."

"This proves our theory on SuperDude."

"What we sensed has to be a Star Force."

"But not diluted like ours. Pure."

"He rarely leaves the confines of Megalopolis. I wonder why he engaged us back then?"

"Someday we will have to ask him."

"Does this mean I can track SuperDude?" Ruthless spoke from the observation platform. Shrulk looked back and up towards him.

"Not in the way you would like." Their voices in unison once again. "This only gives a general location. We would have to refine it, and that would take more time, funds and information. We would have to develop a new tool and scans of SuperDude would be needed as each of the Star Forces seem to vary in degree and strength. Personal readings." It nodded to itself. "We can get these for you. We have been waiting for another chance at... him."

"Make it so." Ruthless spun on his heel and exited." Shrulk went back to the computers and began to work.

More time passes...

The Jessup's looked down on the city and watched SuperDude as he patrolled the East Bank of the river. Their scanners had taken weeks to install and were all working perfectly, passively scanning him as he patrolled the city each day, each scan narrowing the power down.

The creatures arm pinged, and it looked down at the forearm scanner. 98% complete. Data was being mined and collated. "Another few passes and we will have the complete genetic code and power set of SuperDude."

"Really?" Shrulk jumped a bit. They turned and saw SuperDude standing behind them. "I would hate to burst your bubble, but the scans you have been taking are false positives."

"What?" Shrulk lifted its arm and watched as the counter pinged to 100%. PROFILE COMPLETE. SUBJECT SHRULK ALREADY ON FILE. "How?!"

"I have been using my super-speed redirect the scanners, faster than you can even blink. One of my associates gave me the hint that something was up."

Shrulk growled.

"But since you haven't actually committed any crimes yet, I can't take you back to the Spiral. But..." SuperDudes hand popped Shrulk in the chin and she/he went flying. "STAY OUT OF MY CITY!!" he shouted.

Elsewhere...

SCAN COMPLETE. 100% OF GENETIC DATA RECEIVED. Rex Ruthless smiled and steeples his hands together. "Excellent."

END PART 3

History 101 - Part 2

My name is Mercedes Whitman and I am a hero on a foreign world. I'm the daughter of two heroes, and was trapped on this Earth during an Event that sealed the way back home forever. They call me Black Sapphire when I'm out patrolling the streets, and this is my Blog.

SATURDAY SUPER STORIES - HISTORY 101 Part 2: “Cause and Effect”

Black Sapphire dodged under its outstretched hands and slammed her palm into the side of its knee. Shrulk growled above her and whirled around as she continued into a roll past it.

"Little Bitch!" it hissed, the voice more feminine this time. Black Sapphire smirked back at it.

"Been called worse."

*********

"My name is Hubert Davenport the Third. I have been bought and paid for by your benefactor Rex Ruthless, owner and CEO of Ruthless Unlimited." The man sat down and set his briefcase on the table.

"I did not ask for a lawyer." The creature mumbled. Its eyes strained to focus on the small man before it.

"Nonetheless I am here. As your legal counsel I have the ability to attempt to secure your release from the SPIRaL." The door to the room slammed open and an attractive blond woman stormed in. Her uniform was a stylized military getup and a crude patch covered a quarter of her face, deep scars running from one cheek and across her nose into her hairline.

"The Hell you are!" she growled.

"Ms. Chalm, you have no right to be here. This is a private conversation."

"Haven't heard the monster accept your proposal yet, so she/he ain't your client." She knelt down and got in the face of the lawyer. "That thing killed six civilians, and a cop. It isn't going anywhere as long as I have a say-so."

"Fortunately for me then, you do not. There was just an act passed in Congress that allows recently-created 'Augments' a pass, as it were, if sufficient ground can be made for state of mind after the augmentation. Shrulk here was obviously distressed after the accident and was heading for assistance when she/he was intercepted by 'SuperDude' and attacked and arrested."

"We'll see about that." She turned on her heel and stormed out. The door closed behind her. Hubert turned back to his client.

"I assume this means I'm hired?" he asked the creature. It nodded.

"What do you need from me? I know this isn't out of the kindness of Ruthless's heart."

"We need details on the experiment; everything up until the accident which created you. Everything on the Zeta Wave Project." It nodded. Davenport pulled out a cellphone and fired off a quick text. "Let's begin."

"My sister and I were following up on experiments performed by the late Dr. Kirby. He theorized that the universe was filled with life. Part of this life was contained in the stars."

"The stars?"

"Yes, the stars. His hypothesis claimed that since stars evolved and had life cycles, starting from birth as a Nebula, and moving through cycles until death, be it Black Hole, neutron or Black Dwarf. There are several phases in between." Shrulk sipped at the glass of water that had been provided, as Davenport took notes. It continued.

"We were scanning several of the closest stars to Earth when the accident occurred. One of our machines was in the process of retrieving some material; straight energy-transference into a shielded containment vessel. The vessel ruptured as one of the micro quakes broke apart the foundation. We can only guess what happened after. We remember being at the main monitors for the scanning of Alpha Centauri when the breach occurred. We woke up fused together. Both of our minds are intact... each individual personality is here, but at the same time we have a sort of... hive-mind."

"Hive-mind?"

"We each have thoughts, but our minds work together to move this body. We speak as one, unless we allow the other to the forefront. Also our emotional state makes our primary voice more prominent."

"What about the Armor?"

"We think that it is a part of the Star Force that bonded with us. The transfer of the sample was incomplete, and we have not been able to confirm if it is indeed the sample. Our records at the facility have been damaged beyond repair and we have no idea if our offsite location remains intact." Davenport looked up from his notes.

"Where is this location? I can inform Mr. Ruthless, and he may send a team to retrieve the information, it may be able to help clear you." Shrulk told him and he wrote it down, and the lawyer fired off another quick text message. "Anything else?" he asked.

Shrulk shook its head. "Nothing else. We haven't had the opportunity to test our abilities or review the readings. Once we have that information we should be able to tell Mr. Ruthless more." Davenport nodded, then packed up his things. He shook the creatures hand and exited.

"That thing is never leaving this facility." Nicolette Q. Chalm stood against the wall to the right of the door.

"We'll see, Ms. Chalm. I have enough material to start an appeal. You'll be hearing from us soon."

END PART 2

History 101 - Part 1

Welcome to the first of (hopefully) many of the Saturday Super Stories, written by my partner-in-crime Jason, with commas anally inserted by myself.  The plan is to post one of these every Saturday.  These stories are intended to give you both an outside view of the Super U-niverse as well as some pertinent background information... in other words, to make my satirical world of boobs, blood and bad words more real. Make sure you show Jason some love... he's had the roughest week imaginable, and he can really use your support.

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My name is Mercedes Whitman and I am a hero on a foreign world. I'm the daughter of two heroes, and I was trapped on this Earth during The Event that sealed the way back home forever. They call me Black Sapphire when I'm out patrolling the streets, and this is my Blog.


SATURDAY SUPER STORIES - HISTORY 101

"Because you're still green, girlie," Walters snarled at her.

"It's not my fault! Shrulk keeps shifting its energy spectrum, and my momentum-alteration ability only seems to slow it down, causing a shit-ton of collateral damage!  Sorry if I really don't want to cost some family their home."

"That's not the problem. You have enough power to hold your own against SuperDude for a few minutes.  Shrulk is a cake-walk for him." Walters' cane clicked against the stone as he walked to the massive line of servers and hardware that made up the computer system that he used to help solve his criminal investigations. "Come here and sit down.  You are going to go over every Shrulk encounter, starting at the beginning, and come up with a strategy to defeat shim... it."

"Aw."

"No bitching. You're just lucky I got everyone in the WMD to do their paperwork after cases, or else you would only be relying on my POV, and we all know that's slanted." The corner of his mouth twitched, and she knew that was the closest she would ever get to a smile from him.

She nodded, tapped the keyboard and started with the origin of Shrulk the Transgender Gestalt of Zeta Ray Technology.

* * * * * * *

Professor Randall Jessup and his sister Erica Jessup were working late in the evening on October 17th when a horrible accident ripped through the foundation of their laboratory in New Mexico.

They were left merged together and hideous, their skin now a bruised purple and their veins burning with green energy. The left arm and right leg were more feminine and slender than their opposites, and there were bits of skin tight armor covering parts of the anatomy. The musculature was misshapen in most places. His/Her hair was a combination of the two, long and blond and short and brown in patches. One eye was blue and female, and the other blue/green and male.

Two hours after the accident had created the She/He had burst forth into the desert, and randomly headed towards Los Juegos.

Elsewhere...

SuperDude was soaring through the heavens, enjoying a cool evening. His hand brushed the stuff off clouds and he drifted back towards the Earth below. He had not been imbued by the Star Force, Dawnbringer, to be idle. He had a responsibility to humanity to help and aid it whenever he was able.

A small explosion drew his eyes to the distance, and suddenly several more bursts of lights flashed, followed by a final giant ball of fire that rose high into the air. He adjusted his trajectory and pushed forward, increasing his speed to arrive just before the light from the final explosion faded.

Several cars and bodies were strewn about in the raging fires of a gas station. It appeared as if something had plowed through it... something the size of a sedan. He walked into the flames' path, the heat barely registering upon his skin. He located what he sought: a massive purple beast running towards the far distant lights of the Los Juegos strip.

He dashed after it, and when he arrived within earshot, he screamed, "HOLD!" The creature stumbled to a stop, its uneven legs creating an awkward gait. It turned, an eyebrow cocked over its feminine eye, and moved its head side to side.

"What manner of creature are you,” it asked, its voice gravelly and intertwined with the sounds of a male and a female.

"I was just about to ask of you that very same question," SuperDude responded. "The public has taken to calling me SuperDude!" he exclaimed.

"Huh...never heard of you." It started to turn away when a hand grasped its shoulder, holding it in place. "Take your hand from me." It growled.

"I'm afraid I cannot oblige that. You seem to have killed several people, and damaged thousands of dollars in --" He was sailing backwards through the air before he even realized he had been struck.  He forced himself to stop and his wake caused a small cloud to waft around him. "– property." He shook his head and drifted back towards the creature. "You should not have done that. I will allow it, for you may not be within your right mind."

Shrulk laughed. "You think so?" It cocked its head to the side again and sniffed the air. "I can smell the power within you. Massive energy... so much, so close." It took one step and then another until it was running straight at him. Its arms reached out and it narrowed the gap as if to tackle him.

SuperDude landed and stuck out his hand, planting it against Shrulk's chest, stopping it cold in its stride. He pulled back his other hand and his fingers rolled into a fist and collided with the monsters chin, launching it upwards and carrying it into the night sky. SuperDude pushed off and trailed after it, quickly intercepting it and driving another fist into its face, sending it reeling in a slight spin into the Earth below. It crashed and made a crater twice its size, and he followed.

It pulled its head up and looked confused before dropping back down, unconscious. He landed and frowned. 'Perhaps the Spiral can deal with the incarceration of the beast.' SuperDude thought to himself, scooping the monster up.

END PART 1