Various social media | Video

[qualityfriend]

Display Name: THE RESISTANCE
Profile Photo: A picture of Fantastic with a red circle with the line through it and dripping with blood for good measure
Notes: Terrorism though it's stopped

All your favorite social media sites have a new livestream posted to them at the same time. It starts by showing a group of hostages, bound gagged and terrified, then the camera turns around to show a woman in a face-covering spandex suit. Those who follow supervillain activity or Fantastic's exploits might recognize her as Flashstep, who has mostly been involved in attempted heists, using her teleportation powers to get past security and befuddle her non-powered opponents, but Fantastic has always stopped her.

She's usually been taunting and almost flirty in the past, but when she starts talking, her voice is unusually cold. She says that fun time is over, if the people are going to accept Fantastic, then they all deserve to die. She moves, leaving the building, a nondescript office, continuing to rant, as the wind picks up and suddenly Fantastic shows up, grabbing her before she can do anything. He wrenches the camera and a detonator out of her hands and, from what can be seen from the camera's new vantage point on the ground, roughs her up and puts her in handcuffs.

Then he picks up the camera and solemnly addresses it. He says that he understands people are upset, but that violence against innocents is unacceptable. He asks, almost pleadingly, that if anyone has a problem with him, they face him themselves and leave others out of it. With that, he turns off the camera.

Comments

[qualityfriend]

I will. He could probably take care of anything needing raw strength. But I hope it won't be necessary.

[robintohood]

For all our sakes, yeah.

[Jason goes to put back on his domino mask and helmet]

Is there anything else you can tell me about these blackouts?

[qualityfriend]

[Shaking her head]

Sorry, nothing I can think of that I haven't already told you.

[She takes another gulp of coffee.]

I'll try to stay awake and on the line in case you need that rescue call.

[robintohood]

[Jason does one more check on his guns and other equipment]

Right. Comms are staying open as long as possible. Hopefully this doesn't take too long.

[qualityfriend]

Yeah. Good luck, and hope you learn something without running into trouble.

[robintohood]

[Once Jason feels ready, he leaves through a window again. Eventually he's back on his motorcycle and starts heading to the seemingly vacant building. Dana can hear enough noise through her earpiece to know Jason means it when he says the comms are staying open.

Soon enough, he parks his motorcycle and uses his grapple gun and parkour skills to finish the rest of the route to the building]

So far, nothing weird. It really looks like just an empty building.

[qualityfriend]

No signs of a secret fight club or anything?

[It's a weak joke, but at least she's joking, right?]

[robintohood]

Heh. Nothing yet so far.

[Breaking in is easy enough. There's no highly advanced security system to keep people out. He's using his helmet to scan and see if anything is off]

Nothing obvious yet for why the tracker would wound up here.

[qualityfriend]

That... probably means it's not a trap, right?

Unless they're trying to lure any intruders into a false sense of security...

[robintohood]

Which is why I'm gonna keep looking. Something about this still doesn't make sense.

[Dana can probably hear his boots as he climbs up the stairs]

[qualityfriend]

Going to check every room? If I've been teleporting during the blackout periods, locks or even no doors wouldn't keep me out.

[robintohood]

Thought so. It's why I gotta be thorough.

[It takes some time but eventually he comes across a locker]

Think I found something.

[More noise as Jason carefully opens the door]

[qualityfriend]

Yeah? [That perks her up.] What sort of something?

[robintohood]

[A pause]

A costume. Looks like it'd be your size.

[qualityfriend]

So... I've been blacking out to do superheroics?

[robintohood]

Nope.

[Jason takes pictures of the locker and the suit]

I think it's been the opposite.

[qualityfriend]

Do you recognize it, then?

[robintohood]

I'll have to do more research to be sure but I think I know what's going on now.

[More time passes as Jason searches for anything else that could be a clue but it seems like the locker was the biggest find. Dana can hear him leaving and getting back on his motorcycle]

[qualityfriend]

[That's frustratingly vague.]

Can you tell the person most involved what's going on?

[robintohood]

I think you're being used for fake heroics. And I don't mean you as the hero.

[qualityfriend]

What...? Okay, maybe you should wait until you're back to explain. Because I'm lost.

[robintohood]

Yeah, give me about 20 minutes. I'll be back soon.

[qualityfriend]

Got it. I'll be waiting.

[During the trip, he might hear her gulping coffee and pacing through the line.]

[robintohood]

[Jason gets it and is purposely leaving background noise audible to keep reassuring Dana he's still around.

A little over 20 minutes later, he's back and enters by climbing through the window again. This time though, he's got a duffel bag in tow]

[qualityfriend]

[She's still balanced between keyed up and trying not to nod off. Not a very comfortable situation.

[She eyes the duffel.] I take it that's not a typical souvenir?