Veterans of the Final Rikti Invasion Opening Night

[GAMMA-MAN]

(OOC: This is only open to 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Wave Beta Testers. Thank you for your understanding and I hope you enjoy this thread.)

A gavel can be heard giving order for those to be seated.

"Please be seated. I'd like to thank you all for finding the time to meet with me tonight. I understand that some of you are on busy schedules, but none the less, made an effort to appear. If you have secret Identities, no worries, your true identity isn't required to join this Veteran Hall of Super Heroes. We aren't a super group. Just a bunch of veterans who wish to share their stories and maybe express themselves in order to over come some of the damage that might have occurred, like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder due to the onslaught of the Rikti invasion."

"My name is GAMMA-MAN, and I'm a veteran of the final Rikti invasion. I suffer from minor memory loss and was found on the shores of Founders Falls after the invasion. I had to go through a rigorous physical therapy to reclaim my current security level, I have a few more security levels to go and I don’t believe I have ever had a secret identity."

"Who would like to continue with introductions?"

As he looked about the sparse hall of one or two color clad Heroes...

[GAMMA-MAN]

A tall dark man towers above the assembled heroes, a large sword strapped to his back. He gazes around the room, his dark black eyes monitoring everyone in the room. Eventually he speaks.

"They call me Skull, and i'm apparently a veteran of the second Rikti invasion. During the lead up to the Rikti invasion I was a member of Legion; Paragon City's first line of defense, a group known for it's exploits in establishing the methods used today in defeating many of Paragons threats. None the least our victory against the Hamidon.

When I speak of the Rikti invasion I think of the friends I lost that night. Friends such as Pinball, Grey, and Zalf. They gave their all - moreso then anyone else. When the call went up we rallied to Founders Falls - the only zone that managed to hold off the Rikti long enough for the invasion to be called off. It was a proud day for Paragon - all of the heroes I'd worked with over the great BETA project rallying together against a common enemy.

The Battle of Founders Falls will go down in history.

As for what I'm doing these days? Mostly training the next generation of heroes. My protege Kid Vamp is often seen on the streets of Paragon. I have hung up my sword for now, but who knows what tomorow might bring. If the threat is severe enough I'd be willing to strike."

---

Nodding a formal welcome to Skull

"Thank you Skull, It's a privilege to meet you. Welcome."

"I was part of a super group known as City Knights during the battle for Founders Falls. I traveled with Iceberg, Pyper, and Icerider and a few others I can’t seem to recall at the moment due to memory loss."

"Anyone else wish to introduce themselves?"

After a long wait in silence for a reply, GAMMA-MAN continued, "Okay, lets move on. We are here today to vote for a petition to start a fund for veteran heroes who may have been disabled in combat or suffer PTSD and need counseling, but there isn't a company willing to insure our kind. We may be heroes, but we are people too.
We have bad outcomes just like any other person on the job. Do we have any suggestions? Here is a list of suggestions I received. I'll set up a poll to vote for which route to chose."

Pausing to looking at a list on the podium.

"Heroes insurance fund, Veteran retirement fund, Union for heroes."

"We can add more ideas to the list; I just need for you all to suggest some."

GAMMA-MAN stands firmly to observe the room.

Discouraged at the numbers, or should I say "Number" of veterans, GAMMA-MAN realized that a veteran hall is a lost cause when there're only two remaining in the city who give a damn. Either the other veterans are anti-social taskmasters, powering their way through security levels without a care in the world or lost their lives in the line of duty like the well known and missed Koyote. GAMMA-MAN was merely wasting his time and was heartbroken to think that none bothered to show up. To think, these veterans are suppose to be the mentors of our next generation...

With a lowered brow, a deep sigh, a shake of his head while his shoulders sank, GAMMA-MAN could only think of what to do next.

"Hey Skull? Let's get a beer, I'll buy."

---

Having shown up late Starshadow was sad to see the place empty. He trudged off back to his mansion.

Planetary had seen people leave the hall and was about to say something when they disappeared. With a sigh he went back on patrol.

The strange force blast had left Captain Incredible stunned. There had been a sense of intense cold and then one of being flung bodily in all directions at once, if such a thing was imaginable.

As his vision cleared, the disoriented hero found himself standing beneath a huge statue, shadowed from the warming sunlight by the huge sphere it appeared to carry upon its shoulders.

About him was chaos. There were heroes of all manner, a throng the likes of which he'd never seen gathered in one place. They were pointing skyward, eyes wide and mouths agape.

"This bears closer investigation," the hero thought as he lifted skyward. The alien craft, or what appeared to be an alien craft, was immense, and rested, hovering in the clear spring sky.

Shouts came from below and he turned his gaze toward them. Transmatter portals, such as had first appeared on his own world, began to appear in random locations on the streets.

The invasion had begun.

With a thought, the transmogrific fabric of Captain Incredible's battle skin shifted to a skintight blue and white pattern more suited to the task at hand. He set down beside a group of alien warriors held, just as they had been on his own world, in stasis as they acclimatised themselves to the strength of gravity and the foreign gasses of the atmosphere of what would become their latest conquest.

He could only hope that this new assembly of heroes would fare more favourably than the defenses of his own world had.

With jaw firmly set, and muscles steeled, he awaited the awakening of the Rikti.

---

GAMMA-MAN forgot his file folder of his speech for the hall and quickly returned to fetch it. Entering the veteran hall prabably for the last time, GAMMA-MAN moped over to the podium and gathered up his notes. Pausing to look over what he researched and the idea of passing a bill for a True Veteran hall with ideas of medical help for those in need from the war. GAMMA-MAN sat down in one of the chairs behind the podium and looked at the empty hall, sighing.

"Where did they all go?" With the death toll from the last invasion in mind, he knew it was an assinine question.

---

"Um, Doctor?" a soft and female voice pushed its way through the black velvet cloak of unconsciousness. "The patient is waking up!"

Captain Incredible fought the chains of gravity in an attempt to sit upright, but his flesh failed him. "Why am I so weak?" he thought as his aching head rested again on the pillow.

"There, now," the nurse comforted. "Don't strain yourself. You've been through quite a lot."

He recalled how he'd been caught in the vortex warp of the Rikti ship and dragged to this new world. He recalled fighting the aliens on this alien soil. He recalled the small child, huddled terrified in the alleyway as the alien vessel exploded overhead. He recalled leaping to shield the girl from the falling debris.

He recalled nothing more.

"Yes," the doctor continued, "You have indeed been through quite a bit. You have been in a coma for the past twelve months."

---

Then it struck him like a solid brick to the head as GAMMA-MAN jumped to his feet. "Why didn't I think of it before?!" Oblivious to his surroundings at the moment as he stood there brain storming on his idea.

---

As GAMMA-MAN continues to think, the door to the hall creaks slowly open. Within a few seconds it shuts just as slowly, as though the person entering is reluctant to close off a means of escape. Eleison, dressed in an aged grey raincoat, removes his hat and takes one more dubious look at the hall’s sole apparent occupant, a giant of a man.

Ok, old man, this could be a trap…but maybe its worth it.

The nearly-old man, a dark eye patch starkly contrasting against his silvery hair, walks slowly up the aisle, slightly stooped. Using abilities honed over the course of a very long year, he reaches out with his mind to get a feel for the other man’s state. Realizing the other is deep in thought – thinking a mile a minute actually – Eleison taps him on the shoulder to get his attention.

“Excuse me, son. I don’t mean to disturb you, but is this the veterans meeting? I meant to be here much sooner… I just thought perhaps this might be a place for me. I lost this here eye in the beta Apocalypse, but I know others who got much worse for their troubles. It seems the meeting is yet to get underway – is there anything an old guy like me can help out with?”

---

Blinking his eyes into awareness, GAMMA-MAN suddenly realized that this old man just happened to be here and quickly recalled his questions. “Oh hey um... yeah, this is the place.” As GAMMA-MAN wondered back towards the door to wave for Skull’s to come back in. “You can have a seat, Once we get a few more veterans in, I’ll be throwing out some suggestions and looking for input and ideas from you and a few others. It’s going to be awhile though; it’s been a rather slow process at getting people to show up for this meeting. My name is GAMMA-MAN, I’m organizing this meeting for the veterans of the Rikti invasion. Like you, I suffered from an injury as well which resulted in memory loss making me relearn everything all over again.”

GAMMA-MAN wondered back up to the podium to prepare for more stragglers to come in with a smile on his face. It’s a slow process, but the Hall is beginning to fill in.

[GAMMA-MAN]

Announcing to the current heroes present, "Please be seated and we'll begin further introductions." gesturing for them to sit as he begins to thumb through his notes.

[GAMMA-MAN]

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP CRUNCH “Where am I? Oh yeah in bed. Must’ve been a dream. Heh, from what I recall, a nightmare.” Getting up from his bed and rubbing his green bald head, GAMMA-MAN made his way to the bathroom to begin his day. Looking in the mirror at himself, reflecting on how poor the turnout rate from his attempts to gather the veterans from the last Rikti invasion. All he really cared to do about it anymore is sigh and shake his head.

After a quick shower, GAMMA-MAN kicks back on his couch with a bowl of co-co puffs and watches Saturday morning cartoons in his apartment, not wanting to face his failed attempt to gather the heroes to the Veteran Hall of Super Heroes just yet.

With a smile GAMMA-MAN finds his desired station, turns up the volume, ~"SPOON!"~ and enjoys his mind numbing boob tube.

[GAMMA-MAN]

GAMMA-MAN awoke on his couch with a letter taped to his forehead. The confusion of seeing a blank whiteness in front of him with the high monotone sounds coming from his television being “off the air” was a bit of a shock at first but he began to be more aware of his surroundings the more he woke up while removing the letter taped to his head. Blinking a few times to adjust his sleepy eyes GAMMA-MAN read,

TOP SECRET – Sensitive Compartmented Information – TOP SECRET
OPERATION: Bird’s Eye View
FOR MS. LIBERTY/FORWARDED TO GAMMA-MAN
***EYES ONLY***

We have compiled a preliminary report on the Vanguard base located in the Paragon City neighborhood designated as the Rikti War Zone.

Vanguard is an all-volunteer force funded by the United Nations Security Council. They have been in operation since the first Rikti invasion, and have maintained a philosophy of watchfulness and preparedness, always proclaiming that the next “alien threat” is lurking a day away.

Although they have not been much in the news of late, we have observed considerable movements of troops and weaponry, and a higher-degree of battle-readiness in recent weeks than in past months. Their current command and operations center is located in the Rikti War Zone, and their primary North American agents are all stationed there.

Vanguard is overseen by its director, Lady Grey. The organization underwent a significant re-imaging once Statesman handed control over to Lady Grey. Many questioned the decision, but Statesman would not hear it, saying in a memo to the UNSC that, “the Vanguard is a necessary force in the ongoing battle against the Rikti and I cannot see a better choice for their leadership than Lady Grey.”

However, while Statesman supported her, not everyone agreed with the new structure. Vanguard was no longer a transparent organization. Today it is operated much more like a private army, despite its status as a UN organization. Vanguard has a considerable budget and very little oversight.

Furthermore, the volunteer force has some unusual faces under their helmets, to say the least. Lady Grey has some peculiar notions about standards, and seems not to believe so much in second chances as “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” In any event, Vanguard has welcomed former villains and wanted criminals into its ranks, and given them a measure of protection from US laws, as long as they battle Rikti forces and do not cause internal strife.

The current make-up of Vanguard is split into four major branches: The Helm, The Gauntlet, The Shield, and The Herald. The last is their public relations office, run by a heroine named Incandescent, their Head of Communications. They walk a fine line between keeping the civilian populace aware of potential threats, and fear-mongering with their propaganda. From my observations Vanguard’s message is somewhat muddied, as their “aliens among us” and “Earth for humans” messages simply do not account for friendly alien races. I do not believe Vanguard has an issue with allied forces, such as the Kheldon race, but this bear further investigation. Incandescent spends much of her time at the UN offices in New York and Geneva, but is the point person for official responses and sound bites.

The Shield is Vanguard’s security and defensive division. It is coordinated by the joint command of Levantera and Borea, two super-powered sisters. They are also the faces of Vanguard’s recruitment drive and the first point of contact for new volunteers.

The Gauntlet is the assault squad of Vanguard, led by Serpent Drummer. Gauntlet soldiers actively patrol and seek out Rikti forces, attempting to eradicate them wherever they are found.

Finally, The Helm is Vanguard’s intelligence division, run by an unknown operative. All we’ve been able to ascertain is that he or she is powerful and seems to have a long history in Paragon City. I suggest we cross-reference Agents Crimson and Indigo and see if they might have any involvement here.

In conclusion, while some members of our organization have conflicted with members of the Vanguard, I urge a measure of cooperation and communication. However I must highlight a rising concern. We should be aware of extremist sentiments within Vanguard, especially in areas with a high-concentration of “villain”-members. We have observed them aggressively targeting Rikti, with little regard for civilians caught in the crossfire. These types of activities must be guarded against so that we do not lose sight of our common goal. Ultimately, we are all fighting to protect our one, precious world.

-- Ms. Liberty

GAMMA-MAN blinked a few more times but this time with disbelief as he sighs, “Here we go again.”