Blind simply stood for a moment, scratching his chin. "All I need is my skull ti instill fear in someone... But then I'd get kicked around like a ball... Why? Do you intend to use my bones in a way that doesn't include me being a complete skeleton? If so, I don't like your plan."
Twilit looked a bit dissapointed "Well it would make things a bit easier...What if I had Stubbs hold you skull?" He looked at Stubbs who was standing to the right of Blind Messenger. The thugs seemed to be amused at this request. Unfortunately they didn't have time to talk it over, as 2 prison guards were already running towards them. Twilit grinned. "Oh come on! Only two of you? NOW!" He pointed at the guards as he and the three thugs charged forward.
"This is gonna hurt you way more than it'll hurt me!" One guard shouted. They raised their stun batons but T-Rog had already clotheslined them both running past. They both fell to the ground but quickly recovered. On their way up they an electrical charge from the stick was sent crashing into the ribs of Frankie-J. He hacked up a cough of blood, and then fell to his knees. The guard was going for a second strike when Twilit himself grabbed the guards arm with both hands. "Tsk, tsk tsk. ALWAYS watch your back." As T-Rog held the other guard in a bit of full nelson, Stubbs proceded to continuously jab him in the stomach before ending with an uppercut straight at the end of the jaw. They turned to see Twilit holding the other guard, dragging him over to Blind. It was getting harder to hold him, seeing as how his other elbow kept smashing into his side. "A little help here...." He said, struggling with the squirming guard. T-Rog and Stubbs went to help hold him down. "You're up Blind. Persuade him to tell us where our stuff is."
Messenger grinned, eye sockets filling with dark energy. "You guys may want to look away..." he muttered, pulling on his orange, makeshift hood.
The tendrils in his eyes lashed out in meeting with the light, grasping out at the guard rapidly. The tendrils circled his head, burrowing into his skull, and an almost inhuman scream filled the air as blood streamed down his neck. The tendrils flicked and jumped, absorbing the soul, life force, and knowledge of the guard.
Blind reached out two hands, gripping the guard's head. The tendrils jumped more, flicked more aggressively, they pushed in harder, the guard screamed louder, the--
A resounding snap filled the hall as Blind pulled back from the deceased guard, the dark energy flowing back into his skeletal form through the skull. Once they had finished, he pulled the hood back up, looking at the guard with his head turned at a one-hundred and eighty degree angle, almost exactly.
"...I can't move. You may want to drag me. I know the way." he said, his bottom jaw barely moving. It seemed that, no matter what energy he had sapped from the guard, the stress of it had wasted all of his previous power he had gained.
"Also, don't drag me through the blood. It's disgusting me."
"Umm...Uh..right." Twilit said, at near in-audible tone. He wished he had looked away. Shaking his head, he turned to the two thu, one of which was still rattled by the violent shot to the ribs he had taken. "Stubbs, Frankie, grab the skeleton and let's go." He grabbed Frankie and brought him up to where he could stand. "That pain should go away in a bit, you've taken worse. Come on." The two thugs picked him up, one grabbing the legs and the other the torso. "Alright Blind, where to."
OOC: *cough* Probably should post this before the breakout attempt gets too far.
BIC: The prototype slowly pulled itself to its feet, the blueish-white light byproduct of its force field generators fading from its hands. Mark 2 spent a moment to scan Penny, assuring itself that she was relatively unharmed by the force bolt that had knocked her across the arena. Obviously its current setting was too high when fighting someone of such low mass and would need to be compensated for in the future.
But current events were of much greater importance and the prototype filed away the generator calibrations for later. Also of importance was the destabilizing influence (A virus?) still lingering within its core memory. The worst traces had been disposed of and the rest was quickly quarantined, to be sent to the Shynn-Carlyle labs for analysis at a later date. There was also the possibility of looking through the files in a more controlled environment, but that would definately wait for later.
"Remove all prisoners to their cells," the prototype said, barely a second having passed while it remained in thought. "All those with severe wounds are to be taken to the infirmary as time permits."
The prototype glanced at Penny and the three colored drones scurried down into the arena and scooped her up to transport her directly to her cell. The prototype was actually looking forward to this evening talk with the prisoner, if only to find out what she knew about Dr. Blade's murder.
Throughout the prison guards were mobilizing. Moving about in groups of three or more, always accompanied by at least one battle drone, they went through the prison inch by inch, securing down cells and trying to find those who had escaped. The prototype itself rounded up several drones and made straight for the armory. Records indicated, and camera logs confirmed, that a group of inmates known for their skill with firearms were running free. In that case they would try and head for the armory where confiscated items were kept.
The prototype moved along the halls quickly and sent a request code up to a blank spot in the sky. It would take several minutes for the code to be processed and confirmation granted, but if the prisoners regained their weapons then the additional firepower would be needed to end this breakout quickly and efficiently.
Statesman said let there be heroes, and there were heroes.
Lord Recluse said let there be villains, and there were villains.
NCsoft said let there be nothing, and there was nothing.
((ooc sorry been away a bit!))
Penny Arcade had been given a new cell. Transporting her there took some time, for it was difficult to move from one area to another when the Zig was on lockdown. But the drones were nothing if not patient, scanning areas, cycling through doors and codes, and moving slowly from one tiny locked section to the next.
Many of the prisoners housed in cellblock C were ex-military, of varying origins. The vast majority were ex-council, or even ex-fifth-column soldiers. Others had once been part of various criminal organizations. They all had one thing in common: they had no known super-powers. Cellblock C was known as the "normal" block, and every non-paranormal prisoner in the Zig was housed here.
While there had been vicious infighting at first, the ex-Council thugs had eventually emerged victorious, and now ruled the cellblock. They might have liked to rule with an iron fist, but such things were not possible here. The victory of the Council had been a narrow one, and their rule was held only by a razor-thin margin. Other groups had sufficient numbers to make themselves forces to be reckoned with, and thus the Council was reduced to bartering rather than war. In fact, the Council held only the 25-40 cellblock: 41 and above were held by various Asian groups, notably the Tsoo, while 25 and below held a rabble of gangs, especially Hellions and Skulls.
Penny Arcade was rather bleary, having woken up on the journey. She had an enormous bruise on her shoulder and side where she had hit the arena wall, and a cut over one eyebrow, but it wasn't serious. The other prisoners hooted and catcalled at her; there were a few women scattered around, as the Zig didn't have separation for gender, but the cell she was brought to had a large man in it, his hair in a crew cut, and, like most men in this area, he had an ex-military bearing to him.
"Hey Fist!" He called out when she was shoved into his cell, and the drones left. "Looks like it's my lucky day! Playtime Bi-atch!" Almost before she knew what was happening, he had shoved her violently against the wall of the cell, his hand fumbling at the top fastener to her jumpsuit.
Before the Arena match, she would have been terrified. But the session with Hatoka had helped to calm her down, to find her center in a hard and cruel world. Now a flash of anger went through her. She had only the strength of a normal woman, but she knew how to use it. Her foot impacted his chest hard, hard enough to stagger him backwards, mostly out of surprise. Her other foot followed a moment later, intersecting the nerve-junction between his collarblade and neck.
He went down like an ox.
He was stunned, but only momentarily. He blinked stupidly for a moment as he shook off the lingering after-effects of the blow. She was ready for him if he got up again, giving him a look that might have shattered concrete at twenty-five paces.
"You have a lady in your cell," she said coldly. "A gentleman minds his manners when a lady is present. My name is Penny Arcade," she spat, "And I am not going to play around with you. Back off."
The procession 'escorting' Hotaka back to his cell was likely one of the strangest. If onlookers didn't know better, it looked quite much like armed guards carrying nothing more than the statue of the man.
They knew trying to break his mediation was useless, and they'd given up a while ago when not even the strike of a Hard Suit's energy-charged fist had succeeded. Hotaka may as well have been a rock right about now.
Actually, they were somewhat glad. This allowed for a transport without fear he'd pull something (though he'd never done so openly before, the fear still persisted), and a very eventless journey.
They sat the tall man upon the floor of his cell and locked the door once more...
--------------------
"Good work." Penny thought she heard the quiet whisper of a deep, almost guttural voice, but there didn't seem to be any source around.
Well, not anymore, that was - a second ago, she could've sworn there was another presence in the cell, aside from the thug she'd just shown respect for women...
--------------------
The presence gliding through the area, however, was not lost upon a certain necromancer named Blind Messenger...
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
Michael was brought back from the day room early, due to the lockdown. Not that he much complained. He really didnt want to get caught up in the whole breakout attempt thing, as he hadnt finished what hed started. He needed an army, and the best place to gather that army was right here, inside the walls.
As he was brought through the block, several ex council swore at him in French. He looked on at them as he passed by, sneering at the dogs behind cages. It was a better fate than his world had given them. They were hunted nearly to extinction by the column under his fathers command. It was what gave Helsinger his first great victory and thusly, his first great chip in the big poker game.
Michael was young, and though he worked out every single day extremely hard, still looked scrawny. No one was afraid of him. Everyone threw insults as he passed by. Then he passed three cells where there was nothing but nods. No salutes, just nods. A tall man in one of the cells straightened up a bit, wiping his hand on a rag as he turned to see Michael pass. He nodded as well.
When he was returned to his cell, Fist stood at the back of the cell. We got a girl in the cell over there while you were gone.
Michael looked across to see Penny. Girl! I thought Id hit you! Youre alright! Michael realized that he didnt quite sound like what he meant, or mean what he sounded like. He was relieved that she was still alive, as that meant her secrets could be unlocked and used for his purposes. At the same time, he couldnt simply say thank god I can still use you to get what I want! Girls didnt seem receptive to such things in his experiences.
What I mean is
I tried to keep the meta off of you
Well, youre alive, thats whats important. Micheal retracted his hand from between the bars where he suddenly realized it was extended, as if to grab her. He looked away, trying to gather his composure.
Klaxons wailed.
They were onto him.
He acknowledged the fact, and then ignored it. Ziggursky was like a safe; from outside it was quite hard to break, but from the inside, problems disappeared. Powers were the inside of the safe.
Harlequin Fear slid around a corner, and past a pair of guards. They didnt even notice his presence. They wouldnt. He was almost completely in the netherworld, now. He was, for all intents and purposes, as immaterial as a shadow, and as hard to see. He glided straight through the security door they were guarding, and then stepped into the cell block he desired. Block C. The normal block, as it were. There were probably several warwolves and a vampyr hidden among the council troops, undetected, but they were on no concern. The girl was.
He slid through a wall, and into the deep shadows that built up in cell corners. He was tempted to stay and bask in these pure, unchanged portals to the netherworld. But, the chance to rejoin the Mistress was too important. So he continued down the wall. Past one cell, into the next. And the next, and so forth, until
there. The next cell was hers. He took a deep breath, and plunged through.
Just in time for a large body to fly backwards, straight at him. Still immaterial, the large man staggered straight through him, and into the wall behind. As he passed through, Fear reached out and absorbed a smidgeon of the mans essence, to whet his appetite. Hed need it in a moment. Then, he steeled himself, and rematerialized.
The shock was astounding. It always was. Every sensation was such much more real, so vivid, so
human. He couldnt withhold a shudder of disgust, but it was necessary. He must be concrete enough to completely interact with this girl. He pulled his attention back to her. She was standing there, staring at him. He reflected that most people would stare if a large, black shadow suddenly turned into a man, in front of them, while they were watching. Especially if that shadow was wearing a large, orange jump-suit, in a place where that kind of display shouldnt have been possible. Ahh wait, thats right, hed been in the netherworld. He was once more attired as he should be, long, pointed hood covering the mask, restricting yet accentuating his marking, the shadows he exuded. A long, ragged cape that seemed to blend in and out of reality, shaped of smoke. Underneath it was the black leather, with those grey straps. They mightve been magical. Ghost Widow never said, but shed fused it to his body somehow.
Yes, if something like that simply appeared from nowhere, in the middle of a prison, most would stare. And he stared right back. Absorbing ever detail of her. Memorizing, cataloguing, comparing, analyzing. Everything. But, their contest of will was cut short. A voice called out Girl! I thought Id hit you! Youre alright!. Harlequin hissed out a soft command. Answer him. Convince him to stop speaking to you, and then you will talk. I will listen.
[ QUOTE ]
What I mean is
I tried to keep the meta off of you
Well, youre alive, thats whats important. Micheal retracted his hand from between the bars where he suddenly realized it was extended, as if to grab her. He looked away, trying to gather his composure.
[/ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Yes, if something like that simply appeared from nowhere, in the middle of a prison, most would stare. And he stared right back. Absorbing ever detail of her. Memorizing, cataloguing, comparing, analyzing. Everything. But, their contest of will was cut short. A voice called out Girl! I thought Id hit you! Youre alright!. Harlequin hissed out a soft command. Answer him. Convince him to stop speaking to you, and then you will talk. I will listen.
[/ QUOTE ]
"Thanks," Penny called back to Michael, her eyes still on the visitor who had materialized in her cell. "Do you know what's going on with the lockdown? They seem to be slow turning on the -"
At that moment several things happened. A group of drones and guards went charging down the hallway, visually checking every cell, then moving on.
Additional force fields sparkled into life. This area was being locked down. The fields were accompanied by various power dampening fields, lights, and noises, intended to ensure that no prisoner in this cell block would be able to exhibit any powers. Such a procedure was almost unnecessary in cell block C, but it was procedure and followed to the letter.
At the armory, lockdown was a very serious matter. One of the reasons the Prototype had been in such a hurry to get there was because it was so difficult to approach after lockdown was completed. Triple force fields appeared not only around the armory, but through it, so that even if one got through the door, one wouldn't be able to move around inside. Lights, robots, guards, and various automated weaponry waited any unauthorized person who would get too close.
"Oh," Penny Arcade murmered as the shimmering dampening fields flowered across all the cells in her row, "There they are."
She looked back at the visitor, who certainly wouldn't be dematerializing again while the dampening fields were in place, unless he used methods with which she was unfamiliar. She guessed his origins to be magical in nature, though she had little proof other than a general impression.
To Michael she said, "I saw you go down in the Arena... you looked pretty rocky out there. Are you OK?"
To the visitor she said, "What would you like to talk about?"
((Brilliant plot twist, but I think preparation takes the cake in this circumstance. Glee for foresight.))
Guards streamed down the corridors. They were onto him. They knew he was in here, somehow. But they didnt know where. Then the shields streamed down, jamming powers, freezing inmates in place, and generally making a nightmarish situation less nightmarish. O, but this would be interesting. Theyd never had to deal with a being of his power, and they were completely unprepared for it. The shields were to lock down beings who already had powers inhibited. Besides being incredibly powerful, Fear had recently fed. He was near full power, and while the shields were dampening, hed prepared. Fear had absorbed a small amount of energy from the girls cellmate as hed flown past.
Now, a small drain like that wouldnt do much for either party. In fact, it barely replenished the energy it took to create such a link. But, it did create a link, and all links lingered. Combined with nethergy, which absorbed all types of spiritual energy, including souls, extremely easily, and for a good five minutes you could drain dry anyone you established a link with, and the harder you pulled, the more energy you received. In the few moments he had before his powers were locked down enough to prevent him from accessing the link, Fear absorbed every shred of life the inmate possessed. All of it. When the process was over, there was a small pile of ash, and a mass of shadows whirling around Fear. He immediately put the energy to work, overloading the shield for just long enough for him to partly re-enter the netherworld. Shadows no longer whirled around him, but instead settled along his skin, and as he slinked into a dim corner, he faded from view entirely. Still he was there, and the sibilant hiss issued a new command.
Ignore my presence when the guards search this room, or I will use you as fuel for my escape, and question the Mistress when I return. If I should escape detection, we will begin discussing your relationship to Arachnos, and why you bear their mark.
((At this point, I've no idea how you plan on tying Penny to Arachnos, or where you're going to take this, but I'd definately dig the idea of Penny being a plant from Ghost Widow, or someone in her organization, as I'd then have a really good reason to stick around.))
((Hm, not sure if I agree with the unpreparedness of the guards, but it's Jen's prison. 
))
But as Harlequin Fear descended partially into the netherworld, he quickly noticed he wasn't alone. There was something else here - something ominous and ambiguous, shapeless down to a point that only one word could possibly describe its remaining appearance.
Large.
And he'd just drawn its attention...
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
((I wasn't going for unprepared guards- I was going for a sudden burst of power that was simply too much for the system to handle. Zigg has multiple layers of suppression, and what I'm attempting to illustrate is that a very powerful villain, not arch-villain level, but certainly high ranking in Arachnos' organization (or their own, it doesn't really matter.) stands a strong chance of escaping if they can destabalize one of the layers of suppression, because it takes more than one layer to keep them suppressed. Archvillains routinely break out of Zigg ingame, with a bit of elbow grease, why should a highly placed assassin have such a hard time, either?
I realize that my character is potentially Godmoding, and I do intend to reign him in a bit, but it does bare noting: Zigg is merely an inconvenience(sp?) to certain villains.
On a more relevant note: Creepy netherworldly folks hunting the shadows? Whoa-damn! Can't wait to see what you pull out. 
))
((I'll get in here again eventually... but Dr. Greene isn't doing anything, and I don't really want to interrupt the flow you've got going.))
If viewed in the shadows of the Underworld, there was no doubt that Penny - now Penny Arcade - did bear a mystical mark. It was equally certain that she, herself, had not placed it there. The stuff which comprised her soul was not only not magically conducive, it actually acted as an insulator. This being would never wield any magic on her own.
Her aura, also visible in the Underworld, did not fit the girl as viewed in traditional reality. Though there would be details which differed in every individual, a girl in her twenties should generally have had the clear bluish shade appropriate to her age. Penny Arcade's mystical aura was almost white, much closer to the pure aura projected by newborn infants. Looking closely at it, it bore marks, which were rapidly fading, but still visible. Her aura was real enough - but it was woven. Cleverly woven, no doubt by some of the most skilled fingers known to the human race, but woven nonetheless. It was a made aura, projected by a made thing.
And yet, with all of its oddities, it was an aura as real and genuine as any aura projected by anyone. The being projecting it was not a golem, or gargoyle, or any magical creature. Whether intentionally or not, the creator of this being had created life.
None of this, however, was the mark which was immediately obvious. That mark was a small glowing glyph, placed at the back of the neck. It was a mark of protection, and its meaning, roughly translated, was clear: Death to any that harm the bearer of this mark. It was a fearsome and powerful mark, and wise magi - and planeswalkers - knew from hard experience that to disturb such things was to risk death. There was also second mark, just above the first, but its meaning was unclear, for it had been cut in half. There was no sign of the remaining portion.
Such marks were difficult to make, often costly in both magical energies as well as actually funding. Given the substance to be marked - a freshly made person - the marking would have been doubly challenging. Thus, it made no sense that they had been given dates. The marks were for a mere six weeks. After that, they would vanish as if they had never been.
But Penny Arcade didn't know any of this. Her cellmate, who had passed out immediately, had crumbled to ash before her eyes, presumably because of the intruder, who had now vanished. She looked around, but didn't see where he had gone.
She was distracted at once, however, by a new set of guards, these accompanied by two drones, who were moving from cell to cell, shouting. "Get in your bunk!" One of them shouted at her. "NOW!" Not wanting trouble, she climbed into the upper bunk.
Others were shouting orders also. "Remain prone when the scan sequences begin!" "Do not move from your bunk until the all clear is given!" "Get in your bunk for the scan sequence!" Drones were not hesitating to open fire on anyone who failed to comply, and manually put them in their respective bunks.
Over the intercom, a computerized voice, sounding rather like the voice which Prototype used, droned, "All prisoners to your bunks for scan sequences. Scan sequences to begin in T minus five minutes. All prisoners to your bunks for scan sequences..."
In one way, it was a promising sign. If the scan sequence came up clear, the lockdown - at least for section C - could theoretically be lifted. But in another way, it was a bad sign. There wouldn't be any hiding during the scan - and depending on the type of scan, it was possible that the presences in the negative plane could potentially be detected....
<.<
>.>
*pokes Prodiguy*
"Thanks," Penny called back to Michael, her eyes still on the visitor who had materialized in her cell. "Do you know what's going on with the lockdown? They seem to be slow turning on the -"
"There are some prisoners attempting to escape. They seem disorganized and... well... stupid actually. I hope they succeed though. That way I won't have to talk to them again." Michael mused at the thought and it made him smile.
To Michael she said, "I saw you go down in the Arena... you looked pretty rocky out there. Are you OK?"
Michael suddenly looked serious. "Don't ever let them see you hurt. Surely someone has told you that. Weakness in here is a death sentence. Worse, actually."
To the visitor she said, "What would you like to talk about?"
"What? Talk about? That was fast. From 'the place is exploding and I thought you were dead' to smalltalk. I think for now, it would be best if you got some rest." Michael looked around at the commotion and made a side comment, "doesn't look like anyone is going anywhere any time soon anyway."
"I would suggest you do her no harm." the presence 'said' to Harlequin Fear clear as day, though the guards and most other people were apparently oblivious to the disembodied voice. It spoke in a low, deep tone, almost a growl, but also in a gentle weave that indicated a speaker of supreme control...
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
Certain things were visible in the "real" world which did not appear in the Netherworld, at least not in enough detail to distinguish what was happening.
Down the hall, a group of guards was coming. This group was preceding the scanning group, which was waiting at the end of the the corridor. They wouldn't begin scanning until individual cell searches were complete. These guards were often known by the inmates as "wannabes" - men who had powers that weren't strong or flashy enough to net them a lucrative superhero career, but who were nevertheless far better equipped to handle inmates than the usual sort of guard. With them were no less than four drones, three battle drones, and one slightly larger drone. This was the group who had the fortunate (or unfortunate, depending on how one looked at it) job of ensuring that the scanners trailing them wouldn't have any trouble if they should find something unexpected. They had flushed out trouble often enough in the past to be well-prepared, well-armed, and cautious.
So, before the scanning group was allowed to proceed down the corridor, each cell was given a visual inspection and security check by the wannabes, with a spot search if they should suspect anything amiss. This was a further sign that the lockdown should be lifted soon - at least for Section C.
They moved slowly up the corridor from cell to cell, speaking to the inmates in professional, slightly-bored tones that the usual guards didn't generally employ. "Cell C-25. Occupants, prisoner 35478698, prisoner 78932144. Smith, John C, prisoner 35478698, stand up from your bunk with your hands up. Turn around. State your name. Return to your bunk. Halster, Drake M, prisoner 78932144, stand up from your bunk with your hands up. Turn around. State your name. Return to your bunk. All records are a positive match. Search on cell C-25 is complete. No contraband located. Scanning may proceed."
"Cell C-25, marked complete, no contraband."
"Moving to Cell C-26. Holfinger, Yershal W, prisoner 12895398, stand up from your bunk..."
Penny Arcade watched them and let out a long sigh, rubbing the back of her neck uncomfortably as the guards approached her cell. "Look, Michael... I want you to know... I didn't do it. I mean, I realize that everyone here says that and you have no reason to believe it but I... I really didn't." She fell silent for a few minutes, just watching the Wannabes, waiting.
Finally they had reached her cell. The guard that spoke wore a standard uniform. The name "Stevens" was embroidered on his name patch. "Cell C-31, occupants..." his voice trailed off.
Penny Arcade could hardly blame him.
Her former cellmate had been reduced to ash by the visitor who had stopped in so briefly. There was no telling where the visitor was now - if he was clever he had made his getaway before the fields came to full strength. Presumably he had gained the power for the jump from the energy stolen from her erstwhile room-mate.
But it still left the problem that she had been placed in this cell perhaps ten minutes ago with a healthy, live young man for a cellmate, and now she was alone, with a human-shaped pile of ashes, and no sign of the former cellmate. She had considering trying to scatter the ashes, or flush them, but she had found herself reluctant to touch them - as unpowered humans often were, when faced with the results of Harlequin Fear's workmanship. Furthermore, there were too many ashes to flush without backing up the plumbing, and too many to scatter or hide. There was also the idea that the scanning team was coming, and would likely find the ashes no matter how she tried to conceal them.
"Get down on the ground! ON THE GROUND!" Her cell was full of people and drones and though she tried to obey, she was slammed on the ground hard enough to make blood flow from her nose. Her hands were bound behind her back in a twinkling and people were howling into their radios. "We have a murder in C-31!" "Get forensics to C-31!" "Red Search to base, body found - "
Gloved hands picked her up and slammed her against the wall. "What happened!" The Wannabe was shouting at her. "WHAT HAPPENED!" He shrieked when she coughed from the force of the impact.
She thinned her lips. It was unwise to be uncooperative to the guards. However, it was probably also unwise to snitch out the visitor, who seemed the sort to take revenge sooner or later. Presented the certainty of infuriating someone, Penny Arcade deemed the guards to be the lesser threat. But lying would be inaccurate, and she couldn't stand inaccuracies. "Oopsie," she shrugged. Truth be told, she was not too sorry that the man who had tried to hurt her had died.
She knew she would get a beating for this response, and in this she was not disappointed. But only the first few blows seemed to really hurt her, and unlike the normal guards, the Wannabes didn't engage in violence for too long. She was still conscious, if dazed, when it ended.
"Get her to interrogation!" Spat one of the guards.
"She's due to go at 1700 - "
"You mean she was, now she is due at 1340, lets go..."
I have the cell right across the way, dont you want to interrogate me? I saw everything. Michael lied as they were taking Penny away. The guards turned toward him quickly.
I didnt see nuthin. Fist quickly commented, holding his hands up.
Step away from the door! Both Michael and Fist stepped back and put their hands on the wall. Seconds later, Michael was shackled and on his way to an interrogation chamber.
He sat in the chamber and told them everything he saw. Then he told them everything Fist had described to him as if he had seen it with his own eyes.
So how did he get burned if she was using Karate on him? His interrogator took less time than he thought she would to get to the point.
Thats a good question. Michael told her plainly. I dont have an answer to that. Isnt this the section you put the non-superpowered criminals in?
She just flipped through her file while she sat opposite him in the steel walled room. He noticed the bidirectional gas vents on the floor and ceiling. He noticed the slide panels on the walls, and the re-enforced transparent aluminum one way viewing pane. He noticed her business suit, and her wedding ring. He noticed her perfume, and her four inch heels. He noticed she wasnt talking.
Im no expert at interrogation, but is your not speaking supposed to urge me to fill the silence with some sort of confession? Would that work? If I were to confess to incinerating this man from my cell with the forcefields up, would you punish me for that? Would you tell other inmates that I was capable of such a thing? That would really help my reputation. Michael forced a wicked smile.
You didnt see her exhibit any special powers or abilities? The interrogator looked directly at him, adjusting her glasses and pushing back a lock of curly, golden hair.
No, maam.
Youre sure?
Yes, maam.
You certainly are well mannered for a psychopath. What are you in here for? She opened his file and started to peruse it.
I needed to find Fifth Column soldiers for my army. I intend on finding them here and then breaking them out so we can return the Column to its former glory. Michael didnt see any reason to lie.
And you dont mind telling me about your secret plans? She leaned forward and put her chin on her fist.
Well, you are an exceptionally good interrogator. Michael smiled charmingly at her.
She rolled her eyes. Im going to talk to the girl, I will be back.
Please, be easy on her. Shes had a rough time of it in here. Besides, shes innocent, she told me herself. Michael looked pleadingly at the interrogator, who snorted once and then left the room with a look Michael read as indecision as to how to take his comments. Then he sat back in the chair and drank from his water cup, while waving at the people behind the viewing pane.
Hmm, this could lead to a troublesome end if I'm not watchful now. Perhaps things should be a bit more solid around here.
Only those with a keen eye for detail would notice, but there suddenly stood a guard in the hallway that quite probably hadn't been there before.
The man looked over his hands, as if to make sure all his fingers were there, then gave a smirk and started walking, throwing one last glance at the remains of the murdered inmate.
"Hey guys, wait for me!" he gave mention as he joined the group with Penny, sticking close to the 'wannabes' and being very, very careful not to touch anyone or anything - it seemed sure the only things he wanted making contact were his feet and the floor...
((FOOTNOTE: Due to a stunt Averick pulled in another thread, I've chosen to ignore him from now on. If this causes inconsistencies in character development, I do apologize, but I really don't want to associate with a person like him any longer.))
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
OOC: Looks like you're both ignoring each other. <_< This might cause problems. I'll just add a little bit to the beginning of my post about what each of you did, that way we can avoid major screw-ups, I think. Since the guy who plays Twilit hasn't posted in a bit, I'm going to tie up the armory bit with overwhelming force.
Averick: Got Michael taken in to be interrogated at the same time Penny did. Told the interrogater (random woman) exactly what he and Fist had seen as well as the fact that his plan for being in the Zig is too roust up a 5th Column army and take down the Council. Michael answered all questions he was asked and shortly the interrogator left to speak with Penny.
Devious: The mysterious presence remarked that it needed to keep a close eye on Penny. Suddenly there was a new guard in the hallway who's sticking around with the Wannabes. He seems to be trying really hard to not touch anything but the floor.
BIC: Request confirmed, read a small line at the bottom of Mark 2's HUD. Approval granted for release of Assault Droid Mark IV. Pending end of emergency situation, Assault Droid Mark IV is to be returned forthwith.
Approval recieved, replied Mark 2 as it made it to the armory doors and quickly shut down the teleport blockers in its little bit of the world using authorization codes given to it by the Warden himself.
High up in orbit, a darker patch of space abruptly tilted on its axis to point the barrel of an odd looking cannon toward Earth. The satellite quickly re-stabilized itself with short bursts from its microthrusters and then fired the cannon once. The 15 foot tall, 8 foot diameter object hurtled through the atmosphere toward thr east coast of the United States and Paragon City. The outer shell of the object burned and peeled away just after the worst of the air friction was over with as it was designed to do. The object, now noticebly smaller and vaguely recognizable as something humanoid, plunged through the air until it was about one mile above the Zig. It was at that height that it vanished in the distinctive electromagnetic burst of a powerful teleport.
The machine that appeared in a flash right in front of the Mark 2 was a hulking brute. Missile launchers sat upon shoulders that would have made a football quarterback proud while thick-set arms ended in removable blast plates protecting the inner workings of dual plasma cannons. The Assault Droid stood hunched over slightly on its barrel legs as though weighed down by its own immense weight. The stubby head set inbetween and below the missile launchers glared about it with a sweeping red sensor strip reminiscent of a fictional robot race called the Cylons.
"Reapplying teleport blockers now," said the prototype aloud as it ordered the Assault Droid and the smaller battle drones to take up defensive patterns around the armory door. "Hold this position for two minutes to insure guard reinforcements and then head toward the cell that was destroyed during the attempted breakout."
The spoken instructions weren't really for the Assault Droid, as the Mark 2 was perfectly capable of ordering it almost instantaneously through more mundane electronic methods. But many humans had reacted oddly when they saw Mark 2 surrounded by the swirling chaos of the occasional out of control brawl, its robots moving about it in perfect synchronization and order without any apparent direction from their master. This had slightly effected guard efficiency whenever the Mark 2 was nearby, so it had affected giving spoken orders whenever it could.
"Orders recieved," rumbled the Assault Droid with a voice that befit its size.
It was then that the Mark 2 intercepted a message from one of the scanner teams indicating the death of a prisoner by one Penny Arcade. Details were sparing, but the Mark 2 managed to glean that the other prisoner had been reduced to ashes in a manner suggesting of metahuman powers. Considering that no one in Cell block C was reported as having any power other than their own intelligence and athletic ability, this meant there was potentially another super-powered prisoner running free. Of course, his movement would likely be horribly restricted now that the force fields and power dampeners were in place, but that would only lessen his ability to kill, not stop it altogether.
But there was little the Mark 2 could do about that at the moment. However, it could see what it could do about getting Penny to talk. Apparently she was refusing to explain what had happened, though one report indicated another prisoner was quite willing to talk about what he had seen. Penny was being moved to one of the interrogation rooms under heavy escort and the Mark 2 managed to usurp authority from the main computer long enough to replace the name of the person that would question Penny with its own.
"Proceed with orders as given," the Mark 2 said as it disassembled its pulse rifle and started toward the interrogation rooms. "Coordinate with the regular guards whenever possible."
"Affirmitive," replied the Assault Droid as it watched the Mark 2 walk away.
Statesman said let there be heroes, and there were heroes.
Lord Recluse said let there be villains, and there were villains.
NCsoft said let there be nothing, and there was nothing.
((Oh no, you misunderstood - I can still see his responses just fine. I just don't want to bother replying to them since a) he can't see my replies anyway while he's ignoring me, and b) I really don't feel like playing with a person like him now that he's shown me what he's really like.))
The last guard to join the formation gave a momentary pause as he saw the Mark 2 approach. This was definitely not good.
He just hoped none of the other guards decided to try and talk to him right then (which seemed unlikely, seeing how busy they were with Penny), as the mechanoid would certainly take notice of an odd fact if one did.
Because to the lenses of the Mark 2 and its drones, that guard would be seen talking to nothing but thin air...
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
(Okaaayyy, seems a bit hard to RP when two main chars. are ignoring each other. I was actually waiting for Prod to post since he's sort of guiding me right now in here, but I'll pretend that that post was made)
"Right...Down here?" Twilit was visibly nervous now that all these shields seemed to be going off, coupled with the fact that he was still un-armed and powerless and his guide was a bit motionless he could only hope for the best. Blind was telling him directions from behind as they walked...Not to mention some increasingly annoying commentary. "Yeah this hall I heard you." He turned the corner only to see what seemed to be a strike force of giant assault bots, wannabes, guards and a few battle bots.
".....****"
At that moment the small breakout force raised their hands in a manner signifying surrendur, dropping Blind to the ground with a thud.
"Damnit! So close..."
"Right...Ah well, I guess it's worth a shot." He waited for the guards to come this way, but before they did, he asked Blind something. "Hey....You don't need your femurs to instill fear in their hearts do you?" Frankie and Stubbs stood next to Blind, waiting to hear the answer as well.