((Hey all, well done on this. Rakescar gave me a heads up on it so I wanted to have a peek. Your creativity is fantastic!! Give 'em hell Rake, not only are you the best drummer I've ever had apparently your a nasty bounty hunter too.))
Toons I play
The Shape - Stalker
Axl Van Hagar - Corruptor
The Born Again Brawler - Brute
Axl VanHagar - Blaster
((Yegods this has spiralled totally out of control... brilliant 
))
(( You wanted attention, didn't you? 
Waiting on you DB! 
))
((yay i got into the story!! *dances*))
((I still blame that damn police drone!))
blues:
Lyla Twilight
Ember's Rise
reds:
Gray Inferno
Leiura
Aeterna Firebrand sighed, the helicopter shifting under him as he left Warburg behind.
Damn Damn Damn Damn Damn
It was bad enough having heroes after him, but he could deal with that. It was a professional hazard, more then anything, and most of them were complete hypocrites anyway. But getting hounded for something he didn't have a hand in, and seeing his organizations good reputations going down the tubes for something he found out about after the fact...two days ago.
Damn. That X-Patriot was the one that did the kidnapping, why don't they go bother them for a while?
Quietly, he pinched the bridge of his nose between forefinger and thumb. He still needed to catch his sister, Demented's plague was still popping up everytime he had it under control, and now he was going to have to deal with a hero incursion. Something would have to be done.
He'd have to talk to Vice. If they were going to do what she said she needed to, they'd need to do it fast. If they couldn't, maybe simply handing the hero back over would calm things down in the short time.
Yeah, right.
Something told him he was going to need a lot more C4 in the days ahead.
Aeterna Firebrand was a fool.
That was the only possible explanation, da? Only a fool would let things go so far out of control.
Fact: One Vice-Grip, member of FUTURE, contracted one bounty hunter to capture Clobber-Girl.
Fact: Rakescar had run from Maggie at the Pocket D.
Fact: Aeterna owned up to all of it.
A fool.
The ultimatum was simple: if Clobber-Girl was harmed, or was not returned, FUTURE would be held responsible. If Tera did not return, Smersh would personally see to the incarceration of each and every member of that "two-bit terrorist organization."
Unfortunately, this is where he had met a dead-end. After the meeting with Aeterna in Warburg, with some very impressive backup, he had sent out... intelligence operatives. To try to locate Rakescar, and to find information.
Nothing.
At least, not yet.
But, one thing was clear... Clobber-Girl would be found, or the wrath of the Soviets would be called down.
Comrade Smersh, KGB Special Section 8 50 Inv/Fire, Fire/Rad, BS/WP, SD/SS, AR/EM
Other 50s: Plant/Thorn, Bots/Traps, DB/SR, MA/Regen, Rad/Dark - All on Virtue.
-Don't just rebel, build a better world, comrade!
Dragonberry sat quietly at the bar within Poket D's lazily sipping on a tall frothy vanilla milkshake that she had bought with the last of her lunch money . Her tall frame , long legs and serpentine tail made sitting at the bar a bit of a chore but she was currently too preoccupied dreamily looking over a recently aquired autographed picture of her favorite rockstar "Axl Von Haggar "
A sound from behind her interrupted a perfectly good daydream with a poof ! and with a quick swivel of her bar stool she spun around to face a rather curious fellow bedecked in a rumbled suit and strange helmet .
He apparently already knew Dragonberrys name , which she considered odd as she was positive they had never met before it also made her very wary as most folks that walk up to her and call her by her name are angry teachers whom classes she had skipped at school or folks in the contested areas trying to pick a fight with her , luckily he proved to be neither .
He introduced himself as Noisemaze and seemed friendly which immediately set Dragonberrys mind at ease and she regarded him with a warm friendly smile (( as warm a smile as she could give , most seemed to find a mouth filled with razor sharp teeth unsettling )) he asked her if in all her travels thru and battles in the contested lands weather she had ever encountered any operatives of a group known as FUTURE , whom he mentioned had something to do with the disaperance of Clobber-Girl .
Dragonberry sadly didn't think she could help out or had anything to contribute but Noisemaze used the one attack ((other than cute boys )) that DB had no defense against ...Flattery .
Noisemaze mentioned how well regarded her fighting skills were and how folks did not do her justice in their descriptions of her , he even said she was attractive . For a young girl with few friends and saddled with a number of genetic mutations a warm smile and a few compliments are all it takes to make her cheeks burn a bright green and she quickly found herself agreeing to help out in any way she could .
Noisemaze suggested she might be most usefull by questioning the villians whom frequented the various contested areas , an idea DB was only too happy to agree to . After Noisemaze departed to question a few more folks around the club Dragonberry slipped off her stool and raced to the elevator her serpentine tail happily wagging as she made her way across the floor , knocking over several villians drinks accidently .
she'd happily kapowie all the nogoodnicks in Sirens Call if it would make Noisemaze happy .
((Updated from Noisemaze: Dark Suited Detective. Trying out a "Pulpy as possible" approach, really not sure it worked, but it seems to suit the style of detective he thinks he is in his head, anyone witness to what *actually* went down will know that Noisemaze is still very green..))
The club bustled with over energetic heroes and villains, the threat of terrible violence bubbled under the surface, like a crocodile waiting for an unsuspecting Deer to take a drink from the cool water of the river. DJ Zero had the right idea, no fighting. It made it safe, but only in a physical sense. I didn't like the Pocket D, I still don't like it, but I had a job to do, and I was going to do it, no matter my feelings on the subject.
I'd approached several characters throughout the night, none of them had any information on what I was looking for. Paragon was a big city, I figured this wouldn't be an easy case, especially mixing the sleazy influence of the Rogue Isles renegades into the throng.
I was about to give up when I saw her floating above the dance floor. I couldn't tell if it was the crazy lighting or if someone had spiked my coffee, but she seemed to glow green. I had to wipe the front of my helmet to make sure I wasn't seeing things. I wasn't. It was her. Dragonberry. I spend a lot of time in the office, and when I'm there I like to keep track of things. Dragonberrys name cropped up often in City Hall Reports. She was on the frontlines most days, defending Sirens Call from the constant barrage of wannabe super-villains that were always trying to break in to Steel Canyon. She was tough and strong and knew how to handle herself. I wondered if she might know anything. It was a long shot, but I had to try.
I made my way to her, trying not to look desperate to get her attention. The crowd around her, dancing like their troubles never really existed, were keen to keep me away, but I worked my way through regardless. I looked up to see her, still floating there. I called to her and she floated down like a leaf on the wind. Gently, calmy, gracefully. I asked her about the missing girl. She said she hadn't heard anything, the villains were being quiet of late, not in action, but in words. Her eyes, like two emeralds, were captivating and her gentle green glow made them sparkle. They weren't the kind of eyes you'd forget in a hurry and she had a smile that could make any man melt, it was no wonder she was so well regarded on the battlefield. Beautiful and deadly. I thanked her for her help and she promised to ask all those poor wretches she was going to defeat in battle about the missing girl and get back to me. I gave her my card and hoped she would call soon. News or not.
I moved round the club, making sure people knew I was there, and what it was I was looking for. It wasn't until I was about to head home that I finally got a lead.
He looked like death, probably smelled like it too, but my helmet was doing a good job of keeping the smell out. I asked him straight what I was looking for. Turned out that he was working for the goons that took the girl. I told him, in no uncertain terms, that we were coming for her, the smart thing for him and his buddies would be to stay out of our way. He agreed. I gave him my card and told him to call me if his bosses wanted to do things the easy way. He took it and shuffled out of the club. Smart guy.
I took one more lap around the club, she was still there, on the dancefloor in brilliant green. She looked like she was on top of the world. One day, I told myself, I'd find out how that felt.
Sadako crossed the floor to where Rakescar was leaning against a vending machine. His bulk had left a webwork of cracks in the glass.
Unexpectedly, the music made it easier. The bass pulse filled the horrible empty space inside her, gave her something to lean against. In the bathroom, pale and shaking, she had been close to nausea. Her own eyes lit the place more harshly than neon. Now, the voices that had screamed You don't know what you're doing were lulled. Speaking and moving came spontaneously, like a dance.
He didn't move, but she knew he was checking her out. Appraising. Setting a price tag, a risk level.
Excellent.
She softly rode the backwave of attention, gliding her mind over his surface thoughts. Under the crust, pride glowed like lava. He was good.
'Fishing around in my mind?' he said unhurriedly.
'Fly fishing,' Sadako answered. 'You know the difference? I'm just skimming, to see if anything bites. Trawling would be rude.'
There was a pause. Drunken vampires hiccuped. A young man burst into flame. A wolf and a serval argued with a seven-foot alien.
'You're oddly polite for a squishie.'
'And you're oddly approachable for a stone-cold killer.'
He stretched, tectonic. 'I find being approachable helps put the marks at ease.'
'So you are the bounty hunter.'
They conversed. He spoke of his disdain for heroes, always charging in to investigate oddities. She commented that subtlety and spandex did not go.
'What about black spandex?' called a voice from one side.
Slowly, softly, she worked on his mind. It was like trying to massage a rock with invisible fingers. Nothing was coming through but the heat of his ego. They danced around each other, talking of this and that. He told her he'd been a drummer in a rock band. The drums tended to break. She recommended the skins of flayed Rularuu watchers. for elasticity and strength.
He could snap her like a dry branch, and she knew it.
Then, a hot seam of frustration, briefly felt below the rough pumice of his defences. Anger - at who? She took it at a rush. Stone-armoured fighters were notoriously difficult to scan. Psionics went through them like a hot knife through, well, concrete. Any crack in the armour had to be stabbed through and damn the consequences.
gabblegabble money soon gabble little hidey-hole gabble gabble
oh, come ON...
FUTURE. Times two.
It came like a hot gem in a gush of mud. FUTURE? Definitely a who, not a what.
She politely excused herself, went to the bathroom (stepping lightly over a comatose raver on the way) and was sick. She got rid of all the crusted alien thoughts. Preenings. 'Marks'. Profit. Not her. Flush it all out.
Later, she was herself again. The iced mineral water gave her a clean, bright headache. There was a woman by the bar who she had long admired but never met. If anyone would know who these FUTURE people were, she would.
She summoned up her nerve.
'Miss Love... might I have a word in private?'
((Saw you in the D this morning, apologies for not saying Hi...
Splendid interrogation of Rakescar, he's so cool))
Dragonberry had spent the better part of the day asking villians questions in the disputed areas . Sometimes the folks she'd meet would nicely answer her questions ,sometimes she would have to let loose with Kapowies and sometimes she would have to fly like a bat out of heck to avoid someone she had just kapowied whom had returned with a small army of friends !
she had almost given up hope when she lucked upon a meaney head nogoodnick villianous type only too happy to point Dragonberry in the right direction provided it would cause Clobber-Girls kidnapper trouble and that DB let the villian she currently had pinned to a wall with spines go his merry way with the knowledge that she would owe him a favor at a future time .
She weighed the options in her head for quite awhile. lil angelic goodberry wispering in her ear that it was a no-no for her to ummm make deals with bad guys ,meanwhile devilishly mischevious bloodberry whispered that if she found out something usefull Noisemaze would likely be happy with her !
The villian apparently thought she was taking far too long to decide as he attempted to blast her with a burst of force ,which barely dented her armored scales but did awaken her from her moral quandry daydream and apparently killed off her common sense .
"Okies , so who was the kidnapper ?" she asked trying to give the villian her best tough guy look , which caused a hearty chuckle to emerge from the villian .
" His name is Rakescar and if you hurry you can find him at Pocket D's , im sure he will be quite happy to see you ! always a pleasure doing bussiness with you heroes . Im sure i'll find a good use for your favor at some point Dragonberry " The villian laughed as he walked right past her . she was about to follow him but the forces of Longbow and Arachnos chose that moment to engage each other in a firefight and the villian quickly disapeered from sight .
Later that Evening
She sat outside the entrance to Pocket D's and breathed heavily into a brown paper bag multiple times trying to get her nerves calmed. she had fought Rakescar numerous times and while he's always been a nice enough guy for a self styled professional villian he did have a bit of a temper and add to that the fact that the last time they fought atop that abandonded skyscraper in Sirens Call he had hit her so hard with that hammer of his she had woken later in the day on the first floor admisdt the debis of sevral floors worth of rubble .
she sighed a long sigh and wandered in , she waved at various club goers as she made her way to the bar . she already could see Rakescars large orange rocky frame dominating a section of the bar , for some reason the chairs on either side of him were vacant .
she padded up to the bar and plopped down on the vacant barstool next to Rakescar and ordered up a tall glass of milk in a frosted mug , she could already feel his gaze upon her for invading his personal space and she tried hard to ignore it and hoped he didn't notice the beads of swet on her brow .
she turned to him and gave a weak smile and waved at him trying to strike up a conversation or at least get a response from the big guy .
He looked at her for a few moments seemed to roll his eyes and simply stated "A little late for a school night isn't it ?" before turning back to his drink .
no smeeps , gorbbles or rock lyrics peppered his speech , which was odd to Dragonberry as she always found the way Rakescar talked very amusing and in odd oposition to the way he looked .
she attempted a second time to get his attention and began to lightly tug on Rakescars tattered orange cape "Rakescar ! rakey rake rake Rakescar , c'mon talk to me for five minutes and i'll stop annoying you " she said in a whiney voice .The orange rocky brute raised an eyebrow or whatever passed for one on his face as he turned and looked at , she smiled and tried to hide the fact that a small "eeeep!" had likely just escaped from her mouth .
Dragonberry had planned this conversation out much better in her head , she had rehearsed it several times in fact in the hallyway outside Pocket D's elevator . Unfortunetly what came out of her mouth was something of a rushed nervous spastic string of words "IheardfromafriendthatyouhadahandinClobber-Girlsdissaperanceandyoubettertellmewheresheisorthe rewillbetrouble"
She felt better having said it and took a deep breath before looking Rakescar in the eyes , his glare had become a hardened steely glare and his face had become an impassive mask displaying no hint of emotion .He quietly but firmly asked "what exactly did you just say ?" and I repeated my self a lot slower as some of the nervousness had left already "I said , that I heard from a friend that you had a hand in Clobber-Girls dissaperance and you better tell me where she is or there will be trouble !"
"Who said that ? " he asked in a flat even voice .
"can't tell you I promised to keep it a secret nyah !" I smirked feeling a bit braver then I had earlier
"WHO TOLD YOU ABOUT THIS " he yelled in a loud angry voice as he slammed his fist into the bar's tabletop causing me to attempt to leap back away from him ....unfortunetly all I managed to do was to fall off my bar stool onto my bum .
"y-you better tell me where she is before I ummm err have to umm beat it out of you." I looked around to see who had said that and it slowly dawned on me that those words had actually come from my lips .
"you really really do not want to get involved in this , this is your last chance to back off and leave kid !" he glared at me as I scrambled to regain my footing .
I couldn't belive my luck I had just called him out in front of a bar full of people and he was going to let me walk away , I almost turned and sulked away until I noticed all the faces watching our conversation and silently gulped ...their was no way the villians would ever let me live it down if I had run away like a whipped dog as soon as Rakescar raised his voice to me
"u-ummm im not leaving until you t-tell me what I need to know and if you won't tell me now ill follow you untill you leave Pocket D's and then ill kapowie you until you tell me !" I hoped hoped hoped that Rakescar wouldn't be able to let me keep on challangeing him without accepting a showdown , His reputation as one of the toughest fighters in the contested areas wouldn't hold a whole lot of water if he backed down from a girl in a school uniform.
"your choice kid , Bloody Bay in 10 minutes ill meet you there " He said loudly alerting the whole bar to his intent as he walked away and headed to the Exit of Pocket D's . I stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds before racing to the Ladies room and hurled the contents of my stomach into a sink before wondering what I had just gotten myself involved in .
((Get'em Dragonberry!!!!))
((Oh, Dragonberry, do be careful!
Oh, and charming post.))
Ooh! Sumbuddies gunna gits da smushed!
((Yay! I'm loving this thread, and kicking myself that I didn't jump on the bandwagon sooner. Please, keep posting, especially you Lady Sadako. That's some good descriptive writing, that is.))
SparrowhawkHummingbirdDungeon MasterCapricornHour WomanQueen NefariaJunkyard GirlDoll FaceStitchbladeRed MinstrelMimic
(( Great postings DB, I knew you had some fictioneer blood in yah! Keep it up! ))
((Go go DB! Man, I wish I had gotten into this. It sounds so awesome!))
We'll always have Paragon.
((I <3 DB!! Whoo you go ma'am))
Beth (or Leiura) ran a spine through yet another leader of the Family and jumped off into the distance, leaving the remaining Family in chaos. She had lost track of how many she dropped today, it wasn't important, they were just distractions. As she spread her own chaos, it seemed chaos was also spawning around her, and it all reminded her of her failure.
This wasn't working, nothing was. She had tried Thorns, Sky Raiders, Family, ghosts, even other heroes, the bodies had piled up, but they couldn't make her forget. She landed in the middle of a group of Family and exploded in rage. Shards of chitin flew in all directions cutting down the gangers.
This is all my fault. That's all that she could think about. That second of hesitation was costing her everything. Damn that drone, damn it! She could have been faster than it was and then everything would be fine. But it wasn't and it was all her fault. She had failed her most important job to date, and everyone she knew was paying the consequence.
An Arachnos patrol strolled past the scene observing a small woman breathing heavily, flesh pierced by some kind of spikes, and a bunch of dead family impaled by those spikes.
The TacOps shook his head, "Like a bloody claymore mine, we're not engaging that." They continued on their way. And Beth's anger continued to fester.
Her failure was costing FUTURE both money and reputation. She wasn't too worried about the heroes making threats, she had defeated a good amount of heroes before, and the higher ups in FUTURE had taken down some of the best Paragon had to offer. The threats of an old communist meant little to her, she had heard of his Battle with Joe and the communist's inability to inflict any lasting damage.
She'd do whatever they needed her to do, to make up for her failure.
blues:
Lyla Twilight
Ember's Rise
reds:
Gray Inferno
Leiura
((And now, from the villain of this tale... wanted do a ping pong between Vice and Clobbers perspective, but I suck, so didn't. Sorry 
))
She sat on the Ferry as it slowly moved between the mish mash of land masses collectively known as the Rogue Isles. She'd lost track of time a while ago, but she knew she was getting close to home. She could feel her energy clashing with hers and it hurt. Not as bad as it used to, but all the same she would, given the choice, prefer to live without it.
Home. Funny. Even though she didn't particularly like many of the guys in FUTURE, it was the first place she really considered home. There was no bunk for her, no room either, but there was space, it was dry and mostly warm and she was comfortable there. Once she started learning of her true origins, the plan had hatched fairly quickly so she found a disused building on Mercy Island and made it a temporary shelter in anticipation of her "guest".
Since her ineptness to even complete her own plans had left her in a tight spot, that same disused building was her home now. Damp, dark and unwelcoming it was hardly ideal but desperate times often call for improvisation and putting up with some discomfort.
She thought back over the last few days. It had all started out promising, Bounty Hunters were on the case. It was only a day or two before the stupid girl went and got herself caught. She paid the man with a FUTURE cheque. She thought the boss wouldn't mind. He even seemed pleased that she had pulled it off. Then the Cheque bounced. Not only was Rakescar after her, but now the entire FUTURE organisation was on her back, the boss had paid Rakescar off and she was expected to get the coin back by herself. She'd tried getting the heroes, so desperate to see their little friend again, to cough up. They were too smart for that. One even found it funny. She was going to pay, with her life if possible. There was plenty of time for that later. Now she had more pressing matters. With FUTURE turning their back on her she was missing the one thing she needed to ensure her survival. Ki Lin. He was the one who'd diagnosed her condition and what was needed to fix it. But she couldn't count on his help. When she encountered the blockhead in the Pocket D who tried to strangle her, she surprised herself by demanding that kind of assitance from him. Someone who was good with positive and negative energies. Yin and Yang. Dark and light. She hoped he was going to make good his promise. The money could wait.
Watching the sun set she rubbed her brow. She was really close to home now. The pain was getting worse, trying to push out of her body. She had become adept at keeping it in, letting it escape was too painful to do too often. However the closer she got to Clobber-Girl the harder it was to keep it inside.
She screamed loudly, the other villains on the ferry all ducked and look round to the source of the disturbance. In a blinding flash of blue light she transformed. Her form was now encased in glistening black armour reflecting the red glow that her eyes now emitted. She snapped her head round and glared at the people who were trying to regain their menacing composure. Some stared, some looked away, she was about to go over and let them know what she thought when the announcement came over the tannoy system that the ferry had docked. She spun round and leapt into the air.
Moments later she was home. When in her armoured form, the pain seemed to lessen, it was at least bearable for short amounts of time. She moved the large steel door in front of her to the side and stepped into the darkness, closing it behind her. Her eyes bathed the room in a soft red glow, and she slowly stepped towards the stairs in the corner.
The basement was illuminated with a soft white light. That meant that her guest was in that ridiculous white armoured form. She took some amusement from the fact that it probably hurt her, a lot. Little comfort as it was, it was about all she got now.
"Hello Tera... comfortable I hope?"
Tera moved her head as best she could, trying to see her captor, her now blonde locks covering most of her face and obscuring her view.
"When I get outta here I am going to make you..."
Vicegrip raised a finger to her lips "Ssssh... you'll be outta here as soon as yer meatheaded buddies pony up the forty grand I need."
"I'm not stupid!" Tera wrestled with her bindings "I know what you have planned... I haven't been sat on my [censored] while all this has been going on you know... I did my homework! You don't want money!"
"Who's to say I don't want it?!" Vicegrip snarled back "Shut your damn mouth!"
Vicegrip raced accross the room, balling her hand into a fist, and punched Tera in the jaw. She hardly made contact before there was a large bang and the dingy basement was illuminated in a blinding light. Vicegrip flew back into the wall unconcious, sliding down and finally coming to rest in a slump. Tera shook violently for a few moments before coming to rest.
The long silence was broken with by the sound of dripping liquid on the cold cement floor. Vicegrip, stirred by the sound, opened her eyes. The Basement was once again bathed in the red light of her eyes. She pulled herself up slowly, she was in pain. Finally on her own two feet she looked over to where Tera was laying, still bound to the table.
"You're gonna pay for that you little..."
Tera was no longer glowing, she was still in her White Armoured form, but in the red light there was, what appeared to be, black on her face. Vicegrip rushed over and examined her from a slight distance. Tera still didn't move. Vicegrips eyes widened in panic. She looked at her feet and saw a pool of the black substance that was dripping from Teras face. She dropped down on to one knee and wiped her finger through the substance.
"Blood?"
(( What!? Noooo! You can't leave it on a cliffhanger like that! *starts waving a sign around, demanding more*
Seriously, though, I've been following this since the beginning, and wow! Amazing stuff. Can't wait to see how it turns out. ^_^ ))
"Immorality: The morality of those having a better time."
-H.L. Mencken
"My center is giving way, my right is in retreat; situation excellent. I shall attack."
-Ferdinand Foch
[ QUOTE ]
(( What!? Noooo! You can't leave it on a cliffhanger like that! *starts waving a sign around, demanding more*
Seriously, though, I've been following this since the beginning, and wow! Amazing stuff. Can't wait to see how it turns out. ^_^ ))
[/ QUOTE ]
((I have to say that everyone who's played a part in this has been simply incredible in terms of moving the plot along, and making twists I could never have even imagined. Without everyone else this would be rubbish. Glad people are enjoying it and joining in. So thanks to everyone. And yes, I will keep saying thanks over and over and over and over...))
((Seems I was in on the scene played out in Pocket D last night, didn't realize the big plot I stepped into inadvertantly O.o))
The truth is the solution from an equation of lies. ~Maileah Kirel
Life was hard, being a Troll. The enlarged teeth usually hurt, there was a constant headache from all the substance abuse, and you typically had one hero or another beating the tar out of you and throwing you in jail. In fact, the only reason to really push through it all was for the occasional rave in Skyway city.
Jaborg, a Supa Troll of some reknown, was on his way to such a rave when he encountered a whole new reason it was bad to be a Troll that day. Courtney Cross.
It looked a bit ridiculous as an overweight girl standing at about five elven held an arm behind the back of a glowing green behemoth that was easily pushing the eight foot mark. But as funny as it looked, neither of the two were laughing. Courtney's eyes were on fire behind the frames of her rectangular, tinted sunglasses, and she twisted Jaborg's arm back even harder when she spoke.
"TELL ME!" She commanded in an incredibly hostile voice. Jaborg grunted in pain, and his stinted, slurring voice barked in something that was between a mumble and a moan.
"Me no know!" He groaned, aching. He tried desperately to reach back with his other hand to grab her, but she was keeping her head too low. He tried to push off with his heels and crush her against a wall, but as she leaned over him, using her weight to her advantage, it was too much for him to bear. "Me no know foochure!"
"FUTURE!" Courtney barked, and jerked the arm back and forth to emit another howl of pain. "C'mon! You mutated freaks see everything! You mean to tell me none of your clan members from the Rogue Isles heard about a large bounty for a hero named Clobber-Girl?"
In his desperation at knowing nothing, and a fear unlike that which he ever experienced in the face of any hero, Jarborg simply sobbed stupidly. Realizing it as the noise of a dry source in fear, she grunted and pushed him roughly onto the ground, cursing.
"Worthless trash." She muttered, and couldn't resist kicking him hard in the ribs. "Not worth my time." She spun on the heel of her thick soled combat boot, storming off towards the train station. She had heard that sobbing noise quite a bit in the past few days. Trolls, Skulls, Freakshow, Warriors...anyone she knew of that might know something. Any of the street gangs that did mercenary work, that might've heard of a recent big score. She had made a name for herself as a particularly cruel "hero" amongst them, in particular to the Skulls, who currently had a Bone Daddy in the hospital under intensive care. For all her trouble though, nothing turned up.
She was on the train back to her home in Croatoa when her cell phone rang, and she dug it from the pocket of her leather jacket.
"Crossing. What?" She murmured. The voice that returned was muffled a little, both by the cell phone's disturbance, and the odd helmet that the speaker often wore.
"Miss Crossing, I'm calling to give you an update on a lead regarding Miss Summers." Noisemaze's voice came over the line. "We may have found a lead on the bounty hunter that kidnapped her."
"Tell me. Now." Courtney replied shortly, practically growling. Noisemaze had a tendency to use too many words to say far too few, and at the moment she wasn't in the mood for it.
"Well, I'm not sure how reliable the information was, you see..."
"Tell me."
"It came from a source that didn't quite speak English as well as we would've hoped..."
"Tell me."
"I believe she was a type of tiger hybrid, if you will..."
"Just tell me already, will you?!" She finally yelled into the phone, and in a flurry of anger threw her fist into the seat in front of her. Thankfully it was vacant, as there was a loud cracking noise as the seat bent far more forward than it was ever meant to be.
"Oh, oh! Y-Yes, of course!" Noisemaze stammered in reply. "Well, it appears she was taken by someone large and, I believe, rocky. And his name is something similar to 'Racecar,' keeping in mind the linguistic barriers I faced." Courtney nodded to herself, and mumbled into the fine.
"Fine. Headed to Bloody Bay now." She sighed and snapped her phone shut, watching as her stop in Croatoa came up. Looks like she'd be in for a long ride back to Paragon City, it was enough time to catch a nap before running into Bloody Bay. As the train rolled past her fog-ridden home she propped her feet up on the broken seat in front of her, lowered her head, folded her arms, and hoped that it wasn't to late to save Tera. Her Tera.