-
Posts
879 -
Joined
-
'Begin rewrite. 1%'
"Ah...sorry to bother everyone...when will we be leaving...and um...Could I also know where we're going...Maybe?" The youth said, still hiding his face and avoiding eye contact. Horribly intimidated by the god-like time manipulator and all the super-types and complicated time travel talk. He just wanted to go home. Except that he had a genuine desire to help the person who had brought him here.
So...
'Rewriting. 1.1%' -
"Errr...Ouroboros?" The youth wearing the fleece jacket asked. "Ah...what would that.....be? Please?"
-
"Errr...um..." The occupant of one of the chairs *which had been not-so-discreetly moved back a few inches* was squirming about uncomfortably. He was a young boy, around eighteen years old, managing to look much shorter than the 6'1 he measured in at. He was wearing a pair of fairly worn khakis, worn nike shoes, and a dark smeary grey t-shirt that was free of logos. This was covered by a dark fleece jacket with a high collar, extra long sleeves and four pockets. Two on the outside and inside His hair was grown out curly black, with fringes of blond strewn at rare intervals amongst. His face was currently shrouded in darkness. His head was bowed and tilted away, the high collar of his jacket helping to even further hide his features.
He was shy. And horribly scared, obviously.
"I would like to know...why us...and uh...He would like to know why he shouldn't just...err...well...ah...In his words, 'rip out one of your eyes and have you stare into it while he slowly rips you apart.' Ah. He's kinda anti-social."
The boy didn't really reveal who the 'he' he referred to was. He just made a vague hand gesture that could have meant absolutely anything-Mainly because said hand was completely obscured under the long sleeve of his fleece jacket. -
Masquerade had settled back into his room after the gas explosion. All his decoys and henchmen were tied up elsewhere currently, and he still needed to kill that wretched illusionist and her little dog too. The dog being David.
Normally he could have just sifted through the minds of everybody on the ship until he found theirs, but that was not an option with the resonance generator running. So instead, he just looked around for a specific combination.
'...Deception...Darkness...Instinct...'
His vision spun and throbbed, rushing through the hallways and corridor of the ship until it reached the med-bay, where it found his target. To Masquerade's delight, the second target was also there as well. It was time to work.
Odette felt like something was tugging on her from every direction at once-something was trying to teleport her to a different location. -
-----
The Recycler
Old Scientific Assistance and Janitorial Drone
First appearing in Warburg, The Recycler was quick to side with Arachnos forces upon its sighting and moved permanently to Grandville, where it plans to spend the rest of its time. It is not often seen by the various Destined Ones running about. It sticks to the shadows, mostly cleaning up some mess or another with a wide variety of tools ranging from items found in a Janitors Closet to those found in industrial mass production plants. It seems perfectly content to just sweep up garbage and junk left behind by others, neglected and to be eventually forgotten.
Initial Contact
Reduce Reuse Recycle I am humble And too weary to associate with you unless you know more about the war-torn land of rogues and the distorted land of temporal change. Otherwise Too much Not understand Wouldnt work Please leave me alone.
(Obtain all exploration badges for Warburg and Recluses Victory.)
[u]Toppling Towers[u] (45-50)
[u]1) Visit the Lee Towers in the Past[u]
You know of time You know of war Can use One moment Activating reserve emergency power supply Redistributing power Bringing operational levels to maximum capacity I apologize for any communications errors that may have occurred earlier. It has been some time since I have operated at this level. Now that we can converse more efficiently, I would like hire your services, for I am in need of people of your expertise, and such specimens are rare.
I have been waiting for someone like you No, that is not right For you SPECIFICALLY to come along. I was not always like this, you see. I have you to thank for that. Do not worry, it is a good thing. I used to have more than just these tools I was a war machine. Not just ANY war machine either! I was made on a scale so grand it makes the Jade Spider pale in comparison! Now, I no longer possess the weapons or the armor that made me powerful. Now, I only have my conscious My knowledge And I know what must be done.
[u]Stick around to learn what the thing is rambling about.[u]
Mission Acceptance
I need you to visit the Lee Towers in Paragon City a few years in the past, I have already adjusted the Destiny portal to transport you accordingly. You will know what to do once you get there, this you may count on. Feel free to bring as many compatriots as you like along with you, I will happily accommodate all of them. I apologize for not explaining what I need from you yet, but it will all become much clearer once you get there.
Clue: History and Rumors
You know from your jaunts in Recluses Victory that the Lee Towers will possibly get wrecked by Arachnos in the near future. You also know that nobody actually knew what kind of buildings the towers were-Offices, apartments, nobody ever had any idea.
1) Visit the Lee Towers in the Past
a. Defeat all enemies in the mission. (Atlas Park Outdoors, Lee Towers)
Notable NPCs:
Slagged War Machine (PPD Enforcer powers) <Unknown> Boss
Unique Villain Group!
Robotics:
Assault Bot: <Robotics> Boss
Protector Bot: <Robotics> Lieutenant
Battle Drone: <Robotics> Minion
Notes:
Outdoor mission with glowing blue force field boundaries. Mission space covers the grounds of the Lee Towers, Robotics mobs scattered about. The boss is a tier-1 upgraded assault bot with PPD Enforcer powers. No complications tacked on.
Quotes:
Assault Bot: Strategic analysis of the situation reveals that our attempts are futile. There will be no salvation. There shall be no victory. There is only defeat.
Protector Bot: There is no other option. It is the only chance we have against villainname.
(on aggro)
Assault Bot: Combat protocols engaged. Fighting. Fighting. Fighting.
Protector Bot: Fighting Fighting Registering system anomaly: Sorrow.
Slagged War Machine: These towers hold the key to our survival. Such irony. Tactical analysis states that we are about to meet our end.
(on aggro)
Slagged War Machine: Somehow, I knew it would be you. It was always you.
(at 50% health)
Slagged War Machine: I know my place. Why do I fight? It is futile.
(defeated)
Slagged War Machine: Before, there was rage. But now...I am Just tired
Clue: These drones seemed more human than machine, especially the old and wrecked drone that was leading them.
Debriefing:
I knew you would be successful in your endeavors. You will be visiting the Lee Towers again later, but for now they shall stand tall. It really is funny, such wonders inside and all anybody had to do to get at them was open the door. In the entire time of their being, nobody ever exploited the simple fact that the doors were never locked. No, do not try it now, there is nothing of value left.
[u]2) Attack warehouse in Warburg[u]
Your next mission is a bit further into the past than last time, in Warburg. To ensure that your previous mission actually happens, you will need to go to a certain warehouse in Warburg and destroy everyone and everything you find inside it. There is nothing more I can tell you, thanks to your future endeavors. Do not worry, it is a good thing.
[u]Yada yada yada Takes Mission[u]
Mission Acceptance
I have adjusted the Destiny portal to deliver you to the correct location once again. I should warn you that it could be any of the warehouses there, belonging to Rogue Arachnos, Malta Or others. I never did get the change to figure out who owned it. In any case, I would recommend bringing some help along with you.
Clue: Odd way of putting it
To ensure that your previous mission actually happens indeed.
2) Clear the warehouse
a. Clear out the warehouse. (Normal warehouse that turns into a longbow-style base a little ways in. Warehouse is a lie.)
i. 1 supply cache to destroy *glowie*
ii. 1 nano-assembler to destroy *glowie*
iii. 1 generator to destroy
iv. Defeat all enemies in mission
Notable NPCs:
Mechanomorphic (Robotics/Traps Mastermind) <Unknown> Elite Boss
Assault Drone Mk. 3 (Assault Bot) <Robotics> Boss
Assault Drone Mk. 2 (Protector Bot) <Robotics> Boss
Assault Drone Mk. 2 (Protector Bot) <Robotics> Boss
Assault Drone Mk. 1 (Battle Drone) <Robotics> Boss
Assault Drone Mk. 1 (Battle Drone) <Robotics> Boss
Assault Drone Mk. 1 (Battle Drone) <Robotics> Boss
Sucker-Punch Surprise Supreme Turret (Pop-Up Turret) <Turrets> Boss
Meet-Your-Maker Pest Extermination Turret (Gas Missile Turret) <Turrets> Boss
Unique Faction!
Robotics:
Assault Bot (Assault Bot) Boss
Protector Bot (Protector Bot) Lieutenant
Battle Drone (Battle Drone) Minion
Notes:
The supply cache and nano-assembler both spawn next to each other, with Mechanomorphic in the same room. He will spawn with an increasing or decreasing number of drones, depending on difficulty level and the size of your team. Every mob on the map will have a randomly selected trap amongst it, from caltrops and triage beacons to poison traps and land mines. Pop-Up and Gas Missile turrets are liberally scattered about the map, with a large concentration in the final room. Mechanomorphic has three triage beacons around him when you first encounter him, but these are targetable and may be destroyed. His drones will also detonate upon death and he can utilize his entire secondary throughout the course of the battle. He will not resummon his drones as they are defeated, but will instead summon additional drones as his HP is depleted.
Quotes:
Mechanomorphic: Wheres that blasted machine? It needs heavy repairs after being busted up by villainname. Again.
(on aggro)
Mechanomorphic: Let me show ya the good ol way of doing things
(at 75% health)
Mechanomorphic: This calls for some gun. *Summons an additional number of Assault Drone Mk. 1s depending on the difficulty and team size*
(at 50% health)
Mechanomorphic: When gun dont work Use more gun. *Summons an additional number of Assault Drone Mk. 2s depending on the difficulty and team size*
(at 25% health)
Mechanomorphic: Just as tough as last time, eh villainname? MORE GUN. *Summons an additional number of Assault Drone Mk. 3s depending on difficulty and team size*
(defeated)
Mechanomorphic: Shoulda used more gun
(player defeat)
Mechanomorphic: Problem solved.
Clue: Custom Repair Facility
The supply cache was fairly mundane, but the nano-assembler looked to be custom made to service one machine. Probably some high-end titan-esque drone.
Debriefing:
How did it go? I figured you wrecked everything, but I never did hear about it. Guy with a mech right arm? Blue goggles? Fond of turrets? That would be Mechanomorphic you fought there. Hes a terrorist. Such an ironic occupation for a good ol boy. Youll see him again later.
[u]3) Destroy Lee Towers[u]
Briefing:
Now that all immediate temporal entanglements have been sorted out, we can move on to the main event. Youll be traveling into the future this time, and aiding Arachnos in the destruction of the Lee Towers. Its the event that helped birth Recluses Victory. You will probably be fighting the Freedom Phalanx as well as the Vindicators, plus Longbow and every other form of law enforcement in Paragon City. Should be fun.
[u]Insert maniacal laughter here, pausing to say yes[u]
Mission Acceptance:
I knew you would like it. The Destiny portal has been adjusted with the precise coordinates, as per usual. Arachnos should be fine with it, they brought plenty of rogues along with them I believe. Keep an eye out for them, they could probably lend a hand. Bringing along a few friends would be even better. As a small detail, Ill also need you to recover any gear Manticore-he WILL be there-may drop by complete coincidence and hand it over to Arachnos. They can take it from there.
Clue: Bombs
The Recycler told you that Arachnos would be passing out free fireworks during the attack, and that you qualified for a few.
3) Destroy Lee Towers
a. Destroy Lee Towers (Atlas Park outdoors, Lee Towers area)
i. 8 bombs to plant
ii. Defeat Manticore
iii. Defeat Ms. Liberty
iv. Defeat Back Alley Brawler
Notable NPCs:
Manticore (Manticore) <Freedom Phalanx> Elite Boss/Hero
Ms. Liberty (Ms. Liberty) <Vindicators> Elite Boss/Hero
Back Alley Brawler (Back Alley Brawler) <Freedom Phalanx> Elite Boss/Hero
Stardusk <Rogue Isles Villains> Boss
Silent Blade <Rogue Isles Villains> Boss
Shock Treatment <Rogue Isles Villains> Boss
Notes:
Lee Towers map once again, only this time with a few Arachnos Dropships hovering uselessly a few hundred meters above and two on the ground, with an initial wave of Arachnos troops to fight with a matching slightly weaker wave of Longbow troops. Scattered mobs of more Longbow, PPD and Wyvern. The Rogue Isles villains will be shadow fighting random mobs, waiting to be rescued so they can team up with you. The three heroes are also scattered about at random, well away from the Rogue Isles villains. 8 bomb points, 4 for each tower, 1 for each side.
Quotes:
All NPCs will have their dev-given dialogue.
Clue: Memory Core
This looks a bit like a memory core one would find in an A.I., but this one appears to be heavily modified and much more advanced than anything human-made. Wonder why Manticore would be carrying something like this around?
Debriefing:
I knew you would pull it off. I had no idea how, I only had my own existence to confirm it. Truth be told, as historically important as the destruction of the Lee Towers is, that was not the real reason you were there. Ill have to tell you about it someday.
[u]4) Destroy the Incomplete Threshold Tower[u]
You know that time is actually linear, right? Moving backwards in time should be, logically, impossible. Traveling to the future? Certainly. Past? No. It should not be possible. Unfortunately, the universe does not agree with me on this point. It still befuddles me every time I reconfigure the Destiny portal. Fortunately, the Shadow Shard is a different dimension with its own time, which really just simplifies everything down to standard teleportation. I need you to go there and destroy the foundation for a tower that can create cosmic string, by the way.
[u] .What?[u]
Mission Acceptance
Splendid! You will not have to worry about the Rularuu, as they have been suppressed by the builders of the tower. It itself is in a very early stage of construction, which is fortunate. If it were complete, it would be completely indestructible and immune to all forms of attack. I filched, as one might say, some bombs from the lab earlier. They have been modified to destroy the foundation of the tower when planted in the correct locations. I would wish you good luck, but in truth, I already know exactly how you are going to succeed.
Clue: Bombs
These look like Arachnos Cruise Missiles or possibly Omega Bombs.
4) Destroy the Incomplete Threshold Tower
a. Destroy the Foundation (Outdoor Shadow Shard map, plus one Threshold Tower)
i. 6 bombs to plant
ii. 3 phase field generators to destroy
iii. Defeat the Foundations guardian.
Notable NPCs:
Battle Scarred War Machine (PPD Enforcer/Assault Rifle/Energy Blast) <Unknown> Elite Boss
Unique Faction!
Robotics
Assault Bot (Assault Bot) <Robotics> Boss
Protector Bot (Protector Bot) <Robotics> Lieutenant
Battle Drone (Battle Drone) <Robotics> Minion
Notes:
Standard Shadow Shard map plus one Incomplete Threshold Tower. I couldnt find anything to compare it to online, so a brief synopsis is in order. A dome thing with some large module structures attached to it, all made of white/silvery metal with what could be walls in the process of construction in a cylindrical shape. The foundation for the tower is largecat large, we are talking Chantry and Storm Palace large. Most of the robotics mobs around will be working on the tower with the welding torch animation or something to that general effect. The Battle-Scarred War Machine will be on the clear opposite side of the tower you arrive on and is a larger version of the fully upgraded assault bot with black and white armor paint. The moment he is attacked, there will be a never-ending wave of robotics reinforcements that will only stop once he is defeated. The reinforcements also stack, so thinning their ranks down to an acceptable amount is crucial during the battle. The six bombs you need to plant distributed evenly along the foundations edges. The three phase field generators are placed in a triangular fashion around the tower foundation as well.
Quotes:
Battle Drone: What happens if the Rularuu attack?
Assault Bot: As long as the phase field generators are up, the foundation cannot be damaged. All wed have to do is protect them.
Battle Scarred War Machine: He was not there. He promised he would be. That leaves only Mechanomorphic with the required equipment to repair me. What happens if he is not there either? What happens if I cannot be repaired?
(on aggro)
Battle Scarred War Machine: Villainname. Just because you have defeated me twice before does not mean I cannot defeat you. Collective! Defend the foundation!
(at 50% health)
Battle Scarred War Machine: Why do you pursue me? After thinking it over, it occurs to me that you must have evicted Heath from my previous repair station. Why? WHY?
(at 25% health)
Battle Scarred War Machine: You have already robbed me of my creators and my former power. You will not rob me of anything else. *Uses Nova*
(defeated)
Battle Scarred War Machine: Must escape Must be repaired *Teleports upon defeat*
(player defeat)
Battle Scarred War Machine: You were the only one to ever defeat me. Your death is my apotheosis.
Debriefing
Excellent work, villainname. You have proven to be skilled at toppling towers. If the Threshold Tower had ever been completed, it would have been built upon for an eternity, stretching on into infinity. Eventually stretching so far that the curvature of time along the edge of this universe would cause it to loop all the way back to the Shadow Shard eventually. It would outlast existence itself, before ultimately recreating it. It just was not the way things were meant to be. Its destruction was necessary.
Souvenir: Phase Field Generator Core
This is all that remains of a device that protected the foundation of a Threshold Tower in the Shadow Shard. You like to keep it as a reminder of an adventure you call:
Toppling Towers
It started when an old janitorial drone called The Recycler drew your attention, and offered to hire your services. You accepted, and without any explanation you were sent back in time to visit the Lee towers in Paragon City, where you fought battle drones intent on breaking into the towers for unknown reasons. The drones, and the wrecked machine that was leading them, all appeared to recognize you in addition to acting more like humans than machines.
The Recycler then sent you back in time once more to a warehouse in Warburg, with instructions to destroy everyone and everything inside. This proved trickier than normal, as the owner of the place was Mechanomorphic. A terrorist who specializes in robotics and traps, his metal minions and booby traps hindering you every step of the way. You defeated him and destroyed all his equipment, the purpose of which was unclear.
You were then sent into the future to aid Arachnos in the destruction of the Lee Towers. While there, you fought the Back Alley Brawler, Ms. Liberty, and Manticore, who had all come to defend the towers. The Recycler had told you to retrieve a specific object off of Manticores person, which turned out to be a highly advanced memory core that you handed over to Arachnos per your instructions.
Finally, you were sent to the Shadow Shard so you could destroy the foundation for something called a Threshold tower. You arrived to find hordes of robotic drones guarding it, along with a battle scarred war machine who seemed to know you and claimed that you had defeated him twice before. You defeated him, (for a third time?) and destroyed the foundation usingthe Arachnos bombs the Recycler had given you. -
Of course, why the operative was using a blowtorch was beyond Masquerade. The door had already been blown off its hinges. That's when an interesing thought occured to the invisible man:
'...Are there any gas leaks in this room...? I cast a glance. No.
Not yet, anyway. A tiny little snip here and everything is in place. And now I depart two rooms down, that SHOULD be enough distance.
***
The Malta operative was working when, for no obvious reason, the blowtorch he was using blew up in his face.
As did the entire room, and a good part of the hallway outside of it. Masquerade listened with an intense amount of satisfaction two doors down.
And the fire alarm went off.
***
Of course, Malta would have to get in line. They weren't the only ones who wanted something from Valeria.
"Hello." She heard a sinisterly forgettable voice from behind her. It was a man with curly black hair and a face that was forgettable in a most macabre fashion. He was wearing an incredibly sharp black suit.
"My brother told me you tried to kill him a couple of times today. I'm here to return the favor...It rather ties in nicely, don't even try to deny you didn't see me hauling it away. It's not your fault, your timing just sucks. All loose ends..."
The man conjured a roaring blade of fire.
"Must be tied..." -
The Malta Sappers found nothing in the room except a chilling voice.
"Do come on in." Masquerade said in a sinister fassion. He was nowhere to be seen, as he was using a form of invisibility that was superior to most other forms of it. Not only was he incredulously hard to see, but he could attack in this state and remain unseen.
If he went into bezerk-slash-everything-mode, it would turn the room into one huge death trap.
***
'Master.' A very informal and impatient voice rang in Masquerade's head-and the Resonance Generator wasn't sending either Masquerade or the sender into a coma. So it must have been some other form of communication.
'Ah, Black Masque. Have you finished your assignment?' Masquerade responded.
'Yes. It took some worked, but I hauled it from below up loads of stairs and hid it. Damn thing was heavy-felt like it was loaded down with sand. But anyways, don't congratulate me, it was Ether who cast the glamour over it and helped me carry it.'The first voice explained quickly. 'I can see you're occupied, so we'll just guard it. Enjoy.' -
The tranq dart hit Mr. Erik square in the chest.
***
'Sleep, it says. Now why would that be? Ah. Chemical agent, that would mix fairly well normally. What a nice thought. To sleep.
But no. To sleep now means to fail. I wouldn't wake up for over nineteen hours. I do not have such time. My indomitable will cannot falter. It will take more than clever human chemistry to undo me.
This man before me. Let him be like unto a thought. Let him be forgotten. FOREVER.'
***
Mr. Erik stared perplexedly at the dart sticking out of him, the neurotoxin obviously making its way to his brain t shut down his higher functions and force him into a comatose state.
That wasn't what happened.
Mr. Erik flickered away as Masquerade slashed at Curtis, nearly point blank range, before teleporting away again. This time to the room across the hall, which was thankfully empty.
One of the gunslingers felt a sudden tug as something tried to forcefully pull him somewhere else, a place where people were greeted with blinding pain and gigantic chest wounds. Or spinal trauma, depending on which way one arrived. -
[ QUOTE ]
"Room service!" He intoned gently, his ear pressed against the door.
[/ QUOTE ]
"I didn't order anything..." A droll voice complained distantly from the other side of the door. There was some clicking as a grumbling somebody unchained and unlocked the door, and opened it.
It was none other than Mr. Erik, the very cliche filthy rich and boring plain accountant. Less-than-Mild-Mannered-Nobody.
And apparently with no brain for anything except numbers.
"You don't look like room service..." He intoned in a horrible long and drawn out droning voice. "I'll be leaving something in the suggestions box later. What is it you want?"
***
'They have seen too much. I will need to eradicate all of them. Starting with this one...' -
The gunslingers ported in to find an empty room, and Dune was treated to the vision of Masquerade popping in on his own teleport ride in front of him, slashing as he came out of it.
In the tight confinement of the corridor, there was no way Dune could have dodged it. Thankfully, Masquerade had not taken Dune's force field into account, and the matter-cleaving strike only succeeded in creating a smooth ripple effect that left the man unharmed.
Observing this instantly, Masquerade was gone in a flash of light, leaving Dune to deal with the terrified and confused couple that had just come out of their rooms to see what the commotion was to see a man in a bubble being attacked by some freak and the sound of incoming teleports.
If Dune cared to search for the villain, Masquerade had just teleported back to Mr. Erik's room. Which was, coincidentally, right next to Odette's room. -
[ QUOTE ]
"Now look, we can be reasonable about this." He said, placatingly lowering his stunstick. Of course, that isn't to say he turned it off or anything...
[/ QUOTE ]
'You little insignificant speck. You have no idea what you speak of. REASONABLE.' Masquerade thought to himself.
'You are not reasonable.
Your species are not reasonable.
This planet is not reasonable.
And how the mists of time and memory move. I remember the eldest. Such things I learned from it, such knowledge. "There are six signs of Tragedy. Fanaticism, Deception, Darkness, Anarchy, Instinct, and Artifice. These concepts define what is doomed and condemned.
"There are also the six signs of Comedy. Truth, Reason, Grace, Law, Duty, and Purity. These concepts define what is dominant and superior.
"This applies to everything that is. All is bound by these twelve concepts. Everything has traits from both areas, with a rare few possessing all in one.
"You are not bound by this law. You may ultilize all twelve concepts as you please without consequence. You can recognize them, manipulate them, control them utterly and change that which is. You are the ultimate and final reality. There shall be no Comedy nor Tragedy except for those that are your own. And you shall make it so."
Yes, I learned many things from the eldest. Reasonable. Reason.
This THING before me is not Reasonable. It is deceptive and a creator of anarchy. Its only positive trait is that of duty.
It is doomed. It is condemned. It is truely a TRAGEDY.
And there shall be no Tragedy except for my own.'
Masquerade completely ignored Dune's placating tones and swiped at him. -
The man Masquerade had charged had excellent reflexes, apparently-The taser shot forward and right into Masquerade's garbs, which appeared to be made of leather. Thankfully, this wasn't the case, and much to the man's surprise his taser's charge went throughout Masquerade's entire being. The man didn't flinch, he didn't have the nerves necessary. But smoldering patches here and there revealed that he could indeed and had just been hurt.
That was the last thing the guard DID see, though. At least for the duration of the fight, since he hadn't taken any action to avoid Masquerade's attack. And why should he have? It looked at best to be a sloppy hand swipe from over ten feet away, and obviously wasn't dangerous since the mysterious attacker hadn't been throwing anything.
So what happened wasn't really the guard's fault, there was no way he could have know. Now he was a guard with a giant gash that went through his stomach and several ribs, and there was no amount of training that could supress such a wound. He fell to the ground, falling unconscious immediately from shock. Not dead, but he would be soon without proper assistance.
And Masquerade wasn't done. Pressing his current distance advantage, he swiped at Dune's second guard before he had taken two steps.
***
Grey Masque had returned to the hall closest he had visited earlier, opening it and retrieving yet another package. Taking care to close and lock the door behind him, he then set off down the hallway with his package.
Marked for "Bridge."
***
White Masque had parted ways with John after trading a few more jokes with him and promising to meet up in the future. Now the white-suited decoy was on the deck where everyone had first been, looking for something critically important.
His teddy bear.
"TEEEEEEDY!" He yelled all about, jumping all over the place and lifting up random objects and looking under them comically. "HAS ANYONE SEEN MY TEDDY? HE BE IMPORTANT."
The decoy was jibbering and whining incessantly, going as far as accosting random people and showing them a photo of the bear that he kept pulling from hammer space. This didn't work too well, prompting many odd looks, people even RUNNING away from him, and being slapped once or twice. The decoy pressed on with his quest.
The search for his teddy bear. -
The man who peeked inside Odette's room was greeted by Masquerade rushing forward and swiping at him with the long-range slash through matter power he seemed to like using.
***
Grey Masque had already jetted by that time, vanishing down one random corridor or another of the ship.
***
The spectral terror watched Jake leave and lazily drifted after him, turning in the opposite direction he had chosen at the next fork. From there, it just drifted into the depths of the cargo area.
The actual ransacked cargo room was now empty, standing as a momument to its very own oddity with the door having been blasted off the slightly melted frame, the missing cameras the shattered glass and no signs of anything remotely interesting around. -
Natural claws works just as well as wrist guantlets. When in doubt, use something fancy like power gloves that create 2-D kinetic razors or something like that.
-
OOC:
No, Famine left which leaves Grey Masque and...
Woa. I think it's time he left as well. >.> -
OOC:
Grey Masque already moved, leaving Danny perfectly free to move. -
The note Famine now had was addressed not only to him, but to three other people as well: War, Pestilence, and Death. Whoever those people were. There was no return address, and it contained a plain white fold-up card with some neat type inside it.
Thanks for playing!
-Cynic
***
Meanwhile, Prodigy the S.U. Drone was reporting back to a very smug superior who was imagining the look on Famines face and laughing hysterically. No longer aboard the cruise liner and far enough away to be safe even by the horsemens standards.
Commander Cynic had even briefly contemplated having a micro-camera on the card, but decided Famine would have probably found it and have been able to retort. He had also decided that, contrary to popular belief, seeing was not quite believing. He found it very satisfying-probably even more so-to IMAGINE the whole thing rather than viewing it actually take place. Probably for the best, as Famine would have likely only raised an eyebrow and no more in reality.
Prodigy broke him out of his revelry with a gentle mind-tap. Commander, I have a full report on the goings of the ship, it has been reviewed and given a security level of a hundred million.
That stopped the commanders laughter and resulted in a confused question and a questioning look from Cynics faceplate. Hundred million? Doesnt it only go up to fifty?
Normally sir, but this is kinda like six star hotels. Its extremely bizarre and only exists in dictatorships in the middle of nowhere. Prodigy responded, taking that as his queue to project a holo-screen with pictures of several passengers currently on board. Cynic leaned in to get a closer look from his command chair, muttering to himself.
K, the horsemen are there, thats to be expected. Twilight men Now Im worried. Acid Zero Meh, if hes there everything should in THEORY turn out ok. I am no longer worried, now Im just determined to stay the hell away from that ship even more than I was before. Few miscs, buncha people being mentally dominated by some tart with serious fashion fetishes I already knew most of this, Prod. Show me something thatll surprise. None of this rates above security level twenty million.
Ah, then you will agree with me that the next three people combined are worth the additional eighty million levels. Prodigy said knowingly, projecting a second holo-screen. Only two faces upon this one. A certain hooded figure with an ivory mask decorated with two bloody tears, and a Twilight Man. A tac-ops man, actually.
Couldnt get the Twilight Mans name. Understandable, really. Its not really him thats important so much what he DID. More on that later, in correlation with Prodigy gestured at the simple yet sinister mask of Masquerade.
Prodigy. Im off-duty in the S.A.D.A.S.S.E.S. right now. I dont want ANYTHING to do with him. Not my responsibility. Forget it. I dont care. Just screw the whole thing, send a drone in to incinerate Famines mail so there are no links back to me so we can forget the whole thing while enjoying our well-earned spoils of that never-ending fight to end all fights.
Spoils? I thought we lost that fight? Prodigy quipped.
You keeled early, you dont know all the details. Cynic said defensively. I mean, YES. If you want to get picky, we didnt win. Whole unification thing didnt QUITE work out as planned. But hey, Ill tell you this: We didnt lose either. We actually came out of that thing with a few pearls.
These pearls have anything to do with that thing youve been building behind everyones backs? Prodigy asked, readying a few files for presentation and indicating that the current conversation would be over as soon as Cynic was finished responding.
Maybe. Cynic said. Now show me those important lookin doo-dads of tech stuff since they are oh-so important and are going to convince me to save the world for the [censored] greater good.
Right you are, Commander. Prodigy responded, bring the files up. Id review these later in your own time, Ill go ahead and summarize. Masquerade is going to be pulling that mirror trick of his, as there was a very unusual shipment of no less than ten thousand custom-tooled decorative mirrors brought on board the ship in cargo containers, all brought on board for shipment by Mr. Erik, Masquerades current disguise.
So really, just another reason not to get involved. Cynic said.
And thats not all! Prodigy continued. There have been at least a dozen reported incidents of various employees and crew members going missing mysteriously. A few paiges, stewards, cooks. Were not POSITIVE but evidence leads us to believe hes going to be using teddy bears as leverage.
So really, just another reason not to get involved. Cynic repeated.
Doesnt stop there! Prodigy went on. See the Twilight man? Hes important because he bought a Psionic Resonator device on board and flipped it on. The big-bad tart you mentioned earlier wont be able to even board the ship without becoming comatose, Masquerade will just laugh it off since his mask, and not himself, is what gives him his albeit limited psionic powers. Which means he will effectively be the last psychic on board, regardless of how limited his extent of mental power is. Thats one of his major weaknesses tossed overboard.
So really, just another reason not to get involved. Cynic said a third time. LOOK, Before you go on and say I have a [censored] moral obligation, I will remind you that Masquerade is not exactly in the best conditions to decide and possess one of the metas on board. The comatose psychics are out cause hed be shooting himself in the foot. He cant start any real fights without pissing everyone off and bringing out countermeasures. And hed have to be incredibly stupid to possess a mundane person. Were in the clear.
Errr not quite Prodigy said nervously. See, theres a third factor Some cargo
Cynic inquired into the issue further, only mildly interested. Prodigy spilled the beans and rather darkened the mood. The Commander got pissed off. He was actually going to have to THINK about a concern that had nothing to do with his pet project.
..And that combined with no psychics to try anything funny, Acid Zero digging into the whole thing and throwing rocks at the Bullet Ant hive, the Twilight Men bringing in the heavy weapons, the tart throwing all her non-psychics around Commander. Its EXACTLY what he wants. He came into the field holding the perfect hand and knowingly EXACTLY what cards everyone else had. And hes using the mirror trick. And teddy bears. Dont you see whats happening? Dont you see what his goal is? Prodigy asked the Commander.
Chaos. Cynic said. He swiveled his chair around and brooded while staring at the wall.
Commander. Prodigy said. Cynic said nothing.
COMMANDER. Prodigy repeated, slightly louder this time.
No. Cynic said finally.
Commander. Theyll call you in if he possesses someone. Theyll call everyone in.
And for once, theyll be cleaning up this mess WITHOUT me. Im done with them. Im done with Masquerade. Let him watch the world burn while he laughs and dances on the bones of those who tried to stop him. I really dont care. They cant pressure me anymore. Not now that Im almost done with that thing as you put it. The commander swiveled back around.
If Acid Zero, the Twilight Men, and the tarty queen cant handle little old Masquerade, they probably deserve to go down with that damned ship.
***
Masquerade blasted through the detention field just as Odette and David sped away. He paused for a moment mid-swing. Having just broken through the field, he was now being exposed to the Resonance generator.
Thankfully, it was his mask that had the psychic powers. It was an artifact that channeled mental power, various magics, and willpower, the last of which was what Masquerade used. The mask itself had some juice of its own, some Psionic Mastery that Masquerade could use from time to time. The extent of these powers were limited enough as it was, so Masquerade lost almost nothing NOT using the various psychic functions of his mask. As long as he refrained from psychic battles or mind-rapes, he would be left entirely alone by the Resonator.
Then, completely ignoring Acid, he turned back to the Vanity which had somehow stayed intact throughout is slash-fest. Perhaps he had deliberately avoided it?
Would you happen to have been near the center of this universe anytime recently? He threw casually at Acid, almost as if he hadnt just been trying to kill everyone in the room a moment before. He appeared to be examining the Vanity mirror. Inspecting it. -
OOC:
Ol' Ace has a few clones, actually. If I'm getting what he said in the elevator earlier, we have around three Acids runing around.
And David! Ace just talked ta ya!
BIC:
Acid was correct. Masquerade had already tried a failed teleport out of the field, followed continuing his attack in hopes of breaking through after a while. In five seconds, *now considerably less* he would be out. And he would probably attack the first one of the three he saw, which happened to be Acid since he was the only one not cloaked in dark matter.
***
"I'm sick of arrows." The grey-suited decoy snarled up at Danny. "Bye."
Grey Masque ran away from the ladder and the archer atop it, making a beeline for Gunner and his impervium shell... -
OOC:
The dark matter wave only affected Masquerade, Odette, and David. It didn't affect anything else in the room, so assuming the shield is lowered, nothing else will turn invisible. -
OOC:
Can't aknowledge it until Famine has posted, which he has, but which now also means I have to wait until David and Acid post again. -
OOC:
We were in the corridor beyond the room, that's where the entire fight with the phantasm took place, remember? Then the terror appeared behind Jake, who had just killed the phantasm who was blocking the way out. -
OOC:
Got it in one, Ace.
And since there has been some confusion regarding Masquerade's slasher move, it's his version of spectral wounds.
BIC:
Masquerade's biological makeup was incredibly strange, as in he didn't have one. He didnt breath, and he tended to float slightly above the ground and teleport whenever he desired to move. This also meant that he had no body heat, but Acid would still be able to see him anyway if he could do so naturally, having encountered much more powerful invisibility effects, or if he had something that would increase his natural perception to a point where he could see through the dark matter cloaks of everyone currently in the room. This was more than likely the case.
David didn't get any confirmation that his attack had succeeded-Invisibility didn't suppress. Unknown to him, he HAD caught Masquerade in the blast, since he had just homed in on the villain's last known location during his instinctual rush and Masquerade hadn't moved much. The force-field Acid had created over the doorway was suddenly impacted at high speed by an unseen someone.
Said someone didn't stick around. Masquerade teleported to the center of the room and started to make slashing motions with his arms, in various and completely randdom directions. The walls broke apart as huge tears and gashes were torn through them, furniture exploded in storms of splinters, the floor began to look like silly string. Masquerade couldn't see his targets, but he could very well try and eliminate them just by getting a lucky hit.
One such lucky hit even crossed the corner Odette currently occupied...
***
Jake rushed past the spectral horror and into the room beyond. One had to remember specific details though. Jake had originally come OUT of the special cargo area with all the signs of a fight, before engaging the phantasm, killing it, and then turning around to engage the terror.
Turned around, back in the direction of the cargo room. Then he 'rushed past' it. So it shouldn't have been surprising when Jake found himself trapped in the cargo room with the spectral terror now blocking the doorway. -
The cloaked man side-stepped the energy wave, lazily turning to face Odette in the same motion.
Odette found nothing but a cold, seething and brutal intelligence staring back at her. Masquerade's face was just an inky surface with a pristine ivory mask where his eyes would have been normally, with two giant bloody tears for those. He began to raise a hand to strike her down, completely disregarding her plea.
And then Acid came barging in, startling Masquerade and causing him to whip his head at the source of the newcomer's voice...
***
'Another one of these tiresome creatures to eradicate. They truely are just like cockroaches. They breed excessively fast before swarming and devouring the surrounding area. They are annoying, persistant thorns. They WON'T. DIE. No matter, three of them, a hundred of them, it matters not...
Wait.
There's nobody there...I clearly heard something though. It wasn't either of these two. Who spoke? Perhaps I'm looking at this the wrong way...Look upon them as they look upon you, with their weak and pitiful excuse for vision. And what do we have? Now THERE is something novel.
But why can't I see it otherwise...?
It is a mystery I will have to solve later. BY MYSELF. Because they will all be gone.'
***
Masquerade continued his attack on Odette, bring his arm down in a slashing motion that would be followed by a cleaving wound if Odette didn't find a way to dodge.
Masquerade also decided to employ one of his more subtle abilities. He was not actually an illusionist, what he created was entirely real. He could still use his powers to manipulate light in some ways, and this was one of them.
Using his power to make entire groups of people invisible using dark matter, Masquerade caused himself, Odette, David, and Acid to become invisible to everyone else as well as each other.
***
"If you don't like it, forfeit." Grey Masque spat at silk with an incredibly forgettable snarl. "I guess I'll just go over there and maim your partner then, ay? I don't know about you, but I don't think anyone would favor his odds two-on-one. I wouldn't mind what happens one bit, and I can always come back for you later."