Solar Savagery

May 20, 2015:

An alien creature erupts from a solar power station being opened in upstate New York. Heroes appear to handle the situation.

Unspecified solar collector power station

None

Characters

NPCs: None.

Mentions:

Mood Music: None.


Fade In…

Five minutes ago the CEO of a small but very promising solar energy company officially opened a large solar energy farm in upstate New York City. There was much applause and many photos taken and champagne was poured.

Three minutes ago, the solar collectors drew in a stray signal - an alien convict that had been caught by the authorities of another world and transformed into a light beam as punishment, to forever travel through the universe. Right up until this solar farm captured it and it reformed itself.

Two minutes ago, a twenty foot tall behemoth that would give Superman a go in an armwrasslin' competition popped out of the solar arrays and began slamming through the farm in blind rage and terror.

One minute ago, Ystin arrived on the scene. Clad in golden armor and astride a winged horse, Sir Ystin swooped in and bellowed, ordering the monster to stand down. It did not. Which is why she is now slicing into its forearm with her very magic sword.


Kate Bishop is not allowed to fly the javelins. It's not that nobody trusts her with them (they don't). It's more that she's had absolutely no training on them. So when the alert hit the Watchtower that assistance was needed, she shanghaied a SHIELD tech into giving her a ride in a quinjet. As they arrive, she slides down a line from the hatch, pulling her bow free when she hits the ground.

"Uh, guys," she says over her comms. "This one's kind of high on the damage scale right now."

Now isn't the time for talking, though. As the quinjet peels off to safer ground, she reaches back to finger through her shafts, finding the one she's searching for and sighting at the beast's ankles. As she fires, the head splits, sending out a pair of balls on the opposite side of a carbon fiber string. Bolo arrow!


Solar energy is good. It should be applauded. Which is why Carol Danvers was in attendance, along with one of her reporters, to catch the story of this solar energy farm and the clean energy it heralds for the future.

There are days when Carol is reasonably sure that the Universe is laughing at her. Like every time she tries to just be a reporter and a newspaper editor … and crap like this happens.

"Stephens, you better get into that control room and see what you can find out from their readings. Who saw what, that sort of thing. And get some pictures!" Yes, Carol is sending her reporter in to do reporter things. And then? Then she heads for a nook or a cranny where no one is looking. A shimmering flow of energy over her body … and Captain Marvel takes flight, streaking towards the giant's head. "Hey there, big fella! That'll be quite enough property destruction. C'mon, let's play nice."

Yeah, that never works. And with a swat of one huge arm, Captain Marvel gets golfed into another of the solar collector panels, to a resounding crash absorbed in all of the other crashing going on.


And so… stray signals are something of a specialty for Quasar. He set up one of his jewels to monitor just such anomalies. His range is fairly vast.. and so he was in the office when his bands alerted him to the signal… and a minute or two later… he's whooshing along at supersonic speeds high in the atmosphere.. trying to nail down more of what this anomalous reading may or may not mean. What energy signature it might have, what its threat level could be. The red blue and gold costume complete with cape streaking through the air… surrounded by his golden Quantum Aura.

"Okay Eon. Are you sure you don't have any more information for me?" God, he hates it when the custodian of Cosmic Awareness, plays his cards close to his chest, just to make Quasar -earn- knowledge.


Solar Energy farms are a major resource, clean energy of any sort is something that Stark Industries want connections in, and Jennifer Walters was coming to discuss preliminary negotiations for some potential exclusive distrubution rights for the new farm's power. She'd only pulled up when the creature appeared. Thankfully she keeps her 'other work' clothes with her. Grabbing them she sprints to an unoccuppied port-a-hut, and slips inside…

Moments later there is a brief shaking of the port-a-hut, and then it splits open, revealing the the Green Gammazon, the Jade Giantess, the Teal Titaness, generally considered by far the prettiest of the Banner created Gamma Powered Monsters (though some people may have other favorites)… She-Hulk. She sighs as she probably will hear about this later. Tossing her nice clothes through the self-opening and closing door on her car, she clicks the keyfob and rushes toward the threat. Clearing her throat, she takes advantages of her strengthened lungs to roar out a warning, "Look, Glowliath, or whatever your name is, there is the easy way we can do this, where you lay down nicely, no one gets angry, no one gets any more hurt than they already are… then there is the way where you act stupid, keep fighting, and make me mad. You wouldn't like me when I'm mad. When I get mad, I get Savagely meaner, and that means you end up not waking up in this timezone… possibly not even this hemisphere."


The glowing giant was at twenty feet when it hit Carol Danvers. It is now thirty feet tall. And still growing. Ystin continues to fly around it, Winged Victory's wings flapping as it rages, trying to swat her out of the air. Gold ichor leaks from the wound the Shining Knight caused earlier. The creature's blood literally explodes when it hits the ground, creating small craters.

Kate's bolo arrow wraps around the giant's ankles. It might have worked… had the giant not grown and snapped through the wire.

Ystin manuevers Winged Victory and hovers right in front of the giant's face. The knight points his sword at the thing. "LAST CHANCE, MONSTER! END THIS OR MEET YOUR END!"


"What is this thing?" Kate mutters as the giant continues to grow, staying well back from the chaos of flying heroes, explosive blood, and shattered solar panes. She's just not that durable. She's also a thinker, though, and moves away from the fight toward a control tower where she can climb up a little higher to get a better view.

It's a plain arrow this time, nothing fancy, and aimed at the monster's eye.


Captain Marvel wrenches her way out of the wreckage of the solar panel she just collapsed with her fall, and then launches back up into the air. A golden glow sparks and sparkles around her, coalescing at her clenched fists as the blonde heroine circles the creature and looks for the right opening. It's good to see she's not alone, but they don't seem to be putting much of a dent in this thing, beyond the slice in his arm … which appears to be a mixed blessing. Great.

Captain Marvelcan feel another streak of energy approaching, but has no idea what that signifies. Hopefully, not another one of these things. One is more than enough. "Lay off!" she calls out, fists extended as she unleashes a pair of heavy photonic blasts at the back of the gigantic form's head.


Streaking in, Quasar consults his bands as they ping his nervous system again. "Oh crap." he mutters. "There any comm systems in use up ahead?" he asks aloud. But he didn't need to verbalize that. The bands are scanning for radio signals, and then he just decides.. hell with it. Broadband broadcast, in the clear.

The broadcast: The creature is absorbing not just solar power, but specifically photonic energy… it is filled with it, unstable photonic energy. I know someone's shooting it at him, so if I could ask you to please not do that anymore. This is Quasar. I am on scene in.. oh, three, two…"

Then he comes streaking over a hillside and pulls up. "Whoa, he's gettin' a bit big for his britches. Let's see if this works. Okay… lock onto -his- photonics… -only- his.. not the lady over there." he mutters… the words really only helping him focus his will. "I have a feeling I'm not gonna contain this thing with constructs so, let's see if we can take away some of his power." And then.. the Quantum Bands latch onto the monster's energy, and start pulling it from the beast in quite a spectacularly visible display.. the power roaring out and up to his bands… draining it from the beast essentially.


Could things get much worse? Maybe Hulk and Abomination could show up in mid-brawl? Or maybe someone could release a herd of helpless kittens to distract matters? Or someone could blast the creature with exploding energy blood with something that fuels it, like photonic energy or something… yeah that would be… Seriously? Why? Aren't these people supposed to be sort of smart? Why would people fire light based energy at something that came from Solar Panels? What crazy writing team plotted that out? Why didn't a proofreader stop them? Oh, right… players… players type first and think later… She-Hulk sighs, "Hard way it is." she looks up at Carol, and then noticing Wendell, "Just in case you guys didn't add two and two together and got four. No energy attacks. The Collightsus of Glows here feeds on them. Stick with hitting it hard, maybe bury it so it can't get ambient energy either."

There is a brief moment of inspiration, where there is construction, there should be construction vehicles… She-Hulk does a flying leap stomp to hopefully topple the creature and give herself a good elevated vantage point to look for a backhoe, bulldozer, dump truck, or other dirt moving machinery… bury it indeed, now that is a plan.


Things happen in order. First, the arrow hits the giant in the eye. It turns out the eye is squishy and tender and the arrow pops it like a big old grape which causes blood to splash onto Ystin. Explosive blood. Ystin and Winged Victory the flying, winged horse are thrown backwards until they hit the ground in a jumble.

Next, Captain Marvel's blasts hit and the creature started growing again, thrashing around from the pain of having an eye went pop. Then, hey! The creature stopped growing as Quasar began draining the energy. But not fast enough. Not fast enough to counteract how much energy is pouring down. Quasar can't counter the sun itself on a bright, sunny day. The giant gains an inch. Then another.

She-Hulk does manage to knock it down, though. It lands on it's energy ass, breaking half the solar collectors left. It continues to swing wildly in pain. Blood oozing from eyesocket and the slice on the arm, hitting the ground.

Boom. Boom. Boom.


Kate winces as Ystin goes down. "Sorry!" she calls over, then tilts her head as the information comes over her comms. "Now that…I think I can help with." Three arrows come out of the quiver this time, and she draws back, letting them splay enough to cover a broad arrow. "Eyes open for arrows, kids!" she calls out, firing at the giant.

These arrows are a personal favorite of Kate's. Designed for dealing with unruly crowds, when they hit, they release expanding riot foam. Expanding riot foam which hardens, making moving harder. And which definitely blocks sunlight.


"Damnit. Of course the damned thing feeds on me. Just my damned luck." Captain Marvel grimaces, and then charges forward again towards the slowly growing, growling, howling giant and his thrashing limbs of sparking doominess. "Keep it up, Vacuum Boy!" she calls out to Quasar, as she dives … right into the giant's corona, literally bathing herself in the blood from his wounded eye as she latches on … and starts absorbing the energy that is trying to destroy her. Two can play at this game. Right? Hopefully, anyway.

Some might notice that Captain Marvel's appearance starts to change as she continues to absorb that energy, almost as if part sof her were on fire ….


Foam makes a funny sound as it expands. Soon over half the creature is covered and the light of the sun blocked off. Inside, Carol Danvers absorbs all that solar radiation. Outside, Quasar does the same thing. With all three factors working together the growth of the creature is arrested and then reversed. It begins shrinking… shrinking… shrinking… until it is merely ten feet tall and undeniably solid.

Once Carol is clear of the former giant, the physical action can take place. Ystin approaches from one side. She-Hulk from the other. Together, then strike a final blow. The creature's shell cracks apart and then explodes in a shower of light… the original light beam the alien criminal had been turned into. Quasar is able to capture it. Soon it will be in a science cell on Oa… or wherever Quasar puts alien criminals.


As the monster goes down, Kate starts to swing her way clear from the observation tower, jogging toward the other heroes on site. "Everyone okay?" she asks, turning a sheepish look on Ystin as she gets closer. "Sorry about the blood thing. I wasn't expecting it to be quite so…juicy."


After they have finally neutralized the threat, Captain Marvel does not land with the others. Instead, she hovers, up and away from the group, still glowing, still visibly burning, flames rippling over her form and taking the place - or so it seems - of her hair coming off her head. She looks pretty alien at the moment. Her voice sounds similarly odd. "I didn't mean to make it grow. Is everyone alright? We need to sweep the rubble, looking for the injured. I … uhm. I shouldn't touch them, right now, if we find them. But I can help dig them out." She pulled in a lot of energy; she's definitely feeling her inner white hole right now. "Ystin, are you and Victory alright?"


Of course, since the Quantum Bands are tied into Wendell's nervous system… it feels like he stuck his finger into a light socket for much of this absorption. As the power passes through his bands, and into the Quantum Zone to be safely dispersed… he spreads his arms out to his sides, his aura glowing brighter and brighter. After all.. it's photonics he's transferring. He feels the energy levels Carol is absorbing, and gasps as the amount of power she is getting staggers him. It's… almost like she's exponentially absorbing more than he is capable of. HE can also feel her power levels rising overall. But.. when it's done.. he dissipates the power once more and looks down to Carol. "You okay?!" he calls out. He doesn't want her popping like an overfilled balloon after all.


"You are rising like a phoenix, Captain of the Marvels." Ystin points out. Despite their earlier tumble both he and Winged Victory seem to be doing just fine. "Worry not, Kate Bishop. I am well and so, too, is Winged Victory. Come. We must ensure the injured are tended to."

Ystin cups one hand over her mouth and shouts. "If you are trapped beneath rubble make noise! We will find you!"


"Glad you're okay," Kate says with a small smile, slinging her bow over her shoulder and raising a hand toward the flying energy beacons. "Thanks, guys! That was pretty cool. All…destruction aside." Her smile fades a bit as she looks out over the shattered solar panels, sighing. "Okay. Right. Rescue missions it is." And then she's wading into the wreckage, moving carefully and keeping an eye out for anyone who needs help.


"I'm … I'll be OK. Just very highly charged." Carol doesn't try explaining Binary. No one needs that faux-science lesson today. "Glad you two are alright." she offers to Ystin and her mount.

"Let's move as quickly as we can. I'll sweep, try to get a bead on anyone's energy signature if they're trapped. They may not hear us." Captain Marvel offers. She's not sure if Quasar can do that, but she knows if she can concentrate hard enough, she can. At least for as long as this Binary state lasts, she can. Best to use it while she can, sweeping concentric spirals outwards from the heart of the destruction to the outer perimeter, straining to locate any signs of life and then making sure to mark those spots for further visits.


And now that things have wound down, Quasar floats down to the ground and lands. He says up to Carol, "Captain, do you wish for me to drain off some of that excess power? Or do you want to retain it for now?" as he gestures to somewhere in the rubble, and a golden trickle of energy flows that way, growing into a construct that is in essence a big multi-arm construction crane with fine manipulation pincers. Immediately, it starts lowering its pincers to the rubble and delicately pulling pieces away.

To be sure, he is using the sensors of the bands to search for things like… Lithium Ion Cellphone batteries, watch batteries, pacemakers, anything indicative of people in the area.


Kate moves methodically through the rubble, calling out as she goes. It's slow going, but it gets her a closer look at things than the aerial view. Which is…sort of the opposite of her usual tactics, actually. "Call it out if you guys sense something, I'll get in close and check in on things."


"No need. It'll fade with time. For now, it's useful." Captain Marvel answers Quasar. A few times, she'll call out, pointing out a location. She slices through concrete support members, hefts extreme weights out of the way. But she is careful, painstaking. She knows right now she'd incinerate a normal person on contact, so she avoids that, and calls in help when and where she can.


Of course, the fact that Wendell can make a truly stupid number of constructs at once helps. Quasar is gesturing, making things like gurnies, temporary splints and casts. "Name's Quasar." he says to the uniformed Captain Marvel.. who oddly enough, wears the same colors that he does. "Nice look you have there." he adds. Then he.. rather self consciously adds after Eon prods him, "Right. Sorry. Quasar. Protector of the Universe." and he rolls his own eyes at such a pompous title.


While the cosmically-powered make with the heavy lifting, Kate makes with the digging people out, climbing under and offering a hand or a shoulder to get people from the wreckage to the gurneys until emergency personnel can take over. "It's okay," she assures a woman with an easy smile. "Everything's going to be all right." As more and more people are dug out and sent to safety, she raises a hand toward the others. "Getting quiet down here, guys. You picking up many more signals?"


"The whole Universe? Just you? Well, at least you have some backup, right?" Captain Marvel offers, with a wry grin for Quasar. "It's OK, though. I was 'Binary, the Living Star' for a couple of years myself." Of course, she didn't willingly give out the second part of that name to anyone, but others always supplied it. "You have a pretty decent look, too. Let's get these locations marked, and get these people out." Once they've marked all of the locations she and Quasar can find, it's time to figure out the rest. "No more signals for me. Quasar?"


Marking locations is easy. Golden glowing arrows pointing towards the last few folks are floating in the air after a moment and Quasar just shrugs, "I have something of a silent partner. His job is to find threats to the balance of all life as a whole.. and warn me. While he searches for that… I get to do whatever. So, here I am. Sure would be easier if I had folks to coordinate with though." He shrugs then and says, "That's the last of'em."


"This would be easier for all of us if we were all coordinating," Kate replies to Wendell with a rueful smile, moving closer to the others. "Hi, I'm Kate," she introduces herself, smile crooked. "Hawkeye. Justice League Avengers." The smile falters at the last - she knows what sort of press they've been getting lately. "You're Captain Marvel," she points to the blonde, "And you said you're Quasar? Nice to meet you both."


"Used to be Ms. Marvel. Yep, that's me." Captain Marvel offers, hovering in front of Kate, down at ground-ish level now. But still burning brightly, she doesn't extend a hand. Kate wouldn't look so good as a crispy critter. No thanks on that. "Good communication and coordination is key. Doesn't matter how much damned power you have, some bastard has more. The real key is guts, determination, smarts and coordination." Yes. Carol learned well the lessons of her life in the Air Force, and beyond. "Nice to meet you, Hawkeye." There's no judgement in Carol's voice; she doesn't know all the facts, and it isn't her place to judge. They've sure as Hell done enough to earn the benefit of the doubt in her eyes.


"Well, I've only been back about a month. Was offworld for like four freakin' years." remarks Quasar. He shrugs, "But you're in the JLA? Man, must be nice to have teammates you can count on. Like that lady on the horse. Man, that was something, wasn't it?" he asks with a smirk. "You guys got an application process?" he asks.


"That was Sir Ystin," Kate grins to Quasar. "We spar together, but Ystin's not with the league. It's a recommendation process right now, I believe. But we're still…working on things right now. The Ballard Investigation and the Orleans incident have given us some…room to grow." That's one way of putting it, at least.

"I've been trying to work on building networks among heroes, though," she says, reaching into a pocket and pulling out a pair of business cards. Yes, she has business cards. They say Hawkeye on one side, and 'GOT YOUR BACK' on the other, with a number. "This number connects to a line that reaches the League, the Titans, and the Red Team. I mean, you guys can clearly handle yourselves, of course," she grins. "But if you ever find yourself where you need some backup."


Captain Marvel frowns just slightly as Kate produces the card; she approves of the idea, but she's concerned it'll just incinerate on contact. "Maybe … lay it down there? Once I can contain the power, I'll be able to pick it up then. I do appreciate it, though." Maybe eventually they'll ask for a way to reach her in return. She wouldn't mind that. She has long wanted more organization amongst the heroes. "It's good to meet you. All of you." Carol includes the others as well. She's glad to see that Ystin has found folks to spend time with, as well.


"You could just… pour some of the power out into my bands." says Quasar. "They can handle pretty much any amount of energy. It's crazy how tough they are." He just holds his hands out and adds, "I'd love to spar sometime too." to Kate. "See, aside from these wristbands, I'm just a guy from Wisconsin. No super strength. No super toughness… without these, I'm just a former agent of SHIELD."


"I can set it down," Kate laughs to Carol's request, stepping forward to set it on a relatively stable piece of wreckage. "There are a lot of scattered heroes around. Between people who want to take us out one by one, and people who want to try to control us, we all need to stick together more. Work out what we're doing and how we're going to do it."

At Quasar's words, she quirks a brow, head tilting curiously. "I bet SHIELD's thrilled with the new arrangement. But sure, I'm happy to spar. Kind of hard in the league sometimes," she admits, rueful. "Short of Clint, anyone else has to hold back."


"You sure?" Captain Marvel questions Quasar, before letting go of the energy. A part of her loves the feeling of being in touch with her inner white hole again. But that's no longer her natural state of being, and she knows it. It aches, to let it go, but she does, pouring out enough that she can feel it slipping away. Then, at least, she looks just like Captain Marvel. No more flames. Then, she can take the card and tuck it away safely. "I'm just a jet jockey, myself. Or I was, until this. That's why I know how important it is to work together, even when wrangling tough folks like fighter pilots." Or loner heroes. "I agree with the goal. Anything I can do to help, Hawkeye, you've got it."


Taking the card himself, Quasar pockets it before nodding to Carol. "I'd rather you pour it out, than I try to -drain- it. I'm told it's not a warm and fuzzy feeling when I do that." He shrugs, and just holds both hands up with the arms together as Carol lets loose. Amazingly… speaking of singularities, the bands suck up the power like they were a black hole for it. They do have a microscopic dimensional rift contained within each of course. And it takes some effort on his part, but eventually the power is safely faded out.

"Yeah, normal my ass." he mutters with a shake of his head. "But yeah, I would love a chance to work out… just as me, without all these tricks and toys." he says, waving his bands about, "They may be ridiculously powerful but… a weapon is only as dangerous or controlled as its wielder, right?" he asks, looking from one of you to the other.


Kate taps her nose at Quasar, grin flashing. "That's what I keep saying when I stop and think about the sort of big dogs I run with." She watches the energy transfer curiously, though she doesn't comment on it. "If you want, Cap, I can point some others in your direction, too," she offers.

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