"Is this a joke?"
"No Professor, this is a test. One of survival. And it would be a poor test indeed if those tested had every advantage Arachnos had to offer."
Professor Nutronious takes a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "Of course you are right, Kalinda. Lord Recluse offers freedom, not coddling. I've seen that much already." Calmer now he takes another look around the laboratory of Fort Darwin. His gaze passing over the Fortunata, and the silent brawler Mongoose.
"I may not be able to recreate my children here, but I should be able to piece together something. They will need new shells when they are ready, ones more fit to combat than the prototypes."
"That we can help you with." Kalinda smiled. "There are bases on each of the Etoile Isles, and for someone like yourself, access should not be a problem"
At this the muscled warrior spoke, "Yeah, I'm sure you can open doors easy enough, thing is, they'd be no better. These bases are military, not scientific."
A sadness crosses the Professor's features. "But, this is barely useful for scrap! Spare parts!"
"Easy now. I'm sure you can find what you're looking for, it just ain't gonna be in a place like this." Mongoose's eyes fill with greed, "But to get in one of those places, you're going to need backing that's a little more...green."
____________
Hours later the Snake slayer lets himself into a more secluded part of the Mercy Isle fortress. One that few in Arachnos knows of, and fewer still can enter.
"Heh, I love watching those mad boys work. I swear Kal, he made a Battle Drone out of a Microwave!"
"He is gone then?"
"Yeah, he cobbled together a couple robots and headed right where I told him. So, what's the word?"
As she speaks Kalinda removes her helmet, confusion readily apparent on her features. "He has no power what so ever."
"Damn! Another bust, then? So, you want me to stuff him down the nearest Snake hole, or can we let him flop around, see who take him out?" Thoughts of money to be made from the Dead Pool fill his head.
"On the contrary, I am now more certain than ever that Alvin Nutronious is our Destined One."
"But how can that be?" Mongoose stammers. "How a skinny little tooth pick like that gonna take out Statesman without powers?"
"The answer to that question, I cannot see. Perhaps his robotic 'children' truly are that special. We will have to watch him closely."
Steeling herself against what she must say next, the seer continues. "There is something else. While we were in the room with the Professor, I saw the day he was sent to the Ziggurat. The meta-humans that attacked him were agents of Arachnos."
"Wait, that ain't right. I read about that, that place was hit by Heroes, with police backup."
"Fool!" spat Kalinda. "Did you not think that Lord Recluse would have people in the FBSA? He's had entire teams of Arachnos forces in Paragon with forged Hero registrations to discredit and defame the real capes."
"And they just happened to hit the one guy that's supposed to take out the only person on the planet that's ever given Lord Recluse pause, huh? Well, ain't that funny?"
"Yes, it is positively hilarious." Kalinda advances on Mongoose and the man is cowed by the force of her rage. "Nutronious must never know about this! Tomorrow morning I am going to Grandville to tell Lord Recluse personally. If this gets out, the last thing our Lord will do, is feed both of us to the Snakes!" And with that she storms out of the office.
"Well, she never specifically said I couldn't start that betting pool..."
The Abrams is one of the most effective war machines on the planet. - R. Lee Ermy.
Q: How do you wreck an Abrams?
A: You crash into another one.
"I'm so confused."
"It's simple. I have a specific objective here, child. You're not it."
With that, the older man turns his back on the white-haired young lady, and rolls over the recently deceased Legacy Chain member. Scorch marks from lasers cover his torso. "Hmph. Still need to work on their accuracy", He mutters.
The girl's face lights with recognition. "Wait, I know who you are. You're that villain that's been making a name for himself. Professor Nutronious, right?"
The Professor turns at this. As he stands he picks up the Ion Rifle that has grown in infamy with him. Few that call themselves Mastermind would bother fighting alongside the minions they send into battle, let a lone lead them.
"Making a name for myself? My dear, all I am trying to do is keep these islands safe. Safe from the infection of the Snakes. Safe from the violence of the Council. And most importantly, safe from scum like this..." As he says the last, he points the rifle at the charred corpse on the ground. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I was told that there was information on a number of new 'Heroes' here." And with that, he starts to walk off.
Before he goes too far, though she calls to him, "Actually, you can probably find a number of them on this computer here. It's where I was looking at my own file."
Again the professor turns, this time raising his weapon slightly, his wary stance mimicked in the robots around him. "Your file? Am I to understand that you are one of the very Heroes I fight?"
"I-I thought I wanted to be, but now I'm not sure." With that, she turns and runs to a nearby computer. "At least not after I found this."
With a wary eye on the girl Nutronious sits at the computer. "You should be warned, my robots are programmed to respond with lethal force should I be threatened in any way. The young heroine nods at this, and takes a step back.
Nutronious isn't reading long before he sits back and pronounces, "Well, clearly this is has been falsified."
"You're sure?"
"Undoubtedly. The coding on this is sloppy, the work of amateurs. Given the mystic bent of the record keepers here, there's no wonder."
"Wait, you're saying this was changed by the Legacy Chain? Why would they do something like that?"
"Well, most likely to try to manipulate you; look here." he said, pointing to the significant part. "It says here that your parents were killed accidentally on a raid against Dr. Aeon. Most likely, they had some story for when you found this. Something about raising you is an apology for your parent's needless deaths, or some such. Becky, dataport please."
At that command, the largest robot lumbers forward, a small panel opening on it's 'hand'. The scientist uses a small cable from inside the panel to connect the robot to the computer, and presses a series of keys.
"What are you doing?" The girl asks.
"Falsified though they may be, this is my purpose for coming here. Besides, given the low quality of the editing, I may be able to rebuild the real files."
Shaking her head, the child is clearly rattled now. "Well, if my parent's death wasn't an accident, what really did happen?
"I'm afraid I don't know. Though if it is true that they were in one of Aeon's laboratories, it's likely that they were accused of conspiracy of some sort, and executed."
"What!? No, you're lying! My friends here would never-"
"You are mistaken girl. They could, they have, and they do." He stands at this, moving not to confront the young woman, but to lay a hand on the large robot's arm. "These shells you see here are strong, but they have no minds. The A.I. that should be running them was destroyed in far weaker shells than this. Destroyed by the very heroes you seem to idolize. And why, you may ask? For no reason other than there was Rikti weapons in the same building.
"They were like children to me, and they were taken from me for no reason. None at all! THEY COULDN'T EVEN FIGHT BACK!"
Shocked at this, the young woman moves forward, wanting to comfort the man, while trying not to appear threatening. She stops, fearful, when the metal behemoth makes a pinging noise. It seems to be less a warning than a signal, as the professor begins to pack away the cable and close everything down.
"My work here is finished. You seem like a good person, if misled by the people you've found yourself with. There is a lot of talk about Destiny in these isles, perhaps this is your moment of destiny. It seems you have a choice to make. Do you want to protect people, to be a beacon of light in these dark times? Or would you rather be a Hero?
"I'm afraid I cannot help you in your decision. This is something you alone can choose." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out something small. "But if you choose the right path, I know someone that can help you. Some one that can guide you in your new life. His number is on this card. Come children, we are done here."
And with that, he and his robots leave.
The young woman looks at the card. Black ink on ivory paper. There is a number there all right, and a name.
Peter Themari.
The Abrams is one of the most effective war machines on the planet. - R. Lee Ermy.
Q: How do you wreck an Abrams?
A: You crash into another one.
(Note: Text based communication will be noted /like this/)
"Is that who I think it is?"
"Dude. Just leave it alone. That room's been off-limits the whole semester."
The two students of Aeon University continued to look into the barred classroom, and it's lone occupant. They both recognized him. Any student at the school would. After all, he was a teacher there on occasion, his classes always at capacity.
After all, what student in the Rogue Isles would pass up a chance to be taught by a known Villain?
"So, he's been in there the whole time?"
"Yeah, paper's been running those stories about him dead again. Everyone's been keeping anything of that nature out of his sight. No one knows what he's working on, but we figure it's best for him to get done, rather than running off to cause another ruckus."
"Has anyone tried to get in? Y'know, see what he's doing?"
"He never leaves. Get this, he gets food delivered by Arachnos lackeys. You ain't seen the Spider chicks walking through here? Folks say he sleeps in there, but you wouldn't guess it to look at him. He looks like he's not slept at all."
"Well, whatever he's working on, I hope he has a class on it or somethin'."
Meanwhile inside the classroom Professor Nutronious continues his work at one of the school's computers. The buzz of the students outside the door are completely ignored as all of his focus is on the next line of code. The room itself, normally a computer lab, is a disaster. In the depths of his mad-genius, almost every piece of electronics in the room has been cobbled together into one oddly shaped mainframe.
It has been months, and the cost was exorbitant, but finally the complex coding was nearing the end. The unique program, one even it's writer couldn't completely comprehend, was almost finished. In the corner, one of the Battle Drones that the Professor often led into battle sat, it's entire memory bank wiped clean. If the program worked, and failure was a high possibility, this shell would have the complete work uploaded to it, allowing the professor to transport it off school property, and back to his own laboratory.
And with a few last keystrokes it was done. The work of a lifetime, waiting for the last strike of the enter key. Nutronious leaned back, rereading what was still on the screen. The last few months played again in his mind. It had taken quite a lot to get to this point the first time around. It was worse after he had been sent to the Zig, and the time he had purchased from the school was almost up. If the code didn't work he'd be back at square one a third time.
The students outside saw this, and knew something was about to happen. They called to their friends thinking that whatever was happening, was going to happen soon. They believed that whatever was next would be spectacular. They would be disappointed.
In the end, the professor leaned forward again, and pressed the last key. For a few minutes the only sound was that of the processors working away.
/Hello?/
Relief washed over Nutronious. It had worked! What was once a jumble of parts was now alive, artificial though it's life may be.
/Is anyone there?/
This was no time to rest, the professor admonished himself. The new consciousness was lost in a void while it remains in it's current shell. Tired fingers returned to the keyboard. /I am here, Bruce./
/Bruce? Is that my name? And who are you?/
/I am the one that wrote you. In a sense, I am your father./
/Why can't I see anything?/
/The system you are in now is a bit primitive, I'm afraid. If you give me a moment, I will attach a proper shell for you./
Without waiting for an answer, the Professor rushes to the Drone and attaches the wires that would connect one shell to the other. One thing he had noticed dealing with Ben and Beth was that the completed code didn't copy like a normal program. It moved. As if the code itself truly was alive.
Slowly, the robot stirred, and stood. Bruce's program gradually discovering how to move the gears and pistons of his new form.
"Fffaaather?"
"I'm here. Is everything alright?"
"I-i-I think so. A few momentary difficulties with some of this, I think." The robot, Bruce, then took a moment to look at itself. "Is this what I look like?"
This draws a small chuckle from the Professor. "Only for now. You are too precious to me to risk staying in a robot's body, especially one built for combat." He draws his sleeve up to reveal the device he has used to command his army up to now. "I have a place where you will remain safe. Your conscious will remain in constant contact with my control panel here, which will, in turn, relay your mind to the shells nearby. This way, even if your shell is damaged, your mind shall survive."
"This seems needlessly complex. Are you sure it is necessary?"
"I do. We have much to do, you and I, and I will not lose you again. Not to anyone. Our Lord Recluse seems to think there is a grand Destiny waiting for us, and now that we are together there is nothing and no one that can stop us from taking it!"
"Whatever you think is best, father."
The Abrams is one of the most effective war machines on the planet. - R. Lee Ermy.
Q: How do you wreck an Abrams?
A: You crash into another one.
"Freeze, villain!"
"Professor Nutronious, you are coming with us!"
The only response the mad scientist offers, is wild laughter, and an array of laser-fire. Strangely, one of the larger robots was also laughing. The plan was a perfect success, and now the streets of Steel Canyon have erupted in chaos. An entire division of Arachnos Wolf Spiders are fighting Longbow and the PPD at every street corner.
With this batch of law enforcement dispatched, Nutronious turns to a nearby Spider. "What's your name Huntsman?"
"Operative McGavin, sir!"
"Alright, McGavin, rally your troops. It's time to flush out a hero."
With the Spider Squad at his back, the Professor makes his was down Tin Street, to the local branch of Paragon's First National. As they moved Nutronious pulled a small key and a PDA out of one of his lab coat's pockets and handed them to McGavin. "When we break open the vault, the key will allow you access to the various deposit boxes. I want you to put the ones listed on the data pad into storage components on my robots. Once the list is complete, grab what you can carry and return to the Isles. Understand?"
"Most of it, sir. But what about the Hero?"
The look on the scientist's face is one that the soldier has seen on his superiors all to often. In fact, he knows it well enough that he know the professor's response before he says it. "Leave him to me. One other thing. I know your troops are used to taking hostages in situations like this. I would prefer it if you let those that do not wish to fight leave without incident. Of course, if they wish to be 'Heroes' then they have chosen their fate.
With all the fighting across the zone, police forces are spread too thin to provide more than token resistance at the bank doors. Once inside, a minor show of force is all it takes to remind the citizens that a bank is really not the best place to hide when there's a villain on the rampage. There is some resistance from the bank's security, but it's not enough to even slow down the invaders. Soon enough, they find themselves at the Vault door.
Standing before the steel, the Professor makes a few last minute calculations, then cycles through the settings on his rifle. A light press on the trigger gives a targeting spot, which he aims at what should be the vault's weak point. "There's your target, gentlemen. I want everyone to hit that spot on three.
"One....Two....THREE!"
Six laser and twenty rifles all connect at the same spot, and just as calculated the force is enough to shatter the locking device. "Bruce, would you get the door? Huntsman, you have your orders." As men and steel go to work the Professor turns back to the front of the bank. "It shouldn't be long now."
And he isn't disappointed. The soldiers have just enough time to load up the robots and start on their own haul before a young hero in green, black and yellow makes his presence known.
"Somehow, I doubt that's your stuff, mister." the young hero smirked.
"Ah yes, Heroic banter. I believe my line is something like 'And who are you to stop me', yes? Some attempt to add a name to my foe, at any rate."
"The name's Rastafari-Man. And what about you? You got a name for yourself?"
Nutronious raises an eyebrow at this. "Impudent. But you do at least deserve to know your better. I am Professor Nutronious."
"Professor, eh? Well recess is over teach."
"How droll. Play with your new friend, Bruce."
"Wait, who's Bru-"
The distraction is all that's needed for the five robots to take aim. Their blasts throw the dreadlocked hero into the far wall of the vault room. This only stuns Rasta for a moment, though, and his return blast knocks the Professor out of the sky.
Suddenly, the entire room glows green. The professor watches through a haze as the last Spider activates the device that will return him to the Isles. Whatever this green light is, the professor can tell it's affecting his robot's targeting. After this initial blast, only a few random shots find their marks.
It's hard for the Professor to see Rastafari-Man through the strange light, his costume bends so easily with it. But the professor takes his time, and when he is sure he flings a small device that explodes on contact with the hero, engulfing him in a sticky web.
"Is this the best you have?" taunts Rasta. An explosion of energy burns the web away. "I can do that all day!"
"Is that so?" replies the Professor, reaching for an identical device. "I'd like to test that theory!"
Instinctively, Rasta holds his arms in front of him, to deflect the worst of the web grenade. This time, however, it is not webbing but a metal claw that springs from the sphere, encircling the hero's wrist. He screams in pain as electricity runs through him. He is unable to move, or even defend himself as Bruce swats him back into the wall again.
The professor catches him by the throat before he can slump to the ground. "What's wrong, Hero? What happened to all that energy of yours? Has it gone the way of that handy little mediporter?" Fear mingles with the pain on the hero's face at the words. "Oh, don't worry. I've only overridden the device. You'll go where you are supposed to but you'll go when I say. You get to live through this, hero.
"You seem to like to talk, so you can be my messenger. Your kind made a mistake when they murdered my children and left me in that gulag to rot. But My Lord came to me, released me from that hell and gave me a purpose.
"He believes I am the one with the power to raze Paragon City to the ground, and bring low the 'Hero' Statesman. Now that I have my Bruce at my side, I will not rest until his dreams are reality!
"But before I send you to you masters, Kalinda has been bothering me to retrieve a Hero's cape. It would be a waste not to take one so readily available." With that he unclasps the planet shaped pins holding Rasta's cape to his shoulders. Once he is separated from the heavy cloth the Professor throws him to the floor.
"Don't forget the message now, boy. And think twice before your next battle. Your next opponent may not be as generous as I." Pressing a button he sends the hero off to the hospital. Then another, this one sending his voice to all the troops in the area.
"All squads. Full retreat. We're done here."
The Abrams is one of the most effective war machines on the planet. - R. Lee Ermy.
Q: How do you wreck an Abrams?
A: You crash into another one.
"I saw a hero Papa!"
"I know you did, Bethany. We all did. They seem to be every where these days."
The lights of the convention hall are reflected off the metal body of the child-like android, but they cannot hide the look of joy in her artificial eyes. "Papa, can I be a Hero? I wanna help people too."
The young man turns and kneels to look into the diminutive automaton's face. "Are you sure? You know I'll worry about you." Bethany nods, she is unable to smile but it's clear that if she could she would be beaming. Her father smiles for her, resting a hand on her shoulder. "Perhaps when we get home I can start designing a stronger body. And what about you Benjamin? Would you like to be a Hero, like your sister?"
"I don't think so Father." The other robot may have been identical in form to his sister, but the voices that each produced were drastically different. "The one we saw outside cracked the ground while he was fighting. If this is happening all over, the entire City will be in ruins before long. I think it would be better if I tried to find a way to reinforce the structures here, so that they can hold up to the Heroes powers better.
A crash resounds as the doors to the hall are thrown open. There is a sense of panic throughout the room as a group of Heroes steps through. Some of the attendees start to run as the leader shouts, "This gathering is now closed! We have reports that someone here has unregulated Rikti technology. Everything here is to be confiscated, pending an investigation!"
Chaos erupts. Scientists and heroes start running through the building, trying to either hide or retrieve the alien contraband. One dark haired genius holds his metal progeny close, hoping to protect them from the stampede.
"Hey! I got something!" one of the costumed meta-humans cries, and he starts running to the small huddle of man and machine.....
NOOOOOOOOOO!
The walls of Ziggursky Penitentiary surround him, and though sleep has released him the dream continues, as it has this past year. In his minds eye he sees the hero once again throw him aside. Watches as his children's fragile frames are mangled. Unable to look away as an arrant blast of fire melts the circuitry that once held the advanced AI that made up his children into slag. The tears, even so long after that tragic day, still flow free.
The man, aged now by grief and prison life, prepares for another day in the Zig. His tears and poor eyes blur the sight of prisoners and guards running back and forth in the hall outside his cell.
*Wait, what?*
The doors here are solid steel, needed to keep the stronger prisoners locked in. There's no way a normal man could see through that. Wiping his eyes on his sleeve, he reaches for his glasses, so he can make sense of what he sees. Sure enough, something has torn the door from its hinges. As the scientist looks closer a shadow fills the doorway. Someone in strange dark body armor, an oddly distinctive helmet, and a dark red *?CAPE?*
"Are you Alvin Nutronious?"
"I am Professor Nutronious. What do you want from me?"
The soldier laughs. "Me? Nothing. Lord Recluse is the one looking for you. His Fortunatas seem to think you may be the one destined to help him take down Statesman, and all of his boot licking 'heroes'. In return, Lord Recluse will allow you access to Arachnos labs so that you can build more of those robots of yours."
A gleam of hope sparks to life in the professor's eyes. "My children? I can be reunited with my children?"
"Sure, if you say so. All you have to do is swear your loyalty to Arachnos."
Without a moments hesitation, the Professor blurts out, "For my children, and a chance for revenge against those who tried to take them from me? Without question my life, my mind, everything I am!"
There was another chuckle from the Arachnos Spider. "Well, actually there's two things. First, your loyalty. Second? We've opened the door for you. It's up to you whether you can survive even long enough to get to the Rogue Isles."
With that, the man steps aside, and Professor Nutronious takes his first steps into his new life.
The Abrams is one of the most effective war machines on the planet. - R. Lee Ermy.
Q: How do you wreck an Abrams?
A: You crash into another one.