That's a lovely piece, Riff. The fine line between intent and execution... what makes us heroes on one side, and vigilantes on the other.
Great stuff.
somone got a nice grade in English. That's really good, well done! Well done for not centring it around just the leaders. Not sure you wrote us characters quite write ( i know Pink would never say 'alinate' and even mention the Freedom Phalanx) but yeah, it's really good. You should write a continuing thing - like episodes from a TV show.... tee hee
And no! i did not copy and paste what i said on the ST forums! dnt even suggest such a thing
That is AWESOME!!!!!
More please 
A Fishy Tale: Arc ID: 334602
Co-Leader of the CREE
http://boards.cityofheroes.com/showthread.php?t=254005 when I can be bothered.
you have to write more now you have fans and everything
wow thanks to those of you who voted for me. I'm touched to win the Creative Genius award
Thelonious Monk
Gratz on swinging home the award - good work
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Gratz on swinging home the award - good work
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Thanks... really chuffed and surprised
Thelonious Monk
woo hoo
that is a great piece of writing!!
Very nicely written and worthy of a followup
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Very nicely written and worthy of a followup
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thanks for the kind comments. I've got a few other pieces here but I tend not to write chronologically, but they do feature the same characters, so I hope you enjoy them too
Thelonious Monk
Bravo, nice story, I really want to see what happened next.
What Scarlet did to those Council the next time they met.
You got a gift mate, abuse it. No-one else can.
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Bravo, nice story, I really want to see what happened next.
What Scarlet did to those Council the next time they met.
You got a gift mate, abuse it. No-one else can.
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LoL thanks a lot. I've got another story coming soon
Thelonious Monk
Get in here now and get the whole team together!
Fen Tiger started in his seat, and hit the communicator on the pad in front of him, with a mental Oh [censored], its started! His voice was calm however when he simply said Shock Tactics assemble.
Alexia Flame stood up and looked at the speaker, the unmistakeable, giant form of the Shock Tactics leader and founder, Scarlet Shocker, and offered her a seat. Scarlet looked uncharacteristically dishevelled, hair unkempt, and her makeup smeared. Eye liner had run down her cheeks, leaving black smudges. Electric sparks darted around her eyes and hands erratically, a clear sign of her agitation.
Wheres D? Scarlet asked.
Tlara came close. Hes on his way Scarlet she said softly. Hell be here ASAP.
What about Corona?
Weve got a signal out for her. Tlara gave a nod to Gravikoi, who scooted to the Control room and began to hammer our on the mainframe keyboard. X-Jen, who had hidden in the room the moment Scarlet appeared leaned in close to Gravi. What are you doing?
Ive pointed a laser at the sun. said Gravi, sotto voce. Now we wait.
Wait for what?
Corona.
Scarlet lit a cigarette and poured an extremely generous slug of gin with not very much tonic. Fen and Tlara both exchanged glances sharing concern. Neither of them had ever seen their leader, their friend, like this; grief stricken and out of control. But then, nobody had ever had to deal with this kind of situation the death of one of their leaders, one of their best friends and most respected members, Great Wulf. His sudden, unexpected death had ripped through them, a tornado on amphetamines, that just shredded their world and turned their beliefs on its head. If Great Wulf could die, then they were all vulnerable.
The coms centre beeped. Tlara pounced on it, grateful for the chance to do something, escaping the oppressive brooding silence emanating from Scarlet. She spoke quietly into the mic, then closed the call. Lord Stone, she announced. Hes not gonna make it. Hes out of Paragon but he promises hell get back as soon as he can.
Scarlet nodded, her face dull, and slumped in a chair. Shed never been one to express her feelings but had always been the engine behind the brotherhood that had become Shock Tactics. She drove it with a quiet dynamism that had made it the success it was. But now it was as though the life had been sucked out of her and she was just a shell, ticking over, drifting. She stubbed a cigarette out, half smoked. It wasnt long ago she had begun to quit.
Guest arriving at portal the automated receptionist announced, and a short woman, in an oversized top hat walked into the meeting room. Scarlets head snapped around and her face became angry. Sparks fizzed from her eyes and lips. What are you doing here Ikle? Come to gloat?
Scarlet!!!!! snapped Tlara. Thats uncalled for. Ikle, come in please. Tlara went over to Ikle Flame and gave her a hug. Im sorry Ikle, its just difficult for all of us.
I know T, Ikle nodded in response. He was my friend too. She sat down, pointedly away from the giant woman.
Im sorry Ikle, that was uncalled for. Youre welcome of course. Scarlet was genuinely apologetic. I guess Im sorry. She swallowed, hard, her grief threatening to overwhelm. Im not dealing with this very well.
The Portal siren beeped and a man strode in, purposefully, dressed in red and black, trailing a wake of flames. Taller than average he was still dwarfed by Scarlet under other circumstances, their hug might have looked comical. He was the other leader of the team, D. Structor. He strode to the table and took his customary place at Scarlets right, and looked around. It was rare to see so many in the group together at one time. Under other circumstances it would have been worthy of celebrating. Adonis, Godsangel, Pink Glide, Bull, Lorne, Blizzara, Gravtorn and Fellina, amongst others.
Coronas face appeared in the main control screen. Scarlet, Im here. Her voice was hollow and distant, streamed across space.
Scarlet nodded. So we all know why we are here then. Weve lost one of our nearest and dearest. One of the best of us. Her voice was slightly slurred, but a moment of concentration and suddenly she erupted in an electrical explosion, purging her cells of the intoxicating liquor. We all know we are taking risks daily but the way this happened She paused and collected her thoughts, standing, sparks dripping from her, betraying her emotions. This was pre-meditated. They they intended this to happen. Once we rescued Wulf from them they had to kill him. The planned this. The Council set out to deliberately take him from us. This is more than just a casualty of war. This is them saying to us, to Shock Tactics, that they have us. That they can do what they want and we cant stop them.
But we know different, and we are going to demonstrate that clearly, and precisely. Not just to the Council, but to everyone in Paragon and beyond. We are going to send a message to anyone who listens, and even to those who dont and say If you take Shock Tactics on, then you are going down, and we will make you hurt!
Tlara and D. Structor exchanged glances. This wasnt what they had expected. This didnt bode well.
Scarlet continued, So tomorrow we assemble two teams, Alpha and Beta, and we go to Striga Isle and Steel Canyon respectively. We root out the Council wherever they are and we take them down. We wipe them off of the face of Paragon and we keep doing it until they are extinct! Ill be leading Team Alpha, D. Structor will be lead the second. We start tomorrow and
Scarlet, you cant do this. Coronas voice, even muffled by her flames and the comms system, was emphatic. This isnt sustainable.
Were going to do it Corona, insisted Scarlet, sparks jabbing the atmosphere from her hair and fingers. We arent going to sit back and take this.
D. Structor stood and placed his hand on Scarlets forearm, trying not to wince at the jolt of static that shot up his wrist. Scarlet, please, listen to Corona.
Pink Glide shot up from her chair. She hovered there above the table, her hands animated, but she articulated what the others in the room were thinking. If we go after the Council, we will alienate everyone and everything. We will be out there on our own. Everyone from Freedom Phalanx down will look at us and say we are not heroes any more but thugs conducting a vendetta for our own purposes. Well be on the same plane as the Hellions or Skulls, thugs who get in the way, who are there to be bashed and arrested on the way to a mission. Well be nothing. Hell, we might as well pack up and move into the Rogue Isles now!
There was a murmur of assent from around the table. Scarlet stood, leaning on the table, her mouth open, nonplussed as the reality sank in. Pink had hit the nail on the head. She slumped back in her chair. So what do we do? Let them get away with it?
Tlara cleared her throat. We do what weve always done. We do it better. We do it smarter. We are where we are because we are respected. If you like this thing with the Council is recognition that we are winning the fight. We are heroes and people know our name. Shock Tactics is a name that we have built with hard work, guts, and yes, blood. So when we go out there tomorrow, the Council and all the other villains, will know that even losing our best, our dearest, wont make us give up. That we are here to stay, and that we wont be beaten, and that no matter who tries to take us on, we will triumph.
Gravikoi raised a tentative hand. Tlara is right Scarlet. And think of this would Great Wulf want you to do that? I think hes with us still, but he wants Shock Tactics to move on and get better. Not to be consumed by revenge. I think, well I think his Spirit will be watching us still. So lets make him proud of us.
The approval was not muted this time as it echoed around the room. Scarlet smiled for the first time in days. Youre right people. Great Wulf would be proud of you. Maybe he is already. But youre spot on. He was always honourable and proud but never haughty. So lets do this. We get out there and root out all evil wherever its found. Lets kick those villainous butts from here until kingdom come but lets do it right! The way it should be done! And if we do encounter the Council again then we can send that message, up close and personal. She grinned suddenly. They wont be expecting that. Itll scare the wotsit out of them!
Thelonious Monk