Meanwhile, in a dark lab, several white-coated scientists worked labored at softly glowing monitors placed around a gigantic tube in the center of the work space. The tube was filled with a blue fluid, which obsured the form of its occupant. The form twicthed occaisionally, but, for the most part, was still, floating inside the tube.
"The subject is showing increasing resistance to the sedatives," one of the scientists stated, a worried look on his face.
"Then switch over to the other mixture," said a raven-haired woman dressed very unlike the rest of the scientists. She wore a simple T-shirt and jeans, with small glasses perched on her nose. The ID card clipped to the pocket of her shirt proclaimed her Janice Stromwell, Head of Metahuman Research for Renzer Scientific, Inc.
"We already have," the scientist replied. "In fact, we've changed the mixture at least three times already. It's just not having any effect. Pretty soon, the subject is going to wake up..."
As if on cue, the form within the tube stirred. After a couple of seconds of confusion, it moved again, seeking a way out of its confinement. The tube began to crack, fluid leaking out of the spidery holes in its surface. Then the tube burst open completely, shards flying everywhere. Several of the scientists were injured, others, including Janice, managed to take cover in time to avoid the flying debris.
Janice tapped the intercom on the wall near her. "Get Meta Security down here immediately!" she snapped into the mike. "Test subject 801.2b has broken loose!"
OOC: Anyone who wants to join in as the experiment, go right ahead. I deliberately left the description vague, so you can insert whatever you want into there. Just keep your character's powers relatively limited for now.
He had saved for nearly a year to get all of this technology in one place, but finally had managed to complete his invention. Sometimes working two or three jobs, buying from sources willing to keep business deals quiet (in order to avoid attracting attention from the wrong sources); it had all finally paid off - he had what he wanted. A suit of red-and-frost blue tech armor lay disassembled in front of him. The only thing missing is a good helmet, he thought approvingly as he looked at his newest technological wonder. And that can be added later. Various parts and wires lay scattered around him, and the overalls he wore had numerous grease stains and scorch marks from where a stray spark had landed on them.
A few minutes later, when he had completely donned the armor and powered up its systems, he was ready. It was a short walk and a swift ride on the Yellow Line from his apartment in the King's Row to the City Hall in Atlas Park to register, and it would be well worth it. At City Hall, he filled out the forms and handed them to the clerk. "So the name you want to register with is Solar Freeze," the clerk said, looking at him appraisingly. "You look a little young to be registering yourself as a hero. Are you sure you have your parents' permission?"
"You got the fax with the signed permission form," the young man replied. "Otherwise I wouldn't have even been able to get this far."
"True," the clerk replied, not sounding particularly convinced. "But I still don't like it. You're too young, in my opinion."
"Well, I'm just lucky it isn't up to your opinion, then," the young man stated somewhat belligerently. I normally wouldn't antagonize the guy who's going to do something so important to me, but this guy is such a pompous jerk. He thinks he knows what's best for me, but he really doesn't have any idea what's going on.
"Well, I guess so," the clerk responded. "Here's your ID card. Keep this on you at all times, so you won't get arrested for vigilantism. Neither of us wants that. Since you're a tech, you may want to head over to D.A.T.A. to see if they've got anything for you. They've got an office right in the building; the directory's over there." The clerk pointed to a computer terminal on the wall of the City Hall Information Desk labeled "Directory."
Yeah, as if I could have missed that, the young man thought. He walked over to the terminal and tapped a few keys, quickly figuring out the system and bringing up maps of all of the city.
Albert Rennsen smiled. Today was a good day.