Repercussions (Wearing the Cape Book 8)

by Marion G. Harmon

  The Harlequin: The Harlequin, called Quin by her friends, was an acrobat and aerialist with Cirque du Soliel in Las Vegas. During a performance her rig snapped and she fell thirty feet to the stage—and bounced, her body permanently transformed to a rubber-like substance. Her skin is the texture of latex, her bones the density of hard rubber, and she is almost immune to direct kinetic damage; she will bend and bounce back under an impact, whether from a fall or bullets or a hit from Astra, which would injure or kill a normal person. Her transformation also makes her a lot stronger than the average person of her trim athletic build, and she can run faster by “bouncing” along. She is a trained martial artist and marksman (although she doesn’t normally use guns), and is the Sentinel’s field medic as well as its publicity and marketing coordinator, which she does with Alex Chandler.

  Have No Fear: “No backing down, no giving in./ I pick my fights, but I fight to win./ Though the Reaper draws near me I cry,/Conquer or die!” Have No Fear is an all-breakthrough band of Hillwood Academy alumni. They’re also CAI-certified capes, able to drop in with disaster relief and stage a concert afterward. They’re the most successful music group in history, and rumors of artistic differences are completely exaggerated.

  Hecate: Dr. Charlotte Millebrand, antiquarian, folklorist, Merlin-Type wicked witch, and Chicago Outfit assassin, tried to unite the second team of Villains Inc. to take down her bosses and seize control of the Outfit. The mob-war left civilian bodies everywhere, and Artemis put three bullets through her heart during their final fight.

  Hero Beat/Power Week: These are both superhero magazines. Hero Beat is a breathless fan-mag oriented towards teens, while Power Week is a more serious publication, a sort of cross between Time and People Magazine with a focus on superhumans.

  Hillwood Academy: There is a lot of trauma in childhood, and teen breakthroughs create their own unique set of problems. Hillwood Academy is a boarding school for teen breakthroughs, many of whom came from bad circumstances or were isolated by their breakthroughs. It has become famous for its more illustrious alumni, and a television action-drama has been (loosely) based on it. Hillwood Academy handles students grades 7-12: younger students go to Whitlow’s Academy.

  The Hollywood Knights: There is a term, Hollywood heroes, applied to superhumans who go to LA to act on television and in the movies. The Hollywood Knights began as a movie cast, but morphed into a team which makes a movie about their “adventures” each year, the rest of the time acting as a disaster-relief CAI team and doing charity events. Its current roster is: Rook (an A Class Atlas-Type and the team leader), Balder (a photokinetic), Starkness (scary), Ceres (a florakinetic), Fire Lily (a pyrokinetic capable of killing fires), Maui (a tattooed Maori shapeshifter). Seven was a member when Astra met him, but he has transferred to the Sentinels.

  Humanity First: Members of Humanity First believe that breakthroughs are a threat to humanity which must be checked by whatever means necessary. More fanatical members believe that breakthroughs aren’t even human. Their beliefs and activities have been compared to Aryan Nation and other racial supremacist groups.

  If-Man: aka, Adam McCoy. If-Man is a C Class Metamorph, the classic “stretchy” hero-type and a physical education teacher as Hillwood. He can stretch up to twenty feet, more than three times his normal height, with a reach of close to fifteen feet. He has normal human strength but is incredibly resilient and tough. He’s also a projection, a physical manifestation of Brandon McCoy’s alter-ego, the heroic, awesomely confident big brother Brandon always wanted. Only a few people know about this; to most of the world, If-Man is Brandon McCoy’s older brother and only family, and Brandon is the only “non-breakthrough” student at the school. (If-Man was created by Rick West.)

  Iron Jack: aka John Corrigan. Iron Jack is a transforming A Class Ajax-Type. He is a highly successful Chicago architect, and he experienced his breakthrough on the day of the Event. He became a reserve Sentinel, and has been able to maintain a secret identity because of his ability to unrecognizably transform himself (in Iron Jack form he looks like a statue of iron plates and rivets). He kept the secret even from his children, which gave Astra a second shock on the day of her own breakthrough.

  Director Kayle: The President of the United States was aboard Air Force One returning from a campaign trip to LA on the day of The Event. Air Force One made a crater and Vice President Kayle was sworn in as President Kayle the same day. President Kayle is the main reason that federal superhuman-restriction laws were not passed in the first weeks after The Event. He created the Department of Superhuman Affairs, built the alliance system that became the new League of Democratic States, and successfully guided the United States through the internal and external chaos that was much of his eight years in office. He hand-picked his successor, Touches Clouds, shepherded her through her successful presidential bid, and in return she made him Director of the DSA. As the Director, he prefers to work quietly and behind the scenes, but make no mistake—he is one of the great power-players in Washington. Many conspiracy theorists believe him to be a secret superhuman; the only way to explain his amazing success.

  Kitsune: Kitsune was believed to be Yoshi Miyamoto, an old man who disappeared from an elderly care center in Osaka Prefecture. A true shapeshifting breakthrough who believes himself to be a kitsune (a Japanese fox-spirit) and who apparently also has the magic ability to invade dreams, he first came to the Sentinels attention when he engineered the war between Villains Inc. and the Outfit. Initially believed to simply be a supervillain (albeit a principled one), Kitsune is now known to be an agent who at least occasionally works for Defensenet Intelligence, Japan’s primary counter-intelligence agency.

  Kukkuu: Saara Lajunen. “You were expecting Princess Kukkuu of the Magical Kingdom of Fairy Funland?” Kukkuu is a “kinetic capacitor.” She can absorb kinetic energy from any source, be it punches, bullets, or bullet-trains. She can release her stored energy as acts of strength or speed, as well as projecting “kinetic bursts.” Saara gained her powers young, becoming a teen-celebrity with her own TV show (Fairy Funland), before Finland’s recent civil war. She’s a much more serious cape, now, but keeps her old codename and style in honor of the idealism of her television character. (Kukkuu was created by Otso Pajunen.)

  The Lady of Doors: aka, Erica Free. The Lady of Doors is an Ultra Class Merlin-Type who practices a ritual magic tradition based on her conception of the Theory of Forms and the Platonic Ideal. After years of cross-reality adventures, she cut a deal with Iudal, the Decan of Transitions and Crossings in order to get home. Serving as his (aethyr) avatar, she controls the Castle of Doors, an inter-reality domain from which she can travel anywhere there is a door. The few that know about her aren’t really sure of her goals and priorities, but she’s proven an able defender of Reality-Prime (if that’s what the Post-Event World is) against incursions from the “magic” realities. (Erica Free was created by Chase Wayment).

  Legal Eagle: aka Tommy Brannigan, esquire. Just out of law school, Tommy learned how to fly when his weekend skydiving vacation went horribly wrong. Since flight is his sole power, Tommy went into law instead of trying to become a cape. The media dubbed him Legal Eagle, which he doesn’t mind at all; he quickly carved out a niche serving Chicago’s capes and superhumans, and is on retainer for the Chicago Sentinels and the city’s Guardian teams.

  Lei Zi: Her name means Mother of Storms and comes from Chinese mythology. Lei Zi is an A Class Electrokinetic Type, able to fly by electrostatic levitation, suck the power from electrical systems or burn them out with power surges, and draw from the atmosphere’s static charge to generate lightning and ball lightning. The daughter of Chinese Nationals who fled China during its collapse into warring states, she served a tour of duty in the US Military. Blackstone recruited her to be the new Field Leader of the Chicago Sentinels after the death of Atlas.

  Lunette’s: A bar and club in L.A. owned by Orb, Lunette’s mostly caters to a breakthrough crowd. Unlike the Fortress, it
is not a high-profile establishment and non-breakthroughs usually get turned away by the bouncer at the door; mostly it is a refuge for breakthroughs, capes or otherwise, a place where they can hang out with others who are like them or who at least understand them.

  Malmsturm: Dr. Konrad Kardinal. Konrad is confined to a motorized chair. Malmsturm is a projection he creates and mentally inhabits, an 8-foot tall white-bearded blue frost-giant, clad in barbarian armor (leather, fur, lots of metal studs) and wielding twin battle axes covered with ice. Malmsturm can also transform into a miniature blizzard of hard-flaked snow—the form he uses to fly. He has a third form, icy fog, with which he can totally obscure an area and slip through cracks. At need, Malsturm can also transform into the true malmsturm, the grind-storm, a devastating snow and ice storm with arctic temperatures and wind speeds above 12 on the Beaufort scale. However, he can’t control the malmsturm, and summoning it will force him back into Konrad’s body. Konrad can manifest Malmsturm anywhere within a few hundred miles of himself, and nobody knows who the hard-fighting, hard-partying cape really is. (Malmsturm was created by W.H. Hartmann.)

  Doctor Mendel: Dr. Alice Mendel is the mental-health counterpart to Dr. Beth, retained by the City of Chicago to vet all of its contracted CAI heroes for mental fitness. Understandably, she has taken advantage of the situation to study superhuman psychology close-up and has written many papers and monographs on the subject.

  Mirth: identity unknown. Mirth is a flamboyant but very professional criminal. He wears a mask modeled for the Greek “comedy” mask (this his name), while his minions always wear Greek tragedy masks and no law enforcement agency has ever been able to identify Mirth or any of his crew. They also never appear to use powers in their high-speed heists against banks, jewelry stores, and art galleries. If a heist takes place by night with no witnesses, Mirth always leaves his mask.

  Morrigan: Claire Byrne-Meyer. Claire can transform into an avatar of Morrigan, the Celtic Battle Goddess and harbinger of death, complete with armor and lightning-spear. She’s not as physically tough as an A Class Ajax-Type, but her spear is the weapon that killed Seif-al-Din for the second time, in the Battle of Jerusalem. She changes into a crow for mobility on the battlefield and has a war-cry that can freeze enemy with fear. Claire is herself a very sensitive person, and memories of battle sicken her. Morrigan revels in conflict and battle. (Morrigan was created by Zachary Haley.)

  The National Public Safety Act: The NPSA has gone through several incarnations, the first one passed by the US Congress in the first weeks after The Event and vetoed by President Kayle. The NPSA calls for the compulsory registration of all breakthroughs, with monitoring and mandatory detainment and evaluation of breakthroughs deemed serious potential public threats.

  Father Nolan: The pastor of St. Christopher Parish (St. Chris), Father Nolan is also Hope’s spiritual advisor and the senior chaplain for Chicago’s CAI teams. He’s a round little priest with a penchant for unorthodox homilies and a vice for Double Stuff Oreos. (Author’s note: Father Nolan is my homage to Father Blackie Ryan, the beloved priest and detective created by the late Andrew M. Greeley.)

  One Land: A Chinese-nationalist group, operating throughout the Chinese States. One Land is dedicated to the reunification of China into a single state, the recreation of the People’s Republic of China. One Land carries out guerilla operations against Succession State militaries and governments, and against the United States, India, and other nations supporting them.

  Orb: A top-shelf private investigator who makes LA her home, Orb is blind and deaf. She is also a breakthrough, her power taking the form of a silvery orb she absolutely mentally controls. The orb floats by her shoulder and she somehow uses it to see, hear, and even speak. Its actual form is malleable, and faced with the need for self-defense she has been known to shape it into a needle-pointed dart capable of driving itself through flesh with absolute precision.

  Origin Chasers: Origin chasers are people who intentionally pursue breakthroughs. It is a hazardous pursuit; since most breakthroughs occur under stressful or traumatic circumstances, the consequences of not achieving a breakthrough are often damaging if not fatal. Origin chasers have most commonly used physical peril, extreme physical stress or trauma, or psychoactive drugs to attempt their breakthroughs, and every year thousands of would-be breakthroughs wind up in hospital emergency rooms and morgues.

  Origin Sellers: A new industry has been born which caters to origin chasers. Origin sellers provide “monitored experiences” for attempting “safe” breakthroughs. The most ethical origins sellers are “breakthrough boot-camps” which provide their clients several weeks of intense physical stress (known to trigger physical breakthroughs) and “breakthrough retreats” (guru-guided meditative retreats known to trigger mental breakthroughs). These services don’t increase the odds of any specific stressor triggering a breakthrough, but clients are likely to survive them without damage and may even gain physical or mental benefits. The least ethical (and usually black-market) origin sellers push designer drugs which, if they work, are likely to result in psychotic breaks and weird and twisted breakthroughs.

  Ozma: An A Class Merlin-Type, possibly the most powerful supernatural breakthrough known, Ozma believes that she is literally Ozma, the Empress of Oz as portrayed in Frank L. Baum’s famous Oz books. She looks sixteen, acts one hundred, and all her long-term plans are aimed at reconquering Oz and liberating her people from the Gnome King and the witch Mombi. Currently she’s a member of the Young Sentinels while she gathers and creates magical resources for her campaign. Her companions are Nox and Nix, two dolls animated by the Powder of Life, and she has recovered many of her magical treasures including her scepter-wand and Magic Belt. One of her favored means of subduing opposition is to turn them into hats.

  The Paladins: Founded by Daniel Nathaniel Allred of Vermont, the Paladins are an anti-government survivalist group with chapters across the country. Since the Event they’ve focused on breakthroughs and especially on capes, who they believe plot to seize control of the government and rule as a “master race”. They mostly spend weekends training and stockpiling for The Day They Come for Us, but they have more militant members who believe in taking the fight to the capes first.

  Pararescue: Christopher Cruces. D Class Mentalist-Type. Pararescue’s “Life Sense” gives him complete awareness of all life around him; within his range he can “see” living things even through solid rock—and knows its nature (human, animal, vegitable . . .) and state of health. He can also unlock bursts of strength that temporarily put him on the level of a C Class Ajax-Type. Christopher’s power is laser focused on search-and-rescue. A soldier in the US Army, he uses it as a member of the 910th Engineering Company, a unit often deployed overseas into disaster zones, as well as with Heroes Without Borders between deployments.

  The People’s Republic of China: Today the Communist Party of China controls only a wide strip of northern China around Beijing, from Lianing to Shandong on the east coast and Hubei and Gansu in central China.

  Pieman: A teleporter of unknown class, Pieman is a “performance-villain.” He picks public figures he believes in need of pie-ing, sends them a lovingly baked pie by courier delivery, then delivers the second pie up to seven days later; in person, in public, to the face. He’s wanted in twelve countries, although most law enforcement agencies aren’t terribly interested in catching him.

  Pinky: aka, Rose Reyes. Pinky is an unusual variety of Verne-Type. She fixes things, and she’s really, really good at it; she can kick an engine, reboot a computer, and have everything humming again. When she actively tinkers, she intuitively understands what she’s looking at, what’s wrong with it, and how to fix it—or at least how to get it going long enough to do the job. She’s the only known Verne who can fix other Verne-Type’s gadgets—even tweak them to make them work better for her! Her gift took her to space, where she lives her dreams working for Boeing Aerospace. (Pinky was created by Crystal Groves.)

  P
latoon: aka Tom, New Tom, Willis, the Bobs, etc. Platoon is a Redux-Type breakthrough of unknown magnitude. A band of multiple clones with some sort of telepathic group-memory who provides security and services at the Dome, he’s also apparently a highly trained DSA field agent(s), a member of President Touches Clouds’ Secret Service detail, the major-domo at both the Dome and Restormel, and so on. Astra wonders if he/they have a Bob vacationing somewhere for the rest of them. Artemis wonders if he/they are political officers for Director Kayle.

  Polychromatic Sharknado: A very short-lived breakthrough indie-rock band. Nemesis killed two of its four members, and the third disappeared.

  Prayer for Heroes: St. Michael, defender of man, stand with us in the day of battle. St. Jude, giver of hope, be with us in our desperate hour. St. Christopher, bearer of burdens, lift us when we fall. The author of the Prayer for Heroes is unknown; first circulated on the net, it’s now inscribed over many monuments and gravestones, the unofficial prayer of Catholic superheroes.

  President Touches Clouds: The day of The Event Jennifer Touches Clouds manifested an A Class Aerokinetic-Type breakthrough, enabling her to generate and control air currents strong enough to allow her to fly and put out fires. She became one of the Sentinels’ founding members, and three years later left the team to go into politics, eventually becoming President Kayle’s successor. America’s first female President, first Native American President, and first superhuman President, she’s hugely popular and has continued most of President Kayle’s international and domestic policies unchanged (something which makes conspiracy buffs mutter darkly in their basements).