CactusBrawler

Surely if the Government originally wanted to forcibly conscript people with super powers, they'd at least hire them if they had usable skills and were willing to work.

Though assassination and that, they wouldn't go for a flash super soldier or anything, just people with powers that can cause "natural", or "accidental" death. Deniability would be the keyword.

Don't give me idea's :P

As she rises into the air, Ceus would get a moments warning of an approaching wave of florescent green energy, but a moment is all the warning she gets.

To the investigators the energy does nothing, a tingling and maybe a brief pain in any teeth with fillings, before it moves on the wave striking the wall of the dome, and then rolling up it, a wave of emerald over the ruby field.

The corpse on the other hand screams, body crackling with the same energy, there is a brief spurt of blood from its forehead as it rises, the wound visibly knitting together, with a clatter Belbe's dart is forced out, steaming as it strikes the floor, smeared with the creatures hot blood.

It screams in pain and furry again, its skin turning grey and then splitting as plates of what looks to be thick cartilage and bone forced their way out, within a seconds the man now resembled some form of humanoid insect or armadillo, body covered in thick armored plates.

"Hurrrrrghhhhhhhhh killlllllllllll you!" it breathes picking up the discarded dart and holding it knife like.

At the sound of Pax's voice the man turned, his clothing was torn and blood splattered at the front, the sleeves burned and ragged, he opened his mouth to display jagged glistening teeth, something closer to those in a sharks maw than what should be in a mans mouth. Unfocused blood shot eyes focus on the peace bringer, and the man steps forward, swaying as if very drunk.

“Hu... hurrrrrrghhhhhhhhhh!” he breathes wildly and prepares to leap

The scientist offers Pax a PDA like device.

"This is a modified GPS system, it'll start tracking from the moment you enter the dome, it works on magnetic fields, so it should still be accurate even if you end up outside of satellite range. Its loaded with a map of the town, and it will search for the soldiers signals..."

"We are planning to use Humvees to get to the town, it should be two miles down the road after all, though if you prefer your own transport that can be arranged" the scientist, gave Brian's jeep a quick look, half expecting it to morph into some form of super vehicle

"We managed to get a few seconds of video footage, before the unmanned drone fully entered the Dome, it shows the town in the distance, we are guessing that either the field shut down the drone when it fully entered, or it simply got sent too far to transmit. As for living, a scout team went through from the army base at five this morning... sorry oh five hundred hours, we picked up their signal some distance inside, but couldn't contact them before the drone went down."

There was a moment of tension running through the camp as the black air craft began its descent, while to the media and the world at large, the USA was not at war with the Rogue Islands, the Army and the FBSA knew the truth....

Still the eyes of the world were on this sleepy American town and its plight, and urgent radioed orders came in, the troops lowered their gun, the air craft was allowed to land and its passengers to disembark.

While the fiction that all aid was welcomed in this crisis, was maintained for now, the local troops and government agents eyed the Arachnos soldiers with open suspicion.


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The General speaks

A squeal as the microphone and speakers kick into life, a four star general strolls on to a raised platform to address the meta humans and assembled soldiers. Straight cut mustache, a little salt and pepper around the temples and skin so red it spoke of hours spent in the sun everyday, or an underlying blood pressure problem.


“Gentlemen” a slight pause and an ever so slight glare at Widow Belbe “And Ladies”

“We have a situation, at oh four hundred hours this morning, the town of Founders Grove, was enveloped by the red dome you see behind you” pointing over everyones heads, her gestured at the squat energy dome.... as if any one could of missed it

“Now we do not know why this has occurred, whether an accident or some purposeful incident by an unknown party.” perhaps just a hint of a glare at Belbe and party

“That is where you are to come in, you are to enter the dome, investigate its occurrence and shut it down, by reason or force you are to bring the civilians home. After four hours, further back up will be sent in, but a small party of skilled meta humans are to be sent in first, as emissary's of the human race.”

As the general steps down, a woman in a lab coat steps up, pushing her square horned rim glasses up her nose as she takes position behind the microphone, a bit of nervous fidgeting and adjusting of it heralds her rather nasal voice.

“As the general was saying, we do not know if their is intelligent life behind this incident, and if there are life forms behind this we do not know their intent, this could all be a misunderstanding, or it could be a hostile action from a new extraterrestrial or extradimensional threat” giving a moment for the news to sink in she continued

“Since we do not know the conditions with in the dome, we will be providing you with Mark Four Hazardous Material suits, these are the same kind of suit as worn by Portal Corp exploration teams, they should protect against biological and chemical attacks, as well as extreme conditions” she paused and looked a little nervous

“Ummm... well good luck....”

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After a few minutes the scientist returns and approaches the gathered heroes, and villains.

“Hello, I've been told to answer any questions you have about this mission, so um shoot?”

The dome was not one type of energy, several types existed, ebbing and falling as if part of a heart beat. As one type of energy wained, another would rise until it too began to fade, as if exposure to the outside world robbed it of it strength, only in time to strengthen and rise again.

Mystical energy, mixed with the natural energy of the land, interwoven with energies that science had yet to come up with a name for. During one moment, the dome gave of an aura of immense pain as if every soul inside had screamed in union.

One of the M.A.G.I agents blinked as he saw Ceus being waved through by the military he started forward, hand going for his pockets, only for a fellow agent to stop him, a woman with scarf wrapped around her eyes.

“Not the time, not the place” her voice was a whisper, like wind through tall grass.

“But she's...” the balding man objected

“She may serve the greater good in this, don't interfere.” she whispered again

The male agent turned and stalked off towards the medical tents, the blindfolded woman turned to glance at Ceus again, before heading after him.

A none M.A.G.I branch agent hands Ceus a copy of the status report and directs her to the gathering area.

The tossed stone hits the dome and passes through, without ripple or sparkle or any fanfare, as if the squat scarlet dome wasn't there at all, though a slight alteration of the stones flight path shows the sucking force grows stronger nearer to it.

As Paxtera heads back to the camp, a different agent to before offers her a thick bundle of papers.

Each hero as they arrive are given a thick booklet, giving findings and reports on the situation so far.

((Summary version))

D.A.T.A and S.E.R.A.P.H findings.

While the finds are inconclusive, the field seems to be internally powered, attempts to sap the shield and disable it have failed, more conventional methods such as drills and explosives are pulled inside the dome, but otherwise have had no effect. Small scale E.M.P weaponry was ineffective, large scale has been ruled out due to the presence of a retirement home and hospital with critical patients within Founders Grove.

Multiple remote controlled camera buggies have been sent in, but contact is lost upon entering the dome. Due to this D.A.T.A and S.E.R.A.P.H suspect the dome to be some form of anti-technology field. (ATF)

G.I.F.T. and M.A.G.I findings

Attempts to psychicly connect with the people inside have failed, as has sending in familars and golems. Scrying has shown the dome extends under the ground also, forming a slightly oblong sphere, much like a giant egg.

Magus Paul Wilkins, attempted astral projection and is currently in a comma, currently it is belived by M.A.G.I that the dome is some form of teleportaion device, and that Paul's coma is a result of his soul traveling too far from his body.

E.L.I.T.E report on situation

The US Army has established a control zone around the dome. At oh five hundred hours a team went into the dome, the team have not reported back.

The following is an extract from the communications log.

Base: Okay Cougar One, report on the situation.

Male Voice: It feels like silk..... okay we are stepping through

<A burst of static>

Base: Cougar One, report? Cougar One? Your status please?

Up close the dome crackled and buzzed with static, it glowed faintly tainting the grass around it with red, the more sensitive might notice a stirring in the air, or the way grass stems bent towards the dome, as if they were being gently sucked in.

The army had established a perimeter around the dome, as Praxita approached she would see a wall of sand bags and barbed wire encircling the dome, stretching out in either direction as far as human sight can see, curving until lost, obscured by the ruby energy field, the soul exception was the main road, a break in the enclosure would allow vehicles to drive into the energy field or out of it...

At key point along the wall were heavy machine guns, entrenched and attended by fire crews, nervously scanning the dome for any sudden attacks.

As Paxtera approaches a woman runs up to her, lab coat, black hair back in a severe bun and with horn rimmed square glasses she looked the picture definition of geek and swat.

“I do hope you're not just intending to barge right in!” she admonishes

“Its okay she's one of ours!” the agent yelled an waved at the guards as he approached.

The soldiers resumed their watchful patrolling, no longer training their guns on the kneeling peacebringer.

The agent drew closer, giving Paxtera a quick smile and offering her his hand in aid of getting back to her feet.

“Hello Paxtera, you don't mind me calling you by your registered name do you? Anyway to answer your question its two thousand and nine, early August... you'll have to forgive the soldiers, there reaction is somewhat necessary because.... well because of that...”

He points past the peace bringer towards a massive dome of crimson energy, solid in colour nothing could be seen inside it, it squatted much wider than it was tall, reaching a good half mile into the sky.

“Some where in there, is Founders Grove... at least we hope.”

Indeed, her arrival sent the nearest troops into a flurry of activity, training their automatic weapons on her, on soldier yelled at her.

“Hands on your head, on your knees now!”

The soldiers faces painted a picture of their inexperience, clearly for most of these young men and women it was the first time they had pointed a weapon at a living being.

A moments radio communication and a F.B.S.A agent headed over, snapping a picture of Paxtera and running through the bureaus registry of licensed heroes....