Episode 2:

"MEET THE NEW BOSS"

At the end of the first episode, Ambrose, Frosti, Manticore and Redshift were exiting the ventilation and power machinery rooms on the south side of a large landing strip/hanger bay area, while in the north west corner of the same hanger space, Quicksilver, Darkstar, Black Cat and Shroud confront an old man draped in tattered clothes and trinkets. He tells the Brood his name is Mortimer Toynbee, a mutant formerly known as ‘the Toad.’ Toynbee is the current master of the mountain complex, though there have been others since the days of the "Master." He introduces the siblings to the other inhabitants of Wundagore Mountain.

Half cow, half woman, Bova was one of the first New Men. They were animals that the Master (her words) genetically accelerated to intelligence. Never a warrior, she became the first and most loyal servant of the Master. She has stayed at Wundagore ever since (some 47 years) and knows the mountain, the surrounding countryside, and the history of Wundagore better than anyone. She radiates truth and goodness, but is slow, old and quiet for the most part.

These two smallish (4 feet tall) beings appear to be a cross between human children and ferrets. They have a limited vocabulary, but appear to be very friendly and playful. They accomplish most of the cleaning and upkeep around the Wundagore complex, leaving cooking mostly to Bova, as one self-laments, "Skeeter clean pots and pans." They appear to have sub human (or at least sub adult) levels of intelligence.

Meanwhile, Jonna Constantine and Master Phoenix were still several hundred feet below their siblings, still in the small storage room on the north end of the incubator level the Brood first awoke to. They were discussing Jonna’s apparent former life as a man prior to her current female Brood existence. She was trying to get any information she could from the old computer terminal in the room. She was able to confirm that one of the people who provided the genetic material that was used to create her current body was likely John Constantine, and the genetic sample was taken after John had made his first trip to Hell to battle the demon Nergal. Jonna also discovered detailed layouts and schematics of the Wundagore mountain complex.

Master Phoenix and Jonna are interrupted when alarms in the second incubator room announce the birth of a new sibling. They rush in while contacting the rest of the Brood via Manticore’s telepathic link, but the others don’t arrive to witness the ‘hatching.’ The new arrival’s body and face change and morph in a sickening way for a few seconds after the incubator’s cover is removed, before stabilizing. Quicksilver sends Ambrose, Redshift and Frosti back down the system of shafts and tunnels to help greet the new Brood, though by the time they arrive they find a beautiful green skinned woman gleefully trying on clothes in the storage room. Her name is Emeralde.

While half the Brood are still in the incubator room, a second tube starts to open. That Broodling also experiences unstable effects at ‘birth.’ Instead of changing shape and color, this Brood’s body parts distort in size, blowing up individually like balloons in an obscene fashion. Eventually, the changing (which appeared to be quite painful) stops, and the new Brood collapses into the form of a tanned skin young boy with black hair and blue/green eyes. The boy (who appears to be 8-10 years old) lapses into unconsciousness. At Bova’s suggestion, they decide to bring the child to the upper levels for her to provide treatment.

While the hatchings took place in the lower level, Toad and Bova gave a tour of the Wundagore complex to Quicksilver, Darkstar, Black Cat, Shroud and Manticore. The level they are on now is the main reception level. The wall at the east end of the landing pad opens to the outside world and an extended runway. Toynbee warns them never to open the big door, as "there are evil things in the foothill forests of Wundagore." Also on this level are storage rooms, laundry and cleaning facilities, a garage/maintenance area and stairs and elevators to other levels.

The level above is the main living level. Here there is a kitchen and dining room, a gymnasium to work out in, living room with an entertainment system from the late 1980’s, though Toynbee embarrassingly says he only receives local radio and television signals from the crude antennas he is able to fashion. There is also a meeting room with a sophisticated looking communications display that no longer functions, as Toynbee demonstrates, flipping switches and causing some lights to flash but no screens to come to life. Shroud quickly asks him to stop his operations, if only to calm Shroud’s own paranoia. Toynbee sheepishly complies. Also on this level are rooms for Bova and the twins.

The next two levels up contain the original private quarters of the Knights of Wundagore. There are twelve suites on each level along with central gathering/entertainment areas. The rooms have been vacant for quite some time and obviously picked through. No personal artifacts remain from the Knights, nor is there anything of real value. An attempt has been made to keep them looking respectable, but the furnishings are mostly old or broken.

The top level is Toynbee’s private quarters. He doesn’t offer a tour of that level, but does tell the Brood that there is an old lab in a level between the hanger and the incubator level. Toynbee says it was used to produce weapons and armor for the Knights of Wundagore, but that everything of value was taken by previous inhabitants of the mountain.

By the time the tour is completed, the other Brood arrive with Emeralde and the boy. It is decided they should take rooms formerly reserved for the Knights and Bova and the twins help them get settled, then the old cow woman shuffles off to prepare a meal and medicine for the boy. Quicksilver, Shroud and Black Cat confer and all agree they don'’ trust Toynbee, who is heading off to his private quarters with his bag of alleged mystical artifacts (he keeps them, he says, to ward off the evil visitors from the towns in the foothills). It is decided Black Cat will follow him in full stealth mode.

Toynbee takes the elevator to the top level, which is comprised by a large bedroom suite and adjoining entertainment room complete with a balcony overlooking the mountain valley. Black Cat watches as the Toad touches a secret switch on the wall in the entertainment room and a door opens, leading to a small room lit by open flame lamps containing shelves full of old musty books with arcane writing and symbols on the covers. Toynbee drops his bag of protective trinkets inside the secret room and presses the switch again. Other than that, he does nothing out of the ordinary, getting ready for the dinner meal.

Black Cat reports back to the rest of the Brood and both Jonna and Shroud perk up when they hear about the secret room. "Sounds like your basic mod god’s secret library of ancient tomes to me," says Jonna with a wink. "How do we get to it?" A plan is quickly devised to distract Toynbee after dinner and sneak up to check out the library.

Bova tends to the young child Brood while preparing dinner and is startled to find the boy still unconscious and still boyish looking, but over six feet tall and growing! Just before dinner, when the boy hits eight feet tall, Emeralde and Ambrose carry him down to the main living level, where the ceilings were higher and the large service elevator can access. The boy awoke just after everyone else finished dinner, now ten feet tall. For want of a better name, he is called Sky Trompis.

After dinner, most of the Brood ask Toynbee to demonstrate the entertainment options in the main living room while Black Cat, Jonna Constantine and Shroud sneak upstairs to see the secret library. Toynbee seems to enjoy playing the part of host as he shows them the local radio and television options, pointing out various current superheroes on the only news program he can dial in. He tells the Brood that the Justice League, who today stopped a war not too far from Wundagore, are puppets of the United Nations and not to be trusted. In fact, he has little endorsement for many of the beings the newscast called heroes.

Meanwhile, the Brood trio managed to access the secret library and, as Shroud and Jonna thought, it was indeed full of books purporting secret knowledge of mystic and magical natures. One of the books appears to be the diary of the High Evolutionary, at least in regards to his studies into the arcane. Apparently, he didn’t believe much in the metaphysical, but legends and current events in the surrounding countryside (25 years age, remember) raised questions. Although Shroud could understand the nature and power of the books in the library, Jonna instantly recognized many of them. While looking over the library, a soft beeping sound started repeating. Thinking it was some sort of alarm, the three fled the level, but not before Jonna grabbed to most useful and powerful tome she could identify.

On the main living level, the beeping was an alarm siren. The main landing bay door was opening and the lights and runway were being prepared for a landing. Toynbee bolts for the stairs but is quickly overtaken by Quicksilver and Redshift. "Please," he explains, "we have to shut those doors before those evil creatures get in." The two Brood hesitate for a second, then release him and rush down the stairs to witness the arrival of a small aircraft, now taxiing to the end of it’s landing. The door of the vehicle opens and two figures in power armor emerge, carrying blaster rifles. Toynbee rushes past the two Brood towards the visitors, crying out "Don’t shoot me! Don’t shoot me! I’m Toad."

Other Brood enter the hanger on the next turn as Quicksilver steps up. "Mr. Toynbee? What’s the matter? Who are you people?" More armored figures pour out of the vehicle as the first two open up with full auto blaster attacks on the Brood while another armored figure yells "Cease resistance and you will be spared!" Redshift and Quicksilver both use superspeed to avoid the attacks, although Ambrose and Redshift behind them are hit. Ambrose is knocked off his feet with obvious damage to his right shoulder while Darkstar is shot in the left leg.

Quicksilver motions for the other Brood to remain still while he tries some diplomacy. "Who are you?" he asks. "Why are you here? What do you want?"

"We are from LexCorp," replies the lead armor. LexCorp owns this mountain and everything in it. As the results of experiments conducted in the mountain, LexCorp owns you. Prepare for transport to main LexCorp facilities." As his words are finished, the last of the armor troops and Brood (except for the three in the library) enter the hanger.

At that moment, on the lowest level of the Wundagore complex, the next to the last Brood awakens in the cool dark silence of the incubator room. Appearing as a normal human male in every regard, he quickly examines the chambers and the one remaining birthing chamber, then move instinctively towards the northern storage chamber. There, he equips himself as best as possible with a kevlar vest over jumpsuit and a potent slug thrower with multiple supplemental ammunition modules. Sighting and recognizing the rope ladder left by the other Brood, Prometheus (as he calls himself) ascends to battle.

Upstairs, Quicksilver and the Brood refute the claims of the armored visitors. "We are free souls." Says Quicksilver. Black Cat says, "Like, we ain’t property of anybody, dude. But could you stand over here in the light so I can see myself in your armor? I do look good. <meow>" By now the LexCorp armors had fully deployed in formation. Likewise the Brood were poised, as the service elevator to the south opened and out stepped Sky Trompis, quickly standing to his now fifteen feet height. "You were warned." Said the armor leader.

A pulse of light emanates from the LexCorp vehicle strikes all present Brood, while the LexCorp armor seems to protect the visitors. The Brood are stunned for a second, unable to move, during which time some of the armored visitors fire expanding nets that hit Quicksilver, Ambrose, and Emeralde. A forth net miraculously missed Redshift, and hit Quicksilver ( a second net) instead. Since the net did not knock over Ambrose again (who had regained his feet during the previous verbal exchanges), the majority of the other armored troops fire on him. Ambrose is knocked back deep into the stone wall and appears to be critically hurt.

"Monsters!" cries Darkstar as she surges forward into battle. Her starbolt strikes the armor leader who had been doing all the talking (with more than a few bonus HPs), cutting him nearly in half. As she flies forward, however, another expanding energized net engulfs her and brings her down. Sky Trompis seems to grow quickly to the forty-foot hanger height. A stooping slash of his arm cuts out three armors in a single swing.

>>**FOOSH!!!**<<

The vehicle emits another stunning pulse. The LexCorp armor forces shoot Sky Trompis, knocking him unconscious and injuring his leg. He shrinks back to 15 foot high. At the same time, some LexCorp armors try to load Quicksilver and Darkstar onto their vehicle. Quicksilver switches from super strength to energy blast and blasts the armor approaching him with full HP bonuses. Darkstar already acted this turn, and is carried onto the LexCorp vehicle.

During the battle, Mortimer Toynbee crawls up against the northern wall discarded by both sides. He huddles in the shadows as much as he can, silently planning how he will deal with the winning side, whomever that will be. Shroud enters the hanger from the northwest door, but dissolves into mist in the wake of LexCorp incoming fire.

Master Phoenix and Frosti move forward to erect walls of flame and ice, respectively. LexCorp armors react by throwing grenades against and over these walls. The grenades injure Master Phoenix and knock down the ice walls from Frosti. Manticore in a panic attempts his first ever mass mind attack. It works very well. Everyone but him in the hanger falls unconscious. The LexCorp vehicle emits another stun pulse, incapacitating Manticore, and the armor who took Darkstar aboard emerges to kill Manticore with his blaster.

The lone active LexCorp armor collects Frosti into his vehicle before Redshift recovers from her multiple stunnings. "Mien Gott!" she exclaims as she runs towards the armors. But as she begins to accelerate at a pace she’d never attempted before, Redshift disappears in a blinding flash of light and speed. Master Phoenix recovers, as do several of the armored figures. He blazes to full flame as several of the armors team-attack him with blasters, leaving him near death. As another armored LexCorp tries to plant a grenade on the body of the unconscious Sky Trompis, the new Brood called Prometheus shot and killed the armored villain. Then, realizing he holds a grenade in his hand, he runs to get clear of the large slumbering form of Sky Trompis.

With most of the rest of the active armored invaders on board (as well as two of the Brood), the vehicle starts to power up in an effort to turn around and depart Wundagore Mountain. The vehicle backs out of the landing pad shaft as Prometheus throws the LexCorp grenade intended for Sky Trompis towards the LexCorp vehicle. A final salute from the LexCorp vehicle’s main guns leaves the remaining Brood severely injured as the vehicle eases past the landing doors and escapes the confines of the mountain. Black Cat enters during this withering blast and can’t quite dodge the full barrage. Bleeding, he drops to the floor, instinctively turning invisible. As the LexCorp vehicle exits the hanger, the Brood that remain conscious realize it had dropped a large bomb like device.

"Oh Sh*T!" screams Jonna, who had entered the room last of all. Looking around, she sees the defeated Brood, with the exception of Prometheus and herself. The LexCorp vehicle has left behind a bomb of unknown origins and power. Already open to the page, Jonna invokes the spell on the page of the ancient tome she is holding. In response, the book first glowed brightly, then burst into flame. Seeking paths of least resistance, the magic book flame reached out to tickle Sky Trompis awake while also lifting the grenade Prometheus had thrown to lodge onto the escaping LexCorp vehicle.

Sky Trompis awoke, growing to his maximum 100 foot height while instinctively kicking the remaining bomb out of the complex at the same time as the LexCorp vehicle was trying to clear the mountain walls while the grenade exploded. The resulting explosion was spectacular. From the valleys below it appeared like a fireworks show, with two mid-air explosions leaving trails back to the hanger opening in the mountain. In an instant it was over, Jonna’s book dissolving in flame even as she completed uttering the words. LexCorp was gone. The damage had been done.

Shroud materializes with a whooshing sound over the fallen figure of Mortimer Toynbee, in an apparently out of control rage. "You betrayed us!" he screamed. "Because of you, my siblings suffer. You shall know suffering!" The skull headed Brood draws Toynbee’s head near to his own. Jonna notes how closely the fangs of Shroud match the holes in the neck of Toynbee as the later stiffens into death…. and Shroud appears to grow larger, stronger.

After a moment, Shroud stands, his body taking a reticent stance. "I never meant to do that..." he says weakly.

"But you did." says Jonna. "You may want to leave know, before the others awaken."

Black Cat just stares in amazement. Shroud stares at Jonna for a long moment with his with invisible eyes, then turns and dissolves into mist. "Wow," stammers the Black Cat, becoming visible once again. "Was he on our side?"

Quicksilver awakens as the Brood begin to regroup. Toynbee, Ambrose, Manticore and Master Phoenix are dead while Frosti and Darkstar were in the LexCorp vehicle that exploded. The twin explosions leave the landing pad doors damaged and vehicle wreckage strewn across the valley. Black Cat, Emeralde and Sky Trompis are all injured to some extent. Redshift has disappeared. No one remembers how that, though Quicksilver and Emeralde dimly recall a doorway of light. Janna told the others Shroud had fled the complex, even as she introduces Prometheus to his new brothers and sisters.

"Like, what was that spell you laid on the armor dudes, chickie?" asked Black Cat of Jonna.

She stops mending the Cat’s wound for a second. "It was named ‘Justice’," she said, "though it doesn’t feel that way now."

"Nonsense," says Prometheus, as he secures the single wounded LexCorp invader. "While brutal, the pain seems to be distributed fairly evenly." At that moment, a light on his belt starts flashing. Black Cat look from the flashing light back up to Prometheus’s face. He looks back, then realizes their unspoken question. "I took the liberty of hooking a monitor circuit up to the last remaining incubator," he says. "Our last sibling has just been born."