catsi563

Wow thats an awfully deep hole. we need to fill it.

* WALLOPS!!! Blarghy in the head with warmace. sends blarghy falling into hole watches blarghy recede in distance*

"Very good Vim rest for now." Delphi spoke softly. "Lord Dire has made some arraignements for your return to the battle. It well come soon. then you well have revenge."

As Delphi spoke a small drone walked forward and handed Vim a belt with a pair of metallic gloves. As Vim Studied them she replied ascerbically

" Im already fashion conscious thanks." disdaining the accoutrements offered to her.

" These are made for you." Delphi responded. "the belt is designed to generate a counter energy field. which is then channeled through the gloves.."YAHYAH they make pretty lights." Vim spat out "You and Lord Dire are boring me so cut to the chase."

Then Delphi showed her something that made her look at the gloves and belt with a wicked smile that would have sent shivers down the spine of the devil himself.

The holo simulation showed that the gloves and belt were designed to fight energy generating heroes. by disrupting there natural energy frequencies.

((think luminous using redsun energy to beat superman senceless hes not any stronger but the energy makes him hit like a jackhammer))

Seeing the understanding on Vims face. Delphi replied. " Yes Vim these combined with your strength well enable you to kill him at your leisure." as she said this a picture of Billyboy appeared showing the gloves and belt allready attuned to his energy wave lengths.

"I want him dead now. " She snarled as she quickly put on the belt and gloves.

"Soon. Lord Dire has some small use for him but when that usefullnes is at an end he wished me to assure you that he well be yours." she replied. " you may watch from here and remain prepared He well call you soon to collect your bounty."

A holographic representation of the events from the perspective of a sensor drone that shadowed them came up for Vims view. as a drone came up bearing a tray of drinks and small sandwhiches for ehr consumption.

on the screen she watched billyboy as he joined Lord Dire and mutai kid, and Psi earth. the 4 of them moving towards the command center. Billyboy seemed to be laughing at some thing laughing at her she clenched the chair arm crushing it in her enraged grip. she gritted out.

"Laugh now billyboy. youll be laughing out the otherside of your face next time i see you."

Delphis holgraphic image stood silently by awaiting the command form Lord Dire that would send Vim to finish what she started.

GIGGLESNORTBLABBERSPLATFUGENGRUVEN

*seeing Billyboy elsewise engaged Lord Dire descided not to interfere except in one small way.*

" Delphi lock on to the vims energy signature and transport her to secure base location 2." He stated to his armors comm system, after turning off the external feed so his erstwhile allies could not hear him." keep her comfortable and provide medical assistance for her."

" yes Lord Dire trasporting now." came the reply

As Vim fell she was caught in the transport beam of a small probe and teleported to an infirmary in one of Lord Dires smaller safe houses in Founders Falls. she would awaken after being attened too by his perosnal medical bots. HE might have an use for the fiersome assassin. but not now.

Lord Dire was very careful to keep his thoughts quiet. while he was confident that his armors psy dampners and feedback generators would protect him from telepathic intrusion. he knew psi earth was a strong telepath who might be able to read surface thoughts even with his shielding.

"Come we waste time here. Time nemesis and the fifth column can use to launch a counter attack." he stated imperiously.

then turning he left for the tunnel that he had found earlier that led to the control bunker a mile and half away.

Meanwhile miles away as Vim slowly came too her remarkable abilities enabling her to shake off some fo the beating she had received this day. Lord Dires personal medical bots did the rest.

using stimulants and healing probes they repaired the damage she had sustained and renergized her. and restored most of her appearance such as it was.

A feminine voice greeted her. as she recovered. "Greetings Vim. I am Delphi. I serve Lord Dire." the Holographic representation stated evenly. " He has a special proposition for which you are uniquley suited. in return you well be handsomely rewarded. Should you choose to accept."

Sheesh hamsters. give em an 10th of an incha nd theyll take a third of a killometer.

*removes a tenth of an inch from the ten foot pole. bouces off giggling hysterically*

The Vampyri locked the heroes in combat, gruesome claws and fangs raking them mercilessly. The engines were pumping furiously, the entire cavern starting to shake.


A loud silibant hisssing came form one of them as its fangs neared Hellcats exposed jugular.

"I well feast well tonight hero." his fangs moved closer and closer.only to stop agonizingly close to hsi pulsing jugular vein. as a powerful armored gauntlet grapsed the vampyres neck in a crushing grip.

"You well go hungry this day fiend. these heroes are under the protection of Lord Dire." He broght the hissing figures goggles eye to armored eye with his own. the vampyre struggled with the armored grasp for an instant a struggle which proved futile. fear leaked into the vampyres eyes as it realized its plight.

" your death well be filled with pain Lord Dire." the leach managed to choke out before Lord Dires armored grip crushed the life from it.

"perhaps, but not in your lifetime." the second vampyre having seen the fate of its comrade hesitated. and this hesitiation proved its undoing as Billyboy gaining the needed respite hammered the vampyre with a barrage of energy powered punches. disorienting the scientifically created creature. Lord Dire then finished the battle with a blast of energy that smashed the creatures bones. and blew it through the window of the control room a hundred feet to the floor below.

Standing at the controls Lord Dire looked them over making some quick mental notes. in the background Billyboy helped the injured but still willing Hellcat to his feet.

"Well I'd half expected you'd have crawled back to your hole by now Lord Dire."

Billy quipped in that irritatingly chipper attitude that he kept about him that seemed less to say that he was in the middle of a small war and more that he was hanging with his friends at a local eatery.


"Your welcome for saving your misbegotten lives hero." Lord Dire spoke with only the mildest hint of annoyance. "This day is far from over. Nemesis has put a rather daring and audascious plan into motion. here and I well not allow it to come to fruition."

As Hellcat and Billyboy moved up beside him. hellcat asked." the steam generators are a part of it?"

"Yes." Lord Dires reply was grimmer then he had intended. his armored fingers moving quickly he brought up the view screens which showed with horrifying clarity the giant statue of Blyde swinging its head by a length of railway track liek some grotesque Morningstar smashing buildings and soldiers alike. similar attacks were occuring everywhere else in Steel canyon.

"The Statues are powered by the generators and have been alterd through use of nanotechnology created by the Fifth Column. I have had some inkling that my enemies were not trully destroyed yet have not been able to act upon them yet." he continued to work the controls bringing up a map of the sewer systems.

"these 5 locations are of import to us." he stated indicating the blinking dots upon the map. "they are the locations of the individual generators, and this." he indicated the central most dot. " This is the location of the central command structure. that controlls all the rest. according to the files here it is heavilly guarded with both fifth column and nemesis soldiers and equipment."

"Why dont we just shut down the generators now that we know what their for." Billyboy asked cracking his knuckles in an impatient fashion. definately rearing and ready to go.

"I consdiered it but the prussian has been most clever." Lord Dire intoned with some disgust in his voice. "they are wired with several false relays. any of which could cause a disastrous explosion of massive destructive potential."

Hellcat saw something else then. "the support junctures." he said quietly.

"Very good hero." Lord Dire stated.

"The whatsits?" Billyboy asked. He was smart but not an expert in structural engineering or geology.

HEllcat explained quickly though. "its like this Billy. see the locations of the generators?" he indicated the dots. Billy nodded. " they sit on the 4 of the 8 major support structures that keep the sewers from collapsing in on themselves. but moreso. Paragon City is sitting on a massive series of Caverns if anyone of these support structures goes the caverns could collapse."

Billy's eyes widened. " the Hollows. he breathed.

" Only on a scale that would eventually cause the entriety of Paragon City to slip into the sea." Lord Dire stated evenly " this we must nto allow." he clenched his armored fist in anger.

" Come heroes we must plan our assault the controll room must fall it is the only place where we can safely disarm the generators."

[ QUOTE ]
OK! Who blew up my outhouse? Seriously, I was about to go utilize it's most apparent function. I know everyone here likes the plasma screen feature in it and we all enjoy watching tv in there. ::taps foot impatiently::

[/ QUOTE ]

*points to blarghy*

*detonates the ton of high explosives in crabans room.*

And stay there

((not at all, hop right in. just follow the rules established in the first post then enjoy. and welcome ))

((sok billy hope you feel better soon. think its gonna be slow during the holidays anyways. also still curious when Hermods gonna post here again. Ill post for Lord Dire soon.))

Nitwit blubber oddment tweak

*deep beneath Paragon City the abandoned sewer sections.*

Lord Dire Blasted a last rikti soldier from his path. the rest scattered at his approach. He had been single mindedly tracking the source of the Steam fusion energy and felt he was getting closer.

Delphi fed him telemetry updating him constantly. He knew Mutai Kid, Billyboy and Hellcat *looking remarkably well for a dead man.* were closing on the same location. the shield drone that shadowed Mutai Kidproviding Delphi with the information they needed.

" Where are you, you Prussian pretender. Your doom stalks you." he said to himself though nonone else was close enough to Hear.

Taking a brief moment he checked his armors sytems. they were all acting at peak proficiency despite the hours of combat.

this had been a debacle for Nemesis but the Prussian was determined to win. Well Let him be determined He faced Lord Dire. And it was the Might of Lord Dire that would carry this day.

As he advanced upon the source of the power emmisions dark figures with glowing eyes watched form the shadows but did not heed his progress. too afraid to get the attention of that which stalked the sewers heading for an unknown goal.

*sweeps up blarghy pieces puts them in the blender hits obliterate.*

*giggles hysterically while watching blarghy shake being made.*

*sits pointing at the wall giggling hysterically*

"Lord Dire does not obey. Lord Dire Commands!" He proclaimed imperiously emphasizing the word. "and again you waste my time with trivial details I am allready well aware of."

His armors eyes flared red again. "The details of your past are insignifigant to me. your power is impressive but compared to mine a candle trying to shout to the fire."

he paused letting that sink in then continued.

"I well consider your offer; for now, events elsewhere require my attention."

Delphi had been feeding him telemetry on the battle he had been aprised of the assasination attempts on Mutai Kid and Billyboy. as well as the stalemate in which Fists own troops found themselves.

"And do not think I have forgotten your interference in London either." he said leaving no dount as to his meaning.

Iron Fist had been part of an Arachnos strike team that had stolen a powerful satelite array from him. while he had been engaged with a group of heroes. the loss of which ahd set back his plans for months.

"We well eliminate this Nemesis threat first, then we well see about wether I well join this endeavor of yours."

Turning on his heel he left the office and returned to Steel where the battles raged. In truth he had no reason to return but the thrill of battle was upon him and he had not felt it in some time. Since the day that he had faced downt he Freedom Phalanxe it self.

The fountain of youth eh. intriguing Lord Dire thought to himself.

yet it did not bear on his current situation at least not in any way he could yet forsee. He decided to play along to see where this was going.

Iron Fist was not one to diseminate even when he had known him in moscow. where Fist had been part of a soviet super soldier project that Lord Dire had personally overseen.

" Hrrrmmph." he snorted. "a childs fable. you waste my time Fist." The eyes of his armor glowed a brighter red.

"Wasting my time is a mistake few survive."

his voice held a dangerous edge to it. yet Fist held his ground. he was russian and that carried the trait of a stubborn sort of courage. Lord Dire himself had some russian ancestory.

It was admirable. It was an annoyance. annoyances upset him. When he was upset things and people tended to not survie the experience.

He stood there regally, his arms clasped behind his back. His grey cloak flowed down his shoulders. and listened for more information.

Meanwhile the battles in Steel Canyon intensified.

Lord Dire landed at the warehouse where Iron Fists soldiers busied themselves about their various preparations.

4 sentries approached him assault rifles locked and loaded. "Halt in the name of Lord Iron Fist!" one shouted forcefully.

His only responce was a Low Evil laugh. Lord Dires response to such would usualy have been quite lethal but in this case he was pressed for time.

" Take me to him minion. Now" He stated evenly with no small malice in his deep baritone voice.

"Escort us Lord Iron Fist is waiting for him. " Psy quickly replied.

" Aye aye sir." said the first Solider. He then gestured and 6 more soldiers armed and armored took up escorting posiitons around him. Lord Dire strode fearlessly amongst them as if he were in the middle of an Honor Guard.

As they reached the Door Psy knocked once and then as if recieving mental confirmation opened the door for Lord Dires Entrance.

"Out of the way, you little runt before I lose my temper!" Lord Dire snarled imperiously to one of the soldiers who was only to happy to oblige.

Walking through the door as if he were a king entering his throne room. He eyed his rival sitting behind the desk he noticed Fist slip something into one of the drawers, a small envelope it looked like. He made a mental note of it and then got down to the matter at hand.

" Hello old friend." Lord Dire stated imperiously "It seems we have much to discuss/" his voice still carrying that hollow doom laden tone of a deep well. things would get very interesting indeed.


((close enough for govt poirposes ))

Lord Dire listened to the messengers missive dispasionatly. He well knew that Fist did keep his word. it was one of the few things in common that they shared.

This could be the opportunity I need he thought to himself.

HE knew the servant Psy was a telepath. but he had no worries about him prying where he was not wanted. The psynaptic shielding in hsi helmet screened telepathy and provided for extremely painful feedback to anyone that tried. Sister Psyche had learned that lesson the hard way some years back. Combined with his intellect and force of will made it extremely difficult to breach his mental defences.

Still the offer had "possibilities" he would meet with him. then he would see how events played out.

Looming over Psy like some primordial warrior chieftain. He stated evenly.

"Tell your master that I well meet him at the appropriate time and place. His word well be his bond and if he breaks it I well kill him myself."

Turning back to the battle at hand. Lord Dire wasted little time. With quick precise movements he laid down another triage beacon. its healing waves of healing nanomeds were not as focused as his healing device but over the long term they would enable anyone he designated as friendly to enjoy a consistant respite. Then he activated his armors Shield generator encasing Billboy and Mutai Kid in protective forcefields. finally he activated a shield drone designating it to shadow Mutai Kid as he had the other one that now shadowed Valkyrie.The dorne would follow Mutai all the while creating a dispersion effect that would provide them with cover and saftey form the intensified return fire of the nemesis troops.

"Stand your ground till my return. We well trun this tide soon enough." turning to Psy. " Take me to Iron Fist slave."

Then he lifted off flying towards the warehouse #7309 where monumentous events would be discussed.

"A trully bold stroke. He attacks with over whelming force exhausting the cities defenders then sends in a second larger wave."

He quickly scanned the breach from which the massive force poured like a demon army from the very depths of hell itself.

" A second command center." he stated evenly no hint of fatigue in his voice though he had been in the thick of the fighting.

" We must use the distraction created by Iron Fists sudden appearance. to locate and neutralize this new threat. only then well this be over."

quickly Delphi downloaded the cities sewer system diagrams to his armors GPS system. he calculated the closest possible entry way to the underground sewer system, and formt here they could make there way to the command bunker.

*Lord Dire Stood on a different rooftop studying the remains of a sensor beacon. one that had been trailing him even while cloaked.*

* He was safe now having deepened the cloaking effect to include thermal and infared wavelengths. it wasnt as advanced as his own technology still it was an impressive bit of technology. and only one other person used such technology.*

" Iron Fist." he grated so old friend you survived our last encounter. well I can certainly fix that.

*his musings were interrupted by an increase in the amount of gunfire and explosions. A small but determined battalion of armed and armored soldiers were rapidly making there way through the streets of Steel Canyon. though Nemesis seemed to be there primary target they spared noone. Hero or civilian longbow or nemesis. all were targets. And leading them wreathed in Fire hot enough to give even his armor trouble was Iron Fist himself. HE seemed to eb searching for something. and Lord Dire realized that it was he that was the focus of his search.

Delphi chimed in over his commsystem. " Lord Dire, Omega protocols initated and standing ready." the female voice stated calmly.

" Initiate on my command and scramble comm signal to new frequencies."

" confirmed Lord Dire. channels switched, initating jamming signals over wide band frequencies."

There old friend deal with that. your troops well have to rely on extreme close ranged communication systems and visual signals. they well be easier to cut off and destroy.

then Lord Dire Lifted off and landed next to the 2 heroes. dropping his cloaking device as he landed down where Billyboy and Mutai Kid were faicng down the remenants of the Nemesis troops in Blyde Square.

" Heroes a new threat emerges." said Lord Dire Imperiously to the 2 heroes. " his Name is Iron Fist. he is extremely dangerous and in command of a large contingent of Soldiers that even now approach the square. Also I Have detected a large build up of Steam Fusion energy beneath the City. Nemesis may not be done yet.

*Lord Dire had also sensed the enormous build up in Steam power beneath the city. His armors sensor systems and his own series of sencor beacons arrayed through out the city had alerted him to it. yet he was having troublepinpointing the source.*

" So what are you up to Now old man? He queried to himself. "Delphi intiate scan sequence delta and extrapolate on source of energy."

"Scanning Lord Dire Extrapolation and scan well take 5 minutes."

Lord Dire was anything but patient right now so he fumed as Delphi worked scanning deep underground and then calculating thousands of variables in mere seconds time.

" What ever your thinking old fool. I assure you it well fail."

He made further preparations to continue the battle.

*above the chaos broiling below Lord Dire stood watching but hidden, having activated his armors cloaking device.*

He had indeed escaped the warehouse mere moments before its inevitable collapse. cloaking himself and then flying to a nearby roof top to further observe events.

Billyboy and Mutai Kid his erstwhile ally were making a formidible team. the 2 heros had all but single handidly cleared blyde square of most of the Nemesis troops and warmachines. buying some much needed respite for the Valkyrie, Positron, and Longbow. Elsehwere Hellcats bravery had saved the city from atomic devestation. Lord Dire was not overly sentimental about the Loss of a hero yet the redoubtable defenders sacrifice must be honored. he would raise a glass of wine to the fallen hero later that evening.

For now Lord Dire busied himself with putting his formidible intellect to the task of making some profitiable gain from this endeavor in a way that would further his own ambitions.

*grabs blarghy tosses him into the room with the satanic hamsters.*

*Slams the door welds it shut. fills it with laughing gas*

*The shockwave from the explosion rattled the warehouse knocking the combatants off there feet and in Lord Dires case down to one knee. His armors sensors confirmed what he had come to suspect. this was not the True Nemesis.

Nemesis had a habit of faking his death only to pop up again later with a new scheme. The Fake Nemesis automatons were usually powered by a standard Steam Force generator that powered most of his weaponry. But every Now and then The Prussian Prince would augment one with a Powerful Fusion variant of the Steam Force generator. This would enhance the allready formidible Automatons power a hundred fold. then he would monitor the robots progress personally. speaking through its mouth, seeing through its eyes, and listening through its ears. all safely tucked miles away from any real danger.

his sensors had registered the unique vibrations of the Fusion Power source. they had not registered the powerful nuclear device that Nemesis had secreted in a shielded container. Yet another affront that The Prussian would pay for. but first things first.

"Cowering in your hole as usual old man." he snarled. as he pounced using the Fallen Automatons momentary weakness as an opportunity. The bio feed back from this would be a painful but neccesary price to pay. the results would be more then sufficient especially since Nemesis himself would almost certainly feel the robots destruction as well.

Drawing back both hands the armored gauntlets crackled with an energy that was almost blinding to look at. Drawing power from his armors fusion source he transfered it to hsi gauntlets and then drove them down with a roar of pain and fury that shattered what windows were left untouched by the blast.

The double fisted blow drove through the automatons chest plate and nearly into the floor. grasping the Fakes fusion power source he reversed the flow and drained the generators core of all energy increasing his own might temporarily.

He stood and surveyed the battle scene. Both Billyboy, and Mutai Kid had recovered from swiftly from being knocked off there feet by the explosion. Mutai kipping up and unleashing a wicked fast dragons tail manuever that swept the legs out from under a half dozen nemesis foot troops. then proceeding to clean the remaining troops from the crumbling warehouse. Billyboy exerscising his impressive energy generating powers to clean the clock of a Lance Comet sniper that thought he had the drop on him.

For a brief instance the Mutai Kid had his back turned to Lord Dire. his armor automatically engaged a target lock. with his augmeted power he could have easilly blasted the scrapper into oblivion. his hand raised crackling with energy. then Kid turned and saw him his eyes widened at the sight of Armored figures raised hand knowing he couldnt possibly dodge the blast in time. only to be further amazed when the blast passed several feet above his head vaporizing a warhulk that had lumbered in behind him and aimed its storm cannon at the martial artist.

"Quickly! we must exit. the warehouse is losing all structual integrity. Its collapse is imminent!" he shouted down to the Kid. then he turned and obliterated the control modules that were broadcasting the signals to the automaton armies currently razing Steel Canyon. without that the automatons would be directionless and have to rely on more baseline programming making them easier targets for the incoming reinforcements. activating his flight systems Lord Dire exited the Warehouse just as the structures broken support beams groaned in defeat and snapped causing the whole strcture to collapse in on itself.

"Delphi intialize and prepare Dire extraction protocol omega epsilon 3. our business here is almost concluded." he stated into his armors comm system. " Confirmed Lord Dire, emergency teleportaion sequence initalized and awaiting your command. " came the Female voice of Delphi his automated and nigh fully realized artificall intelligence. Soon this would be over then he could depart and return to more trully worthy pursuits.