Code Black

In this Our World story, the Burning Rangers and others respond to Illumina rising and destroying part of Golden City.

This is a transcript from Discord.

## Story

```
One day after the happenings in Bootstrap Butte, we find Calias, Hannah, and Nihil training under General Flame at GLACIA HQ.

Calias:
“Watch out Hannah! It’s coming for you!”

Red:
*A repurposed Gundroid is charging toward Hannah.*

Hannah:
*Hannah slashes downward [with both arms] to shoot two parallel energy arcs at the Gundroid.*

Yellow:
*Another bot shoots lasers toward Nihil.*

Nihil:
“You shall not best me, metal beast!” *Nihil jumps out of the way.*

Blue:
*A third bot tries to tackle Calias.*

Calias:
“WHOA!”

Flame:
“COME ON, KEEP AT IT!”

Hannah:
*Hannah moans as she fires lasers at Red.* [the moan is in response to Flame :P]

This training continues for a few more minutes, before long the Gundroids are destroyed and the Rangers are exhausted.

Hannah:
*Hannah lies down on the floor.*
“How much longer…”

Calias:
*Calias’s eyes are filled with determination for some reason.* “I need more.”

Hannah:
“Good for you…”

Nihil:
“Yes. We have bested many fake foes today. But there is still more time in the day.”

Hannah:
“Usually we’re already home at this hour.”

Calias:
“Well *someone* didn’t wake up on time. So we had to start late.”

Hannah:
“You say that as if it was me.”

Calias:
“I was exhausted, okay?”

Hannah:
“Yeah, I know.”

Nihil:
“Well, I must earn my keep. You two may go home, I will remain to train.”

Flame:
“Who said anything about going home now?”

Calias:
(I need to become stronger… But poor Hannah’s wiped out. That nightmare she told me she had last night must have been really bad.)
“Soooo… Round 5?”

Hannah:
“I’ll try…”

GRUUUUUMBLE!! The ground shakes! Everyone is caught off-guard by the rumbling.

Calias:
“What the heck?!?”

Hannah:
*Hannah rises quickly to her feet.*

Nihil:
“What is this?”

Fifticinco:
*Fifticinco’s voice comes over the loudspeaker.* “ATTENTION ALL AGENTS! WE HAVE A CODE BLACK! I REPEAT: WE HAVE A CODE BLACK. PLEASE REPORT TO GOLDEN CITY ASAP!”

Calias:
“Uh… What’s a code black?”

Flame:
“The city’s under attack! LET’S MOVE!”

Calias:
(It’s only been one day since our last adventure… And now this…)

Hannah:
*For the moment, the situation’s urgency has awakened Hannah.*

Within minutes, the Burning Rangers and 80% of GLACIA have arrived in Golden City. Floating above a gaping hole where city blocks once stood is a magnificent vertical city, continually it rises upward.

Hannah:
“...”
“That’s… actually happening? I’m not just seeing things?”

Nihil:
“That…”

Calias:
“Yeah… It looks like it’s real…”

Flame:
“Move out! We need to find any survivors!”

Calias:
“Let’s go, Nihil! You head left, I’ll go right!”

Nihil:
“Yes!” *The two Phoenixes begin running in different directions looking for survivors.*

Citizen:
*A nearby trapped citizen calls out.* “Heeeelp!!”

Hannah:
*Hannah hurries over to help.*

Johnny:
*Johnny runs up to Flame and flashes his old GUN badge.* “Agent Johnny Thunder sir, GUN special forces. I wish to help. I assume this is a code black?”

Flame:
“...”
“It is, yes.”

Johnny:
“Right, check for survivors I presume?”

Flame:
“That’s right.”
*Flame leaves to do the same.*

Johnny:
*Johnny runs off to help citizens with a salute at Flame’s direction.*

Calias:
*Calias lifts a bathtub off of a trapped citizen.*
“I’m a Burning Ranger, I’m here to save you!”

Citizen:
“...Thanks.”

Calias:
*Calias dusts off his gloves, but doesn’t notice the falling debris about to squish him.*

Pip:
*Pip tackles Calias out of the way.*

Calias:
“Huh?”

Pip:
“Sorry, I just figured you’d rather be crushed by me than a giant piece of concrete.”

The debris falls where Calias was standing.

Calias:
“Oh!... Thanks, Squeakers.”

Pip:
*Pip gets up and holds his hand out.* “Long time no see, huh?”

Calias:
“Yeah. Wanna help me save some more dudes and ladies who might be trapped?”

Pip:
“I was gonna ask you the same thing!”

Johnny:
*Johnny comes by carrying an injured citizen.* “This is kinda a crisis situation mates, not a day at the disco tech!”

Nihil:
*Nihil runs over to them and notices Pipsqueak.* “I have secured several citizens. Is this an acquaintance of yours?”

Calias:
(Oh dear…)

Pip:
*Pip’s mouth opens in surprise.*

Calias:
“Uh, yeah. Nihil? This is Pipsqueak. Pipsqueak, Nihil. Not Polybius.”

Pip:
“I’m not gonna act like I understand, but cool.”

Lepor:
*Lepor follows Pipsqueak from not far behind.* “Pip!” *Lepor is catching his breath.* “You left me behind! Again!”

Pip:
“Sorry, I didn’t want Cal to become street meat.”

Calias:
“Oh, Leelee came too. Super.”

Lepor:
“Hey Cal and…” *Lepor stares at Nihil.* “You… Who are you?”
*Lepor is putting two and two together.*

Nihil:
“You don’t recognize me? That is a relie–”

Pip:
*Pip shrugs.*

Lepor:
“YOU…”

Pip:
“Whoa, cool it for a second dude.”

Calias:
*Calias glances around awkwardly.*

Lepor:
“Pipsqueak, give me a good reason why I shouldn’t tackle him.”

Pip:
*Pip raises his finger to respond, but has got nothing.*

Nihil:
“I am not Polybius.”

Pip:
“Yeah, that!”

Lepor:
“Well you don’t have the creepy black eye thing going…”

The awkward moment is cut short as the flying city suddenly disappears.*

Calias:
“Wha?”

Nihil:
“It vanished!”

Hannah:
*Hannah approaches the group.*
“Well then…”

Pip:
“Man. I wanted to check it out.”

Fifticinco:
*Fifticinco arrives in his helicopter.* “Burning Rangers! And… volunteers?”

Pip:
“That’s me!”

Johnny:
“Not volunteer, just sorta stuck in paperwork limbo.”

Lepor:
*Lepor silently waves.*

Pip:
“Are you getting paid?”

Johnny:
“...Not exactly?”

Fifticinco:
“We have a lot of confirmed casualties. I need you to make sure there aren’t any more. Do whatever you need to in order to save as many people as you can.”

Calias:
“Aye aye! Come on guys!”

Hannah:
“Yes, sir.”

Pip:
“Roger that!”

Johnny:
“Crikey… it’s Central City all over again…”

Pip:
*Pip gives a salute with the wrong hand.*

SUDDENLY. A black cloud of smoke fills the spot where the flying city was.

Pip:
“Wait, guys. The weather’s being not really normal.

Cult Member:
*A hundred or so hooded figures begin slowly descending from the sky.*

Calias:
“...”

Hannah:
*Hannah stares wide-eyed.*

Pip:
“I’m not one to judge, but I am NOT getting good vibes from these guys.”

Lepor:
“That’s not how rain works…”

Cult Member:
“Rejoice! Your city has been taken by the almighty Lord Infinite. All will submit.”

Pip:
“Oh yeah, they’re bad news.”

Calias:
“I don’t care what they’ve got to say. They look like they need to be thrashed. Let’s get ‘em!”

Pip:
“Mmm…” *Pip thinks about it.* “Yeah, okay.”

Hannah:
*Hannah activates the Chaos Blades.*
(If it isn’t one thing dooming the world it’s another…)

Lepor:
“These guys looks like a piece a’ cake!”

Fifticinco:
*Fifticinco draws a laser bazooka from the helicopter.*

Calias:
*Calias charges energy before flinging himself at the hooded ones.* “Eat feathers, Nobody-Wannabes!”

Pip:
*Pip slips into stealth mode and comes up behind one of the hooded dudes.*

Flame:
*Flame starts firing on the hooded figures from nearby.*

Pip:
*Pip jumps on their shoulders and pulls their hood over their eyes.* “Guess who!”

Fifticinco:
*Fifticinco fires a large blast at the one that was talking.*

Cult Member:
*The cult member is dissipated by the blast.*

Lepor:
*Lepor takes off his jacket and ties it around one of the hooded dude’s eyes.*

Pip:
“Yeah! If you can’t beat ‘em, blind ‘em!”

Without warning, the other members disappear. As if they were never there at all.

Lepor:
“What the–”

Hannah:
“...”

Pip:
*Pip falls to the ground.* “Ow, my tail!”

Calias:
“That was weird.”

Hannah:
“So uh… *now* we search for more survivors.”

Fifticinco:
“Get back to rescuing! I’ll stay here if they come back.”

Pip:
“Oh yeah, let’s go Lepor!”

Lepor:
“Right.”

Hannah:
*Hannah goes to do so.*

Everyone fans out in different directions.

Fifticinco:
“Now. Where was I?” *A police car pulls up, distracting him from his thought.*
“Wachowski? Is that you?”

Tom:
“Yeah, you wouldn’t happen to have any idea what’s going on?”

Fifticinco:
“No idea.” *Fifticinco looks to the sky.* “But I but those falling people up there might have some idea.

Jack:
“GAAAAAAAH!”

Tom:
“This isn’t gonna be pretty…”

Fifticinco:
“Can I ride in your cruiser?”

The two speed over to the scene with sirens blaring, when they get there, there’s only a lone hedgehog.

Fifticinco:
“Huh? Don’t I know you?”

Silver:
“Oh! Officers! Thank you for coming!”

Tom:
“Oh, hey, one of Sonic’s friends.”

Silver:
“I’m Silver. I was a captain in the Resistance.”

Fifticinco:
“Cuff him.”

Tom:
“Um. With all due respect, why?”

Silver:
“Hey! Wait a second! I can explain!”

Backup arrives in the form of other police cars. The officers jump out with guns drawn on Silver.

Silver:
“Hold on! What about due process?! Isn’t that a thing in this time?!”

Tom:
*Tom goes to handcuff Silver.* “Okay, bud, let’s just figure this out together, alright?”

Fifticinco:
“Guns down, everyone.”

The officers all drop their guns, recognizing the director as their superior. [I don’t think they literally *dropped* the guns :P]

Tom:
*Tom gets behind Silver and cuffs him with the special cuffs.*
*Tom is whispering.* “Don’t worry, I’m a friend of Sonic.”

Silver:
“Heh. Thanks. I’ll try to explain everything the best I can.”

We now rejoin the Rangers, as they round up the remaining survivors to the on-scene EMT groups.

Nihil:
“I believe that is all of the living…”

Pip:
*Pip frowns thinking about the people who didn’t make it.*

Calias:
*Calias grits his teeth, thinking about the others.*

Pip:
“I think I’m ready to go home, what about you, buddy?”

Hannah:
*Hannah groggily nods.*

Calias:
“Thanks for your help, Squeakers, Leelee.”

Hannah:
“Yeah.”

Pip:
“Oh, no prob. It’s what we do!”

Lepor:
“Yeah, no prob.” *Lepor is still weirded out by that odd invasion.*

Calias:
“We’ve probably got a lot of cleanup in the coming days… So I guess we’ll see you guys around.”

Pip:
“Speaking of cleanup, I need a shower…”

Hannah:
“Um.. is Nezumi okay?”

Pip:
“Oh yeah, she’s good. We were all at her place when this started. That’s a safe distance away.”

Nihil:
“The location that the city rose from… It rings familiar.”

Calias:
“How so?”

Nihil:
“I… do not know…”

Pip:
“Oh man, I hope Moz is alright… Colby and Luna, too.”

```

```
Luna:
*Luna runs past holding a stolen flatscreen over her head.*

```

```
Pip:
“Uh, give me a sec.” *Pip takes out his E-pod and steps away to call Moz.*

Lepor:
“That’s not something you see every day.”

Colby:
*Colby runs after Luna with a couple stereos under his arms.*

Lepor:
*Lepor considers joining them.*

Jack:
*A tiny Jack appears on his shoulder.* “Do it…”

Grizz:
*A tiny Grizz appears on the other.* “No, don’t do it, Lepor.”

Lepor:
“But it’s… so tempting…” *Lepor realizes he’s talking to himself.*

Nihil:
“Who are you speaking to, rabbit?”

Lepor:
“I–”
“...”
(What is going on today?)

The sun sets on the city as it returns from the brink of destruction. The loss is great, and much work is to be done. But hope is not lost in the hearts of the people.

Sasha:
“For Channel 7 News, I’m Sasha Cat, continuing our coverage of the devastating events that transpired earlier today in Golden City.
“The confirmed death toll has risen to 1800, with many others hospitalized. As for the city itself, the historical downtown library was the first building to be destroyed by the rising structure. Several neighborhoods were completely wiped out. Thanks to the efforts of GLACIA, the Burning Rangers and local first responders, many people were saved. We cannot thank them enough for their efforts.
“Resistance hero, Silver the Hedgehog, was apparently on the scene. Police questioned him, but his statement has yet to be released to the public. We will keep you updated as the news rolls in. Thank you for tuning in. For your evening news, this has been Sasha Cat, with Channel 7.

```

## Characters

*In order of appearance:*

* Calias the Phoenix
* Hannah Dash
* Nihil the Phoenix
* Sonny Flame
* Giovanni Fifticinco
* Johnny Thunder
* Pipsqueak Cheddarosier
* Lepor Lightfoot
* Tom Wachowski
* Jack Beakton
* Silver the Hedgehog
* Luna Nousagi
* Colby Ricotta
* Sasha Cat

## Participants

* Captainclay55
* HannahDash
* GasglowJones
* Pip9766
* Poly