Pax almost laughed at the girl's suspicion, then went over what the man and his friends had been through - and she'd bet she didn't even know half of it - and decided she was probably right to be suspicious "No particular reason", she replied. "Just wondering if it was the same guy. And yeah, I have. Time travellers tend to keep an eye on one another, so we know who to blame if we wake up one morning to find the universe has imploded. Though I'm still not entirely sure Professor Winthrop counts as one."
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"Well, we're going to find out." the Tornado stated confidently, but then gave a curious glance to her hands by the mechanoid's neck when her torch suddenly ceased. Raising the instrument to her eyes, she remarked with a huff, "Hmph. Power cell's out. What's the code for the local station here?"
"Sarah, we keep telling you," Kia almost rolled her eyes with a smile, sliding over the armrest of 'her' sofa, "humans have a different power system. That applies to here too."
"Oh." the Tornado's expression became sheepish, her long ears drooping a bit, "Right. Why do I keep forgetting that?"
Of course, the situation wasn't in any way serious. Even if no one had any suggestions on charging the torch back up, Sarah had gotten the welds complete enough for nominal operation. She's just wanted to touch up on the last few bits...
((Hey Cham, if Eileen thinks that's vicious; SPOILER WARNING: Nemesis Warhulks have enslaved people inside them, some of them former heroes. 
))
((Also got some pics. Thanks to Don for Sarah Jovi, Kia Gray, and Johnny Greenwood. 
))
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
((Er, no, that's the Malta Titans; the Nemesis Warhulks are ex-Nemesis troops that have 'taken it to the next level'. You run into one guy in a Nemesis Arc that you whomp, and then he turns up a few missions later as a Warhulk, saying that Lord Nemesis allowed him that power to get revenge.
While there might be enslaved Warhulks, I haven't run across them :/))
"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"
((You need to run the Numina TF then. ))
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
Sam had watched the whole scene quietly. After a few minutes after the welding began, he pulled Akemi aside. "Hey, if your having trouble with Nemesis, I suggest you take him more seriously. He might be insane or a genius the likes we have never known. And if this Professor Winthrop is a target, you should try to help him out, however you can. Specially, if he's an inventor." he said in a hush manner. He wasn't trying to scare the younger girl, or anything. He had his own run ins with the Prussian Prince..
Self-Proclaimed Number one Fanboi of the RP Forums and it's writers.
Me: How about "Zeus, The Pimp God"?
A friend: It'd be too hard to dress him up like a bull
(( So... waiting on Khell? Again? ))
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((Yes and no. Yes as in Sarah's fixing the mechanoid, no as in we can continue conversation while she does.))
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
(( Ok. Think I'm waiting for Kyo then. ))
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Akemi shook her head slowly at Sam's words. "No, see, it's not your Nemesis...it's a long and confusing story and I'm still not sure I get the whole thing, but this guy called the Clockwork Nemesis wants Professor Winthrop's lap destroyed and presumably wants the Professor dead. Too bad for him that the Professor's lab is in the Defenders of Time base and he never goes out without his sidekick. They'll be alright-they've taken him down, what, twice now?" She grinned. "Besides, they've got more powerful friends than me."
City of Heroes taught me that when the world is burning, you don't just stand by and watch, you grab a fire extinguisher and do whatever you can to stop it-even if it's not much at all. Sign the petition to keep City of Heroes alive HERE.
@MissKyo, Leader of the Teamsters coalition on Protector
"So there's multiple people calling themselves Nemesis then?" Johnny wanted to know, having taken a seat on the nearest edge of a sofa's backrest for now, "That's kind of messed up...by the way, do you guys get paid for bringing these guys in, like bounty hunters, or cops? Or do you do something else for a living...?"
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
"Easier to make fake names and personnas if needed. We generally know Nemesis is our lord. Nemesis is eternal. Nemesis watches all. Multiple dimensions, but only our Nemesis is the true one," recited the automaton all at once before blinking and crossing its eyes as though to look at itself. "...oh bugger. You didn't happen to cross any wires while you were up there, did you?"
Other than its face, the machine didn't seem to be moving any other limbs. Whether it was simply unable too or decided not too was unknown.
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.
"Not unless I suddenly forgot how to put a revolute joint back together." Sarah smiled much-sayingly, "If I know one thing, it's machines. Besides, your design isn't that different form a 2nd-generation Stolis-double-E. Little less efficient, but this Nemesis guy does decent work."
Tapping the mechanoid upon its head at the dent from a certain baseball bat, she added to that, "My guess is you can thank your close encounter of the wooden kind. What was the point in provoking that anyway? You seem smarter than that."
"Yeah." Kia agreed, now lying with her arms crossed under her jaw on the sofa's armrest, "You sure don't sound like you're just following programming..."
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
"Multiple dimension Nemisises...Nemeses? Nemesises? I don't know. Anyhow, the one from here is Nemesis, and the one from the Professor's original home dimension is the Clockwork Nemesis, as far as I can tell. It's an extremely confusing story." She walked over to the automaton and stood looking down at it. "So, are you, like, an A.I. or something? I agree with Kia...you don't sound like you're following programming."
City of Heroes taught me that when the world is burning, you don't just stand by and watch, you grab a fire extinguisher and do whatever you can to stop it-even if it's not much at all. Sign the petition to keep City of Heroes alive HERE.
@MissKyo, Leader of the Teamsters coalition on Protector
"Well, they are meant to blend in as normal humans until something triggers their programming", Pax commented. "One would think they'd need some semblance of intelligence to do that."
"Also, Clockwork Nemesis? So what, that dimension doesn't have a Clockwork King and a Nemesis as seperate entities, but has them both in the one guy? Man, that's gotta suck." Idly, she wondered if they guy had the King's psychic powers and Nemesis's army of automatons at the same time.
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Johnny's expression took on a bit of a sad look as everyone just ignored his question. He sighed. Being in a world of giants was indeed not easy. Sure, the ones he lived with didn't do this sort of thing - but then, they were used to him by now. He probably shouldn't have expected as much of those here.
Kia, however, did take note, the mountain dragon sitting up straight again moving a shoulder to just beside the little green dragon, and addressed the round, "So, uh...Johnny'd like to know how you guys make a living. Does someone pay you to bring in criminals like this Clockwork guy? Because back home, Protector sure doesn't work for the police. They're not even sure he really exists."
Sarah couldn't help but give a stealthy smirk. It was true. Of course, it wasn't like he needed to earn a living in the first place. After all, officially he was dead...and technically, he kind of was too. She remembered well the day a couple of reporters had dug up Babe's grave trying to prove that he and Protector were one and the same - only to be foiled by actually finding his bones...
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
Akemi considered the question, stowing her sais away in her knapsack again. "Some heroes get paid to bring in criminals," she finally answered, "and sometimes civilians give them money for helping them, too. There's a bounty system in place in a few areas, too, I know. Then again," she added, turning to look at Johnny, "some heroes don't take any money at all. They live in their supergroup bases and work a second job instead. To me, it seems like, if you're paying someone to save your life, if they're not doing it out of the goodness of their heart and a wanting to help, then they're not a hero, you know? But everyone has to eat." Fastening the bag closed again, she slung it over her shoulder and perched on the arm of a couch where she was able to observe the Nemesis automaton. "Not to mention, some of the people I've met, they've seen horrible things...they need a little extra, for therapy in whatever form they take it in."
City of Heroes taught me that when the world is burning, you don't just stand by and watch, you grab a fire extinguisher and do whatever you can to stop it-even if it's not much at all. Sign the petition to keep City of Heroes alive HERE.
@MissKyo, Leader of the Teamsters coalition on Protector
Eileen Troy sat back on the sofa, sipping her water with one hand and rolling the screwdriver back and forth with the other, a sharp, wary eye on the automaton. She hadn't gotten her formidable reputation through passivity, after all. If it claimed supervillainy, she stood ready to test it with kick, mace dispenser, bear spray, taser, and just about any heavy object ready at hand.
She glanced down at Johnny when he sighed, and shook her head slightly.
"You need to relax, hon. We heard your question, but the fact remains that there really is no simple answer, so it might take us a moment to get our thoughts together. A lot of our local hero types... well, my brother works directly for S.E.R.A.P.H., albeit on a freelance basis. Ah, S.E.R.A.P.H. is a government division dealing with Science-based supers; part of the Federal Bureau for Super-powered Affairs. My boy, given that he's still just fourteen years old, lives at home, so the whole thing is moot. Aside from what Akemi said, others that I know of are independently wealthy, or their super-ness means that they don't need sleep or food, or their abilities came with their own pocket dimension or some such."
She shrugged. "Really, there are as many answers as there are heroes. Although working a non-hero job has become more common as of late." she added, looking thoughtful.
Then her gaze fell on the automaton. "So, if you things can think, what do you think of when your programming isn't compelling you to shout silly things and wave about guns that look like they belong to a marching band? Do you dream of steampunk sheep?"
"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"
((LOL @ steampunk sheep...))
City of Heroes taught me that when the world is burning, you don't just stand by and watch, you grab a fire extinguisher and do whatever you can to stop it-even if it's not much at all. Sign the petition to keep City of Heroes alive HERE.
@MissKyo, Leader of the Teamsters coalition on Protector
Pax chuckled a little at the question of how heroes made their livings. "Let's just say there was a tiny smidge more valuable minerals and such on a certain planet a long way from here that none of you have ever or likely will ever hear of, before I messed with it", she said not so simply. Apparently she wasn't quite above abusing power for material gain.
[ QUOTE ]
Do you dream of steampunk sheep?
[/ QUOTE ]
"I went to an alternate timeline once where such things actually existed", Pax mused more to herself than to the others. "Not very useful for anything but I'd be lying if I said they weren't hilarious to see."
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Sam shook his head at Akemi "Well, it does seem strange that someone named Nemesis is looking for somone that is an inventor. However, you know the story better than us, apparently." The former teacher regarded the machine. His bat was still held firmly held in his hands.
Self-Proclaimed Number one Fanboi of the RP Forums and it's writers.
Me: How about "Zeus, The Pimp God"?
A friend: It'd be too hard to dress him up like a bull
Kia sat back as well, Akemi's answer seeming to have made her a tad distraught, the mountain dragon's eyes downcast and looking at nothing in particular as she repeated with a soft sigh, "Therapy...yeah..."
The same feeling appeared to have gotten a hold of Sarah, and indeed it had. She looked to the automaton with a wondering glance, but when Pax made her mention the Tornado's attention refocused on her with a wry smile, "Oh? Try me..."
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
[ QUOTE ]
She repeated with a soft sigh, "Therapy...yeah..."
[/ QUOTE ]
"Don't worry about it", Pax looked to her with a grin. "This is very nearly the craziest place that has ever or will ever exist, you'll get used to it if you stay here long enough."
[ QUOTE ]
The Tornado's attention refocused on her with a wry smile, "Oh? Try me..."
[/ QUOTE ]
Pax just gave her a cold stare. "Do you really think I would be stupid enough to take things from a planet that anyone will ever discover? If I did that I'd be changing history, 'cause stuff that should have been won't be there when it's supposed to be discovered. Like I said, I ain't that stupid. Came from some undiscovered and uninhabited rock out in the middle of nowhere where civilisation will never ever reach."
[Admin] Emperor Marcus Cole: STOP!
[Admin] Emperor Marcus Cole: WAIT ONE SECOND!
[Admin] Emperor Marcus Cole: WHAT IS A SEAGULL DOING ON MY THRONE!?!?
[ QUOTE ]
"This is very nearly the craziest place that has ever or will ever exist, you'll get used to it if you stay here long enough."
[/ QUOTE ]
"Hm?" Kia raised her chin again, puzzled at the remark for a moment, until she realized what train of thought Pax had followed. Unfortunately, it was fairly divergent. Before she could explain this, however, the Kheldian's manner became frigid and hostile.
[ QUOTE ]
"Do you really think I would be stupid enough to take things from a planet that anyone will ever discover? If I did that I'd be changing history, 'cause stuff that should have been won't be there when it's supposed to be discovered. Like I said, I ain't that stupid. Came from some undiscovered and uninhabited rock out in the middle of nowhere where civilisation will never ever reach."
[/ QUOTE ]
"Heeey, that was uncalled for." the mountain dragon protested as Sarah's inquisitive smile turned into a cheerless line, the Tornado very taken aback, "She just wanted to know..."
"It's okay." Sarah interrupted her friend with the raise of a few fingers, her brows having taken on a determined slant of opposition, "About time anyway."
She dropped the hand again, then told the Kheldian firmly in response, "I'm not there yet, but considering that 'I know everything' attitude you're throwing around, I'm starting to lean in that general direction, yeah. How can you be that conceited? First you straight-up try to tell me that since you don't know about the island, I'm obviously making stuff up, and now you think you're so smart that you know everything there is to know about a whole planet? FYI, just because you think it's so isolated doesn't mean it is. We thought that about the island too, and then we get two humans in the same month - after hundreds of years of none. So yeah, so much for knowing something."
"Besides, if you're that worried about 'changing history', why didn't you just go there in our present?" she added, already a good bit more mellow again, "Then you wouldn't have had to think about that. Not to mention it's an unproven theory anyway..."
"If I had Force powers, vacuum or not my cape/clothes/hair would always be blowing in the Dramatic Wind." - Tenzhi
Characters
Pax sighed. "A hundred different time periods and I still haven't learned not to offend people. And I didn't...", she paused as she went back over what she'd said. "Hmm, yeah I guess I did. Sorry, I didn't mean to. Poor choice of words. So, where is this island anyway? I'd kinda like to see it, now."
[ QUOTE ]
"Now you think you're so smart that you know everything there is to know about a whole planet?"
[/ QUOTE ]
"Technically it's not even a planet, more of a really big asteroid. And no, I never said I knew everything about it. I said it was never discovered by any intelligent species. And yeah, that one little fact I do know with a fair degree of certainty, since I made damn sure of it before I did anything I might regret later."
[ QUOTE ]
"Besides, if you're that worried about 'changing history', why didn't you just go there in our present?" she added, already a good bit more mellow again, "Then you wouldn't have had to think about that. Not to mention it's an unproven theory anyway..."
[/ QUOTE ]
"History does extend past this present day, you know. For a good long while yet, as far as I've seen. Except in those timelines that were too close to the one the Fugitive came from. They got erased, or so he told me. And before you ask, no I have no reason to doubt his story. Hence why it remains an unproven theory to the general public, a lot of effort from a great number of people goes into ensuring that since the vast majority of people can't be trusted to not abuse it."
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"Yes...why?" Akemi asked suspiciously. For some reason, she had found, people had a tendency to either underestimate Professor Winthrop (and his sidekick) or else threaten them and their friends. She'd learned the hard way that a hero doesn't have many friends who aren't also heroes. "I guess you've heard of him?"