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PLUCKY TEENS DROP THE FINAL CURTAIN ON MUSICAL PLAGUE LA Times’s Miko Nakadai accompanies young heroes to thwart Nightforce survivor Swansong------------------------- Heather Hernandez------------------------- The musical mystery that confounded LA’s boldest heroes for most of May was finally brought to a halt this week by an intrepid group of young vigilantes including heavy hitters Starbreaker and Hulkling, telekinetic newcomer Psych, and young clairvoyant Silvertongue, whose divination abilities reportedly guided the team to the source of the disturbance where all others had failed. The LA Times’s own Miko Nakadai was on the scene alongside the intrepid teenage heroes to provide us with an exclusive first-hand account of the showdown, and we can reveal that the perpetrator of the musical plague was none other than Swansong, the last surviving member of the unregistered vigilante group Nightforce. As we reported in March, Swansong filed a missing persons report for the rest of her team after they disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Nightforce are today believed to have been victims of the possibly alien artificial intelligence that terrorised the city later in March with an army of cybernetically engineered animals.  Swansong, from a viral publicity photo shoot circulated late last year. |
Swansong had apparently been hiding out in a warehouse on the edge of town, using her probability-manipulating song powers to effect the weeks-long citywide songfest – but there may be more to this story than the simple case of a mourning heroine letting her probability-manipulating euology get out of hand. According to Miko Nakadai’s exclusive eyewitness account of Swansong’s capture, the warehouse was encrusted with strange crystals of an unknown composition, which not only seemed to have rooted Swansong to the floor, but also attacked the young heroes who arrived to bring an end to her musical assault on the city. Eyewitness accounts from Nakadai and the vigilantes likened the crystals to the still unidentified substance that was found in the aftermath of the two mysterious sinkholes that opened up in and around LA earlier this year, even going so far as to claim that they were attacked by ‘crystal creatures’ similar to the ones that were reported to ‘hatch’ from crystals retrieved from the UCLA sinkhole in March. After Swansong herself was freed from the crystals binding her to the floor of the warehouse, though, every crystal in the building crumbled to dust. “Boom,” said Nakadai, describing the event. “It was like they were never even there.” No trace of the substance has been found by investigators at the time of reporting, but the warehouse has been isolated for further study by CONDOR. “Honestly I don’t know about this crystal story,” said one CONDOR representative, who asked to remain unnamed. “The stuff our guys have been studying from the sinkholes is harder than diamond, and these kids are talking about being able to punch through it – super strength or no super strength, they’d never manage that with the sinkhole crystals. We still haven’t found a trace of these supposed crystals anywhere in the area, either. Honestly, these kids are vigilantes, Swansong’s a vigilante – and everybody knows she was blaming CONDOR for what happened to her teammates. You want my opinion? They’re making something up to try to cover her back.” After being freed Swansong fell silent and into what has been reported as a coma, and has yet to recover. The motives for her weeks-long attack on the city – if it can be called that – remain unknown. [Remember that player-submitted articles can be sent in here.] |
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MUSIC MYSTERY GRIPS LA Theories include 'opera ray'------------------------- Miranda Rush------------------------- Something different is sweeping the city From San Pedro to Hollywood Hills, And though some of the outcome is pretty, Not everyone singing is thrilled. As I’m writing we haven’t heard any reports On a source for this musical plague; There’s been talk of a virus, a curse of some sort, Although most explanations are vague. Whatever it is, this melodic effect Is affecting the whole population, And a lot of the singers are pretty perplexed By the way it derails conversations. And as you can see I’ve been caught in its throes In my efforts to write up this piece; I thought I was safe but I’m trying to write prose, And I can’t get the rhyming to cease. I’m sure as you’re reading this just looks like verse But I promise that inside my mind There’s a beautiful tune that I’ve never rehearsed Unfurling with every line! I feel I could burst with emotion and song! Perhaps now’s the time to confess To beautiful Heather – [Miranda stopped typing in order to get up and sing to the entire office at this point]
[It was very embarrassing for everybody]
[No further articles were published this Sunday because nobody could write anything that didn’t rhyme, and also because everyone was busy dancing.] |
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INVESTIGATION INTERRUPTED CONDOR suspects its investigation of mysterious tower crime scene has been tampered with------------------------- Miranda Rush------------------------- After the many hours spent by both local super heroes and the LAPD clearing out the remains of the three mysterious towers and confirmed organizational hubs of the mutant outbreak last week, police have reported that an unknown incident in the core of one tower has resulted in the loss of key evidence. During the disabling of the machine responsible for the kidnapping and mutilation of both humans and animals, it has come out that all the agents and officers involved in the operation have reported a simultaneous "loss of time." "All I remember is that maybe four hours after the attack started, we started waking up in the tower 'core' with no memory of even being assigned to duty that night," said Officer Vasquez, a member of the LAPD on the scene. "Everyone was extremely confused. We didn't even remember those towers sprouting up, so no kidding, everyone was scared sh---less." When backup arrived, it was unclear what had taken place, and given the destruction of the other cores it was impossible to tell if anything had been changed. All related machinery was successfully destroyed, but the possibility of an invention has left many nervous. "After all these people went through, I'm really sorry that I don't have any more information to give," Officer Vasquez went on. "Just know that everybody at the LAPD is going to be working overtime to figure it out." Neural scans of subjects suggested the usage of chemical amnesiacs. When asked for early suspects, CONDOR declined to comment. Over the last week, one hundred animals have been returned to homes around the city. ( READ THE REST OF THE SUNDAY EDITION ) |
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NIGHTFORCE MIA Local vigilantes reported missing by forlorn teammate------------------------- Julie Winters------------------------- Almost a full week after their disappearances, four members of the amateur vigilante group Nightforce were reported missing to local police yesterday. Swansong, the apparent last member standing, was the one to file the report after confessing to have lost hope in her team's retrieval. Though Swansong refused to reveal her civilian identity to the government, she did allow herself to be questioned. She reported an account of the strange messages her teammate, Dr Dynamo, had left her before disappearing under the radar entirely, along with the rest of Nightforce.  Swansong from a viral publicity photo shoot circulated late last year. |
"I thought he was having a bad trip, to be honest," she said in her report. "He was obviously terrified, but so out of it that he couldn't seem to explain what was going on." Though the details were fuzzy, she expressed her belief that his messages had been a distress call. When asked why she hadn't sought aid sooner, her answer was unusually candid. "I'm pretty sure they were already dead," she said, "and I didn't want anyone butting in and trying to tell me that I wasn't allowed to kill whoever did this to them." Swansong fled police custody soon after, the situation a grim reminder of the risks inherent to taking vigilante action outside of the CONDOR mandated registration system. "If you do this as a vigilante, there's no one to help you but you and your own," Detective Pierce later commented. "If the members of Nightforce had been registered, it's possible that they could have been retrieved days ago." Alongside Dr Dynamo, team members Red Ranger, Windwalker, and Fury's Fist were confirmed missing in action. Any information regarding their disappearances should be reported to CONDOR immediately. ( READ THE REST OF THE SUNDAY EDITION ) |
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CRYSTAL FRAGMENTS FOUND CONDOR reports alleged transmutation of crystalline evidence into living animals------------------------- Heather Hernandez------------------------- After reporting the crystal samples found at the site of both California sink holes a few weeks ago, CONDOR has now reported that the crystals have "hatched" into living organisms. Discovered by various members of super hero groups both registered and vigilante, as well as some civilians, those that had taken crystals as evidence or souveneirs after working the disaster zones were met with a startling surprise. "These lifeforms bear no internal similarity to any creatures found on Earth, or even in this galaxy," reported Dr Thurman, a key member of CONDOR's medical facilities. "The idea of it being an interdimensional species has been thrown around a lot lately, but for creatures potentially born of another dimension, these guys act like you'd expect any wild animal too," reported another Dr Thurman, from the same department. At least a dozen of these creatures have managed to escape into the wild, which have members of the Original Earth Preservation Group concerned. "They say they can't breed, but who knows what kind of effect life like this could have on the ecosystem," Marina Briarcrest, a founding member of the OEP Group, commented. "The arrival of alien lifeforms onto Earth soil needs to be controlled." Though there have been no death associated with these creature, there have been a number of injuries. The creatures boast sizes of up to a metre long and are extremely durable against all but super levelled blunt damage. Retrieved samples are being held for further testing. CONDOR asks that anyone, hero or civilian alike, still in possession of these creatures to turn them over to their facilities immediately. ( READ THE REST OF THE SUNDAY EDITION ) |
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TRIDENT STRIKES Celebrity fundraising date ends in disaster------------------------- Jacob Capello------------------------- While not every Valentines date can be destined for success, no one could have anticipated TRIDENT's schemes to interfere with LA's Celebrity Date Auction. Despite being an event designed to raise funds for those that lost to the still mysterious Fowler sinkhole, one bidder used the evening as an opportunity for a kidnapping. Reaphook, an Alternian member of the West Coast Trailblazers, was abducted by their date - a woman who turned out to be an undercover TRIDENT agent. While reported to have initially explained her bid with an enthusiasm for Alternian culture, it turned out to be something much darker than that. Said agent managed to knock out the CONDOR surveillance team before disabling Reaphook and taking him to an TRIDENT hideout within city limits. Several members of the Trailblazers were pulled away from their own evenings by the news of their teammate's capture, and despite Trailblazer regulations against engaging A rank threats, the primarily under aged team ended up being the ones to locate and rescue their lost member. "These rules are put into place for their own safety," an overseeing CONDOR agent commented. "While we're grateful for the fact that they managed to save Reaphook, we do not want to set a precedent for this level of dangerous behaviour." While the findings from the overrun hideout are confidential, it's been suggested that TRIDENT may have been attempting to experiment with Alternian DNA. "It wouldn't be the first or last time they've taken an interest in [Alternians]," a CONDOR representative said. ( READ THE REST OF THE SUNDAY EDITION ) |
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CRYSTAL EVIDENCE STOLEN? Crystalline material reported missing from CONDOR laboratories------------------------- Charlotte Sundara------------------------- The scientists researching the disappearance of key Alpha Team member Druid, Fissure, and Zoom were shaken early Saturday morning when they found the crystalline material found at the site of the sinkhole to be missing. "Either there was a struggle or the thief had no self control - [we] found things wrecked in locations all over the labs," a lab tech reported. The secure areas where the crystals were being stored during analysis had been completely turned over, according to police. The glass vials containing them had been violently smashed, and a variety of expensive machinery damaged. More mysteriously, at no point did the doors leading into the area appear to have been unlocked or opened. "We're almost certainly dealing with a powered criminal," a key investigator went on record saying. "Whatever they wanted it for, they were very thorough. Even very small samples that had been far away from the others were taken during the night." Motives for the theft remain unknown. ( READ THE REST OF THE SUNDAY EDITION ) |
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UCLA SINKHOLE STILL UNEXPLAINED Experts claim link to Alpha Force disaster------------------------- Heather Hernandez------------------------- Search and rescue efforts continue at the site of the massive sinkhole that opened under the UCLA campus on Tuesday. The hole reportedly measures over 300 feet deep, making it nearly twice the size of the mysterious desert sinkhole where Alpha Force heroes Fissure, Druid and Zoom were last heard from in November. 12 people have been confirmed dead in the catastrophe, with 47 more injured and others still unaccounted for. It is currently not known whether any of the individuals reported missing since the disaster have vanished without a trace in the same way as the missing Alpha Force members, but with investigators reporting fragments of a crystalline substance allegedly similar to the unidentified mineral that was found in the November sinkhole, and experts claiming this sinkhole to be every bit as unexplained as its predecessor, the possibility can’t be ruled out. “Even if nobody has vanished mysteriously this time, there is a clear link between these two events,” said Dr Irene Dilibe. “We need to uncover the cause behind these anomalous catastrophes as soon as possible so that we can act to prevent any future tragedies like this one.” None of the heroes and emergency service members who ventured into the UCLA hole’s depths to help civilians have been reported missing, but CONDOR hero registration bureau spokeperson Alisha Daly stated in a press conference on Friday that although those there’s no way of knowing whether every hero is accounted for. “These kinds of catastrophes are one of the many reasons registration is the best option for any aspiring hero – we have no means of confirming the safety of any of the rogue vigilantes who volunteered their help at the UCLA sinkhole, and thus no way to help them if something has gone wrong.” Agent Daly declined to respond to detractors who pointed out that so far no way to help the Alpha Force heroes who disappeared last year has been found. Many victims were patrons of the Fowler Museum’s Lands Apart exhibit, which debuted on the day the sinkhole opened and showcased artifacts that some claimed pointed to evidence of extraterrestrial interference in human prehistory and antiquity. Archaeologist Melissa Ortega, the curator of the project, is among those who have yet to be retrieved from the sinkhole. ( READ THE REST OF THE SUNDAY EDITION! ) |
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CELESTIA ANNOUNCES HERO RECRUITMENT DRIVE "Diminished" Alpha Force seek to replace missing members------------------------- Aaron Fonseca------------------------- As investigations into the fate of Alpha Force superheroes Druid, Fissure and Zoom, who disappeared in November during an investigation into the appearance of an unexplained sinkhole in the Mojave Desert, continue without success, the team is officially seeking to replenish its numbers in their ongoing absence. Queen Celestia of Equestria, the team’s de facto leader, described the team as “diminished” in the missing heroes’ absence and emphasized the need to fill these positions as soon as possible. “We have not given up on finding Druid, Zoom or Fissure,” she said in an official statement issued this morning. “In my decades as a part of this team I have learned that Alpha Force members do not go down easily, and we can't dismiss the possibility that they have simply been trapped in an alternate plane of reality, or some kind of lost underground cave kingdom. However, this loss, even if it is temporary, has diminished our ranks tremendously, and I urge any would-be members, old or new, to make themselves known to us at the earliest convenience.” She went on to instruct heroes interested in joining Alpha Force to present themselves to the reception desk at Alpha Force tower. “We will select the new roster based on interviews and trials with prospective members,” added Celestia, “so there is absolutely no need for anybody to break into the tower and kidnap our staff in order to demonstrate their skills. I have every faith that with the superhero community’s support we will be able to put together a team that Fissure, Zoom and Druid would be proud to see succeed them – and every hope that they will be returned home safely to see it.” Tests into the origin of the unidentified crystalline mineral found at the site of the disappearance remain inconclusive. ( READ THE REST OF THE SUNDAY EDITION! )[ooc: Capital H will be officially open for business in about an hour with our first event. In the meantime, check out the weekly news. This will be posted on a biweekly OOC basis (one for every IC week.)
Feel free to comment on these posts OOC!] |
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