Special Agent Axel Inigo knew that it was going to be a bad day when his alarm didn't go off on time. He didn't consider himself a superstitious person, though everyone at the precinct said that he was. He just didn't quite see what they meant.
Pulling himself out of his bed, he stumbled out of his room to the bathroom to wash up. After splashing a reasonable amount of water on his face, he looked up into the mirror above his sink, the smooth surface of the glass reflecting back his blood-shot eyes and rough appearance. Today was not going to be a good day.
He got dressed, and headed out the door with a kiss from his wife and hugs from his children. While he was backing out of the drive, a bird swooped by and left a big present for him on the hood of his car.
Today was already a bad day.
In his office at the precinct, Inigo saw a sealed letter for him on his desk, coming directly from the Hero's Institute with a pure black report folder underneath it. Opening the letter, Inigo read the ensuing words:
Special Agent Axel Rodrigez Inigo is as of this moment relieved from his duties from the 5th Mars Precinct and is to report to Earth upon receiving this letter. He is tasked with leading the investigation and neutralization of the criminals in the accompanying report.
Effective Immediately.
Inigo collapsed in his chair, letting the letter fall to the ground. He had just promised his son that he'd take him to his first flying classes, and his daughter to get checked for powers. Now he had to cancel everything. At least his wife would understand, he hoped.
He grabbed the report folder, nearly tearing it open in frustration. Who were these people who were the cause of his anger? He would deal with them swiftly and then come right back home for his family.
In the folder, there were only four sheets of paper, the top one reading 'Burn once memorized'. Now he understood why no one had Linked him this info. Must be dangerous fools indeed, he thought, moving on to the actual reports.
The first one had no picture, no name. There was only a small report on the sheet.
Alias: Pallor Textor, Dread Weaver
Name: Unknown
Race: Human
Age: 16?
Hailing from an Assassin's Tribe on the desert planet Solitudo Mortis, very little else is known about this figure. There are no birth records of him, nor of any family he may have had. We believe that his plans are to end the Heroes and the Institute. All that was scrounged up was that his origin is possibly human, but the powers he's shown have been something that no one has ever used.
On the topic of his powers, they seem to be a sort of thread that can weave through almost anything, and people have seen him craft weapons from this thread. Due to its metallic-like gray color, people have taken to calling it the Silver Thread. Witnesses have also claimed to see him use these threads into clothes. They've said that objects, bullets specifically, haven't been able to pierce the clothes. Perhaps this thread is a variant of the Silver Thread?
Called the Dread Weaver, the figure has been seen as clad in the Tribe's desert robes, but his face is always hidden by a hood.
According to recent information, the Weaver have been seen in the Outlier System, and is assumed to be located there. The Institute has sent two non-powered strike teams and a C-Ranked Hero to contain him.
End Report
Inigo dropped the file to the side, and reached for the second one. This paper was just as short, only a few paragraphs long.
Alias: Novocaine
Name: Unknown
Race: Human?
Age: 17?
The following interview was taken from Simon Stanley’s “The Scandal Show”. The footage was aired live on Dec. 18, 900 ZE.
“Hello, ladies and gentlemen, species of all kinds, and welcome to the Scandal Show with Simon Stanley! I’m Simon Stanley, and here on this show we like to talk with all types of interesting folks. Villains, Anti-Heroes, Bad Guys, you name it! We get the grittiest details on all of ‘em.”
Simon leans back in his chair, fiddling with his pencil.
“Tonight, we’re gonna talk with the infamous Novocaine. This guy can numb pain and even paralyze people! Come on in, Novocaine.”
Novocaine, a teenage male with silvery hair and tired blue eyes, slips onto the set.
“Hey, Simon, thanks for having me here tonight.”
“No problem, buddy. We’ll start off with some easy questions. First off, how did you find out about your powers? If the gossip pages are to be believed, you were never tested.”
The white-haired boy sighs.
“About seven years ago, when I was ten, I was kidnapped from my home. The Kidnappers shot my parents and took me with them. One guy had his ungloved hand over my mouth. I felt some sort of numbing sensation surge through my body, into the guy’s hand. All of a sudden, he just dropped to the ground. Scared me to death, but I got away.”
Simon’s eyes widen.
“Wow. Next question: Obviously, your name isn’t Novocaine. Can you tell us what your real name is?”
Novocaine smiles, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Now, Simon, what kind of Super-Villain would I be if everyone knew my name?”
“But, Novocaine, aren’t you more of an Anti-Hero?”
“You’re sharp, aren’t you? Yes, I’m an Anti-Hero. I do the right thing how I want to do it. No moral hurdles to leap. I tell you, it’s great.”
Simon nods slowly, clearly disinterested in the tameness of his latest interview.
“When did you discover you wanted to be an Anti-Hero?”
“The instant I discovered my powers. I was so sure the Heroes were going to rescue me, save my parents. But they didn’t. They didn’t show up at all. I was so confident in them!”
Novocaine slams his fist onto the table, causing Simon to jump. Slowly, Novocaine regains his composure.
“That was when I knew I didn’t want any other children going through what I had to. I’ve sworn my life to destroying Bad Guys, Kidnappers, Murderers, and all the other third tier Criminals in this universe. I don’t care how unscrupulous I have to be. Heck, it may even be considered scandalous. But then again, why else would I be on this show?”
Simon smiles and stands, holding out his hand to Novocaine, who also rises. He clasps Simon’s hand and shakes it.
“You’re a real people’s hero, Novocaine. The Heroes and such may not like you, but the media can’t get enough of you. Good luck on your endeavors, Novocaine!”
Novocaine nods once, waves at the camera, and walks off set, the live audience cheering behind him.
“This has been yet another scandalous evening on the Scandal Show with Simon Stanley. See you soon, folks!”
End interview
Who the hell are these people? Inigo thought to himself, setting down the second report. They're only barely adults, and yet they're causing enough trouble for the Institute to take notice. And one of them openly proclaims his hatred for the Heroes, probably the most powerful and influential people in the universe. I need more than these few sheets of paper.
Finally, Inigo picked up the final report. Wisp. Of course it was her.
Alias: Wisp
Name: Unknown
Race: Human
Age: 16
The following is a news report concerning the most recent activity from the Villainess. While little is known about her, she has a fanbase who call themselves the Wispers; though no known or captured Wisper has been proven to know her.
After months of silence and no action from the leading villain, Wisp emerges from the shadows. Here is a recent post by Wisp's fan page:
"Our hero and mayhem-causing shadow is back to doing what she does best. If you don't know about Wisp, here we go. We've never seen her entire face before, which is disappointing to you wonderers out there. She stands at about 5”2’, but packs a punch with her blade and hand-to-hand combat skills. We also know that she has the amazing ability to go invisible and also heal real freaking fast! There has been a bit of a rumor, more than a fact, that she can manipulate minds, but we’re trying to figure it out, my fellow Wispers. We know she has brown hair, and all else we know is that her eyes are brown as well. The mask she wears covers up to her nose, and so we can't see her beautiful face. We’ve only ever seen this little fighter weak against one hero that seems to have known her, maybe in a past life? We hear a common name that is thrown at her from another unidentified villain. The event that brought the amazing Wisp back is the rampage that occurred in Central Square. There were about twenty different heroes trying to stop Wisp from lighting the well-known Kimberly Green Orphanage on fire. Wisp then shied away after being chased down by the police for an hour. That’s all we’ve got on our whispering Wisp! See you in the next update, Wispers!”
As much as we here at BorderLine News dislike this fan page, all the information on the disappearing Wisp is all here. Rewards of turning in this menace are as high as $200 Million. Be careful walking around the city. Stay safe. -BLN
-Anthony Carter, BLN reporter
End Report
Axel Inigo tossed the Wisp report onto his deck with the other two. Blood Priest, Novocaine, Wisp. They're just young ones, but they're causing ripples the universe hasn't faced since the last uprising, which caused the birth of the Heroes and the Institute. Just what will happen if these three got away with their plans?
He sighed, and rubbed his eyes. He just knew today was going to be a bad day.
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