Issue 2: We Can Do What!?

A still from Issue #2.

## Overview

No time to understand what has happened to them! A strike team launches an attack, causing the group to unleash their new, incredible abilities in a fight for their lives.

## Plot Synopsis

### Part I

#### Los Angeles Convention Center

In the alleyway behind the Los Angeles Convention Center, the group is still recuperating from the sudden shock and pain of being exposed to some sort of energy unleashed on them by a mysterious scientist with a canister labeled simply as 'Callisto 6.' As they frantically try to make sense of what's happened to them, Luma and Lacy roll the scientist's body over to see if she's still alive.

From the looks of the injury, it's been made by a close range plasma gunshot. There's muscle and bone visible in the gaping hole of the wound. While she hasn't yet passed, Luma can tell that she's rapidly slipping away. She finally reads the name tag that's still on her lab coat: Doctor Anika Patel of Pyramid Star Solutions.

Anton comes to and tries to ask Hopps how she's doing only to find her still unconscious on the ground. As he tries to touch her to shake her awake, there's an enormous popping sound the moment that he makes contact with her. Recoiling with his fingertips now scorched off as though touched by a live wire. While trying to ask questions and find out how Hopps is doing, Oya experiences an odd sensation of hearing what Anton's about to say before he says it. She chalks it up to a concussion.

Lacy, equipped with a first-aid kit they bring with them everywhere, sets to work trying to find a way to save Anika's life. With Cass's help, they're able to stabilize her for the moment. If Anika is moved or emergency help doesn't come right at that moment, she's going to die there. They try to come up with other avenues of help that could save her life. Lacy asks about any pieces of showcased tech from Cassium that might help. Cass tries and fails to get through to emergency services.

In a moment of frustration Cass throws her glasses against the wall. They shatter into fragments on impact.

Anika regains consciousness just long enough to warn them about an impending threat and to urge them to run away. Most of the group notices the sound of a dual-engine hovercraft approaching. It has a spotlight searching the ground and isn't marked as any kind of police or emergency vehicle. Lacy makes the connection that this odd hovercraft must be connected to Anika since it's not showing any interest in engaging with the protests that are still going on though it's clearly searching for someone.

Luma clings to the hope that maybe they can move Anika with them as they run but Anika takes her hand.

Luma's in shock and staring at Anika's blood still on her hands. Lacy takes the canister and Anika's name tag. Oya says a prayer.

All at once, their attention is jerked away when Hopps regains consciousness. Hopps goes rigid and her body stands straight up, feet not touching the ground, with electricity sparking off of her skin. Hopps is bewildered and disoriented but there's no time to answer questions as everyone comes to the realization that they need to leave the area immediately. Despite knowing that they need to leave, shock and confusion keeps them in place long enough for them to be noticed by the hovercraft.

Luma shrinks away from the spotlight to flatten herself against the wall in an attempt to not be seen. As she does this, Anton and Lacy notice that her skin ripples to change to match the brick wall she's pressed against. The change lasts only for a moment and Luma's skin returns to normal.

The hovercraft opens to allow a dozen figures in tactical gear to descend down into the alleyway with them. Each member of the strike team is fully equipped with weapons, body armor, and helmets that have mirror-like visors obscuring their faces. There are no logos or tags to identify who this strike team might be associated with.

Cass reflexively reaches out to grab something to chuck towards the strike team. Unaware of what she's grabbed, the rest of the group watches as she effortlessly crushes the corner of a dumpster in her hand and proceeds to throw the entire thing easily towards the strike team. The strike team scatters to avoid being hit and the command to open fire is shouted out.

Upon hearing the order to open fire, Luma activates her mask to hide her face and brings out her paint canister to prepare to use it. Anton attempts to pull Hopps away down the alley but the contact sets of a fluctuation in Hopps's abilities. After a beam of electricity flashes out of Hopps's mouth into the sky, she drops back to the ground and begins seizing. Cass launches herself forward to put herself between the strike team and everyone else. Cass disarms the nearest soldier and crushes his gun in her hand. Lacy tucks themselves against a wall behind everyone else and repeatedly whispers for help. Lacy's pleas are suddenly broad casted on all frequencies and flood through the vision of anyone wearing optics. Oya, panicking, tries to calm herself down. As she does this, everything around her slows down to bullet time. She runs over to Cass.

A member of the strike team finally spots the empty canister that Lacy's holding and connects the dots that Anika must have opened it. They uncertainly ask for orders from the commanding officer while their hovercraft begins to leave the area without them.

Cass narrowly avoids being shot after attempting to use on of the soldiers as a bowling ball. Oya goes flying backwards down the alley with a misfire of her abilities. Luma, moving inhumanly fast towards the commanding officer, tucks and rolls to land in front of him with her paint canister which she lights on fire. The ball of flame erupts up under the commanding officer's helmet who begins screaming and trying to take it off. Hopps regains control over her body again. Jumping back to her feet, there's a electric popping sound as she speeds over and punches one of the strike team members directly in the chest. The electrified hit sends him flying backwards before she can process that she's actually moved.

The strike team finally opens fire with a hail of plasma energy from their weapons. Everyone except for Lacy is able to avoid being hit. Lacy's showered by heat sparks as plasma crashes into the wall next to them. Anton immediately goes to them, crossing a massive distance in a single step with his powers. Lacy, realizing that they're responsible for sending the hovercraft away, communicates with it to have it return to pick them up.

### Part II

With 42 seconds until the re-arrival of the hovercraft that Lacy's commanded to return to evacuate them, Luma takes the opportunity to smash her empty spray paint can into the commanding officer's face. He drops to the ground, unconscious. Hopps drops another soldier by kneeing him in the groin. Cass assumes that Oya's backfire is something that one of the soldiers is responsible for. Cass smashes her fist into the soldier's helmet which shatters on impact and leaves the soldier unconscious. Oya tucks herself up against a wall and starts to pray.

The strike team, now having seen several of their soldiers dropped unconscious, begin to drag their compatriots away and fall back defensively. Their unleashed hail of covering plasma fire thankfully misses everyone in the group. The believe that the dropship has returned to rescue them but it passes right over them to land behind Lacy instead.

There's hesitation from the group, but Lacy assures everyone that the ship has arrived for them. Luma enters the ship to find a very confused pilot trying to regain control. She sneaks up behind him and hits him over the head, dropping him unconscious on the ground.

Cass reaches out to grab Oya so she can lead her to the ship but the moment that they touch, they both freeze. They both experience the entirety of their friendship in flashing moments from the very first time they met as children all the way up to this moment. They flee to the ship behind Luma. Cass helps Luma to chuck the unconscious pilot out into the alleyway.

Hopps is initially scared of boarding the ship for fear of knocking it out of the sky with her electrical powers but ultimately joins everyone else inside the ship. She searches through the onboard equipment to find clothing and gear to cover as much of her skin as possible. Lacy takes the helm of the ship.

Now that they're all safely on the ship and gaining altitude, they're able to see how the severity of the protests have expanded. There are fires here and there.

Lacy is interacting with the hovercraft using only their mind. They shut down any tracking capability and begin to fly westward. It's only when the rest of the group begins to ask questions that Anton realizes how Lacy's controlling the hovercraft without touching any controls.

They begin talking as they try to wrap their minds around what's happened to them. They go around trying to sort out who can do what. Cass has unbelievable super strength, Luma is able to change her appearance, Hopps is electrified in the most literal sense, Lacy can talk to machines, Anton can stretch beyond any natural limitations, and Oya is able to manipulate time.

While Oya takes the Callisto 6 canister from Lacy, Luma goes to check on the mysterious device in Lacy's trunk. The device is still active with the Oculus open.

Cass and Lacy seem amazed by their newfound abilities and everyone else's, but Hopps and Oya seem to be at the other end of the spectrum. Hopps desperately wants to get rid of her abilities and Oya has suggested that maybe they're possessed. Luma attempts to ease fears by saying that maybe the abilities are just temporary and will go away with enough time.

The conversation turns to the catalyst of all of this: Anika Patel. Luma realizes that her hands are still covered in blood after seeing blood on the ID badge that they're examining. Luma asks Lacy about if there's a bathroom on the ship but, as she does so, everyone watches as Luma shape shifts before their eyes into Dr. Patel. In the midst of panicking about the transformation she changes back into herself but not before she sees herself change by looking in a mirror.

Lacy hears a mysterious voice addressing them in their mind. After a brief exchange, Lacy realizes that they have to complete the requested set-up procedures. They designate the device, "Sweet Baby", designate themselves as operator, and designate everyone else as friendlies. Everyone launches into a confused discussion about just who or what Lacy is talking.

Oya, with the Callisto 6 canister in hand, is praying desperately. Everything on the ship begins to fade slightly and she finds herself looking into a lab. She sees Dr. Patel. Dr. Patel is anxious and working at a computer. Kylan Krause comes into view, stepping down from a staircase to walk up to Anika. He has an exchange with Dr. Patel. He apologizes for the loss of her wife and family but follows the sentiment by saying that he hopes she, Dr. Patel, won't be making the same mistakes that they did. After saying that they're too close to something to allow for any variables, he leaves her to her work with a strange departing sentiment:

Oya feels Dr. Patel's visceral rage and her resolution to steal something, presumably Callisto 6.

The vision fades and Oya's back in the present with everyone talking by the front of the ship. Lacy lands the hovercraft in a parking lot just outside of Raft City. At this time, the unpredictability of their powers has settled down to feel more comfortable now that some time has passed from the initial shock of the change.

Lacy notices that they're still hearing that mysterious voice in their head. Now that they've landed, Lacy hopps from the pilot's seat into their chair. They go over to their trunk to find the strange device still sitting at the bottom. Upon coming into view, the device addresses them as an unidentified persons. Once Lacy introduces themselves, the device designates them as Operator Lacy now that it has a face to connect to the name. It introduces itself as Sweet Baby. Lacy excitedly picks Sweet Baby up into their lap.

Everyone tries to find out more information but Lacy tells them, after asking, that Sweet Baby doesn't know what its operations are. Similarly, it doesn't know where it came from or any other details about itself.

Oya tells everyone about her vision of Dr. Patel and Kylan Krause. Oya plans to build a VR replica of the vision. They all begin discussing the details of the vision, what it could mean, and how they can get more information about what's going on.

Their thoughts turn to their respective families and getting in contact. Lacy takes everyone's phones and various devices to disable any tracking systems that might be active. Lacy gets to work while everyone else talks more about their own new abilities.

Anton suggests that maybe they should all try getting acquainted with their new powers just so they can have them more under control and know how to use them. Luma tries out her shape shifting by reaching out to touch Cass. Luma successfully shape shifts into Cass. After a couple of more trials with other members of the group, Luma tries to imitate Anton's stretching ability but finds that she can't.

Lacy passes everyone's devices back to them and they all huddle around to start getting in contact with family members.

## Cast

* Bonnie Gordon as Lindy "Hopps" Hopper.
* Amy Dallen as Cassie "Cass" Charke.
* Hector Navarro as Anton Andazola.
* Aliza Pearl as Oya Guillén.
* Sam de Leve as Lacy.
* Gina DeVivo as Luma Orsini.
* Eric Campbell as the Storyteller.

## Non-Player Characters

* Ruben
* Amico
* Sweet Baby

## Locations

* Raft City
* Los Angeles Convention Center