Session Recaps

## Series 1

### Issue 1: Spring in your step

In the first issue of Masks: A New Generation, Donny, Jessie, Serge, and Annerley attend their high school's Spring Break Assembly, as a week and a half off school is now upon them! As Donny and Annerley sit as examples for the student body, and Serge and Jessie take their places tucked in the back of the bleachers, the principal drones at length about the student body, doing his best to retain attention, and announcing that after the break, there will be A.E.G.I.S. agents inhabiting the school, looking for mundane and meta-human talent!

As the bell finally rings, the student body is released, and our teen heroes make their way to their favorite hangout, Galaxy Pizza. The finest western-themed pizza joint in the city! Their angsty and Doomed friend, Robin, is meeting them there, while their Transformed friend Casey, is having "skin problems". On their way, however, they encountered a troubling sight. An explosion coming from a jewelry store across the way. Smoke covering the blown-out entrance, Donny and Jessie leap into battle, whilst Serge charges up, and Annerley takes the rear. Rushing into the store, Donny bursts through the smoke, only to re-emerge on the same side, pushing against the tower shield of a hulking android.

The fight begins! Behind the struggling duo comes a man with a featureless black mask, completely covering his face, and cloth behind his head, decked in a black trench coat, leather gloves, black jeans, and combat boots, calmly walking out of the building, and begins walking down the street, followed by another droid at his back, raising it's shield in defense of what one could safely assume is his master.

Serge charges up, concerned about how this first real battle shall go. Donny continues to struggle against the android, while Jessica moves towards the masked man. Taking initiative, she lunges towards the man, and with one swift move, rips off his mask, revealing... a teenager? YES! A teenager with brown eyes, short blonde hair, and a scared look on his face. He covers his face with his hands, and tries to scurry his way down the street, towards a manhole, before being tackled by Jess, still in pursuit.

However, the robots remain active, and one is coming for our hero! Fortunately, Annerley runs in and begins draining the power from the robot nearest Jessica, whilst Serge, now Turbo, comes out of his corner, his hair glowing yellow, and his body pulsing with yellow electricity. Turbo blasts the robot taking on Donny, stunning it, and giving him time to smack the thing with his weapon, Asteroth.

Meanwhile, Annerley continues draining the droid, but something seems to be wrong. She managed to cause disturbance in the robots control center, it's head, and while low-powered, it's now flailing around, with no control, heading straight towards our electrical hero.... the other one. Meanwhile, the boy being tackled by Jessica, begins struggling, trying to pull away, and partially successfully, pulls out a remote, with what looks to be a near impossible amount of buttons on it, including one rather large button in the middle. But before he can do whatever he's planning, an arc of lightning springs from Turbo's hand, latches onto the remote, and retracts, pulling the thing towards the shocking super... the other one. Speaking of, the droid that's been damaged, begins going berserk, and begins charging right towards Annerley, but just before it can reach her, Donny takes a swing towards it, and launches it into the air, where it explodes. The debris shall be cleared up later, by not them. Speaking of not them, Sirens are heard in the distance, and two of our four heroes, Serge and Jessica, bail. Jessica through the alleys and shadows, and Serge through the circuits and wires. Leaving Annerley and Donny to hog the spotlight.

Our other heroes head to galaxy pizza. Serge shows up first, appearing just outside the door, and walks in to meet Robin, the aforementioned Doomed, as the rest of the party walks in soon after, one of them carrying the head of the android not half a mile away. After discussing their quarrel with the robots, partially recorded by Annerley, they notice a few strange things. For one, the remote seems to have a symbol on it. The trademark Virchow V is present, but lines drawn on it turn the symbol into an M. And furthermore, nobody seems to recognize the teen that was caught, and then later apprehended by the police upon their arrival. After discussion and pizza are over, Annerley helping with the pizza part by talking to Barry, an after-school student employee of the pizza shop, the crew gains some understanding of their next courses of action.

For Annerley, Serge, and Donny, that action is simply head home for the day. For Jessie and Robin however, it goes a bit deeper.

Jessica heads out in order to find one of her contacts at a small bar in the poorer district of the city. One that doesn't ask about her age, or anything she might be packing. If she's confident, or foolish enough to walk into The Cloak and Jaeger, they get what they get. In this instance, they're trying to get information. Jessica finds her contact. A man named Cheapjack. A highly knowledgeable source of information. Asking about the teams findings, she's told that he knows what's needed, but before the information is given, Cheapjack wants something special. Apparently, a new figure has visited the city, and has been given a name. Sixblades. Problem is, that's all that's really know. Cheapjack, however, has somehow found out where he plans to strike next. Apparently interested in thievery, the unknown swordsman is apparently going to strike a museum unveiling a brand new attraction. A magical golden artifact, that would supposedly strike a high price from the right buyer.

Meanwhile, Robin is using his Sanctuary's computer to scan through their findings. The remote and the head, as well as searching for whoever the kid on the scene was thanks to photos snapped by Annerley. The head seems to be Virchow tech, but with some very major modifications. The remote is obviously Virchow as well, and the robot seems to register it's inputs, if unable to do anything or respond to them properly. The scanning of the picture leads to nowhere, but it's possible the kid has a criminal record which he doesn't have access to. He does what need be done in his chamber, and heads to the HCPD, to meet with an old friend. Hechicero. A magical superhero who works with the HCPD, and specifically helps in recruiting delinquent supers to act as a mentor. Meanwhile, the other party members continue feigning mundanity.

Serge's place of living is not far from Jessie's hangout, in the same run-down portion of the city. He comes home to a few notes on the fridge left by his mother, and a little brother named Niles. A kid obsessed with superheroes, and stoked that his brother might become one! After some banter and angst, Serge retires to his room.

Donny has a somewhat similar story, returning to his home after his heroics, returns to a relatively functional family. A mother caring for her two sons, and listening to Donny's stories about his day. He then is greeted by his little brother, who shows him what new magics he's been working on. Simple but charming. His Stepfather thankfully not in sight. Not that he's a bad man, but he's... well, he's not Hellbane. That's about it.

Annerley is a bit less functional. She comes home to a sister that doesn't approve of her social media antics, and then heads up to her room, to engage in more social media antics. Antics may not be the right word, as her image is somewhat of a stylized portrait. Not entirely real, but that's not what it's supposed to be. It takes care to make something that seems care-free.

But while these heroes stay where they like, Robin has business. He's off to visit the HCPDHQ, and once there, begins conversation with Hechicero. Hechicero is an old man, who used to mentor his mother before her sacrifice, and has remained by his side since the incident. Once there, he asks about the kid. Apparently, his name is Blake Schmidt. Turns out, he's not a previous offender, but has been missing for a while. However, is currently in the building's holding cells. Hechicero helps to get Robin into the same cell, and the two begin talking. Though the conversation isn't exactly straightforward.

The kid begins rambling about some sort of masks, and he seems genuinely scared. He talks of a powerful being, who lured him in, and now, he ends up here. While not the most glamorous position, he seems glad to be in a cage. Away from whatever was messing with him. Though Robin tried, he couldn't truly get through to the boy, but the information he did gain was valuable. Hechicero helps get him out of the cells, and he walks free, telling Hechicero of his gained knowledge. The comic ends, as Robin begins getting in his cryo-casket, in his near-empty sanctuary. The party sleeps. Tomorrow is the first day of spring break. No school, no real obligations, just freedom. Their lives were about to get a lot easier.