[hr] [center][H1][color=6ecff6]Sanzhar[/color], [color=purple]Jace[/color], and [color=green]Floyd[/color][/h1][/center] [hr] [quote]So much so that today he hardly received any resistance from uniformed law enforcement to his attempts to help combat this new threat. Jace forwarded Sanzhar’s message to Floyd, and sent one of his own to Sanzhar. [b]What time do you want to go fishing today?[/b][/quote] [color=6ecff6]"At the soonest time,"[/color] came the answer from Sanzhar. [color=6ecff6]"It is imperative that this be made known quickly."[/color] Jace received the message, meaning Floyd did as well. Floyd sent a response. [i]I'm not back in town yet, but soon as I get back I'll come fish with you all[/i] The coded message simply meant Floyd was wrapped up in something that was of a level of importance that he couldn't ditch what he was doing. However he would rendezvous with them as soon as he was done, Jace reviewed the information from Sanzhar's response and told him he'd be there shortly. He'd just finished engaging some thugs on boost in oakland, his search for Lionel, Cain, or the source of boost had bore no fruit so far. But the intel from Agent Donnovan had served him well to avoid running into or getting captured by liberty agents who were also in pursuit of boost. With no progress made & an urgent message from Sanzhar he made his way out of oakland. 30 minutes later he was pulling up to the safehouse in his black charger and got out briefly stretching his arms & legs. "Sanzhar you here already?" Jace called out as he walked towards the door. Splayed across the center table were photocopied replications of the papers that Karma gave to Sanzhar. Sanzhar himself was poring over them, confirming what his friend's sister had told him. [color=6ecff6]"I'm here."[/color] Sanzhar waved over at Jace. [color=6ecff6]"So, to top it all off, it seems that someone found evidence that president Forrester had cheated in the election using Altered abilities; technopathy to screw with the voting machines, to be precise. And he was killed for it."[/color] Adjusting his glasses, Sanzhar bowed towards one of the documents. [color=6ecff6]"Trent Coltrane. Went to the same university as I did, and like me, he was a journalist. And, according to his sister, an Altered that could see the past histories of objects . Bless his soul."[/color] Ace entered the warehouse & saw Sanzhar had already gotten to work spreading paperwork across the main table in the dining room. [color=Purple][I]Right down to business, I’m actually glad we’ve got a journalist on the team[/I][/color] [color=Purple]”Wait a minute are you serious this is nuts! You mean there’s evidence that this bastard Forrester cheated in the election and using altered to do it”[/color] Jace responded astounded as he rushed over to the table to examine the photocopied information Sanzhar had spread on the table. [color=Purple]”My condolences for your friend Coltrane, this is a stupid question but is Forrester involved with your friend’s untimely demise? But wait the energy storm happened three months ago, the election is almost 2 years old. Are you saying… the Forresters had access to someone with powers TWO years before the storm?!”[/color] Jace remarked in shock wondering if Sanzhar had made a mistake or if he truly meant that altered humans were around months no years before the storm that supposedly gave them all powers. [color=6ecff6]"Surveying this critically, I'd say that the Storm itself is an experiment gone wrong."[/color] Sanzhar replied, tapping on the papers with a ballpen. [color=6ecff6]"I mean, that would be the only explanation with the Forresters having access to Altered two years ago. They may have well kept it all secret until it blew off. That is, when the Storm blasted its way through the country and gave us abilities. Think about it. His brother is the CEO of a highly suspect corporation."[/color] Sighing, Sanzhar took off his glasses. [color=6ecff6]"This kind of discovery could effectively topple the Forrester administration if enough proof is gathered. If I somehow gain concrete evidence that the election had been tampered with and that the Forrester Corporation may as well be the culprit of the Storm and the Altered... this may end our suffering."[/color] Jace was astounded by the intel Sanzhar had managed to gather, this was mind shattering. For the first time since getting his powers he was hugely concerned for his safety as well as his other friends and family. “I’m glad you sent a coded message, but we might need to stick to ONLY talking about this matter & anything related in person. We’re talking about undermining the President, not to mention we’re altered humans the very beings who are on the hot-seat across the country.” Jace replied still trying to take all this in. “As for entering our suffering I hate to say it but that may just be wishful thinking, after all it just might just put a new monster or monsters in charge of dishing out our suffering.” Jace mused cynically not wanting to be too much of an optimist about this newfound discovery Sanzhar stumbled across. “Floyd’s going to want to hear there this, he better be doing something important. Anyway do you have any evidence the Forresters are behind the actual energy storm is that all speculation? That event didn’t seem like It was a man made occurrence, and they seem adamant about passing laws to restrict & eventually imprison all of us, why the hell would they want to give out powers. Plus the Forresters are racist, so why are only minorities getting powers? Wouldn’t they give powers just to white people or themselves & others they carefully pick” Jace rebutted, questioning Sanzhar’s line of thinking. [color=6ecff6]"It is... a hypothesis."[/color] Sanzhar shrugged. [color=6ecff6]"But it would cover a lot of holes and... As I said, it would have been an accident, something they did not anticipate to occur. Something like how nuclear meltdowns tend to happen."[/color] Jace folded his arms as he listened to Sanzhar's theory. "I see where your going with this and I'm no fan of the President. But 10 million people died just during the storm followed by millions more getting sick from the plague & the plague itself is what's causing people to gain powers not the storm. So your saying they accidentally created a destructive storm that spawned a virus that turned the people in society they least like into superhumans? It's not impossible but it's not very probable either, this evidence suggests they know more then there letting on, and we should investigate, but we should put our focus towards the rigged election & using altered for their own benefit. Floyd just sent me a text and said he's on the way, is there anything else that's super important that you learned from Coltrane or her sister so far?" Jace asked interested in learning more. [color=6ecff6]"That's about it."[/color] Sanzhar nodded solemnly. [color=6ecff6]"It was a technopath that altered the election results. Who exactly... well, no one can tell. If there's someone with the same abilities as Trent, maybe we can find out more."[/color] Jace frowned disappointed that they didn’t have more intel, although Sanzhar had already dropped a bombshell on them. “That’s it huh, well I shouldn’t say it because this is pretty major, regardless of what we don’t know exactly, we DO know the Forrester’s are up to no good entirely.” Jace agreed as he took a seat on the couch to go through the notes. About thirty minutes later they heard a knock on the door, Jace went to get stand up until the sound of a key being put in was heard. He briefly tensed up only to remember he’d given Floyd a key as he came in and was holding a case of corona’s in one hand. He waltzed straight to refrigerator putting in the case, albeit grabbing one bottle for himself which thanks to a little raised strength he popped the cork right off before plopping down on the couch while taking a few sips. [color=c4df9b]“Okay guys I made it. What’s the emergency?”[/color] Floyd asked the two whilst looking over the paperwork the had gathered on the table with some confusion. Sanzhar simply laid it out as bare and concisely as possible. [color=6ecff6]"Another journalist friend of mine found out that President Forrester cheated the elections by using a technopathic Altered. And he paid for it with his life."[/color] Floyd raised a brow at Sanzhar’s comments. [Color=green]“Hold on what? You mean the election two years ago, before the energy storm? How the hell is that possible?”[/color] Floyd questioned as he began looking through the photo-copied documents. [color=6ecff6]"His name was Trent Coltrane, and according to his sister who came to my house to tell me all this, he had the ability to see the histories of objects he touches."[/color] Sanzhar looked towards Floyd. [color=6ecff6]"That is how he initially managed to find out about the nature of the election fraud, then he started investigating on his own. Then he was murdered..."[/color] Looking away, Sanzhar continued. [color=6ecff6]"If we could find someone with that same kind of power, or perhaps a technopath, we may be able to get it. Otherwise it will have to be done in the far more dangerous old school way of going in deep."[/color] Jace scoffed at Floyd’s remarks. [Color=purple]”Yeah that’s what I thought too, people with powers have been around before the storm. Sanzhar here thinks the Forrester’s might be behind powers, and the storm is just their biggest experiment gone wrong. And of course I’ve brought up the several plot-holes with that theory including the fact the Forrester’s don’t like black people."[/color] Floyd just nodded his head as this was so much to take in. [Color=green]“Between this & Oakland I’ve got a full plate with Network, not to mention getting Taste of Paradise back running after that fight with Lionel I had earlier this week. What was your journalist friends name Sanzhar, how did he get this intel, and how do you prepose we get anymore”[/color] Floyd added finally, before using his metal powers to cause Jace’s open laptop on the kitchen table to fly over to them. Opening it up he went to yahoo news and pulled up an article. It was talking about how Lori Martinez had revealed her “true” identity as Amara who claimed to be the “Mother” of Altered & demanded humans build altars in her name & worship her, as well as claiming to be behind the energy storm after her destruction of rapper Dinero Grande’s mansion in retaliation because of a diss song he released that spoke badly about her.“[Color=green]Get a load of this shit, that Lori chick is stirring up even [I]MORE[/I] trouble!"[/color]. He would only scowl as the news about Amara, the mother of the Altered. [color=6ecff6]"Someone needs to take her down,"[/color] he said with a hint of venom in his voice. [color=6ecff6]"She is a threat to us all and make everything worse for us."[/color] Jace nodded his head in agreement with Sanzhar. [Color=purple]”I saw her murder spree first had while fighting a monster downtown. If we had some way to find her, I’d say we go break her neck right now. Honestly she’s worst then Reaper & Forrester combined in my opinion.”[/color] Jace replied thoughts of pity towards all the people she had mercilessly slaughtered. Floyd frowned & let out a sad sigh.[Color=green]“Your right Jace but I met her earlier today & I’ve got bad news. First I had an unexpected visit from an ex cop, a woman named Paige with the power to regenerate who tried to kill me & my roommate. “Amara” broke in my house during the fight to absorb Paige’s powers as well as her life.”[/color] Floyd’s voice trailed as the memory of Adora using her powers to cruelly drain Paige to death replayed in his head. [Color=purple]”Oh shit, so now she can heal herself too, damn it.”[/color]Jace gasped at the realization Floyd’s story caused him to make further frustrating him about the situation. His eyes widened more as Floyd pulled up a recording of Amara’s attack at the rapper Dinero’s mansion using her powers to brutally murder his entourage along with the cops & SWAT team that showed up. [color=6ecff6]"Then perhaps she can be drowned instead-"[/color], Sanzhar trailed off, realizing that attempting to do so was suicidal when she has a thousand powers inside her. [color=6ecff6]"Honestly, I have no idea how to fight someone like that. Not that I'm a fighter, anyway. If there's technology that could nullify powers, or someone that could, perhaps we can have a shot at eliminating her-"[/color] Sanzhar coughed, and looked over at Floyd. [color=6ecff6]"You're like her, right? Capable of obtaining multiple abilities? Did you just copy mine, too?"[/color] [Color=purple]“It would be just our luck if the bitch could breath under water wouldn’t it, but in all seriousness there’s probably still plenty of ways to stop her even if she can heal. Like you said drowning her, another option is drugs, hell her healing probably has limits just like other powers, it might be as simple as chopping off her head or destroying her whole body.”[/color] Jace backed out of the Amara article on the laptop going to google to research fictional examples of people with regenerative abilities. Floyd gulped and cleared his throat to respond to Sanzhar. [Color=green]”Can we refrain from saying I’m like [I]her[/I], and I wouldn’t say “just” I’ve had both of your powers since we met in the motel parking lot. I mimic powers using empathic connections to others, she can absorb & remove powers, memories, even life-force from others with physical contact. I gotta actively recall powers I’ve been exposed too, whereas she’s a full time walking database of everything she’s taken.”[/color] Floyd explained bringing up the stark differences between his abilities & Adora’s far stronger ones. [color=6ecff6]"Oh... sorry."[/color] Sanzhar looked down on the floor, a little ashamed about using incorrect terminology. [color=6ecff6]"Spray her with pheromones... No, that's not right... If we're taking out the head, it should be from a distance... an anti-material rifle can do the trick, probably. As long as she's... still."[/color] Floyd felt a tinge of regret when he saw Sanzhar look towards the ground. [Color=green]”Hey hey don’t be sorry, I was saying I didn’t want to be compared to her because of how evil she is, like how nobody wants to hear they remind someone of Hitler or Stalin.”[/color] He added not wanting him to think he had any animosity towards him for something as simple as needing an explanation of how his powers worked & differed from Amara’s. [Color=purple]“Long as she’s still [I]AND[/I]still normal sized. Also, any form of having multiple powers makes you a powerful asset against her & all our other enemies. More bad news I still haven’t gotten any leads on Boost in Oakland, nor put any serious dent in the widespread altered gang war there. In light of everything including Coltrane’s investigation, the Oakland Crisis, Boost, & super violent altered like Amara & Reaper the Network’s got a lot of work to do.”[/color] Jace concluded after thinking on everything that had been discussed in this meeting. [color=6ecff6]"Alright... I'll probably just keep on looking over these papers, dig a bit more."[/color] Sanzhar answered, nodding over at Floyd and Jace. [color=6ecff6]"If I find anything more I'll tell you."[/color] As Jace’s phone started buzzing he took it out & saw it was Brock, another Network member calling him. He got up to take the call in the kitchen whilst Floyd fetched both doctored altered ID’s for Sanzhar & Jace that were made with Amalia’s powers. Floyd handed Sanzhar his fabricated negative altered status ID, and put Jace’s on the couch where he was sitting. [Color=green]”I figured you guys need these, they were actually finished yesterday but I’ve been super busy re-opening Taste of Paradise. It would be nifty if we could get more info from the research.”[/color] Floyd muttered, the mere utterance of the name caused him to wince & clasp the sides of his head in pain. The intensity rapidly rised causing him to fall out the couch to his knees. Grinding his teeth and placing a hand on the edge of the table o help himself up. As he made contact with the table his eyes took on a bright white color, internally his mind was flooded with images, surface memories of the table’s history in the safehouse as well as a short vision of the table being sold to Jace in a furniture store. As soon as the vision ended his eyes turned from bright white to their regular brown color but he was drenched in sweat. [Color=green]“Saying Coltrane’s name triggered some kind of killer head-ache followed by me seeing a vision of when Jace bought this table after my fingers brushed against the table?!”[/color] Floyd retorted to Sanzhar I both disbelief & eagerness to converse to forget the searing head-pain he’d just underwent. [color=6ecff6]"Oh, now you got Coltrane's power of seeing object histories. How... convenient."[/color] Sanzhar had expected a far more dramatic inclusion of such, but... this it is what it is. [color=6ecff6]"It appears that by uttering my dead friend's name, you gained his ability... ah, the plot is now as thick as the pile of furballs that my cats vomited."[/color] [Color=green]“Huh that's the power I've got, oh shit we were just talking about that.”[/color] Floyd retorted in shock. However he wasn’t able to accept Sanzhar’s supposed explanation for how he had manifested this power, as he had to meet others in person to acquire their powers with empathy. [Color=green]“I could have gone my whole life without the mental picture you just gave me with that cat story, but condolences aside speaking of the dead wouldn’t be the catalyst to allow me to obtain their powers.”[/color] Floyd mused as pain once again reverberated throughout his body with another mention of Coltrane’s name, causing him to see a series of rapid visions that made him wince in pain this time without his fingers brushing against an object. [Color=green][I]Damn it what’s going on [/I][/color] [color=6ecff6]"You... you alright?"[/color] Sanzhar asked Floyd with a tint of concern in his voice. [color=6ecff6]"As for your requirements on gaining abilities, well, it would appear that it just isn't limited with face to face meetings. These powers, after all, defy the laws of physics, and I believe it would be presumptuous to think that we completely understand how one would work, such as your ability to imprint others-"[/color] A sordid realization dawned upon. Sanzhar was familiar with abilities similar to that of his friend Trent in some parts of science fiction, and if this works the same way those do, it may as well answer the looming question in the room. [color=6ecff6]"I have a theory... Trent's ability is to see the histories of objects through touching them. I think that when doing so, he imprints his own... let's just say 'quantum energy', because that word is a catch-all. So when you touched these papers, you probably got in contact with whatever he had left behind. One could say... that he left a portion of his being there. Do you get it, or...?"[/color] [Color=green]”I’ve certainly had better days, good news though is that Amara still feels pain that’s one less thing we have to worry about right?”[/color] Floyd muttered between gritted teeth & the swelling pain in his skull. He cast that aside as he listened to more theories from Sanzhar about the possibility of how he supposedly acquired the imprint to Trent’s abilities. Jace had stepped back in the room now off the phone with Brock. [Color=purple]”I couldn’t help but overhear the tail end of your conversation and the answer to how Floyd has this power dawned on me, at least I think. You mentioned getting into a scuffle with her earlier today, and how your power is triggered with empathic connections. My theory is Amara killed your friend Sanzhar, to take his power, and Floyd picked it up from her. Our discussing it as well as her & him may have provided some sort of catalyst to trigger your manifestation of the ability.”[color] Jace finished putting out his likely theory for how Floyd came across Coltrane’s ability. Sanzhar placed his hand over his right eye, shaking his head. "That she-demon did it? Now, I thought that the Forresters had killed him because he got too close to their secrets, and that I can understand even a little bit. But her? This... power hungry stripper goddess? That I cannot fathom." Amara, the Forresters... These people had taken one or two facets of his life away from him. His friend, and his place in this world. Barely contained rage bubbled up within his mind, but somehow, he kept it contained, and spoke in his calm, somber voice once more. [color=6ecff6]"I've never been so livid, so in want of killing something. Ugh. Floyd... If that's the case... part of my friend now lives on in you..."[/color] Floyd frowned and couldn’t restrain the immense sadness he felt for Sanzhar. They’d only known each other for a short while, but he had a knack for sympathizing with others perhaps that’s why he was an empath. Aside from that Jace’s explanation set off a metaphorical light bulb above Floyd’ head allowing him to make sense of how he had this new power. [Color=green]”I’m so sorry man, I wish things didn’t happen this way. I promise I’ll treasure whatever part of your friend remains with me, and use it to get him justice. She murdered a friend & employee of mine for his powers, plus based off your story the Forrester’s DID send someone to take Trent’s life but this evil bitch got to him first.”[/color] Floyd remembered the story they’d told him earlier including how paranoid Coltrane was towards the end of his life. Jace walked over to Sanzhar and put a hand on his shoulder. [Color=purple]”That rage you feel now is the same as what drives me to be Shade. My advice is to channel it into our mission, but don’t let it consume your thoughts. In conclusion I think Floyd should focus on learning Trent’s power for now, while us & the others focus on everything else aside from hunting Amara.” Jace suggested a course of action he felt was the best considering the circumstances, but wanted input from the others before it was finalized. [color=6ecff6]"Yes... Jace..."[/color] Sanzhar sobbed. He clutched the hand that Jace had placed on his shoulder, and finally, his voice cracked. [color=6ecff6]"I'm sorry, I'm not usually this... Ergh, emotional. Anyway, um... yeah, we can... do that."[/color] Floyd groaned and gritted his teeth before yelling out in pain as he fell to the ground. Once again he was assaulted by a precognitive vision occurring whilst he was awake. Images swarmed through his mind of an event that was taking place a little less than two weeks from now. Jace rushed over to Floyd wondering what was wrong only for Floyd to wave him off. Sweating profusely as the vision ended Floyd massaged his temples and helped himself up onto the couch. [Color=green] "I just had another vision I don't know if this is good news, bad news, or both. California's Governor Stark is proposing a bill called the Separation Act. The bill in question will make it the law that altered people can't be or live in the same place as normal people, aka legal segregation. The catch is he's making it so the citizens of California will be voting for or against the passing of this bill. Well I just saw a vision of Nathan putting his hand on a black woman's shoulder & whispering in her ear “Listen “King” use your power to make it a landslide victory not a close win like you did for the election". Then I saw her entering a voting both and putting her hand on the machine, then finally I saw an announcement that the Separation Bill had been passed in California & other states were going to follow California's example & let it's citizens vote on this bill. " Floyd finished explaining huffing & puffing from the intense vision he experienced. Jace jaw dropped at hearing the horrifying news and pulled up info about the bill on his laptop. [Color=purple] “Governor Stark went on the Benny Stein show this morning to announce the bill, there gonna make it look like this bill is the will of the people. Sounds like the Forrester’s are gonna use the same techno woman who rigged the election for them unless we find & stop her”[/color] [color=6ecff6]"That is bad news.[/color]" Sanzhar scowled at the revelation that the same woman who tipped the elections to the favour of the Forresters was going to do it again, this time to separate Altered from the rest of the population. [color=6ecff6]"Segregation is the perfect tool to corral all the Altered in one place. It's no different to apartheid..."[/color] Sanzhar fidgeted, his mind all but scattered between the grief of losing Trent and the pressure of the world bearing down upon them. "Can you... sketch her out? Any way so that we can put her on facial recognition and eventually find a match?" Floyd was in agreement with the rest of them with everything that was said. [Color=green]”To be honest I can’t draw but I have a friend whose really good at it. Maybe she can help, as for facial recognition I mean maybe I think my best bet is using Trent's powers on any stuff related to the investigation maybe even going to the same places he went using his powers. No matter what we've got our work cut out for us for sur now[/color]"Floyd affirmed knowing they all had to get to work, this is not how he expected the day to go after his drunken adventures with Agent Donnovan.