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I started it years ago, and the character of Lyall is even older, going back to my RP days. This was the story that first started my super hero / villain setting.\n\nLyall Yordis, an 18 year old squirrel, thinks she's a normal girl, with normal parents. So when the super villain Dr. Mind kidnaps her and tells her she has powers, and is the daughter of two of the world's top super heroes, she is understandably dubious. Through many tests, trials, and tortures, she does awaken to her powers, and new ways of thinking... well, some of her do, anyway. This is the origin story for the woman that would become one of the biggest thorns in the side of the super heroes: Bloodline.\n\n[center]- - - - -[/center]\n\nA massive thank you to my top tier subscribers:\nSedyna | RoleplayCentral | [iconname]Karmandel[/iconname] | IzzyMouse | [iconname]Mrpatapon[/iconname] | The Anons (not a username)\n\nIf you would like early access to my stories, weekly previews and updates, access to my private discord, chance to have your character become part of the lore, and other bonus content, please consider subscribing to my [url=https://subscribestar.adult/xp_author]SubscribeStar[/url]", "description_bbcode_parsed": "
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Chapter Navigation:
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So, I'm FINALLY done with this story! I started it years ago, and the character of Lyall is even older, going back to my RP days. This was the story that first started my super hero / villain setting.

Lyall Yordis, an 18 year old squirrel, thinks she's a normal girl, with normal parents. So when the super villain Dr. Mind kidnaps her and tells her she has powers, and is the daughter of two of the world's top super heroes, she is understandably dubious. Through many tests, trials, and tortures, she does awaken to her powers, and new ways of thinking... well, some of her do, anyway. This is the origin story for the woman that would become one of the biggest thorns in the side of the super heroes: Bloodline.

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A massive thank you to my top tier subscribers:
Sedyna | RoleplayCentral | \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKarmandel\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tKarmandel\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
| IzzyMouse | \r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMrpatapon\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t		\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMrpatapon\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
| The Anons (not a username)

If you would like early access to my stories, weekly previews and updates, access to my private discord, chance to have your character become part of the lore, and other bonus content, please consider subscribing to my SubscribeStar", "writing": "[center][b][u]Bloodline: Origins[/u][/b][/center][center][u]Chapter 1[/u][/center][center][b]Hostage[/b][/center][center]By XP Author[/center]\n\nLyall groaned as she slowly returned to consciousness. Her head throbbed, her mouth felt as dry as a desert, and she felt cold. The young red squirrel slowly opened her eyes, groaning again as the dim light touched her eyes, adding to the pain in her head. It took several long moments before she could stand doing more than squinting for a few seconds. She was laying on some kind of board, the hard wood under her giving no comfort. The rough cover of the hard pillow under her head did nothing to help, either. As she clawed back to awareness, the words finally clicked into place. She was in some kind of prison cell. In place of iron bars, there was some kind of shimmering wall, like glass seen from underwater, and tinted a light blue.\n\nDespite how heavy her limbs and fluffy tail felt, she was at least not tied down. In fact, there weren't even shackles on her wrists or ankles. Looking down at herself, the eighteen year old was happy to see she was at least still dressed. She wore the knee-length black skirt and dark blue polo that was the uniform of her work place. The logo of the coffee shop, The Strong Brew, was emblazoned on the front. She remembered that she was on her way to work in the morning, walking from her house as usual, but things got hazy from there. She had no idea how she got where she was now.\n\nSitting up fully and swinging her legs off the end of the board, she looked around. Floors, walls, and ceiling were all a dark grey metal, with nothing really standing out among them. On the other side of the strange wall, she could see more cells, four in total, including hers, though the others were empty. She got to her feet unsteadily, the metal floor cold under her bare paws. She looked at the odd wall, reaching out to touch it, only to pull back before she made any contact. Instead, she reached back and grabbed the rough pillow, tossing it at the wall. She was very glad she didn't touch it. As the pillow struck the barrier, sparks flew off of the surface, sending the pillow flying back against the opposite wall, one side completely burnt.\n\nShe looked from the barrier, to the burnt pillow, then back to the barrier. \"Huh... must be some kind of energy field. And not a nice one...\" She mused to herself out loud.\n\n\"Correct, Ms. Yordis.\" The voice echoed around her, loud enough to make her head hurt all over again. She looked around, spotting the source of the voice. Several speakers sat against the wall across from her, one above each cell. She figured there was one above her own, as well, though she could not see it. Each speaker system also had a camera pointed at the opening. So she was being watched at all times.\n\nShe got as close to the barrier as she dared and looked up at the camera. \"Who are you?\" She was surprised how solid her voice sounded. Equally surprising to her was how she didn't feel as afraid as she thought she should in this situation.\n\nThere was a piercing cackle through the speaker. \"I am Doctor Alexander Minde! The most brilliant mind in the world!\"\n\nShe thought for a moment. She knew that name. Then it clicked. \"Mind? Wait, the super villain?\" She giggled to herself. \"The one that tried to use a shrink ray on a whole city, only for it to blow up?\"\n\n\"[b]DOCTOR[/b] Mind!\" His voice screeched out of the speakers. \"And that was only because the pretender 'heroes' sabotaged my power supply!\"\n\nShe shook her head. \"Yeah, you're just a c-list villain. AEGIS will just come and kick your butt again. Though you're probably not worth them.\" AEGIS was the top group of super heroes, with several teams working around the world.\n\nMore screeching. \"Those government lackeys will not save you! I would have won our last encounter if-\" He cut himself off. When he spoke next, his voice was far more calm, and even an octave deeper. \"Was that the sort of outburst you were expecting? Sorry to disappoint, young lady, but I am not so easily goaded.\"\n\nSomething about his sudden shift to a more calm tone did finally unnerve her a little. She still did her best to try and mask it with flippancy. \"Sure. So what do you want with me? Just kidnapping random eighteen year old girls off the street now? Are you that desperate?\"\n\nInstead of cackling, this time he let out a low chuckle. \"No, my dear girl. You are not just some random teenager. I picked you very carefully. Though you are correct that AEGIS would be frantically sending their top people to find me. Or, more specifically, you. I'm sure even now, they are desperately searching the city for any trace of you.\"\n\nNow she was confused. \"What? Why?\" She got that they would be looking for a kidnapped girl, but why would they be frantic and desperate for her? She had no connection with any of the superhero teams out there, other than being a fan. \"I've never even met a super before.\"\n\n\"That's where you're wrong, little squirrel.\" She could practically hear the smug smile on his face over the speaker. \"You've met several before. Two, in particular!\"\n\nShe shook her head. \"And just who are they?\"\n\nThere was a pause, likely for some dramatic effect. \"Your father and mother, of course. Lance and Nyse Yordis, aka: Gungnir and Archer!\"\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\nIn 1956, the North American Union set the Meta Crime Fighter's Act, often just called the Meta Act. It legalized those with super powers to act as a branch of the law, provided they followed specific rules. It was not long before the biggest group of these heroes formed. The Advanced and Enhanced Global Interception Squad, AKA: A.E.G.I.S. Technically independent, but working closely with the government, they boasted some of the most powerful supers in the nation. Soon, they were recognized in most countries across the world. Today, in 202X, they are recognized as the top super hero organization in the world. Many groups work under the AEGIS umbrella, either individually or as part of small teams.\n\nThe top group within AEGIS is known as The Armory, and has the closest ties to the NAU government, members even being granted military ranks. Each member also has a codename, to protect their civilian identity, something not all supers choose to bother with. The current leader of the team was Lt. Colonel Lance Yordis, AKA: Gungnir. All under the supervision of General Frank Branigan.\n\nCurrently, Lance was marching his way down the hall and through the doorway to the meeting room. He hadn't been told exactly why the emergency meeting was being held, but he could feel the waves of apprehension coming off of his wife in the room. As he entered, all members stood and saluted, including Nyse, though she was delayed in doing so. \"At ease. What's going on?\"\n\nMajor Nyse Yordis, codename: Archer, pointed at the wall behind him. \"Best ask the general...\" Something about her demeanor was off. She was tense. Something was clearly bothering her.\n\nLance turned around to look at the wall. Upon it was a large screen, showing the face of an older canine with short, greying hair and a crisp military uniform, three stars displayed on his hat and the collar of his shirt. General Branigan himself, with a worried look on his face. Lance saluted the older canine. \"General. What's the situation?\"\n\nBranigan sighed. \"Colonel. There's been an... incident.\" He hesitated a moment, before adding. \"With your daughter.\" That explained Nyse' apprehension.\n\nLance swallowed, before slowly asking. \"What... kind of incident, sir?\" He braced himself for the worst.\n\nThe general sighed again. \"She's been taken.\"\n\nLance tensed up, clenching his fist so tight his knuckles cracked slightly. \"By whom!?\" It was hard to keep the edge out of his voice.\n\nThe screen switched to a view from a street-cam. \"CCTV caught this footage three hours ago.\" The footage showed a street downtown, one Lance recognized. Pedestrians walking down a sidewalk. Lyall came into view, wearing the uniform of her work place. From seemingly nowhere, a man in a black hood came up behind her and bumped into her. A moment later, Lyall was starting to slump to the side, leaning against the building. The hooded man came back and led her into a nearby alley. The screen cut back to the general after that. \"We don't know what happened after that, but it's clear she was drugged and taken.\"\n\nLance grit his teeth, his fists shaking at his side. \"[b]Who!?[/b]\"\n\nLt. Hashi Mitsuda, codename: Edge, spoke up. \"Shouldn't this be a case for local authorities?\"\n\nLance rounded on the red panda. \"That's my daughter, Edge!\"\n\nHashi held up his hands. \"Hey, easy, colonel. But, with all due respect, this is just a kidnapping. You don't send the special forces in to deal with a street crime. That's what cops are for.\"\n\nGeneral Branigan spoke up. \"Normally, you would be correct. Even in this situation, it would be a case for the local authorities. However, there is more to this.\" He cleared his throat. \"While the local police force was looking into the case, they received a ransom note. Addressed to Gungnir and Archer, by name.\" He paused for a moment. \"Your civilian names.\"\n\nLance tensed up again as he looked back at the general. \"It mentioned us by name?\" He looked at his wife, sharing her apprehension. \"What... does it say?\"\n\nBranigan shook his head. \"I've already sent copies for you to read. The general gist is that they are demanding one hundred million NAU dollars for the safe return of your daughter. And they clearly state that this is your daughter...\"\n\nNyse shook her head. \"They know our identities...\"\n\nEdge frowned. \"That's some pretty high level info for them to have... Is there a security leak?\"\n\nBranigan shook his head again. \"We don't know. We're investigating that now. If they have a spy, we'll find th-\"\n\n\"WHO, general!?\" Lance was having a very hard time keeping his cool now.\n\nBranigan sighed. \"Dr. Alexander Gregorie Minde.\"\n\nLance grit his teeth. \"Dr. Mind!?\" He knew they shouldn't have underestimated the little weasel. He turned towards the door, his voice hard. \"Don't worry, general. I'll beat him so badly he won't remember his own name!\"\n\nBranigan frowned, calling out. \"Colonel, wait!\"\n\n\"[i]Lance, you can't![/i]\" The voice of Nyse echoed in Lance's head, stopping him dead in his tracks. The two shared a telepathic connection, stronger with each other than the rest of the team. \"[i]If you go storming in, he could hurt her, or worse![/i]\"\n\nLance sighed, turning back around. He glanced at Nyse, nodding slowly. Looking at the general on the screen again, he forced himself to calm down, if only a little. \"So what do we do, sir?\"\n\nBranigan shook his head. \"For now, nothing.\" He held up a hand before anyone could protest. \"We have teams already searching for where Minde has your daughter held. Unfortunately, his demands for money were delivered digitally, so we cannot follow that lead. Yet. But rest assured, as soon as we find something, you'll be the first to know. Until then, I'm afraid all we can do is wait and hope.\"\n\nThe screen cut off and went dark. Lance looked at Nyse, both sharing a look of worry. Edge stood and pat his commanding officer on the shoulder. \"We'll get her back, sir.\"\n\nLance nodded. \"I hope you're right.\"\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\n\"My mother and father are... Gungnir and Archer!?\" Lyall was still reeling from that claim. She didn't want to believe the crazy man on the loud speaker. It couldn't be true. Her parents were boring analysts with the fed. Sure, they constantly got flown off around the country for whatever reason, but that was normal for their job. They worked with local authorities to deal with cold cases. She'd actually been to their offices before when she was younger. She saw the boring crap they did. Minde had to be lying.\n\nThen a thought struck her. It could be far worse than just the mad man lying to her. He might actually believe what he claimed. If he expected to lure the real Gungnir and Archer into some kind of trap or something, or get something out of them, then he was going to be very upset when that didn't happen. Now fear finally started to creep into her. Her captor was clearly unhinged, and there was no telling what he might do to her because of his delusions.\n\nShe was brought out of her thoughts as she heard a rhythmic metallic clanking getting louder and closer. A large robot moved in front of her cell, turning to face her. At least she assumed it was facing her. It was hard to tell, as it was only vaguely bipedal, the body just one massive cylinder of metal with nothing that could be called a head. The legs and arms were just as solid, with the ends of the arms sporting clamps rather than hands. It looked vaguely like a walking trash can to her.\n\nA monotone, synthetic voice came from the thing just as the energy barrier lowered on her cell. \"The doctor requests your presence. You will follow.\"\n\nLyall stood up from where she sat, but didn't approach, just staring at the thing. \"And if I refuse?\"\n\nThe robot held out one of its arms, the clamp clacking closed threateningly. \"Your presence is mandatory. Your compliance is not. You will be taken by force if necessary. Comply immediately, or force will be applied.\"\n\nThe squirrel sighed, moving up next to the robot. \"Alright then, fine. Lead on.\" The robot turned and started to tromp back down the tunnel. \"You will follow. Any attempt to escape will result in force being applied. Any attempt at combat will result in force being applied. Any-\"\n\n\"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'll follow and behave or force will be applied.\" She rolled her eyes at the thing as she followed it. It was little wonder robots weren't more commonplace in the world if they acted like this.\n\nShe was lead through a series of hallways, each as bland as the next. All were a blue-grey, from floor to ceiling. Lights lined above her, so at least it was not pitch black. As she followed the robot, two more identical to the first walked out of some other hallway and followed behind her. Like she needed some kind of escort. She was already totally lost just following this one. Even if she did manage to slip away from it, she would probably end up just getting more lost trying to find the way out. She also had a sneaking suspicion the exit would not exactly be clearly marked.\n\nEventually the robot leading her stopped beside a yellow metal door. \"You will enter.\" The door slid into the wall on its own with a gentle swoosh sound.\n\nLyall looked inside the room. It was not very large, but hardly a closet, either. Maybe the size of her bedroom back home, though clearly not made for comfort. The walls were a garish yellow color, though looked to be made of the same concrete as the rest of the place she had seen so far. A tall, metal tube of some kind sat in the middle, split in half and opened lengthwise. It kind of reminded her of a refrigerator, only cylindrical. Other than the tube, there was not much else she could see from the doorway.\n\nShe looked at the robot. \"What is this place?\"\n\nIt replied in the same monotone voice. \"You will enter immediately, or force will be applied.\"\n\nShe rolled her eyes. \"Right. Why would I expect an answer from a trash can?\" She walked into the room, only to hear the door slide shut behind her. She turned around quickly, looking at the now closed door. There were no controls on the inside. When she got up close to it, the door did not move. \"Great. Traded one cell for another.\" She stepped away from the door. \"At least the other one had something to sit on.\"\n\nNow that she was inside the room, she could see that one wall was covered in monitors, all of them displaying different kinds of data. She knew enough that it was some kind of medical readout, but had no idea what any of it would mean. Most of it was blank anyway, a few reading 'no specimen detected' upon them. In front of the display was a large, hollow and empty glass tube of some kind, big enough for someone twice her size to stand in. High above the monitors was a large window, though the glass was darkened so she could not see anything on the other side. It reminded her of an observation window for a zoo display.\n\n\"Welcome, Miss Yordis!\" The voice of Minde echoed around the chamber. \"I apologize for the blunt nature of my worker-bots. Their programming is limited.\"\n\nLyall looked around. She could not pinpoint where the voice came from. It seemed to just fill the room. She ended up looking up at the window, figuring the man was behind the glass. She threw her hands up a little. \"So what do you want with me now?\"\n\n\"I want to prove my claims are true to you!\" He let out a laugh. \"But first I must insist you step into the bio-chamber.\"\n\n\"Bio-chamber?\" She motioned at the tube behind her. \"You mean this thing?\"\n\n\"Yes. Please step into the chamber now. Do not worry, you will be able to see out of it, and you will not suffocate inside.\" She frowned at his claims. \"Though I can do nothing if you happen to suffer from claustrophobia.\" Thankfully she did not.\n\nShe moved closer to the thing. The front swung open the moment she got close, as if inviting her inside. The inner surface was smooth and looked like glass, with no sort of equipment or anything visible. She hesitated. \"What if I refuse? You going to get one of your robots to come in and 'apply force' to me?\"\n\n\"No, but the door is locked. I'm sure you'll start to get hungry and thirsty eventually.\" She was already pretty thirsty. \"I can tend to other tasks while you waste your time in here.\" He cackled again. \"Or if you think you are thinking of simply waiting for a rescue, I can assure you. The so-called heroes have no idea where this facility is located. You will have long died of dehydration in this room before they even figure that much out.\"\n\nThe squirrel frowned again. He could be bluffing, but she really did not want to risk that he might not be. \"Fine.\" She looked back at the window. \"You want me to strip, too?\"\n\nShe could practically hear the grin on his face. \"While I would certainly not complain for the display, that will not be necessary. Though if you still want to~\"\n\n\"No. I don't.\" She sighed and stepped into the center of the tube thing... bio-chamber. Whatever it was. She turned around and pressed her back against the back. The door suddenly swung shut in front of her, banging closed. She heard latches lock into place, though she could not see where. A few pushes against the door confirmed that it was locked shut. \"Alright, I'm in your bio-whatever. Now what?\" Her voice sounded oddly muffled to her. Not surprising. She was basically a glass casket.\n\nHis voice came through some kind of speaker hidden somewhere inside the tube. \"Now, you just stand there for a moment.\" The walls around her started to hum. She looked around, expecting to see some kind of ray or energy or something hit her. \"Do not worry, young lady. It is simply scanning your biometrics.\"\n\nShe did not feel comforted. \"Okay... why?\"\n\n\"You will see.\" That was the best she was going to get, it seemed. She just sighed and stood there waiting. There was only just enough room inside the chamber for her to cross her arms in annoyance. Finally, the humming stopped. A moment later, the door swung open. \"There. I am done. I told you, nothing to worry about. Now, please move to the monitors.\"\n\nShe rolled her eyes and stepped out of the chamber. \"Sure. Probably just gave me cancer or something.\" She walked to the monitors on the wall. They all displayed new data, though she could still only understand a portion of it. She saw it read her current body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and then more she could not quite get. Something about bone density and muscle strength. \"Okay... what am I looking at? You just bring me in here for a general check up?\"\n\n\"No, my dear. I brought you in here for this.\" One of the monitors changed to a different read out. \"This is the scan you underwent from AEGIS when you were a child.\" Sure enough, it had a similar read out to the one she saw before, only with slightly different information. According to the date, it would have made her five years old when it was taken. \"This is another from when you were older.\" Same thing, all the same information, only this time at age ten. Then another at age fifteen.\n\nShe shook her head, still not getting it. \"Okay... and?\"\n\nHe let out a chuckle. \"Well, they're fake. These are the ones that AEGIS has on file. I faked them. [i]These[/i] are your real ones.\" The images changed again. Much of the data was the same, but one thing was different. The current scans on the other monitor matched this one.\n\nShe read it aloud. \"Powers Analysis: Confirmed?\" She blinked. \"I don't have powers!\" She read further on. \"Regenerative cellular structure with high cell duplication rate. Passive activation. Dormant. Requires an activation trigger. Estimated trigger... extreme trauma?\" She looked up at the window. \"So you're saying I have powers, but they were never turned on?\" She pointed at the monitors. \"So, according to this, I'm a super that never went super? Why fake this?\"\n\nThe cackling was back. \"Because, if they knew, they would have dragged you off to train you. And I couldn't have that! No, I needed you to grow up 'normal.' Much easier to capture you if you are not flying around the city in a uniform, after all.\"\n\nShe shook her head again. \"So you've been planning my kidnapping for 15 years? Man, you really are a piece of work.\" She motioned at the monitors again. \"Not that I believe you. For all I know this is the fake info, too.\" She looked back up at the window again. \"Are you done with me? Can I just go back to my cell now?\"\n\nThe door opened and the same three robots from before walked in. At least she thought it was the same three. They all looked the same. \"I'm afraid not. I have one final test to run.\"\n\nShe watched the three robots walking towards her. \"Great... So what's next? Blood test? Full CT scan? Dissection?\" Two of the robots walked right up to her, each grabbing one wrist with their clamp-hand. \"Hey!\"\n\n\"No.\" Suddenly the voice of the man was no longer the screeching, cackling madness. It was suddenly much calmer, and much colder again. Once more, something about the shift sent a shiver down her spine. \"Now we must activate your powers.\"\n\nShe stared at the window above, confused. \"Activate my...\" Her eyes went wide as she remembered what the read out said. 'Extreme Trauma.' \"N-No!\" She tried to pull her arm free of the robots' grips as they pulled her arms outwards. \"Stop! No, I don't have powers! I'm not a super! You're making a mista-\" Her voice caught in her throat as the third robot moved closer. The clamp-hand retracted into its arm, only to be replaced by something that looked like a massive buzz saw. The saw started to spin rapidly. \"NO! STOP!\" She struggled, but the two robots at her side would not budge.\n\nThe pain was not the worst part. It was the feeling of her flesh being torn and pulled, and a strange mixture of heat, cold, and numbness that followed in its wake. The sound of bone being shredded was almost as bad as the feeling that vibrated through her very being. The ordeal only lasted seconds, but time slowed as adrenaline coursed through her, making the torment stretch out for what felt like hours. She didn't even hear her own agonized shrieking. She just saw her right arm suddenly detached from the rest of her body. Blood flowed freely from the wound, both from the stump just beside her shoulder, and from the limp appendage in the robot's grip.\n\n\"For your sake, I hope you are wrong.\" She barely heard the man, her mind overwhelmed by the shock and pain. Her vision was blurry from tears, her heart racing in her chest rapidly. Then her eyes rolled back, her legs giving out on her a moment later. It left her dangling by one arm, still held by the other robot. The insane man said something else, but her consciousness fled from the horror of the situation before she could hear it.\n\n[center]* * *[/center]\n\n[b][u]A.E.G.I.S. Database[/u][/b]\n[b]Personnel File:[/b] 803141\n\n[b]Name:[/b] Lance Yordis\n[b]Rank:[/b] Lieutenant Colonel\n[b]Codename:[/b] Gungnir\n[b]Gender:[/b] Male\n[b]Species:[/b] Red Squirrel\n[b]Age:[/b] 43\n[b]Status:[/b] Active\n[b]Team:[/b] The Armory\n[b]Position:[/b] Team Leader\n[b]Years of Service:[/b] 27\n\n[b][u]Stats[/u][/b]\n[b]Strength:[/b] 5.8\n[b]Agility:[/b] 3.1\n[b]Speed:[/b] 4.3\n[b]Durability:[/b] 8.9\n[b]Intelligence:[/b] 6.7\n[b]Flight:[/b] 0.0\n[b]Energy Projection:[/b] 4.2\n[b]Mystic:[/b] 0.0\n[b]Classifications:[/b] Heavy, Armor, Tank, Energy Projector, Leader\n\n[b][u]Abilities:[/u][/b]\n- Enhanced Strength, multiple times typical baseline maximums\n- Enhanced Speed, able to move at near sonic speeds\n- Advanced Agility, heightened response and athletic ability\n- Exceedingly Enhanced Durability, near invulnerability to most physical damage\n- Mid-Level Energy Projection, able to produce beams of charged particle rays from eyes and hands\n- Low-Level Telepathy, receiving only, unable to project thoughts independently\n\n[b]Additional Notes:[/b] Leader of AEGIS team codenamed The Armory. Lance is one of the most skilled and capable AEGIS officers. Trained in the use of both close-combat and ranged weaponry, Lance is a formidable fighter. Prefers to use bare hands or beam-type weapon. While his enhanced strength, speed, and durability are all assets, his ability to assess a situation and develop on-the-fly strategy, leadership skills, and experience in the field make him the ideal team-lead for the squadron. Lance and Nyse often work as a pair, playing off each other's abilities in the field. Their unique telepathic bond makes communication instantaneous, and their teamwork becomes fluid and unified. Though the range of this communication has a limit of just over 10 km. Gungnir is ranked as the 12th strongest member of AEGIS, and the 2nd most durable, beaten only by the agent codenamed Wall (Personnel file 803202).\n\n[b][u]Family:[/u][/b]\n[b]Father:[/b] Peter Yordis (Personnel file 801062)\nAEGIS agent. Codename: Spear\n[b]Status:[/b] Deceased (KIA)\n\n[b]Mother:[/b] Angela Yordis (No file on record)\nCivilian, no powers\n[b]Status:[/b] Telephone operator, Retired, living in Los Rios\n\n[b]Spouse:[/b] Nyce Yordis (Personnel file 803149)\nAEGIS agent. Codename: Archer\n[b]Status:[/b] Active\n\n[b]Daughter:[/b] Lyall Yordis (Attached file 803141-a)\nCivilian. No powers.\n[b]Status:[/b] High school graduate. Working as barista at The Strong Brew cafe in Ultra Ferro (district 27).\n\n[b]Addendum:[/b] Kidnapping victim of Dr. Alexander Gregorie Minde, MD, PhD, EngD. AKA: Dr. Mind. Current whereabouts unknown. Investigation ongoing.\n\n[center]* * *[/center]", "writing_bbcode_parsed": "
Bloodline: Origins
Chapter 1
Hostage
By XP Author


Lyall groaned as she slowly returned to consciousness. Her head throbbed, her mouth felt as dry as a desert, and she felt cold. The young red squirrel slowly opened her eyes, groaning again as the dim light touched her eyes, adding to the pain in her head. It took several long moments before she could stand doing more than squinting for a few seconds. She was laying on some kind of board, the hard wood under her giving no comfort. The rough cover of the hard pillow under her head did nothing to help, either. As she clawed back to awareness, the words finally clicked into place. She was in some kind of prison cell. In place of iron bars, there was some kind of shimmering wall, like glass seen from underwater, and tinted a light blue.

Despite how heavy her limbs and fluffy tail felt, she was at least not tied down. In fact, there weren't even shackles on her wrists or ankles. Looking down at herself, the eighteen year old was happy to see she was at least still dressed. She wore the knee-length black skirt and dark blue polo that was the uniform of her work place. The logo of the coffee shop, The Strong Brew, was emblazoned on the front. She remembered that she was on her way to work in the morning, walking from her house as usual, but things got hazy from there. She had no idea how she got where she was now.

Sitting up fully and swinging her legs off the end of the board, she looked around. Floors, walls, and ceiling were all a dark grey metal, with nothing really standing out among them. On the other side of the strange wall, she could see more cells, four in total, including hers, though the others were empty. She got to her feet unsteadily, the metal floor cold under her bare paws. She looked at the odd wall, reaching out to touch it, only to pull back before she made any contact. Instead, she reached back and grabbed the rough pillow, tossing it at the wall. She was very glad she didn't touch it. As the pillow struck the barrier, sparks flew off of the surface, sending the pillow flying back against the opposite wall, one side completely burnt.

She looked from the barrier, to the burnt pillow, then back to the barrier. "Huh... must be some kind of energy field. And not a nice one..." She mused to herself out loud.

"Correct, Ms. Yordis." The voice echoed around her, loud enough to make her head hurt all over again. She looked around, spotting the source of the voice. Several speakers sat against the wall across from her, one above each cell. She figured there was one above her own, as well, though she could not see it. Each speaker system also had a camera pointed at the opening. So she was being watched at all times.

She got as close to the barrier as she dared and looked up at the camera. "Who are you?" She was surprised how solid her voice sounded. Equally surprising to her was how she didn't feel as afraid as she thought she should in this situation.

There was a piercing cackle through the speaker. "I am Doctor Alexander Minde! The most brilliant mind in the world!"

She thought for a moment. She knew that name. Then it clicked. "Mind? Wait, the super villain?" She giggled to herself. "The one that tried to use a shrink ray on a whole city, only for it to blow up?"

"DOCTOR Mind!" His voice screeched out of the speakers. "And that was only because the pretender 'heroes' sabotaged my power supply!"

She shook her head. "Yeah, you're just a c-list villain. AEGIS will just come and kick your butt again. Though you're probably not worth them." AEGIS was the top group of super heroes, with several teams working around the world.

More screeching. "Those government lackeys will not save you! I would have won our last encounter if-" He cut himself off. When he spoke next, his voice was far more calm, and even an octave deeper. "Was that the sort of outburst you were expecting? Sorry to disappoint, young lady, but I am not so easily goaded."

Something about his sudden shift to a more calm tone did finally unnerve her a little. She still did her best to try and mask it with flippancy. "Sure. So what do you want with me? Just kidnapping random eighteen year old girls off the street now? Are you that desperate?"

Instead of cackling, this time he let out a low chuckle. "No, my dear girl. You are not just some random teenager. I picked you very carefully. Though you are correct that AEGIS would be frantically sending their top people to find me. Or, more specifically, you. I'm sure even now, they are desperately searching the city for any trace of you."

Now she was confused. "What? Why?" She got that they would be looking for a kidnapped girl, but why would they be frantic and desperate for her? She had no connection with any of the superhero teams out there, other than being a fan. "I've never even met a super before."

"That's where you're wrong, little squirrel." She could practically hear the smug smile on his face over the speaker. "You've met several before. Two, in particular!"

She shook her head. "And just who are they?"

There was a pause, likely for some dramatic effect. "Your father and mother, of course. Lance and Nyse Yordis, aka: Gungnir and Archer!"

*     *     *


In 1956, the North American Union set the Meta Crime Fighter's Act, often just called the Meta Act. It legalized those with super powers to act as a branch of the law, provided they followed specific rules. It was not long before the biggest group of these heroes formed. The Advanced and Enhanced Global Interception Squad, AKA: A.E.G.I.S. Technically independent, but working closely with the government, they boasted some of the most powerful supers in the nation. Soon, they were recognized in most countries across the world. Today, in 202X, they are recognized as the top super hero organization in the world. Many groups work under the AEGIS umbrella, either individually or as part of small teams.

The top group within AEGIS is known as The Armory, and has the closest ties to the NAU government, members even being granted military ranks. Each member also has a codename, to protect their civilian identity, something not all supers choose to bother with. The current leader of the team was Lt. Colonel Lance Yordis, AKA: Gungnir. All under the supervision of General Frank Branigan.

Currently, Lance was marching his way down the hall and through the doorway to the meeting room. He hadn't been told exactly why the emergency meeting was being held, but he could feel the waves of apprehension coming off of his wife in the room. As he entered, all members stood and saluted, including Nyse, though she was delayed in doing so. "At ease. What's going on?"

Major Nyse Yordis, codename: Archer, pointed at the wall behind him. "Best ask the general..." Something about her demeanor was off. She was tense. Something was clearly bothering her.

Lance turned around to look at the wall. Upon it was a large screen, showing the face of an older canine with short, greying hair and a crisp military uniform, three stars displayed on his hat and the collar of his shirt. General Branigan himself, with a worried look on his face. Lance saluted the older canine. "General. What's the situation?"

Branigan sighed. "Colonel. There's been an... incident." He hesitated a moment, before adding. "With your daughter." That explained Nyse' apprehension.

Lance swallowed, before slowly asking. "What... kind of incident, sir?" He braced himself for the worst.

The general sighed again. "She's been taken."

Lance tensed up, clenching his fist so tight his knuckles cracked slightly. "By whom!?" It was hard to keep the edge out of his voice.

The screen switched to a view from a street-cam. "CCTV caught this footage three hours ago." The footage showed a street downtown, one Lance recognized. Pedestrians walking down a sidewalk. Lyall came into view, wearing the uniform of her work place. From seemingly nowhere, a man in a black hood came up behind her and bumped into her. A moment later, Lyall was starting to slump to the side, leaning against the building. The hooded man came back and led her into a nearby alley. The screen cut back to the general after that. "We don't know what happened after that, but it's clear she was drugged and taken."

Lance grit his teeth, his fists shaking at his side. "Who!?"

Lt. Hashi Mitsuda, codename: Edge, spoke up. "Shouldn't this be a case for local authorities?"

Lance rounded on the red panda. "That's my daughter, Edge!"

Hashi held up his hands. "Hey, easy, colonel. But, with all due respect, this is just a kidnapping. You don't send the special forces in to deal with a street crime. That's what cops are for."

General Branigan spoke up. "Normally, you would be correct. Even in this situation, it would be a case for the local authorities. However, there is more to this." He cleared his throat. "While the local police force was looking into the case, they received a ransom note. Addressed to Gungnir and Archer, by name." He paused for a moment. "Your civilian names."

Lance tensed up again as he looked back at the general. "It mentioned us by name?" He looked at his wife, sharing her apprehension. "What... does it say?"

Branigan shook his head. "I've already sent copies for you to read. The general gist is that they are demanding one hundred million NAU dollars for the safe return of your daughter. And they clearly state that this is your daughter..."

Nyse shook her head. "They know our identities..."

Edge frowned. "That's some pretty high level info for them to have... Is there a security leak?"

Branigan shook his head again. "We don't know. We're investigating that now. If they have a spy, we'll find th-"

"WHO, general!?" Lance was having a very hard time keeping his cool now.

Branigan sighed. "Dr. Alexander Gregorie Minde."

Lance grit his teeth. "Dr. Mind!?" He knew they shouldn't have underestimated the little weasel. He turned towards the door, his voice hard. "Don't worry, general. I'll beat him so badly he won't remember his own name!"

Branigan frowned, calling out. "Colonel, wait!"

"Lance, you can't!" The voice of Nyse echoed in Lance's head, stopping him dead in his tracks. The two shared a telepathic connection, stronger with each other than the rest of the team. "If you go storming in, he could hurt her, or worse!"

Lance sighed, turning back around. He glanced at Nyse, nodding slowly. Looking at the general on the screen again, he forced himself to calm down, if only a little. "So what do we do, sir?"

Branigan shook his head. "For now, nothing." He held up a hand before anyone could protest. "We have teams already searching for where Minde has your daughter held. Unfortunately, his demands for money were delivered digitally, so we cannot follow that lead. Yet. But rest assured, as soon as we find something, you'll be the first to know. Until then, I'm afraid all we can do is wait and hope."

The screen cut off and went dark. Lance looked at Nyse, both sharing a look of worry. Edge stood and pat his commanding officer on the shoulder. "We'll get her back, sir."

Lance nodded. "I hope you're right."

*     *     *


"My mother and father are... Gungnir and Archer!?" Lyall was still reeling from that claim. She didn't want to believe the crazy man on the loud speaker. It couldn't be true. Her parents were boring analysts with the fed. Sure, they constantly got flown off around the country for whatever reason, but that was normal for their job. They worked with local authorities to deal with cold cases. She'd actually been to their offices before when she was younger. She saw the boring crap they did. Minde had to be lying.

Then a thought struck her. It could be far worse than just the mad man lying to her. He might actually believe what he claimed. If he expected to lure the real Gungnir and Archer into some kind of trap or something, or get something out of them, then he was going to be very upset when that didn't happen. Now fear finally started to creep into her. Her captor was clearly unhinged, and there was no telling what he might do to her because of his delusions.

She was brought out of her thoughts as she heard a rhythmic metallic clanking getting louder and closer. A large robot moved in front of her cell, turning to face her. At least she assumed it was facing her. It was hard to tell, as it was only vaguely bipedal, the body just one massive cylinder of metal with nothing that could be called a head. The legs and arms were just as solid, with the ends of the arms sporting clamps rather than hands. It looked vaguely like a walking trash can to her.

A monotone, synthetic voice came from the thing just as the energy barrier lowered on her cell. "The doctor requests your presence. You will follow."

Lyall stood up from where she sat, but didn't approach, just staring at the thing. "And if I refuse?"

The robot held out one of its arms, the clamp clacking closed threateningly. "Your presence is mandatory. Your compliance is not. You will be taken by force if necessary. Comply immediately, or force will be applied."

The squirrel sighed, moving up next to the robot. "Alright then, fine. Lead on." The robot turned and started to tromp back down the tunnel. "You will follow. Any attempt to escape will result in force being applied. Any attempt at combat will result in force being applied. Any-"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. I'll follow and behave or force will be applied." She rolled her eyes at the thing as she followed it. It was little wonder robots weren't more commonplace in the world if they acted like this.

She was lead through a series of hallways, each as bland as the next. All were a blue-grey, from floor to ceiling. Lights lined above her, so at least it was not pitch black. As she followed the robot, two more identical to the first walked out of some other hallway and followed behind her. Like she needed some kind of escort. She was already totally lost just following this one. Even if she did manage to slip away from it, she would probably end up just getting more lost trying to find the way out. She also had a sneaking suspicion the exit would not exactly be clearly marked.

Eventually the robot leading her stopped beside a yellow metal door. "You will enter." The door slid into the wall on its own with a gentle swoosh sound.

Lyall looked inside the room. It was not very large, but hardly a closet, either. Maybe the size of her bedroom back home, though clearly not made for comfort. The walls were a garish yellow color, though looked to be made of the same concrete as the rest of the place she had seen so far. A tall, metal tube of some kind sat in the middle, split in half and opened lengthwise. It kind of reminded her of a refrigerator, only cylindrical. Other than the tube, there was not much else she could see from the doorway.

She looked at the robot. "What is this place?"

It replied in the same monotone voice. "You will enter immediately, or force will be applied."

She rolled her eyes. "Right. Why would I expect an answer from a trash can?" She walked into the room, only to hear the door slide shut behind her. She turned around quickly, looking at the now closed door. There were no controls on the inside. When she got up close to it, the door did not move. "Great. Traded one cell for another." She stepped away from the door. "At least the other one had something to sit on."

Now that she was inside the room, she could see that one wall was covered in monitors, all of them displaying different kinds of data. She knew enough that it was some kind of medical readout, but had no idea what any of it would mean. Most of it was blank anyway, a few reading 'no specimen detected' upon them. In front of the display was a large, hollow and empty glass tube of some kind, big enough for someone twice her size to stand in. High above the monitors was a large window, though the glass was darkened so she could not see anything on the other side. It reminded her of an observation window for a zoo display.

"Welcome, Miss Yordis!" The voice of Minde echoed around the chamber. "I apologize for the blunt nature of my worker-bots. Their programming is limited."

Lyall looked around. She could not pinpoint where the voice came from. It seemed to just fill the room. She ended up looking up at the window, figuring the man was behind the glass. She threw her hands up a little. "So what do you want with me now?"

"I want to prove my claims are true to you!" He let out a laugh. "But first I must insist you step into the bio-chamber."

"Bio-chamber?" She motioned at the tube behind her. "You mean this thing?"

"Yes. Please step into the chamber now. Do not worry, you will be able to see out of it, and you will not suffocate inside." She frowned at his claims. "Though I can do nothing if you happen to suffer from claustrophobia." Thankfully she did not.

She moved closer to the thing. The front swung open the moment she got close, as if inviting her inside. The inner surface was smooth and looked like glass, with no sort of equipment or anything visible. She hesitated. "What if I refuse? You going to get one of your robots to come in and 'apply force' to me?"

"No, but the door is locked. I'm sure you'll start to get hungry and thirsty eventually." She was already pretty thirsty. "I can tend to other tasks while you waste your time in here." He cackled again. "Or if you think you are thinking of simply waiting for a rescue, I can assure you. The so-called heroes have no idea where this facility is located. You will have long died of dehydration in this room before they even figure that much out."

The squirrel frowned again. He could be bluffing, but she really did not want to risk that he might not be. "Fine." She looked back at the window. "You want me to strip, too?"

She could practically hear the grin on his face. "While I would certainly not complain for the display, that will not be necessary. Though if you still want to~"

"No. I don't." She sighed and stepped into the center of the tube thing... bio-chamber. Whatever it was. She turned around and pressed her back against the back. The door suddenly swung shut in front of her, banging closed. She heard latches lock into place, though she could not see where. A few pushes against the door confirmed that it was locked shut. "Alright, I'm in your bio-whatever. Now what?" Her voice sounded oddly muffled to her. Not surprising. She was basically a glass casket.

His voice came through some kind of speaker hidden somewhere inside the tube. "Now, you just stand there for a moment." The walls around her started to hum. She looked around, expecting to see some kind of ray or energy or something hit her. "Do not worry, young lady. It is simply scanning your biometrics."

She did not feel comforted. "Okay... why?"

"You will see." That was the best she was going to get, it seemed. She just sighed and stood there waiting. There was only just enough room inside the chamber for her to cross her arms in annoyance. Finally, the humming stopped. A moment later, the door swung open. "There. I am done. I told you, nothing to worry about. Now, please move to the monitors."

She rolled her eyes and stepped out of the chamber. "Sure. Probably just gave me cancer or something." She walked to the monitors on the wall. They all displayed new data, though she could still only understand a portion of it. She saw it read her current body temperature, heart rate, blood pressure, and then more she could not quite get. Something about bone density and muscle strength. "Okay... what am I looking at? You just bring me in here for a general check up?"

"No, my dear. I brought you in here for this." One of the monitors changed to a different read out. "This is the scan you underwent from AEGIS when you were a child." Sure enough, it had a similar read out to the one she saw before, only with slightly different information. According to the date, it would have made her five years old when it was taken. "This is another from when you were older." Same thing, all the same information, only this time at age ten. Then another at age fifteen.

She shook her head, still not getting it. "Okay... and?"

He let out a chuckle. "Well, they're fake. These are the ones that AEGIS has on file. I faked them. These are your real ones." The images changed again. Much of the data was the same, but one thing was different. The current scans on the other monitor matched this one.

She read it aloud. "Powers Analysis: Confirmed?" She blinked. "I don't have powers!" She read further on. "Regenerative cellular structure with high cell duplication rate. Passive activation. Dormant. Requires an activation trigger. Estimated trigger... extreme trauma?" She looked up at the window. "So you're saying I have powers, but they were never turned on?" She pointed at the monitors. "So, according to this, I'm a super that never went super? Why fake this?"

The cackling was back. "Because, if they knew, they would have dragged you off to train you. And I couldn't have that! No, I needed you to grow up 'normal.' Much easier to capture you if you are not flying around the city in a uniform, after all."

She shook her head again. "So you've been planning my kidnapping for 15 years? Man, you really are a piece of work." She motioned at the monitors again. "Not that I believe you. For all I know this is the fake info, too." She looked back up at the window again. "Are you done with me? Can I just go back to my cell now?"

The door opened and the same three robots from before walked in. At least she thought it was the same three. They all looked the same. "I'm afraid not. I have one final test to run."

She watched the three robots walking towards her. "Great... So what's next? Blood test? Full CT scan? Dissection?" Two of the robots walked right up to her, each grabbing one wrist with their clamp-hand. "Hey!"

"No." Suddenly the voice of the man was no longer the screeching, cackling madness. It was suddenly much calmer, and much colder again. Once more, something about the shift sent a shiver down her spine. "Now we must activate your powers."

She stared at the window above, confused. "Activate my..." Her eyes went wide as she remembered what the read out said. 'Extreme Trauma.' "N-No!" She tried to pull her arm free of the robots' grips as they pulled her arms outwards. "Stop! No, I don't have powers! I'm not a super! You're making a mista-" Her voice caught in her throat as the third robot moved closer. The clamp-hand retracted into its arm, only to be replaced by something that looked like a massive buzz saw. The saw started to spin rapidly. "NO! STOP!" She struggled, but the two robots at her side would not budge.

The pain was not the worst part. It was the feeling of her flesh being torn and pulled, and a strange mixture of heat, cold, and numbness that followed in its wake. The sound of bone being shredded was almost as bad as the feeling that vibrated through her very being. The ordeal only lasted seconds, but time slowed as adrenaline coursed through her, making the torment stretch out for what felt like hours. She didn't even hear her own agonized shrieking. She just saw her right arm suddenly detached from the rest of her body. Blood flowed freely from the wound, both from the stump just beside her shoulder, and from the limp appendage in the robot's grip.

"For your sake, I hope you are wrong." She barely heard the man, her mind overwhelmed by the shock and pain. Her vision was blurry from tears, her heart racing in her chest rapidly. Then her eyes rolled back, her legs giving out on her a moment later. It left her dangling by one arm, still held by the other robot. The insane man said something else, but her consciousness fled from the horror of the situation before she could hear it.

*     *     *


A.E.G.I.S. Database
Personnel File: 803141

Name: Lance Yordis
Rank: Lieutenant Colonel
Codename: Gungnir
Gender: Male
Species: Red Squirrel
Age: 43
Status: Active
Team: The Armory
Position: Team Leader
Years of Service: 27

Stats
Strength: 5.8
Agility: 3.1
Speed: 4.3
Durability: 8.9
Intelligence: 6.7
Flight: 0.0
Energy Projection: 4.2
Mystic: 0.0
Classifications: Heavy, Armor, Tank, Energy Projector, Leader

Abilities:
- Enhanced Strength, multiple times typical baseline maximums
- Enhanced Speed, able to move at near sonic speeds
- Advanced Agility, heightened response and athletic ability
- Exceedingly Enhanced Durability, near invulnerability to most physical damage
- Mid-Level Energy Projection, able to produce beams of charged particle rays from eyes and hands
- Low-Level Telepathy, receiving only, unable to project thoughts independently

Additional Notes: Leader of AEGIS team codenamed The Armory. Lance is one of the most skilled and capable AEGIS officers. Trained in the use of both close-combat and ranged weaponry, Lance is a formidable fighter. Prefers to use bare hands or beam-type weapon. While his enhanced strength, speed, and durability are all assets, his ability to assess a situation and develop on-the-fly strategy, leadership skills, and experience in the field make him the ideal team-lead for the squadron. Lance and Nyse often work as a pair, playing off each other's abilities in the field. Their unique telepathic bond makes communication instantaneous, and their teamwork becomes fluid and unified. Though the range of this communication has a limit of just over 10 km. Gungnir is ranked as the 12th strongest member of AEGIS, and the 2nd most durable, beaten only by the agent codenamed Wall (Personnel file 803202).

Family:
Father: Peter Yordis (Personnel file 801062)
AEGIS agent. Codename: Spear
Status: Deceased (KIA)

Mother: Angela Yordis (No file on record)
Civilian, no powers
Status: Telephone operator, Retired, living in Los Rios

Spouse: Nyce Yordis (Personnel file 803149)
AEGIS agent. Codename: Archer
Status: Active

Daughter: Lyall Yordis (Attached file 803141-a)
Civilian. No powers.
Status: High school graduate. Working as barista at The Strong Brew cafe in Ultra Ferro (district 27).

Addendum: Kidnapping victim of Dr. Alexander Gregorie Minde, MD, PhD, EngD. AKA: Dr. Mind. Current whereabouts unknown. Investigation ongoing.

*     *     *
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