United States, Earth
Jan 1st, 2020 - United States of America
The country sat on the edge of an explosion, the tension threatening to boil over and cause absolute pandemonium among the masses. With the explosion caused by Harrison Wells’ STAR Labs leading the way to what was rumored to be the birth of metahumans, many were on edge. Protests were held nearly every day demanding that these individuals be recognized by the government, whether it was to grant them rights or to lock them away like monsters depended on the individual that was asked. Yet to those few who could truly classify themselves as a part of this unique group of individuals life was somehow even more out of the ordinary. Learning about new powers you possessed which others did not, along with what to do with said powers presented a whole new mess of problems for those unfortunate souls. This, accompanied by the rumors among those few metahuman communities hidden in the back alley cities of the government taking these people off the streets resulted in a large amount of tension among the communities.
Even that was only in the quiet cities, as there were a few cities clustered along the west coast where things were already starting to turn violent. People who felt threatened by these newly created metahumans managed to sniff out one or two of the unfortunate souls who were just trying to get by with the newly discovered powers. The ensuing fights between the endangered meta and their attackers was almost always one that quickly turned bloody on both sides. With events like this being covered on the news almost nightly, and spreading like a wildfire across the internet… the tension was almost palpable. As such, people tended to keep more to themselves in these troubling times, locking their doors at night and keeping those loved ones close. Preparing, for what many felt was a storm that would come roaring through the moment the storm passed.
None knew the tensions being created by the current situation better than the citizens living within the triplet cities of Kansas, Keystone, and Central Cities. With the explosion that had catalyzed the world and created these metas occurring in Central City, these three cities were practically the epicenter of the mounting tension in the country. The population of metas was higher in these cities than it was elsewhere in the world, which led to that many more hate crimes, and hate there was for these metas. Many were suspected of being one of ‘them’, a situation many have drawn a parallel to the red scare the country experienced during the cold war. Friends turned against one another, families threw out those that had become one of these freaks. Many found themselves suddenly thrust into terrible situations, whether or not they truly were one of those metahumans.
With the new standards at which they were being forced to live, many of those thrown to curb, meta and non-meta alike, eventually found themselves turning to crime. This, along with the movement of organized crime into the cities in higher portions lately has led to a noticeable uptick in crime rates in the last few weeks. Though the organized crime units have been laying low compared to what one would expect, at least after the initial bloodshed between units following their initial movement into the trio of cities. The rise of crime has increased the edge on the cities, as police forces find themselves being stretched thin between the crime, and the metahumans that may be partially involved within the problem. Add to that problem the rise of the group known only as the Horsemen, a group of supposed metas going about stealing technology and dispatching criminals one by one, many are afraid just to go out at night. Though sometimes these fears are washed away by a lull, or something like a holiday…
Keystone City, Kansas
Jan 1st, 2020 - Bank of America, Downtown Keystone
The streets of Keystone City sat silent, a rare circumstance for the city considering it was around noon and the city usually was roaring with life. Yet, with the festivities of New Year’s having ended early in the morning, most were asleep or otherwise at their own homes taking care of themselves. The recent worries and fears that had been sitting on the forefront of the minds of every citizen in the past weeks had been delayed for a night. Instead, revelry and joy had been the theme of the previous night. As many had remained hopeful for the new year to be better than the previous, as they had just about every year beforehand. Even with that, the tension was still ever present in the air. The issues that had been forgotten for the previous night’s holiday once again tearing their ugly heads. Though attention was quickly stolen from the invisible enemy that sat upon the cities.
Across the Triplet Cities, news stations suddenly roared to life and filled the formerly quiet cities with a cacophony of voices. Everywhere, screens were alight with reports of a heavily armed robbery of a Bank of America in Downtown Keystone. The scene was painted clearly for everybody to see, recorded and broadcast to just about every corner of the cities. The sunlight beat down upon the pavement, casting a harsh light across the only active street in the city. This same light reflected off the metal surfaces of the dozen police cars and SWAT Vans stationed around the bank, all sitting like birds spreading their wings to impose dominance with their doors open. The officers manning those very vehicles standing behind the cover these doors provided, in a tense standoff with an unseen force inside of the building. One watching could clearly see the razor’s edge upon which the peace sat.
In the middle of the street, about four officers in heavy armor that denoted them as part of the SWAT lay lifeless. The holes in their armor betraying the violence that had taken the scene mere moments before the feeds from the news channels had cut in. From outside the field of officers standing ready for combat, a second ring of vehicles and bodies was made about the bank. This one of reporters onsight, all jabbering off on their take of the current situation and pestering the poor officers designated to deal with them for more information. Inside of the bank, several employees who had come in to take care of matters without customers sat on their knees, bound and gagged, just in front of the main counter. The rest of the interior was an absolute mess, fitting the chaos that came with a bank robbery. Stacks of checks and other papers that were normally neatly set up for customers sat strewn about the floor. The ATM was ripped open, and emptied of the cash inside. The offices that various employees worked from sat empty and in extreme disorder. Glass panes separating the offices from the main interior were shattered across the floor. Yet, despite the chaos, there was not a single noise from the captives held inside as their fear for their lives kept them silent.
For those watching the scene through their screens, it seemed as if this, while a tragic event, was simply par for the course with the rising crime wave. That it would end as so many other attempted crimes ended, and they would continue on.
Yet they would not be able to predict just how much things would change after the events of this day.
A loud crash tore through the silence of the held-up bank, causing quite a few gasps of fear and shouts of surprise. Though these were quieted down when a few of the armed men holding the place up came tearing around the counter towards the source of the noise. Yet… then they froze and seemed rather confused for just a moment at the source. In the newly opened doorway, which had previously been blockaded shut, was a young woman who didn’t seem all that threatening. Certainly not capable of breaking through their barricade. With pink hair, and a rather flashy outfit featuring golden gauntlets, a skirt, and even a cape she certainly didn’t look like she belonged in that bank. Yet there was something about how she seemed completely unfazed by the men raising their assault rifles at her that carried a sense of power about her. One of the men, built burlier than the others stepped forward and started to shout something at her, but was abruptly cut off.
Faster than humanly possible, the girl had cross the room and seemingly slammed a shoulder directly into the man. Though it was a bit difficult to see as it was over in a mere blink of an eye, as the man who stood a whole head above the girl and was certainly built stockier than her shot back into the counter. The impact made a resounding thud, and he was immediately out cold as she turned towards the other one.
”Given your buddy’s reaction, I take it you guys aren’t here to let me cash a check.” She said with a small smile towards him, which was answered ever-so-rudely with the man squeezing the trigger on his weapon. The report from the rifle was certainly loud and boomed through the building, along with a slightly panicked noise from the costumed girl. Though that faded moments later when the sound was replaced by metal hitting the floor, and a collective gasp from the hostages. As well as the attacker standing opposite of the girl. Looking down at herself, she noticed first a resounding lack of bulletholes, then the same bullets crumpled and against the floor.
”I’m bulletproof? Holy crap I’m bulletproof!” She said in a voice almost entirely too giddy for the situation, then turned towards the criminal standing before her, even as she heard loud shouts from his friends further back.
”And you’re in danger.” She said as she took the steps to close the distance, grabbing the barrel of his gun and bending it towards the ceiling. Immediately after, a swift underhanded punch lifted him off the ground and send him into the wall opposite their side of the bank. He too fell down unconscious, and the girl could hear his vitals enough to know they were both alive, just unable to continue the fight. She then spun towards those tied up and held hostage, some of who recoiled slightly out of fear for this stranger who seemed able to do the impossible.
”Hey.” She said in a soft, genuine, voice to the hostages.
”I’m here to help. We’ll get you out of here.” She said, focusing for a moment on the wall behind them that led to the rest of the building. The walls seemed to turn a shade of black and white to her, becoming translucent and betraying what lay beyond. She saw various paths branching off to presumably lead to things like the break room and such for employees, yet no sign of anybody else. As she turned, she found a separate hallway that led to the safe deposit boxes, with its heavy door having closing tight with its locks clunking into place. She got a glimpse of a gun before the door had closed, though the door itself seemed fully capable of blocking her sight into the room.
Must have closes it while I was focusing on these guys and the two clowns out here. Damn. She swore to herself before kneeling down next to the first hostage and easily breaking the zip ties that bound them. Then she reached up to gingerly pull the rope that had been used to gag them out of their mouths one by one, freeing the hostages.
Getting to the last one in the line, the man grabbed her by the shoulders and frantically babbled out something that didn’t quite make sense.
”Easy, slow down. What is it?” She asked him, trying her damndest to sound comforting, and it seemed to work as the man spoke again in a much more intelligible way this time.
”The manager, he’s my brother, they got him in the safe deposit boxes. They’ll kill him or something!” He said, panic rising in his voice as he went. The girl gave a nod then looked towards the others getting to their feet.
”Everybody get outside! Put your hands up or something so they know you’re innocent, the police can take care of you.” She said before moving towards the heavy door blocking her path to where they were holding the manager.
The metal creaked and groaned in complaint, the metal on either side of the split down the middle marking where the doors split apart dented in around her fingers. Slowly, the doors gave way and started opening for the young woman forcing her way into the small room. Inside, two more robbers were staring wide-eyed at the impressive display of strength, their guns forgotten for a moment at their sides. Though after looking towards each other for a few moments, both came to the same conclusion. Immediately their hands went up to show surrender, the futility of an attempt to fight back against this superhuman quickly dawning on the two. Moments later, the manager was coming out of the front doors of the bank. Followed closely by the four armed robbers, their hands zip tied together to make for a difficult escape. The officers who had reported to the scene wasted no time surging forward to get these criminals into custody.
Then just about everybody gathered fell silent, and cameras shifted up from the bank itself. As the thing from before that had shot through those front doors revealed itself to be a young woman. Yet, even more impressively was the fact that this costumed woman hovered in the air of the crowd. With the wind blowing her cap gently behind her, and the sun high over head casting shadows around her, it was a scene that made her look truly powerful.
”Don’t be scared, I am only here to help. This city has seen enough problems of late, and I want to help put an end to it.” The figure said in a tone that carried a friendly air to it. In response to her statement, the crowd was silent. Then one young reporter shouted out the question forefront on his mind.
”Then what do we call you?” ”Sol.” Came the answer, then the woman shot off into the sky and disappeared from the view of the crowd gathered.
For the rest of the day, the news stations all over the country would be playing coverage of that story. With theories coming out from all over as to what this ‘superhero’, as some had started labeling her, truly was. Alien? Meta? Government Robot meant to mind control the populace? No matter what theory one subscribed to, the same thought was on everybody’s mind that day. That their world had drastically changed in the mere blink of an eye, and only time could tell where that would take them.
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