PowerSWAT

More more more!

Ahem...

Very exciting!

[ QUOTE ]
Geekery ahoy: The Rogue Squadron books were good, but the Wraith Squadron books were better. IMHO of course!

On topic, great read Gen! Loving it!

[/ QUOTE ]

Wraith Squadron originated as part of the Rogue series - book five I think it was - and continued as a sister act throughout. So we're both right.

Always love the great Wraith Squadron quote, "Hey, pretty planet.... what do I blow up first?"

To be fair, the star wars reference (what ever it was) went straight over my head.

I know the scripts of the first three films almost by heart, the next three (much) less so, and a few of the books (only Rogue Squadron really) but the games are a mystery to me, so feel free to nick what you want from them, cause I at least will never know!

I guess so...

Good stuff, if a little short - wanted more! MORE MORE MORE I tell you!

Ranger stories for teh win!

"I'm gonna can teh Rad Rangers and we'll all move to the SNHS"

"But I don't want to have 2 characters in the SNHS... I guess I'll just delete my Rad/Rad."

"Oh... actually... erm... we're staying as we are. Sorry."

"......................."

-------------------------------------------

(Note: this is a comedy sketch based on real life events, although the conversation never actually happened, this thread reminded me of the situation and seemed funny enough to post. And Raddy Piper was a silly name anyway and I no longer have time to Alt!)

Yeah, read this the other day and looked here for it assuming I missed it! I was gonna ask you about that but you saved me thr trouble!

Pray continue - an intriguing read!

Great Stuff SJ...

I too was working today no office, though, so no writing! Good to see you're keeping yourself occupied!

Oh.

I shall miss our playful banter, bossman. But since you seemed not to want a big deal made out of the whole thing...


I hereby promote Chillblaze to Number One. All others are number three or lower. I shall retain the number two spot since I'm a sheep, not a shepherd

(Chillblaze: Promotion non-negotiable, even though you won a random ranger lottery for it)

That warrants a mass OMG!

Send him our love, Del - thinking of him etc!

Why we will beat the Precision Rangers, #1:

We know how to have fun!

Starring Twisted Feather, Sun Beam X and PowerCORE

Splendid origin story, Weasel, though from your revered personage I'll have to assume that it's pretty old hat to you and yours now!

really left me wondering - not what would happen next (cause I can guess that much) but what came before!

Erm... no, not the ones we've seen. Much like any forced working environment, the personality conflicts stand out much more distinctly than the friendships. There are Powers that get on, but that'll remain to be seen!

As for distrusting SWAT? He's not naughty, he's intense and highly motivated Or he might be unhinged... don't know yet!

Aero, you're my favourite deity... I'll get you in there any time!

G-friend me on @Drain Brain and give me a shout for an invite...

Yeah, I liked it so much, I made a second!

!oooooooooooooooH sregnaR

Here we go... part 5, complete with a cliff hanger...

Duuun-de-dun-dun-daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!

-------------------------------------------------

Mathew Price tended to think of himself as indestructible. It had noting to do with the PowerMed-Regeneration-Systems technology, it was just that he had been gifted from birth with a knack for fighting, a huge ego and extreme arrogance. All these things conspired to make him unbearable to some, but strangely attractive to some women.

You know, the women that nice guys don’t understand? The ones that go for “the bad boys.”

That being the case, you can imagine how relieved Price was to find that his only female counterpart in the project - Kat Harper, who was testing the “G” variant off the suit - was just such a woman, and found him irresistible.

The other “Power” testers he wasn’t having such luck with, however. Seemed that, being men, they were simply so put off by his martial prowess that their jealousy had got the better of them. Maybe the big one was different, but he was too stupid to count.

Many thoughts of this nature passed through Price’s mind as he walked as inconspicuously as he could through the streets of Skyway City. Through PowerSIEGE’s links with the Paragon City Police Department and various rats and moles, they had learned of a number of locations which might yield results in their search for the Power project’s saboteur. His armour hidden beneath a voluminous military cut great coat, he took the final turning into the small warehousing area which was at the heart of his end of the chase.

Everything looked quiet - as places of criminal activity were wont to do - and yet the creeping unease which had followed him from the station refused to dissipate. Sure, there’d been Trolls aplenty heckling passers by on his way there, but nothing solid that he could identify as the source of his “gut reaction.”

Moving through the small courtyard, Price made for the door of the first warehouse and stashed his coat behind a crate - it would only impede him if he got into combat. Smoothly pushing the door ajar, he stepped inside, letting his eyes adjust to the darkness.

Around the first corner he expected to see either regular workers (heh, who sees them in warehouses?) or a bunch of gang bangers… instead, though, the place appeared empty. Should he leave it? Or should he push further?

Price moved onward, painstakingly inspecting every inch of the warehouse, and finding nothing. Not a hint of a criminal, a worker, anything. Coming down off the anticipatory adrenaline high, he made his way out to move on to the next warehouse.

“Hey there buddy… you looking for me?”

The man had been standing right outside the door - and Price’s lack of success within had driven him to complacence. Clad in motorcyclist’s attire and wielding a fearsome looking rifle, the speaker kept his distance, aiming for Price’s weak spot - his bare head. Why’d I have to turn down the helmet? C’mon, Peripheral Vision? I gotta get my brain checked…

Price never had time to reply as no sooner had the man spoken, but he tossed a small sphere at the Med tester’s feet, which exploded to cover him with hundreds of strands of sticky fibre, rendering him helpless in seconds. The aggressor, who he could now discern to be wearing not a motorcycle helmet but some strange eyeless headpiece, stepped up to him. “Goodnight, Mr Price” was all he said before clubbing PowerMed-RS with the butt of his rifle, knocking him out in a single blow.

------------------------------------------------------------

“What do you mean, Missing? He’s got the same transponder as the rest of us, right? And you were tracking his progress? Dammit, just find him. Find him NOW!”

The Grey Haired man slammed down the phone and turned back to the people in his office, having been rather rudely interrupted by a most unwelcome call. “Okay, so now not only have we had the remnants of the PowerSWAT suit stolen, but we’ve lost Med-RS. Apparently he was in Skyway checking out one of your leads, and he’s disappeared.”

Dan Malcolm stood as impassively as ever, cradling the helmet from the new and improved PowerSIEGE suit in his massive hands. He said nothing.

“So what about your end of the investigation? You three were meant to be working together, and yet you’ve stuffed it up. What are you doing about it?”

The small form of Kat Harper sat in a chair opposite her boss, as quiet as her police department counterpart. The chair almost swallowed her, and in her embarrassment she wished that it would. Meekly, she said “I’ll go find Matt,” clambering out of the clutches of the chair and exiting.

“I’ll recover the SWAT armour, then,” came the deep voice of Sergeant Malcolm. Donning his helmet, his seldom heard voice took on a metallic tone. “I know where to look.”

------------------------------------------------------------

Pete Baker sat in his kitchen, his hair tied back behind his head, his new eye providing him all the magnification he needed to work on his new pet project.

He’d thoroughly scoured the components he’d recovered for any forensic evidence - he knew enough from his initial studies in college - but now was working at repairing enough of the systems in the gauntlets to make them function. Seemingly he would be able to get at least 80% efficiency out of the energy projectors, making a relatively strong blast - just so long as he could find a way to power it.

Setting aside his work for a few minutes, he went through to his study to get some schematics. His earlier meal still sat on the desk, unfinished. He looked with distaste at the weak coffee, the limp sandwich, and his heart cried out for the return of his wife - as did his stomach. Sullenly, he picked up the sandwich and took a less than eager bite.

He was just returning to the kitchen when his front door flew inward, knocked off its hinges as if by some rampaging monster, splinters cavorting through the air accompanied by a hellish red glow. Silhouetted in the doorway stood a huge figure.

Baker considered running for his gun, but it was behind him in the study, hung with his badge by the door - disused for many months. Another option was the kitchen, where a weapon of some sort was sure to be found, but any villain capable of wreaking such destruction on a heavy oaken door in a single blow probably wouldn’t be put off by a steak knife.

“You took the SWAT components. Where are they?”

The figure stooped to come through into the hall. As the ceiling light finally met the intruder, Baker realised it was none other than his new colleague, SIEGE.

“What are you talking about? And what the HELL are you doing in my home, noob?”

“You broke in to the crime scene and removed evidence. I know it was you. Hand it over, and we‘ll forget this ever happened…”

It was the longest sentence that Baker - or anyone else for that matter - had heard Sergeant Malcolm utter since he joined the project. His electronically projected voice seemed flat, however, and devoid of emotion or inflection, lending a very eerie quality to his side of the conversation. Baker glanced at the schematics in his hand as a plan hatched.

“Okay. Through here…”

The armour-less PowerSWAT turned away from the man who’d guessed his guilty secret. Entering the kitchen, he heard the heavy footsteps of the SIEGE unit behind him. He knew from personal experience that the peripheral vision of the helmets wasn’t so good, so he knew that as he ducked sharp left around the doorframe, Malcolm wouldn’t see.

“It‘s good that you‘ve been…" SIEGE couldn’t finish his platitude as Baker pounced. A vertical jump landed the cyborg officer knees-down on the wooden sideboard, the pine insulating him from any mishaps in this tricky manoeuvre. As his left hand brought down a heavy silver serving platter at SIEGE’s head, his right darted downward. The overhand silverware was easily batted aside - as expected - but Baker’s replacement hand found exactly what it was looking for… the hidden quick release for the power packs that was common to all the suits.

The belt came away in his hand, and he pushed himself away with all due haste. SIEGE would have power enough for a few seconds more action - enough in an emergency to throw the belt as far away from himself as possible - so it was a matter of evading the big Sergeant for mere moments. SWAT skidded over the dining table, landing in a crouch in the corner of the room. A second later, the table was no longer there as SIEGE batted it out of the way as a man might shoo a cat. Stepping through the space it had occupied, Malcolm suffered the indignity of slowly grinding to a halt, a real-life analogue of Oz’s Tin Man, leaving Baker panting with the adrenaline of a close escape.

“I’m sorry Dan. I have to do this myself. I’ve got responsibilities.”

A series of greatly muffled curses came from inside the helmet. Baker unhitched the safety toggles and lifted the visor a touch. “I’ll get you little man… I’m gonna kick your sorry back…” Baker shut the visor again and went to gather up the SWAT unit’s gauntlets.

Tonight he would hunt.

------------------------------------------------------------

Mathew Price awoke in darkness. He awoke in silence. He awoke in the nude. No matter how he moved his head, he could see nothing. In fact, the only sensations that proved he was still alive were the rasp of rope on his wrists and ankles, and the faint smell of motor oil and gun grease.

“Hello again, Mr Price.” came a voice from… somewhere near him. A light flicked on overhead, blinding and stark white. He winced. The speaker gave him a few moments to recover. He could still see nothing save for a plain, if dirty concrete floor with a simple steel trolley. Atop the trolley perched the black Arachnos style helmet and a jar of strange green fluid, complete with an ominously large hypodermic needle.

“We need to discuss a few matters…”

I felt guilty for not writing about them... in addition, I don't really feel too good about using other people's characters too much, since I don't know how the players really envision them, and wouldn't want to do them injustice...

I'm much the same as Flitz insofar as I've taken PowerSIEGE to SL14 (and Super Jump) using the Holiday Rocket Pack, and shall now (probably) totally ignore him for a while... aside from the regular 1 hour/week per alt session to keep them all "active."

Although I ahve to say, even though I'm told tanks are now "gimped," he's great fun to play still!

Erm... it will be as many parts as it turns out to be! If you're concerned about hosting space though, Genergy, technically only part one (and mayeb two) is his official origin story - the rest is fluff!

Greetings fellow players etc...

Anyone who's followed the stories knows that I tend to have patches of extreme inactivity in my writing - especially when Doulos (whose own stories tend to "remind" me that I'm being lazy) is not writing much either.

This was in danger of getting really long, so I've cropped it, and it will be continued soon.

For anyone who's missed the rest, they can be found on the Precision Rangers' Website
--------------------------------------------------------

It was nine o’clock on a dreary Wednesday morning. Dozens of men stood at the entrance to the Atlas Park medical centre. Some were fire officers in full Haz-Mat gear. Others were from the Police forensics department. Many were hospital staff from the lower levels.

A short distance away, near an unmarked truck, a smaller group stood, watching the proceedings. A gangly looking grey-haired man addressed this group, frequent bobbing head motions paying testament to his unease.

“From what the preliminary investigations have shown, I’d say that one or more of the suit power packs overloaded in the vault, taking out most of the lab. I can only thank whatever deities exist out there that whoever did it closed the vault behind them… or we’d have lost the whole block.”

“Whoever did it?” asked one man, a short dark haired man in a puffed-out coat. He lit a cigarette as he continued the question. “How do you know it wasn’t an accident?”

“Simple. It’s not possible that it would happen by accident. End of story. The only way these things would go up is if someone tampered with them. And since they’re prototypes, it’d have to be someone with at least a passing link to the program.”

“Inside job.” Grunted a towering man who leaned against the truck, listing it slightly to one side with his weight.

“Possibly, Sergeant, though we’re looking into every angle - with help from your men at the PD of course. Baker… I’d put PowerSWAT on the case… but I can’t.”

The officer - Pete Baker - looked perturbed. His one human eye betraying a squinted frown. “Why? Surely it’s right up there in terms of priority…”

“Like I said, I would… but it’s just not possible. The SWAT armour has been irrevocably damaged, as has the original PowerMed unit. I’m sorry.”

“Does this mean the project’s over?”

“No. SEIGE and the two new Med units can be brought back to operational within - probably - a week or two. The two destroyed suits will have to be replaced from scratch. There are new plans based on the designs of… a concurrent project… which we will use for the new units. Expect them to begin preliminary fittings by the end of the month.”

The smoker turned to his other out-of-work compatriot. “Looks like we get a paid holiday. Strip-joint? Bermuda? Disneyland? How about the Eiffel Tower and the Pyramids?”

“Shut up Jon.”

“Aw come on… it’ll be fun. Sea, surf, sangria…”

“Grow up.”

“Aw… stuff ya then. Doc, call me when you want me. I’m headed to a bar somewhere to get horribly blathered-drunk until the end of the month. See ya around!”

As the ex-paramedic sauntered off, casually eyeing up any passing pedestrians unlucky enough to be female, the other four members of the Power project test-team shared a moment of incredulity. The overly serious Officer Baker frowned and flexed his cybernetic hand. The looming form of Dan Malcolm remained impassive although a twinkle came to his eye. Kat Harper - the newest member - merely sidled up to her counterpart Med officer Matt Price, hiding a giggle behind his shoulder as the warrior read through some notes on a pocket computer terminal. The red haired martial artist looked up.

“According to the data the techs gave me, Med-G, Med-RS and SIEGE will be up in a few days, right?”

“Right.”

“So while we wait for the SWAT suit to be remade, maybe we could do some searching? You know… get some background? I know at least I’ve been aching to get out in the field a little more… proactively. Kat has said the same.”

The older man regarded the man sternly, wondering what was going on behind those dark glasses. “Okay. Any leads will get passed to Sergeant Malcolm in the absence of officer Baker. If he decides to take the SIEGE unit out, you’re welcome to join him. But on the proviso that you keep in touch constantly - and I mean with ME. It’s possible someone in the project is trying to undermine our work, and I don’t want you giving them more fuel, or more opportunities.

The “permission” was all the three newer recruits needed, and within moments they were climbing into the back of the truck. Officer Baker, his long coat buffeted by the morning breeze, said nothing. He simply glared at his project’s overseer. He continued glaring, and clacking his metal fingers together lightly, until a number of people in unmarked grey haz-mat coveralls exited the medical centre bearing stretchers… which rather oddly did not go into the waiting ambulances, but straight into the back of the truck.

No sooner were the “bodies” within, than the grey haired suit climbed up into the passenger seat of the vehicle. Slowly drawing down the old style hand-wound window, he leaned out. Offi… Pete. I know this is hard for you. You’ve gotten attached to your work. You’ve made a great go of this - better even than that lack-lustre womanising medico… but don’t let this ruin you. You’ll be back on the streets in no time, I promise. And we’ll catch whoever did this too. Just relax. Go see some friends or something…”

The driver gunned the motor, and the truck pulled away, leaving PowerSWAT squinting at its flashing hazard lights until, finally, the truck entered the main flow of traffic and was gone.

He pulled his coat tight around him and donned his now customary leather gloves, concealing what he could of his inhuman appearance.

Friends? He didn’t have any. Not any more. Apart from…….

------------------------------------------------------------

“Rangers, this is PowerSWAT… who’s on comms?”

“SWAT… Genergy. What do you need?”

“I need some help, Gen. Is there anyone active around Atlas Park? I could do with a… hand.”

Seemingly Genergy - who Baker had only met in person once - didn’t realise the irony of the statement. “Not many, SWAT. There’s a big push in Peregrine - lots of activity. Not many around the more passive areas.”

“I need someone who looks impressive. Anyone?”

“Looks impressive?”

“Erm… Yeah.”

“I can do you.. Stainless Steel. He’s pretty outlandish in appearance.”

“The Robot-lookin’ guy?”

“That’s the one. Yes?”

“He’ll have to do…”

------------------------------------------------------------

Minutes later, around the corner from the Atlas Park medical centre, a former King’s Row beat cop spoke in hushed tones with a being who could not look any more out of place in a littered alleyway. “So, can you do it?”

“Why?”

“I need to get in there, and I need the Emergency teams to… not see me. Okay? All you need to do is take their attention a little. You can certainly do that. C’mon, you’re a bright shiny metal-man.”

“Okay. But you’ll OWE me.”

“Yeah yeah… whatever.”

With grace that one would not expect from a creature of metal, Stainless Steel vaulted the nearest fence and was gone. Baker pulled up his collar and moved as close as he could to the doors of the med-centre without being spotted. After a few moments a shot rang out, then a second and a third in close succession. Racing down the road came Steel, four Hellions in hot pursuit - although one looked almost ready to drop dead on the spot. Bullets pinged harmlessly from the hero as he ran to a halt in front of the first fire engine and turned.

“Your weapons cannot harm me!” he called to the Hellions, in a somewhat theatrical show. “See now the error of your ways!”

He was being terribly loud, and the Hellions were in danger of turning tail and ruining the decoy before it had begun, but promptly all the emergency response teams had their attention turned toward the shining spectacle of “Arresting Theatre.”

Baker darted around the corner, sparing a glance to steel as he unleashed a torrent of energy at the far less durable Hellions, who scattered like pins in a bowling alley.

And by the time the teams had gone back about their business, Baker was in the vault.

Must... start... writing... again...

Good work D as always... this is what makes me come back to thr forums and not mind grinding through 50 odd posts a day on the rangers thread - things like this alleviate that stress!

[ QUOTE ]
meh, you're 14.... you are allowed to be ignorant....

[/ QUOTE ]

Disagree...

Age is no excuse. You MUST be word perfect by the end of december or all computer access will be revoked

You can never have too many movie quotes. As long as your audience knows they're movie quotes.

And lets be fair - this is a MMORPG forum. 90% of us are self confessed geeks... who here DOESN'T recognise that dialogue?

BRING IT ON!!!

[ QUOTE ]
plagiarise.

[/ QUOTE ]

Smartypants...

Hmm...

For some reason I recognise some parts of the dialogue in that one... Strange that. You should redouble your efforts to avoid further plag... play... plagu... nicking st00f...