GoldenMasquerade

It was the first night she slept well in six months, but she woke feeling as though she didn't sleep at all.

Samantha Lore found herself staring at the inside of her down comforter, and wrapped tightly like a mummy in her other bedsheets. Small beads of sweat were pooling on her forehead, and she decided it was too much of a bother to wipe them off. She made the attempt to close her eyes again, wishing that she could just spend all of today here in bed and not worry if the day was going to be good or bad. There were plenty of bad days this year, and she didn't know if today was going to be the same.

For six months, she and other citizens of Paragon City were surviving the Rikti Invasion by every method possible. Nearly every day was either a nightmare or threatened to be worse, and Samantha hardly slept through any of it. Afterward, even though it looked impossible for life to return to normal, Samantha was among the many who tried to make it so. It hadn't worked out: she worked at a toy store for a week before post-traumatic stress and an overbearing boss caused her to lose her temper and quit. With barely any money, mooching off of an old friend from high school, and any plans for the future blacked out by depression it was no wonder Samantha didn't want to get out of bed.

A loud buzzing noise made her jump slightly in surprise in her sheets, and half a second later she realized it was her alarm clock. Muttering about how it was nine in the morning already, she reached a hand out of the sheets towards the end table to hit the snooze button. She tried to mentally find the clock while feeling the table, and once her fingers found the clock tried harshly tapping the top to hit the snooze button. Still hearing the buzzing after some futile slaps of her hand, she made a fist in frustration and slammed down on the clock. Then, she realized she didn't know her own super-strength as the clock shattered under her fist, sending small bits of plastic into her hand.

"OW!" came the appropriate response, along with a loud exclamation of vulgarity as the pain prompted her to sit up and let the comforter naturally fall off her head. With her uninjured hand, she lifted her long, thick bunches of black hair away from her blue eyes and surveyed the damage. Her clock was destroyed, naturally, and was no longer buzzing. There were bits of the snooze button and the black plastic frame stuck in her wrist and pinky finger, and her wounds only started bleeding when she picked the plastic out of her skin. With a frustrated sigh, she lifted herself out of the small bed and wandered down the apartment hallway to the tiny bathroom a few feet away.

The apartment in King's Row was small and sat on the sixth story of a recently renovated building. Living in the apartment wasn't as bad as Samantha thought it would be, but the landlord had sprayed for cockroaches yesterday and the stench of cheap pesticide still hung in the air. The re-painting was also shoddy, Internet access was nearly non-existent, and the air-conditioners were going off at odd hours when it was December and completely unnecessary. But it was a roof over her head, and she was now in the care of a good friend, so Samantha kept quiet. It wasn't much, but for now it was home.

She pushed the bathroom door aside and ran the sink to wash her bleeding hand, rubbing along the wounds in some half-hearted attempt to clean them. With a sigh, she looked up to the mirror to see how pathetic she looked first thing in the morning but noticed something else in front of her in the way of her reflection. There was a moment of silent shock, then she backed into the shower screaming bloody murder.
Help was instant. Her roommate rushed in, looking around frantically.

"What's wrong, what's wrong?!" the woman cried, trying to see what the problem was. Samantha pointed up to the creature on the mirror, the size of a quarter.

"Spider! Spider! Kill it! Kill it!"

The roommate sighed, realizing that there was no danger present.

"Samantha..."

"It scared me!" the teenager tried to defend herself, now realizing how silly she must have looked. "It's like they sneak up on you without moving!"

"I know, I know... hold on, I'll get a cup..." The roommate started walking off to the kitchen while still talking. "Put its butt outside..."

Lacking something better to do, Samantha took a seat on the dry shower floor and sighed in frustration. Her hand wasn't bleeding so much now, and she didn't want to risk passing too close to the spider on the mirror on her way back to her room. Already, it felt like the day was going to go bad. She watched as her friend came back in with a ceramic mug, trapped the spider inside and quickly made off with it to the door. Samantha decided to follow and watch the little creature be deposited on the doormat.

"Sorry, Penny..." she moaned.

"Hey, don't worry." the woman smiled as she closed the door. "I hate it when they do that too." She continued talking as she walked to the kitchen to put the cup in the sink. "It's just like, you look over to the corner and BOO they're just there."

"Yeah..."

"Well, it's my turn to make breakfast." Penny announced with a happy chirp in her voice. "How do you like your eggs?"

"Surprise me." Samantha moaned, taking a seat at the couch to stare at the currently switched off TV.

"Sam, c'mon. Why do you sound like you don't care about anything?"

"Because I don't."

"It's not the end of the world."

"It almost was two weeks ago..."

This prompted Penelope Whittle to walk over to her friend and sit next to her.

"We're still alive, so no, it's not the end of the world. We've been given a second chance, so we either have to live the life we want or help make everyone else's lives easier."

"Says the superhero." Samantha grumbled.

"You could be my partner, you know. Put that super strength to good use."

"No..."

"Why not?"

Samantha paused. While it was a good question, it was how to answer it that silenced her. True, she was gifted with super strength, but it caused nothing but trouble if she wasn't paying attention. The life of a superhero just seemed too stressful and dangerous, and all she wanted was a simple life. And during the Rikti War, all she did was cower and hide and whatever it took to stay out of the fighting. Not only did she not want an occupation that risked her life, but she also felt it just wasn't the life for her. Penelope studied martial arts just to be a super hero, but had no other talents. It was a fact that Penelope often used to say that even Samantha can do it, and that bothered Samantha to no end.

"...because I wouldn't make a good superhero."

"Well, you never know until you try. But enough of that, we've got a big day ahead of us." Samantha dared to look her cheerful friend in the face just as Penelope pulled extra strands of hair out of the girl's face. "You go shower and get dressed, and I'll make breakfast. How do you want your eggs?"

"I told you, surprise me." Samantha grumbled, getting up and heading back into the now spider-less bathroom. Penelope shook her head with a smile.

"I'll scramble them, okay? Chin up a bit, Sam. Today's gonna be a good day, I can feel it."

***

It was almost always a cloudy day in the Rogue Isles, and the month of December seemed to bring in more of the darker variety every year. One man pondered that as his eyes lifted to the sky in boredom as he walked reluctantly across the air strip. With the island of Grandville behind him, and the wide blue ocean he was familiar with stretching to the horizon before him, he felt most of his frustrations ease. But all it took was another look at the Arachnos flier he was to board before his reluctance took the form of a loud snort, and started the old habit of scratching at the gills on his neck.

"I hate robbing banks." Mako muttered to himself, not expecting a response. He then remembered the man in the black coat walking next to him was going to give a response whether he liked it or not.

"Lord Recluse's orders are Lord Recluse's orders." the man reminded, tipping back his wide brimmed fedora hat to see what his master was seeing in the sky. "Arachnos needs money to repair Spider City and keep the troops paid."

"I don't give a damn..." came the shark man's impulsive mutter.

"Are you upset because this doesn't involve killing people?" the man in the black coat sighed. "You know that isn't true."

"It's not that. This is just one of those jobs that's beneath me now. Why send ME to rob a bank in Paragon City when Recluse has thousands of other schmucks to do the job? It doesn't make any sense."

"Makes sense to me. He needs this done quickly."

"Bull." Mako snorted with a sharp movement of his head. "Whatever. He wants it done quick, I'll do it quick, that damn..." He went on to mutter a couple of poorly choiced insults about his own boss before the man in the black coat spoke up again.

"Why not have your back-up do it while you have your own fun?" he suggested, looking to the squad that was also walking towards the flier but in a disciplined formation. Mako also decided to look over at the six Wolf Spiders and three Crab Spiders he picked earlier to go with him.

"Not after what happened last time." the shark shook his head. Before he left the man to question that statement, Mako looked back up at the man. "So, you've got that job to do that I was talking about earlier."

"You can consider it done." the man smiled. "I'll have it retrieved for you by the time you come back."

"Sounds too good to be true." the shark grinned. "Then you better have it when I do come back, Porter." It was a threat, but Kevin Porter was used to it by now.

"Of course." Porter smiled back. "Have fun in Paragon City." The last statement caused his master to walk away muttering again. Porter adjusted the hat on his head before walking back towards the city. The shark continued his reluctant walk towards his squad.

"Alright, you know the drill." he told them half-heartedly. "Get in, get the cash, get your sorry rear ends back on the flier before it takes off without you. I've been told that there's a couple of heroes in the area, so we're gonna cause chaos in a couple of places to keep them distracted. You and you..." He pointed to two soldiers individually. "...there's a jewelery store just a few blocks down. Rob it and set off the alarms when you leave. You three..." He pointed at three other Wolf Spiders. "...need to start some arson at least a block away from the bank. I don't care what it is. And you..." Just before telling the last Wolf Spider what to do, Mako noticed a slight wrist movement behind the said soldier's back and recognized it. "...WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!"

"Huh? What?" the soldier jumped at the sudden outburst.

"Behind your back, what was that?!" Mako waited five seconds as the soldier hesitated. "Well, lemme see it! No one sneaks nothing into my missions!" The soldier started to shake, but quickly held up a clear bottle of whiskey. An eye ridge lifted on Mako's face, half in amusement as he walked over to the soldier and roughly snatched the bottle in his claws. "What's your name again?"

"Private Lawrence, sir." the soldier promptly answered.

"Pull another one like that again, and yer dinner." He walked towards the flier, once again muttering to himself without expecting a response. "Damned kids getting drunk on me, sons of bi... alright, let's go and get this over with."

Mako quickly took his place inside the flier, and began disposing of the alcohol in his hand the only way possible: pull off the cap and pour it down his throat all at once.

"Damn, that's some strong stuff..." He dropped the bottle to the floor as he noticed the men were walking in and taking their seats.

"Hurry the hell up, meat sacks!" Mako barked with a half smirk on his face. "King's Row bank ain't gonna rob itself!"

***

"No."

"Sam, stop it." Penny sighed. "Just one more job application."

"I've put in enough job applications to get employed by at least five different retail places. And my wrist is getting tired."

"One more. Trust me."

Both friends stared at each other stubbornly for a minute before Samantha broke the silence.

"I'm hungry."

"That's what you get for not eating breakfast." Penny scolded. "Alright, what do you want to eat?" Half a second later, she realized what the answer was going to be. "No, no, don't say it..." But both girls said it at the same time:

"Surprise me."

"I don't care." Samantha moaned, then took a seat on the curb in frustration. "I don't care about anything anymore..." Penny decided to take a seat next to her.

"Sam... do you really want to spend the rest of your life like this? Living in one moment to the next, that's not life. You need a reason to look to the future..."

"Stop." Samantha rudely interrupted. "Look, I... I know you're trying to help, but you don't know what I've been through..."

"The war was hard on all of us." Penny tried to soothe, putting an arm around Samantha's shoulders in a half hug.

"It's not the war, Penny, it's my life in general, and don't try to sympathize. You weren't cursed with super strength at birth. You still had parents growing up. My mom abandoned me and dad when she couldn't handle a hyperactive tot with super strength. My dad drunk himself to death when I was six. I was put in foster home after foster home for one reason or another. After I graduated high school and turned eighteen, I was out of the foster system and in the streets. And THEN the war came..."

Penny interrupted by wrapping her other arm around her friend and hugging tightly. Samantha decided to give up and wrap her arms around Penny too, trying not to work up any tears.

"Sam... you were always the go-getter in school..." Penny reasoned. "You always worked so hard and did your best... Didn't you want to be an actress in school? You were in the drama club for a while..."

"The drama club hated my guts because I was a nerd." Samantha had to frown at those unpleasant memories too. "And those guys were morons, a bucket of rocks had more acting talent than them. These days, to be an actress you gotta sleep aro..."

"Well, what else did you dream about? There had to be something..."

Samantha shook her head.

"Dreams are just dreams. They never happen."

"With that kind of attitude they don't..." Penny insisted. "Here, stand up." She picked herself up first before taking Samantha's hands and helping her to her feet. "Let's talk more over lunch, but first I need some cash."

"Okay." Samantha nodded. "Where's the nearest ATM?"

Penny smiled her cheerful smile.

"The bank is just around the corner."

Awesome stuff! I have a storyline, but it's too late at night to type if up right this minute. Lemme start a couple of side missions.

--------------------------
Dr. Lore

Arachnos Vampirologist

Dr. Samantha Lore has kept her past vague and secretive. She was born and grew up in Paragon City, but was taken hostage after a bank robbery gone wrong and forcefully to the Rogue Isles afterward. She joined Arachnos to spare her life, the vague facts continue, and she enrolled in Aeon U for her Ph.D and in later years became the director of Grandville's hospital.

But you know she's more than just a doctor. She is a scientist who specializes research in the supernatural and the undead. She is also a servant and apprentice to Captain Mako, which may be the influence to her cold nature and brutal fighting style. Her various roles and jobs on the Rogue Isles constantly keep her on her feet, so maybe she needs a helping hand with one of her occupations.

Prior to Unlocking
Hm? (VillainName)? I don't recall setting up an appointment with you... Oh, you're looking for work. I see. I have heard of you and your deeds, but I don't feel you can handle my kind of work. Come see me again after you give me proof the creatures of the night fear you like they do me.

(Obtain The Silver Bullet badge, The Slayer badge)

Initial Contact
Ah, so you are a true hunter of the night things, (VillainName). I respect that, I do. Allow me proper introductions: I am Dr. Lore, director of Grandville's hospital, but you are clearly aware of my other professions.
I'm constantly busy, so I will need an extra pair of hands to get some work done. I assure you, you'll be well rewarded for your services. Can you start immediately?

[u]Level 40-45 Missions[u]
[u]Destroy vampyri laboratory[u]
As a vampirologist, I have nothing but respect for these amazing creatures. How they can live for centuries on blood alone, how most stop aging after maturity, how their very presence intimidates even the bravest of humans, even how they've thrived for centuries almost in secret! I feel nothing can match their brilliance!...
...So it sickens me to see the Council making grotesque copies of my specimines! How dare they believe these THINGS are as magnificant as the genuine artical! Those vampyri are scrawny, weak-willed mutalated humans that stain the true bloodlines of the vampire! They're ugly, too! If there was one standing right here, right now, I'd rip out it's... sorry, I didn't mean to stray off topic.
Anyway, I've discovered an underground Council laboratory where some of these vampyri are being manufactured. Destroy that lab and the abominations in it!

Mission Acceptance
I have the explosives you'll need to get the job done. Plant these inside the base, and use the remote to detonate them after you're out of the base and a safe distance away. There will be vampyri all over the place, so put those failed science projects out of their misery. If there are other Council in the base, well... I suppose they deserve the same fate as their creations. Hehe.
Clue: Bombs
These are small and crude, but put in the right places they can do a lot of damage.
Unnecessary Solicitation
I don't like repeating myself, but very well. Destroy that disgusting Council base and everyone in it!

Mission Objective
Did a loud hiss echo off the cave walls, or was it your imagination?
~Set 5 Bombs
~Defeat all Council in Base
You set the bombs and made an interesting aquaintance!

Notiable NPCs
Archon Fallen (Equinox Archon)
Vincent Delacroix (non-escort NPC)
Enemies: Council

NPC Text:
Before combat:
Archon Fallen: So you are the genuine artical! It's lucky we caught you, Nosferatu needs a new test subject.
Vincent Delacroix: You lot are more foolish than I thought. I was curious about your super soldiers, so I allowed myself to be captured. Now, prepare yourself as I give you a second death...
Combat start:
Vincent Delacroix: ...or (VillainName) can kill you, that suits me fine.
Archon Fallon: You fool! I'll suck you dry!

Clue: He's Not Human
The man in the blue suit doesn't look like one of the Council, or hostle for that matter. But something about him makes you feel uneasy and tense just by looking at him. He sniffs the air slightly before speaking to you:
"I can smell her scent on you. So, my dear Samantha sent you here, no doubt to obliterate this place for it's 'stain on vampiric heritage.' Her obsession can be trying at times. Adorable, but trying. I suppose it is my fault, after meeting me she has been fasinated by my people. Ah, where are my manners? I am Victor Delacroix, a man of no current consequence.
"Ah, Samantha... what do you think of her? I think she is quite the specimine herself. Her intelligence, determination and resourcefullness are delicious on their own, but you have yet to see her in battle. When she makes a kill, she has a wicked Cheshire Cat grin and her eyes... the eyes of a madwoman, they are. Simply intoxicating... which is a pity. She holds hereself back often, such a pity. She could be so much more if that beast didn't keep her on a choke chain; or if she didn't let herself be chained in the first place...
"In any case, I leave you with a warning: Samantha has made many enemies from the Council and my people because of her obsession, and on top of that she has a nose for trouble. Be prepared to dig yourself out of any messes she leaves you in if you continue to work for her. You both swim in shark-infested waters, it would be a shame if you were both eaten."
With that, he walks past you towards the exit of the base. Dr. Lore has some interesting friends... and enemies.

Debriefing
I felt the explosion from here. Job well done, (VillainName). I feel I can count on you for any job I need doing. Speaking of which, there is... what's this about a man in a blue suit? Did he say his name was Vincent Delacroix? What the devil was he doing there? He didn't say? And he said what about me? Hmph, I'll never understand that man... among others.

[u]Retrieve Private Letters[u]
I have a minor annoyance I need you to deal with. Some sensitive paperwork has been taken from my residence in Cap au Diable, and the thieves are blackmailing me with it. I don't intend to give them anything, but I can't afford to have that sensitive information public. Can I count on you to get those letters back and teach some pond scum a lesson?

Mission Acceptance
Good. I'll be brief.
The theives were dumb enough to leave me an address with their blackmail proposal: a warehouse in Sharkhead. Based on the terrible spelling and leet-speak, they're Freakshow. I'd deal with this myself, but they will most likely be expecting me to attack in retaliation. They won't be expecting you. And make sure none of those fools are left alive, so that no information of mine leaks.
Unnecessary Solicitation
What are you waiting for?! Get those letters back and smash those blackmailers heads in! They won't get away with this!

[u]Mission Objective[u]
You hear loud snickering in the next room.
~Destroy all Freakshow
~Retrieve Dr. Lore's papers
You've defeated all the blackmailers and discovered what the fuss was about!
Enemies: Freakshow
Notable NPCs:
Uber-Smasher (Boss)

NPC Text
Uber-Smasher

Before Combat: This is great! If she pays, I'm rich! If she doesn't pay, we'll ship these straight to Mako!
Combat Start: Back off! I stole these fair and square!

Clue: Unsent Love Letters?
You couldn't help yourself, and skimmed through the various pieces of paper you picked up. All of the letters are handwritten, confessing love to the reciepient, and addressed to Captain Mako. Some of the notes are imcomplete drafts of the others and some are crumbled as though they've been crushed into a ball and thrown away.
Why in the world is Dr. Lore writing Captain Mako love letters? It would certainly end her careers, and possibly her life. It would also make a few stomachs churn, like your own.

Debriefing
GIMME THOSE! Ahem, I mean thank you, (VillainName). I'll destroy these right away so this doesn't happen again.
You didn't happen to read them, did you? YOU DID?! I... I... um... well, if you're going to try to blackmail me too, forget it. I'm destroying your only proof. Let's just put this behind us and move on, okay?

I've loved Hellsing for years, and coincidently my CoV character does too. So I decided to have her do a little cosplay of two of Hellsing's main characters:

Integra
and
Alucard
And here's another shot of the Alucard costume

These were fun to make, so maybe I'll try more.

Background info on the villains side is incredibly illusive. I'm trying to write a story that centers around Barracuda, but I can't find anywhere what turned her into a Coralax, and I really wanna know.

Oh, he just died when he gets to the BM? I didn't know that...
I was there, then I noticed him coming and he just keeled over. Then, I thought "Oh, that would make an awesome picture!" But before I could do a victory pose, he disapeared.

I'd like to represent Ubie2000, who's movies I adore:

Statesman Task Force trailer
Issue 10 Invasion trailer
Issue 11 Ouroboros trailer
City of Villains trailer (LEET version)

Okay, maybe not the greatest ever but talk about serendipity.
Screenshot
And a very short comic about my villain, Dr. Lore:
Comic