The Upstarts (vol.1)
On the Shoulders of Giants
By: John Jennings (story & concepts)
David Brame
(art)
Michael Norton Dando (words)
Intelligence reports traced the origin of the breach to The Brotherhood of the Crimson Cross, a radical, nationalist, occult group that believed technology was the divine instrument of purification. With rituals carved from blood, sinew, and circuitry, they tore through space-time, inviting The Mechans to purge the unworthy from the Earth.
What became known as The Battle of the Breach lasted three days. Cities burned, but the Power League fought through ash and fire, severing the Mechans’ tether to this world.
The Breach was sealed, and the Mechans cast back to their dimension, but at an unspeakable cost. The Power League was nearly wiped out.
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kestrel
The Power League was shattered, its members either fallen, missing, or resigned. Yes, statues were raised; stories were told, but The Brotherhood endured, driven underground, whispering from the shadows.
Now, five years after The Breach, rumors of Mechan tech, linked to a series of extremist hate-crimes, have begun to surface. The Brotherhood is on the move again, this time perhaps with governmental backing, but DEFINITELY with increased organization and infrastructure. But The League is gone with no-one left to stand in the gap.
That’s where I come in.
My name is Kestrel, and I was Knight Bird’s apprentice, or ward, or whatever. I trained with her and fought the good fight for years. We battled side-by-side and she taught me everything I know. Then it all changed in an instant.
She died at The Battle of the Breach and I carried on solo for a long time. But now the time has come for the next generation to stand together and fight. So, I’m on a mission to save the world. This time with a little help from my friends.
Location: Doc Future's Home [Sanders Residence] Address: [REDACTED]
Date: [REDACTED]
Recording Device Activated: 19:03 [begin recorded transcription]
AUDIO: [Sound of footsteps approaching, gravel crunching underfoot. distant barking of a neighborhood dog, wind rustling through hedges. Footsteps up the front steps. A doorbell rings. A moment. Then soft shuffling inside as a door creaks open.]
Alice Sanders: Anna! Well, isn’t this a surprise?! Come in! Come in!
Kestrel: Hi Ms. Sanders.
Alice:
Oh, my goodness. Anna! Hello!!! It’s so good to see you! Can I get you something to drink, dear? Coffee? Tea? I just finished making some Snickerdoodle cookies if you want one? Oh Anna, it’s been far too long!
Kestrel:
Oh, no thank you, Ms. Sanders, I just ate. I know, yes. It’s been a while. I've been…busy. School. Work. You know how it is. [pause] Is Dr. Sanders here?
Alice Sanders: (Warmly)He’s in his office. You remember the way?
Kestrel: Yes ma’am. Thank you, ma’am. Wonderful to see you.
AUDIO: [footsteps on hardwood floors, passing by photos on the walls—faint whispers of memories and past lives. The door to the office creaks open.]
Location: Doc Future’s Office, Sanders Residence Time: 19:04 hours
AUDIO: [Soft jazz playing, light scratching of pen on paper, clock ticking faintly in the background]
Kestrel Transcription Note:
“During this conversation I placed a recording device beneath Doc Future’s desk upon arrival. The bug, one of Knight Bird’s designs no larger than a dime, captured this conversation in its entirety.”
Doc Future:
(Surprised, warm, but controlled) Anna! This is…unexpected. Please come in. Have a seat.
Kestrel:
Good to see you Doc. It’s been a minute.
[something thuds heavy on the desk, papers rustling lightly]
Doc Future: What’s this?
Kestrel:
So, I’ll get right to it, I guess. I know you’ve been “retired” since The Breach. And I respect that. But, I’m here because I need your advice.
Doc Future:
(Amused chuckling) And here I was thinking you just missed my charming company.
[more shuffling of papers]
Kestrel:
I have intel. Reliable intel. It’s The Brotherhood of the Crimson Cross. They’re back. And they’re either stockpiling, or being supplied with Mechan tech.
Chatter says it’s enough to launch a coordinated attack on government buildings across the country. Maybe even being funded from inside the government? That’s still unclear.
Either way, there are rumblings that something big’s going down soon. Next few weeks? Maybe a month?
[A pause. Paper slides across the desk; tense silence.]
Doc Future: (Skeptical)
That’s a hell of a claim, kiddo.
Kestrel:
It’s more than a claim. Look. I’ve got proof. Surveillance photos, intercepted digital transmissions, tapped phones, eyewitness accounts, biometrics. The works. [faint rustling of papers.]
Doc Future: (Exhales audibly)
And you want me to do what with this exactly?
Kestrel:
Help me stop them, Simon. [silence] I’m putting a team together and I need another set of eyes on this. Someone I can trust. Who can see what I can’t. Simon, I’m recruiting the sons, daughters, and mentees of the Power League.
Doc Future: (Laughs dryly)
You’re kidding. No, you
Kestrel: (interrupting)
I’m not. Someone needs to stand in the gap on this one and we owe it to ourselves, and to this city after everything that happened at the Battle of the Breach. After Knight Bird would want me to do this if she were still here.
[more shuffling, files being flipped.]
Doc Future:
Ok. Ok, which of these orphans are you going to force to relive the worst moments of their lives?
Kestrel:
Shock Web. Glytch. MYTHOS. Revenant. Shape 2.0. Modicum. Rushmore. Dynamic Lad. Everyone’s there.