Khellendrosiic

Recluse: I wonder if my spy camera in Ghost Widow's room is still working?

Ghost Widow: Your what?

Recluse: *pales* Uhhhhh.....eerrrrrrrr.....ummmmmm.......durrrrr... ....It was Mako's fault?

Widow: If you need me I'll be deleting your porn.

Recluse: No! Wait! I can change! Anything but my pr0n!

Widow: Anything?

Recluse: Bad feeling...

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Recluse: *standing in front of the gang* And that is how we shall take over the world!

Mako: *sniggers*

Recluse: *glares* What?

Black Scorpion: You're wearing a dress.

Recluse: Shut up!

Sirocco: Hey now. We can't make fun of the boss 'expressing' himself.

Recluse: I can't deal with this! *flounces off*

Scorpion: *snigger* He flounced off. *falls over laughing*

Sullivan wind-milled his arms as he fought for balance and eventually caught up against a chunk of rubble. Bracing himself against it, Sullivan launched a pair of missiles at Jord, which she dodged as she came rushing at him. Sullivan met her charge head on, slamming his fist into the side of her head as she kicked him in the stomach. Both of them fell back once more, Sullivan panting hard.

"What...the hell...are you..." he breathed as he starightened up.

All of a sudden his comm. link crackled to life, "This is Flight 34 incoming from the Isles. To all remaining Arachnos personnel around the Ziggurat. Meet us at the main entrance. We will arrive in five minutes and take off five minutes after that. That is all."

The line went silent and Sullivan grinned at Jord.

"Let's finish this, shall we?"

Standing over a prone Ruggaso Archlich gave him a swift kick to the face. The tanker cursed and rolled away from Archlich so he could get to his feet. Muttering the phrases to a spell under his breath, Archlich waited until Ruggaso had reclaimed his balance and then pointed both hands, palms outward, toward him. A powerful wave of energy swept forth, battering against the hero's rock body and sending him tumbling to the ground once more. But Ruggaso recovered more quickly this time, rolling along the ground and coming back up with a chunk of rock that he hurled at Archlich.

The undead mage tried to dodge but failed, the rock catching him in the side, knocking him to the ground.

"It seems the tables have been turned." Archlich said as he started to get back up.

Archlich made a noise that would have ordanarily been a snort.

"Do not ask questions of your betters, worm." Archlich replied, followed by a more concentrated form of the energy barrage. This time is was a solid beam of magical force that cut at Ruggaso's hide.

Caught unprepared by Ruggaso's stomp, Archlich fell back onto his butt, or what used to be his butt. Then the tanker charged an empty patch of air that turned out to be one of Kairaishi's puppets. The ninja look a like shattered under the initial blow and the ones that followed. Scrambling to his feet, Archlich summoned up his energy and muttered a quick incantation to fire a barrage of energy bolts at the hero.

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"[censored]!"

Sullivan hadn't expected Vim to get back up, let alone knock him down again. But at least the spinning in the air gave Sullivan ample time to bring his arm up to block her fall. Amazingly enough, when she landed on his arm she didn't rebound off but instead stayed on top of it and lashed down at him with her working hand curled into a claw.

Throwing her off, Sullivan climbed to his feet and glared at her.

"Who the hell are you working for?" he shouted as he flung another energy blast at her.

OOC: What is the Incarnate AT?

BIC: Sullivan stumbled back from the blow, his advanced armor absrobing much of its strength but still leaving enough to bruise his ribs. Countering, Sullivan stepped forward and slammed his fist into the ground causing a shockwave that through Vim into the air. As she flipped around in the air to land on her feet Sullivan flipped his arm into minigun mode and sent a barrage of slugs streaking toward the demi-goddess.

Some missed, some she dodged, but most of the bullets connected, knocking her off balance so that she hit the ground hard. Sullivan grinned and charged up a radiation blast. But this time, instead of a beam, a ball of super condensed matter formed in the space above his hand. He was sacrificing about half of the Shivan arm's remaining effectiveness by using this attack but if this didn't work, Sullivan didn't know what would.

The green ball streaked toward Vim's hologram.

OOC: My bad. Been trying to spawn Caleb.

BIC: Sullivan cursed as the button didn't work, swore when the Kraken appeared, and shouted obscenities when the fighters blew the monster to pieces. Looking around wildly, Sullivan knew this whole operation had just gone [censored].

"All Arachnos and villains! Attention! Retreat to the main entrance of Ziggursky. All sniper teams are ordered to take out any soldier that fires on his own comrades. That is all, may the power of Lord Recluse guide your steps."

Sullivan looked around one last time before retreating and saw someone beating the crap out of a hero. He was about to dismiss her and pull out, but she seemed familiar. Thinking back, Sullivan remembered her getting on a transport with some other men. A little while after that transport left all hell broke loose.

Shoving a scrapper out of the way, Sullivan ran towards Vim while shouting, "Stay where you are, woman! I've got some questions for you!"

Sullivan didn't have much resistance to run through thankfully. Most of the heroes recognized him as the man that had killed quite a few of their number and they pulled away until they could gather their courage to attack him.

OOC: Bagle! Where are you?

Captain Sullivan rolled to one side, dodging the fire ball that had been whizzing toward him. Paying no attention to the screams that came from behind him, Sullivan lifted up his arm and fired a concentrated blast of radiation at the offending hero. The blaster dodged as well, jumping over the blast, and gave Sullivan the finger. Glaring, the Wolf Spider Warrior charged up for another blast when a hammer slammed into his back. Stumbling forward, Sullivan righted himself and spun to face his atacker. His rad blast was out and flying before he even noticed that it was one of his men that had attacked him.

Damn pyschic heroes. Sullivan thought as the former Arachnos soldier went tumbling through the air.

But then he noticed that several other soldiers of his were attacking their own. The odd thing was that they were very spread out so it couldn't have been a mass confusion. Sullivan got a bad feeling and looked over his shoulder to find the heroes in equal straits. As he watched, the blaster that had thrown the fireball at him rocked back from a punch that a smaller woman had delivered.

Even the remaining Longbow troops were affected. A Longbow agent with a hulking minigun opened fire on a group of dueling heroes and villains. Some managed to escape but a few went down and disappeared into bright flashes. Trying to extricate himself from the battle Sullivan activated his comm. link.

"That's it men, we're done here. Time to port home and clean things up. And to those who have betrayed us, I can activate all teleport bugs with the push of a button. You won't be surviving this one." he growled.

Pulling a device from his belt, Sullivan pressed the recessed red button and...

OOC: You got yourself a handy dandy teleport blocker, Blarg?

OOC: Someone's been watching The Last Avatar. Or is it just The Avatar? Or The Last Airbender? Something like that. I recognize those fish.

Just sent one off. Happy reading!

It is indeed not just Mr. Hobo and yourself.

*looks around at other people that have read but not said anything*

Yep, not just the two of you.

(Bad) Humor aside, this story is pretty friggin' good. You've really got me wondering just what the heck is going on around there and what does Malery want with the detective. Also, you've made me want to make a demon character (that I was planning on making anyway) and join your VG. As soon as my finals are over I might just do that and then Lord Netharak, banished Doomguard, will be at your command. Orrr....whoever the leader of your VG is's command.

This sounds like a pretty neat idea. Need the services of my new fire/fire tanker? If you've still got the room I'll send my specs over sometime this weekend.

OOC: Waiting on Bagle. Iron Fist sure is getting deep (pun intended) isn't he? I wonder what his little 'surprise' is.

Keeping one eye on Ruggaso, Archlich bent down and picked up the two teleporter bugs, handing one of them to Kairaishi. Archlich attachted his onto the side of his skull and he was instantly tapped into the Arachnos comm. channels.

"Holy crap! Another one just came out of the sky! Hit it with the web grenades!"

"-is Sniper Nest 5, another hero do-"

"-need some help over here! There's a pair of-!"

"Aaugghhh!!!!"

Archlich winced from all the noise and tried to find some button to turn down the volume but as he tried another voice came on and overrode the other signals.

"This is Captain Sullivan. All forces will begin -*explosion*- three minutes -*cracking sound*- peat, evacuation in three -*static*"

Archlich looked over at Kairaishi and the oni-posessed human nodded that he too had heard.

"Three minutes can be a long time in battle." muttered Archlich.

All I can suggest is that you write as you think it should sound. If it comes out well I think your friends will forgive you for making them sound a bit out of character. Which is the whole point of being an author, you get to write things out your way, . If you can, try to read any background that your friends might have on their characters and if they don't have any try to press them for details. If they ask why just tell them that you're writing something, there's no way they'd think you were writing the plot for a surprise comic book.

Wish you luck, tell me how it works out.

OOC: Warrior is still around, yes, but so are his men. They are waiting for his signal to escape. Once the other villains have all been given teleport bugs then they will all escape. As for the teleporter issue, I think that it only really works if you are mortally wounded. If you are hit by, say, a sniper bullet to the head that scrambles your brains I don't think you're coming back unless someone uses an actual rezz on you. Anything less then complete and sudden death can be handled by the medi-porter. Of course, like you said, it can be overloaded at times or be hijacked by enterprising villains.

BIC: Archlich nodded in respect of the tanker's powers and tolerance for pain.

"From what I have heard of you Ruggaso you would make a fine villain. But allas, I cannot aquies to your demand. Despite evidence to the contrary, we who are labeled evil do stand together when worse comes to worse and this happens to be one of those times. Now, shall we fight or discuss the issues of morality a bit more?"

Archlich's eyes burned fiercely as he raised his blue energy shrouded fists. Off to the side, an Arachnos soldier popped his head over a chunk of rubble and saw the two villains facing off against the freakish flaming rock thing. Unable to figure out if they were all villains or not the soldier tossed a teleport bug to each of them and shouted.

"Hey! When you're done with whatever, grab one of those! When the captain gives the word we'll all teleport over to Mercy Island!" the soldier turned to leave to escape being the center of attention and then stopped and turned back, "Uhhh...You might want to hurry up 'cause the heroes are hitting us pretty hard."

Duty discharged, the soldier charged back into the fray.

"Ten bucks says we kill him." came a rasping voice from behind Kairaishi.

Archlich walked up next to the puppermaster and gave him a look before making an arcane gesture. A shield of ice soon encased Kairaishi's body, giving him added protection to the elements that the tanker used.

"Do not think that I abandon my comrades so easily." said Archlich as he readied himself for Ruggaso's assault, "After we are done here I suspect the leader of this attack will want to speak with us. After all, he did promise a ride out."

Off in the distance, the last Arachnos troopship blasted into the air and screamed off into the night.

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"Sir! The last troopship has lifted off! What now?" shouted an urgent voice over the comm. channels.

Sullivan blocked a tanker's punch and retaliated with a knee to the stomach, distracting the hero long enough for Sullivan to respond.

"Activate your teleporters but only use them if you are seriously wounded or if I order you too. If you arrive too soon you can explain to Lord Recluse himself why you left." he said, "All those with extras, search out those who have aided us and make sure they get one. I will not leave them behind after they assisted us."

The tanker had recovered and rushed Sullivan with a flaming sword clutched in his right hand. Green energy once again enveloped his Shivan arm as he grabbed the sword and matched strength with the brawny woman. Suddenly, a spined hero lunged at him from the side and Sullivan's eyes widened because he could do nothing to stop him. The hero had a fierce grin on his face as he slammed into the brute, knocking him to the ground. Sullivan was dazed as one bone spike penetrated his left arm armor and pinned that limb to the ground. Raising his other arm high, the hero said, "This is for Pheonix!" and promptly fell over dead.

Shoving the corpse off of him, Sullivan gave a thumbs up to the sniper that had aided him and glanced coldly at the dead hero's body.

"You talk too much." he said before continuing the fight.

OOC: A quick note. The Crab Spiders were only attacking Lord FrostBlade. The other Arachnos are normal soldiers, Wolf Spiders. I think you meant to attack the main group of villains which means that you would have ignored the much smaller fight that was going on up in the skies. Just tell me where your guys have gone and I should be good.

OOC: If you checked one of Bagle's posts, she says that there are around 70 or so heroes, not hundreds. No way in hell we could handle hundreds.

BIC: The pair of Arachnos soldiers were standing next to the grounded troopship. They seemed to be shouting something about how the villain's rescuers needed help and any able super should go and lend a hand over on the east side of the complex. (Troopship is on the south side)

Archlich looked over and saw in the distance the many bright flashes and glares of an intense super battle taking place. This was the second-to-last troopship here and there were still about 800 inmates milling around. With a capacity of only 200 each, there was never going to be enough room for everyone to fit and Archlich and Kairaishi happened to be pretty near the back of the line.

"A dillema. Either I remain here and force my way to the front, thereby assuring myself a place in the ship but the eternal emnity of all those that I move past or I can aid those who have fought for us, hoping that they will have some means to escape without the troopships." Said the lich to himself.

"My mind is made, I need to collect magical talismens to restore my power and undoubtedly some of those heroes will be users of the arcane arts. I just hope this captain that those two buffoons keep shouting about has an escape plan."

Archlich looked over at Kairaishi, who was looking at him.

"You may come if you wish. Otherwise I am sure that we shall meet again back in the Rogue Isles." he said to the puppeteer.

Muttering words to a spell, Archlich teleported away. The devices still operating in the Zig kept him from teleporting out of the prison grounds but now that he was out of his cell, with the more powerful local teleport blocker, he was able to move about the prison grounds unhindered. Appearing off to the side of the main battle, Archlich chanted a few spells to shield himself and then entered the fight by throwing a powerful energy beam at a hero who seemed to be shielding his comrades.

A voice came from behind Lord NightBlade.

"Friends of an admiral, huh? I should be impressed."

NightBlade spun around and came face-to-face with six massive Crab Spider troopers with jetpacks strapped onto their backs hovering in the air behind him.

"The captain informed us that there was a hero in our rear. I don't think we would've found you if you hadn't suddenly attacked those scum. Now then, die!"

The lead Crab Spider flexed his eight mechanical spider limbs and dove at NightBlade, limbs out like a cage. His fellows spread out and moved to encircle the hero in a globe. Judging from their tactics, these guys knew how to fight in the air.

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Sullivan wheeled around as two new villains charged into the fray, sending heroes and Arachnos alike flying through the air. Sullivan ducked under a kick from a scrapper and knocked him back with a quick upper cut as the one-eyed villain toppled a guard tower, crushing a hero or two...along with the soldiers that had been fighting them off. This got Sullivan pissed. He was perfectly fine if the battle was ultimately lost and would accept those casualties he had too take in order to win but he would not abide with friendly fire.

"Watch where the hell you're throwing stuff, hot shot!" he shouted to the villain, "You kill any more of us and we're all going back to the Zig!"

And there's no way in hell I'll take another "favor" to get out.

By the time the heroes retaliated, a couple of Arachnos soldiers had broken ranks and sprinted into the main yard where the prisoners were still trying to board the remaining troopships. They had been sent by Captain Sullivan to recruit whatever villain they could to help defend the break-out. Of course, Sullivan didn't expect much a response, given how the definition of a villain was to look out for one's own self first and other people almost never. He didn't get much more time to think before the world exploded.

Or, at least, thats what it seemed like when the earth and rock erupted into the air all along the Archnos line. Phantasms assaulted both mind and body while heroes who had crept around under stealth suddenly attacked from the rear. Sullivan himself was targeted by a psychic as an image of his wife appeared in front of him, just like the day when-

No! They won't get me that easily!

"Hold your ground! Ignore anything that scares the crap out of you and concentrate on the capes in the rear! Take them out and all these illusions and summons will vanish!" Sullivan roared over the screams and gunfire.

Taking his own advice, Sullivan turned his sights upon a hero who had clambered up on a rock to better control her pack of fire imps. A long burst from his chain gun cleared up that problem and weeded her out of the gene pool as well.

Serves those capes right for being so stupid as to expose themselves.

Blocking a sword thrust with his left arm armor, Sullivan broke it in half with his right hand and strode into melee combat, green energy wreathing his Shivan arm.

Recluse (to his assembled ranks of soldiers): I have a surprise, everyone.

Endless Ranks of Soldiers: *breathless silence*

Recluse: You're all getting dental plans!

Endless Ranks of Soldiers: *massive cheers*

Staggered by the sudden increase of gravity, Sullivan barely managed to block the punch thrown by the tanker. Fortunately for him, the Shivan arm appeared to be unaffected by the gravity field around him and succeeded in blocking the blow. A device built into the arm triggered, activating a neutralizing force that returned the gravity around him to normal levels, allowing Sullivan to grab the tanker's hand before he could pull back for another go and yank him forward. Caught off guard by an enemy he thought was immobilized, the tanker stumbled forward right into Sullivan's pistoning knee, knocking the breath out of the blue and white costumed man. A quick chop to the back of his head put him down and out and Sullivan slowly straightened and looked over the small army of heroes.

"Let's see what you've got." quipped the brute.

And then he slammed his fist into the ground, creating a shockwave that rippled across the ground, knocking a good majority of the heroes of their feet. Unfortunately, Sullivan's troops were also knocked down but what really mattered was that now the snipers had access to the blasters and controllers lurking in the rear. They made good use of this sudden oppertunity as Sullivan pulled a pair of grenades from his belt and tossed them into a group of prone heroes.

"So far, I'm not impressed."

OOC: WSW isn't normally over-powered. It's just this thread that Recluse gave him some new tech to use on this mission and to test out at the same time.

By 'puppets' I assume you're referring to robots. Zombies could also be puppets but all your talk about technology makes me think robots. Very well written origin, it's nice to know where this guy comes from since one of my guys has to deal with him. Not much else I can say, ther than the fact that you really out did yourself here. I like.

Sullivan skidded to a halt as frantic calls resounded across the air waves from the squads he had left to defend his original position. It appeared as if a solid phalanx of heroes had suddenly charged, catching most of his men by surprise.

When will Recluse learn to not teach the new recruits such arrogance? he wondered as he about-faced and ran back the way he came.

"Transport Command, Sullivan. Release the Crab Spiders and have them investigate the north wall. Also, what is the status of the troopships?" he said into his mouthpiece as he ran.

"We currently have 4 ships still on site. One was shot earlier by a hero and the other seven have safetly retreated to Rogue Isle air space. Both assault drop ships are still alive but judging from their reports-" A brief pause, "My apoligies sir but Lieutenant Daniels has signaled that his wingman is down and his ship is retreating to avoid complete destruction."

"Send the lieutenant my compliments on doing his duty as well as he could. Tell the remaining troopships to expedite evacuation as our air cover is gone."

"Roger sir. The Web Master reports that his men have disembarked and are proceeding to the specified position."

"Good. If anything urgent happens, contact my second-in-command, I'm going to be a little busy. Sullivan, out."

As he neared the front ranks of heroes he mentally applauded their tactics. Keeping the tanks and scrappers in a unified front while backed up by the defenders presented a formidable wall. And the controllers and blasters to the rear kept any unified resistence from forming. Whoever was commanding them was a bit smarter than your average cape. This would be a difficult fight, but difficut or not, it was enjoyable to fight someone who knew how to really fight.

You know what? This seems like a good time to introduce myself. So what if I was waiting to quit before I revealed my villain name.

Smiling, Sullivan shouted as he jumped over a prone Archnos soldier, "Time to fear, heroes! The Wolf Spider Warrior is here!"

Sullivan announced his presence more surely with a concentrated radiation blast from his arm that knocked a hulking tank into the far wall, sending minute tremors up its length that caused a blaster to fall from her perch. With a loud roar, Sullivans men converged on their leader and paved his way with a storm of bullets and energy beams.