1.19 Ascendance Part 7

Leo wakes up, feeling completely refreshed and ready for action.

What happened?

We don’t know. But we have lost Joyous Star.

So I’m down to four Companions again?

No...       

So who is the replacement?

She is currently restrained. We will explain what happened later.

I’m looking forward to hearing that story. So what is our situation?

We are completely healed, including our left arm, and are in a set of power armour.

Nice. But how did that happen?

We don’t know.

But we should deal with Superior and Jane Smith so we can save Joan.

Agreed.

Without hesitation, Gears leaps into action, firing up all of his KEPs and summoning Reinkal to his hands as flies straight at Superior, where the supervillain is lodged in the wall.

As Superior steps out of the wall, Gears pierces him with Reinkal’s point and sends both of them flying down the corridor.

Got him.

Gears swings his right fist at Superior as they go through the air, activating the new molecular blades he installed in the wrists of his armour, just like the one he installed in his cyborg head.

Just as the tip of the blade strikes Superior’s golden skin, the supervillain disappears and Gears stabilises himself with his KEPs, turning around to look behind him even as he continues moving.

The sight that greets him is most certainly not what he expected.

The corridor looks completely normal with absolutely no signs of the recent battle. All the corpses, along with Jane Smith and Superior are gone. The only abnormality is strange woman that is approaching Gears.

Who is that?

We don’t know.

The woman is a silvery-blonde with gorgeous purple eyes and what is without a doubt an Aphrodite body.

And Gears can’t help, but feel drawn to this mysterious woman.

Wait, where is Joan?

Hi Leo!

Joan?

Yep! You’re looking at me by the way.

I see...

That you do. No pun intended I assume.

What?

Never mind. Guess who I got as my Companion.

Joyous Star.

Oh. How did you guess so easily?

He is missing from my mind. So what exactly are your powers? I assume they were behind my recovery and getting equipped with my power armour. Not to mention getting rid of Jane Smith and Superior.

I did do those things. Well, not getting rid of those last two. They teleported out and I can’t trace them. Anyway, my powers are...

Joan gleeful explains her powers to Gears and leaves him reeling from the shock of how overpowered his girlfriend is.

Wow, that is, just wow.

I know right!

Yeah. I mean, you are going to have some problems with such an extreme power set.

What do you mean? I can just out power anything out there.

Is that how you are going to get through life now? Just power through anything you don’t like? So are you going to take over the world when you disagree with what the government wants? Rewrite the minds of people when they do thing you don’t like? Kill people who get on your nerves or perhaps you’ll just erase from the universe so they never existed?

Leo...

And what about the Harbingers? Or whoever these guys worked for? A single Harbinger can still hold their own against you if they go all out. And Jane Smith and Superior teleported out from right under your nose. If they can do that, what else can they do to counter you?

I haven’t had time to think those things through.

Joan, what I am trying to say is that while you are the strongest parahuman in the world, that doesn’t mean you are the strongest thing out there. And Superior was the strongest parahuman out there. Then you came along.

I see your point...

Besides, what about a normal life? Don’t you want one of those? Where you and I can be boyfriend and girlfriend?

I get it Leo. What do you think I should do then?

Set yourself self-imposed limits.

Alright. No rising the dead. No changing family or the Guardsmen without permission. Well, a harmless prank there or that won’t hurt, but otherwise, yeah.

Those sound good. Can you bring the dead back to life?

Don’t know, haven’t tried. You were only mostly dead. I think your powers or something kepti you from actually being dead.

So what are we going to do now?

There is another thing I want to mention.

Go on.

You see, my powers have made me lesbian.

So make yourself straight or bi. Simple solution.

I know, that is what Star said, but I was thinking-

No. I know where that line of thought is going and no Joan. Just no.

Oh come on Leo! You might even like it.

Nope. Nada. Zip. Negative. Never. No.

Spoilsport.

I like being a guy Joan.

Can I at least change your sexual orientation so you are attracted to girls?

Maybe later.

Yay!

So what are we going to do now?

You’re the expert here. I’ll let you figure something out.

Alright. Can you teleport us to the base? We can regroup that and sort out things there. If people ask, we’ll just say you teleported us there after you manifested. We’ll only mention Jane Smith and Superior and say that we don’t know what happened to them after you manifested as you just teleported us out of there. If we don’t mention the other attackers, we won’t get any awkward questions about how we took them out.

Okeydokey.

1.19 Ascendance Part 5

Joan doesn’t get very far before Superior grabs her by the neck with one meaty hand. She struggles at his grip as she is lifted off the floor and her feet dangle above the ground.

“You’re not going anywhere,” growls Superior as his eyes blaze with fury.

Ceta?

I’m sorry Joan, there is nothing I can do.

Oh.

I can restore you using a back-up of your mind and genetics, but otherwise...I’m sorry. The Guardsmen will avenge you and Leo.

Leo...

I will remove your ability to feel physical pain.

As Joan refocuses her attention on Superior, the villain yanks her left arm out of its socket and tosses it aside. Despite the horrific injury, Joan doesn’t feel a thing, something that she is very thankful to Ceta for.

Leo’s dead. He’s dead. No, he can’t just be dead. Leo is too paranoid for that. He has some plan to avoid death or come back from the dead or something. Maybe Ceta or Legacy will know what to do. Or Jaylyn. Our darling daughter was created by Leo. She might have some way to save her father. But we can figure that out once Ceta brings me back. That’s right, we’ll bring Leo back once this is all over. Just like they’ll do with me. Heh, nothing to worry about. Absolutely nothing at all. Heh, heh.

“Now you join your pal,” sneers Superior.

“You’re a monster,” retorts Joan as she stares Superior in the eye.

“A monster?” replies Superior before laughing as he stares right back at Joan, “Little girl, I am a hero. One who has ascended the barbaric and primitive species of Homo Sapiens into the realm of Homo Superior.”

“So you’re one of the people who believes in might makes right then,” Joan replies, surprising herself at how calm and polite she is remaining.

“The difference is that I can back it up,” counters Superior.

“So the most powerful parahuman world is just another Nazi-wannabe,” snorts Joan.

Joan doesn’t flinch as Superior rips off her other arm.

Wow, it feels so weird not to being able to feel my arms.

I can fix that. At least I can make seem like you can still feel them without feeling any pain.

Cool.

“What is wrong with you?” demands Superior, “Doesn’t that hurt?”

“Not really,” replies Joan, “You suck at this!”

“Clifton don’t!” yells the woman before Superior does anything to Joan, “We need her alive.”

“She’s a @#%$ing bitch sis,” complains Superior as he turns to look at the woman.

So they want me alive huh?

So it would seem.

Too bad for them then. If I judged Superior’s personality, this should work just fine.

Joan spits at Superior and the next thing she knows, Joan is floating in the middle of open white space.

“Okay,” says Joan as she looks away, “So I’m assuming I’m dead. Anybody going to correct me or I am right?”

“I would assume the latter,” says a voice that Joan recognises as belonging to Leo.

“Leo!” exclaims Joan happily.

“I’m afraid not,” replies the person as Joan turns around to face them.

A featureless person that is engulfed in a glowing blue light floats opposite Joan.

“Who are you then?” demands Joan as she crosses her arms.

“Joyous Star,” answers the person with a courteous bow, “You may recognises me as one of Leo’s Companions.”

“Then where is Leo?” asks Joan as she clasps her hands together.

“I am unware of his location,” replies Star, “The last thing I remember is making Superior bleed after we used the remote controls in Reinkal to lodge it in Superior’s back.”

“Reinkal is that halberd right?” inquires Joan and Star nods, “So do you have any idea why we are here?”

“No,” replies Star with a shake of his head, “This is as much a mystery to me as it is to you.”

“Well, nice to meet you Joyous Star,” says Joan as she holds out a hand for him to shake.

“The pleasure is mine,” replies Star as he grasps the hand that Joan is offering.

As they make contact, the world around Joan flashes and she stumbles backwards. Joan blinks and she finds herself on her back, staring at ceiling of the corridor outside her bedroom.

What happened?

You have Awoken.

Sweet, wait, is that the same as manifestation?

An immensely stronger version of Manifesting.

Definitely sweet. So are you my Companion then? What powers do I have?

Yes and you have three game breaker powers.

What are they Star?

First is your Enhanced Rating. You are an Infinity Aphrodite with your physical prowess at A+ levels. Which is to say at the A+ level of conventional powers in a Bellator manner rather than the A+ level of Enhanced Ratings such as Bellator or Aphrodites.

Freaking awesome!

Indeed they are. Your second strongest power is your newfound invulnerability.

So I have top tier nigh invulnerability?

No, just outright invulnerability.

No way! Wait, you said that was my second strongest power? Does that mean I have a stronger one then?!

That you do Joan. I can’t get an exact reading on this power, but you seem to be a practically unrestricted reality warper. The only limitation I can find is that you can’t affect other powers. I am sure that there will be others, but if there are, I am lack knowledge of their existence.

That is-no @#%$ing-I don’t-unbelievable-you know what that means?

Superior is no longer the strongest parahuman on the planet?

Damn right.

1.19 Ascendance Part 4

Joan dodges another of the woman’s punches and follows it up with an uppercut, which the woman also dodges, but just barely.

Or rather Ceta dodges it and follows it up with an uppercut.

“Why isn’t my power working?!” shrieks the woman, freaking out, “I need back up! The others are all dead. The bitch’s #@$%ing boyfriend has taken out all of the others.”

The woman yelps a pair of bullets fly past her head, jumping out of the way, leaving herself completely open to Joan. Taking the opportunity that is presenting itself, Ceta slams a fist into the woman’s face.

She stumbles backwards with a bloody nose and lip and Leo swipes at her with a red and black halberd that Joan doesn’t recognise.

Guns under my bed, a killer instinct and now that nasty looking weapon. Leo is just full of surprises today.

He catches her in the side, leaving a bloody gash. The woman gasps in pain and stumbles backwards. As Ceta moves to retrieve Joan’s pistol, Leo attacks the woman again, but she steps out of the way and disarms Leo of his halberd, knocking away from him.

He swings at her with his left fist, but the woman catches it using her hand with a grin on her face. A grin that is almost instantly replaced by a pained expression as a grey blade shoots forth from where Leo’s left hand connects with the wrist and pierces her own hand.

Where that hell did that come from?!

Even as that is going on, the halberd teleports to Leo’s right hand as he aims it as the woman’s left shoulder. A black energy beams fires from the halberd’s head, tearing into the woman’s shoulder.

She stumbles backwards with a cry of pain as her right arm goes limp and her shoulder gushes with blood. The woman clutches her left shoulder with bleeding right hand and staggers backwards as Ceta takes aim with the handgun.

We’re going to kill her?

This is kill or be killed. They proved that when they murdered your sister.

Ceta pulls the trigger, but Joan is knocked through the air a split second after the bullet leaves the barrel.

She flies down the corridor, Joan gapes at the man hovering in front of the injured woman.

The man has the body shape of an Adonis, but is clearly an Abnormal. His skin is a shiny gold and whilst the man is naked, his body lack any body hair not on his head along with his nipples and...other parts. His shortish hair is a gleaming bronze while his eyes are pure silver.

S-S-Superior!

This is bad.

You think!

“You hurt my big sister,” declares the most powerful parahuman on the planet as he turns to face Leo, 
“You’re going to pay for that.”

Leo attempts to attack, but Superior simply grabs the right arm in which the halberd is held and tears it off with absolutely no effort. Leo grunts in pain as blood erupts from his shoulder.

Leo stabs at Superior with his right hand and Superior laughs, not even bothering to dodge or block the attack and instead just standing there to take the attack.

But Superior is soon silent, taking a step backwards as his eyes widen in a mixture of pain and shock as Leo’s hand-wrist blade pierces his shoulder.

Superior takes another step back as he places his hand on Leo’s chest before unleashing a blast of glowing golden energy. Leo grows flying backwards as the energy beam burns through cloth, flesh, blood and bone with equal ease.

“Leo!” cries Joan, her eyes swelling with tears.

She attempts to rush to Leo’s aid, but halts after a single step as Superior suddenly appears in front of her.

“Oh no you don’t,” says Superior with an angry glare at Joan as he crosses his arms over his chest.

Joan’s eyes stray to his shoulder, where Leo wounded him. The injury is already healed, but Joan notes that there is still some orange blood on Superior’s golden flesh.

Suddenly Superior grunts in pain and staggers forward, almost falling on top of Joan, giving her a momentary glimpse of what is lodged in his back.

Leo’s halberd is lodged in Superior’s back, quite deeply as a matter of fact, with orange blood leaking around it.

Meanwhile Leo, with his right arm and most of his upper body simply gone, is slumped against the wall, panting heavily as his face contorts with pain and determination. His outstretched left hand slowly falls to ground.

With a furious snarl, Superior rips the halberd out of his back as he slowly turns to face Leo. He grabs the weapon with both hands and casually snaps it in two before tossing it aside.

“You die now,” hisses Superior as Leo’s head around so it faces backwards by an invisible force.

“Leo!” screams Joan in despair as she runs forward in a desperate team to reach her dead boyfriend.

1.19 Ascendance Part 3

Trapped with just her and Leo with a whole bunch of dangerous parahumans out to get them, Joan is internally freaking out. Not externally as she doesn’t want to distract Leo and she is retaining that much control.

He knows what he is doing. I mean, he is Gears and a total badass. Just look at how he killed those two guys.

Actually, I don’t know whether to be relieved or terrified by that actually. Maybe both?

Plus he just pulled out a pair of handguns from under my bed! What on Earth were those doing there anyway? When we get out of this, Leo and I are going to talk.

At least Ceta is helping out, using the nanobots. Leo might know what he is doing, but I certainly don’t.

Joan glances out of her bedroom and into the corridor just in time to see a woman zoom through the floor and straight into Leo.

Joan panics as her boyfriend stumbles and falls over backwards.

“Leo!” shrieks Joan, only to hear a posh female voice laughing behind her.

“Hello there little birdy,” says the woman as Joan turns around to see the woman that gave Abby the nanobots that healed her.

Joan attempts to raise her pistol, but the woman just casually knocks the gun out of Joan’s hands.

“I can’t let you do that little birdy,” says the woman in a sickeningly sweet voice, “I know that they also say to never look a gift horse in the mouth, but really little birdy, you should be careful about what you stick inside your body. EO458.”

The woman looks so arrogantly smug to the point that Joan can’t resist the urge to slug her in the face.

While the woman might have superpowers of her own, Joan is still an A Class Bellator with excellent combat skills and as of such, the woman goes flying backwards from the completed unexpected strike.

As the woman recovers, Joan snatches her handgun back up and aims it at the woman as she gets to her feet.

“The £$%*?” splutters the woman as she gapes at Joan, “The nanobots were supposed to take control of your body!”

“Guardian is my best friend,” replies Joan as she pulls the trigger, adding an extra word as an afterthought, “Bitch.”

With inhumanly reflexes, the woman rolls out of the way, the bullet flying through the space her chest used to be and tearing into the wall.

Joan, might I suggest that you allow me to take control of your body?

Uh, sure thing Ceta. You’re better suited for this anyway.

Indeed.

As the woman charges at her, Joan feels herself losing control of her body as Ceta takes charge of it and pulls a dagger out of the utility belt that Joan put on.

Never have I’ve been so glad to have someone else take charge of my body.

Thank you for your trust Joan.

“Spirit Mistress! Mechanised!” shouts the woman as she and Ceta engage each other in hand-to-hand combat.

***

His head still ringing, Leo forces himself to get back up. He has taken worse injuries and kept on fighting. Not to mention that Joan’s life is at stake here.

He clutches his head as he gets his bearings.

Guys?

Silence.

Guys?

More silence.

Guys!

Leo snaps back to reality as he hears a Hunter round explode and Jane Smith shout out for people.

Joan!

Looking down the corridor, Leo spots Jane Smith and Joan fighting while the Tinker/Gadgeteer charges at them. Without hesitation, Leo runs forward and intercepts the Tinker/Gadgeteer before he can assist Jane Smith, tackling him.

They both slam into the wall and Leo smashes his left fist into his opponent’s head. He feels the helmet give in under his fist, leaving a decent dent behind.

So his power armour isn’t as tough as mine is. That is good to know.

Leo steps back to give himself some space to manoeuvre and ducks as the Tinker/Gadgeteer swings at him. The blow goes wide over Leo’s head and he retaliates with another punch to his opponent’s face, making sure to use his robotic right hand again.

A couple of thin red laser beams fly out of the invader’s power armour, hitting Leo before he has a chance to dodge. He grunts in pain as one gets glancing hit on his right shoulder while the other leaves a searing tear through the flesh of his left side.

Before Leo can recover, the Tinker/Gadgeteer slams a fist into his chest, knocking him off his feet and sending him flying into Joan’s bedroom and crashing into a wall.

He slumps as he falls to the ground. Knowing he doesn’t have time to wait despite the immense pain he is, Leo attempts to get to his feet, only to see his handgun lying nearby within his reach.

He looks up to see Tinker/Gadgeteer swing a power fist at him. Without time to decide on his next move, Leo acts on his instinct, summoning Reinkal to his left hand as he grabs his handgun with right hand and aims it at the Tinker/Gadgeteer.

Leo uses Reinkal to physically block his opponent’s attack even as he pulls the trigger on his gun.

The Hunter rounds tear the weaker armour plating of the Tinker/Gadgeteer’s power armour, ripping into the man’s chest. Leo slashes at him with Reinkal even as the Hunter rounds blow his foe’s chest up from within, mangling the power armour as it contains the explosion.

As he is splattered with blood, gore and scrap from the close range explosion, Leo ignores his pain in his shoulder, head, chest and side as he looks over to wear Joan is battling Jane Smith.

Interlude - Freya

Freya walks down the street of her town as she heads back to her uncle’s. The drunken cretin she has to stay with due to both of her parents serving aboard in the navy.

I suppose Uncle Larry isn’t that bad. It could be worse. He doesn’t abuse me at all and is more apathetic than neglectful or malicious.

Freya blinks as a woman steps out of nowhere in front of her. The woman looks like one of those Aphrodite parahumans and is wearing a spy catsuit.

Ohh %$£*. This can’t be good. A freaking supervillain just appeared before me.

The woman flickers her black hair behind her head and Freya doesn’t even notice as the woman draws a small stick device from her belt.

Freya blink her eyes rapidly as a small flash goes off from the woman’s hand and stumbles forward.

Freya groans as she looks around before recoiling as she realise where she is or rather, where she isn’t.

The room around her is has sleek white walls, floor and ceiling and is blank except for herself and the woman in a catsuit.

Freya coughs as the woman sprays her with something.

“What was that?” demands Freya as she takes a step back.

“Insurance,” replies the woman, “My name is Oracle Miss King.”

“What do you want?” asks Freya as she tries to take another step away from the supervillainess, but body locks up and doesn’t respond.

“A test subject who won’t be missed,” answers Oracle as she slowly saunters towards one of the walls, “It is a Friday night. Your uncle won’t realise you never returned home, your parents won’t contact you until Wednesday evening. Your classmates and teachers won’t realise you’re missing until Monday and it won’t be until Tuesday that somebody puts the pieces together and figures out you’re missing. And by then, it will have been three days and it will have been more than enough time for our purposes.”

“You don’t know that,” protests Frey fearfully.

“Sure I do,” replies Oracle with a slight chuckle, “It’s my power after all.”

A portal appears in front of her and Oracle steps into it. As the portal closes, leaving Freya alone in the barren room, Freya feels her control of her body returning.

As what has happened to her finally hits home, Freya breaks down into tears. She doesn’t even realise what is happening to her body as she loses consciousness.

Why me? Does this have to happen to me?

***

“Test Subject 3-028-F16,” says a mechanical monotone voice as Freya regains consciousness, “Wake up.”

“What, what is going on?” asks Freya as she sits up.

It comes back in a rush as Freya realises she is still in the barren white room and she whimpers.

It wasn’t a nightmare.

“The tests have been completed and the Ascendant is coming to speak with you Test Subject 3-028-F16,” says the voice.

“Test subject 3-02-what it is, is that what I’m called now?” mutters Freya as she curls up. 

“Not at all Miss King,” replies a gentleman and Freya looks up to see a man exiting a portal.

The man is late middle aged with short and well-kept black hair streaked with grey. His skin is slightly wrinkled while his face looks concerned and caring.

“Who are you?” asks Freya.

“I am the Ascendant,” answers the man as he knees down so he can look Freya in the eye, “I’m sorry about how my associate Oracle has treated you Freya. Do you mind if I call you Freya? Anyway, Oracle isn’t much of a people person and since her power told her you wouldn’t join our organisation, she saw no need to treat you decently. Not that it excuses what you gone through at all. So my apologies for that.”

“Umm, you’re welcome,” replies Freya.

He doesn’t seem so bad.

“Would you like to know what is going to happen to you?” asks the Ascendant kindly.

“Yes please sir,” replies Freya.

“Splendid,” says the Ascendant cheerfully, “Just come with me then.”

He helps Freya to her feet and leads her over to the wall just in time for a portal to appear in front of them.

“Just this way dear,” says the Ascendant as they both step through it.

Freya looks around the room they appear in. It is a pleasant, fancy office feel to with wooden walls and door in addition to traditional wooden desk. A soft green carpet covers the floor while the desk as a computer on it with three different screens. Behind the desk is a large fancy armchair with a tall back.

“This is my office,” says the Ascendant, “I hope you don’t mind standing. I would have another chair, but it is extremely rare for me to have guests so I haven’t gotten around to it yet.”

“Not at all Mr Ascendant,” replies Freya as she looks around, “This is a very nice office you don’t mind saying so.”

“I’m glad you like it,” replies the Ascendant as he sits down at the desk, “Now if you just like to stand behind me and I will show you some things on my computer here.”

“Okay,” says Freya as she does as the Ascendants says.

“Take a look at this,” says the Ascendant as one of the screens shows a bar chart.

“What is this?” asks Freya as she looks at it.

­Red - 19

Blue - 3

Black - 19

Purple - 5

Yellow - 8

Pink - 3

Green - 11

White - 8

“What do all of these mean?” asks Freya.

“These are the colours of the Shard that my organisation will insert you with,” replies the Ascendant.

“The Shard?” asks Freya nervously.

“A form of power, one of several types,” answers the Ascendant as Freya feels her body freezing up again, “I would ask you if you mind this happening to you, but that would imply you had a choice and the only purpose of your answer would be to make me feel better. And so I won’t give you a false choice to make me feel better.”

The Ascendant is silence as he draws a hi-tech tube containing a silver liquid inside.

“And I will apologise in advance for changing your memories of this day and the last one,” says Ascendant, sounding genuine to Freya as her world goes black, “We can’t let you retain the knowledge you have gained about us if you’re not going to join us.”

***

Freya groans as she wakes up. She looks around, realising she is half submerged in the local river on the outskirts of town.

She pulls herself out of it easily before evaluating the situation.

Let’s see, I got a completely different body, no memories of the last two days, but I don’t feel tired at all. Not only that, but I can sense this water, the liquids in my body, the liquids in all the plants. How is sensing all of that not driving me insane? How I am not freaking out? I just feel...so calm and serene.

Freya looks around her body.

I got big breasts, a nice butt and a very good figure. And my clothes are still intact somehow. They’re still no longer fit to wear, but at least I still got some modesty. To be honest, I would have expected them to fall if not be completely destroyed. I mean, they should be. I should count myself lucky.

Ha! I’m lucky indeed. I got *&%#ing superpowers and what I bet is one of those freaking awesome Aphrodite bodies as well.

Now all I have to do is get back home and prove to people who I am. Which will be harder since no one saw my manifestation.