Blackslash/Journal
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
Author's Forward
This journal chronicles Blackslash's experiences in standard CoH/Virtue continuity, but has excerpts from a journal she kept in her own timeline interspersed throughout, which relate to the standard entry. These excerpts are in italics.
Note that the writing style can be different between entries, because she has changed a great deal, emotionally, over the course of her life. In general, the later the entry was made, the more emotionally detached she has become.
Jan. 15th, 2005 06:20 pm: Day 1: Arrived
Arrived in January 15th, 2005.
Woke in small neighborhood. Stabbed people with glowing eyes.
Met Back Alley Brawler for second time.
Power in suit low due to temporal disruption field. Given mundane assignments until power is restored.
Stabbed gang members.
Jan. 16th, 2005 03:36 pm: Day 2
Given mission to investigate missing people.
First location supplied contained Council members. Just as easy to stab as before the Soul Ripper made them the Fifth Column again.
Lost our leaders. Lost those that took the lead after that. But Requiem was dead, as was Vandal. Only Nosferatu and several hundred minions were left. Tried to give meaning to our losses, but their remaining forces were still too great to gain the upper hand.
Then Reichsman showed up behind us, used our entrance. Morale already low after the deaths of our leadership, and half our force, the rest of us fled after he snapped the neck of the hero closest to the back. Remaining Fifth forces cheered in unison and chanted his name.
Looked back and saw that Tunguska and Upshot stayed behind. Both winked.
Once out of the underground complex, the earth above it exploded, accompanied by a cloud of green and white smoke.
Last member gave location of recruitment headquarters. Dealt with it.
No sign of the Liberty League yet.
Jan. 17th, 2005 04:32 pm: Day 3
Tracking bodies missing from the morgue. Obvious sign of Vahzilok.
Surprised at lack of intelligence, and that bodies didn't explode upon death. Remembered that deal with Nemesis hasn't happened yet.
Stabbed Eidolon named Stitcher.
Jan. 18th, 2005 07:04 pm: Day 4
Still no sign of the Liberty League
Performed various minor tasks.
Decided to no longer update journal unless significant event happens.
Efficiency is important.
Met Ms. Liberty. Again.
Jan. 21st, 2005 01:07 pm: Day 7: Found them
Ran into two members of the Liberty League: Saminga and Shedim. Explained mission to prevent Nemesis' future reign. Strange talking to old friends that didn't know me. Good to see them alive.
Saminga and Shedim screamed. The old man crumpled to the floor, holding his head and heart. The conglomeration of souls known as Saminga exploded in a black cloud, amorphous, and kept screaming.
Shedim was Shibboleth again. He stood up slowly, led us from the room while Tunguska, Tivona, and The Monsignor tried to figure out if Saminga's problem was scientific, magical, or something else.
"The Kheldians are gone from this world", the old man said.
Invited to rejoin (prejoin?) the League by 'Mazing Monkey at Headquarters. Accepted.
Agreed to patrol regularly with Saminga, Vikingar, and Shedim, due to similar Security Clearance.
Stabbed Trolls.
Jan. 22nd, 2005 04:24 pm: Mother
Saw Night-Girl in the hallway. She flinched. She knows.
Took care not to tell anyone. Dangerous, could result in nonexistance or worse, destruction of space-time continuum.
Suit uses her symbol, though. Can't remove the symbol from the suit.
And she feels it.
The pain was intense. Hybrid steam-driven machines with magical enchantments had been "testing" me for hours. I told that overgrown junk-heap that I didn't have any powers. He wouldn't believe a twelve year old girl with superhuman parents.
I was telling the truth though. I never had powers, not even magical aptitude, despite both parents having powers that were magical in nature. I always had a bond with Mother though. She always knew where I was. It was how they found me.
I felt my flesh tearing, scarring. Everyone said I'd grow up to look just like Mom.
My mother is so pretty.
Left before she could ask anything. Best not to tell her until forced to.
Maybe could just keep father secret.
Stabbed Thorn Wielders.
Jan. 24th, 2005 05:31 pm: Father
Saw Father today. He was oblivious, as usual. It was good to see him again.
Asked him when Weevil might be back, need assistance with suit maintenance. Told me he didn't know. Suggested I ask Green Lobster for help.
Fixed suit alone.
Stabbed Ninjas with Vikingar and Shedim.
Jan. 26th, 2005 09:12 am: Not so strong.
Walked into room after shower. Suit on already, fortunately. Night-Girl was in the room, sitting on the bed. Said she wanted an explanation.
Tried to dash out the door. She shut it before I'd moved two feet. Mother was always very fast.
Not fast enough. Boscoe explained how father had tried to save her, he lept in front of the blast as she ran, but it went right through them both, vaporizing them. Boscoe wanted to try too, but he was too far away, keeping the massive foot of the god from crushing several other heroes.
Mom and Dad are dead, and Boscoe wasn't done telling me what happened that day in Dark Astoria yet.
Gave false story about symbol being to honor her. She didn't believe it. Bond was too strong, said that she'd felt a similar bond with her mother.
Logic too powerful to dodge.
Told her the truth. Refused to tell her who Father was. Too dangerous.
She let me leave.
Stabbed mystics and zombies.
Feb. 4th, 2005 11:48 am: Mother knows more. Danger increasing.
Was in lab working on backup suit. Night-Girl walked in.
Offered assistance with missions. Was told she just wanted to talk. Listened to her talk about her relationship with grandmother. Claw retraction mechanism sluggish.
Father walked in the room, asked if anyone wanted to help him stop evil version of Positron. She smiled at him. Looked back at me. Flinched again.
I have father's eyes.
Looked around for The Weevil's help in adjusting suit with thermal and night vision attachments that would also hide eyes. Was told Weevil has been on vacation for a couple weeks.
Feb. 6th, 2005 01:33 pm: Friends arrive
Miss Meteor and Capt. Karate are in this time.
"This is bordering on in-breeding!" Americop said, after signing up Capt. Karate for the Scouts.
Nevermind that he wasn't actually related. Miss Meteor and I have parents in the League, but the new guy was just some kid whose mother named him after Captain Karate when he saved her from Black Swan's minions.
He was funny though, so I thought the name was kind of fitting. Even if he didn't use karate.
Possible that they think I'm not capable of completing the mission alone. Could also have fled Nemesis. They didn't offer explanations. Didn't ask for any.
Good to see them again, though.
Feb. 17th, 2005 11:17 pm: Missing
Has been over a month since anyone has heard from The Weevil.
Not only are my parents both heroes, my godfather is one of the best.
The kids at school used to be in awe that I knew him at all, let alone called him "Uncle Weevs".
Now that I've recovered as much as I'm going to from... the incident, my parents decided I needed to learn how to defend myself, but since I didn't have powers, they didn't really know how to start. Uncle Weevs did.
He came over today, and gave me this huge present, wrapped up like it was my birthday. Inside was a suit like his, but without the bug-stuff, black, and with Mom's crescent moon symbol on the chest.
I tried it on, and it fit perfectly. He explained that it always would, the material was a special flexible material that would expand to fit me as I grew.
The claws were scary. He told me I'd get used to them.
The mask was like Mom's too. I asked him if he could make it cover my whole face. He nodded.
He looked sad.
No mention of such an absence before.
Captain Meteor, Battle Bovine, Kid D.C, Voidoid, and Nachtfalke are missing as well. Also no record of this in future League database.
Suspect foul play.
Someone kidnapping/killing masks?
Mar. 14th, 2005 11:32 pm: Change is good
Informed Ascendant of his death.
We were winning. Had green leadership, unexpected foes, were vastly outnumbered. Still winning. Then Requiem told Vandal to take out our leader to lower morale.
Vandal picked up a shoulder mounted linear accelerator, and fired a Xenonite slug right through his chest.
Their plan worked.
Should change events.
Should.
Mar. 15th, 2005 02:08 am: First encounter with Nemesis Army
Followed tips supplied by General Howard Aarons.
Ended in deal being made between Sky Raiders and unknown second party.
Turned out to be a Lieutenant in the Nemesis Army.
After the conglomeration of souls formerly known as Saminga had consumed several dozen heroes and hundreds of civilians, the Nemesis Army showed up with what looked like a giant, steam-powered vacuum cleaner.
They were wearing some unusual suits, not their normal uniforms. Saminga focused his attention on them, the Carnival mask on his face glinting in the sunlight. He extended his tendrils to consume their souls.
Nothing happened.
They turned on the giant contraption, and sucked Saminga's essence into the machine, leaving nothing but Vanessa DeVore's mask lying on the ground. They confiscated it for "safe keeping".
The citizens cheered. They shouted his name.
We knew it was coming. This was the last piece of his grand scheme.
The next day, the Mayor of Paragon City heralded Nemesis as a hero.
Stabbed him.
Mar. 24th, 2005 12:53 pm: Nemesis?
Assisted Captain Karate against Malta Group. Like old times.
Then we saw Nemesis.
Not sure it was the real Nemesis. Looked like him. Scanned like him. Smelled like him.
They were bombs.
Could have been beginning of Nemesis/Malta ties, and his later access to tactical nuclear weapons. Elaborate schemes to minimize his connection to strategic attacks.
It happened as I was leaving headquarters. Saw two Freakshow running away from it. Flew after them.
Knocked out of sky by shockwave. Chunks of building flew overhead. Heard laughing Freaks.
Americop was in the building, as always, doing paperwork. Monsignor advising Alien Avenger.
Kid D.C and Ms. Meteor were in building as well. The two of them survived.
I stabbed the Freaks.
Considered rushing Nemesis. Captain Karate did first. Like old times.
Stabbed Nemesis for several minutes. Little effect. Claws not sharp enough. Suit not good enough. Training not complete. Knocked across room by staff, damaging weaponry and defense systems. Visual systems still active.
Captain Karate called in Night-Girl as reinforcement.
Watched as the two of them dismantled Nemesis(?) together. Like old times.
Visual systems shorted out. Must waterproof inside of mask.
Apr. 14th, 2005 12:50 am: Strange
Stopped Freaks from negotiating deal with Council. The Grey Cheater came along.
No mention of a hero named The Grey Cheater when growing up. No record was on file in master League database.
Yet he is a member of the League. Strange.
Still no trace of The Weevil.
Boscoe then told me about The Plan. He didn't know the whole story, but others did, and filled in the gaps later. The leaders of several of Paragon's greatest supergroups, save for the Freedom Phalanx, who were busy dealing with a Zig breakout, had determined a way to defeat the giant god of the Banished Pantheon that had been set free.
The good news: this time, the god wouldn't be banished, it would be annihilated.
The bad news: an amount of good and nobility that compared to his evil and hatred had to be destroyed as well. A trade.
The leaders hadn't told anyone the details. Just that they had a plan, and the others needed to keep the god busy while they did the hard part. The part where they agreed to the complete annihilation of their own souls for the greater good of the world.
And so, the leaders of seven of Paragon's finest, including The Weevil, took part in a ceremony that ended their existance.
Need to find him.
Apr. 16th, 2005 11:10 pm: Memories
Patrolled with Transimian today. First time since...
Killed him. Stabbed him through the heart. No other choice.
Scouts were trying to subdue Malaise, who had gone insane again when Sister Psyche left him to try to help stop a Zig outbreak. The one that happened while many of the other supergroups were fighting the awakened god Mot in Dark Astoria. When mother and father died.
He'd gained control of Transimian, who then short circuited Mettallo, and was preparing to unleash all his power in one deadly blast, likely to fry us all.
The ones not fighting the Freakshow he had recruited, pounded on Malaise, but couldn't break his control.
Had to prevent it. No other choice.
No other choice.
It had been a long time.
Stabbed Freaks.
Apr. 17th, 2005 03:40 am: Revenge
Spoke with Calvin Scott. Problems with Sister Psyche's bond with Aurora.
Learned the cause of the problem.
Stabbed the cause.
Sister Psyche separated from Aurora Borealis. Safely.
Our leader was dead, but so was Vandal.
Sister Psyche was in our heads, trying to calm us down. Then Nosferatu and 300 vampyrs turned to her and ripped her presence from Aurora's body.
The psychic backlash killed most of the physically resilient but mentally defenseless heroes such as Boscoe, Kid D.C, Odinson, Ms. Meteor, and Masked Pulsar. Every normal human within 3 miles later confirmed to be dead. 'Mazing Monkey's different mental makeup protected him somewhat, returning him to a normal primate. Ascendette's split personality and berserk state of mind protected her just enough that she was merely turned into a vegetable.
Small consolation that Requiem, a normal human after setting off the Soul Ripper and blasting the Nictus into another dimension, and every normal Fifth column soldier in the base, were all killed as well.
Our remaining forces were protected by Shibboleth, Jack Diamond, and a few other mentally powered heroes. We were alive, but weak and disoriented. Fortunately, so were Nosferatu, and the Vampyrs and Warwolves that were left.
Then the robots attacked.
History already changing. Need to change more.
Apr. 18th, 2005 07:48 pm: Fire
Stabbed Nemesis Army with Vikingar, French Roast, and Tivona.
Was informed of Devouring Earth infestation in Perez Park by Tivona. Seemed under stress.
Thought we had seen the last of them when another supergroup moved headquarters into the Hive and sealed off entrance to Eden. Last we'd seen of either.
Infestation apparently increasing rapidly. Cave network under city, connecting Hive and Perez. Drove Tivona out of home. Estimated time before overflow into populated areas: 4 hours.
Examined available hero roster:
- Vikingar
- French Roast
Answer seemed simple. Made suggestion.
"Burn it."
Unanimous response:
"Never liked that place anyway."
Good to work with them again.
