DEVIL ON YOUR BACK

[plus_vitae]

WHO: imPorts- and a new enemy
WHERE: Downtown Heropa
WHEN: Night of Sunday, December 6th
WHAT: The POWER SWAP plot kicks off with imPorts lured into a devastating ambush
WARNINGS: Violence and body horror

At 7:00 PM, several buildings within the same block of downtown Heropa burst into flames. It swiftly becomes clear to the authorities that the town's emergency services are overwhelmed- Heropa is small enough to not even have its own hospital. The call goes out on the Network and on police radio channels: heroes needed. All imPorts, wherever they may be, are asked to assist. People are in danger.

The call is well-intentioned, but it is also the bait in a trap whose well-prepared jaws are about to close. People are certainly in danger on this evening, but imPorts are in more danger than anyone else. By the time this night has passed, things will be very different, and fires will be the least of the heroes' worries.

Comments

OTA

[quaerit]

[ This night has gone from bad to worse. The fire in the diner had happened so suddenly that Gansey had not had time to panic. He'd reacted instinctively, and begun to organise other diners into an escape. He'd let out five clones almost instantly, sending them to help shepherd people away from the flames, while staying low to the floor. By the time the flash happens, he thinks they're almost safe. People are getting out. The emergency services have been called. People are moving.

All at once, his clones vanish. Gansey starts up, stunned, because that doesn't normally happen unless he touches them, and he always absorbs their memories when they return. Tonight, his only memories are his own. The clones were not re-absorbed. Instead, it's as though they never existed. ]

What - ?

[ That's when he becomes aware of the fresh chaos around him. He turns, horror overtaking him to see people in pain, people out of control, people whose bodies are changing before his eyes. The paint of the abandoned Honda behind him reflects someone raising a gun -

And Gansey spins, horrified, to find himself looking at nothing. Now panic starts to set in. He looks around for Blue, who he'd been with in the diner. He tries to summon forth a clone, and nothing happens.

Also, without knowing it, he's accidentally amplifying the powers of every person close to him. That's a thing. He has no idea that he's doing it. ]

Did anyone else see that?! He had a gun! Did you see?

[superposition]

[Qubit got off relatively light, so to speak - the only thing wrong with his body is that it's steadily glowing. So it's not long before he moves on, trying to put together what's happened to everyone, and how bad it is. And also where his watch is, he needs that. Gansey's making a bit of a scene, which draws him over.]

What are you talking about? Who had a gun?

[Of course, the power amplification thing means he glows significantly brighter the closer he gets to Gansey - not blinding or anything, but a little uncomfortable to look at. He's not well enough accustomed to this (annoying) power to make the connection right away, even though he has to squint through the extra light.]

[quaerit]

[ Gansey looks up – and immediately squints, frowning as Qubit’s glow strengthens. Why is he doing that, how is that meant to help anyone? Gansey is still looking for the gun. He knows what he saw. ]

That man! I saw his reflection, he’s here. He must be hiding. We’d better find him before –

[ He takes a step back. ]

Christ, can you turn that off? I can’t see.

[ Unfortunately, he is in fact still amplifying en masse. Sorry about that. ]

[superposition]

Trust me, I would if I could. What man?

[quaerit]

I -

[ Gansey looks hurriedly around, growing ever more unsure of himself. He couldn't have just imagined it. ]

He was right there.

Could you stop it from getting stronger, at least? [ He's also squinting, by this stage. ]

[superposition]

[he's had these powers for like 3 minutes ok, it's not that easy]

Look, I don't know why it's doing that. I don't know why any of this is happening. That's what I'm trying to figure out. The man, describe him.

[quaerit]

I -

[ Gansey turns his face away, concentrating. The memory is there, but it's not clear to him. His fingers twitch, balling into fists. ]

I couldn't see a face. He was covering it, perhaps, or he turned away -

But he was dressed in black, and he had a gun. And I don't think he was alone.

[ This is a new intuition, but as soon as Gansey says it, he feels sure. ]

[caerulea]

Who?

[ Blue's already been turned. The second he turned so did she, expecting to find...

Well she didn't know what. But there was nothing.

She's breathing deeply, not quite all there. Barely hanging by a thread. Clutched in her hand is something strangely familiar and foreign all at once. Her pink switchblade.

Not much use against a gun, but it's saved her skin before.

Yet there's no one.

She stumbles as she takes a step away from the phantom space and catches herself. She shakes her head to look at Gansey. ] There's no one there.

[quaerit]

[ Gansey looks perplexed. He doesn’t understand what just happened. ]

But I saw him. I saw his reflection. He would’ve been right –

[ He turns to look at the car again, to get his bearings. Then he sees something else – not a gunman, this time, but a crowd. A room full of people, most of whom seem injured, and there’s so much movement. Without realising it, he has leaned closer to the image, bending down by the side of the car. He reaches up, feeling for Blue’s wrist and then tugging her down with him. ]

Tell me you can see that. Christ, how much smoke did I breathe?

[ His other hand reaches to touch the edge of the reflection. It’s a far bigger crowd than what just came out of the diner. How is that possible? ]

[caerulea]

[ Blue's still turned. Still watching.

What is he talking about? What is he seeing that she's not?

She turns with him, kneeling down to look at what he's talking about. As she crouches to look at what he's talking about she.... still sees nothing.

Actually she sees something. She sees them. They're staring into themselves, but Gansey's not seeing them. He's looking past them. At space that is empty.

There's something about this scene that makes her question her eyes. She tries to see what he sees. Then she tries to see more than he sees. It's only when she does that she realizes her blocks have been down this whole time. With all the commotion, she hasn't been maintaining her practice.

She's not seeing anything. ]

Gansey.... I can't see the future anymore. I don't see anything. [ She touches the reflection. ] I don't see visions. I'm trying and they're gone.

[quaerit]

[ Gansey turns sharply to her, eyes bright and keen. Suddenly all of his focus is on her, examining her face as though he’ll find the answer written there. ]

Gone?

So are my clones. They vanished, and when I tried to make another I couldn’t. I saw the reflection, instead.

[ He saw the reflection right after he tried to make a clone. Suddenly alarmed, Gansey tries again. Again, nothing happens; not even the slightest hint of the heat or the light that normally precedes a clone emerging. It’s not that he’s too tired – if anything, the fire has absolutely energized him. His blood pressure must be through the roof. There’s no reason why he wouldn’t be able to make a clone now, unless –

Unless. He looks at Blue. ]

You try. Make a double. Think about needing to be in two places at once, that’s how I do it.