Jennifer8

I can't post until later but I am also reserving a spot.

Thanks
Jen

((Hello everyone! I am surprised not to see a thread on the boards, so I am starting one. I should note that I don't actually have time to mind a thread like this (darn real life!) So I don't know if I will be posting much in my own thread (ugh!) Still, I am hoping that the topic will generate enough interest to become self-sustaining. Feel free to begin plots of your own! As usual, the typical rules apply - no god-moding, etc.)

"And I am telling you, they are coming!" Penny thundered - a behavior highly unusual for her. Her cheeks were almost as brilliantly colored as her hair, another unusal thing. "Shred the red tape and notify someone like Statesman or - "

The bureaucrat looked at her with something like the pity one feels for a child rather slow to grasp an important lesson. "Miss McGuire," he said in an annoyingly soothing tone, "Statesman is an extremely important superhero and we cannot waste his time with every unfounded innuendo or wild rumor that some test pilot - "

Penny slammed her hands down on the desk, frustrated past endurance. While she had a respectable security clearance, she had never even considered speaking to such an important personage as Statesman. It wasn't that she hadn't seen him around - once she had attended the dedication ceremony for the new Statesman Children's Hospital, and another time she had had the good fortune to be present in the city square when Statesman was giving a speech - but she had never been closer than several hundred yards away from him, had never spoken to him personally, and was certain that he didn't know she existed. And why would he? In a city brimming with paranormals of all descriptions, one lone test pilot wasn't worth his time.

"The Rikti are coming to re-invade!" She spat. "Don't you think that someone in the Freedom Phalanx might have some interest in that?"

"I am certain that they would, if you had even one iota of evidence."

"I am telling you - "

"Miss McGuire," for the first time, the civil servant showed signs of his own annoyance, "You have told the same thing to the ten people before me. I am telling you the same thing that they were. Your report has been filed as per the standard procedure, where your claims will be investigated as usual. If they are found not to be meritless, it will go to the strategic committee, who will advise on what is best to be done with the data. Until that happens, there is nothing more that you can do. I suggest you return to your testing."

Penny's face was black with fury, and she clutched the receipt in her hand. "Well let's hope the Rikti decide to twiddle their thumbs for the next four to six weeks," she spat, and stormed out of the building, giving it up as hopeless.

Forty-five minutes later, Halon 1301 (that was not Penny's name, but the code name of the suit which she was testing) was working out some of her frustration on petty crime: purse-snatchers, a teenie-mart hold-up, and a batch of stupid kids who had somehow gotten hold of a box of live dynamite sticks.


Her new targets were a group of Tsoo, who were arguing furiously with a group of Crey technicians on a street corner. Penny was surprised to see that the argument seemed to be taking place over vials of blue liquid: with Crey it was usually circuit boards, microchips, or some such thing.

They all turned and looked at her as she stepped fearlessly into their midst. "You know, of course, that you are all busted," she told them with an easy grin. "Don't you know that this is a dry precinct? You can't have the blueberry kool-aid here, I am going to have to confiscate it. And you! Those wooden shoes are a hazard - if you ran too fast they might catch your feet on fire. "

The Crey raised their pistols. The Sorcerer raised his own hands, his elaborate tattoos glowing slightly as he prepared to call down the fury of his magic. Halon grinned as the power-feeds suit came online.

And then they all heard it, and stopped. In the background noise of the city, under the honking of cars and the chatter of voices, there was always a constant, deep humming sound. It wasn't irritating, and in fact the sound had been present for so long that it had been forgotten.

Now, however, it.. caught. Just a brief hiccup, enough to bring the sound into Penny's awareness as she frowned, trying to focus on what she had just heard. It wasn't until the second brief interval of deafening silence that she was able to pinpoint the noise, or the lack of it. The Tsoo and the Crey heard it too, and paused.

"What was that noise...?" Wondered the Crey specialist.

A moment later, the pitch of the constant hum fell two octaves, its volume dropping along with its tone, until it sputtered and died entirely. The silence weighed on Penny's ears like snowdrifts. She looked up, her heart thudding in her throat, already knowing what she would see.

"The force fields just dropped," the voice that spoke sounded strange and hollow, and not like her own at all. Crey and Tsoo looked up and saw it also, and for a moment, they just stared, their quarrel forgotten.

Then the deafening silence was shattered by the shriek of bomb sirens. The sky went green and purple. By now, all activity had stopped as people fearfully craned their necks all around, looking for the source.

Then, on the horizon, Penny saw a flicker of movement. It grew rapidly, becoming larger and triangular, giving the impression of tentacles and eyes, a monster dropping fire on the city. She didn't have to see it clearly to know what it was.

The second Rikti invasion had begun.

Everyone scattered, running. "Get under cover, get under cover!" Penny shouted at the running people, her eyes fixated on the sky, and then she activated her rocket boots, adrenaline pumping through her system, and took off after the massive shapes, determined to do what she could.

I have just joined a new supergroup titled "The Rikti Welcoming Committee."

We are a theme-based supergroup, comprised of characters who believe the Rikti are preparing a second invasion. We plan to do badges and Rikti events when I-10 goes live. Interested players should send a tell or email to ".patriotprime" (Notice it begins with a .)

Thanks!

Jen 8)

[ QUOTE ]

The fake Bane Spider laughed at Power Breaker's words, "Trust me, if you could analyze my posture right about now, you scanner'd be saying 'I don't think you bend this way'. Miss Arcade, are you coming? We can't just hover here forever you know. People are expecting us..."

[/ QUOTE ]

Penny Arcade hastily hopped aboard the helicopter. She had been running one final pre-check, but now came and sat down in her designated spot.

She quirked an eyebrow at the Vanguard personnel, but said nothing further. Vanguard maintained a low-profile presence in the Isles, and though little had been said, the organization had made quiet overtures to several well-known villains recently. Penny Arcade had been one of those villains.

But neither of them said anything. Instead she addressed her comments to Acid. "Terribly sorry - of course you are correct. Time is of the essence. Let's go..."

[ QUOTE ]

"Yes yes yes." the Executioner waved his fingers toward her nonchalantly, his attention more on the jack-in point, "One moment."

As if it was the most natural thing in the world, the main aimed his mace at the spot, unleashing a powerful crimson beam into the structure, vaporizing more than half of the material at the impact site with cacophonous noise.

"Requesting Control." he then put two fingers to the side of his helmet, "Reporting area clear. Rikti. A few. Nothing to worry about. Negative. Eliminated. Not alone - we had some unexpected help from Vanguard. Two. I didn't ask. Because Lord Recluse has ordered us not to. Do you really want to be the one to question his orders?"

The Executioner chuckled at the obvious reply from the other end of the channel, "I thought so. Of course. Out."

"That oughta take care of them for a while." the man turned to Penny again, "That could've gotten dangerous. You're very good, Miss Arcade, but Arachnos shouldn't be taken so lightly. I do hope you had a back-up plan. Either way...oh, how rude of me. My name is Acid, and the helicopter should be here any minute..."

[/ QUOTE ]

The blast produced an odd ka-THWUMP noise when it struck the compromised jack-in box, along with a shower of sparks. Penny Arcade had planted a very small, shaped microcharge there. Designed to fry the box after she had left, it would have ensured that no trace ever remained of her tampering. It still did the job... just much earlier. Without interference, it would have gone off just after she left, leaving evidence of a lightning strike, but never actual tampering.

"Of course I had a backup plan," she smirked. "You just made it unnecessary... helicopter huh? Travelling in style? I like it." She moved over closer to Jake and Power Breaker, waiting for their ride to appear.

[ QUOTE ]

"That won't be necessary." Acid answered McMillan with what seemed like a gentle smile in his voice. The folds of the cloak shifted about, as the wearer was clearly moving something around inside, "In fact, I recommend you cut the channel as quickly as possible. Arachnos isn't bad when it comes to tracking hackers, and I'm rather sure they're already further than you. Now, if you'll excuse me, time may be of the essence here. Oh, and don't worry - I'll take care of this personally."

Acid turned to leave, hoping the Commander would take things as they were for now. His present state of emotion suggested it, at least.

Dammit...why does telepathy have to be so hard to learn...?



[/ QUOTE ]

Acid had hardly begun to speak when a technician piped up, "We've lost the signal, sir."

Penny Arcade, probably thinking much along the same lines as McMillan, had already cut the line.

McMillan simply gave a curt nod to Acid's statement. "Good Luck," he said simply, and turned back to his work as Acid left.

[ QUOTE ]


Not far down the girder Penny had taken refuge on, a hulking figure who donned a cape materialized form thin air. The mace-like weapon in the man's hand gave him away almost immediately - a Bane Spider Executioner, the markings of the Elite Division prominently evident upon his broad shoulders.

"Now then..." the Executioner mumbled under his breath, voice somewhat garbled by the helmet, "Gotta be somewhere around here. Miss Arcade! Oh, Miss Arcade, where aaare youuu...?!"

[/ QUOTE ]

"That was fast."

He had caught her - but only just. She had already removed the equipment she had added, and had been flying away. Seeing his entrance, and hearing his speech, she turned back towards him. Had he been even seconds later, he never would have been able to locate her.

She knew well enough he wasn't an Elite Executioner, whatever uniform he wore. The Elites called Penny Arcade a number of things, but had never given her such as mild a name as "Miss Arcade."

"I wondered," she smirked at him, her rocket boots easily allowing her to manuver to his level, "How long it would take someone to show up. Got curious, did you?"

[ QUOTE ]

"Wait, you're being serious?" Acid's head moved back a bit in astonishment, then the faceless hole looked down upon the drab gray robes before turning to the Commander again, "Wow, I never thought this'd really work, you know? I just thought I'd try to be polite and not scare anyone. You humans seem to find my appearance particularly offensive at times. Oh, I'm sorry, I'm rambling - yes, I know Miss Arcade. Or rather, I know of her through a friend. She's being honest, if that's what you were asking about..."

[/ QUOTE ]

"It wasn't," McMillan said dryly. Truth be told, McMillan wasn't pleased about the composition of the task force, and was even less pleased about the suspension of typical security protocols. Still, orders were orders, and he had his own suspicions about what would be coming down the line. Soon enough, McMillan privately suspected, the world would need both its heroes and its villains... but that was a thought for another day.

"The decision of inclusion of new task force members ultimately rests with the leader of the task force. As such decisions are not within the purvue of this command, I will not question the judgements of those who are responsible for making them." McMillan didn't like it, but respect for another officer - even one from a different grop - restrained him from any further action. "All duly designated task force members are authorized to view information that is relevant to the task force. There it is." He didn't like that either, but he was in a position where he didn't have much choice in the matter.

"There is a decision to make. Perhaps you would be good enough to have someone pick up the line."

[ QUOTE ]
"Do we have a problem?" the figure confronted McMillan in a stern, yet polite tone, though Acid may as well have told him straight-out that there had better not be a problem...

[/ QUOTE ]

McMillan didn't seem the least flustered. As efficient as ever, he appraised the hero of the situation. "We have a call," he said, the tiniest shade of annoyance in his tone, "From the Rogue Isles. From one supervillain named Penny Arcade. She is aware of the task force, has invoked a code Janus, and claims," his dry tone belied what he thought of the claim, "That she wishes to join up. She's waiting to speak to someone." He turned and glared at a technician, who shook his head. McMillan frowned, glancing at his watch. "In four minutes and twenty seven seconds," he said with an even drier tone, "We haven't been able to get a closer trace than the Rogue Isles." He nodded at a manilla envelope on his desk. "Her file, if you are interested."

Had it been up to McMillan, it was probable the call would already have been terminated. But McMillan was a man who knew his duty, and the regulations were crystal clear: a code Janus was simply not handled by the military branch - it must be given to the paranormal echelons. McMillan clearly didn't like it, but he was nothing if not faithful to his position.

[ QUOTE ]
((And what about Commander McMillan? ))

[/ QUOTE ]

((OOC: He gets his own post.))

His people were already buzzing around like bees when he stepped from his office.

McMillan liked to run a tight ship, and those who served under his command knew it. So when he stepped out, closed the door, and barked, "Well?" His people knew what he wanted.

"No luck on the signal trace sir. It's definitely coming from the Rogue Isles, but we can't pinpoint it any closer, too much interference."

"Visual analysis ready for inspection, sir."

"Background file has just come through, sir, here it is."

McMillan limped over and took the file, flipping through it. He didn't like the cane, if the truth be told. Still, it was better than losing the leg, though it had been close after his ill-fated excursion to the Isles. Whether he liked to admit it or not, Penny Arcade had saved his life back then.

Nor had that been an isolated circumstance. Though he had given he no indication of it - nor had a chance to, even if he would have wanted to do so, which he didn't - he had taken a personal interest in her file ever since.

Penny Arcade had a small collection of names in her file. A few were heroes. Many others were people with no known powers. All had escaped from the Rogue Isles with her help. Penny Arcade, while maintaining a front of respectable villainy, was quietly running something of an underground railroad. Her earlier background was sketchy, but McMillan believed he had pieced together most of it. It helped to explain why she was such a thorn in the side of Longbow, and every other heroic organization, doing things such as hacking into supposedly secure lines.

It was the visual inspection of the transmission, however, that alarmed him. While Penny Arcade left very few visual clues, as was her wont, what little he could glean was worrisome. The general impression of girders and sky, combined with his knowledge of her background, made him believe that she had hacked into a transmitter somewhere - a dangerous proposition at the best of times. Her offer had to be serious for her to take such a risk: but on the flip side, it was unlikely she would be able to transmit for long.

McMillan would have sooner died than admit that his leg hampered him from finding the hero, but facts were facts. He harrumphed at his staff, who correctly interpreted the noise as a compliment at their efficiency, and took his communicator in hand. "Alpha Strike Leader," he barked into it, "This is McMillan. There is a new development. Report here at once. McMillan out." He snapped the communicator closed, and headed back to his office, to wait for Gabe, whom he expected would appear momentarily. When McMillan said at once, he really meant it.

[ QUOTE ]
Jake hurriedly followed, still not quite having caught up to Penny Arcade, when she suddenly stopped right in her place, warning of at least a gigawatt of power. Jake flipped on his PFF, not sacrificing any of his momentum, and continued following Penny Aracade to the transistor. Taking mild interest in the process of contacting Paragon, he leaned against a wall until the signal went through, making the apparent 'Oh God!' 'A villain!' 'Trace the call!' responses a reality. Nonchalantly walking over with his hands in his pockets, he let himself be seen by the transmitter, giving a slight wave to the Commander. "Ah, Commander McMillan, how're you? Been a while, aye? So how's my dad?"

Jake's father, ever since assisting his first hero with his gadgetry, had become ever-intwined with Longbow, constantly being asked to upgrade and create new equipment for them. One one particular visit, Jake decided to come, and had met the Commander himself; however, hastily deciding he didnt' like his strict attitude.

[/ QUOTE ]

((OOC: I guess I wasn't quite clear here. We are *not* at Penny's place. We are hacking into an Arachnos transmission tower, which is a horribly dangerous thing to do... here, let me clarify ))

Penny reached out a hand abruptly, and yanked Jake hard, pulling him under cover with herself.

Above them, an Arachnos patrol flew slowly around, searchlights in hand. The patrol wasn't searching for them specifically: but they were heavily armed and heavily backed up, crab patrols, with Arachnobots and black helicopters in tow. Even when not on alert, they were carrying enough firepower to decimate any foe short of a full-scale assault force.

One of the things that made calling Paragon City so dangerous was the way one had to do it. There were several methods which one could utilize, all of which were horribly risky. Penny had chosen to hack directly into an Arachnos transmitter, located within spitting distance of one of the most heavily fortified installations on the Islands. If they got caught here, Arachnos wouldn't hesitate to burn them down first and ask questions afterwards. They wouldn't last long against the sort of forces that could be mustered instantly from the fort below.

Still, as with everything in the Islands, there was a time to fight, and a time to sneak around. Penny Arcade seemed to be as skilled at sneaking as she was at combat, not batting an eyelash as a searchlight passed within half an inch of her, but not quite illuminating her where she crouched, hidden in the shadow of the girder. She gave no hint, to the Paragon heroes on the other end of the phone call, that she was literally within a finger's breadth of discovery and almost certain death.

Almost as if she had done it many times before....

Penny Arcade zipped along the Isles, gaining altitude easily, expecting the others to follow. Data flashed across the lenses of her goggles. The last bits of background checks for Jake and Power Breaker came through, and contained no surprises. Though it hardly looked like it, Penny Arcade left very little to chance.

Receiving a transmission from Paragon was a relatively simple matter. Sending a transmission to Paragon - particularly undetected - was a significantly more complicated proposal. Still, anything could be done on the Isles, if one was determined enough.

The transmitter was one of the highest points on any of the islands. It was relatively unguarded, for the strength of its signal was such that any unshielded individual would fry themselves like a bug if they got too close. "It's a gigawatt or more up there," Penny Arcade paused at a safe altitude to address her following. "If your shielding is not rated for it, wait here."

The stealth suit performed beautifully as she all but faded from view. Rising gracefully up the tower, she finally lit on the very top, next to the enormous blinking red light meant to warn off aircraft. Had her shielding not been superb, she would already have died. Some fifty feet below this was a gigantic dish: and on one side of the tower were a variety of boxes wired to it. She crouched on the edge for a moment, looking at each one, then floated gracefully downwards again, lighting on a particular girder next to one of them. The lock on the box held out for a few seconds, but under duress it popped, and the door swung open to reveal a bundle of wires. Penny Arcade's supple fingers traced these carefully, scraping the protective coatings off of several, revealing bare wire, and attaching clips to them. The other end of the wires ran to a box attached to her wrist.

It was time to call up Paragon.

"Ten to one odds," she muttered to herself, "within thirty seconds I hear both, 'Trace this call' and 'ohmygawd! How did you get this number?'"

The signal piggybacked on an official Arachnos transmission. Splitting off at the satellite, it lost its Arachnos identity, becoming anonymous, and bouncing back and forth between several satellites before finally arriving at its destination. The resulting signal was completely untraceable, as Penny Arcade had intended. "Now comes the beating," she sighed, and, at the prompt, entered in a variety of codes.

The Paragon City Police Department guarded its access codes carefully. The Hero Corps was even more cautious, let alone with the crucial classified channels. So, the fact that Penny Arcade was able to dial in, at all, was something of a scandal. The fact that she was able to dial into a secure channel, in the middle of preparations for a secret strike force, was nothing short of horrifying. And the fact that her image came through as a rather generic, cartoonish-looking character - rather than her real features - only added insult to injury.

So perhaps the unfortunate tech who answered the call could be forgiven for the look of shock that came over her face. The reactions, both from her and from those in her immediate vicinity, were fairly predictable. "Penny Arcade!" "Ohmygawd!" "How did you get this number?" "This is Alpha post 57-B, we need a trace..."

Penny Arcade held up her hand. "Please calm down," she said to the tech, who not only looked petrified, but whose uniform markings indicated she was a recruit, probably fresh out of training school. "This is only a phone call. Who *is* the ranking officer on duty toda-"

"Penny Arcade!" He was an old man, wearing an eyepatch. His moustache was razor-straight and his clothes looked as if they had been freshly ironed that morning. Everything about him telegraphed, "Old School." He immediately dismissed everyone back to their posts, and switched the call to his private line - she simply wasn't able to get so far into the system as to get to the private lines.

Penny Arcade looked very surprised. "Oh - Hello, Niles. How's the leg?"

"It's Commander McMillan to you!" He pointed imperiously at the screen.

The fact that Niles was on duty was a stroke of luck. He was an honorable veteran, recipient of a number of medals, and as straight as they came in Paragon City. He was the sort that wouldn't normally have given Penny Arcade the time of day... but then there was that inconvenient fact that she had saved his life some time ago on an ill-fated raid on the Isles.

"Commander McMillan," she replied politely, "I wish to invoke code Janus."

"You?" His voice was skeptical.

"Well... not for myself, personally. I have some... packages to be delivered."

"There are channels for these things - " He spat.

"We don't have time. I know there is a task force gathering - don't bother to deny it," she held up her hand as he started to huff. "I know it will be coming, and I know why. I have three individuals, including myself, who would like to offer our assistance when they arrive. At least one of them wants to return with the task force upon its completion. I would like to speak to the leader of the task force, now... before the force comes here. I have some information which I believe would be useful upon their arrival... at the very least, it would save them some time. And we both know... time is of the essence."

"I have no reason to believe anything that you say."

"But you also have no reason to disbelieve it. You yourself have observed the pride I take both in the accuracy of my information, and the status of my reputation because of it."

He glared. "You are a conniving, selfish, devious, known villain - "

" - who has never harmed ANYone in Paragon. Ever."

"You're wanted for fourteen bank robberies!"

"In which there were no fatalities."

"The incident on Talos Island!"

"In which you were damned lucky there was someone who had the connections with Freakshow to learn beforehand what they were up to!"

"There are any number of possibilities," he spat, "as to what scheme you have concocted, what plan you have put into motion, what you think you are up to - "

"No," she cut him off, and sounded angry now. "There are NOT many possibilities. There are two possibilities: either I am lying, or I am telling the truth. You're missing a hero, Niles. You know better than anyone else what heroes face if they go missing on the Rogue Isles. Besides," her lips thinned, "Haven't you heard the phrase, Better the wasp you can see..."

"Humph." He got up and left the office without a word, but paused at the door. "Wait here," he growled, and stalked off.

[ QUOTE ]
"Now, before we start anything, how'd you get my number?" He joked, chucklling and taking a closer inspection of the slot machine.

[/ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]

"Excuse me," he intoned, "I believe you're here to meet me..."

[/ QUOTE ]

Penny looked from Jake to Power Breaker. Her look at Jake was similar to a deer in headlights: her look at Power Breaker was more appraising.

"Trade secret," at least she had the nerve to look embarrassed.

"Nice to meet you," she said to Power Breaker, "I'm - "

She stopped, with her mouth open, then closed it again, putting one hand to her ear. "Sorry," she said, "I have to take this - Yes," she said to the call which was clearly going through her earpiece, "I am here. Yes - uhhuh - oh, that is outrageous," she sounded scandalized. "If you are going to rob me you could at least have the decency to use a gun!"

"No - no, of course I am interested - Believe me, if you weren't the best information broker in the Islands I would have... Dammit! Highway robbery... fine. Transferring the funds now..." Her fingers moved in the air, typing on a keyboard that it seemed no one else could see.

"Mr Golde - really? You're sure....? Uhhuh... uhhuh... feed those coordinates through again?" She exhaled slowly, in a whistle. If one squinted just right, it was possible to just see text scrolling up the inside surface of the lenses of her glasses, though it was impossible to see what it said.

"Well... I suppose you get what you pay for... yes, that is interesting. That's very interesting... Dammit, I am not made of money!...."

There was a long silence. "Yes, I will buy the codes. Transferring more funds, you blackmailer, and I hope you are ashamed of yourself... uhhuh... receiving them now... Right. OK, thanks. And yes, call me if you get anything else, of course I am interested, and you won't be satisfied until you have sucked out every cent..."

She lifted her head, closing her hand with the distinct air of snapping closed a cell phone. "Jake, Power Breaker, Power Breaker, Jake. Er - I hate to rush you but we need to go. We need to make a phone call, and I mean right now. Come on, I will explain on the way..." She headed out of the Giza.

((OOC - I am working on the lead-in to joining up with the task force.))

[ QUOTE ]
Power Breaker reached the Giza and approached a machine nobody else seemed to use. In fact, they seemed preternaturally disposed to avoid it.

"Hello, old friend," he rumbled as he inserted a coin and pulled the lever, "Heard any good stories?"

The orange screen went through its bells and whistles displays. The little dials spun, but Breaker knew they wouldn't land on a winner. However, a personal greeting for the Brute was typed out on the orange interface.

Then, the screen went blood red.

"Danger."

"I know," Power Breaker inserted another coin and pulled the lever, "Got any clues as to what?"

"Spider Specter," the screen replied, "Old friends... New foes... Very little payoff."

"I figured as much," Breaker sighed as he tossed a hundred dollar bill into the slot and pulled the lever again.

"Some who would be allies are headed your way."

"Should I trust them?"

"Unknown. Their intentions are difficult to fathom. Both are of similar dispositions to you... But both have commited great sins."

"So have I."

"Your actions mitigate your karma."

The dials stopped on a winner and a fifty dollar bill slid out of the slot.

"Stay put, and they'll be here shortly," the slot machine finally explained, "It has been good knowing you, Raymond. I hope your dreams come true."

"Hope it's the pleasant ones." Breaker chuckled before walking away to find himself a seat.

[/ QUOTE ]

Penny Arcade collected her things with brusque efficiency.

The old base wasn't large, but it was big enough to hold all the gear she had managed to accumulate during the course of her adventures. Now she zipped there quickly, intent on some specific things.

The stealth suit was brand-new, acquired only two days ago from those who would have used its power for ends that Penny Arcade considered to be unworthy. It had been stored on a male mannequin when she had found it: but upon removal, it had shrunk to fit its new owner. Brilliant stuff. She had spent the last couple of days preparing it for use: removing booby-traps and tracking devices, and running it through its paces. It was clean - she had intercepted it before its former owners had had time to muck with it too much. She stripped down and slipped it on in seconds.

The magnesium grenades took longer. She had acquired them when she first came to the island, but had hardly used them since. After rummaging through drawers and crates, she finally found them at the bottom of one of the big toolboxes.

Her mind drifted for a moment as she rolled one around in her hands, to a masked man in the Zig, made of shadow...

She shook her head, clearing it of the memory, and focusing on the grenade in her hand. She took the whole box. Just in case.

On the move again, she rang up Jake's number, but got voicemail. "Jake! Meet me at the Giza! Er... as a guest, we're not going to assault the place." She hung up, and headed to St. Martial.

The Golden Giza was a monstrous thing, a gigantic golden pyramid which towered over everything else on the island. Penny Arcade sometimes liked to come here, and eat lunch on one of the benches out in the lush, sculptured gardens. She wasn't exactly a patron, but she had done a job or two from time to time, and so her presence was tolerated. No one seemed surprised to see her come inside.

Penny Arcade wasn't a gambler, but sometimes she would hang briefly around a particular slot machine and play a few quarters. Today, there was someone else hanging around the slot machine too: a fellow named Power Breaker.

She knew him by reputation only. There was something of an underground railroad in the Isles; on occasion, some unfortunate soul would find a hankering to go to Capeville, and, like a lucky gambler, would hit on exactly the right combination of luck, money, and contacts to make the trip alive. Penny Arcade was considered a way station. She didn't know Power Breaker personally, but suspected that he also was considered a way station.

She nodded at Power Breaker, dropped a token in the slot, and watched the dials spin.

"Your actions mitigate your Karma," Slots said on the little orange screen.

Penny Arcade sighed. She hated conversations that began this way. Her eyes slid to Power Breaker, but she judged him to be too far away to overhear.

"Can I trust him?"

"Unknown. His disposition is similar to yours."

"Mmmm." She put a square token in the other slot this time: it represented more money, though Penny Arcade didn't care in the least, since the Giza had given her several stacks of these things some weeks ago in lieu of genuine payment.

"Your time on the Isles draws to a close." She shivered at this proclamation.

"When?" She couldn't help the question.

"Unknown."

"I brought magnesium grenades," she said hopefully, pulling the lever again.

"You'll need them," Slots said, and declared her a winner.

[ QUOTE ]
Jake sighed. "You're optimism is rubbing off on me..." He chuckled. "Ah, well, I've done more improbable things, and there are some heroes that treat us over here in the Isles like humans... Guess I'll just have to hope that there's one like that in the task force and perform a flat out trade..." This statement was aimed more at himself than at Penny, he had a horrible habit of thinking outloud if the situation allowed him to.

[/ QUOTE ]

"There might be someone we could hook up with," Penny Arcade said thoughtfully. "First I would say we need to stock up on whatever we want to take with us, and then... ever played slots?" She got up to go, setting her watch. "Meet you back here in, say, twenty minutes?"

Then she paused, on the brink of taking off, as if something had just occurred to her. "Oh... hm... do you have magnesium grenades? If you do... I'd bring them along." Her voice sounded rather ominous at this, and then she took off abruptly, heading out directly into the sun so he couldn't see where she went, to stock up in preparation for the incoming task force.

[ QUOTE ]
"Again, I bring up the 'contempt and mistrust' argument." Jake stated, looking over the scanner and reading the task force summary as he spoke. "At a time so crucial, they're not going to be trusting any villain, especially not one associated with Arachnos. Even if I fed them some vital information, they could, and probably would, just say 'Thanks sucker!' and kick my face in. Heroes have this nasty habit of treating villains like scum, even if they wish to redeem their ways." He said, with a hint of dissapointment in his voice, as if he himself were dashing his own hopes. "The only exception I can think of is Sister Psyche trying to help Malaise, and he sure taught them to ever try that again..."

[/ QUOTE ]

Penny Arcade thought this over. "You do have a point," she said slowly. "You're right, it is a critical time, and they won't want to easily trust someone not considered to be a 'hero'," It was almost possible to hear the quotation marks in her voice. "Then again, the timing is critical, and they may not have much choice." She looked back at the horizon again, then back at him. "Look... Jake..." she rarely called him by his name. "I see all the ways this might not work. But... I'd like to try. I know what I want to do. And... I would like you to come with me. I would like to see you in a better place, if I could help to get you there." Her eyes searched his face.

[ QUOTE ]
"Well, that's a tough question..." He replied, keeping his eyes glued to the horizon. "There ar ea lot of factors to take into account, would I be arrested? We certainly can't have that, and not to mention, Arachnos would come looking for me and possibly try to brainwash me again. I know too many of their secret for them to just let me go. And even if I'm not arrested or brainwashed again, would I be met with contempt? Honestly, not many villains who renounce their ways can just escape their past life altogether. While a life in the Isles isn't all that appealing, there are many things that need to be taken into account when you contemplate going back to Paragon..." He continued to stare out at the horizon, and, after a few moments of silence, spoke again. "But to answer your question, as to whether I'd like to go back to Paragon, as to whether I'd like to return to my old life... yes... I can remember myself being a lot happier back then..." he chuckled and looked up at the sky. "Guess the saying is true. 'Ignorance is bliss...'"

[/ QUOTE ]

"Here - catch," Penny Arcade tossed him the little scanner, so that he could see the call for the task force. "Look - if you want to get out, now is the time to do it. These people are going to need cover to get in and move around as undetected as possible. They are going to need information they are not going to be able to get easily. We can help to provide that. I suggest we get in contact with them somehow, you join up, and when they leave, you go with them."

She sat back and looked at him. "If you are in that group, they can cover your exit and once you are entrenched in Paragon, Arachnos can throw whatever conniption fit it wants about your being there. I can't promise everything would go smoothly... in fact I can almost promise it won't," she smirked.

She stood up. "But if we are going to do this, we need to get moving. It will take a little bit of time to gather, brief, whatever... we need to call them up either before they go or before they get here, and before we can do that, we need to figure out what we are going to be able to offer them."

Guys, I am sorry to post this, but I am putting this thread on pause for a while. Things have unexpectedly gone nuts at work and looks like they will remain that way for a while. I just don't have the time that I thought I would have to maintain too much writing (ARGH!)

It's possible I may start or continue this again later but right now I have to put it on pause. Please accept my apologies!

Jen 8)

[ QUOTE ]
Jake chuckled and looked back at Penny. "I'm looking out for myself over Arachnos right now, you should've gathered at least that much." He said with a smirk. "Sure, why not? I'll help you."

Gonna need all the allies I can get anyway...

[/ QUOTE ]

Penny Arcade considered for long minutes before she replied. She was considering many factors, not the least of which was how well she knew Jake. A stranger wouldn't have gotten even this far. But she had worked with Jake before and knew his background well enough to know he had told her the truth.

"Second question," she said at last. "If you could return to Paragon... would you want to?"

It was a horribly dangerous question. She could be reported to Arachnos simply for asking, and Jake for answering.

Oh well... in for a Penny, in for a pound.

"Because," she said slowly, "I think... if circumstances were to properly align themselves... you could get back there."

She had taken the precaution of activating a small jamming device she kept in the otherwise normal-looking gloves. This was a private conversation, and she was determined that it would remain private. She could hear incoming signals, but nothing was going to go out until she chose.

She just hoped she had read him right, because otherwise she had just gotten herself in a lot of trouble.

[ QUOTE ]
Jake smiled. "It really doesn't matter whether I would want to or not, my brain already seems to be automatically doing it, but, to answer the question, yes. If for nothing else, then for the fact that I'm really pissed that someone would mess with my head." Jake chuckled.

After a few more minutes of silence, Jake sighed and turned his head to Penny. "Alright, I really hate to bring 'work' into the conversation, but neither of us is stupid. You know that I got that transmission from Paragon, and if I got that transmission with these things," Jake said, adjusting his goggles. "Than I know you got it. I know I'm asking a favor instead of a question this time, but would you mind telling me what it stated? I could decipher it when I get back to my place, but knowing it now would be more convienant and reduce the number of people who could intercept it." He really did hate to bring it up, as a nice conversation not involving the every day evils of the Isles was a refreshing change; howver, he knew it was necessary. Deciphering it in the base he had access to meant that someone else could see it, not to mention the off chance that he would be ambushed on the way back and his goggles stolen. [He liked to think of that chance as very slim, but that's just his ego.]

[/ QUOTE ]

"What, that transmission?" Penny pulled out her handheld and checked the screen. "'December Night,'" she read, her brows furrowing. "Nothing else." She snapped the handheld shut and pocketed it.

Her eyes narrowed, searching his face. "However, the full answer to your question is going to depend on where you stand with Arachnos. To put it bluntly - I need a co-conspirator. However, it will involve busting a few heads that you might work for." Her expression was calm as she looked him over. "You interested? Or will you fight for the spiders this time around?"

[ QUOTE ]
Jake's face momentarily registered surprise as she explained to him her origins. That would certainly explain why she's here. She can't go back, and yet, she chooses to remain noble, so she does what she can. He now had a bit of respect for the woman, staying true to her ideals despite being betrayed by the very thing she protects. Deciding that he should honor her explanation with an equally thurough one, he began to answer her question while looking out at the horizon. "Well," he began, "As I already told you before, my mind was corrupted by Arachnos to agree with their ideals and to serve without question. At first I was overwhelmed with the new perspective forcing it's way into my conscience, so I stole the skematics of some of my father's prototype technology and ran to the Isles." He sighed. "Come to think of it, I think I left a pretty threatening note. I'll have to apologize about that when I get the chance, but anyway..." Jake leaned back, putting his hands behind his head as a makeshift pillow so that he could look at the sky in relative comfort. "So I made my way to the nearest Arachnos official I could find, some fortunata named Kalinda. She gave me tasks, I completed them, I rose in the ranks, lather, repeat..." He said, deciding to close his eyes at this point. "Up until recently anyway... As I mentioned, I'm starting to question their ideals and motives, which tells me that my mind must be rejecting the alteration; however, as I mentioned as well, to betray Arachnos and remain in the Isles is suicide, so here I am. Inwardly defying them and outwardly screaming 'Hai Arachnos!'" He chuckled. "This sort of thing always happens when you get wrapped up with heroes..." He posed no further questions, instead choosing to listen to the wake crashing on the beach.

[/ QUOTE ]

Penny Arcade was silent for a while, looking out at the sea also. Finally she spoke. "OK, I know I am taking an extra turn here, but I have another question for you... if you could beat the Arachnos programming... would you want to?"

It was a dangerous question. She knew she could be shot if someone else chanced to hear. But no one else was around...

[ QUOTE ]
"Oh, I'm quite sure you'd like me to take that and leave well enough alone." giggled the veiled figure with a hapless hand gesture, "But if you'd like to imply ownership by temporal proximity, it is quite technically mine. You see, the good Dr. Malcolm is duly in our employ, and I should hate to see his spotless record tarnished by something like this. Therefore, we would ever so much appreciate our property back."

Penny had of course no way of knowing for sure, but everything seemed to tell her this guy wasn't lying. Something about the tone of his voice, the ease of his words. Nobody could lie this convincingly.

"Besides," the garbed man turned to look out the hole in the building, "if you go after him with the key still in hand, you must consider the possibility that he will kill you and subsequently take it from you."

He turned back to Penny with another chuckle, "And frankly, you are in no shape to face him, neither physically nor mentally. I should know. Now, are you quite sure you won't help me out here? If you did, perhaps I might be able to help you."

[/ QUOTE ]

"I won't... give up the key... until I'm sure that that maniac has been stopped," Penny Arcade swayed dizzily. The drugs dumped so abruptly in her system were beginning to wear off now, and she was again starting to feel the effects of her injuries. She was trying to process the full implications of what he was saying, but blackness was beginning to edge her vision. She had several minutes left, but she was slowly beginning to lose the battle against unconsciousness.

But there was one overriding thought in her mind: the portal above was twisting itself to death. In the brilliant light it was collapsing in on itself. That meant that the heroes, no longer distracted by the end of the world, would be coming after her again. The knowledge of her certain fate, if caught, lodged like a lump in her throat. Vivisection. She had to go, quickly, before she was captured. But she also had to stay - what the man was saying here was important. She was sure of that.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a thunderous noise. The light which bathed the portal had split off from itself. They hadn't been quick enough. Something had come through, as if a bit of the light had dripped off of the edge of the portal as it collapsed.

The sound from below - an enormous, earthshaking THUMP followed by an infuriated roaring noise - confirmed her suspicions. They would have to deal with whatever the portal had just dumped in their laps.

She looked over the edge to the street below, and was vaguely able to make out a bunch of large, almost humanoid figures. It looked familiar, and she tried to recall where she had seen them before.

Wasn't it in the pictures she had seen of Perez Park....? Were those hydras.... the big one in the middle... the Kraken maybe?

Whatever they were, the movement to Steel Canyon had not pleased them. They began to scatter, roaring, and destroying anything within the reach of their large, clumsy fists.

[ QUOTE ]
Jake nodded slightly before asking. "Why are you a villain?" Jake had observed her behavior on the occassions that they had met, and, although very subtle, her actions were always made considering the safety of not only those standing idly on the sidelines, but also the enemies who opposed her. Jake had also noted, on a more human observation, that her eyes just didn't match those of any other person that he had found in the Isles. Something was most definately different about her, something mroe... heroic...

"I mean, of course, if you don't mind my asking. Not like I'm even expecting someone in the Isles to willing give up their motives to me..."

[/ QUOTE ]

Penny Arcade didn't answer immediately. First she turned back to the sea, looking over it, her face both thoughtful and sorrowful. She looked at the sea for some time.

Finally she reached down and pulled off one of her gloves. It pulled off almost as a liquid, not a solid, which made him suspect that the "leather and cloth" was actually something far more sophisticated. Still, he had never seen her voluntarily bare any portion of her body before. A moment later she reached her hand out, upside-down, so that he could see the interior of her wrist.

It had a number. The number looked like a brand, but something must have been rubbed into the wound while it was still raw, for the raised letters had a sort of bluish tinge. It looked for all the world like a modern version of the one of the numbers that the Nazis had once put on the inmates of Auschwitz during World War II.

She was silent for another moment, then said, "This is a serial number. I'm a clone. " She pulled her wrist back once he had had a good look, taking the glove in her hand. "I never went to Paragon. I was smuggled directly into the Zig from the lab where I was grown." She began to put the glove on, working the fingers over her own. "But... I found out later... I was made in haste. I was given a huge data dump, far more than I was supposed to have been given, and overlaid with a personality to 'fit in'... I remember a whole life that never happened." Light flashed momentarily in her eyes - could those be tears - ? But no, perhaps a trick of the sun and sea.

"I'm flawed," she said, "Or at least, my creators would say so. I was sent here to spy on Arachnos, and report back to them any information I found. And I did that, for a while. But clones... are supposed to have a life span of three months. Like an expiration date programmed right into the cells." She had stopped putting on the glove for a moment, and now she rubbed the number thoughtfully before pulling it all the way on.

"I was made in too much haste. I was grown without the mechanism that would have killed me in three months. And when I didn't die, and my creators realized why not... they tried to kill me." She shook her head, her face sad. "Obviously, they weren't successful. And they made me really curious as to what was going on." She put her fingers together, fitting the glove back to her hand.

"I will spare you the details of what I found out. Suffice to say, creating clones, filtering them through the Zig, and sending them to the Rogue Isles to die is less than legal. There are people involved in that program that would end up in the Zig themselves if it was found out. These are powerful people that we are discussing, understand. If I was to try to go to Paragon, it would mean scandal and outrage and governmental hearings."

"Except, it would never get that far. As a clone, I have approximately the same legal status as, say, a robot. All of the things one associates with captured villains - trials, the Zig, and so on - would never happen. As a clone I am the property of the lab which created me. I would be classed as an 'industrial accident,' and sent back to the lab so that they could find out what had gone wrong in my creation." She shuddered at this thought. "Maybe they would have their funding cut." Her voice was bitter.

After a further silence she said, "So... here I am, and Arachnos is the only game in town. Play it or die. I'm not suicidal," she shrugged. "I'm... sorry. For droning on at you, I mean. It's just that... after I die... I want someone to know that I was here. That I existed." It was the tone of someone who had faced her own death too many times.

She turned to him for the first time, searching his face. "Why are you with Arachnos?" She said, genuinely curious. It was foolish to have told him so much, and she didn't really expect him to reciprocate, but she wanted to know as much as he would be willing to tell her.

[ QUOTE ]
Jake frowned and looked intently at a seemingly random part of the horizon. "Well, I don't know if you know this, but my mind was altered for the sole purpose of serving Arachnos. I'm still me mind you, perhaps a bit more cynical and sarcastic, but more or less the same." He sighed and averted his gaze downward. "However, I digress. To answer your question, yes. As of late I have wondered about that." He laughed. "Like I said, looks like their corruption of me is starting to reverse itself, for whatever reason. My only problem with following through on that is that I'd have no place to go. I can't return to Paragon, they'd slaughter me, and to betray Arachnos and remain the Isles is suicide..." He chuckled and faced her. "But I'm boring you, surely. Mind if I ask you a question of my own?" He gave her a look of almost friendliness mixed with that of curiosity. It was clear he was going to ask her something similar.

[/ QUOTE ]

"Sure," Penny - smiled at him. She rarely smiled, and it briefly made her look younger, not so much like someone aged ten years by the weight of her worries.

Her mind was already turning over the possibilities.

She guessed that the best way to help the heroes, while remaining unimplicated herself, was as a distraction. If timed properly, she might be able to draw off a good portion of the Arachnos forces which would be arrayed against them, and give them an easier time of it. The trick to that, of course, would be remaining alive through the raid, not to mention avoiding the political fallout from attacking the tower in the first place.

The other possibility consisted of scouting out the tower, maybe finding out where the hero was being held... but then she would have to be able to convey that information to them, and hope that they believed her.

But for now... it was nice to talk to someone.

[ QUOTE ]
"Nothing much, I just came here to do some thinking. I'm off-shift, so to speak." He chuckled and folded his arms across his chest, his smile beginning to fade and the expression that comes with a sigh taking its place. "I've been contemplating lately as to the reason why I follow Arachnos. Seems like the plan I originally thought Recluse had set-up isn't what it seems." He chuckled and that same smirk came back across his face. "Guess that mental corruption that Arachnos had on me is wearing off. Anyway, I didn't expect to see you he-..." He stopped mid sentence as the upper left portion of the display on his blast goggles began flashing red, informing him of a minor radio disturbance. His goggles generally weren't designed to pick up and interpret transmissions, but they had a tendancy to pick up a stray signal every now and then. Normally this wouldn't be strange, but the message noted something unique about this particular signal.

It was from Paragon.

There was no doubting it, the source was clearly right across the ocean, and there were no Rogue Islands in that particular direction. He grinned and mumbled, "Even when I'm off the clock..." He stored away the frequency in his goggles limited memory, making a note to analyze it further later.

"Sorry." He continued. "Zoned out for a minute there. As I was saying, I really didn't expect you to be here. I had thought that this spot was all my own." He chuckled and sat down, crossing his legs to conserve space.

[/ QUOTE ]

+++++
One of the more wretched aspects of Penny's existence involved the lack of human companionship. Oh, the isles were populated heavily enough, but any suspicion of Paragon sympathies was a death-sentence. Knowing this, Penny was always obligated to speak only of jobs at hand: where to go, what to obtain, what price would be fetched for her troubles. This had led to a sort of enforced solitude, and this in turn had lead to a terrible hunger for even the simplest interactions.

She knew better than to hope for friendship on the Isles. It was filled with cutthroats and theives as a rule, and she knew if she left her back unguarded for a moment, someone would find a place to put a knife. Still... Jake came close to being something that almost resembled a friend. His affiliation with Arachnos meant that she couldn't tell him anything that was really on her mind: still, the chance to have a conversation, any conversation, was a very rare opportunity, and one not to be passed up.

She frowned when he got the transmission. She knew perfectly well what had distracted him, and thought about leaving on the spot. No one could know that she came here to try to listen in to transmissions. But the promise of a conversation was too strong.

"I come here to think sometimes," she smiled at him, but then frowned, watching him sit down. "Why do you stay with Arachnos, Jake?" She didn't bother to hide her contempt - not for Jake, but for the people who employed him. Paradoxically, it was possible to survive, and even thrive, while having a terrible opinion of the Arachnos organization. Penny Arcade herself was known as a mercenary, with no ties to anyone. "Haven't you ever wanted to try your own wings? Be the master of your own fate? Do something other than... than march in lockstep with a bunch of buffoons who have half your wits and twice your gall? Haven't you ever wondered if..." She hesitated for just a moment, wondering just how much she could say. "...if there is something out there that is... better... than Arachnos?"

[ QUOTE ]

"Please give me the key. Or destroy it yourself, it really doesn't matter. All we wish is for all this nonsense to cease..."

[/ QUOTE ]

Penny Arcade was not affiliated with Arachnos but didn't care to offer a correction.

Above her, the vortex was twisting itself to death. The concentrated firepower from multiple points was having the intended effect: the whirlpool was spinning one way, but the tail was now spinning in almost the opposite direction. At the base of the vortex there was a lightning storm, coloring the clouds in streaks of purple and gold. It was in its death throws, but the images in the center were now flashing very fast, and it was a question of whether or not they could close it before something came through.

"I do eventually plan to destroy the key," she said, "When I am good and ready." She couldn't destroy it immediately - she would need it before then. But she didn't care to share that with anyone here. "And no, you cannot have it. I got it first."