The Special Not a Valentine

~ Chapter one ~ part one ~

Darkness.

Gijo - (voiced over) "Wanna see what we do to nazis ?"

Stage lights bang on over a view of Middleton, completely empty of life.

Gijo - (voiced) "Welcome to the wargames."

A spark travels across the city as a grid-work sky fades in and out.

~ The Special Not a Valentine ~

 ('Paradigm' by George Clinton and Prince)

A red neon heart flickers on, pulling out to Erzulie's club, the cars pulling up.

~ A view moves through a nazi bastard's house while he gets ready for bed, guns, paraphernalia on the walls, etcetera.

~ A view over the ocean floor, a sea rusted gun silted over.

A military escort pulls up to the Middleton gate, met by the MP.

~ A view moves through the house of a klan fuck while he lies down to sleep.  A shadow creeping outside with a bucket of paint.

~ Across an island past a wrecked WWII Spitfire, a large bird's shadow passes.

The lead car of the entourage, back window rolls down, the Gaslight General looking back, the window rolls up. 

The gate opens.

~ Another motherfucker closes his eyes.  The house glazes over into one without feature, fresh paint.  More creeping shadows.

~ Back to the ocean, a bubble rises from the silt of the wrecked destroyer, a shadow in the water swims over an M18 (Buick) tank embedded in crust.

The band on the stage at Erzulie's club plays, the people arrive.

~ A bucket of white paint is thrown over the sleeper.  A 'honk' sound, he opens his eyes.

More military arrives as the gate opens, the view sweeping into a massive city, Middleton, with higher rises filled with cheering audience.

~ Another bucket of paint, a 'honk honk' and open eyes.

A glass of gin is poured, honey from a bear. 

The bartender picks up the shot, fire erupting from her hand, then ice.  She slides it across the bar, caught.

~ the view through the empty house, all gone but their guns piled on the kitchen table with their car keys.  Two steam clowns (not to be confused with nazi-clowns) creeping in the shadows.

Legba takes the shot and turns to a stump grown in the middle of the room showing the Middleton Arena.

~ The view moves out the window and into the residential night.

Dumbfounded nazi clowns exiting houses dragging their guns in confusion looking around, poofey outfits marked like range targets.  The view turns to the looker still dripping paint with a dumb red nose and stupid hair.

A honk.

(And there will be absolutely nothing cool about them)

~ The (awesome) steam clowns giggle into the night ...
________________

The nazi clowns look around, a rumble of a murmur all around them in the distant dark sky.

A rooster crows.

The lights go on and the massive arena in a half circle around the city is seen, the sea beyond.  The crowd filled with gods and ghosts, dreamers in pajamas, guests of eras, angels, demons, and all of else begins stomping their feet, chanting "! Hoo ! Hoo ! Hoo !" fists raised.

Lilith's airship flies over as displays drop from the domed ceiling, showing the inside of a cargo bay. 

Lilith - Amplified with her fist up on the central view, "We've got ! Beeeeef !"  Her airship drops the many drones, the views on screen following.

The crowd roars across the stands while the nazi clowns turn to grasp, the sound resuming the stomp, shaking the ground.

The Air Force Thunderbirds formation roars over and fan rolls apart and back out, leaving a seven trails  looped over the city.
____

Aedera - Sitting next to the general, she hands him a controller, "For you."

General - "Oh !  Is it ..."

Aedera - "Well armed for a special guest ?  Yes.  You should know that the weaponization here works differently, however.  That's what you're here to learn." 

She glances to the console on the arm of his chair, then turns to the city peering down. 

Aedera - "I'm here to answer, and to take Sanctuary account."

He swivels the arm, opens a screen, looks up for his drone ... checks the control between the screen.

Aedera - "As we begin.  We'll assume that you've received our comm.  Our combined forces will then have three days to clear the civilians, under fire."

General - "Three days."

Aedera - "Yes.  We simulate the storm cannon.  One of our more formidable weapons.  A simulation for us as well, as we may now power higher."

General - "Is it field tested ?"

Aedera - "Yes.  Without great conspicuousness, but it functions.  In truth an abandoned asset.  We drag it out for the show."

General - "How does it function ?"

Aedera - "It operates as the effects of cold on electromagnetism, but in reverse.  Using electromagnetism to create a rail gun, firing cold from your poles.  Here, that function is simulated, as is the grid-work sky."

General - He cranes his neck, "And what does that ... do ?"

Aedera - "At the moment, very little.  Also abandoned.  Being re-purposed to bond with your atmosphere and restore your protection and air.  Otherwise only activated when asteroids or the like drift too close to you.  We do as well keep some track of other travelers, so much as we care.  Here."

She pulls her data pad, the grid appears.

Aedera - "A deployment platform, above and below.  Again, this fraction of it, here simulated.  It is not our sky.  It is your sky."

High above, at the cross-points of the grid hang long spires twirling a mist.

General - "Cotton candy ..."

Aedera - Giggles, "Yes.  Would you like some ?"

General - Looks at her a moment, "I would."
________________

Nocturne and Doe pull up outside Middleton's gate ~

The window rolls down, the MP approaches.

Doe - "We're here for the Boom !"

Nocturne - "Yah !  The boom !  The Boom !"

Guard - "I'm _sorry_ ... but this is _not_ a valentine."

D & N - "What do you mean ... ?" / "Awww ..."

Guard - "I mean you oozing lovebirds can take your god damned 'PDA' and your ... 'romantic moments' some other motherfucking place.  Which isn't here.  Safety zone."

Makes a finger-cross and hisses.

Nocturne - "Wow."

Guard - "Yep !"

A second gate slams shut. 

They drive slowly away ... they honk sadly ...

Guard - Flips them off, "Yeah how about you try bringing me some fucking candy next time !" 

They screech away.
________________

General - About to eat the cotton candy, he pauses.  "I've read the tales you know.  Is this a Fae food deal, is it ?"  He starts laughing, "I'll be stuck here forever ?"

Aedera - Giggling, "No.  This is a dream.  But you may want some when you wake."  She smiles, "And I cannot help you there.  We begin ?  Three days.  Your troops are layered in deployment range averages, ours of course port in directly, as first responders."

General - "Jealous on that."

Aedera - "Sanctuary is at the center of all, and so to travel anywhere, is just as fast."
________________

They wait at the burger drive thru (called Chandel-a-Burger).

Nocturne - "This is some bullshit."

Doe - "Oh I know."

He passes the cash to the window.

They brood ...

Nocturne - "So what the fuck now ?!"

He takes the bag.

Doe - "Wanna go fuck with that video game company ?"

Passes a burger, takes the sodas and thanks.

Nocturne smiles and takes a bite ...

The ketchup drips ...

"... chew ..."

Doe - "Nocturne !"

Nocturne - "What !?"

Doe - "I said do you wanna go fuck with those game makers ?"

Nocturne - "Sorry.  I was thinking about something else.  Umm ... sure !"

Soda slurping sound over their peel off.
________________

Aedera - "Know that the guard arriving is not of our military and has no training for this.  They will display the gear we have for your soldiers.  Their participation is as a reward."

General - "For what ?"

Aedera - Smiles briefly, still looking over the city.  "In the early days of Sanctuary, they were among the first students in our school.  Quiet competition in projects yielded great renown.  They became quite famous."

General - "What were the projects ?"

Aedera - "Team Delta made ice crawl up from the lake shores in your Midwest, as like a living thing, while Team Alpha made it rain apples of many varieties across an English countryside."

General - Looks at her, "Really ?"

Aedera - "As said, I am here to answer."

General - He stares a moment in consideration, "Why ?  Why all of this.  Why ?"

Aedera - Turning to him, "First, because we care.  A funny question which, if you imagine, is exactly why we are as suspicious of you as are you of us.  But it's because you've made mistakes which will kill your world without assistance."

She looks up at the grid-work waiting.  His eyes follow.

Aedera - "And second because it's a very large universe, General.  An ocean is also large, but we forget that it is 'deep'.  And the universe is very 'deep'.  You've become conspicuous, and again, you will need our help."

The sound roars back to the crowd as the teams march out, drones descending and circling, two knocking into each other to view.

Aedera - Distracted by the show, "It was their projects which began all this !"  Stands and cheers, yelling over the crowd, "Just remember that we have no need to display our capabilities at all !  This is an act of diplomacy, trust, and unity of cause !" 

She jumps up and down peering to the distant teams with her scope.

Aedera - "There will be many !"  She takes the funnel megaphone and yells down into the arena jumping, "! Whooo ! Team Apple Rules !"

She sits glancing at him, a quick smile.  "I was their first tutor."
____

Alpha and Delta stroll ...
________________

Lucretia broods over profane battle on her display in the tree ~

Doe - Voice on comm (chewing) - "Lucretia ... ?"

Lucretia - Looks to the side, "Yes ... ?"

Doe - "So ... we need import into a game server please ?"

Lucretia - "Why ... ?"

Nocturne - "They jacked my shit !"

Doe - "Back story and everything ..."

Nocturne - "... voiced by a blonde and blue white lady ..."

(true story)

Lucretia - "! What !?  Who."
________________

Aedera - "It was when one of our agents discovered a rather large cadre of soul traders in your world.  Randomly in fact.  Nearly all the last we'd been hunting.  As his hunt became impossible to ignore, we decided to take advantage of the opportunity presented.  This."

General - "You're talking about hollywood."

Aedera - "Yes.  We have for some time desired direct diplomacy, but it was inconceivable until you had reason to listen."
____

The patrol spots a nazi clown wandering in confusion.

"Whoop !"  - honk -  Running away, "Whoop-whoop-whoop-whoop ..."

Alpha Commander - (in a totally fake sounding military tone) "Command !  This is Alpha leader.  Requesting armor for Alpha and Delta Patrols ... we've got bo ... bos ..."
____

High in the grid, Gijo sits in a gunner's chair.  She pulls a heavy lever as the barrels cycle through before firing a pulse.  The package hits the patrol, armor settling over them, Alpha heavy, Delta light gear.

~ Notes ~

Alpha set mounts shoulder cannons, auto-tracking what they can't see.  Armor takes in and analyzes field fluctuations.

Delta deploys three hunter drones, controlled by the wearer, hovering when unknown, collecting intuitive feedback data.

Alpha cannons track on Delta data for target verification.
________
____

Valentine Armor.

Individual armor systems require an overseer, to monitor and call in resource as needed from the overall system.  It begins in the nervous system, creating a generalized fusion template, and neural integration.

It maps what's there, and monitors trauma related divergence, and re-channels for quick temporary recover from a given situation, until safety.  Essentially what battle received neural damage can't be repaired, neural rechanneling is encouraged to compensate, referencing the original map.

All things are cross referenced with genetic code to compensate for lifetime injury, and as a general template of ideal health.  And from there the endocrine system can be enhanced, as well as minor muscular enhancement.

Sensor package is constantly updated through the system and wired through the cortex to the frontal lobe for instinctual awareness response.  This is where system targets unseen foes, often unseen for various reasons.  But it will target alike.

All functions are dependent on the user.  High end involves overlays, mapping and vision mode, but nothing is technically 'seen', but 'understood'.  Similar to communication with the overseer.

Overseers are selected among war heroes and lost friends of the user, and any given team would remain team among them, as the tales be told.
____
________

Gijo pulls another lever and the surrounding grid turns to a placement deep in mechanism, unfolding in an Arctic representation.  Two prongs stretch forward for miles across an ocean, turning slowly over the water before settling and dropping grounds into.

Gijo - Touching her hands to the surrounding gear, "Missed you baby ..."  She looks up, "Control !"  Back down with a smile, "Gimme."

The grid fires a beam into the receiver behind the chair, a glow spilling over while the charge fills the prongs, sparking over the water ...
____

Aedera - To the general - "It was designed by the nameless."
____

Gijo - Power continues to build ... "! WHOOOOOOO !"
____

General - "Heard he was dead."
____

Gijo laughs loud, glowing bright with all around as the charge begins shaking the mechanisms.
____

Aedera - "It's an abstract.  All our agents are nameless."

The general looks at her.
____

Gijo fires, the charge down the prongs slams back into the barrel, counter launching a tiny burst through a puff of mist.
____

General - Looking up at her again from the monitor, "Oh ..."

Aedera - Smiles, "Yes.  You understand."

General - "Yes.  I do.  That wasn't a misfire."

Aedera - "No.  It was not."

General - "Wow."

Aedera - "Yes.  Three day average until core arrival.  It will be precipitated.  If you will ?"

General - "Hm ?  Oh !"  He pulls out his phone and fumbles a bit tapping, "Umm ..." then into the phone.  "Go."