RP Justice Association - The Platinum Age

[Space Sleuth]

THE CITADEL OF CAMAREDERIE
Spacedate: X-52J (September 19, 19__) [4th Universe Iteration].

---

The unmistakable Space Sleuth made his way to the meeting hall with haste, striding through the marble corridors that made up the Citadel of Camarederie with the confident air of a man on a mission. Strands of golden light emanated from the Cosmic Harness, recognizable to others as a luminous disc protruding from the front of his costume in the middle of his chest. The lights made up a holographic blueprint of Paramount City, the capital of the United States. Other colors flashed across the hologram - green ripples where the city was experiencing peace, and red x's where super-crime was projected to emerge. With a flick of his wrist, the Star Ranger miniaturized the readout and let it hover over his right wrist, eyes narrowing at the blueprint as his feet carried him toward the Assembly Hall.

Warning: The distribution of illicit substances is not within your jurisdiction to police as a Stellar Ranger. Only supernatural and extraterrestrial threats are under your direct purview, the voice of the Harness chimed in his thoughts.

"That may be true, but that doesn't mean I've got to sit on my hands. Just because I'm not authorized to use the Cosmic Harness to fight street crime doesn't mean I'm useless!" he replied with a wry smirk.

The Justice Association can see to this, with a little help from their ol' pal, the Space Sleuth.

Pushing open the door with a golden glowing hand that emanated from his chestal region, he pulled out a chair in the sacred Council Chamber, greeting his friends with a smile. He was happy to see that his coworkers had answered his call: a green alert, not an emergency, but a proposal for a new operation.

"Thanks for meeting with me today, team," he acknowledged, calling up a map of Paramount City. The Justice Association didn't have a formal leader - only members with more forceful personalities than others. Informal mission commanders, more like. He had to admit that Solar Man had the charisma - and size - to take charge during public operations, and the Olympian was a tactical genius. When it came to magic, Dr. Sorcery was always the authority. But here, today? They were equals.

He cleared his throat.

"There's a new crisis threatening Paramount City. The distribution of a new illicit drug. Congress has been slow to act, so it falls to us to confront our youth's greatest problem: Substance X!" he declared, punching his palm.

"Before we start busting heads, though, we better do a little detective work. That'll mean boots on the ground, starting tonight. A classic J.A. team-up. Who's with me?" he smiled.

 

[Fang]

Unity had been quick to respond to the call, a green beacon from his wrist that spoke of no urgency but spurred him to action regardless. Though he was not a core member of the Association he was always among the first to respond to such summons; after all he hardly had anything else to do with his time. Once a person was declared legally dead it was difficult to maintain any sort of normal life. Unity had become the whole of who he was, and his work as a hero the only thing he had to look forward to.



When Space Sleuth entered the Council Chamber Unity was already there, chair tilted dangerously back with his feet crossed on the central table. He might have been asleep, for all that his suit revealed of his features and as relaxed as his posture seemed. He didn’t flinch at the senior hero’s arrival, and didn’t twitch as the cosmic man spoke his piece on the mission. However, once the call to arms had been made Unity’s chair fell suddenly into its proper position, feet replaced on the floor as the faceless mask directed blank eyes toward Space Sleuth and his fingers steepled.



”What kind of investigation are we talking about?” His voice was modular, a side effect of his power that he could honestly rectify but felt served him well as a hero. Unity had interfered in the business of a few dealers in the beginning of his career, and had found his ability quite useful for camouflage when stealth was needed. That same skill had also been used by the Association from time to time, though he was sure there were likely better candidates if the need arose. ”I am more than ready for some action, S.S.”

 

[Lunatic]

Lunatic hated the Sun. In a way, it was his greatest foe- the scouring light it cast made him vastly weaker in the daytime than he was at night. But he couldn't afford to hide away all day like a vampire, not when the Justice Association was meeting to plot their next 'police action.' Their heroic blundering was all well and good when it came to fighting green-skinned aliens and money-grubbing gorillas, but when it came to real, contemporary, every-day issues, their abilities were hopelessly inadequate. That was why the Moonlight Avenger was crouched on a rooftop across the street from the Citadel of Camaraderie, listening in on the Association's discussion with a directional parabolic microphone.

A cloak of shadowy Umbra Energy concealed Lunatic from prying eyes- even those of Solar Man, with his telescopic sight. Without such vision-enhancing powers of his own, Lunatic couldn't see inside the Citadel, but his surveillance equipment allowed him to hear what was going on, albeit with a bit of static interference due to the ambient radiation the various heroes' powers gave off.

They were planning some kind of drug bust- exactly the sort of street-level crime they should have been keeping their noses out of. That was Lunatic's territory. And most likely, their buffoonish efforts would only end up making the problem worse. Worse still, they were openly discussing flouting the authority of Congress- clearly a step towards the sort of authoritarian takeover Lunatic had always suspected they were planning. This 'Substance X' business could well be a pretext to begin establishing martial law in the city, and hunting down anybody who refused to abide by their authority.

Lunatic's scowl deepened. They were planning on operating at night- that was his time. Whatever this 'Substance X' was, he'd get to the bottom of it first- and deal with it his way.

 

[Azra]

"Nathan shoulder up. Megan remember your footing." Today the hero Equivalence was doing her favorite thing teaching others how to defend themselves. She enjoyed the class of hers of fighting ability. Each student to her a warrior of the modern Era. They didn't need to defend the world from the Desorian tide like she had as a child but the regiment helped fortify these young men and women in body and mind. Arms clasped behind her back she circled the yard in front of the Citadel ever vigilant of her students works. They were sharpening skills sure but this wasn't to be weaponized against eachother. She expected defenders not savages.

Which was why a hand shot out and caught a kendo stick in motion. Niel was swinging on a downed Billy. Niel had trouble at home, he was getting a sense of self from these classes but occasionally anger took hold. Meanwhile Billy was good in posture but lacking balance. A hand reached out to Billy helping the kid up. Her palm soft, but the strength amongst the mightiest of humans. "What do we say Niel?" Ice blue eyes looked to him her smile warm but stare stern. Soon an apology was made. Billy offering a fist bump in response. "Remember the best lunge still requires good footing. And rage can be a strength but don't let it cloud your judgment." She relinquished the stick gesturing them to return to a neutral position to start anew.

This continued for a time until her phone chimed. The children sighed in protest but tidily set the practice weapons back on the rack and gathered their things. They knew they had to shuffle to some other course. Plenty heroes liked helping teach, Cascade though could never pick teaching over her duty. She wasn't always out in the field, but when a call came if she wasn't active she would be. The world needed balancing and she believed it her cosmic duty to be there.

Moments later and she had entered the hall. On the elevator ride up her jeans and tank top had shifted into the gladiatorial themed visage she was known for. Her sword Yin previously seeming thin and blunt for practice had shifted into a shining sword proper. It was sheathed but the light caught a hint of the silver blade and its golden hilt. The shield of hers Yang rested on her back. "Unity pleased to be working with you again." The warrior remarked seeing him in the room. She saw so much potential in him, to Casca she believed most members had more value then they saw in themselves. They were multi faceted in offering to justice. To Casca comparatively while competent in other things her purpose was always preordained.

"Know im In Sleuth. Do we have any leads at all yet? Trafficker suspects yet or effects of the drug?" She was split on her hopes there. She didn't want it overly harming people, fundamentally though of course she also hoped it did something say empowering. That itd draw out the best in her by giving her a fight to challenge herself tonight. It was her purpose, to fight to go where the conflict wasnt fair and then turn that tide.

 

[Ban Bean]

Every rebirth demanded a new name, and Verity had chosen hers.

Aletheia.

Truth.

It had taken weeks to organize. Plan. Contacts to arrange and rumors to spread. She hasn’t even been the inventor or distributor of Substance X, but Verity had quickly been able to use her telepathy to control several lowlife drug dealers, and their boss, to spread rumors and draw heroes in to a single warehouse.

She wasn’t picky who would take the bait. As long as someone showed. And she was patient. A new drug- they’d be all over this with their facade of idealism. Patriotism. Verity remembered a time when that meant something.

Verity smiled and flicked her cigarette to the asphalt, walking down the street in a trenchcoat and heeled boots. She would make every damn hero pay.

And the world would know.

She walked until she made it to her own base of operations. A small basement in a dry cleaners. She paid the owner rent every first of the month and he didn’t ask questions. She wiped his mind often so he didn’t have to.

The space was lined with monitors. Computers. Cork boards with photos and notes connected by string. Folders with papers. A reporters dream mess. She even had a coffee pot down here.

Verity sat down on a spinny chair, and waited, watching the cameras she set up in the warehouse.

 

[Space Sleuth]

The Space Sleuth adjusted a dial on the Cosmic Harness right above the belt; though the machine was thought-controlled, using the buttons and dials which protruded from its smooth surface felt morphologically natural. When he turned the knob, the hologram zoomed in on a singular warehouse, the holographic display whirling about in technicolor to show a full layout of the building from the outside.

“At first, I thought it might be my nemesis, Neferiac. You remember him from that business on Pluto. Then, I suspected Doctor Legion (the fiend). But as far as I know, this might be a form of ordinary crime, Unity. Our best lead is this warehouse.”

In response to Equivalence’s query, the intrepid adventurer adjusted the holographic readout to pull up an image of a hypodermic needle.

“The drug is injected directly into the bloodstream. In regular people, it produces a high. In metahumans, it dangerously amplifies their powers – but also risks their very lives,” he announced gravely.

“I have my doubts about the police’s ability to deal with this. Our best move is to check it out ourselves, then deliver the evidence to law enforcement."