"OSA, remind me again what your name means." Thule asked the now dormant Unit OSA-35 in his backpack. "Unit OSA-35, activate." "Unit HK-47 reporting for duty, master. Where is the meatbag to be killed?" Unit OSA-35 chirped happily, and laughed. His tone changed to a more serious tone. "Unit OSAD-35. Orbital Shielding Assault Droid- 35 Caliber." Thule looked puzeld at OSA, You had a D at the end of your name? Oh yeah, I just dropped it after you started insiting that your name was OSA-35." OSAD responded in a robotic tone, similar to his idol, HK-47 "Meatbag."
"Would you stop calling me meatbag, its gettin' annoyin'." Thule told OSAD-35. "01000110 01101001 01101110 01100101 00101100 00100000 01101101 01100101 01100001 01110100 01100010 01100001 01100111 00101110 " OSAD responded, reciting numerical sequence after numerical sequence. "Would you, please stop doing that." Thule commanded in an annoyed tone. "01000110 01101001 01101110 01100101 00101100 00100000 01101101 01100101 01100001 01110100 01100010 01100001 01100111 00101110 " OSAD recited again, ignoreing Thuel.
"Thats IT, Im shutting you down." Thuel yelled at OSAD-35. "Unit OSA-35, shutdown." OSAD-35 shut down, just as Thuel had commanded. Thuel walked further down the road, talking to himself. "Sometimes that annoying little droid is the only company I have..."
Essex stared at the stone.
"....."
She didn't know what to tell it.
Her eyes flitted to Acid, Tam, John...lost.
Japancakes.
Art - Theme 005 - Seeking Solace
[ QUOTE ]
After about a mile Xey sat down and asked Lyden to do the same so they could talk about there next course of action.
"So Unit Lyden where in Central Europe ok where in Central Europe? The Holy Roman Empire, France where?
[/ QUOTE ]
Seeing Xey wanted to sit, Lyden obligingly squatted across from him. "Team position is currently several territories east of France. Historically, we are located on the eastern edge of former Holy Roman Empire."
Sitting back and unsure of what else to say, he looked to the night sky. The whole mission had been wrong from the start, but it was unquestionable that the intel he had been given was perfect. The base wasn't there. The town was occupied. Among military units, Lyden hadn't been recognised- not even as a threat. Thinking back to the loss of contact with all Greensryche radar systems, Lyden's assumption was that some displacement had occured.. big-time. He looked back down to Xey, the more serious than usual tone he took on contrasted even sharper to his youthful, innocent eyes.
"Unit Lyden must return to the town to commence investigation regarding multiple anomalous occurences. In order to minimize risk levels involved, Unit Lyden will be returning to the town.. alone."
He took a brief pause. "Remaining as a group dramatically increases likelihood of detection- disbanding currently the most tactically viable maneuver. Unit Lyden will circle around town perimiter along forested route- Teammate can operate independently, but advise travelling in a polar opposite direction to Unit Lyden. Notwithstanding..."
He reached into a pocket and pulled out a small black earpiece with 'GSR' imprinted to it in white- handing it to Xey, seemingly wanting him to take it.
"Advise remaining in contact."
The room lit up with a bright blue light and suddenly Keegan was there, down on a knee, his entire body seemed fried. What little cloth he had around his waiste was burnt, his skin was singed and smoke came up from his body.
His head rose and the blue glow of his eyes faded until there was nothing but his natural icy blue pupils, "Eh, did it...", were the last words he said before he passed out right inbetween Essex and Acid.
"You don't even know what you are?! Damn you!" the gem growled. "Still useless!"
The Stone stopped its inquiry and Midas stopped his wild search for equipment for the smallest moment as he took a glance at Keegan.
"Typical." both the scientist and the stone said at the precisely same time, in the exact same tone.
Experiment sighed as Keegan fell, looking from left to right, before once again catching sight of Essex. "Hey, girly, why don'tcha use some of your nanites to-"
He stopped. Where did he get nanites from? It isn't something usual to mistakenly say. Hell, why was he about to say '-To heal him?' How did he know she could even heal?
"...Uh... Do you have any healing abilities, per chance?"
Essex nodded to Experiment wordlessly.
Kneeling next to Keegan, she placed her hands on the boy's shoulders. A green light, similar to that of nanites but wholly different all at once, washed over him, and the green of her eyes pulsed along with the resonation of the energy.
"...I...think I know what I am." she said in response to the stone, quietly. "But I am not to tell anyone." Her gaze turned to the Philosopher's stone, frowning slightly.
"And what cause have you given me to trust you to such an extent?" she said, her words sounding strange in her childish voice. "Nothing. You have verbally berated me, insulted me, merely for doing what I was told. You are nothing but an impatient brat. So be quiet until we can reach somewhere safe. Until then, all your screaming is doing is annoying people and possibly drawing attention to us."
Her gaze lifted and flickered over those gathered.
"...I recognize...many of you. But I don't know why or how. Please forgive me if I withhold the greater portion of my trust for the time being. While I hold memories of happiness and freedom in a bright, prosperous city, they are distant and surreal. All I have had in my life are steel walls and sterility, my father's love and my stepmother's undying hatred. Until I sort out the two..."
She glanced over her shoulder at Midas.
"...He is the only one I trust." she concluded, in a bit of irony.
Japancakes.
Art - Theme 005 - Seeking Solace
"Interesting." Acid commented, turning to Experiment, "Alright, so we've established I recognize everyone but you and Mr. Overdrive on the floor there. Care to fill me in...?"
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
Explosions on the floor next to him, bodies everywhere. Every healer possible was working their hardest along with the auto responders, to heal the heroes before too much damage was done but it still wasn't enough. Heroes were beng wiped out by the hundreds and he couldn't stop it. He couldn't even warn them about what was gonna happen next. a huge explosion rocked his vision and left him dazed staring into complete darkness.
Essex healing energy washed over him and brought him back from the darkness of his dream. He shot straight up with a start, his breathing hard and fast. He looked into Essex eyes with a look of thanks and reassurance, "Tell them when you are ready..." he said with a shrugg and a smirk as he began to stand and look at Acid, "I kinda like the name Overdrive, mabey I'll keep it when all this is over, just remind me to never do that EVER again, I'm Keegan, Keegan Priest, just for future reference."
2.0 nodded to Acid, pulling of the hat he had kept on the whole time. His blonde hair, falling down to his shoulders, unkept and ragged, fell in front of his shoulders as he performed a mocking bow. "John Ballard, at your service. As... 'Tam' was it? Well, anyway, as she said, my codename is Experiment 2.0, mainly because I am the one who tests the prototypes for.... Well, let's just say 'my group,' shall we?"
He dusted off his clothing, which had absolutely no dirt on it. It was very unmatching, what with his hair being let so loose and all. "I am a part-time inventor, but mostly specialize in martial arts and the like. I have a few good inventions, but I left them at my base of Ops., so yeah... I can't fly, and I can't wear my battle armour because of this."
"Oh boy." Acid rubbed his eyes as Keegan went off again. Dammit, this guy was almost as bad as Tam...well, the Tam he knew. This one didn't seem to be so hyper.
Acid squinted at Experiment for a moment before starting to laugh.
"Of course! I can't believe I didn't recognize ya earlier. Geez, I'm scatterbrained sometimes. I swear one day I'll forget my own head somewhere. But wait...why haven't you changed that much then...?"
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
(( Xey isn't good with tech.....at all. think of him as a tech toddler but he is very good at magic, so it evens out 
))
Xey looking down at the black thing picked it up and asked in an innocent tone "um and where dose this go?"
"O! Never mind I got it. Ear right?" looking down at the groves on the device Xey put the device in his left ear.
"Travel separately got it" said Xey getting up he looked at the night sky. Well Xey thought to himself he could fly way up high then come down and risk being seen or walk into town and risk being IDed as the "birdman" or he could wait here.
looking at Lyden, Xey said" while your in town you mind picking up food Im super hungry o and if its not too much of a pain a pie(( 
)) please."
Xey hoped Lyden would say yes so he wouldn't have to go forage for food in a charred woods when he was already about to go to sleep. He would wait for Lyden's response to make up his mind.
[url="http://www.g4tv.com/pile_player.aspx?video_key=16533"]http://www.g4tv.com/pile_player.aspx?video_key=16533[/url]
a City of Heroes movie on the way?
[ QUOTE ]
You are nothing but an impatient brat. So be quiet until we can reach somewhere safe. Until then, all your screaming is doing is annoying people and possibly drawing attention to us."
[/ QUOTE ]
Midas chuckled and nodded as he finished loading his robots with more boxes than they could balance without looking absolutely absurd.
[ QUOTE ]
"...He is the only one I trust." she concluded, in a bit of irony.
[/ QUOTE ]
Midas stopped in his stride to Acid, whom he was about to tell he was ready to go. He looked at Essex sadly. He wasnt one to take care of others, he couldnt even take care of himself. His love had died covering him because he was too much of a pathetic has-been to keep the location of his hideout safe.
It felt like someone had twisted a knife inside of him, the emotion he had been holding in struck a foul blow. His body shook with sobs as he fell to one knee, trying his best to stay out of everyones way. He was panicked, and afraid, and those were foreign to him, though he knew they shouldnt be. He couldnt understand what was going on. The Philosophers Stone was right, he was a bumbling idiot. Hed lost his talent, if hed ever had any. Overdrive, or whatever the hero was titled to raise himself above other mere humans, had taken out his machines in one attack. All of that work, and they were defeated so easily. He couldnt defeat the Overmagus!
The Stone, meanwhile, shot forth a tendril of crimson lightning that had nearly reached Essex when it flickered and died. You imbecilic little girl, that man IS me! It growled. Youre as deluded as ever! Its a heros duty to always think she is in the right, I suppose! Thats the way it has always been, as far as Im concerned! Ive given you good enough reason to trust me in stating why I am here! Do you know nothing?! The weeping weakling feeling sorry for himself on the other side of the room is merely a perversion of me created by the wielder of the Mallus Mundi, and I despise him! Once this is over, that ruined has-been will metamorphosize into me, who he is supposed to be! The man you trust was and will be me, the ingenius Doctor Midas Phillis, once I have repaired this world and killed the fool who used magic to ruin it!
John raised an eyebrow toward Acid, as if he were insane. "Was I SUPPOSED to have changed? What, did you expect me to have powers or something?"
However, when Midas began sobbing, 2.0 sighed. "You know, it may just be me, but it seems as if everything keeps slowing us down. As well as the damned talking stone. Who the hell is this 'Doctor Midas Phillis' anyway?"
((In case ya didn't notice from his little hint, Experiment has no powers, except a small mutation to defend him from attacks with darkness, but it was not strengthened by the experiment that gave him spines, hence the new meaning for the name Experiment 2.0.))
"Can the ignorant shut up while the big people talk?" the Stone asked John rudely.
Tam rumbled low in her throat at Keegan. Looking for almost like she was contemplating a quick snack before Essex healed him up. Her head jerked toward Experiment when he mentioned her name.
"Yes I am Tamera but I'm also Tam Khat even though I never was but can recall being so and damnit this is giving me a headache again can we just do something else aside from talk?""
Pinnacle
Heroes
When in danger, or in doubt; Run in circles, scream and shout.
Essex showed no fear as the crimson lightning extinguished an inch from her nose. Instead, her green eyes rested on the stone.
"It's a shame that in the real world, Dr. Midas Phillis..." she said quietly, stalking forward. "...you are such a self-important, obstinate, self-absorbed and obtuse tyrant."
She blinked at herself in momentary surprise. That had been unexpected. Essex didn't even know she had learned those words.
"...When this gray world is changed back into the blue skies of my dreams...I will miss you."
Japancakes.
Art - Theme 005 - Seeking Solace
"If you'd call me a tyrant, you know not enough about me to criticize me!" the Stone growled. "And self-important? I think you're projecting, little girl, because the only self-important people in this room is the 'self-sacrificing' 'hero' and the little girl who thinks she's so special she can't tell anyone what she is, even when the fate of a world may depend upon it!"
Midas, however, looked touched by Essex. His heart leapt into his throat at the thought of anyone admiring him. And this was for more than just a few inventions he'd been successful with. He hadn't known love like this before, unless in the company of Reyna. Everyone else only complimented him for his triumphs, not who he was. It felt nice to know he would be missed if he was gone, even if it was only by one self-important little girl.
"What is there to miss about that man?!" the Stone demanded, shattering the scientist's happiness. "Look at the fool! He's useless! Do you think he can stop this tyranny by himself?"
Essex just sighed.
"...Listen..." she said. "I...don't know this world very well. I haven't experienced it. All I know is that it's not right. But until a few minutes ago when you explained the Malleus Mundi, my mind wasn't on changing it. It was on escaping, on living, on surviving."
Walking over to Midas again, she took his hand in her tiny white one.
"And if following my father's instructions makes me self-important...then I will accept that label."
For a moment, though, she looked doubtful and looked up at Midas with large, worried green eyes.
"...The world doesn't depend on it...does it?"
Japancakes.
Art - Theme 005 - Seeking Solace
[ QUOTE ]
looking at Lyden, Xey said" while your in town you mind picking up food Im super hungry o and if its not too much of a pain a pie please."
[/ QUOTE ]
The voice Lyden used to respond seemed to Xey as if it carried a mechanical tone- muffled by his mask and broadcasted directly to the earpiece, to anyone else it would seem as if nothing had been said at all.
"Understood. Unit Lyden designating secondary objective: retrieve food. Designating tertiary objective: retrieve pie. Advise resting above ground level in trees to minimize chance of detection. Contact Unit Lyden should any circumstances update."
After taking a few steps back to pick up his gear, he turned back to Xey and flashed a quick salute.
"...Moving out."
He turned, and dashed off into the woods- moving around the perimiter of the town in a wide arc, keeping a far distance away from any roads leading in or out of the area.
"Beep-beep-beep-beep-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-beep-beep-bee-" Unit OSAD-35 beeped along cheerfully with his 'game' that consisted of a moveing dot on a black screen. "OSA-35, please stop playing with the Radar...Wait, theres actualy something on there...impossible." Thule looked at the Radar on OSAD-35s back. "Oh my Overmagus...Where is that comeing from?" OSAD-35 made a few click noises and determined the location. "Half a click northeast." OSAD-35 beeped along hapily once again.
Thuel walked along, OSAD orbited around Thuels body, beeping loudly. Thuel drew his knife, retreived a heat-lock signiture from memory. It was Lyden for sure this time. "OSA, go in, talk to the man."
OSAD-35 flew in makeing all sorts of beeping and clicking noises "Howdy, Threat ID #04-04-2011" OSAD-35 beeped more and more waiting for a response... "Self-Destruct Activateing in 10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...Ha Just kiddin' " OSAD-35 chriped happily.
Thuel grabed a few bushes put them in the gaps in his suit, so he would appear to be a bush. He walked slowly up the country hillside, to where OSAD was flying around in cricles around Lyden.
By order of Senior Oprative Thuel of the Steel Army, you are under arrest, surrender or lethal foce WILL be used. Thuel rehearsed over and over in his head. He aproached closer and closer.
Lyden just stared at OSAD for the duration of the countdown. His snap judgement call that the thing was at a glance too complicated to simply blow itself up had been right- but he had stepped behind a tree to shield himself, just in case. When the thing announced it was kidding, Lyden gave something that sounded like a sigh.
"Unit Lyden is not a threat." He had to think of some way to get rid of this thing. Grabbing it? Too risky. Shooting it? At this time of night, far too noisy. Fend it off with a stick? Not very professional. But if this thing came from the direction of the town, so would more of those soliders.. he decided to simply turn away and break into a run from it.
Two dark figures stood in an alleyway next to a bar that was a favorite haunt of the Archmages soldiers. They had waited for almost three hours before their mark came out. He was a low level sargeant of the secret police and finding out that information had set the twins back a month in their secret war.
A phantom itch spread across Damien Cross's face as his fingers traced his imaginary scar. He knew his face should be a hideous mass of scar tissue, sewn together by an insane face doctor. Damien ran his fingers over his left eyebrow and he could still feel the metal plate that should have been there.
"Brother tell me again, how I almost killed you?" Damien asked his brother Derean.
"Shut-up and focus on what we have to do.", Darean scolded his brother.
Darean and Damien were well known to the criminal element around Paragon City. They were considered heroes by a few and monsters by many more. They were skilled assasins. Killing without remorse. Killing with a purpose.
They had been hired by an unknown source to take out this lowly peon this morning and only this morning. Shadowing their prey through twisting and turning alleyways they had finally reached a spot where the heinous act could be done.
Sticking out their gloved hands they began the precise process of paper-rock-scissors. Damien smiled.
"Well little brother looks like I win again." Damien teased.
"Just get it over quick and no flashy fireworks this time." Darean told his brother.
Quickly running through a series of alleyways Damien positioned himself so that he would intercept his prey. Pulling out a cigerette Damien chanted a few words and lit the tip. He slowly and carefully walked past the sargeant.
"Hey fella, you don't got anymore of those do you?", the sargeant asked.
"Yeah I do." Damien replied.
"Mind if I bum one?"
"Nah its cool, do you need a light?"
"Of course.", said the sargeant as he placed the cig between his fat lips. Damien cupped his hands and moved towards the victim. With deadly precision he chanted his power words and covered the mans face with his hands. Searing fire burn't the mans face off, leaving nothing but a cracked open, smoking skull.
As the man fell to the wet pavement, Darean dropped a card, with their signature Cross on it, at the mans feet. "You were marked by the Cross, you were burnt by the Cross, you died by the Cross." Darean recited.
With their act completed the brothers disappeared into the bustling city.
(OOC- reread and edited my post so i can be on the right time frame with paragon)
"Unit Lyden is not a threat?" OSAD-35 chriped happily and followed "Tracking device...Inniated." OSAD-35 shot a tacking dark out of one of its barels at Lyden. "You fool!" Thuel yelled at OSAD-35 who was now spinning around in cricles on the ground.
Thuel followed Lyden to deep in the woods. Thuel drew his knife once more, and cut off a thick branch from a tree with one single blow, he cut the top of it into a point, like a spear. He carried this makeshift spear with him while chaseing Lyden.
((OOC: AHHH! What have you done to Helper?! lolz!))
"Your father? You were born, then?" the Stone demanded. "You were naturally conceived and birthed in a strictly human manner?"