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Post by Lady Britannia on Apr 25, 2019 18:49:38 GMT -5
(Battledog post)
He floated freely in the tank of neural gel but did know this. He felt no sensations through his senses. It was a black, odorless, touchless, silent prison. His thoughts drifted between deciding if he was dead or asleep. He waited. ***** "The subject is stable and secure." the tech said with full confidence, " We are ready to proceed." "Good. No anomalies then?" the lead officer replied. " None reported." The lead looked closely at the video screen of a recent MRI of the subject. He zoomed in to the subject's left scapula. "What's this dark blot on the subject's shoulder?" The tech quickly processed the information. "It appears to be a non-biological foreign object...scanning. No emissions detected. The computer is classifying it as a deativated, subcutaneous tracker." The officer startled. "You said deactive...correct?" "Yes, sir. No emission detected." "Get a transmission jammer active immediately. Perform full scans every hour...and double the guard." " Yes, sir."
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Post by Lady Britannia on Apr 25, 2019 18:50:12 GMT -5
Scarlet Scorpion
A week ago, Loni relayed the news regarding the origin of the explosive and she was astute enough to realize the potential repercussions. Scarlet thanked her for her diligence, patience and reverence to the situation. It wasn’t until the middle of the night, when no one else was around, Scarlet released her sadness and surfaced her anger. Battered, weak and struggling, she entered the Proving Room and sat alone in the dark, her sonic powers amplified by her sobbing.
Nathan Maddox betrayed Kathryn Selena Beringer. The Scarlet Scorpion allowed someone to cause destruction and harm to the Dawn Patrol from within. It was her fault. Her guard was down. She let her guard down. She trusted the wrong person and other Patrollers got hurt because of her.
Loni tried comforting Scarlet as she denied any fault, but could not. Her grief was tangible and Loni stopped trying. A week later, in the dark, Scarlet was still angry and did not try to stop. Her tears could melt metal if she had the ability. Denial was in the past, now there was only anger.
Scarlet asked Ghost Atom to create something for her, something new and untested. She knew what she needed to help her exact revenge and he obliged. The surgery went well and she was still getting used to the new implants. She will physically recover, but she has a new scar; emotional scars tend to heal slowly. The Scarlet Scorpion was transforming into vengeance incarnate: a reckoning was due.
But first, she had to become empty, for the next part of her plan would not allow for any more tears.
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Post by Lady Britannia on Apr 25, 2019 18:51:15 GMT -5
Drive Train
One step. Just one more step.
Sheena willed her legs into motion again, for the millionth time.
One more step.
A bright line filled her vision, overlaid on the metal-floored corridor. Bodies and smashed machinery provided the barely registered decor. The sound of blood pounding filled her ears, the smell of blood long since pervaded her nostrils.
One more step.
Her right hand clutched the ankle of the unconscious Commander Epps, her left was clamped over her own stomach, red liquid pouring out around it in a pumping gush.
One more step.
There, ahead of her, a sliding door. She dropped the ankle of the Commander and smashed the door with her right arm. Her vision narrowed dangerously as the concussion of the blow caused more of her vital fluid to flow out of the great wound in her stomach. She stooped and once again grabbed the Commander's ankle, then attempted to straighten. She stumbled, falling heavily with her left side to the wall. She could feel the wetness on her cheeks as she pulled herself up again. There, only a bit away, was daylight.
One more step.
Sheena dragged her charge along behind her, and emerged into the sunshine. A few civilians gawked at the disheveled half-naked bleeding woman emerging from the Vanguard base dragging a body behind her, but no one stopped her. Sheena heard, as if far away, a confirmation tone in her ear. A pleasant gender-neutral voice spoke: "Prepare for immediate teleport." Sheena was already falling as the teleport energies coruscated around her, and she and her prisoner both disappeared in a flash of purplish light.
No more steps.
She landed face-down in the entryway of the base. Technicians and Patrollers alike, still skittish from the recent attack, whipped their heads around to see the new arrivals. One of the new Patrollers, a recent recruit named Troy Davis, aka Project Rho, ran over to the collapsed forms. He turned Sheena over, took one look at the blood, and yelled for a medic. Sheena reached up and grabbed him by the arm with her right hand, delivering a powerful shock with her touch that was the side effect of her powers. Troy's arm muscles convulsed under the electric assault, but Sheena's grip was the grip of desperation. She pulled him down to whisper in his ear. The only words she got out were, "Lock... her... up," before her grip slacked and she passed into the realm of the unconscious, a strange and satisfied grin on her face.
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Post by Lady Britannia on Apr 25, 2019 18:51:55 GMT -5
Lily Blue/Terra/Battledog
Lily triggered the door and allowed her guest to enter first. The figure sat as it always did, staring at the same spot. The spot now held a TV. Lily had hoped that something on it would have sparked the figure to action. It didn't. "Terra, you're tagged in. See if you can reach him. Please. " Lily hesitated, " I miss him...I need him." Terra shrugged and said in all seriousness, " Okay but I'm going to need booze. Lots of booze." Lily rolled her eyes and left the room. The child-sized demon walked to face the catatonic figure, stretching her wings as she went. "Okay, Dave. She's gone. You can stop pretending now, it's a good joke. You got Lily dam good." " Hey, Dave...yoohoo...Earth to Dave...wha the f...Dave!" She took a big swig from her silver flask. It looked like she was going to have to get serious. Terra climbed up into Dave's lap and stood. She started to wave arms, flailing wildly and jumping up and down. "Over here, you big dummy." She stopped and thought for a few seconds. She reached out and completely pried open one of Dave's eyes. She peered in looking for signs of life. " Hmmm..." Terra sat down and thought again. She suddenly stood back up and looked at Dave. " I think I'm going to raid the lounge bar...." she declared, " ...you better stop me!." She walked towards the door, waiting for the usual shouts of stop. She looked back. " I mean it...I'm really going to...dammit." The figure didn't move. Her ears drooped in defeat but raised back up with another idea. Terra went back over, crawled into the vacant lap, and stood again. "Oh, Dave. Is it getting hot in here?" She lifted her shirt, shimmied her chest, and moaned suggestively. She peeked and waited. No movement or shouts. "Okay...you're really starting to get to me." She adjusted her shirt back to normal, sat down on Dave's knee, and pondered. ***** Lily stood in front of the door with a large bottle of Jack Daniels in her hands. It had been a couple of hours since she left Terra with Dave. She triggered the door and stepped in. She gasped. Two carts were sitting beside Dave's chair. The first was heaped with partially empty alcohol bottles of every description. The other held the remains of several pizzas, two large cakes, four cans of whipped cream and multiple bags of assorted cookies. The TV was quickly cycling through channels as Terra flicked the remote. Terra sat in Dave's lap with an ice bucket between her legs. The bucket was filled with an unknown mix of alcohol and a several pink drink umbrella. Terra was laborishly sucking the drink up through in green crazy straw. "Terra?" "Hi, Lily! Want some? I call it an Impish Bathtub. The umbrellas were Dave's idea!" Lily looked at it and then Dave's face. Dave looked the same except for some crusty food around his lips. "What's in it?" Terra thought for a second, shrugged and said " Everything." Lily shook her head and placed the bottle of JD on one of the carts. "Where did you get all of this?" " This? It was easy. Did you know if you fill out one of those requisition form things, the people around here run to go get? It's so f'ing cool!" Lily sighed. Terra picked up her bucket and put down on one of the carts. " You got to see this!" "See what?" Terra picked up one of the cans of whipped cream and sprayed a large dollop into Dave's right hand. She then flicked Dave's nose with her tail. By pure reflex action, Dave's hand moved to swat the tickling tail, splatting himself in the process. Terra giggled manically. "That's just never gets old!" "TERRA!" "What?....He's not complaining." Lily huffed, turned, and left the room. She shook her head at herself. She should have known better than to let Terra to try. Terra shrugged, grabbed her drink and started to suck on the straw again while flipping randomly through the TV channels. What did Lily know? Dave would be back soon, she just knew it. ***** Dave blinked and blearily wiped his face with left hand, removing dry, crusty gunk. The TV in front of him was playing the credits to the Gremlins movie. He tried to move when noticed the weight on his chest. He looked down . Terra lie curled up on his chest and lap asleep. He smiled.
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Post by Lady Britannia on Apr 25, 2019 18:52:28 GMT -5
Battledog
He was flying, soaring over the rooftops like he used to. It was exhilirating...breath-taking...missed. He missed flying. He missed the freedom it gave him. The feel of the air flowing. The effortless movement. The closest thing that came to feeling the same was swimming, all but the rush of pure freedom. He quickly performed a few of his favorite aerial manoeuvers. The Immelman. A Chandelle. A Cuban Eight. Simple as they were, they made him smile. But he had a mission. He was looking for his brother. They had him and he was going to find him. He flew systematically over each section of the city and then the isles. Always looking. Never finding. He looked for what seemed like days. But he never ceased. "I knew you were bright as a bunch of hammers." "Huh?" He slowed. "Dave! You smuck! Stop!" He came to a stop and floated. A incandenscent birdlike form of energy flew to a stop in front of him. It glowed with a yellow light. It spoke to him. "Snap out of it, idiot. It's me. Sam. Samantha. You know? Your sister?" "Sam?" "Yeah. Sam. Let me say it so you will understand it." "Huh?" "Me Sam. You Dave. Get it?" "Sam. What are you doing here? Its dangerous here." "Don't I know it. The Arachnos Seers have almost got a lock on you. But the biggest question I have is what are you doing here and how is it possible?" "What do you mean?" "Don't you know where you are?" "Of course I do! I floating off the coast of Grandville." An energy wing reached over and cuffed him on the side of the head. "Moron. You can't fly anymore. We are off the coast of Grandville but in the Astral plane. You shouldn't be able to be here. You're not psionic, psychic, magical." "That can't be right. Are you sure?" Sam gave him a condesending look. "Of course, I'm sure. Do I look normal right now?" "Oh, right." "You need to go back before you forget how." "I can't. I got to find Jayson." The energy wing reached over and cuffed him on the side of the head again. "Ow! Stop that!" "You are so dense sometimes. You could always find Jayson. Use the tracker." "The tracker...how did you know about that?" "C'mon...please give us some credit. Prof told us about them. Yes...mine and his. She changed them. Made them better. It no longer emits a electronic signal. It sends out a psychic signal. It can't be traced by normal means. You need Prof to activate it but a psychic to track it." He felt a trace of anger that was quickly overcome with pride. "I don't know if I should angry or glad." He reached over and gave his sister a hug. "Off! Now!" She telekinetically shoved him. "Just get back to your body and save Jayson." "How?" "Oh, man, you are stupid! Okay. This might be a shock." She quickly plunged her wing hand into his head. He felt like he was falling. Rushing backward. ...into himself.
***** Dave wiped his hand to clear the steam off the mirror. He cups his hands under the running tap and splashed it on to his face, washing the remains of his shaving away. He reached over for his t-shirt and pulled over his head. "Don't do that. I was enjoying the view." Lily said from the doorway. "Sorry, beautiful. I'll give you a better look later but right now, I got to get Jayson back." "Of course. I will hold you to it.” She said with a wink, “Now, what do you need me to do?" Dave let out a deep breath and thought for a moment. "Can you get Terra and anybody willing to help gathered up in one of the briefing rooms in two hours?" "Yes, I can. Where will you be?" "I got to talk to Prof. It seems we are going to need her help."
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Post by Lady Britannia on Apr 25, 2019 18:53:19 GMT -5
Iron Goliath
Loni sat glumly in front of the TV in Alex's penthouse. There was some news report on, something about the latest talking head spouting off about why the British government was being so close-mouthed about the tremors felt underground near the British Consulate in Paragon City, and if it had anything to do with the presence of the North American branch England's famed super-group, the Dawn Patrol. But she really wasn't listening to the sound on the screen. Loni was thinking instead that she had somehow let Kathryn down. Sure, she may have found out some information on the nature of the attack on the base a few weeks back. She had learned that many of the Patrol's metahumans were not healing properly, and that the key may have had something to do with a chemical compound that was used in the manufacture of Bonne Odeur, a pricey perfume produced and marketed by Crey Cosmetics, and she had delivered her findings to Kathryn as the Scarlet Scorpion lay convalescing in the Infirmary. It didn't sit well with Kathryn that she may have been instrumental in the bombing, since the bottle of perfume had been hers. Although Loni had tried to make her feel better, her usual sunny disposition failed to break through Kathryn's wall of moroseness.
Furthermore, Lady Britania had placed a lock-down on the Main Control Room and DOGMA, which stymied any further investigations on her part. So here she sat, wondering just what to do to improve the situation... any of the situations around her. The only silver lining among the clouds came from her new Goliath mech. Alex had done such a stellar job in building the Mark 2 (using Tania's designs for the appearance) that she told him, that first time exiting the cockpit, that she wanted to have his baby. Right there. In front of Marsius and Victoria and everyone. Bug had made one of his usual "mistranslated" remarks which made everyone laugh, and Alex blushed several different shades of red. But she was thrilled with the new mech, absolutely thrilled. Especially the new electronic sensor systems, the nanobot-repair systems, and the laser beam emitters built into the ocular lenses. Especially the lasers. What could be cooler than lasers? All Alex needed to do to make the IGMk2 complete was to work the last kinks out of the flight propulsion systems.
Miley Cyrus' Party In The USA began to play on her cellphone so she muted the TV and looked at the screen. It was Lily. Instantly she hit the connect button. "Hiyas Lily! How's Dave? Any better? Uh-huh? Uh-huh? Well, sure!!!" Loni grabbed a Post-It pad and a pen. "Briefing room. Two hours. You got it, sweety. I'll try and find Alex. If not, me and G will be there, ready to rock. Seeyas!" She broke the connection and went running to the bedroom closet to get her Dawn Patrol flight-suit.
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Post by Lady Britannia on Apr 25, 2019 18:53:51 GMT -5
Scarlet Scorpion
Scarlet was looking at her wrist-com. The request for assistance was blinking.
She was standing in Ghost Atoms workstation and reached for her new toy: an eye patch. Black colored, like her own, but made of titanium-strength polymers. Embedded within the contraption was a complex array of electronics activated via visual and psychic receptors, enabling her to control to device with both eye movements and thought patterns. Ghost Atom was brilliant to devise that she will have to think in Chinese to activate various features as a security measure. She’ll have to get used to that. Ultimately, the simple-looking device was a cornucopia of features that will enhance her abilities to command and control.
But really, what she loved the most about this new gadget was not related to it at all. Her scars were finally removed. What the UMC at Las Vegas could not do, the Dawn Patrol could do. It never really occurred to Scarlet to try to fix her scars through the supergroup. It was just a part of her … a part of her identity. But it was something she needed to change. What could not change was the fact that the Scarlet Scorpion uses an eye patch. That had to stay and became Ghost Atom’s challenge. No doubt Light’s End was involved in its construction. Both heroes were experts at what they do and Scarlet was thankful for their effort. Regardless, Scarlet looked forward to stepping out of uniform and not having to hide her eye patch wherever she went. The patch was now a part of her uniform and it was very appealing to her.
She smiled as she fixed the device upon her clean and smooth face. Immediately, her prosthetic vision was augmented by the internal HUD and data streamed which she thought-focused away to present a clear field of view. Scarlet marveled that her depth perception returned and it seemed very natural to her. She radiated an imperceptible sonic bubble as was her typical means to ‘see’ in three dimensions. The waves returned and she preferred the new eye patch method of seeing. She smiled again as she lifted her arms and took a few steps.
“Like riding a bike.”
The request for assistance was blinking … and she responded.
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Post by Lady Britannia on Apr 25, 2019 18:54:18 GMT -5
Lights End
Alex stared out into the space around the Ouroboros platform. From the rocky perch he was sitting on, he could see for what seemed to be forever ahead and around him. He leaned back and thought about everything that had happened over the last few weeks.
He looked over at the tree below, gazing upon the now empty LE Mk II suit. It was a beauty, but a thought that had been nagging at him for the last 2 weeks hit him again.
"Should I be the pilot of that suit?" he said to himself. He closed his eyes, sighed, then opened his eyes and looked down at his watch. An alarm sounded telling him that a communication from Loni was trying to come through, but it seemed to not respond when he attempted to activate his communicator. He sighed, and began climbing down the rock facing towards his suit.
Whatever it was, he thought, it had to be important. He activated the suit and flew back to the Ouro teleporter, into Atlas Park, then headed towards the base.
"Loni, can you hear me now?" He said into his helmet, hoping that his comm's device would pick up and work now.
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Post by Lady Britannia on Apr 25, 2019 18:54:54 GMT -5
Battledog
The hero known as the Little Professor moved through a small group of gang members with authority. Her every movement, a preplanned motion of excellence. As the gang members tried to hit her with their stolen ancient weapons, she dodged, blocked, and parried them with her blades. “You have to remain silent..." She spoke as she slammed one member's head with the side of her blade, sending him to unconsciousness. "If you give up the right..." Battledog watched from the roof top of an adjacent building. The kid moved well and fought even better. He had to commend Jayson. He had a fine taste in women. He spotted a second group of Warriors sneaking out of an alleyway, heading for an unaware Professor. He moved and landed in a crouch, right in the middle of them. Battledog rose and spun, his foot connecting with the gang members' heads. Most of them dropped. One didn't. He was met with a swift knee to the sternum, a quick jab, and a vicious uppercut. He tottered over. Battledog turned to see the Little Professor with the last of her group of gang members held at the tip of one of her swords. She bashed him in the face with the pommel, dropping him to the ground. " 'allo, Dave. Good to see you, up and about." "Thanks, Prof. How you doing, kiddo?" "Bloody terrible. I spent the last three days moping. I needed to get some exercise. I...I miss him." "It's okay, Prof. It’s time to bring him home. And since you are the only one able to activate his tracker, he needs you just as much." "We will need a psionic to make this work." "No problem. I got two."
*****
Battledog led the young hero into the Dawn Patrol base and clipped a visitor's badge onto her light blue jacket. "DOGMA, register hero: The Little Professor as a visitor. Authorization Lancelot-zero-one Battledog zero-one-eight Alpha." He led her down one of the large corridors towards the briefing rooms. Lily met them outside of one. Dave pulled down his mask and kissed her hello. "Hello, Prof. You doing okay?" " 'allo, Lily. I'm going to be bloody good really soon."
They stepped into the room to greet the assembled team members.
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Post by Lady Britannia on Apr 25, 2019 18:55:46 GMT -5
Drive Train
Sheena swam towards consciousness, lost in a sea of half-forgotten memories.
The giant plant monster roared and reared back, burned in a dozen places from the crimson lightning that leaped from her raw, pink fingers.
Her mostly sleeping mind raced with the images imbedded therein.
The ghouls jumped at her mouth-first, screaming their terrible hunger as the PPD Troopers fell around her.
A garbled jumble of noise on the edge of her awareness stirred yet more remembrances.
Her metal hand punched, knife-like, through the red-clad Blood Widow's torso, then released a blast of red electricity at the Tarantula beyond.
A scent, a taste of copper and salt. A long-remembered and too-often encountered sensation begat more dreams.
The tiny disc latched magnetically to her left shoulder, then a pulse, then pain, then blackness.
The sounds of footsteps approaching and low voices made more thoughts surface.
Searing pain as the energy blade ripped through her field and the soft flesh of her abdomen, leaving a spray of scarlet across the metal floor.
Sheena woke with a start, and instinctively fed power to her converters. She sat bolt upright and grabbed for the nearest sound, which happened to be the doctor hovering over her. Fortunately, he had been warned of her issues, and only his tie was grabbed in her metal fist. Looking around, she saw the familiar and strangely comforting walls of the Dawn Patrol infirmary. "Patroller Drive Train. Good to see you're up and active, it's a far cry better than... well, the alternative, I suppose. But still, good. How are you feeling?"
She focused on the face of the doctor. Yes, she'd seen him around the base before - tall, thin, glasses, hair greying at the temples. Looked like someone's father. She then looked at her hand clamped around the doctor's tie. She sheepishly released her grip. "I'm... fine, doc. Fine." Sheena did a quick self-assessment. No bleeding wounds, no lasting damage at all that she could tell. "Yeah, I could eat a horse, though."
The doctor smiled, smoothing his tie as he spoke. "Excellent news, then. Oh, and I'm not sure if I should be telling you this, but the others are gathering for some sort of meeting. I'm sure you'll want to fill them in on your experiences, whatever they were. They seemed harrowing from your injuries."
Sheena started to rise, then shot a sideways glance at the doctor. "I dunno... they gonna have sandwiches?"
******************************
Moments later, Sheena was dressed again in a new Dawn Patrol uniform with her visor, feeling cleaner and healthier than she had in what seemed like forever. She left the infirmary, smiling and waving to the doctor on the way out, starting to head to the meeting room. She stopped suddenly, frowned a bit, and fed power from her converters to her legs. Sprinting as fast as the twisting corridors would allow, she skidded to a halt in front of the base's brig, startling two guards posted there. "Yo, sorry 'bout that. Hey, you chompers got a goldie I doggie-walked in offa the shuffle?"
The blank stares she received as answers reminded her she had, once again, slipped into Resistance patter. "Uh, I mean, you got that woman I dragged in here?"
One of the guards spoke up, "May I see your I.D. card please, ma'am?"
Sheena responded by handing him her Dawn Patrol I.D., which was swiped through a card reader next to the guard station. A pleasant tone sounded, followed by a readout in DOGMA's mechanical voice: "Identification Drive Train, rank Patroller, Dawn Patrol authorization Three-Six-Two Sierra. Clearance level Lancelot Zero-One."
The guard handed the card back to Sheena. "Thank you, ma'am. Yes, we have the prisoner in custody still. As far as I know, she's still unconscious from whatever you did to her."
Sheena breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled, and turned to walk away, saying over her shoulder, "Thanks, chompie! I'll be back later. And get ready... yer prolly gonna have a whole lotta guests!"
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Post by Lady Britannia on Apr 25, 2019 18:58:15 GMT -5
Lady Britania
Sitting at DOGMA’s main control console, Tania rubs her eyes and looks at the time. “Dear god, I’ve been staring at this screen for twelve hours.” But she was determined to find out who was behind the attack, and with her being confined to a wheelchair, there wasn’t much else she could do but sit here and stare at code scrolling by on the screen. “Wait, what?” she stops the scrolling and stares at a line of code. “How the hell did that get missed!” Like a slap in the face, the line shows an exploit in the system, which could allow someone to access DOGMA’s entire database. “DOGMA, isolate and analyze.”
“Working… Intrusion at 11-08-2011…Database downloaded to an outside source…”
Tania’s eyes widen. “The ENTIRE database? ALL of it?”
“Affirmative.”
“Damn me! How could I have missed that exploit! One damn line of code and we get screwed! How the hell did I miss this?” Grimacing, Tania types furiously, following the code, tracking the intrusion until she finds a Patroller I.D. number and an I.P. Address. “That bloody bastard!” Tania growls “DOGMA, verify that I.D. number and display corresponding Patroller file.”
“Working…”
The file pops up on the screen confirming Tania’s suspicions. “That bastard… That bloody $!@!*…Traitor! I bet he didn't realize that DOGMA captured his I.D. number when he did it..” Tania changes the code, getting rid of the exploit. “DOGMA, patch me through to Field Commander Beringer.”
“Working… Comlink open.”
Scarlet Scorpion’s voice comes over the speaker. “Tania, what’s up?”
“I need you to meet me at DOGMA Scarlet. We’ve had a development.”
“You found who did it?”
“No… Maybe… It’s a good possibility they were involved; I don’t want to talk about this over an open comm line though.”
“Okay, but let me run down to the briefing room first. Battledog is requesting assistance for going to get his brother who was captured, and everyone is gathering…”
“Kathryn… This is Morgan-03 Priority.”
The comm channel goes silent for a minute. “… I’ll be right there.”
“I’ll be waiting. Bring Marsius.”
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Post by Lady Britannia on Apr 25, 2019 18:59:28 GMT -5
PAX Lawbringer
“Hey Doc! The bug guy’s awake, you gonna vivisect him or what?”
Lawbringer felt a rising panic at those words and tried to make out more of his surroundings. He glanced down his body and saw the flat tray like metal table and the straps of some kind of flexible woven metal that held him down. The room appeared to be some type of lab or operating room. Gleaming metal fixtures and while tile predominated but the obvious equipment he could see appeared to be more electronic in nature than surgical. Looming above the table at his head and feet he could see two large arrays mounting antenna of various types each angled down and toward him. His head movement attracted the attention of the prod wielding guard who gave him a short but sharp jolt.
“Stay still Bug!” He looked across the room in the same direction his fellow had called out in. “You said to roll him right here and wake him up, well he’s awake. So can we watch you cut ‘em open?” From beyond his view a male voice he didn’t recognize answered.
“I’m not THAT kind of doctor. I’m here to ask him some questions.” a pause. “ “Here can you… angle that table so I can speak to the prisoner face to... face like a…a person.”
“He ain’t a person Doc.” The armed guard said in response.
“Apologies, that is uncorrect.” Lawbringer offered “I am a verifiable sentient life form.”
“Shut-up Bug!” the guard snapped. “He ain’t human at any rate.”
“That too is less than accurate.” Lawbringer countered. “We share over 80% of the same DNA. I am descended from hu-“ Lawbringer stopped as the prod was applied again to him.
“I said shut your hole BUG!” Lawbringer writhed in pain for a moment and lay stunned when the electrical shock stopped.
“Sure thing Doc, hold on.” The empty handed guard stepped behind Lawbringer’s head and began working the table’s controls. “Hold on, wait a sec… no that’s wrong, ah there we go Doc!” At first it started moving at random, up a little then down and then tilting the wrong way moving him into an inverted position but finally the controls were sorted out and Lawbringer was moved into an upright position. As the table moved the prod wielding guard leaned in close.
“Don’t think of trying anything bug! You’ll regret it… bad” He held the prod close to Lawbringer’s face and fired it off causing sparks to pop and arc from the prod’s terminals. Lawbringer’s rising anger at this treatment allowed him to find his voice.
“Please do not reference me as such, you are unqualified.” This caused the man to blink in confusion a moment before his features hardened. The prod dipped down toward Lawbringer’s chest but was halted by a command from the unseen doctor.
“Stop that! For now… at any rate.” Lawbringer turned away from the frustrated guard toward the voice as his descending feet revealed its owner. A man, older, with gray thinning hair, dressed in a dark conservatively cut suit with a red tie that disappeared into the buttoned ‘v’ of his coat jacket was seated behind a table. When his rotation was complete Lawbringer could see on the table was a pitcher of water, a glass, a notepad, a thick accordion folder of the type he had seen used to store large files and a sealed metal box. The man looked at Lawbringer coolly.
“Despite the over… zealous nature of the sergeant there, he is correct. Please do not attempt escape. The table and straps are of a Vandinium alloy and have a tensile strength many times greater than we know you can apply. Additionally the straps are mag-locked down. Again with a magnetic force greater than your physical strength. As for your radiation based powers you may have noticed the arrays above you. Together they generate a nuclear damping field that greatly changes the dynamics of strong and weak nuclear forces thus canceling out any effects you can create.” Lawbringer ignored the request and fired a controlled nuclear blast around his body hoping to disable his captors and affect an escape; only nothing happened, not even the glow of energies associated with his nucleonic build up. The guards giggled a little at his frustration, the man in the dark suit glanced at him. “Thus you are fully contained.”
“What is the purposefulness of my capture? The attacks on the Dawn Patrol? What are you wanting?” Lawbringer asked coolly trying to contain his excitement as a kernel of another plan had formed. He hoped he could get some answers before alerting Dark Watcher of his whereabouts.
“I don’t have any answers about any attacks, but what you are… is my problem. I designed the arrays to damp your powers.” Lawbringer cocked his head to one side and listened. ”I am Dr. Web Bordan. I hold degrees in both applied and theoretical high energy physics and three years ago Van... guard moved me from a study of Rikti energy reactors and power cells to designing a way to nullify your abilities. You are my assignment.”
“And in this present?”
“Now, you will answer my questions.” He held up a hand forestalling Lawbringer’s obvious retort. “We do have ways to compel you to answer. Please do not force me to… apply them.” The guards both stifled dark evil sounding chuckles. Dr. Bordan opened the folder and began pulling out several stacks of papers setting them into different piles on the table.
“You know you are a remarkable… subject. Your biology and technology are so inter…twined. You are a true cybernetic organism. In your original Vanguard evaluation you said only your helmet and belt were not grown with your body as you gestated.”
“Ewww, gross.” One of his guards commented.
“And those little nano machines you use for healing.” The doctor continued unfazed by the commentary. ”They are formidable filters too. Did you know that your extraction team had to use every drop they had of a specially tailored tranquilizer to keep you unconscious? At the depot they had you hooked into an iv of the stuff. It was decided to cryo-freeze you for transport to this facility. The delay in unfreezing you has made several parties impatient for this in… terrogation.”
“A delay?” Lawbringer grew alarmed. “What amount of time have I been rendered insentient?” Dr. Bordan flipped through several pages more of files.
“You were captured over a week ago and transported here for… study.” He answered again dispassionately. For a moment Lawbringer despaired, but then remembered what Dark Watcher had said.
“This IS being a Vanguard facility yes?” He inquired.
“A most safe and secure one.” His inquisitor responded flatly. Lawbringer relaxed trying to look defeated. “Let us begin.” Dr. Bordan began.
The questioning took hours. It ranged over many topics and Dr. Bordan seemed to accept certain uninformative answers on certain topics but not on others. When questioned about the Dawn Patrol at all, its members, activities, technology and procedures Lawbringer flatly refused to elaborate beyond a simple statement.
“Your penetration of the Dawn Patrol computers and facilities as well the suborning of Dawn Patrol personnel has already given you access to more complete and comprehensible information than I could provide.” This was merely met with a few moments of pen scratching by the doctor on his note pad and an almost bored “mmm-hmm” noise.
At several points the prod was used to elicit more complete responses especially where Lawbringer’s technology was concerned. At one point after multiple shocks in response to his inability to detail the math behind the nucleonic-quantum trickle engine in his belt he proclaimed in frustration.
“I am no artificer. My knowledge is of an end user! Yet I know you have no understanding of the machines you must construct to build the machines that would build the machines that could build a trickle engine!” Dr. Bordan finally accepted that answer.
As time passed the room grew warm and humid under the bright lights. Lawbringer quite liked it as it reminded him of the conditions maintained in the hives. The guards however did not, even in their climate controlled uniforms they began openly sweating. Several times the room’s climate controls were adjusted. Only Dr Bordan seemed immune showing no signs of the heat; remaining in his suit, buttoned down neatly. Yet he emptied and refilled the carafe of water several times.
At one point the metal box was opened and the doctor spread out a variety of items, each in a labeled clear plastic bag. Lawbringer recognized them instantly and felt both angry and violated. They had searched his body’s storage cavities!
“For a member of an advanced technological species you carry around a lot of junk.” The doctor commented holding up a bag with a PTA tram token in it. He set that bag down and picked another. Inside it a glittering green crystal several inches long seemed to glow with a light of its own. “This one however is very, very interesting to me. Do you know why?”
“It is evidence of a crime.” Lawbringer responded coolly.
“Actually it’s Orichalcum, a crystal known for its properties to store and focus magical energies. Now why would such a scientifically minded person like you carry this around?”
“It is evidence of a crime.” Lawbringer repeated.
“Its interesting to me because its entropic levels are different from everything else in the entire universe. Well everything in the universe… but you.”
“It was in my posession during my temporal transference to this era.”
“Yes I know. From your own story of your arrival. It was used in the machine that created the temporal warp that-“
“Illegal temporal warp.” Lawbringer interrupted, “This is its reason for being evidence of a crime.”
“Is this how you violated the carbon law? Do you expect to use it to return to your time when your so called mission here is completed?” Dr. Bordan accused.
“I am currently unable to return. I was unaware of the carbon limit at the time of my journey. Applied temporal technology is illegal in the Hiveworlds. Knowledge of such it limited and strictly controled.”
“So you say. Speaking of time travel.” The doctor opened to a fresh page on his note pad. “Tell me about the fixers.”
“You are meaning the Menders? Of Ouroboros?” Lawbringer inquired.
“Yes, yes, these Menders.” The questions began in earnest again.
“How do they generate their temporal portals?’
“Why are they REALLY here?”
“How many Menders are there?”
“Was it before or after you arrived here that you began conspiring to alter the future with these Menders?”
“What do you know of their leader Mender… Silos?”
Most of the questions focused on the organization as awhole and especially on Silos. Lawbringer weathered the questions but knew as time passed he was slipping, revealing more information with each question than he intended. Sometime during the questions Lawbringer’s suspicions crystalized.
Finally it was done. Dr. Bordan flipped closed his pad, returned all the bags to the metal case, gathered up the files and stood up. His two guards sagged with fatigue and a none too quiet sigh was heard from them.
“I’m done here… for now. Leave the prisoner there but hook up a two liter iv of tranquilizer. That should se… cure him til our next session.” Both guards saluted as Dr. Bordan pickup the folder, case and his notes and left the room. The door had barely closed when the prod wielding guard gave a groan.
“Jeeze! That Doc what a machine!”
“You are more correct than you are aware of.” Lawbringer noted tiredly.
“Shut-up Bug!” The prod slammed into the table with a loud jarring bang.
“Please do not call me that.” Lawbringer requested with the hint of an edge in his voice.
“Aw did the little bug get his feeling hurt?” Prod wielder mocked. “For crying out loud could ya get the stuff so we can get outta here!”
“One big bag of bug juice coming up!” Said the other wheeling over an iv stand with a large bag hanging from it. An iv line dangled down. Lawbringer prepared himself.
“You’re going nappies now bug.” The sadistic guard grinned at him.
“I am saying now you may not use that appelation. You do not meet its requirement!” Lawbringer said fiercely. The sadistic guard stood up and looked at his returning companion.
“What does he mean when he says I’m not qualified?” The other guard shrugged. Both looked at Lawbringer.
“You may not call me bug. You are NOT my friends!” Lawbringer triggered the one area effect weapon in his arsenal that was not powered by nuclear interactions his EMP blast. Every electronic device in a 20 foot radius was slagged by the intense radio waves of the pulse. Sparks flew out of all the equipment in the room. Electrical sockets arced lightning. Light fixtures and monitors exploded spraying glass across the room, even the eletrical prod crackled and died. Both guards threw themselves to the ground to avoid the flying debris. Emergency lights snapped on dimly and flickered. When they looked up Lawbringer was still on the table but the impervious metal straps dangled slackly the magnetic field locking him to the table disrupted. Lawbringer was lit by another shower of sparks erupting from the two arrays overhead. He lifted his arms and a glowing green nimbus of light began swirling around his hands.
“You are about experience an unpleasant procreative event.” He pronounced angrily. The sadistic guard’s companion looked puzzled.
“What does THAT mean?’
“I think it means we’re fu-“ Lawbringer’s neutrino bolt caught him square in the face cutting him off.
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Post by Lady Britannia on Apr 25, 2019 19:04:55 GMT -5
Crimsonstar
*Parts of this post were co-authored by Lady Britania*
Crimsonstar sat in a chair in the corner, the room dark, and listened to the slow, steady breathing of Lady Victoria in her bed. She had been missing for several hours after the attacks and when she was finally pulled from the debris, she was in a deep coma. Her physical injuries were healing nicely and there was no sign of hemorrhaging which led several of them to believe something else had caused her coma.
The lights suddenly came on as Alexandra Sommers, aka, Northern Might, turned on the fluorescents and came into Victoria’s infirmary room. She came over and sat on Marsius’ lap and he had to allow himself a small smile. Alexandra had always been conservative when displaying her affections in public, but that had changed when Loni King called her, advising Alexandra she’d found Marisus, and that she should get to their base immediately. “How is she?” she asked, her voice low.
“No change. At times I almost think I hear her mumble something, and realize it was just my imagination, or wishful thinking.” Marsius replied.
“Marsius, this isn’t your fault, or Kathryn’s, or Tania’s, or anyone else in Dawn Patrol.” Alexandra told him, as she leaned her head on his and looked over at Victoria in her bed.
“Marsius.” Came a voice from the doorway. Marsius and Alexandra looked around to see Kathryn standing there. “Tania’s found something.” She said.
Crimsonstar studied Kathryn and Tania. Their faces displayed a range of emotions, sad, angry and depressed, all at once. Tania was quickly adapting to the wheelchair, even though you could easily tell she also despised having to use it. Kathryn had a bandage around her right hand and forearm along with a sling holding her entire right arm in place. More disturbing to him was the large bandage covering the left side of her face. She had already lost the use of her left eye years before, and she wore the scars from that incident as proudly as a war medal. He feared yet another disfiguring injury to her face could be more than even a strong person like Kathryn could endure. He looked at himself, realizing that to them, he also must have looked pretty grim. He could still feel the sting of the bruises and cuts on his face and head, and the Ghost Atom had to practically shave him bald to stitch up the many deep gashes he had suffered from the flying debris.
Tania was waiting for them at the door to the main control room when they came up. “Alexandra, I’m sorry but this is closed to only Mars, Kathryn and me.” She said.
Alexandra nodded, completely understanding their need for privacy. I’ll see how the others are doing.” She said, giving Marsius a quick kiss.
“I know who hacked our systems, and you aren’t going to like it.” Tania said wheeling around to her terminal as the control room doors hissed shut.
_____________________________________________________________
“Are we sure this isn’t some kind of trap? That we were meant to find this to throw us off in our investigations? ” Kathryn asked him. “We’ve all watched that damn video Dominic restored over and over, and everything points at Vanguard.”
“Make no mistake, Vanguard DID sell out Hero-1 and Omega team. They were never supposed to come back. But he was Lady Gray’s man here inside and he was the one to pull all our files when she wanted them.” Tania replied, still studying the monitors.
“And she also ordered him to plant the bomb in Kathryn’s office as well.” Marsius suggested.
Tania wheeled around from the computer terminal she was studying. “Only how did she know the blast would be certain to get all three of us? And how did she find a way to effectively get past Marsius’ damn near invulnerability? “
“She had help.” Kathryn replied and tossed a small battered, heavily dented and charred box on the table. “Bio sensor in the bomb was set to send an activation signal once it read all three of our bio signatures in the room.” She looked at Marsius and Tania and pulled up a badly damaged small cartridge. “I found this after Loni mentioned an odd smell at the explosion site. It’s the second part of a component that was dispersed when the bomb was planted to interact with an already present first component left in my office. It’s a nerve toxin specifically tailored to Andromedan physiology, and they got that data also from DOGMA.”
“What was the first component?” Tania asked. Kathryn pulled a shattered perfume bottle from her belt and held it up. Neither Marsius nor Tania commented as they both knew the significance of the bottle and where she’d gotten it.
“Okay, so Lady Jane is sending Vanguard shock troops after us, presumably with the intent of what….killing off the three of us , or even Dawn Patrol entirely. Why, and what recent events caused her to set this in motion?” Marsius asked.
“Lady Victoria found Surace Industries.” Tania asked and wheeled her chair around to them. “They were never anything more than a hidden antique store house, very ‘Indiana Jones’ type stuff. Vanguard and Lady Gray dumped the evidence of their Rikti deal into their hands for safe keeping and then quickly forgot they had it. Once the second war started, they never had the time or even gave a thought to retrieving it. The sad simple fact is, Lady Victoria was set up to find it which in turn set off Vanguards “contingency plan” for us.”
“What, contingency plan?”Marsius asked. Kathryn sighed and stepped up to the console and leaned against it. “Dawn Patrol, at least, THIS division of it, wasn’t supposed to continue after Hero-1 and Omega team. The UK office fully expected to disband it. It was how they expected to keep the secret of sacrificing Hero-1 and Omega team buried. Only certain men and women here made names for themselves during the war and suddenly they and Dawn Patrol, were very much in the public eye.”
“Jason.” Tania smiled.
Kathryn nodded and continued. “Lady Jane was reluctantly promoted to act as CO for the North American branch with strict orders to keep it under watch, and ….quite frankly, alert the UK office to pull the plug if anyone ever got wise to the dark deal made eight years ago.”
“Kathryn?” Marsius asked. “How do you know this?”
“Several months back it was whispered in my ear by a Nemesis officer as I was slapping him in a holding cell.” Kathryn replied.
“NEMESIS?” both Marsius and Tania said, quite loudly.
“I assumed at the time he was trying to barter his way out of several years in the Zig with a cleverly crafted lie. He’d hoped I let him go, waste precious time following up on it and he’d make a clear getaway out of Paragon.” Kathryn said.
“So what’s the next step?” Tania asked.
“We can’t tip our hand to Lady Jane just yet that we’ve found her errand boy, but we can definitely declare open season on Nemesis and found how much deeper this plot goes and heavily they were involved.” Kathryn said.
“That’s all well and good,” Tania replies, “But what are we going to do about Light’s End? I don’t know that he was necessarily involved with Vanguard or Nemesis, but he definitely took advantage of that damn exploit and downloaded our entire database. He had no right or clearance to do that. He got ALL of it, stuff so high above his security clearance, he has no right seeing. We can’t let that go. I’m betting he didn’t realize that DOMGA still managed to capture his I.D. number when he did it, so I don’t think it’s any kind of trap.”
Marsius rubs his chin. “Well, you can bet, if we go in there with a full security team and try to detain him; things are going to get ugly quick. I’m sure Loni, Dave, and Lily won’t stand by and let that happen, they’ve been friends with him longer than they have been with us. If we do this wrong, it’s going to turn into a fight.”
Scarlet scowls. “Damn it, I bet this is part of what Nemesis was trying to achieve, dissension in our ranks, fighting, the total disintegration of our group… Okay, we go in, but we do it smartly, no security team, just us. But… We seal the room, and we get some answers, as calmly as possible. Agreed?”
Both Tania and Marsius nod. As they turn to leave the control room, Marsius steps up behind Tania’s wheelchair. “Let me, Tania.”
Tania scowls a bit at the necessity, but replies “Thanks Marsius.” They exit the control room and head in the direction of the briefing room.
As they pass Alexandra, Marsius tips his head towards the briefing room. “You can come with us Alex. We might need you.” The four of them head down the corridor to the briefing room.
As they enter the briefing room, everyone turns to look at them, Battledog, who was standing at the lectern talking, stops and looks at them. “Good, glad you’re here. If you’ll take a seat, I’ll continue my…” He stops, as the four of them walk past him to the center of the briefing room.
Tania looks up at the ceiling. “DOGMA, Security Protocol 04, Briefing Room. Authorization Lancelot-03/Lady Britania 051-Tango.”
DOGMA’s voice fills the room. “Security Protocol-04, authorization recognized.” The doors to the briefing room slam shut. “Briefing room sealed. Teleport inhibitors activated. Base is on Security lockdown.”
Everyone in the room looks shocked as Scarlet steps forward. She looks back at Battledog “I’m sorry Dave, but we’ll get back to your briefing in a moment. First...” She turns and looks at Lights End “there’s something we need to take care of. Alex, you have some serious explaining to do about a certain security breech. Start talking…”
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Post by Lady Britannia on Apr 25, 2019 19:06:58 GMT -5
Battledog
"Why now? Why of all the times they could do this, they decide on right now?" Dave thought, "Amateurs. Bloody amateurs."
Dave stepped from behind the lectern and walked until he was directly in front of the leadership cadre. He held up his hand to forestall Light's End.
"Alex. Stay there." he looked Crimsonstar, Scarlett Scorpion, and Lady Britania in the eye, "He did it under my orders."
He steeled himself for what was coming. He tensed his muscles to explode into action if necessary. He could feel Lily in his head as she mentally gasped at his thought process. His sister gave a wicked, little grin as she rode his thoughts like a wave.
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Post by Lady Britannia on Apr 25, 2019 19:07:32 GMT -5
Scarlet Scorpion
Scarlet has been here before. This was deja vu ... and it was not going as it should. She acted without thinking. But there was the line:somewhere in this room a line was being drawn
Just as someone else wanted it.
She looked from Battledog to Lights End and back. Then to Crimsonstar and back to Battledog. His muscles were tensing. He was a fighter and it was showing. He's expecting something to happen.
Just as someone else wanted it.
Not this time.
She raised her left hand attempting to pause the moment. Everyone watched the scene. Kathryn walked and reached for a chair, not looking away at Battledog, and slid it in front of him.
Then sat down and quietly, sternly asked,
"Why?"
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