Chapter One:
Dear God, what has he done
?
Amazing Shnyet walked slowly down the steps of Liberty City Hall, surveying the decimation that lay ahead. Atlas Park was in ruins, bodies lay strewn on the floor, their faces twisted in agony. Disco King followed solemnly behind, remembering the memorial to the first of the titan heroes, Atlas, now nothing but rubble and dust.
Recluse will pay for this. muttered Shnyet. And pay dearly he will
------------------------------------
The Precision Rangers follow suit out of City Hall, Star Jewel and Scapegoat sobbing quietly, being consoled by Doulos and Aeronaut. Shnyet and Disco King stood on the Atlas podium, Rangers! all the Precision Rangers came to attention and turned towards Shnyet. A terrible fate has become our much loved city. Lord Recluse and his army of henchmen overcame the cities war walls and have laid waste to the whole cityscape. An intelligence source has uncovered that he is in control of prototype phase shift device which allows him to move through time
but something went wrong with it and now we have shifted into a state of temporal flux.
Disco King stepped forward. We are repeating events, over and over again. Recluse and his Arachnos minions are protected from these changes by the device, but we step back through time without realising. And we would never have known unless our psychic friends in the Union Overlords and picked up on the temporal disturbance. With their help, we can shield our memories against the changes, but without destroying the device, we cannot stop our physical selves from shifting. Now, we do have a plan
------------------------------------
Battle waged in the sky over Atlas, the Rangers and Armoured Core cleaning the streets of Atlas Park. Within City Hall, The Coalition leaders worked feverishly in an ante room, putting their plan into fruition.
Jiaozy stood at the head of the battle table, This is going to be a dangerous mission. I know we normally select the best suited for the mission, but for this we ask a volunteer. He moves slowly round the table. The Overlords will concentrate all their energy onto one person, altering their physical image, in an attempt to infiltrate the volunteer into the Arachnos base. From here they will find the prototype housing area and disable the machine. Though this doesnt sound too hard, the sudden stop of the machine could cause a localised temporal explosion, and we are not sure what could happen to anyone caught in it.
So in other words, you go in, you dont come out? Aeronaut looked around the room.
Thats pretty much what we believe will happen.
Ill go
Someone speaks softly from the corner. All the heads in the room turn to see Deluge sitting there. His battle armour dented and sparking from a savage assault by the Arachnos guards. I cant continue fighting here; Ill only get people killed, so I want to do this.
Jiaozy turns, You dont have to do this you know, and youve been hurt badly.
Heh, if Im going out, Im going out with a bang. And I owe Recluse one for my brother.
Deluge offers out his hand to be helped up, Aeronaut acknowledging the request helps him to his feet. For today little man, you can be number one
The room filled with the gentle murmur of laughter.
------------------------------------
Deluge walked slowly into the preparation room, full of Overlords, formed into a circle around him. Now stand still
The voices echoed around him, the Overlords linked in a psychic chain, speaking as one. We will change your perceived form, turning you into an Arachnos guard
.
A brilliant flash filled the room, blinding Deluge. He draws his hands away from his eyes and looks around, severely disorientated. Process complete
From near the door Shnyet speaks Begin teleportation.
Within seconds Deluge finds himself in the Rogue Isles, in front of the monstrosity building that is the headquarters of Lord Recluse. Turning to look in the door, he sees for the first time that has looks just like an Arachnos guard. Wow, it looks better than I thought. And Im taller
Strolling into the base, he tries his best to blend in whilst looking around. Travelling from floor to floor, he eventually finds where the prototype is being stored.
A few more shifts and we shall eliminate these fools! Lord Recluse stands by the machine with this lieutenant Ghost widow.
Yes, but
They seem to be making more directed assaults on our forces, almost like they know whats happening
Bah, it matters not; they cannot stand up to my might. Even their awesome Statesman now lies in the dungeon below the building, helpless and unable to escape.
Deluge recoiled a little in shock. They have the Statesman too
This is getting worse, either I do it now, or Paragon will fall.
Recluse raises his hands Begin the process! Lets make this the final assault on the city! seeing an opportunity to strike, Deluge leaps forward. Youre wrong Recluse; the heroes of Paragon City will never give up the fight! With this, he focuses within himself, forcing all his energy to the core of his system. A titanic explosion rips through the lab, ripping apart the computer systems, and throwing Recluse and his minions across the room. The prototype machine lay on the floor, an eerie blue glow emanating from it, filling the room like liquid light. Drained and exhausted, Deluge lays on the floor, seeing that the machine is now destroyed, he closes his eyes and passes out
Dictator? Moi? Surely you jest 
