Harris: First of all I would like to thank you for taking the time to appear on the program.
Methadone Man: And I would like to thank you for having me here... by the by is it ok if I take some stuff from the buffet?
Harris: Sure, I don't see why not... Um, could you tell the viewers at home a little bit about how and why you became a hero.
Methadone Man: My real name is Rufus Flintlock and I am the son of a crack "[Censored]"... I don't think I can say [censored] on the air... it's not the most pleasant introduction, but its Gods honest truth. I was born a mutated, drug-addled baby. I was a mess... not that Im not now... I still urinate in my pants from time to time....................... Anyway, in my teens I gave in to my innate desire for heroin
You know? China White, Capital H, Red Chicken, Birdie Powder..... and I started rambling
Moving on, I was a human wasteland spending all my time selling pencils on a street corner in Brickstown and visiting Harry Jones, Aunt Hazel, and Mister Brownstone and Firing the Ack Ack Gun. When I was 19, the Heroin-filth Demon inside me burst out in a vicious sort of way.... skulls and tentacles and the like. Freaked me out and I sought treatment at this special center in Crey's Folly... they used radiation to treat my Demon
it only got stronger, but my cravings for Smack diminished... perhaps it was for the best as now at age 24, I heal the downtrodden of Paragon and unleash the Smack Demon on those that would harm the innocent.
Harris: Amazing. What would you say is the greatest reward for being a hero?
Methadone Man: Well, the way I see it, I was a beer can on the butt of society when I was an addict... now I feel like I have a debt to pay... that's not really an answer to your question, nor did it make much sense... er, children give me candy and smiles instead of throwing rocks at me, knocking over my shopping carriage full of useful garbage, and making fun of my stained gym suit. Some people will invite me into their home for a hot meal... that makes me feel like I'm doing some good in the community.
Harris: Have you ever found there is any drawback to being a hero?
Methadone Man: I don't get much sleep... out fighting the evil do'ers a lot... sometimes I get the shakes, but the Meds I'm taking seem to help... when I go to the KR Clinic to get my prescriptions filled people let me cut to the front of line... I think there are drawbacks, but the benefits of being a hero seem to wash them away... kinda like my weekly shower at the YMCA.
Harris: What is going through your mind when you are in a dangerous situation that could lead to civilian casualties? That must be a scary situation.
Methadone Man: Civilians come first... I'll throw myself in front of some Freak Tank Swiper to save a Civilian or a fellow Hero... helping those in trouble hang on is what I'm all about... when I was Vietnam it wasn't like that... when Charlie took over a village we couldn't tell friend or foe... it was a horrible... and... and... wait that was at a Chinese restaurant last week in King's Row and my General Gau's Chicken had a hair in it... I kinda yelled a bit at the waiter... I think I missed my dose that day and I was...
Harris: Moving on Mr. Flintlock... How do you feel about people that use their powers for crime like the outcast or the super villains we starting to see around the city?
Methadone Man: What? Didn't you already ask me that? I need to pee... cut to a commercial or something.
Harris: Well we're almost done here, Meth... if I may call you Meth? What do you think is going through these criminals' minds when they commit these acts?
Methadone Man: Sure, call me Meth... I think they're just looking to abuse the power that has been bestowed upon them... kind of like when King Arthur took Excalibur and cut that baby in two to settle that dispute between those two women who both claimed the baby was theirs. That didn't solve anything... just made a mess... I think he got impeached for pulling that stupid stunt.
Harris: Um... what are you talking about? Good thing we're almost done here. I was going to ask you how you feel about the various anti hero and anti mutant groups that believe heroes course more problems then they solve, but I feel such a big question might confuse you or cause you to have an embolism. So what is your favorite color?
Methadone Man: Orange... the color of Orange Juice... I mix my Meds in OJ.
Harris: Thank God you kept it short... last and finally, have you ever worked along side the Statesman? What is he like?
Methadone Man: He tried to bust me way back in the day when I was off the wagon and stole the evidence... If I bumped into him again I'd ask for my $400... but now that I'm on the productive side of society I'd give all the money to the King's Row Methadone Clinic .
Harris: I would like to thank you for coming on the show and on behalf of the citizens of Paragon city thank you for keeping the streets safe
Methadone Man: And I would like to thank you for having me here... by the by is it ok if I take some stuff from the buffet?
"I absolutely agree with you." Erik took the offered gear gratefully and plugged the remote feed into the port on his PC. After fiddling with it for a moment, he was able to hook into the camera and get the feed running.
"O.K. folks, looks like you'll have a ringside seat for this. Keep an eye out as we move and let us know if you spot something we don't." The students nodded eagerly as Erik put the comm unit into his ear.
"Please... DON'T try to be a hero. If something goes wrong call the police or, God forbid, the hospital. I don't want anyone getting hurt O.K.?" Derrell nodded, as did the others.
"Last sighting put them near the medical building, near the med student labs." Derrell stated. Erik nodded and headed for the door. He grabbed his walkie talkie just in case and grinned.
"Figures, that's near the location they keep the cadavers for the students to work on. " Erik turned and looked at Penny. "You up for this? I mean with your armor damaged and all, will you still be able to fight?"
[ QUOTE ]
"Last sighting put them near the medical building, near the med student labs." Derrell stated.
[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"Figures, that's near the location they keep the cadavers for the students to work on. "
[/ QUOTE ]
Harris held the head set to his ear listening into the conversation. He raised an eyebrow. "Keeping Cadavers on campus. I wonder in the students parents know about that or would be happy about it."
This could be just the scandal he was looking for. Cadavers kept on campus for students to work on and the passable link to Vhaz attacks. Tutors exposing students to dangerous situations.
But he would need pictures. He could go there, get the pictures he needed then wait for the two so called heroes to show up then stay out of sight and follow them.
While the others worked at hacking into their communications Harris left to go and check out the medical building. He didn't bother taking any of them because in his mind they were incompetent fools who would only get themselves spotted. He already knew the basic layout of the campus from a report he had done three years ago.
He got there before the two heroes showed up. It was starting to get dark and it took him a while to find a way in. One of the windows had been left open. He was able to slip in but ripped his suit in the process and fell with a thump to the cold tiled floor.
"$%$#%#"
He took the small video camera out of his pocket and started to search for what he was looking for.
[ QUOTE ]
"Figures, that's near the location they keep the cadavers for the students to work on. " Erik turned and looked at Penny. "You up for this? I mean with your armor damaged and all, will you still be able to fight?"
[/ QUOTE ]
Penny grinned wryly. "I am at 75% capacity, it is within operating parameters... I would prefer more, but I don't think we have time to go and get a different suit."
She bent to the computer monitor. "OK, guys, c'mere and let me tell you about all of this stuff so you know what you are looking at." The students gathered around.
"This, obviously, is the live camera feed. This - is anyone in here pre-med?" A couple of hands raised. "This section deals with my vital signs, this all make sense to you? Pretty standard stuff for medical," and she saw nodding heads. "This is an area where I can send messages without speaking if I need to," she moved her fingers and on the screen letters appeared, because I have a virtual keyboard. "This is a chat window, and you can type back to me here if you need to get me a message. Though... anyone got a mike? You can talk back to me if you have one..." One of the students suddenly dashed from the room." This area is where you will see any messages from the computers within the armor, most of the time you don't have to worry too much about that, though there are some errors here," her fingers traced flashing red lines of type, "Because I have taken some damage... This is talking about the feeds, that is talking about some of the backup circuits, and so on... and then overall suit capacity here. The rest of these readouts deal with some scientific data, various measurements here, here, and here. Any questions?"
"Can we feature you as a guest star in the next issue of 'The Mighty Bio-Man' comic that Marty draws?" Someone piped up.
Penny was taken aback by this, but another student smacked the first one's head (he protested, "Hey! What'd I do? What'd I do?") and said, "No, no questions."
She nodded. "All right, let's go." She put the helmet on, turned around, and headed out the door as the other student returned, a mike in his hand.
In her wake, Darrel whistled as several of the male students put their heads together. "Nice view." "We don't get THAT shot on the website, do we?" "What do you suppose she wears under that suit?" "Nothing with padding, that's for damn sure..."
"All right, that's enough," several of the girls were rolling their eyes as they set up the mike, "Put your hormones back in your pants and lets watch this... where's Marty?"
"I think he is working on the pencils for next month's issue of 'The Mighty Bio-Man...'"
The rest of the students gathered around the monitors.
+++
"OK, so I count seven," Penny said to Erik. Her voice came through the radio in his ear perfectly, though no sound penetrated the helmet, as they watched figures shuffling out of the medical labs. "Two mortificators, one reaper, five cadavers." She looked at Erik. "It is an interesting problem from a legal standpoint: the cadavers, of course, are dead and could technically be classified as robots. The mortificators and reaper, however, are alive, and thus require a certain type of handling... I am not fond of it, but hey, I only work here... and it is worth it so that when I plant their butts in jail, they STAY there... you ready?"
Upon Erik's assertion that he was ready, Girl Genius stepped out from the shadows. "Freeze!" She told the mortificators. "I am a designated law-enforcement hero of Paragon City! You are under arrest!" Though the words were required by the city, her bored voice plainly indicated that she had no expectation of anyone actually listening. It was simply the recitation of a memorized phrase... a battle cry... a formality.
She wasn't at all surprised when they all whirled on her. One of the mortificators raised his crossbow and fired. Penny was expecting this and ducked out of the way.
"Lets Dance... best look away, Erik," grinned Penny, and a moment later a brilliant flash lit the sky. Both mortificators clutched their faces, blinded, light seeming to leak from their eyes, as the zombies turned, and she rolled out of the way.
Harris was totally lost. He had been wondering around the building for a while trying to find were they kept the dead cadavers (dead dead as oppose to living dead cadavers).
Having corpses on campus for med students to work on was standard but the fact that they were cadaver and not just regular corpses at least meant he could twist the story. The standard kind of thing, play on peoples fears. What if one of these supposive dead cadavers was not really dead? What if it woke up and attacked students? Even better, what if they were keeping alive cadavers to work on?
The thought made Harris smile but he would still have to be careful because the doctor seemed to know what he was talking about when it came to legal stuff.
There was a sudden clang of something hitting the floor. Harris spun around. His torch illuminated the area he thought the sound had come from.
"Hello? Anyone there?" He said out loud suddenly scared.
There was nothing there.
"[censored]! I'm imagining things." He said to himself.
Then he heard something coming from outside.
[ QUOTE ]
"Freeze! I am a designated law-enforcement hero of Paragon City! You are under arrest!"
[/ QUOTE ]
Harris pulled a chair over to the high window at the side of the room. It shook as he stepped up onto it but he could now see outside. A group of Cadavers, a reaper and at least two mortifications stood near the window.
Over to the side Harris could see the two heroes. They had not seen him. Slowly he raised his camera to the window to record what was happening.
[ QUOTE ]
"Lets Dance... best look away, Erik,"
[/ QUOTE ]
There was a sudden blinding flash. Harris fell back off the chair holding his eyes. The pain was unbelievable. His eyes burned. He felt dizzy and sick. The camera in his hand dropped to the floor and smashed. Harris curled up on the floor, his hands over his eyes.
"Aggghhhh. My eyes. AAgghhhhhh!!!!!"
((OOC: If you heard Harris above the noise of the fight outside is up to you. But if you didn't maybe he could be found by the bad guys 
))
[ QUOTE ]
((OOC: If you heard Harris above the noise of the fight outside is up to you. But if you didn't maybe he could be found by the bad guys ))
[/ QUOTE ]
OOC: I was thinking about both, actually. Will also send you a PM after I am done posting.
+++
[ QUOTE ]
"Aggghhhh. My eyes. AAgghhhhhh!!!!!"
[/ QUOTE ]
Girl Genius just about jumped out of her skin at the shriek - and at the third, totally unexpected, blast of light which shone from a high window facing the fight - someone had been watching, they must have only looked at the last minute.
"Erik!" Girl Genius called. "There is someone inside the building, they didn't look away... I need to see to them, can you handle these?"
When she got an affirmitive reply, she gave the group another flash and - in the moment when they clutched their eyes - simply faded out of sight. The stealth capabilities of the suit were nearly perfect, showing only a faint fringe at the edges, nearly impossible to detect, and headed into the building to find the civilian, leaving the Mighty Bio-Man to deal with the original group.
***
Inside
***
The pain from the flash, while extreme, faded fast - very fast. After the initial, stunning blow, it dropped away almost immediately, to a sort of dull throbbing headache: annoying, but no longer incapacitating.
The light, however, did not fade. Whatever he had been hit with was still active, and his vision was filled with sparklers and fireworks. He couldn't see a thing.
However, he could hear perfectly. The lab was quiet - amazingly so - but he could hear... footsteps? Yes, footsteps. But no foul smell, so no vahzilok -
The thought had no sooner crossed his mind when a pair of hands picked him up, his feet dangling off the floor. "Mmmm," it purred - it was the voice of darkness and despair, and altogether inhuman. "Fresh parts."
++++
OOC: sent a PM to you and BioMan
Jen 8)
Harris was in a blind panic. Slowly his vision was coming back but he didn't want it to. He didn't want to see what had a hold of him.
"No wait......please....do you know who I am.......I'm Steven Harris the reporter..........please.......I can give you money.......I can give you anything you want....please don't hurt me........I'll give you anything."
He was starting to weep pathetically.
"...please...."
[ QUOTE ]
"OK, so I count seven," Penny said to Erik. Her voice came through the radio in his ear perfectly, though no sound penetrated the helmet, as they watched figures shuffling out of the medical labs. "Two mortificators, one reaper, five cadavers." She looked at Erik. "It is an interesting problem from a legal standpoint: the cadavers, of course, are dead and could technically be classified as robots. The mortificators and reaper, however, are alive, and thus require a certain type of handling... I am not fond of it, but hey, I only work here... and it is worth it so that when I plant their butts in jail, they STAY there... you ready?"
[/ QUOTE ]
"Absolutely. And we can argue semantics later. I'm not fond of harming anyone either, but people like this make me sick. But they are symptoms of the overall disease... If I ever find the real Doctor Vhaz..."
[ QUOTE ]
"Freeze!" She told the mortificators. "I am a designated law-enforcement hero of Paragon City! You are under arrest!"
[/ QUOTE ]
Erik suddenly surged upwards and charged the area surrounding both him and Penny with radiowaves. He could feel the boost in his metabolisim and grinned as the green glow engulfed them both.
"I am also a designated enforcement hero of Paragon City, but I'm also a PROFESSOR here! You twits should KNOW better than to mess with Paragon U.!"
Erik floated free and moved into a flanking position when the first shot from a Mort came in.
"Why do they never listen?"
[ QUOTE ]
"Lets Dance... best look away, Erik," grinned Penny, and a moment later a brilliant flash lit the sky. Both mortificators clutched their faces, blinded, light seeming to leak from their eyes, as the zombies turned, and she rolled out of the way.
[/ QUOTE ]
Erik covered his eyes and winced at the light that still blasted through his fingers. Shaking his head he focused on the center of the group of zombie-makers and fired.
The radiation he coaxed forth was a mixture of gamma and beta. Mildly damaging to cells, but more importantly it made one feel physically ill. Erik had been perfecting this trick to pull out such latent radiation on one target and have it infect those around, thereby weakening the whole group. It made them much easier to apprehend. Thankfully he thought, he could pinpoint target it and have it effect only the targets he wanted... Something he was currently studying as to HOW he could do it.
[ QUOTE ]
"Aggghhhh. My eyes. AAgghhhhhh!!!!!"
[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
"Erik!" Girl Genius called. "There is someone inside the building, they didn't look away... I need to see to them, can you handle these?"
[/ QUOTE ]
"Yeah I have them. You nab whomever is in the building, but be careful! If they broke into the labs then they could have all sorts of chemicals and surgical tools!"
Erik re-focused on the Vhaz below. They were struggling with the effects of the wasting radiation but still trying to get to him. Erik inhaled and could feel the charge building in his arms. He tugged at the loose protons and electrons from the isotopes in his body and fired forth a wave that smashed into the day-of-the-dead wannabe's. The zombies went flying back while the Morts reeled...
__________________________________________________ _
MEANWHILE:
[ QUOTE ]
"No wait......please....do you know who I am.......I'm Steven Harris the reporter..........please.......I can give you money.......I can give you anything you want....please don't hurt me........I'll give you anything."
He was starting to weep pathetically.
"...please...."
[/ QUOTE ]
"Anything little man?"
This voice was different. Filled with malicious intelligence and hateful glee. Harris could almost feel hands caress his body as one dipped into his pockets, searching him.
"What have we here?" It hissed as it pulled free the information crammed into a coat pocket of Harris's jacket.
"Why you magnificent ******* Harris. Adresses, phone numbers, workplaces, even his Wife's maiden name! What were you going to with this pray tell? I think this may well be something that we could bargin for..."
Another voice grunted in a dissapointed fashion, there was a round of hushed whispers and discussion and then silence for a moment.
"I shall take the papers Harris. You meanwhile have the pleasure of living a bit longer. I was able to convince my cohort that you would be best alive... Until we got you to OUR labs to see just what makes you such a wonderfully bitter man."
The laughter was cold, cruel, and hollow... and it echoed down the hall as it left.
Another voice filled the void.
"Be a good boy then and hush up, or I'll peel you here like I wanted..."
[ QUOTE ]
"Be a good boy then and hush up, or I'll peel you here like I wanted..."
[/ QUOTE ]
Girl Genius's voice was hushed, tense. She was crouched, invisibly, just inside the doorway. In this place, at this moment, it would be suicide to make a move. There were simply too many of the Vahzilok, and there was Harris in their midst. No, she would have to wait to play her hand. "Kids, Erik, did you get that?" One of the Eiledons, the one with the notebook, swept past her, not noticing her, as the group began to break up. The other picked Harris up, and began to carry him off. "If the Vahzilok have set up a new lab we have to find it - it is heading for the sewers, I am in pursuit; with damage I have sustained I don't know how well I will transmit underground... do you read me?"
***
(Edited out the second part, will add it later))
((OOC - Most credit for this post should go to Jennifer8 ))
[ QUOTE ]
"Be a good boy then and hush up, or I'll peel you here like I wanted..."
[/ QUOTE ]
"But you have what you want. Why....."
"I said be silent" The voice shouted at him and he felt a sudden blow to the head. Everything went back.
*********
The first thing he was aware of was the motion of being carried. Second was the smell. It was the stench of sewage and rot; and, perhaps, the smell of corpses.
The fowl smell was coming from an old, rusted grate, set in the side of the wall like an afterthought that lead down into the sewers.
The wall that housed it displayed a wild riot of graffiti; and just above it, someone had spray-painted, 'ABANDON HOPE, ALL YE THAT ENTER HERE." The Eiledon walked into this wretched portal of Hell as if it was home, sweet home.
The tunnels were lit, here and there, by simple light bulbs. It carried its burden down hills, winding around sewage and industrial waste, diving into the earth in a maze of platforms, metal, and stone.
It set Harris down, and gestured. From the earth sprang coils of blackness, surrounding him. He would have screamed and yelled out but his mouth had been gagged. The Eiledon went ahead to clear out what looked like a very recent rockfall, which had blocked their way. Though the tendrils could have cut through Harris in the blink of an eye, they simply made it impossible for him to move or leave.
[ QUOTE ]
Though the tendrils could have cut through Harris in the blink of an eye, they simply made it impossible for him to move or leave.
[/ QUOTE ]
Girl Genius crept up slowly and carefully. She had followed the Eiledon and Harris down here. She was worried about Erik and hoped that he had had the sense to follow the other Eiledon; no stranger to the hero business, she was quite familiar with the balance of power underground.
Harris looked scared but unhurt. So far, so good. She crept to where he could hear her. "Mr. Harris, can you hear me?" She whispered. "This is Girl Genius. I am invisible. I can get us both out of here, but you will need to do what I say if we are going to get out of this alive. Can you be very brave?"
Sarah walked back to the guys huddled around their computer. "What's the problem?"
"We're trying to hack into this channel, but it is secure... like Fort Knox.... no one could break into this!"
Sarah rolled her eyes. "For the love of... here. Move." Her fingers floated over the keys, entering a password... and the channel unlocked. Suddenly they were receiving everything that Girl Genius was transmitting.
Half a dozen male eyes looked at her accusingly. "How did you know the password?"
Sarah thinned her lips. "Hello?" She pointed to the screen where there was the image of Girl Genius that she had been watching. "You did film her putting the password in, on max zoom we could see what letters she puts in... monkey see, monkey do." She shrugged.
"Holy <BLEEP!>" Robert was watching the monitor as the drama unfolded in the lab. "The boss's camera smashed - " he grabbed another camera, "I am going after them."
"Are you NUTS?"
"I will be all right... anything for a scoop. And with this," he grabbed one of the tiny, remote hand-held monitors, "I can track them anywhere they go.' He took the camera and the tracker and headed out the door at top speed.
He smiled as he ran. Harris treated him like dirt... it was time for the enterprising reporter to get the scoop. Even if it meant danger.
Anything for the scoop.
Harris shouted something but through the gag came only a muffled sound. It sounded like something along the lines of, "Get me the *beep* out of here now."
The Eiledon heard the muffled yelling but obviously had less of an idea of what it meant. It spoke to him with out turning around to look at him.
"If you do not be silent little man I will sow your lips together with rusty wire."
Harris closed his eyes tight. He had no choice. He looked at Girl Genius and nodded.
[ QUOTE ]
"Kids, Erik, did you get that?"
[/ QUOTE ]
Erik nodded as he quickly polished off the last of the Vhaz outdside. Quickly he tagged them with a beacon and called the cops for a pickup. The radiation sickness he hit them with and the few love taps would keep them out until the cops showed up.
"I heard all of it Penny. PLEASE tell me that walking pile of spare parts was NOT talking about my wife and kids."
Erik of course knew better than to ask.
"Tell Harris he'll be hearing from my lawyers if we get him out alive. And I do so want him alive so I can see him stand trial for breaking into university records or wherever to get info on me and my family that I had locked away from the public for this reason!"
Erik was pissed and he used that energy to fly to the main sewer entrance and blast open the lid. "Derrell, if you hear me, use the number I gave you and call my wife. Tell her to get out and get to the safehouse I spoke of."
Erik could only pray he would get to this Vhaz ******* in time. He watched the entrances and followed the most liekly trail of the one with the notepad.
"Penny? I can still hear you. I don't know about folks above ground. I need a heading and a best guess where #2 went, and keep me updated on your location as well O.K.? Last thing we need to have happen is get totally cut off from one another."
[ QUOTE ]
"Penny? I can still hear you. I don't know about folks above ground. I need a heading and a best guess where #2 went, and keep me updated on your location as well O.K.? Last thing we need to have happen is get totally cut off from one another."
[/ QUOTE ]
"Roger that," Penny replied. "I have Harris in sight, he is scared but he is not hurt. From the way the Vahz was talking... I think there is a new lab somewhere down here. They must have just opened it, I haven't heard of any disappearances from this area yet... "
A new lab would also be the likeliest location for his wife to be taken, if the worst actually did occur. She didn't mention that out loud, of course.
"Listen, this may help - the Vahz that took the notebook was a Luminous, that means they should have raised radiation levels, you may be able to track them. I... I should be coming with you as backup... But if the Vahz have opened a new lab and we lose them now..." There was no need to finish the sentence. "And Harris is hardly an innocent but... we can't just leave him to be vivisected..." She paused. "As for us... we're deep... we're very deep. Six levels and counting."
It was bad news. The more powerful Vahzilok infested the deeper tunnels, and the deeper the tunnel, the more of them there were. Heroes usually went in packs if they were going any deeper than the third level. It was another thing she did not mention over the radio... there was no point. They both knew.
"I am... so sorry I cannot be there... please forgive me."
[ QUOTE ]
Harris closed his eyes tight. He had no choice. He looked at Girl Genius and nodded.
[/ QUOTE ]
Girl Genius undid the gag with gentle fingers. "I want you to know, Mr. Harris, that your reckless and irresponsible actions have put people's lives in danger. Because of those actions, a hero who might otherwise be here trying to save you is now trying to save the people you have endangered." Her eyes met his. "However, because I am dedicated to what I do, I WILL get you out of here, and you will not be harmed," she said. "Be ready for my signal. When I say run, you run, but don't run out of my sight. If I lose you down here, it is not likely you will be able to make it out on your own. It may be a while before the signal comes... when it does, you have to be ready. You understand? Hold one finger for yes," she showed him, "And two for no."
She disappeared before his eyes: only if he strained could he make out the fringe effect, and then only for a moment, before she moved.
The Eiledon turned at just that moment and strode back to Harris. The shadowy tendrils died as the Eiledon picked Harris up again, and continued down the tunnel with him.
Harris panicked as GG disappeared again. "Don't leave me here." He thought to himself but managed to keep from saying it out loud.
He squinted his eyes and he could just make out her faint outline then it was gone again when she moved.
Then he remembered what she said. One for yes, two for no. He tried to stretch his hand out as far as his bonds would let him, hesitating for a second he held out one finger.
Then the Eiledon turned back, picked him up and took him deeper into the sewers.
Robert manuvered the camera down the ladder, always keeping an eye on the tracking monitor, which he had taped carefully to his wrist.
The data the device was receiving was a wonder, and in spite of himself he had to admire the genius which had gone into it. It did not show the camera feed, but it did show the position of anything near him that moved - a feature which enabled him to plan alternate routes past anything dangerous, using military training he hadn't thought of for fifteen years or more.
If there had been Vahzilok in this section of tunnels, he might have had more trouble.... but there weren't. These were the Lost, shuffling around aimlessly, half of them spaced out in their own little world. He taped the footage in the appropriate places as he worked his way down. This would be pure gold when he got back to the station. He just might get a big, fat promotion, and Harris just might get a big, fat pink slip. It was a delicious fantasy.
But he didn't let it distract him. He was getting into Vahzilok now, which required more care to skirt around: thankfully they were in scattered groups, and moved slowly, so that the detector enabled him to simply take tunnels that were empty. It was slow going, but he was making good time.
And he was getting great footage. He had gotten in, he would get out. Even the smell would be worth it.
Anything for the scoop.
It was on the eighth level of the sewers that the sound of gunfire could be heard. The Eiledon carrying Harris continued on its way, seemingly unconcerned. But he could see down the various side tunnels.
The underworld, it seemed, was at war.
On the one side, Vahzilok stumbled pointlessly, flailing their fists, vomiting at whatever got too close. Reapers and mortificators were shooting their crossbows, bolts flying through the air. The ground was littered with the corpses of the Vahzilok, at least the ones that the mortificators had not yet resurrected. Eiledons, such as the one carrying Harris, blackened the hallways with dark powers, or brightened it with the evil glowing green of poisonous radiation.
On the other side, the Lost were dealing out their own forms of damage. Scroungy homeless men blasted carelessly with shotguns, pistols, or automatic weapons. Above them towered the tanks of the Lost: the Headmen and Eramites. The Headmen were armed with Rikti weapons, and in spite of the ferociousness of the Vahzilok, the green bolts seemed to be cutting through, or at least holding their own. The Lost that fell were left behind. It was a battle unthought of on the streets above.
The Eiledon carrying him danced delicately through these warring factions, intent on its purpose, taking side passages and obscure routes. Finally it reached a door, turned the handle, and walked through.
It was undoubtedly a lab. Tables were set up here and there; several already contained bodies in varying states of deconstruction and reconstruction. Every table was fitted with sets of bloodied-but-secure straps. Jars lined the walls, most of them with painfully-identifiable body parts stored inside, waiting to be used. Trays held various sorts of scalpels and needles, and on the walls were larger tools: saws, picks, and bottles of acid.
On the far wall, attached to the waist thick, high-voltage power lines, was a sort of squarish box. Even in the modern lab, it looked so futuristic that it seemed out of place. It was covered with patterns and designs and hummed faintly.
The front part of it had a door which seemed to have been broken open by sheer brute force, as it was hanging at an odd angle from one hinge. From this door sprouted numerous cables, thick as a man's wrist, which ran all over the lab, powering various types of equipment, some of which looked very advanced on their own.
The Eiledon put Harris on one of the empty tables and secured the straps over his chest.
"Fresh parts," the voice was appreciative and over the table the masked face of a Mortificator appeared. It was grotesque with its surgical mask, but wearing the ribs and skull from one of its previous victims.
"From above," intoned the Eiledon.
The mortificator turned Harris' head this way and that, looking him over. "Standard vivisection," it said.
He is to be interrogated, said the Eiledon. We could use his knowledge of heroes.
The mortificator shrugged. "I will turn on the tape recorder," he said, and started setting out bloodied instruments - scalpels, needles and thread, ice picks, saws, a bottle of acid, and several hypodermic needles - on the tray at Harris's bedside.
[ QUOTE ]
"Listen, this may help - the Vahz that took the notebook was a Luminous, that means they should have raised radiation levels, you may be able to track them. I... I should be coming with you as backup... But if the Vahz have opened a new lab and we lose them now..." There was no need to finish the sentence. "And Harris is hardly an innocent but... we can't just leave him to be vivisected..." She paused. "As for us... we're deep... we're very deep. Six levels and counting."
[/ QUOTE ]
"Dear God..." Erik whispered. He had never gone down that deep willingly into the sewers. The only other time was with a horde of other adventurers, and that was to bust up a clockwork infestation.
"Penny, you be careful. Thanks for the tip about this guy being a Lumi... I should be able to track him then. Penny... I'm sorry I got you into this. I had no clue it was going to be this intense. Don't you dare worry about not being here for me. I wish there was some way I could be there to help you!"
Erik cursed under his breath and pushed his mind to the limit trying to maximize the speed he was getting out of his ability to fly. The repulsion and attraction magnetics of the isotopes that gave him the ability were still much a mystery to him.
Thankfully he knew the area ahead of him opened up once it dropped a level. That way he could begin trying to feel out the residue of the Lumi...
"Derrel, I have no clue if you're still reading but I pray you called my wife already."
All Erik heard from that feed was static. Cursing he flew down the tunnel and into the massive waste reclamation center. He alighted on a platform high above the waste and began sensing the trails left by powerful sources of radiation.
"What the... Oh dear God..."
"God has not answered you before Doctor Sanstad... Why should he start now?"
The blast come in from his right and knocked Erik off the platform and into the mire below. Normally he would quip about how pissed his wife would be about his clothes, but the circumstances this time were different.
There had to be damn well near thirty of them... Zombies, Abominations, Mortifiers, Reapers... and one Lumi... Standing in the middle holding the notebook like a trophy.
"It seems we have much to talk about my dear Doctor. Or can I call you Erik? You have a choice here... come quietly, or come in peices. But I can assure you only one of those paths will assure the safety of your darling wife Enid and your little girl Cassie..."
"You son of a..."
Several crossbows were cocked suddenly and the Lumi wisked a finger through the air back and forth.
"Tut tut now Erik... Calling me names is hardly comming quietly is it?"
[ QUOTE ]
"Dear God..." Erik whispered. He had never gone down that deep willingly into the sewers. The only other time was with a horde of other adventurers, and that was to bust up a clockwork infestation.
"Penny, you be careful. Thanks for the tip about this guy being a Lumi... I should be able to track him then. Penny... I'm sorry I got you into this. I had no clue it was going to be this intense. Don't you dare worry about not being here for me. I wish there was some way I could be there to help you!"
[/ QUOTE ]
"It's OK," she tried to keep her voice light-hearted. "Overhaul said he wanted to stress-test the new bearings anyway. And listen... don't be sorry. It isn't your fault. And don't worry about me... in this suit, I am as safe as if I was in a church," she smirked, thankful that she sounded much more confident than she felt.
[ QUOTE ]
"What the... Oh dear God..."
"God has not answered you before Doctor Sanstad... Why should he start now?"
The blast come in from his right and knocked Erik off the platform and into the mire below. Normally he would quip about how pissed his wife would be about his clothes, but the circumstances this time were different.
[/ QUOTE ]
Girl Genius heard the shot and was alarmed. "Erik? Erik? What was that? Are you all right? Talk to me!" She was scared for him and her voice reflected it.
[ QUOTE ]
"It seems we have much to talk about my dear Doctor. Or can I call you Erik? You have a choice here... come quietly, or come in peices. But I can assure you only one of those paths will assure the safety of your darling wife Enid and your little girl Cassie..."
"You son of a..."
"Tut tut now Erik... Calling me names is hardly coming quietly is it?"
[/ QUOTE ]
Girl Genius found herself holding her breath as she listened to the conversation.
She was following the Eidelon as it turned the corner and started wading through the battle.
She stopped for a moment, her eyes wide. There were hordes of Vahzilok here and bunches of Lost - whatever they were fighting over, they wanted it badly.
But if she lost the Eiledon now she would never find it again, and so she swallowed hard and plunged after it.
The noise was unbelievable. She found herself ducking under arms and around legs. Luckily her helmet muffled most of the din, but she was still straining her ears for any sound from Erik's end of the communication link. She was worried, too, that he would hear the noise from her end of the 'comm and be distracted at a critical moment... but it couldn't be helped.
A Headman Blaster lowered his Rikti rifle an inch in front of her head, firing it several times in succession. Behind her a half-dozen gunners were unloading at anything that moved, seemingly heedless of ammunition, and to her side another of the Lost emptied a shotgun in a thunderous burst. At her back were the noises of the vahzilok, the almost-musical sounds of crossbows and that wierd, screaming noise that the Eiledon blasts made. It almost threatened to overwhelm the sound-dampening capabilities in the helmet.
Several times she was bumped or knocked over but in such a tumultous battle, no one ever really looked to see what they had hit. After a couple of falls and some very close calls, she cleared the worst of the battle. The Eiledon was around the corner, and she sprinted to catch up.
She just managed to nip in the door the moment before it closed. A horrified gasp came from her when she saw the lab and, unthinkingly, she clapped both hands over her mouth - or rather, over the helmet - to silence the noise, and moved quickly, in case she had been spotted.
Harris fought to free himself of the straps that held him to the cold steel autopsy table. The table was covered in a mixture of dirt and dried blood. All this struggling did no good and the gag made his cries for mercy come out as only muffled noise.
The mortificator slowly picked up one of the needles and gave it a tap with his boney index finger. Bubbles gathered at the top of the greenish liquid inside and he pushed the plunger forcing the air and some of the liquid out. He turned to look at Harris.
"We wouldn't want you getting hurt now would we Mr. Harris, not with all the information you are going to give us."
He stuck the needle into Harris arm and injected its contence. Placing the needle back down he walked to the other side of the table and removed the gag in Harris mouth. Harris could already feel it taking effect, what ever it was. He felt lightheaded and everything was starting to go a little blurry.
"What did you give me?" His words were slow. His tongue was starting to go numb.
"Just a little something to make you talk." The mortificator looked at the other tools on the table. "These are just for fun once we are done with you."
Harris tried to fight it but he was getting more and more sleepy. He let the darkness take him.
**********************************************
Max lay on the floor in front of the TV the way most children do. His head rested on his hands and his legs swung back and forth in the air.
Behind him Steven Harris sat with his arm around his wife on the sofa. They smiled as they watched the news and the heard about how The Statesman had just saved another group of people. He looked very.....well....heroic.
The eight year old boy turned around to look at his father.
"Dad, can I be a hero when I grow up?"
"You can be anything you want." Harris replied with a smile. He looked younger then the man who lay on the autopsy table now.
His wife gave him a playfully dig in the ribs. "Don't encourage him." She said with a smile.
Then Harris was in another memory looking a little older.
"No Max, Don't" He screamed.
Another memory, a few years earlier (Between the first two)
"Can you tell us what is wrong with our son doctor. Please." Harris did not look like he had had much sleep.
The doctor leaned forward and put his arms on his desk.
"Mr. Harris. Your son seems to be developing mutant abilities."
The memory skipped again
"No, Max don't do this." Harris was on his knees crying.
**********************************************
Harris lay on the autopsy table speaking out loud the parts for all the characters in his memories that now replayed in his mind. Sometimes he even took on different voices.
"Interesting" The mortificator said while listening to Harris and checking the sharpness of his tools.
Earlier in Steel Canyon a lone figure stood on the roof of one of the taller skyscrapers. It stood motionless in the middle of the building near the large radio antenna. Motionless, unaffected by the high winds of the altitude, it stood and listened....
"All units, all units, multiple 10-81 in Fools Gold area. Be advised multiple heroes already on scene.........Later today on NPR will be interviewing the leader of one of Paragon Cities' quickly rising........Love, Love will keep us together. Love wil........This is K-9 Unit 24 we are 10-11.............OK, guys, c'mere and let me tell you about all of this stuff so you know what you are looking at...This, obviously, is the live camera feed. This - is anyone in here pre-med?..." It stopped scanning as it realized this was not a normal transmission. Something in the transmission seem both familiar and odd at the same time. It continued to listen while downloading several hundred giga-bits of medical information and analyzing the transmissions. As the down load completed and the female voice continued it realized what the anomaly was, the transmission was using the same carrier wave and the cities Emergence Medical Evacuation System. After further analysis it concluded there was a 97% chance this was done so that other heroes with the proper equipment could receive the information anywhere in and around the city. It continued to listen....."This section deals with my vital signs, this all make sense to you? Pretty standard stuff for medical," it compared the information with its newest download and the statement to be accurate. "This is an area where I can send messages without speaking if I need to," it modified the display of it's visual receptors to show the additional data..."keyboard.This is a chat window, and you can type back to me here if you need to get me a message. Though... anyone got a mike? You can talk back to me if you have one...This area is where you will see any messages from the computers within the armor, most of the time you don't have to worry too much about that, though there are some errors here,because I have taken some damage... This is talking about the feeds, that is talking about some of the backup circuits, and so on... and then overall suit capacity here. The rest of these readouts deal with some scientific data, various measurements here, here, and here. Any questions?"
"Can we feature you as a guest star in the next issue of 'The Mighty Bio-Man' comic that Marty draws?"
Someone smacked the first one's head, he protested, "Hey! What'd I do? What'd I do?" and said, "No, no questions."
"All right, let's go."
The figure moved. Slowly turning in a circle to triangulate and lock in on the signal source. While it did this it opened a sub file and began downloading the statistics and parameters of the broadcasting equipment. In a few seconds it hand a fixed location. A low hum began to resinate from the being and it smoothly and nearly silently lifted of the roof and into the sky, to anyone watching it looked like the planet was suddenly pushing it way in some freakish reversal of gravity.
************************************************** ***********
"OK, so I count seven," Penny said to Erik. Her voice came through the radio in his ear perfectly, though no sound penetrated the helmet, as they watched figures shuffling out of the medical labs. "Two mortificators, one reaper, five cadavers." She looked at Erik. "It is an interesting problem from a legal standpoint: the cadavers, of course, are dead and could technically be classified as robots. The mortificators and reaper, however, are alive, and thus require a certain type of handling... I am not fond of it, but hey, I only work here... and it is worth it so that when I plant their butts in jail, they STAY there... you ready?"
High overhead a white and blue metallic figure hovered and listened to the conversation. It wait incase the heroes below attempted something for which they were not equipped. It had learned soon after arriving on our world that many of the beings heard had an often overwhelming sense of pride that often lead them to illogical and risky actions. In its earlier attempts at assisting these Earthlings it had been met with resentment and hostility for butting in where not asked and "stealing" the glory of the hero.
"Absolutely. And we can argue semantics later. I'm not fond of harming anyone either, but people like this make me sick. But they are symptoms of the overall disease... If I ever find the real Doctor Vhaz..."
Upon Erik's assertion that he was ready, Girl Genius stepped out from the shadows. "Freeze!" She told the mortificators. "I am a designated law-enforcement hero of Paragon City! You are under arrest!" Though the words were required by the city, her bored voice plainly indicated that she had no expectation of anyone actually listening. It was simply the recitation of a memorized phrase... a battle cry... a formality.
Erik suddenly surged upwards and charged the area surrounding both him and Penny with radio waves. He could feel the boost in his metabolism and grinned as the green glow engulfed them both.
High above the figure's advanced sensors detected the increase in localized radiation levels and began an assessment of hazardous material. When scans showed Erik as the cause it disregarded.
"I am also a designated enforcement hero of Paragon City, but I'm also a PROFESSOR here! You twits should KNOW better than to mess with Paragon U.!"
They all whirled on her. One of the mortificators raised his crossbow and fired. Penny ducked out of the way.
Erik floated free and moved into a flanking position when the first shot from a Mort came in.
"Why do they never listen?"
"Lets Dance... best look away, Erik," a moment later a brilliant flash lit the sky. Both mortificators clutched their faces, blinded, light seeming to leak from their eyes, as the zombies turned, and she rolled out of the way.
The figures optical units quickly filtered out the flash and returned to optimum operating capacity.
"Aggghhhh. My eyes. AAgghhhhhh!!!!!"
"Erik!" Girl Genius called. "There is someone inside the building, they didn't look away... I need to see to them, can you handle these?"
Erik was staring toward the group of body thieves with a look of concentration. Again the localized radiation levels jumped as one of the Mortificators began to glow a sickly green that appeared to be making its' accomplices ill.
"Yeah I have them. You nab whomever is in the building, but be careful! If they broke into the labs then they could have all sorts of chemicals and surgical tools!"
Erik re-focused on the Vhaz below. They were struggling with the effects of the wasting radiation but still trying to get to him. Erik inhaled and could feel the charge building in his arms. He tugged at the loose protons and electrons from the isotopes in his body and fired forth a wave that smashed into the day-of-the-dead wannabe's. The zombies went flying back while the Morts reeled...
************************************************** ************
"Omega Guard to Sentinels PRIME. This unit has discovered a situation that may require our intervention. Initiating up link and data transfer now. Suggest any availably members coordinated contact at indicated coordinates."
A voice came back over the comm channel. It was quiet but clear, cold and full of infinite patience like something from beyond the grave, "This is Macabre, OG. We have received your message and I will see who can respond."
Omega Guard followed Erik still keeping out of the way. It edited its earlier assessment of the radiation emitting hero below him after Erik had so easily defeated the group of 7 Vahziloks earlier.
"Listen, this may help - the Vahz that took the notebook was a Luminous, that means they should have raised radiation levels, you may be able to track them. I... I should be coming with you as backup... But if the Vahz have opened a new lab and we lose them now..." There was no need to finish the sentence. "And Harris is hardly an innocent but... we can't just leave him to be vivisected..." She paused. "As for us... we're deep... we're very deep. Six levels and counting."
"Dear God..."
"Omega Guard to Sentinels PRIME, additional information : subjects have split up. Subject 1 : Girl Genius has gone done into the lower levels on her own. Assessment : while her suit's ability to control light may keep here hidden it lacks the necessary combat abilities for that location. Estimated survivability once she enters combat at 8% given current damage to armor and lack of support. Subject 2 : Mighty Bio-Man is searching for information that may place innocents close to him in extreme danger. As per my Primary Directive 4 I am following Bio-man."
With its advanced radar Omega Guard was able to see the layout of the sewer tunnels and that just ahead of Bio-Man they would open up into a much larger connecting chamber with 4 other access points. It was also able to detect the 32 additional figures waiting to ambush Erik. Quickly altering its path to a side tunnel the armored Sentinel put on a burst of speed and shot off into the dark to circle around the chamber ahead.
"You son of a..."
Several crossbows were cocked suddenly and the Lumi wisked a finger through the air back and forth.
"Tut tut now Erik... Calling me names is hardly coming quietly is it?"
Omega Guard turned a bend in the tunnel and came to a sudden halt. The tunnel schematics it had downloaded showed the way before him to be open but something had recently caused it to cave in. Quickly it potted a new course and headed out.
Erik followed behind the pack of Vahzilok deeper into the sewers. He watched the Lumi give orders to the rest of them, and the Reapers and Mortifiers moved out with their packs of undead in tow.
The ground was practically shaking. Erik could feel the energy of Ritki weapons nearby, as well as powerful radiation blasts from other sources. He looked up and saw the Lumi staring right at him. At least he thought it was a stare, but with the bondage gear mask over its face, it was hard to tell.
My name is Adam. I tell you this so we can have a formal conversation between two scientists. Erik was damn tempted to punch the thing dead in the face but resisted. Adam chuckled.
Now before you start getting any ideas like trying to attack me, know that every living member of that pack you saw has copies of the pertinent information in this little notebook. Attack me, and they move in on your family.
Erik winced and unclasped his fists, partly due to the threat to his family, and partly due to the sudden interrogation he began to hear on GGs com. They were doing something to Harris and parts of his life story were flowing out. Shaking his head, Erik focused on the problems at hand.
Can I speak now? Or shall I still play a silent victim?
Oh come now Erik, dont be so crass. Just follow along and perhaps we can speak along the way. I have much to tell you.
Erik shook his head and followed Adam. The lumi passed through several tunnels and Erik could feel the grade get deeper with each passage. The sounds of fighting became more apparent as well as the sources of energy. Adam shook his head and went into a side passage. He pressed a brick on the wall and suddenly a door opened.
What
are you a teenage mutant ninja turtle now?
Please
dont be so insulting. We work with what we have, and the institutions above give us very little.
Erik shook his head and followed. The Lumi passed several areas where intense fighting could be heard. Suddenly Adam took a sharp right and walked down a large pipe. He blocked the passage for a moment and then ushered both himself and his captive forward.
Erik was shocked to see a large pitched battle going on behind him. The Vahzilok were waging open war with the Lost, and seemed to be gaining ground. Adam allowed only a brief look before ushering Erik into a side room.
Dear God
Erik whispered as he saw Harris strapped to a table while a Mortifier was dutifully recording every word the man uttered. Adam watched for a moment before pushing Erik past a large box with Ritki symbols on it into a side room and closing the door.
The room looked like a sterile doctors office. Frankly Erik was surprised as he looked at the clean environment and the tools.
If you were anyone else Id praise you on the state of your lab.
Adam chuckled and sat down near a desk and did something totally unexpected
He pulled his mask off.
Erik had expected to see an undead visage. Something gruesome and horrible. What he saw was far worse. It was the face of Little Boy. Who could forget that charming face of the doctor who worked with the survivors of the nuclear strikes on Japan in WWII? Of the self styled hero of Paragon who took the name of one of the weapons that brought so much devastation? The man was a leader in radiation therapy and treatment of cancer and radiation sickness.
And he should have been well over eighty.
The man in front of him appeared to be in his twenties, and healthy as a horse. Eriks jaw went slack and shook his head at the sight.
I see you recognize the face. Adam stated.
Is it really yours or did you harvest it somewhere? The anger came back to Erik, but the thing before him shook its head.
Its mine Doctor Sanstad. Im Adam Dermont AKA Little-Boy, and Im quite alive.
Erik could feel himself reel. Here was a childhood hero, and a man he studied intensely when he gained his radiation powers. Erik had read this mans journals and articles over and over again.
Why? Erik gasped. Why the HELL would you throw your scientific principles away! Why throw in with someone who makes Doctor Frankenstein look GOOD by comparison?
SHUT UP! You know nothing of Doctor Vahziloks work! Hes a great man! He gave me back my life! My youth!
Erik was furious. Here was a man he idolized, and now he felt betrayed and his family threatened by this individual.
Look
Doctor Sanstad, you of ALL people should know what we strive for.
Erik inhaled deeply and fought back the wiseass remark. Realizing his situation was next to hopeless at the moment he grabbed a chair and sat.
Then enlighten me. He stated with the seriousness of a Scientist. Tell me WHY you harvest body parts from innocent people on the street. Why you graft together things that look like something out of Day of the Dead? Why your acolytes look like bad AD&D necromancers?
Adam chuckled and shook his head.
There is the scientific inquiry I was hoping to find. Adam stood and began to pace as he talked.
What is the constant foe man has always faced? What is the thing that we, as humans could never escape? That my dear Doctor, is death. Death faces us down every day, but not anymore. Doctor Vahzilok has found the keys to death and can bring about new life. It goes far beyond the reanimation of dead tissue, but into the realm of repairing dead cells at a molecular level.
Im talking about re-growing nerve connections. About reconstructing bodies ravaged by diabetes or cancer. About giving patients with no hope originally, not only hope but a totally new lease on life!
Erik began rubbing his temples and sighed deeply. He looked up at Adam and shook his head.
First off, death is a natural part of life. You cant escape that fact. If for nothing more than to control the population. If you remove death then we would soon wipe ourselves out in other ways like running out of room.
Second, Ill grant you that such medical achievements are incredible. But have you LOST YOUR MIND?!? You were THERE during World War Two! Did the Nazi concentration camps teach you nothing! What about the doctors that went on trial for experimenting on humans? What about the cases of Joseph Mengele? For the love of God, youre doing things WORSE than them! Youre harvesting from innocents to make your achievements!
Erik was shaking with rage now, but Adam shook his head.
Every person we have taken or harvested from has some prior condition. Some are deemed worthy to save, while others are used as parts for the greater good. Erik weve SAVED three times as many people as we have hurt! We can save the world from diseases and cancers, and even death! Why should death be a natural part of life? Why should we bow to it when we have conquered every other aspect on this planet?
Erik stood and looked Adam straight in the eye.
What gives you the right to play God?
Adam stared back at him and snarled.
What gives God the right to make and abandon us? What gives you the right to act as a savior yourself?
The radiation levels began to rise in the room. Both Adam and Erik began to feel their bodies flood with power as they stared at each other in hatred.
You WILL see our ways Erik. We can even repair your Wife
All those problems that even you can't cure. We can and will fix her Erik, with or WITHOUT you.
You dirty SON OF A
!!!
People outside the room could feel the heat coming from within
Even the Mortifier paused and looked up as something obviously began to happen in the room beyond.
Girl Genius had watched all of this from her invisible vantage point. The Luminous took Erik into the other room: the Murk left as well, following the Luminous, leaving the mortificator alone with Harris. It was time to make a move.
"Doctor Sanstad - Erik," she murmered, low, so he could hear her. "I have a plan. I am going to get you out of here, you and Harris. Look, when you get out of here, I want you to find my partner Overhaul and tell him..." She paused for a moment. Tell him what? "Tell him..." Tell him I fell in love with him, and he was so in love with his work that he never even noticed me? "Tell him... his design... the suit... it performed flawlessly. He will understand. Tell him that for me, OK?"
He would appreciate that. Without waiting for a response, figuring he would not be able to make one, she made her move.
The mortificator saw the folded cloth at the last minute. His crossbow was within reach, but Penny lunged and dropped the folded cloth under his surgical mask, making herself visible for the first time. The flash missed him completely - he was far too experienced to fall for a trick like that.
He grabbed for his crossbow and she dove for cover. She was lucky with the first bolt; he was at an awkward angle and it stuck in her shoulder, which was relatively padded.
He didn't get a second shot. A look of dull surprise came over his face, and without warning, he keeled over.
Penny got up, pulling the long arrow from her shoulder with a grunt of pain - that portion of her suit was armored, but it had still penetrated flesh... not badly, though. "That is what I thought," she said to no one in particular, "his sense of smell is so overwhelmed by what he works with every day that he never even detected the cloroform."
She crossed to Harris, undoing the straps so he could roll off the table. As she did it, she slipped her patch - the one which would transport her to the Paragon City hospital if her vital signs grew too low - into his pocket. He was weeping; she had heard all of what he said and she felt heartbroken for him. At least she had a better understanding of why he was so bitter. "Harris! Can you hear me? Snap out of it, we only have a few minutes."
She crossed the room to the Rikti device, removing tools from her belt pouches. "Harris!" She called to him again. "Get up, get over here, we're out of time-" she didn't have time to look at him, as her fingers flew. "Where is it - where is it - "
There were footsteps in the doorway where Erik had been taken - the Murk Eiledon who had taken Harris down here had heard what was going on and become suspicious. Well, well, well, what have we here? It intoned. It seems we have a problem.
Girl Genius made an abrupt yank with her arm as the lights went out. The sound of power in the lab suddenly dropped off to nothing, and they were left in darkness.
The Murk raised its arm to fire. Girl Genius turned around, extending her own hand. In her fingers was a tiny, round, crystalline disk. They stared at each other for a minute. Slowly, the Murk lowered his arm. "Yes," she agreed, "You certainly do."
You are aware we will not permit you to leave alive, intoned the Murk.
"Of course," Girl Genius replied. "My chances of getting out of here started maybe 8 or 9 percent. I am fully aware that my chances of survival are now nil. However, Mr. Harris and Dr. Sanstad are leaving. Along with Harris's notebook, please-and-thank-you-very-much."
Or you will smash the crystal.
"You have an excellent grasp of the situation. These are soooo delicate, aren't they?" She tapped the Rikti box with her free hand. "In fact, you busted the first one, when you broke into this originally. To replace it, you started raiding the Lost until you found another one, and they didn't appreciate it, and that is what started the war... isn't it? That is also why it was so easy to get to, you had to jury-rig this thing to get it working again."
The murk somehow managed to look surprised even through his mask. You have a greater grasp of the situation than I had anticipated. You will be marked for additional study.
"I have a better grasp than you think," responded Girl Genius. "I know why this lab is here."
Again, he looked surprised. You do, do you? By all means... enlighten me.
"First of all, it is not your lab, and it is not the Luminous's lab. This lab is here because you have a problem; you're not able to preserve the higher brain functions even of the people you want to save. In spite of all your efforts, you can preserve the form of the body, but not its function. Movement and life, but not intelligence. Only the living have intelligence - the reapers, the Mortificators... and you. You three."
There are only two of us here. In spite of itself, the Murk Eidelon sounded very surprised.
"There are two of you here.... but there are three of you in total. One Luminous," she gestured to the doorframe, "One Murk," she nodded at him -
And one Mire. came the voice from the doorframe, not the one where Erik had been taken, but the one across the room. Very good, Girl Genius. Very good indeed. I'm quite surprised. It was a woman who lounged in the door: though she was dressed as an Eiledon, her form was graceful and had a wierd sort of beauty.
"Oh, there you are," Girl Genius replied brightly. "I was wondering."
I see you have my crystal, Mire scowled at Murk, who had the sense to look properly ashamed of himself. I presume you want to trade for it... passage to the overworld, or some such? For yourself and your companions? She seemed to consider it. Of course, you are aware of the fatal flaw in your plan.
"Actually, I would rather talk about the fatal flaw in YOUR plan."
My plan is flawless, there was a definite note of wounded pride in the statement. She turned to look at the lab, gesturing with one arm. My calculations-
"-Are wrong," interrupted Girl Genius.
The Mire whirled on her. IMPOSSIBLE! She roared in terrifying fury.
"INEVITABLE!" Shot back Girl Genius. "This lab is wrong, your theory is wrong, the calculations are wrong, you will NEVER see another set of intelligent Eiledons! Ever! Your calculations are wrong!"
You don't know that!
"Yes I do! The entire structure topples because it is all based upon a premise which is FALSE!"
There was dead silence in the lab. The Murk was looking from one to the other like a man watching a tennis match.
"And you know that," Girl Genius's voice was calm, "And you've painted yourself in a corner, and now you can't get out."
I am not the only one who has painted herself into a corner, intoned the Mire coldly. As she spoke, the lights suddenly came back up, and the hum of power resumed.
Girl Genius looked sad. "Ah, yes... that would be the Luminous, activating the back-up systems which I haven't been able to locate."
Rendering your crystal hostage worthless, both the Mire and the Murk raised their hands. Shall we dance?
"Why not? You don't mind if I lead, do you?"
The Mark III suit, which Girl Genius was wearing, sadly did not have the arsenal of weaponry needed to survive down here. She was painfully aware of that fact. However, she did have a few weapons stashed in her belt pouches.
The grenade she tossed simply wasn't large or powerful enough to harm either the Murk or the Mire; furthermore, they were far more agile than she was, and simply ducked as it flew over their heads. You missed me, smirked the Mire.
"I wasn't aiming for you," said Girl Genius.
The Mire turned her head.
The explosion produced by the grenade was sufficient to knock over the shelf under which it had rolled. It toppled with a thunderous CRASH directly into the shelf next to it. Hundreds of jars, containing chemicals of every shape and description, smashed into the floor and into each other along with the shelves themselves.
Girl Genius made a break for it as the Murk and Mire whirled, grabbing for Harris, dragging him behind the dubious safety of the operating table and covering his body with her own.
The chemical explosion smashed every jar that had manage to escape the falling of the initial shelf. Glass went everywhere as both the Murk and the Mire were knocked off their feet. "MARINES!" She shouted into her 'comm, hoping the Erik could hear her. "THE BUS IS LEAVING!!!" She grabbed for a dry cloth to put on Harris face to try and protect him from any fumes - already there were clouds of a wierd blackish, greenish smoke billowing from the strangely colored flames in her wake - and sprinted for the door where Erik had been taken.
Harris: First of all I would like to thank you for taking the time to appear on the program.
Rogue Devil: Well, thank you for having me, Harris.
Harris: Could you tell the viewers at home a little bit about how and why you became a hero.
RD: How I became a hero Well, I became a hero through training and hard work. The idea that there was no where else for me to go just sort of strengthened my determination, you know? I mean When you are born looking the way that I look, you dont exactly get the luxury of getting a job as a school teacher or a car salesman. I mean, people see the horns, the blue skin, the tail, the occasional popping of these claws of mine and they dont really think: Hey, theres a good person to work at the daycare taking care of the children
RD: I guess Im kind of mincing words here. You probably want to know where I got these features considering they define the why part of your question. Im technically of natural origin, you see, and most people dont realize that because the classification is a bit off in my case. It is something in my genes. I never really knew my mother of father, but the horns, the claws, and some of my more interesting abilities are inborn. No artifact touched me, no experiment or mutation resulted in this. Only pedigree. Ive learned over time to know my body and use it to nearly the height of its potential.
RD: Its not right to judge a book by its cover, Harris. But to look at me, I dont exactly look like the heroic part. Ive heard, through research, that it was a demon of some kind that I inherit these features from and I guess, the why part of your question can be answered with another question: If you found out that evil was your destiny, would you fight that? I would I guess thats why I am a hero So that Im not just doing what is expected of me.
RD: Im sorry Was that too long?
Harris: What would you say is the greatest reward for being a hero?
RD: The greatest reward. Heh. I like it when my costume is complimented. People some times give me money but I rarely take it I cant be bothered with material goods, really. I guess the reward that I find to be the greatest would be the satisfaction that I get from knowing that Im doing something good for the city. My pride in my work, thats all I need. A job well done, timely and efficiently.
Harris: Have you ever found there is any drawback to being a hero?
RD: Long nights. Sometimes I dont sleep for days. Im a bit of a perfectionist, you see, and I dont mind prowling or wading in one single spot for days if it means taking a criminal down. Interpersonal relationships are hard, but they always have been for me anyhow. Every once in a while, Ill be walking down the road And people will run from me. I get confused for a bad guy sometimes and that hits me pretty hard.
Harris: What is going through your mind when you are in a dangerous situation that could lead to civilian casualties? That must be a scary situation.
RD: Civilian casualties are never an option. Im a hands on type, I dont have the luxury of picking off these bad guys from a distance or suspending them in air. Theres really no non-violent way that I know to take them down. So when I see a civilian in danger, and a possibility that they could be hurt or killed I will do anything, and everything, to stop that from happening. Even if it means jumping in unprepared. Even if it means distracting a more powerful foe just so this civilian can escape. Ive taken my share of beatings in my day, Harris, and Im never afraid to take another one just to save someones life.
Harris: How do you feel about people that use their powers for crime like the outcast or the super villains we starting to see around the city?
RD: I understand. I dont like it, mind you, but I understand. When people are given power, it takes a lot for them to use them for the good of the City. Being a hero is a lot harder than being a villain. Its easy to just walk away, to ignore all the bad things and just look out for yourself. Thats what makes a hero so special We do this with little reward, and all we ask is that we are offered a little respect.
Harris: What do you think is going through these criminals minds when they commit these acts?
RD: Its greed, a lack of self-control. They just dont care about anything, some of these people. I think a lot of them cant help it though, I mean They grow up and are influenced by a lot of bad things around them. Some of them dont know any better, some of them are just doing what they think is the right thing. There are certain groups, and I wont name any names, where if times were different they could very easily be on the other side of things. Thats just the way it seems to me, anyhow
Harris: How do you feel about the various anti hero and anti mutant groups that believe heroes course more problems then they solve? Given the amount of work heroes do for the city this must be quite upsetting.
RD: Theres always going to be someone out there who doesnt appreciate us. But at the same time it would be foolish to dismiss the idea that the heroes and the villains of this city arent closely related. I mean, it is a balance thing. For every hero that exists, theres a villain who is a lot like that hero. Ive always thought that without heroes this city would be overrun by evil and maybe that is true, but at the same time I wonder In the pursuit of making the better hero, do the side effects of that pursuit in turn breed a more powerful villain? How many buckets of Crey sludge has poured out during the creation of Joe Shmoe Heros power suit? Or how many magical artifacts are forged through which demons escape while the magician isnt looking? For every hero that is out there training their hardest to be the best, some competitive villain is training to beat that hero dont you think? Again I dont like these anti-hero groups, but I understand. And frankly, Id still help them if they ever needed it.
Harris: and finally, have you ever worked along side the Statesman? What is he like?
RD: No, Ive never met the man.
Harris: I would like to thank you for coming on the show and on behalf of the citizens of Paragon city thank you for keeping the streets safe
RD: Again, thank you for having me Harris. Its been a treat.