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

[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?

[robintohood]

Afraid not. Safe to say it's a big clue though.

[Jason goes back to his bedroom to take off some of his gear]

I couldn't find anything else though. Seems like it was just used out of convenience.

[qualityfriend]

That's a good thing, right? Like, it's not part of a huge conspiracy with a lot of resources?

[robintohood]

That, I'm not so sure about. Like I said before, there could be others who got hit.

[Jason comes back out in civilian clothes and gestures at the bag]

Look inside and see if it looks familiar to you.

[qualityfriend]

[She raises her brows, but opens the bag and looks in. It's a full-body spandex suit, all right.]

I'm not sure why you're expecting-

[As she examines it, her head starts hurting. It's as if there's a voice in her head telling her not to look, to forget about it, that it doesn't exist, despite it very obviously being right in front of her. She freezes up, scowling in pain.]

[robintohood]

[Oh that's not a good reaction. Jason approaches her]

Dana? What's wrong?

[qualityfriend]

[She drops the outfit back into the bag and pushes it out of sight.]

Sorry, it's not ringing any bells.

[The response probably sounds false. To her, it sounds distant, as if someone else is saying it. What is it about, anyway? What's been going on?]

[robintohood]

[Yeah, Jason doesn't believe her]

That was not nothing. How are you feeling now?

[qualityfriend]

I'm fine. [The response is too quick, too fake. Like it's automatic.

[She blinks and shakes her head.]

I- what were we talking about?

[robintohood]

[He eyes how Dans responds]

We were talking about a suit I found. It just so happens to be in your size.

[qualityfriend]

And- it's related to my blackouts. You had a lead. Then...

[She looks at him, eyes wide and afraid.]

Did I have another blackout? Right now?

[robintohood]

Just now, yeah. It's like part of you stepped away and something else took over.