War makes for strange bedfellows - 19th century English quote
Ill be with you in a moment., he said over his shoulder as he entered the small but comfortable room. Marcus Cole, Statesman, warrior, hero, defender of the weak and defacto leader of the greatest team of super heroes this world has ever seen, was not happy. The scowl on his face, present ever since Preatoria started making threatening overtures, had seemed to deepen in the last day. The news it seemed, never got any better either. He pulled out one of the padded chairs and smiled grimly at the other two people with him in the room.
Shalice and Justin Sinclair, the real life names of the heroes Sister Psyche and Manticore were seated next to each other. Neither looked happy, but then again, neither looked worried either. Though from where the two were sitting in the room, they could not see to whom their friend was speaking. Sister Psyche could tell, using her telepathy, that there were two people outside, but suprisingly she could get nothing else. Manticore, sensing her confusion, glanced toward her. She in return smiled warmly, hoping to ease his worry.
Folding his hands in front of him, Statesman began to speak. Thank you both for meeting with me. I trust you are both alright after yesterday? The two nodded and the red white and blue hero continued, What happened?
Justin and Shalice looked at each other before speaking. A glance was all, but in that glance whole conversations seemed to take place. Shalice started to speak first, Praetoria attacked. We thought the main assault was in Atlas Park since that was where they struck first. Statesman nodded, he himself had led the defensive front near the statue of Atlas. Sister Psyche continued, Justin and I were on our way there when we got the call from Vanguard. A second dimensional portal had opened up in Independence Port. According to their intel, Tyrant was hoping to sneak forces in while everyone was distracted. Manticore picked up the tale, Shalice and I were the only ones close enough to help, though Vanguard promised to send some aid.
Marcus Cole leaned forward slightly, this was the part he didnt know about. Justin continued, We arrived at the location given to us, a large warehouse Longbow intel indicated belonged to the Family. He shared another look with his wife before turning back to Statesman. We were able to sneak in unobserved but .when the fighting did start, we got seperated. Statesmans eyes narrowed at those words and Manticore seemed to shrink in on himself. Id better let Shalice explain the rest.
His wife nodded and gently grasped his hand, During the fight I became trapped in a small office. A number of the elite IDF soldiers had forced me back. Their seers were disrupting my mental connection with Justin. He could tell I was in trouble and I could tell he would not be able to aid me. She took a shuddering breath recalling the violent intent in the eyes of Tyrants most loyal soldiers. I was about to hit my emergency medical transporter when a shadow seemed to move. Then .he was there. Thannatos, that villian. He was wearing his traditional black trenchcoat only this time he had the Vanguard symbol emblazoned on it. His attack took the IDF completely by surprise and he had no mercy. Her voice softened, His blades claimed many lives that day.
After he rescued me he simply offered me a hand up and raised one eyebrow above those sunglasses of his. His voice still hints of his Romanian heritage. Lost your husband? he asked me. I just glared at him. You? I asked, You are the help Vanguard sent? He simply nodded. Why? Why did you kill them, I demanded motioning to the bodies of the fallen. He looked at me briefly before turning back to watch the rest of the warehouse. Mercy for ones enemies is .honorable. But we are at war and in war, the side that shows mercy is often the side that loses.
She grimaced, I was so angry I wanted to lash out at him, hit him with a psychic whammy so hard .. Sister Psyche visably calmed herself, But when I scanned him Marcus, it was like scanning you. Stateman nodded, he had been attacked in the past by Thannatos and some hired villians, looking to make himself an Incarnate by using some of Marcus blood in a powerfull ritual. Rumor had it the man had succeeded. He motioned for Sister Psyche to continue. He then looked at me, and in that look read the entirety of Justins and my plan. Since I could sheild myself I would become the distraction while he snuck through and disabled the portal. She shook her head softly and Manticore gave her fingers a supporting squeeze. Thannatos smiled at me and told me, A good plan yes, but it will not work. To be successful, we need to draw out the architect of this endevor, Anti-Matter. Vanguard intel suggests he suffers from serious fear of failure. The mans smile became more sadistic, The bigger noise we make, the more afraid he will become. The more afraid he is, the more likely he will challenge us himself. Thannatos then held up one finger as if remembering something, Ahh, the more noise we make, the easier it will be for your paramour to get to the portal. Two birds, one stone, yes?
A curious look came over Shalices face as she continued, We then moved through the warehouse, fighting groups of the IDF whenever we found them. He was methodical. That is the only word I can think of that fits. When we came upon a group of Tyrants soldiers he would spring off ahead of me and take out the seers first. Once the psychics were down he would attack the clockwork leaving the soldiers for me to handle. I have to admit, once the seers were out of the way I had no problem with the human soldiers and not wanting to give the devil his due, but once I had subdued them, Thannatos left them alone. He could have easily killed them and they wouldnt have been able to even lift a finger to defend themselves. She shrugged, But he didnt. He simply moved on.
The more seers we took out, the stronger my connection to Justin became. I could tell he had found the portal. I could also tell he was unable to disable it at the time. Statesmans eyes tracked over to Manticore. The archer raised his hands in a surrendering motion, Hey big guy, not me. Shes the star of this show. He then pointed to his wife who smiled warmly at him and continued, It was indeed Anti-Matter who was leading this group. He and what had to be the greater majority of the troops that were through the portal already ambushed us in one of the central rooms of the warehouse.
Manticore nodded, When he left the portal, he placed only a token guard. I was able to easily defeat them and start work on shutting down the contraption that powered it.
When the forces swarmed us, Thannatos yelled over his shoulder at me Stay back and he jumped into the front wave. Withen a few seconds he was completely surrounded. Sister Psyche shook her head, What ever else I might feel about the man, I was not about to let my only support die. I prepared to dive in and pull him out when he suddenly exploded. At least that was what it looked like. A powerfull wave of dark energy erupted from his body. The IDF soldiers it hit simply fell where they were standing. Rangers, Seers and even some clockwork fell to this destructive force. Statesman cringed inside. An ability like that seemed very similar to his own lightning attack granted to him by Zeus and the Well. It seemed like Thannatos had indeed become an Incarnate. Shalice continued, He seemed winded by the attack of his, but then he demonstrated his most frightening ability. She closed her eyes as she spoke of the memory, He pointed to two of the IDF members that had fallen, then he pointed to a clear spot on the floor and it seemed that the souls of the two dead soldiers rose up there and began attacking their former brethren.
While his new servents distracted them, Thannatos jumped back to me. His armor he stated, It protectes him from your powers, yes? I nodded and he continued, When I remove the helmet, you must hit him with everything you have. The way he said it, was almost like a command, but with more respect. The powerfull telepaths eyes grew hard. Anti-Matter was ranting and raving this entire time, something about proving himself better then Neuron and proving himself worthy of HER, who ever her is. When he saw Thannatos and I standing that close together he unleashed a powerfull burst of energy at us. My first instinct was to through Thannatos out of the way. I couldnt help it. Aiding others at even the cost ofmy own life is something that is so much a part of me, I could not act any other way. I may as well have been trying to move the Zig for all the good it did. Thannatos would not budge. As a result, he took the full brunt of the blast himself. The force of it threw him off his feet and into me, knocking both of us back to the far wall. When we landed, he looked at me, You are unhurt yes? I told him I was fine and he nodded, Good, remember the plan. He then flew up after Anti-Matter.
She leaned back in her chair, her eyes closing softly. That fight, that was like nothing I have ever seen. Both of them flying high, circling each other. Energy blasts met with black blades. Both of them took serious hits. I was sure there was no way Thannatos would win. She smiled at her husband, It was then that I felt the triumph in Justin. He had succeeded in shutting down the portal. Manticore tried his best to look humble and proud at the same time. Somehow, he managed to do both. At once Anti-Matter screamed and Thannatos struck. Only this time, without his blades. He circled his hands around the helmet and let himself fall, pulling the thing with him. She shuddered, It was like looking at a pale and twisted version of Positron. Still, I didnt hesistate. Once I saw the helmet was off, I struck. I hit the false Keyes with everything I had. He screamed, this time in pain and fell from the sky. His defeat must have triggered a response somehow. Both he and his soldiers, alive and dead, vanished from the warehouse.
Manticore leaned forward, That is about when I walked in. I saw my wife walking slowly toward Thannatos who was laying on the ground, laughing. It was a soft laugh, barely audible. I drew my bow, ready to fight as the creep stood up. He moved some of his long black hair out of the way of his eyes, You fight well hero. He said to her. I swear I made no noise as I approached yet one of that fiends pointed ears twitched all the same. Without turning around he spoke, raising his voice so I could hear. You have lovely wife archer. Treat her well, or I might steal her from you, yes? He then laughed and flew up, breaking out a skylight as he went.
Sister Psyche leaned forward again as well, Marcus, if Vanguard is using people like Thannatos in operations outside of the Rikti war zone, they need to be stopped. Giving villians like him free access to the city is like letting the proverbial bull into the china shop. Manticore continued, Yeah, and why do we need Vanguard anyway. Let them have the Rikti. Weve been fighting the Praetorians much longer then they have. Statesman shook his head, disagreeing with the two. No, for now we do them. They have the resources and the soldiers to handle attacks on a much wider scale then we have. For now, if you see Thannatos, let him be.
Neither Sister Psyche nor Manticore, both of whom had fought beside Statesman for years, were expecting that response. Both of them started arguing, providing valid and purposeful complaints as to why they should be trying to arrest Thannatos instead of working with him. Marcus let them continue for a few minutes, finally snapping when Manticore asked him, Do you really expect us to work with murderers and theives? Statesman yelled, I expect you to obey my wishes, slamming his fist down on the table, cracking the oak.
Both of his friends were taken aback by the outburst. They slid their chairs back, Manticore mumbeling, Yeah sure, what ever you say Tyrant. Statesman seemed to deflate at that comment, Wait, please. I am sorry. He looked up at Manticore, a regret in his eyes that was as alien there as it was sincere. You asked why we needed Vanguard to lead the defensive. That is why. It would be all too easy for me to just, take control of everything. To rule with an iron fist, every bit the tyrant as Tyrant. That that is not what I want. Sister Psyche walked around the table, placing her hand on Statesmans shoulder, We know my friend. Its ok. Manticore nodded his support as well, even giving him one of his rare sincere smiles, Yeah..hey, you say to trust Vanguard, well trust them. Though sooner rather then later, we would like an explanation. I think we deserve that much at least. Statesman smiled in return, And you shall have it, as soon as I am able to give it. Thank you my friends.
The two heroes left from a different door then the one Statesman entered from. Once they were gone, that door opened and two figures entered. One was Vanguards enigmatic leader, the Lady Grey herself. A woman of indeterminate age and a great wealth of knowledge gained over her long life. The other was Thannatos himself, his black trenchcoat swirling around his legs as he walked.
The Lady Grey smiled at Statesman, You see, just as we have said. Our report to you was accurate, as my agent, she motioned to Thannatos, said it would be. As -I- said it would be. Statesman nodded, Yeah, but that doesnt mean I have to like it. He glared at the one time villian who in turn, merely raised an eyebrow. Neither man moved or even seemed to blink for several seconds. Presently Lady Grey sighed. Boys, now is not the time nor is it the place. Statesman, I know you hold a grudge against Thannatos, especially for that attack on your person some time ago. Know this however, whatever happened in the past it is time to move on. That power he stole from you and the Well has already proven usefull, as two of your friends have just attested. Whatever he was in the past, he is now a stalwart member of Vanguard and valiant defender of this world. If you do not trust him, trust us on this matter. We would not let him be our personal agent if this were not true.
Statesman sighed and nodded his acceptance, Alright, but when this buisness with Praetoria is over, he will have to answer for his crimes. Thannatos, for his part, managed to resist smiling mockingly at the powerfull hero. Lady Grey, undaunted, continued, Good, now we are already running late for our next meeting. We trust you are ready to travel? Marcus nodded, Ready yes. Though I do not see why we need to involve him or his organization. Lady Grey smiled, they had been over this almost a hundred times already, We told you, this triumverate will be the best way to protect everyone. Now, if we are all ready, we mustnt keep Lord Recluse waiting.
War makes for strange bedfellows - 19th century English quote
Ill be with you in a moment., he said over his shoulder as he entered the small but comfortable room. Marcus Cole, Statesman, warrior, hero, defender of the weak and defacto leader of the greatest team of super heroes this world has ever seen, was not happy. The scowl on his face, present ever since Preatoria started making threatening overtures, had seemed to deepen in the last day. The news it seemed, never got any better either. He pulled out one of the padded chairs and smiled grimly at the other two people with him in the room.
Shalice and Justin Sinclair, the real life names of the heroes Sister Psyche and Manticore were seated next to each other. Neither looked happy, but then again, neither looked worried either. Though from where the two were sitting in the room, they could not see to whom their friend was speaking. Sister Psyche could tell, using her telepathy, that there were two people outside, but suprisingly she could get nothing else. Manticore, sensing her confusion, glanced toward her. She in return smiled warmly, hoping to ease his worry.
Folding his hands in front of him, Statesman began to speak. Thank you both for meeting with me. I trust you are both alright after yesterday? The two nodded and the red white and blue hero continued, What happened?
Justin and Shalice looked at each other before speaking. A glance was all, but in that glance whole conversations seemed to take place. Shalice started to speak first, Praetoria attacked. We thought the main assault was in Atlas Park since that was where they struck first. Statesman nodded, he himself had led the defensive front near the statue of Atlas. Sister Psyche continued, Justin and I were on our way there when we got the call from Vanguard. A second dimensional portal had opened up in Independence Port. According to their intel, Tyrant was hoping to sneak forces in while everyone was distracted. Manticore picked up the tale, Shalice and I were the only ones close enough to help, though Vanguard promised to send some aid.
Marcus Cole leaned forward slightly, this was the part he didnt know about. Justin continued, We arrived at the location given to us, a large warehouse Longbow intel indicated belonged to the Family. He shared another look with his wife before turning back to Statesman. We were able to sneak in unobserved but .when the fighting did start, we got seperated. Statesmans eyes narrowed at those words and Manticore seemed to shrink in on himself. Id better let Shalice explain the rest.
His wife nodded and gently grasped his hand, During the fight I became trapped in a small office. A number of the elite IDF soldiers had forced me back. Their seers were disrupting my mental connection with Justin. He could tell I was in trouble and I could tell he would not be able to aid me. She took a shuddering breath recalling the violent intent in the eyes of Tyrants most loyal soldiers. I was about to hit my emergency medical transporter when a shadow seemed to move. Then .he was there. Thannatos, that villian. He was wearing his traditional black trenchcoat only this time he had the Vanguard symbol emblazoned on it. His attack took the IDF completely by surprise and he had no mercy. Her voice softened, His blades claimed many lives that day.
After he rescued me he simply offered me a hand up and raised one eyebrow above those sunglasses of his. His voice still hints of his Romanian heritage. Lost your husband? he asked me. I just glared at him. You? I asked, You are the help Vanguard sent? He simply nodded. Why? Why did you kill them, I demanded motioning to the bodies of the fallen. He looked at me briefly before turning back to watch the rest of the warehouse. Mercy for ones enemies is .honorable. But we are at war and in war, the side that shows mercy is often the side that loses.
She grimaced, I was so angry I wanted to lash out at him, hit him with a psychic whammy so hard .. Sister Psyche visably calmed herself, But when I scanned him Marcus, it was like scanning you. Stateman nodded, he had been attacked in the past by Thannatos and some hired villians, looking to make himself an Incarnate by using some of Marcus blood in a powerfull ritual. Rumor had it the man had succeeded. He motioned for Sister Psyche to continue. He then looked at me, and in that look read the entirety of Justins and my plan. Since I could sheild myself I would become the distraction while he snuck through and disabled the portal. She shook her head softly and Manticore gave her fingers a supporting squeeze. Thannatos smiled at me and told me, A good plan yes, but it will not work. To be successful, we need to draw out the architect of this endevor, Anti-Matter. Vanguard intel suggests he suffers from serious fear of failure. The mans smile became more sadistic, The bigger noise we make, the more afraid he will become. The more afraid he is, the more likely he will challenge us himself. Thannatos then held up one finger as if remembering something, Ahh, the more noise we make, the easier it will be for your paramour to get to the portal. Two birds, one stone, yes?
A curious look came over Shalices face as she continued, We then moved through the warehouse, fighting groups of the IDF whenever we found them. He was methodical. That is the only word I can think of that fits. When we came upon a group of Tyrants soldiers he would spring off ahead of me and take out the seers first. Once the psychics were down he would attack the clockwork leaving the soldiers for me to handle. I have to admit, once the seers were out of the way I had no problem with the human soldiers and not wanting to give the devil his due, but once I had subdued them, Thannatos left them alone. He could have easily killed them and they wouldnt have been able to even lift a finger to defend themselves. She shrugged, But he didnt. He simply moved on.
The more seers we took out, the stronger my connection to Justin became. I could tell he had found the portal. I could also tell he was unable to disable it at the time. Statesmans eyes tracked over to Manticore. The archer raised his hands in a surrendering motion, Hey big guy, not me. Shes the star of this show. He then pointed to his wife who smiled warmly at him and continued, It was indeed Anti-Matter who was leading this group. He and what had to be the greater majority of the troops that were through the portal already ambushed us in one of the central rooms of the warehouse.
Manticore nodded, When he left the portal, he placed only a token guard. I was able to easily defeat them and start work on shutting down the contraption that powered it.
When the forces swarmed us, Thannatos yelled over his shoulder at me Stay back and he jumped into the front wave. Withen a few seconds he was completely surrounded. Sister Psyche shook her head, What ever else I might feel about the man, I was not about to let my only support die. I prepared to dive in and pull him out when he suddenly exploded. At least that was what it looked like. A powerfull wave of dark energy erupted from his body. The IDF soldiers it hit simply fell where they were standing. Rangers, Seers and even some clockwork fell to this destructive force. Statesman cringed inside. An ability like that seemed very similar to his own lightning attack granted to him by Zeus and the Well. It seemed like Thannatos had indeed become an Incarnate. Shalice continued, He seemed winded by the attack of his, but then he demonstrated his most frightening ability. She closed her eyes as she spoke of the memory, He pointed to two of the IDF members that had fallen, then he pointed to a clear spot on the floor and it seemed that the souls of the two dead soldiers rose up there and began attacking their former brethren.
While his new servents distracted them, Thannatos jumped back to me. His armor he stated, It protectes him from your powers, yes? I nodded and he continued, When I remove the helmet, you must hit him with everything you have. The way he said it, was almost like a command, but with more respect. The powerfull telepaths eyes grew hard. Anti-Matter was ranting and raving this entire time, something about proving himself better then Neuron and proving himself worthy of HER, who ever her is. When he saw Thannatos and I standing that close together he unleashed a powerfull burst of energy at us. My first instinct was to through Thannatos out of the way. I couldnt help it. Aiding others at even the cost ofmy own life is something that is so much a part of me, I could not act any other way. I may as well have been trying to move the Zig for all the good it did. Thannatos would not budge. As a result, he took the full brunt of the blast himself. The force of it threw him off his feet and into me, knocking both of us back to the far wall. When we landed, he looked at me, You are unhurt yes? I told him I was fine and he nodded, Good, remember the plan. He then flew up after Anti-Matter.
She leaned back in her chair, her eyes closing softly. That fight, that was like nothing I have ever seen. Both of them flying high, circling each other. Energy blasts met with black blades. Both of them took serious hits. I was sure there was no way Thannatos would win. She smiled at her husband, It was then that I felt the triumph in Justin. He had succeeded in shutting down the portal. Manticore tried his best to look humble and proud at the same time. Somehow, he managed to do both. At once Anti-Matter screamed and Thannatos struck. Only this time, without his blades. He circled his hands around the helmet and let himself fall, pulling the thing with him. She shuddered, It was like looking at a pale and twisted version of Positron. Still, I didnt hesistate. Once I saw the helmet was off, I struck. I hit the false Keyes with everything I had. He screamed, this time in pain and fell from the sky. His defeat must have triggered a response somehow. Both he and his soldiers, alive and dead, vanished from the warehouse.
Manticore leaned forward, That is about when I walked in. I saw my wife walking slowly toward Thannatos who was laying on the ground, laughing. It was a soft laugh, barely audible. I drew my bow, ready to fight as the creep stood up. He moved some of his long black hair out of the way of his eyes, You fight well hero. He said to her. I swear I made no noise as I approached yet one of that fiends pointed ears twitched all the same. Without turning around he spoke, raising his voice so I could hear. You have lovely wife archer. Treat her well, or I might steal her from you, yes? He then laughed and flew up, breaking out a skylight as he went.
Sister Psyche leaned forward again as well, Marcus, if Vanguard is using people like Thannatos in operations outside of the Rikti war zone, they need to be stopped. Giving villians like him free access to the city is like letting the proverbial bull into the china shop. Manticore continued, Yeah, and why do we need Vanguard anyway. Let them have the Rikti. Weve been fighting the Praetorians much longer then they have. Statesman shook his head, disagreeing with the two. No, for now we do them. They have the resources and the soldiers to handle attacks on a much wider scale then we have. For now, if you see Thannatos, let him be.
Neither Sister Psyche nor Manticore, both of whom had fought beside Statesman for years, were expecting that response. Both of them started arguing, providing valid and purposeful complaints as to why they should be trying to arrest Thannatos instead of working with him. Marcus let them continue for a few minutes, finally snapping when Manticore asked him, Do you really expect us to work with murderers and theives? Statesman yelled, I expect you to obey my wishes, slamming his fist down on the table, cracking the oak.
Both of his friends were taken aback by the outburst. They slid their chairs back, Manticore mumbeling, Yeah sure, what ever you say Tyrant. Statesman seemed to deflate at that comment, Wait, please. I am sorry. He looked up at Manticore, a regret in his eyes that was as alien there as it was sincere. You asked why we needed Vanguard to lead the defensive. That is why. It would be all too easy for me to just, take control of everything. To rule with an iron fist, every bit the tyrant as Tyrant. That that is not what I want. Sister Psyche walked around the table, placing her hand on Statesmans shoulder, We know my friend. Its ok. Manticore nodded his support as well, even giving him one of his rare sincere smiles, Yeah..hey, you say to trust Vanguard, well trust them. Though sooner rather then later, we would like an explanation. I think we deserve that much at least. Statesman smiled in return, And you shall have it, as soon as I am able to give it. Thank you my friends.
The two heroes left from a different door then the one Statesman entered from. Once they were gone, that door opened and two figures entered. One was Vanguards enigmatic leader, the Lady Grey herself. A woman of indeterminate age and a great wealth of knowledge gained over her long life. The other was Thannatos himself, his black trenchcoat swirling around his legs as he walked.
The Lady Grey smiled at Statesman, You see, just as we have said. Our report to you was accurate, as my agent, she motioned to Thannatos, said it would be. As -I- said it would be. Statesman nodded, Yeah, but that doesnt mean I have to like it. He glared at the one time villian who in turn, merely raised an eyebrow. Neither man moved or even seemed to blink for several seconds. Presently Lady Grey sighed. Boys, now is not the time nor is it the place. Statesman, I know you hold a grudge against Thannatos, especially for that attack on your person some time ago. Know this however, whatever happened in the past it is time to move on. That power he stole from you and the Well has already proven usefull, as two of your friends have just attested. Whatever he was in the past, he is now a stalwart member of Vanguard and valiant defender of this world. If you do not trust him, trust us on this matter. We would not let him be our personal agent if this were not true.
Statesman sighed and nodded his acceptance, Alright, but when this buisness with Praetoria is over, he will have to answer for his crimes. Thannatos, for his part, managed to resist smiling mockingly at the powerfull hero. Lady Grey, undaunted, continued, Good, now we are already running late for our next meeting. We trust you are ready to travel? Marcus nodded, Ready yes. Though I do not see why we need to involve him or his organization. Lady Grey smiled, they had been over this almost a hundred times already, We told you, this triumverate will be the best way to protect everyone. Now, if we are all ready, we mustnt keep Lord Recluse waiting.