Jasmine Ariel Crabtree
Looks like any other Co-ed. With a gleam in her eye and fire inside. Has a dark costume with a little red cape. Taller then the average North American woman and has a almost curvy build. Hair pulled to the left side and a li
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The Hot Shot #6 Final Entry
~j
Deep inside the basement of Homestead is my home. At least now. It's where I do my work. It's part of the fight. It's the struggle. To adapt. To overcome. Without Joanna and Jason to guide me. I am alone to face the world. I see it now. With my own blue eyes. It's mine for the taking. I can do this. Socrates comes around. No one else. Which is fine. Gives me time to sort things out. That fateful day comes. Where I have done what I could it's time to leave my home in Homestead. But first I have to take care of some business.
Socrates has been gone for a few hours. I'm tired and my improvements to The Heater are looking good. I hope it works. It should. I've done my homework. Sure is ugly though. Life has it's ugly side. I embrace it. I'm the ugly face of this team. I'm looking to give the ugly back. Soon.
I take off my armor and all my clothes. It's dead silent here. Cold. Dark. But somehow life seems to be shining on me. I feel warm. Calm. Profound. I look into a piece of glass. I pull my hair back. Tie it. "You've lost alot of weight j." "And I love what you've done with that hair!" The matte finish is a great new color." I sit back done. Take out the pen my Dad gave me my first day at AAA. And a notepad I've held onto. One last thing. And I sit here. Beautiful. Alive. Wholesome.
Dear Joanna and Jason,
By the time you read this I'm probably dead. If not I soon will be. But today I have a few minutes deep below Homestead to write you. My final thoughts of who you knew as Jasmine Ariel Crabtree. Your kid sister, Mom and Dad's last child. Mother of Jacqueline Ann and my little boy Jeremy who died because we were already on the lam after the vanishing started. I could not get the care he needed. He died in my arms that night. He cried and cried then he said I love you mommy. I said I love you my little boy Jeremy. Then I cried and cried. He was so small and beautiful.
I'm doing this so at least you'll have something to show my surviving child if you and your kids as well can make it though this. As I write this the pen Dad gave me my first day at AAA is running out of ink. Like I'm running out of time. Things are getting dire. One by one day by day the supers that were here aren't coming back. Tonight I get serious about this. There is no turning back. So many are counting on me.
I love all of you with all of my heart. Please get out of here and make a run to Vibora Bay. Family wealth there is greater than up here? There has to be some family left there that can take you in? Our name is on the building. Better fishing? Losing you is the hardest things I've ever had to do!
Before I go. Don't be sad. Smile at the times we had together. Cherish those memories and make new ones with our children.
Love. -j
Filling the floor with crumpled up ink filled papers. I write until the pen empties. I get one keeper. I wrap it up. I'll have Socrates get a courier to take it to my family. Or what's left of them after all of this. I gather my gear. Don the body armor. A scoul settles onto my face. I pull my hair from the bow. I leave here. Never coming back. From here on out. I am never going back. Not one foot. Ever! Calm. Ready. Focused.
I hand the folded up paper to the hologram of Socrates before I leave to go to the Division base. With some dollars. I say to it, "There is a courier service who can get this to my brother and sister. Joanna and Jason. The life I had was over. This is all I am now. And there will be hell to pay!"
Socrates nods and says, "Remember to breath j."
The Hot Shot Journal #5
~j
Huff puff Huff puff....... Muff....... Huff puff Huff puff....... fugg.......Huff puff Huff puff.......ing.....Huff puff Huff puff......Cypher......I gotta stop for a minute. All this gear heavy.
Remember to breath j.
Damn him for just dropping me off so far away from this address Joanna and Jason want to meet me at. This team stuff is tough! Need to find someone who is more my speed over there? At least Dragon Lady is there! I'm not the only lonely girl? I guess?
Joanna got spooked after we signed onto the resistance. Wants us to look into this apartment complex referred to us by Socrates AKA Ringo 2001. Apparently, this block is die hard anti-Destroyer. All the landlord's lost alot of money during the vanishing. I guess all of have lost? Or is it experienced loss? HM?
Joanna is the most paranoid person I know. I kid her about it all the time. But w/o her I wouldn't have made it this far? She has some uncanny knack for knowing when not to go into the street. And waiting and watching and letting things play out while keeping a safe distance. Was shocked when I got caught in that AAA warehouse battle. Guess our luck had to run out?
Turning a corner, thinking I would be a quarter block away I find. Destroyer agents. Lots of them. Not here! Not by the hair on my little red cape. This has gotten out of hand. How did that old song get into my head? Don't know. Don't care. I have to get them to fight me. Let Joanna and Jason have a chance to get out of the building and to the escape route.
Yes, I see you Overarmor guy kinda creeping up from my right. What do you want? Me too panic. I don't do that. Not my style! Deal with you when you're all up on me. What if for just once he help's me out? I mean this block has to have some sort of mildly powered super right? Even if he just Gung Fu's them, not me, it'll be a help. Not everyone's Dragon Lady?
Shooting starts. Overlay does his thing to The Hot Shot.
Hey what's this? Blinking. Little red targets zooming in on the goons? Okay. Now this. This, I could get used to! And no, running behind that car will not help you this time speedy. Oh man. Shot him in the face! The look he had when he was hit. Oh man. It's too much for me take. But...I have too! My people. Alot of people are depending on me. And yeah yeah. I can hear 'em now. Shut up and shoot it's all you're good for. Can't even fly to save a life.
I shouldn't but it's like those old Tee Vee commercials I would have to sit through with Jason and his friends. Which seem like a lifetime ago now that the world is out of control. Bounce off this. Directly through that. Nothing but a hot shot.
Then like that Overarmor guy tells me to shoot the three stooges he put into a wall. Huh? Oh? He means it. Okay. I comply and it's over. Damn he doesn't mess around? Other then with whatever he's done to my vision.
Armory calls. Reports, I hear shooting!
I tell her, I'm down here, it's time for you two to use the escape route. Go now.
Armory responds, Okay We'll catch up with you at rendezvous point Charlie in 30 minutes.
Acknowledged. Charlie in thirty.
Now onto what to do about these last few agents? Overarmor guy seems intent on that pile of poop he had me shoot. Hey that rhymes? I'll scream at the other agents to drop their weapons. No one else needs to become a mess on the corner over there.
Drop your weapons NOW!
They comply? So good!
Now run for your lives. I scream and point The Heater at them.
Yep off they went. Goodbye!
Searching for my disguise I spy on another one of those wierdo vans. Great I'm going to have to tell Cypher. You know that moment? When you're on top of the world. Then something happens. Next thing you know. You're thinking about Cypher. That's my feels now. I grab an ID from the passed out driver. Which I guess we are learning they are in cyber space now? All this is over my pay grade. I just shoot things. And I have places to be.
Over comes Overarmor guy.
We fist bump and he tells me he is Overlay. I tell him Hi I'm The Hot Shot. I ask him "You wanna join the resistance?" And with that I hand him the comm I got from Socrates and we agree to meet up later that day. Because I have to meet with Joanna and Jason in a half hour!
I gotta run.
Remember to breath j.
The Hot Shot Journal #4
~j
Date and time?
After some mainly mundane communication by Socrates, I call it Ringo 2001, with us. Coordinates were giving outside of Millennium City to an unused military supply depot on an abandoned rail route. It told us to turn out and we would be helping the resistance. It gave them a name.
The New Champions.
Once my older brother drove us out there. In our restored beater with the gas guzzling V8 and four doors. A battle ensued between him and my older sister Joanna. It began just after we heard and felt an explosion. Joanna is far more conservative than Jason. Who is pretty aggressive? A typical young man.
I sat there listening as they went about all the pros and cons of sending me into harms way. Deliberately. With the sole intent of me fighting alongside these "New Champions". Usually siding with Jason. This time Joanna had the better angle. We need to be careful cautious not carefree like this is some sort of first date.
The sounds of a battle rage on, as do Joanna and Jason. I sit. Fussing with my little red cape as it chokes me. A little, not bad. Remember to breath j. Finally, some sort of agreement is reached! I get out of the car. Get my gear make sure everything checks outs. After hugs all around. I turn and walk down the street past a sad old bus and see my first glimpse of a superhero.
I moved up and asked him?
The scene with Cypher plays out live. Then picks up again as The Hot Shot takes down a man behind a White car.
Am I a superhero now? If I am. I'm making sure to act and treat people way better than that jerk Cypher! That and I'm not too sure going up to someone in a mask I don't know and then doing what he wants and just shooting someone is something I'd want to make a habit of? Joanna is correct we need to get more control of this thing. Not just walk up to a fight and shoot someone.
What about this poor man I shot? He probably just needed the money for his family. Maybe even being strongarmed into this? Listen to me think. I'm a teenager. Thinking about things like this? My life as I thought it would be three years ago is over.
Wait! What if I'm the only girl? Do I have to deal with a team full of Cyphers?
Remember to breath j.
The Hot Shot Journal #3
~j
Wednesday, Jan. 5th, 2022 just after 10AM in the morning. Westside Millennium City. Just a few blocks West of The John C. Lodge Fwy and Nault Street. Rooftop of the old abandoned AAA Warehouse.
Just after the fight ends. A strange, accented voice like a Beatle meets 2001 Space Odyssey asks me by name “Jasmine, are you safe now that the attack has been abated?” "How do you?"... I mutter. Then take note the sounds of the fight have ended and someone with a different accent says something from below me. Standing. I look down! And see? I don't even know.
Remember to breath. Air tastes polluted from the smoke! But..... it's time to go. I wave, turn, and run back to the door. Down the stairs. Out the door, into the street moving towards the escape route.
"Leaving Primary location to Escape route."
Mobile: Com handle for older brother Jason. "Escape route. Understood."
Earlier we took the time to prep a storm drain grate for easy removal. A string attached to a prybar helps me move it again w/o my older brother Jason's help. Damn grates tough to move even with a lever!!
Finally! I slide the damn grate off. I sit. When my butt's on the pavement. I turn back. See the smoke from all the carnage. Lots of smoke. Way too much!
"You sure know how to show a girl a good time!' 'CALL ME!' 'Access of Escape route now."
Mobile: "Clock set for 15 minutes. See you on the other side."
Armory: Com handle for older sister Joanna "Escape route accessed. Scrambling com links. Have a nice day Millennium City."
Dropped into the storm drain. Found the flashlight we left behind. One minute run turns into two. Remember to breath. Then into five. Remember to breath. Ten. Reality sets back in. Noting how much water there is still in the drain. Boots splash mucky water all over my little red cape.
Huff puff Huff puff Huff puff Huff puff!
"At least it's not raining!"
The Hot Shot Journal #2
~j
Wednesday, Jan 5th, 2022 just after 10AM in the morning. Westside Millennium City. Just a few blocks West ot The John C. Lodge Fwy and Nault Street. Inside the old abandoned AAA Warehouse.
It's be a long night. Nothing could prepare me for what was to come this morning. I hear the sounds of a explosion outside. Funny because not much happening on this old street anymore. Moving to the roof. On the roof now. To my disbelief there are mecca's on the street and some Burnie bots lighting the St. Clair station up! Why?
The Hot Shot on coms. Whatever I said on stream more or less. Then moving ahead to right after the last game ends. Before my action phase in the third segment.
The Hot Shot. Oh no there are more of these meccas now. What's happening?
Mobile. Com handle for older brother Jason. Oh **** it's a trap set for the resistance by the powers that are. You need to get out. NOW! If primary evac is out can you use escape route?
The Hot Shot. Unless I suddenly start to run like that Mercury migit in the next five seconds. Any street level egress seems unlikely. They blew up that building!
Armory. Com handle for older sister Joanna. Who is trying to break into the new champions coms. I know you can hear me. We didn't expect this. We will attempt to help you with this mecca ambush and in return you must help us getaway. This is a call for aid. Use of force against these Meccas authorized.
The Hot Shot. Shooting authorization acknowledged. Thinking now. Finally get to use this heater outside of a test fire. Hope it doesn't blow up in my face and melt this silly Winter Soldier (trademarked) costume they bought for me as a joke. Shame if it melted?
The Hot Shot journal entry one.
-j
We're ready to start the active search for our parents. Who disappeared the night commonly known as The Vanishing? From our bunker out behind the old Detroit armory. Some old trailers of all things. We, my older brother and sister, Joanna and Jason, and I, are going to find out what happened to our parents.
A recap since the vanishing we've learned that Advanced Aerospace Agency wasn't the benevolent would-be solar energy producer we we're told it was. It was actually a front to create solar powered arms for space exploration. Mars and beyond? Or worse use on mankind? No way to question our parents now. After we pieced that together we also found bits and pieces of some prototypes hidden in a storage locker that we uncovered though some luck and clever clues left behind in mails sent by Mom and Dad. It was about that time the three of us decided that the three of us kids would take an active role in a search for them. Also, in that locker was a large sum of wealth. Our best guess is that this is a first in a series of lockers hidden by our parents. Probably to make a getaway from the "authorities" in case something like the vanishing ever happened which it in fact did come to pass.
Training began and it soon become evident that I was a hot shot with a firearm. No one could ever figure out why? But after some pretty heated debating. It was agreed I would be the field operative while Jon and Joanna ran the op's from the trailer bunkers. Time passed. We haven't gotten anywhere closer to finding our parents. Everything has been a dead end or lead to us spinning our wheels in a wild goose chase. Speculation is they got out in time and used their caches to escape. No way to know? If they did they haven't surfaced, and we suspect had a support network and are gone until this Paradym ends? We as a team have become very good at what we do though. Narrowly, escaping capture both online and in the real world several times. If it was just one of us no doubt, we would have become cocky and complacent. But as a threesome we've stayed humble and hungry. Win after hard-earned small win. None w/o a price that was paid!
Now it's known that there is a resistance to the NAPA. We are making our first move to contact the resistance in person. This is the biggest op yet. Actually, going above ground to join a larger action group.
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