During their introductions, a diverse group of individuals each took their turn to address the eager audience.
"To grasp," Abbey Abraham began,
"What we're about to unveil," Judy West continued,
"You must embark on a preliminary task," Emi Stacy added,
"A journey," Tom Grayson chimed in,
"One that requires unwavering faith," Bruce Allen declared,
"In the extraordinary," Gwen Patterson emphasized,
"Can you muster the belief required?" they all asked in unison, their words echoing with a sense of anticipation.
Years before the crisis, amidst the turmoil, and in the aftermath of the chaos, our tale journeys down memory lane. Sixty-six years ago, during a tempestuous night, just after Sophie McCoy had been chosen as the new guardian of the Curtechyian force, destined to become a speedster, lightning and thunder raged across the world, capriciously striking unsuspecting souls.
In a distant corner of the world, an innocent man fell victim to a gruesome robbery and murder. His lifeless body was callously cast into a treacherous quicksand pit. Yet, as fate would have it, a bolt of lightning, like a divine spark, jolted him back to life, gifting him with superhuman speed.
Meanwhile, in another locale, a dedicated scientist toiled with tachyon particles, harboring a hidden xentorium core. When lightning struck during his clandestine experiment, the enigmatic xentorium core melded into his very being.
Elsewhere, an electrical engineer faced a harrowing accident, simultaneously electrocuted and struck by a bolt of lightning. These random acts of nature chose their hosts, whether virtuous or nefarious, and bestowed upon them incomprehensible speed, a gift they would soon come to fathom on their own. (Reference: Chapter 24 - Tachyon Force Part 2).
The first two speedsters in the Maniverse 101, specifically Earth 1A within the vast Multiverse of Universe X24, embarked on their journey. Most speedsters veiled their newfound abilities, harnessing them for clandestine purposes or still in the process of discovering their full potential, keeping their talents undisclosed.
Meanwhile, the Ultra family, stalwart defenders of justice, continued their superhero duties, unaware of the burgeoning speedsters. Among them was Quicksand, whose alter ego, Michael James, had been resurrected and granted extraordinary speed. As he delved into his newfound powers, Michael unearthed a unique facet: whenever he moved at superhuman velocity, a trail of quicksand materialized in his wake.
With his powers blossoming, Michael embarked on a vengeful mission, hunting down his assailants and exacting gruesome retribution upon them. Each act of justice served as a balm to his wounded soul.
As Michael's prowess continued to evolve, he proclaimed himself the sole speedster on the planet, shrouding his true identity. He dispensed justice without hesitation, often resorting to extreme measures, including the elimination of wrongdoers and even those who inadvertently skirted the boundaries of the law.
Michael's speed was so awe-inspiring that even the Vill-City police force (VCPF) were left flabbergasted, arriving at crime scenes only to find traces of quicksand, a chilling testament to the speedster's presence.
Michael James had a penchant for taking the law into his own hands, passing judgment on the guilty without the formality of trials. However, his life took a dramatic turn when he encountered Velocity.
On the other side of this intricate tale lies Felicity Valmond, whose life, much like many others, was marked by the imperfections of parental relationships. Her parents experienced their fair share of ups and downs, culminating in a divorce following their daughter's junior high school graduation.
Felicity, ever the optimist, tirelessly attempted to mend her parents' fractured bond, but her efforts proved futile. After a final family meeting, her parents made it clear that they were content with their choices and would forever love and support their daughter.
Her father embarked on a new chapter, marrying a single mother named Kyla O'Neill. Kyla brought with her a beautiful daughter named Becca, who would become Felicity's stepsister.
While Felicity's biological mother never remarried, both of Felicity's biological parents, along with her stepmother, Kyla, continued to stand by her side throughout her journey to success. Felicity's bond with her stepsister, Becca, flourished to the point where they were often mistaken for blood sisters or even lovers. However, as their sisterly love deepened, it eventually took an unexpected and romantic turn.
Author's Note:
In chapter 67, titled "Curtechyian Madness," we are introduced to a captivating and unconventional relationship that adds depth to Felicity Valmond, the story's protagonist. Within the McCoy family, known as the Ultra Family, Felicity shares a unique bond with Becca O'Neill, aptly described as an "ex-sister-fiance."
To dissect this intriguing connection:
1. **Step-Sister**: Felicity and Becca find themselves in the roles of step-sisters, a familial tie forged through the union of their respective parents. This foundation suggests a complex family dynamic.
2. **Former Fiancé**: In a twist that veers away from traditional family norms, Felicity and Becca were once engaged to be wed. This revelation hints at a romantic involvement that transcended the boundaries of mere sisterhood.
The interplay of these two roles, step-sister and former fiancé, intertwines Felicity's personal, professional, and clandestine lives in an intricate web of relationships. It unveils a character with motivations and past experiences that defy the ordinary, drawing readers deeper into the narrative's complexity and Felicity's enigmatic world.
They lived happily ever after, supporting one another. As the days passed, Felicity graduated from senior high school and embarked on an incredible academic journey. She began her studies at the University of Canada, where she excelled, earning outstanding results in both a PhD in Science and a BSc in Journalism from Vill-City College. On the day of her graduation, she was surrounded by her biological parents, her stepmom, and her stepsister.
Felicity's stepmom extended a generous job offer to her at her own company, Binary X. It was an opportunity to work alongside brilliant minds at Binary Labs, and Felicity gladly accepted it as a part-time scientist. Simultaneously, her application to become a daily reporter at Vill-City Magazine Publishing and Media House was accepted.
Felicity emerged as a young, brilliant graduate with remarkable degrees, juggling two successful part-time jobs – one as a scientist at Binary X and the other as a daily reporter at Vill-City Magazine Publishing and Media House.
One stormy night, while working late on the examination of tachyon particles secretly containing a piece of xentorium core, tragedy struck. Lightning coursed through Felicity as she studied the tachyon particles, causing the xentorium core to be absorbed into her body.
A similar incident occurred to another random scientist working from home on tachyon particles containing a xentorium core when lightning struck, transferring the core into his body as well.
Felicity was found sprawled on the ground by her colleagues at Binary Labs, who rushed to her rescue. They carried her into the operation room, desperately trying to save her life. Her heartbeat had stopped, and she had fallen into a brief comatose state. In her coma, Felicity experienced what felt like a trance, a world filled with both positive and negative energies.
Just as she received the third defibrillator shock to her chest, administered by her colleague Emily Frost, an astonishing surge of CMY lightning erupted from Felicity's body. It unleashed a force that sent people tumbling, shattered glass, and slammed others against the walls. The female colleague handling the defibrillator was struck by Felicity's lightning and collided with a container labeled "Fifth State Exotic Chemical Matter (FSECM-5)."
The container contained a complex mixture of Helium-3, Helium-4, dry ice, liquid nitrogen, Bose-Einstein condensate, Quark-gluon plasma, and strange matter. It spilled onto her, causing her to scream in agony. In the midst of chaos, Felicity revived with a gasp, and the entire building plunged into darkness.
After her awakening, Felicity was stunned to find the chaos surrounding her as the backup generator roared to life. Everything lay in disarray. It took a few minutes, but they eventually regained their composure. One of her colleagues examined Felicity, baffled by her perfect vitals.
"You were struck by lightning through the heart, something no one has ever survived in human history. Yet here you are, alive. How is that even possible? Science can't explain it," her male colleague marveled.
Concerned for Emily, Felicity asked, "What about Emily Frost? What happened to her?"
"She's in the medic room," her colleague replied.
Felicity rushed to the medic room, her heart heavy with worry. Emily Frost's entire right side was frozen, so cold that not even the incubator could thaw her. The sight of her helpless friend broke Felicity's heart, knowing that Emily had risked her life to save hers. Emily lay in a comatose state.
As days passed, Felicity began to feel different. Her powers began to develop, and she sensed an inner surge of electrical energy within her. She discovered her newfound abilities, like super speed, as the world around her seemed to slow down. She took her first step, triggering her incredible speed, and narrowly avoided being crushed by an oncoming vehicle. It was an adrenaline rush like no other.
Initially, Felicity struggled to control her newfound speed. In one lightning-fast step, she found herself in Russia before figuring out how to return to Vill-City. She confided in her trusted colleagues at Binary Labs, who had aided her before, explaining what had happened.
Her colleagues were thrilled to witness Felicity move faster than the eye could follow. With their support, she underwent intense training to master her speed and use it for the greater good. Through rigorous training and advanced bio-enhancements, she harnessed her maximum potential without adverse effects.
Felicity initially kept her powers a secret from her family, revealing them only to her trusted work acquaintances. With each passing day, she honed her speed and used it to save lives, becoming a beacon of hope in Vill-City.
The pivotal moment arrived when Felicity harnessed her extraordinary speed and put her extensive training to the ultimate test, saving countless lives from a blazing inferno, rescuing people trapped in a collapsing building, defusing a menacing bomb, and thwarting bandits who dared to open fire upon her. She was astounded to discover her ability to absorb kinetic energy from any source, rather than merely dodging bullets or slowing them down. Her exploits in combating crime, often in tandem with her vigilant team at Binary Labs, remained shrouded in mystery as she concealed her identity behind a cutting-edge super suit.
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Citizens remained unaware of the enigmatic savior who had intervened to protect them from peril. Felicity continued to refine her speed, effortlessly breaking the sound barrier and pushing her limits further.
Meanwhile, Emily Frost, who had made a gradual recovery but not yet regained her frozen half, found herself engrossed in news coverage about the enigmatic family of heroes who had become the city's and the world's salvation. Felicity paid a visit to Emily's home, where they engaged in a heartfelt and nostalgic conversation. Felicity reminisced about their workplace nicknames, with Emily affectionately known as "Frozen" due to her affinity for coldness.
Emily shared the unfortunate news that she had to quit her job at Binary X due to her persistent condition, for which no cure had yet been found. Felicity, however, refused to give up hope. She promised Emily that she would relentlessly search for a solution to make her whole again. Overwhelmed with emotion, Emily broke down in tears, grateful for Felicity's unwavering friendship.
As Felicity left Emily's apartment, an unexpected surge of electrical energy emanated from Emily's frozen body, causing her to cry out in agony. This unleashed her powers, encasing not only her apartment but the entire neighborhood in an icy grip.
Just as Felicity received a call from her trusted colleagues about an ongoing incident in Vill-City, she sped off to Binary X Labs to gather more information. There, her colleagues briefed her on the situation: a rogue superhuman was wreaking havoc in the city, possessing speed comparable to Felicity's own, moving swiftly and eluding detection.
"A rogue speedster taking the law into their own hands," Felicity remarked, her determination resolute as she inquired about their methods for tracking this elusive adversary.
After the incident that had befallen Felicity, her colleagues discovered an unusual radiation emanating from the tachyon particles she had been experimenting with. Through meticulous study, they managed to merge these tachyon particles with their Binary satellite, enabling them to monitor and track Felicity's incredible speed. She marveled at their ingenuity and was on the verge of leaving when a colleague surprised her with a specially designed super suit. This remarkable suit, crafted from the same tachyon particles, boasted integrated communication capabilities and vital sensors to support Velocity on her missions. It prominently featured a lightning-shaped "V" emblem on the chest.
Curiosity piqued, Felicity inquired about the significance of the lightning-shaped "V" symbol. Her male colleague, flashing a grin, promptly replied, "Velocity! That's what the lightning-shaped V emblem stands for." It was a fitting moniker, derived from her passion for tachyon particles and her penchant for maintaining a rapid pace. Each member of the team had their own unique work nicknames or code names.
"A vector quantity that denotes the rate of change of position with respect to time, combining speed with a directional component," chimed in one of her female colleagues, adding a layer of scientific depth to the name.
"And there's an inbuilt body motion sensor to keep track of your health vitals, just in case... For emergencies, to monitor and safeguard your well-being," another female colleague conveyed with a reassuring demeanor.
With a grateful smile, Felicity swiftly donned the super suit, concealing her true identity, and zipped off into the city in pursuit of the rogue speedster. As she combed the city streets, Velocity received a notification from her team through her built-in communications system about a robbery in progress not far from her current location. Without hesitation, she accelerated towards the crime scene, closing in on the bandits' vehicle even as they opened fire, determined to bring them to justice.
Swiftly, Felicity incapacitated the bandits, disassembling their vehicle with finesse before securing them tightly. However, a chilling twist awaited her. One of the criminals possessed a remote detonation device, hidden until now. He threatened to unleash chaos upon the city, armed with a handful of explosive charges strategically placed throughout.
"Don't come any closer," the bandit hissed, desperation in his eyes. "You've taken my comrades from me, but this heist was always my endgame. I'll take a piece of this city with me. You'll never find all the bombs, no matter how fast you are."
With a sinister grin, he pressed the detonator, taunting Felicity as he triggered a maniacal laugh. The countdown began - just thirty seconds remained before fifty hidden bombs would devastate the city. "Goodbye, speedster. Sayonara."
With the city's fate hanging by a thread, Felicity reached out to her Binary X Labs team for assistance. They swiftly relayed the locations of the hidden explosives. Before leaving the immobilized bandits, she assured them they'd face justice after she secured the bombs.
Racing against time, Felicity managed to defuse forty-nine bombs, each hidden in vastly different locations, in a mere twenty-seven seconds. Her teammates guided her with precision. Yet, as she approached the fiftieth bomb, with only three seconds left to disarm it, disaster struck. It detonated before she could react, triggered by a motion sensor.
The explosion's shockwave sent her tumbling to the ground. Thankfully, her powers shielded her from harm, and her suit suffered minimal damage. Her colleague's voice echoed through her inbuilt comms, concern evident. In remorse, Felicity informed them about the last bomb.
Witnessing the bomb explode right before her eyes filled her with guilt. With no time for second thoughts, she sprinted back towards the danger zone, the detonation's destructive ripple still in motion. Buildings crumbled, and bridges teetered on the brink.
In her selfless act to save lives, an unexpected power surged within Felicity. Time seemed to slow down as she moved amidst the chaos. She witnessed the lives endangered by the explosion and, in a breathtaking display, her body generated CMY lightning and vibrated at an otherworldly frequency. She heard the wind's whispers, and with every step, as she moved among floating debris, she reversed the calamity.
In an instant, everything reverted to the moment when she had bound the bandits, erasing the devastation and chaos that had engulfed the city.
In the midst of the chaos, she swiftly recognized the perilous scenario, though unsure of what had just occurred, she managed to wrest the remote bomb from the clutches of the bandit. With deft hands, she set about disarming the ominous device, the tension in the room thickening with each passing second. Her heart raced.
Upon her return, she was met with a chilling sight— the rogue speedster had already dispatched the bandits in a blur of violence, leaving a grim tableau in his wake. He turned to Velocity, and an unexpected realization washed over him: he wasn't the lone speedster in this predicament. They exchanged brief glances before words hung heavily in the air.
"Why did you kill them?" Velocity inquired, disbelief etched into her features.
"Justice is blind, the system is corrupt," replied the rogue speedster, his voice carrying a haunting rasp. "Pity won't steer them toward redemption."
"Within the confines of the law, they could find redemption," Velocity countered.
"But what if they never do?" The rogue speedster's voice remained raspy, filled with doubt.
"People can change," Velocity asserted, her tone unwavering. "It just takes time and faith."
"You're blinded by your faith, resorting to reversing time to avert disaster," the rogue speedster observed, noticing Velocity's uncertainty. "You underestimate the true potential of your speed."
"You can't simply kill because you're fast," Velocity argued.
"That's precisely why I'm suited for this task," the rogue speedster retorted. "Swift enough that they won't see the end coming."
"I won't allow you to harm anyone again," Velocity declared resolutely.
"Then catch me if you can," the rogue speedster taunted in a hoarse, menacing voice, vanishing into thin air as Velocity surged forward in pursuit. The chase was on, a high-speed duel between conflicting ideals.
They both moved at such astonishing speeds that bystanders could hardly comprehend what was unfolding before their eyes. The world witnessed nothing more than a blur of movement, a rush of wind that left them breathless. Occasionally, the rogue speedster's recklessness would jeopardize innocent lives, compelling Velocity to intervene and rescue those caught in the crossfire, all while the chase continued.
Their frenetic pursuit took them on a heart-pounding journey, encircling the entire Vill-City and Vill-City High. They leaped from building to building, their fists clashing in a high-speed battle that defied belief. They even battled atop water, racing beyond Vill-City's borders and traversing the seven continents, finally veering into a dense jungle before ultimately settling in the unforgiving desert.
In the arid wasteland, the rogue speedster proved a formidable adversary, pushing Velocity to her limits. With every punch and countermove, he taunted her, mocking her inexperience. Amidst their fierce struggle, he revealed that he had made a connection with the very essence of speed itself, hinting at a power beyond imagination.
With a merciless grip, he spun Velocity like a ragdoll, creating a swirling sand tornado before hurling her aside with bone-crushing force. His barrage of speed-driven blows battered her, leaving her battered, bloody, and disheveled. Velocity struggled to land a meaningful hit on her relentless foe.
Defying all odds, the rogue speedster swept Velocity off her feet, unmasking her secret identity. He warned her to steer clear of his affairs, threatening to end her life should she cross his path again. But he wasn't finished; he buried her in quicksand of his own creation, disappearing into the desert with astonishing speed.
Velocity's comms were in ruins, her suit caked in dirt, sand, and traces of the treacherous quicksand. After a harrowing few minutes, she summoned her remaining strength to vibrate her way out of her sandy tomb before speeding off to Binary X Labs.
Upon her arrival at the lab, her colleagues were horrified by Felicity's dire condition. She collapsed from exhaustion onto the floor. Swiftly, they rushed her to the lab's medic room, determined to aid in her recovery.