The Shadow
Andru Coyopa Vandevik
One of the many costumed vigilantes of Metropolis, the Shadow is a reclusive figure who works in and around the neighborhood of Hob's Bay, or better known among the locals as "Suicide Slum".
Not fond of public appearances, the Shadow remains a vague image or haunting silhouette to the media. While the public at large is not convinced he is real, locals of Hob's Bay know the vigilante is quite real and come to rely on his help in times of need. Criminals likewise know the Shadow is quite real and an ever present threat to their activities.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Andru is in top physical condition due to his daily training routine. Along with the hard training schedule, he maintains a strict diet to supplement his exercise and activities as the shadow.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Andru Vandevik was born in Puerto Rico to an American father and Mayan mother. While his childhood was hard, it wasn't unbearable. Though the fact that Andru's parents both worked to make ends meet, allowed him far too much time on his own as a child. His father worked for Star Labs as a research assistant and his mother for the University of Puerto Rico.
Andru is a metahuman, one gifted with psychic ability of telepathy that allows him to project illusions into recipient's minds for a short time. Unlike a mutant, who's abilities emerge at or around puberty, his developed at a much younger age, not long after his father began work with Star Labs.
Growing up as a 'latch key kid', Andru fell in with the wrong crowd, becoming involved with a local street gang that terrorized the local neighborhood at the bidding of the infamous international criminal and terrorist, the Red Skull. This was compounded with Andru's own developing natural mental powers.
That was until a man named Kent Allard ( aka Lamont Cranston ), the original Shadow, came to the island. After an ugly run in with Andru's gang, Lamont recognized the potential in the young man. He slowly began to work to earn Andru's trust, and the trust of Andru's parents. Through this, Lamont guided the young man away from his bloody life of crime to a path of redemption. Along the way, he began training Andru in how to use his abilities and in the ancient skill of Hypnosis and mesmerization.
With Lamont's help, Andru was able to go to college and get a degree in journalism and business at the University of Chicago. At the same time, Andru completed his training under Lamont's guidance, and took up the mantle of The Shadow.
After reading a piece in the Daily Planet about a crime ridden area called Hob's Bay or "Suicide Slum", Andru felt a calling to go there. It was a place to start to root out the weed of crime and atone for his earlier life of crime.
He is assisted in this by his roommate, a young woman named Lila whom Andru is convinced is a mutant with a dimensional phase ability, moderately strong regeneration powers, and PTSD. Lila herself believes she is a ghost of someone who died when her heart was removed by a madman. This is despite the fact that her heart is slowly regenerating on its own.
Education
University of Chicago
Employment
Andru works by day running his own courier business, usually working contracts for legal firms in Metropolis. Through this he is able to set his own hours and makes a good wage.
Character Location
Alignment
Seeking Justice
Current Location
Species
Professions
Children
Current Residence
Sex
male
Gender
male
Eyes
Brown-black
Hair
Long and dark, but often kept pulled back to better fit under his fedora
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
light brown
Height
5'11"
Weight
175 lbs
Related Plots
- Ambushed in the Mountain of the Universe: Chapter 2: MAGI Mountain
- Launch Code
- Launch Code 1
- Launch Code 2
- Launch Code 3
- Launch Code 4
- Launch Code 5
- Launch Code 6
- Launch Code 7
- Launch Code 8
- Launch Code 9 - the conclusion
- The Lost World
- The Lost World 1
- The Lost World 2
- The Lost World 3
- Trenchcoat Epiphany
Case of the Psychic's Lament, Part 3
1/6/2010
The power had died in the sewer, perhaps the city, was out. But the motes were brighter and occurring more often. But double? That's hard to determine.
There was a sound that accompanies the motes, like an old AM band transmission. Pre-recorded at times. But... I lack the devices and batteries to really conduct a long term test. I estimate I'm near the northern side of the swirl, if I use the more simplified model.
I head down the main sewer tunnel then look for side tunnels that let me move down in the direction pointed at by the transducer I found. After awhile, I reach a point at the end of the block with the motes moving over my shoulder above. No transducer. But if there was 3 or 4 to cause the round shape, it would be possibly be along the adjoining roads. Van Neyes and the southern side of the block.
I find another device at the southwestern corner where Van Nuys Street connects to Sackett. This is on the side of the emergency lighting cage. Plaster is keeping it stable and in place. It's consistent with the client's building of every 15 minutes. Seven to 15 motes.
I continue down Sackett street and continue down 2/3rd of the way before I find another one. This one's spiral , like the others, is aimed in a common rough location. But is slightly pointed down. This one is 7 to 9 minutes and the device is pointed down where the others are not.
On a change, I tried to grapple this one and pull it down. Unfortunately, I misjudged my aim and broke it. Stupid. I should have been more careful. But I managed to get some signal and messages from Psypher and Chameleon.
Psypher called, and said he found a device ( grammaphone? ) generating the motes. Source of the dimensional / temporal disturbance. He said the grammaphone was attached to the floor and difficult to turn. So a permanent fixture?
Dimensional and temporal breaches require power. Energy. Summon described needing a lot of power.
While talking to Psypher, two people appeared almost right on top of him. I text a warning as best I can to him and Chameleon who asked to meet.
During this I got an unusual message: "Mukufuna chithandizo". That seems to be Chichewa in origin. Tracing the number would have to come later, but I suspect the number cannot be traced. That language branch ties back to the visions psychics were having of the shaman and the snake. This in turn connects back to the pattern of dimensional incursions. The message is likely from another dimension because of my proximity to the energy motes, which are part of the flow and transition between the time / dimensional flow. The message is lower priorty at thsi time.
Time is of the essence. I need to change, and collect the rest of my gear. We need to inspect the grammaphone and the center of the swirl above ground. What is below has some effect but may just to stabilize the effect.
Turning the grammaphone is tuning the flow across the dimensions. But on a large scale. Combined with the reports from Philadelphia and the New York area, someone is attempting a large scale dimensional break, or time flow break. Transcorp building would still be a likely candidate to who set this up.
An attempt to alter time or shift dimension on a large scale could involve Transcorp. The building was shifted back more than several centuries and still contain the configuration to allow that again.
I do wonder, what would happen if the grammaphone handle and gears were altered to turn backwards? A thought experiment for while I gear up.
Once I suit up, I'll head for the building Psypher mentioned the two strangers went into. Following that, I want to see this grammaphone that is generating the energy allowing the alterations.
Case of the Psychic's Lament, Pt 2
We pack up the equipment, locking the customer's house. It would be foolish to leave that behind while we investigate these lights and other odd items we've found. To maintain the cover, and the business, we leave a note telling the customer that we locked the doors but had to pull out the heavier equipment. The reason we give them is that they have a "Class 5 Free-roaming Phantasmal Raccoon" infestation, and we just need to confirm this.
Once we had the gear locked up, we made our way after the lights and phenomenon on foot. Which let Psypher and myself move more subtly.
Along the way, Psypher sees someone moving through the bushes. We leave them but continue in our cover IDs. It's masking enough for now. We follow the lights along until they come up against a privacy wall or fence. Only the lights move through the wall. I try and cloud the mind of anyone nearby to help conceal our actions. Not fully invisible, but enough that people will look elsewhere hopefully. But still, the strange lights move through the wall as if it's not there.
Oddly, there isn't many security cameras. Just at the gates. Psypher heads over the fence while I keep watch. An armored figure teleports by. Years ago, that would have been unusual. This isn't years ago. These days there is more than one around with power armor of some kind. He didn't seem a threat, so I marked him in my mind but
We continue along after the sparkles, following it along toward the diner, low to the ground. I couldn't tell if they dipped below ground or not. The PKE meters weren't making sense with what they are detecting with regards to the light trail.
Just then, I get a text from Bourne. He's warning me about something happening in Metropolis. Then asked if I've heard about Hammer Empire being up to anything right now. Which, there isn't. They had a mission against AIM some months back but AIM has left the city, and Hammer Empire went quiet. So I replied briefly that I knew something was happening but confirmed that 'no' Hammer Empire was not involved. Since there is someone with power armor nearby, I kept my texting brief.
I suspect Bourne is nearby. That is consistent with his type of messages.
So, I send Psyhper to head for the playground to make sure the lights aren't going to harm the kids. At the same time, I noticed the lights head back to North. I move to Columbia St to head for the utility access and sewer cover on the sidewalk. Theoretically, there should be a junction down there to support the businesses there. I suspect there could be a hologram or low frequency generator below ground. It could cause the emissions along with extreme signal transmissions we heard at the house.
There isn't any cover and the traffic along the street is busy enough, that someone might accidentally fall down any open manhole cover. So, I wait until I have a good chance to open the cover, to give me access to the sewer. While I wait, I cloak myself to avoid suspicion.
Underground access seems off. Seems unusual and too much work for something this elaborate. I may need to ask Psypher if he can come back to help me and if Chameleon can get here.
Case of the Psychic's Lament
Recently a series of odd shared visions and odd coincidences has rattled psychics along the Northeast region. The events have been interesting but not one that has needed the attention of the Shadow.
At least, not until a mention of the Transcorp building, which was the focus of a breach in the timestream. This brought the events more into focus. If someone is attempting a breach, it would be something for the Shadow's attention.
I left a copy of the notes with Lila to review while I left to meet Psypher to investigate a brownstone with possible supernatural event on Northwest Sackett Street. A potential Class 2 Phantasmal Emission based on the description. There is always an off chance that Summon is in our dimension again as well.
The owners are upset and want documentation for an insurance claim, naturally. They left us the key and departed. Psypher took the upstairs, mostly the attic and upper crawlspaces. I took the basement and lower sections of the brownstone. Typical for these house inspections we've been doing.
I checked the furnace. No squirrels, turtles, and well assembled. By the time I was done, Psypher called for me to join him upstairs.
He tells me that the building is heavily wired, as in for high capacity Wi-Fi. Old copper pipes and even a 'razor hole'. The kind once used for disposal of straight razors. Psypher also tells me about a 'mongolian tinkerbell'. Based on the description, is sounds like a Class 5 Spectral Luminosity... but the Wi-Fi could be interacting with the copper pipes. An excessive magnetic field could cause the sound of 'voices'.
We split up and check around the outside of the house to look for boosted Wi-Fi being used by neighbors and reacting to copper pipes. An energy signature seems to have interacted with the wood, altering the cellulose structure. It doesn't seem constant, but how often?
We lack the quality equipment to check this. But sporadic energy affecting the wood would mean an external source, but possibly drawn to the wiring and copper pipes. If the wiring and copper pipes form a junction, this could act as an antenna. It's something to check.
If true, we could track the energy back to where it's coming from.
The sounds people are hearing, could also be a complicated hypnotic effect. A transmitted mesmerization , or an attempt at it.
We are following the strange lights and that takes us to an area near:
Sackett street
Degraw Street
Van Brunt Street
We find an area with statues and sculptures with a green area behind Degraw Street and ease forward. The lights then move into a small building unexpectedly....
Case of the Psychic's Lament, Part 5
Effect is preceding Cause...
We grabbed evidence off the board, also "Eraser" aka Pichana, and what we could off the boxes, and take them back to the Abbey Normal Investigations panel van.
As for the cargo crate, ruined files and all, Chameleon uses his Hard Light blasts to shove the pieces into the cargo crate. Then we swap it with another crate. This way we have hidden the crate with the sensitive materials where can find it, but others won't nor will they stumble over it.
But I consider calling Silverwing. I need more information on Time Threads.
Once in the van we swap information.
Chameleon was pulled in by looking for a missing person, Toshi E Metet who filed on land for a group that supposedly represented a tribe. Algonquin? Haudenosaunee Confederacy and Delware nation. This connects to:
"legal briefs and case documentation from a now-defunct law firm in Brooklyn, including waterstained and badly damaged originals of invoices from the graphical arts firm of "T. E. Metet", also including references to something called a "Shivan" (mispronounciation of Shiwan, as in Shiwan Khan).
Which again connects to Transcorp, the building where time travel took place.
Chameleon explains the group called "SHADE" an extra-dimensional group. This would connect to "The Belgian government is suppressing knowledge of stargates." article where exiled Japanese State Department insider Shigo Hideyori observed a Stargate Suppression team.
Psypher hands over a Native American flute. Algonquin flute. Badly handled, perhaps 200 years since it was last in good condition. Water damage. This ties back to "Some are surveys of NYC in the 1800s". Which in turn could connect back to the Brooklyn law firm.
This could connect back to a legal case where some of those involved didn't appear. This happened in 2000 era case. No idea who filed the lawsuit. Old decaying old metal fabrication shop in Columbia Street. Psypher mentions in Jan 2000, a searcher was looking to see if any were owned by a Kryptonian.
When I asked more about the law firm, Chameleon had the lawyers names but now doesn't. Law firm on Columbia Street in the same location as the artist. Same address that was contested in the 2000s.
The law firm is connected to the Transcorp event and time travel, but also the key locations that the group .. possibly connected to Shiwan Khan .. is interested in as moments in time that are anchor points, branches that could be altered to adjust the flow of time.
I asked Psypher about the building the time threads circled around, and the gramophone that may be on a time anchor.
We need to examine and study both places. In the meantime, we need a babysitter for Pichana and information on Time Travel related information, and a loaner tablet with high security. I open a secure line to contact Silverwing to fill in him on what is happening and why he cannot be directly involved, but can help as an asset. Such as a high secure tablet. Second I need a babysitter. Someone off the grid that cannot be traced. I'll have to use a quick ritual to contact Summon and ask a favor to babysit Pichana.
First. I contact Silverwing, then tell him what is happening to warn him. I give him copies of the evidence and discuss. Silverwing says this:
"Napa Journal
Volume 86
Number 68
21 March 1940
page 8
At 10:24 a.m. on March 20th, five young Scouts working on their Pathfinding and Photography Merit Badges witnessed the appearance of a "glowing ghost" in a Coombsville meadow. The lads raced to focus the long-range lens of their amateur photocamera"
was him as he time traveled and caused a minor incident.
We also discuss that this is a time travel but also a multi-dimensional type "heist". Someone is looking to steal something from the past either in this dimension or another one. Silverwing confirms items like the gramophone is one of several 'space time anchors'.
It can't be moved while it's on and active as it's connected to the others. It's important to find the source or the others. Those devices are possibly a way for someone to find, and or create, a stable wormhole. All so they can commit a theft. The Shadow will tell Silverwing.
"They could be trying to steal the present, and by extension, the future"
After that, I perform the ritual to contact Summon, and pay half up front by letting her drain my electronic devices. She takes Pichana for seven hours to babysit him. Mentally, I remind myself to bring something to offer her as 'payment' if I *ever* need to contact her again. Which I would only do if the situation was that dire.
Though, once we return to collect Pichana from her in 7 or less hours, I will warn her about all this. If someone is attempting to make a stable wormhole to steal the present by altering the past, she could be directly harmed.
Kabuki, which apparently is Psypher's alter 'ego', says the Shivans are the slime creatures that plagued New York not long back. Mutagenic creatures. So the ooze, or the related tech is important to the heist.
[1] We need to find where the tech the Science Court used went. Possibly recovering it if we can.
[2] Also, we need to shut down at least one gramophone to examine it, also to keep it. This will be a key to what the villain is doing.
[3] Other than that, we need to get into that building where the space-time threads are circling around.
I explain that someone is trying to steal the present. So we go either steal, if not control, the gramophone devices. All so we get control of the wormholes to steal the present back.
We head to : https://maps.app.goo.gl/WsxRJHHLuB1arNLS8
Once there, I cloak myself and my companions before we enter the shed to catch anyone off guard ... if anyone is there. Covering our approach as best as possible to let Psypher and Chameleon get inside the shed.
Case of the Psychic's Lament, Part 4
1/6/2010
I catch up to Psyher and Agent Chameleon who are watching some thin man dressed in red who is making a conspiracy board with torn bits of information. His clothing looks like a red jumpsuit of some kind. Running suit? I wasn't sure.
The sun has set behind most of the buildings so it's before twilight but still, no direct sunlight. I cloud minds around me, then move forward to about 10 feet behind the man. I want to see the conspiracy board, get a closer look to see any serial numbers or inventory markers.
There has to be a method to what he is keeping against what he is discarding. Some pattern with what he is trying to do.
I approach directly toward him between the shipping container. Mostly downhill. My approach is slow, staggered. The man is looking around. He could be paranoid, nervous, or just cautious. Could be all of it.
The conspiracy board is just flat head tacks holding info on the corkboard. No strings connecting any information. He's assembling something complicated following an idea that may not make sense. Information is even antique newspaper or old style printer paper. Others are bits from hand written letters, and more. It looks like he's staying with paper, microfiche, and similar items. Oddly, he as a weatherproofing spray like he's going to shellack the thing once he's done.
That suggests he's going to travel with it. Also, that he expects to be in locations with extreme temperature or climates. So this just suggests he plan on using this board, really its contents, as some sort of guide or 'map'. Maybe even a blueprint.
But I did notice that his interest is possibly global, with bits of information that ranges beyond the local area. I watched a little while longer. Yes, that means he's destroying more personal property that is likely not his. It came down to either stop him, or observe him a moment longer to tease out what he might be up to.
Global. That catches my attention. I remember the visions and locations from before that ranged from Columbia Street around here, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to beyond the border of Canada and maybe elsewhere.
So, I took a closer look.
Major Atlantic Ocean current maps, Eastern Canada, an island in the ocean marked 'UR'. He's also interested in the Caymans, Vanuatu, Southern Russia - China border. I use my phone to take pictures of the conspiracy board, the man, and all that I can. After that, I let the echo... an illusion... of my laughter echo in the air above him.
I talk to him, quiz him to get more information. He says he's looking for the "local ring" and wants to erase the "evidence". Through his ranting, the pieces come together that he's looking for people associated with certain events in history. Moments that impacted the city and regions.
Through his rants, the pattern was coming out. He's one of several out looking to target specific people and events. They are working for someone called the Master or Mastermind who is looking to rewrite history for his own means. Some of this involves erasing people.
I needed more detail, so I tried to pry through his mental instability and hypnotize him.
"Tell me what the ring looks like to you":
The ring is made of the moments when history makes too much sense, when history follows a script and not chaos. When a man vanished in 1940s. Man who came out of the sea and didn't know his name.
Then I pressed him on the Transcorp building. He knew all about it. The Master has no idea who was in there, or how that building and its occupants time traveled. But the Master is after those people and the device.
I grab for a piece on the board. It sets him off and he attacks me. Psypher and Kitsune jump in instantly after I grab for the board. Kitsune removes that box cutter from the guy's hand, while I hypnotize him into seeing another 'me' run off with the board. That causes him to go frantic. We take him down easily after that.
We quickly start to catalog everything. Kitsune searches the man in the red jumpsuit. I collect all the pieces from the conspiracy board, collecting it in a makeshift container from envelopes from one of the boxes. The law firm box specifically.
As for the boxes, they are from all over. Some are surveys of NYC in the 1800s. A box from a law firm. All sorts of boxes from different locations. One that stands out is a box from Safeguard.
Sorting will take time, But I suspect the law firm alone could be connected to Transcorp, the decaying fabrication shop or both. Not to mention to the Science Court that were involved in the Transcorp incident. By extension myself, Moon Knight and Kitsune who were also involved.
But we need to sort though the boxes and get them back to where they belong.
Case of the Psychic's Lament, Part 6
1/6/2010
Outside the shed, others appeared around the corner. We need to be more careful from now on. But these two appear to be working to solve the problem we are.
Therefore, I loop them in. We need all the help we can get. Chameleon is uncomfortable about this, but I press on. If they are here chasing the same problem, then they are part of the solution.
I explain what we know, Tabitha and Makeshift explain they've crossed dimensions. It sounds that they didn't plan this and aren't eager to do it again. So they know where a control room to ride the dimensional threads.
Makeshift does ask an uncomfortable question if I'm the original Shadow or not. Kent warned me about this. I give the reply he suggested. It had the expected reaction.
He did ask about a 'group'. I'm hesitant to mention Safeguard. I gave another cryptic answer for now. Later, I'll give him a better answer...
"Super" groups are ... complicated. But they make a sort of sense. Criminals band together all too often to spread their brand of evil.
Tabitha asked what the device, the generator looks, like so I explained , "Lets see" and I throw open the door.
The room is clear and clean. Spotless. The turntable is an antique that seems almost on purpose. Psypher mentioned hearing sounds that could have been from the 1930s. That would fit the aesthetic. This, and the details of the room, are to block interference from the 'modern' day? It seems likely. The device itself, this anchor, seems to be tied to the 1930s and related results flowing out from that moment in the 1930s.
I ask Makeshift and Kitsune to look for power source on the device. Psypher to check outside for tracks or other evidence outside the room since the room is clean of evidence inside.
Kitsune believes new recharging technology using magnets. Wire through a leg into the floor. Makeshift sees a spinning light, moving in a circle. Similar to the turntable and record.
Outside, something is emitting a dome to prevent dust, etc from coming in from outside. I ask him about the camera and he shows me where it is. It's a cheap camera, with a tinted and dirty plastic covered bubble over the camera.
I pick up some moss and walk toward the camera and building. two inches past the lip of the doorway.
Makeshift tells me someone is teleporting in using the shed he installed a listening device on. I quickly move inside with the mulch on the device to cause a deviation. It could be there is a "record" made of energy. Inside? Outside? Both? I don't know. I wait to see if there's a reaction.
Hopefully, it will impact whomever is teleporting in. My move in front of the camera was blunt, but effective. We need to force our opponent's hand a bit.
If this doesn't work, applying my phone against the device might have an effect. If we had an extension cord, that might be effective. I am wondering if the rotating field ever extends outside the phonograph box.
Makeshift says it stays inside the box... but something moved the mulch out. So there is a field reaction there. An event horizon?
The phone overcharges and reacts to the power discharge. All ringtones goes off, etc. Grows very warm. Light is blue and growing intense in the horn. I wait another 30 seconds.
At last the device shoves me back two feet and I have my phone. My phone was already ruined so it wasn't a loss.
Finally, a snarled ball of light comes out of the horn. A mess of sound and signals from all around the area is collected by the energy.
Therefore, the energy can be reflected. So a Faraday Cage will impact the devices. Which means a localized electromagnetic pulse could disrupt the energy. It also might cause an explosion so this isn't likely a direct solution but is possible.
The power Makeshift saw was a ball of energy inside. This is the generator for the motes. Likely it cycles until it reaches a certain charge, then disperses an 'energy mote'. Using my phone caused a power spike as the energy reacted with the electronics. Possibly like an electromagnet.
Psypher explained before he tried to turn the crank and it was very hard... but is the knob on the other side a counterweight? Maybe.
Makeshift then tries to teleport the device, and part of the room out of the building. He manages it. Impressive. It does shut the device off as well.
Parts were all plastic and non-metal. Fine quality, "like an emperor would want". Fine quality. Quartz and Graphite connections, like a superconductor based device. The phonograph itself is expensive quality but it isn't likely a real antique. The place for a turntable has an unusual "pearl' like "platter". Smooth but unknown material. A type of polymer?
So our opponent either has little access to metals, and so must use polymers. The phonograph has wooden attach points. Again, little access to metal... to necessity becomes a preference.
Psypher hands me his phone, then heads off to keep watch on the shed to see when our opponent sends someone to investigate this. Meanwhile, Makeshift and Kitsune extract the device from the broken parts of the room. While they work, the shadows and darkness grew around us. So, we did get the attention of our opponent. One of their minions or our opponent has arrived.
I cloud the minds of as many minds nearby that I can. About ten minds. Hopefully that's enough.
Tabitha explores the darkness around us while we wait.
Tabitha also seems to expect some ... "supergroup" with a "base"? I have no answer to that, nor do I want to answer that out in the open. The best "headquarters" would be my sanctum in Metropolis, but that's not an option. Nor would I want to bring them there.
I tell Kitsune and Makeshift I've cloaked us. But they need to get the device into hiding, while I stay to back up Tabitha.
They leave and I search the area to find the edge of the darkness. I climb the nearby apartment building's fire escape to find the volume of the darkness. It seems almost like a fog, not quite a 'shadow'. What I don't know is if this is a person projecting a power or a device... or if they're in the darkness fog surrounding it with them.
Tabitha is still down there so I'm staying to watch for her and help. Hopefully surprise whoever is generating the field below.
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