Stalemate

Was just in time too.

I missed all the cool stuff.

Got home too late, and then had a number of household duties *cough*chores*cough* to attend to.

Feel free to come back anytime guys.

The deadline for new events submitted from the playerbase is July 1, 2011, at midnight.

[Protector: Day of Vigilance - Official Storyline]


Assemble the Team


I was in mid-leap when Rastafari-Man answered my call.

"Hello?" He sounded a little winded.

"Leonard, this is Stephen," I said. I never used his last name. I wasn't sure if he was sensitive about it. "Winklebean" sounded more like a kindergarten taunt than a superhero's moniker.

I heard his breathing stop a few seconds before he replied.

"What-do-you-want?" he let out in one continuous breath.

"Your help, in exchange for some information you'll find invaluable," I continued. "Let's meet somewhere."

"El Super Mexicano in Faultline," he proposed immediately.

Faultine, or Overbrook, was in the process of being rebuilt, but the important infrastructures were already in place. Criminal elements were rampant, vying for a piece of the action in a town where the law barely had a grasp on things. It was a lively place.

"I hope you don't mind if I went ahead and ordered," Rastafari-Man said. He was in full costume, and working his way through what appeared to be a third burrito. An attendant appeared as I took the seat opposite him in the booth.

"Anything else, sir?"

Rasta, as he was popularly known, raised an eyebrow in my direction and I took the cue. "Nothing for me, thanks." Rasta followed up with a sentence where I recognized only the words "cerveza preparada". I wish I spoke Spanish. It had been on my to-do list for years.

"Long time no see, Staley," Rastafari-Man broke the ice. Despite my prolonged foray into the Rogue Isles, Rasta was never one to judge others based on actions that did not implicitly affect him. Plus, we'd worked together in the past. I was counting on our past and his benevolent character trait to grant me the time needed to plead my cause.

"Indeed Rasta. Too long," I replied.

We shot the breeze for a bit, and I painted the last year out for him on broad strokes, concluding with my current predicament of attracting some heavy-hitters.

"I hate to impose Rasta, so I'll level with you right now, upfront." I started. "I'm going to give you the names of everyone involved in the kidnappings in Warburg. The ones where your scientist friend was a victim." I handed him a tablet, where Hidden Demise's list of goons appeared.

Rastafari-Man swallowed hard, the greenish tint in his eyes intensifying. His eyes looked the list quickly over before he put the tablet down.

"I knew about Hidden Demise's involvement, like everyone else. She'd been rather proud to announce her deed to get the ransom payment. But until now, I'd had a hard time tracking down those who actually did the dirty work," Rasta said. "What do you need?"

It felt like we'd gotten right back into where we'd left off. If one could say one thing about Rastafari-Man, it was that you did not mess with his friends. Perhaps this collaboration could help cover up the stigmata an ex-villain like me would carry with him, perhaps forever. Having Rasta's backing was tantamount to free publicity.

We talked some more, switching from reminiscing about the past to planning for this future mission.

"So, let me recap," Rastafari-Man said. "I'll be causing a little havoc in Warburg by setting up a bounty on the heads of those involved, and perhaps even those uninvolved who can take it - it's a free-fire zone after all - to cause some confusion and commotion. We kill two birds with one stone."

"Perfect," I replied. "This way I can use the time getting in touch with more heroes, and hopefully get them rallied behind this cause. I can't begin to explain how much this means to me, personally, and how much help this will help thwart whatever evil scheme is being laid against Paragon City."

"Let me call a few people," Rasta concluded. "Open a few more doors for you. We'll meet in Warburg later as we planned. Miguel, my tab please!"

I let myself out while an argument got underway behind me about someone's money not being good in this restaurant, and whose pleasure it really was to have such great visitors.

After a brief rest, I headed back out, heading for Warburg this time.

This was a sorry town, one where the evil deeds of the Council had been replaced by the evil deeds of Arachnos. From bad to worse. The civilian population is tossed between the economic security provided by Arachnos and the public security that Longbow is trying to put into place. You could not trust anyone here, not even people who you'd assume were "friendly" if you met them in other parts of the city.

I headed straight into the underground, known as the "Web". I navigated my way down into enemy territory, nudging the stealth systems into operation. I was still visible to natural eyes, but mechanicals would have a harder time pinpointing my exact location, and I'd be a harder target to hit while they were in operation.

I skirted by Spiderlings and automated turrets protecting the Arachnos facilities, until I found what I was looking for in one of the inadequately lit recesses: a white laboratory frock. The trouble was, it was surrounded by misshapen humanoid forms which grunted and croaked menacingly around the bespectacled man wearing it.

"Help me!" he cried, and that was all the motivation I needed to edge closer to the group, scans targeting multiple mutates and returning whatever data they could find.

I had faced these before. Poisonous barbs. Webbing. Venomous spittle. One could assume they were the result of some disgusting pairing of human and spider, but in fact they were the end product of Project Fury. A synthesis of Lord Recluse's own blood flowed in their veins, and their hostility matched that fact.

This poor man's chances of survival would have been dim under other circumstances.

One FREEM-laden punch flashed out and one arachnoid fell. Four others circled around, one of them the apparent natural leader of this little clan, spiting webbing and neurotoxins and keeping out of melee range. Chesty Puller's words came to mind: "All right, they're on our left, they're on our right, they're in front of us, they're behind us...they can't get away this time."

The fight didn't last long. I knew to pace myself now, the armor's multiple updates and enhancements could allow me to literally stand there forever and take their attacks without damage. Or at least, no damage that was not immediately repaired by the nanites constantly seeking flaws in the exoshell and repairing them.

Servos silently exerted pressure, targeting systems pinpointed incoming attackers, energy was released through powered gauntlets, and arachnoids fell to the floor one by one.

"Thank goodness you were here!" the researcher said, painting and holding on to my arm for support. He was visibly shaken and I helped him steady himself while he continued.

"These creatures are getting increasingly bold and violent! I don't know what will happen if they're left to their own devices." He inhaled deeply and faced me. "Help me get out safely to my research bunker, and I'll make it worth your while."

I replied: "No need for payment, all I seek is information. While we head to a safer area, what can you tell me about the kidnappings that went on around here a few months ago?"

I lead the way and he followed closely behind. I kept the scanners activated, avoiding the arachnoids as much as possible. Some took notice of us, but did not attack. "I wasn't there personally then - I was hired after that whole thing went down," he said. "As a matter of fact, I was hired to replace one of the many who left after that incident. Arachnos doesn't mind paying for your knowledge and does invest in a decent insurance plan, but that organization has no concept of security. It's like they assume no one will dare take them on."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I was hoping to get some background on why Hidden Demise had suddenly changed her mind and released the kidnapped scientists back then, considering she apparently stood to lose money by doing so," I continued.

The scientist slowed down while I pressed forward, thinking before pursuing his way. "Well, I can tell you what the guy I'm replacing told me, if you'd like. Turns out he was quite talkative when he had a few in him. And he'd had quite a few already, that day he was supposed to be training me as his replacement."

I motioned for him to stop while I entered the corridor leading to the walkway, and was immediately attacked by spiderlings and turrets which spewed flechette rounds almost continuously until I'd dispatched them all. They crowded in so close I only had to use a spinning attack, hitting the ground with a charged gauntlet to inject the ground with a FREEM charge which suffused upwards almost immediately into the robots. Stragglers were taken out rapidly with shots of lasers.

"That would be better than nothing, I guess," I replied as I motioned for him to come up the ramp with me.

We wove a path through Warburg's dismal streets under the cover of night. Street lamps were lacking and the Arachnos patrols were noisy enough to hear them from a distance.

He explained to me how these former Arachnos scientists had been kidnapped from everywhere around Warburg in one fell swoop. The Web and the research bunkers had been assaulted with synchronized timing, and researchers blindfolded before being taken to an unknown location.

"That guy went on and on explaining how he'd been put to work on building some thingamajigs that could interface with the temporal anchors in Recluse's Victory. When they were done, they were immediately released with Hidden Demise saying something to the fact that someone out there had 'paid their ransom', but there was always something shady about that whole thing," he sneered. "He was so gone by that time I couldn't be sure if he was just making it up to appear more interesting than he really was. I never saw him again after that. Some heard he'd retired to Galaxy City."

The man in the lab coat eventually pointed out his final destination: a bunker guarded by Wolf Spider soldiers and a Toxic Tarantula. I made quick work of the Wolf Spiders - little more than hired thugs in flashy gear, but the tarantula proved to be a little more challenging. The nanites got a harder workout composing with the venomous attacks of the giant spider. Once the confrontation was settled, the lab technician came out of hiding and ran for the door, without so much as a look behind him.

I was taken aback by his behavior and as my attention wasn't on my scanners, I didn't notice the temperature gauges dropping.

That was my first mistake.

A chilling voice came from behind me: "Looking for trouble?"

I spin around realizing while the scanners return details on this new arrival that here was the reason my ward was in such a hurry. The electronic scanners, and my brain’s recognition came to the same conclusion at the same time. The air gets cooler still.

"Evil Chiller X," I blurt out.

"You *do* remember!", he grins, surrounded by shimmering air shocked by the sudden change in temperature. There are actual flakes forming around him as he lashes out with an attack before I'm braced for it. "Snooping around where you shouldn't will get you killed fast around these parts, Staley."

That was my second mistake.

Sleet and ice hit the armor with gale force. There is no real damage, but the servos are having a hard time dealing with the change in temperature coupled with the freezing humidity. A sluggishness sets in. I can actually feel the armor slowing down. The HUD announces a reduction in operational effectiveness while I start manoeuvring into a defensive position, activating countermeasures.

He sees he has the upper hand. After all, we've sparred before on the Fight Nights and I never could find a way to overcome his attacks. As a technocrat I firmly believed that science, and engineering would allow mankind to reach new heights. Unfortunately, technology was playing catch-up to some of nature's own innovations. No matter how long I had been weaving a line amongst Paragon City's metahuman culture, I wasn't one of them. Not really.

Here, now, this present conflict pushed that reality to the surface. This "villain" kept laying on the onslaught of his cold and ice based power onto me, just out of my reach, as I tried desperately to get in closer. Evil Chiller X's dominating tone foreshadowed the inevitable outcome. "My, my. I actually hoped you'd be a challenge out of the 'ring'. That you'd let loose and put up a fight this time - get into that whole survival instinct mode. This isn’t a game you’ll walk away from this time. HD will be grateful that you won't take that information with you."

My paltry beams were barely scratching the icy surface of his defenses. This was going nowhere, fast. Readouts were announcing the imminent shutdown of the mobility systems. The fluids just could not take all this paralyzing cold. Black ice was crusting over my optics. My foe formed an glacial spike over a fist which extended outwards, menacingly edged.

"Incoming!" screamed a voice off in the distance. I noticed first a roman styled flash of black and electric pink accompanied by others. "Concentrate on our objective, Chill!” Hidden Demise admonished. There were others behind her, and I could see the man I’d just rescued being manhandled away while another covered his head with a black hood.

Evil Chiller X turned in the direction of the sound and hesitated. "S**t," he muttered, "We'll have to finish this up later." And then he was gone. That was the end of it. What were they doing here in the first place? I hated not having all the facts.

I turned my helmet a little in the direction of the commotion, straining the gears in the direction opposite of where the villain had headed to.

A gloom shrouded red hood and cloak. Claws like shears flashing in the light, and an impressive armored figure in black and blood red bearing a shield.

Sooner Spirit, Major T, and Keltarn. An unexpected and quite welcome rescue team.

"Hold on there Stalemate," Sooner Spirit said. "Rasta told us you'd be around here and we-"

A voice cut into the conversation, simultaneously on our broadcast communicators and the city's public address system.

"Your attention please. I am offering a bounty on whoever puts some hurt on Evil Chiller X! Stay tuned for more names when I've received confirmation that this clown has bit it. *Everyone* who has had some link with the kidnappings that occurred here is about to get a 'talking to', Rasta style."

Maybe a little late for my taste, but never too much so.

Style indeed.

------------------------------------
*This story refers to events which occurred as part of "FREEM!", Arc ID 500280. If you have not played it it, it is highly recommended you take a few minutes now to do so.
------------------------------------


[Protector: Day of Vigilance - Official Storyline]


Middlegame

By EtherFalcon and Stalemate


"YOU'VE FAILED ME!", the nightmarish apparition rumbled at me. "YOU FRAUD!", it raged on.

The face changed, merged, alternating between the faces of the accusers: My deceased wife. Madam Masada. My departed son. Melissa Hartgrave. Even former associates and Alexis Alexander (which made no sense) pointed fingers at me in a succession of derisive, angry jabs at my psyche. The words hit me like arrows.

My subconscious opted to retreat from the onslaught and I woke up grunting, sweating, gripping the sheets with twitching hands.

3:36 AM.

Sleep was no longer an option tonight. I pulled on the jogging gear, not bothering to freshen up, and aimed my body at the pavement outside my home while my mind was kept pointed towards my internal discordance.

The accusations of inadequacy still burned in my mind. I couldn't shake their eyes from me and I speeded up, perhaps hoping to escape them. I'm sure a psychotherapist would have loved to spend some time analyzing what was happening to me, but in reality, I already knew.

I no longer had the luxury of pretending my decision to turn my back on justice and goodness had anything to do with seeking the truth. My thirst for revenge would never be quenched. The losses would always surpass the gains on the side I was on. I was nowhere near being in control of what had transpired in the last year and I felt used. Abused. Betrayed again.

By the time I was done calculating the options presented before me, I'd managed to find my way back home without really paying attention to the route. I was heaving, completely drenched, just shy of nausea and just in time to hear the alarm go off at 5 am.

Longest run ever, in multiple ways.

There was still some effort that would be required to go to finally get back to where I belonged. But at least the path was right, this time. The running was over.

On my way to meet with EtherFalcon at his base I took a slight detour when I learned someone was keeping a fake blog in my name and had publicly announced some misdeed "I" was to accomplish. It was time to get my reputation back in line and this detour allowed me to vent off a little more pressure at the same time.

The PSF War Room was everything I'd expected: high-tech, hard to find, and occupied by EtherFalcon already.

I didn't bother probing the surrounding systems deeper than the initial surface scan the AI had automatically put into effect. It wasn't that I doubted our mutual systems' abilities to skitter around each other, finding weak spots and leveraging advantages, but I simply did not want to. I needed allies, and despite the devious maneuvering this man had done against me I had no inclination to further alienate someone who had cared enough about his fellow man to go to those lengths with me. I reigned mine in when, if you'll pardon the metaphor, they started mutually nipping at each other's heels, but kept the countermeasures active.

That didn't mean we were BFFs, by any stretch of the imagination. The opening of our game had been approached in a coldly aggressive manner and I think we both preferred to keep things that way.

"So did you find anything interesting in that warehouse? I know I did." EtherFalcon asked as I continued approaching him. He didn't turn around, choosing instead to stay perfectly still in an at-ease position, facing the back wall bank of monitors that showed various locations throughout Paragon City and the Rogue Isles.

"My team uncovered evidence that Crey Industries had their tier 1 scientists plugging away at the FRacas Effect Energy Manipulation containment problem. Even with some partial blueprints they may have had access to, their progress is stalled," I answered. "There is still no way for Crey to cross the hurdle of actually assembling stable units - not without assistance at least."

I recalled the events surrounding the acquisition of this evidence, and the unpleasant outcome for one person who just wanted to do what was right. From now on, I was going to do my damnedest to be one of those who stood up for those who could not.

The voice from the other side of the winged helmet became increasingly clear as he turned slowly around, hand resting on his belt. "As suspected. And it sounds like you’ve learned your lesson about ‘trust’. They played you like a fiddle, but… try not to lose any sleep over it."

That last sentence… was that sarcasm? Was that intentional? Did he know more than he let on? One thing was certain, this guy could play mind games like no other. Strangely, that didn't make me trust him more, even if I now knew his intentions were just.

"I'm aware of this now. And I'm dealing with it", I replied curtly, hoping to avoid the subject

"I hope so. Let's dispense with the machismo and get down to brass tacks. Have a seat. Here's what is happening right now," he started bringing up files and I set my armor's AI to précis mode, absorbing any data shared.

EtherFalcon went to some length presenting his research, and parts of a plan he had set in motion already. He was quite the strategist. The number of FREEM units now suspected to be in circulation was upwards of twelve thousand.

“I managed to get a name off one of the Malta at that warehouse,” EtherFalcon paused, as if for effect, before finishing: “Hidden Demise”. His words confirmed what information he'd shared with my "fact-finding" team earlier.

"We've met," I told him. "Those Fights Nights are quite cathartic, as well as provide an copious amount of sources of information one could probably not get anywhere else. She's not exactly approachable, but she loves to see the stakes go up on good matches - including those where the rookies challenge her into."

"Well everything we've been collating so far points in her direction, so I've made arrangements to get more information from that end. There's something odd about her involvement in this. She's not usually one to get her hands in these types of mastermind plots," EtherFalcon mused.

I waited until he came back to the conversation: "In addition to what you already know, Hidden Demise had a plan in the works a while back to kidnap the Warburg scientists for ransom, which was ultimately ended by a mysterious backer funding their release. It wasn’t enough money to justify her releasing them, especially when her goons needed to be paid, so there must have been another reason.”

He turned back around, facing the back monitors again, and continued, “You said something back at the docks the other day… you said, ‘Crey doesn't have what it takes to handle FREEM tech. This requires someone who's intimately familiar with not only quantum theory as applied to pan-dimensional interactions, but also nuclear physics.’”

He continued, “Guess who else I found who’s familiar with nuclear physics, as applied to pan-dimensional interactions?” EtherFalcon put the monitor bank in side-by-side mode and brought up an Arachnos employment roster on one half of the screen while photo face shots populated the other half of the screen. As he tilted his head down I watched as the screen moved to position itself on the direction of his cowl’s gaze, until it centered on a name.

“Expand.” At EtherFalcon’s command, the screen brought up the full employment profile for Holsten Armitage. “This guy. Hired corporation, he was one of the co-developers of 'Project Architect', the dimensional simulator that’s popped up all over our fair city. Guess where Armitage was temporarily assigned after his little video game project? Warburg. Guy’s a nuclear physicist by trade, and claims to have built a time machine to come back to our time from 20 years into the future. Also, fun fact: he was stationed there during the time of the kidnappings.” EtherFalcon turned, sat back down in his chair, and stared directly at me as if he was expecting the answer to a question he hadn’t asked.

I tilted my head back, in an unconscious way of letting thoughts fall in together: “If this guy is an expert in both applied pan-dimensional theory and nuclear physics, it’s conceivable he could have been used to assemble and weaponize the FREEM, maybe even using the Warburg rockets as a delivery device. We need to learn what the ultimate purpose is for all this."

EtherFalcon looked up from the terminals. “And at this point, we need to start thinking pro-actively about how to match power for power.”

“You sound like you’ve already given this some thought,” I surmised.

I saw a kink appear at the corner of his mouth. “Santa Laws isn’t the only one that knows how to make a list.”

“War Room: Give me ‘Watch List’ on the back wall”, EtherFalcon commanded as he smoothly slid out of his chair. A list of hero profiles that covers the entire back bank of monitors in the War Room appears, cascading windows atop each other.

I stared at the listings. "This list reads like a "who's who" among the elite protectors of Paragon City. 'Vorac Jr., Drake Crator, Sooner Spirit, Rastafari Man, StormVyxen, Keltarn, Major T... This roster has enough firepower for a full scale meta-war."

"I'm worried it won't be enough," EtherFalcon said. "If there's as much FREEM being built as we estimate there is, we're going to need all the help we can get, and you're going to make that happen."

"Is your helmet on too tight? This was challenging enough when it was only to reach out to this list you have!", I argued.

"I got you to come back, didn't I?", EtherFalcon said with an expression like he had just promoted a pawn.

"Not funny."

He pressed on: "We appeal to their ego, and their wallets - then their sense of duty. We first announce a contests and competitions with a large prize package, big enough to get every hero in the city to come out, and then we present our case."

I started thinking. "Ok, great, but what about these other big names? They don't need the cash, and you don't exactly have the kind of reputation required to call in a favor from any of them."

"I'm not going to call them, you are. We need a shining beacon of hope to unite around. I'm not that guy, but YOU could be. Once again," he countered.

The voice synthesizer in my helmet couldn't process doubt, thankfully, but I still had to move this ahead and get things moving in the right direction for us.

"You mentioned the scientist kidnappings earlier," I said. "I think I just may have a foot in the door for your recruiting drive then..."

“Don’t you mean, YOUR recruiting drive?” he retorted. “Call me when you have something useful. I’ve got a date with a reporter.”

I let the vagueness of the comment slide, and left the War Room, already searching my contacts for a name.

A name that could open some doors that on my own I couldn't even look at right now.

Leonard Winklebean.

I am especially interested in this Master run you mention here, so I'm in. This is one of the last 2 I need villain side (MoBarracuda and MoLRSF).

11am eastern, correct?

Happy Birthday!

Bonne fête !

Thanks a lot.

I'm busy until 2-3 PM eastern.

Will this be happening all afternoon long?

We did good.

I love this.

This is what I try to do everytime I run AE arcs.

Hope I can make it.

I totally KS'd you there.

All times are eastern.

Thanks for pointing it out SG. I mentioned it in passing IIRC in the draft thread but it was never confirmed here.

[Protector: Day of Vigilance - Official Storyline]


FREEM!

The cruise back into Paragon City was thankfully uneventful. I was keenly aware of Alexis Alexander's glances towards me as we churned our way towards the Paragon Free Press offices. The armor was on, scanning and reporting but my mind was only half interested in those feeds. The waning sun over the water cast eerily colored shapes as melancholy did the same on the surface of my mind. A growing dissatisfaction was peaking. Mid-life crisis or regret - or both, it was hard to say what was fueling it. But the timing was right for a change.

It was odd for me to be in the presence of a reporter who did not feel immediately obligated to pry into my life as soon as we were alone. I had assumed the time spent navigating our way to Independence Port would be an endless series of questions. Perhaps that's why I was so forthcoming when her single question finally came. Still, it took a second to pry my awareness in her direction.

"So, you were a hero once?"

The query stirs up the already roiling maelstrom of self-doubt that has been percolating within me ever since laying eyes on Madam Masada earlier today. Her resemblance to my deceased wife was too striking to be called a coincidence. The center could not hold.

"Some would argue I still am, Ms. Alexander, but that my motivations have changed."

She maintained the silence just near the point of being uncomfortable and I added, "But yes, it would take a stretch of the imagination to say my actions of late had anything to do with heroism. I'm not even sure what I'd label myself these days."

The rest of the conversation, or rather my monologue, I asked that she keep off the record for the time being. Perhaps one day the rest of the story will come out. For now, given what was developing I did not think it wise to be overly visible in the media.

EtherFalcon met us as we berthed and after a few words with Ms. Alexander he came back and addressed me. I ignored the obvious attempt at intimidation inherent in the design of his costume and flashy headgear. In my own experience, the clothes almost never made the man.

"So, did you find what you were looking for over in the Isles?" Despite the provocative nature of the hero’s question, the delivery was deadpan, void of detectable emotion.

"You've got a lot of nerve, Falcon."

"Crey wound you up like a toy soldier intending to cut you loose on the city. It provided them a convenient cover for their propaganda about how their takeover of NCE was warranted. Somebody had to shake you out of it before you went all 'Law Abiding Citizen' on someone. I'm sure you'll forgive my direct methods in approaching you when you hear the dire situation I've uncovered." EtherFalcon's delivery was curt, matter-of-fact.

"I understand how far one must go to get answers, and that sometimes lines have to be crossed", I continued. "But don't let the fact that you've managed to get through my armor, so to speak, to sway me psychologically or emotionally mean anything. You still need to convince me logically that what you're presenting is fact," I retorted.

The mood was coldly professional, and neither of us seemed to mind keeping it that way.

EtherFalcon went on: "I understand, so I'll get right to the point."

"I have unearthed information that points to the acquisition of technology and blueprints which, in the right hands, could be used to construct Fracas Effect Energy Manipulation devices. My current estimates put the potential unit count at 6500 and growing."

I wasn't surprised by the information, but had to wonder how come this hero had information similar to that I had just received in the last 24 hours. His source was even better than mine, as what I held sheer luck had provided by an informant.

"I assume that if you're telling me this it's because you think I might be implicated," I replied.

EtherFalcon's stance relaxed a bit, in the way a snake appears to relax before striking. ""Put it to you this way," he exhaled slowly, "the first thing I did after identifying the finished product as FREEM tech was to update the targeting coordinates of my orbital base energy cannon." He turned his gauntlet over to project a small holographic set of numbers above his forearm. "You no doubt recognize the coordinates."

The only location of mine that was missing on the display’s rotating coordinates was the orbital station. This guy was pretty good. "Just in case you had to take me out of the game. People are right, you ARE paranoid."

"It's not paranoia if people really ARE out to get you, Stephen. Better to have an option I don't need than need one I don't have. That said, your personal involvement was disproved shortly thereafter. I don't think you're half as villainous as your reputation implies you are, or even yourself might think.”

I blinked.

"Also, links have been found to implicate Crey," he added.

I gritted my teeth.

"You really _do_ have a way to keep a person's attention focused on what you're saying," I managed. "But Crey doesn't have what it takes to handle FREEM tech. They can barely reverse engineer their way through the day when dealing with conventional technology. No creativity. This requires someone who's intimately familiar with not only quantum theory as applied to pan-dimensional interactions, but also nuclear physics. The only person I would suspect being able to eventually intuit the inner workings of FREEM would be - "

" - Dr. Aeon," EtherFalcon completed. "I've looked in that possibility as well. No go. And Arachnos wouldn't bother hiding their black market activities in gathering up the hardware if they were involved, so that's another possibility removed. The scope of this thing is phenomenal, but I don't think we're facing the usual peanut gallery."

The hamster woke up with a start and started spinning the wheel in my head. "Unless... Unless my own source of information was correct. Crey's deviousness would not surprise me. We need to act now before they realize we're on to them."

"I agree. What did you have in mind?" EtherFalcon said, shifting his stance in way that hinted of overdeveloped physical control.

"Your intel and mine complete a part of the puzzle. My own source tells me there's a possibility that some of the old NCE schematics might still be around in one of the automated backup sites we had, before..." I trailed off voluntarily, not wanting to lose my focus again.

"This facility in Baumtown is off the grid. It was exclusively linked to the NCE Labs but this is no longer the case. I'll get a team ready to investigate it. I can't go in person, for ... legal reasons, but there are still a few people I trust, and some which, I'm hoping, still trust me."

"You do that," EtherFalcon retorted. "I'll follow my own trail to a Crey warehouse that just recently saw its security updated. Not as if the Malta Group is worth much in terms of efficacy."

"You're going alone?" I said, weighing if his boldness was justified and whether or not this would affect the investigation's success.

“Yes" came his answer. "I’ll be able to operate more freely and quietly that way. If these glorified security guards get wind someone is on to them, they will tighten their game up and we’ll lose their trail. I want them unaware and making mistakes.”

"Fine," my own reply came a little colder than I intended. I didn't know him well enough to feel as confident as he did.

That was the extent of our goodbyes. As he turned away I summoned up the old armor into presence around me. Clarke was right when he declared that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Even in our current day and age of metahumans I still drew stares from the public whenever I did this.

Out of curiosity, I launched a scanning subroutine on EtherFalcon as soon as my systems came online. Analyzing weaknesses was a habit whenever I encountered other metahumans.

The report came in with a slight delay. He must have had some stealth mechanisms in place to account for the slowdown.

The costume was laced with a biomesh. The wireframe of which followed closely EtherFalcon's nervous system. At first glance I was thinking the suit gave him the speed and agility he was known for, but as I probed the incoming feed I realized it augmented an innate power. To quote a well-known hero: "Interesting..."

A computerized system was detected in the winged helmet. And here I was thinking this guy was simply trying to show off with a flashy costume. I wondered if there were other subterfuges in his arsenal besides misdirection. EtherFalcon turned slightly, looking over his shoulder. Surprise came in a double dose: the helmet's sensors apparently detected my scan, and EtherFalcon was wearing my face. Or at least, a mimetic hologram reproduced from an extensive database, reported my armor’s HUD. My own face smirked at me as he turned away.

The machismo-tinged interlude completed, I went back into a different kind of self-reflection, leaping away.

True, this current mission was still very much in tune with my ... penchant ... when it came to causing Crey Industries as much hardship as I could. To think I used to be on a first name basis with The Countess sent shivers up my spine.

I couldn't shake the betrayal I still felt, the ignominy of Crey's actions. But if I was to be honest with myself, some of my own actions fell right in line with what I once so reviled.

Despite all the improbable justifications I once used to explain myself, it was time to take some time to contemplate who I really am and make some choices.

I only hoped that the team roster I was contemplating: Dutch Muscateer, Ycebergg, Lady Cryostat, Talbein Vikshus, ... could still see in me that which I no longer believed I had. I could rely on no one else to explore the abandoned NCE facility and entrust with anything they found therein.





_______________________________________________
NB: To pursue the storyline, it is stronly suggested you play the AE Arc #500280: "FREEM!" Be aware that this can be a challenging arc for some archetypes or teams. This is intentional.

You asked for it, so here it is:

Protector Day - Outline

PVP activities

• RV Duel sessions
• 9 PM - Warburg Bounty Hunt
• Role Playing PvP revolving around a scenario.

PvE Activities

• 11 AM - Misfits Task Force Commander Accolade
• Trivia contest in Protector Vigilance channel throughout the day
• Group TF race(s).
• Solo Ouroboros TF race
• Hide and Seek
• 5 PM - Rush the Rikti - Bombing Run
• Monster Island Clean Up
• Mentor Project activities

Costume / Bio contests

• Best Lore-centric Bio contest
• Best couple costumes
• Friday Evening, July 8 - Dress your Badge
• Now That’s Clever - most creative use of costume parts
• True Patriot – Patriotic themed heroes, incorporating Red/White/Blue
• World’s Finest – Best Hero costume - Costumes should reflect the types worn during the golden age of comics
• Avenging Angel – best Vigilante theme costume
• Dark Lord – Best Supervillain costume - Costumes should reflect the types worn during the golden age of comics.
• Heart of Gold – Best Rogue theme costume
• Mild-Mannered – best hero alter ego costume
• Seemed so Normal – best villain alter ego costume
• Boy Wonder/Girl Wonder – Best hero sidekick themed costume
• Second Fiddle – Best villain sidekick themed costume
• Dynamic Duo – Best Hero Team costume(2+)
• Unholy Alliance – Best Villain Team costume(2+)
• Chosen One – best Hero themed Bio
• Fall from Grace – best Vigilante themed bio
• Born of Darkness – best Villain theme Bio
• Road to Redemption – best Rogue themed bio

Other Activities

• Character Design Panel: Troy Hickman, JWBullfrog (confirmed).
• PVP Panel: Shining Magic, Evil Chiller X, EtherFalcon (confirmed).

Times in BOLD have been confirmed.

The names of the hosts have been omitted for now.

You asked for it, so here it is:

Protector Day - Outline

PVP activities

• RV Duel sessions
• 9 PM - Warburg Bounty Hunt
• Role Playing PvP revolving around a scenario.

PvE Activities

• 11 AM - Misfits Task Force Commander Accolade
• Trivia contest in Protector Vigilance channel throughout the day
• Group TF race(s).
• Solo Ouroboros TF race
• Hide and Seek
• 5 PM - Rush the Rikti - Bombing Run
• Monster Island Clean Up
• Mentor Project activities

Costume / Bio contests

• Best Lore-centric Bio contest
• Best couple costumes
• Friday Evening, July 8 - Dress your Badge
• Now That’s Clever - most creative use of costume parts
• True Patriot – Patriotic themed heroes, incorporating Red/White/Blue
• World’s Finest – Best Hero costume - Costumes should reflect the types worn during the golden age of comics
• Avenging Angel – best Vigilante theme costume
• Dark Lord – Best Supervillain costume - Costumes should reflect the types worn during the golden age of comics.
• Heart of Gold – Best Rogue theme costume
• Mild-Mannered – best hero alter ego costume
• Seemed so Normal – best villain alter ego costume
• Boy Wonder/Girl Wonder – Best hero sidekick themed costume
• Second Fiddle – Best villain sidekick themed costume
• Dynamic Duo – Best Hero Team costume(2+)
• Unholy Alliance – Best Villain Team costume(2+)
• Chosen One – best Hero themed Bio
• Fall from Grace – best Vigilante themed bio
• Born of Darkness – best Villain theme Bio
• Road to Redemption – best Rogue themed bio

Other Activities

• Character Design Panel: Troy Hickman, JWBullfrog (confirmed).
• PVP Panel: Shining Magic, Evil Chiller X, EtherFalcon (confirmed).

Times in BOLD have been confirmed.

The names of the hosts have been omitted for now.

Boots sent to Arch last night.

Sio, what would you like to have? I forgot to ask you...


If there's anyone else interested in seeing their character cameo'd in an upcoming story, Monday June 6 will be the deadline for submissions. The costume recipe offer still stands.

The story needs to be written, checked, and then eventually released next week. ;-)

Tangentially related:

Steampunk Name Generator

Mine would be "Squad Leader Zeke Littlefield"


I picked this up from the Defiant server section.

Rocket Boots it is buddy. I'll get those out to you via ingame email tomorrow night. =)



In other news:

You've heard it here first folks!

There will soon be a dedicated Ventrilo server made available for the Protector community.

Indeed, @Lotus Maximus will be announcing it officially at a later date, but he's authorized me to mention right now that there will be a channel made available in time for our event named Protector Vigilance.

Even if you're not a big fan of participating in voice chat, simply listening in just *might* give participants an added advantage that the type chat players will not have. ;-)