Chapter 16: Bat Redoubt
Volume 1: Origins
November 24, 2013. 3:33 A.M.
Angelica 'Angel' Jones-Firestar
Angelica had hesitated to run because she wanted to know more about her rescuer. It wasn't every day that a white knight—she paused, squatting just below the tree line as the road that split the wilderness had oncoming cars riding in the early mornings; in her mind, she feared stopping a supposed pedestrian could lead to her capture.
The drone stayed near her as she followed it along; soon, she could make out the dilapidated building that was a relic of the Cold War before being used as a storm shelter in the 1960s. Now, it was a long-forgotten building that had begun to be claimed by the wilderness.
The boas had zoomed ahead, and a laser-like light flashed up and down the building. To her astonishment, the storm shelter shimmered like an optical illusion. Its shabby appearance almost looked artificial as the level of mysteriousness radiated from the egg-shaped structure. She gulped as the drone began making beeping noises matched by the new door.
Her mind was a whirl of emotions. On one end, she is happy she escaped her tormentors; on the other, she is overwhelmed with guilt unimaginable at losing her family.
The drone moved in front of the door before it slid open; she gulped and stepped into the room. Unbeknownst to her, this was the beginning of her new lease on life.
Cole Stephens
He had thought time was on his side like most mortals; unfortunately, things transpired at their own pace, and no single person could do anything about it unless you were the TVA. And he honestly hoped they weren't included in the amalgamation of Earth. At least in his case, there would become a time when the illustrious concept didn't constrain him.
He didn't dawdle as he sprinted through the woods to the shelter. Oddly, the mission he had received about Angela Jones hadn't concluded.
Seldom did The System do anything weird, but when it did, it had to be something big. He came to a halt; a prompt superimposed his vision.
The host-generated mission continued-(Completed): [Heroic] Rescue Angelica' Angel' Jones from the clutches of Tombstone.
Reward(s): Seventy-five thousand dollars. Clark Kent's glasses.
Oh wow! Information flooded his mind as he withdrew the glasses from his inventory, but what astonished him was the effect they held. He and many others had suspected it, but the creator or the writer never proved it. He wasn't even sure if the information was factual or if it was the force behind the system, but [Clark Kent's Glasses] held an enchantment on them.
The running theory of how Superman's identity could remain whole, fully intact, and unknown to the broader world was because of his glasses. It was farfetched, but there was a theory for everything pertaining to everyone's favorite superhero. The glasses could physically transform him into any of his personas that he held at least a 50% completion in.
The presence of a simple pair of glasses now altered plans long held by him in seconds. Once again, The System had made itself unbelievably helpful. There wasn't anything detrimental from the system one would expect in these situations. As far as he knew, besides being brought here by unknown means, he hadn't suffered; his endeavors were self-motivated. He could stop now, he wouldn't, but he could and suffer nothing untold from the powerful entity, his most trusted backer.
System Update-message: The Host has obtained the first minion by contract or coercion.
The system has updated the status screen to showcase the host minion's standing.
The system does not safeguard against coerced minions. It is paramount that the host continues to utilize his indication ability to further the coercion; a hundred percent coerced individual is no better than a puppet of the host and system.
Contracted minions will be under the system's watchful eye, and whatever contractual wording between the host and person will be upheld by The System.
Rewards: Bat Redoubt Schematic. Intimidation mutant ability metamorphosis.
Once again, he was flooded with an alien concept of knowledge. His ability to coerce, or would that be mind-controlled? Did he have telepathic powers like the professor and others? Conversely, contracts could be utilized to protect himself from backstabbing. It was part of his mutant ability. He hadn't received this update when he began to work with the doctor. Maybe it was all about the magnitude; Bullseye wasn't some simple
Individual but a force in the dark-marvel world, he would have to get the doctor under contract.
He wasn't a fool; he didn't trust anyone, especially in the Marvel universe.
The reward was different. Schematic was not just a design work but a reality-distorting system item. I couldn't explain it, at least not yet. The system could alter the physical and perceptive of the world around him.
He hadn't unsummoned his Red Hood suit yet, so the boas drone was still communicating with him, not communicating as he would with a person but with visual prompts and updates; he wasn't sure if the drones were just advanced technology or it was the system again, but he did enjoy the slowly advancing technologies his suit had gained.
He hadn't noticed until he hit the 90% mark that his suit technology was changing, which he welcomed and couldn't help but wonder what the results would look like. If he were a gambling man, he would put his money on the Arkham Knight suit.
The most startling to him, at least, was the pronounced bat image on his chest; it was the trademark of the bat family, but his logo had undergone a noticeable change; the red symbol pulsated rhythmically, and the light was odd as it didn't give off any form of pollution so it wouldn't affect his night operations. He did like the added electrical effect it had. He didn't have to pull out his taser to takedown someone non-lethally; admittedly, the chest discharge could kill if he unleashed its full power.
And then his mutant ability had undergone a metamorphosis. He more than ever now wanted to check his updated status, but he was still on a mission, and after his affairs were in order, would he dawdle.
Another bonus given by the system was [Steels Kinetic Hammer]. All items from the system came with a basic understanding. The hammer in question came with questions as he didn't fully understand its capabilities, the tech of the hammer shown alien to his brief analysis of it. He couldn't help but wonder if Steel had some Alien cache hidden away, but he did know the man was a military weapon scientist, so who knows?
He pushed forward, darting through the woods as he tracked the girl. He hadn't cleared most of the prompts from the system, but he had so many. Most weren't worth his time, just casual enemy defeat and monetary gains. The ones that interested him pulsated in the back of his head.
She had made it to the storm shelter. He watched the drone scan the structure for any form of occupation or alarm system, but a prompt of his interface had made a smile spread across his face. He hit yet immediately and watched as the system did its reality-warping thing on the building through the small window on the HUD.
There was a glitch that only he would have detected as he was the originator of the said glitch. That tiny glimpse of power from the system had shown him a lot and explained some things. The system originated from him, so it drew its strength from his. Fortunately, he hadn't felt anything taken from him, just a stutter in the matrix, and everything on paper or known about the storm shelter was shifted.
He even owned the land it was on now. The land had been put under his name, deeds of ownership and any tax on that land were all paid and updated. Everything was on the up and up; his estranged family did not touch it. He believed The System would dissuade anyone who came to investigate to not focus on it.
That was something he thought as he came upon the building that was once owned by his father, bought on a whim, and deeded to him in his inheritance. He chuckled as the door opened, automatically recognizing him.
He stepped into the Bat Redoubt expecting a dreary concrete room, but in actuality, he had what he would assume was a satellite counterpart of the actual bat cave. There was a screen with countless monitors; all turned off since he hadn't begun to gain access to the more significant information spectrum that Batman had access to; this also would help him access more information if he could monitor specific topics.
He was brought from his musing by startled gasps as Angelica stepped from the room, towel wrapped around her waist and hair dripping water from a shower.
"I won't tell anyone ab-" she started, but I cut her off before this got too awkward.
"No need for promises yet," I said, stepping into the room and heading toward the kingly chair before the multiple screens, my helmet already syncing with the familiar tech before me.
My hand traveled across the futuristic touchpad keyboard alongside my helmet, advancing computing capabilities that were getting closer to artificial intelligence. As I went, I could pull up information on each monitor. I would need to purchase more drones. The Boas line of drones was ideal, but I would query the system for anything better than I had.
I was done in a matter of minutes. I had a lot-.
"I want to be strong like you!" I turned to see Angelica still where I left her, determination writing across her features.
I whirled around. My hands clasped as I regarded Angelica. She had undoubtedly been through a lot. Being held captive and things are done to her that I care not to question her own, not because I was uncaring, I couldn't help her through her psychological traumas, that's even if she had any, no telling what her new emerging physique was capable of pushing through. Mutants were a race hated and discriminated against because of their differences and, quite honestly, their powers.
"Do you know who I am, Ms Jones?" I asked, my voice coming out from every speaker inside the room and a smidgen of my mutant ability leaking from me.
She shivered, but she remained standing, head raised, eyes on mine; a first in her eyes sparkled as she stuttered her response.
I sent her back to the only room in the Bat Redoubt. I had made promises, promised backed by the system, and she had made offers that I accepted. As it stood, I would offer her room and board and training, and she would keep every secret of mine she learned and would help me on a case-to-case basis; she refused to kill, a notion I laughed at her about, she would, unfortunately, kill, even if it were by mistake but if her story should follow the comics her exploits would lead her and her cohorts causing the Superhero Registration Act to be enabled.
Name: Cole Stephens
Known Name: Jeremy York
Race: Inhuman Mutant
Alias- Red Hood
Alignment: +Neutral
System-Bank: $236,999
Minion(s) Bullseye-Coerced 17%|100%
Angelica "Angel" Jones- Contracted
Persona(s)Jason Peter Todd- Red Hood 97%|100%
Attributes
Intelligence: +Moderate Tier 2
Strength: +Moderate Tier 2
Speed: -Moderate Tier 2
Durability: -Moderate Tier 2
Energy Projection: +Potential Tier 2 —>3
Fighting Skills: +Advanced Tier 2
Gear-Inventory
Red Hood Costume
Batman Utility Belt
Clark Kent's Glasses
Scarecrow Gear
Orichalcum Knives
Nth-Promethium Katana
Dual Pistols [9mm rounds]
Dual Modified| Sniper Mod|M1911 [.45]
Captain Cold's Gun.
Fear Toxin
Smoke Grenade
Pocket Explosives
High Powered Taser
Bulk Medical Bag
Bulk Duffle Bag [Electronics]
Kinetic Hammer
Super-bike
Black Hawk [Damaged]
Tumbler Batmobile
Abilities
[Emerging] X-Gene
[Unexposed] Terrigenesis
[+1] Holder of the Hero-Villain System.
[+1] Enhanced Investigation.
[+1] Skilled marksman and expert tactician
[+2] Skilled martial artist and hand-to-hand combatant
[+1] Understanding and Utilization of high-tech equipment and weapons.
[+2] Enhanced strength, speed, and durability due to exposure to the Lazarus Pit and your latent mutant and inhuman metamorphosis.
[+1] Inhuman Optimal Healing Factor: Granted by the system, you can heal from extreme mental or bodily trauma in minutes.
Fear Inducement: Your presence has shown itself as a fragment of fear. Unraveling your presence is now a physical thing. The target's perception may be altered, causing them to see their environment as ominous and the user as dark and foreboding or even as a monster. This is considered a mutant ability.