Kasoh

Stepping into the nebulous void that was the unloaded AE system, two figures bickered between themselves.

One was an eight foot tall 4 foot wide hulking man shape. Covered from head to toe in brilliant blue armor plating, the large robot resemebled some child's cross between a Gundam and Robocop.

Next to the huge android, was a much smaller, lithe figure, though also distinctly robotic when the light played off its polished exterior. Distinctly female in form, a large faceless visor replaced its face, but it moved with an excitement that was counter to its companion's ponderous stability.

They were Mark Two Hundred Twenty One Cognizant Crime Fighting Robots, Models Alpha and Eplison, though for ease of communication their trademarked names were M221 and M221E.

Poking M221 repeatedly, creating a hollow pinging noise, M221E continued a long ongoing tirade, "You. Are. Crazy. Nuts. This is outside parameters."

"I have followed the construction and development of AE technologies since Aeon published the initial paper on it years ago. From a training standpoint, its features are vastly superior to mathmatical models just by the benefit of providing actual experience. If I am to be prepared to dispatch Red Hot Robot Justice to evil doers throughout the city, I should allot certain amount of time to preparing."

M221E made a sound like a digitized sigh, "He's not gonna buy that."

"Enough. We are here, we should make use of the facilities before we continue our never ending fight against evil."

Crossing her arms, M221E stepped away from the older, more experienced model. She was brand new, and programmed with the latest software to assist in the M221 series stated goal: Bring the Power of Justice to every participant of Evil. No matter the justification, a few hours inside a...a...video game was not actually furthering that goal. However, she was also programmed to obey M221 until he was satisfied she would not make the same mistakes he made when he first rolled off the assembly line. She suspected he had found a way to creatively interpret his core programming, giving the large robot unparalled freedom in its actions.

M221 raised one of its giant hands towards the nebulous void. "Greetings fellow man-machine interface. I am M221 and this is my companion M221E. We would like to sample your facilities."

The AE system computer returned with a sexless voice "Thank you for choosing Architect Entertainment, what scenario would you like?"

"Something Dystopian. Where the flames of my Red Hot Justice can be a beacon for all."

The background shifted, melting and oozing until the sky was dark, but tinged with red. Atlas Park lay in ruins around them, the remains of battles long fought littering the ground. Faint glows from fire provided illumination--not that either unit needed light.

"Please select an opponent."

"Robot Uprising."

M221E kicked M221 in the shin, "You're sick. Sick, sick, sick. Pretending to murder fellow robots."

"Fine. Erase that last parameter." No humor or malicious intent could be discerned from M221's immobile face, but those would be the adjectives attributed to his next thoughts, "Zombie Uprising."

A horde of shuffling, brain eating horrors surrounded them. The sexless voice could barely be heard over the moans of the undead,

"Please rescue the 3 people trapped in City Hall. You are the last hope for humanity."

Charging his fists with bright red power, M221 smashed its hands into the nearest zombie, exploding it in a shower of gore. "Damn right."

Taking a position hovering behind M221, M221E shot bolts of electricity towards a group of zombies. "We are sooo gonna get in trouble for this."

"Always a nice to have an inside man", Saigh said as she leaned against the wall next to him. It gave her a better view of the door.

"As for getting here, it was easier than I expected. A few stamps on the passport, one carry on, a cloaking field and late night landing and boom. Of course, given how often they meander over to our backyard, I shouldn't be surprised."

As she talked, she tried to cross her arms, and caught her sleeve on one of the spiked gauntlets, putting a long scratch in the uniform and drawing a thin line of blood. "Ah hell. I hate these things."

She wanted to look over her shoulder, but recognized the urge for what it was--a tell--and surpressed it. It had been some time since Brenda Cassidy had run a con, ever since she had been dumped in the states actually, but the old habits came back quick.

Shaking the feeling off, the 5' 2" brunette reminded herself that she had been a better pickpocket than con man. Best not to rely on her ability to look innocent while telling a lie. Her blue eyes darted across the lobby of the Tonne Hall building and she spotted the door her contact had instructed her towards quite easily.

Adjusting the pieces of the 'villainous' costume she wore--decked out in the tight red and black with visciously spiked gauntlets, she idly wondered if it would fool anybody. Not that she was a paragon of virtue, but it seemed a little...overcompensatory. She took another moment to check the status of her force field generator the high tech device that generated an energy field that deflected most attacks. When combined with her clawed fighting style, she called herself Saigh--What the Guards used to call her back in Ireland.

Satisfied with her equipment, she stepped downstairs, seeing a singular man waiting in the room. Her information didn't include a contact name, but she walked up and extended her hand, "Top of the morning, I'm Saigh."

Only thing I can say about Mercs is that Serum is entirely skippable. My Mercs/Traps took it because, no stamina and I had an open slot, but its not all that great. Also, if you want personal defense, pick burst or slug, won't need both and M30 grenade is also not needed.

If it wasn't for a very patient Dark/EA brute my NRG/KIN corr probably would still be stuck in the 20s. I blame Tsoo for that, but, that aside, I never found the knockback to be that detrimental to my Kin powers. Most of my trouble comes from people killing the trans* targets before the effect goes off. Solo, that doesn't happen.

Now as to Power Push...I wouldn't know, I've never taken it. Solo, Explosive Blast and Torrent will knock most of the mob back anyway, or against single hard targets like bosses Siphon Speed and take a step back. Against EBs I hover just inside transfusion range and debuff their damage. If they can fly, I get a brute.

Its how I pronounce my initials. CSO.

Times like this, Ceus actually missed having eyes and a tongue. It would have been the perfect opportunity to roll said eyes, and click missing tongue. Rough up some stupid mages who were summoning beings(read: herself) far beyond their capabilities and you're a super villain, but just about everyone else gets to be a super hero.

But she was over simplifying.

Done with her mental complaining, Ceus moved into action. A small coating of nether began to cling to her body, sufficient enough armor against most physical damage.

One at a time, Ceus applied some magical force to each of her companions. The first was concentrated power. It would speed up reactions, activities and keep them from tiring. The second would keep the lightwieghts from getting bowled over by the zombie horde at the expense of some movement.

That chore taken care of, Ceus flew upwards to get a better view of the oncoming monsters. She'd wait for their assailants to group up more before she attacked. Rasputin had always harped on her for wasting all that magic on a singular target.

When the shambling human first lurched up, Ceus had what was commonly called, "a bad feeling". Followed by the untelligible moan instead of a proper answer that "bad feeling" cemented itself.

1+1= zombie.

Her first instinct had been to blast it and examine the corpse once the stench of undeath was removed from it. However, she was surrounded, for lack of a better word, by doo-gooders. Lethal options were to be considered a secondary resource.

Her arms reaching back, bright yellow nodes swirled around the corrupter's arms, and when she threw her arms forward, the nodes(fragments of souls actually) sprang forth jerking and arcing in the air till they swirled around the zombie, attempting to ensare and lift up the monster.

Ceus had not sat inside the humvee, but flew alongside it, one hand touching the cold metal exterior. She was here to sate her curiosity and helping these people was the price. Ceus had learned long ago that everything had a price. The only question was if it was one you were willing to pay.

Passing through the dome had been another unique experience. A surge of power, coupled with a distinct tactile sensation. But it had not prepared Ceus for arriving on the other side.

From a first glance, the inside of the dome seemed to cover the same area that it did on the outside. The passage had not seemed to affect her abilities in any meaningful sort of way.

Taking a sense of the air, Ceus noted it was fetid, but seemed capable of supporting other people's respirtory functions.

With a wave of her hand, Ceus attempted to create a small ball of light over the Humvee, to better illuminate the area. The light coming from the dome was too red for her tastes.

She had put her books away when the general began to speak. Ceus was not surprised by the man's hostility, he was a powerful man and powerful men did not have to restrain themselves in the company of those whom they found distasteful. Such was the way of things.

A tech handed her a Hazmat Suit, which Ceus held up and examined with a bemused air about her. She considered handing it back, but opted instead to fold it up and place it inside her pouch, which was becoming obvious that it held much much more than it appeared.

For instance, she reached in again and pulled out a stone bowl. Those familiar with that period of history would recognize its as a relic of the Irish Iron Age. Ceus set the bowl on the ground and for the first time since she had arrived, set her feet to the ground.

Holding her hand over the bowl, it filled with a crystal clear water, and she added a small handfull of herbs, some powdered stones Quartz, Obsidian, and malachite. The concoction seemed to stir itself and it evaporated into a blue-ish smoke.

"It won't hurt you. Just a charm to ward the soul, if you care to breath it in."

The remaining smoke was absorbed into her skin, and the silver veins that traced her body were aglow for several minutes afterward.

"Unless someone wants to sacrifice an animal, I am ready."

Though not entirely satisfied with what she sensed, Ceus stopped concentrating on the field for the moment, murmuring "Curious..."

Letting her legs fall back to an inch or two off the ground, Ceus returned the nods of greeting she had recieved as she reached into her pouch, pulling three books out. They floated in front of her, one a leather bound journal, which had a floating quill writing into it, the other two were reference books of some sort, written in arcane script.

Because she had no eyes to speak of, it was hard to tell where she was looking, but pages turned on their own and her hands were busy working a small crystal.

"It seems to be a conglomeration of several energies, including magic and science. Such occurances are rare."

Mildly surprised at the ease of her entry, Ceus slowly turned her head to the side, trying to spot a familiar face who might have sped up her entry. Seeing none, the corrupter took the briefing report in silence and memorized the directions to the waiting area.

The MAGI report floated in front of Ceus's face as she floated forward, a page occasionally turning. She navigated herself to the waiting area and finished perusing the material.

When finished, she deposisted the report into her pouch. Turning so she could see the dome, Ceus brought her legs up into a yoga position and rested the back of her hands on her knees.

Sitting gently in the air, Ceus probed the edge of the dome, trying to sample its energy. If it was magical, she would likely know right away, unless the mastermind behind it all was really clever, she hadn't met a clever magician since the 1940s such a terrible degredation of the quality of magic users in this latter half of the age...

Focus. Focus.

She continued her scry of the dome's exterior and its energy type.

Kansas. She had never been to Kansas before. From the look of it, there was little that would have drawn her here otherwise.

Ceus observed the glowing red dome curiously. How fascinating. Outward appearances were very similar to something LeFay had been fond of, but it was unlikely her doing.

Though the figure was definately a humanoid female, most of the similarities ended after the requisite body parts. Her skin had a soft, leathery texture split open with large pulsing silver veins of magic. Long blue hair with silver streaks covered her face, a face that had no eyes or mouth, only angsty patches of silver breaking the blue-ish green surface.

Heavy leather pants and sinister boots were weighed down with a locked chain, and several more chains were wrapped around the figure's upper arms looping through metal loops set into her skin. A tattered cape clung to her back by a single crown shaped brooch.

Ceus floated to the ground, hovering several inches from the surface of the earth, showing no inclination to settle onto the dirt. She approached military perimeter slowly so that the soldiers could see her approach.

"Greetings." Her voice was distinctly female, though it carried with it a weight of time and old power.

"I heard of this...situation and wanted to see it for myself. I can offer assistance, in return."

((Magically cursed human. Can sense and 'see' magic, Energy Blast/Kinetics Corrupter w/ Soul Mastery and Concealment. Well known super villain in magic circles, though she has been inactive for several months after working for Vangaurd in the RWZ. Extensive knowledge of magic, lore, and human history. No need to eat, breath, or sleep so long as she remains cursed. small pouch of herbs, mana stones, book of pagan rites, and various spell casting components. Photo, just because))

M221 gingerly took the syringe into its massive hands. There was a whirr of hyrdaulics as M221's large metal hands handled this small device with utmost care.

"I will attempt to scan it for identifying marks."

The green diode on M221's chest flashed as a faint beam of light emitted from it. Holding the needle up to the light, M221 began to build a 3d model of it in its databanks, down to the oils on its surface.

With that completed, the robot reached for a panel on its hip, and retrieved an evidence bag. Dropping the syringe inside, it handed the syringe back to Vox. "Evidence logged. Compiling. Sending packets."

"The data you have requested is being worked on. If you do not mind, I will travel to this island and start taking photographs and chemical samples. If you wish to begin another avenue of investigation or take the evidence to another tester, I will message you the results when the task is completed."

Scanning the surface of the ocean, M221 was able to devote some processing power to replaying the fight, analzying the damage done to its hardware. Though mostly self restored at this point, the massive robot reconfigured its combat settings to favor its as of yet undamaged side.

It spent no more time contemplating the events of before, actions had been taken and people were too busy being emotional for further discussion to be productive. If they reported him, they would. If not, then they wasted their time arguing about it. Principals required action, or it was nothing more than talk.

Spotting Vox, M221 waved at the hero, "Did you find anything in relation to the psychic whale?"

M221 gave a long look at Acid. Something was off about this man. He was too calm, collected. An extraterrestrial observer perhaps? At least he was thinking rationally. Taking a photo of him and his quadruped companion, he submitted it to Freedom Corps for identification.

Standing next to Zero, M221 once again spoke in a deep, passionate voice, "For those of you who do not know me, I am the Mark two hundred twenty one Cognizant Crime Fighting Robot, M221 for short. I intiated combat with Krill as it was what I calculated the best course of action considering my abilities. It was unfortunate that our acts have damaged a unique specimen. If we have deprived science of a once in a life time opportunity, that is a great loss. However, sometimes decisions that should be thought out and debated upon are made in the heat of battle."

Looking at Killer Krill M221 shook his head, "I had hoped that Krill would be incarcerated and tried for his attack upon Paragon, where he would have been able to tell us of the injustices befallen his kind. It is not to be. We are all upset about this, as any failure for justice upsets us."

"Perhaps the healing arts abundant in this city can restore Krill, or perhaps not. What must be done now, as Luminescence suggested, is to find out where Krill came from. It would help greatly if we can determine if he is a mutated creature, or perhaps a science experiment gone awry. Either of these two circumstances give hints of a greater evil at work, one that I think we will all agree, must be stopped."

"At least one other hero is out searching the waters as we speak, that is where I go as well. If the rest of you feel the need to seek justice upon me for my actions, please notify the proper authorities so it can be handled in a manner befitting our great city and the ideals we all stand for."

And with that, M221 activated the rockets under its feet and flew towards the ocean.

Looking down at Knight of Zero, M221 introduced itself, thanking the hero for its assistance in combat against evil. Though to Zero's comments, the robot replied,

"I take no pleasure in killing things. I take no pleasure in sparing them either. I serve Justice and to strike a deadly blow in fair combat is just, but so is sparing it so it may see its day in court."

The eight foot tall robot shook its head, "I have spent my entire existence fighting for Justice, it is a concept instilled in every weld and circuit and every day is a trial to find the proper balance. To begrudge these heroes for their compassion would be unjust, I believe, but that does not I shall allow them to neglect the whale's crimes. Perhaps investigation will reveal a greater evil that we may yet strike down."

M221 shrugged at Knight of Zero adding at low volume its metallic voice tinged with actual bitterness, "Though if it had been a giant robot fighting against the slaverly of can openers everywhere, I assure you, It would have been in the recycling bin already."

Done talking about Justice, M221 reminded itself that it should be doing something about the evil in the world, instead of standing on a beach. Analyzing the current police scanner, there was nothing that demanded immediate attention and it calculated that its presence could remain here, if only to learn more these differing opinions on how to handle Killer Krill.

M221 gave an apologetic nod to Tiger White, filing the incident under protocol violations. It was an inappropriate time to be discussing matters of pride. The massive robot did not say anything else to the woman.

"You are being foolish." M221 said to Vox. "Its intent was harmful to civillains from its first appearance."

M221 played back a recording,

M221 made no moves to stop the heroes from pursuing their agendas. Quite frankly, the amount of energy this endeavor was taking was close approaching a point where M221's stores of power would be best served by fighting Tsoo and Freakshow. Still, if Killer Krill escaped because these heroes were not thinking clearly, it would be M221's fault for leaving them there unsupervised.

"I lack the power to stop you, nor will I raise my fists against fellow warriors of Justice and Good. But I will let the record stand that I believe this is a bad idea. I will notify the PPD of the altered location."

To Tiger White, M221 spoke clearly, though again without tone. "Robocop was a Cyborg, constrained by the laws of a corrupt corporation. It is an inadequate moniker considering my humanless construction and dedication to Justice, especially since you mean it as an insult to my inhumanity, which I am quite proud of. I do not call you ill-tempered emotional flesh bag, so please refrain from such comparisons in the future."

Stepping back, M221 sent messages to the PPD while scanning its records for names on all the heroes present.

Stepping aside to let Ibuprofen work, M221 shook its head.

"This is no mere whale, it is an intelligent meta-powered entity. Identifying itself as Killer Krill, it demonstrated immense psychic power. Do not be fooled by its helpless appearance, and do not allow sympathy for its suffering impair your judgement. It is a criminal."

Punching one fist into the other, not to be threatning, but merely to keep its hands busy M221 tried to find a way to ensure justice was served without escalating events into hero on hero violence.

Unfortunately, its forte was hitting things until they stopped hitting back. Calling the PPD was always a good first step, but now the Copper Compatriot was out of its league.

M221 detected an incoming call. Raising one hand to the side of its head, M221 relayed information with the PPD.

"Yes. Large whale, intelligent with psychic powers. Currently it is seriously wounded and beached. There is dissention on how best to treat the whale currently. No sir. No sir. Yes sir. That would be appreciated sir."

"PPD has informed me that they are dispatching the Giant Monster Containment Unit. It will arrive in 15-20 minutes. Perhaps we should not return it to water quite yet?"

Though there was no outward change in demeanor, M221's brain finished rebooting. Freeing itself from its inferior original programming, the Aluminum Ally took a step back and analyzed the situation.

The psychic wail was powerful, but M221's superior robotic construction kept it from being too horribly damaged, thanks to lacking a mind. The surge of psychic power was not completely ineffective though

The immense power shorted several pieces of advanced circuitry, so when M221 tried to respond to Claire, all that everyone heard was a rapid series of snaps, clicks, and something suspiciously like a recording of Frank Sinatra's "We did it my way"

Quickly rerouting the subroutines, M221 tried again, "Fellow warrior of justice, twice now have I offered Killer Krill to surrender, but this Warmongering Whale will have--"

A series of sparks sprang from M221's head as its deep and booming voice altered to sound like Harrison Ford, "No time to discuss this in committee!"

The psychic wail had done more damage that previously estimated. M221's advanced machine brain was forced to shut down, reverting to the archaeic programming it had been orginally designed with. Nothing could ever change M221's dedication to justice, for that was instilled into every nut, bolt, and soldering wire, but M221's methods were reduced to the programs written by a 13 year old child genius who loved giant robots.

Flying straight at Killer Krill, M221's hands surged with bright red power, and the robot screamed, "This hand of mine is burning red! Its loud roar tells me to defeat you!"

Being a highly advanced robot intelligence, M221 was capable of many things. One of those things however, was not surprise. To clarify, the result of its attack was just unexpected. Quickly, the Antinomy Avenger recalculated the force projection plan.

Noticing the assistance from fellow heroes, M221 saluted the sword bearing warrior and the man with the laser beam eyes before turning back to Killer Krill.

"Now that you have felt the might of the convictions of Paragon's heroes, perhaps you would like to turn away from the path of injustice and evil? Surrender the ways of evil and terror!"

I thought about playing some of my characters. That is progress!