Issue 19

Mayhem Madness

Danny's Sanctum

Danny has a Dark Vision. She sees Shade reaching out to a cowering figure, and knowing Shade it can't be with good intentions. She doesn't how she knows but this is Cygnus, another victim of the New Day. She tries to figure out where this is taking place but can't quite place it. It's dark and institutional.

Jericho Home

Jen, recovering at home, gets a call from a phone delivered from Carbine . She thanks Jen for her help in getting the Project kids from Red Bastion to safety. Her organisation is low on resources currently, and Magda has gone missing on a mission to Mayhem Asylum. She asks Jen to go check it out and see if she can help, advising her to bring some friends.

Exemplar Tower

Kara wakes up in the medical bay at Exemplar Tower. She ended up there in the aftermath of the confrontation with Mastermind in Issue 18, connected to some regular medical machinery. In the room across the hall she can see through the window the damaged body of Mastermind/Dante. She sees Cassius Silverstone grieving over his son, and he comes over to see Kara. He apologies for the circumstances that Dante put her in. Kara was ready to be on the defensive, and is taken by surprise. He offers to help her out with controlling her powers, maybe with a Mentor, suggesting Android 11. Kara remembers when people were trying to lock her up for her powers. He explains that Dante had to be locked up in Red Bastion, but he doesn't think that's the solution for her, reaffirming how he doesn't get on with AEGIS. Kara agrees to accept his help.

Danny's Sanctum

Danny invites everyone to her Sanctum. Once they make their way into the old prop room the team catchup and start to fight about Red Bastion again. She informs them about the vision. Starting to investigate they reach out to Mr Mercury to contact Phillip Sebastian, who was until recently resident in the New Day New Visions Academy. He mentions that he never met someone with that name, but they did talk about some of the early experiments. Gareth and Danny were all to be among the saints The Saints. Cygnus was one of the earlier ones were to be the Seraphim of the church, the Angels. Cygnus was a warning tale for the other residents. They escaped, and had impressive powers. Danny promises that Philip will be the last 'batch'.

They take a look at the evidence they took from the Academy looking for any information on Cygnus. They were part of an original escape where the angels made their way out, some were hunted down and killed, Cygnus spent some time in the Mayhem Asylum (before it was shutdown). maybe 10 years ago she's been disappeared

The gang start to concoct a plan to figure out where this AEGIS location could be. They contact Agent Nightingale via Lloyd, but she explains that they don't have any locations like that currently, with the changes at the Red Bastion.

Before they can get too far. Shade appears in the sanctum, announcing himself with a cough. "I need your help Danny". He explains that he needs her help to save one of their 'siblings'. He shows them a vision of Cygnus in the building, with smoke filling the room, and the unconscious form of Magda in the room. Jen and Regula threaten Gareth, and he shows that he's only here in illusion form. He explains people are after Cygnus at the Asylum, and Danny interrupts, they're on the way - "Ok let's go!".

Mayhem Asylum

Mayhem Asylum

The team arrive via spaceship at the Asylum, and see it's protected by some sort of shadowy energy field. The team feel a chill as they pass through it, and Regula accidentally breaks the gate with a clang. They see shadows moving behind the windows. Jen tries to recon, but runs into a shadowy face that screams at her. It dissolves when reflexively punched. Danny takes the lead through the building, but she and Kara disappear around a corner, and when Regula, Jen and Lloyd go round it they don't see them anymore.

Isolated Danny and Kara start to hear laughter and screams from the shadows.

Getting frustrated Regula tries to smash one of the walls, but it's incredibly sturdy, compared to how flimsy it looks. To her it feels similar to what Danny and Shade have done before - this has a more practiced feel, born out of fear. Coming from someone very, very afraid. "Nobody can help me!" the voice announces in echoes. "It's not safe!". Regula's attempt to reach out and comfort the voice ends up with her being absorbed into shadows, Lloyd is able to save her before she disappears with a quick teleport. The situation rapidly worsens with this use of powers. The eyes in the wall start to focus on them ominously, as they are swarmed by dark shadows.

Danny and Kara make it to the room from the vision. They see the huddled figure of Cygnus, the unconscious Magda, but no Gareth. Kara encourages Danny that she can do this, but she takes it the wrong way. "Leave me to this", Danny isolates herself, and Kara goes to help Magda. Gareth shimmers into the room, and nods encouragement to Danny. "I believe in you Danny!". Danny creates a wall between herself and Gareth to block him out.

Danny reaches out to Cygnus, and explains where she's from, and tells them that Gareth isn't good. She offers to help fix their powers. There's an illusory other Cygnus whispering in Danny's ear. They call Danny and Gareth brother and sister. "No peace, not anymore, nothing is safe anymore". Illusory Cygnus puts a hand on Danny's shoulder. Danny tries to comfort, it doesn't go well. Their powers start to interact negatively, a feedback loop, the draining happens, absorbing a bit of the darkness, but it starts to reinforce and really starts to hurt Cygnus.

Regula, Jen and Lloyd are freed from the shadows, and see them begin to recede in a direction towards the source. They head towards it. They near the room where they hear the screaming coming from Cygnus and Danny. Regula tries to blast through the shadow barrier protecting the room, but in it's concentrated form it's too strong - the room is now separated from the asylum as a whole in the blast.

Kara reaches out to help the screaming Danny, trying to move her away from Cygnus, but gets pulled into the loop. Danny starts to drain Kara. It's a maelstrom of pain.

With a flash of light, the Paragon Twins arrive with spectacular fanfare. Pearl and Preston Paragon, both tall, blonde & athletic. Dressed in matching white bodysuit superhero costumes with the stylised P Paragon logo, and an AEGIS shield on the shoulder. Preston smiles at Jen and offers to help. Lloyd feels a strange connection with them. Regula and Jen try to blag why they're here. The twins explains that they're here to help.

Claymore, ignored the twins, charges through to try and protects Kara and Danny, shattering the door and the darkness granting them a brief respite. The room starts to freefall, but Regula jumps underneath it to grab it. While she's holding it up, her arms start to be drawn into the shadows holding the room together.

We see the scene from Danny's vision. Gareth reaches out to Cygnus. "I can help you, come with me." Cygnus reaches out. Danny charges her burn, and teleports in front of Gareth, interposing herself, and creates a solid brick wall moat around him. "Shut up!"