#retired.plot

                                                 CHAPTER TEN : THE END

WHEN: Saturday, September 4th, 2004

WHERE: Valentine Residence. Middlebury, Vermont, USA.

It’s been ten months since the portal closed. Fortunately, every guest was able to make it out alive. Among the dead were the guards, Addy, and Klein, who were declared dead by the Russian authorities later that evening. Klein’s body was taken to be cremated while Addy’s was sent back to the U.S. for burial. The team and the civilians were helicoptered out of the scene and taken to a local hospital. Most of them were suffering hypothermia, frostbite, or other major injuries. Of the survivors, most of them were political authorities and world leaders. All of which gave their thanks to the Exemplar team. The Exemplars were hailed as heroes and were giving special awards to commemorate their valor and their loss. 

By the time the team recovered from their injuries Vincent Brink returned to give a full report on the status of Bureau HQ. He informed Eve that there was only one survivor from the attack on Headquarters: a young Keller Monroe, who only survived due to the sacrifice of Benji. Shortly after Brink announced he would be retiring and Eve decided to follow suit; searching for a new life and new purpose beyond her capabilities as a mutant and spy. 

A memorial was held for Addy, Benji, and Tango a few weeks after the portal was closed. Thousands of adoring fans new and old crowded around the newly constructed statues to celebrate the lives and heroic sacrifices of the Exemplar team members who were lost that night. Every government and every power from around the world recognized that the Exemplar team, who were once considered puppets, frauds, or fakes, were true saviors of planet Earth. 

With headquarters burned to the ground and all of the bureau's former leaders no longer alive or active there was a space cleared for new authority. Beth Mitchell decided to take the place of Bureau director; stepping in for the late Moira Montclair. She began the process of rebuilding headquarters and dedicating the new buildings to the friends and teammates she lost. Laura was assigned to rehabilitate all of the creatures the bureau had previously kept in confinement and find ways to integrate them into new teams to protect the world.  Keller Monroe was assigned new head of the science division and was given access to the portal remains to see if potential gateways to other dimensions could be beneficial to earth, instead of detrimental. 

Damien Valentine went on to create his own private investigation agency and moved back to New York to assist the NYPD with their cases.  Over the course of 10 months he managed to beat the record number of most solved cases that any New York detective had, all while serving on the PTA for his daughter's school. 

Meanwhile, Eve took her gargantuan payout from the US government bought herself a ranch house and a persian cat. She settled down into retired life early, hoping to learn what it means to be human as she gardens, watches tv, goes to baseball games, and visits farmer’s markets. But she still comes back to the city to assist with disaster relief and world threats. Edie chose a similar route, and works as a freelance superhero on call for the bureau when a heavy hitter is needed. He also does other hero work like saving people from burning buildings when he can. 

Will Rivkin decided to get  his teaching credential and is currently a student teacher at his local high school. A lot of his students think it's pretty cool that the famous Captain Kick is helping them with their geometry homework. Similarly, Zia Dewan is back working at her dance studio, now being able to claim the title of dance teacher, America’s sweetheart, and savior of the world. 

On this particular Saturday, the team gathers once again at Damien's parents house. This time for a much more enjoyable reason: they've made a habit of having brunch together every other weekend. They don't expect this day to be any different. It'll feature Beth’s terrible cooking and Cassie's incessant questions. They're all happy, mostly just happy to be together, but what they don't know is there someone else who wants to be with them.

THE OBJECTIVE: Meet at Damien’s for brunch. 

                                          CHAPTER THREE : THE CONFERENCE

WHEN: November 21st, 2003 

WHERE: Exemplar HQ. Washington DC, USA.

The team’s initial mission at Central Park did not go as planned. And while it was successful at getting rumors started that the team was back it was a disaster in terms of keeping the densely populated city secured. Two monsters escaped through two separate rifts in Central Park. The timing of the arrivals indicated that perhaps these entrances were planned and that the monsters can detect humans on the other side of the rift just as easily as the other way around. Both monsters managed to escape and while the first one was injured by Starscreech and Gecko, NYPD stepped in to gun it down. Shortly afterwards, the second creature broke the perimeter and was executed by the NYPD as well. The Bureau is still doing damage control at the scene. 

The Bureau decided that in light of this less than stellar first mission the team would need a better, and more predictable way to be introduced to the world. So they are holding a press conference. One where Captain Kick will speak and announce that the team is back to protect the world. The tone should be optimistic, fun, and celebratory despite the previously incurred failure. All team members are expected to be present on stage and in costume to show the world that they are all back and ready for action. 

At the moment, CAPTAIN KICK & PRICE are at odds. There is contention over the choice  to tell the truth to the public and risk a global panic, or to lie and keep assuring everyone that the situation is under control when it is not. Additionally, some bureau members have suggested that the acts of valor done by the NYPD officers who managed to take down the monsters should be erased. And the credit for the kills should be given to Exemplar members to bolster their appearance of capability. 

In their new costumes, BABYDOLL & GECKO are getting ready for the press conference. GECKO has voiced some anxieties over public perception and sought out BABYDOLL for advice. In the hopes of gaining some training to be more presentable & dealing with anxiety GECKO goes to the team member best suited to show them the ropes of what it means to put on a good show and not let worries compromise the performance. 

With the development as the rifts DRUID is having trouble focusing on the press conference and is spiraling with theories about the creatures from the other side. Most other Bureau members seem unwilling to listen, and are downplaying the possible intelligence of the beings from the alternate dimension. So DRUID approached the person they felt was most likely to hear them out: MORTICIAN. They hope that perhaps between the two of them they can get a working theory of what sort of tactics the creatures might be employing, if any. 

After the fight with the monster, STARSCREECH is weakened. And while they did not sustain any noticeable injuries THE CREATURE has detected that STARSCREECH has seemed fatigued. This is not a typical sensation for STARSCREECH, who tends to be tough beyond human capacity. But it is evident that something about that fight and that monster were different. And THE CREATURE can sense there is something wrong with STARSCREECH. 

After suffering a personal devastation MONARCH is beginning to doubt her position on the team. She has packed her bags but hasn’t told anyone that she’s considering leaving. She intends to wait until just before the press conference to make her decision. But TALLAHASSEE has noticed her strangely distant behavior. To lose a team member this early after a defeat could be devastating to both team morale and to the nostalgia building mission of the press conference and the revival as a whole. 

THE OBJECTIVE: Successfully announce to the public that The Exemplar team has returned. 

                                        CHAPTER SIX : THE HIDEAWAY

WHEN: November 24th - November 28th, 2003

WHERE: Valentine Residence. Middlebury, Vermont, USA.

As the team flies away from the burning remains of headquarters they can hear the sirens of ambulances wail in the distance. Vincent Brink asks for instructions and a status report from the team. Evelynn reveals that Moira Montclair is deceased due to a stab wound and that the lab was on fire when she tried to enter. Whether or not Benji and Keller made it out alive is unknown.  Evelynn looked to the team for any sort of leadership or answers, and their silence seemed to answer: Cesare did not make it to the chopper. 

Evelynn also looks for guidance as to where to land the helicopter. With Cesare gone, and Will unconscious the default leaders are not able to make a call. And Damien, reluctant at first, slides into the passenger seat next to Brink. After an hour of navigating the skies, Brink lands the helicopter in a cul de sac in the middle of a charming suburban neighborhood. Some of the neighborhood residents peek out their door to see the team of injured heroes step out onto the pavement. 

Brink reports that he is going to check on the status of backup Bureau facilities and that the team should stay safe and under the radar while here. Evelynn nods and promises that she will assure that any spectators will not reveal their location. As the helicopter takes off once again, the lights of a nearby porch flick on. And Damien waves to the two figures in the doorway. Damien announces their safe house for the next few days: his parents home. 

There are two spare rooms in addition to Damien’s room, a large yard, and there’s a first aid kit under the bathroom sink. But that’s all. Beth promises to tend to everyone’s wounds and Eve warns them to avoid going to the hospital: the more attention they draw to themselves the more likely they are to be attacked again. The team is trying to keep it together, but with so much lost hope is waning. And they’ve begun to wonder why they’re fighting at all. 

THE OBJECTIVE: Recover from the attack on HQ and make a plan about what to do next. 

                                   CHAPTER FIVE : THE KAIJU - PART 2

WHEN: November 22nd, 2003 

WHERE: Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

The mission to stop the kaiju was as much a disaster as the mission which preceded it. Perhaps even more of a disaster, because it resulted in the life of one of the team members becoming imperiled. The charges were set and the team on the ground lay in wait as the figure of the beast came closer and closer. 

But there was one unforeseen hitch in the plan: a teenager, who had been graffitiing one of the shipping containers, heard security doing a preliminary check around the shipyard and hid, so as to avoid being caught and arrested for trespassing. This teenager had no idea there was a kaiju marching to crush them, and they stayed tucked behind nets and pulleys as the evacuation happened around them. 

It was only when the sound of crashing and surging of water became deafening that they began to detect something was truly amiss. They exited their hiding spot to find themselves in shadow, as the kaiju towered above them, blocking out the newly risen sun. Cowering directly in the path of the unknowing, uncaring beast they stared and shuddered - frozen in place by their terror. 

It was Gecko that noticed the teen. A hero at heart, Laura rushed to save them. Laura ran through the shipyard and pulled them out of the path of the 100 foot creature. She was able to guide them through the labyrinth of containers and docks, and even managed to vault them into the arms of Captain Kick who dragged them away and into safety. But the ledge up and out of the docking area Gecko found herself cornered in was too high, and she was trapped.

Then, the charges went off and explosions tore through the shipyard in a fantastically timed and planned orchestra by Tallahassee. But Tallahassee had not planned for one of the team members to be present in the shipyard at the time of the kaiju’s arrival. So when the kaiju hit their mark and the explosives detonated, the team watched in horror as the fire and shrapnel tore through the flesh of the monster and possibly through their friend. Silence followed the deafening roar of the explosion. 

But what they did not know was that Laura made a life-saving decision to dive off of the docks and into the bay. Not a great swimmer, but with enough training to manage, she was able to get beneath the surface and avoid the swell of flames. But she could not avoid those scraps of steel from the shipping containers that rained down around her. One of them plunged through the ocean’s surface and punctured through her right calf. 

And as the kaiju fell and ocean swelled, the team searched desperately for her. Babydoll was the one who recognized the pink hair awash in the waves. Zia dived in and pulled Laura up on to the surviving splinters docks. The team called out to Monarch for medical assistance as Laura’s leg sent rivers of scarlet pouring into the already sullied waves. But there was no response. Beth was out of range, flying up the coastline, wonderfully obvious to the team who desperately needed her. 

                                CHAPTER FIVE : THE ROOFTOP

WHEN: November 22nd, 2003 

WHERE: Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

The night of the press conference, almost as if in response to the news that the team was back, a kaiju rose from the depths of the Atlantic ocean. The kaiju had been monitored for the past twenty years for brainwaves and activity and recently there was a spike in its readings. And it’s not the only one. All the kaijus that the Bureau was monitoring showed increased signs of brain activity since the portal was opened, almost as if they were responding to it. The same way that dogs can hear frequencies that humans can’t, it seems kaijus can detect dimensional instability. And even though the readings detected that this kaiju was active, it was small, so not as closely watched as the others. 

Which is why when the alarm sounded this morning the Bureau checked every other sensor first. The beast rose from the depths and began it’s lumbering journey towards land at approximately one in the morning. It is now four in the morning and the team finds themselves in a mostly empty shipyard in Boston, watching as the figure of the 100 foot tall beast approaches from the distance. The waves lap at the man made structures, growing increasingly more turbulent. The team knows this is their chance to redeem themselves after the disasters of the past 48 hours. 

BABYDOLL &  DRUID were the ones who came up with the plan to fell the beast. They suggested luring the kaiju into a place with no civilians. Then to take the feet out from under the kaiju, which is moving at a much faster pace than is traditional. Once the kaiju has fallen, detonate large charges of explosives around it. 

CAPTAIN KICK & GECKO are in charge of evacuation. They shipyard’s manager promised that no one was on duty at the moment but it’s important that the team double checks to make sure there are no homeless or errant teens lurking about in among the shipping containers, all of which are covered in graffiti due to the lax security. 

MORTICIAN &  TALLAHASSEE are in charge of the explosives. Tallahassee, as the expert, has requested the proper amount and type of explosives that if detonated at the right time should kill the kaiju without destroying the whole shipyard. Mortician will work with Tallahassee to set and arm these charges in the shipyard without prematurely detonating. 

THE CREATURE has been chosen to lure the kaiju into the proper channel. PRICE must effectively guide THE CREATURE through the labyrinth of the shipyard without triggering any of the explosives early. They cannot let the kaiju get distracted while approaching the shoreline and they must ensure that THE CREATURE is able to escape before the explosion. 

MONARCH did not get the chance to discuss her resignation with PRICE, because the team was woken up and called on a mission before she had the chance. So now, hungover and no longer interested in fully participating she is on the mission but not enthused. MONARCH & STARSCREECH have been assigned to keep an eye from the sky, monitoring how fast the kaiju is moving to approximate when the beast will arrive at the shipyard. But as the sun begins to rise in the distance MONARCH considers other ways to spend the morning with STARSCREECH. 

THE OBJECTIVE: Defeat the Kaiju before it can reach Boston and possibly walk across the country wreaking havoc.

                                               FLASHBACK : THE PARTY

WHEN: June 26th, 1985

WHERE: Rooftop of Marriott Hotel, New York

It’s the 80s and The Exemplars are right in the middle  of their campaign to bring peace to the people and cash to the government. Of course, they don’t know that this is the best it’s ever going to get.  After a successful mission in New York taking down some ‘communists’, which were actually actors in over the top red costumes, the team was invited by a wealthy businessman to attend a party. The party is for the wealthy elite of New York City and will have guests that range from A List famous to A list rich. The team accepted the offer thinking that they’d be part of that guest list only to find out: they’re the entertainment.

THE CREATURE was particularly excited for their first real party and was eager to bound around the rooftop making friends and experiencing what it’s like to do what the humans would consider ‘fun’. But CAPTAIN KICK, who has been to a fair share of parties like these, is not so excited about the prospect of being a spectacle. CAPTAIN KICK resolved to keep an eye on THE CREATURE. But as people got more drunk and rowdy it was more difficult to do and now CAPTAIN KICK has to warn THE CREATURE to be safe and not to trust so easily, without seeming like he wants to keep THE CREATURE on a leash. 

For BABYDOLL, as well, this was another run of the mill party where she gets ogled at by horny celebrities and trust fund kids and has to put on a polite smile. She was not looking forward to it. While MONARCH on the other hand was elated to get the chance to wear something nice and be looked at for once, and not from miles in the sky. So used to people squinting up at her vague silhouette this felt like a godsend. But what she did not anticipate was the fact that the men at the part would goad her into a petty competition with BABYDOLL, fueling the flames of a rivalry already there. This was the moment of fallout - the moment that doomed their relationship and it happened with all the world watching. 

The night did not go so well for GECKO either, who, after being hassled by some of the businessmen at the party was asked to show off her abilities. She could not see her friends in the crowd as she was cornered by this group of jeering older men asking her inappropriate questions and trying to get her to go invisible. When she couldn’t they got fed up and shoved her into the pool. GECKO returned to HQ swiftly and approached PRICE about the situation, looking for some solace. 

Meanwhile, MORTICIAN, TALLAHASSEE, and DRUID chose not to attend the party. They were clearly immune to the skeezy enticement of the businessman which invited the team. So instead they got to spend the night at HQ, watching on MTV as exclusive live footage of the party showed their teammates getting into trouble. They sat, in awe and dismay, talking about the price of the limelight and wondering if they had been there would it have been better or worse? 

THE OBJECTIVE: Endure the night of a party where a group of shitty rich people attempt to turn the team against each other for the sake of a drama. 

                                  CHAPTER NINE : THE GALA

WHEN: December 1st, 2003 until 10 pm 

WHERE: A lavish mansion, near the mouth of the Pyasina river, Russia. 

There were three major discoveries while searching the lab. The first of which is that Laura’s creator is alive and well. But not only that, he is one of the masterminds behind the new technology. His presence has shaken Laura and given eh team a greater perspective fo the scale of this operation: every scientist with anti-American sentiments has been called in to contribute to this project. But this man in particular, was not as much a team player as the rest and has continued his research despite the fact that he was ordered to pack up and move out three days ago. He provided little insight, keeping tight-lipped, and attempting to move the conversation back to the subject of Laura and the Exemplars, but it appears his loyalty is to himself alone. Whether or not he alerted his boss to the presence of the team in Russia is unknown. 

The second discovery was found by Addy, Will, and Eve. They were searching the lab when they entered the main facility to find a glaring lack of portal. Eve said that on her last visit this was the location where the portal had been. But now there is only an empty spot on the linoleum floor. It’s clear that, for whatever reason, the main portal has either been moved or destroyed. Eve also gathered some paperwork which explained, in Russian, that the main portal was the only stable access to the other dimension and all other rifts closed in under thirty seconds. The main portal is required for constant access to, and communication with, the other side. 

The final, most important piece of information, was found by Tango, and read by Damien. It was a memo sent out to the entire staff informing them that the lab would be put on an indefinite standstill and the framework for the main portal would be disassembled and transported to what was referred to as the Ice Mouth. This alone would not be helpful enough to lead the team. But Beth retrieved a card from one of the desks in the lab. It was an invitation to a private gala being held later that night at a location called Ice Mouth Mansion, with the coordinates listed underneath. The invite called for formal attire, and so the team dug through the old boxes to find their vintage dresses and suits from parties or press conferences. Layering their classic costumes underneath for both the sake of warmth and the possible chance of a fight, they headed towards the destination. 

The team uncovered their car, followed their gps, and arrived at the coordinates. On the way, they could see railroad tracks paralleling the road they traveled on, despite there being no documentation of a railway system in that area. When they got to the destination expecting to find more desolate and empty wasteland, they saw a mansion built to look like a medieval castle jutting up from the ground, covered in snow. Behind it the mouth of the Pysasina river glitters, half-frozen over. A windswept landing strip is currently occupied by two private planes. Even more remarkable is that there is a train stopped near the pack entrance of the mansion. It only has a few cars, but it’s the most evident method that the scientists used to the transport the portal pieces. 

 And even though this grand building is out in the middle of nowhere, people seem to be pretending like it’s the Paris opera house. From the planes and the occasional car, women in fancy gowns and men in suits step out into the chilling evening air and enter the castle. The team must enter, find a way to blend in, and use this grand unveiling to understand what it is the scientists intend to do with the portal. However, if they are able to identify and isolate the mastermind behind the portal early, they may be able to force the plan into the light and stop the second activation of the portal. 

THE OBJECTIVE: Infiltrate the gala and watch the grand unveiling of the portal. 

                                       CHAPTER EIGHT : THE LAB

WHEN: November 31st, 2003

WHERE: A nuclear bunker converted into a laboratory, the tundra of northern Russia. 

Eve declared the next step in the plan: return to the lab where she discovered the first stable portal and do reconnaissance. She believes the person responsible for that portal is also responsible for the attack on headquarters. It’s not much to go on, but with the bureau in shambles they have to take whatever lead they can get. Eve made it clear that she was going, whether anyone accompanied her or not. And she was surprised to find how willing the team was to take the next step and join her as she crossed the globe to the potential lion’s den. 

Eve was able to get in contact with Brink who was working on sifting through the remains of HQ and taking account of who and what survived. They were able to request the chartering of a small private jet for the team, requesting it from the Whitehouse itself and declaring a state of global emergency. While the U.S. government at large attempts to shield itself and the people from another possible attack, no motions are being made to go on the offense. The team is the only force out there ready to mobilize. Eve was also able to pull some of the team’s old costumes and weapons from the archives. They were in storage to become a museum exhibit, so there are two crates stuffed full of iconic Exemplar memorabilia. 

So, after a flight that lasted over forty-eight hours, the team arrived at a tiny airport near the entrance to the Great Arctic State Nature Reserve. They checked in to a tiny hotel and donned their warmest clothes: preparing to enter the arctic. After hours driving across the barren landscape in a jeep the team saw a lump amidst the flat landscape. Once they had parked and disguised the vehicle they approached to find a subterranean bunker. 

Captain Kick divided the team into pairs and asked that every split off in a different direction to investigate. Monarch with Gecko, Babydoll with Mortician, The Creature with Starscreech, and Captain Kick with Tallahassee and Pendulum. They all must remain out of sight. But the more information they can gather on what the lab is designed for and how it can be shut down, the better. 

For now, the lab seems empty, almost abandoned, despite how well kept and clean everything is. It is as if the lab was evacuated suddenly and without regard for saving any of the discoveries made there. But in the labyrinthian halls and grand machinery filled rooms it is difficult to know what waits around the next corner. 

THE OBJECTIVE: Infiltrate the lab and uncover who might be behind the opening of the portals.