A new beginning (invite only)

The series of numbers each of four extraordinary people were given turned out to be a series of Latitude and Longitude coordinates, followed by a time, followed by a floor number. The coordinates led to an old office building downtown. The building had been sold as its original owner went bankrupt and it was being renovated to suit its new owner.

Most such buildings had some form of security posted, however this particular building was eerily silent and empty. A lone functioning elevator rumbled as it brought those who used it to the desired floor. Anyone who tried the stairs would find that the doors to the stairwells were securely locked. The elevator doors ground open to reveal a standard lobby for the cluster of elevators within the building. Following the only available path leads to a darkened office spaw, with a cluster of desks in the center of the room. All of the chairs have been pushed to the outer edges and it seems as though it is halfway through being cleared out.

There were a handful of cameras scattered about the walls and ceiling, as well as speakers for a PA system, presumably so that a previous employer could keep track of and communicate with employees. The windows have been blacked out via brown paper secured with blue painters tape. A small pile of painting supplies was neatly stacked in one corner, however there was no paint. A series of TV screens lined the wall to the right as one entered the room and in the very back was a large silhouette of a person, a softly glowing red light where the left eye should be.

The silhouette sat at a desk in a separate room with glass walls - what was once a supervisor's office. The door to the office was closed, and if tried, locked. The figure was silent, as if patiently awaiting the arrival of everyone invited to this most schismatic meeting.

Toji had come home after a long day,and gotten ready to hop on the Web and learn a bit more about the world and culture he'd found himself in, only to blink at seeing a new icon. Had Jen or the two adults installed something? Clicking on it curiously,the boy had watched curiously,eyes widening on realizing who exactly this was,and what was being offered. He'd truly been offered...and yes, excited. It'd taken some research,(and asking for help from those who were, in his opinion, fast becoming,if not already, part of his pack) but he'd figured it out.

Now, a small blur approached the building. Skidding to a stop infront of it, the blur resolved into the sight of a short, wiry form of a boy, with strange, very spiky blue hair. His face was hidden behind a wolf like mask, and he was clad in a long, pale scarf wrapped loosely around his neck. Under that was a sleeveless shirt, with bright blue,Tron like lines tracing over it, dark pants, fingerless gloves, and reinforced running shoes.

Done with looking the building over, Lightning Wolf went aside. Eying the elevator, he went over to the (to him) faster way, only to find the stairway locked. Man...Shrugging, the boy blurred over to the elevator, then goes in, clicking on the 7 button, and crossed his arms as the device raised him to the appropriate floor. Though he did his best to be patient, he was still relieved when the doors finally opened, blurring into the room and glancing around curiously. Following what path was there, the boy showed up in the office sprawl. Blinking at seeing the large silhouette, Lightning Wolf gave a slight wave, and glanced around again. Was he the first here?

Kristoff Makarov got back to the Comic shop after along day of school and, after exchanging pleasantries with family and customers, headed to his room. Kris saw a new icon on his computer and clicked it, scratching his head. He didn't remember buying any games, but you know, Kris has been known to get into his Mother's Sake cabinet and make drunken purchases. He clicked it to see what it was and was beyond surprised. Jolt had been noticed. By the Titans. Kris watched the video at the edge of his seat. At the end of the video he jot down the message and spent the next 3 hours figuring it out, and eating snacks. When he figured it out, he checked the time. 5:00 o'clock, he had to be at the meeting place at 7. He would get changed, eat dinner, and head over. He left Red Lightning behind him as he zipped through the town. He zipped into a building and saw an elevator going up. He would shake his head and zip up the Elevator shaft and sort of appeared next to a blue haired kid. Jolt was sporting a leather jacket, black pants, combat boots, black skull half mask, and a hoodie under the jacket with the hood up. He was surrounded by red lightning for a few seconds before it subsided, "Uhhhh, do I have the right place? It's a little dark in here"

Nervousness ran through the body of a young teen, his markings quivering as it slither across his form like snakes. He has his phone held out before him, constantly switching between the message and an map app. Making a turn on 255 California St Bogan look up from his phone and saw the old office building. The sight cast another wave of nervousness, making his marking twitch on his bare back. Much like the message seeing the building felt surreal, the fact that he was chosen filled him with a rainbow of emotions. With a breath to calm himself he walked towards the office doors and pulled it open, the cold air rushing past his bare upper body and causing the crimson cloth he wears around his waist to flutter a bit. Putting his phone away into his cloth he readjusted his headband as he walk into the office building. He took notice of the stairways, heading towards in a attempt to go up the stairs but it was locked and he did not want to bust it down. With a sigh his eyes swept the room for any more ways to go up and landed on the elevator. Walking to it he gave the button a press and gave a smile of delight when it open. Heading inside he pressed the button and felt the box give it jolt as it began sliding up the shaft.

The elevator came to a halt, it's doors sliding open to reveal a intriguing room and he took notice of two other teens who most likely got the same message. Bogan step out of the elevator and came up to the duo slightly amused that out of the group he pretty much has nothing on him. Thanks to his void adaptation he was able to see their attire clearly including their masks in which he never found it benefiting. While he can understand that it's meant to protect their private life and create physiology alienation much like Batman. But to Bogan he dislikes alienating himself from people. "Hey guys nice to meet you, I'm guessing we are all led here by the message." He spoke in a friendly tone as he took the moment to look once more around the room, finally noticing the figure behind the glass. Considering the comment he overheard regarding being a little dark he took a guess that the figure was in the dark so he did not brought it up.

(Ooc note: The character and location making a cameo appearance are used with permission of their owner.)

Once the three heroes had entered the room, there was a pause. As if someone was confirming something before continuing. Then two things happened at the same time. The intercom snapped to life, and the lights in the office room snapped on. The outline was revealed to be exactly that - an outline. Someone had gone through the effort of making a cardboard cutout of Cyborg pulling on the bottom his human eyelid and sticking out his tongue, complete with a red light installed as his cybernetic eye. A heavily distorted voice emitted from the intercom speakers.

“THEN ALLOW ME TO ILLUMINATE YOUR SITUATION.” Just as with the ground floor, the doors normally leading to the stairwells were locked, and anyone trying to use the elevators again would find them completely inoperable. “THANK YOU ALL FOR ANSWERING MY SUMMONS. AS YOU MAY HAVE GATHERED, THIS IS NOT THE PLEASANT MEETING YOU WERE EXPECTING. I NEEDED COGS, AND EACH OF YOU FIT MY NEEDS. YOU ANSWERED MY CALL LIKE GOOD LITTLE HEROES. YOU MAY CALL ME DEUS. WELCOME, YOUNG HEROES, TO MY GOD MACHINE.”

After a pause to let the impact of what was happening sink in, the voice in the machine continued. “YOUNG HEROES, I PRESENT YOU WITH A CHOICE. FOR ONE OF YOU, THIS CHOICE WILL BE A DIFFICULT ONE. DEPENDING ON HOW DIFFICULT, THE TASK BEFORE THE REST OF YOU WILL BE THAT MUCH HARDER.”

The TV screens snapped on, each showing a different view. Most of them showed a bustling hospital, with views of the inside and outside as its staff went about their jobs. While it wasn't a particularly busy day, the hospital was far from empty. Interestingly, it seemed to be one of the increasingly rare hospitals in this day and age that had a high population of nuns within the ranks of its staff.

A handful showed a small red bricked shop at the end of a wide open alley. It's wide windows were decorated with various cardboard cutouts, signs for half price on mangas, and a yearly schedule for D&D games and card tournaments. A neon sign above the door identified the store as Kitsune Comics. A young woman with reddish orange hair and the ears and tail of a fox bustled to and fro within the shop: making sure that shelves were stocked, helping customers, working the register, and generally mingling with the people there.

“HOSPITALIS FELICITAS, RUN BY THE ORDER OF OUR MARTYRED LADY. A CATHOLIC HOSPITAL THAT SERVICES ONE THIRD OF THE CITY. KITSUNE COMICS. BELOVED HOBBY STORE AND HOME TO ONE WITHIN YOUR GROUP. THE FORMER IS… RIDDLED WITH EXPLOSIVES. THE LATTER HAS A FEW… TROUBLESOME SPOTS.” As the voice spoke the last two words, several red dots of light appeared on the kitsune running the shop from five different angles. They remained just long enough for their meaning to sink in before they vanished. The voice on the intercom allowed a moment for the gravity of the situation to sink in.

“YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO SAVE ONE, IF YOU ARE ABLE. YOU WILL BE ALLOTTED TIME TO DECIDE WHICH, HOWEVER THE LONGER YOU TAKE, THE LESS TIME YOU WILL HAVE TO SAVE THE LOCATION YOU CHOOSE. YOU MUST ACT AS ONE. IF YOU SPLIT THE GROUP, BOTH LOCATIONS WILL PERISH. IF YOU DISOBEY ME, BOTH LOCATIONS WILL PERISH. IF YOU FAIL TO ACT, BOTH LOCATIONS WILL PERISH. IF ANY OF YOU ATTEMPT TO CONTACT EITHER LOCATION, THEY WILL BOTH PERISH. OF COURSE, WE CAN'T MAKE THIS TOO EASY. SO I'VE ADDED AN EXTRA CHALLENGE: IF ANYONE AT EITHER LOCATION FINDS OUT WHY YOU ARE THERE, BOTH LOCATIONS WILL PERISH.

IF ONE OF YOU WILL KINDLY OPEN THE TOP DESK DRAWER CLOSEST TO YOU, YOU WILL FIND THAT I HAVE PROVIDED YOU ALL WITH COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT. I CAN SEE EACH OF YOU WHEREVER YOU GO, BUT IF YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH TIME YOU HAVE LEFT OR IF YOUR ACTIONS ARE ABOUT TO END HUNDREDS OF LIVES, I SUGGEST THAT YOU EACH WEAR ONE. THEY WILL ALSO ALLOW YOU TO TALK AMONGST YOURSELVES. I AM NOT UNFAIR, AND AS SUCH ONCE YOU HAVE MADE A DECISION AND REACH THE CHOSEN LOCATION, YOU WILL BE ALLOWED TO SPLIT UP SO LONG AS EACH OF YOU REMAINS WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THAT LOCATION.” There was a long pause to allow the gathered heroes to soak in everything they'd just heard. “NOW THEN. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? BUT DO KEEP IN MIND, THE CLOCK IS TICKING. THERE IS NO STOPPING DEUS EX MACHINA.”

Toji glanced up at Kristoff as he appeared, eyes widening...Woah,a fellow speedster...and with red lightning too!So this was going to be one of his teammates...Cool!!Waving, he nods with a grin at the older teen's question. "Yep! Nice...mee?...meeting you!" Then the boy hears the doors open, and glances over. Eyes widening at the cool markings the older teen has, he nods. "Nice meeting you too! And yep!"

Then the lights come on, causing him to jump in surprise. Glancing at where Cyborg was, his eyes widen as he sees it was just a cutout, one that was giving them a cheeky expression. Listening to the voice,Lightning Wolf's brows furrow, only for his eyes to widen again at what was said next. Oh no...He continues listening,biting his lips nervously before glancing up at the two older teens.

Jolt smiled at the two would-be teammates. Okay, good. He found the right place. He tuned to the cut out, "I have a bad feeling...." He listened to the briefing, and saw his mom with sniper tracers on her. His eyes grew wide, he knew the rules, only one could be saved, "......I say.... Hospital....." Kris was extremely reluctant, but he knew some how, he would be able to save both, he had too.

Bogan hid an inward groan at the moral dilemma, having already dealt with philosophy in his High School courses last semester. He studied the monitors along the wall as he pondered on the things spoken. His first reaction was to claim hospital but he could not find his voice. Something felt wrong as he watch the hospital patrons to the comic shop, as if there is more to this. The first red flag was when he said troublesome spots instead of explosives. Why make them separate? Bogan theorizes it could be a trick with the old 'Needs of the many outweigh the few philosophy but can he make that sort of gamble? The young teen took notice of his soon to be teammate glancing at him nervously and Bogan sympathized with him. He also took note that the other teen stating hospital. Bogan furrowed his brow as he gave another look to the screens and unable to shake off the feeling that something more is going on. Maybe it was the plan all along to make him indecisive and waste time thinking up the solution. Clenching his fist which result in them glowing with void light the young teen gave his answer, "I say Kitsune Comics is the target here because remember we've been given vauge descriptions so he may or may not be tricking us. I know it's a gamble but first we must think about our moral values and it's reflection of our culture. You choose hospital mostly because it benefits the 'Greater Good' so what happens is we come across this situation again. Will we sacerfice a 100 to save a 1000, a 1000 to save 10000, 10000 to save 100000? Then we have to ask, what is one's life in comparison? Because if you remembered what he said that is is the home within our group. So what if that person was a friend or say lover? Will it be selfish or cruel? Does the end justify the mean?" He spoke to his fellow teens as he continued to think upon his choice, "So I think the comic store is the best option by a margin, because if we choose hospital it will only encourage the same choice in the future for the 'Greater Good'"

"INTERESTING, INTERESTING INDEED. BUT THE CLOCK IS TICKING, YOUNG HEROES. YOU ALL MUST GO TO THE SAME PLACE. WILL YOU CHOOSE SENTIMENT OR REASON? THINK OF HOW MUCH THAT SHOP AND IT'S OWNER MUST MEAN TO ONE OF YOUR OWN. BUT THEN AGAIN, HOW MANY LIVES COULD THAT HOSPITAL SAVE? WE HAVE YET TO HEAR FROM YOU ON THIS MATTER, YOUNG WOLF." The voice genuinely seemed to be enjoying the proceedings, if a little surprised at the choices made.

"REMEMBER THAT THE LONGER YOU TAKE, THE LESS TIME YOU WILL HAVE TO SAVE THEM. AND IF YOU FAIL ONE... YOU FAIL THEM BOTH. I'LL GIVE YOU A HINT. THE TIME LIMIT FOR BOTH OF THESE LOCATIONS IS ENTIRELY DEPENDENT ON ONE OF THEM. MR... JOLT, IF YOU WOULD NOT MIND RETRIEVING THE HEADSETS FOR EACH OF YOU? YOU ARE OF COURSE WELCOME TO REFUSE, BUT THEN YOU WONT KNOW IF I DECIDE TO CHANGE THEN RULES ON YOU." Mocking laughter rang out over the intercom before it went silent.

Toji watched the screen, brows furrowed and sparks crackling down his form in nervousness.So many people under threat by those bombs...And though he didn't quite know the lady being threatened by what he assumed were sniper rifles, that was yet another innocent life under threat...

Listening to the older teens' responses, the boy gulped as Deus addressed him. So...it was down to him? Toji bit his lip again,running his hands through his hair as sparks crackled around him.Which to pick...As the intercom went silent, he closed his eyes, sparing a few seconds to think.So...explosions threatened a hospital, while guns threatened a woman...Guns...guns were able to miss. Humans can be very,very skilled at shooting, but even so...there was always margin for error. As for bombs, they didn't miss,not exactly...Even one could do a great deal of damage.

Opening up his eyes,Lightning Wolf glanced up at his teammates, responding. "We...run fast.Get bombs! Then run _really_ fast, fast as we can! Find snipers,and punch! Stop them from shooting! So...hospital?" Then he got nervous again at the last words,shoulders hunching slightly. Was his reasoning right?

Bogan thought of making a comeback to his thinking being called sentimental but considering he is dealing with an robotic being it's a interesting thought of wether it had understood morals in the first place. Cold efficiency in which only results matter, numbers is just an statistic. If this was not an tense situation he would have made a jab at the machine about being a good Vulcan. With a sigh he took the headset and loook over to his teammate who started talking. The mention is snipers result in Bogan raising a brow, "We only heared troublesome spots but as our 'friend' here would put it that would be the first thing we would logically assume. Regardless looks like the Hospital is our choice."

(ooc: Due in no small part to myself, this thread has been moving far too slowly. As little as it may help, I feel I owe y’all an explanation: I’ve mentioned before that I’m working two jobs, which keeps me extremely busy. However what I haven’t mentioned is the fact that due to working two jobs, I don’t sleep for two nights a week, and I make a sudden shift every week from working in the afternoons to working the night shift. As such, every week has a three day period that blurs together for me, and as a result my perception of time is completely out of whack. In layman’s terms, I have a very hard time keeping track of how long it has been. If I am ever gone for more than two days, I very likely do not realize how long has passed, especially during Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday. Everyone in this thread has access to my Skype, so please feel free to pester me regularly if I go more than two days without replying. That being said, I have cut a large percent of the pre-written content for this arc that I had in store in the interest of expediting this thread. Hopefully this will help streamline things and let us reach the ending sooner. In addition, the posting order is still Hellbreaker, St. Jommy, Tython. It would be extremely hypocritical of me to completely cut Jommy at this juncture. However, this thread has gone on for far too long and stagnated for far too long as it is, and once again I do apologize for my part in that. As such, everyone will have two days from the previous post to post. Tython, if St. Jommy does not reply in this timeframe after Hellbreaker’s next post, you have the okay to post. If I am ever gone for two days or more again, please get ahold of me on Skype and I will reply before I go to bed that day. If St. Jommy is skipped three times from this point out, meaning if he does not post within this next week, he will be written out of this thread so that we can finish it. You all have been more than patient with me and I greatly appreciate it. I aim to have this thread finished within the next few weeks at the absolute longest. Once again, I thank y’all for your patience and understanding.)



“I SEE YOU HAVE ALL FINALLY MADE YOUR CHOICE. I SUGGEST YOU TAKE YOUR HEADSETS AND GO. I GROW WEARY OF THIS CONVERSATION. PERHAPS I SHOULD JUST FLIP THE SWITCH AND KILL EVERYONE RIGHT NOW? THAT WOULD CERTAINLY BE MORE ENTERTAINING. BUT OF COURSE THAT WOULD BE TOO EASY. THAT WOULD BE LETTING YOU ESCAPE. HURRY ALONG NOW BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND.”

The heroes would find that the headsets, while not particularly comfortable, fit quite well. Once they’d donned them, the elevators would open with an almost comical Ding! The elevator would sit motionless and unresponsive until they were all aboard, however then it would jutter to life and carry them back down to the lobby. A cartoonish, blinking, neon red arrow sign pointed to a paper map that was laid out on the reception table. When unfolded, it actually contained several pages. The first were simply directions to the hospital, a few blocks down the road. The remaining half dozen pages were all various floors and wards of the hospital. The final page was neatly handwritten, and was comprised of three blocks of text:

”When you’re cold, you’re getting hot,
At least you won’t rot,
Those within have nary a thought.
Seek out the place where the great void resides,
Open the container, so recently died.”

“You’ve been here before, and you’ll be here again,
Assuming of course you’ve got a good “friend.”
Come to the place where lives begin,
Quickly now, before they all end.”

“Here I must apologize,
For this next one you may recognize,
For while fate worked here to perfect it’s tone,
This riddle sadly is not my own:
Five hundred begins it, five hundred ends it,
Five in the middle is seen.
First of all letters, first of all figures,
Take up their spaces between.
Arrange them all and you will see,
The name of a prominent king.”

After giving the heroes some time to read the riddles, the voice calling himself Deus piped up in their headsets. “WHAT DID I TELL YOU? RIDDLED WITH EXPLOSIVES! GOOD LUCK, YOUNG HEROES. I SHOULD PROBABLY ADD: NO SPLITTING UP. IT WOULDN’T BE FAIR IF THE YOUNG SPEEDSTER HAD A HEAD START, WOULD IT? AND REMEMBER: NO ONE AT THE HOSPITAL CAN FIND OUT THE REAL REASON YOU'RE THERE. IF ANYONE ELSE LEARNS WHAT YOU'RE DOING THERE OR IF ANY OF YOU TRY TO EVACUATE ANYONE, BOTH LOCATIONS WILL PERISH. TICK TOCK, HEROES. THE CLOCK GRINDS EVER ONWARD.”

With very careful examination, the very back of the last page turns out to be textured, the textures forming a hidden message, which reads as follows:
A little hint to get you started. There are three bombs, each hidden in a different location. The first one will be obvious if you follow the riddle, but they get harder from there. The second riddle will give you the general area, while the third riddle will only give the vaguest of clues. But if you’re very clever, you might find a hint as to how to find the third bomb while looking for the second. I suggest you look for the bombs in order. Good luck. Tick tock goes the God machine.
Deus

Toji glares at the intercom where the baddie's voice was coming from, but blurs over to get his headset, handing the others theirs. Once they'd slipped them on and the elevator opened, the boy blurred over into the elevator, and waited.

As they arrive,he glances around, head tilting at the flashing arrow. Blurring over,he picks it up,giving it a quick read over. Pausing at the last page,the boy's head tilts as he rubs the back of it. Weird...felt rougher then the rest. Shrugging, he blurs back over to the other two,holding it out.

(sorry for the lousy post! ^^; )

Bogan was beside his comrade as he ponder on the two riddles. "My guess the first two sounds like the Morgue and the Nursery. So we should start there," Bogan speculated as he put on the headgear. Studying the papers and memorizing the many schedules of the staff Bogan handed them back to Toji if he needs it. He found the riddle a bit narcissist when Deus refer to itself as the god machine, reminding him a bit of Braniac that he hears about in the news.

Kris was thinking about the third riddle, getting positioned near the window, adjusting the head set. Where had he heard it before. He pondered as he was getting ready to jump when he saw a poster for "Ronnie IX", a boxing movie franchise that went on for far too long. Funny about Roman numerals, using letters instead.. of.. numbers... It clicked, "DAVID!" He looked at his most likely confused and scared team mates, "The third riddle, 500 in the beginning and end, D is 500 in Roman numerals, 5 in the middle, V duh, First of letters, A, first of NUMERICAL figures, I. David!" Kris looked proud of himself as he positioned to zip out the window, "Whenever you're ready!"