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Manhattan, New York City | Present Day
Chapter One | Part One
The boy pulled his ratty, orange hoodie closer to himself, the material scarred with countless holes and tears. His bright emerald eyes darting from one passing figure to the next while walking along the streets of New York. It had been many months since Garfield Logan trekked these paths in the open during broad daylight, and each person shuffling closely by caused Garfield to lower his head, hands buried within slightly-torn pockets, as he prayed none would notice his abnormalities.
The man walking just ahead of Garfield turned around to offer a brief, warm smile at the young teen. "It's not much farther," he reassured.
Garfield wanted to return the smile, to show the man just how grateful he was, but the fear of being seen by wandering eyes kept his head lowered.
Charlie Hustle had approached Garfield a week before. The twenty-something-year-old had come across the orphaned youth while the latter had been rummaging for food in a dumpster. Charlie had shown no sign of fear or discomfort at witnessing the green-skinned boy. He had spat out zero mutant hate speech, nor even flinched when Garfield's metahuman powers were displayed in an instinctive reaction to being discovered. Instead, Charlie had sat down in the middle of the grimy alleyway and offered what little was left of his Big Belly Burger meal.
After that, for six days, twice a day, Charlie came to meet Garfield at that spot, bringing fresh food for the boy. Trust between the two was established fairly quickly, and a friendship of sorts was formed. So when Charlie had brought dinner for him the previous night and offered to provide him with a place to stay, Garfield had jumped at the opportunity. No one had shown him such kindness in over a year, and with Charlie being so comfortable around mutants, Garfield had thought that maybe things were turning around.
He just wished Charlie had waited until night to escort him to his new home.
Pay no attention to the boy in the hoodie, Garfield thought as a man in a suit and tie narrowly avoided knocking into him. Nothing to see here, folks. No freak show today. And hopefully after today, no freak show ever again. No way I'm ever going outside again if I can help it.
The various individuals surrounding Garfield began to dwindle as they neared their destination. Charlie led his young friend through several side streets, and soon enough they were alone.
"You can take that off now, you know." Charlie flashed another of his charismatic smiles.
Garfield quickly looked around. They stood in a wide alley, flanked by two buildings with darkened windows. There was no one here to see him, but he still hesitated to lower his hood.
Charlie spoke up again, doing his best to reassure his friend. "Really, you're safe here. I took this route because no one's ever really here until late at night. I felt bad that you had to hide yourself, and I want you to be comfortable."
This time, Garfield did smile back as he reached up to pull the hood off, revealing his disheveled, dark hair, desperately in need of maintenance. "Thanks, Charlie," he told his benefactor. "You have no idea how much I appreciate this. You're kind of saving my life here."
Charlie shook his head, laughing in modest humility. "Don't be silly, I'm just doing what's right. Every day people in this city are struggling. I used to be one of them. But now I'm in a position to do some good. And one day you'll be better off and in a position to pay it forward to someone else who needs help."
Garfield smiled wider at that. Charlie had a way of saying the perfect thing at just the right time to make him feel better. He could already feel himself opening up and relaxing. For the dozenth time that day, Garfield considered himself unbelievably lucky to have met someone as incredible and charitable as Charlie.
"So," the teen said, glancing around once more. "Where's this place you told me about?"
"Just around this corner. It's not much, truthfully, but I think you'll like it. At the very least you can shower. In fact," the young man paused, dramatically sniffing the air for effect, "I think I have to insist that you shower."
Chuckling, Garfield followed Charlie around the bend. "Dude, are you telling me I stink? Come on! I'll have you know the skunk I shared the dumpster with told me I smell amazing and that-"
His words caught in his throat as he felt a sharp sting in the side of his neck.
Did I just get stung by a bee? Garfield managed to wonder before collapsing to the ground.
His eyes fluttered, suddenly heavy, struggling to stay open. His arms felt like wet noodles, unable to pick himself back up, and the edges of his vision began to darken.
"Fucking Hell, man, that kid was obnoxious. You took your sweet time taking him out, I swear if I had to hear one more of his lame fucking jokes..." It was difficult to make out through the buzzing in his head, but Garfield recognized that voice. Though, Charlie's once honey-dipped words were now marred with crude vulgarity.
A second, mystery voice joined in. "Drop it. You did your job, you'll get paid. No more complaining."
Then, as the last vestiges of consciousness escaped him, Garfield thought he could make out one final, distant voice.
"Hey! Hey, you! Get away from him!"
The man walking just ahead of Garfield turned around to offer a brief, warm smile at the young teen. "It's not much farther," he reassured.
Garfield wanted to return the smile, to show the man just how grateful he was, but the fear of being seen by wandering eyes kept his head lowered.
Charlie Hustle had approached Garfield a week before. The twenty-something-year-old had come across the orphaned youth while the latter had been rummaging for food in a dumpster. Charlie had shown no sign of fear or discomfort at witnessing the green-skinned boy. He had spat out zero mutant hate speech, nor even flinched when Garfield's metahuman powers were displayed in an instinctive reaction to being discovered. Instead, Charlie had sat down in the middle of the grimy alleyway and offered what little was left of his Big Belly Burger meal.
After that, for six days, twice a day, Charlie came to meet Garfield at that spot, bringing fresh food for the boy. Trust between the two was established fairly quickly, and a friendship of sorts was formed. So when Charlie had brought dinner for him the previous night and offered to provide him with a place to stay, Garfield had jumped at the opportunity. No one had shown him such kindness in over a year, and with Charlie being so comfortable around mutants, Garfield had thought that maybe things were turning around.
He just wished Charlie had waited until night to escort him to his new home.
Pay no attention to the boy in the hoodie, Garfield thought as a man in a suit and tie narrowly avoided knocking into him. Nothing to see here, folks. No freak show today. And hopefully after today, no freak show ever again. No way I'm ever going outside again if I can help it.
The various individuals surrounding Garfield began to dwindle as they neared their destination. Charlie led his young friend through several side streets, and soon enough they were alone.
"You can take that off now, you know." Charlie flashed another of his charismatic smiles.
Garfield quickly looked around. They stood in a wide alley, flanked by two buildings with darkened windows. There was no one here to see him, but he still hesitated to lower his hood.
Charlie spoke up again, doing his best to reassure his friend. "Really, you're safe here. I took this route because no one's ever really here until late at night. I felt bad that you had to hide yourself, and I want you to be comfortable."
This time, Garfield did smile back as he reached up to pull the hood off, revealing his disheveled, dark hair, desperately in need of maintenance. "Thanks, Charlie," he told his benefactor. "You have no idea how much I appreciate this. You're kind of saving my life here."
Charlie shook his head, laughing in modest humility. "Don't be silly, I'm just doing what's right. Every day people in this city are struggling. I used to be one of them. But now I'm in a position to do some good. And one day you'll be better off and in a position to pay it forward to someone else who needs help."
Garfield smiled wider at that. Charlie had a way of saying the perfect thing at just the right time to make him feel better. He could already feel himself opening up and relaxing. For the dozenth time that day, Garfield considered himself unbelievably lucky to have met someone as incredible and charitable as Charlie.
"So," the teen said, glancing around once more. "Where's this place you told me about?"
"Just around this corner. It's not much, truthfully, but I think you'll like it. At the very least you can shower. In fact," the young man paused, dramatically sniffing the air for effect, "I think I have to insist that you shower."
Chuckling, Garfield followed Charlie around the bend. "Dude, are you telling me I stink? Come on! I'll have you know the skunk I shared the dumpster with told me I smell amazing and that-"
His words caught in his throat as he felt a sharp sting in the side of his neck.
Did I just get stung by a bee? Garfield managed to wonder before collapsing to the ground.
His eyes fluttered, suddenly heavy, struggling to stay open. His arms felt like wet noodles, unable to pick himself back up, and the edges of his vision began to darken.
"Fucking Hell, man, that kid was obnoxious. You took your sweet time taking him out, I swear if I had to hear one more of his lame fucking jokes..." It was difficult to make out through the buzzing in his head, but Garfield recognized that voice. Though, Charlie's once honey-dipped words were now marred with crude vulgarity.
A second, mystery voice joined in. "Drop it. You did your job, you'll get paid. No more complaining."
Then, as the last vestiges of consciousness escaped him, Garfield thought he could make out one final, distant voice.
"Hey! Hey, you! Get away from him!"
As I'm getting a clearer picture for stuff with Connor, anyone mind if I grab Deathstroke since he tends to be a GA enemy? I know he's also a very frequent Titans adversary, so obviously I wanna check ahead of time. I'd be willing to share him too.
Hit me up. Technically Slade's a TT legacy character, and I have some ideas, but I'm open to working something out.
Washington Heights, Manhattan, NYC | One Week Ago
Chapter One | Prologue
The dark lit and cloud-strewn sky over George Washington Bridge flashed blue, briefly illuminating the many passing cars below. Many of their passengers noticed this event, though most passed it off as lightning heralding in the storm front they knew to be arriving soon. Others still simply paid it no mind; they were both eager and impatient to get to their respective destinations after a long day. Had any real, concerted effort been made to observe this brief flare, they might have noticed the tiny trail of red streak across the night sky.
An object, perhaps no larger than ten feet in either dimension, careened through the lower atmosphere. Its once pristine silver surface now marred with dents, scratches, and ever-growing black marks as the heat of reentry took its toll. The cloud coverage working to conceal the metal sphere soon broke away as it neared the ground. Rapidly closing with the surface of the planet, its descent suddenly slowed as sensors within detected the approach, and multiple hidden thrusters across the surface of the strange orb engaged. For a brief moment, the object seemed to halt in mid-air just a dozen feet above the ground. Short, but thick legs extended about two feet from the apparent bottom, then the thrusters cut out and the sphere dropped. A dull thud marked the landing as dust and dirt were kicked up. There, on the banks of the Hudson River, the object rested.
Less than two hundred feet away, a teenaged boy slowly removed his earbuds, the sounds of Eminem's "Till I Collapse" still heard from them, as a bewildered expression played across his face.
Elijah Bradley enjoyed spending his weekend evenings going for long runs throughout his neighborhood. He would weave his way through the streets branching off from his house, making his way towards Fort George and passed his high school. Then continuing down along the Hudson until finally reaching the base of the bridge's east tower. There he would pause at the famous Little Red Lighthouse and look across the river towards Fort Lee before turning back to retrace his steps. This had become a ritual of his the past three years, ever since setting his sights on serving in the military. He was diligent, never missing a run, even during nights of light showers such as this one.
When the sky flashed, Eli had looked up, concerned it was a signal that the pleasant trickling would turn for the worse. He almost missed the single bead of orange-red light as it pierced the clouds. And when it began to slow, the heat from breaking through the atmosphere abating to reveal the dull, silverish metal form underneath, the teenager's heart skipped a beat.
Eli was never the type to buy into UFO conspiracies. Even now, in this new age of enhanced individuals, with rumors of extraterrestrials, and undeniable accounts of extraordinary feats and miracles on display, Eli liked to consider himself as someone grounded in reality. He accepted that there had to be other life in the universe. He just never believed they'd visit Earth in his lifetime. But now, as he drew within an arm's reach, moving in a daze, the residual heat tickling his skin, Eli was forced to accept this new reality.
He had shuffled another step forward, his chest heaving both from his extensive run and the sheer, anxious excitement of the situation he found himself in. His fingers extended forward, arm outstretched, as he tentatively reached out to make contact.
A sound of rushing air broke his trance, and Eli yanked his hand back. He watched as the front of what he now clearly understood to be a pod moved. The hermetic seals had disengaged, the hatch popping forward slightly allowing for air to finally cycle through. Then, the outline of an all-too-human hand pressed against the hatch's viewport, startling Eli and he scrambled back several feet. The hand pushed the door further open, and the figure inside stumbled forward, nearly collapsing onto their knees as they gasped, desperately filling long-deprived lungs.
Bright, auburn red hair fell around its face, concealing any features for the moment. Hunched shoulders shook, and Eli wasn't sure but he thought for a second he might have heard sobbing. Then, the figure tossed its head back and straightened its shoulders.
This time it was Elijah who gasped.
She stood probably close to six feet. Her frame was thin, although it was clear even under this minimal lightning that this was more a sign of lean muscle than anything else. She was dressed in odd, purple material that left just her upper arms and thighs exposed. Eli might have mistaken her for a human, even despite watching her fall from the stars, were it not for her near-golden skin and glowing green eyes.
She was probably the most beautiful creature Eli had ever, maybe even would ever, lay eyes on. But what stood out most to him was the look on her face. Emotions must transcend humanity, he thought, because the mix of fear and relief were all too evident.
Elijah opened his mouth to say something, though he wasn't quite sure what, but the alien girl beat him to it.
A stream of almost whimsical, fantasy-like words escaped her lips as her gaze caught his frozen figure. She looked almost hopeful, excited, as her bright, glowing eyes dimmed down to reveal human-like pupils. Her cheeks stretched in a strained, soft smile as more of the nonsensical speech poured out of her.
Eli shook his head, palms outstretched in a gesture of gentleness. "I-I'm sorry," he said, forcing himself to let his rational mind take over. "I don't understand what you're saying."
The girl tilted her head slightly, pursing her lips. Then she made that same, light, half-smile once more and stepped forward. She almost seemed to glide across the ground, and Eli found himself momentarily recalling his old Sunday school lessons about angels, impossibly beautiful warriors from the sky.
As she approached within a foot of Eli, he stood his ground. He didn't get any sense of danger from this girl, not that he was the type to run regardless. The golden-skinned beauty drew closer, the gap between them narrowing to just a few inches, and their eyes met. Eli noticed the faintest trail of tears lingering on her cheeks.
Maintaining her smile, she leaned forward. Eli instinctually tried to pull away, but the girl had already brought both hands to his cheeks and had gently drawn him forward. His eyes widened as their lips met. The iPod in his right hand slipped from his fingers and fell to the dirt below. She never parted her lips, and the kiss lasted only a few seconds, but Eli was sure he felt something during those brief moments.
Then she broke off, releasing his cheeks, and her smile widened greatly.
"Hello." She said, her voice sweet and airy. "I am very pleased to meet your acquaintance."
An object, perhaps no larger than ten feet in either dimension, careened through the lower atmosphere. Its once pristine silver surface now marred with dents, scratches, and ever-growing black marks as the heat of reentry took its toll. The cloud coverage working to conceal the metal sphere soon broke away as it neared the ground. Rapidly closing with the surface of the planet, its descent suddenly slowed as sensors within detected the approach, and multiple hidden thrusters across the surface of the strange orb engaged. For a brief moment, the object seemed to halt in mid-air just a dozen feet above the ground. Short, but thick legs extended about two feet from the apparent bottom, then the thrusters cut out and the sphere dropped. A dull thud marked the landing as dust and dirt were kicked up. There, on the banks of the Hudson River, the object rested.
Less than two hundred feet away, a teenaged boy slowly removed his earbuds, the sounds of Eminem's "Till I Collapse" still heard from them, as a bewildered expression played across his face.
Elijah Bradley enjoyed spending his weekend evenings going for long runs throughout his neighborhood. He would weave his way through the streets branching off from his house, making his way towards Fort George and passed his high school. Then continuing down along the Hudson until finally reaching the base of the bridge's east tower. There he would pause at the famous Little Red Lighthouse and look across the river towards Fort Lee before turning back to retrace his steps. This had become a ritual of his the past three years, ever since setting his sights on serving in the military. He was diligent, never missing a run, even during nights of light showers such as this one.
When the sky flashed, Eli had looked up, concerned it was a signal that the pleasant trickling would turn for the worse. He almost missed the single bead of orange-red light as it pierced the clouds. And when it began to slow, the heat from breaking through the atmosphere abating to reveal the dull, silverish metal form underneath, the teenager's heart skipped a beat.
Eli was never the type to buy into UFO conspiracies. Even now, in this new age of enhanced individuals, with rumors of extraterrestrials, and undeniable accounts of extraordinary feats and miracles on display, Eli liked to consider himself as someone grounded in reality. He accepted that there had to be other life in the universe. He just never believed they'd visit Earth in his lifetime. But now, as he drew within an arm's reach, moving in a daze, the residual heat tickling his skin, Eli was forced to accept this new reality.
He had shuffled another step forward, his chest heaving both from his extensive run and the sheer, anxious excitement of the situation he found himself in. His fingers extended forward, arm outstretched, as he tentatively reached out to make contact.
A sound of rushing air broke his trance, and Eli yanked his hand back. He watched as the front of what he now clearly understood to be a pod moved. The hermetic seals had disengaged, the hatch popping forward slightly allowing for air to finally cycle through. Then, the outline of an all-too-human hand pressed against the hatch's viewport, startling Eli and he scrambled back several feet. The hand pushed the door further open, and the figure inside stumbled forward, nearly collapsing onto their knees as they gasped, desperately filling long-deprived lungs.
Bright, auburn red hair fell around its face, concealing any features for the moment. Hunched shoulders shook, and Eli wasn't sure but he thought for a second he might have heard sobbing. Then, the figure tossed its head back and straightened its shoulders.
This time it was Elijah who gasped.
She stood probably close to six feet. Her frame was thin, although it was clear even under this minimal lightning that this was more a sign of lean muscle than anything else. She was dressed in odd, purple material that left just her upper arms and thighs exposed. Eli might have mistaken her for a human, even despite watching her fall from the stars, were it not for her near-golden skin and glowing green eyes.
She was probably the most beautiful creature Eli had ever, maybe even would ever, lay eyes on. But what stood out most to him was the look on her face. Emotions must transcend humanity, he thought, because the mix of fear and relief were all too evident.
Elijah opened his mouth to say something, though he wasn't quite sure what, but the alien girl beat him to it.
A stream of almost whimsical, fantasy-like words escaped her lips as her gaze caught his frozen figure. She looked almost hopeful, excited, as her bright, glowing eyes dimmed down to reveal human-like pupils. Her cheeks stretched in a strained, soft smile as more of the nonsensical speech poured out of her.
Eli shook his head, palms outstretched in a gesture of gentleness. "I-I'm sorry," he said, forcing himself to let his rational mind take over. "I don't understand what you're saying."
The girl tilted her head slightly, pursing her lips. Then she made that same, light, half-smile once more and stepped forward. She almost seemed to glide across the ground, and Eli found himself momentarily recalling his old Sunday school lessons about angels, impossibly beautiful warriors from the sky.
As she approached within a foot of Eli, he stood his ground. He didn't get any sense of danger from this girl, not that he was the type to run regardless. The golden-skinned beauty drew closer, the gap between them narrowing to just a few inches, and their eyes met. Eli noticed the faintest trail of tears lingering on her cheeks.
Maintaining her smile, she leaned forward. Eli instinctually tried to pull away, but the girl had already brought both hands to his cheeks and had gently drawn him forward. His eyes widened as their lips met. The iPod in his right hand slipped from his fingers and fell to the dirt below. She never parted her lips, and the kiss lasted only a few seconds, but Eli was sure he felt something during those brief moments.
Then she broke off, releasing his cheeks, and her smile widened greatly.
"Hello." She said, her voice sweet and airy. "I am very pleased to meet your acquaintance."
@mattmanganon I know you're young, but if you keep going at this pace you're going to wear yourself out. Remember: you don't have to thrust everything forward at once. You can take your time and ease it all out comfortably. It'll be a more enjoyable experience for all involved.
Really, though. Spectacular Spider-Man was great. Taken from us too soon.
So, in the interest of spurring OOC discussion (so we can get to the 2000th post and it can be used for something that isn't a GIF of Thanos dabbing), what is, all time, your favorite single piece of superhero media?
By far, the greatest thing DC has ever done.
Put the orange, greedy, monosyllabic Larfleeze in the White House when he arrives. It'll be nostalgic.
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