A Cold Day in Midtown, Part 2 - S1:E11
General Summary
Summer, 2020
Midtown, Freedom City
A freak cold front has struck Freedom City and the surrounding area endangering the lives of over 5 million people. A metavillain named Madame Zero has taken responsibility for the freezing weather and has given all Freedonians an ultimatum: flee the city or freeze to death.
It had been two days since Madame Zero broadcasted her ultimatum to all Freedonians: leave the city or freeze to death. An hour after her live broadcast, the power went out all over the city while the temperature kept dropping. Unfortunately, Uplink was only able to discover that the broadcast signal was bounced through multiple antennae to conceal its origin. While many Freedonians heeded Madame Zero's warning and fled the city, many chose to remain. Without power, the city plunged into chaos. Most Freedonians had packed away their winter clothing and—with the streets snowed in and public transit at a standstill—couldn't get back to their warm homes. Many froze to death in the streets or died trapped in vehicles or buildings with no source of heat. Some citizens managed to make it to makeshift shelters set up by the city or unsuspecting benefactors, like Decosta Construction, which opened up warehouses and empty buildings for the many struggling to survive. A terrible irony of cold weather was the danger of fires as people tried to stay warm. The Silver Arms apartment building was on fire after a tenant tried to start a small fire, and the fire department couldn't respond thanks to the snow-packed roads. Despite attempts by some Metaheroes, many people perished in fires throughout the city. And with the extreme weather and cold temperatures creating dangerous road conditions, violent winds, and driving snow and fog, no Federal or state assistance has been able to make its way into Freedom City despite Mayor Summers declaring a state of emergency. And where were the famous metahero teams of Freedom City? Where were The Atom Family and Earth Prime's mightiest metaheroes, The Freedom League? It seemed both teams were away on some cosmic mission and were not even on Earth Prime. Freedonians will have to rely on each other and the help of any metahero trapped in the city if they hope to survive Madame Zero's cold wrath. A loud crash woke Tobin Price up from his cold nap. Also known as The Action Man, one of the most famous actors and stuntmen in Hollywood, Tobin was also publicly known as Void, a metahero with teleporting powers. Tobin was filming his latest movie, Mission Inconceivable 3, in Freedom City when the winter storm struck. Like so many others in Freedom City, Tobin and the entire film crew were stuck in the city since all modes of travel to and from the city had been canceled. Tobin's producer, Tom Maverick, had threatened to sue the city for the delay which was costing the production company a fortune each day. Like so many in Freedom City, Tobin was stuck indoors, unable to go outside because of freezing temperatures. Tobin had heard the temperature outside had reached -20 degrees below zero and was expected to drop 10 degrees each day unless Madame Zero and her infernal machine, the Gelid Engine, could be stopped. Tobin moved to the window of his hotel's 18th-floor suite which the studio paid for. He looked out and saw the Eastern Seaboard Bank across the street. A gaping hole marked where the front entrance used to be. It looked like something big had broken through the bank's entrance. Tobin knew the bank well. It was only a week ago that the metavilains, Tazer and Mosquito, had tried to rob the bank. Luckily Tobin was inside at the time, making a withdrawal when the heist happened. Tobin, in the guise of Void, along with the metaheroes Blue Comet and Kid Shadow had stopped Tazer and Mosquito. The same bank was being robbed again? Tobin thought. He made a mental note to transfer his account to another bank as soon as he could. Tobin put on his Void costume and teleported to the street below. It was time to take action! Kid Shadow stepped out of a shadowy bus stop near the bank where his mom worked as a branch manager. He overheard his dad talking into his police radio. Since all power in Freedom City had been turned off two days ago, cell phone towers were no longer working, nor were people able to recharge any electronic device. The police had reported that the bank was being robbed by a group of armed soldiers in arctic gear. It was only a week ago that Kid Shadow had stopped a bank heist from happening. He was not going to sit around and let his mom's bank get robbed again, so he quickly made his way to the bank from where he and his parents' condo which was in the Waterfront district. Eddie Castro heard about the bank robbery over the shortwave radio in his laboratory located inside his newly established company, CEG Technology. Eddie made his fortune from over 60 technology patents he owned. Since he was a kid, Eddie dreamed of being a metahero. So after recently starting his business, Eddie went to work on developing a suit and gadgets that could enable him to help citizens of Freedom City victimized by crimes. Eddie grabbed his green suit and utility belt. The utility belt included a blaster, a force field generator, and also allowed him to fly at 120 MPH. Given time, Eddie planned on improving his equipment to rival that of any gadgeteer metahero anywhere. Once he reached the rooftop, Eddie, or rather Malachitetron as he wanted to be known as, flew off toward the bank a few blocks away. Uplink had just left the shelter he was staying at during the past week since he had arrived from the future. He avoided staying at any one place too long so as not to arouse suspicion. Most of the time, people ignored him since he looked like any one of the many transients in Freedom City. Uplink still wasn't certain what his mission parameters were. But, as a soldier, he didn't ask questions. He acted on orders. In this case, snippets of stored memories would activate when necessary to direct him toward his mission objective. The only reason he knew why was sent to the past was to somehow alter an event that would create the future he was from. Doing so, he knew, could potentially threaten his own existence. But that didn't matter to him. He would gladly forfeit his life if it meant changing the future and saving billions of lives. He had just reached the corner near the bank he helped save a week before when he saw a large armored snowcat drive right through the bank's main entrance. He couldn't believe the same bank was being robbed again. No one should keep their money in that bank, he thought. A sudden memory flash showed him trying to stop those inside the bank. He crouched, then leaped in the direction of the bank, the cybernetic hydraulics in his legs propelling him towards his mission. Three men wearing white armored tactical suits and armed with high-tech rifles saw Void across the street. Inside the bank, Void saw an armored vehicle resembling a snowcat. A turret on top of the vehicle was shooting a laser beam in the direction behind a nearby wall. Void couldn't tell what the laser beam was shooting at, but he had his suspicion. "Hey, you in the blue," one of the armored men yelled at Void. "Get out of here. The bank is closed today." Another armored man appeared. He raised his rifle, aimed at Void, and fired. The shot missed Void. Void looked back and saw a small icy crater appear on the building's facade behind him. "You don't exactly look like regular customers," Void said. He was about to teleport, but a second shot rang out. This time, Void felt pain. He had been hit! The bullet felt like frozen ice. The third shooter fired in another direction, down the street. Void looked to see who he was firing at. A man wearing a green suit and a tactical belt had just landed on the snow-covered street not far from the bank. Void didn't recognize him but didn't have time to wonder if he was friend or foe. He knew the armed men were foes and that was enough to go on at the moment. He opened a portal close to the armed man's head. A similar portal opened in the air next to Void. Void then punched through the portal, striking the man hard enough to lift him off the ground. He struck a nearby wall and slid to the floor unconscious. He then teleported on top of the armored snowcat. Malachitetron heard the shot before he even touched the ground. Fortunately, the suit's force field activated quickly and stopped the bullet. He took his blaster out and fired at one of the men. The shot struck the man and lifted him off his feet. He slammed against the wall behind him and crumpled to the ground unconscious. Uplink moved in front of the bus stop bench in front of the bank for cover. He put his arm up and aimed it at the third man still standing. He saw the other two get taken down by Void and another meta he didn't recognize. His fist transformed into a gun capable of discharging a sonic blast. He took a shot just as a fourth man appeared. His shot took the armed man he was aiming at. The sonic blast struck the man and sent him hurtling back. He struck the man who had appeared moments before. Both men were sent flying back, striking a side wall hard enough that Uplink heard bones break on impact. Inside two more armed men stood near the back of the bank's main lobby. Both had their rifles up and were aiming them at Void and Malachitetron. Together, Void and Malachiteron took down the two men. Void tried to find a way inside the snowcat but the vehicle's armored doors were locked shut. The laser beam continued to fire at the bank's steel-reinforced vault. Void teleported inside the vehicle. Being too close to use his signature Portal Punch, Void balled his fist and struck the driver in the helmet. The helmet did what it was meant to do: protect the wearer's head. The driver punched back at Void but missed.
A freak cold front has struck Freedom City and the surrounding area endangering the lives of over 5 million people. A metavillain named Madame Zero has taken responsibility for the freezing weather and has given all Freedonians an ultimatum: flee the city or freeze to death.
It had been two days since Madame Zero broadcasted her ultimatum to all Freedonians: leave the city or freeze to death. An hour after her live broadcast, the power went out all over the city while the temperature kept dropping. Unfortunately, Uplink was only able to discover that the broadcast signal was bounced through multiple antennae to conceal its origin. While many Freedonians heeded Madame Zero's warning and fled the city, many chose to remain. Without power, the city plunged into chaos. Most Freedonians had packed away their winter clothing and—with the streets snowed in and public transit at a standstill—couldn't get back to their warm homes. Many froze to death in the streets or died trapped in vehicles or buildings with no source of heat. Some citizens managed to make it to makeshift shelters set up by the city or unsuspecting benefactors, like Decosta Construction, which opened up warehouses and empty buildings for the many struggling to survive. A terrible irony of cold weather was the danger of fires as people tried to stay warm. The Silver Arms apartment building was on fire after a tenant tried to start a small fire, and the fire department couldn't respond thanks to the snow-packed roads. Despite attempts by some Metaheroes, many people perished in fires throughout the city. And with the extreme weather and cold temperatures creating dangerous road conditions, violent winds, and driving snow and fog, no Federal or state assistance has been able to make its way into Freedom City despite Mayor Summers declaring a state of emergency. And where were the famous metahero teams of Freedom City? Where were The Atom Family and Earth Prime's mightiest metaheroes, The Freedom League? It seemed both teams were away on some cosmic mission and were not even on Earth Prime. Freedonians will have to rely on each other and the help of any metahero trapped in the city if they hope to survive Madame Zero's cold wrath. A loud crash woke Tobin Price up from his cold nap. Also known as The Action Man, one of the most famous actors and stuntmen in Hollywood, Tobin was also publicly known as Void, a metahero with teleporting powers. Tobin was filming his latest movie, Mission Inconceivable 3, in Freedom City when the winter storm struck. Like so many others in Freedom City, Tobin and the entire film crew were stuck in the city since all modes of travel to and from the city had been canceled. Tobin's producer, Tom Maverick, had threatened to sue the city for the delay which was costing the production company a fortune each day. Like so many in Freedom City, Tobin was stuck indoors, unable to go outside because of freezing temperatures. Tobin had heard the temperature outside had reached -20 degrees below zero and was expected to drop 10 degrees each day unless Madame Zero and her infernal machine, the Gelid Engine, could be stopped. Tobin moved to the window of his hotel's 18th-floor suite which the studio paid for. He looked out and saw the Eastern Seaboard Bank across the street. A gaping hole marked where the front entrance used to be. It looked like something big had broken through the bank's entrance. Tobin knew the bank well. It was only a week ago that the metavilains, Tazer and Mosquito, had tried to rob the bank. Luckily Tobin was inside at the time, making a withdrawal when the heist happened. Tobin, in the guise of Void, along with the metaheroes Blue Comet and Kid Shadow had stopped Tazer and Mosquito. The same bank was being robbed again? Tobin thought. He made a mental note to transfer his account to another bank as soon as he could. Tobin put on his Void costume and teleported to the street below. It was time to take action! Kid Shadow stepped out of a shadowy bus stop near the bank where his mom worked as a branch manager. He overheard his dad talking into his police radio. Since all power in Freedom City had been turned off two days ago, cell phone towers were no longer working, nor were people able to recharge any electronic device. The police had reported that the bank was being robbed by a group of armed soldiers in arctic gear. It was only a week ago that Kid Shadow had stopped a bank heist from happening. He was not going to sit around and let his mom's bank get robbed again, so he quickly made his way to the bank from where he and his parents' condo which was in the Waterfront district. Eddie Castro heard about the bank robbery over the shortwave radio in his laboratory located inside his newly established company, CEG Technology. Eddie made his fortune from over 60 technology patents he owned. Since he was a kid, Eddie dreamed of being a metahero. So after recently starting his business, Eddie went to work on developing a suit and gadgets that could enable him to help citizens of Freedom City victimized by crimes. Eddie grabbed his green suit and utility belt. The utility belt included a blaster, a force field generator, and also allowed him to fly at 120 MPH. Given time, Eddie planned on improving his equipment to rival that of any gadgeteer metahero anywhere. Once he reached the rooftop, Eddie, or rather Malachitetron as he wanted to be known as, flew off toward the bank a few blocks away. Uplink had just left the shelter he was staying at during the past week since he had arrived from the future. He avoided staying at any one place too long so as not to arouse suspicion. Most of the time, people ignored him since he looked like any one of the many transients in Freedom City. Uplink still wasn't certain what his mission parameters were. But, as a soldier, he didn't ask questions. He acted on orders. In this case, snippets of stored memories would activate when necessary to direct him toward his mission objective. The only reason he knew why was sent to the past was to somehow alter an event that would create the future he was from. Doing so, he knew, could potentially threaten his own existence. But that didn't matter to him. He would gladly forfeit his life if it meant changing the future and saving billions of lives. He had just reached the corner near the bank he helped save a week before when he saw a large armored snowcat drive right through the bank's main entrance. He couldn't believe the same bank was being robbed again. No one should keep their money in that bank, he thought. A sudden memory flash showed him trying to stop those inside the bank. He crouched, then leaped in the direction of the bank, the cybernetic hydraulics in his legs propelling him towards his mission. Three men wearing white armored tactical suits and armed with high-tech rifles saw Void across the street. Inside the bank, Void saw an armored vehicle resembling a snowcat. A turret on top of the vehicle was shooting a laser beam in the direction behind a nearby wall. Void couldn't tell what the laser beam was shooting at, but he had his suspicion. "Hey, you in the blue," one of the armored men yelled at Void. "Get out of here. The bank is closed today." Another armored man appeared. He raised his rifle, aimed at Void, and fired. The shot missed Void. Void looked back and saw a small icy crater appear on the building's facade behind him. "You don't exactly look like regular customers," Void said. He was about to teleport, but a second shot rang out. This time, Void felt pain. He had been hit! The bullet felt like frozen ice. The third shooter fired in another direction, down the street. Void looked to see who he was firing at. A man wearing a green suit and a tactical belt had just landed on the snow-covered street not far from the bank. Void didn't recognize him but didn't have time to wonder if he was friend or foe. He knew the armed men were foes and that was enough to go on at the moment. He opened a portal close to the armed man's head. A similar portal opened in the air next to Void. Void then punched through the portal, striking the man hard enough to lift him off the ground. He struck a nearby wall and slid to the floor unconscious. He then teleported on top of the armored snowcat. Malachitetron heard the shot before he even touched the ground. Fortunately, the suit's force field activated quickly and stopped the bullet. He took his blaster out and fired at one of the men. The shot struck the man and lifted him off his feet. He slammed against the wall behind him and crumpled to the ground unconscious. Uplink moved in front of the bus stop bench in front of the bank for cover. He put his arm up and aimed it at the third man still standing. He saw the other two get taken down by Void and another meta he didn't recognize. His fist transformed into a gun capable of discharging a sonic blast. He took a shot just as a fourth man appeared. His shot took the armed man he was aiming at. The sonic blast struck the man and sent him hurtling back. He struck the man who had appeared moments before. Both men were sent flying back, striking a side wall hard enough that Uplink heard bones break on impact. Inside two more armed men stood near the back of the bank's main lobby. Both had their rifles up and were aiming them at Void and Malachitetron. Together, Void and Malachiteron took down the two men. Void tried to find a way inside the snowcat but the vehicle's armored doors were locked shut. The laser beam continued to fire at the bank's steel-reinforced vault. Void teleported inside the vehicle. Being too close to use his signature Portal Punch, Void balled his fist and struck the driver in the helmet. The helmet did what it was meant to do: protect the wearer's head. The driver punched back at Void but missed.
"Resistance is...illogical." -- UplinkBack outside of the vehicle, Uplink walked up to the vehicle and searched for an antenna. He broke off a part of the antenna and touched the piece still connected to the snowcat. He connected with the vehicle's computer which controlled everything else in the snowcat. Uplink's face appeared on the front console's navigation screen. "Resistance is...illogical", Uplink said, his voice heard throughout the vehicle's built-in speakers. Both Void and the driver looked at the screen in surprise. Void suddenly heard a loud crack! Kid Shadow appeared through an interior shadow and punched the driver hard in the helmet, knocking him out instantly. "You just KO'd by a kid!," Void said to the unconscious driver. "Way to go Kid Shadow!" Kid Shadow smiled proudly back at Void. With all the bank robbers defeated, the metaheroes gathered the unconscious men together. Malachitetron introduced himself and said he was happy to meet the metaheroes he had heard so much about. He said he wanted to be just like them and would like to help in any way. "Who are these guys?" Kid Shadow asked. Uplink shared everything he learned after plugging into the vehicle's computer. He said the men were known as Variable Landscape Private Engagement Soldiers, or VLPES. They specialize in fighting in arctic and winter conditions and in urban engagement. Many were Russian or US citizens—comprised of washouts from their respective nations’ own militaries. Every one of them was outfitted with cold-weather survival gear. "Madame Zero must use them as mercenaries," Void said. He heard about soldiers in white suits forcing people out of the city and fighting local law enforcement. "She does, but they don't answer to Madame Zero," Uplink said. "All communications to and from the snowcat were sent to someone called Arctic Fox." "Then we need to find this Arctic Fox," Void said. "But first, we have something else to worry about," Uplink said. "I just picked up radio communications from more of these mercenaries in the city answering a call for backup from someone named Glacier. They're all escorting people out of the Waterfront district towards the Pramas Bridge." "Then let's go!" Kid Shadow said. "I'll meet you there," Malachitetron said. "First, I want to take some of the gear these mercs were wearing back to my lab. I'd love to know how their gear works." "What should we do with these men?" Void asked. "Let's tie them up with the zip ties I found inside the snowcat," Uplink said. "I've already contacted the police and notified them about the situation here." Malachiteron grabbed what he could carry and left the other three who jumped inside the armored snowcat. "May as well use it," Uplink said. "I can control it now." "Besides, it's warmer inside this thing," Kid Shadow said. Void closed the vehicle's side door as Uplink started up the snowcat's powerful engine. "It's action time!" Void said.
VLPES Mercenary
Report Date
10 Feb 2023
Related Characters
Comments