The last few days have been very...eventful. First, I continued my investigation into the truck stop—and found little else other than that the location was definitely tied into Second Syndicate smuggling operations somehow.
Luckily, I was able to engage the interest of the other local vigilantes when Steel Claw tasked me to investigate a shipment due at or around a certain time. I was unable to discover just what the shipment would be ahead of time, but I had a very good idea of where the shipment would arrive.
The group (we really ought to decide on some kind of name, I believe...it becomes tiresome to write "the group" over and over again) and I arrived at the truck stop in time to see a suspicious truck moving to the back lots where a pair of hazardous material containers awaited. Contained was able to determine that one container was similar to a barracks, while the other possessed a safe and some kind of workshop or file area.
We swung into action when D'arc Tangent somehow accidentally blew up a power transformer, shutting off all the lights and power to the area. Blitzkrieg and I stopped the truck while FMJ and Tangent dealt with emerging Syndicate agents. I was right!
My exultation was short-lived, as a large group of superpowered Syndicate goons arrived. I was able to make them hesitate, but they soon swung into action and our group (argh...we need a name!) was soon heavily engaged. I must admit to making several errors during this combat. I reacted emotionally, heedlessly, stupidly. Never before had I ever faced so many Syndicate agents in one place, and my thirst for justice (let's be honest here...my thirst for revenge) replaced my normally good common sense.
I won't bore you with the details except to say that we captured several agents and two supers (Thunderbolt and Mudshark), injured two more (Flashburn and Shockwave), and the rest escaped. Somewhere along the way, Flashburn took my intervention personally (I broke her jaw during the scrum)...perhaps it was my near-total invulnerability to her powers.
Our group got off lightly, with only a few bruises and cracked ribs (Koyotie, unfortunately, took the brunt of the enemy attack). I took off with the two captured supers while the rest scattered, fearing (and rightly so) imminent ICOMP arrival. My interrogation of the two supers was satisfactory—I received certain information about the kava root operation in addition to details about the cars in the shipment at the truck stop. I appropriated Thunderbolt's armor technology for myself and alerted ICOMP to pick up the two criminals. The reporter, Erica Chase, proved herself to be quite resourceful and...in an annoying fashion...persistent. I must remember to stay in her good graces, as her position is highly useful to my crusade.
After some more investigation, I attended a meeting with the other vigilantes at a bar known as the Third Rail—apparently, some kind of neutral ground in the city. ICOMP, Syndicate, vigilante, all are welcome as long as they don't start any trouble. The meeting went well—we shared information and discovered that the cars contained some kind of chemical ("psiclone") that activates or maintains mental powers. Evidently, a powerful mentalist is either at or near the top of the Syndicate pyramid.
Flashburn made another appearance, and apparently, she feels there is something personal between us now. I felt some cause for concern, considering her powers and abilities. Nevertheless, we left the bar in good order to follow up on various leads and perform some more investigation into the vehicles and the drug itself.
Not long afterwards, however, I discovered some unsettling news—Thunderbolt and Mudshark had both been killed in prison. Mudshark's death, particularly, seemed to have all the hallmarks of an assassination by Flashburn, along with a single word. "Anywhere." Is she calling me out on some kind of challenge? I shall have to think about how to respond. And think very thoroughly indeed.
-Entry Ends;
Return to Vendetta Rhapsody