Roach was grieving. Midnight's Skye, his little happy scrapper friend, had to leave Paragon. The sorrow he felt was the deepest pain he had ever felt. Nothing, not even the countless mobs that were currently pounding his hide could do anything to hurt him anymore. He was a broken bug. He no longer wished to hunt the criminals anymore, he wished to extinguish the power that he held, but he couldn't. He wandered back to the place of his creation, a lone rooftop in Kings Row and bellowed to the Heavens.
"WHY AM ROACH ALLWAYS ALONE?"
"WHY AM ROACH HERE?"
"WHY? Why.."
He calmed down.
In the urban spawl below another creature heard his bellows. She looked up and wondered what could be making such terriable noise this late? She walked her way to the rooftop and saw him. Four feet tall, black, covered with armor and scars, he was the most beautiful sight her multifacited eyes had ever seen. She walked over in her pleated skirt and big green pigtails.
"Why you sad?" She asked.
"Go away. Me sad." he said without looking.
"Why? Why you sad?" She pressed.
"Me sad, cause me alone. No one like me. Call me bug. Try to squish. Me no like humans they bad. Even nice human go away and make me sad."
"Me not human. Me not go away." she insisted.
He looked up and saw her. Four feet tall. Black armor. Cute little dress that showed off her very feminine curves. Instant love.
In the insect world there are no politics, no dating, just courtship. Love is a new emotion, that the Roach just got hit with like a ton of bricks. Pure love.
"What your name?" She asked, multifacited eyes looking deeply into his own.
"Cockaroach, but you call me Roach, everyone does."
"He he, my name's Roachie, need a team?"
Roachie love her Roach forever and ever.
Damaged can be healed, stupidity -- well .... that's just funny to watch.
Breaking News, Kings Row, Paragon City. Strange lights seen on the rooftops in Kings Row. For several nights now several witnesses have reported seeing odd glowing lights above the building in the Kings Row neighborhood known as the Gish. Local citizens are being warned not to travel alone, as there have also been several disappearances in the same neighborhood. Local police declined comment citing that an ongoing investigation was on the way
The summoning was almost done. A vessel for the power was chosen and the words of power were spoken. All that was needed now was time. Time, the one thing that all magic needs. The power flowed into the vessel and the ley lines were almost at their peak. The loss of ones soul cannot be rushed. For haste makes waste, and a soul is far too precious to waste.
The local group of hooded wizards circled a lone female subject. She was suspended in air by powers that glowed green and menacing. The heros information was right. The Circle of Thorns was once again kidnapping the local citizens and using them in their weird arcane rituals. The hero checked his scanner, only 4 targets, should be easy, the threat indicator is registering them only as threat level 5. The hero was cleared for level 14 threats so he took aim on the lead wizard
Moments away. Just moments. The vessel was almost ready to take the power of the Behemoth. Soon the unstoppable would walk in the Row of Kings all that was needed was the vessel to accept the power being installed in it, all that was needed was a bit more time, but that time would never come.
The hero sprung, firing round after round of iron bullets into the vulnerable mages. They attempted to flee, they attempted to fight back, but neither quickness of foot nor spell were enough to stop the flow of poisonous iron from entering their bodies. All four of the wizards were fell within seconds. The hero picked up the focus of the nights activity and rushed her to the local hospital. Unseen by the hero, and unnoticed by the wizards, a hitchhiker, a simple American Cockroach was on that rooftop.
A simpler creature would be hard to find in this world. This particular roach was living in the caves in Galaxy City, where this group of wizards had their lair. Its life was longer then most, due to the things it ate, spell ingredients, mystic tomes, and weird potions. It was resting in the dark robes of one of the wizards, when they decided to make their move into Kings Row and escaped the robes during the ceremony. The center of the circle was pulsing with energy, not that the roach could see it, but it sensed it. It wandered into the middle of the now uncontrolled mystical forces and was transformed.
Food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, wait, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, wait, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, wait, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, food, huh?
Surging power, arcane spells, and the catalyst. The infusion of power took the roach by surprise, his exoskeleton ripped open with surges of power and twisting muscles. Spouting from ½ inch tall to 4 feet, was painful. Feeling his brain increase in size a thousand time over was also a feeling that he did not want to repeat. The very fact that he could now think was totally alien to him. Naked and alone on the rooftop of the building, he looked around. It was now night, but his vision cut through the darkness likes an arc light. His instincts took over and he did what he knew. He ran. Unfortunately, he did not realize that at his present size and speed how quickly the distances closed. Running at top speed he cleared the edge of the building and keep going. Falling was not new to him either, a short plummet from a short height, but this was 9 stories up, and he weighed quiet a bit more. The impact shook him. He pause and looked up, realizing that the fall should have killed him, but he was fine. He then hid in an alley and took a moment to look himself over in a nearby puddle. He was still very insect like, the eyes, the hood, no mistaking him for anything else, but he was something else. Looking down at his body, he noticed that he now only had 4 appendages instead of his usual six. His antenna had shrunk to be tiny nubs, almost unnoticeable on his head. He was larger then any other roach he had ever seen.
Breaking News. Kings Row, Paragon City. People have started reporting the appearance of what they are calling a Roach-man. He just rushed up and helped me! A bunch of Skulls were trying to take my purse and this little black blur came up and stomped them flat, before I could thank him he ran off. Says Carla Jenkins of the Gish. Police are looking into leads but not sure what to make of the new arrival.
If hes a hero, great, this city can always use more, but from what Ive heard hes not carrying an I.D. Even with the best intentions we cant have vigilantes stalking unregulated in the streets
Paragon City officials were unavailable for comment on wither or not the Roach-man was a registered hero or not
Looking for something little girl? the Skull was not worried. His buddies at his back, the gun tucked into his belt and the lead pipe in his hand gave him a false sense of confidence only boosted by the Superdyne flowing in his veins. He looked at the short female and knew the odds were with him, and his six fellow gang-bangers. She wasnt carrying anything that looked like a weapon, and even though her manner of dress said hero, he was sure that him and his buddies could take care of one little hero who wondered this deep into Skulls territories.
I dont want to hurt you. She said, the words falling on deaf ears.
Yea, but we dont feel the same sweatheart. The Skull raised the pipe, ready to reign down punishment on the little heroes head.
ROACH SMASH DEADFACE!! came a cry from above. As all six Skulls looked up, the little female hero flexed her arms down and six razor sharp claws slid from their housings. Like a coiled spring she struck and in a flurry of torn flesh and leather, the nearest Skull went down, She then turned to the remaining thugs to see them all occupied by the newcomer. He was about half their height, and the thugs were pounding away at him without mercy. He was standing there taking all the punishment that they could dish out, and now it was his turn. The first punch made the thug double over. Couldnt tell if it was the punch alone or the Skulls jaw hitting the pavement that knocked him out, but he was done. The next Skull pulled a baseball bat out and broke it over the small black hood that the Roach was wearing. Roach turned, grabbed the thug and threw him down the block, didnt know if he was aiming or if it was luck, but the thug landed right inside a dumpster. The fourth Skull leveled his shotgun, took aim and fired. The blast knocked the Roach flat on his back. For a moment, she thought he was dead. Few people could survive a point-blank shotgun blast. Then the Roach jumped to his feet, brushed some dirt off looked right at the Skull with the shotgun and bellowed while thumping his chest ROACH SMASH!!