-Flashback: Day of Fusion Family's Tragic "Accident"-
Steve hopped out of the fire engine, eyes widening as he surveyed the scene. His two young friends, Robert and Marie, were on their knees in front of Crude Cobra, his signature gold-plated Nine Iron revolver aimed at them. Steve's mind was filled with rage as he fired up his Solar Auto-Saw, marching toward Cobra. Cobra, seeing the firefighter heading toward him, aimed his revolver at Steve and fired. However, Stingray Steve was kitted out in the "Rescue Operator Hazard Armor" or R.O.H.A. It was a full hydraulic maneuvering, Solar & Fission-powered armor designed to keep Firefighters, Mobile Emergency Trauma Teams, and other Emergency service workers safe from most threats, including ballistic munitions (bullets).
The bullet ricochets away as Steve steps in front of both the Fusions. "Sir, step away. I'm not certain what's going on here, but this is an emergency. I need you to..." Before Steve could finish his sentence, Rika Tesla, the mother of Electra Tesla, fired a large beam of concentrated electricity into the side of the R.O.H.A., immobilizing it as its power core shorts out. She smirked before aiming at the other unarmored firefighters, then nodded to Cobra. The CEO sighed and shook his head, "What a fucking mess." There were two silence-breaking gunshots, followed by the thudding of the bodies of Robert and Nancy Fusion. Stingray's muffled scream of rage and sorrow was only drowned out by the squealing of tires as Cobra and his goons vanished down the highway.
However, the firefighters rush into action, opening the armor, allowing Stingray to dive into the burning car and rescue a very young Nobel. Once Nobel was checked out and secured in the fire engine, Stingray walked over to his two friends and held their hands. However, instead of just their lifeless hands, he found in Robert's hand a key marked "Warehouse 87". Then, in Marie's hand, a small cylinder labeled "Project Nucleon", but with no other markings. He kept them both as Corporate EMTs arrived and began moving their bodies into ambulances.
As the fire was extinguished and the fire engine departed, Steve gripped the key and cylinder, looking at the infant Nobel and muttering under his breath, "I swear, Robert, Marie, your son will be Cobra's undoing."
-End of Flashback-
As Nobel and Kerosene entered the hospital room where Stingray was resting, a corporate assassin shot the already wounded Stingray. Kerosene fired his wrist flamethrowers while Nobel tried to save Stingray. "C'mon, Stingray, stay with me!" Nobel's eyes were frantic, but Stingray placed a bloody hand upon Nobel's hand. As he pulled his hand away, a small tin with a note that read "get out of here, then open" was on it. Nobel nodded as he chased after Kerosene. For Stingray had taken his final breath, hoping he'd sealed Crude Cobra's fate for good.
Once Kerosene and Nobel had returned to the "Radium Roadrunner", they took off, heading for their abandoned airfield home. The drive back was silent; neither of them spoke, but Kerosene held Nobel's hand as they made their way to the airport. Once they'd pulled into their hangar garage and the door had shut, Nobel pulled the tin out of his pocket. Both Kerosene and Nobel were silent as Nobel carefully opened the tin, revealing the key with the "Warehouse 87" tag on it and the cylinder with a tape label that read, "Project Nucleon." At the bottom of the tin was a note, which Nobel read, pulled out a map, and calculated a single point, then marked it on the map.
"Call up the Grid Breacher Crew, Kerosene. We'll head there tonight, but the Roadrunner stays here. Nobel clutched the cylinder and key, knowing precisely who they belonged to, as Kerosene sent an encrypted map-pin to the Grid Breacher Crew, clinging to Nobel's arm as they entered their house, even if it was just for a quick bandaging for Kerosene.
They didn't know it yet... but their world was about to get a whole lot crazier from here...