The Reliance, #2

While others tended to unsettled civilians, Surge took the chance to speak to the nearby hot-dog vendor. The vendor told him that he saw a strange, scrawny man in a tattered trench coat steal and eat an inhuman number of hotdogs and then flee the scene when the action started. Last the vendor saw, the stranger collided with a truck further down the street.


Chronos, arriving late due to some personal matters came just in time to witness Candice disappear in a shaft of light.


Deciding that there were more immediate needs than to examine the strange weapon he recovered, Road Warrior jumped into his stunt-car, The Beast, and took Surge along for a ride to investigate the strange truck accident. The driver of the totalled semi-truck described a huge, hulking figure in a tattered trench-coat that absently slammed into his truck as if it were nothing, and then continued into the subway station nearby. Road Warrior and Surge were quick to inform the rest of the team.


Unbeknownst to the others in The Reliance, Candice had been pulled away by the mystical agent of order, Dr. Fate. His message to her was simple, but deathly serious: "You are being watched. The Lords of Order will not permit a power such as yours to be used in service to darkness." The implication was clear that Dr. Fate would be a potential ally, or a devastating foe.


Chronos literally made "good use of time" by manipulating chronal energy, almost instantly speeding him to the subway. Moments later The Beast began roaring down into the subway tunnel in pursuit.


After making sure that everyone was alright, Iron Hand flew down into the Subway tunnel and soon the team, minus only one, stood poised for action.
What they found was a wreck of four subway cars, with civilians both in and around the accident. A broken cluster of water mains began to flood the area and severed electrical lines created a lethal combination.


With a teaming of power armor and Chronal Speed, an evacuation of subway passengers began. Road Warrior and Surge also worked quickly to clear civilians off of the platform.
Before the subway could be completely evacuated, two alien warriors, male and female, boldly arrived on the scene, ready to "prove themselves", in some way, using The Reliance.


Candice was freed by Dr. Fate in just enough time to join the conflict and, like most of the team, become over-whelmed by the intensity of the Male's energy weapon.
Iron Hand, protected by his power armor, pummeled through the massive blast of energy and like a juggernaut, slammed the female alien into the wall of ceramic tile and concrete.


Seeking to finish what he started by throwing the unconscious female at the male, Iron Hand suddenly found himself bound (and also rather distracted) by a black, sticky web-like snare, slung by the alien male.


Although unnoticed by the others, Road Warrior had managed to make eye-conact with the female just before she was neutralized, allowing him to drain tremendous strength from her other-worldy physique. With a torrent of electrical energy, Surge jolted the male alien into unconscious submission.


Candice immediately went to work trying to catch a scent of the figure in the tattered trench-coat. After making an intense effort, she discovered his unusual aroma and notified the team of the direction in which he escaped.


Road Warrior, eager to explore abilites that are still mysterious in origin, absorbed increased defensive power from the male, only to feel it vanish a minute later. His strength still intact, he and Iron Hand adjusted the train wreckage enough to allow for its safe removal by transit authorities.


With a direction now established, the team departed to chase their mysterious suspect, while Iron Hand stayed behind momentarily to secure the crime scene with the arrival of local police.
Following the path of destruction led The Beast and its occupants to a park outside, where a strange alien craft awaited them. While Iron Hand and Surge wasted no time in making a stylish entrance through its open bay door, Iron Hand and Candice surveyed from above, waiting for a strategic opportunity to present itself.


Inside the craft, was the mysterious figure, who revealed himself as "The Arbitrator". He had brought two Khundian warriors, siblings, to this world, as he had done for many others, to test their abilites and "right of ascension" for the political structure of Khund controlled space. Unfortuantely, he did not anticipate that they would be defeated so easily and now has determined Earth to be a threat to the Khundian Empire.


He has set in place an automated sequence that will result in the destruction of the planet, unless The Reliance can defeat him in combat. If they succeed, he will use his unique genetic material to signal shut-down of the destructive device. If they fail, this planet is doomed. Before their eyes, members of The Reliance watch the Arbitrator's rope-like muscles twitch and expand as he transforms into the lumbering figure responsible for so much destruction.


Next time... "The Fate Of Earth Decided!"