The Rising Dawn. # 36— "Beacon, Amplified"

The captured Strong Boyz were writhing to get a fix of Adrenal, as the withdrawal symptoms included a splitting headache and irresistible fatigue. The Rising Dawn did not keep Adrenal normally, but they had seized a stash of it from the hide-out of Grim Bart and his gang. The Dawns would offer small fixes of Adrenal in exchange for information, and after they wound down entirely, they were much less resilient than the hoplites of the Magister’s Snakebite Fraternity.

It turned out, Grim Bart and the Strong Boyz were amateurs, even though they had four ‘Outliers’ (Gifted) as captives in one of their dens. One understood how to make Portals, although it wasn’t clear what the actual Gift was. In any case, the Dawns could never have enough people who understood such things.

Two of the three were psychics, and not very talented. However, their blood could produce Adrenal, and so they needed to be protected. Perhaps they could be utilized as therapists.

The fourth Gifted had the ability to enter and alter people’s dreams. This one was kept on sedatives, because the Strong Boyz feared his ability. His name was Darrel Quarrel, and he offered the alternative to be “Dreamwalker”. This one’s blood was the most potent, and the Dawns counted themselves most fortunate with such a unique ability (called an Abnormality by their adversaries) to be added to their arsenal.

With the death of several Strong Boyz, the Dawn Society had insensibly assumed the role of Rook City’s police, but only to the extent that the municipal police either lacked the power to stop criminals, or were in the pocket of either the Irish Mob or the Magister’s Fraternity. The two kingpins had offered to pay to have the Dawns held responsible for their vigilante activism, but the Dawns weren’t ready to go without a fight, and the cops were about as willing to fight them as they were against the rival mobs.

The Shop, however, although it was an unofficial government agency, had the badges necessary to authorize their prosecution against the Rising Dawn, and they were galvanizing both their Low Men and their New Marines to confront them once again. The Shop coveted Outlier Blood just like the Irish and the Fraternity, and they had limitless access to US Dollars to fund their operation.

The result was an all-out war, with neither of the four parties unwilling to use violence to get what they wanted, even resulting in death. However, even though the Rising Dawn was chiefly concerned with rescuing Outliers, they made their money by providing goods and services, and did not condone robbery, extortion, or drug-dealing.

They just recently acquired an indoor apiary yielding the best available products on the market, thanks to little Dorothy Catcher (Ladybug). Grego raked in a yield for training animals with nigh supernatural abilities, Wraith kept many talented lawyers in her pay (some with psychic Gifts), Gallant received donations as a certified superhero, Gimmick’s art was prized for its ability to shape events, Mech and Thrift dealt in robotics, Snow was a sought-after private educator, Solomon’s healing commanded high prices, and there were scores of various services achievable only by Citizens of the Dawn. For example, their Soothers could cure insomnia, their therapists had spotless reputations (they were actually psychics and empaths), there were numerous medical personnel with Gifts, there were those who could imbue plantlife with new and surpassingly useful properties, and more Gifted still were the ones like Parse, who offered surpassing software development and other IT services. 

Although there were none like Parse. 

Parse, her Normy name being Emerald Jennison, conferred with Wraith, Pointer, Nightshift, and Voodoo, who preferred to be called Serenade, or Nade.

“I was thinking,” said Parse, “absent of a machine that can amplify his power, perhaps Nade’s arts can be used to strengthen Beacon’s Gift.”

“We should really consult Gallant for this,” said Glenn (Nightshift).

“We should for anything involving voodoo,” said Wraith “after that monster of a curse.”

“What did you have in mind?” said Voodoo.

“Well, what I just said, actually,” said Parse, “if we can find something to— um, ‘appease’ her witchcraft, we can use it to empower James Wark. That way, all the Gifted in Rook City and beyond will make a pilgrimage to Freedom Tower.”

“Is such a thing even possible?” said Pointer.

“It is,” said Nade, “But there is always a price.”

“Maybe we could pay something a little less crazy this time,” said Glenn, “like a gift basket, or something.”

Jeremic Fury (Pointer) let out a single, dry “Hah.”

Parse snorted.

Wraith said, “What are the logistics of accommodating them all?”

Parse offered to show them her laptop.

“According to my schematics,” she said, “One month of using Beacon’s Gift will draw in twenty-six new Citizens.”

“Interesting,” said Pointer, “Won’t they have lives of their own? Not all Gifted want or need to be rescued.”

Parse seemed crestfallen.

Wraith said, “Now that The Shop, The Grecian, Danny Boy and every gangbanger in Rook City wants to feed on Outlier Blood, it may be that all of them need to be rescued.”

“What about Freedom, man?” said Nightshift, “You can’t all make them come here.”

Pointer said, “Well maybe we can give them the offer after bringing them here.”

“I dunno, man,” said Glenn, “Voodoo: What will it take, anyhow?”

“I can do it by putting five strong Citizens into a slumber, for two weeks.”

“Yeowch,” said Nightshift, “we have our hands full, you know. Thugs on Adrenal, hitmen full of the Drive, and The Shop’s mobile guns. We need every fighter on deck.”

“All those enemies want to drink the blood of Outliers,” said Wraith, “If we make the proper arrangements, we can keep them safe, without biting too deep into our finances.”

“I’m telling Gallant, first,” said Nightshift, “sorry, but we already paid a hefty price for that voodoo. There are so many things that can go wrong.”

Wraith sighed. “Gallant it is, then.”

“I agree with this,” said Serenade, “Voodoo often has harsh penalties.”

“Maybe we can make use of Yahtzee,” said Pointer.

“I think I can find a way to utilize his Luck. Leave it to me!” said Parse.

“We’re gonna need it,” said Glenn.