No.3693
>Date: October 7th, 2017
>Location: Io - Moon of Jupiter
>Time: 10:30 AM [Relative to East Coast North America, Earth]
"You're sure that the signal came from here?"
>Looking around at the vast expanse of geographical fissures before them, Mechanicus then turns back as he continues speaking:
"Because if so, I'm not sure why I didn't detect this sooner."
>Kneeling down beside a large geological formation on the Jovian moon, Mosaic continues examining the soil with his Quantum Tuner device. The advanced multi-tool device beeps twice as it produces a holographic image in front of him.
"Positive. The signal was encrypted with qubits - and the Capsule only picked it up after I was finishing up some tuning with the transceiver nodes the other day. Once I did that, the TTC did the rest - decryption and all."
>Standing back up - Mosaic looks at the holographic projection; a large monolithic structure of unknown origin is present in the ground, deep beneath Io.
"Something tells me that we've stumbled onto a burial ground of sorts. Any idea of what kind?"
>Shaking his head, Mechanicus then taps the side of his helmet - thinking.
"We're going to need to examine the monolith structure up close, assuming that the Tuner's scans of it haven't detected anything hostile?"
>Mosaic shakes his head, stating:
"Nothing mechanistic or physics-based, no. Can't get any readings on hostile nano or picomaterial either. Seems to be fine so far."
>Nodding, Mechanicus then takes out his own quantum tuner - holding it up as it pulsates with a faint blue light.
"I trust that we're not interrupting any important business back home right now?"
>Mosaic places one hand in his coat's pocket as he continues directing a pulsating energy wave from his quantum tuner. It pulsates with a bright green light as he replies.
"Not really, no. Whatever this is - this is far more important."
No.3694
>>3693>As both of the Chronarchs use their Tuner devices, they're able to precisely and methodically hollow out the entirety of the large geological structure before them. After doing so, they then stand back and bare witness to a large technological structure. "Is that it? The artifact you detected?"
>Mechanicus asks as he looks up at the artifact, slowly looking at it. Beginning to walk towards it, he then notices the pulsating hum of orange light that is emanating from its center. The light seems to hum in synchronicity with the Tuner devices."It's resonating with the device. Doesn't that make it Thulcandran?"
>Nodding grimly, Mechanicus then says:"Yes, but that….shouldn't be possible. We're not from this universe. There shouldn't be any artifacts here unless…."
>Mosaic looks at Mechanicus, clearly coming to the same conclusion:"…..Unless we're not talking about linear time."
>The artifact then immediately begins blaring with a loud noise - despite the lack of an air-filled environment on the moon."It's generating an air pocket?! Oh no…This is a terraforming node!"
>Instinctively, Mechanicus points up his Tuner device again - quickly reconfiguring the device to deactivate. However, he's too late to stop an energy pulse from firing off - seemingly into the distance."It's signaling to something! We have to intercept-"
>Before Mechanicus can even speak, Mosaic is already rocketing into the air. Defying all conventional logic, he moves at immeasurable speeds. As he's able to literally see the radio-wave transmission moving through space - he then holds out his Quantum Tuner as he produces a resonance frequency. The resonance effect then completely erases the radio wave transmission.
>Looking back - Mosaic then stares face to face with the large planet of Jupiter. Though it's unable to affect him with its gravitational pull, Mosaic sighs as he looks at the Jovian planet."Even seeing you up close like this - you're a hell of force, Jupiter."
>Then Mosaic quickly flies back down to Io in an instant, landing beside Mechanicus. Flipping the Quantum Tuner in-between his glove's fingers, Mosaic then states:"Intercepted the signal. Whatever it was trying to reach - likely didn't get remotely activated."
>Mechanicus is standing away from the artifact still as he says:"Did you calculate the signal's trajectory to estimate a relative distance accounting for gravitational skew?"
>Scoffing, Mosaic then flips the Quantum Tuner into the air - catching it with his other hand without looking."Obviously. It's aimed at Ganymede. Whatever this is, it's clearly related to the rest of Jupiter's moons. All ninety-five of them."
>Silent for a moment, Mechanicus then widens his eyes as he says:"….We need to get off of this moon,
now."
No.3695
>>3694>Mosaic and Mechanicus then look over to see the artifact still non-functional. However, a series of rumblings occur from underneath the moon's surface. As the rumblings get stronger, larger fissures begin to appear on the surface of the moon."I don't like the sound of that."
"Neither do I. I'd say that's our cue to leave."
>As they both begin moving back towards Mosaic's TTC - they each get a glance of a series of metallic shells that seemingly rise from the ground.
>Mechanicus is the first to notice them as he is left shocked."No. Not you…It can't be!"
>As Mechanicus speaks, a series of large, mechanistic machines start to exit from the pods. The machines, armed with weaponry, having glowing singular eyes and metallic frames.
>Turning their attention back towards Mosaic and Mechanicus, the machines immediately hone in on Mechanicus - seemingly remembering his unique signature."Threat Detected. Sentient Bio-Morphic Chronarch. Mechanicus of House Thaumiel."
>Activating their weaponry, the machines all begin to speak in unison."Target Elimination Procedure - Commencing."
>However, at that moment, Mosaic immediately exerts telekinetic force - knocking them all backwards and slamming into the large artifact."Again, time to get out of here!"
"No! We need to destroy the artifact! It's too dangerous to leave around! They'll reactivate it!"
>Mosaic looks confused at Mechanicus as he states:"Who's they-"
>Then instinctively, his mind accesses the information he previously copied from Mechanicus - now remembering exactly who the new enemies are."…..Nullifiers. Oh shit this is
not good."
>Turning to Mechanicus, Mosaic then says:"Get inside of the Capsule. I'll end this in one shot."
>As Mechanicus immediately starts darting for the TTC, he looks behind him, shouting:"What are you doing, exactly?"
>Mosaic then holds out his hand, as a bright plume of red and yellow flame appears around his hand. From there, he then pulls out a unique black and red looking handgun - pulsating with red energy and light."Saving myself from an ass kicking. Phoebe'd kill me if anything happened to you - so stay back brainiac."
No.3696
>>3695>Bewildered, Mechanicus looks at the newly summoned weapon in Mosaic's hands - sensing its unique properties."A weapon from your magician friend, I presume?"
>Nodding, Mosaic then charges up the weapon slightly - firing off blasts of supercharged supernatural fire, heat and force. These blasts completely vaporize and destroy the Nullifier automatons - as they're rising up.
>More Nullifiers seemingly appear from the ground below - quickly numbering in the dozens. However, the effect of Mosaic's new handgun weapon manages to chain fire blasts - that quickly destroy them as soon as they arise."It's called Sol. Long story, but I made it as part of my training. I know that the Nullifiers are quantum constructs. I'll need something that I'm absolutely certain can destroy them
and the artifact on a quantum level.
>Nodding in understanding, Mechanicus jumps into the TTC - preparing to plot a course back to Earth.
>As an extra precaution, Mosaic uses his free hand to make a quick hand gesture - sparking up red lightning between his fingers before casting it around himself and the TTC."Just in case any quantum probes try to get inside. Wouldn't want them infecting the Capsule either!"
>Now aiming at the artifact in the distance, Mosaic then charges up Sol to a slightly higher portion of power - firing the blast at the artifact.
>He then watches as the chain reaction of the artifact's destruction quickly begins to engulf the surface of the moon."Time to go!"
>Mosaic then jumps into the TTC - slamming the door shut as he and Mechanicus begin working the controls. No.3697
>>3696"Anywhere in particular?"
>Mechanicus says as he quickly begins typing in coordinates on the navigational keyboard of the TTC. "Washington State. We're paying your older sister a visit."
>Mosaic says as he moves to the other side of the TTC's center console room, also beginning to flip switches and pull levers.
>Confused, Mechanicus then retorts:"You want to get her involved in this? I thought you were more than willing to keep her at a distance?"
>Mosaic continues pressing buttons and flipping switches with the occasional lever pull as he states:"That was
before we inadvertently reactivated a sentient Nullifier picocolony, especially one that was hibernating on a Jovian Moon! She's the one who constructed them isn't she? The Nullifiers are
her creation."
>Mechanicus nods as his expression goes sour behind his helmet. However, he is still confused as he says:"But you have all of her memories. Why do you need to go see her?"
>Mosaic stops what he's doing, leaning his helmet to the side to stare at Mechanicus:"Because the Chronarch Repositories are locked behind
three Chronarch signatures; those repositories have information that even
she isn't aware of."
>Mosaic examines the data on the TTC's control panel monitors as he continues:"Remember, she was locked away for eons after constructing the array. She wouldn't know what her own people did afterwards - and neither would you, since you left."
>Realization then suddenly comes across Mechanicus's own mind as he then replies:"Oh….Wait - you want to go to
Thulcandra?"
>Mechanicus says this while in shock - trying to process the significance of the request."Aiden, the Chronarch Council will erupt into a state of panic if they learn of your existence!"
>Mosaic then flips a few more switches before he states:"I don't particularly care what an antiquated wiseman council thinks of me. Wouldn't you agree with that?"
>Pressing the last button and flipping the last switch - Mosaic then presses down on the last lever.
>Outside, the TTC has already risen up into the air - avoiding the chain reaction of magical fire that destroys all sentient nanoparticles containing Nullifier consciousnesses.
>As the TTC flies off from Io, the magical fires then briefly flare across the entire moon - before dying down, having been selectively targeting of the Nullifiers and nothing more.
>Then, the TTC disappears in an instant, as the fabric of space-time seemingly "squeezes" it out of existence. No.3698
>>3697>Location: Wyngarde Manor - Haven City>Time: 11:45 AM
>Rafael Thaumiel sits at her favorite chair inside of her manor. Sipping a cup of tea, she then closes her eyes - enjoying the aroma for a moment as it reaches her olfactory senses in her nostrils."Perfect. I've always wanted to try a unique blend."
>After a few seconds, Rafael can hear footsteps coming into the room. Not bothering to open her eyes, Rafael then says:"You move like a lumbering oaf, Jack."
>Sighing, Jack Blackburn runs a hand through his mane of blonde hair and then responds:"Sorry. I didn't mean to stumble. I just wanted to see how you were doing, Raf."
>Opening her eyes, Rafael now looks at Jack with her sapphire blue eyes - catching Jack off guard. As Jack reflexively coughs into his palm."Yes, well. Um.."
>Raising an eyebrow, Rafael cranes her head to the side slightly - placing her tea cup on its accompanying saucer."Hmm? You can speak, can you not?"
>Jack then finds the strength to actually speak his mind - blushing the entire time."You look nicer with your true appearance. I think it suits you better than the fake one."
>Realizing what he just said, Jack then stammers a response:"N-Not that the fake one is bad! It's also good! Just not as…you know….as good as the real you!"
>Blinking in silent for a moment, Rafael then stifles a laugh as she then sighs."Hopelessly cavalier with your words. I suppose that's what I like about you. Lacking any regard for what I might think."
>Placing the tea cup and the saucer down at the table in front of her, Rafael then looks at it as she says:"That takes nerve - being that straightforward with me."
>Now looking up at Jack with an amused look in her eyes, she then states:"Good. I didn't want a pacified partner anyhow."
No.3699
>>3698>Rafael then walks up to Jack - who's still standing in place. He looks off to the side, clearly nervous."Still faltering then? I suppose you're not entirely there yet. That's fine."
>Rafael then slowly places her hand at the base of Jack's chin - turning his head to face her own."That makes this all the more entertaining."
>As Rafael leans in for a kiss - she then hears an ultra high-frequency tone. Immediately knowing what it is, she groans and rolls her eyes - pulling back from the kiss."What's wrong?"
>Jack asks, confused as he looks at Rafael's irritated expression on her face."What always seems to be wrong when it comes to my peace and quiet."
>Rafael then points to the other side of the large living area in the manor as she concludes:"An inconvenience."
>In that moment, a TTC manifests in that exact spot - with the door opening as Aiden and Samael slowly walk out of it."I'm telling you, she's not going to be thrilled that we're dropping in unannounced at her manor. She's already irritated with me so far."
"Relax, Sam. She'll come around once she realizes why we're here."
>Then, Rafael's voice speaks up - as both Aiden and Mechanicus look up to meet her gaze."I'm all ears then - as the old Earth saying goes. What is it?"
>Feeling his older sister's stare as it pierces his body, Samael then stammers as he says:"Erm, well. You see, Rafael. Aiden and I may have encountered a problem."
>Rafael crosses her arms and glares at Aiden - stating:"You will explain to me the meaning of this at
once, Azrael Thaumiel!"
>Jack looks confused as he hears the name that Rafael uses."Wait,
Azrael? Is this not actually Aiden or something?"
>Sighing, Samael then says:"No it's him, but this is the name that Rafael chose for Aiden - ever since she learned that he was a Chronarch like we are. And since he has the temporal gene of us, the founders - that means he's part of our house by proxy. Our House being House Thaumiel."
>Looking at Aiden, Samael continues:"Whether he likes it or not."
>Aiden shrugs as he replies:"Given your name, mine doesn't sound so bad."
>Groaning, Samael then rubs his eyelids as he turns to his sister once more."Aiden and I uncovered a hidden radio wave signal coming from Io - but it was encrypted on a quantum level and using entanglement as the main travel vector."
>Rafael nods as she walks over to her chair once more - sitting down as she speaks."Meaning the message was instantaneous in its movement. I am not surprised that only now it has been decrypted."
No.3700
>>3699>Now more interested in their story, Rafael then asks Samael and Aiden what they uncovered."The signal sent you to Io, and I presume there was some component of the transmission that was projected by a dimensional amplifier?"
>Samael sighs as he nervously looks around the room - clearly avoiding eye contact with his sister."Yeah, you could say that, I suppose."
>Narrowing her eyes, Rafael then says:"Samael….."
>Sighing, Samael then looks at his older sister directly in the eye as he states:"We found an artifact that handled the maintenance and hibernation of Nullifier nanomaterial. Don't worry - we destroyed it with magic. Or rather, Aiden did."
>Turning to face Aiden, Rafael then says:"Well done, Azrael. Quick thinking as necessary. Though I still must ask
why you felt the need to respond to the transmission so brazenly?"
>Exhaling a breath, Aiden looks off to the side, clearly not focused as he examines the room with his eyes - despite them being covered by his sunglasses."I was a bit irritated and needed a breather. I figured decrypting a quantum transmission to somewhere in deep space would've helped - but I guess not. Typical, how that works."
>Sighing herself, Rafael then looks at both Aiden and Samael as she speaks:"You're concerned that the Nullifiers managed to escape the destruction of our universe and went back in time - relative to
this universe in order to-"
>Aiden then interjects, crossing his arms as he leans against the wall."In order to prepare themselves after billions of years of hibernation in the the outer reaches of the Solar System to rebuild their ranks - mainly by harvesting matter as fuel."
>Looking off to the side once more, Aiden then replies:"So as expected with my bad luck - I got a glorified phishing e-mail, just on a cosmic scale. They're sending encrypted transmissions, so that any species that's technologically advanced enough to decipher them….."
>Samael then perks up, continuing where Aiden left off:"…..Would be sufficient fuel for their own nanoforms to reconstruct themselves as an army - by harvesting their biomass and the technology that they brought with them."
No.3701
>>3700>Rafael nods at the reasoning of the other two Chronarchs, eyes closed as she's deep in contemplative thought."You'll want to look at the Chronarch Archives back on Thulcandra for any information about the Nullifier's historical patterns."
>Rafael then takes another sip of her tea from the cup as she continues speaking""Since I was already banished and Samael was kept in the dark from the Council - neither of us would have enough information about them already. Hence why you need direct access to the archives."
>Nodding, Aiden then states:"But said archives require either the simultaneous DNA scans of all Chronarchs on the Council….or…."
>Rafael then lowers her tea cup and finishes the statement:"The simultaneous DNA scans of three living Chronarchs from House Thaumiel. Well met."
>Thinking on it for a few more seconds, Rafael then sighs as she states:"Fine. I will accompany you. But the Council
will pay for their transgressions against me. You are still the Prime Chronarch of Thulcandra, Samael - are you not?"
>Samael then gestures to Rafael as he says:"Being the President of Thulcandra gives me 1/3rd of Thulcandra's governmental power. You know I can't just force them to open the archives on my own. They're the remaining 2/3rds of the Thulcandran Government."
>Smiling, Rafael then states:"I will assist you then. By the end of the month, we shall return to Thulcandra - and you will be acquainted with your people for the first time, Azrael."
>Aiden sighs as he says:"Great. I can't wait."
>Jack looks at Aiden with a degree of surprise, before then giving him a soft smile."Hey, you've got this man. You're better at negotiations than you think."
>Aiden looks back at Jack, and then gives a soft smile back."Only because of you - if I'm being honest."
No.3702
>>3701>As Aiden and Samael walk back towards the TTC, Aiden then looks behind him and says:"Thanks for the help, Rafael. We appreciate it."
>Rafael nods as she begins reading a book, waving off Aiden as she replies:"Yes, of course, Azrael. I will always assist my younger brother. That is my function as the eldest Thaumiel."
>Sighing, Aiden then says:"That's going to take some getting used to, in all honesty."
>Samael then waves to both Rafael and Jack, stating:"See you soon, you two! Thank you again!"
>Then as the TTC door closes - it instantly disappears in a warping of space-time, leaving Rafael and Jack alone in the manor living space once more. No.3703
>>3702>Location: Sanctuary City - Archeon Complex>Time: 12:00 PM
>As Aiden walks up the stairs to the C-Suite floor at the highest level of the Archeon Complex, he then takes a right turn and begins walking down the large hallways. As he moves past a group of executives at the company - they all wave at him politely as he nods. Still passing by, he thinks to himself:{"I feel like I'm missing something. The Nullifiers weren't all activated at once, and my TTC only decrypted one of the signals. Meaning the rest should still be in standby mode right now."}
>As he reaches the door to his office - the CEO executive suite, he then has an epiphany as his eyes widen.{"Oh of course
! I knew
it was too easy! Entanglement goes both
ways! Damnit!"}
>Immediately figuring out what's happening, Aiden then takes his phone out of his pocket and begins dialing Orion's number remotely.
>As he continues waiting for Orion to pick up the phone, he then starts walking back down the steps - getting closer to the lobby as he does so.{"Pick up, Orion! This is serious!"}
>Aiden then makes his way closer to the lobby of the building, ready to leave and immediately get to work on the inevitable problem solving - recognizing that he's got a long day ahead of him now. No.3720
>>3719>As Aiden reaches the entrance to the Archeon Complex, he walks outside. His supernatural senses inform him of no one being within earshot of his voice, as he then speaks up again."I don't have much time to explain, but get ready for a fight. I think something may be on its way here."
>Looking over the horizon, Aiden's superhuman eyes already alert him to a large series of swarming clouds that are appearing all around the outside of Sanctuary City - beyond the forcefield."….Great, they're already here. I need to talk to Sam. Do your best to keep an eye on the city. I'll alert Damian and the others, so keep your guard up now."
>Ending the encrypted call, Aiden then thinks to himself:{"This is what happens when you're not careful about your exploration trips, Aiden. Now you get to deal with the mess that you made. Great…."}
>Accessing his superhuman senses to ensure that he isn't being watched by anyone, Aiden then suddenly flickers out of view at the Archeon Complex - teleporting away in an instant. No.3721
>>3720>Location: Sanctuary City - Abandoned Warehouse>Time: 12:00 PM"So what're we doin' here again?"
>A group of Brigadiers hang around the dimly lit center of a large industrial warehouse interior. The flickering lights serve as the only source of illumination besides the shattered windows. "Don't know. We all got that note though right? Meet up 'ere at noon. So 'ere we are."
>Some of the Brigadiers are sitting on dusty warehouse boxes, while others are leaning against broken assembly line machines. "Man, this is bullshit. We got pranked or some shit. Lets' get outta here-"
>A blast of plasma then strikes the floor by the Brigadier's boot, causing him to stumble backwards."Fuck! It's a trap!"
>The Brigadiers begin to sprint towards the exits of the warehouse interior - only for a series of red plasma bolts to encircle the entire group. As they're stopped in place, the Brigadiers begin to sweat lightly underneath their jackets."Fuck………"
>There's an eerie silence for a moment, before a clearly-distorted voice begins speaking."So you idiots are the best that I have to work with then? Fantastic."
>Tracing the source of the distorted and mechanical voice up to the ceiling - a shadowy figure quickly leaps to the ground, landing in the center of the warehouse."Who the fuck…."
"This one o' them cosplayer dudes or somethin'?"
"Wait, ya think he's a Meta?"
>The figure in the center takes a moment to look between the Brigadiers, before rising up to his feet, dusting himself off."Well, I suppose it's not fair of me to ask much of this planet. This backwater
used to be home."
>Confused, the Brigadiers just look on, dumbfounded as one of them shouts:"The hell is this dork talkin' about! Jump him!"
No.3722
>>3721>In an instant, all of the Brigadiers are suddenly found on the floor - aching in pain and screaming. Each of them suffers a series of non-fatal injuries - primarily broken bones. As the pain of the sudden assault is now seared into the minds of the Brigadiers, the mysterious assailant slowly walks back to the center of the warehouse."Good. Now that we're all conversing with the same lexicon."
>Kicking a downed chair up into the air, it flips a few times before the mystery figure catches it effortlessly with one hand. Placing it down - he then puts one knee on the chair as he stares around the warehouse. "To reiterate, I'm in a bit of a predicament. My former….
associates are likely en route to this city in order to capture me. Naturally, I have a plan but….."
>Turning to gesture his hand towards the spread out bodies of the injured Brigadiers, the figure continues speaking:"It'll take time to implement, and unfortunately, it'll requires the masses of simple-minded morons such as yourselves; and much like any moron, a carrot dangling from a rope is a perfect motivator."
>Removing something from his armor's belt, the seemingly bug-themed armored figure then holds up a small data chip of sorts. It has a glowing red light in the center as he keeps speaking."Basic encryption protocols had to be used, given how primitive this backwater planet truly is. But the data inside remains valuable all the same."
>Holding out his hand further, the armored figure continues speaking:"Schematics, information details for major multinational banks, location data for valuable resources and minerals. A combined sum of data and information worth a few
hundred million dollars."
>At the mention of the money, the Brigadiers immediately look up, stunned."I-Is this dude serious?!"
"That's seven figure money holy shit!"
"That's
nine figure money, dumbass!"
>Silent for a moment, all of the Brigadiers look at each other before turning to look at the armored figure. The lead Brigadier then says:"…'Aight then pal. Say we believe you when you're spoutin' all of this bullshit. What's the name, and what ya need us for?"
>Staring back at the Brigadiers with his lenses, the armored man then replies."….
Beetle would work, I suppose - and all I need for you to do, is what you buffoons have
always been good at."
>Beetle then crushes the chair with the force of his foot - grinding it into dust, faster than it can even form splinters. He then turns to look back at the Brigadiers."I need you to cause chaos."
No.3723
>>3722>Location: Sanctuary City - Outskirts>Time: 12:00 PM"We barely got inside. How much time's left before Proto actually builds the device?"
>A figure in red armor looks at the HUD in his helmet's lenses. The information provided by the suit's built in virtual intelligence program begins to calculate the likely scenarios."Worst care scenario? Two hours and forty five minutes. Assuming he can actually procure the parts he needs from within the city."
>A figure in sapphire blue armor quickly runs up beside the figure in red."Beetle, we're running out of time! He's already stolen the rest of the equipment we were sent here with! Now there's also the-"
>Beetle holds out his hand, gesturing for the figure in blue armor to stop."I'm aware, Stag. The Nullifiers have just appeared outside of the city's forcefield. Somehow."
>A figure in purple looks around inside of the forestry of the city's exterior."Did they somehow follow us here? I thought all of the Nullifiers were destroyed in the war!"
>Beetle looks behind him back at the figure in purple, stating:"We're not going to know that without investigating, Scorpius. But we've spent too much time on this planet as it is. Our cover could be blown eventually."
>Then Stag turns back to Beetle, stating:"Our cover already
has been blown, Beetle! Proto abandoned us and left to find the resources to build his machine!"
>Scorpius nods in agreement with Stag, turning his attention back to face Beetle."Stag's right. Pretending to be the TechSects or whatever nonsensical name you came up with - it didn't work. Proto didn't take the bait and come after us - even though we were
this close to blowing our cover with Hyperia."
>Beetle groans in annoyance behind his helmet as he turns back to face the forestry before them."He doesn't care about the core mission anymore. He's just wanting to get back to Thulcandra - since the planet's still phase locked in a different sub-dimension."
>Beginning to walk forward, he then mutters to himself:"He's doesn't have a Capsule, and neither do we. Otherwise he would've left ages ago. But if he were to find enough resources…."
No.3724
>>3723>A figure in light blue armor walks up to Beetle, moving right beside him as he speaks:"He'd be able to replicate the internal manifold chamber of a TTC. Just enough power to make one randomized jump with the last known trans-temporal coordinates that we were sent here from."
>Beetle nods as he continues walking though the trees, stating:"Astute as ever, Fly. We'll need a way to draw Proto out - and fast."
>Thinking, Scorpius then says:"Well, Proto knows we're coming. He'll likely be setting up some sort of faction within the city to keep us preoccupied - while he searches for the components to build the manifold chamber. Which means…"
>Nodding, Stag then says:"We'll have to play the part of criminals ourselves. Take down the Meta-Human gangs that are causing trouble - and interrogate them for Proto's location."
>Hesitant to speak, Fly then states:"You all
do know that
those vigilantes are here in the city, right? Mosaic and Speedrunner. We can outpace everyone else in the city in terms of raw speed - except for those two."
>Nodding, Beetle then hands a device to each of the other armored figures, explaining his plan."I'm aware. I've done enough research on them to know that they're trouble. Install these quantum field projectors. If either of them get close enough to grab our armors at a threshold speed…."
>Stag speaks up, trying to follow the logic:"So a speed that we can't perceive."
>Nodding again, Beetle states:"If that happens, then the device will automatically teleport any of us to our base on Earth."
>Scorpius whistles in response:"Quantum entanglement teleportation. Not bad."
No.3725
>>3724>Location: Sanctuary City - Entrance>Time: 12:00 PM
>A large swarm of picoform machines begin to swarm around the skies beyond Sanctuary City. Separated by the forcefield of the city, the machines begin to converge on its exterior at rapid speeds."Energy Signature Detected"
>Quickly flying forward, the machines then feel themselves sent flying backwards in mid-air, quickly crashing on the ground. Rising to their feet, the Nullifiers then begin rapidly duplicating themselves - creating hundreds, if not thousands of individual machine drones."Parameters Acknowledged. Alternative Strategy Now Implemented."
>As the Nullifier swarm begins marching forward, they prime their energy weapons for attack - only for a large chunk of them to be immediately blasted by a surge of blue light. "System Integrity Compromised!"
>Immediately, a large conflagration of blue ice spikes immediately appear on various Nullifiers, freezing them solid. As the cessation of their movement is made apparent - the ice then spreads.
>More of the Nullifiers are then immediately frozen in place - before a burst of telekinetic force seemingly shatters them into nothingness.
>Hovering above in the air above Sanctuary City's forcefield, Mosaic is holding a large technological glaive-like weapon. The weapon pulsates and glows with a bright blue light as Mosaic continues holding it with one hand."They got here faster than I realized. Great…."
>Gelum, the artifact that Mosaic holds with his gloved hand, maintains its radiance. The technological and magical artifact then pulsates with blue light once more - before firing off a blue energy beam that freezes an entire swathe of Nullifiers in an instant."Judging from the size of this swarm, I wouldn't be surprised if Lisa showed up again."
>Mosaic continues firing bursts of energy. No.3727
>>3726>Holding up two of his fingers in a crossing gesture, Mosaic then focuses internally as he then accesses his psionic power.{"Here goes nothing…."}
>Focusing on all of the picoswarm machinery in the area - Mosaic then projects a spherical field of psionic energy from his body. The psionic sphere rapidly grows in size, and begins to cover the entirety of Sanctuary City and its surrounding areas.{"Now to compress."}
>In an instant, the sphere retracts to the size of a large bus - hovering in the air before Mosaic. With his supernatural eyes, Mosaic can see the sphere's contents from behind his helmet. {"That's confirmation then. It is
a picoswarm."}
>Hovering around the psionic energy sphere, Mosaic then thinks to himself:{"If the Nullifier swarm was able to pinpoint the transmission's original location this
quickly, then Rafael and the others need to deal with the remaining signal towers."}
>Looking back at the city behind him, Mosaic then thinks:{"I might need to stay out here and guard the place - just in case more of the Nullifiers arrive. I hope Orion's got this…."}
>Mosaic then hovers in place, waiting for any potential new threats to arrive at the city's boundaries. No.3728
>>3727>Location: Sanctuary City - The Spire>Time: 12:00 PM"What on Earth is happening?!"
>Valkyrie says as she looks at the MRD agents who are manning the observational feeds in the Spire's monitor room. The MRG agents look started and turn around as they see their Commander storm into the room."Commander Valkyrie! Unidentified hostiles appeared just now, a few moments ago!"
>Pointing at the large screen at the center of the monitor room, Valkyrie narrows her eyes as she clearly makes out the form of various technological machines that are manifesting outside of the barrier."The CCTV feeds are somewhat distorted by the barrier's edge - but we're still able to get a clear image of the potential assailants."
>Still narrowing her eyes at the image, she then notices another figure appearing above the energy field. Her mind reflexively calms down once she recognizes who the figure is."Mosaic….He'll hold back the machines, whatever they are."
>Then, they see Mosaic as he uses his artifacts, Gelum and Sol, to immediately attack the waves of self-replicating machines. As they're outright destroyed in chain reactions, Valkyrie then mutters to herself:"He's buying us time….We need to find the source of these machines and stop them. If Mosaic's guarding the barrier, then he clearly doesn't want us outside of it. But why?"
No.3729
>>3728>Valkyrie then begins walking out of the monitor room, pressing a finger to the comms unit in her ear."This is Valkyrie. I want all ops units on standby for a potential operation. Mirage, Termina, Fissure and Derelict - rendezvous at the central hangar at the back of the Spire."
>After getting several acknowledgments in her comms receiver earpiece, Valkyrie then uses her super speed to quickly leave the Spire.—————————————————————————————————–
>Location: Sanctuary City - Spire Hangar Bay>Time: 12:05 PM
>Mirage and Ciara are resting on chairs off to the side of the hangar interior - when they see Valkyrie walking through the open doors."Commander!"
"Took you long enough."
>Mirage shoots Ciara a glare as the latter yawns into her hand.
>Valkyrie rolls her eyes before sighing. She then gets to the point."MRD recon units are reporting a series of potential break-ins and stand-offs going on in different Sectors of the city."
>Valkyrie then presses a button on her glove, causing a holographic projection of the city to appear before the three of them."Caduceus Bank's being hit in the Financial Sector. City Hall is getting reports of a sudden siege - and that's obviously in the Administrative Sector."
>Looking at the map for a moment, Mirage then looks somewhat confused."Residential Sector's completely fine. You'd think whoever's causing this would want to grab our attention by taking wealthy people as hostages."
>Ciara looks at her nails, clearly uninterested in the minutia of the situation. With a bored expression on her face, she then lazily says:"Whoever's doing this clearly
isn't trying to hurt anyone. If they were, then we'd already have reported casualties. It's a big city, isn't it?"
>Mirage looks annoyed at Ciara and is ready to chew her out, as Valkyrie holds out a hand for Mirage to stop."No, Jen. She's right. Whoever's doing this is clearly not intending to cause mass harm - just create a distraction."
>Mirage raises an eyebrow as she leans forward in her chair - now intrigued by the situation."Alright. Say Cynical Cindy over here's correct - and our perpetrators aren't actually looking to harm anyone in particular."
>Pointing at the map, Mirage then says:"What's with the disjointed crime reports then? There's multiple attacks in the Financial Sector, one in Administrative, two in Construction - and nothing in Hydroponics."
No.3730
>>3729"You're looking at it wrong."
>A voice says from behind the three agents, as a woman with silver hair and a tactical bodysuit slowly walks into the hangar bay. Beside her is a woman with red hair, wearing a similar bodysuit."Aisha, it's an honor to meet an actual mercenary."
>Mirage says, sarcastically. Aisha notices the sarcasm and casually shrugs it off."Likewise, thief."
>Mirage gives a loud scoff as she snaps back:"Better a thief than a glorified
murderer."
>Aisha then gives Mirage an uninterested glance, as Derelict steps in front of Aisha."Hey, that's enough. We've got more than our fair share of baggage, Aisha. Let it go."
>Aisha gives Derelict one glance before turning her attention back to Valkyrie."Commander Valkyrie. We're here as requested."
>Valkyrie nods as she speaks:"Thank you Fissure - or Aisha, if you preferred to be called that still."
>Aisha nods in confirmation, as she then continues speaking."What I meant when I said that you were looking at this wrong was very simple."
>Moving to the hologram and pointing at the different disparate targets, she then states:"You're assuming that our mystery assailant's goal is to chaos uncoordinated chaos - when in reality…."
>Aisha then rearranges the arrows of movement in order to showcase the intent of the assailants."…..They're maximizing the time that it'll take us to respond to their movements. The Administrative and Financial Sectors are on the opposite sides of the city, and are furthest away from both the Spire and the main MRD precinct."
>Eyes widening, Mirage then curses to herself as she speaks."Son of a…..Aisha's right."
>Ciara nods, amused at the vindication of her theory."As expected, the theatrics are simply that - theatrics to waste our time."
>Valkyrie then looks at them all as she then states:"Whoever these people are, they're moving fast. To reach these areas of the city immediately without
any conventional MRD outposts detecting them? They have to be either teleporters or speedsters of some kind."
>Mirage then stands up from her chair, looking at Valkyrie as she responds."I'll get a unit ready for infiltration of Caduceus Bank. I'd recommend that the others flank the remaining target sites - while the MRD gathers more information."
No.3731
>>3730>Location: Sanctuary City - Underground Narrows>Time: 12:20 PM"How much further, Ruiner?"
>A large hulking figure with long black hair and a white mask continues trudging through the sewer waters of the Narrows. The underground sewer system connects Sanctuary City's sectors together with a large waste disposal infrastructure. "Impatience is the weakness of the easy misled, Winnower. You would be wise to heed that wisdom."
>A woman with bright hair and her own mask continues to walk in front of Winnower - adjusting her gloves as she does so."The last orders of Master Eidolus were clear. Prepare the city for his subjugation by drawing out and destroying the vigilantes."
>Pointing up above a central component of a certain structure, the woman smiles as she states:"If the others have failed, then we will simply have to change our tactics."
>Pointing her finger up at the ceiling above her, she then produces a bright energy sphere. As she remotely shoots the sphere up - it begins to rapidly wither away the solid concrete and metal above her. As the sphere continues burrowing through the ceiling above her, she and Winnower begin slowly hovering up under their own power."They will likely be prepared for us, Ruiner."
>Scoffing, Ruiner then says:"Let them prepare. The result will remain as it should - showcasing our victory."
>The two supernatural figures then continue hovering out of the depths of the Narrows - making their way up towards the bottom floor of a certain structure. No.3732
>>3731>Location: Sanctuary City - City Hall>Time: 12:20 PM"We're short on time, Mayor Jackson. So please…"
>The figure known as Beetle makes a gesture with his hand as he stands in front of the Mayor's desk in her office. Her security detail has already been knocked out cold. The Mayor's eyes glance from the open door to the armored figure standing before her."….You're not getting any information out of me. The MRD are going to arrive soon."
>Leaning against the wall, Dragonfly crosses his arms as he nods in response."We're counting on it. They're taking too long, honestly."
>The Mayor's mind races as she struggles to piece together the plan of the armored figures. {"They wanted the MRD to arrive? But that's not rational. Unless……"}
>Cursing under her breath, the Mayor instead slowly keeps her hands at their side behind her desk. Making sure that the attention of the armored figures remains trained on her face - she begins speaking."What exactly do you hope to achieve by holding the Mayor of Sanctuary City hostage? This is a city of ten million Meta-Humans, if not more."
>Slowly moving her hand to an emergency panel disguised under her desk - she presses it to reveal a button. "Why would you even want the MRD to arrive? Are you going to fight them all?"
>The Mayor then presses the button, praying that the armored figures don't notice.
>Crossing his arms, Beetle then responds."We're not here for you or your Meta-Humans, Mayor. You're just a useful pawn to distract the MRD. We need them preoccupied while we start our
real search."
>Pointing at the Mayor, he then says:"That's why we need the city's infrastructure blueprints. We don't have time to see what parts of the city our target may be hiding in. He's had days to prepare."
No.3733
>>3732>Location: Sanctuary City - The Prism>Time: 12:20 PM
>Having made his way to the underground base a few minutes earlier, Damian ruffles his hair for a moment as he looks over the information appearing on the monitor screen."Alright, so multiple reports of break-ins and hostage taking in the Financial and Administrative Sectors….."
>Damian thinks to himself for a moment before speaking again:"…Opposite sides of the city - perfectly spaced away. Might be a diversion - but from what?"
>Then, Damian hears the S.O.S. alarm warning - recognizing the transmission location."Wait, that's the Mayor's office! Crap, they went after her?"
>Concerned, Damian then activates his armor - watching as it appears on him in a mass of black nanites. After a few seconds, Arachnid appears in Damian's place."I need to move. Aiden's gonna be pissed if anything happens to her."
>Not even hesitating, Arachnid then immediately jumps into the Manifold, prepping it for takeoff as it blasts off through the internal launch ramp - and away from the underground base. No.3734
>>3733>Location: City Hall>Time: 12:25 PM
>Running out of time to continue stalling her assailants, the Mayor then shifts tactics in a more desperate plea.{"Hopefully he heard the signal. I know he's still fighting off those machines - but still…."}
>Narrowing her eyes and maintaining her composure, the Mayor then says:"If I agree to go with you as your hostage, will you leave innocent people out of this?"
>Beetle thinks for a moment, before turning back to his accomplice - who nods at him. Turning back to look at the Mayor, Beetle then says:"I don't see why not. As long as you cooperate, then we shouldn't have any issues with this."
>The Mayor then nods as she sighs internally.{"I'm sorry for causing you trouble again, Mosaic. But this is the only solution I can think of to buy you more time."}
>As the Mayor gets ready to stand up from her desk - she then catches something from the corner of her eye. "What-"
>In an instant, a small capsule appears in the room - causing a massive flashbang and smoke combination. At that same moment, Dragonfly is seemingly grabbed by a rope or thread - and is slammed into a nearby wall."Gyargh!"
>Beetle then spins around, barely catching a glimpse of a figure who swings into the area - kicking him in the chest with so much force that he's knocked out of the office, dozens of meters into the air. No.3735
>>3734"You OK ma'am?"
>A shadowy figure then leans down to offer out a hand to the mayor. "Who…"
>It takes the mayor a moment to realize who it is, but she then sighs in relief."Oh, it's you. Arachnid I believe?"
>Although it isn't who she would've preferred, the mayor is still relieved to see that help has arrived."So the S.O.S. warning did work. Thank God."
>Arachnid then quickly picks her up as he says:"Sorry. We don't have time! I've got to get you to safety!"
>Quickly flying up with his jet boots - Arachnid blasts a hole through the ceiling of the office - flying up to the Aurora hovering in the sky.
>As he opens the bottom hatch, he quickly places the mayor in the passenger's seat as he then says to the Aurora's computer systems."Escort the passenger back to home base. Initiate Stealth mode for the journey. Command override 'Phi'."
>A beeping noise is then heard from the dashboard of the vehicle, as an artificial voice says:"Acknowledged. Beginning journey en route to home base Prism. Stealth mode initiated."
>The mayor turns to Arachnid and gives him a quick hug, thanking him as Arachnid nods."It's alright ma'am. I'm sending you back to Mosaic's base. You should be safe there until this is done."
>Arachnid then exits the Aurora as it immediately closes its bottom hatch and perfectly cloaks itself. Now invisible - the vehicle quickly flies off into the distance. No.3736
>>3735>Rocketing back down to the mayor's office, Arachnid then lands on both feet as he slowly rises up. Scanning his environment, he then says:"Hey, if you want an appointment with the mayor, you can just set it up on the city website or something-"
>Instinctively, Arachnid's ESP goes off, and through pure reflex, he barely dodges a dashing strike from Dragonfly."Woah!"
>Flipping out of the way and landing on the mayor's desk, Arachnid then webs up Dragonfly - which stuns him for a moment."So, you can speed yourself up huh? I'm guessing that's your shtick? Does the other guy toughen his armor like a Beetle or something then?"
>Scoffing, Dragonfly is still bound by the webbing fired by Arachnid, sizing up his opponent."There's no way you could've seen that attack coming. You're not
fast enough to. Unless…."
>Immediately, Dragonfly rips the webbing off - surprising Arachnid with his strength, and then immediately blasting him with blue plasma beams from his blaster."Shit!"
>Arachnid's ESP also goes off right before the attack - only giving him enough time to react on pure instincts. As he does so, he instinctively jumps up to the ceiling - sticking to it."Hey! That's not fair! I can't speed up my reactions like that-"
>He then suddenly feels himself being grabbed by the leg."Wha-"
>Arachnid is then immediately slammed down into the floor with so much force - that it shakes the entire building. No.3737
"Ack!"
>Arachnid coughs as he catches his breath - surprised that the strength of his assailant was enough to bypass even his own armor's defenses.
"We've seen your tricks, web spinner. You're not that dangerous to us."
>Slowly walking up to Arachnid, Beetle reappears - having been the one to grab Arachnid from the ceiling and slam him down to the ground.
"Ah, you're that Mosaic vigilante's protegé, correct?"
>Arachnid doesn't speak, and instead fires another set of webs at Beetle - who effortlessly dodges them. Chuckling, he then says:
"Taking you as a prisoner would absolutely draw his attention - which is exactly what we need. The Nullifiers likely can't stop him, but that doesn't matter."
>Grabbing Arachnid by the neck, Beetle slowly raises him up from the ground - watching as the young vigilante struggles with all of his strength to pull him off of his grip.
"If we have you, then we control him."
>Seeing Arachnid as he continues to struggle in Beetle's hand grip, Beetle then laughs softly once more, now speaking in a mocking tone.
"It seems this Arachnid lacks the proportional strength of his namesake. A shame."
>Beetle then holds out Arachnid in front of him - for Dragonfly to blast with a volley of energy beams.
"ARGH!"
>Arachnid screams in pain as the searing heat of the blasts and the force of Beetle's grip begin to wear him down. Then he feels his vision shake as he sees himself being slammed out of the office through the main window - falling down multiple stories as he hits the ground with a loud shockwave.
No.3738
>>3737>Coughing up blood inside of his helmet, Arachnid can feel his bones as they've been broken. In addition, he can feel sharp pain all throughout his body - in addition to more internal damage.
>His suit's internal A.I. then begins to speak to him directly through his vestibulocochlear nerve - meaning only he can hear the A.I. as it converses with him.["User Damian, core physiological integrity has been compromised. Detected hostiles are utilizing mass production Thulcandran battle armor. Version 5.1342 approximately."]————————————————————————————————-
>Up above from the top story of the City Hall building, Beetle and Dragonfly are standing over the edge - staring down at Arachnid's unmoving body."That fall won't kill him, but he should be incapacitated."
>Dragonfly turns to Beetle, a thought crossing his mind."That armor he was wearing. It looked familiar….Those circuitry lines…"
>Waving off the notion, Beetle then says:"It's nothing - merely another half-measure created by these cavemen. We will retrieve him and use him as bait to bring Mosaic to us. Once he has entered the picture, Proto will be forced out of hiding in an attempt to escape the city."
>Dragonfly nods as he crosses his arms."So he'll be stuck between the Nullifiers entering the city, and us already here. Boxed in."
>Smiling underneath his helmet, Beetle then concludes:"Like a rat in a cage. How poetic for the traitor."
No.3739
>>3738>Back down at the crater in front of the City Hall building, Arachnid then speaks internally to his suit's A.I. system, stating:{"So you've been here the whole time? In my head?"}
>The A.I. system responds, nodding.["That is correct, User Damian. As the user of the Phi Gear, are biomechanically fused to the picotechnology of the Gear system. As such, this system can repair your body, and strengthen you against the detected opposition."]
>Still not moving a muscle and continuing to play dead, Arachnid then internally says:{"What do you need to do?"}
>The A.I. then responds.["Diagnostics. I must recalibrate the Phi Gear to accommodate your dynamorphic physiology. This will allow full access to the gear, removing the pre-installed safeguards."]
>Arachnid raises his eyebrows for a moment, stating:{"Safeguards? So I wasn't using the full power of the suit?"}
>The A.I. responds bluntly.["Correct. Per safeguard protocols, less than a percent of the Phi Gear's full operational capacity as a Thulcandran power armor was utilized. Shall I begin the recalibration process?"]
>Sighing internally, Arachnid then thinks internally:{"I knew Aiden was giving me training wheels. Alright, start the recalibration."}
>Immediately, Arachnid's suit begins glowing with a bright red light - illuminating the entirety of the area around him. No.3740
>>3739>As they see the bright light immediately blast up into the sky, Beetle and Dragonfly's eyes widen behind their helmets."What? Is that coming from the vigilante?!"
>Quickly looking down, both of them begin to curse under their breath. Dragonfly then turns to Beetle and snaps at him."I told you that he had a Thulcandran Power Armor, you idiot! Not just any power armor! He has a Gear!"
>Beginning to internally panic, Beetle then snaps back in irritation."That's not possible! Only the founders had access to the Gears! They created them! So why on Earth would they-"
>Both of them then grow silent as the realization crosses their faces - their expressions hidden by their helmets."Oh no. The pods they sent to Earth…"
>Quickly, both figures then begin moving at relativistic speeds - down the building and rushing towards the red light below."We need to stop him,
now!"
>Dragonfly says to Beetle through their suit's technological comms systems."I'm aware! Stop talking and start fighting!"
>Both figures then rush towards the red light, preparing a strike in their arms as they punch forward.
>Suddenly, both figures feel their fists stopped by something beyond the wall of red light."Thanks for the second wind. I appreciate it."
>Both Beetle and Dragonfly are then suddenly tossed to the side with surprising force - sliding across the concrete flooring of the City Wall exterior."Nrgh!"
"Gyargh!"
>As both of the figures attempt to scramble to their feet, they look at each other in surprise."He's using the Gear?!"
"No, we're too late. Damnit!"
No.3741
>>3740>The wall of red light then dissipates completely and in an instant. Standing in place of Arachnid is a figure in more advanced futuristic power armor. "Huh. It's definitely more mechanical in its aesthetic than I expected….Actually this looks a lot like Omnius's armor…"
>Looking at it more closely, Arachnid then notices that his power armor has a black undersuit that's somehow both flexible and extremely sturdy. He can also see the glowing red circuitry lines that pass through his armor - similar to blood vessels."Interesting. I actually feel
way more energized now. Wow…."
>Still examining his armor, Arachnid then notices Beetle and Dragonfly meters away from him."Oh, sorry. I was too busy sizing myself up. Actually, can I ask you both something?"
>Silent, both Beetle and Dragonfly stare at their opponent, preparing to attack."…..What name would you give me now? I still like the Arachnid theme and all that but…..actually…"
>Beetle and Dragonfly then both rush at Arachnid - attempting to strike him with their fists. However, Arachnid suddenly reacts, easily keeping pace with them despite their near light-speed movements."What-"
"How-"
>Spinning in mid-air, Arachnid then delivers a series of swift dual kicks to both Beetle and Dragonfly. As they both crash into the ground - Arachnid lands on the ground as he rests his arm on his knee."Actually, I've got it. Arachnos. Yeah, that'll work."
No.3742
>>3741>Beetle then stands up and immediately rushes Arachnos. The two figures immediately begin running across the entirety of Sanctuary City at relativistic speeds. As they approach the speed of light - they begin starting more hand to hand combat."How am I even able to talk at relativistic speeds?! This is crazy!"
>Beetle, still irritated, starts shouting:"You complete buffoon! You have in your possession one of the most advanced power suits in Thulcandran history! Yet it is wasted on your feeble human brain!"
>Arachnos thinks to himself for a moment, as he narrowly avoids another roundhouse kick from Beetle. Realizing that his ESP is now attuned to his faster movement speeds - he's starting to recognize his potential advantage.{"My ESP could already barely warn me of their attacks. But now that I'm on their same level of speed, they can't even hit me! Is my brain….adapting to this?"}
>As if to answer his thoughts, Arachnos's A.I. begins to converse with him.["User Damian. Physiological recalibration is complete. Enhanced biosignature detected."]
>Eyes widening, Damian then thinks a mental thought to his A.I. as he continues blocking fist strikes from Beetle.{"Wait. Are you saying that I turned into a Thulcandran?!"}
>The A.I. then responds as Arachnos continues running through the city at relativistic speeds.["Negative. Dynamorphic Meta-Gene signature detected. Body physiology has altered to compensate - though you are still human."]
>Arachnos then looks somewhat taken aback as he then thinks:{"So I did adapt then, just like I did against The Broken and against Traction. Well if I'm still human, then what's changed?"}
>Beetle then attempts one final time to rush at Arachnos - only for Arachnos to web him in the face and yank him close."As for you?"
>Spin kicking Beetle to a stop, he then stomps him into the ground - causing them both to come to a halt."Oh and for the record? I would've kicked your ass the first time if the mayor wasn't in danger."
>Before Beetle can respond, Arachnos then swiftly kicks him in the helmet - knocking him away. No.3743
>>3742>Looking off in the distance, Arachnos's new visor alerts him to the incoming arrival of another figure - one moving at relativistic speeds."Figured you'd make your way here as well."
>As Dragonfly approaches the street that Arachnos and Beetle are situated on, Arachnos holds out his hand and produces a rapid stream of new webbing. "What the-"
>To his surprise, Arachnos watches as Dragonfly is immediately captured by the sudden appearance of this impact webbing. Unlike before, Dragonfly is unable to break out of the webbing with sheer strength."Nggh! What did you do?! Your adhesives weren't this powerful minutes ago?!"
>Looking down at the circular wrist bracelets on his arms, Arachnos then says:"…..I think the suit improved that as well."
>Still examining his gloves and armored cuffs, Arachnos thinks to himself:{"The suit reconfigured the existing silk formula? What's it reinforcing the adhesive with if it's so much stronger now?"}
>The A.I. in Arachnos's power armor begins to speak directly into his mind once more.["The silk adhesive has been coated with the same picoscopic kinetic dampening material that comprises your suit's outer layers."]
>Arachnos mutters to himself, still in shock.{"Picoscopic? The technology can operate at a scale even smaller than nanites? Holy….."}
>Snapping himself out of it, Arachnos then fires another silk strand at Dragonfly - dragging the figure up to him in an instant. Now holding onto Dragonfly's neck with a combined force that his opponent can barely withstand - Arachnos speaks:"Not as fun when you're on the receiving end, now is it? So who put you up to this?"
No.3744
>>3743>Struggling to breathe, Dragonfly then shouts:"Just…following….orders!"
>Staring at Dragonfly for a moment, Arachnos then says:"You know that dragonflies are prey for spiders, right?"
>Panicking, Dragonfly then shouts out in fear:"It was all Beetle's idea! He's the one who had us track our former leader down to this city! We're just trying to bring him out of hiding!"
>Releasing his grip on Dragonfly, Arachnos then looks over his armor and scans it for a moment. Noticing an energy signature emanating from the blaster that he's holding, he then says:"So that's the trigger mechanism. Good. You're not going to be needing these suits anymore."
>Grabbing at the blaster, Arachnos then envelops Dragonfly in a flash of blue light - before his suit then disappears. A generic technological skinsuit remains underneath."Damnit!"
>The man in the undersuit is still constrained by Arachnos's webbing - as Arachnos looks at the technological blaster device in his hand."So these devices are containers for your combat armors. That reminds me of boss's old nanite suit."
>Thinking for a moment, Arachnid starts to piece things together:{"This is definitely the same technology as my own suit - or Gear
I suppose. Just far less advanced."} No.3745
>>3744>As Arachnos is dealing with Dragonfly, his ESP alerts him to a projectile barreling towards him from beside. He easily sidesteps the blast - turning around to see Beetle taking out another small device and fastening it to his suit."I was hoping to avoid this, but we're running out of options - and I can't take any risks!"
>The figure in the bodysuit on the floor then shouts:"You can't use the Shifter! It'll destroy your body if you attempt time travel with it!"
>Fastening the device to his suit, Beetle then scoffs as he says:"Look around, Fly. We're out of options. I need to back in time and warn us of
him."
>Beetle says, pointing at Arachnos. As he does so, he then activates the Shifter device - which alters his suit. A series of pulsating lights appear from Beetle's suit as he gains more components and detail to his armor. No.3746
>>3745>Accessing his A.I. at that moment, Arachnos then thinks:{"Suit, this Beetle guy apparently has something called a 'Shifter' unit. What should I do?"}
>As Beetle begins charging up in his new form, Arachnos's A.I. responds immediately.["Shifter is the designation for a trans-dimensional temporal device. Primarily used for removing limiters on Thulcandran combat suits. Atemporal movement possible, if not imminent."]
>Cursing to himself, Arachnos then says:{"So he's not bluffing?! He can actually time travel with this?! Does the Gear have something similar?!"}
>The A.I. responds as succinctly as always:["Of course. The Shift protocol in the Gear is readily accessible."]
>Without warning, Arachnos then takes the phone terminal from his suit and quickly dials a button combination - catching Beetle's attention."What on Earth are you doing now?!"
>Flipping the phone terminal closed, Arachnos then replies in a blunt tone of voice:"Leveling the playing field."
>Slamming the phone terminal back in its spot - Arachnos is then covered by a glowing red light - as his armor shifts to a black and white variant. His shoulders gain what seem to be engine plating as his suit begins pulsating with red energy. No.3747
>>3746>Somewhat astonished at Arachnos's armor transformation, Beetle then reminds himself:"Of course, if you possess a Gear unit, then you are capable of all Thulcandran combat functions."
>Staring down at the Shifter device on his armor's belt, Beetle then continues:"….
Without the need of external peripherals. Very well then."
>Wings of light begin to appear from Beetle's armor - behind his back. He then looks Arachnos right in the lenses and says:"Stop me then - if you can."
>Arachnos's suit also begins to flare up - as glowing red light bursts from the engine plating on his armor's shoulder guards. "You don't know what you're doing! You can't change time you idiot!"
>Scoffing, Beetle then says:"Says who? A mere human?"
>Narrowing his eyes behind his helmet, Arachnos then replies:"An evolved human? Yeah."
>Gritting his teeth, Beetle then immediately flies up into the sky - easily moving at speeds that exceed that of light itself. However, Arachnos is right behind him - rapidly gaining speed."I told you, you're not changing time!"
>Catching up to Beetle, Arachnos immediately roundhouse kicks him in the face - as Beetle punches him in the helmet.
>Both of them are sent flying backwards at superluminal speeds - only for them to connect back in the air once more."Why do you even
care? This isn't your fight! If you had just let me travel through time, I would have left you alone. But now? Since you've decided to interfere?! I am going to ruin your personal timeline!"
>Bracing his arm against Beetle's own, Arachnos then snaps back:"The only thing you're ruining is your own chance at a future if you keep this up! Someone with
far more experience than you once told me that time
can't be changed! I'm inclined to
believe him!"
>Arachnos then attacks Beetle once more, delivering a spinning roundhouse kick to his chest as he's sent flying backwards. "Argh! Do not assume to know the nature of time, you insignificant brat!"
>Beetle then blasts Arachnid with a surge of powerful energy beams - something that Arachnid easily dodges as he flies towards Beetle once more."I could say the same for you, asshole! You don't know anything about
me!"
>Arachnos declares, as he connects his boot to Beetle's chest - attacking him with such force as to send him flying across the entire planet - with Arachnos in direct pursuit. No.3749
>>3748>As he continues laying on the pressure, he then reaches Sanctuary City and the forcefield leading into the city once more.
>Looking up and seeing Mosaic hovering in the air - he's astonished to see that Mosaic is waving at him."Hey! I see you've been busy!"
>Mosaic, able to speak at superluminal speeds - watches as Arachnos nods."Hey boss! Didn't mean to worry you!"
>Mosaic then nods as he holds up Gelum with his hand - aiming it directly at the device on Beetle's waist. He then says:"Don't mention it! Looks like you've taken the training wheels off! I'm impressed!"
>Mosaic then fires off a blast from Gelum at Beetle's belt device - causing the suit to begin losing energy at a rapid pace."Take them down, and a friend of mine will show up to handle the rest!"
>Arachnos nods in thanks as he then flies himself and Beetle through the barrier with their suits. No.3750
>>3749>As they move closer to the spot in Sanctuary City that they first moved from - Beetle then shouts at Arachnos, completely losing his composure."Damnit! Weeks of planning all gone because of
you! Of all the obstructions, it had to be some moronic vigilante!"
>Still pushing Beetle towards the landing spot - he then says:"You should probably start thanking your kinetic dampeners right about now."
>Confused, Beetle then shouts:"What nonsense are you referring to, insect?!"
>Scoffing, Arachnos says:"Not insect,
arachnid. Also I'm referring to
this."
>Moving back slightly, Arachnos's boot begins glowing with a bright red radiance - generating a massive cone of red light and energy as he begins drilling Beetle's entire body towards the ground.
>As Beetle's body connects with the ground, his kinetic dampeners force him to absorb the entirety of the superluminal force - causing him to immediately enter a state of unconsciousness.
>Standing on top of Beetle's unconscious form, Arachnos then leans down and says:"….
Thats why you should thank force absorption technology. Because otherwise you'd be a splat on the concrete right about now."
>Leaning down, Arachnos then removes the core unit from Beetle's belt - removing his armor instantaneously and revealing the same bodysuit as his accomplice who is restrained beside him."Next time, don't try and pick a fight that you
know you can't win."
>Arachnos then stands off of Beetle's body - looking on at the horizon."Man, now I've gotta find the rest of them, and fast."
No.3751
>>3750>Location: Sanctuary City - Finance Sector>Time: 12:30 PM
>A set of MRD troops are sent flying by the force of a sword swing - knocking into a wall near the bank's vault door."We're not in the mood for this. Stag, handle the door."
>Scorpius lowers his sword as he moves towards the entrance of the bank. While he's doing this, he then radios to the rest of his team with his comms link."Beetle? Fly? Where are you? We're handling the bank right now."
>There's no response on the other side, immediately setting off red flags for Scorpius."….Shit."
>Turning back to face his partner in crime, Scorpius then shouts:"Hey Stag! I'm not getting through to them!"
>Stunned, Stag looks behind his back at Scorpius - in the middle of using his energy blades to cut through the material of the vault door."What? But that means someone's caught them! Speedrunner hasn't been detected yet, so who in the world-"
>Suddenly, gunfire shots then ring out - as Stag and Scorpius are both blasted by powerful energy beams. Although the beams don't harm them - they're startled nonetheless by the attacks."Ack! Now what?!"
>Looking up at their attacker - both of the armored criminals can see a woman with white hair, who is aiming two blasters at them from a nearby ventilation shaft."I thought you said you swept the vents?!"
"I did! They must've gotten here just now!"
>Irritated, Scorpius then immediately slices his sword at the woman - generating a surge of air pressure sharp enough to cut through most materials. However, he deliberately slows down his speed - giving her a chance to dodge the attack.{"Shit!"}
>Aisha thinks to herself, as she barely leaps out of the way in time, landing on the ground as she rolls to her feet - still aiming her guns at both criminals."I could've cut you up into pieces if I wanted to. So for that generosity, I'm only going to ask you this once."
>Aiming the edge of his sword at Aisha, Scorpius stares at her through his helmet's lenses as he demands:"Where's the rest of your team? Try anything and you'll be lucky if amputation is the
worst of your injuries."
No.3752
>>3751>Not moving a muscle, Aisha remains entirely still as she slowly wraps her finger around the triggers of her handguns. Eying both of the armored men, she considers her options."Fine then, you win."
>Dropping her weapons, Aisha slowly rises to her feet as holds her hands up in the air."Good. Would hate to waste a pretty face like yours."
>Rolling her eyes, Aisha then closes them as she senses the footsteps of the others coming closer."If you're going to capture me, you might as well do it now then."
>Scorpius looks behind himself at Stag, stating:"Deal with the vault and get the cash and coins. We'll exchange them for resources once we're out of Sanctuary City."
>Nodding, Stag goes back to his work - slowly cutting open the vault. Scorpius though decides to continue walking towards Aisha."Arms out, and keep quiet."
>Aisha does as told and holds her arms outstretched, as Scorpius stands before her and pulls a unique rope from his wrist gauntlets - beginning to tie her up."Like I said, comply and you won't be harmed. But try
anything - and your head's going off."
>Nodding, Aisha then opens her eyes as she feels her arms being tied together with the rope.
>As Stag then finishes opening the vault, he then stands back and kicks it down with his suit's immense strength. The large vault door then slams down - only for Stag to look on in surprise."What the hell?!"
No.3753
>>3752>Standing in the middle of the bank vault room - is another Aisha, holding a powerful bazooka in her hands."Surprised? Of course you are."
>Before he can even process the shock and confusion of the situation, Stag is then hit with a powerful energy missile - sending him flying out of the bank vault and into the larger bank interior. As he crashes to the ground, Aisha walks out of the bank vault."Like moths to a flame…"
>Aisha says as she sighs, tossing the energy bazooka away and taking out her signature pistols - aiming them directly at Scorpius."Let her go. As much as I'd love for you to off the woman - her continued existence is
unfortunately part of the mission's success parameters."
>Confused, Scorpius quickly snaps his attention back towards the woman behind him, immediately speaking:"Who the fuck are
you supposed to be-"
>Scorpius then feels pain in his body as "Aisha" starts grabbing onto his arm. A pulse of white light begins to quickly course from his armored form to her own body, as "Aisha" starts to close her eyes - clearly intoxicated with the effect."You're
definitely not human. Whatever you are. This energy…it's something
different…."
>Scorpius screams in pain as "Aisha" then uses her strength to rip apart the wire framing that's binding her hands together. Surprised by her strength, Scorpius is dumbfounded."What the fu-"
>Suddenly, he's then hit by a swift kick from the side by "Aisha" who sends him flying into a wall off to the left - partially collapsing it.
>The real Aisha then trains her guns at Stag, who rises to his feet and then rushes her with superhuman speed."Hey! Stand down you-"
>Stag immediately blitzes her with his relativistic speed - knocking her to the ground and then turning to blast the other "Aisha" with a blue energy beam from his palm. No.3754
>>3753>The clone of Aisha is then knocked back into a wall as Stag immediately stands before her. Looking down at her body, he then states:"Tactile touch is off the cards with you - as I've seen. So I'll have to do this with some finesse."
>Taking one of his suit's blades from its slot, he slowly hovers it to the side of "Aisha's" neck. The faint hue of blue light can be felt on the clone's body - as the plasma begins to slowly burn at her neck. However, the Aisha clone just begins laughing softly."What's so funny?"
>Shaking her head, the Aisha clone then speaks:"Oh nothing. Just that your lot always falls for the oldest trick in the book."
>Suddenly, Stag immediately feels pain throughout his body as he's grabbed from behind by another person. An invisible figure then suddenly reveals themselves - Mirage."Misdirection."
>Immediately, Stag begins screaming in pain as the Aisha clone then shifts her body, revealing herself to be a clone of Mirage. The original Mirage continues grabbing onto Stag - even as he still screams in pain."You and your friend definitely had us preoccupied for a bit - but now your plan's coming undone."
>After a few more seconds of pain, Stag then finally passes out - as he falls down to the floor. Afterwards, Mirage looks at her clone and nods at her, stating:"Don't stop until you've gotten a psionic version of us. Start right now."
>Nodding back in return, Mirage then begins rapidly producing clones of herself using Pathfinder's core ability - continuing until she's manifested a version of herself that possesses psionic abilities."Stand back, I'll read his mind."
>The psionic Mirage clone then kneels down to place two fingers on Stag's body - only to realize that she can't get a reading on his mind."No good. Even knocked out, I can't reach into his brain. It's like something is causing psychic interference."
>Looking up, the psionic Mirage clone then looks at the original, as they both speak:"The armor."
No.3755
>>3754>Meanwhile, the real Aisha is examining the body of Scorpius - seeing that he's already been drained of energy by Mirage. As he weakly rolls around, trying to get to his feet - Aisha kicks him again. "Wait a minute…."
>Seeing the glowing purple light on his sword, Aisha then leans down and picks it up - wrestling it from Scorpius's grasp."No! Don't take it-"
>Aisha then punches Scorpius in the helmet - knocking him out cold. His armor then slowly begins to disintegrate - moving towards the sword as Aisha is still holding it."Wait a minute - what…"
>Quickly, the armor then transfers itself from Scorpius to Aisha - surprising her as she is now fully enveloped by the armor.
>Turning around, Aisha then looks at the Mirage clones - who have witnesses the whole scene."Ohhhhh. So their suits are tied to a device of sorts."
"What's the Stag Beetle's control device then?"
"You think it's his helmet?"
"Why would it be the helmet?"
"All of you shut up, it's probably this belt buckle thing - look."
>The original Mirage then points to the beetle shaped buckle on the armor, which has a faint blue glow. Immediately disposing of the clones, Mirage then holds up the beetle like device - eyeing it carefully."I wonder….."
>Looking over at Aisha for a moment, Mirage then says:"……."
>Aisha, wearing the Scorpius armor, just stares back at Mirage - nodding at her."Go on. Use it. There's no rule against using what you find to your advantage - is there?"
>Still hesitating slightly, Mirage then says:"No, I don't need it. I already gained a bio-suit of my own. Besides."
>Looking down at the sapphire beetle device, she then states:"I know someone who might."
>Suddenly, in a blur of black and white motion - both the beetle and the sword devices are taken from Mirage and Aisha. No.3756
>>3755>Coming to a halt at the exterior of the building, Arachnos looks at both of the devices in his hands. His left hand holds the sapphire beetle device, whereas his right hand grips onto the magenta sword device."Sorry about the sudden appearance, but I was in the neighborhood for some expensive new equipment."
>Shrugging, he then continues speaking:"Then I heard all of the commotion coming from the bank and thought: 'why don't I be a model citizen and see if I can resolve the situation?'. Lo and behold - I come across you two."
>Not recognizing the armor, but clearly recognizing the speech and mannerisms of Arachnos - Mirage then scoffs lightly as she says:"Oh, it's
you. The spider."
>Shaking his head, Arachnos then says:"Not spider,
arachnid."
>Mirage then attempts to rush Arachnos with her super speed - only to find herself stumbling into a nearby wall."What the-"
>Arachnos is then suddenly sitting on a destroyed support beam in the bank - casually resting on it with a cross legged sitting position."Right, I forgot to tell you. I got a bit of a speed boost. It's a long story, really. But the important thing is-"
>Before Mirage and Aisha can even react - Arachnos is already standing at the front of the bank again."I'm not sure I can trust this sort of stuff being in the hands of the MRD. No hard feelings or anything - but Speedrunner has the right idea."
>Signaling to them both with a two finger salute, Arachnos then says:"Well, catch you later! Or not."
>Before Mirage can even protest - Arachnos is already immediately gone - with both devices. Cursing to herself, Mirage then groans in annoyance. No.3757
>>3756"Damnit. We're empty handed. At least we still have the perpetrators who-"
>Turning around, Mirage then realizes that the bodies of Scorpius and Stag are already gone as well."…..The webhead's
that fast now?!"
>Stunned, Aisha then turns to Mirage, stating:"Now what? The threat's dealt with, but we don't have any answers."
>Rubbing her eyelids, Mirage then thinks:{"Why do I feel so different all of a sudden? My mind feels clearer than it's ever been!"}{"Alright, I need to figure out what Arachnid was doing here, and how he gained that speed."}{"Where are the remaining perpetrators? Did Arachnid deal with them already?"}{"Those machines that Mosaic is dealing with outside. Do they have something to do with this?"}{"My report to Commander Valkyrie is going to be a mess at this rate. I'll need more information to give her an effective situation report."}
>Stopping herself from her thoughts, Mirage then has a realization.{"I'm having multiple pathways of sustained thought simultaneously? That shouldn't be possible for a human mind. What in the world…."}
>Noticing Mirage being lost in thought, Aisha walks over to her and snaps her fingers in front of Mirage's face."Hey, snap out of it. We've got work to do."
>Breaking out of her trance and looking up at Aisha, Mirage then says:"Right, sorry. Let's get back to the Spire - figure out what we can do next."
>Both women then hurry out of the bank - making their way back towards the MRD Spire complex. No.3758
>>3757>Location: Sanctuary City - MRD Spire>Time: 12:45 PM
>As Aisha and Mirage reach the edge of the entrance to the Spire - they're surprised at how eerily quiet the entire place is."What the hell? There's no one on patrol."
>Looking around, Mirage narrows her eyes in confusion as she then says:"I'm not sure what's going on here, Aisha. But we need to be careful-"
>Turning back to face Aisha, Mirage then realizes that she's entirely frozen solid. Once they both passed into the actual gate of the facility - Aisha became frozen like a statue."Aisha? What's the matter with you? Did something happen?"
>Reaching out to touch Aisha - Mirage then says:"….Wait a minute. I know this sensation…"
>Realizing that her body has instinctively began to speed up her thought processes, she then thinks:{"Time is being drastically slowed down here! No wonder it felt like no one was patrolling! The entire Spire is trapped in a temporal bubble!"}
>As Mirage quickly rushes inside - she's met with a surprising sight. Everyone around her is still frozen solid. MRD troopers, desk agents and general research employees are all either frozen at their seats - or frozen in motion.
>Moving her way through the MRD personnel, Mirage then begins racing up the steps at what seems like normal speed for herself. No.3759
>>3758>On the upper floors of the MRD Spire complex - Valkyrie remains fastened to a chair in her office. She continues screaming in pain as more dark lightning is blasted at her."We're running out of time, and patience
Commander."
>Ruiner says, casually flipping a coin between her fingers, as she lazily sits in her chair. On Valkyrie's side, Winnower's large frame continues to fire supernatural bolts of black lighting at her from his fingers."If you tell us what we want to know, then we'll see that your death is merciful and swift."
>Bloodied and bruised from the constant electrocution - Valkyrie's body can barely withstand more of the magical lightning. Coughing up blood, she then says:"I'm…not…saying…anything."
>Smiling, Ruiner then looks at Winnower, stating:"Then I suppose we have no further use for you, Valkyrie. We'll find Instigator and the rest of the Horsemen in due time."
>However, before Winnower can do anything - he's then blasted out of the office with a powerful burst of magical energy."What-"
>Spinning around, Ruiner is then blasted as well - knocked clean in the face as she crashes out of the window of the MRD office - falling towards the ground below."Mirage!"
>Valkyrie exclaims in relief - as she recognizes the feminine figure in armor. As Mirage turns to look at Valkyrie, she then says:"Commander, I'm sorry for not being here sooner! I have an intel report about-"
>Valkyrie shakes her head, stating:"Not the time! Restraints first!"
>Nodding, Mirage then uses Destroyer's energy sword to cut open Valkyrie's magical restraints - allowing her to feel her wrists as she says:"Those two first,
then the situational report!"
No.3760
>>3759>As Ruiner and Winnower crash to the ground, they both form large craters as time begins to resume around them. With the distortion effect completely undone by Ruiner's lack of concentration - the MRD agents quickly begin rushing outside."What the-"
"Aww shit, it's more of those Horsemen freaks!"
>Before the MRD can engage in combat with the Horsemen, however - a pair of glowing blue beams connect with Ruiner's chest - knocking her down to the ground once more."Argh!"
>Valkyrie then immediately flies down towards Ruiner, beginning to punch her in the face repeatedly. As each hit piles on more damage - Ruiner's concentration breaks further and further.
>Winnower stands up, prepared to fire more black lightning at Valkyrie - before he's hit in the face with another energy blast from Mirage's shotgun. Using the same weapons that she took from Destroyer, Mirage then stabs Winnower in the chest as she lands on his chest. "No! Winnower!"
>Ruiner then instinctively uses her temporal abilities to alter the flow of time around her - increasing her speed just quickly enough to escape Valkyrie's attacks. As she rises to her feet - she prepares another attack. No.3761
>>3760"Now that you have proven yourselves to be nothing but obstructions, I will-"
>Ruiner is then blasted in the back by a powerful energy burst. Thanks to Valkyrie's sustained attacks, Ruiner's durability was weakened to the point where standard blaster fire could take her down."No one cares, honestly."
>Aisha says as she lowers her weapon - watching as Ruiner is knocked out cold."Ruiner! This will not-"
>Winnower is then similarly knocked out by Mirage, using the strength of her suit to kick him in the face.
>After both of the Horsemen are dealt with, Valkyrie then looks around - stating:"…..Get them to the containment cells. We'll have Termina use her power dampener shade to keep them contained for now."
>Looking around, Valkyrie then says:"Wait, where's Termina?"
>The MRD personnel all look around, confused at Termina's disappearance. No.3762
>>3761>Location: Sanctuary City - Abandoned Warehouse>Time: 12:45 PM
>Inside of the abandoned warehouse, Proto Beetle continues assembling the equipment of his machinery. Muttering to himself all the while."If only I had a Shifter unit. I could've avoided this entire convoluted plan."
>The Brigadier criminals standing off to the side start to groan in annoyance as one of them says:"Why you always bitching about this shit when you've got super speed dude. You coulda' done this shit a long time ago."
>Stopping what he's doing, Proto then turns around towards the Brigadiers as he says:"If any of you morons were capable of assisting me in this - then I would've
asked for said assistance."
>Walking up close to them and speaking with a cold and calculating tone of voice, he then reiterates:"I build the machine, and
you all guard the warehouse. Is that understood?"
>Nodding nervously, the Brigadiers then fall silent."Good. Now do not bother me again, if you valuable your brief existence."
>Proto then turns his attention back towards his work - as he then mutters:["All of the nonsense that I've had to deal with on this operation. The Thulcandran High Council better reward me for this."] No.3763
>>3762>As Proto continues typing rapidly on keys, he also presses various switches as the teleportation device appears to be powering up.["There's enough power for one round trip. But I'll need to ensure that it's properly calibrated."]
>Taking out a unique chip from his belt, he then continues muttering:["The Council will ensure that my years spent on this pitiful excuse for a planet are compensated. If not? Then I will expose the truth of their machinations to Thulcandra at large…."]
>Intending to insert the data chip into the specified slot in the advanced machine that he's built - Proto then notices a series of loud shouts from the outside of the warehouse."What was that?!"
>Spinning around, Proto then comes face to face with Arachnos - the latter having already knocked out the Brigadiers who were supposed to guard him."So you're the mastermind of this whole operation then I assume?"
>Arachnos says, maintaining a guarded stance.
>Visibly frustrated, Proto then shouts:"Damnit! I was
this close to leaving this infernal planet, but now
you've shown up! You-"
>Surprised for a moment, Proto then recollects himself as he says:"Wait a minute. You're not Beetle. Nor are you any of the others. Where is the rest of my former unit?"
>Arachnos then crosses his arms, stating:"On their way back to your home planet - probably to face trial. Whatever you guys were doing here, you really should've kept your heads down."
>Nodding over at the large device positioned behind Proto, Arachnos then says:"So that's your getaway machine, right? You were hoping to buy yourself enough time to take a one way trip back to Thulcandra."
No.3764
>>3763>Realizing that his entire cover's been blown, Proto then shouts in frustration as he instinctively tosses the data chip to the side."Damnit! God damnit! The entire operation is ruined! If they've been sent back, then the Council will-"
>Not understanding the whole situation, but still smart enough to piece things together, Arachnos interrupts him."Pin the blame on you and the rest of your unit. So even if you manage to escape now? By the time you get back to your planet, they'll already brand you as criminals - acting out in your own interests. So this Council gets to wipe their hands clean of their involvement with you."
>Defeated, Proto then stomps the floor once with his boot - causing it to rupture and trigger a miniature earthquake."There's nothing left for me to go back to then."
>Lowering his head, Proto then begins to laugh softly - before he starts to become more unhinged with his laughter, saying:"Oh that's fine. I can still make the best of this situation - by getting rid of all of
you. Once you're all dead, then the rest of this planet is mine for the taking."
>Readying himself for a fight, Proto then continues speaking:"By the time the Council realizes that I'm still alive, I'll have acquired more than enough resources and manpower to invade Thulcandra and get my revenge!"
>Shaking his head, Arachnos then retorts:"You're not killing anybody. You're going to stand trial for what you've done, whether your bosses at the Council take the fall or not."
No.3765
>>3764>Still laughing, Proto then says one more thing to Arachnos."Before you die, I'll tell you one last secret. Those machines that are outside of the city? Those are Nullifiers. They're an experimental weapon created by the Thulcandran Council as an automatic deterrence force."
>Confused, Arachnos then says:"Why are you telling me this? I don't understand…"
>Proto then makes it very clear."They were put here in your solar system on
purpose. The High Council has no intention of allowing humanity to survive. All they needed was a pretense to justify a full scale invasion."
>Slowly piecing together what Proto is saying, Arachnos then feels his body chill up somewhat."….You were sent here to plant a beacon that would trigger the Nullifiers to activate! That's why you've been hiding on Earth!"
>Laughing once more, Proto then responds:"Well
done, insect! More perceptive than I thought. As unit leader, only
I was aware of the true nature of the mission. Once my colleagues became a burden to me, I decided to set them up. Allow
them to take the fall once I completed the core mission."
>Closing his hand into a fist as he looks at it, Proto then speaks:"But then
someone managed to intercept the encrypted frequency of the Nullifier containment structures - specifically one on Io. I was originally planning to create the beacon here in the city - but then circumstances changed."
>Shaking his head, Proto then looks back at Arachnos, concluding:"It doesn't matter. A tool of the Council I may have been - but a tool I no longer
am. Given their willingness to abandon their own loyal subjects? I will relish in the opportunity to destroy them with my bare hands!"
No.3766
>>3765>Proto then rushes forward at relativistic speeds - just as Beetle did prior. However, Arachnos already knows how to counter their abilities.
>Using his much greater speed, Arachnos catches Proto's strike with his hand, and flips him over onto the ground. "Argh!"
>Before he can react, Proto is then kicked up into the air, as Arachnos jumps up and spin kicks him into the ground once more."Grgh!"
>As Proto skids to a halt - he slowly looks up to see a new figure standing before him."Who…."
No.3767
>>3766>The figure, a woman in a set of sleek futuristic armor - casually has her hands at her side as she looks down at the man."Oh, so you're the trash that caused all of this then? I shouldn't be surprised."
>Leaning down at the still shocked Proto Beetle, the woman then touches the side of his helmet with her hand, stating:"I'll see what use I can find with you then."
>Screaming, Proto is then instantly vaporized into a plume of white light. As faint ashes of white smoke remain where his body used to be - all that remains on the floor is a small black and red beetle-like device.
>Kneeling down to pick up the device, Termina then casually examines it for a moment, before tossing it across the warehouse towards Arachnos."You're welcome, Damian."
>Catching the device while still staring at Termina, Arachnos then looks irritated as he says:"You didn't have to
kill him, Ciara."
>Shrugging, Termina then says:"I listened in from afar with one of my shades. He was a dead man either way, was he not? Either executed back on his home planet - or executed here."
>Arachnos then immediately looks irritated as he states:"You were
watching me?"
>Rolling her eyes behind her helmet's lenses, Termian scoffs as she says:"I can track you almost anywhere, Damian. Have you forgotten?"
>Termina then walks up to Arachnos, casually striding past the unconscious Brigadiers as she does so. No.3768
>>3767>Not intimidated by Termina's approach, Arachnos holds his hand near the utility belt on his armor. In an instant, a red light flashes as the beetle device is seemingly absorbed into the belt.
>Looking at the phenomenon as it occurs, Termina then says:"Oh? A pocket space? My, that armor of yours is versatile indeed…."
>Holding a hand out to touch his armor's belt, Termina then sees her wrist get grabbed by Arachnos's arm."Just remember the deal, Ciara. You stay with the MRD and stay out of trouble."
>Looking at Arachnos for a moment, Termina then looks over his new appearance before saying:"That was always the plan. I just figured that you would've appreciated my assistance."
>Termina then summons a ghostly being in the form of Proto, who stands behind her."Yeah, and I'm certain that this isn't going to come back to bite me in the future."
>Releasing his hold on her wrist, Arachnos then brushes past her, stating:"I don't need your help, Ciara. Just go back to the MRD and mind your own business."
>Arachnos then disappears in an instant - faster than she can even register his movements. Placing her hands on her hips, Termina then concludes:"Alright then. I'll be seeing you around, Damian."
No.3769
>>3768>Location: Sanctuary City - Exterior>Time: 1:00 PM
>As Mosaic deals with the remainder of the Nullifier swarm, he then takes out his Quantum Tuning device as he adjusts a few settings with his thumb."That should be the last of them, at least for now. I've got a window of opportunity, so I better use it now."
>In an instant, Mosaic then disappears from the area.———————————————————————————————————
>Location: Trans-Temporal Capsule - Interior>Time: N/A
>Inside of his TTC's central console room - Mosaic alters a few more settings in the Quantum Tuner device.{"Sam mentioned that there shouldn't have been any Thulcandran artifacts in this universe. I'm gonna take a wild guess that those artifacts were placed there on purpose then."}
>Flipping the tuner device in the air as he thinks, Mosaic then thinks to himself:{"Oh right! The resonance effect! The Capsule should be able to amplify the strength and scale of the encryption that I created. That should shut down the Nullifier silos across the Solar system and stop all of this."}
>Catching the tuner device, Mosaic then places it inside of the technical port at his side of the control dashboard. Once the tuner has been integrated into the TTC, it instantly uploads the data of the encryption."Here goes nothing."
>Mosaic then grabs onto a lever and pulls it down - causing the TTC to activate.————————————————————————————————————
>Outside, the TTC then broadcasts a massive pulse that uses quantum effects to instantly reach all corners of the Solar System. As the encryption signal interacts with all of the artifacts - it begins to shut down the Nullifier repositories.
>Back on Earth, Mosaic then steps out of the TTC - using the quantum tuner to confirm the encryption's broadcast."Oh thank God. That's the last time I mess with an unknown signal….."
No.3770
>>3769>Location: Sanctuary City - Underground Base>Time: 1:30 PM
>The mayor of the city continues watching all of the news reports across the large monitor screens of the base. As she takes in all of the information - she gets a rough idea of what's been happening."All this time, he had something like
this?"
>At that moment, the mayor then realizes the scope of the observation that the base provides."Unbelievable…."
—————————————————————
>After a few more minutes, Arachnos then appears in the base - jumping and flipping from the upper levels, down to the mayor's position."Sorry about all of that, ma'am. Are you OK?"
>Arachnos says, hopeful that she hasn't been too rattled by the situation.
>Shaking her head, the mayor then says:"No, I'm fine. Thank you. It's just…."
>Sighing, the mayor then looks around the large base, still trying to take in the sheer scale and scope of the area."How was this even constructed? All of this technology. These vehicles and machines. It's astonishing…"
>Taking a look around the base as well, Arachnos then crosses his arms as he says:"You'd have to ask Mosaic. He's the one who built all of this."
—————————————————————
>Later, Mosaic then appears inside of the base - having received Arachnos's message. "Hey, I'm a bit late, I know but-"
>Turning to see the mayor sitting at a chair, Mosaic then says:"Mayor Jackson? Is that you?"
>Nodding, the mayor then says:"It's been a while. I assume it was you handling those machines outside of the city's barrier?"
>Mosaic responds in the affirmative as the mayor sighs in relief. Rubbing her eyelids, she then places her fingers on the bridge of her nose - clearly experiencing a migraine of sorts."This entire day has been a disaster. I've got multiple calls that I've had to make with the MRD and other city officials. They think I'm in some MRD safehouse.
No.3771
>>3770>After about an hour, Arachnos has explained the entire situation to Mosaic. As he lays out the five devices that he took from the Thulcandrans, he then says:"I'm not sure what to do with them."
>Thinking for a moment, Mosaic then says:"I'll keep them here in storage. You did a good job handling the situation though."
>Arachnos taps the bottom of his helmet as he responds."Wasn't just me. I had a lot of help - both wanted
and unwanted."
>He says, clearly referring to Termina with the latter statement.
>The mayor then turns to Mosaic from her seat, stating:"What now? I can try my best to explain the situation with my own testimony, along with the MRD's reports. But I'm concerned that this will only embolden more criminals to attempt larger scale attacks."
>Mosaic examines the devices more closely as he says:"Speedrunner and Omnius likely stopped the worst of the crime while this happened. Without them, the city would've turned into a war zone."
>Looking behind him at the mayor, he then states:"But I know what you're referring to, ma'am. You're concerned for your safety. This is the second time that you've been targeted."
>The mayor nods solemnly, lowering her head in a combination of both dejection and concern. "I hate to keep asking you and your associates for help - but the city's been improving thanks to you all. I'm just worried for my own safety if the criminals decide to escalate."
>Mosaic then thinks through the options for a moment before stating:"The emergency signal wasn't enough. If Arachnos wasn't here to see the S.O.S. then…."
>Now taking the matter more seriously, Mosaic then comes to a decision."I'll build an emergency safehouse underneath her office. If I tie a switch to her biometrics, it
should remain a confidential secret. That way, if there's any emergency - she should be able to get out of harm's way."
No.3772
>>3771>The mayor is surprised by this decision, immediately inquiring:"You can do that? How long would it take?"
>Mosaic then looks at the mayor, giving a blunt response:"Far quicker than you'd think. I'll do it tonight once everyone's left City Hall."
>Turning back to Arachnos, Mosaic then says:"You should get back. Thanks for your help."
>Nodding, Arachnos then waves at the mayor."It was nice to meet you formally, ma'am."
>He then immediately begins jumping up several stories, flipping in the air as he leaves the Prism from the upper exits.
>Turning his attention back towards the mayor, Mosaic then says:"Give yourself a bit more time to regain your composure, ma'am. Once you have, then I can return you to City Hall."
>The mayor nods as she reaches for her coat - taking deep breaths as she thinks to herself:{"Oh, Theresa. What have you gotten yourself into?"} No.3773
>>3772>Location: Sanctuary City - Archeon Complex>Time: 5:00 PM
>Aiden examines the books in his office - deciding to take one off of his bookshelf. After examining it for a few seconds, he then puts it back."Sort of interesting. Not a great climax though."
>He then picks up another book - just as the door opens and someone walks in."What are you doing?"
>Aiden, still looking at the book for a few seconds, then replies:"Reading."
>Closing the book with one hand, he then turns his attention to the person - who he already sensed."Yes, Amber?"
>Amber then nudges Aiden's attention to the hallway with her head as she crosses her arms."Biotech need your opinion on something."
>Thinking for a moment, Aiden then puts the book back as he starts walking out of the office. No.3774
>>3773>After an hour, Aiden finishes the presentation given by Dana - as the research personnel all leave the room.
>Once they've all left, Dana remains alone in the meeting room with Aiden - who asks the pertinent question."What is it, Ms. Desmond?"
>Noticing that Aiden has seemingly read her mind, Dana then sighs. Looking around to ensure that the meeting room is entirely noise sealed - she then speaks up."I saw the footage of the man in that black and red armor. Was that Damian?"
>Surprised by her perception, Aiden nods his head slowly as he crosses his arms."It wasn't my intention to have him get involved. He decided that on his own."
>Sighing, Dana then groans as she places her hands on her face - clearly stressed."I keep telling him to focus on his studies and academic track record! He is risking his life with these antics!"
>Still observing Dana's behavior, Aiden then says:"It's his choice at the end of the day, Dana. You know that."
>Dana still looks frustrated, but then sighs as she closes her eyes."A fact that I am reminded of, almost every day. It has gotten to the point where I can't even focus without fearing for my son's life."
>Aiden is silent for another moment, before saying:"I'll keep a closer eye on him then - I promise."
>Sighing in relief, Dana then says:"Thank you, Aiden."
No.3775
>>3774>Dana then changes the subject, seeing her chance to push further with her statements."I understand that you, Josh and Mariah are under a lot of pressure with your…..
alternative circumstances. Because of that, I know that it's difficult for you to always consider the direction of the company-"
>Immediately recognizing what she's doing, Aiden cuts her off by saying:"You've already been picked as the replacement seat on the board of directors."
>Stunned, Dana then stammers a reply:"I-I didn't mean to presume! It's j-just, I figured that with my decades of experience handling immunosuppressant research and gene therapy-"
>Aiden sighs as he says:"It was my father's decision. Regardless of whatever bad blood that you two have - he
does recognize that you were the best qualified replacement."
>Dana then quickly nods in response, stating:"Thank you! I'll perform to expectations as a member of the board!"
>Aiden nods as he says:"I wouldn't expect anything less, Dana. I'll leave you to it then."
>Dana nods as she then quickly leaves the meeting room - feeling far more jubilant and confident than prior. No.3776
>>3775>As Aiden leaves the room a few seconds later - he then sees Damian waiting for him outside of the meeting room."Well, my mom seemed pretty happy walking out of that board room…."
>Aiden raises an eyebrow as Damian holds up his hands - waving them."No not like that! Sorry! Bad wording!"
>Rolling his eyes behind his sunglasses, Aiden then sighs."She's been appointed as the replacement on the board of directors. She'll still serve as the interim director of the Biotechnology Research Division until we find a suitable replacement for her though."
>As Aiden and Damian start walking down the hallway of the research wing, Damian then responds with:"She's going to try and give me the position, isn't she?"
>Aiden nods as he keeps his hands inside of his jacket pockets."You know your mother's strategy then. She was attempting to gain that board seat so that she'd have enough leverage to offer you the position - without too many accusations of nepotism."
>Walking forward a few more steps, Aiden then states:"I have to acknowledge - your mother is ruthless. If anything, I'd say she'd have far greater ambitions if my family didn't control the company."
>Sighing and shaking his head, Damian mutters to himself:"I don't know if I can even handle a job like that, Aiden. I'm not even remotely close to ready for that."
>Aiden shrugs as he responds:"You can imagine what I felt like when my dad asked me to take over for him as CEO then. I still never asked him why he chose me specifically."
No.3777
>>3776>Once they reach the outside of the Archeon Complex, Aiden then says to Damian:"So, how's it feel to be stronger now?"
>Raising an eyebrow, Damian then says:"Not sure what you mean. I'm still
me, right?"
>Aiden raises an eyebrow behind his sunglasses as he responds."Of course. Your anatomy hasn't changed, Damian. You're still human."
>Taking off his sunglasses for a moment, Aiden casually flicks his finger as they instantly become pristine in appearance."What's likely happened is that your Meta-Gene adaptation has responded to the activation genome that was stored inside of the Gear."
>Putting his sunglasses back on, Aiden further elaborates his theory."Sort of like how your body resisted the retroviral bite from the genetically-engineered spider. Your genome mimicked those characteristics, while still remaining human."
>Giving an amused scoff, Aiden then concludes:"Your power's evolving, becoming more automatic and passive - and it's starting to look a lot more like mine. The main difference is that your genome is still entirely
human - whereas mine is more…..complicated."
>Thinking to himself for a moment, Damian then looks down at his hands, opening and closing them into fists as he tries to test his reflexes."Well, I do feel different. Though I trust your judgment if you say that I'm still human."
>Using his supernatural sight, Aiden examine's Damian's body on a sub-cellular level in real time."I can't see any genetic damage, nor any substantial alterations to your genome. Your Meta-Gene
has been altered though - dramatically."
>Assuming a thinking pose, Aiden rests his fingers on the base of his chin as he inquires further."Do you feel any difference in your cognition? Any of your senses?"
>Damian focuses inward on himself for a moment, before responding:"Maybe it's placebo - but I
do feel like I can think way faster than before. Sight seems much better too."
>Damian gestures to the distant figure of the MRD Spire - a mere spot in a normal human's eyes."I can actually make out the people walking inside the building right now. If I focus my hearing - I think I can actually
hear them as well."
>Aiden nods in response, stating:"We'll do some tests later on. For now though, you can focus on resting up. Once Stella's here, we'll get you something to eat on the way back to your university's campus."
No.3778
>>3777>A few minutes later, Stella walks outside of the Archeon Complex - towards the car where Aiden and Damian are waiting."It wouldn't have killed you to wait a few minutes, Aiden."
>Aiden nods as he points his thumb sideways at Damian standing beside him."I was just talking with Damian for a bit. I'm gonna get him some food, then drop him off back at Sanctuary City University's campus. Then we can go home."
>Stella gives a quick nod as she looks at Damian, smiling at him."Hey, I saw what you did on the news today. Good work."
>Damian looks somewhat red in the face as he nervously says:"T-Thanks! I made sure to minimize property damage!"
>Aiden and Stella then both laugh before they get into Aiden's car. As Aiden sits in the driver's seat, Stella sits in the passenger's seat. Aiden then rolls down the window and says:"Either side works, Damian."
>With that, Damian then picks the left passenger seat and gets into the car behind Aiden."Thanks for this you guys. I mean it."
>Aiden nods as he waits for everyone to buckle before he replies."Don't mention it. You
did miss out on lunch - so it can't be helped either."
>Aiden then backs the car out of the parking lot in Archeon - as he, Stella and Damian then drive away from the Archeon Complex and into the larger city.[The End]