Oops! You are correct, Chem. Wonde why I thought Saperhagen wrote them.
Retief was much more than a diplomat; but I agree he did seem to be the only competent in the corps.
The Hordeling that killed Colin looked like a scorpion made of faceted white crystal. Lethal, but rather beautiful in its way. When it moved, it sounded like wind chimes.
Colins bullets had bounced off it. Fear was written plainly on that face that I adored; those wonderful blue eyes that I couldnt stop thinking about were wide with fear. He knew that he had no chance.
But still he fought.
I was running towards him as fast as I could, shoving my way through the fleeing survivors. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. I screamed his name and reached out for him
just as the Hordeling pierced his chest with that deadly but gorgeous tail.
Someone screamed as Colin was lifted off his feet. To this day, I dont know whether it was him or me.
His skeleton flashed beneath his bones and light bleed from his eyes like tears. He convulsed. Once. Twice. The third time, his body turned to dust.
The Hordeling shook the now-empty Longbow uniform off his tail and immediately began to convulse. The music of its body reached a crescendo
and it changed.
It grew a torso and a human head. Its arms lengthened, taking on human dimensions, but its claws grew even larger. It snapped them, and they made angry music.
And when it turned to look at me, it had the bluest eyes I had ever seen
Colins eyes.
For an instant, I was frozen in shock.
And then the Colin-things face sneered at me, and its scorpion tail lashed out to impale me on its stinger.
It bounced off my chest.
And I went crazy.
I leaped at the scorpion-thing and wrapped my legs around that slender human waist. My fists blazing with energy, I slammed them into that monsters stolen face. The beast roared in surprise
and pain.
I hurt it!
Every blow caused it to wither. The faceted crystal lost its sheen, becoming dull and lifeless. The blue went out of its eyes. Half a dozen blows later, it fell to pieces.
Colin
I fell to my knees.
Cry later, robot girl! Help now!
I spat out an epithet that my mother would have cringed to hear me use, and turned to see that only one of the doors defenders remainedan Arachnos Soldier
the one that my mother and I had spoken to earlier. He was confronted by a diamond scorpion with the torso of a Warwolf, a sapphire praying mantis with the head of a beautiful woman, and a ruby ant with the lower half of a Lesser Devoured.
He was dodging and weaving, taking advantage of his smaller size to slip between the Hordelings. He battered them with his mace. He didnt have a prayer of beating them, but he had managed to live when everyone else had died. If they get past me then all these people die, robot girl! You think your boyfriend would have wanted that?
He wasnt my boyfriend! I smashed the head of the praying mantis with one blow. He was never going to be my boyfriend! I punched my fist through the chest of the scorpion. He was human! Im just A Clockwork Princess! I sheered the ants body in half with a glowing two fisted blow. And Im always going to be alone.
You did good, girl. The Arachnos Soldier saluted me with his mace. You did your Old Man proud.
Whatever. Dont let any of the Horde through. If you need help, call me! Im going to patrol the grounds and make sure that none of them break through Daddys defenses again.
All right. Hope?
I turned and looked at him in surprise. It was the first time that he had ever said my name. I was surprised he had paid that much attention.
It doesnt help, I know, but Im sorry for your loss.
Thank you. I turned and ran from him. I didnt want sympathy from an Arachnos Soldier. I didnt want sympathy from anyone at all.
I wanted Colin.
And now more than ever, I knew that I would never have him.
Hope, wait! Theres someone I want you to meet! The Arachnos Soldier touched something on his wrist and a golden pillar of light appeared out of nowhere.
It doesnt have to be this way, Hope. The voice was soft, accented, as smooth as silk, but somehow clipped and almost... metallic?
A tall man stepped out of the pillar of light, his hand open to me. My name is Mender Silos. Together, we can change the past and reshape the future.
If youre willing to pay the price.
My COX Fanfiction:
Blue's Assembled Story Links
It is all a Nemesis Plot. I knew it from the start, but now that Nemesis is actually here we know that this is a Nemesis Plot to make us think this is a Nemesis Plot to lure us into thinking that this thread is only a single Nemesis Plot when, in fact, it is several! And it being several Nemesis Plots is also a Nemesis Plot!
>.>
<.<
Sorry.
I'll shut up now.
Heh.
The song "Sympathy for the Devil" popped into my head when I was writing those final lines ...
My COX Fanfiction:
Blue's Assembled Story Links
whoa!
Nemesis?
GULP!
Knew it was the Nictus.
GIVE TANKS DARKNESS/ELECTRICAL MASTERY! =3
Level 50's: Komrade Kommunism (T); King Darksource (T); Burning Red Star (T); Komrade Kosmonaut (WS); Vredesbyrd (Br); Anarchery (Bl)
[ QUOTE ]
Knew it was the Nictus.
[/ QUOTE ]
But it isn't the Nictus. The Circle of Thorns summoned them, and they are scorpion-like insects made of crystal. If they were the Nictus they would have been crub stomped the moment they started their invasion.
Maybe it was just these lines, but the whole shape-shifting thing made me jump on kheldians.
"His skeleton flashed beneath his bones and light bleed from his eyes like tears. He convulsed. Once. Twice. The third time, his body turned to dust.
The Hordeling shook the now-empty Longbow uniform off his tail and immediately began to convulse. The music of its body reached a crescendo
and it changed."
That, and this line, "Recluse and his Lieutenants are dead. The Freedom Phalanx is dead. The Rikti have fled this world, and so has the Circle of Thorns." to me indicate, that unless the CoT suck horribly at controlling demons, that it would be the Nictus, not CoT spawns.
GIVE TANKS DARKNESS/ELECTRICAL MASTERY! =3
Level 50's: Komrade Kommunism (T); King Darksource (T); Burning Red Star (T); Komrade Kosmonaut (WS); Vredesbyrd (Br); Anarchery (Bl)
My understanding, however, is that it is neither. This is something not seen in game.
[ QUOTE ]
My understanding, however, is that it is neither. This is something not seen in game.
[/ QUOTE ]
Bingo.
Agreed. Not YET in game.
I would really look forward to such a foe in game. It would be a true challenge.
Alas, not likely to be in game. <<<shrug>>>
I believe Nemesis knew this attack was coming and plans to use it to great advantage. Hope had better watch her step. Nemesis NEVER does things to anyone else's benefit. He would allow whole planets to burn to a crisp if it serves him.
There was a golden gleaming citadel floating in the middle of sky like none that I had ever seen before. Mender Silos watched me as I took in his creation. Ouroboros is quite impressive, is it not?
This is outside Time?
I would say rather that it is beside Time, but you are probably not capable of understanding the difference.
I did not like this man. But if he could save Mama and Daddyif he could save the worldthen I did not have to. I would pay whatever price he asked of me if it would bring back those I had lost. You travel in time, though?
Indeed we do.
Then you stop the Horde! You can save the world! You know where they came from! You know how to stop them!
Its not that easy, Hope. The Arachnos Soldier had accompanied us through the gleaming portal. For some reason, that comforted me. I did not know why, but I trusted him. If the Eternal Horde should learn the secret of traveling between universesbetween time itselfthen the entire multiverse could be destroyed.
I turned and lookednot at himbut rather at Mender Silos. Youre afraid of them!
I fear nothing! Silos snapped angrily, drawing himself up to his full height. You impudent automaton, I am the Master of Time itself! I am Lor He stopped and took a deep breath. Come with me, Princess of the Clockwork. Come with me and I will show you my powerI will show you the future of your world!
Angrily, Silos grabbed my arm and pulled me inside the great hall of his citadel. Gaze into the Pillar of Ice and Fire! Look and see what becomes of your world, daughter of the Clockwork King!
The Arachnos Soldier laid a hand on my shoulder.
In the Pillar I see Daddy facing the final master of the Hordeanother scorpion, this one with a body of white diamond. Its humanoid torso wears the star of Statesman and the head of --and spidery limbs--of Lord Recluse. It shatters the Clockwork with bolts of lightning and slashes from the spiders limbs. It spits out an acid that melts the Clockwork, leaving nothing for Daddy to rebuild.
I can see Mama screaming Daddys name and struggling in the arms of my grandfather to run to my fathers aid.
Almost contemptuously, it destroys the great Clockwork-Ritki that had destroyed almost all of its companions. It races towards Daddy.
Daddy does not try to run. He cant run. Even if he wanted to, he could not leave whats left of humanity to face this monster alone.
A bolt of purest thought from Daddy stops the Hordeling Lord in its tracks. It twitches, writhes
and then it smiles. It raises its arm, and a bolt of lightning that smashes into my father.
Daddy falls.
The Hordeling Lord advances.
Mama breaks free from Grandpa and runs towards them, shouting, screaming, and hurling curses and bolts of psionic force at her husbands tormentor.
The Hordeling Lord looks at her with the bemused face of Lord Recluse, and allows her to get close. Mama races to my fathers side and puts her arms protectively around the hulking metal body of my father. She shrieks a curse at the Hordeling Lord.
And it impales her on one of the spider legs that jut out of its back.
She turns to dust, and the head of Lord Recluse becomes that of my mother
Daddy stares in horror at the thing that has just stolen his wife and struggles to his feet. The dome that holds his brain is cracked, and I can see liquid leaking out of it. Daddy looks at the thing that mockingly smiles at him with Mamas face.
Daddy screams.
The Hordeling Lord is turned to dust in the force of that sheer psychic wail.
Daddy keeps on screaming.
Grandpa and the rest of the human survivors are vaporized next. Portal Corps itself is turned into rubble.
Daddy does not stop screaming.
The energy leaps forth from his brain, spreading, growing, changing, and becoming ever more powerful. It roars across the world like a hurricane.
What the Horde has not destroyed, it does.
When Daddy finally stops screaming, hes the only thing left alive on the entire planet. His eyes are red with madness and grief in his half-drained jar, and he stumbles through the wreckage accompanied by nothing but his faithful Clockwork
No! I fell to my knees. Grandpa! Mama! Daddy!!! Noooo!
The Arachnos Soldier kneels beside me and wraps his arms around my shoulders. Shhh. Its all right, Hope. Its okay.
Its not okay! Nothing will ever be okay again! I looked at Silos. How do we stop this? How do we change this future? Ill do anything!
Mender Silos smiled. It was not a pleasant smile. Its really quite simple, Hope. For your familyyour worldto live, you must cease to exist!
My COX Fanfiction:
Blue's Assembled Story Links
D***!!!
I can only guess He sees Hope stand in Nemesis' way later and this is a way to remove her. Get her to WILLINGLY commit suicide.
Another great one, BlueBattler. Moar! MOAR!
Virtue 50s:
Ice/Ice Blaster, Fire/Fire Dominator, Mind/Emp Controller, Shield/Axe Tanker, Spines/Regen Scrapper, Rad/Pain Corruptor, Petless Thugs/Traps MM(WHY!?), Widow
A zillion alts on Virtue and elsewhere.
You are a mistake, Hope. Your mother gave up so much of her power to create you that she didnt have the strength that she needed to fight alongside your father against the Endless Horde. Between them, they could have saved the world
but your mother bargained her strength away to give birth to you. Youre the reason that the world died, Hope.
No! I didnt want to believe it. Its not my fault!
Its hard to accept the truth, I know. On another man, the look he gave me might have indicated sympathyon Silos it was nothing more than mockery. But the fact remains that the only way to change timethe only way to save your family, your friendsthe world itselfis if you cease to exist.
Even if what you say is true, how will my dying change anything?
I did not say you would die, Hope. I said you would cease to exist. All you have to do is walk into the Pillar of Fire and Ice, and it will be as though you had never been born.
I dont understand. I didnt want to do it. Dying was one thing; but to never exist at all? How could I go through with that?
It is hard to explain for a mind thats so bound by Time, Silos said with a smirk. But think of the Pillar as a furnace. When it consumes you, it will not just devour your current selfit will take everything you are, everything you have ever been, outside of time. No trace of your existence will remain at all. Since you were never born, your mother will retain her full power, and she will be able to use it to oppose the Horde.
And this will save them? Mama will be alive? Daddy wont go crazy?
Time will be altered. The Endless Horde will face an entirely different situation.
Uncle Line? Auntie Nette? Colin? Why did the Arachnos Soldier flinch when I said Colins name? Theyll all be alive?
They will have a chance at life. As it is, they have none. Your world has none. Can you really refuse?
No. I guess not.
You dont have to do this, Hope, the Arachnos Soldier interrupted suddenly. This isnt your fault. Its not your responsibility. You dont have to give up your existence.
Mender Silos glared at him, but said nothing.
I dont want to die. I squared my shoulders. But I guess I never really should have been alive anyway. If this works, I can bring the people I love back to life.
And if it doesnt work youll have sacrificed yourself for nothing.
I know. But its a chance. I chuckled. Its a hope.
Hope
Not that long ago, Mama told me that my father gave up his own humanity and a hope of having something like a normal life with her because it was the right thing to do. I saw him risk himself to save what was left of mankind when he could have remained safely hidden because it was the right thing to do. Sometimes you have to do the right thing even when it hurts. I shrugged. Besides, no one will miss me when Im gone. No one will know I was ever here.
Ill know, the Arachnos Soldier whispered.
Thank you for your concern, but I have to go now. I turned and looked at Silos. I did not trust him, but I couldnt refuse a chanceno matter how slightto save the world. Goodbye.
Just walk into the Pillar, Hope. Everything else will follow.
I took one last look at the Citadel. A number of men and women in robesand a Peacebringer?had gathered near the Pillar. None of them said a word to me as I walked towards the Pillar.
I dont normally feel heat or coldnot the way that people dobut as I neared the Pillar I felt simultaneously frozen and incinerated.
It hurt. It hurt a lot.
But I kept on walking.
Hope! the Arachnos Soldier cried, moving to run after me, but a powerfully built man wearing goggles grabbed him and held him tight. "Hope!"
I stepped into the Pillar.
The pain vanishes. Pain is part of existing, and I dont
not any longer. I can see the brass and steel that makes up my body dissolving in the midst of the frozen fire. I feel nothing.
I feel everything.
Time is a river, and its drowning me, engulfing me, dissolving me.
The Arachnos Soldier is screaming my name over and over again. The Menders are watching me burn with rapt faces. Silos is watching with something like hunger on his face. His features are twisted into a horrible grimace.
I cant believe it. Silos is crying for me?
No. Hes not crying. Hes laughing!
That laughter follows me into the void as the Pillar of Fire and Ice eats me alive
My COX Fanfiction:
Blue's Assembled Story Links
Oh my. 
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
0_0;; that REALLY doesnt bode well.....and are you sure that you arent Manticore in disguise?
"You, dear sir, are a legend. "- nelly. "PIE DOESN'T HAVE TENTACLES!"
Bladewing Draconian lvl 30 KAT/SR scrapper
DarkNinjutsu lvl 50 DM/REG scrapper
Dajoji Hino lvl 50 elm/ela scrapper
Bloody Byakko lvl 20 claws/sr scrapper
[ QUOTE ]
0_0;; that REALLY doesnt bode well.....and are you sure that you arent Manticore in disguise?
[/ QUOTE ]
Nemesis.
I think if Hope had stayed to fight alongside the Clockworks; she would have turned the tide.
If I understand her powers correctly; she does for electrical power what the horde does for life energy... the more available, the more powerful she gets. Her daddy's clockworks could provide all the power she would need. This is odvious from the fact they stopped the horde even though their power was dispersed among thousands of bots.
The fact that Siles desired her demise bodes no good. maybe nemesis will gain from this (most likely, in fact); but I doubt earth will.
Huh. Didn't see that coming.
He struggles in the arms of the man called Mender Lazarus, but he might as well try to fight Time itself. Helplessly, he watches Hope disappear
and a part of him goes with her. He wants to cry. He wants to scream, but all he can do is glare at Mender Silos.
You can release him now, Lazarus. The smile fades away from Silos face. I will resume my place in the tower if anyone needs me.
I am sorry for your pain, Brother, but it had to be this way. Lazarus releases him, but watches his face for any sign of trouble.
I am not your brother! He rips the mask off his face. He rubs the blue eyes that Hope had never been able to forget, runs a hand through his close cropped blond hair. It was so hardGod, it was hard.
Watching yourself die is disconcerting the first time, Mender Tesseract. But you get used to it, Colin.
It wasnt that! Colin snarls. I knew I died in that future. I just didnt know that I would have to see
this.
It had to be done to preserve the integrity of the Timeline, Lazarus states. Take comfort in the fact that your wife went into the void willingly.
She wasnt my wife! At least not this Hope. He rips the gloves off his hands. She was so young. Even younger than my Hope had been when she
when she Lazarus lied! He told me that I could be with my wife when she died!
Lazarus doesnt lie, the Kheldian called Twilights Son saysor perhaps sings-- in the curiously musical voice of his people. He simply shades the truth to his benefit.
He always gets what he wants in the end, Tesseract is smirking. Did you see how powerful that the Clockwork King was in that Timeline?
He was indeed mighty, Lazarus admits. I have never seen him fight so bravelywith such skill. He had something to fight for. Hopes mother. Hope herself. As long as he had his family, the Clockwork King was able to keep the madness at bay. A sane Clockwork King is a formidable being indeed. A mad one
well, a mad one is much less difficult to deal with.
Silos schemes should be considerably easier without such a potential roadblock, Tesseract nods. Do you think he might have unleashed the Horde itself on that Timeline?
I wouldnt put it past him, Twilights Sons song is sad with acknowledgement.
Ill kill him! Colin picks up his mace.
As if you have a snowballs chance in Hades, Tess tells him snidely. That weapon will probably blow up on you if you try. Or youll slip on the stairs. Or any of half a dozen other things might happen that will stop you. You cant surprise a man whos lived as long as Silos has
whos conquered Time itself.
Excuse me, a soft voice says in little more than a whisper.
What is it, Flower Knight? Lazarus asks kindly.
I am being Called again. She looks over at Colin. And I think you should see who I am to meet. She offers a shy half-smile. Who will be rescuing me this time.
Perhaps we should, Lazarus smiles encouragingly to Colin.
I dont really feel like watching a show right now, Flower. Colin lets himself be led back over to the Pillar; he knows full well that Lazarus is more than capable of picking him up and carrying him there.
The Pillar flares to life on a familiar scene.
Outbreak. Tesseract is the first to name it, of course. She has more experience with that particular Time than any of them at all except Flower Knight.
Officer Flint looks somewhat nervous, Twilights Son hums.
With all those Contaminated around, Im not surprised, Lazarus says.
No! Colin cant control the excitement in his voice. Look! In front of him!
Bits and pieces of scrap metal float towards each other and begin to pulse with energy. More and more of the metal gathers together and begins to take on a humanoid shape.
A girls shape.
Hope! Shes alive! Colin hugs Flower Knight in his excitement. Shes alive!
Impossible! Nothing that lives can survive the Pillar of Fire and Ice! Tesseracts eyes are wide with amazement and she unconsciously reaches for Lazaruss hand and grips it.
The big man flashes a grin at her and squeezes her hand.
With a scowl, she lets it drop. Its impossible!
No, its Hope! Colin cant stop grinning. She was stronger than the Pillar. Stronger than Time itself! She beat Silos!
Or perhaps she did exactly what Silos has hoped she would do, Twilights Son chimes.
What do you mean? Tess glares at him.
Perhaps Silos never intended for Hope to be destroyed at all. The Kheldians tune is an intricate mixture of tones. Perhaps the only way to prevent the Endless Horde from destroying the future is to have a Clockwork Princess at the height of her powers facing them when they are at their weakest. It may be the only way to save Hopes future was to send her to our past.
Do you really believe that, Twilight? Tess asks him skeptically.
The Kheldian simply hums in reply.
I must go now, Flower Knight tells them. She smiles warmly at Colin. If I could, I would give her your love, Mender Colin.
Mender?
You belong to Ouroboros now, Flower Knight kisses his cheek. And somedayperhapsyou will meet your Clockwork Princess again. Time, after all, means little to a Mender. She steps into the Portal and vanishes in a burst of golden light.
Welcome to the fold, Brother Colin, Lazarus said.
Thank you, Lazarus. Colin stares once more into the Pillar.
Flint stares at the Clockwork girl before him. Youre not here to cause trouble are you?
Oh no. The girl giggles. Im here to help. My name is Hope. Im
well, Im A Clockwork Princess. How can I help you?
A Clockwork Princess, Flint scribbles the name down on his clipboard and looks over at her with a friendly smile. We have a crisis going on here, and we need help desperately. Some thugs took an experimental drug thinking it was something else, and now they're trashing the area. We have to regain control to ensure the safety of the citizens
Ill do whatever I can! Hope promises.
It wont be long, Hope, Colin says with a soft smile. Well see each other again. Someday
And above them all, atop his tower, Mender Silos waits
and plans.
My COX Fanfiction:
Blue's Assembled Story Links
Love it!
Issue 23: All your base are belong to us?
Oh, MY GAHD !!!!
Which server, please?
Or is this permission for players to run their own versions?
D***!
I'd pegged Flower Knight as a fellow heroic troubleshooter rather than a Mender, but there IS something amusing about the idea that Mender Silos has his hand in the story of every hero who ever enters Paragon City.
[ QUOTE ]
Ya know, this kinda reminds me of Saperhagen's BOLO series. That was typified by self-aware robots of extreme size dedicated to protecting humanity.
That clock-worked ritki mother ship may walk, but it still reminds me of a BOLO.
[/ QUOTE ]
Minor point of order, Cuddles- I'm pretty sure that the Bolo series was created by Keith Laumer, and apparently Wikipedia agrees... Laumer also created the wonderfully snarky Retief series (about an interstellar diplomat who is apparently the only competent man in the entire Terran Diplomatic Corps).
Anyways, enjoying the story, BB... and if this Horde is the Coming Storm, then they're not CoT demons- the Coming Storm members are feared by the Kheldians because they use the squids as batteries for their starships, something the Hordeling Lashers and such are unlikely to be doing >.>
"A soft answer turneth away wrath. Once wrath is looking the other way, shoot it in the head." Seven Habits of Highly Effective Pirates
MA Arcs: #12285, "Small Fears", #106553, "Trollbane", #12669, "How to Survive a Robot Uprising"