[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/M3SfSt4.png[/img][/center] [quote][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/uRayxn0.png[/img][/center] [color=MediumTurquoise]"Welcome once again, ladies and gentlemen, to the Godfrey Edition, the [i]only[/i] reliable source for the unvarnished truth! I am as always your humble host, the inimitable G. Gordon Godfrey, here to enlighten and illuminate the masses as we shed some light onto the shadowy corners of the corridors of power! And speaking of power, tonight's top story: no one in the world wields more power than the so-called 'Superman'.....or at least, that's what he'd have you believe! But for the past month, between bouts of putting out fires and pulling cats out of trees for good publicity, the Big Blue Boy Scout has been outwitted, humiliated, and run around in circles by yet another in a long line of costumed freaks, laughing at him every step of the way!"[/color] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/jQ4ikrXm.jpg?2[/img][/center] [color=MediumTurquoise]"They call him [i]the Toyman,[/i] and thus far he's taken credit for over a dozen acts of high-level cyber-terrorism in Metropolis alone. First, there was the drone attack in Centennial Park. Dozens of innocent men and women were injured during the battle, and property damage caused by Superman in his bull-headed effforts to stop them totaled well into the tens of millions. It should be noted, dear viewers, that the drones were targeting Superman specifically-- why, then, didn't he simply fly out of the city and let them follow after him? Well, why [i]bother[/i]? After all, it's not as if he's going to stick around to pay for everyone's medical expenses! More importantly, why take the fight somewhere where he wouldn't have crowds full of greasy [i]fan-boys[/i] snapping pictures and gushing about him on Facebook?"[/color] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/l7RbxZql.png[/img][/center] [color=MediumTurquoise]"And of course, after the drone attack, the hits have just kept coming! Toyman's next act was to take control over Metropolis's high-speed rail system, sending commuter trains hurtling through the city on collision courses with each other. And once again, Superman arrives on the scene attempting to take control of the situation with all the nuance and subtlety of a professional wrestler. Were lives saved? Undoubtedly. But once again, the Man of Steel crashes through buildings and rips up millions' worth of infrastructure in the name of reining in his body-count, and he's still no closer to apprehending the culprit!"[/color] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/a8YCRVN.png[/img][/center] [color=MediumTurquoise]"Fast-forward to Toyman hijacking the city's traffic lights, causing city-wide gridlock and multiple serious collisions. [i]Again[/i], Superman tries to solve problems by throwing heavy machinery around like a toddler. [i]Again[/i], the city is left to foot the not-inconsiderable bill. And [i]again,[/i] the Toyman gets away scot-free! [i]Are you detecting a pattern yet, dear viewer?[/i]"[/color] [color=MediumTurquoise]"My first guest tonight is the CEO of Steelworks Industries, a genius engineer, and unfortunately, the first of many whose works have been commandeered by the Toyman for his rampages through Metropolis, Doctor John Henry Irons. Thank you for joining us, Doctor Irons."[/color] [color=Silver]"It's, erm, it's a pleasure, Mr. Godfrey."[/color] [color=MediumTurquoise]"The pleasure's all mine. And please, call me Gordon. So, without putting too fine a point on it, the drones that attacked Superman last month were being controlled by the Toyman, but they were in fact military models, which you yourself designed, correct?"[/color] [color=Silver]"Ah, well, yes, but they were never intended to be used offensively, and especially not in populated areas. I realize that it's going to take a long time for Steelworks to repair its reputation, and I claim full responsibility for any weaknesses in the network that allowed the Toyman to infiltrate it, but if the implication is that I or my company had something to do with--"[/color] [color=MediumTurquoise]"Oh, I didn't mean to cast aspersions, of course, Doctor Irons. I don't think any reasonable person is blaming you for what happened, and I know how hard you've been working with the authorities to track the attacker down. My question was merely meant to establish that you're one of the leading minds in both mechanical engineering and in advanced software development. Would you say that's a fair assumption to make?"[/color] [color=Silver]"Well, ah, I wouldn't exactly call myself a Tony Stark, but, erm, yes, if you'll excuse me being immodest, I'd say I'm [i]among[/i] the best in my fields."[/color] [color=MediumTurquoise]"And whoever this 'Toyman' is, he was able to get around even your best cyber-security, correct?"[/color] [color=Silver]"Well, yes, he was able to--"[/color] [color=MediumTurquoise]"Then if the Toyman can outwit someone as gifted and brilliant as yourself, then what chance does a clumsy brawling oaf like Superman stand at capturing him?"[/color] [color=Silver]"......well, with all due respect, I, err, I think you're expecting too much out of him. It's a bit like, ah, like expecting the Army to put out a forest fire, or the paramedics to stop a bank robbery. They may have the best intentions, but, erm, they don't have the right equipment for the job."[/color] [color=MediumTurquoise]"Maybe, but-- forgive me, is something the matter with your eye?"[/color] [color=Silver]"Excuse me?"[/color] [color=MediumTurquoise]"Your eye, it seems to be twitching quite a bit."[/color] [color=Silver]"Oh! No, it's, ah....just my allergies acting up."[/color] [color=MediumTurquoise]"Hrm."[/color] [color=Silver]"To, er, to get back to answering your question, Superman's area of expertise seems to be the direct application of brute force. The Toyman, on the other hand, he's, ah, he's an indirect threat, one who puts layers of separation between himself and, well, the damage he's doing. Superman may be able to stop whatever disasters Toyman puts in front of him, but he's only, ah, only treating the symptoms. He'll need someone else to, er, step in if he ever wants to cure the disease itself."[/color] [color=MediumTurquoise]"So what you're saying is that despite his image as being an all-powerful righter of all wrongs, Superman isn't cut out for anything more than punching monsters in the face?"[/color] [color=Silver]"Not necessarily, but in this case--"[/color] [color=MediumTurquoise]"In this case, he's proven to be a bumbling oaf. He may have good intentions, like you said, but he's completely incompetent against threats like--"[/color] [/quote] [color=RoyalBlue]"Could you turn that down, please?"[/color] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/LEHY0a4l.png[/img][/center] [color=Tan]"Sure thing,"[/color] grunts 'Bibbo' Bibbowski from behind the counter, stepping away from the big flat-top griddle to adjust the volume on the old CRT TV bolted to the wall. [color=Tan]"That better?"[/color] [color=RoyalBlue]"Much better, thanks,"[/color] I say, rubbing my forehead to soothe an aching head as I turn my attention away from the TV and back to my plate, Bibbo's Place is a Metropolis mainstay, the kind of place the locals don't really bring up in order to keep the tourists out. The Bibbowski family's been making the same classic greasy-spoon items for three generations now, run by three generations of big, burly, almost cartoonishly gruff men who just go by the name 'Bibbo.' The place is small and a little cramped, with laminated menus that may very well be the same ones they used in the 60s, and I'm sure one look in the back kitchen would make a health inspector have a conniption fit.....but I dare you to try and find a better short-order meatloaf plate on the East Coast. [color=RoyalBlue]"I really can't stand listening to that guy,"[/color] I mutter, gesturing to the TV as G. Gordon Godfrey continues to bloviate about how I'm out of my league, and how Toyman is making me look like an idiot, and how this is going to lead to me getting everyone killed. [color=Orange]"I hear ya,"[/color] Jimmy commiserates as he taps away at the newsfeed on his L-Pad. [color=Orange]"Every day it's the same thing with this guy-- Superman's so terrible, he's ruining everything by saving people, yadda yadda. He's suffering a severe case of Cape Derangement Syndrome, am I right? ......Lois?"[/color] Lois keeps glancing back and forth from her notepad to the TV, jotting something down. [color=Orange]"Lois? You there?"[/color] [color=Violet]"Huh? Oh, right,"[/color] Lois says as she focuses back on the conversation long enough to break out one of Perry's standard one-liners. [color=Violet]"'Breaking News: Godfrey Says Something Asinine. Water: Wet.'"[/color] [color=RoyalBlue]"Still,"[/color] I say after swallowing a fork-full of mashed potatoes, [color=RoyalBlue]"as obnoxious as he is, I think he might have a point. Superman's been running around for a month now, and it doesn't look like he's going to be able to stop the Toyman any time soon. And every time he shows up, innocent people are paying the price. You don't think--"[/color] [color=Orange]"Oh [i]come on,[/i] Clark!"[/color] Jimmy scoffs. [color=Orange]"You're not actually taking Godfrey seriously, are you?"[/color] I shrug. Truth be told, the last month has been some of the most frustrating times of my life. It's all I can do to just clean up the messes that the Toyman keeps making, and while I'm trying my best to keep the damage to a minimum, I can't be everywhere. Metropolis continues to get trashed, even if it's only a block or two at a time. People are getting hurt, even dying. And I'm no closer to catching the Toyman than when I started. [color=Orange]"Look, it's been, what, seven months since Superman showed up?"[/color] Jimmy starts in again, gesturing with the half-eaten Reuben in his hand. [color=Orange]"And do you know how many times he's personally saved my ass? [i]Sixteen.[/i] Sixteen times that I'd be straight-up [i]dead[/i] if Big Blue weren't around. That doesn't happen if he's 'completely incompetent' like Godfrey says he is. Are things tough in the city right now? Yeah. Is Toyman giving our boy some trouble? Sure. But you don't give up on your team just because they lose a few games. Superman's gonna find this guy and knock his teeth in, mark my words."[/color] [color=RoyalBlue]"I hope you're right,"[/color] I say, unconvinced as I take another bite. I really wish I had as much confidence in my ability to root out a world-class hacker as Jimmy does. But I'm not exactly Sherlock Holmes. I don't even know where to start when it comes to-- [color=Violet]"T-S-C....."[/color] Lois mutters to herself, looking at her notes. [color=Violet]"T-S-C........hm. Those initials mean anything to you guys? As in [i]'HOT T-S-C?'[/i]"[/color] Jimmy and I exchange glances, then look back at Lois and shrug. [color=RoyalBlue]"Can't say it rings a bell, Lo,"[/color] I say. [color=RoyalBlue]"Where'd you get that from?"[/color] [color=Violet]"Him,"[/color] she gestures to the TV, at the nervous Doctor Irons, shifting and twitching his eye. [color=Violet]"That little twitch he keeps doing? Watch carefully."[/color] As Irons continues to mutter and stammer uncomfortably, I pay closer attention to his gestures. In particular, his left eye keeps twitching. A few short rapid twitches, followed by a longer one, alternating..... [color=RoyalBlue]"Oh my God,"[/color] I say, standing up from my seat. [color=RoyalBlue]"That's Morse Code!"[/color] [color=Orange]"What are you talking about?"[/color] Jimmy asks, a little slow on the uptake. [color=Violet]"He's doing something my dad used to tell me about,"[/color] Lois explains. [color=Violet]"When POWs were captured in Vietnam, the enemy would make them appear in propaganda videos and force them to lie about how they were being treated. They'd practice little nervous tics, blinking or itching their nose, or twitching. Then they'd use these tics to send messages home in Morse Code without the Viet Cong noticing."[/color] [color=RoyalBlue]"What's he saying?"[/color] I ask. [color=Violet]"I....I don't really know,"[/color] she admits. [color=Violet]"He just keeps repeating the same six letters. [i]'H-O-T T-S-C.'[/i] Maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way, but I don't--"[/color] [color=orange]"Hold up,"[/color] Jimmy interrupts, breaking up our concentration as he puts his L-Pad on the table. [color=orange]"Something major's going down in Central City! You know the Flash? She's getting called out by some crazy guy on a surfboard. Check it out."[/color] On his tablet, he pulls up the breaking news. Aerial footage shows a man coated in metallic chrome hovering in the air, on a surfboard of all things, just like Jimmy said. Through the blurs of color and crackles of lightning, I see her. I'd followed what bits of the Flash's work that I could. When I first heard about her, I thought she might be another alien like me, but the current speculation is that she's one of the 'metahumans' that have started to crop up since I first debuted. I don't know a whole lot else about her, other than that she appears to be on the right side of things, and that she's fast. [i]Very[/i] fast. All her speed, however, doesn't seem to be helping her against this surfer person. I glance up from the screen and look at Lois, who gives me a questioning look in return, curious about what I'm going to do. So far, I haven't had much inclination to get involved with the other 'super-heroes'-- there's been sort of an unspoken rule about everyone keeping to their own proverbial territory, and Central City is the Flash's turf, not mine. Still, I can't exactly leave someone to fend for themselves over something as silly as that. Maybe it's high time I start making some friends. Besides, a change of scenery and a break from all this Toyman business might help clear my head, so I can come at it from another angle. Coughing to excuse myself, I start to stand back up. [color=RoyalBlue]"I'd better get back to the office. Perry's gonna want someone covering this story as soon as possible if--"[/color] [color=Violet]"In your dreams, Smallville,"[/color] Lois cuts in with a knowing look, just shy of a wink. [color=Violet]"That by-line's as good as mine. You've still gotta finish your story on the charity golf tournament, remember?"[/color] [color=RoyalBlue]"Right, well, I'd better get on that,"[/color] I say, fumbling for my wallet and leaving a twenty on the counter. [color=RoyalBlue]"I'll see you guys back at the [i]Planet.[/i]"[/color] Hurrying out the front door of Bibbo's Place, I round a corner and duck into a nearby alleyway where I can change. Doing some quick math in my head, I take flight. Central City is about twelve-hundred miles from Metropolis, as the crow flies. According to reports released by NORAD, the fastest I've ever been clocked is around Mach 30. Meaning that if I really open up the throttle, I can get there in just about three minutes. For someone that can move as fast as the Flash, though, three minutes might as well be an eternity. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/u6a5i6l.png[/img][/center] Three minutes. Here's hoping I'm not too late.