metaverses | Open | The city at the center of it all

Open | The city at the center of it all

Who: open to all, 4th wall visitors more than welcome!
What: New faces and new cracks in the sky
When: August 2022 4th Wall- Weekend
Where: Central City
Content Warnings: If needed

[As Friday night rolls into Saturday, the repercussions of this Earth rejoining the multiverse are starting to become more clear. Missing persons reports are flooding the airwaves, the OurPowers metahuman-only social media network included. In Excelsior, it seems the newly-sentient tech devices are adding to the noise. News coming from Sunset Falls is terse-- there is also a Strong Magical Effect of some sort active in addition to the disappearances. Not even Little Love is immune; thankfully, the residents report no additional hazards.

But here in Central City, the citizens only grow more tense with each resident taken. A powderkeg with a long fuse that has just been lit. The sky is starting to crack, and the feelings of homesickness and fear are starting to spread.

It’s not the warmest welcome a visitor could receive, but the meta population has been put on alert for new arrivals, searching from rooftop to water’s edge. Central’s a VERY big city, but hopefully some generous souls can point you to the swanky Diadem Hotel in the end.

Resident metas, you might want to check in on your nearest and dearest before heading out. Some of you might be deploying to Sunset Falls or Excelsior soon, or making plans to get to Little Love before Central gets… too rough. Some of you might be adventuring Elsewhere very shortly. But maybe there is time to help out a fresh face, extricate them from a confrontation, give them the lowdown about this alternate Earth? After all, you were once new yourself.]

((4th-wallers, feel free to touch down here! Network/”text” threads welcome. Mingle to your hearts’ content))

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Wren swears softly under their breath. A single emphatic "Fuck," followed by a "I am so missing my test tomorrow."

They were already taking a risk being sleep deprived, but they've been sleep deprived through tests before and done just fine.

Anyone in any English-speaking part of their world has heard of Cobalt City, and given Wren has never heard of Central City, well. They've never experienced alternative universe fuckery but they are a mask - they know a guy who knows a guy who's fallen into some mirror universe or another.

"And I'm guessing there's no handy publicly accessible wormhole ready to go to send those dropped in home?"

Jason doesn't miss the swear or grumbling. He's sympathetic. It's a crap situation no matter how one looks at it. Plus, it had only been a few months since Jason himself got dropped onto this version of Earth.

"So far, nope. The guilds seem to be trying something but no word on when a solution's gonna happen."

"Guilds?" Maybe that's the word they have for whatever masked teams there are or - Wren shakes their head, straightening up a bit. Sure the crowd had said this guy had to be a metahuman too if he was being sympathetic, but Wren had seen plenty of crowds accuse someone of being part of a group just because they weren't a complete dick to people in it. And even if he's not a totally normal person - outside of a costume, with their own secret identity to hide, Wren has every intention of aggressively pretending he damn well is. "Sorry - shit, I keep saying that. I can figure it out for myself. You've already helped me a lot and really didn't sign up for your day being derailed like this. If the roof access door isn't unlocked I can get you back down to the street around a corner so you won't be seen with me again."

"The guilds are for superheroes and supervillains," Jason replies. "All the members there are metahumans. Superpowered. Central's always been kinda tough on metas but it's gotten a lot worse the last few days."

He then gestures at the cracked sky.

"Metas are getting blamed for that and the sudden disappearances."

He then looks back at Wren. He appreciates them offering to give him an out from their mess but with the hostile environment they're in, Jason's concerned if they're going to be okay. They're not familiar with the city.

"Don't worry about me. You got bigger issues."

Wren nods along to Jason's explanation of the guilds. That sounds like where Wren needs to reach out for info, probably. The most likely place, provided Wren can get a hold of the right one. Looking up at the cracked sky again brings up all the troubling emotions that come with that - Wren can't even blame the people here for reacting like they did. It's a grim kind of situation to someone with powers. Wren can't even begin to fathom how terrifying it is to someone with none, left to rely on the very people (seemingly) responsible for it happening in the first place to fix it.

"... I do, but that's been true long before I got here," Wren admits, "If I can't keep people from getting hurt because they happened into the crossfire, though, it's a 'failed step one' for putting on a ridiculous costume in the first place."

Jason's sympathetic to what Wren's saying. To some extent and despite his violent approach as a vigilante now, he still feels that way when it comes to helping people.

"Hopefully you can keep up," Jason says. "For now though, it might be best for you to keep a low profile until you find an exit."

"Can't argue with that. As soon as I can get something other than the suit to wear I'll be keeping my head down," Wren promised, and no one who knew Wren well enough was there to point out that that they were utterly and completely full of shit.

Given they did almost get someone else hurt, Wren could probably hold to that promise for maybe 15 hours. 24 if sleep was involved in that time. They weren't going to clarify though that they'd technically retired from this mask stuff seven months ago and yet when a problem arose that they could possibly help with ... Wren could never help themselves when it came to trying to help people.

This much trouble to spare, no way someone who was so chronically unable to mind their own business could stay out of it even if it didn't come directly to them. They'd try, though, and feel bad about failing, and ... that would have to do.

"No camouflage or stealth on that suit either, huh?" Jason says. "You can always try to move at night and stick to the rooftops if you can't find anything by then."

Jason was of course, speaking from experience.

Wren was very good about maintaining a solid line between their identity as Wren Fulton-Gray, college freshman, and the Shrike (II), mostly retired hero. They'd done so for several years and never once messed up and revealed themself when they hadn't meant to.

It was deeply tempting to yank that helmet off just to get the full force of Exasperated Glare.

"This isn't the Raven's high tech super suit with a million gadgets on it, alright. It's repurposed modified motorcycle gear, ninety percent of this is just body armor," Wren pointed out, thumping the side of their chest to show the solid sound that made thanks to clever layering of various protective materials. "Also maybe be careful with the advice if you don't want me thinking you are another meta or mask or super or whatever they call my type here, too."

So that would be a two, three minute record for Wren managing to Mind Their Own Business after they just said they would.

Jason just shrugs and doesn't flinch from Wren's indignant tone. He's faced worse.

"Well it's not like you're the only super at that level of tech," he says calmly. The funny thing is his Red Hood suit and gear could be described in a similar way. "You're welcome to think whatever about me as well but I could've joined in on the pitchforks and torches just now."

He's right, and Wren considers it a strength of theirs that they can admit when they're wrong, even when it stings.

"... I know. Thank you. For the help," they say, shoulders sagging a bit.

"You're welcome," Jason says, remaining unoffended. It's a stressful situation for anyone.

He gestures at one particular direction.

"The guilds' headquarters are that way. Probably safe to assume security's been beefed up though."

It is stressful, but Wren expects better of themself. Always a higher standard - it's how you keep yourself from failing.

Wren looks in the direction Jason points, memorizing what they can from this distance. Might be easier to stick to above the skyline - more eye-catching maybe and that could always lead to the wrong kind of attention, but they don't exactly have normal clothes to change into so they can stick to inconspicuous surface streets.

They'll figure it out. They always do.

Testing the roof access door, it proves to be blessedly unlocked, so Wren need not worry about stranding Jason up here.

"They inclined to shoot first and ask questions later?"

Beefed up security can just mean no chance of sneaking in, or it could mean lasers that shoot anyone that moves too close that's not authorized personnel after all.

"Don't know," Jason replies, following Wren. "The Alliance are probably more willing to listen but be especially care of the Society. That's guild for villains."

Jason's been wary of both guilds but he would hope that the guild supposedly for heroes would be a little more reasonable.

"Don't suppose they have eye-catching logos that tell them apart that they mark all their stuff with to make sure I find the right one?" Wren asked, half a joke.

In their experience, villains, 'evil', whatever you wanted to call it wasn't always so clear right away. That was why it was dangerous, and why you had to be vigilant.

Jason snorts. With some of the villains he's met throughout the years, the joke is also an oddly fair question too.

"Afraid not. Would be a hell of a convivence though," he replies.

Wren's own quick smile is hidden by the mask - it's really multipurpose, their face is too expressive more often than not.

"Sure would be. Well, I guess I don't have to worry about anyone recognizing this costume here and making assumptions. Small favors. I'll just have to be wary."

Jason nods.

"In and out of costume. I guess a small comfort is you're not the only one playing dress-up. With all the mobs around, a lot of other people will try to do crowd control."

Himself included.

"Now I'm picturing being the only person wearing a costume - Awkward," Wren said with a shake of their head. They'd read plenty of stories that took place in worlds without masked and powered heroes but they'd been a thing in Wren's world at least as far back as modern history - and general assumption was before that as well, just under different descriptions and names.

It was comforting, in a way. Where there were people who had abilities beyond those of their fellow humans, they regularly had just as many that wanted to use them to help as used them for selfish reasons.

"Maybe if I can't get home right away I can help with that."

Assuming they don't manage to make things worse first.

"At this point, it couldn't hurt. You're bound to find someone you can team up with," Jason says. "Even before the sky cracked up, there've been plenty of people who accidentally got dropped onto this Earth."

Jason's usually a loner vigilante but given the severity of the current situation, he wouldn't say no to help.

Teaming up. Right. That is what helping out would entail, wasn't it?

"... maybe a weird question but - how common is the type that cares more about entertaining themselves and just doing what they want and less about collateral damage among those here?"

Even with the voice modulator in the helmet working that makes Wren sound somewhat older, they're still clearly not that old. Yet there's an exhaustion to the question that feels like it must span an age of mankind itself.

Jason pauses to think about how to answer that question. There's been a lot of crime in Central City. It's one of the biggest similarities the place has with Gotham.

"Are you talking about supervillains or just the general population here?"

Well. That kind of answered that question.

Wren wonders, briefly, if their world is somehow the Worst of all Worlds, even without a cracked sky.

"I'm talking mainly people who claim to be heroes, in spite of…" Wren gives a vague gesture meant to convey 'all of that'.

Jason furrows his brow, thinking.

"Well, so far the heroes I've heard do seem actually heroic or at least come off as heroic-ish," he says. Though there's still the matter of his adoptive father not being ruthless enough to stop crime but that's a personal issue Jason doesn't want to get into.

It is a bit heavy for a first conversation, probably. As is getting into why Wren had to ask that.

"Right - team-ups then, great, no problem, excited for that," Okay maybe that's laying it on a bit but they certainly sound a bit more perked up at the idea with Jason's confirmation that generally the people who called themselves heroes were more heroic.

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robintohood - 2022-08-21 04:11 (UTC) - Expand

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shrikesback - 2022-08-21 04:53 (UTC) - Expand

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