Manofmanychars

Just then, both Dark Seiryu and Lord Raymond found web grenades around their feet, and themselves immobilized. "The last thing we need here is a fight, the Corporal will have both your butts mounted over his mantle if he catches you. If you want to fight, fight at the arena that just went up near here after our training's over. Since this isn't a real military installation, we can go out as long as our instruction is over. Now, let's get out to the firing range for munitions training so I can blow stuff up!" Buck Shott didn't seem too pleased at the developing confrontation, due to the fact that his finger was poised over the fire button of his LRM (note: the LRM is a heavy-damage, AOE, sniper attack, for those unfamiliar with munitions mastery. Also, the freeze ray is a hold, the sleep grenade is AOE sleep, i think, but it might be single target, and the body armor adds smashing and lethal resistance). His web grenades dissolved at about that time, allowing the others to move. "And I'd be glad to go to Eastgate."

(OOC: Buck's usually very calm and laid back, comes off as really goofy. But when he gets to use his weapons, he's a psycho, firing ay anything that moves within his sight radius. But, he actually hates violence, and would rather not fight anyone but villains. He's also a cat person, and keeps one in his dorm room. Also, his rifle (not the sniper one) is used for slug, the machine gun= burst, the shotgun= buckshot (his favorite move), freeze ray= cryo ray (munitions mastery), flame accelerant= ignite, all-purpose medical device= the entire medicine power pool, and smoke bomb= smoke grenade. If you need to know what item=what power besides those, PM me. Unrelated for hermod, also, for replay games, the beerstein can be combined with three catseye gems found in a nest near the house Luis Sera is first held in, the graveyard after solving a puzzle (note the symbols on the double tombstones, and light only them up when you find the puzzle), and the third one, I don't know. Also, under the castle, while fighting Novistadors (the invisible things), kill them until you recieve three different color gems (red, green, and blue), and insert them into the butterfly lamp. There's more, but you should just get the guide from... I think it was Bradygames. It's an inch or so thick, and full of info on the treasure, and secret features (including the .50 caliber magnum of infinite ammo, the .45 Thompson machine gun of infinite ammo, and the INFINITE ROCKET LAUNCHER!) I got it free for buying RE4 at Best Buy during this week.)

"Infinium, eh? I've heard of it. I've actually been researching it to see if I can make special ammo out of it. Speaking of ammo, it looks like it's time for munitions training," as Buck mentioned the immenent training session, he lifted his gun. The monstrous mass of metal seemed to combine every form of gun imaginable. It had a machine gun, a shotgun, a rifle, a sniper rifle, a flamethrower, a grenade launcher, a flame accelerant spreader, a long-range missile system, and a beanbag launcher. The machine gun also came with a full auto setting. "Now for my belt. Batman's got nothin' on me," with that, he strapped on one of the most filled utility belts of all time. It had web grenades, sleep grenades, smoke bombs, a cloaking device, a remote control targetting drone, an all-purpose medical device, the same as was used on Captain Infinium, caltrops, trip mines, a device that would expand into an auto-turret, a time bomb, a freeze ray, and a taser. Also of note, Buck wore what seemed to be light body armor under his suit, protecting him from attacks. "Let's get on out to the field before Corporal Punishment yells at us. Oh, and you might want to duck when I get out there."

(OOC: On an unrelated note to Hermod, in RE4, when you find the crown (it's a treasure), don't sell until you've combined it with the crown jewel and royal insignia (if you combine the three, you get the Salazar family crown, which sells for $48k), just a little tip for later.)

(OOC: I'm seeing some great posters out here, I am impressed. But, Tenma, please try not to write for others. I got majorly chewed out by someone for beating his character up and not giving a chance to react, never mind writing actual quotes. I'm not so pompous as to flip out over it, but if you'd please be so kind. )

Well, looks like we've got quite an interesting group here. A demon that I'm glad to have on our side. Very glad. A... Mended Ribs, and I think I'll leave it at that, because those claws look sharp, and I take hits like a little school girl, even with my resistance-boosting body armor (note: Buck's power sets are devices, assault rifle, munitions mastery, and medicine, I know I'm using two more power slots than allowed, but I want all these gadgets). We've got a British fellow who recieved powers by accident, and was cast out of the royal family. Finally, we have this guy," Buck Shott said, pointing at the soot-covered man, "who recently blew himself up, which is just plain entertaining. Oh, that reminds me, I'd better do this while the corporal's looking away." He pulled out a tricorder-looking device and fired it at the soot-covered man. Instantly, his suit was clean and mended, and so was the man wearing the suit. "By the way, what's your story?"

(OOC: Just a side note about real life that is really cool. I got Resident Evil 4 yesterday. Best. Game. EVER!!!!!!!!!!!! They allow you to control the camera now (yay). You can aim better, and even target specific limbs for different effects (yay). And most importantly, you can SAVE AS MANY TIMES AS YOU WANT (ULTIMATE YAY). Also, you purchase most weapons and upgrades for weapons from merchants, instead of finding them in a certain order (although, free shotgun on second floor of two-story building in the first village, the one with the fire,). But I'm rambling, and this is off-topic, so I'll shut up now.)

"Cool, let me get him on the phone, one sec. (Ringing coming from D.I.'s ear)," was Disco Inferno's response.

"Hello? Who's this?" was the reply from the voice on the other line.

"Hey, it's Disco Inferno, you're on loudspeaker, I need some help finding someone."

"Who? For whom?"

"I need to find a little girl named Alice at a Crey testing facility, for the innacurately named Matchhead Brothers. They're ex-employees of Crey, not brothers, and have nothing to do with fire."

"Okay, let me check my database for any files about her I've already taken. Hmmmm... there are four Alices, all in separate testing facilities. Any other specifics?"

"She should be a preteen."

"Sorry, there aren't any. Wait... it seems that in the Countess' personal files, there's a record of her adopting a twelve-year-old girl named Alice. To try to save her would be suicide. I am so sorry, Disco."

"Wait, don't you know the codes to all of the doors in Countess Crey's house?"

"Yeah, but there's no way I could sneak in with a psychic THAT powerful."

"No, YOU couldn't. But I know someone with a gadget that can."

"Who?"

Just, then, The Breakdance Kid runs into the pair of villains "Oh, this is not my day."

"Gimme that headband, and you can go," was all Disco Inferno had to say.

"Here, take my spares," said The Breakdance Kid as he tossed a set of four Anti-psionics headbands at him.

"Four. Looks like we'll be able to really party. There's enough for you, Will, me, AND The Contaminant. I've seen him in battle against Crey security. It ain't pretty. In fact, Breakdance, you wanna save a little girl AND whup Countess Crey's scrawny behind later?"

"Only as much as I want a date with Carmen Electra!"

"Of course, I'll see if I can run those defective bits of tech through my analyzer to see how to make them... not useless. Now, all we need is Trevor's approval and then, as soon as this little plot is concluded, we'll help Trevor and Will have a happy ending. Speaking of which, would you also like to avert the destruction of a whole lot of people. You'll have to be villainy for it."

"Sure, we won't be hurting innocents, will we?"

"I don't know, but it seems doubtful."

"I'm in, then."

Then, The Contaminant finally spoke, "Count me in, too, be there in a couple of minutes. I used my tracer to find your pocket dimension's location."

"Cool. So, Trevor, would you mind letting the three of us tag along while you save Alice? She may not be Will's daughter, but she just might."

(OOC: The rescue is going to take place immediately after the Medb's plan ends (and all loose ends are tied up), So I hope you won't mind letting us use the thread then (unless Trevor kills the idea, but D.I. won't take no for an answer, anyway). Also, TBK is now on the villains' side (told you there would be a payoff to letting him live) his devices will work soon, so now he can fly to high places, cloak himself, use the entire devices powerset, but the auto-taser (tasers when attacked at melee range) is still iffy. His martial arts and super reflexes only work when his music is playing, and he may not use any other gadget while playing music. His armor just adds damage resistance to smashing, lethal, and toxic, along with toxic defense and lethal defense (all moderate level). The Contaminant is a Rad/Rad defender with all blast moves (except aim), all electricity mastery moves (but chances are he'll only use charged armor, because I don't remember the other three), combat jumping, super leap, hurdle, stealth, stimulant, and all rad. emission moves (except choking cloud and EMP pulse). He's also got a large database of information on Crey and their direct allies accessable through his PDA. His "tracer" is a police tracer mixed with a GPS and dimensional anomaly detector, but it's only accessable at his apartment. Thank you for reading this really long post.)

Buck Shott noticed the two new cadets and decided to start a conversation. "Hi, I'm Buck, Buck Shott. I don't have any powers, just lots of government-funded guns and gadgets. I'm not a government agent, though, I'm dirt poor. I got my stuff from a government aid program for hero wannabes. In fact, I got my tuition paid for. When we get to the munitions field, we'll be getting taught how to use our powers to blow up stuff by Corporal Punishment. He's psychotic and has a short fuse, I found that out when I used one of my M30s on the mess hall. So, what're your powers? How about your origns? I'm talking too much again, aren't I?"

"Hmmm, that must be the 'her' that Will mentioned. Daym," thought Disco Inferno. "Hey, Trevor, Will didn't seem interested, but I thought that you might be a little more open. You see, there's this guy, definately 'heroey,' but he raids Crey labs for evidence of various underhanded plots. While inadmissable in court, he hopes that they lead him to where the projects are taking place, so he can catch them red-handed. Since we met while I was stealing cash from Crey, he's let me join him on his raids to deal a few hits to Crey's coffers. Just tell him I sent you and your backstory, and he'll be happy to help you defeat Crey. In fact, you probably shouldn't tell Will, as it might get his hopes up for no reason, BUT, Crey rarely just kills their captives, so Alice MIGHT still be alive, as the subject of some experiments, and he's the only guy who would ever know where to find a test facility anywhere. His name is The Contaminant," as Disco Inferno mentioned this, he noticed an increase in heart rate for Trevor ("Anger? Happiness? Shock? Something else?") and thought it best to let him think.

Meanwhile...

"There, all fixed," just because they exploded, didn't mean The Breakdance Kid wasn't good at fixing things, and picking most traditional locks. "Well, time to sneak back in, let's hope nothing explodes this time. In fact, I'll just hide until something happens," and so, The Breakdance Kid hid himself where only a clairvoyant could find him, because telepathics and such couldn't detect him with that headband (if it works).

(OOC: TBK's just going to hide now, so just leave him be until I put him on the move again. I need him for D.I.'s story (if this story develops the way it's been foreshadowed). Also, check out my new RP, Hero Academy.)

"You make a good point, Trevor, but I think the this puppetmaster might have something to gain from Medb and the Crimson King killing each other," Disco Inferno had been thinking about what, and then it came to him, "Medb and her father are two of the most powerful forces in this universe, so what if this puppetmaster was trying to eliminate them so there wouldn't be any more competition. Or, if the true mastermind is who Blind Guardian thinks it is, his motives are obvious. Either way, this is all beginning to sound a little unnerving," he didn't intend to leave this deal without seeing the end, but he might need to bolt eventually, although he hoped not.

(OOC: This is an RP about the Hero 1 Memorial Hero Training Facility, in Galaxy City. If you join, you must play a cadet learning the tricks of the trade. You may have any origin or powers, but no matter how good you are, you MUST have a deep-rooted personality disorder. Anything, from stuck up to WAY too orderly to just being a slacker. Alternatively, your character could be normal, but be inept/ have bad luck. Hope to see some people here when I come back to post. Oh, right almost forgot, you need to PM me with a small briefing about the basics of your character, and keeping secrets is allowed, as is revealing some of it to not be true, because I like surprises as much as the next guy. But I digress, here's the intro.)

This is the Hero 1 Memorial Hero Training Facility, located in Galaxy City. Here, heroes train their powers to become as strong as they can be. Some were provided with weaponry or martial arts training, while others came seeking to master their abilities. Nobody is turned away, even if they happen to be inherently evil but doing the hero thing out of convenience. It is here that we meet the drill instructor, Corporal Punishment, talking with one of the new recruits, Buck Shott. "LISTEN TO ME YOU LITTLE PANSY! I DON'T KNOW OR CARE WHERE YOU GOT ALL THEM GUNS, BUT HERE, WE DO NOT USE M30 GRENADES ON THE MESS HALL!!! ARE WE CLEAR, MAGGOT!?" "Y-yes, sir. "I CANNOT HEAR YOU!!!" "Sir, yes, sir!" "That's better, now GIVE ME 50 PUSH-UPS!" he did so, resisting the urge to wet his pants.

(OOC: And that's why we don't anger the Corporal. Unless you want to see what happens when he really gets mad... although I'm thinking of making it comical.)

(OOC: First, if I gave anyone the impression that my characters are invincible, they aren't. Disco Inferno may have many powers, and his music, but his music will not affect anyone with evil in their minds, and his attack powers aren't as strong as their real counterparts. Also, the same goes for The Breakdance Kid, except his music works the opposite way, and the fact that he's hopelessly inept at heroing. He can hide, recover fast, and hurt any psychic without combat abilities. So, if Vance has some hand-to-hand techniques, TBK won't fare so well next time, and we'll attribute the illusion working to a malfunction. His stuff malfunctions a lot, too, but I need him here for D.I.'s story. Sorry for the quick fight, but it really wouldn't have prevented you from escaping anyway, G4H. I'd have let you get away via TBK's ineptitude. Nevertheless, everything worked out. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to get back to D.I., who is no longer listening to B.G., and TBK, who needs to save his own sorry butt.)

"I hate my life," thought The Breakdance Kid as, once again, he was in the middle of failing, "Every time I try to foil some villains, this happens. If this crapola I'm packing doesn't start working soon, I'm joining Disco Inferno." As he ran for his life, he remembered his cloaking device and, rather than risk it blowing up again, he dropped it to increase his speed. "I can always use my gear recovery system later... if it works. Stupid headband, it was only an illusionist! I've escaped the Carnival of Shadows seven times, yet this punk fooled me! Then that gun-toting psycho raves at me, in English this time, about the brain's most impulsive component, id, then kicks me! Why is it that whenever I meet another hero, they turn out to be useless or nuts? Genius is nothing without the support to back it up, and the only support I'm getting is from my jet boots... wait, what?" he then noticed that his jet boots were actually working, and the npropelled himself out of the Tower to repair and recover his stuff. "At least I got out without having any stuff blowing up," he thought, and then his jet boots exploded. "Talk about poetic injustice...."

meanwhile, in the cafeteria...

"He got back in, now that he knows that we're gunning for him, he's already gone," Disco Inferno told the others, "If there's one thing he's good at, it's getting away, or he'd be dead five times over. He has NEVER foiled a single villain. He has the worst luck I've ever seen. Although, until I fought Haywire today, I wasn't much more powerful. But now that I can channel fire through my stuff, I've got all new options to win with. Do go on, Blind Guardian, this stuff about demons and stolen eyes is intriguing. Sorry for interrupting, just didn't want anyone to feel like they needed to hurry to catch Breakdance."

(OOC: Right, to equate D.I.'s damage, his blaster abilities are as powerful as a defender's, his controller powers last only 75% of the time a controller's power lasts, his shield are as powerful as a scrapper's, and MOST of his melee abilities are equal to a tanker's, but his greater fire sword (the move he used to beat Haywire) is as powerful as a warshade on an eight-person all scrapper team. So, he's got a lot of average powers, also, Inferno isn't in his repotoire, forgot to exclude, I think. Refer to the list at the end of the Haywire fight to see the other fire moves not useable by D.I. Finally, he most likely will not use many attacks availible to him, but I would like to keep the list large, to maintain variety. Sorry if I confused anyone.)

(OOC: I never said his attacks were that strong, he's just got a lot of stuff. His specialty is putting a more literal spin on the term "breakdancing," is highly stealthy, and is impervious to psionics while wearing his headband. Also, he can read the thoughts of anyone not able to mask them.)

"Uh-oh, this guy couldn't have any physical abilities, so watch out for any special powers," he was beginning to suspect the pale guy was psychic, since he couldn't read his thoughts. But he doubted telepathy, he just didn't look the type. "Okay, this guy may have mind control, but it won't affect you with the headband, now get those guns out, and try not to shoot me... again." The Breakdance Kid hit his modified IPod and got ready for some action. As M.C. Hammer's "Can't Touch This" blared, he dodged and weaved towards the pale guy, while matching the beat, and then sent a flurry of breakdance-based attacks at him. As the song played, and they fought, The Breakdance Kid got ready for his ultimate attack. "Here goes," he thought.

"Stop! Hammer time."

At "stop," he was in his stance, at "hammer time," he launched his "Hammer time" attack. It was an overhead double-fisted pound move that sent the man to the floor. "You are now the prisoner of The Breakdance Kid and... him," He said, pointing at his gun-toting companion, "State your name, powers, and plan."

(OOC: Play along, Genius4Hire, I've decided to give Vance a part in this little subplot I've got going, or someone else can go save him, just try not to defeat T.B.K., but if you do, he'll come right back in. Also, Vance may escape, but since all he has is mind control and other psychic powers, he's no match in a fight.)

Is it just me, or are you taking some creative liberties with the CoH story? First, how long is a cycle? In most circles, it's approximately one year, and this fanfic supposedly takes place less than one hundred years, so how do you figure that the Nictus and Kheldians have been dead for that long? Also, if the Kheldians and Nictus had arrived at Earth in the late 19th century (around the time Ridolfo Uzzano, A.K.A. Requiem, was taken over by a Nictus), well, what I'm trying to say here, is that while this chapter is well written, it's about as accurate as a blind man shooting from fifty feet away. Don't wanna be harsh, but this really is an inordidnate amount of staggering inaccuracies. But it was a good concept at least.

When the nut with the guns squeezed out two rounds of hot lead, it would have killed The Breakdance Kid, if he hadn't used his personal force field generator on his head. "Okay, first of all, I'm not lost, I know exactly where I am. Secondly, I can see you have a mission similar to mine. Also, my thought monitor shows that you're afraid of a psychic finding you. Wear this," he tossed a headband similar to his own to him, "this'll make you immune to all psychic assaults, including my thought monitor. Now, this is NOT a Rikti base, this is a pocket dimension full of extremely dangerous and mostly fatal villains. You might want to come with me if you don't want to die. I know one of the villains personally, and if you try the same tactics you did to me against him, you'll be incinerated in one quarter of a second. I know, others like you have met the same fate. Also, so we're clear, I'm not a cyborg, what you heard clunking is might lightweight, yet most decidedly metal, body armor. It's also quite flexible, watch," at that, The Breakdance Kid hit his music generator and started to live up to his name. After a few minutes, he decided to stop for more conversation with the obviously stunned gunman ("Did my auto-taser go off? Doubtful, that thing never works."), "Anyway, we should probably go hide together, as one group is harder to find than two groups; for parties with less than 5 people, at least. Let's go, someone may come by at any moment," when he didn't move, The Breakdance Kid became assured that his auto-taser went off, and proceeded to use his armor's strength enhancers to carry the guy with him. "I can see we're going to get along just fine."

(OOC: this guy uses martial arts/ super reflexes (that's all of them). He also is immune to psionics, has significantly increased defense (which explains his quick recuperation), increased strength (that armor is really helpful), and many, many devices, all to be revealed as we go. So far there's the harmonic wave generator, which breaks down ANY barrier, no matter what the source, or even if it's a dimensional barrier, he also has a music generator like D.I., but the music being played is different, his last known device is the auto-taser, which performs the blaster secondary attack "taser" as a response to a close range attack, when it works, which is seldom. He's not as dangerous as Haywire, but he can hurt most non-powered, melee-based villains very seriously, unless they're amazingly skilled. In fact, Vance won't stand a chance against his psionic immunity unless he has a non-psionic ability. Blind guardian obviously is not just sorta clairvoyant, and has good powers.)

While Disco Inferno was listening to Blind Guardian's story, he was enjoying one of his favorite lunch entrees, a bacon double cheeseburger with steak sauce. He thanked the lord every day for the artery de-cloggers the Clockwork King gave him. He had noticed that Trevor's heart rate had remained a little elevated longer than the others after his fight, he was positive it was because he hadn't finished the job. Not that The Breakdance Kid was any worry to him, he was just a similarily themed archenemy, and every hero and villain needed one. Although, he was a little worried about Haywire's escape, that may prove to be his undoing. But, he didn't worry about anything too long and was soon back to enjoying his lunch, and listening to Blind Guardian's story.

Meanwhile...

The Breakdance Kid had just made it back into the Tower and was heading to the cafeteria he heard Disco Inferno talking about, when he saw some guy with pistols drawn charging him! He activated his force field generator, stopping the man in his tracks. "Halt! I'm placing you under arrest," he said, "State your name, powers, and plan, villain!"

(OOC: I got plans for The Breakdance Kid, it'll all play out towards the end of the RP. So this time, try not to beat him up.)

As Disco Inferno and the others walked down to the cafeteria, Disco heard the music that could only belong to one person.

I like big butts an' I cannot lie, you otha brothas can't deny, when a girl walks in wit' a skinny li'l waist an' a big ol' butt up in yo' face, you get sprung....

"Not him, I already beat up Haywire, why do I need to deal with him?" whined Disco Inferno as they neared the source of the music. "Okay, guys, this hero's more of an annoyance than a danger, because he can get just about anywhere undetected, and can paralyze villains much like I can do to heroes," he explained, "I'll fight him, he isn't that tough, and he actually provides a fun fist fight, most of the time. I've never had to use my fire on him, or any power at all. He's best suited to defeating Hellions." "Hey, Breakdance Kid! If you're looking for a rematch, I'll be glad to oblige!"

"Thank heavens, I was beginning to think you didn't like me," said The Breakdance Kid, getting into a battle stance, "Ready to go?"

"Always."

The two music-lovers rushed each other, and then just before they met, they stopped. "Do you want a dance-off or fist fight this time?" asked Disco Inferno.

"We had a dance-off last time, so lets have a fist fight."
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"Okay."

With one punch, Disco Inferno sent his opponent straight into the room that the door was in. With his second punch, The Breakdance Kid was sent sailing back into the warehouse.

"Looks like you lose again!"
"Damn it! I'll get you next time! I hope...."

"Whuppin' that nutcase gave me a good appetite, let's eat. What? It may have been only two punches, but I diverted a lot of my power into them. Let's go already, between these two fights, I could eat a horse," said Disco Inferno, apparently unfazed by the looks of shock from the others.

Next time, on The Adventures of Disco Inferno and Some Other Guys (Joke):

See Disco Inferno fight The Hip Hippie, Captain Beatles, and Jazzman!

(OOC: I just HAD to put those other music-themed heroes in, even though it was just a joke, they were ideas I had for other enemies for D.I. But seriously, as soon as we get to the plan itself, expect some much cooler fights (more like the fight with Haywire, but cooler). Also, today's music was "Baby got Back" by Sir Mixalot.)

As he and Will entered the library, Disco Inferno noticed someone new speaking with Trevor, causing his heart to jump. He frantically checked exactly how many vital signs he was reading. Including the bindfolded man, they were all there, except one. He found Will's, Vance's, Book's, Kirke's, Medb's, Trevor's, Mason's, Dark's, Horned King's, the blindfolded man's ("Great, his vitals don't match any known patterns, either"), and Jack's. Kathy wasn't there, he had mixed hers up with the blindfolded man's, because he hadn't bothered to check. "Hi, Trevor. Would you like to join your friend and me for lunch? Feel free to bring your new aquaintance," then, as the two he was addressing turned away, he quickly made an aside at Will, the only person that knew of his monitors, "I think Jack did something to Kathy. I mixed up her vitals with this guy's, because I didn't check. Actually, her vitals aren't even there. The only way to do that would be to leave the Tower, phase shift or... die. Also, this new guy has unique vitals, much like Mr. Book, but it looks different as well, so we might want to watch out. Try to warn Trevor of Kathy's disappearance as soon as the guy with the blindfold is far enough away from him. He seems to be one of Medb's "friends," like Jack. But, don't tell him or anyone about my, monitors, it tends to unnerve people," said Disco Inferno, certain that if the blindfold guy heard, they all would meet the same fate as Kathy. DUN DUN DUNNNNN! (just had to do that)

Meanwhile, outside...

"This is where Haywire said he was, time for my revenge," thought the shadowy figure in the warehouse, as he pulled out a nifty device. "This device will open a doorway inside without alerting anyone except a clairvoyant, time to finally get revenge on Disco Inferno!" As he fired the device, a door opened, just like he had said, and into the Tower slipped...

THE BREAKDANCE KID!!!

(OOC: I just assumed JiD had vitals, because you never answered. And The Breakdance Kid is an original character made for this RP, just because I thought Disco Inferno deserved a musically themed enemy, and anyone can fight this guy if you want to get the drop on him, but he has a music generator much like D.I.'s, but this one works only on villains, instead of only on heroes. If I forgot someone's vitals, tell me before the edit time limit is up.)

"What did heroes do that made you so upset anyway?" asked Disco Inferno, as he then realized the answer, "Ohhhh, the Paragon protectors? Let me let you in on a little secret The Contaminant showed me as we were plundering the goods from that lab. Apparently, Paragon protectors are the reanimated corpses of heroes that died during the Rikti invasion. They're mindless zombies, that's why they don't talk, and have masks over their lifeless faces. The Contaminant was screwed over by Crey in a very big way anyway, so I doubt he'd be against anyone that hates them. He told me he was a scientist at Crey labs. Now, he wasn't the type of scientist that attacks heroes like the others, he thought that Crey was a legitimate business. One day, the countess gave his team a project to develop this new type of radiation that would give people superpowers, and a suit to harness the radiation. The Contaminant found out that, while the radiation would give anyone superpowers, it would also kill them. When he told Countess Crey about it, she had Hopkins force him to be the first test subject. But, instead of dying, he absorbed the radiation. He thinks it was all the chemical residue on his lab coat. When he came out, he was seeping tons of radiation, but was able to steal Crey's harnessing suit, and a lab visor, to make eye beams. He's found that the suit not only focuses his powers into radioactive attacks, but it uses the radiation to fuel super jumping and a minor cloaking device. We've kept in touch, so I can empty Crey's coffers to cover up his 'investigations.' If nobody else could help your mission, he can. He even has some friends that could help, they're mighty powerful. Although, Haywire is coincidentally one of them, but I'm certain he won't recognize you, and hell, if villainy weren't so lucrative, I'd be a hero just to hang with them. By the way, if it isn't too personal, who is 'her?'" Disco Inferno didn't want to push the matter of "her" unless Will wanted to talk about it, it seemed like a touchy subject. "Oh, I think I saw a cafeteria around here, let's see if your friend would like to join us."

(OOC: As Disco is explaining The Contaminant, he's using a sort of explanatory tone, as opposed to a pushy one. As for his question about "her," he says it as if you don't have to talk about if you'd rather not.)

"Dosen't sweat? That would explain why his perspiration's been at zero all day, I just thought he was cold. Looks like it'll be that much more difficult to read him," replied Disco Inferno, surprised at this new information. "It's good to have a dream, at first I just thought you had it in for the Crey, and if I didn't mention it, I don't care if you aren't really villains. You two have guts, something I doubt guys like Vance have even heard of. You two and Vance are both highly skilled, judging from how you play ping-pong, but you'd kick his butt, because you've got spirit. You could have all the super powers in the world, but if you don't have spirit, you might as well have none. And frankly, grudges will only hinder your potential, Will. When I was first starting out, this magic hero almost beat me, and I swore revenge. So, I followed him for three days, and when I struck, I beat the living daylights out of him. But afterwards, I realized that I had wasted three days I could've used to rob the town even blinder, and in that way, the hero I just whupped was the real winner. The best revenge is succeeding where they tried to stop you. That hero tried to stop my robberies, and now I'm one of the best robbers in the country. You and Trevor could really make something of yourselves, legit or otherwise. Or, you could waste your lives trying to get revenge on one of the most powerful people in the city, and succeed or fail, you lose," as Disco Inferno spoke his idealistic rhetoric, he noticed Will's heart rate go up considerably. "Now, don't go getting your dander up, I'm only trying to make you more productive. I see a lot of potential in the two of you, and I wouldn't want to see it squandered. But, if you want, I can give you the name of someone that could help you beat Crey. See, I was stealing some cash from a Crey lab, when I noticed a HERO stealing top secret files. I asked what he was doing, and he told me he was looking for evidence. He mentioned stealing was illegal, and I mentioned stealing documents was illegal, and we ageed we didn't see nothing if the other didn't see nothing. I asked him his name, and he said to call him The Contaminant. I'd wager he uses radiation. If you went to see him, he might help your quest for vengeance," Disco Inferno noticed Will's heartbeat return to normal. "So, wanna check in on your friend?"

(OOC: If you want to know more about Haywire or The Contaminant, send me a PM and I'll give you a time when you can meet the one you want to meet under Atlas on Protector server. Man, this was a long post, so was the last one.)

(OOC: Sorry. my mother used the computer all last night)

As Disco Inferno listened to Will and got off three amazing volleys after his last miss, he thought that Will might be the only person close enough to agenda-free for him to tell some of the less savory parts of his story to. "I think I'm just about all robot, except for one thankfully human appendage. If you want an exact number, you can ask the Clockwork King. He lives in King's Row, and he makes damn good crumpets. As for why, he never told me, and I never asked. I think it was the fact that he knew I was good at running away and hiding, everyone did after I escaped Statesman. I think he thought that if I hid well enough, I'd be able to use the special device on Haywire before he could react. Unfortunately, Haywire has sensors that detect robots, cyborgs, magic, extraterrestrials, and any sort of genetic abnormality. From what Vance said about him, I think Kirke wasn't even detected, which might make him a good candidate for a partner if I wanted one. As I said, Haywire gave me a good whuppin' when he noticed my robotic signature matched the Clockwork. I only got away with my hypnotic music generator. Anyway, I noticed Vance's heart rate go up when I exposed his little plan, so I'll need to watch out for him. Oh, did I mention I'm currently monitoring all of your vital signs? But it's odd, Mr. Book has had the exact same readings since he showed up on my monitors. His brainwaves seem different than anyone else's, and Vance's seem different still. Vance's match the general pattern of a psychic of some sort, but Book's... I've never seen anything like it, it's as if he isn't truly bound to the corporeal realm... nah, I'm just imaginin' things. Medb's heart rate went up a little while ago, she must've been a little perturbed by something Kirke or Book said. Now, if you're wondering how I can do this, or why the King would put a device like this in me, he decided to repay my efforts by giving this to me, as I can tell when a bank teller is about to hit the silent alarm, among other, similar things. Just a moment ago, Trevor's heart rate increased just a little, as if something startled or shocked him. Maybe you should talk about it when you see him next. By the way, are you related, or just friends, and how about powers? Match point, my serve," as he said all this, the game had flown by, and this serve would, once again, determine the game. He didn't dare look at Will's vitals, or he'd know exactly what he was going to do, and that would be cheating. He served, and decided to add a little spin, something he had yet to do. When Will went to hit it as it hit the table, it spun to the right just enough for him to miss entirely. "Good game, Vance wasn't even that good, and judging from his brain waves, he was trying to interfere with his psychic powers. I don't like cheaters," while he wouldn't check heart rate, perspiration, or other move-predicting vitals, he always monitored the brainwaves of those that resembled psychics.

(OOC: It's easy to keep secrets from him, but sneak attacks and psionics will be instantly detected unless you have no vital signs to give you away. So I hold you to the honor system, Hegemon. JiD might or might not have vitals, but he's an NPC. I wouldn't be worth my 5 ranks in "Knowledge: D&D" if I suspected an NPC of a secret agenda. )

Disco Inferno was glad to see that Will wasn't as superious as his... brother... friend... cousin? Well, whatever the relationship was, it was obvious that Will found more fun in physical activity. "It's match point, whoever makes this shot wins," Vance had turned to look at Will, and Disco, being one to take advantage if someone's guard dropped in a competition, launched a fierce shot that went right past Vance's nose, "You need to pay attention. I play the way I fight, by using the drop in your guard to win." He was very honest when dealing with others, but he's always been one to take advantage of a drop in guard. Also, he's a master face-reader in poker. "So, Will, looks like you're up. Tell me, what do you think of the others, Vance here was just tellin' me about it, and trying to turn me against the rest of you. Commendable villainous behavior, but best reserved for Hellions and Trolls. Also, excuse me if I'm being too nosy, but what do you have against Crey? I heard your conversation with Vance, even if he didn't think I did."

(OOC: the info about his trustworthiness is internal, so judge him by what he says and does. Also, he is almost guaranteed to hear anything said in the same room as him unless he's already talking to somebody.)

Vance's little speech, while passionate, annoyed Disco Inferno because it was a blatant attempt at manipulation. He may seem one-dimensional, but he certainly isn't stupid, "I may not trust the others entirely, but if they try anything, I'll incinerate them like I nearly did to Haywire. Also, don't insult my intelligence with thinly veiled manipulation tactics, it belittles us both. I do commend you for trying, but fifteen years of training to use 70s lingo, even though I'm only twenty-eight, has made me a master of the English language. One more thing, don't knock the TB." As Vance's latest volley neared him, he hit it directly on to Vance's side of the table so hard, it bounced off faster than Disco Inferno could see, and nailed Will right between the eyes. "My point. Huh? Sorry, Will! You okay?"

(OOC:TB is the abbreviation of Tuberculosis)

As Disco Inferno played ping-pong with Vance, he decided to get to know him a little better. "So, what do you think of the other villains around here? I like the Hegemon, she's nice. Trevor and Will seem a little over-zealous, from what they told me in the meeting room. I never got to meet with Kathy, but she seems capable. Mr. Dark, him I don't trust. Something about him's a bit... off. The Horned King seems villainous enough, and is probably good for a conversation. Dark Mason definately seems powerful, but he seems a little superious. I haven't met Mr. Book or Mr. Kirke, but from bits of conversation I picked up, they sound interesting, to say the least. As for you, I don't know that much about you, but you're good at ping-pong, to say the least. It's almost like you can read my mind. So, any thoughts about the others you'd care to share?" he spoke congenially and even eloquently, almost the exact opposite of what would be expected of the medium-rate thug he poses as. "Another point for you," he says, beginning to think his comment about Vance reading his mind wasn't far off the mark.

(OOC: Just wanted to mention how much fun this RP is. It's keeping me from the game, I love it so much)

As Disco Inferno was dealt a mean cut by Haywire, in the same place as he dealt it in their first fight (the place that the wires connecting his device were in), he decided to start some conversation.

(OOC: D.I.'s text is red, Haywire's is brown)

"Looks like the others can't hear our fight, mind phasing us in a teensy bit?"
"Fine, whatever"
With that, Haywire grabbed Disco Inferno and phased them in just enough to turn on the sound and clear the reception.

"Still no help for you."
"I know, just wanted them to get a real good look at your demise!"

At that moment, Disco Inferno's flames turned off, and then he unveiled his secret weapon. And from the music generator in his chest, the Beegees sang...
"Oh, you can by the way I use my walk, I'm a ladies' man, no time to talk...."
Then, suddenly, Haywire began to dance!
"My music generator comes with some embedded hypnotic beats that will make you boogie down with me till I let you stop!"
"You've used that move before on me to get away, but this time, I'm prepared!"

Haywire's ears were then covered with metal shields that blocked out the funk. Disco Inferno wasn't out yet, though. He drew his pistol, instead, as his flames reactivated.

"Here's a bit of pain, comin' at 'cha!"

But, as he fired, something unexpected happened. His shot became a blast of flame, knocking Haywire on his back.

"Hmm, seems I can channel my fire through stuff now, what a pleasant surprise."

He then pulled out his activator spray that he uses on his afro, and turned it into a cone of fire. Following this, he took out his gel, also for his afro, and sprayed it at Haywire's feet as it ignited. Not only did it burn him, but he couldn't move.

"This ends NOW!"

Disco Inferno then pulled his most treasured possesion, a gold, jewel-encrusted 'fro comb. As he pulled it out of his hair, it was surrounded by flames, and became a blade of fire. His slice nearly bisected Haywire horizontally. Apparently, it broke the dimensional phase device, as both combatants returned to normal space. Just then, Haywire went invisible and, as far as Disco Inferno could tell, jumped out through the dimensional rift he created upon entering.

"I'll be back for that device another time, then!"
"Whatever, I'll be waiting."

As he turned to face the group, Disco Inferno smiled and asked, "Anyone up for ping-pong?"

(OOC: The moves usable by Disco Inferno: everything from all fire sets, except for the following: rain of fire, aim, build up, burn, smoke, cinders, bonfire, fire imps, fiery embrace, and taunt. he also has that thing with the hypnotic music, but he can't do anything except move while using it. please don't mention any of the moves yet to be used unless you do something like read his mind (but prepare for a very empty book). also, his fire blasts aren't going to be portrayed as good as they are, it's his fire sword that's really good (triple strength). and again, the tower is now wide open for other people's archenemy/ies to enter. Today's music was "Stayin' Alive" by the Beegees.)

Seeing Kathy lead away by Jack in Diamonds made Disco Inferno a little unneasy, "Where's he taking her?" he thought to himself. Just then, a sound occurred that reminded him of a grenade hitting a gas station next to an ammunition storage facility. "What in the name of sweet, one-legged pirate ninja zombie ghost vampire Jeebus on a pogo stick was THAT?!" asked Disco Inferno, having just made up the most ridiculous method of asking what something was. "Oh, right. Haywire. Duh," he thought, realizing that shattering a dimensional barrier would probably be loud.

(OOC: Yes, Haywire BROKE Medb's little buffer zone. He's the sort of hero that considers 5 to 1 odds to still be in his favor. Also, this could allow others to let heroes in for their villains, in case they don't like Haywire. Besides, D.I. will be fighting alone. Watch....)

Disco Inferno arrived at the point of entry to find his nemesis waiting. "Hey, 'Wire," said Disco Inferno, with his usual greeting. Before anything else could happen, Haywire grabbed him and turned his dimensional flux device to the first setting. This is the setting that makes him, and anyone he touches at the time of activation, move out of sync with the dimension, yet remain within its boundries as if they were ghosts. Disco Inferno then realized he wouldn't be getting any help, and it was all he could do not to cry. Nevertheless, he turned on his flames, including his flame projector, which spread fire around him to injure others.
"Let's go, Haywire!"
"Alright, it's your funeral!"
Then, they attacked each other.

To Be Continued....

Disco Inferno was glad to hear he wouldn't be facing his psychopathic nemesis alone. He turned to Trevor and responded to his question, "The reason Haywire wants me out is because I know his weakness. Haywire's had it in for the Clockwork King since his career started, probably because the King wanted those parts back and kept sending robots to do so. So, ten years ago, the Cockwork King found out about Haywire's psychiatric condition. Then, he developed a device that would do two things: make Haywire's clockwork side sane and obediant again, and then fix whatever prevented a mind merge in the first place. Doing so would put the robot side in full control of the body which, considering his skills, would put all the other clockwork out of a job. But, he needed something to use the device that wouldn't be destroyed in two seconds, so he hired me. He chose me in response to comedians saying he had no sense of humor. He was giving Haywire an enemy, 'as odd and bizarre as he himself,' he told me. He gave me various cybernetic enhancements that matched my style of fighting, and than he installed his special device. I ambushed Haywire that afternoon with my new powers, but he sliced me up good. He diconnected the device from the control center, and has been able to keep me away from the King, he's the only one who knew how to fix it. Recently, I was scanning my databanks, and found the device's schematics. My fatal mistake was taunting Haywire about it the other day. In fact, I haven't been completely honest with you. Jack, I swiped the info for this thing off of the burnt corpse of a villain named Netherwolf. He mentioned you, but wouldn't give up the info, so I killed him for it. Now I'm here, but it seems not even that could keep Haywire away from me. Fortunately, I don't think he knows about any of you. He'll be inside in a moment, so be ready."

Meanwhile, in dimensional flux....

"We're almost in, Haywire. What've you got on your cross-dimensional scanner?"
"There's one blip, obviously Disco's, but there at least ten other villains inside. What's worse, all of them are amazingly powerful."
"Don't worry, the only thing that could go wrong now is if there's some non-powered villain in there that could surprise us."

(OOC: The signals are: Mr. Book, H. King, Mr. Dark, Medb, Trevor, Will, Hegemon, D. Mason, Kathy, and Vance. Yes, Mr. Kirke, this means exactly what you think it means. He only can detect SUPERvillains. Revel in your superiority through inferiority )

As the shudder rocked the Tower, Disco Inferno's face went whiter than Michael Jackson's (quite a feat for one of African-American descent). "Oh, no. He's here. I thought he wouldn't be able to cross dimensions, but it looks like he got that device from Portal Corps sooner than expected," he thought to himself, "Thankfully I kept my scanner active, just in case."
Disco Inferno decided to tell the others about his enemy's intrusion, "That would be Haywire, the only hero persistant enough to keep after me for over ten years. He, too, is a cyborg, but he is fused to an insane Clockwork who, while hommicidal, is also indiscrimanate, and would rather kill me. Fortunately, his human host has kept him from doing so before, giving me time to escape as they argued. This time, I think they're out for blood, or they'd just wait for me to come out. If any of you would like to help, feel free, but I think I should tell you of his powers, first. He has razor sharp claws and can regenerate most damage in seconds. He can cloak himself, throw shurikens of normal and exploding varieties, generate caltrops and web grenades, and now that he has the dimensional phase device, he can not only enter pocket dimensions connected to the one he is in, but he can move out of synch with this dimension, making him intangible. He will be almost impossible to kill, but I think we could do it as a group. Is anyone with me?" He waited for a response.