[center][IMG]http://www.auplod.com/u/dpauol4a003.png[/IMG][/center] [center][b]D-Day, moments before the portal opens[/b][/center] The rhythmic clink of weights after a droning set of morning errands always helped to clear Taylor's mind and work up her appetite. She just started her first shoulder press set after a good twenty minutes of running at the gym a few blocks from her apartment, and was making good on her plan to squeeze in an hour of pumping iron before her next job. A little TV in the corner was playing the news, catching the eye of a few other gym-goers in passing. It was a common habit among Lost Haven citizens to always leave at least one TV tuned to the news, just on the off chance they might see Icon or some other Meta save the day or wreck shit or whatever. Taylor never was the sort to keep glued to the screen, hoping to see awesome stuff happen, when she could just make it herself. Even before her recent powers she was more volatile than any average teen. Of course, they could only add... She jolted out of her workout, dropping the weights and feeling the machine clatter as she turned her face toward the windows on the far wall. Further out, in the heart of what looked like Sherman Square, she could see the sky peel back and in on itself, opening up with a deafening crack of dark energies. The other gym-goers gasped, weights were dropped, and they rushed for the elevator in a mass panic. Taylor spotted a dumbbell on the mat near her feet, and she glanced down at the street ten stories below. Snatching it up, her skin sunk into a dark, cold iron, and she burst through the glass and into the air. A chorus of screams erupted behind her but were quickly cut off by her rapid descent--she'd never jumped from a building before, but then again a giant portal hadn't ever really opened in the sky before either. The drop was much longer than she expected, and about twenty feet before she made contact with the asphalt some...[i]thing[/i] made contact with her first. It sported fleshy wings, and was swooping down low, attacking people running in the street. It shrieked as her heavy metal legs collided with its fleshy form, and she brought it down to the street with a sickening pop and squish. As she struggled to stand, some woman shrieked, catching Taylor’s eye long enough to see her dragged off by a cluster of spidery little nightmares. [color=DarkGray]”Ah, hell!”[/color] She took chase, and luckily was quick enough to club the hellspawn off of the older woman and stomp them into twitching piles. She glared at the woman as she shakily got to her feet and stared in awe at her unknown metallic savior. “I—I’ve never seen you on the news before, I thought I knew all the heroes—“ Taylor wasn’t about to argue her identity to the woman if she really wanted to think she was some kind of hero. She didn’t have to be nice, though. [color=DarkGray]”Get the [b]fuck[/b] outta here! Run, you idiot!”[/color] Taylor didn’t bother to stop for anyone else—May had a cold and was staying at home with Nan, and Randy and the other kids were probably still in their apartment. [color=b80000][i]Shit! Nan’s probably at the Tomb setting up, and May’s hanging out with Christian at his place. There’s no way I can keep them outta this all together.[/i][/color] She grit her teeth and sprinted to her apartment building, busting through the back alley door and leaping up the stairs to her room. She picked up on a few distant screams, shattering windows and monstrous shrieks, but her mind was set solely on getting to her apartment, finding Randy and holing the Lost Boys up nice and secure while she cleared out the building. She made it down the hall, all but kicked down the door-- [center][b]Present[/b][/center] Nan’s apartment would have been terrifyingly still, quiet as Taylor and Nan were, if Christian hadn’t gotten called up the moment Nan snapped out of her tranquilizer-induced nap and realized Taylor and May were missing. He was pacing from the living room to May’s room, stepping over the toppled endtable and plates of cake as he went. He clasped his tanned hand over his mouth every time he paused in his rant, which was often sporadic but not long. He went off again after the tenth time walking into May’s room. “Gone! May’s gone, just like that!” His tone was a mix of despairing and furious. Taylor sat on the couch, pivoting to see him finally stop in the kitchen and run his hands through his hair. He lifted his eyes to lock with hers, lip curling. “And you couldn’t fuckin’ do anything? You spend all your damn time working out just like Andre used to do and you can’t take out some lowlife who snatches up little baby girls?” [color=b80000]“The guy had tranqs. He blindsided me and Nan before I could even get a good look.”[/color] Taylor felt a buzz in her pocket; when she realized it wasn’t her phone, her hand went to the smooth little communicator she’d been given. Her cold, distant tone took on whole new levels. [color=b80000]“I gotta go.”[/color] She gave a pointed look to Nan, who caught it but didn’t appear to care. [color=b80000][i]Well fuck her, then. Whatever.[/i][/color] She ignored Christian’s protests entirely, slamming the door to Nan’s apartment behind her and slipping into a nearby alcove to press the communicator to her ear. A solid, robotic voice droned out instructions--no explanation, just orders for the newest puppet. [i]”EASTERN AVENUE AND 33RD. TARGET: ARMORED TRUCK, LOGO ‘BOREALIS SECURITY’. RETRIEVE THE TRUNK INSIDE AND AWAIT DIRECTIVE TO DROP ZONE. IGNORE WITNESSES.”[/i] [color=b80000][i]That isn’t so bad. But an armored truck? Seriously, my life is turning into one big comic book, and not even the well-written kind.[/i][/color] -- It was a little eerie how well Maverick’s kidnappers had mended her suit in such a small amount of time. She couldn’t help but imagine some room of their shady organizational headquarters devoted to seamstresses, sweating away over the next teen Meta’s outfit. Well, regardless of how they did it, it felt better-fitting than ever, and her chest insignia gleamed in the light of the setting sun. The streets were about as crowded as usual, meaning the density of people gave her a nice few seconds of anonymity before they realized who they were brushing shoulders with. She wasn’t well-known by any stretch, but the people of Lost Haven were well-conditioned to give Metas in costume a hell of a lot of space—they’d all known cousins, partners or work buddies who’d been caught in the line of fire. She paid the non-powered plebs no mind, and as the armored truck rounded the corner of Eastern and 33rd, as promised, she leisurely made her way down into the middle of the road and waited for it to screech to a halt. The driver’s eyes were filled with fear, and she [i]loved[/i] it. Some security guy sat next to him, cradling a rifle and gritting his teeth. Maverick rolled her shoulders and took on a form that was a little more heavy-duty. Her metallic skin caught the orange-pink sunlight and scattered blinding rays in every direction, making her look like a localized star. [color=silver]”Alright, guys. While I’d love to have a little fun with this, you know you’re both screwed if you try to mess with me. Get outta the truck.”[/color] The two men hesitated; a grave mistake. Maverick growled and stalked toward them, the asphalt caving in and forming crags to connect her strides. Her hands plunged somewhere into the hood and bumper of the truck, crushing the reinforced metal, before she tore off the entire front of the cabin: windshield, engine and all. The men scrambled to safety as she roared and chucked the crumpled chasse off to the side, sending it through a storefront across the street. [color=silver][b]”You think I’m messing around?! Yeah, fuckin’ run!”[/b][/color]