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The Chronicles of Lady Reaver
The Long Arm of Crey
By Ed & Sue Garcia

A lady ran through the streets, as her slender body was entirely caressed by bright golden flames, from the Warehouse district in Kings Row towards the train station in an easterly direction. As she ran a few Skulls were unwise to get on her way, and where now accounting for their evil deeds to Forseti; the Norse God of Justice.

Her path took her by the train station, and where a large number of Paragon City police officers were waiting for her arrival. She saw an officer dressed in riot gear step on the street and raised a hand motioning her to stop, as a large number of armed police officers carrying rather intimidating weapons moved behind the warning officer to provide further support.

The slender brunette stopped a few steps away from the officer, and stood quietly as her flames bathed her with a golden-blue glow. Her eyes were looking down, avoiding eye contact with the police officer, yet it was obvious by her body language that her patience was wearing thin.

The police officer stood firmly and with a voice filled with the arrogance built over the years of pushing one’s weight on the weak, said: “You are under arrest for failure to register as an acting hero in Paragon City. Kneel before me and place your hands on your head, and don’t you give me any trouble or I will make you rue this day”

The brunette stood motionless, but her face suddenly contorted with pain as if something very wrong, something very painful was happening to her. Then she lifted her face and searched for the officer’s face and eyes. There was anger in Lady Reaver’s eyes, and with a voice, sounding if from beyond the grave that made most officers in the area cringe in fear said: “Officer Brannigan, the voices of those unjustly slain calls for justice. They cry for vengeance, they are telling me your hideous crimes against them, they are telling me about your arrangement with the Vahzilok, and your accepting money from Crey to look the other way”

The arresting officer took a step back in hesitation, as the brunette’s flames grew in intensity and a large axe had materialized. Another officer standing behind also took a step behind as he mumbled: “But how did she know the Lieutenant’s name, he never gave it to her?” Lieutenant Brannigan continued stepping back, but upon hearing what his subordinate said, he immediately stopped retreating and his face became filled with sheer hatred. Lieutenant Brannigan lowered his shotgun and fired. The bullets struck Lady Reaver, but were vaporized as they contacted the flames, with a glint of fear, Brannigan screamed: “What you whelps are waiting for? Fire, do not let her escape. Fire, she is resisting arrest! Can’t you see that?” Before the escorting officers could react, they were all engulfed by the cleansing fires of Forseti, many stood stunned as they realized that the fire was not harming them, but Lieutenant Brannigan and a few others were contorting in pain. Lady Reaver turned to look at the dazed officers and said: “I am not a hero. I am the Avatar of Forseti, the Norse God of justice. The flames that surround you are the flames of his judgment, those who are not evil, have nothing to fear. But those of you, who have murdered the unjust, will experience all the grief of all your victims had and still are experiencing. The voices of the unjustly slain call for justice and justice will be served this day.”

The officers not affected by the fires stepped away, and silently witnessed Lady Reaver execute Forseti’s brand of justice. Some lifted their rifles in an attempt to stop her, but then, mystically, the flames would rematerialize around them, and this time they experienced a taste of the pain and agony that Lady Reaver experienced when the spirits begged her for justice. Each officer, one by one, their faces showed a change from the urge to help a fellow officer to one of sheer contempt. For the crimes of the evil had been revealed to them.

Once the executions had been completed another officer, the second in command a Lieutenant as well, stood his ground before Lady Reaver and said with a voice filled with respect: “Madam, you are with out a doubt a super powered being, and it is my belief your gifts are used for the good of the citizens of Paragon City. But city ordnances require you personally fill the paperwork, we will be honored to escort you to city hall in Atlas Park to formally register you. But madam, please understand, that we are officers of the law sworn to uphold the laws”

The flames gradually dimmed and totally faded out. The slender brunette stood before the officers and said with a firm voice: “Forseti has given me leave to follow your laws, and the voices of the unjustly slain will remain quiet for only a brief time”

Lady Reaver entered the train station, and the escorting police officers ensured that all civilians left a train cart empty. Lady Reaver silently entered the car, as civilians stared at her at a distance as a chain of officers made sure to keep them away from her. The leading officer stepped off the train and motioned for Lady Reaver to follow. Quickly a number of police officers ran out of the next car, and immediately formed a barrier with their bodies to prevent any civilians from having any contact with her, all they needed was for the voices of the dead to fill her head and have a scene.

As they exited the train a squad of Crey Riot officers, and a few Paragon Protectors were waiting for them. The escorting police officer looked confused at what was happening, and said with a voice filled with confusion: “What are you citizens doing here?”

A Crey agent stepped from behind the Crey officers dressed in riot gear, the officer stepped back, as the Crey Agent was immaculately dressed in a black suit. He smiled at the officer, and adjusted his dark glasses. After a very uncomfortable period of time, the agent said with a firm voice: “The city has retained Crey to relieve you of your prisoner, known as Lady Reaver; we will now accept responsibility to transport this dangerous individual to a Crey maximum security facility. Please stand aside, be a good policeman and let us do our job” The Paragon Protectors immediately went airborne, with one of them, the masked male’s body suddenly growing spikes all over his body. People started to scream and run away, for they knew a super powered battle was about to ensue.

The police officer stood his ground, much to everyone’s surprise to include the agent, and with a firm voice said: “Lady Reaver is not our prisoner, for we are her escort to avoid riff raff from disturbing her. Now I ask for you to be a good corporate worker and stand aside, after all you don’t want to give Crey a bad reputation, don’t we?”

The agent laughed, and drew his weapon as he loudly said: “I can see that the super villain has used her mental influencing powers to take over their weak minds. It saddens me to have to bring pain to innocent victims”

The Paragon City police officers stepped back, but fear could be easily seen on their faces, but yet managed to have enough courage left to draw their weapons, for such is the effect of the cleansing fires of Forseti on those with good hearts.

The Lieutenant looked at the agent, and gave him a cold knowing smile, and said with a firm voice: “Do not draw weapons against an officer of the law, that is illegal, even for Crey personnel. I must see your paperwork first, before I even consider turning anyone to you”

The agent looked at the officer and then at Lady Reaver, who was still in her civilian form, and said with a threatening voice: “I was not given any paperwork, was ordered to come here and take Lady Reaver into custody”

The Lieutenant smiled at the agent and said: “No paperwork, no release. You corporate workers should understand better than anyone else the importance of paperwork. Why not just walk a few hundred yards and enter the courthouse? I believe once we get there, we can clarify any possible misunderstandings, right?

The agent softly growled as he saw two police drones leave the entrance of the train station, and silently hover next to the Paragon Protectors. The Lieutenant smiled at the agent, and pointed to his wrist, and said with a firm voice: “I have sent a signal for support, these are the first of the police drones to get here, there will be more. I think you had a communications glitch, and you are acting on such defective information with good intentions. Go back to Bricks or wherever you guys come from. Lady Reaver is no criminal, and will be registered shortly. The sooner you step aside, and discontinue interfering with official police business the better it will be for all parties”

The agent spat, and motioned for the rest of the Crey personnel to follow him, as he gave an intimidating look to the police Lieutenant.

Lady Reaver stood still and looked at the police Lieutenant for a long moment, and finally said with a firm voice: “You have placed yourself and your men at great risk on my behalf, and yet I do not know your name. Will you give it to me?” The Lieutenant smiled and cordially said as he stretched his hand forward: “My name is Lieutenant Charles Lancaster, at your service madam” Lady Reaver shook his hand and said: “I am pleased to make your acquaintance Lieutenant Lancaster, I shall consider you a friend to Forseti and myself as well. If you ever wronged and you suffer death, know that I will personally hunt those who had slain you, and give you justice and eternal peace”

Lady Reaver entered the courthouse, and stood before the records office. Lieutenant Lancaster stood next to her and said: “Give this lady a form 1356B rev C, the hero registration form” A bored clerk looked at them both, and typed something on his keyboard, then said: “Use the computer terminal in stall number four”

Lady Reaver sat on a chair and commenced filling the form, when she finished she stood by a camera and had her picture taken. The Lieutenant smiled and said: “Well you are now registered, welcome Lady Reaver, newest protector of justice in Paragon City” But before anyone could cheer, the clerk said: “I’m sorry but there is a warrant for Lady Reaver’s arrest, please handcuff her and escort her outside where a Crey escort service will be awaiting”

The Lieutenant gasped and said: “What you mean under arrest, for what crime?” The clerk did not bother to look up, and continued reading his monitor saying: “Lady Reaver is wanted for illegal use of her powers in public, failure to register prior to use those powers in public, and failure to bring her captives to the nearest detention facility” The Lieutenant looked truly embarrassed, and said with a voice filled with desperation: “We never have done this before, why are we yielding captives to Crey?” The clerk did not raise his head to look at us, and continued typing something on his keyboard and said with a voice filled with insolence: “I don’t know, it’s not my job to know that, and I simply don’t care”

The Lieutenant gave a pained look at Lady Reaver, but did not had time to say anything as the Crey agent he had recently embarrassed entered the room. The agent wore a mocking smile, and said: “There was no mistake was it? Well Lieutenant what you waiting for? Turn her over to us now!”

The slender brunette gently placed her hand on LT. Lancaster’s shoulder and said: “There is no need for embarrassment or violence on my behalf. I will quietly go with these duly assigned officers of the law. Can you at least tell me when my court date is?”

The agent looked at the LT and said: “That information was not given to me, was only told to escort this dangerous criminal to Bricks for safe keeping” The LT now looked at the clerk, who seemed too busy doing something else. As Lady Reaver walked away from the clerk towards the Cray agent and his cronies, the clerk stood up, on the sleeve of his uniform there was a patch. The patch said: “Crey”

The Chronicles of Lady Reaver
The Trail of Doctor Vahzilok
By Ed & Sue Garcia

The darkness amongst the old warehouses on the west side of King’s Row was broken by a fire engulfed figure walking through them, a figure which seemed to have a very specific destination and purpose.

I readied my axe, for the spirits just told me that the murderous Vahzilok were just ahead, soon the voices of the unjustly killed filling my head would go silent, and the sooner I will learn where my husband and daughter’s organs are.

I rounded the corner and saw a ghastly sight, before me were a man wearing an intimidating skull like mask, and two Frankenstein looking zombies. I obviously caught them in the middle of some activity, for they were totally surprised by my appearance.

I swung my axe at the nearest brute, it bit deeply into its undead flesh, yet it took the blow quite well, and seemed unharmed by it. The man stopped inspecting a body that lay next to him, and as he stood up drew a crossbow. The second zombie like creature, turned around and vomited a foul greenish fluid at me, fortunately my fire burnt it before it could harm me. I swung my axe with greater determination, despite a full sense of revulsion at this travesty of life that stood before me. This time my attack struck it hard and the monster actually seemed to moan as it was knocked off its feet. I felt a shot of pain as a bolt struck me at my chest, and saw the masked man laugh with glee as he said: “Ah Doctor Vahzilok is going to be really pleased with us, when we bring super hero body parts”

I swung once more my axe at the fallen creature, I had recently knockdown, and was rewarded with it emitting one last groan before it was destroyed. The second creature vomited at me a second time, and managed to get his vomit to engulf me with the fowl greenish liquid. I felt myself covered in pain, as the acid burnt my skin, but the pain only served to focus my rage as the spirits continued insistence for vengeance went on.

I swung my axe at the second creature, it was not going to get a second chance at vomiting at me at least I hoped it would not. My first swing struck its chest and knocked it down. I followed up with my axe again but in a downward motion and nailed it to the ground. To my surprise the creature was still trying to get up, despite the devastating damage I dealt to it. Once more I felt intense pain as a bolt penetrated my fiery aura and punctured into my left shoulder. That skull masked freak was going to pay for that and much more. I swung my axe in a horizontal motion, and sliced the monster’s head off. Its body fell to the ground and moved no more. Then I turned to regard the man who had been assailing me with his crossbow and said: “The voices of your victims call for justice, they call for vengeance, and vengeance they will have”

I slowly walked towards the man who continued laughing and preparing his crossbow, and stopped before him and said: “Death awaits you, you will pay dearly for your crimes, and judgment at Forseti’s court will follow”

The man fired his crossbow at point blank, I’m sure it struck me, but I did not feel it. I kicked him, and knocked him off his feet. I waited for him to regain his feet, for death was not going to come swiftly for this one. He drew a wicked blade, the one he had used to carve the body of a fallen Skull gang member, and while showing the blade at me he laughed.

The mad man loudly cackled as he swung his blade, but I side stepped his attack and kicked him down once more. I locked my eyes on his and said with a cryptic voice: “The voices of the slain innocent calls for your death, you will suffer the accumulated pain that all of your victims felt, your death will be slow, and filled with agony. You will come to regret all of your evil”

He laughed and swung his blade, it struck me, but it did not hurt. He saw me not flinch from his knife attack, and saw in my eyes what all else sees: Death. His laughter suddenly stopped, for now he realized he was not dealing with a mere mortal, but instead with a creature from the supernatural, a creature that was indeed an envoy of a God.

It’s amusing when evil men recognize their mortality, and often tries to convince themselves that reality is not what it seemed. The wicked man, with trembling hands, held his knife between us, and said with a voice filled with fear and madness: “No, this can’t be right; Doctor Vahzilok said that we could not be killed. That if I served him faithfully, I would receive great riches and power. Please let me go, don’t hurt me”

I looked at the coward, for he was a coward indeed. How many victims begged him for their life, and how often did he laugh at them as he carved their bodies while they were still alive. I raised my Axe and struck his left leg; he ungraciously fell to the ground, and tried crawling away from me as he continued begging. I swung my axe and struck his right arm; he stopped crawling and commenced to cry, little did he know that crying was not going to elicit any mercy from me, for the voices of the slain innocent screamed at me for vengeance, and vengeance was theirs to have.

I kicked his side and knocked him away a few feet, he screamed in pain and terror as he saw me firmly walking towards him. In terror he said: “Please stop hurting me, I will tell you anything you want to know”

I looked at him for long moments, and allowed him to be engulfed in his own terror, and then I formed my axe and held it high. He screamed in terror once more, and then while sobbing, he begged for his life once more. I searched for his eyes and waited for his to look at mine. Once he was under my control, I said with a voice filled with rage and contempt: “Where is your master, for he has crimes to pay. Where does your master keep his records?”

The wicked man looked at me as his entire body trembled, and then said: “I am a Reaper, faithful servant of Doctor Vahzilok, I will not betray him!”

I kicked him once more, making sure to strike his broken leg. His body was violently thrown against the wall from the sheer force of my kick, and his scream was a mix of agonizing pain and terror. As he slumped off the wall, I punched his face hard and broke his nose. Then I placed my left foot over his injured arm and applied pressure as I dug my boot’s spiked heel deep into his flesh and turned my foot left and right. Once more he screamed in pain, but he had information I wanted, before I would kill him.

I pushed my boot’s spiked heel even deeper and said with a cold voice: “Give me the answers to my questions, or your pain will be even greater, hurry for my patience is coming to an end”

I willed my divine fire to engulf me and the area around me, the Reaper screamed in pain and terror for my divine fire was now burning his flesh. I looked into his eyes and said with a voice filled with hatred: “Are you now feeling what your victim’s felt as you carved their bodies while still alive? Do you expect me to give you a mercy you did not have for your victims? The only mercy I will give you is a clean death if you give me what I have asked of you”

The Reaper groaned and said with a shaky voice: “If I tell you, will you let me go?”

I kicked his arm and waited for him to stop screaming before saying: “I am the envoy of vengeance, answer the question given to you”

Finally the Reaper stopped crying and said: “Doctor Vahzilok’s laboratory can be found just north of the train station, you can enter his facility through a sewer grate. Perhaps he keeps his records there, I don’t know, I only go there to deliver the body parts he has tasked me to get”

I looked at him for precious long moments, and noticed him looking at his knife. He then looked at me, and then back to his knife. I looked at him and gave him a knowing smile. He obviously reconsidered reaching for his knife, and slowly tried to regain his feet. He nervously smiled at me and said: “You letting me go?”

I looked into his eyes and he saw what he had seen before: Death

He tried to run away, but his broken leg failed him, and he noisily fell. I punched him once more and he fell unconscious.

I waited for him to wake up, for our final confrontation. Eventually he awoke but his eyes opened wide in sheer panic as he realized he could not move. I laughed at him, and said with a voice filled of contempt: “I promised you a clean death, you may notice if you turn to your left, that I have secured you to the ground next to a fire ant hill. Soon it will be morning, and the hungry insects will be leaving their home in search of food. They will find you, and they will eat you. They will leave a clean skeleton behind, so it must be, as Forseti has decreed”

As I walked away with the sun at my back and my shadow enlarging before me, I could hear him screaming as his punishment was dealt. Soon the voices of those many innocent victims slain by him will go quiet.

The Chronicles of Lady Reaver
Enter the Vahzilok
By Ed and Sue Garcia

A grieving tall slender Brunette stands by a grave and slowly places a red rose over it, the tombstone reads: “Here rest in peace William Fulton, beloved father of Erica Fulton and faithful husband to Laura”

As she slowly walks away from the grave of her husband, she hears a young man’s voice whisper at her, she violently turns towards the whisper, but there is no one to be seen. She grits her teeth, for she knows it is the dead who had talked to her, once more she will be called upon to avenge the dead.

The voice murmurs to her once more, but this time she can make out the words: “Your loved ones were not disemboweled for no reason at all, go read the Coroner’s report on your loved ones”

She stops at mid stride, and closes her eyes as tears travel down her cheeks. Her body trembles with uncertainty and as the flood of memories rushes back to her. She screams in agony, and while experiencing helplessness says: “But they are in heaven, they are resting in peace! Please, let me have my peace!”

The voice returns and says with a more forceful voice: “I have been murdered by the Vahzilok, my body organs taken apart and used for evil experiments. Your husband’s heart is being used in one of those ghastly horrors that walks the streets at night, please destroy the one who killed me and those monsters he created using my organs”

She shakes her head in total disbelief, what she had been told was just too gruesome to be truth, but deep inside of her, she knew it was too horrible to be a lie. She steps into her mini van and drives to the police department, fiercely determined to prove the spirit voice wrong. But the police report confirms her worst fear, and then went beyond it, for parts of her daughter’s body had been also found missing.

She screams in fury, as more and more voices of the dead reached her and fills her mind, tears stream down her face as she knows that once more she must kill and punish. Before the startled policeman her body is covered in fire and an axe is held by her right hand, she looks at the policeman and offers him a thin smile and starts to walk away. But before she can leave the station a police officer dressed in riot gear and holding a shotgun leveled at her chest said: “Who are you? Are you a registered hero?”

She pauses to think, registered hero, who her? She looked at the police officer, as her mind became flooded once more with the voices of the dead pleading for vengeance, and said with an almost guttural voice, as if it had come from beyond the grave: “I am no hero. I am the incarnation of vengeance. I am a Reaver, and I avenge the innocent who has been murdered. Stand aside, for I hear the voices of the innocent murdered pleading for relief of their suffering”

The police officer stepped back and said with a voice filled with panic: “Oh no another super psycho, we must stop her! Everyone get into your gear and help me stop her!”

She stops and gazes at the police officer and says with a chilling voice: “I am the envoy of Forseti, God of Justice placed in this city to avenge the innocent murdered. I have no business with you, stand aside”

The officer took a step back as she slowly moved towards the exit door, seeing she was not stopping, said: “Sorry lady, but you are under arrest! On your knees and hands over your head”

She walked towards the officer, no longer hearing him, for her mind was cluttered with the voices of the innocent murdered, telling her where to go, telling her to go to King’s Row. The officer discharges his shotgun, but it does not hurt her; as the pellets are vaporized the moment they touch the flames engulfing her. He stands aside, and lets her walk by, as she steps out into the street he screams: “I will get you for this, no one makes a fool out of me. I will get you”

Her once grieving face, is now changed for one filled with determination as she sprints towards the train station, no one gets on her way, but a few reckless Hellions who no longer can be counted among the living. She boards the train in somber silence, as suspicious citizens stare at her. No one talks to her inside the train, for no one there has business with her. She silently steps out of the train, and is intercepted by a squad of police officers that had been waiting for her. A police lieutenant flashes his badge before her, and says with a strict voice: “Madam you are under arrest, you have failed to register as a super hero, and resisted arrest at the Atlas City police department. Please drop to your knees and place your hands over your head”

She looks at the young man, and she can see the fright in his face and says in a cryptic voice: “I am the envoy of Forseti. I am here to punish those who have murdered the innocent. I am here to bring peace to those murdered by the evil, for I am their death. Do you have business with me?”

The lieutenant turned to look at the police drones and screamed: “Do something, you blasted machines” But they did not react to the slender brunette bathed in flames, for somehow they knew she was not evil.

She looked at the machines, then she turned back to stare at the police lieutenant, and once more with a voice from beyond the grave said: “Do you have any business with me?”

The lieutenant seemed to look around as if he heard voices around him, and his face noticeably paled as he realized he was listening to spirits. He turned to look at the flaming lady and said with terror in his voice: “Please get them to stop talking to me, they are in my head, please!”

She slowly nodded towards the lieutenant and her face became pained as dozens of voices now filled her head. She looked once more at the lieutenant and lifted her left eyebrow in expectation of a response from him.

The lieutenant still visibly shaken from his experience said with a weak voice: “There has been a misunderstanding, all super types must register at the courthouse, but I know you are too busy at this moment. If you give your name, I will register you myself. What do you call yourself?”

She gave him a puzzled look and then she regained her grave look and said: “Reaver, I shall be know to all who are evil as Reaver”

The lieutenant stuttered a bit and replied: “I got it Lady, I mean, I got it Reaver. I will register you right away, thank you for your cooperation”

As she walked away, she heard the lieutenant say over his radio: “Dispatch, connect me with records hall immediately! Is this records hall? This is Lieutenant Lafayette, and I need to register a new hero. Yes, her name is “Lady Reaver” and her picture is being emailed to you as we speak. Thank you, what fee? Who is going to pay the fee? Just charge it to the city for crying out loud!”

She walked away, a sly smile could be faintly seen across her thin red lips, and as she walked away she thought to herself: “How about that, I have a name now, I shall be known as Lady Reaver, from this day on all evil doers will have a name to fear. A name to keep them awake at night, a name they will utter from their bloody lips as I slay them in just vengeance”

“You must travel due West lady!” said an unearthly voice with urgency, “Hurry, please they will not stay there for long”

The quiet, slender, brunette commenced to run down the street and this time chose to ignore the violence that surrounded her. Never before had she noticed the enormous amount of crime on the streets, had she been so blind to it all these years?

She came across a very tall wall, but the spirits urged onwards, she shook her head in frustration and turned Northwards in the hope to find a set of stairs that would allow her to get over this wall. Someday she thought to herself, she would ask Forseti for the ability to fly so that these or any other walls would not be an impediment any more.

A street gang barred her way to the stairs, they wore gruesome skull like masks over their faces and could be seen drug trafficking. The spirit voices urged her onwards, but the street gang had taken notice of her, especially of her rather seductive clothing she was wearing. A few of the gang members could be seen slipping their hands inside their pants, probably to play with their genitals. It become quite obvious what they wanted with her, but that was the one thing they would never get from her. She stood before them and concentrated in making her flames even brighter and said with a soul chilling voice: “Stand aside, for I have no business with you yet”

The leader of the gang laughed and as he held his crutch with a very lewd motion, and said with a mocking voice: “You may not, but I have business with you. So just lie down, and spread your legs and make it easy on you”

The entire gang laughed aloud, but the slender brunette was not. Their laughter turned into a gasp as they were surprised when the glowing axe materialized and she held it in a very threatening manner. As they gawked at her, some began pulling their weapons, and an assortment of knives, baseball bats, guns, and rifles. She looked at them one last time and said: “I had no business with you, but the voices of the slain innocent are now calling for justice to be dispensed, you all have murdered the helpless and rejoiced in their suffering. Now you will pay dearly for it”

There was nothing more to be said, for carnage and death was the only thing that would satisfy the dead. Without hesitation she charged the nearest gang members and swung her axe killing the nearest one with a single blow. The gang reacted to her attack as a wall of lead from pistols and machine guns flew her way. Yet the strength of her rage powered her fiery aura and little damage if any was done to her. The axe was raised and killed another one as it came down, some of the gang members felt that they were out of her league and simply ran away, leaving their leader and a few more behind to deal with the enigmatic stranger.

The leader attacked her with his machine gun, as did the rest of his crew with their preferred weapons. In frustration the leader yelled: “Who are you, where did you come from! You better leave us and run before the Skulls places a bounty on your head”

Lady Reaver continued hacking and slashing, then stopped to regard the lieutenant and said with a voice filled with anger and a sound from beyond the grave: “A bounty on my head you say? Ha! I will let you live for that, go place the bounty on me! This way the evil doers will come to me, and I will not have to search for them among the trash. Tell your master that Lady Reaver is here to avenge the slain innocent. Tell you master that each one that he had killed, now demands his death! Tell your master that I’m coming”

The lieutenant was already running, but she did not give chase or even attempted to.

Reaver turned to face towards the West and quietly readied herself for her imminent engagement with the Vahzilok, there was a price to be paid and it would be paid soon.

The Chronicles of Lady Reaver
Beginnings
By Ed and Sue Garcia

The loudly buzzing alarm clock demanded the attention it had been built to receive each morning. A tired hand left the warmth of the blankets and slowly reached towards the clock and turned the alarm off. At first a leg slowly worked itself out of the blanket, and then the other leg slowly followed. Once both feet were firmly on the ground, a soft, delicate groan could be heard as the rest of the blankets were pushed aside.

For a few moments a slender brunette sat on the bed, stretched her arms wide and turned to regard her husband with a smile on her face, as he went on sleeping. She slowly leaned toward her right, and softly kissed her husband’s forehead and left the bed to head towards the bathroom.

As she enjoyed the warm shower, she reminisced the many happy moments of her life with her husband and continued smiling. She remembered the first day she met him at the shopping mall, and the terrible choice of clothing he was wearing, but even then he had such an attractive smile and a difficult to explain charm in the way he moved and spoke. She rejoiced in the memory of his asking for her hand in marriage, and of her wedding day. A sly smile now showed on her face, as she remembered his warmth as he held her during the moment of passion, and the memory when she first learnt she was pregnant. A smile filled with pride now took over, as she remember giving birth to her daughter which both her husband and her had grown to cherish beyond life itself. A giggle escaped her as she showered, for she remembered talking her husband into letting her adopt “Spunky” her German Shepard friend and companion when neither her husband or daughter were home.

The shower ended when the bath tub was full of warm water, and then she slowly lowered herself to relish the warmth of the water as it slowly engulfed her body. With a satisfaction filled smile she reached for a razor and after applying a rich lather of foamy skin softener and other lubricants proceeded to shave her legs. A few minutes later, once the grooming had been completed, she stepped out of the bath tub and pulled the drain plug to allow the water to drain away. As she dried herself, she smiled once more and cherished the thought that this day, was a very special day in her life, for it was her beloved husband’s birthday. She wanted to make it special, she wanted to make him happy, wanted him to feel young. She decided that cooking him breakfast would be a good start, and of course she would have to make his favorite dishes for lunch and dinner as well. Silently she reviewed the ingredients flour, sugar, strawberry preserves, and eggs to make him some strawberry filled crepes. Then searched through her memory to remember if all the ingredients were available, and with a giggle decided that she did have all she would need. Of course a grown man can not live out of crepes alone, and he would require quite a bit more with his crepes. In her mind she thought of tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, ham, cheese, eggs, mushrooms and bacon. With another smile she believed to have all the ingredients to make his favorite omelet. Hash browns, he would want hash browns to go with his omelet. With a frown she decided that she could not remember if she had any potatoes to make hash browns or frozen hash browns to fry for him.

Quickly she commenced to dress, and looked at herself at the mirror. She smiled at herself and realized that time had been kind to her and she was still a beautiful woman, despite of her age. Her frown turned into a wicked smile as a thought crossed her mind, for tonight she would show him how young she really was in bed. She giggled and slipped her dress on with a bit of a hurry.

She quietly walked towards the kitchen and noticed that Spunky was waiting for her already, and wagging his tail as he sat by his food dish. She smiled at Spunky and thought to herself that the dog was for some reason always hungry. She hugged Spunky and gave him a kiss on his forehead as the dog happily licked her face. She laughed at Spunky and decided he deserved something special, and instead of serving dog food, she filled his bowl with corn pops and milk, which of course the dog greedily devoured.

The freezer door opened with a whoosh of frigid air caressing her face, but despite of how many bags she turned over, shoved aside, there were no hash browns to be found. She growled in frustration, and then with resignation returned to the bedroom and stopped at the door to once more enjoy the sight of her husband peacefully sleeping.

She walked towards the dresser to gather her keys and purse, and then left the room. On the way out she stopped to check on her daughter who was still asleep, but after all what could one expect out of a teenager who spent most the night out partying with her friends. She smiled and told herself, that she had been young once. Once more she giggled, for she had special plans for a romantic night, or shall we say an erotic encounter with her husband. She quickened her pace towards the garage while giggling as she remembered buying those garter belts and spiked heel boots.

She opened the door to the garage and saw Spunky following her, hoping he would get to ride with her in the car. But it was the summer, and the morning was already getting warm, thus she decided that it would not be a good idea to leave Spunky locked inside the car. She hugged Spunky, and said with a sad voice: “Sorry Spunky, it’s too hot now, and I can’t take you. Be a good boy for mama, and watch over my home and keep them safe” Somehow she could tell by looking into Spunky’s eyes that dog was very sad but had understood her command.

It was a beautiful day, not a cloud in the sky, and made a note to get some steaks to grill for lunch. Paragon City was a very active place, but despite of there being a criminal element present she felt safe. There seemed that around Atlas Park there was a superhero just about everywhere, you could not take a step and not see one chasing a crook.

She drove by and slowed down to admire the incredible physiques of the many male heroes and their often rather revealing outfits. She laughed aloud and mocked herself about behaving like a little girl, when she caught herself thinking what it would be like making love to a superhero. She thought of her husband, a very talented architect, but no where close to even pass for a superhero. She laughed as she saw her husband in his Izod shirt, faded blue jeans and a mug of coffee in his left hand, some kind of hero he would make and laughed some more. On the other hand he was a hero to her, deep in her heart she worshipped that man, for despite all his frailties and lack of super powers, he was true to her, and always saw to her daughter’s and her needs. With a tear escaping her left eye, she realized that perhaps he did have a superpower after all, he had commitment, and that was a rare power indeed.

She parked her car almost at the very entrance to the grocery store, and thought to herself this must be her lucky day and with a little prance in her step entered the store. She grabbed a shopping cart, and quickly walked down the aisles picking can goods, bags and anything she thought she could use. Might as well get all the ingredients to make his favorite dinner as well, she thought to herself, meatloaf and mashed potatoes was what was for dinner tonight. With an even bigger smile, she picked up two bottles of Asti Spumante, the good one of course, and some cheese and crackers to go with them. Of course the wine and cheese, was for her especial gift to him, a night he would remember till the day he died.

She agonized the full time that she was forced to endure the long wait at the cashiers, for somehow this day too many people had decided to go shopping as well, how rude of them. Eventually the ritual of waiting, reading the scandal magazines and resisting the urge to eat every candy bar within hands reach, was over. But the misery did not end there, for some strange reason every traffic light on her way home seemed to turn red as she approached them.

As she pulled her car into the drive way, she could not help to notice that something was not altogether right, and in fact something was terribly wrong. For starters the main door to her house had been ripped of its hinges, and the broken pieces of the door scattered all over her front yard.

She could not ignore the growing knot feeling forming in her stomach, as her heart beat raced. Tears commenced to streak down her face, for she feared the worst.

She opened the door, and ran towards her home as she screamed her husband’s name. Once she stepped through the entrance to her house, she could see the mangled pieces of what once had been Spunky. She screamed in desperation and sheer agony as she saw her dog’s head impaled on a broom stick. Blood was splatter everywhere, and her mind returned to her and the thoughts of her daughter and husband became her central thought.

The walls of the hallway were also bloody, filled with many holes from bullets, and holes that appeared to have been made with a sledge hammer. She entered her daughter’s room first, for it was on the way to the master bedroom. A horrified scream escaped her lips as she saw her daughter’s hands bound to the bedposts, while most of her entrails had seemed to have been barbarically removed from her and flung all over the room. Crying, she slowly approached the bruised face of her daughter and with a trembling hand pushed her eyelids closed. She lifted her head to look around the room, and on the wall written in blood were the words “Hellions Rule”

There was no way of telling how long she knelt crying next to her dead daughter, while gently caressing her hair. But then slowly she stepped away from the bed, and walked towards the master bedroom. In her mind she kept saying to herself: “No, No, No this can not be happening! We are good people! This does not happen to good people! No!”

But she knew that it this was too horrible to be a bad dream, for life is seldom kind to those who had fallen off some God’s grace. She entered her room, her husband apparently had tried to defend himself, but was no match for the horde of murderers that had invaded their home. Like her daughter, he had been disemboweled but also totally dismembered.

She screamed with outrage and shouted: “You let this happen! I want justice! I want revenge! I want to kill those animals! I want justice! I want revenge” She continued screaming these words over and over, as she cried, till finally the shock and exhaustion overcame her.

She awoke in a strange place, it was frigid, it was cloudy, and it felt strange. But she did not feel alone. There was someone or something within the fog around her. She walked slowly forming a slight circular pattern, waiting to be attacked at any moment. Then the memory of her dead husband returned to her, followed by the memory of her daughter and dog. Once more despair filled her heart, but soon afterwards the burn of hatred and the thirst for vengeance replaced it.

The fog slowly dissipated revealing a white bearded man dressed in leather and wielding a large hammer in his right hand, as he sat in a magnificent throne which looked to be made out of gold. He looked at her with penetrating eyes, and with out expression. She looked at him with hatred.

Finally she broke the silence and said: “Who are you? Why you toy with me?”

The bearded man gave her a fatherly smile, and said with a soft voice that only she could hear in her mind: “I am Forseti, Norse God of Justice”

She bitterly laughed as she stood before the self proclaimed God and then said with disdain: “You a God of Justice? Where were you when the Hellions busted into my house? Where were you when they were [censored] my daughter? Where were you when they slaughtered her? Where were you when they murdered my husband? And you call yourself a God of Justice?”

Forseti gave her a long look and then with a firm voice said: “You want justice? You want to punish those who killed your family? Ah? Well, there is price to be paid, and you shall pay it in full! You prayer has been heard and answered! Go Reaver, and bring justice against those who practice evil in Paragon City”

She awoke next to her dead husband, but she felt different. Then she heard a soft voice coming from what it seemed very far away, but it was too faint to understand what it had said. She walked away from her dead husband, and looked into one of the dresser drawers thrown to the side and near her. Within it was her naughty outfit, the outfit her husband would never get to see her wearing for him. She removed her clothes, as tears fell, and in her mind she mourned her family and the many things they would never get to do. Then slowly she began to put her naughty outfit on, so at least her dead husband’s body could see it and that somehow the spirit of her husband may be around and see her wearing it. Suddenly the ghostly voice became louder, as if approaching her. She was half naked, and felt something was coming her way. She rushed to finish dressing up and to be ready for whatever was coming her way, but no more sounds of anything could be heard. She finished putting on her rather revealing outfit on, and turned to face her husband’s dead body. Suddenly she heard a voice, it was faint but clear, it was her husband’s.

She turned towards the voice, but there was nothing next to her, so she shook her head for she believed that her grief was making her hear voices. She looked at her dead husband for long moments, and decided it was time to change. Then she heard another voice, it was her daughters, and this time she understood what she said: “Mammy, please avenge me, kill those who murdered me, kill them so that I may go to heaven”

She screamed with happiness: “Baby, you are all right” But as she turned to face the voice there was no one, and the voice had gone silent. From behind her she heard her husband’s voice: “Please kill those who murdered me, help me go on”

Once more she turned about, but there was no one to be seen. Then she heard both her daughter and husband speak to her, pleading to her for vengeance, for relief. In desperation she screamed: “But I do not know where they are, and I’m but just a woman, what can I possibly do to them”

Yet the voices, continued pleading for mercy. But her husband said: “Leave the house, sprint west towards the abandoned warehouse area of the city”

She walked towards the door of the house, and stopped. She said with a trembling voice: “Darling, I can’t do it! I’m just a woman, how can I kill those mad men?”

Her daughter lamented near her, and said: “Please mom, go to the warehouse, you have been given all you need to free us, run mom please”

She started to run towards the street, but then stopped and headed towards her car. She stopped on her tracks as her husband spoke to he once more saying: “Stop, you no longer need that car, you have been gifted by Forseti, you are stronger and faster than ever before, yours is the strength of retaliation! You can run faster than your car and leap over walls, let your thirst for vengeance burn through you and power you! Run! Run”

She turned about and commenced running down the street, to her surprise she caught up and then passed a car and then another. Still confused she continued running towards the warehouse district, filled with dread and doubt.

She leapt over a wall with ease, and stopped to regard her feat in utter amazement. Then she felt something on her head. Slowly she reached and felt a headpiece, and with great care removed it to see it. It was made out of gold, and had large wings at its sides resembling much those worn by the mythological Valkiries. But the headpiece had a dark red hue to them, red as the blood spilt from the innocent victims of the Hellions and all that is evil. She placed the headpiece back and in her face a sense of determination could be seen, and then with fierceness ran forward and leapt over another wall.

She ran down a long alleyway, and saw rows of warehouses ahead of her. She stopped confused, for she did not know which one where the Hellions hiding at. But her daughter spoke to her, with a pleading voice saying: “Mommy, please, I want to go to heaven, please go to the third one to your right, please Mommy, please!”

Tears streaked down her face, as she walked towards the warehouse, as she approached the warehouse she could hear the screams of the celebrating Hellions. She commenced to cry aloud, and as she sobbed said: “Oh my baby, I can’t, I can’t kill those animals, for I’m but just a woman”

Then she heard her husband say with a firm voice: “Let your anger be your shield, let the fire of your hatred of them engulf you and make you immune to anything they could do! Let your love for us and what is just, be like an axe to split their evil souls! Go! Go! Go my love for we are in pain! Go!

She screamed in frustration, but the continuous laments from both her daughter and husband would not subside. As she heard the raucous laughter of the Hellions and the agonizing pleas of her loved ones, hatred filled her soul and fire enveloped her. Her immense thirst for vengeance, and justice over took her, and with sheer determination charged towards the entrance of the warehouse. A mere step away from the entrance to the warehouse, her thirst for revenge materialized in the form of a large two handed battle axe. Then she swung the axe with unnerving ferocity, and with a feral scream. The door exploded into a thousand splinters from the sheer force of the axe’s blow, giving the fire engulfed brunette access to the warehouse’s interior.

She stepped through the smashed entrance and saw two Hellions guarding the entrance, but stunned into inaction from her dramatic appearance. She did not hesitate, and stepped towards the closest one, swinging her axe in a flat horizontal arc. The axe struck the first thug and cleaved deeply into the punk, killing him with a single blow. The second thug pulled a gun and fired at her; the bullet struck her and it smarted, but did not really hurt her. The second swing smashed his skull and she walked past his now slumping body without a second thought, for she was determined to finish what she had come here to do.

Three more Hellions heard the commotion and entered the lobby in an effort to learn what had happened. They laughed at her, and made lewd gestures at her, and then she realized that she was wearing her naughty outfit and high heeled boots. She became even angrier and charged the brutes. By the time she closed on them, two of them had pulled their pistols and were shooting at her, but they seemed to have lousy aim. The third Hellion continued laughing at her, produced a baseball bat and prepared to swing at her.

She gave the thug a knowing smile and swung her axe killing one of the pistol wielding thugs in a single blow, then with an unnatural voice said: “I hear the voices of the innocent murdered, you shall pay for your crime”

A thug fired again, but the bullet was reduced to ashes as it penetrated the fire that engulfed and protected her, while the baseball bat missed striking her. She swung her axe a second time, and the second pistol using thug could not be counted among the living anymore.

The baseball bat using thug said: “Forget this” And turned around to run away from her. She looked at him run, but did not run after him, for she knew there was nowhere in this warehouse, or in this world he could hide from her.

She turned around and followed a long corridor which ended in a large storage area, in it she could see nine thugs gambling and fight training with each other.

The group of thugs spotted her, and their faces were filled with a smile as they saw the scantily clothed woman standing before them. It seemed their lust was more powerful than their sense of survival or just plain common sense. She walked towards them with confidence, as they laughed and made lewd gestures towards her, one of them commenced to drop his pants. Of course he stopped when he saw the axe materialize in her right hand. They suddenly realized that this was not some fancy [censored] that had come to pleasure them, and instead they realized it was a being that had come to kill them. One of the thugs pulled a machine gun and commenced shooting at her, but he was so scared that the shots struck the ground before her feet, the second thug pulled a knife and the last one had a sword held in a rather threatening manner.

She charged them, blinded by the fire of her own hatred and thirst for vengeance. If she had been hurt, she never felt the pain of being struck, but when it was all over all three of them were now dead, among the other six corpses of Hellions that may have arrived to help their besieged friends during the fight, and somehow in her blind fury never saw them join the fight.

She did feel tired, so she stood still as she rested and carefully examined her surroundings. At a distance she noticed a crate marked and colored in such a different way, that it was obvious it did not belong here. She walked towards the crate, but before she could get close enough to examine it, she felt the thud of a baseball bat striking her left shoulder. She turned around and punched the thug, knocking him off is feet. Then as he attempted to get up, she swung her axe and killed him with a sickening slicing sound.

She opened the crate and inside of it was a figurine made out of Onyx stone, and somehow she could feel that this figurine was magical in nature for she could sense a power source of some kind.

She knew she was not finished, for the pleas of her daughter and husband urged her to go on towards her left and deeper into the warehouse. She killed six more thugs before a much larger Hellion became evident to her. He wore two large spiked shoulder pads and next to him rested a large axe. She did not try to surprise him, for it had been him who had killed her daughter and husband. It was him who had disemboweled them, and rejoiced in his actions.

He looked at her, and gave her a lusty look, and then he said: “Ah so you come to kill me, ah? Avenge a loved one I bet! Ha, you are not the first who had tried that. I will beat you to mere inches from your death, and then I will ravage you, on and on, until you beg me to kill you”

She did not flinch, and simply stood still waiting for him. The fire around her burnt firmly and brightly. Her axe sparkled and reflected the light produce by her fiery aura which shielded her from damage. Her face was devoid of emotion, for she was fully focused on her deadly task.

He grew tired of the wait, and lifted his axe as he lightly stepped towards her. He swung his axe and she blocked it with hers, and then casually punched him with her left fist. He stumbled back a few steps and roared with a bestial yell. But before he could raise his axe, she swung her axe. It struck his left leg hard, and in pain he fell to the floor. He slowly commenced to raise himself, but she again swung her axe, and the blow from it knocked him off his feet and nearly across the room. She confidently stepped towards him, there was fear in his eyes, but there was also hatred. But her hatred for him was far greater than his. She looked at him with contempt and said: “I hear the voices of those innocently murdered by you, they demand justice, and they demand your death!”

She swung her axe, with a yell filled with agonizing pain and hatred, and the axe struck his neck and severed his head from his body. With his death came peace in her heart, the flames resided and her axe vanished.

She commenced to cry aloud and dropped to her knees, but her tears were cut short as her daughter talked to her saying: “Thank you mommy, thank you mommy, I’m going to heaven now mommy”

She clutched at the floor and with a painful wail said: “No, my baby, please don’t leave me, no” But she was now gone, and she knew it.

She continued crying in total despair, but then stopped as she heard her husband say: “My love, thank you for bringing us peace. I regret not being able to remain with you for I must now go on into the afterlife. I will watch over our daughter and I will be waiting for you when we once again can be rejoined. That statue you found is magical and must be returned to a mystic at the town hall at Atlas Park, she will know what to do with it. I love you”

And then he was gone, and she was now more alone than ever. She reached towards the dead Hellion and removed his shoulder pads, and placed them on herself and said: “I will now take this and keep it as a souvenir to remind me of this moment”

As she began crying again she heard another voice, a voice of a little boy. At least that is what she had thought. She got back on her feet and looked around, but saw no one. She stepped away from the dead body of the Hellion leader, and looked towards the hallway which would take her to the exit of this cursed building. Then she heard the voice say again: “Miss, please, Lady Reaver, please help me go to heaven. Please, I’m in so much pain! Please, these evil men came to my home and murdered my family and me. Please, I feel so cold” She stood still and as her fiery aura engulfed her, said with a chilling and from beyond the grave voice: “Yes little boy, oh yes, there is a price that must be paid”

Hi:

This are the stories that accounts for my character's biography, starting with how she acquired her powers and evolved. She is a Fire/Axe Tanker, and I hope you all enjoy the tale.

Lady Reaver can be seen avenging the innocent dead at Champions server, hero side.

Lady Reaver is a proud of member of United Heroes Brigade Super Group, come meet Lady Reaver and enjoy the friendliness and the family feel of this outstanding SG!

Hugs Stormy

gee sweety, have you not figured it out yet?

In this game only melees have the right to effectively resist status effects, we squoshies are just that, squoshies! How can it be fun for the melee types, if the squoshie can fight back?

Also who said holds do not work, your holds will work against other squoshies, so if you want to have fun in PvP you must only engage other squoshies, and always remember that all other classes outside of melee are regarded as support classes, and thus inferior to the melee classes in all aspects with exception of servitude powers. Gee, support class should say it all in a nutshell, really how could you ever expect to be as capable and famous as the main actor of the movie, when all you are is support cast?

The way the game was evolved after I3, poorly conceived or executed status effect system, if you want to PvP make a tanker, scraper or brute and then enjoy the game on an equal footing, and don't waste your time trying to compete with a support class character.

shrug

Stormfront 50 Storm/Dark Defender (Support Class)

Sweeties:

These would be my choices for update 4:

1. I love the Carnival custumes, would love to be able to have access to them for my Defender.

2. Defenders needs love, would love to see the Storm line (grin) really looked at, too many powers are marginally useful in reality although look awesome in paper. Make Defenders better "Soloers" than they currently are across the board.

3. Invite into group should provide invitee the level of the inviter, so we can say no to invite given inviter's level is not to our liking.

4. List of people looking for teams, need to have their primary and secondary power choices displayed.

5. Choice on weapon using powers graphics, my Tanker uses an Axe, the current graphics are plain attrocious.

6. A train connection at SC that connects the two train lines, a train stop at Founder's Falls.

7. A have honest names to describes powers, such as Flight to be renamed to float since its so slow. Since I have Swift, I can sprint faster than I can fly, and don't have all the handicapps associated with it.

8. Be able to sell inspirations, and to buy higher tier inspirations, at 40+ the lowbie inspirations are just plain lame.

9. Ability to buy temporary powers, maybe an ability you can use ten times, and then return to shop for recharge.

Love Stormy