Redefette

(International news july 3rd 2011)

TERRORISTS DESTROY LANDMARK

(Tartu, Estonia) Arukula caves were completely destroyed in an underground nuclear blast today. A device approximately of tactical nuclear weapon magnitude exploded, and made the whole cave complex to collapse. Thanks to underground detonation, damages and fallout were slightly dampened, but authorities have taken swift measures to quarantine the area. Numbers of fatalities and injuries have not yet been confirmed.

((file dated 16th january 2011, location not specified))

So I went to Mercy to look for Thin-Meeks-Jim. A dope-dealer with connections to Nipper Snatcher. Yes, I knew Thin-Meeks-Jim by his name, and I knew roughly where to go looking for him. But his connection to Nipper Snatcher was a surprise to me. Though, if I knew someone like Nipper Snatcher, I'd not boast about that, either. Some people especially in Paragon City scare their kids that if they misbehave, or go missing, they might get snatched by Nipper Snatcher, and taken into Rogue Isles. Quite a boogie-man, eh? But yeah, this boogie-man was real. This Nipper Snatcher has been blamed for taking some kids gone missing in Rogue Isles, too. Fortunately he is not too active, just taking a kid or two in a year. And there's never too much evidence to point into him. If there was, he'd has his butt handed to him by some do-gooder hero from Paragon City. Also, some Rogue Isles successful businessmen wouldn't like a thought of a villain of that kind running free and threatening their kids in here.

I have to admit once Nipper Snatcher was suggested to be the one responsible for Jane-Eight's disappearance, I became pessimistic of finding the girl alive. I mean, a popular theory of why Nipper Snatcher steals the kids, is that he eats them. Ok, if that is really why he steals the kids from their parents, I personally think he must have a couple of screws loose in his head: it is totally unnecessarily to provoke negative reaction of the public by stealing kids, when he could just stick to adults. And have more meat to salvage per each kill. But it wasn't yet sure if Jane-Eight was taken by Nipper Snatcher. I had 200 000 reasons to hope her being still alive. Digging Jane-Eight's half-eaten body out of a grave wasn't something I wanted to do.

Going to Thin-Meeks-Jim and asking him "Hey, are you buddies with Nipper Snatcher?" didn't feel like a good plan. That's why I camped into an old, rather abandoned house near Jim's whereabouts, and watched him carefully. I had calculated it would take at least couple of days for Nighthunters to get Princess free from Marcelo Giannini, and about a week for someone not familiar with Mercy Island underground to find someone like Thin-Meeks-Jim from Darwin's landing. That's why I was surprised when after a day of surveillance, I saw Princess walking to Thin-Meeks-Jim and starting to carry out a plan I had previously dismissed myself. Of course Jimmy tried to split, but the woman obviously had some kind of martial arts background, and didn't let Jimmy to run away. Using state of the art improvised technology crafted by yours truly, I was able to listen their conversation down there, below my hiding spot. Jimmy gave the woman an address of Nipper Snatchers alleged hideout, and then Princess left. After she had left, Jimmy was a good boy and he made a telephone call. I was able to hear the name of the one Jimmy was talking with on the phone: Caroline Dianne Lundgren. A rather wealthy woman living in Cap-Au-Diable. I moved into Cap-Au-Diable, and started to snoop around mrs. Lundgrens top-floor apartment in Aeon City. When night fell that day, positioned on a roof of an opposite building, I was able to see inside the apartment of the Lundgren family. And Jackpot....

...I saw Jane-Eight in there.
Alive.
She looked okay, and even happy living in there with mr. and mrs. Lundgren.

Then I immediately called Princess and told her I had found the girl she was looking for. And I asked Princess, if she was really going to keep the promise she made for me. And she answered yes, she said if the girl she was looking for was alive and I could lead her to her, Princess said she would gladly pay me those 200 000 dollars. I once again raised my scoped rifle, making sure the safety was on and there was no cartridge in chamber, and I looked once again at the child Princess commissioned me to look for. Yes, she was definitely Jane-Eight. Alive and well. Looking exactly same as she did in the picture of her. I told Princess the exact address, and she told me to wait after she had met the girl herself. I agreed, and stood there on the roof. It took less than an hour for Princess to drive in Aeon City in her ridiculous tiny yellow-grey car. I looked her through the scope, as she entered the building. And I once again scoped inside the Lundgren apartment, and looked at Jane-Eight through crosshair.

Then I subconsciously understood something was wrong.
Something was very wrong.
I looked at the picture of her, and then again at her. She looked exactly the same.
At that moment I was unable to explain why I felt something was wrong, but now, it of course, is so obvious.

But then, I saw the Lundgren parents opening door for Princess, and leading Princess into their living room. I could lip-read them talking about Jane-Eight, a girl they had adopted. I wasn't able to follow all their conversation, because I had to focus my scope onto one persons lips at a time, and sometimes the person speaking was not facing the window. But it seemed like Princess came to talk to them about the origin of Jane-Eight, while Jane-Eight was in her room, laying on bed and reading a book. Eventually, the Lundgren parents called Jane-Eight to the living room. Princess and Jane-Eight exchanged some words, and then there was something eerie going on, because the Lundgrens acted rather suspiciously... mrs. Lundgren was very emotional, and mr. Lundgren had to take her into dining room next door, leaving Princess and Jane-Eight alone in the living room. The tone of the conversation between Princess and Jane-Eight had changed, and it didn't look friendly anymore. Then Jane-Eight jumped across the room at Princess. The jump was unnaturally quick, but Jane-Eight missed. Princess turned to Jane-Eight, and I saw Princess had a wooden stake in her hand. After a short moment, that very wooden stake was no longer in the hand of Princess, but instead buried inside Jane-Eights chest.

That moment I consciously understood why I was not going to get my money.
Jane-Eight was not alive. I bet she had not been alive for years. She was already dead when she went missing. She had been a vampire all the time.
Princess had tricked me. It was not even possible for me to find Jane-Eight alive.
I lost interest to everything what happened inside Lundgren apartment after Jane-Eight was staked by Princess.
I packed my rifle and left Aeon City.
Heroes.
Those lying hypocrites.

Hiays people! I bought mee-self a new computer with moar power, memory and hard-disk, then re-installed game but now once the game starts (after an eternity of updating first) everything goes blackblank and login screen music loopsloopsloopsloopsloopsloops. Shoulds I re-install and re-update all again? I tried to update system drivers (soundcard and graphic) but even the newest drivers dont halp. Is this a common probl? Is there already a thread of this? I wants to play!

((file dated 14th january 2011, location not specified))

The limousine I had followed took Princess to a mansion owned by Marcelo Giannini. A family upper-middle-class boss. I needed to find out what Princess and Marcelo were talking in there, and I needed to find that out, fast. Probably Princess was busy using feminine means to pump -pun intended- information out of Marcelo as soon as they had arrived to the mansion, and presumably leaving the mansion in the morning. Security around the mansion was tough'n tight, sneaking into the mansion was out of the question. The only way to get info what Princess and Marcelo were talking, was to bug that mansion with a listening device, somehow. I was in a real hurry. I broke into a hardware store, and then extracted some useful stuff from an almost unlocked carage nearby. Using my ingenuity and my trusty old swiss army knife, I put together an improvised cell-phone launcher. Using polymer stock of my assault rifle, I liberated a pedestrian from his cell-phone, set it on auto-answer, and then used foam to both seal the cell-phone to fit the barrel of the cell-phone launcher, and to protect the cell-phone from rough landing inside the house. Then I hooked up the launcher into car-engine exhaust manifold, and pressurized the pressure container with exhaust gas.

My devious plan was to launch the cell-phone through an open window into a room where Princess and Marcelo were doing whatever it was what they were doing, and then calling that cell-phone and listening to clues of Jane-Eight's whereabouts. Alas, even the most ingenious plans sometimes fail.

I am very good shot. I hit the window just as I expected.
But the window wasn't open.
Someone had closed it while I was busy building my cell-phone launcher.

After the cell-phone crashed through plate-glass window, I revised my plans and tried to get away from there. Unfortunately, it wasn't possible. Mister Giannini had hired a supervillain to protect him, and this supervillain was very very fast. And this supervillain bodyguard had a pulverizing left hook.

I woke up in the mansion. Tied into a chair. Marcelo Giannini (accompanied by Princess) came to interrogate me, asking who had sent me to assassinate him. I answered him nearly wholly thrutfully, but he wasn't pleased. Nor did he appreciate my witty question how he thought I wanted to kill him with a cellphone wrapped in foam. When mister Giannini gave his bodyguard an order to put a bullet in my head, Princess stepped in front to the gunbarrel to protect me. Yup, just as I had calculated, she didn't want a murder charge. I presumed she was a superpowered heroine, which I slipped out of my mouth at that moment, expecting she would beat them all up and release me off the ropes. I was getting rather uncomfortable been tied up in ropes too tight. I wanted a quick solution and I wanted to get away from that uncomfortable chair. Unfortunately, at that moment it seemed Princess had no supernatural powers beyond gifted natural levels, or maybe keen military training. I mean, she put up a good fight, knocking out the superpowered supervillain, and some of the armed henchmen, but she was then stunner-gunned down, and trapped helpless inside an impervium net. Then we both were dealt some unnecessary violence, and I tried to save my teeth by telling mister Giannini the whole truth of us both, Princess and myself, trying to find a girl gone missing in Paragon City about a year ago. Mister Giannini obviously had some mixed feelings of satisfaction, having now a Nighthunter hostage (even though Princess kept saying she had not anything to do with Nighthunters anymore) and amusement why we had gone such an effort for a girl, who had obviously been snatched by no-one else than Nipper Snatcher. Mister Giannini even boasted he knew a lowlife middle-man heartless enough to be in contact with Nipper Snatcher: a dope-dealer in Mercy Island called Thin-Meeks-Jim.

So typical for villains. When they get the upper hand of situation, they start to blab away valuable information.

Then Princess started to talk, and I guess she was trying ask mister Giannini to show mercy and blah blah. Fortunately for me, everyone's attention was drawn into Princess so I was able to work my magic and leave the scene without anyone noticing. Once outside the mansion, I hopped into the car I had previously confiscated, and sped away as fast as I could. I may had lost a couple of teeth, but now I had a proper clue: Nipper Snatcher. I thought for a moment should I do something to help Princess, but then I came into a conclusion: nope. She is a Nighthunter anyway, mister Giannini sets up a ransom, then Nighthunters come for her rescue and teleport Princess into safety and everyone's happy. And I get my 200 000 dollars. Though, first I need to find Thin-Meeks-Jim, Nipper Snatcher and the current residence of Jane-Eight.

((file dated 13th january 2011, location not specified))

I went to a bar in Sharkhead Island. One scotch, one bourbon, and one beer later, I had an idea. Better one than going around Rogue Islands and betting on my luck someone might not only have been Jane-Eight, but also willing to talk about it to a stranger. A stranger covered in dirty bandages. The idea -this better idea- was to find out why Princess thinks Jane-Eight could be found in Rogue Islands. Maybe it could give me a vital hint from where to start my search in here. I had names of the counselors who had treated Jane-Eight the whole time she was in custody in FBSA holding facility. If I only had access to internet, I could find out their email-addresses, and send them email from a bogus email-address, making them believe the emails were sent by Princess. I could pretend to be Princess, and ask them.... where they think Jane-Eight would have gone in Rogue Islands. For example. But for that, I needed internet access. I had another wonderful idea of snatching someone's smartphone, and hooking it into my Macbook. Unfortunately, in a bar I could afford to have a drink, the patrons were not rich enough to own that kind of fancy phones.

But I knew a nightclub nearby of higher class. It was a nightclub favourited by many Family middle-class and upper-class businessmen. Of course, someone had gone rampage on Family late last year, killing and injuring many of them so I was expecting security of that nightclub to be paranoid. But I got in, easier than I thought. Before I was able to snatch a phone from anyone, I saw who was the performing nightclub singer that night in there. It was Princess herself. When I realized she had seen me too, I didn't do anything stupid, like trying to run for the door. I just waited until she had a break, and she came to me and took me backstage to have a chat. Guessing she was presumably a superstrong and superpowerful, I gave her the folder when she asked. Of course I didn't tell her I already had multiple copies of it stored in my hiding place. I am not going to type in here all we talked about, but she was in Rogue Islands trying to find the girl herself, because nobody else was able or willing to do that. She didn't exactly tell me not to look for that girl, but she didn't exactly help me anyway on the case, either. I guess she didn't believe in my abilities to find the girl, because she agreed to pay me 200,000 dollars if I found the girl alive. Two hundred thousand dollars. I could use that money.

Then she called two bouncers to throw me out of the club.

After landing chest and chin first on pavement I could have stood up, gone back to my hiding place and licked my wounds like a stray-dog. But I didn't. I wanted those 200,000 dollars. Heroes have that something that somehow make them to keep their promises. She had promised me 200,000 American dollars and I wanted them. All I needed to do now was to find that little girl. Alive. And before she could find her herself. Because Princess was undercover in that nightclub, I guessed she was following a clue. I had an opportunity to find out what she knew now, and take it from there. I hot-wired a car nearby, and I waited until I saw Princess coming out from the nightclub, and entering a limousine with a man in a suit. I didn't recognize who that man was, but following them to Marconeville through Rogue Island ferry I found out the address of the mansion limousine drove to. Ok, now I got a clue. Princess was probably following a trail to the little girl. Now I only need to get on the same trail, and pass Princess. I've gotta find the Jane-Eight before she finds her. I need the money.

((file dated 12th january 2011, location not specified))

It's been awhile since I read news about things going on in Paragon City. I found out a lot of interesting trivial information. Such as the "kill" that made my life a living hell since last year september, wasn't a kill after all. The intended target survived. Yes, she is still alive. Maybe I should stick my neck out from my hiding spot and check if the vampire is still after my blood? Or maybe not. But checking news archives and checking my other sources revealed nothing that could be linked to Jane-Eight, happened in september 2007. At least not in Paragon City. Lot of those articles I read didn't include pictures, and if there was a five-year old involved, for example, in a crime case.... I think they'd kept her identity secret, anyway. Crime case? Yes. Superhuman powers? Yes. I mean, she was put into FBSA young OFFENDERS holding facility in september 2007, I can presume there was a reason why she was locked in there. Empathy isn't my strong area, but shutting a five-year old into a holding facility has a harsh tone in it. But, then again, there was someone called Tomb and-

Holy ****, she isn't Tomb, is she?

No. These two look different. And they are of different age. Presumably them both been held in the same facility for awhile was a coincidence. I could also guess Jane-Eight escaped the facility 21th march 2010, when Under Scare allegedly attacked the facility. Names and pictures of six inmates gone missing were published in newspapers that time. Jane-Eight was not among them. Maybe she didn't escape that day, maybe she did. There's nothing to prove either way. Another dead-end. No clue to follow in there.

Princess said she wanted someone to find that girl in Rogue Islands. How would she know Jane-Eight is in Rogue Islands? I could go and ask Princess in person, but I guess she possesses superhuman powers and she would just maul me into chunks and take this case from me. And I'm not going to let that happen. God dammit this is something I hate.... but I need to do it: I need to go on foot around Rogue Islands and ask people if they've seen this girl. ****. I'll go and have two or three bourbons first and hope I figure out a better idea in a bar.

((file dated 10th january 2011, location not specified))

Breaking into Copy&Print shop proved fruitful. They had proper copy machines, and high quality scanners. And fortunately, also a few sharp paper knives for manual editing. I scratched off most of the repair lacquer my client had used on the documents of Jane-Eight. But I could do nothing to the corners my client had cut away with scissors, probably cutting away official information where and when these documents were created. Most of these documents were just filled with shrink jargon and boring tales of Jane-Eight's therapy. My client probably tried to censor things in order to protect privacy of Jane-Eights private matters, but she also censored some **** which is essential for me to know in order to find this missing kid. For example, who were the people counsiling Jane-Eight? After removing repair lacquer off I found out Jane-Eight was treated by Jonathan S. Feldom during 2007 to 2008, by Abraham L. Reyes from mid 2008 to late 2009, and by Allison Riaz from late 2009 until march 2010. And then it is mentioned that the child had gone missing. Now, which of these names would suit a hot, tall latino chick? Princess said in Pocket-D she was Jane-Eight's counselor. So, Princess, your name is Allison Riaz.

My Macbook batteries ran dry, but the Copy&Print shop had a real computer I could borrow while I put my Macbook recharging. Internet search engine lookup revealed all of those shrinks were working at FBSA Young Offenders Holding Facility during the time Jane-Eight was treated. So, Jane-Eight, you were one of the patients in FBSA Young Offenders Holding Facility. Or should I say a detainee? Strangely enough, when I took a another look at the reviews and evaluations of Jane-Eight, she is generally characterized to be a very intelligent, socially gifted, cheerful little girl. Nothing indicates any reason why she was held in custody. Searching the internet with keywords Allison Riaz revealed that this chick was originally a french fashion model, who later started to appear in television with some american TV-preachers. Rumours link her to Nighthunters, a Paragon City based superhero team. So, she's most presumably a superhero, too.

Still, there is yet no way to determinate the real name of Jane-Eight. But I found out more about her current age. Jane-Eight's photograph was actually a computer print. Scanning it, and manipulating the scan revealed it was printed with a photoprinter manufactured by a company bearing initials "HP". After a quick visit to a russian hacker site I had tools to read the hidden info these printers print on every print. "Computer name" referred to FBSA Holding Facility, and the user logged on while printing this document was "jsfeldom", referring presumably to mister Jonathan S. Feldom, counselor of Jane-Eight during the period 2007 to 2008. Time of print was september 2007 about 9am. If she looked about a 5 year old in the picture taken in 2007, she'd probably look like a nine- or ten year old by now. Judging the name of the file folder (nameless patients), and the name of the photograph file on disc, they presumably did not know her real name, either.

Still this info doesn't yet help me much to find her. She's about a ten-year old girl by now, and she was a detainee in Steel Canyon FBSA facility until march 2010. Guess I've gotta find out what happened in march 2010, and I also need to check if anything happened in september 2007 that could be linked to this girl. I also could go around waving her picture to smugglers and informers around the Isles, and ask if they'd seen a girl looking like that, but I'd rather not.

((file dated 10th January 2011, location not specified))

For those who don't know me, hell, I guess no-one really knows me. Anyway, I'm Justin Rust. I found this old Macbook someone conveniently had thrown away, and I thought I could write something before its my time to bite the dust. This will probably be my last hurrah, if anyone cares. I'm just another contract killer, but I have a prime principle: I don't kill anyone unless he or she really deserves it. I take contracts only on people who are downright evil: those kind of people who enjoy to cause suffering, pain and agony to others. I've only taken out people, who have no remorse whatsoever. Some of you might now think I haven't had very many assignments, but you are wrong. I've taken a shot a few times. And so far I've never missed. You just haven't ever heard about me. I'm also good in hiding. And I keep my face off sight, and my mouth shut.

That is, until recent months. Now the devil herself is on my tail, in a form of a vampire. She wants me dead because of a kill I had nothing to do with. I didn't take that shot, I know she knows that, but she still wants me dead. I don't know what was so important about that kill, and I'm not keen to ask her. I just run and hide.

Because of this, I've kept low profile. Taking no jobs. And making no money. I can't hide forever, and I need money to survive. That's why I took a job. A job which doesn't impel me to put a bullet in anybodys brains. A tall dark stranger -a woman- in Pocket-D was trying to hire a private dick to find a child gone missing in Etoile Isles. I couldn't let her waste her money on those Rogue Isles fakes'n frauds, so I took the case. I stole it, actually. But she'll thank me, eventually. I can get this done, how hard it can be? I'm good in finding people who don't want to be found. And this time I don't even have to pull the trigger. Now, what I have? The kid doesn't have a name except for Jane Doe the 8th. I'll call her Jane-Eight from this on. There's no date of birth, no info of known relatives. No info of residence. Just a photograph, medical info and some therapy progress logs and stuff like that Princess -I'll call my client that from this on- has tried to censor with repair lacquer. It seems this kid was been treated for mental stuff in Steel Canyon, Paragon City. That's going to make things difficult, I don't set my foot outside Etoile Isles. But if the kid disappeared in Steel Canyon, why Princess thinks she'd find Jane-Eight in Rogue Isles? So it looks like I'm going to have to break into a Copy & Print service tonight. I'll get this lacquer stuff off and take copies of these documents, just in case I'll lose one or two. And I need to check this photograph better. All I can say about Jane-Eight at the moment is that she looks like about a five-year-old... I guess. But there's no date on the back of the photograph. But I need to stop typing now because the battery of this Ma

Whee! Gotta make Zappy going rogue to get her there! (Just a thought....) Or maybe Killgauge will pay a visit :P

EXPLOSION IN INDEPENDENCE PORT

(Independence Port, Paragon City) Yesterday ground shook in Independence Port as a warehouse, believed to be empty, exploded in significant magnitude. Suspecting possible villaneous activity, several PPD patrol were dispatched to investigate, backed up by hero assistance. What is found out so far is that the warehouse was used as a large drug lab, and the investigators assume the explosion was caused by careless handling of volative materials. The officials have found some bodies, yet unindentified, but thanks to the remote location of the warehouse, death-toll is suspected to be low.

PPD STATION UNDER ATTACK - 15 INJURED

(Independence Port, Paragon City) PPD station in Independence Port was attacked yesterday. The attackers quickly found out they were unable to win the battle, and retreated from the station. 11 PPD officers and 4 Longbow officers were injured. There has been some accusations of the assailants being Family hitmen.

PPD PRISONER TRANSFER AMBUSHED

(Kings Row, Paragon City) PPD awakened and PPD psi-corps were alerted yesterday when a convoy of 4 prisoner transport vans was under attack by a powerful psychic. Transport van drivers were rendered braindead, causing the vans to drift aimlessly and then stop. Soon after that the transport vans were attacked by a wave of armed hitmen, accompanied by heavily armed cyborgs and androids. However, the attackers were not able to free the suspects. Instead, during the firefight, all the vans caught fire, and burned to the ground. Tragically, all the suspects and now braindead PPD drivers inside burned to death. Seeing the rescue operation gone terribly wrong, the yet unknown assailants retreated hastily. PPD and Longbow, accompanied by valiant heroes, are still searching for the assailants, possibly still hiding in Kings Row.

"Word on the street says Killgauge has a job to offer."

"What kinda job?"

"Dunno, all I know he seeks men -no aliens or monsters- to do a job. And he needs firepower. 'More guns the better' I've heard he's been saying."

"One time gig? Or long-term stuff?"

"One time short gig. Honestly, that's all I know: a bunch of guys with guns, human men. I think he wants a bunch of hitmen. With a lot of firepower."

"Oh, an assassination. That's cool. Who he wants killed?"

"I dunno. You've gotta ask him."

"Where to find him?"

"You might want to try Pocket-D, but he's rarely seen there. He's been seen to have businesses with Arachnos in Aeon City, Cap au Diable. And sometimes he hangs out in Port Oakes, dunno exactly where in there."

((Kicker for Union RP, someone wants to have someone else assassinated. And needs people to do it. PM @Redefette or contact in game for further info))

DRIVE-BY IN STEEL CANYON - HEROES SEIZE ASSAILANTS

(monday 8th march 2010)
Late last night a convoy of five saloon cars with darkened windows glided in Steel Canyon, and siezed a part of Royal Outlook. It is not exactly known what happened, but soon after these cars were seen to enter this alleged Hellion gang-turf, PPD got tipped of a large scale firefight going on. It is believed the cars were occupied by hitmen, who were ordered to assassinate one or more Hellion gang-leaders controlling their turf in Steel Canyon. As it was found out both of the parties fighting had super-powered individuals in their ranks, PPD called out for hero intervention. Heroes managed to seize some assailants, including Mike "Mooseneck" Hackert, a super-powered hitman allegedly working for the Family. Apprehension of this wanted criminal is credited to Zaphire, young but promising heroine working closely with the PPD. Hellions captured that night were said to have suprisingly strong super-powers, a rumour that has not been verified by PPD.

HELLION ARSONISTS DESTROY EVIDENCE

(Wednesday 17th February 2010)
Early this morning, a harbor warehouse used as a temporary storage for confiscated evidence by Longbow officials, was attacked by numerous Hellion attackers. The ravaging attackers pillaged some of the goods stored in the warehouse, and then lit the rest of them in fire. While a number of the attackers fled with their loot, some other attacker remained at the scene, and fiercely kept firefighters and Longbow soldiers from putting out the fire. Finally, thanks to hero intervention, the Hellions were driven off the harbor and firefighters were given a chance to put out the hellish inferno. Thanks to the heroic effort of men and women of PCFD, a catastrophy was obviated. However, the fire destroyed two warehouses completely before it was put out.

In a fairly new business office room in Atlas Park, Paragon city, Sheila placed a disc, a disc of Stars on an office table. Her father muttered something in a foreign language in a phone, and put down the receiver on an old-fashioned tabletop phone he was using. Then, he put on his reading glasses and took the Star disc in his hands.

"I can bring you all of the rest, if you want them, dad?" Sheila said, and took off the purple shades she was wearing.

"That will not be necessary. We have priorities, Jessica." Herman said to her daughter.

"The name is Sheila, dad. And she wasn't there." Sheila answered. Grinning mischeviously, she took a purple handkerchief from her trenchcoat pocket and started to clean up her sunglasses.

"Our soon-to-be doll wasn't present?" her father asked, and turned the disc over in his hands. Examining it.

"No. She wasn't.. but I found out three persons we could be interested in. Our old friend Catz, reverend Pious Hunter, and a bat-beast Ilemauzer."

"Forget about Catz, Blazeix already has her eyes in her. Reverend Pious Hunter... well, we might come back to the idea of having him. But who is this bat-beast?" Herman, Sheila's father, raised his eyes off the disc he was holding, glancing her daughter.

"She is just the one of the bat-beasts who have given unpleasant nuisance to our brothers and sister underneath Paragon City. From what I experienced during the revival of Drade, her magical powers are more than meets the eye. I find it difficult to say, which one is more powerful... Catz or Ilemauzer."

Herman looked at his daughter for a moment. Then, he carefully put the disc of Stars back on the table.

"More powerful than Catz? Why no-one else of the circle knows about this?"

Sheila shrugged, and put her now clean-wiped shades back on, pocketing her purple handkerchief. Her father was silent for a moment, then he talked to Sheila, in a very calm manner:

"Jessica, we must not endanger our existence in Paragon City with rushed decisions. We need power, but the most important agenda is to keep our noses clean. You need to infiltrate the Midnighter Club first. You done it with the Arachnos, you will do it again with our sworn enemy. But all this can wait. The infiltration, and gaining of more power. Both can wait."

Sheila pouted. Her father continued:

"I need my phone back. I want it back now. I have found out all the magical blocks of the phone have been removed by now. The phone can be electrically hacked by any normal human being any moment by now. I must have that phone back before someone hacks it. It is now your number one priority."

"Gawd sake what's the matter, dad? It's just a phone with some phone numbers. You can easily get a new phone and look at the phone book for numbers." Sheila asked.

"My dear daughter Jessica. There are some names in the phone I would rather keep in secret. Especially the name of our benefactor. Jessica, sooner or later we will be under suspicion. We even may be discovered by the Midnighters. But what ever happens, we must not reveal the name of our helper in Paragon City. His true identity is only known by some, and we are priviledged to be among the few people. I doubt even Baron Zoria knows the name of this mastermind behind the scenes. But we do."

Herman looked serious. But Sheila chuckled:

"So what if his name is found in your phone? It would only be another scandal for him. Gee, not even a scandal, really, he would only deny all knowledge of you and just shrug at it. And I've seen his abilities to slither away from every doubt. Infidelity, sheltering criminals, he even got his friend away with ****, and covered up the murders his [...] committed! That's much worse than connection to us. The guy is a master in media manipulation. Dad, your worries are-"

"Jessica, shut up."

"My name is-"

"Shut up."

Sheila looked at her fathers eyes, but remained silent.

"We got what we wanted. We are now safely inside US borders. We both have legitimate US citizenship. I have received a significant amount of money as a contribution to start my business again. We are out of the reach of Arachnos, Midnighters, heroes and the rest of the Circle of Thorns. He even fixed you your hero licence. Jessica, we will not betray him. From this point on, we only own him a favor. We have nothing else to do with him. Nothing at all. Do you understand?"

"Dad?"

"Do you understand?!"

Sheila looked like she was only barely holding back her anger. Then, she looked at her father in the eyes with a fierce look:

"Dad. My name is Sheila."

"I order you not to interact with him in any way. Just find the phone, and get the phone back. Then, you will infiltrate the ranks of our arch-enemy. Then, you will find Allison, and bring her and Ilemauzer to me. Will you do as I tell you to, Jessica?"

"Yes dad, I will." Sheila nodded.

"Good. It has come to my knowledge our prey now works with Nighthunters, and it is rumoured that the Blood Countess herself has plans concerning the Nighthunters. Jessica, meet the Blood Countess and claim Allison as your exclusive prey. But don't mention our interest in Ilemauzer."

"Ok dad."

Herman picked up the receiver of his old-fashion tabletop telephone again, and started to dial a number. Sheila grunted, and marched out of the room, down the corridor into an elevator. In an empty elevator, on her way down, Sheila started to talk to herself:

"I'm ok dad, thanks for asking. Yeah, I went there to revive Drade who had beaten me down earlier, luckily he didn't recognize me. And yeah, Catz and reverend Pious Hunter were there also but I came back with my undead life. Yeah, dad, I did it just for you. No problem, but I appreciate your gratitude. Here's the disc you wanted. Gee, getting the disc was not necessary after all. No problem, dad."

The elevator reached street level and Sheila walked out of the building. In the front yard of the business building, she turned around, and raised her eyes up at the office windows of the tall skyscraper.

"Now you want me to go and meet the Blood Countess, who probably already knows about us. Why we were driven out of Etoile Isles. And what we really are. And what we want. But dad, I'll do it. Because you tell me to."

Sheila lowered her voice, and muttered silently:

"But know one thing... father. I have a will of my own. I will decide my own future. You're wrong if you think that I'll be just like you."

O_O I have to be somewhere tomorrow but I try to make CoX run on my new awesome mini laptop brought to me by Santa's little helpers. I hope Intel Atom 230 processor, 1024 mB memory and 2-10 kB/s wireless connection is enough.

Ooh the vanity, Sheila would love to have the Star disk. She has overheard of this ritual from Red Commissar, and she has met Drade earlier, briefly, but she sure remembers meeting him.

My new GG active toon now has US citizenship, and soon a hero licence. I can think some reasons for her to help in this matter. Count me in.

Etoile Isles branch of Barquam Exports taken over by Arachnos

(newspaper article 2nd december 2009)

Yesterday, Arachnos forces took over Etoile Isles branch office of Barquam Exports, and froze all the funds of the business. This multinational imports and exports company had 61 employees -including five US citizens- on Etoile Isles, who are presumed all detained by Arachnos officials. Antoinette Deveraux, head of Barquam Exports public relations in Paris, France, regretted the incident and demanded a reason for Arachnos actions. There has been no official comment on Arachnos behalf so far. Neither has US department of state given any official comment.

breaking news : Barquam Exports US detainees liberated : breaking news : Barquam Export..

(an internet news portal article 4th december 2009 13:33 GMT0)

Early this morning, an Arachnos detainee facility was attacked by a superpowered group of an unknown alignment. Group liberated all the five US citizens held by Arachnos, and fled the scene, using teleport abilities. Eye witnesses believe they saw Knives of Artemis -mercenaries taking part in this obvious rescue mission. There has been rumours of some Paragon City -based superheroes teaming with the infamous mercenary group during the rescue operation, but there has been no official, nor unofficial, confirmation of this claim.

((this is a kicker to a short plottage tonight 9pm at GG. Semi-open, but not compulsory: those who don't want to participate, feel free not to participate.))

Cygnus Medical Center statement:
Claire LeRoux, alias Redefette, was declared braindead 10-06-2009 in a quarantined operating room of Cygnus Medical Center. Redefette had suffered massive head-trauma, her cranium had been crushed. Although her nanoids repaired and restored the damages relatively quickly, she remained unresponsive. Psychics were called to find out was it worth to continue risking the other patients and medical staff of the hospital, but the psychics did not find any sign of brain activity what so ever. In order to protect the other patients in the hospital, Redefette's body was promptly disposed.

...

Claire LeRoux was again in Galaxy City. The year was 2003. She was young again. It was 29th of september. Monday.

She opened front door and entered an apartment. The apartment was empty, no furniture, no curtains. Only blank wooden floors, new wallpapers and a scent of freshly renewed apartment. Bright midday sun was shining in the apartment thru curtainless windows.

Claire took a tour in her new home. The apartment had been expensive, but it was in very good shape, it was relatively close to her new job at Galaxy City police station, and it was large. Large enough to house a little family. She slowly walked to a room she had decided to be her bedroom, and smiling happily, she laid down on the floor. She looked up at the roof above her. Then, she closed her eyes and whispered:

"Home. I have home."

She thought about the future. Next week she was going to start her job as a rookie officer at Galaxy City PPD. Her dream of becoming a police officer was about to become true. She was going to be a cop. She was going to help to shape the city around her a better place to live. She was going to make a difference. She was going to do the right thing.

Eyes still closed, she dreamed of her future. Maybe a promotion to a detective, maybe even to a captain? Falling in love, getting married, having a child, maybe two? Having a family. Eventually getting retired and spending days with her loving husband, visiting children, maybe being a grandmother?

Claire giggled at her dreams. Right at that moment, she had no problems. No worries. No trouble.
Only dreams.
And an open future.

Little did she knew.
That brief moment of her life was her purest moment of happiness.


Her heaven.


Neighbour, somewhere upstairs was playing a new Placebo record. She recognized a song, a version of an old Kate Bush song, and although she couldn't hear the lyrics properly, she remembered the lyrics from her childhood. Still laying on the floor, smiling, eyes closed, she sang along:

"It doesn't hurt me
You wanna feel how it feels?
You wanna know, know that it doesn't hurt me?..."

EX-COP SACRIFICES HERSELF TO GET SPRUK, KALLANDRA

Last night former PPD detective Claire LeRoux went alone to Rogue Isles to reveal the masterminds behind murder-sprees on Paragon Waterworks personnel and Masonic Hall PPD charity ball guests. Ex-detective LeRoux fell captive to Spruk, who obviously had just recently escaped Ziggursky Penitentiary with outside help. Spruk shot officer LeRoux multiple times, and started to torture her. Spruk was urged and accompanied by Paragon City hero card holder, Kallandra Mortaana. Both perpetrators are still at large.

Before her death, officer LeRoux was able to transmit live video footage of her own torture to the PPD. Original, high definition footage is said to been extracted from her cybernetics last night. Watch the actual video footage by following the link below. Caution, due to the graphic nature of the video, viewer discretion is adviced.

((The last strike and the use of nail-gun are cut off the public video footage. No press would publish snuff. The press has the cell-phone version Redefette transmitted during the torture.))
((But by the way, the un-cut version of this video is spreading in the internet like a wildfire. This is obviously the HD version, which seems to been extracted from her cybernetics. In addition to brutal nail-gun usage on Redefette, the un-cut version also shows that just before Spruk landed his last baseball bat blow on Redefette's face, Redefette focused her eyes in his, and her vision blurred of tears. Then, the hit rendered everything black.))

Uhm, I'm quite new to CoX roleplaying, and MMORPG roleplaying in general, but I experience this merge confusing. For example, Deaths Row RP. I was away for a week, and the boards got merged in the meantime. I got back and I was excited to read what had been going on since I was away and whooaaah!

The point what I am after is that if some plot is also played in the forums and in the game, and if there is a hero or villain that participates the plot, one should keep in mind that someone could also try to contact that particular person in game. If he or she is in the different server... there is no-one to find in the game.

Redefette's phone beeped as a signal of a received message. Redefette lifted her welding goggles on her forehead and stopped casting something. She walked from a forge to the phone and looked at a picture, received from Spruk. Then she dialed his number and called him.

"Let her go of the table, give her clothes and food, heal her and give her a bed to sleep in. You did read what my message said and I mean it."

Spruk tried to say something to her as a response, but Redefette interrupted him quickly:

"At the moment your guns are in better shape than Lucy. You can either make Lucy in better shape or I can make your guns match Lucy's current condition, it's your choise."

She ended the call before he could even answer again, and then she went back to her forge, murmuring: "...your precious guns will look exactly like Lucy..."

Redefette stood next to cuffed Spruk and stared at Catz. Suddenly, voice in Redefette's head informed her of a laser operated targetting beam, sounded a warning and gave her bearing of the beam origin. Redefette looked up and zoomed into a barrel of a sniper rifle. Or cannon, to be more precice. There was a muzzle flash.

"WATCH OUT!" Redefette screamed to Catz and jumped up to avoid-

She woke up hearing three short beeps in her head. She was lying on grass next to a building she didn't really remember seen before. Her vision was filled with red retangles with flashing borders, text informing her of massive tissue trauma in lower abdomen and significant blood loss. Voice in her head said something about morphine and teleportation to nearest hospital.

"No..." she whispered and tried to get up. She wasn't able. All she could do was to turn on her back, and look at the wound. It was leaking blood. She whimpered and reached into one of her belt pockets, taking out a device that resembled a cell-phone. She activated it, and blocked the teleportation signal from locking into her.

"David is here disguised as Ef. He can walk into a hospital. I can't go there. I must hide."

She grimaced and forced herself to cloak. She wasn't able to turn properly invisible. But she knew she had to hide.

She heard voices of Catz. But also voices of Spruk. They were not near, but she heard them. Redefette took out a communicator from her belt pocket and tried to call the Roost for help, just hearing static noise as response.

"Oh no! I'm jamming my own communicator!" she thought and tried to reach for her jamming device, but her strength were gone. She started to slip into unconsciousness.

She heard Spruk shouting someone called Kem to assist him.

Catz. She was somewhere near.

Again Spruk, this time more near.

Redefette felt someone picking her up from the ground.

"He got me." she thought and forced herself to open her eyes. She saw glimpses of his fleshless face, and green hair as he carried her limb body to somewhere.

"No..." she whispered.

"You are badly hurt. I will take you to hospital."

Familiar voice... but who? Not Spruk... who?

Redefette tried once again open her eyes. Long white hair, not green hair. White hair.

"No. Don't... no.. hospital... to the Roost...please"

He didn't answer. But somehow Redefette knew he was taking her to Roost now. She now remembered who that man was. She smiled and passed out.

A tasered henchman of Spruks danced like a freaked marionette, and then started to collapse to the ground.

"OhNoNoNoNo!" Redefette shouted and ran to take his fall, trying to prevent him from hurting himself. Unfortunately for Redefette, the henchman overweighted her a lot and she was almost completely buried under his colossal figure. After a brief, silent moment Redefette squirmed and wriggled herself free under the unconscious mass of the henchman. She stood up, making sure no-one heard, let alone saw, this rather unpleasant incident, and then she kneeled next to the henchman.

"Why did'nt you listen to me?" she asked the unconscious henchman, taking a gun from his hand, and stucking that gun back into his shoulder holster: "I was not going to send you to prison, I just wanted you to relay a message."

She rummaged his pockets, and found his cell-phone. With a victorious smile on her face, she started to browse the address book of the cell-phone.

"DeeDeeDeeDee...oh? No David? Ok, what about S.. S.. S.. Hrumph. No Spruk, either. How about Bee bee bee bee... oh dang. No boss."

Redefette lowered the cell-phone and pouted, looking at the unconscious henchman with displeasure. Then she stucked the cellphone back into a jacket pocket of the henchman. Then she stood up. For a moment, she rubbed her chin like she was pondering something. Then she pulled out something out of her utility belt pockets. It looked something like a half-inch wide, and couple of inches long cylinder.

Redefette sat on top of the henchmans stomach and pulled the cork off the cylinder with her teeth, muttering: "One way or the other you WILL take my message to him..."