FICTION- Reporting from Paragon City...

Hey Paragonners, its me Alexis Alexander your newest crime reporter for the Paragon Free Press.
Now I know that crime reporting is nothing new around here but, instead of the usual fare of stale, dry facts, gathered from police reports, I've actually decided to give you the news from the "front lines" as it were. I'll be accompanying several of the City's heroes in their never-ending assault on crime and showing you how they're keeping the City safe.
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I begin my day under the iconic statue of Atlas. Normally people come to this site in Atlas Park to catch a glimpse of the well known patron of new heroes, the fabulous, fearsome, Ms. Liberty, but today I'm meeting with some other members of the Hero community.
First to arrive is Honey Rider, an Ebony haired Amazon-Secret Agent-Pistollera. She's agreed to be my "bodyguard" for the day. Now, in the intersts of full disclosure, I must say that I have had some martial arts training and I can take care of myself, but where we're going today, I'll need all the help I can get.
After a few minutes the first of our other two teammates arrive. Although his Nom de Guerre might not seem to be one that would strike fear into the hearts of criminals, Koko the Clown is a highly successful crimefighter. His name and appearance are designed to throw enemies off guard. After all, how many people (even here in Paragon) take the idea of a crimebusting fairy seriously? As I discovered, the confusion caused by this underestimation gives him a huge advantage.
Drifting down from the sky much like a falling leaf or an errant feather is the backbone and final member of our team. Dazzling Starhot is, in the common slang, a "Tank." What that simply means is that (apart from being tall enough and good looking anough to make this reporter highly jealous) she's a physical powerhouse. If the days events turn violent, she will be in the center of it all.
Information leads us to a supposedly empty office complex in Steel Canyon. We're here following a lead on Nemesis activity. It's highly unlikely that you havent heard that name before. The Prussian Prince of crime is an omnipresent shadow, a bogeyman of legendary status. "It's all a Nemesis plot" has become an ominous catchphrase for the citizens of Paragon. It's hard to find someone who doesn't at least believe in the possibility. Keeping that in mind, we approach with caution.
Honey waves me back, indicating that Koko will be the first through the door. I'm not sure of the wisdom of leading with a fairy, until he fades before my eyes that is. His powers affect the mind making him difficult to see. Even knowing where he is, I have trouble. I step back letting my eagerness to get into the action take a backseat to my desire to live long enough to file the story.
A moment later Honey waves me forward. There are no guards on the door and its safe for me to enter. A long stretch of polished hallway stretches out before me. Star mentions that this was probably intended as a research facility. It seems that there are quite a few clandestine labs around the city and, despite the almost constant work of the city's heroes, they rarely stay unoccupied for long. There are signs that this one is back in use. It looks like trouble.
Nemesis soldiers may look like something out of the Nutcracker, but they are anything but Sugar Plum Fairies. Their uniforms and weaponry look archaic but they are extremely effective and deadly. Of particular note are the Automatons they employ. They look like children's toys but (as I almost found out the hard way) they are merciless killing machines. Even more sinister are the rumors of lifelike human automatons. As with everything else about Nemesis. Those could be nothing more than a rumor.
Having Honey as a bodyguard turns out to be a good idea as a squad of Nemesis soldiers appears around the corner ahead of us. Now, like I said, I'm pretty good at martial arts, but the speed at which my companions react leaves me looking like a stunned tortoise. As I'm shuffled back around the corner, Starhot leads the way. Punching, kicking, throwing, - if she has a style its more mixed martial arts than formal training. In any case its highly effective as the first two soldiers go down and the others seem to have trouble getting their bearings.
Looking like nothing so much as a blue-green arc in the air, Koko uses his wings to get into position. Even now, in retrospect, I'm not sure I can describe what he does but the air seems to blur and the soldiers are suddenly...lost. They don't seem to be able to decide on whether to fight each other or just wander off to a nice quiet corner and watch the pretty colors. Starhot presses this advantage and more soldiers are quickly taken out of the fight.
Honey has not been idle this whole time. After making sure that the eager, but functionally helpless, girl reporter was out of harms way, she opened fire on the non-human members of the patrol. Twin pistols moved like magic wands finding joints, seams, points of weakness that cripple the machines and turn then from finely made steampunk to useless junk.
As silence descends, I make sure to check my watch. Subjectively, the fight took several minutes to complete. In reality, it took three experienced heroes only fifteen seconds to turn a 3 to 1 disadvantage into a rout. Koko taps me on the shoulder to get my attention. We need to get moving again. They might not have managed to call for help, but why take chances.
We continue deeper into the facility, occasionally meeting more groups of soldiers. Each group is dispatched with the same efficiency as the first and I even get a hit or two of my own in as dazed soldiers decide that I might be an easier target. It looks so simple in the movies. Trust me, its all easier in the gym.
We've been lucky so far. We haven't heard any alarms. I ask Honey about this and she tells me that its usually not like the action films with the flashing red lights and loud horns. Only a few of the larger organizations like Arachnos or the Council have the funding for fully equipped, permanent bases. In those cases, the alarms are silent or, as Koko points out, lethal. Most smaller criminal groups like to stay mobile in an attempt to keep ahead of the City's heroes and will use what ever they can get. Its rare for them to be in any one place long enough to install alarms or security cameras.
Several minutes pass before we find anyone else. Although they're too professional to admit it, all three of the heroes look concerned. The opposition has been lighter than expected. We're either walking into a trap, or this is nothing but a massive dead end.
I actually spot it first. Even in Paragon City it's hard to miss a 15 foot tall, steaming robot, particularly one that looks like it stepped out of a newsreel from the 1930's. As hard as it is to accept, I have to admit that it looks like Nemesis himself is overseeing the operation here. Frankly, I'm terrified. This is a man who has fought the Freedom Phalanx to a draw several times and was even, briefly, Emperor of America. If there is a bigger threat this side of a Rikti Battlefleet, I couldn't think of it.
A slow cracking sound comes from my left. Star is massaging her knuckles, a slight feral grin curls the corner of her mouth. From my right, a slight clicking indicates that Honey is switching magazines in her pistols. Enhanced Armor Piercing, she whispers. Koko is hovering just below the ceiling panels. He's our spotter and will be calling the charge. Although nobody says it, I'm perfectly happy to stay right where I am. I've already memorized the shortest path back to the elevators. I'm badly outclassed and I know it.
There's no fanfare of trumpets or battlecries or witty bantering challenges. Koko simply blurs the air with his hands and the other two cross the empty space at a slow trot. Koko's magic has worked again. Half of the soldiers stand dazed and motionless and even Nemesis seems taken aback. I can see a few guns being raised and aimed. I've already seen first hand how accurate Nemesis' soldiers can be and I know my safety depends entirely on three people.
Some heroes have acrobatic fighting styles, relying on the art of maneuver and evasion. Dazzing Starhot is not one of those heroes. She has perfected a fighting style based on "finding the biggest guy in the room" fortunately for her, that is an obvious choice. The soldiers that try to stop her are tossed aside or simply hammered into insensibility. There's a better trophy to be had, and she almost looks like she's measuring how much space it will take up on the mantle.
As tough as she is, Star is not immortal. With Honey and Koko around, she does not need to be. Koko does rely on his mobility and seems to be almost everywhere as he continues taking soldiers out of the fight. While his methods are more passive, they are no less effective. A soldier that cannot control his own mind cannot fight. His victims are little more than obstacles.
Honey is providing covering fire. Her EAP rounds are causing Nemesis some difficulty. Already I can see steam venting from small punctures in the armor plating. He's far from defeated but he's under steady fire and having to choose from three targets. His right arm pulls back and energy crackles from the staff in his hand. Star has gotten his attention. An almost invisible bolt of force shoots from the staff and lifts Star off of her feet, throwing her backward. Up until now I haven't been worried about her safety, but this is Nemesis.
I shouldn't have worried. Although she is shaken by the shot, she's on her feet almost instantly. Koko points a hand at her and a brief glow flares around her. She looks like she could take on the world. In a hopping run that reminds me of an Olympic triple jump, she closes with Nemesis and lands a solid punch that cracks armor and staggers the giant. I can faintly hear gyroscopes whining as they struggle to keep Nemesis upright. All the gloves are off now.
Koko gestures me into the fight. There's less than a handful of soldiers functional and he needs to focus on Nemesis. In a way I feel flattered. If he didn't think I could sweep up the stragglers, he would have left me under cover. A spin kick and a palm strike take down the first soldier. Koko nods and wings toward the main fight. I'm only a part of the sideshow, he's needed in the center ring.
It doesn't take me long to finish. The soldiers were already all but defeated, I just had to make it official. Rubbing my own aching knuckles, I turn back to watch. Nemesis looks much worse for the wear. Large dents on the legs, front, and side hint at the force Star has in her punches. A typical passenger car would have fallen apart long ago but the armor is still fighting back.
Honey has switched ammunition to take advantage of several breaks in the armor coverage. Her bullets now leave small trails of fire in their flight and start burning gears and other internal workings. By itself, not critical but, combined with the pounding Star is delivering, contributing to an imminent failure.
Koko's abilities don't work as well on the mechanicals but they are still taking a toll. Several time I see Nemesis stop, or stagger, or miss what would be an otherwise easy shot. Even those few that do land, have little effect. Koko's powers simply heal wounds almost as soon as they occur. I can hear the pain in Star and, occasionally, Honey's voices. I can tell that, even with Koko around, getting hit that hard still hurts.
With a resounding crash and foundation shaking impact, silence descends on the room. It's over. Three heroes (with the help of one reporter) have taken down one of the worlds greatest Villains. Or so it appears. It's nothing more than another construct. Elaborate and impressive, but no more alive than my toaster. Lord Nemesis uses these 'Fake Nemesis' as part of another layer of camoflage and subterfuge. I get the feeling that we might not have been quite so lucky if it had been the man himself. Still, its a significant victory.
The fall of the Fake Nemesis seems to have taken the fight out of the solders remaining in the facility. We don't encounter any more opposition as we sweep the building looking for information. If there were any soldiers left, they probably found a convenient exit. In their haste to leave, they forget to shut down computer terminals and destroy files. We find evidence that they were beginning to work with elements of the Malta Group. It looks like our day isn't over yet.
I'll publish the next installment in an upcoming blog. Until then, this is Alexis Alexander, reporting from Paragon City.