I was working on an origin concept a while back, and it kind of got away from me. Thought I'd post it here.
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Food shopping. Everyone does it, most hate it. Since the recent invasion, most of the online supermarkets werent working, so the Atomic Boy Scout, known as Brakes by his friends and Clive by his mother, had been forced to hike across Kings Row with his shopping in a large backpack. He would have preferred to have driven, but when he registered as a super theyd taken his driving licence away. He wasnt really sure why.
Turning the corner of his apartment building, he saw a fellow group member, the Grey Attorney, sitting on the bench, staring into the street. At an indeterminate age the wrinkled side of seventy, Grey looked like any of the other old folk that make bench sitting an occupation.
Brakes leaned the backpack of shopping against the side of the bench and sat down, staring at the crossroad as Grey did. There was a short expectant silence as Brakes thought of what to say next.
Are you?
was the best he could muster.
Fortunately, Grey was in an understanding mood. Yes. He said. Im messing with their minds.
As Brakes watched, the usual Paragon road hogs would speed towards the junction, paying little heed to the broken lights and equally oblivious to the pedestrians. Every time, at the last possible moment, the drivers would experience a change of heart and slow to a safe speed. They would then navigate politely round the debris and other drivers before proceeding sedately on their way.
Im giving them a sense of perspective for a while. It doesnt last, but the roads a safer place around them for a day or so. The hint of a smile played at the edges of his lips. As your grandmother used to say, every little helps.
The following pause was uncomfortable; Brakes had known Grey for only six months now, and there was a lot the two men had yet to say.
Again, Grey came to the rescue.
Were living in the interesting times, arent we? First the time packet thing, then Metronaught landed on us, now
these guys
a vague wave of the hand took in the pockets of destruction the Rikti had caused; the lights out at this junction, a couple of felled buildings, a burned out car
All in all, for an invading army of shock troops, the Rikti seemed of have failed pretty badly. A rugby team stag night would have come closer to bringing the town to its knees than their sporadic bombing had managed.
Still, not everywhere had the benefit of a constant supply of heroes. Brakes had seen some pretty ugly things on news reports, and todays shopping trip had proved that food wasnt as cheap as it used to be.
A thoughtful moment stretched out. I guess thats what were here for. Speaking of that, arent you on shift today? the old man queried. nope I swapped with Tesla. He and Metronaught are teaming up today. They seem to like hanging out together. Tesla was an arch-techie and Metronaught had made a living as a mage and seer before his visions told him to sword-up and throw himself through a temporal discontinuity some months back. Looking at the facts the right way, he was over seven hundred years old, but he claimed to be thirty. His constant warnings of impending doom had grated on most of the groups nerves, but Telsa Pulse found them amusing.
Grey smiled wistfully. Thatll put you on shift with Anna wont it? Do you two still hang out? Brakes reddened and started to answer, but Grey was now looking at the ground in front of them with a concerned expression.
Suddenly, the centre of the crossroads exploded, firing asphalt and a body high in the air. The body, dressed all in black and with a damaged helmet groaned and dragged itself to its feet. As the figure turned, Brakes caught a glimpse of a face through the broken visor of his helmet. It was his own face.
For a few stunned seconds, both Grey and Brakes stared as the other Atomic Boy Scout shook himself and dived headlong at the huge grey robot that had followed him out of the hole. Leaping high in the air, spinning, and delivering a tremendous kick where the robots head probably was, he felled the metal creature. The explosion that followed knocked both Grey and Brakes off the bench, and spread Brakes shopping in a cone behind them.
Dazed, Brakes saw his black-clad other self dash to Greys side, ask if he was all right, then disappear into a strange, angular figure-of-eight portal that had winked into existence next to them.
.. was the best Brakes could muster. Before he could come up with anything better another figure dragged himself out of the hole, hooded, kilted and looking oddly like a refugee from Mad Max 2. He squinted at them through goggles that swirled with other worldly colours. Sorry about that he said cheerfully.
Cant really tell you much, but were from the future, and that robot was supposed to kill you, - he pointed at the Grey Attorney. Obviously, now it wont. Which is good. Erm, Bye now. He threw himself into the portal, which winked out of existence behind him.
Grey clambered to his feet, Dusting small chunks of road off his suit and straightening his tie, he raised both eyebrows at Brakes. Well, thanks in advance for saving my life. He smiled.
I wonder if this is the doom Metronaught keeps going on about.
