#kosm: plot

THE HISTORY OF HEROES AS WE KNOW IT

━◦❖ 𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐍 𝐀𝐆𝐄 ❖◦━

It’s the 1920s, rumored to be one of the greatest times to be alive for its second identity as the Golden Age of superheroes! The cities of Manhattan, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Boston have become the hubs towards caped crusaders, protecting the streets from villainous activity. Never has humanity felt as safe as they did then and citizens of these cities were able to catch glimpses of theatrical and intense battles.

Around this time, many heroes decided to create teams in order to better protect surrounding neighborhoods. The most famous team was the Avengers, a New York-based team consisting of outstanding heroes with the founding members: Iron Man, Thor, Antman, The Wasp, and Hulk. This team would gradually increase and change the lineup over time but it was the main attractor towards the city, driving flocks of people who lived outside of New York to visit in hopes of catching a glimpse of them. People could not get enough of these heroes armed with strange powers and abilities, it was sensationalized to the point where radio programming began to broadcast tales of their favorite heroes fighting for what was right.

Throughout the following decades, the era of heroes shined on and lightly wavered from the spotlight during the Great Depression in the 1930s with the public believing that heroes could not help with the crisis at the time. However, they once again gained momentum in the 1940s with the emergence of Captain America, a super soldier who fought against Nazis and Hydra during World War II. Heroes took on a new meaning, no longer seen as just a spectacle of entertainment and mystery, but rather, as icons of peace, hope, and patriotism that could beat the axis. At the time it seemed like heroes had regained newfound popularity that could possibly rival if not double the mass admiration from prior decades.

━━━━◦❖ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋 ❖◦━━━━

After the war, there seemed to be a desire for peace and rebuilding in the world. Superhumans were no longer just protecting their streets from crime, instead they were traveling the globe helping with the revitalization of society. With their amazing powers and abilities, estimated construction times were shortened from their decade long prediction. The heroes' duties became divided in society as they had more responsibilities in these large cities. After the second world war, the sentiments towards violence began to change. Although crime was still rampant, people were tired of more violence and grieved the loss of their loved ones. Fights between heroes and villains were ostracized for being too careless and destructive. Now the spotlight was not as bright as it once was, the mask and cape were now a symbol of what is a dying craft. Instead, the public began to push for heroes to have rules and restrictions, which at some point lead to unpreventable government intervention.

Everything came crashing down after the Tea Building Accident. This accident is claimed to be the “nail in the coffin” for heroes and superhumans. What had begun as a hostage situation in a populated tea parlor ended in disaster. After police interference failed, heroes were called into the scene with hopes of rescuing the hostages safely. Unbeknownst to both parties, the kidnapper was prepared to escalate the event from a simple hostage negotiation to a destructive battle between the heroes and a team of criminals that would result in all 26 hostages dead. The number of lives lost was far too great for the public and media to take kindly, already fueled with their anti-superhero sentiment. Therefore, in the midst of the disastrous outcome, riots began to break out in support of stopping all superhuman activity. It was then that the government passed a bill that would permanently end all superhuman activity, requiring anyone with superpowers to revert to civilian life, unable to dawn the cape again. Those who did not do so would be detained and forcefully participate in a superpower removal program. Not wanting to invoke anyone to follow in the footsteps of the past, the government also began to erase any traces or mentions of superheroes in media or public files in hopes that there would be no future incidents again.

━━━━ ◦ ❖ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐓 ❖ ◦ ━━━━

The year is 2021, and the history of superheroes and super-powered humans has been erased from existence. The only remaining scriptures of their adventures are in comic books and tv media/films. Heroes that were once real and idolized are now only seen as characters from the comics with no actual historical attributes towards a real person. Those who were alive during the era of heroes have been silenced, only a few are brave enough to speak up but even then are ignored as there is no concrete proof of their claims, all thanks to the government erasing all records and accounts of heroes.

THE KOSMO BUILDING

The history of the Kosmo building and the land it was built on spans multiple generations. The land is originally claimed to be the site of a former witch trial that ended with the burning of 13 witches. Although most of the victims were just regular girls, one actually practiced dark magic. Before being burnt at the stake, she cast a curse on the land and vowing revenge against her tragic demise. The curse has been the talk of the community, and now funny folklore to share among friends and family, only a few believe the validity of this tale. Despite the history behind the land, an apartment complex was built in 1901 on top of it, ignoring the protests of some who wanted the land to remain a historical monument. The apartments were small and only housed 8 families, although the amount of residents that truly lived in this building still remains unknown. Residents at the time reported feeling chills and hearing strange noises at night. It is claimed that one of the residents, an avid believer in the unknown, tried to communicate with any possible spirits, unleashing more havok accidentally. 

By the time of prohibition, the building also acted as a speakeasy, which mainly caters to the superhero crowd. Superhumans who were unable to gain recognition for their powers would gather and perform a variety of acts for visitors or look for employment here. At one point in time, there was a shootout between quarreling parties which resulted in the death of two superhumans and the closure of the speakeasy with the owner being arrested for violating prohibition laws. The apartments promptly shut down after and during the second war became an impromptu weapons factory, where many women worked at. During the night, the factory would become a meeting place for undercover Hydra agents who plotted against Captain America and his allies. 

After the Tea Building incident, the building was raided for supers, many of them preferring to die fighting than to be taken to a depowering facility. Afterward, the building was torn down with the intention of removing its roots of superhumans and sold the land to the best buyer. A few years later in 1951, a hotel was built on the land but a new building did not mean that the curse was lifted. Instead this hotel became infamous for its “cursed nature”, becoming a host to murderers and suicides. The hotel closed after 4 decades with the building going on sale and remaining abandoned for years to come. In 1990, the building was purchased and swiftly demolished to make way for a new residential unit, one that would be 100 stories high and act as a housing unit, a very ambitious project at the time. 

Finally, the building finished construction in 2018. Deviating from its initial plans, the building debuted with 50 pristine floors of residential housing, commodities, and luxury such as big penthouses built on the top floors. The construction time and the past reputation of the land being haunted created a buzz among the public. This caught the eye of a producer who decided to rent the building out as a set for their reality show. The building, now going by the name “The Kosmo”, gained worldwide recognition but despite the attention, the building’s strict policy on who lives inside the walls leaves rooms vacant for potential candidates. Truly, a desirable home for many.

WHERE WE START

The year is 2021 and The Kosmo is now open for applications. Prior to our present, a lottery drawing allowed 3 families to move in with their rent paid for a year. This has become an annual tradition for the building with the next lottery drawing happening in December. For many, this act of charity is a dream and only strengthens the building’s reputation. However, despite the charitable nature being written off as a tax deduction, something feels off. The true intentions towards this generosity may be more sinister than good, and if that wasn’t enough, there seems to be something going on inside the walls of this prestigious place. Things are constantly being misplaced, noises can be heard from inside the walls, doors shutting on their own, strange figures appearing where they should and there’s a constant feeling of being watched. 

Outside of the building, the world has no idea that superhumans exist and the government has been making sure that they’re not discovered. In the 60s a new wave of superhumans emerged, those with a mutant gene called the “x gene”, marked as mutants, the government tried to eradicate all mutants and strip them of their mutation before the public found out. Likewise, those who have powers are now also in hiding, beings with a non-human appearance hide their looks through prosthetics, technology, makeup and clothing, in hopes of avoiding the authorities. Anyone unlucky enough to cross paths with a government-sanctioned “super hunter” will be taken to a de-powering facility, a program run by various organizations in collaboration with the government. These facilities are kept secret but those in the superhuman community have caught wind of them and have scrutinized them for their inhuman and cruel ideologies. Many of whom are taken in don’t come out or are traumatized by their experience. Of course, this outcry is mostly from a minority as the majority of the public is happy living in blissful ignorance.

Of course, inside the Kosmo building, everyone is safe! Or so it seems... Perhaps you, the new tenant, have noticed that there seems to be something strange happening. No, not just the things that go bump in the night, but that there is something happening in you. Maybe not you, but with a neighbor. It could be that you’re aware of your differences already, but being inside is creating chaos with your abilities. Regardless of what it is, something is stirring within the walls of the Kosmo building. There is no explanation for it yet, but maybe your neighbors might know a thing or two? That is, if you trust them enough to expose your secret.

Only time can tell what will happen as the clock keeps ticking inside a building where everything is not as it seems. That begs the question, do you believe in the unknown?

OOC: DESCRIPTION