Stupendous (OPEN)

The streets of Chicago bustled with life. Foot traffic, the constant honking of horns, and people shouting over each-other, both in friendly tones and angry hollars, travelled through the air. The city had a lively, bold energy.

High above, however, was a different story. Calm and airy, A young, dark skinned adult swung his feet over the edge of a building. He sat fearlessly, sipping from a cardboard cup, and peering through his binoculars for any sign of danger. Yawning, John Jaramillow vigilantly listened to his police monitor.

Despite appearances, his lack of a costume, JJ is one of the few true heroes of his time, selflessly keeping watch over the windy city. Dedicating his time and energy and caring with hopes of nothing in return.

Plus, how else was he going to make a name for himself as a Metahuman?

"Today's a sloooooow day for the Stupendous Shifter." John spoke aloud to nobody in particular. "...Maybe the Astounding Shifter. Everyone just calls me 'Shift'. How do I even get people to call me by my actual name?"

Shift leaned forward, putting his hands on his cheeks and thinking.

"Maybe I should go on the radio or something."

Blue lightning struck on a cloudless day, down inside a small park. A strange occurrence to say the least. Jeisen just laid there at the bottom of the smoking tree, trying to get his bearings again. He had moved again, lightning through the sky. Like always.... some large object pulled him out of his direction and into the ground. A skyscrapper had altered his course enouhg that he was attracted to the tree

"Bloody pain in my ass..."

Jeisen was just grumbling to himself as he got up. Still sparking slightly, Jeisen started to walk off back out off the park. He didn't think anyone saw him, but best to get out of the area before jumping off again. No way he could jump off inside the city either. Too many lightning rod towers. Have to hoof it for now. But that brought a question to his mind... Where the hell was he? Ah heall, didn't really matter. He would grab some food then try to get out of here

John flinched, nearly dropping his coffee as a lightning bolt whizzed by his perch. It turned, and arced down towards a tree in a nearby park. His eyes were wide with surprise, as he looked around. Was it an attacker? In his year of fighting crime, nobody had ever thrown LIGHTNING at him.

The young man turned his binoculars towards the park where the bolt had landed, and watched a man moving away from the scene. "...Hello. That guy's a meta if I've ever seen one." He stood, dusting off his pants, and tossed the cup over his shoulder. Littering seemed like a fairly victim-less crime in the city in his mind, after all.

Without a second thought, he jumped. He reached out, his arm stretching like a lasso to grab hold of a nearby, lower building. The conspicuous crusader swung down with incredible speed, and he let go, reeling in his arm and landing on the grass. He rolled, and broke into a sprint after the meta-human who was leaving the park.

"HEY! HOLD UP A SEC!" Shift called out to him, holding up a hand to get his attention. He slowed to a walk, looking at him. "Fellow Meta-Human, huh?" The young superhero walked towards Jeisen, folding his arms and sizing him up. "How's it going?"

To be honest, John was completely nervous. He'd never spoken face to face with another Meta Human in his hero career. He smiled pleasantly, and waited for the man to respond.

Hold up a sec? Just who the hell... Jeisen looked over his shoulder at John. Not stopping his walk, he just hunched his shoulders over a bit and kept on walking. This guy didn't look like a cop and didn't look like hero either. Probably just some random passerbyer that was wondering what the hell was going on

Hey I didn't do anything or see anything.

Out of instict, Jeisen took John's appearance in. He didn't have any weapons showing nor any strange signs powering off of him. Where did he come from? Jeisen sure as hell didn't spot anyone when he crash landed, not something he would usually miss. Still... he was a little disorientatied by the crash. Maybe he had just missed him behind a tree.


But you didn't live long by making mistakes or assumptions. Jeisen still had his hoodie over his regular gear, but he palmed a knife in his frontal pocket of the hoodie. It looked like he just had his hands in his pockets with his back too the man. But even with his back to him, Jeisen was listening for anything. The click of a hammer, the soft patter of foot steps on grass indicating he was getting close, the crackle of energy. Jeisen's cautious nature had saved his life more then once

John folded his arms, slightly burned that the man had ignored him. Was he wrong? Was the lightning bolt unrelated to this suspicious looking character?

John decided to put the theory to the test. He bent his knees, the muscles in his legs compressing, and he sprang into the air, leaping over Jeisen and landing a few feet in front of him. He held his hand out in front of him, and Shift's palm grew twice its normal size, in a strange display of his meta-human powers. "Hooooold it, guy. Is your hearing aid out of batteries or something?"

John put his hands on his hips, his jaw torquing slightly to the side. "You might have heard of me. I'm The Shifter. Superhero around these parts. The lightning before was you, right?" He was beginning to have his doubts, but stood his ground regardless.

At the sight of John landing in front of him, Jeisen immediately raised his hands and fell into a defensive stance with the throwing knife now inside his hoodie sleeve. Goddamnit it was another meta... and a meta hero named Shifter?

Never heard of you mate.

Not that that really mattered since Jeisen was new to these parts. But still the man just lept over him with ease and expanded his body. It was kinda freaky to say the least. Was Jeisen really one to talk? He was literally, living Lightning so a weird body shouldn't surprise him. Besides it wasn't important right now. All that mattered now was that the guy had big ass hands. Wonder how big he could make things? Jeisen shook his head to stop himself from getting distracted again

Maybe... Maybe not. Whats it to you?

Jeisen wasn' trying to be an ass, but telling people he was a meta was a big no no to him. People didn't always like metas and it always attracted trouble.... like now As another Meta showed up. Spellstone? Great... Another hero. Jeisen turned and began to back away from the two. He didn't like having his back exposed like this. He backed up into a tree, hands still up to defend himself. His knife was still hidden underneath his sleeves, ready to be drawn

Whoa now... I haven't done anything. No need to gang up on a guy heading off to lunch now do we?

Andddddddddddddd one of them was flying. Great. Spellstone? Now Jeisen wasn't a genius but even he could put two and two together. A magic user. Jeisen struggled to keep himself from sparking.

John raised an eyebrow at Spellstone. "Didn't mean any trouble." His hand shrank back down to its normal size. "I'm actually working a beat to prevent crime in the area. I'm The Shifter. I stopped a bank robbery uptown a few weeks ago."

Turning his gaze back towards Jeisen, Shift began to wonder if he'd made a mistake. Clearly there had been a lightning bolt, but this guy didn't seem to know anything about it. "Sorry to trouble you, sir. I guess the bolt might not have been you after all. You can go," he said, stepping out of the man's way.

John had always been terrible at telling when people were lying, but hounding this random dude was clearly not going to do him any good.

Instead, he looked up at Spellstone. "So, you're the real deal, huh? Spellstone. I'm guessing you can...turn into rocks? Do you use rock magic?" Shift smiled, and adjusted his glasses. "Nice costume. I used to wear one, but I kept growing and ripping it apart. Street clothes are easier."

John grinned when Spellstone asked him what his powers were. "Well, it certainly involves growing. Check it." The shapeshifter cracked his neck muscles and his knuckles, and elongated his right arm. He reached several meters to his right, and put his palm against a tree, leaning on it. "That's why I can't wear a costume that works. None of 'em can keep up with me, and black t-shirts are cheap. Anyway, I can change shape in a LOT of ways. I can grow super tall, nail a guy with a jab from across a city block, get super tough, I can even make myself some extra arms or legs. The only problem is getting...tangled."

Shifter visibly cringed at the word 'tangle', as it brought back unpleasant, embarrassing, time consuming memories.

"Ever get your ear-buds, or a jumper cable all knotted up?" With a grim smirk on his face, he retracted his arm, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Try having that happen to your arms."

Finishing his rant, John folded his arms, looking at Spellstone curiously. "...You look plenty powerful, and I know you must get this a lot...but you looking for someone to...y'know, team up with?"

A well kept man in a white blazer and black slacks sits in a conference room in Chicago, his hands folded in front of his face as he listens to the drivel of the people down the table.  His face is fixed into a hollow glare of and one leg is folded over the other as he sits back.  "And as you can see, Mr. Bradshaw, this will help us to develop stronger relations with-"

"Enough," Bradshaw says, placing his hands on the table before him and pushing to stand from his seat.  He holds his hands behind his back and looks straight across the table to the presenter.  "Relations are a waste of time and energy.  Especially with what you and the rest of the world know about me."  He walks around the long table and, for the moment, all eyes are on him as he takes the laser pointer.  "Sit."

When the presenter takes his seat, Bradshaw turns the presentation over to his own.  "These are the organizations that require funding.  Several orphanages, homeless shelters, and small businesses are among them.  Also, here is a list of everyone that has illegally been distributing Bradshaw International technology and everyone they've sold to.  You will see to it that the peddlers are dealt with, arrested, preferably.  And let them know that if they try this again, I will find out.  I have already tended to the buyers, personally."

Suddenly a streak of lightning streaks by the window.  Dominic moves toward the glass and peers down into the park.  Lightning had clearly struck down in the park and yet no trees were damaged or set ablaze.  "Hm.  That will be all, gentlemen and ladies," he says as he makes for the door.

"and I can pull a sword out of my ass herdeder"

Jeisen just barely muttered that out loud, just talking to himself at this point. Well, he might as well get going will the going was good. He tried not to make any noise as he took a couple steps to the left.

Unfortunately, he suddenly lost a good amount of control. Lightning sparked out from Jeisen's body as he needed to discharge it. Too much pent up and it was hard to maintain his human form. Jeisen closed his eyes and began to mutter a large string of curse words underneath his breath again. he rubbed his eyes tiredly as he just gave away the fact that he was the lightning man. Jeisen looked up at the sky, hands in his hoodie pockets again

Well... I... I had a line for this. I swear I had a line.

That was a lie. Jeisen never has a line for anythign

John was startled by the lightning, but immediately snapped out of his surprise. Spellstone seemed to be differing to his "wisdom" on the matter of this guy's powers.

So I WAS right about this guy being the source of the lightning. Pfft. I'm a regular super-sleuth. Shifter smiled, and wiped his nose.

"Well, the trick for me was discovering the actual extent of my power, not so much controlling it. For me, controlling it comes as naturally as controlling my arms and legs." John folded his arms, and gave the best advice he could.

"The best way to, y'know, conquer out of control powers is patience, practice, and confidence. You just gotta find a secluded area and really cut loose, and see what you can do and how to control it. That's how I figured out how big I can grow, how far I can reach, and what shapes I can take. If I hadn't practiced, all I'd know how to do is stretch my arms and stuff. Now I can do pretty much anything, and I'm STILL learning how I can use my powers. Meta-Humans are like big potential magnets."

Dominic paces through the park, looking around for anything suspicious.  As he strolls, many eyes befall him.  People scramble away as he passes, though he barely glances in any direction but straight ahead.  His hands remain folded behind his back and his spine stands upright as he proceeds.  Soon, he comes to a stop upon seeing a splash of bright red in the canopy of the free trees around him.

Closer inspection.  A cape, attached to someone hovering inches from the ground.  A spark of light catches his eye as well.  There are three curious individuals in this secluded space.  Rolling back his sleeve, he presses a button on his watch, pulling up a holographic interface.  "Computer, deploy.  And scan the group just off the path, there."

"Yes, lord Dominion," the computer responds.  "Scans complete.  Subject 1: Metahuman.  Subject 2: Metahuman.  Subject Three: Non-Metahuman.  Unknown Power Source Detected."

"Magic," Dominic sneers.  "Estimated time?"

"Five minutes and counting, lord Dominion."

Dominic decides, then, to observe, standing beside a tree not far away.