Skulls dont like strangers nosing around our territory, the Bone Daddy says as he gestures for his buddies to surround me. You a cop or a cape?
Neither. Theres five of them, and one of me. Not exactly the best odds for an ex-Hero to face. Im probably going to come out of this alive, but its going to hurt.
A lot.
So what are you here for? The Bone Daddy asks me. Hes smirking.
I manage to get my back to the wall. One less side to face an attack from. Theres a garbage can lid nearby, too. It wont stop a bullet, but theyre going to play with me before they get serious about doing some damage to me. The longer I last, the better my chances are that some lowbie heroll show up and do the whole Go. Hunt. Kill Skullz thing.
Im looking for someone. He took something that doesnt belong to him. Im going to get it back.
No. You wont. Bored now. Get em boys. Earn your bones.
The first guy walks towards me smacking a baseball bat in his free hand. Hes scrawny, dirty, and young, and probably isnt even old enough to shave. His eyes are old, though.
They grow up fast in Kings Row.
I dont have my powers, but theres nothing wrong with my reflexes. Before he gets in range to play Whackamole I grab the garbage can lid and smash it into his face. I follow that up with a punch from my metal fist and as he goes down I grab the baseball bat from his stunned hands.
Hero! the Bone Daddy curses.
Not anymore, I mutter.
Bat-boy is down for the count. One of the others is toting a sledgehammer. The third has a hatchet. The last one has a pistol.
They look at me. Theyre more cautious now, but theyve got numbers on their side and they think that means something.
I grin at them as I feel the old familiar rush of adrenalin. It had been weeks since I had felt alive; only my near-death at the hands of the Circle of Thorns had been enough to wake me up. Im not the man I was, but in this moment I can pretend.
If not for the Bone Daddy, I might actually win this thing.
I charge the kid with the pistol. His first shot goes wild; I know from experience how hard it can be to hit a moving target, especially one thats coming at you with mayhem in his eyes. I knock the pistol out of his hand with the baseball bat and shove him into the arms of the guy with the hatchet.
Out of the corner of my eye I see the guy with the sledge winding up to hit me and manage to catch it with my steel hand. Momentums on my side and I use it to wrench the sledge out of his hands. I follow that through with the baseball bat to his chin, knocking him flat on his butt.
I throw the hammer at the Bone Daddy, but its a horrible toss and he dodges it easily.
Not bad. You got some moves on you. Must be an ex-Hero or something. Im impressed. He began to fade into the shadows. Im going to have a lot more fun than I thought I would.
I grip the bat. Maybe. Maybe not.
Something small and hot flashes across the edge of my vision and collides with the gathering shadow of the Bone Daddy. Two more blurs quickly follow it and smack into the Bone Daddy.
He doesnt even have time to scream before he goes down.
Fire imps.
Fire imps with a greenish glow about them.
I drop the baseball bat in relief. Moon! Moon Heat. Where are you?
Right here, Blue.
And hes there in a blur of speed. A well dressed man in a suit
with blue skin.
Youre a sight for sore eyes, Moon.
Same here, Blue. Havent seen you in ages. Whats going on?
Im looking for someone.
You should be more careful. If I hadnt been in the neighborhood
Yeah. I know. I hate the reminder. It hadnt been that long ago when I could have taken every Skull in Kings Row on at the same time and not even worked up a sweat. Those days are gone; the sooner I accept that the better off Ill be.
But its not easy. Itll never be easy.
You need a hand?
No thanks. This is something I have to do myself.
All right.
His imps come up to me and pat my legs, singing the pants Im wearing.
Wed always gotten along, his imps and I. Perhaps it was the connection of fire that we shared. Without thinking about, I reach down and scratch their heads. Hey, guys. I missed you too.
Blue
Yeah? One of the imps raises his chin and I obligingly scratch there.
You think your power is gone.
My arms gone. Thats where my power was.
I dont think so.
Its gone, Moon. I cant feel it. Back in the hospital, they ran tests. I reached for it time and again, and it wasnt there. I lost it.
Then how are you able to touch my imps without burning?
I looked up at him in surprise.
The powers still there, Blue. Im a Fire Controller. I can feel it in you. Its
different. Not the same as it used to be, but its there. Youve changed. Its changed. You just have to find a way to call it back out.
Someone stole my power, Moon. Theyre using it to kill. To destroy. Im going to stop them, Moon.
Yes, I think you will. Moon smiles that same reckless grin he gets right before he jumps in to tackle an AV like Black Swan singlehanded. And when you do
I looked at him.
When you do, youll have to take your power back. He spread his arms and I felt the warm green glow of his power accelerating my metabolism. Be safe, Blue. Call if you need me.
I will, Moon. Thanks.
He snaps his fingers and his imps jump to his side. Cmon, boys. Its time we Ride!
And with that, he speeds off into the night.
My COX Fanfiction:
Blue's Assembled Story Links
Traveling in the sewers isnt easy when youre not a Hero. It seems like you cant go half a block without stumbling into a COT, Vahz, or Lost. It gives you a lot of respect for the guys and girls who keep the pipes running.
Strangely enough, this particular network appears to be deserted or abandoned. Given what used to happen here, Im not terribly surprised. Though the Lost arent exactly human anymore, and the COT long ago lost their mortality, there is still such a strong stench of death that only a Vahzilok could long endure here.
Once, long ago, this used to be one of Dr. Vahziloks lairs. The huge equipment that he used to power his devices still sit undisturbednot even the metal-hungry Clockwork have attacked it yet. Bits of bone and blackened chunks of meat litter the metal tables. Discarded cleavers and hatchets lay where they had been left months ago when the filthy work of the good doctor was thwarted by some Hero.
At first glance, it looks as though no one has been here since the end of the Vahzilok Plague. Just like the other two lairs Ive already checked out. As I turn to leave though, I spot something out of the corner of my eye:
A colorful bit of costume.
That could only mean one thing:
A Hero had died here.
It doesnt happen often, thanks to the Medcom Technology, but every so often one of usone of themstill falls. Sometimesvery rarelythe transporter fails. Sometimes a villain manages to block it.
Sometimes, Heroes die.
The piece of costume leads me another piece beside it, and the second leads to a third. The third leads to the fourth
which is still attached to a body.
The body is fresh. Less than two weeks old, Id sayand one of the things that I learned in my career was to estimate how long someone had been dead. A man, his eyes still open wide with horror and fear.
I dont know him, and for that Im thankful.
But Im still angry and saddened by his death.
Whoever he was, whoever he had been, we had belonged to the same fraternity. We had shared a cause. He had been a Hero, and like me, he had paid a price for his calling.
And to be honest, Im not sure which one of us is better off.
The top of his head is sheared off, and his brain
part of his brain is missing. His ID is on his beltblackened and scorched so I cant see his name, but hes classified as a Mutant Mind/Radiation Controller, Level 47.
Not quite a Hero of the City, but close enough.
That explains how Patchwork could have gotten into Orpheus Labs. With that combination, there is no human or electronic security in Paragon that could stop him.
The burns on the corpse tell me that he used my powers to kill the Controller. He used the Controller powers to gain access to Orpheus. Orpheus was a biotech firm. In Paragon City, biotech means only one thing:
Metahuman powers.
Id been afraid of this. Patchwork isnt content with my powers. Hes adding to them. Thats what he wants: not the comparatively weak powers that most Vahzilok get from the bodies of dead Heroes, but rather the full force of a living Heros abilities.
Hes power hunting.
What did he gain from Orpheus? Whats next target? What is he hoping to gain? A Tank? Defender? A Kheldian?
Maybe one of the Surviving Eight?
Patchwork has to be stopped. The longer hes active, the stronger hes going to become. The harder hes going to be to stop.
I cant get a cell phone signal down in the sewers. Im going to have to get out of here. I have to call the cops. The Vindicators. Maybe even the Phalanx.
Uncle Blue.
Theres only one person who calls me Uncle Blueespecially telepathically.
Y? Fascination Y. What is it?
Fascination Y is an old friend. Hes an Empath/Psi Defender. Hes a Hero of the City himself, though he mostly spends his time these days working out of a free clinic. Hes a good kid.
Its Bluette, Uncle Blue. Shes gone.
What do you mean gone?
She came to visit me just a few hours ago to see if I knew where you were. We were attacked by an Eidolon. Uncle Blue, he was wearing
I know, Y. What happened to Bluette?
She tried to fight him. We tried to fight him. But he was too stronghe defeated both of us. He took her, Uncle Blue. He took Bluette. He said that he was going to kill her if you didnt show up to meet him tonight. He said hell kill her if you try to bring anyone else. He said hell kill her if you say anything to anyone else. Uncle Blue, what are we going to do?
He knows the answer before he asks that. We both do. Tell me where Im supposed to go, Y. Tell me where Im supposed to meet him.
My COX Fanfiction:
Blue's Assembled Story Links
Do you remember this place, Blue Battler?
The words seared themselves into my brain the moment I walked through the door. I winced, but I did my best not to show it. It looks vaguely familiar, but Ive been in a lot of abandoned offices over the years.
So many battles
so many victories. Rest assured, this will not be one of them.
Im here. So why dont you let Bluette go? This is between us.
I have waited a long time for this night, Blue Battler. I will not be rushed. You have no idea of the price I paidthe humiliation, the pain--- all just to have a moment when I could have you at my mercy.
So Im taking it that means weve met before.
Oh yes. I am but one of the many foes you vanquished in your career, Blue Battler. You cost me everythingmy pride, the respect of my friendsmy power! But now
now I have an even better power. Yours.
His voice was familiar. I had heard it before. But the dictionthe way he used wordsit was different now. More refined. Sounds to me like you picked up an education along the way, Patchwork.
So you know who I am, Blue Battler?
Im working on it. The first floor was empty. Kings Row was Skulls Territory, but the graffiti in here belonged to the Hellions. That tickled something in the back of my mind. I had fought a Hellion Boss in Kings Row long ago
I couldnt even fly back then
I was supposed to kill you, Blue Battler. The Infernal Princes Envoy of Shadows came to me in a dream. He promised me the kind of power that most men can only dream of. The world would have been at my feet if I had been able to destroy you
The Envoy of Shadows had been interested in me at the start of my career? I had helped defeat him once. He had known we were going to meet?
Fate and self determination
So what happened then?
Second floor, and no sign of him. Not surprising. Most of the bad guys Ive fought have chosen to be on the final floor of a building, in the very back. Just once Id like to meet someone who started at the front door
You escaped me. The Envoy stripped my powers from meno longer was I the Damned Battalion. I was just a man
but I swore I would get my revenge on you.
You went to Vahzilok, didnt you?
Yes. I swore to serve him. He studied my magic-altered body to aid him in his research. The pain
the pain was worth it. And thanks to my loyalty, the Doctor made me an Eidolon. He educated me in the techniques of his work. And when a Warrior came across your severed arm on the battlefield of Talos after the Second Rikti Invasion, I knew that the time for my revenge had come!
Third floor.
You used my arm. My powers. You used them to kill.
Indeed I did, Blue Battler.
And this time, I could hear him.
He was in the last room of course. Not the tallest Eidolon Id ever seen, but still imposing enough.
And in his right handin my right handwas a blazing sword.
Wheres Bluette?
I could kill you now, Blue Battler. I could strike you down with your own arm, but that would be too easy. No, I worked too longsuffered too muchfor this to be over so quickly. You want to know where Bluette is? Let me show you! Now!
I saw the shimmer out of the corner of my eye and hit the deck seconds before the energy blast almost took my head off.
Blue Battlette appeared in front of me, targeting drone humming ominously. Her gauntlets glowed with residual power form the blast she had just unleashed. Ill save you, Blue!
Bluette! Its me! Its Blue!
She didnt seem to hear me at all. Her weapons powered up and she prepared to unleash another blast at me.
Confused.
He had used Confuse on her. Bluette was going to kill me thinking she was saving me.
I ran towards her, but didnt make it: Bluette tossed a web grenade at me, anchoring me to the ground.
Any last words, Blue Battler? Patchwork asked me, sneering.
Two actually, I told him. PAINSTAKE! NOW!
And thats when my buddy the Tank came crashing through the window.
My COX Fanfiction:
Blue's Assembled Story Links
You tricked me! You were supposed to come alone! Patchwork screamed.
Painstake! Bluettes being mind-controlled! Keep her focused on you!
You got it, Blue! Yo, Bluette! Come to Papa Painstake! He waved his ax tauntingly in front of Bluette, beckoning her to attack him.
Youre trying to hurt Blue! Ill stop you! Bluette flew towards Pain and began peppering him with blasts.
I wasnt worried about Painstake. He was a Hero of the City in his own right; Bluette didnt have the power that it took it to harm him. He could keep her busy all day if necessary.
That left Patchwork to me.
Youre a punk, Patchwork, Battalion
whatever you want to call yourself. I had to keep him mad. Mind control could turn my brain into mush and his radiation powers could fry me even if his stolen fire powers couldnt. I know mind controllers. I worked with the best one theres ever been. I knew that as long as I kept you focused on me you wouldnt be able to sense Pain climbing the building. No matter how much power you get, youre never going to be anything but a small time hood.
Shut up!
Suddenly, I slammed into the ceiling and came crashing back down.
Ill kill you! You hear me, Blue Battler? Im going to kill you!
Its going to take more than that, Patchwork, It hurts. It feels like one of my ribs may have broken, but I can feel it sliding back into place. I grabbed a piece of ceiling tile and threw it at his eyes.
Patchwork cursed and ducked, but my aim was still as good as everthe tile hit him square in the eyes. Howling in rage, he began ferociously rubbing his eyes.
I rose to my feet. Pain! Get Bluette out of here! Fascination Ys waiting outside! He can cure her Confusion.
Ya need my help, Blue! You cant take him alone!
Do it, Pain!
If ya get yourself killed Im never gonna let you live it down! Pain grumbled as he lured Bluette out of the window he had shattered.
Your friend is right, Blue Battler! Patchwork growled, Youre no match for me!
I hadnt been standing still while I was talking to Pain. I had dived for cover. Yeah, yeah. Like I never heard that before.
Where are you, coward! Youre not a Hero anymore, Blue Battler! Youre less than nothing to me now! I will kill you and then I will go on to kill all your friends! I write my future in the blood of your family, Blue Battler!
I laughed. You really think that youre going to lure me out with that kind of talk, Patchwork? Ive fought gods and demons! You may get lucky and kill me, but youre never going to make me afraid of you. Youre just a pathetic little man.
Shut up! Shut up!
He began generating a healing aura to provide more light for him to see by.
Idiot. All that did was make him a bigger target.
I threw a coffee mug at him.
It slammed into his forehead, and he staggered.
I tackled him to the floor and began slamming my metal fist into his masked face.
Once. Twice. Three times.
Enough!
Suddenly, I was hitting the ceiling again. When I came back down again, my head exploded in agony.
I grow weary of you, Blue Battler. You have been an interesting diversion, but I have grown beyond you. I have so much more to do with my time.
He was tearing at my mind with his powers. Now I am going to kill you, Blue Battler. I am going to kill you while you stand by helplessly, unable to do a thing. Do you know what I took from Project Orpheus? Another power. This one will allow me to steal your life with the touch of my hand. I will drain you dry, Blue Battler. Everything you wereit will all be gone. Consumed. Devoured. By me.
He raised his left hand, and it seemed to pulse with darkness.
He grabbed my throat. This is how it ends, Blue Battler. Not with a bang, but a whimper.
I was suddenly cold. Colder than I had ever been. A cold that seemed to creeper ever deeper into my chest
No, I whispered. I dont think so.
I grabbed his throat with my metallic right hand and began to squeeze.
Patchwork began gasping for breath.
I was growing weaker with every passing second, but my prosthetic was not powered by human muscle. All I had to do was just think about it, and it would do what I asked
and I was asking it to strangle the life out of my attacker.
No! A blazing sword appeared in his right hand. My right hand. Frantically, he hit my artificial arm with it.
As the fire from my real arm touched its replacement, I suddenly felt a familiar warmth kindle itself deep inside me, driving away the cold and darkness that Patchwork had unleashed on me.
I threw him away from me.
Youve got something that doesnt belong to you, Patchwork. Its time for me to take it back.
This isnt possible! Stay away from me! Stay away!
He shouldnt have been afraid. He was the one with all the powermy power. He should have been able to destroy me with a single thought.
But he was afraid. I could smell on it.
And he had a right to be.
I raised my artificial arm.
My stolen arm on Patchwork rose up in response, the fiery scimitar blazing in the blue armored fist.
What are you doing? Stop it! Stop it!
Im taking back the fire, Patchwork. Its mine. Its always been mine. You only had it because I let you have it. Im not doing that anymore. Im taking it back now!
No! Dont!
The fiery blade began to lose its shape, becoming less of a blade than a living flame. It curled itself around the fist, down the arm
and began to flare brighter, grow hotter.
Please! Dont do this! Patchwork begged.
But I couldnt stop. Even if I had wanted to, I couldnt stop it now.
The fire flared so bright that it hurt my eyes.
Patchwork screamed like a lost soul.
And when the light died, the blue armored arm that had used to be mine was gone
burnt to ashes that retained their shape for just a moment before they drifted down to the floor of the old office building.
Patchwork fell to his knees, sobbing, clutching his shoulder.
I took a deep breath. Come on, Blue.
I could feel it inside me, the warmth
the power
the FIRE.
I raised my metal fist again.
No, Patchwork whispered. Its not fair. Its not fair
youre supposed to be the weak one now.
Not any longer, Patchwork. Not any longer.
And the fiery scimitar burst forth from my metal fist.
Im back. I raised the sword above my head. The Blue Battler lives again!
My COX Fanfiction:
Blue's Assembled Story Links
*cue John Williams music*
I was thinking more along the lines of "The Touch" myself. ;-)
My COX Fanfiction:
Blue's Assembled Story Links
"You've got the POW-AAAAAAAAAHH!!!"
There is an art, or, rather, a knack to flying. The knack lies in learning how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. --The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
So thats how you got your groove back?
Thats how I got my groove back.
Were in my private office, just the two of us. Blues turned down the drink I offered him and began telling me what had happened to him since I had seen him last. So youve got your fire powers back, and youre developed an acute case of self-regeneration. Not bad.
I try not to sound jealous. Sometimes I dream about getting back into the game, making a new suit, and becoming a Hero again. I wake up wanting it so bad that I can taste it.
But then an internal servomotor slips as I try to get out of the bed and I realize that time is never coming back for me. I had a good long run, but its over now. Im not Horatio anymore; Im Rick Davies and thats something I just have to live with.
What happened to Patchwork?
What do you mean? He looks uncomfortable suddenly.
He wasnt picked up by the police. DATAs always called in when a new super powered criminal is captured to make sure that he doesnt require any specialized restraints. I havent heard a thing about him.
Blue nods. I didnt turn him over to the cops. You remember when I went to Doctor Vahzilok for help? He wanted a favor
You GAVE him Patchwork?
He was quite interested in finding out how Patchwork had developed his abilities. I agreed to turn Patchwork over to him if the good doctor gave me a line on how to find him. He did his part; I had to do mine.
Blue---
I made a deal, Rick. He smiles suddenly. But Im not an idiot. I told Grey and the Dark Watcher about it when I turned him over to Vahzilok. Theyll keep an eye on both of them. And if Vahzilok decides to vivisect Patchwork
He shrugs.
Thats a bit harsh for you, Blue.
Its a hard world, Rick. He butchered that mind controller. He used my powers to kill. He deserves whatever he gets.
Im not happy with that. Vanguard isnt much better than Vahzilok himself in my opinion. Anyone whos willing to use "whatever means necessary tends to be someone you cant trust in the long run. But I let that pass for now. So youre going to apply for your ID back?
Not exactly.
I look at him in surprise.
I earned my Hero of the City status as an AR/Fire Blaster, Rick. Thats not what I am now. I still dont have my armor. I still dont have my gun. Moon Heat was right; the powers changed. I have it back, but its not what it was. Its changed, and so have I. He pulls out an application and tosses it on my desk along with a notepad. I have to start at the beginning.
I glance at the application. Ill get it processed right away. I look at the notepad. Bluette did that for you, didnt she?
Most of it, yeah. I had the ideas, but shes the one who helped me with the actual design. He looks at me hopefully. Im hoping that youll help me build it.
Im touched. Id be glad to. Well get started right away. Blue Battler will be back on the streets before you know it.
And thats the other thing. Im not going to call myself Blue Battler anymore
My COX Fanfiction:
Blue's Assembled Story Links
There are days when I hate this job.
There are so many better ways I can be spending my time. I could be supervising Longbow. I could be training with the Vindicators. I could be honing my own abilities and skills.
Instead
instead Im here making like a glorified doll as I greet every new hero, telling him how hell do great things and needs to Bring those thugs to justice.
It was a lot cuter to say the first ten thousand times I said it.
Now, Ive been smiling so long that I cant feel my jaws, and I badly need to switch on the hard light holograph so I can take a quick potty break, but I cant seem to reach the switch before some new hero comes running up asking to be trained.
I shut my eyes as I try to stifle a yawn.
Hello, Ms. Liberty.
And heres another one
I open my eyes and my drops almost down to my pedestal. Blue Battler?!
Not anymore. He takes off the helmet, and the light is back in his eyes. Hes whole, and hes smiling and Im smiling back at him like an idiot because the happiness on his face is contagious. Blue Battler 2.0, Level 2 Fire/Regen Scrapper at your service. He chuckled. At least I will be after you train me.
I guess this means you wont be joining Longbow.
Nope. Sorry, Ms. L, but this is what I was born to do.
You are going to tell me how this happened, arent you?
Ive love to. How about we talk about it over dinner?
Is he asking me out? Im blushing. I cant remember the last time I blushed. I want to say yes, but
I dont really think I can right now, Blue.
He looks at me quizzically.
Talk to me after youre a Hero of the City again. I dont really think itd be proper right now.
He shrugs and puts his helmet back on. Well, dont go anywhere then. This shouldnt take too long.
You know where to find me. Im flirting! If Mynx saw me now shed never let me hear the end of it
And Blue?
Yeah?
Go out there and bring those thugs to justice!
He laughs and raises a blazing sword of fire in salute. Battle on!
And he runs off into the City of Heroes.
My COX Fanfiction:
Blue's Assembled Story Links
The smell.
You never forget the smell of a Vahzilok lair.
Its the stench of rotting, decayed meat. Its the unmistakable odor of dried blood. Its the whiff of old fear and human sweat.
This is what death smells like.
The Watcher isnt with me when I materialize. Im on my own. Fleetingly, I wonder if this is how the Vanguard is going to keep me quietlet the good doctor finish what he had started so long ago
Suddenly, my right hand feels hot in the way it used to right before I called forth a flaming sword to defend myself.
A neat trick, you must admit, considering the fact that my right hand was now nothing more than a piece of cold steel.
Its not a sewer. Its not what my mother would have called a laboratory either. At one point, it might have been a basement perhaps a garagebut now now its a Charnel House.
A hulking figure shambles out of the dim light towards me. It raises a massive hand and gestures at me. Command: Me: Follow.
Its or at least it had been a Rikti.
The thing is naked so I can see the crude stitched that join together a human hand to a Rikti wrist. I can see the unsightly budges where cybernetics have been implanted in a torso that belonged to a Rikti much smaller than the one that the head had formerly belonged to. The skull is broken open and I can see the blinking lights of the computer that regulates the dead brain, giving it a semblance of life and motion.
I have no love for the Rikti. They cost me my armand the life I had made for myself. Because of a Rikti blade, I had lost my arm and my powerbut this
This is an abomination.
Command: Me: Follow. Ask Again: I will not.
But I need it, so I follow the thing deeper into Vahziloks lair.
Half-assembled Rikti monkeys weakly try to break free of barbed wire straps. Moaning Riktiones that I hope are already deadlay on bloody tables, awaiting the knife of the good doctor. Hacksaws and power drills lie on a tray next to top of the art surgical instruments.
Human and Lost Cadavers shuffle back and forth with ambulatory Rikti zombies. None of the alien zombies are wholly Riktithey each have at least one or two pieces of human flesh attached to them.
A lack of materials or a flaw in your work, doctor? I say it loud enough that Vahzilok should hear me regardless of where he is in the lab.
Im afraid that I am still working out the finer points of Rikti anatomy. You can go now, Igor.
The Rikti zombie shuffles away and I can see the man stepping out of the shadows behind it.
Im expecting to see him in his meatsuit, but for a change Vahzilok is just an average-sized man in a doctors scrubs scrubs that may have started out as white, but now are considerably less so. He stinks, of coursepersonal hygiene has never been his strong suit. Doctor Vahzilok. We meet again.
Mr. Wagner. Ive been expecting you.
You have?
The Lady Grey was kind enough to let me know that you were looking for me. He looks at my metallic arm. I dont imagine youre here to trade up, are you?
Not exactly. I gesture at his half-finished zombies. I see that youve branched out.
Yes. The Rikti are a fascinating variant of the human race. They have highly developed minds and tend to be physically far more powerful than the average human beingbut they are not built for the kind of sustained combat of a prolonged war. They are literally burning themselves out.
His tone of voice is animated, enthusiastic and Im horrified to admit how much it reminds me of Mom when shed talk about her work. It sickens me to recognize something of her in him, but I cant deny that this madman is a genius. A depraved, insane genius, but nevertheless an incredible scientist. Somehow I doubt that the welfare of the Rikti is on your mind.
Oh, no. The Vanguard hopes that I can assemble a force of Rikti Vahzilok that can fight for them. Lady Grey believes that the horror of fighting their own dead will weaken their will to fight. He smiled thinly. And failing that, she believes I may be able to develop a virus or pathogen that will destroy the Rikti without posing a threat to the human race.
You should try chicken pox, I mutter, wondering how the Rikti fraction that has made tentative efforts to negotiate a peace treaty with humanity would feel about the good doctors work. But Im not here to talk to you about this, doctor.
Indeed, why are you here? As you may guess, I dont have many willing visitors.
Im looking for another piece of your handiwork. The one who has my arm.
Oh, and what makes you think I know anything about that?
The PPD havent found all of your lairs. Im guessing that Patchwork is staying in one of your labs and using your equipment.
That is a possibility. And why should I tell you anything?
That had always been the flaw in my little plan, I have to admit. If I had still been a Hero, I could have simply beaten or threatened the answer out of him. Now now I was just a man. So what did I have to offer a madman like this?
It was a good question.
Fortunately, I had an answer.
Lets make a deal, doctor
My COX Fanfiction:
Blue's Assembled Story Links