Technical took a step back and thought. "It depends." He said a moment later.
"Based on the mindset behind the suit, I don't think anything good. if it has the same sort of reaction to tampering and extrapolating from the suit's probable destructive potential ..."
His mind worked through the math, "It varies depending on the exact size, of course, but a single person spacecraft made by the same culture that made that jumpsuit could have an explosive potential anywhere from 10 megatons to 1 gigaton."
"If it exploded, someone would notice." He said wryly. "Though by much the same logic, by containing that much energy, it should be traceable. Assuming it isn't in a heavily shielded vault somewhere."
He looked over at the waiting hornet helicopter, "I can look into the matter after we get back from Glass Island. With all that's going on, we can't afford to divide ourselves too thinly. I want to focus on Wildfire and the Tech-Master connection."
"...what if it uses an energy source Earthlings aren't familiar with?" Astro Girl spoke softly.
Her face pinched slightly and she rubbed the bridge of her nose. Astro Girl's headache had returned. Maybe it had never left but only been forgotten about in the terror and excitement. It felt like a hot pressure behind her eyes. She was begin to reconsider calling this one a good day.
Technical didn't seem to understand - she wasn't an idiot. If something with that much explosive yield had gone off the entire world would have know even if it hadn't been nuclear winter. But that wasn't what she was worried about. The pod had been destroyed in the crash, which left her injured and wandering their planet. It was rendered totally inoperable. Her real concern was that whoever took it might be trying to put it back together. And if they succeed at that then it could be disaster. They had already had years to work on it. A yield like that was potentially apocalyptic. Technical, secure in his own powers of deductive reasoning, seemed unconcerned. Humans had the worst self-destructive behavoir, she swears to herself. She knew him well enough to know that there was no way to change his priorities - he could be down right obstinate. Still, his idea to trace the energy source might work, if it was tracable.
"Fine, let's go do this quickly then," Astro Girl glowered.
She stuffs the suit back into the bag and moves to climb into the helicopter. When the pilot asks her to put her safety belt on she gives him a partially-confused, partially-annoyed look. Remember who Astro Girl is he turns away and clears his throat, switching the engines on for take-off. He might not have deserved that, AG thought to herself. Staring out the window she held on to the boutique bag, wondering if the suit may contain other secrets or dangers she wasn't aware of.
The interior of the hornet was extremely cramped and bare of any sort of creature comforts, but at least it was fast. Minutes after taking off they were soaring high above the harbor and then out over the coast where Glass Island loomed like something out of a dream or a nightmare. The island itself was barren of any structure except for the prison itself, its shores were nothing more than empty sand broken only by the occasional jagged rock. The roiling surf beneath them churned jagged bits of shell and refuse onto the shore, but the prison was far more interesting. Concrete turrets and swooping walls rose from the sand and towered many stories into the air. It looked more like a sodden sand castle than a maximum security prison, and the windowless structure betray no sign of the thousands of souls imprisoned within its walls.
Lighting suddenly streaked across the sky and thunder roared into the darkness like an angry god. The hornet trembled as raindrops started pattering across the windows spilling down the side of the helicopter. "Damned storms! Better buckle in back there unless you're bulletproof, this could get a little bit dicey." The pilot flipped a few switches on the control panel in front of him while the helicopter started shuddering violently.
Shouting into the microphone that'd been built into his helmet the pilot guided the helicopter steadily downward landing on a helicopter pad on top of the prison itself. A man wearing a brought orange sweater beneath a heavy black coat opened the helicopter door while the blades continued spinning overhead. He was smiling and holding a black umbrella that seemed immune to the strong winds and the heavy rains that were assaulting the landing pad. Although he was mostly bald a few small white hairs that had been cropped very closed stood out against his skin.
He nodded to each of the heroes as the slipped out of the helicopter. "Technical, Astro Girl, Prince Orion I must say this is quite an honor. We don't have many guests out here, at least not ones who aren't bound in chains. I am Mr. Wisp, and I'll be accompanying you during your visit today. Before we go any further I must warn you that the security of this prison cannot be put at risk for any reason. So if you threaten that security I won't hesitate to destroy any of you."
Turning on his heel he ushered them out of the gale through a heavy steel door and onto the uppermost landing of a flight of concrete steps. He shook off his umbrella once they were inside and pulled the door shut behind them. In the dimly lit stairway the steady drip of rainwater falling off of Mr. Wisp's umbrella seemed eerily loud. Bounding down the steps two at a time he lead them through a circuitous"Wildfire is being in held in our medical ward at the moment, her injuries were minor and she's already received treatment. There are detectives from the Titan Police Department speaking with her at this very moment. They quite seemed eager to begin interrogating her."
Mr. Wisp stopped at the bottom of the stairs and fished out a long string of what looked like antique keys. He held each of the keys up one after another until he found the right one, inserted it into the door in front of them, and pushed the door open. Stepping aside Mr. Wisp ushered them inside. "I'd join you but I don't care for the medical ward, the smell of antiseptic plays havoc on my sinuses. When you're ready to leave just knock and I'll be along to collect you."
Beyond the doorway a tiled room with a high wood paneled ceiling. Beds dressed with white sheets and dull green blankets lined he walls each of them resting beneath an enormous barred window the offered an expansive view of an entirely different place. One seemed to open out onto the harbor but it showed no sign of the storm raging beyond these walls, looking beyond one Astro Girl saw and endless sea of stars, glancing out of another Technical saw a mountain. Curtains had been pulled around a number of the beds that they passed, presumably to give their occupants some privacy while they recovered.
It took them nearly ten minutes to walk down the seemingly endless infirmary before they found the woman they had come to question. Wildfire was no longer aflame, and the young blonde woman with handcuffs around both of her wrists looked pale and defeated. A pair of men were standing alongside of her bed, one was pale and heavyset while the other was black and thin. The heavyset man was eating food off of a plastic tray, the absence of a tray on the table next to Wildfire's bed suggested that it had been her own. However the second detective was pacing in front of her bed turning his head back and forth so that his gaze was always on the injured villain. "I want to know what Mechanism is planning Laura. I know you're working with him. Tell me something and maybe I can fix this for you so that you'll see the light of day again before you're too old to enjoy it."
Wildfire stared at the detective blankly for a moment before he kicked the foot of her bed making her jump. Reaching inside of his pocket he pulled out a slender band the color of copper, Wildfire's eyes went wide as she stared at it. "You know what this is don't you? It's a soldium collar, there's not enough of this stuff on the planet to fill a bathtub but the prison has three of these. We put this on you and you're powers are gone. Snuffed out like a candle. Maybe we'll let you try it on and then we can toss you in with the general population for a few hours."
GM of M&M "And Justice For All."
GM of Dresden Files Low Life
GM of Star Wars Sagas Into the Unknown
GM of Star Wars Sagas Lost Hope- Concluded
GM of Star Wars Sagas the Dark Times- Concluded.
GM of Star Wars Sagas Jabba's Palace- Concluded due to injury.
Bart Allen/ The Flash in M&M Metropolis- Concluded.
Koyi Disturbances in the Force- Concluded.
Jessup Owlbeard Forge of the Dawn Titan- Withdrawn due to injury.
Sal Mander In the Shadow of Zeus- Concluded.
Zevoto in Out in the Black- Withdrawn due to injury.
GM of Wyvern Watch
Berru Secune in Rise of the Jedi
Orion stepped forward, his feet almost silent on the matt, hospital grey floor. "Officers," he said softly. They both turned to look, appraising this new arrival. The Prince levelled a cool gaze at them both. Threats of violence and cruelty to the helpless, even criminals responsible for suffering and pain, did not meet his approval. "The Commander has requested that we speak with this young woman, and I am inclined to grant him his wishes. I am sure that she will co-operate fully... from the safety of her infirmary bed, of course."
There was no need to shout, bluster, or make a fuss. The meaning was clear. Wildfire wasn't going to be hurled to the mercy of violent criminals and that was the end of it. If you wanted to judge someone's virtue, you watched how they treated their prisoners. Orion would not sink so low, and he would not permit it to be done either. If the Commander wanted them to intercede, then he would get exactly that, like it or not.
Glass Island. Never thought I'd willingly come back here. Robert took up the rear following the Astro Girl, Orion and Mr. Wisp down familiar hallways towards the infirmary. It was a little like coming back home, even if you'd never liked home, it felt familiar.
It was harder than he'd have thought to feign ignorance of these hallways and be lead to the infirmary. The infirmary itself brought back some memories of volunteer shifts assisting the doctors and nurses, of a stint in a bed after a bad lab accident.
As they finally reached Wildfire's bed, Technical stood aside and folded his arms. He had his own questions for and about Wildfire but they could wait for the moment.
Seeing the officer taunt and threaten Wildfire reminded her of her own cruel treatment upon arriving in Titan. Frightened and hungry, she must have torn through more then thirty RSRU officers when they stormed her hospital bed five years ago to take her away. And for what? Because she was different - special even. She might have understood if she was somehow monstrous in appearance. But that wasn't the case - by all accounts she appeared to be a totally nonthreatening Earth girl. Well, the flightsuit in the bag she carried may have had something to do with it. But that was besides the point. Wildfire may have done monstrous, horrible things, but this treatment makes only monsters of us all.
"Officers, in case Prince Orion wasn't clear enough... Torture will not be tolerate and I will personally report you to your superiors," Astro Girl said matter-of-factly.
"This is why freaks shouldn't be allowed in interrogations." The detective slid the soldium collar back inside of his coat and stalked past Astro Girl, his partner set down the empty plastic tray and ambled after him. "You've got ten minutes to ask your questions. If you freaks don't get something useful we try it my way."
Wildfire watched the detectives until they rounded the corner and passed out of sight, then she pulled her thin blankets further up until she was covered. "Thanks."
GM of M&M "And Justice For All."
GM of Dresden Files Low Life
GM of Star Wars Sagas Into the Unknown
GM of Star Wars Sagas Lost Hope- Concluded
GM of Star Wars Sagas the Dark Times- Concluded.
GM of Star Wars Sagas Jabba's Palace- Concluded due to injury.
Bart Allen/ The Flash in M&M Metropolis- Concluded.
Koyi Disturbances in the Force- Concluded.
Jessup Owlbeard Forge of the Dawn Titan- Withdrawn due to injury.
Sal Mander In the Shadow of Zeus- Concluded.
Zevoto in Out in the Black- Withdrawn due to injury.
GM of Wyvern Watch
Berru Secune in Rise of the Jedi
Picking up the buttery slice of toast Ratash folded it in half and took a large bite. "I intend to let the soulsworn have me."
Holly waited for him to continue speaking, but all he did was crunch away on his toast. "What am I missing here?"
"These creatures are tireless, deadly, and utterly devoted to their master. She won't stop hunting me until I am dead and after such a long life I find I don't have to stomach to be chased down and gutted. I would rather face my end with all the dignity that the son of a god should." Brushing away the crumbs on his hands Ratash scattered more of the bits of burned bread onto the table.
GM of M&M "And Justice For All."
GM of Dresden Files Low Life
GM of Star Wars Sagas Into the Unknown
GM of Star Wars Sagas Lost Hope- Concluded
GM of Star Wars Sagas the Dark Times- Concluded.
GM of Star Wars Sagas Jabba's Palace- Concluded due to injury.
Bart Allen/ The Flash in M&M Metropolis- Concluded.
Koyi Disturbances in the Force- Concluded.
Jessup Owlbeard Forge of the Dawn Titan- Withdrawn due to injury.
Sal Mander In the Shadow of Zeus- Concluded.
Zevoto in Out in the Black- Withdrawn due to injury.
GM of Wyvern Watch
Berru Secune in Rise of the Jedi
"No, you won't," Astro Girl glares at the two men as they leave.
When Wildfire speaks to her, she snaps her eyes straight forward at her. "Don't you thank me," Astro Girl's brow furrowed. She moves in then leans over Wildfire's bedside. She looks Wildfire straight in the eyes with her own angry, pupil-less green eyes. Most found their exotic nature alluring. Right now they appeared unnerving and unnatural - as though AG could almost literally see right through Wildfire. They almost seemed to glow faintly. "You're angry at the RSRU for something. Believe me I get it. When I arrived on your planet I was frightened, alone and hungry. I needed help. What I got from the Titan RSRU was clubs, tranquilizers, and bullets.
"What I didn't do was nearly kill thousands of people - each of them someone elses friend, lover, sibling, child, or parent - to hurt a small few. If that blimp had hit that building... With your gift you could have become one of the best examples your species has to offer." She stands straight up with a disappointed sigh, with her hand on her cocked hip. "I stopped them because if they hurt you, they would have crossed the line between right and wrong. They should be better than that."
She turns her back on Wildfire then Astro Girl moves to the far wall, leaning against the doorframe. AG crosses her arms and examines her nails. "Hurry and ask your questions, guys. I have nothing good to say to her."
Technical watched the two detectives leave, committing their faces to memory.
He looked back to Wildfire. "I want to know why." He said. "Why you hate the RSRU enough to cause a disaster that could've killed thousands. It's obvious you thought you had reason enough to commit mass-murder. I think you said; 'I've been dreaming of burning this thing to the ground for years, and I'd really appreciate it if you'd stop screwing that up for me.' Is there any specific reason, or just a childhood hatred of blimps?"
"Until five years ago I was a member of the R.S.R.U. in fact I was one of the first officers transitioned from the Titan Police Department when Mayor Hardwick established it."
"What's Project Athena?" Technical asked.
"Commander Hale wanted to enhance members of the R.S.R.U. so they would gain telepathic abilities. He wanted a group of metahumans that were under his control, but the project would never have been approved. The purposeful creation of metahumans for a peacekeeping task force could set off a superhuman arms race, so Hale did everything in his power to make sure no one ever found out what he was doing."
Rolling up her sleeve Wildfire revealed a small scar on her arm. "He chose five of us for the project, we were all told we'd be testing a vaccine to treat radiation poisoning. I spent the next two weeks puking into a bucket with a non-stop migraine before they started to see any positive results, but instead of telepathy I exhibited pyrokenisis. Once I realized what they'd done I confronted Hale, he had the decency not to lie about it to my face."
Pulling her sleeve Wildfire glanced out of a nearby window at an expanse of frozen wasteland. "The project was scrapped after that and all of us wound up in cells. I was locked away for five years in R.S.R.U. headquarters. When I finally managed to escape Hale created falsified reports tying me to a string of arsons so that no one would believe anything I said.
The handcuffs restraining Wildifre began to glow bright red then melted into a puddle of molten metal on the floor. "The people on that airship used to be my friends, co-workers, and my family Astro Girl. None of them did anything to help me for five years, in the end they were only my captors. Does that answer your question?"
Deciduous
For several blocks following the trail that'd been left of Oranguman and his creation proved to be a simple matter. Witnesses pointed Deciduous in the direction of the simian scientist, one particularly irate man offered a detailed account of how the flying apes had descended on his fruit stand like a swarm of locusts.
Deciduous was slipping across a rooftop intent on its search when a large potted plant crashed through the window of a flower shop on the street below. The fern's pot shattered on the sidewalk spilling dirt and shards of broken glass onto the concrete. An extremely tall man wearing a tattered trench coat stood inside of the store struggling to catch his breath. His green tinged skin was slick with sweat and he swayed dangerously as he rounded on the clerk towering behind the countertop.
"Don't hurt me!" The shopkeeper pressed a button on the cash register next to him opening the drawer and setting it on the counter. "Please, just take the money and go."
Flytrap swept his hand across the counter knocking the drawer across the floor, coins clattered loudly as they went rolling in every direction. Seizing the shopkeeper by the front of his shirt Flytrap hauled him over the counter and hurled him across the store. Drywall crumpled when the man struck the wall and Flytrap advanced on him. "You think this is about money?!"
The villain started gathering up as many plants as he could carry whispering to them urgently.
GM of M&M "And Justice For All."
GM of Dresden Files Low Life
GM of Star Wars Sagas Into the Unknown
GM of Star Wars Sagas Lost Hope- Concluded
GM of Star Wars Sagas the Dark Times- Concluded.
GM of Star Wars Sagas Jabba's Palace- Concluded due to injury.
Bart Allen/ The Flash in M&M Metropolis- Concluded.
Koyi Disturbances in the Force- Concluded.
Jessup Owlbeard Forge of the Dawn Titan- Withdrawn due to injury.
Sal Mander In the Shadow of Zeus- Concluded.
Zevoto in Out in the Black- Withdrawn due to injury.
GM of Wyvern Watch
Berru Secune in Rise of the Jedi
Orion sat down next to the young woman, pulling across a chair. Maybe she was lying, maybe she was telling only half the truth or trying to play on their compassion, but the Prince could believe the story. Opposition to those in power was as wrong as often as it was right, and the unjust often used the law to hide and protect their abuse of others. Wildfire certainly seemed to believe her tale, and if it was true, then it revealed a dark history to the RSRU that would be dragged into the light. When he spoke, it was softly and gently, with an expression of sorrow and compassion.
"I cannot take away the pain and humiliation you have suffered, and I do not pretend to be able to. I cannot simply free you from this place based on words alone, and I do not pretend to be able to do that either. What I can do is tell you that we are here to help, not to castigate. These allegations are very serious indeed and you can be assured that we will get to the heart of the matter, but to do so we will need your help." He took a cup of water from the table and passed it to her.
"Drink deeply, and take a moment to center yourself. I will gladly listen to whatever you have to say, your anger and grief do not fall on deaf ears, but we must know more before we can act. Please, why not tell me your name? I only have the moniker given to you by your captors, and I see that it ill fits you, for Wildfire is indiscriminate where your rage is righteous."
"I though as much." Robert said. "That much anger, it had to be something big."
He looked at Wildfire, "I'll spare you any platitudes. But whatever you can tell Orion can help us and you." He turned and walked over to Astro Girl. Let Orion talk with Wildfire, no doubt he was better with people.
He leaned against the wall next to Astro Girl, folding his arms.
Behind that visor she could feel Technical's disappointed look. "What?" Astro Girl pursed her lips. "I'm sorry if I have little sympathy someone who has zero repentance for nearly killing thousands of innocent people."
She hmphs and turns away from him, back against the wall with her arms crossed. Astro Girl could feel Technical's eyes boring straight through her. Or maybe that was just her own guilt eating away at her. Truth was she did feel some sympathy for Wildfire's story - in some ways it mirrored her own. If Hale had truly gone so far then he needed to be shutdown, but how can she trust someone like Wildfire?
"Fine," Astro Girl grunted.
She moved back to the other side of the room, standing behind Orion. "There is nothing righteous about nearly killing thousands of people who had nothing to do with it. You don't exactly have the most credibility. The lack of concern for innocents doesn't help. Worse, by destroying the RSRU headquarters you may have destroyed vital evidence. No one is going to believe you.
"So you have to tell us how to prove your story. Where did it happen? Who were the other test subjects? Where are the records kept? That sort of thing."
The trail was fresh, and Orangaman had been careless. The green guardian had been making excellent progress when the sound of a broken window caught its attention.
Even with the trench-coat, Flytraps gait and stature made him instantly recognizable to Deciduous. Knowing its father's predilections, Deciduous hurriedly moves to control the scene.
Stepping through the broken window, it sees the cowering show owner and its father gathering specimens.
"This crisis is currently being handled. It would be best to vacate the immediate area until the proper authorities arrive."
Looking between the two towering figures, the clerk doesn't even waste a breath to ask what's going on. He simply turns tail. Whether he thought Deciduous meant to protect him or was trying to help Flytrap, either way he didn't want to spend another second with two freaks in his shop. Deciduous was fairly certain the man was more afraid of it than Father, but anything to avoid further harm.
"Father, no further hostile actions needed. In fact, further harm can be averted."
His muttering falls silent, and Flytrap turns upon his former creation. "Harm? Harm! How is it possible that elevating the writhing mass of meat that is society can be anything but transcendent! Small minds try to contain it, corrupt officials attempt to stop it, but this hive of human waste will be made strong and united, even if I have to drag this meat pile kicking and screaming to its utopia. Now grab a ficus and help me carry these specimens home."
"Father, this is not the way," pleaded Deciduous, " There are others who wish to help humanity as well. Perhaps, with combined efforts, the vision of unity can be reached. But not this way, not through harmful experiments that leave individuals in pain. Please, just stop."
A glimmer of hope stirs in the great plant creature as it sees its Father begin to put down the plants.
I can't really think of anything to say to that so I don't. It isn't an uncomfortable silence but I wouldn't exactly say it and I are bosom buddies either.
"Well, I'm not ready to give up my first minion," I say. "With or without your power you've known and forgotten more than I could ever imagine. So I'm not going to let you jump on a sword just yet."
Wildfire took the glass of water Orion offered her drinking it quickly and then handing it back to the prince. "My name is Carol Ronan."
Shooting an irritated look at Astro Girl Wildfire tried to sit up, winced and brought her arm up to cradle her wounded side. Hissing through gritted teeth she struggled to regain her breath as she spoke. "Don't you think if I had any kind of proof that would hold up under scrutiny I would've gone to the authorities a long time ago? That's why I agreed to work with Mechanism. He said he could provide me with all of the evidence I'd need to bury Hale, and the locations of the other test subjects from Project Athena."
"Mechanism needed the R.S.R.U. out of the way for whatever he's got planned. He would have sent someone else in my place if I'd refused to go. That's why I set so many fires on board after we split up. There alarms gave most of crew plenty of time to escape, but I won't lie, I did take a great deal of pleasure in thoroughly scorching my old cell." Some of the righteous anger that had been quelled in the aftermath of her attack echoed in her last words.
GM of M&M "And Justice For All."
GM of Dresden Files Low Life
GM of Star Wars Sagas Into the Unknown
GM of Star Wars Sagas Lost Hope- Concluded
GM of Star Wars Sagas the Dark Times- Concluded.
GM of Star Wars Sagas Jabba's Palace- Concluded due to injury.
Bart Allen/ The Flash in M&M Metropolis- Concluded.
Koyi Disturbances in the Force- Concluded.
Jessup Owlbeard Forge of the Dawn Titan- Withdrawn due to injury.
Sal Mander In the Shadow of Zeus- Concluded.
Zevoto in Out in the Black- Withdrawn due to injury.
GM of Wyvern Watch
Berru Secune in Rise of the Jedi
Flytrap sagged down onto the floor like a puppet whose strings had suddenly been cut. "It's too late for that I'm afraid. Far, far too late. Titan will burn and everything green will wither and die." Flytrap heaved himself off of the floor in a burst of manic energy and seized Deciduous by the shoulders. "But you and I can still escape! We can flee together and rebuild elsewhere, it can be just like it was before you left me."
GM of M&M "And Justice For All."
GM of Dresden Files Low Life
GM of Star Wars Sagas Into the Unknown
GM of Star Wars Sagas Lost Hope- Concluded
GM of Star Wars Sagas the Dark Times- Concluded.
GM of Star Wars Sagas Jabba's Palace- Concluded due to injury.
Bart Allen/ The Flash in M&M Metropolis- Concluded.
Koyi Disturbances in the Force- Concluded.
Jessup Owlbeard Forge of the Dawn Titan- Withdrawn due to injury.
Sal Mander In the Shadow of Zeus- Concluded.
Zevoto in Out in the Black- Withdrawn due to injury.
GM of Wyvern Watch
Berru Secune in Rise of the Jedi
"In that case we are left with only one option." Ratash paused as a waitress approached their table refilling his cup of coffee and setting his check down on the edge of the table. She didn't linger and once she was out of earshot the son of Xastur pressed on. "I presume that you are familiar with a sorcerer calling himself Glyph who lives in this very city are you not?"
GM of M&M "And Justice For All."
GM of Dresden Files Low Life
GM of Star Wars Sagas Into the Unknown
GM of Star Wars Sagas Lost Hope- Concluded
GM of Star Wars Sagas the Dark Times- Concluded.
GM of Star Wars Sagas Jabba's Palace- Concluded due to injury.
Bart Allen/ The Flash in M&M Metropolis- Concluded.
Koyi Disturbances in the Force- Concluded.
Jessup Owlbeard Forge of the Dawn Titan- Withdrawn due to injury.
Sal Mander In the Shadow of Zeus- Concluded.
Zevoto in Out in the Black- Withdrawn due to injury.
GM of Wyvern Watch
Berru Secune in Rise of the Jedi
"So you have no evidence, no leads, and you're only connection is a terrorist who has been threatening the city all morning?" AG mused annoyedly, rolling her eyes with a sigh. "And you've still shown zero remorse for threatening all those innocents.
"Whatever. I'm done with her. She has less humanity than I do. You can keep wasting your time on her if you want, Orion."
Astro Girl walked over to the door and banged on it. Folding her arms she waited for the officers to let her out.
Robert looked back at Astro Girl. This was the first time he'd seen her this angry.
He subvocalized, just in case Astro Girl's superhuman hearing could pick up his words, "People do stupid and terrible things when they think they're backed into a corner and have no other choice. You don't have to agree with her actions or even like her, but you could cut her a little slack."
He turned back to Ms. Ronan. "If what you say is true Ms. Ronan, there should be some evidence or sign of the electronic tampering to your profile. I can look and see if I can find any discrepancy or error in your record." For that matter, scanning her or looking into R.S.R.U records could reveal some proof of this illicit metahuman enhancement project. "With your permission, I could also run some more scans of your body, it could help prove your story."
He paused for a moment, "I can't really judge you for working with Mechanism. I'd probably have done the same thing in your position, but I think it unlikely he had any intention of honoring the deal. It would make much more sense to string you along to further his own goals until you're not useful to him and then dispose of you. I'm sorry all of this has happened to you. I'll do what I can to make it right."
Orion listened to Astro Girl's outburst silently, arms resting on his knees. He didn't pass judgement on her, he respected her too much for that. When she and Technical had finished, he looked up, and held his eyes with her. Despite his fair features, as Carol Ronan looked deep into those ice blue irises, she realised how old they were, how much they had seen. He smiled, sadly.
"I wish that you were the only person in this room with such blood on your hands, Carol. But you are not. I will neither apologise nor pride myself in that. But I do understand."
Nobody spoke for a moment.
"We will all investigate this matter, young lady. You have my word on that. One can be a criminal and a victim both, and as your people say, justice is blind." He stood up. "I would advise that you allow my comrade here to carry out his tests and scans. He is well versed in such matters, and will not discomfort you. In the mean time, I suggest that you use your legal right to apply to my embassy for asylum. Even if I granted it, you would not be released by your own authorities, but such an act would allow my office access to a degree of information on your status."
He gave her a grave look. If Ronan's accusations were true, she would be wise to be concerned with disappearing forever into a US government facility, though saying such explicitly in this place would be foolish. Better to imply, and provide a solution. "Of course, as ambassador, you can apply to me directly and verbally. I will also see what I can do to arrange you legal representation if you have none, of course."
Orion spoke quietly, but he was angered by even the hint of betrayal. The RSRU were supposed to protect these people. They were supposed to show honour and courage, not bend the knee to fear and become what they fought. Fierce and noble warriors, brought low by machinations and lies. He would plunge into these shadows and light it with fire and lightning, were it needed. Let cowards prattle, righteousness cared not for lines on a map.
"Glyph, yes, I've heard the name," I say cautiously. I've more than heard the name--I've had to clean up his messes on more than one occasion. He fancies himself a master magician, but Glyph is more like a kid with a lighter. One of these days he's going to burn the whole house down.
She wondered if she was so angry at Wildfire because she had nearly created thousands of victims, or was she upset because it was as close as Astro Girl had come to feeling her own mortality. Certainly she had been scared before - like when she carried that bomb into the sky earlier. Then AG had been hit by tank and mortar fire before and was pretty sure she would be okay. She was always afraid one day she might take a hit that was just too much but it never happened. This time, though, when the carrier landed on her and she fell into unconsciousness, she was certain it was over. And where had Orion been when the carrier landed on her? He was nowhere to be found. She remembered bolting out in front of the burning wreckage just before it hit the ground. She shuddered and squeaked, then embarassedly covered her mouth. AG hoped noone else had heard that.
"It can never be as it was." Deciduous wasn't sure how to describe it. Sadness mixed with regret? It would be so simple to go back, to be obedient and unquestioning of Father. To no longer have to try and integrate with the meat, give up on understanding all the ridiculous little items that they all found so important for no decipherable reason. Maybe it was a bit of guilt for considering it even for a second, guilt that Deciduous wanted to remove his new understanding in any way.
Deciduous knew it could never return, that its understanding of choice and sacrifice for others would never allow it to return. But there could still be a way to bring Father with it.
"Father, whatever may come, it can be stopped. There are others, creatures with abilities who fight tirelessly, who sacrifice all to protect Titan and all inside. Father could be one of those creatures, could stand up to this fire and protect all that lives. It would not be easy, but I have met those that would accept the effort, who would defend the belief that Flytrap could change. Let this danger be stopped together."
Carol shrugged as she allowed Technical to begin scanning her. "I don't have anything to hide, besides I'm probably going to spend the rest of my life in prison anyway. The least I can do is make sure that Hale ends up rotting in a cell too."
Orion's offer seemed to confuse Wildfire, and Technical's readings indicated a sudden surge of anxiety and suspicion in her. "Why would you do that for me? I just told you I don't have evidence to prove any of this and I don't think anyone is going to take my word for it."
Yes destoryah, Technical can use his body language scanner to try and detect whether or not Wildifie is trying to deceive our heroes, but according to his scans it appears that she is telling the truth.
Sapphire Sorceress
"Excellent, then you'll already know that he's amassed a small fortune selling magical objects to the criminals." Ratash dabbed a napkin at the corners of his mouth wiping away the grease and crumbs that he'd smeared there during his meal. Standing up from the table he slipped the knife he'd used to butter his toast into his pant's pocket. "I propose that we relieve him from one such object, something that will make it impossible for the Soulsworn or anyone else to locate me unless I wish them to."
GM of M&M "And Justice For All."
GM of Dresden Files Low Life
GM of Star Wars Sagas Into the Unknown
GM of Star Wars Sagas Lost Hope- Concluded
GM of Star Wars Sagas the Dark Times- Concluded.
GM of Star Wars Sagas Jabba's Palace- Concluded due to injury.
Bart Allen/ The Flash in M&M Metropolis- Concluded.
Koyi Disturbances in the Force- Concluded.
Jessup Owlbeard Forge of the Dawn Titan- Withdrawn due to injury.
Sal Mander In the Shadow of Zeus- Concluded.
Zevoto in Out in the Black- Withdrawn due to injury.
GM of Wyvern Watch
Berru Secune in Rise of the Jedi
"Just ask her where we can find Mechanism, already," AG nearly snarled. When no one came to let her out from the cell, she punches the door hard enough to dent it. Astro Girl could have busted the door hard enough to send it flying off its hinges and through the next couple walls into the waters surrounding the prison. At least she was showing a measure of restraint. "Mechanism claimed to have the evidence. We take down Mechanism, provided he wasn't lying to her, we get the evidence against Hale."
Pre-emptive roll to see if she is telling the truth.
Orion frowned, and looked over his shoulder. He didn't think that Astro Girl would hurt a prisoner who had surrendered, but he was worried about her. She was usually far less aggressive, and clearly something had shaken even her spirit. It was not easy, he reminded himself, for even the strongest will to resist the great emotional weight of constant struggle. He would not inquire without invitation, though. Doing so could do far more harm than good. As a child, he remembered his siblings' well-meaning interest in his well-being to oft-time be more frustrating than alleviating. When the blood quickened, it was better to let it run it's course than to try and divert or cool the flow. He hoped the guards would arrive soon to let her out of the room.
Turned back, Orion gently placed his arms on the table, fingers steepled, and observed the woman lying in the bed keenly. To her, he looked strange, as beautiful as one could possibly be and yet somehow possessed of features to sharp to be human, eyes too bright to be mortal, a voice too clear to belong to someone from the mundane world most people had always known. It was if a glamour had been lifted, the laughing celebrity of the chat shows and the news interview cast aside in favour of a semi-divine heritage older than any civilization she knew. "There are many oaths which I have sworn, young lady. One of them is to uphold the honour and spirit of the law, and by the law, your accusations cannot be simply cast aside. Whatever the source, the truth must be determined. It is my duty to investigate this alleged crime, even should it turn to be as insubstantial as the dawn mist. And as my companion states, Mechanism is the clear path. Tell us what you know of him and his lair, so that we may unravel his plot, whatever that might be."
Technical looked up from his scanner readouts. "I agree, Mechanism is the true threat and needs to be taken down." He shut down his scanners. "I've got all the data I can here but I'll need a little time to analyze it."
"I don't know all that much about Mechanism, he never trusted me with too much information about his plans. We've always met at different locations and he's only communicated through those holograms of his." Wildfire seemed to think hard trying to come up with some piece of information that she could offer the heroes."I was supposed to rendezvous with him on the roof of Red Moon Plastics after we brought down the airship."
Deciduous
A yellow light shimmered over Flytrap and his form became distorted, twisting and reshaping itself. His greenish skin and tattered clothes were replaced with copper colored armor and a long purple cape that trailed down to within an inch of the floor. Purple gems bulged out of his eyes and a hawkish mask swept across his face. Mechanism rose from the floor and pointed his finger at Deciduous, the digit began to glow brighter and brighter until it was like a beacon. "I thought one of you might try to follow Oranguman, but I had been hoping to face Technical. Please don't take this personally but I can't allow you to interfere with my plans any longer."
Roll for initiative!
Sapphire Sorceress
"Its a small blue sphere, it should be small enough to fit in the palm of your hand." Ratash traced the rough dimensions of an invisible object in midair with his hands. Making his way out of the restaurant onto the largely unoccupied street outside he turned and started walking. "It's what's known as a phantom orb. Whoever holds one becomes impossible to track by any means, they cannot be found unless they wish it. They are extraordinarily rare and difficult to create."
GM of M&M "And Justice For All."
GM of Dresden Files Low Life
GM of Star Wars Sagas Into the Unknown
GM of Star Wars Sagas Lost Hope- Concluded
GM of Star Wars Sagas the Dark Times- Concluded.
GM of Star Wars Sagas Jabba's Palace- Concluded due to injury.
Bart Allen/ The Flash in M&M Metropolis- Concluded.
Koyi Disturbances in the Force- Concluded.
Jessup Owlbeard Forge of the Dawn Titan- Withdrawn due to injury.
Sal Mander In the Shadow of Zeus- Concluded.
Zevoto in Out in the Black- Withdrawn due to injury.
GM of Wyvern Watch
Berru Secune in Rise of the Jedi
Taking on the form of Father, stumbling into a civilian's place of business, and offering the chance to rejoin the estranged parent. All clearly calculated to breed confusion and disorient the opponent. On a creature of flesh, controlled by hormones, it may have done just that. But Deciduous did not have a heart so easily swayed. Yet, the image of Father had caused defenses to be lowered. The green guardian was a bit slow in its response.
"No insult taken. A hostile who routinely harms others would behave exactly this way."
Clicking the earpiece it had been given so long ago [though actually it had been just the other day, before all this madness began] Deciduous gave a calm account to any on the frequency.
"Mechanism at 2456 Browning St in flower shop. Immediate back-up for one called Deciduous, engaging presently."
"If he's already heard of your capture, I'm sure we wouldn't find him there or it'd be nothing but a deathtrap, but it's a lead nonetheless. Thank you."
Orion stood up. "Then we do not have time to waste tarrying here. I will do as I said, Carol, but for now we must go. Our foe is receding from our grasp even as I speak." He frowned, noting the change of Astro Girl's tone from angry to questioning. That did seem odd, though the facility staff may just be busy elsewhere.
It was time to cut this interview to an end, however. He dearly hoped that Carol could be brought round to understanding that what she had done was wrong, and that there were other ways to seek justice. Those with the power to defend others were few and far between in a world where mortal men found themselves against superhuman fire and strength. Her qualities were misplaced, but will and courage could always be turned to the betterment of others. There was no going back, only moving forward.
Besides, the look in her eye as she had spoken of the injustice heaped upon her had belied an anger which few beings could truly comprehend. Though not of such origins, Orion understood how she felt. With the power of Gaea, came her fury as well, for the wild world could be as terrifying as it could be beautiful...
Posts
"Based on the mindset behind the suit, I don't think anything good. if it has the same sort of reaction to tampering and extrapolating from the suit's probable destructive potential ..."
His mind worked through the math, "It varies depending on the exact size, of course, but a single person spacecraft made by the same culture that made that jumpsuit could have an explosive potential anywhere from 10 megatons to 1 gigaton."
"If it exploded, someone would notice." He said wryly. "Though by much the same logic, by containing that much energy, it should be traceable. Assuming it isn't in a heavily shielded vault somewhere."
He looked over at the waiting hornet helicopter, "I can look into the matter after we get back from Glass Island. With all that's going on, we can't afford to divide ourselves too thinly. I want to focus on Wildfire and the Tech-Master connection."
"...what if it uses an energy source Earthlings aren't familiar with?" Astro Girl spoke softly.
Her face pinched slightly and she rubbed the bridge of her nose. Astro Girl's headache had returned. Maybe it had never left but only been forgotten about in the terror and excitement. It felt like a hot pressure behind her eyes. She was begin to reconsider calling this one a good day.
Technical didn't seem to understand - she wasn't an idiot. If something with that much explosive yield had gone off the entire world would have know even if it hadn't been nuclear winter. But that wasn't what she was worried about. The pod had been destroyed in the crash, which left her injured and wandering their planet. It was rendered totally inoperable. Her real concern was that whoever took it might be trying to put it back together. And if they succeed at that then it could be disaster. They had already had years to work on it. A yield like that was potentially apocalyptic. Technical, secure in his own powers of deductive reasoning, seemed unconcerned. Humans had the worst self-destructive behavoir, she swears to herself. She knew him well enough to know that there was no way to change his priorities - he could be down right obstinate. Still, his idea to trace the energy source might work, if it was tracable.
"Fine, let's go do this quickly then," Astro Girl glowered.
She stuffs the suit back into the bag and moves to climb into the helicopter. When the pilot asks her to put her safety belt on she gives him a partially-confused, partially-annoyed look. Remember who Astro Girl is he turns away and clears his throat, switching the engines on for take-off. He might not have deserved that, AG thought to herself. Staring out the window she held on to the boutique bag, wondering if the suit may contain other secrets or dangers she wasn't aware of.
Glass Island Maximum Security Prison
The interior of the hornet was extremely cramped and bare of any sort of creature comforts, but at least it was fast. Minutes after taking off they were soaring high above the harbor and then out over the coast where Glass Island loomed like something out of a dream or a nightmare. The island itself was barren of any structure except for the prison itself, its shores were nothing more than empty sand broken only by the occasional jagged rock. The roiling surf beneath them churned jagged bits of shell and refuse onto the shore, but the prison was far more interesting. Concrete turrets and swooping walls rose from the sand and towered many stories into the air. It looked more like a sodden sand castle than a maximum security prison, and the windowless structure betray no sign of the thousands of souls imprisoned within its walls.
Lighting suddenly streaked across the sky and thunder roared into the darkness like an angry god. The hornet trembled as raindrops started pattering across the windows spilling down the side of the helicopter. "Damned storms! Better buckle in back there unless you're bulletproof, this could get a little bit dicey." The pilot flipped a few switches on the control panel in front of him while the helicopter started shuddering violently.
Shouting into the microphone that'd been built into his helmet the pilot guided the helicopter steadily downward landing on a helicopter pad on top of the prison itself. A man wearing a brought orange sweater beneath a heavy black coat opened the helicopter door while the blades continued spinning overhead. He was smiling and holding a black umbrella that seemed immune to the strong winds and the heavy rains that were assaulting the landing pad. Although he was mostly bald a few small white hairs that had been cropped very closed stood out against his skin.
He nodded to each of the heroes as the slipped out of the helicopter. "Technical, Astro Girl, Prince Orion I must say this is quite an honor. We don't have many guests out here, at least not ones who aren't bound in chains. I am Mr. Wisp, and I'll be accompanying you during your visit today. Before we go any further I must warn you that the security of this prison cannot be put at risk for any reason. So if you threaten that security I won't hesitate to destroy any of you."
Turning on his heel he ushered them out of the gale through a heavy steel door and onto the uppermost landing of a flight of concrete steps. He shook off his umbrella once they were inside and pulled the door shut behind them. In the dimly lit stairway the steady drip of rainwater falling off of Mr. Wisp's umbrella seemed eerily loud. Bounding down the steps two at a time he lead them through a circuitous"Wildfire is being in held in our medical ward at the moment, her injuries were minor and she's already received treatment. There are detectives from the Titan Police Department speaking with her at this very moment. They quite seemed eager to begin interrogating her."
Mr. Wisp stopped at the bottom of the stairs and fished out a long string of what looked like antique keys. He held each of the keys up one after another until he found the right one, inserted it into the door in front of them, and pushed the door open. Stepping aside Mr. Wisp ushered them inside. "I'd join you but I don't care for the medical ward, the smell of antiseptic plays havoc on my sinuses. When you're ready to leave just knock and I'll be along to collect you."
Beyond the doorway a tiled room with a high wood paneled ceiling. Beds dressed with white sheets and dull green blankets lined he walls each of them resting beneath an enormous barred window the offered an expansive view of an entirely different place. One seemed to open out onto the harbor but it showed no sign of the storm raging beyond these walls, looking beyond one Astro Girl saw and endless sea of stars, glancing out of another Technical saw a mountain. Curtains had been pulled around a number of the beds that they passed, presumably to give their occupants some privacy while they recovered.
It took them nearly ten minutes to walk down the seemingly endless infirmary before they found the woman they had come to question. Wildfire was no longer aflame, and the young blonde woman with handcuffs around both of her wrists looked pale and defeated. A pair of men were standing alongside of her bed, one was pale and heavyset while the other was black and thin. The heavyset man was eating food off of a plastic tray, the absence of a tray on the table next to Wildfire's bed suggested that it had been her own. However the second detective was pacing in front of her bed turning his head back and forth so that his gaze was always on the injured villain. "I want to know what Mechanism is planning Laura. I know you're working with him. Tell me something and maybe I can fix this for you so that you'll see the light of day again before you're too old to enjoy it."
Wildfire stared at the detective blankly for a moment before he kicked the foot of her bed making her jump. Reaching inside of his pocket he pulled out a slender band the color of copper, Wildfire's eyes went wide as she stared at it. "You know what this is don't you? It's a soldium collar, there's not enough of this stuff on the planet to fill a bathtub but the prison has three of these. We put this on you and you're powers are gone. Snuffed out like a candle. Maybe we'll let you try it on and then we can toss you in with the general population for a few hours."
Dresden Files RPG- Dumb Luck
Playing Phillip Hess in Motor City Blues
GM of Dresden Files Low Life
GM of Star Wars Sagas Into the Unknown
GM of Star Wars Sagas Lost Hope- Concluded
GM of Star Wars Sagas the Dark Times- Concluded.
GM of Star Wars Sagas Jabba's Palace- Concluded due to injury.
Bart Allen/ The Flash in M&M Metropolis- Concluded.
Koyi Disturbances in the Force- Concluded.
Jessup Owlbeard Forge of the Dawn Titan- Withdrawn due to injury.
Sal Mander In the Shadow of Zeus- Concluded.
Zevoto in Out in the Black- Withdrawn due to injury.
GM of Wyvern Watch
Berru Secune in Rise of the Jedi
There was no need to shout, bluster, or make a fuss. The meaning was clear. Wildfire wasn't going to be hurled to the mercy of violent criminals and that was the end of it. If you wanted to judge someone's virtue, you watched how they treated their prisoners. Orion would not sink so low, and he would not permit it to be done either. If the Commander wanted them to intercede, then he would get exactly that, like it or not.
It was harder than he'd have thought to feign ignorance of these hallways and be lead to the infirmary. The infirmary itself brought back some memories of volunteer shifts assisting the doctors and nurses, of a stint in a bed after a bad lab accident.
As they finally reached Wildfire's bed, Technical stood aside and folded his arms. He had his own questions for and about Wildfire but they could wait for the moment.
"Trust me, Holly Weird. You are powerful and creative but you are not ready to face the King."
"Well, then I guess we need to figure out a Plan B. The floor is open."
Seeing the officer taunt and threaten Wildfire reminded her of her own cruel treatment upon arriving in Titan. Frightened and hungry, she must have torn through more then thirty RSRU officers when they stormed her hospital bed five years ago to take her away. And for what? Because she was different - special even. She might have understood if she was somehow monstrous in appearance. But that wasn't the case - by all accounts she appeared to be a totally nonthreatening Earth girl. Well, the flightsuit in the bag she carried may have had something to do with it. But that was besides the point. Wildfire may have done monstrous, horrible things, but this treatment makes only monsters of us all.
"Officers, in case Prince Orion wasn't clear enough... Torture will not be tolerate and I will personally report you to your superiors," Astro Girl said matter-of-factly.
"This is why freaks shouldn't be allowed in interrogations." The detective slid the soldium collar back inside of his coat and stalked past Astro Girl, his partner set down the empty plastic tray and ambled after him. "You've got ten minutes to ask your questions. If you freaks don't get something useful we try it my way."
Wildfire watched the detectives until they rounded the corner and passed out of sight, then she pulled her thin blankets further up until she was covered. "Thanks."
Dresden Files RPG- Dumb Luck
Playing Phillip Hess in Motor City Blues
GM of Dresden Files Low Life
GM of Star Wars Sagas Into the Unknown
GM of Star Wars Sagas Lost Hope- Concluded
GM of Star Wars Sagas the Dark Times- Concluded.
GM of Star Wars Sagas Jabba's Palace- Concluded due to injury.
Bart Allen/ The Flash in M&M Metropolis- Concluded.
Koyi Disturbances in the Force- Concluded.
Jessup Owlbeard Forge of the Dawn Titan- Withdrawn due to injury.
Sal Mander In the Shadow of Zeus- Concluded.
Zevoto in Out in the Black- Withdrawn due to injury.
GM of Wyvern Watch
Berru Secune in Rise of the Jedi
Picking up the buttery slice of toast Ratash folded it in half and took a large bite. "I intend to let the soulsworn have me."
Holly waited for him to continue speaking, but all he did was crunch away on his toast. "What am I missing here?"
"These creatures are tireless, deadly, and utterly devoted to their master. She won't stop hunting me until I am dead and after such a long life I find I don't have to stomach to be chased down and gutted. I would rather face my end with all the dignity that the son of a god should." Brushing away the crumbs on his hands Ratash scattered more of the bits of burned bread onto the table.
Dresden Files RPG- Dumb Luck
Playing Phillip Hess in Motor City Blues
GM of Dresden Files Low Life
GM of Star Wars Sagas Into the Unknown
GM of Star Wars Sagas Lost Hope- Concluded
GM of Star Wars Sagas the Dark Times- Concluded.
GM of Star Wars Sagas Jabba's Palace- Concluded due to injury.
Bart Allen/ The Flash in M&M Metropolis- Concluded.
Koyi Disturbances in the Force- Concluded.
Jessup Owlbeard Forge of the Dawn Titan- Withdrawn due to injury.
Sal Mander In the Shadow of Zeus- Concluded.
Zevoto in Out in the Black- Withdrawn due to injury.
GM of Wyvern Watch
Berru Secune in Rise of the Jedi
"No, you won't," Astro Girl glares at the two men as they leave.
When Wildfire speaks to her, she snaps her eyes straight forward at her. "Don't you thank me," Astro Girl's brow furrowed. She moves in then leans over Wildfire's bedside. She looks Wildfire straight in the eyes with her own angry, pupil-less green eyes. Most found their exotic nature alluring. Right now they appeared unnerving and unnatural - as though AG could almost literally see right through Wildfire. They almost seemed to glow faintly. "You're angry at the RSRU for something. Believe me I get it. When I arrived on your planet I was frightened, alone and hungry. I needed help. What I got from the Titan RSRU was clubs, tranquilizers, and bullets.
"What I didn't do was nearly kill thousands of people - each of them someone elses friend, lover, sibling, child, or parent - to hurt a small few. If that blimp had hit that building... With your gift you could have become one of the best examples your species has to offer." She stands straight up with a disappointed sigh, with her hand on her cocked hip. "I stopped them because if they hurt you, they would have crossed the line between right and wrong. They should be better than that."
She turns her back on Wildfire then Astro Girl moves to the far wall, leaning against the doorframe. AG crosses her arms and examines her nails. "Hurry and ask your questions, guys. I have nothing good to say to her."
He looked back to Wildfire. "I want to know why." He said. "Why you hate the RSRU enough to cause a disaster that could've killed thousands. It's obvious you thought you had reason enough to commit mass-murder. I think you said; 'I've been dreaming of burning this thing to the ground for years, and I'd really appreciate it if you'd stop screwing that up for me.' Is there any specific reason, or just a childhood hatred of blimps?"
"Until five years ago I was a member of the R.S.R.U. in fact I was one of the first officers transitioned from the Titan Police Department when Mayor Hardwick established it."
"What's Project Athena?" Technical asked.
"Commander Hale wanted to enhance members of the R.S.R.U. so they would gain telepathic abilities. He wanted a group of metahumans that were under his control, but the project would never have been approved. The purposeful creation of metahumans for a peacekeeping task force could set off a superhuman arms race, so Hale did everything in his power to make sure no one ever found out what he was doing."
Rolling up her sleeve Wildfire revealed a small scar on her arm. "He chose five of us for the project, we were all told we'd be testing a vaccine to treat radiation poisoning. I spent the next two weeks puking into a bucket with a non-stop migraine before they started to see any positive results, but instead of telepathy I exhibited pyrokenisis. Once I realized what they'd done I confronted Hale, he had the decency not to lie about it to my face."
Pulling her sleeve Wildfire glanced out of a nearby window at an expanse of frozen wasteland. "The project was scrapped after that and all of us wound up in cells. I was locked away for five years in R.S.R.U. headquarters. When I finally managed to escape Hale created falsified reports tying me to a string of arsons so that no one would believe anything I said.
The handcuffs restraining Wildifre began to glow bright red then melted into a puddle of molten metal on the floor. "The people on that airship used to be my friends, co-workers, and my family Astro Girl. None of them did anything to help me for five years, in the end they were only my captors. Does that answer your question?"
Deciduous
For several blocks following the trail that'd been left of Oranguman and his creation proved to be a simple matter. Witnesses pointed Deciduous in the direction of the simian scientist, one particularly irate man offered a detailed account of how the flying apes had descended on his fruit stand like a swarm of locusts.
Deciduous was slipping across a rooftop intent on its search when a large potted plant crashed through the window of a flower shop on the street below. The fern's pot shattered on the sidewalk spilling dirt and shards of broken glass onto the concrete. An extremely tall man wearing a tattered trench coat stood inside of the store struggling to catch his breath. His green tinged skin was slick with sweat and he swayed dangerously as he rounded on the clerk towering behind the countertop.
"Don't hurt me!" The shopkeeper pressed a button on the cash register next to him opening the drawer and setting it on the counter. "Please, just take the money and go."
Flytrap swept his hand across the counter knocking the drawer across the floor, coins clattered loudly as they went rolling in every direction. Seizing the shopkeeper by the front of his shirt Flytrap hauled him over the counter and hurled him across the store. Drywall crumpled when the man struck the wall and Flytrap advanced on him. "You think this is about money?!"
The villain started gathering up as many plants as he could carry whispering to them urgently.
Dresden Files RPG- Dumb Luck
Playing Phillip Hess in Motor City Blues
GM of Dresden Files Low Life
GM of Star Wars Sagas Into the Unknown
GM of Star Wars Sagas Lost Hope- Concluded
GM of Star Wars Sagas the Dark Times- Concluded.
GM of Star Wars Sagas Jabba's Palace- Concluded due to injury.
Bart Allen/ The Flash in M&M Metropolis- Concluded.
Koyi Disturbances in the Force- Concluded.
Jessup Owlbeard Forge of the Dawn Titan- Withdrawn due to injury.
Sal Mander In the Shadow of Zeus- Concluded.
Zevoto in Out in the Black- Withdrawn due to injury.
GM of Wyvern Watch
Berru Secune in Rise of the Jedi
"I cannot take away the pain and humiliation you have suffered, and I do not pretend to be able to. I cannot simply free you from this place based on words alone, and I do not pretend to be able to do that either. What I can do is tell you that we are here to help, not to castigate. These allegations are very serious indeed and you can be assured that we will get to the heart of the matter, but to do so we will need your help." He took a cup of water from the table and passed it to her.
"Drink deeply, and take a moment to center yourself. I will gladly listen to whatever you have to say, your anger and grief do not fall on deaf ears, but we must know more before we can act. Please, why not tell me your name? I only have the moniker given to you by your captors, and I see that it ill fits you, for Wildfire is indiscriminate where your rage is righteous."
He looked at Wildfire, "I'll spare you any platitudes. But whatever you can tell Orion can help us and you." He turned and walked over to Astro Girl. Let Orion talk with Wildfire, no doubt he was better with people.
He leaned against the wall next to Astro Girl, folding his arms.
Behind that visor she could feel Technical's disappointed look. "What?" Astro Girl pursed her lips. "I'm sorry if I have little sympathy someone who has zero repentance for nearly killing thousands of innocent people."
She hmphs and turns away from him, back against the wall with her arms crossed. Astro Girl could feel Technical's eyes boring straight through her. Or maybe that was just her own guilt eating away at her. Truth was she did feel some sympathy for Wildfire's story - in some ways it mirrored her own. If Hale had truly gone so far then he needed to be shutdown, but how can she trust someone like Wildfire?
"Fine," Astro Girl grunted.
She moved back to the other side of the room, standing behind Orion. "There is nothing righteous about nearly killing thousands of people who had nothing to do with it. You don't exactly have the most credibility. The lack of concern for innocents doesn't help. Worse, by destroying the RSRU headquarters you may have destroyed vital evidence. No one is going to believe you.
"So you have to tell us how to prove your story. Where did it happen? Who were the other test subjects? Where are the records kept? That sort of thing."
Even with the trench-coat, Flytraps gait and stature made him instantly recognizable to Deciduous. Knowing its father's predilections, Deciduous hurriedly moves to control the scene.
Stepping through the broken window, it sees the cowering show owner and its father gathering specimens.
"This crisis is currently being handled. It would be best to vacate the immediate area until the proper authorities arrive."
Looking between the two towering figures, the clerk doesn't even waste a breath to ask what's going on. He simply turns tail. Whether he thought Deciduous meant to protect him or was trying to help Flytrap, either way he didn't want to spend another second with two freaks in his shop. Deciduous was fairly certain the man was more afraid of it than Father, but anything to avoid further harm.
"Father, no further hostile actions needed. In fact, further harm can be averted."
His muttering falls silent, and Flytrap turns upon his former creation. "Harm? Harm! How is it possible that elevating the writhing mass of meat that is society can be anything but transcendent! Small minds try to contain it, corrupt officials attempt to stop it, but this hive of human waste will be made strong and united, even if I have to drag this meat pile kicking and screaming to its utopia. Now grab a ficus and help me carry these specimens home."
"Father, this is not the way," pleaded Deciduous, " There are others who wish to help humanity as well. Perhaps, with combined efforts, the vision of unity can be reached. But not this way, not through harmful experiments that leave individuals in pain. Please, just stop."
A glimmer of hope stirs in the great plant creature as it sees its Father begin to put down the plants.
"Well, I'm not ready to give up my first minion," I say. "With or without your power you've known and forgotten more than I could ever imagine. So I'm not going to let you jump on a sword just yet."
Wildfire took the glass of water Orion offered her drinking it quickly and then handing it back to the prince. "My name is Carol Ronan."
Shooting an irritated look at Astro Girl Wildfire tried to sit up, winced and brought her arm up to cradle her wounded side. Hissing through gritted teeth she struggled to regain her breath as she spoke. "Don't you think if I had any kind of proof that would hold up under scrutiny I would've gone to the authorities a long time ago? That's why I agreed to work with Mechanism. He said he could provide me with all of the evidence I'd need to bury Hale, and the locations of the other test subjects from Project Athena."
"Mechanism needed the R.S.R.U. out of the way for whatever he's got planned. He would have sent someone else in my place if I'd refused to go. That's why I set so many fires on board after we split up. There alarms gave most of crew plenty of time to escape, but I won't lie, I did take a great deal of pleasure in thoroughly scorching my old cell." Some of the righteous anger that had been quelled in the aftermath of her attack echoed in her last words.
Dresden Files RPG- Dumb Luck
Playing Phillip Hess in Motor City Blues
GM of Dresden Files Low Life
GM of Star Wars Sagas Into the Unknown
GM of Star Wars Sagas Lost Hope- Concluded
GM of Star Wars Sagas the Dark Times- Concluded.
GM of Star Wars Sagas Jabba's Palace- Concluded due to injury.
Bart Allen/ The Flash in M&M Metropolis- Concluded.
Koyi Disturbances in the Force- Concluded.
Jessup Owlbeard Forge of the Dawn Titan- Withdrawn due to injury.
Sal Mander In the Shadow of Zeus- Concluded.
Zevoto in Out in the Black- Withdrawn due to injury.
GM of Wyvern Watch
Berru Secune in Rise of the Jedi
Flytrap sagged down onto the floor like a puppet whose strings had suddenly been cut. "It's too late for that I'm afraid. Far, far too late. Titan will burn and everything green will wither and die." Flytrap heaved himself off of the floor in a burst of manic energy and seized Deciduous by the shoulders. "But you and I can still escape! We can flee together and rebuild elsewhere, it can be just like it was before you left me."
Dresden Files RPG- Dumb Luck
Playing Phillip Hess in Motor City Blues
GM of Dresden Files Low Life
GM of Star Wars Sagas Into the Unknown
GM of Star Wars Sagas Lost Hope- Concluded
GM of Star Wars Sagas the Dark Times- Concluded.
GM of Star Wars Sagas Jabba's Palace- Concluded due to injury.
Bart Allen/ The Flash in M&M Metropolis- Concluded.
Koyi Disturbances in the Force- Concluded.
Jessup Owlbeard Forge of the Dawn Titan- Withdrawn due to injury.
Sal Mander In the Shadow of Zeus- Concluded.
Zevoto in Out in the Black- Withdrawn due to injury.
GM of Wyvern Watch
Berru Secune in Rise of the Jedi
"In that case we are left with only one option." Ratash paused as a waitress approached their table refilling his cup of coffee and setting his check down on the edge of the table. She didn't linger and once she was out of earshot the son of Xastur pressed on. "I presume that you are familiar with a sorcerer calling himself Glyph who lives in this very city are you not?"
Dresden Files RPG- Dumb Luck
Playing Phillip Hess in Motor City Blues
GM of Dresden Files Low Life
GM of Star Wars Sagas Into the Unknown
GM of Star Wars Sagas Lost Hope- Concluded
GM of Star Wars Sagas the Dark Times- Concluded.
GM of Star Wars Sagas Jabba's Palace- Concluded due to injury.
Bart Allen/ The Flash in M&M Metropolis- Concluded.
Koyi Disturbances in the Force- Concluded.
Jessup Owlbeard Forge of the Dawn Titan- Withdrawn due to injury.
Sal Mander In the Shadow of Zeus- Concluded.
Zevoto in Out in the Black- Withdrawn due to injury.
GM of Wyvern Watch
Berru Secune in Rise of the Jedi
"So you have no evidence, no leads, and you're only connection is a terrorist who has been threatening the city all morning?" AG mused annoyedly, rolling her eyes with a sigh. "And you've still shown zero remorse for threatening all those innocents.
"Whatever. I'm done with her. She has less humanity than I do. You can keep wasting your time on her if you want, Orion."
Astro Girl walked over to the door and banged on it. Folding her arms she waited for the officers to let her out.
He subvocalized, just in case Astro Girl's superhuman hearing could pick up his words, "People do stupid and terrible things when they think they're backed into a corner and have no other choice. You don't have to agree with her actions or even like her, but you could cut her a little slack."
He turned back to Ms. Ronan. "If what you say is true Ms. Ronan, there should be some evidence or sign of the electronic tampering to your profile. I can look and see if I can find any discrepancy or error in your record." For that matter, scanning her or looking into R.S.R.U records could reveal some proof of this illicit metahuman enhancement project. "With your permission, I could also run some more scans of your body, it could help prove your story."
He paused for a moment, "I can't really judge you for working with Mechanism. I'd probably have done the same thing in your position, but I think it unlikely he had any intention of honoring the deal. It would make much more sense to string you along to further his own goals until you're not useful to him and then dispose of you. I'm sorry all of this has happened to you. I'll do what I can to make it right."
"I wish that you were the only person in this room with such blood on your hands, Carol. But you are not. I will neither apologise nor pride myself in that. But I do understand."
Nobody spoke for a moment.
"We will all investigate this matter, young lady. You have my word on that. One can be a criminal and a victim both, and as your people say, justice is blind." He stood up. "I would advise that you allow my comrade here to carry out his tests and scans. He is well versed in such matters, and will not discomfort you. In the mean time, I suggest that you use your legal right to apply to my embassy for asylum. Even if I granted it, you would not be released by your own authorities, but such an act would allow my office access to a degree of information on your status."
He gave her a grave look. If Ronan's accusations were true, she would be wise to be concerned with disappearing forever into a US government facility, though saying such explicitly in this place would be foolish. Better to imply, and provide a solution. "Of course, as ambassador, you can apply to me directly and verbally. I will also see what I can do to arrange you legal representation if you have none, of course."
Orion spoke quietly, but he was angered by even the hint of betrayal. The RSRU were supposed to protect these people. They were supposed to show honour and courage, not bend the knee to fear and become what they fought. Fierce and noble warriors, brought low by machinations and lies. He would plunge into these shadows and light it with fire and lightning, were it needed. Let cowards prattle, righteousness cared not for lines on a map.
She wondered if she was so angry at Wildfire because she had nearly created thousands of victims, or was she upset because it was as close as Astro Girl had come to feeling her own mortality. Certainly she had been scared before - like when she carried that bomb into the sky earlier. Then AG had been hit by tank and mortar fire before and was pretty sure she would be okay. She was always afraid one day she might take a hit that was just too much but it never happened. This time, though, when the carrier landed on her and she fell into unconsciousness, she was certain it was over. And where had Orion been when the carrier landed on her? He was nowhere to be found. She remembered bolting out in front of the burning wreckage just before it hit the ground. She shuddered and squeaked, then embarassedly covered her mouth. AG hoped noone else had heard that.
Deciduous knew it could never return, that its understanding of choice and sacrifice for others would never allow it to return. But there could still be a way to bring Father with it.
"Father, whatever may come, it can be stopped. There are others, creatures with abilities who fight tirelessly, who sacrifice all to protect Titan and all inside. Father could be one of those creatures, could stand up to this fire and protect all that lives. It would not be easy, but I have met those that would accept the effort, who would defend the belief that Flytrap could change. Let this danger be stopped together."
Carol shrugged as she allowed Technical to begin scanning her. "I don't have anything to hide, besides I'm probably going to spend the rest of my life in prison anyway. The least I can do is make sure that Hale ends up rotting in a cell too."
Orion's offer seemed to confuse Wildfire, and Technical's readings indicated a sudden surge of anxiety and suspicion in her. "Why would you do that for me? I just told you I don't have evidence to prove any of this and I don't think anyone is going to take my word for it."
Sapphire Sorceress
"Excellent, then you'll already know that he's amassed a small fortune selling magical objects to the criminals." Ratash dabbed a napkin at the corners of his mouth wiping away the grease and crumbs that he'd smeared there during his meal. Standing up from the table he slipped the knife he'd used to butter his toast into his pant's pocket. "I propose that we relieve him from one such object, something that will make it impossible for the Soulsworn or anyone else to locate me unless I wish them to."
Dresden Files RPG- Dumb Luck
Playing Phillip Hess in Motor City Blues
GM of Dresden Files Low Life
GM of Star Wars Sagas Into the Unknown
GM of Star Wars Sagas Lost Hope- Concluded
GM of Star Wars Sagas the Dark Times- Concluded.
GM of Star Wars Sagas Jabba's Palace- Concluded due to injury.
Bart Allen/ The Flash in M&M Metropolis- Concluded.
Koyi Disturbances in the Force- Concluded.
Jessup Owlbeard Forge of the Dawn Titan- Withdrawn due to injury.
Sal Mander In the Shadow of Zeus- Concluded.
Zevoto in Out in the Black- Withdrawn due to injury.
GM of Wyvern Watch
Berru Secune in Rise of the Jedi
"Just ask her where we can find Mechanism, already," AG nearly snarled. When no one came to let her out from the cell, she punches the door hard enough to dent it. Astro Girl could have busted the door hard enough to send it flying off its hinges and through the next couple walls into the waters surrounding the prison. At least she was showing a measure of restraint. "Mechanism claimed to have the evidence. We take down Mechanism, provided he wasn't lying to her, we get the evidence against Hale."
Geth roll 1d20+8 for Insight
Turned back, Orion gently placed his arms on the table, fingers steepled, and observed the woman lying in the bed keenly. To her, he looked strange, as beautiful as one could possibly be and yet somehow possessed of features to sharp to be human, eyes too bright to be mortal, a voice too clear to belong to someone from the mundane world most people had always known. It was if a glamour had been lifted, the laughing celebrity of the chat shows and the news interview cast aside in favour of a semi-divine heritage older than any civilization she knew. "There are many oaths which I have sworn, young lady. One of them is to uphold the honour and spirit of the law, and by the law, your accusations cannot be simply cast aside. Whatever the source, the truth must be determined. It is my duty to investigate this alleged crime, even should it turn to be as insubstantial as the dawn mist. And as my companion states, Mechanism is the clear path. Tell us what you know of him and his lair, so that we may unravel his plot, whatever that might be."
"I don't know all that much about Mechanism, he never trusted me with too much information about his plans. We've always met at different locations and he's only communicated through those holograms of his." Wildfire seemed to think hard trying to come up with some piece of information that she could offer the heroes."I was supposed to rendezvous with him on the roof of Red Moon Plastics after we brought down the airship."
Deciduous
A yellow light shimmered over Flytrap and his form became distorted, twisting and reshaping itself. His greenish skin and tattered clothes were replaced with copper colored armor and a long purple cape that trailed down to within an inch of the floor. Purple gems bulged out of his eyes and a hawkish mask swept across his face. Mechanism rose from the floor and pointed his finger at Deciduous, the digit began to glow brighter and brighter until it was like a beacon. "I thought one of you might try to follow Oranguman, but I had been hoping to face Technical. Please don't take this personally but I can't allow you to interfere with my plans any longer."
Sapphire Sorceress
"Its a small blue sphere, it should be small enough to fit in the palm of your hand." Ratash traced the rough dimensions of an invisible object in midair with his hands. Making his way out of the restaurant onto the largely unoccupied street outside he turned and started walking. "It's what's known as a phantom orb. Whoever holds one becomes impossible to track by any means, they cannot be found unless they wish it. They are extraordinarily rare and difficult to create."
Dresden Files RPG- Dumb Luck
Playing Phillip Hess in Motor City Blues
GM of Dresden Files Low Life
GM of Star Wars Sagas Into the Unknown
GM of Star Wars Sagas Lost Hope- Concluded
GM of Star Wars Sagas the Dark Times- Concluded.
GM of Star Wars Sagas Jabba's Palace- Concluded due to injury.
Bart Allen/ The Flash in M&M Metropolis- Concluded.
Koyi Disturbances in the Force- Concluded.
Jessup Owlbeard Forge of the Dawn Titan- Withdrawn due to injury.
Sal Mander In the Shadow of Zeus- Concluded.
Zevoto in Out in the Black- Withdrawn due to injury.
GM of Wyvern Watch
Berru Secune in Rise of the Jedi
"No insult taken. A hostile who routinely harms others would behave exactly this way."
Clicking the earpiece it had been given so long ago [though actually it had been just the other day, before all this madness began] Deciduous gave a calm account to any on the frequency.
"Mechanism at 2456 Browning St in flower shop. Immediate back-up for one called Deciduous, engaging presently."
"Uhh guys... Why aren't they coming and opening the door?" AG puzzled.
It was time to cut this interview to an end, however. He dearly hoped that Carol could be brought round to understanding that what she had done was wrong, and that there were other ways to seek justice. Those with the power to defend others were few and far between in a world where mortal men found themselves against superhuman fire and strength. Her qualities were misplaced, but will and courage could always be turned to the betterment of others. There was no going back, only moving forward.
Besides, the look in her eye as she had spoken of the injustice heaped upon her had belied an anger which few beings could truly comprehend. Though not of such origins, Orion understood how she felt. With the power of Gaea, came her fury as well, for the wild world could be as terrifying as it could be beautiful...