No.4125
>Date: October 27th, 2017
>Time: 12:22pm
>Location: Sanctuary City - Financial District
>A non-descript man in a corporate suit walks through one of the plazas of Sanctuary City's financial district, his relaxed attitude and direction indicating he has recently started his lunch break. Despite the suit he's wearing being tailored, minor scuffs and damage around the edges indicate that the man doesn't work in any kind of position to afford to constantly maintain or replace suits. As the man walks along, the various screens in the plaza play broadcasts from different news organisations, providing around the clock coverage across the globe:
"Despite beating incubent President Underwood on a manifesto promising an end to what some now dub 'the Meta-Human crisis', President Abbott's term has been wracked by a series of attacks, in particular focused on Sanctuary City, leaving many analysts speculating that today's speech will serve as announcement of new, stricter policies around. . ."
"Call them what they are, Donna, they're vigilantes, some of them might style themselves as 'heroes' but the real heroes are the men and women in our emergency services. . ."
"With more and more dictatorships appearing every year, some are questioning if the time has come for the US to take a more proactive. . ."
>The man continues his walk, taking a turn to head down an alleyway, his confidence in it indicating that this route is one he's taken hundreds of times before.
"Spare any change?"
>The man stops briefly to see an older man sitting at the side of the alleyway, his hunched form unable to hide his impressive height.
"Get a job you bum."
>The man walks past the older man, pausing as he hears the older man standing up, his wirey form blocking out some of the sunlight shining into the alleyway.
"That's not very nice, I'm a veteran, you know. . ."
>The older man places a hand on the younger man's shoulder, and the younger man freezes, unable to move out of pure instinct.
"S-sorry, I. . . I don't have any change. . ."
>The older man's hand retreats from the younger man's shoulder.
"See? That wasn't difficult, was it? You go ahead now young man."
"R-right."
>The younger man almost runs away from the older man, reaching the other end of the alleyway at a brisk pace before turning back to see the old man is gone.
>Puzzled, the man takes a step towards the alleyway, then decides against it, shaking his head as he turns back around and steps out into the main street, walking for a few more steps before shaking his head, something clearly wrong.
>After a few more steps, the man starts coughing, then trips, taking someone else out with him.
"Hey. . ."
>The man stumbles back and holds his forehead, doing a mix of coughing and mumbling in pain the entire time, only to pull his hand away to reveal a third eye.
>A look of confusion and terror on his face, the man looks around, only to cough again, this one follow by a retch as a set of tentacles bursts forth from his mouth.
>As the people around start to witness the scene, the man's body begins to twist and change even more. . .
No.4126
>>4125>12:36pm
>An MRD Rapid Response Hovercraft rushes around the corner into the financial district, only to lurch as a second hovercraft slams into it, thrown with psionic force by a floating creature of tentacles and teeth. Acting on instinct and rage, the creature turns away from the hovercraft and floats in the opposite direction.
>Within the hovercraft, the pilot frantically tries to regain control, barely managing too just above the ground, before turning to the back."We're within the incident zone, Captain, but I can't risk going any closer. . ."
>Within the central section of the craft, one of the passengers steps forward, pulling a rifle of some kind from the weapon's rack."What just hit us, corporal."
". . .the previous response unit's craft, ma'am. . ."
"Shit. Maintain a safe radius and attempt to set up an evac and operations area - and get me a line with Spire command."
>The captain steps away from the cockpit, picking two of the MRD troopers within it out."Davies, Johnson, I want you to assist the corporal with his orders, the rest of you, look lively, we're going in hot."
>The troopers begin moving in response to the captain's orders, finishing their last preparations before the doors open and the majority of the squad steps out, the captain trailing behind.
>As the troopers step out, they find themselves in a ruined road, the buildings around still mostly intact besides on ground level, where many have had debris thrown into them, smashing their frontages. Despite all of this, however, the road is filled with civilians, who stand there, unmoving and uninjured.
>Curious one of the troopers walks over to one of the unmoving people and reaches out to them, touching them on the shoulder.
>As soon as they make contact, the civilian turns their head with an unnerving amount of speed and tackles the trooper, letting out a screech that causes the rest to turn and start charging the MRD troopers.
>From the back, the captain brings up her rifle and shoots one of the charging civilians, the shot from which shocks them, causing them to fall to the ground harmlessly."Tsade Squad, you have permission to fire, non-lethals only."
No.4127
>>4126>As the civilians continue to rush towards the MRD personnel in a swarm, a set of small black spherical pellets rain down from above - seemingly out of nowhere."Oh I really did
not want to experience a real life zombie plague. Not part of the bucket list."
>Phantom then appears - gliding into the area from above as he continues hurling ice pellets and compressed bola pellets at the civilians. Very quickly, dozens of them begin to get flash frozen or bound by carbon-nanoweave wires that rapidly expand in size from their pellet containers.
>As he lands on the downed MRD Hovercraft, Phantom looks at the MRD Captain and says:"I'm no expert on horror movies, but I'm gonna take a guess that the Eldritch abomination is mind controlling them."
>Phantom then flicks his wrist, dispensing a larger black-and-red vibro disc that he aims, before tossing it at one of the tentacles held by the floating creature. No.4128
>>4127>Large plumes of smoke appear rapidly in the area - seemingly targeting individual civilians - as said civilians quickly fall to the ground. The rapid-fire smoke effect continues to appear until a man with blue skin and a blue tail appears beside Phantom. His bright amber eyes showing no pupils."Hey, sorry for the mess. I uh, tried to knock them out in their pressure points."
>Matrix continues looking around, before noticing the MRD Captain. He then says:"Oh uh, I'm the shape changer guy. In case you were confused."
>Wispy trails of fire and flame briefly appear around Matrix, as the residual flares of his dimensional smoke abilities subside into the air. No.4129
>>4127>The captain tracks Phantom for a moment, then lowers her rifle as her men widen their perimeter."That's the working theory here, although we're just as in the dark. . ."
>>4127>The captain stops briefly as Matrix appears, then continues.". . .as you are here, we've been trying to hail the Spire for reinforcements and a link to TOC, but all the lines are full."
>Satisified with the perimeter, one of the troopers does a handsign in the captain's direction, and she quickly responds with one of her own, which earns a nod in response from the trooper."I'm acting under the assumption that that's deliberate, whoever released. . . whatever that thing is wants us in the dark, or maybe it did it itself - all we know is that it appears to have psionic abilities of some kind."
"Needless to say, any help you can lend would be appreciated."
No.4130
>>4129>Phantom looks at Matrix for a moment, before looking back at the the Captain, stating:"I've got psionic resistance, and my friend here can probably take the psionic fight to that creature."
>Matrix's eyes widen as he says:"Wait, you want me to use
that? I thought that was off limits?"
>Phantom sighs as he replies:"Well, it's either that, or the entirety of the city's population gets turned into mindless drones. I'm guessing that stopping that thing will free those people
and give us some context into what's going on here."
>Thinking it over for a moment, Matrix nods as he looks at the circular disc on the center of his outfit. Slamming his gloved hand against it - he's enveloped in a bright orange light, as his form changes.
>Now appearing as a tall humanoid with emerald green skin and ruby red eyes, Matrix then says:"Alright, I'll go try and mentally pierce its defenses. You stay here and help the Captain with her relay stuff."
>Matrix then flies off towards the monster - sending a series of psionic energy bolts in its direction. As he does so, Phantom then turns back towards the MRD Captain, taking a small device out of his integrated utility belt."Signal decrypter and portable relay system. I've used something like this to talk to the MRD Director - when circumstances demanded it."
>Recognizing how substantial of a situation that is, Phantom then says:"Erm. It's a long story. You probably won't believe me if I explain how it works - but if you need to speak to the MRD Director, just attach it to your comms device. It'll work, trust me."
No.4131
>>4130>The psychic bolts harmless bounce off the creature's skin, but still seem to have had some effect, as it turns in the air, it's movements almost like a fish swimming in water, and locks its eyes on Matrix before bombarding him with a series of telepathic attacks - all of them powerful, but simplistic in nature.
>The captain looks at the device for moment."Protocol states. . ."
>The captain looks over at her troopers, who are having to take defensive positions as a new set of civilians start to move from down the street.". . .to hell with protocol, hand that here."
>The woman takes the device and attaches it to her comms unit, bringing it up to her mouth."Director McIntyre? Director, can you hear me, this is Captain Ackerman calling from-"
>The ccaptain is interrupted as her comms device starts letting out an ear-piercing screech, the feedback from which is picked up by the comms devices of the nearby troopers, causing them pain.
>Not waiting to see if her call got through, the captain throws her coms device to the ground and pulls out a pistol, shooting and ruining it, the sound stopping with the death of the device. No.4132
>>4131>Location: The Spire>Time: 12:30 PM"Director, I have received a transmission from Captain Ackerman."
>Chase continues his attempts to open up the communications lines within the MRD Spire. As he tries accessing different frequencies, he becomes more and more annoyed as he states:"Well, that's
some bit of good news then. Since comms are scrambled, I'm not sure how anyone could've contacted-"
>Realization hits him as he says:"…..Oh right, Mosaic. Either him or one of the others. They likely gave her that quantum entanglement device."
>Looking up at the hovering technological creature hovering in front of him - Chase then says:"I know they
just finished constructing you, Aion - but you're not fully calibrated. Valkyrie can hold down the fort here - but are you ready for field testing?"
>Aion, the cybernetic assistant machine, slowly nods its head as it replies:"Of course, Director McIntyre. I was designed to compliment your combat capabilities."
>Thinking for a moment, Chase then says:"Alright. Trace the signal back to its point of origin. The device that Ackerman used to contact me was designed with coordinate imprinting with each message."
>After mere seconds, Aion's eyes glow as it responds in a mechanical voice:"Done. Coordinates are set for transport via spatial-distortion bridge."
>Chase walks around his desk and towards Aion as he says:"You know I can still teleport, Aion. I just need the coordinates."
>Aion turns to face Chase, stating:"On the contrary, Director. As your assistant, I was also infused with the same Metanium Ore-"
>Chase interjects, saying:"It was rhetorical, Aion. I'm aware of your purpose and your capabilities. Let's go."
>As they're about to leave, a MRD agent bursts into the room, shouting:"Director McIntyre! The security systems of the Spire are compromised! Someone's disabled the electronic locks to the prisoner cells below!"
>Looking at the MRD agent, Chase then says:"Notify Commander Valkyrie if she isn't already aware. Her and Lieutenant Mirage will lead the counter-suppression efforts to contain the prisoners. Aion has gotten a lock on Captain Ackerman's signal. I need to go assist her."
>Nodding, the MRD agent then quickly rushes out of the room, as Chase and Aion then disappear in a flash of red light. No.4133
>>4131>Location: Sanctuary City - Financial District
>Matrix is sent reeling backwards, clutching his head in pain as he feels the weight of the collective psionic bombardment."ARGH! Damn that hurts!"
>Shaking it off partially, the psionic superhuman then maintains his position in the air - doubling down on the psionic attacks, as he begins to combat the monster once more.
>Meanwhile, back at the hovercraft with the MRD Captain, Phantom looks at her as she fires rounds into the device:"That was a
lot of interference. But that shouldn't be possible…..No radio signal to disrupt-"
>Before Phantom can complete his sentence, the air around the two of them seemingly shifts, as air pressure rapidly rises. In an instant, Chase and Aion then appear beside them. Noticing their arrival, Phantom then says:"…..Well there you go. It worked."
>Now pointing at the armored figure before him, Phantom then says:"Hey uh, Director McIntyre. It's me - Arachnid."
>Looking at Phantom and sizing up his design for a moment, Chase then nods, stating:"Same height and same voice. I could tell, don't worry."
>Turning back to the MRD Captain, Chase nods at her, saying:"Captain Ackerman, I was able to get here in time, thanks to you. That monster's one of the causes of this crisis. Without effective coordination, the MRD's effectively toothless and inert."
>Looking back at the MRD Captain, Chase then says:"…..Off the record here, but I agree with what you're probably thinking. There's likely foul play here - but we'll deal with that once the city's safe."
>Meanwhile, Matrix is still attempting to fight the psionic monster - trying to create waves of psionic energy as defensive constructs.
>While fighting, he then telepathically contacts, Phantom, Chase and the MRD Captain.{"Uh guys? Don't mean to intrude but I need some help here! This thing is trying to reach into my brain! It's not great!"}
>Looking at the MRD Captain for a moment, Mobius then says:"Feel like sticking around? You helped Aion and I, so now it's time that we returned the favor."
>Aion then hovers over to Chase, stating:"Fusion Program is loaded and ready for execution, Director."
No.4135
>>4134>Chase looks at Captain Ackerman for a moment, stating:"If it comes to that, then I will. But I'll ensure that it won't. You're part of the MRD, so that makes you my responsibility."
>Phantom jumps down from the hovercraft, landing beside the Captain as he says:"I'll restrain her if the monster makes her lose her mind or something like that. Don't worry. She's not dying."
>Nodding, Chase then turns to Aion, stating:"Now would be a good time then, Aion. Fusion Program - load it."
>Aion's eyes glow a bright yellow-gold in color, as a bright flash of white light surrounds both it and Chase. After a few moments, a singular human in a black-and-white power armor appears, sporting the same glowing gold lenses in the helmet."Keep an eye on her like you said, Arachnid. I'll help your friend over there."
>Turning his attention back towards the large psionic monster in the distance, Mobius then activates his afterburner thruster jets on his suit - causing flares of bright red light to immediately appear behind him. In an instant, he rushes forward at blinding speeds.
>Matrix struggles against the large mass of the creature - as it attempts to consume him. He instinctively tries to move back - only to see a flurry of bright red lights blasting through the monster's mass - punching holes in it. The holes are large enough for Matrix to fly backwards, meeting Mobius a few dozen meters away from the monster."Hey, uh. Director guy right? You've got psionic resistance? Because that'll help a lot."
>Mobius nods as he aims his advanced blaster at the monster, stating:"More than enough to fight this thing. Keep your distance - I'll apply some offensive pressure."
>Matrix nods as he then flies backwards, attacking the monster with ranged psionic constructs. At that same time, Mobius continues firing energy blasts at the creature - large plumes of bright red psionic energy beams continue to pile into the creature's mass.
>Aion then speaks from the inside of Mobius's armor, stating:["Director. A suggestion. This armored frame is integrated into the technology acquired from the impact crater-"]
>Mentally, Chase replies to Aion, as they continue attacking the monster as Mobius.["I'm aware of its similarities to Omnius and Arachnid's technology. We'll use the data card function as a last resort."]
>Aion then responds with a brief statement.["Affirmative. Maintaining combat tactics. Assessing parameters for alternative combat maneuvers."] No.4136
>>4135>The creature reels back from Matrix's escape, clearly not used to the pain, then brings two tentacles in front of itself, creating a ball of psionic force that safely propels it away from the two while acting as an attack against the pair.
>With some extra distance created, the creature starts pulling the top layer of the street below it away, ripping apart any other items it can detect below, and begins rearranging the materials telekinetically, crushing and moving at microscopic scales where it can until it seems satisified - having created a cloud of dust.
>The creature then begins undulating, energy building up within its core, and then releases a shockwave of purple energy into the dustcloud, which is sends out in all directions with a buffet of telekinetic force.
>Happy with its charged, razor-like cloud, the creature bursts up into the air, attempting to escape. No.4137
>>4136>Matrix immediately begins attempting to phase through the attacks - stretching his body with his shapeshifting abilities as he hangs back. At the same time, Mobius states:"Well, now we know your priorities. Let's help you along with that."
>Waiting to time it perfectly, Mobius then holds up his blaster once again - blasting it with psionic energy while preparing a red energy field around his body. The field is able to mostly resist the force of the telekinetic assault of micropscopic matter - while he then says:"Aion. The card might be useful then."
>Internally, Aion then replies:["Affirmative, Director. Loading optimal countermeasure now."]
>After a few moments, an electronic card-like device appears in Mobius's free hand - and he quickly inserts the configuration card into his blaster. As his blaster loads the psionic data, it then primes the exact energy field that Mobius needs.
>Now aiming his blaster at the creature, as it rapidly surges up into the air - Mobius then says:"Let's see if this works."
>Pulling the trigger - Mobius then watches as his tech blaster rifle activates - producing a massive plume of red psionic energy. A large energy beam then completely envelops the monster - striking upward into the skies above, and parting clouds in the way.
>As the dust subsides, Mobius then says to Aion:"I lowered the energy output of the blast just to avoid collateral damage. That'll hopefully damage it enough to slow its movement, if not outright destroy it."
>Matrix, seeing the massive red energy blast that completely covered the skies above Sanctuary City - feels his eyes widen in shock as he becomes tangible once more."Holy…….shit."
No.4138
>>4137>The creature lets out a screech as the beam pierces it, and then starts plummeting to the ground, its eyes lifeless.
>Down in the street below, the people controlled by the creature collapse to the ground, unconscious but otherwise unarmed.
>Near Phantom and the MRD captain, an old man pokes his head out of an alleyway tentatively."Is it. . . is it over?"
>The old man carefully steps out from the alleyway and hobbles his way over to Phantom and the captain, supported by a walking stick."Oh thank god, I was so scared, that man turned into that creature and. . . and. . ."
No.4140
>>4132>Location: The Spire>Time: 12:57pm
>Dr Emily Weber stands at one of the main reception desks of the Spire."Yes, I understand that the protocol says I
shouldn't return to my lab in this scenario, I was in the committee that developed that protocol, but that same protocol says that I have the right to return to it if. . ."
>Emily trails off as she notices that there's a commotion coming from behind her, and she turns around to see a large section of the building's front entrance has disappeared, a figure entirely covered in darkened clothing standing just in front of the hole with MRD officers starting to surround them.
>Emily turns back to the officer on the desk."The gun under the desk, give it to me."
"But I can't-"
"I am technically the ranking officer in this room right now, so it is my responsibility to handle this crisis, so hand me the gun."
>The officer pauses for a moment, trying to think up an argument, then relents and hands Emily a pistol, which she checks the balance of and holds up, making her way across the room to stand opposite the figure, as she gets closer, her eyes switch from their usual blue to orange."Would you mind stating your identity and intentions?"
>The figure stands still for a moment, then speaks in a quiet voice, barely a whisper, but still somehow audible to everyone surrounding them."A message. . ."
No.4141
>>4138>Phantom's eyes narrow as he instinctively gets in front of Captain Ackerman. Sensing his newfound apprehension, Mobius looks over from the other side of the road, thinking:{"Arachnid just tensed up. What's wrong?"}
>Back over with the old man, Phantom then thinks to himself:{"Why is he still conscious? Everyone here was turned into a psychic puppet until the MRD showed up."}
>Looking back at Captain Ackerman, Phantom then says:"….Might wanna take a few steps back, miss. I'm a bit suspicious of this guy."
>Matrix and Mobius then both quickly fly over - landing in front of Captain Ackerman as Mobius takes a step forward - stating:"If I may ask, why are you conscious while everyone else was incapacitated by that creature?"
>Phantom then interjects, stating:"And how did you know that a man turned
into that creature? That could've been his Meta-Human power, given the city that we're all standing in."
>Making note of that last part, Mobius turns back to face the man, stating:"Both of those aspects seem to form a discrepancy in your story so far. Care to elaborate?"
No.4142
>>4141>Location: The Spire>Time: 12:57 PM
>In an instant, a black-and-red figure suddenly appears in the lobby of the Spire - standing directly in front of the figure."There's a lot of people that need help right about now - but showing up at the footsteps of the Spire? You
must be a hell of a messenger, aren't you?"
>As his multiple cognitive abilities have already informed him, Mosaic knows better than to directly attack the figure in front of him. Instead, he uses his magic to send a psionic message to Dr. Weber, the woman standing behind him - who still has her gun trained on the figure.{"Mom, it's me. Phoebe and Jonah are in the area, and they can get you out of here. I'm not sure what this guy wants - but I'm not letting him lay a finger on you."}
>Out loud, Mosaic then says:"If you've got something to say, then say it to my face and get out of here."
No.4143
>>4141>Mobius then turns his attention back to Captain Ackerman, stating:"As an aside, Captain. I know this isn't the right moment for it, but I'm promoting you to head of Alpha Squad and Assistant Director of the Spire, effective immediately. Your quick thinking helped to end the immediate threat to the city, and I cannot stress that enough. That - and there's an opening where Valkyrie used to lead the squad."
>Turning back to face the old man, Mobius then says:"Either you tell us everything that transpired here, to the best of your recollection - or we'll be forced to bring you in for questioning at the Spire. Your appearance here is beyond circumstantial - given the context of the situation, and I can't help but feel as though there's more to your sudden appearance than what you're letting on."
>Phantom nudges his head at Mobius, stating:"Yeah what he said, and I'm not even one of them. You're sketchy as hell, old man."
>Matrix stays silent as he considers probing the old man's mind. No.4144
>>4142>Location: Sanctuary City - Administrative District>Time: 12:57 PM
>As a surge of golden lightning continues streaking across the streets of Sanctuary City - the nimble and agile form of Scalar continues his search. {"I can't find her anywhere! Did she leave?! This isn't good!"}
>Reaching the edge of a street, Scalar comes to an immediate halt as he sighs and looks around. Then he taps the side of his mask, activating his comms link."Yeah, I can't seem to locate Lisa. I'm not sure if I can even sense her either with that same energy that we both use. It's just the rest of us."
>High up in the skies above Sanctuary City, Hyperia is scanning the city with her telescopic vision - carefully examining various landmarks and structural areas in an effort to locate Lisa Dawkins."Damnit, Lisa. Where
are you?!"
>Hyperia says, dejected as her cape flutters in the wind - still hovering miles above the city. In that moment, however, she then hears a message from Mosaic, with Scalar receiving it as well.{"Guys. Masked hostile's at the Spire - and I got here just in time before it could attack Mom. If this escalates, I'm going to need one of you to get Mom out of here and all the way to Haven City, at the very least."}
>Hyperia and Scalar both immediately respond with mental thoughts.{"No problem."}{"I'm ready when you are."} No.4145
>>4141>>4143>The old man seems startled at the questions."H-how did I? I was hiding in the alleyway, I just thought it didn't see me. . . a-and I was there when the man changed?"
>The old man looks around, seeing the corpse of the creature."Are you saying Meta-Humans can do
that? I'm just an old veteran, I'm not a scientist or anything, I didn't know. . ."
>>4142>>4144>Emily's stance relaxes slightly for a moment, before she tenses back up again.{"Aiden, I appreciate the support, but this is my job, just let me do it.}
>The figure seems to ignore Mosaic, instead taking out a small device from their pocket and placing it on the ground, where it lights up, creating a holographic image of a woman's face."My name. . . is Glacies. A name that many of you will be familiar with. I am the current head of the Meta-Human Alliance council, and leader of the Meta-Human Front. I welcome those of you who are human and serve the Meta-Human Response Division, as well as my brothers and sisters who do the same. I come before you to discuss. . ."
>The image flickers."
Doubt. Doubt is a natural thing, but it is also something that they try to prevent us doing. But I'm sure you all know that they
cannot prevent us from doubting, in fact, I know many of you watching this recording know that, I have heard your doubts, you have come to us. . ."
>Glacies smiles, one somehow both twisted with malice, but also a certain amount of warmth.". . .you
came to us with your doubts, your worries of how the current system binds you, how it stifles your gifts - and gifts they are!"
>Glacies's arms become visible in the image for a moment."The Meta-Human is the next stage of our growth, but the old world tries to hold us back, tries to tell us we should bow down to it and. . . I know. . . I know you think this my brothers and sisters, I have personally spoken to you, each and every one of you that came to us, I have confirmed your convictions. . ."
>Several members of the crowd shuffle slightly, reacting to the message.". . .and I come today with glorious news!"
>One of the troopers pointing their gun at the figure stumbles, holding onto their chest as their muscles shift, their bones snapping and twisting."Lord Anomaly grants his gifts to you, my brothers and sisters! All he demands in return is that you rise!"
>Emily lowers her gun slightly as she sees the trooper's body twist and turn, a tar-black creature rising where someone once stood, her eye's widening as she seems to recognise something."Mortarization. . ."
>Emily raises her gun again and fires a shot at the figure, the bullet harmlessly vanishing once it reaches within a foot of them."
Raus! Get out!"
>Emily takes a step backwards, still keeping her gun pointed at the figure.
>Above, the image of Glacies smiles a final time, offering out a hand."Rise up. . . in His name."
>Across the room, more people fall down, starting the same process as the first one. No.4146
>>4145>Mosaic immediately springs into action, rushing faster than the eye can see towards the first Mortar as it completes its transformation."I do not have
any patience for this right now."
>Immediately, Mosaic then strikes the Mortar in the chest with enough force to send it spiraling backwards - crashing back outside of the entrance. After doing so, Mosaic lowers his fist as he sends another telepathic message to Dr. Weber.{"Sorry Mom, but we're not letting you get mauled by a bunch of genetic experiments. If you're not leaving, then we're staying here to protect you - non negotiable."}
>At that moment, a blur of electricity appears in the area - circling around a few of the mortars - lifting them up and propelling them out of the lobby as well. The electrical blur then slows down, revealing Scalar - who looks at Dr. Weber and smiles.
>Then, a flurry of red energy beams connect with some other Mortars - knocking them backwards as a blur of red and black strikes one of the remaining Mortars, slamming them into the ground. Then that same Mortar is kicked out of the lobby as Hyperia lowers her leg down, placing her hands on her hips.
>She then telepathically speaks to Dr. Weber, while looking over her shoulder at the scientist.{"Aiden's right, Mom. There's no way in hell that we're leaving you unprotected!"}
>Scalar then interjects, stating:{"Apologies, Mother. But I agree with Aiden and Phoebe. We cannot in good conscious simply allow you to fend for yourself against a dozen or more Mortars. It's unconscionable."}
>Mosaic, Hyperia and Scalar then all assume defensive positions, surrounding Dr. Weber and forming a barrier between her and the mutated monsters. No.4147
>>4145>Not convinced, Mobius then calls out to a pair of MRD agents who are standing by."Take him to the Spire for questioning, he's a person of interest in this situation."
>The MRD agents nod and turn to the old man, beginning to read him his rights as they prepare to handcuff him. They then escort the man to a nearby MRD hovercraft.
>Turning back towards Captain Ackerman, Mobius then states:"Captain, as I said - we'll talk about your promotion later in the day. The debriefing will also involve your new responsibilities within The Spire."
>Phantom and Matrix then look at both Mobius and Captain Ackerman, saying:"Well, if you don't need us anymore - we'll be on our way then."
No.4148
>>4146>The figure speaks up again, the same whisper-like voice piercing the room."War, continue distraction operation, you may engage. Conquest, find the psion."
—————————————————-
>>4147>Across the city, the old man's ear twitches, and he grins."I'm a terrible actor, really."
>The old man throws his walking stick to the side, his throw having enough force to cause it to impale the concrete."But I didn't need to be a good one."
>The old man grabs the head of the nearest MRD agent and squeezes it, leaving only a bloody pulp."Allow me to introduce myself. I am
War. Second of Lord Anomaly's Horsemen."
>Behind Mobius and the others, an insectoid creature slams into the corpse of the tentacled beast, biting into it and ripping some flesh off, which it swallows before letting out an odd, undulating roar."Go feast, my friend."
>The creature gives the old man a look, then jumps away down the street.
>Lifting up the second MRD agent, War throws him away."Now, to me, my Mortars."
—————————————————-
>>4147{"I can get myself out, what we need is a proper retreat, we don't know how many. . ."}
>As if to prove Emily's point, the ceiling melts and a creature of shadow and magma falls through, its presence melting the floor below it as it lunges towards someone fleeing.{". . .of them there are. Or where even is safe, I've never heard of anyone being able to remotely trigger Mortarization."} No.4149
>>4148>Without hesitating, Mobius fires off a round from his blaster - aiming at the insectoid creature. Regardless of the amount of damage that is done, Mobius then turns back towards War, stating:"Just for killing one of my men, I'm out of mercy."
>Mobius then moves forward, punching War in the stomach as he then proceeds to hit him with more rapid strikes to the face, chest and legs.
>As this occurs, Arachnid turns to Matrix, stating:"Get the Captain out of here, now!"
>Matrix nods as he picks up the MRD Captain, saying:"Sorry ma'am, but you're not safe here!"
>Matrix then begins quickly flying the MRD Captain away - as Phantom lunges forward - delivering a swift kick to the back of War's neck after Mobius's latest strike. As Phantom leaps backwards, he lands beside Mobius - stating:"I think some of my friends might show up soon to help."
>Mobius, not strained at all, instead remains constantly still, saying:"Good. Something tells me we're going to need all the help that we can get."
No.4150
>>4148>Mosaic shakes his head, thinking:{"Look, I know Dad didn't tell you much about what we can do - but we're not paper tigers here, Mom. We can handle this."}
>As more Mortars lunge towards them, Hyperia blows out air from her mouth with so much force and shear pressure, that it tears apart the dermal skin layers of the monsters - before Hyperia rushes forward and punches them each with enough force to combust the air in front of her.
>More Mortars rush in from the side, as Scalar immediately runs around them, generating enough kinetic energy to kick them at the shins - causing them to trip over and skid to the floor. He then also runs around, narrowly catching the person being changed by the magma Mortar - and barely getting them out of harm's way.
>Meanwhile, Mosaic ultimately decides to face the Mortars in front of him head on. As he slowly walks forward, he catches a Mortar's fist with two of his fingers - before flicking them down. The force of the gesture slams the Mortar deep into the ground below, as Mosaic walks over the crater towards the next Mortar.
>Eventually, Mosaic, Hyperia and Scalar have neutralized all of the Mortars in the lobby area - none of them seeing a scratch on their bodies. As Scalar is quickly transporting everyone in the lobby to safety at a nearby MRD precinct, Mosaic and Hyperia turn to face Dr. Weber. Once certain that no one else is in the area besides them, Mosaic speaks first."Mom, is there anything about the Mortarization process that you're aware of, on a genetic level? Is there a Major Histocompatibility Complex enzyme that's catalyzing the reaction? Or any kind of underlying codon sequence that you've studied in Mortarized DNA? I just need something of a baseline to work with - and I can simultaneously neutralize all of the Mortars in the city."
>Anticipating the confused look on Dr. Weber's face, Hyperia then says:"Relax, mom. Aiden's just gonna conjure up some magic spell to deal with this."
>Mosaic then sighs as Hyperia realizes that she's spilled the beans on his plan."Oh, oops. I forgot that Mom didn't know about the sorcery."
No.4151
>>4149>War grins as the final attack hits, unscathed."Such delicious, beautiful aggression, thank you."
>With a deep breath, War's wirey frame begins to expand, muscles developing where skin and bone once was. Accompanying this transformation is a thick pelt of white fur, providing an extra layer of protection."Lord Anomaly promised me I would regain this form, I never doubted Him, of course, but for it to have actually happened, it is truly. . ."
>War looks over at Mobius and Phantom, his eyes having turned a deep red.". . .
transcendent."
>War's eyes glow, and the remaining MRD troopers begin to savagely attack each other. In Matrix's arms, Captain Ackerman pulls out her sidearm."I'LL KILL YOU!!"
>Having to awkwardly aim from her position, Ackerman begins firing shots at Matrix."Ahhhhh, barbarism, the purest form of war."
>Behind War, two hulking brutes of tar-black flesh burst from the ground, flanking him as guards."Others within the Meta-Human Alliance like to use a variety of Mortars for personal use, but I am a simple man, I value pure, simple strength - so I had Lord Anomaly craft me an army, each as strong as the one called Hyperia."
>One of the brutes lets out a grunt."Beautiful, aren't they?"
—————————————————-
>>4149>Emily shakes her head."Mortarization isn't a process like that. . ."
>The figure across the room interrupts, their icy voice still cutting through at an instinctual level."Lord Anomaly's gift is simple, he provides each aspirant with as much power as they require to transcend."
"They're. . . right, although they're speaking in an overly spiritual manner. Mortarization is what occurs when you overload a Meta-Gene, this. . ."
>Emily indicates at the Mortars around.". . .is their natural state now."
>As Emily finishes speaking, the Mortars begin to stand up again, healed. No.4152
>>4151>Sighing in resignation, Mosaic then says:"I figured as much. Thanks, mom."
>Turning towards Hyperia, Mosaic then states:"All of this is coordinated, based on what they've said. War, Conquest?"
>Hyperia's eyes widen as the Mortars replenish their health."….Horsemen."
"Yep. I'll handle the Mortars. You go help the others."
>Nodding, Hyperia then flies off in an instant - creating a sonic boom that knocks the Mortars backwards, as Mosaic helps keep Dr. Weber from flying away at the strength of the burst.
>Turning back towards the Mortars, Mosaic then slowly raises up a hand, as he makes a specific gesture with it."Formam inverte, ad statum pristinum reverte!"
>In that moment, a massive surge of magical power emanates from Mosaic. Using a fundamental power separate from his own, Mosaic invokes higher order magic with his incantation. Immediately, the energy and power of the magical attack completely envelops the Mortars in bright lights - restraining them as their bodies are fundamentally altered.
>Straining against the strength of his own incantation, Mosaic presses further - generating even more energy and magical effects as he begins imbuing his magic with his own latent power.
>As the light dies down, Mosaic looks over and sees the Mortars gone - having been reverted back to that of normal humans. Exhaling for the first time in months, he then says to himself:"…Took a lot more out of me than I thought…."
>Lightly exhaling, he then turns back to his mom, saying:"…..Like I said, Mom. We're not paper tigers."
No.4153
>>4151>Matrix instinctively flies downward - resisting the bullets from Captain Acerkman as he falls down to the ground."Hey! Lady I'm trying to help you-"
>As he lands, a bright orange flash goes off - as Matrix turns back into Jay, his human form. Worried, he then immediately hides behind a nearby car - while Captain Ackerman is still disoriented by the fall.
>Looking down at the black and orange Index device on his wrist, Jay then curses to himself, saying:"Come on, you stupid watch! Give me something!"
>As he sees other feral and enraged MRD agents rushing towards him, he then quick dials a transformation on the device and slams his hand down on the dial - causing another bright orange flash of light.
>Once the light dies down, a figure with a wispy humanoid appearance takes his place. His facial features having been obscured by a cloth fabric - Matrix looks down at his body once more, stating:"What the hell? So what can this transformation do?"
>As if to answer his question, a glowing blue tentacle appears from Matrix's body - immediately grabbing an approaching MRD agent and knocking them down. Then the blue tentacle immediately retracts back into his body as he says:"Huh. Good to know."
>Now growing a set of 4 glowing blue limbs, Matrix begins quickly carrying himself away from the area - grabbing Captain Ackerman with him as he does so. No.4154
>>4153>As Mobius and Phantom continue disarming the enraged MRD agents, a figure in red-and-black quickly blurs as they arrive in the area. Knocking out the remaining MRD agents, Hyperia then comes to a halt - hovering above the ground beside Mobius and Phantom, stating:"I heard something about an army of Hyperia-type monsters. If you think you've done the impossible, then by all means."
>Making a gesture with one hand out in front of her - Hyperia then says:"Show me."
>Before they can react though, a beam of light and a beam lightning both fall down on the two black tar brutes - slamming them back into the ground. A pair of newcommers stand up on a nearby rooftop, each with a billowing cape to compliment their humanoid frame. As Hyperia looks up - she then sees the figures of both Paladin and Eidolus looking down at them."Hello, Hyperia. Hopefully, we did not keep you waiting."
>Eidolus says, with a hint of playful smugness in his voice. Paladin stands beside him, waving as he says:"Sorry I'm late. A few things came up in New York City - but I got the gist of the situation from Scalar. We're here to help!"
No.4155
>>4152>A voice can then be heard nearby Mosaic, as it says:"No, you're not a paper tiger. But you're awfully reckless."
>Suddenly, Mosaic can feel magical energy coursing through his body - remedying his fatigue. As his exhaustion subsides, he sees the now visible form of Andromeda standing beside him. Hands on her hips, she looks somewhat annoyed at Mosaic, and then says:"Aiden, how many times do I have to tell you? Whenever you're in pinch with magic, let me know so that I can help-"
>Now finally noticing Dr. Weber beside him, Andromeda then immediately gets excited as she says:"Oh! Doctor Weber! It's such an honor to see you again, ma'am!"
>Looking at Mosaic, Andromeda then states:"It's me, Stella. I know you haven't seen me in this form but-"
>Mosaic interjects, stating:"I told her that you helped me out a few times, Stella. Did you get everyone out of Archeon safely?"
>Andromeda scoffs as pink magical energy flickers between her gloved fingers."I already cast a protective ward over the entire campus. Both spatial and temporal. They're safer
in there than out
here in all honesty."
>Turning to see the now waking bodies of the former Mortars, Andromeda then says:"Give me a moment."
>Sighing, Andromeda speaks an incantation:"Obliviscere quae in mente tua habitant. Nam iam non adsunt."
>Snapping her fingers, Andromeda causes a brief pink flash of magic light to fill the area - as all of the people forget their memories of being Mortars."You've gotten better at causal reversal spell casting? Good work!"
>Andromeda says, enthusiastically to Mosaic.
>Sighing behind his mask, Mosaic then replies:"Yeah Stella, I have. Thanks to you."
No.4156
>>4153>Captain Ackerman continues trying to shoot Matrix, eventually resorting to trying to claw and kick him from where she is.
>Before Matrix can leave, a snapping sound comes from down the street, and the form of the creature from earlier comes into view, with the remains of what was once a human in its mouth, now shredded to almost beyond recognition.
>As the creature finishes its current meal, it drags another body forward with its front limb, batting at it to check that its dead before lunging downwards to bite into it.—————————————————-
>>4155>Emily goes to speak, but is interrupted by the figure."Memento Mori, all things must die. . ."
>The figure holds a hand out, and a sword forms within it, which it brings down."Even the magicks of petty sorcerers, this Lord Anomaly has seen. . ."
>Reality within the area seems to slow down and freeze for a moment, then something "snaps", causing those previously turned to start turning again.". . .and He was not impressed."
>The figure turns, their cloak flapping dramatically as they do."War, these ones are unduely concerned with Archeon, Lord Anomaly will remove the wards, I require you to cause chaos."
—————————————————-
>Across the city, War tilts his head as he hears something those around him do not."Shame. . ."
>Turning back to Mobius and Phantom, War shrugs."I would love to fight you, but my efforts are required elsewhere."
>A bolt of pitch-black lightning hits War, and he disappears, leaving only the two mortars - which start moving in on Mobius and Phantom.—————————————————-
>Elsewhere in the city
>Seemingly having not heard of the events happening elsewhere, a short, squat man bursts from the ground on a platform, laughing as chaos starts to spread around him."I AM THE GREAT AND MIGHTY ANIHILOS, LORD OF THE HOLLOWS, BOW BEFORE ME SURFACE-DWELLERS AND DESPAIR!"
No.4157
>>4156>Without warning a gloved hand grabs the squat man by the shoulder."What, are you the Worm-King or something?"
>The slightly modulated voice gives away the owner of the hand's identity - Omnius."Why would you even care about the surface? There's more room underground than up here. Unless maybe you wanted to see the sky? In that case, I can help you out."
>In a sudden motion Omnius throws his arm upward, flinging the man high into the sky, causing him to disappear from view. No.4161
>>4156>Matrix still holds Captain Ackerman in the grasp of his energy binds - the constructs retraining her as he continues onward."Ugh, I'm gonna have to get you to safety somewhere…..But I can't just leave people here…."
>Thinking for a moment, Matrix then sighs, before saying:"To hell with it, I suppose."
>Slamming the circular disc on his chest once more, Matrix's body is engulfed in another bright orange light. As the light subsides, Matrix's form has changed once again - now using the multiplicative transformation.
>Immediately, Matrix duplicates himself multiple times, until he manifests a version of himself with super speed. Handing over Captain Ackerman to his duplicate, he then says:"Just get her back to the Prism and keep her in a cell until things have calmed down. Watch over her."
>Nodding, the Matrix clone then immediately blasts away, much faster than the human eye can perceive - with Captain Ackerman in tow. The remaining Matrix clones turn back to face the large monster, stating:"I really hope you like dealing with duplicates."
>The Matrix clones then rush towards the monster, attacking it with a barrage of energy, kinetic and transmutative attacks. No.4163
>>4156>Location: The Spire
>Mosaic immediately reacts to the statements made by the cloaked figure."Yeah no, I'm not bothering with this."
>Before Andromeda can react, Mosaic holds out his hand and speaks another incantation. This time, he does so while focusing on making a circular tracing motion with said hand. After drawing the visual rune - Mosaic watches as the area around the humans undergoing mortarization begins to ripple and flicker. Space itself seemingly distorts around them - as they suddenly stop moving, now frozen in time.
>Andromeda looks at Mosaic and says:"Even I'm not certain if that'll hold them, provided that they were right about our magic."
>Mosaic responds, stating:"It's not meant to hold them, just slow them down long enough for us to go to Archeon."
>Placing his hand on Andromeda's shoulder, Mosaic then turns to Dr. Weber and says:"Sorry, gotta go. We'll be back in a bit."
>Then, Mosaic and Andromeda instantaneously disappear from the area - without leaving a trace.————————————————————————————————————
>Location: Archeon Complex
>As Mosaic and Andromeda arrive directly in front of the protective barrier that she's created, Andromeda looks at Mosaic, saying:"Aiden, I know what you're thinking."
>Cracking his knuckles with his thumb one at a time, Mosaic then replies:"I know. I'm still going to use it on this 'War' if I have to."
>Placing a hand to her visor, Andromeda begins to scan the area beyond the protective barrier, as her eyes widen."Oh no, he's already inside! They've breached it!"
>Mosaic looks at Andromeda for a moment, surprised."I guess they weren't joking then. Somehow their boss is powerful enough to breach a spatial defense like yours. In that case, there's no point waiting outside. Let's go."
>Mosaic then grabs Andromeda as they both quickly fly through the protective barrier, and rush inside of the complex. No.4164
>>4156>Mobius places his hand on his blaster as he says:"Stun them, but don't kill them. They're still people in there."
>Hyperia instantaneously moves forward - at a speed that everyone present besides Phantom can react to. She punches both Mortars straight in the chest, with enough force to keel them over. With both of them staggering towards the ground - Hyperia her attention back to the others, stating:"Only real option is to stun them, at least until we figure out how to stop them, right?"
>Mobius nods as he then hovers into the air. Turning towards Eidolus and Paladin, he then says:"Mosaic says that both of you are magic users. As hard as that is to believe, I've seen his magic in action. So I assume that either of you has a more permanent solution to this?"
>Eidolus hovers down to the ground, as Paladin does the same. As Eidolus now hovers above ground level, he then assumes a thinking position, stating:"These modified humans have had their Meta-Genes amplified. Supposedly even conventional magic will not permanently affect them. Remarkable."
>Hyperia looks confused as she says:"How do you know that?"
>Eidolus then turns around, stating:"Because your brother has relayed the information to me telepathically - and his magic is stronger than even mine, and that of Paladin's."
>Groaning, Hyperia then says:"Great. In that case, let's just go with plan A then."
>Phantom looks on confused, as he states:"Wait, what's plan A again?"
>Hyperia turns around towards the two mortars, who quickly rise back up to their feet, seemingly unfazed by the attacks."Tougher than they look. Well the plan's still the same. Hit 'em real hard, until they're out cold."
>Sighing, Phantom then replies:"Yeah, I'm gonna let you guys handle that one. I need to go check up on a friend of mine."
>Nodding, Hyperia watches as Phantom grapples off into the distance, now gliding with his cape as he hurries to his destination. Turning her attention back to the Mortars, she then says:"I can handle this. Eidolus, you and Jack go help the others."
>Eidolus and Paladin then quickly take off, flying into the distance, as Hyperia charges head first into the path of the 2 Mortars - ready to strike them with her fists. No.4165
>>4161>The creature chitters, its whole body vibrating for a moment as the attacks harmlessly pass through it, then lunges forward, dodging and weaving through the clones until it reaches the original Matrix, once again vibrating as it passes through him, twisting around so that it can have a look at the logo, another chittering sound accompanying its action."Thul. . . can. . . dran. . ."
>The creature jerks away, heading upwards and letting out a screech, then dives down, phasing through the ground so it can't be seen.—————————————————-
>>4162>Conquest grunts and stumbles slightly as Orion's kick hits her side, but nevertheless tanks the hit, reacting quickly enough to hold her spare hand out towars the bench, causing the metal on it to break away and shred the other materials, before reshaping it into long, razor-sharp "needles", which she fires at Orion, not relinquishing her control the entire time - as if she expects Orion to deflect the attack telekinetically."The kick. That was trained, who trained you?"
—————————————————-
>>4163>War casually sits on a piece of rubble as Mosaic and Andromeda fly through the barrier. Around him, various members of Archeon staff fight between themselves as he watches, unamused.
>Looking up to see the pair, the transformed man stands up."Ah, I suppose you're here to stop me, then?"
—————————————————-
>>4164>The Mortars casually brush off Hyperia's attack, not even being staggered, and walk past her, heading towards Mobius. No.4166
>>4165>Matrix yelps in panic as he feels his body get phased though. Instinctively, he taps the sides of his body and his chest, almost as if to test whether he's still alive or not. "What the hell! That could've gone
way worse…."
>Then Matrix phonetically speaks out the phrase that the monster used."….Thulcandran? It knows what the Index is?"
>Confused, Matrix then says:"I can't transform, or else Captain Ackerman will won't have protection back in the Prism….Ugh."
>Turning towards his clones, Matrix then nods at them, stating:"Gonna need a phaser!"
>On cue, his clones begin rapidly duplicating themselves, until one of them manifests a phasing and intangibility power, based on psionic abilities."Right here boss."
>One of the Matrix clones says, pointing at the new phasing-clone. The original Matrix then sighs in relief as he says:"Right. Teleporters, surround the monster and give the phasing clone enough leeway to attack!"
>Nodding, the teleporting Matrix clones then immediately teleport the phasing clone towards the monster - with other clones being teleported in to distract it further. No.4167
>>4165>Looking at War, Mosaic is completely silent for a moment. Andromeda looks at him as she says:"…..No, don't do it."
>But before Andromeda can further speak, Mosaic has already disappeared - crashing into War and flying them both up into the air above the Archeon Complex. As Mosaic grabs War by the chest with both hands, he then says:"Give me one reason to keep you alive right now. One."
>Down below, Andromeda curses to herself as she says:"Damnit, Mosaic. That's probably what he wants!"
>Looking around, Andromeda then closes her eyes behind her visor as she then begins creating runes through her hand gestures. Glowing pink spheres of light course around her wrists and hands as she then projects out a wave of calming magic throughout the facility.
>The effect seems to temporarily ease the violent and combative urges of the Archeon personnel - and causes them to calm down and stop fighting, at least for now. No.4168
>>4165>Mobius blasts up into the air, his jet engines producing a bright red afterburner flame as he circles around the Mortars. From his engine backpack, he produces a series of large, targeted energy missiles - all aimed at the Mortars down below."Aion, got anything kinetic? Dampening or otherwise. We'll need that, and some inviolable forcefields."
>Aion then replies to Mobius, inside of his mind.["Theoretically the Mortars shouldn't sustain physical damage, given what was stated about their durability being comparable to that of Hyperia's own. As such, you may be better off considering particle technology."]
>Mobius continues firing missiles from his engine backpack, stating: "They're still human, Aion. That could kill them."
>Aion then replies, stating:["Potentially, yes. Any form of particle based disintegration weaponry could leave them amputated, provided that the Mortarization can be reversed. We are low on options though, however."]
>Hyperia then rushes back into the fray, attacking the Mortars with superhuman speed as she gradually ramps up the strength of her strikes. "I really,
really do not wanna cut loose - given how many people are gonna get hurt if I do."
No.4169
>>4166>The creature grunts, almost sounding like it's laughing."Stupid. . . plan. . ."
>With another vibration of its body, the creature vanishes.—————————————————-
>>4167>War chuckles as Mosaic holds him in the air."Dying is inconvenient for me, so I would rather not."
>Still chuckling, War takes a deep breath, taking in the smell of the carnage."If you want a reason otherwise, I can give you 25, that's how many died before you arrived - and I savored each and every one."
"But I would really rather not die, that's no lie."
—————————————————-
>>4168>The Mortars continue their march, unconcerned with anything besides their orders. No.4170
>>4169>Anger flares up inside of Mosaic's mind as he considers snapping War's neck, like a stick. However, he ultimately restraints his murderous intent at the last moment, and instead says:"You're not worth the effort."
>Instead, Mosaic flicks War away - tossing him with enough speed to appear as a streaking comet - as he slams back down to the ground below.
>Lowering himself to the ground, Mosaic walks over to Andromeda, who is using her magic in an attempt to stabilize the forms of the deceased."Can you do anything about the dead?"
>As Mosaic walks over to Andromeda, he finds her hovering in the air, meditating in a cross legged fashion as she says:"I'm trying to tether onto their souls. From what you told me about your fight with Faust, his master was able to capture his soul at the moment of his death and integrate it back into his body before reviving him, correct?"
>Nodding, Mosaic then says:"Eidolus did something similar with Harbinger. The other 'War' we fought. I see what you're attempting then. I'll help you out with that; see what we can do."
>Mosaic begins generating glowing red spheres of energy around his hands as he continues helping Andromeda with the magical ritual. He focuses inward and attempts to use what the Sorcerers Supreme have taught him about soul-based magics."I think I've grabbed a few more spirits. How many did you have left?"
>Andromeda then says:"I've tethered the remaining few already. Group them together and I'll integrate them back into their bodies before attempting a revival."
>Mosaic does so, working in tandem with Andromeda to prepare the souls for reintegration into their dead bodies - while simultaneously preparing a resurrection spell."Here goes nothing…."
>Mosaic and Andromeda then cast both spells, as a swirl of bright red energy mixes into bright pink energy - both sets of magical power merging into one combined instance of supernatural and arcane evocation.
>As the spell disperses - Mosaic and Andromeda watch as the bodies physically reconstitute themselves, repairing and restoring the bodies to the exact condition before their deaths.
>Then as the bodies gently fall down to the ground, Mosaic and Andromeda wait in anticipation."If this doesn't work…."
"We at least tried our best."
No.4171
>>4169>Irritated, Hyperia then looks up at Mobius, stating:"Enough. I'm going to contain them once and for all."
>Flying forward, Hyperia stands in front of the Mortars - holding out her red ring on her finger. As she makes a fist - she continues aiming the ring at both of the Mortars, before firing off a glowing red beam of energy at the Mortars."What is she…."
>Mobius says, looking on in sheer intrigue as he witnesses Hyperia's attempt at containment. Forming a giant red construct of supernatural energy, it manifests into the shape of a complex prison building with a futuristic design. Layers of material continue to surround the Mortars as reality itself seemingly bends space-time to an almost incomprehensible degree.
>As Hyperia lowers her hand, she then floats down to the ground, as Mobius does so as well - looking on in surprise as he says:"I can't see them beyond that structure you made, even with my X-Ray vision. What did you do, Hyperia?"
>Hyperia looks at the red ring on her finger, touching it softly as it faintly pulses with bright red light."I thought of the most complicated and structured thing that I could imagine. An infinitely-repeating maze, that's way bigger on the inside than on the outside.
————————————————————————————————-
>Inside of Hyperia's construct, the Mortars have been placed inside of a pocket dimension, relative to their current position in space. They are trapped in large wall structures that are infinitely repeating in numbers, and infinitely tall in size. The only visible space is the open ceiling between the walls - wherein a dark night sky can be seen, in an otherwise expansive cosmic void.————————————————————————————————-
>Back outside in the real world, Hyperia then looks back at Mobius - stating:"Even I'm not sure if they'll find their way out of that. I haven't had too much practice with the ring's powers, so we'll see if anything happens."
>Mobius then holds out his open palm, projecting a holographic display of the Spire and the surrounding areas of Sanctuary City."I'm still getting some interference, but comms might potentially be coming back online. There's still commotion around, so I assume that War figure is still alive. I might need to rectify that."
No.4172
>>4165"The answer to that question is more complicated than you think."
>Omnius moves quickly, dashing behind Conquest, and kicking her once again - this time aimed at her own projectiles. "You should focus more on me than where I learned to fight."
No.4173
>>4170>Mosaic and Andromeda then watch, as the dozens of previously-dead figures now gasp for air. Having been brought back to life, they are slowly helped to their feet by Mosaic and Andromeda, though dazed and confused by the situation.
>After helping them up - Mosaic and Andromeda then turn around, as Mosaic begins walking out of the complex and into the open streets - where War's body should've been."Wait, before you go."
>Mosaic turns to see Andromeda walking up beside him, and placing her hand on his chest."Hey, you did the right thing. You don't need to kill him. We just need to stop him."
>Silent as he processes her words, Mosaic then places his hand on top of Andromeda's own - as he states:"You're right, as usual."
>Andromeda has a big smile on her face as she nods slowly, removing her hand from his chest as they then both walk outside - and towards where War should be. No.4174
>>4172>The projectiles fly apart, forming a barrier behind Conquest, then split apart as she stands behind them."I can do both. You have both psionic and physical training, which narrows the profile."
>Conquest casually flicks her wrist, each flick sending the projectiles at Omnius."You aren't MHA, of course, I know that you're not from H.O.M.E.L.A.N.D. and doubt that you were trained by the MRD, which leaves. . ."
>Conquest fires the last projectile."The Collective, a rare one indeed."
>Conquest thrusts her spear forward again, senting out a blast of energy at Omnius."But what does that make you, a true believer, or a slave? Your current freedom suggests the former."
>>4173"The convenience of serving a master as powerful as I do means that having to worry about being 'blasted away' isn't an issue for you."
>The voice comes from behind Mosaic and Andromeda."Did you think I walked here? I'm no two-bit Saturday morning cartoon villain, defeated by being blasted into the sunset, I am the second of the Four, here to perform my role as Lord Anomaly commands."
No.4175
>>4174>Omnius grits his teeth in annoyance, raising a barrier to stop the onslaught of attacks. "No, I'm not with them."
>He lets out a low growl, returning the attack with his own by slamming his fist into Conquest's sternum. He follows up, throwing a jab and then an uppercut in quick succession, before firing off a psionic shockwave towards Conquest."How the fuck do you know they exist? You another buddy of theirs?"
No.4176
>>4175>Conquest stumbles back, spitting out some blood."There we go. . ."
>Taking her lance up, Conquest holds it front of her, the lance breaking apart until a sword is left in her hand, the other parts floating around her, and slashes, cutting through the shockwave."So what if I am? What can
you do about it? I could take you back to them as easily as a dog catches rats."
>Conquest returns her lance to its original form, then leaps forward, aiming the weapon directly for Omnius's stomach. No.4180
>>4176>Omnius catches the end of the lance, stopping it just as it began to pierce into his armor. "Your stupid lance…"
>He takes a step to the side, swinging his arms around and throwing the lance, and it's owner towards the nearest building."Makes you too predictable!"
>The ground rumbles as Omnius leaps away, rocketing towards Conquest to follow up the attack. No.4181
>>4174>Mosaic turns around, along side Andromeda, as they both look at the visage of War - standing before them once more."I was hoping for something like that, yes."
>Andromeda sighs and shakes her head as she then prepares a series of magical runes - watching as the glowing pink arcane symbols of light float around her - forming a protective barrier."We're trying to avoid a destructive outcome, War. Relent, and we won't be forced to disintegrate you."
>Mosaic points at Andromeda with the back of his gloved thumb, following up on her statement:"What she said. Despite everything that you've done, I'm not going to destroy you if I don't absolutely
have to. But that doesn't mean we're letting you off free either."
>At that moment, Mosaic then holds his hand out and summons a large techno-magic broadsword from seemingly nowhere. "I rarely ever use this, but against you this is more than justified."
>Now holding up the weapon Durandal in his hands, Mosaic assumes a battle stance beside Andromeda. The edge of Durandal's blade begins to glow with a faint red light, the power seemingly emanating directly from the weapon itself."One last chance, War. Surrender or perish."
No.4183
>>4180>Conquest stops herself in the air, readjusting to face Omnius down."You're right. . ."
>Conquest holds her hand out in Omnius's direction, stopping his ascent with a wall of psionic force."But you're far more predictable than I."
>>4181>War starts chuckling, starting with a low, guttural sound matching his form."Is this the part where I throw my hands up in the air and beg you not to kill me?"
>War's laughing picks up."Do it, then, I fear nothing you can do to me,
boy."
No.4185
>>4184>Conquest is silent for a few moments, the look on her face saying she's calculating something, then grins."You want a
real fight, then?"
>Conquest floats down to the ground, cracking her knuckles as she starts walking closer to Omnius."I can show you what war really looks like then."
>Conquest stops just ahead of Omnius, closing her eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath, then snaps her finger, causing everything in the area to go silent for a moment.
>Then, with no warning, the buildings around the pair shatter in brutal explosions, making the area look like it was shelled by an artillery barrage with no care for whatever civilians were around in the block."Does that entertain you? I made it
real."
>Moving her left hand behind her back, Conquest beckons for Omnius to attack her with her whole hand. No.4186
>>4185>Without warning Omnius suddenly appears in front of Conquest, a massive blast of wind and pressure rumbling behind him. In one quick motion he grabs Conquest by the throat, and then lifts her in the air, his fingers wrapped around her like a clamp."Do you know what you just did!?"
>He slams the woman into the ground, quaking it and causing what little structure that remained in the area to topple over."Those were occupied buildings! There were people there! Dozens, maybe hundreds!"
>His grip tightens, and he begins slamming his fist into Conquest's face."YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO FIGHT ME GOD DAMN IT, NOT PERFORM SOME SUDDEN TERRORIST ATTACK!"
No.4187
>>4186>Conquest spits out blood and lets out a pained laugh."Collateral damage. . . usual for. . ."
>Conquest vanishes from Omnius's hand, being replaced by a random civilian who chokes in Omnius's grip.
>Several feet away, Conquest reappears, holding her side.". . . combat engagements - I am simply altering the theater of war."
>With her free hand, Conquest swipes in Omnius's direction, picking up a section of road telekinetically and throwing it at him - and the civilian in his grip. No.4188
>>4187>Omnius's fist stops mere centimeters from the civilian's face. He grits his teeth and releases their neck, picking them up and rolling out of the way of the attack.
>He lets go of the civilian, and then sends them flying off into another direction with his powers, making sure they land safely. His eyes then return to Conquest."Sleep then, you fucking bitch."
>Omnius stops as soon as he started, confused."…You shouldn't have mental protection like this! You're nowhere near strong enough!"
>He lets out a mix of a sigh and a growl. No.4189
>>4188>Conquest looks confused for a moment, then realises what Omnius was attempting as he mentions "mental protection"."Just a gift from command, ensures operational success against targets like you."
>Looking around at the situation, Conquest holds her hand out."That's not your only trick, though, looks like I'll need to increase the yield."
>Energy begins to gather around Conquest's hand. No.4191
>>4190>In response to the crushing force, Conquest stops building up the energy and instead directs into Omnius, pulling her hand out and kicking him in the side to gain more space."This is what it means to have a
real fight, you're the one who asked for this!"
>Looking beyond Omnius, Conquest notices an intact building just beyond the levelled area and begins to pull on it, keeping it intact enough to use it as a projectile to hit Omnius. No.4192
>>4191>A barely visible bubble of psionic energy forms around Omnius, shielding him from the projectiles as he tumbles along the ground from the kick. "I've had enough!"
>The field around him explodes outwards, atomizing any remaining projectiles. He then races towards Conquest, once again grabbing her by the throat. He spins around and then slams her into the ground.
>Psychic pressure compresses around the pair, holding Conquest to the ground. "You've earned your ticket to Hell. Burn."
>Psionic flames erupt from Omnius's arm, trailing down it and into Conquest. The flames quickly engulf her body, flowing into every nerve, and every cell of her body. No.4193
>>4183>Sighing behind his mask, Mosaic then mutters to himself for a moment, before speaking out loud:"Don't say I didn't give you a chance."
>In that instant, Mosaic moves forward at hypersonic speeds - imbuing his sword with magical energy and strength as he then stabs through the center of War's waist. "……."
>Not wasting a moment, Mosaic then quickly tosses War into the air as he charges his sword with a bright red light. At the same time, Andromeda casts a spell of restraint around War - binding him with glowing pink energy."If you do end up in hell, I wouldn't be surprised."
>Mosaic then slashes at the air in front of him - discharging a massive wave of bright red light and energy. The magic surge is powerful enough to rupture the fabric of reality along its trajectory - as it connects with War, connecting with the monster's body as it blasts a hole in reality.
>The surge of bright red energy continues to crack the foundation of reality around the blast radius - before slowly stitching itself together. As this occurs, Mosaic lowers his blade, Durandal - before looking at Andromeda."Can you go back and check up on Dr. Weber? I've gotta go back to Hyperia and help her out."
>Nodding, Andromeda then replies:"You're coming back home before ten this time. No excuses, Aiden."
>Andromeda says with a smile on her face, as Mosaic sighs and mutters to himself."Yeah, I know. Movie night."
>In a moment, Mosaic then disappears from the area - instantaneously gone from view as Andromeda flies off towards the MRD Spire, or what's left of it rather. No.4194
>>4192>Conquest begins to break apart, burning in the psionic flames, her body breaking apart piece by piece. As she does, a small, sly grin remains on her face.>>4193>Silence descends for a few moments as nothing of War remains in the area then. . .————————————————————————————————-
>Where Conquest was, time almost seems to "reverse", and the parts begin to reform. . .————————————————————————————————-
>Within the Archeon courtyard, a single white-furred fist forms, looking like it's "punching" its way back into reality————————————————————————————————-
>The process in front of Omnius begins to speed up, with the body reforming just out of position from where he's standing.————————————————————————————————-
>The fist in the courtyard is soon joined by other body parts, which reform and attach to each other separately.
>As the body finishes constructing itself, War once again opens his eyes, each glowing red for a brief moment."Through Lord Anomaly. . ."
————————————————————————————————-
>Conquest finishes reforming in front of Omnius, the last of the psionic flames falling off her in a disconnected piece.". . .even death dies."
No.4195
>>4194>As Andromeda continues flying off, her magic visor immediately brings the reforming War to her attention. Stopping in mid-air, she turns around and uses her visor to magnify her vision - looking directly at the renewed figure of War below.
>In an instant, Andromeda sends a message to Mosaic using her magic, clearly perturbed by the situation.{"Aiden, it's War. He's reformed somehow-"}
>Within a moment, Mosaic has instantly reappeared beside Andromeda, much to her surprise."I thought you were going to help out Hyperia?"
>Looking back at Andromeda, Mosaic then states:"I was, but if he's reformed - then I'm not leaving you in danger."
>Andromeda taps her cheek in surprise, but then smiles in satisfaction as she responds:"Though I can definitely handle myself - I really do appreciate that you care."
>Mosaic places a hand on her shoulder, saying:"Why wouldn't I? Besides-"
>Then both of them hear War's statement, as Mosaic then states:"I can hear that same statement from another across the city."
>Raising her eyebrow, Andromeda then says:"Is that super hearing or…."
>Mosaic then interjects in response."It's passive, and I usually have to filter out what I want to hear. I figured this would be unique enough to where it'd signify something big. Looks like it did."
>As both of the vigilantes then quickly fly down towards the ground - confronting War once more, Andromeda then says:"Hyperia might need assistance - given that she doesn't know magic. But I don't want to leave you here alone to fight him."
>A voice then calls out from above, stating:"Glad I was in the neighborhood then!"
>In a flash of bright light, Paladin lands on the ground beside Mosaic, as the latter then turns to Andromeda and says:"Go help Hyperia. Paladin and I will handle this."
>Andromeda nods as she then quickly flies away, leaving Mosaic and Paladin to confront War."Been a long day, I'd imagine."
"You have no idea, man."
>Both Mosaic and Paladin then assume combat stances, prepared to confront War once more. No.4196
>>4194"Oh my, having a bit of trouble there?"
>Hovering above Omnius, and off to the side, Eidolus remains in place, crossing his arms as his metallic armor glistens in the sunlight. His bright pupil-less eyes look on in interest at the figure of Conquest below, as she continues to seemingly reconstruct her body."Temporal manipulation? Or causal tuning via magical modifications?"
>Giving a light chuckle of amusement, Eidolus then lands on the ground, arms behind his back as he hovers beside Omnius, stating:"My, you remind me of another pair of mythical omen-bringers. I wouldn't suppose that you are aware of such a group?"
>Looking between Conquest and Omnius, Eidolus then says:"Psionic one, I assume you have the matter involving this one under control. If so, permit me to attempt
some repair of the collateral damage - and the unnecessary loss of human life."
>Eidolus brings his hands out from behind his back again, as glowing magical runes surround his metallic gloved fingers. His bright red cape billows in the air around him, as he begins preparing an incantation. No.4198
>>4197>Taking note of Omnius's taciturn demeanour, Eidolus simply shrugs as he then casts his core incantation."Animas olim defunctorum recupera!"
>Chanting the incantation in Latin in order to further amplify the power of the spell, Eidolus then watches as a surge of magical power explodes from his hands - the multi-color magical energy diffusing across the wrecked landscape of the area around him.
>At the same time, Eidolus casts a repair spell which quickly reconstructs the damaged and destroyed buildings by reversing entropy. He does so in a manner similar to how Mosaic and Andromeda have repaired areas of the city.
>Looking back at Conquest, Eidolus then narrows his eyes as he states:"….It seems that in my haste and my ambition to construct the perfect specimens, I seemingly lost sight of the value found in humanity."
>His eyes now burning with power, Eidolus then says:"Rest assured, I will
not repeat the same mistake with you
Horsemen."
>He then holds his hand out, generating a series of powerful magical beams - each rapidly homing in on Conquest's location and designed to connect only with her body. As the magical beams converge on her location - they begin twisting and fracturing space-time itself.
>The non-conventional attacks seem more focused on telefragging Conquest's body rather than outright destroying it. Eidolus then produces a soft smirk as he states:"A phenomenon that does no direct harm, shall incur no proportional retaliation, correct? Let us test my corollary to that idea - and see if your body can withstand structural inversion."
No.4199
>>4198>Location: Sanctuary City - Downtown Sector
>Hyperia and Mobius continue flying throughout the northern parts of the Downtown Sector, attempting to stop as much opportunistic crime as they can. While the MRD are spread out thin, Hyperia and Mobius manage to keep most of the unfolding crime events contained and neutralized."We're running out of time to find a solution here! My men are disorganized and fatigued!"
>Mobius says as he punches a large Meta-Human with a hulking body frame, watching as he falls over onto the ground in a prone position. Looking back at Hyperia, he then says:"I would really appreciate some way of knowing whether we're making meaningful progress here or not."
>At that moment, Hyperia blocks a geokinetic blast of boulders with her bare hand - smacking away the large geological structures and sending them flying back to sender. The geokinetic Meta-Human responsible for the attack then leaps away in terror, panicking as Mobius grabs at him from behind by the shoulder."Not appreciated."
>Before the criminal can react - Mobius punches him across the face, knocking him out as Hyperia looks at him, raising an eyebrow."This much be the 'subtle touch' that I've heard
so much about with the MRD."
>Scoffing underneath his breath, Mobius leans down to check on the unconscious criminal. Making sure that they're still alive, he then says:"I try to withhold as much of my physical strength as I possibly can, in these altercations. Ever since-"
>Hyperia then speaks up, saying:"Since you got hijacked by an ancient psionic monster and almost went crazy? Yeah Chase, I know."
>Silent, Mobius then slowly stands back up as he states:"Then you'll understand why I had Aion commissioned. His main purpose is to provide psionic protection to my brain at all times. "
>Mobius taps the side of his helmet, as he begins to scan his surroundings for more information that Aion can process. At rapid speeds, Aion manages to parse the data streaming in from Mobius's surroundings as he says:["Director, there is a 38.65% chance of an Alpha-Level Meta-Human incident occurring. The internal MRD database at the Spire confirmed the release of two dozen Alpha-Level inmates before internal systems were compromised by the attack."]
>Sighing out loud, Mobius then brings his gloved fingers to the base of his helmet - clearly irritated by the current turn of events. "Rough day then?"
>Looking up, Mobius turns to see Scalar standing before him - having arrived seemingly faster than Mobius could detect his presence."You definitely are fast, Scalar. I'll give you that."
>Nodding, Scalar then immediately appears in front of Hyperia, saying:"Mosaic and Paladin are fighting War at the moment. Andromeda I believe is on the way-"
>As if on cue, Scalar looks up and sees Andromeda flying towards them. Instinctively keeping his distance, Scalar then says:"Hey! Sorry, the magic can't interact with-"
>Andromeda nods as she lands on the ground in front of Hyperia - watching as Scalar has already immediately backed off a few dozen feet."Yeah, sorry about that Scalar. I'll suppress my magic while I'm around you. Precautions, sorry!"
No.4200
>>4199>Location: Sanctuary City - Finance Sector>Time: A Few Minutes Prior
>As he continues swinging throughout the city, Phantom continues attempting to reach a specific number in his comms link.{"Damnit Bella, where are you?! The city's a damn warzone and I'm getting your voicemail? Ugh…"}
>Landing on the side of a skyscraper, Phantom takes a moment to scan his surroundings before he then thinks to himself:{"Way too much spillage, too many criminals flooding the streets. I'm gonna need some help here."}
>As Phantom effortlessly backflips from the side of the skyscraper up onto the rooftop of said skyscraper - he lands on the ground, only to hear a voice coming from behind him."You know, you could've just called me - saved me the trouble of tailing you."
>Spinning around, Phantom is then face to face with Arachne, who remains perched on the edge above the door. Phantom then looks at her as he says:"Well, I didn't want you involved in this, Mariah. You know what happened the
last time the city erupted into a war zone."
>Arachne then rolls her eyes behind her mask lenses as she interrupts Phantom's statements."Yeah, I remember. I also vaguely remember helping you
stop the city-wide warfare, Damian. Stop using that as an excuse."
>As Arachne gracefully leaps off of the door edge, she somersaults multiple times in the air - landing a few feet away from Phantom. Now rising to her feet, she then says:"By the way, have you seen Josh?"
>Shaking his head, Phantom then says:"Not really no. Why?"
>Yet another voice then calls out from behind them - stating:"She's wondering why I was late."
>Both Phantom and Arachne turn around to see Tarantula swinging onto a large metallic pipe, placed on the rooftop as a smoke exhaust. As he lands, both Phantom and Arachne turn to him, as he says:"….Look kid. We need to talk. Both of you. It's about your mom and dad……"
No.4201
>>4200>A few minutes later, Phantom has his hands on his head as he continues reeling from the weight of the revelations."………I can't believe her…."
>Slowly starting to walk off to the side, Phantom continues muttering to himself, seemingly in a state of self-imposed dissociation and sheer disbelief."Why……Why would she
do that?!"
>Now angry, Phantom slams his fist into a nearby metallic structure - causing it to completely shatter and fragment into pieces. As he lets out an exasperated scream of anger, he then slowly slumps down to the ground. Hands on his helmet, he then continues speaking in sheer disbelief."….Why would she….."
>Silent, Tarantula then looks at Arachne for a moment before he then says:"….I'm sorry Mariah - but Dana is
not the woman you think she is. In fact, I'd argue that she was
never the woman that we thought she was. She's a sociopath, through and through."
>Arachne looks down in silence, clearly distraught herself as Tarantula states:"…..Especially if she could do that to her own husband. Or something even more abhorrent - experimenting on her own son."
>Tarantula says, while turning his head to look at Phantom, who remains silent.
>After a few moments, Tarantula then says:"….I got her out of Archeon around the time the attack happened, and I stored her in one of the safehouses that Mosaic told me about. But there's still the issue of
this."
>Tarantula then removes a portion of his protoplasm suit - watching as the organic black biomatter shapeshifts from black threads into black ooze; revealing the dark golden belt around his waist."I don't know how Dana got it, but it's the same type of technology as what that Omnius guy has. She wanted me to use it for her own ends - but I'm not her attack dog."
>Phantom immediately stands up, looking surprised at the belt around Tarantula's waist."Yeah, that's definitely one of the gear machines. So Ouranos really was a…"
>Silent for a moment, Phantom then looks up at Tarantula, saying:"Yeah, I get it. You're tired of being manipulated? Well so am I. When this is over, we're going to get answers from my mom. But for now…"
>Turning his attention back towards the city skyline before them, Phantom then says:"Well, I don't have time to explain everything, so I'm just gonna give you a crash course on the basics……"
No.4202
>>4201>A few seconds later, a bright flash of red light appears - along with a bright flash of golden light. Afterwards, two armored figures appear, donning similar types of battle suits. "I feel….different."
>The figure in the dark black armor looks around for a moment, taking stock of his situation. He then turns towards Phantom, stating:"So this is how you beat me the first time we fought….The added physical strength of this suit…I can feel it…Like some kind of neuromuscular amplification."
>As the figure in black armor takes a moment to examine his new suit, Phantom crosses his arms, stating:"More or less, yeah. I knew we were about even when it came to strength - so the suit gave me an edge. Though
mine wasn't working at 100% power either."
>The man in dark armor then turns back to Phantom, stating:"I suppose 'Tarantula' won't do as a name in this armor. But I'll need something else."
>The armored figure then notices an information signature imprinted into the H.U.D. elements of his helmet's lenses as he says:"….This suit's information database calls this the 'Omega' gear, or something like that; so I suppose that 'Ohm' will have to do for now - as a name."
>Thinking it over for a moment, Phantom then says:"Sure, we'll go with that. More importantly, we're gonna have to deal with the Meta-Human criminals who are taking advantage of the situation."
>Nodding, Ohm turns back towards Arachne, saying:"Sorry, if I had another one, I would've brought it with me. But Dana only had the one that she stole."
>Rolling her eyes, Arachne then states:"Believe me. The last thing I wanna do is become a mobile armored tank. You boys have fun with the armored cosplay."
>Saluting to both of them with two fingers, Arachne then falls off the edge of the skyscraper - before swinging away with her organic webbing.
>At the same time, Phantom and Ohm look at each other and nod."Well, here goes nothing. Try to keep up, alright old man?"
"I'm still only a few years older than you, Damian…."
"Yeah, yeah sure. Got it."
>Phantom and Ohm then both run off the edge of the skyscraper at hypersonic speeds - each leaping into the air at the last moment, as they begin flying off into the distance. The built in built-in jet boots rocket them forward at unbelievable speeds - guiding them towards their destination. No.4203
>>4198>Conquest gives Eidolus a confused look."No? Why would that be the case? This isn't some child's game."
>Simply healing through the attacks, Conquest closes her fist, crushing the robot, then "throws" him away.>>4197>Turning her attention back to Omnius, Conquest summons her lance back to her hand and points it at him."As for you. . ."
>Conquest stops as if she hears something, then lowers her lance.". . .we'll continue this another time."
>A bolt of black lightning hits Conquest, leaving no trace of her behind.————————————————————————————————-
>>4195>War cracks his knuckles, getting ready for a fight, then stops, tilting his head as he hears something."Such a shame, our dance is over, be seeing you."
>Another bolt of black lightning hits War, leaving no trace of his being there. No.4204
>>4203>Eidolus resists the force of the implosion crush - though sustaining some notable damage to his armor as he does so. Then, he repairs the damage, scowling slightly as he then dusts off his armor.
>Annoyed, he then states:"Hilarious. Perhaps next time, magical annihilation is in order."
>Turning his attention back towards Omnius, he then says:"I would suggest regrouping with your other associates, before they reappear."
>Eidolus then flies off into the distance - after having resurrected as many people as he could. No.4205
>>4203>Mosaic and Paladin both ease up their combat stances, as Mosaic scoffs lightly."What an insufferable twat. Is that what I always sound like Jack?"
>Paladin places his hands on his waist as he sighs, then stating:"Do you want the honest answer or the harsh one?"
>Mosaic turns around, waving for Paladin to follow him as he replies:"Trick question, right? It's both."
>Nodding, Paladin then states:"Though to your credit, I think you're toning down the overconfidence a
bit more than before."
>Then Mosaic gets a comms message from Phantom, stating:"Woah, Damian slow down. Explain it from the beginning."
>After about half a minute, Mosaic then says:"Alright. We'll talk about this later - once we're sure that the chaos is done for today. Meet up with the rest of the vigilantes."
>Ending the comms link call, Mosaic then turns to Paladin and states:"Alright, let's get going. I doubt this is far from over."
>Paladin nods at Mosaic as he then blasts off into the air, flying away.
>Mosaic does the same, blasting off at a similar speed and flying with him into the distance. No.4207
>>4205>>4206>A few minutes later, the MRD arrives on the scene, helping to clear out the remaining rubble and debris in the area - after Eidolus had already repaired most of the damage. As MRD personnel quickly arrive on the scene, moving to assist the survivors and search for corpses - Mobius walks into the area."………."
>The MRD Director has a permanent frown on his face, as he weighs the significance of the damage in the area surrounding him. He can sense the fading heat signatures of the dead, and hear the pained cries of the survivors. Recognizing the traumatic nature of their experience, he attempts to speak to different survivors and offer reassurances wherever he can.
>After talking to various survivors of the incident, Mobius then stands by himself in the open, continuing to watch the MRD agents work around him.["You feel that this incident is a direct result of your own inability to preemptively anticipate the unknowable, Director."]
>Out loud, Mobius then says:"You know that the unknowable can still be mitigated against, Aion. You don't need to show sympathy towards me. This is my responsibility."
>Crossing his arms, Mobius then watches as Valkyrie flies into the area, landing beside him as she states:"Director, sir. I'm able to report that most of the escaped criminals are being neutralized and recaptured for processing."
>Looking over his armored shoulder at Valkyrie, Mobius then says:"I'm more than confident that was going to be the outcome. I'm more interested in how
your state of mind is, Diana. Are you alright?"
>Closing her eyes for a moment, Valkyrie sighs and then exhales loudly as she then states:"….I'll live, Chase. That's what matters. But I can't say the same about a lot of people here……"
>Valkyrie says, with a pained expression on her face. She then closes her eyes and brings her palm to her face, holding back an emotional response."Our job was to help people. The entire reason that we do this is to keep people
safe. So then why are there always
corpses?"
>Lowering his arms, Mobius then places a hand on Valkyrie's shoulder as he replies to her question, stating:"Because sometimes there's no viable option to protect everyone - just the opportunity to mitigate the damage. It's part of the job, and we knew that going into this."
>A clone of Mirage then appears in the area, after running at superhuman speed. Looking around at the area for a moment, she then immediately salutes both Mobius and Valkyrie as she speaks:"Director Mobius. Commander Valkyrie. Alpha and Gamma Team have successfully contained Igniter and Permafrost. The other Meta-Human criminals are being engaged in combat right this moment. Your orders, sir?"
>Mirage says, looking directly at Mobius - as Valkyrie turns her attention towards him as well.
>Mobius thinks intently for a moment before he replies."Maintain pressure on the highest value Meta-Human threats, based on Dr. Weber's classification criteria. I'll leave the deployment of Omega Team to Commander Valkyrie - as you're all under her direct command."
>Nodding, Mirage salutes Mobius once more, as Mobius nods at Valkyrie and begins walking away from the scene. No.4208
>Time: 12:40pm
>Location: The Oval Office, The White House, Washington D.C.
>President Underwood sits behind the Resolute desk, fixing up his tie and making notes of the cameras around the room as he prepares for his later address. Looking down, he brings out a stack of notes given to him by his press team, reading through them and making his own mental notes.
>As the president goes through his routine, a member of the secret service makes his way over and whispers into his ear.
"We're getting reports that all of the M.R.D. precincts across the country have gone dark. . ."
"An attack? Today?"
"It appears so, sir, or it could be a communications failure of some kind, but I would rather be safe. . ."
"Understood."
>President Underwood stands up, brushing himself off, and walks aroudn the desk, indicating for the Secret Service agents to lead the way.
>Nodding between themselves, one of the agents steps through the side door of the office, then does a quick scan to make sure there's no immediate threats, indicating for the others to follow him.
>With the immediate path secure, the secret service agents flank the President, two in front of him and two behind him, and begin to escort him out of the office and deeper into the bowels of the building.
>After several coordinated minutes, the group arrives in front of a reinforced blast door, and one of the agents steps aside for the president to enter a code into the control console, the same console also taking his biometric data to absolutely confirm his identity.
>With a groan of metal, the door opens itself up, revealing a well-equipped panic room - within which a grey-haired woman with feline features sits.
"Mr President, sooooo glad you could join me. . ."
No.4209
>>4208>The group steps back for a moment, surprised at the presence of someone within the room, before one of secret service agents takes out his gun, aiming it at the woman."Mr President, get back!"
>With a roll of her eyes, the woman stands up and stretches."Guess we're doing it the hard way then. . ."
>Kneeling down, the woman grins, taking a position to pounce, then leaps forward at an impressive speed, changing her direction slightly as the secret service agents take out their guns and start firing at her.
>Reaching the first agent, the woman grabs him by the throat and slams him down into the ground, knocking him out in one hit, then looks at the second one, who fires a shot right at the woman.
>As the bullet seems to make contact with the woman, it simply flies through her, and the man feels a tap on his shoulder."Wrong one~."
>With a low kick, the woman trips over the agent, then leaps on top of him, using him as a springboard to leap into the third agent - the force from her leap knocking out the second one.
>Looking over at the final agent, the woman stands up and points at him."
I think you should seal the door and guard it."
>The agent seems confused for a moment, then nods."That's right, I should go outside and seal the door so no one can attack the President."
>As the final agent leaves, the woman gives the president a sly grin."Now, Mr President, I need to borrow some things from you. . ."
>The woman starts walking to the president, who backs away out of fear as the door to the room seals shut.————————————————————————————————-
>Time: 12:51pm
>President Underwood steps out of the situation room, adjusting his tie slightly, and gives the secret service agent a warm smile."You did a good job, son, I'll make sure to add a commendation to your file."
>Turning back to the room for a moment, President Underwood notices the other agents starting to wake up, confused, and addresses them."
The situation is resolved. . ."
>One of the agents speaks up."But sir, what about the intruder."
"
There was no intruder, how could an intruder break in here?"
>The agents think for a moment, then nod in agreement."You're right sir, no one could break in here. . ."
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>>4206>As Omnius searches, he finds several survivors, both ones that didn't die in Conquest's attacks, and the occasional one that didn't, but no sign of his assailant herself.————————————————————————————————-
>>4199>>4205>>4206>>4207>Time: 1:01pm
>With a sudden burst of sound, the MRD tactical line returns to normal."This is Spire TOC to all units, all units please report, we're receiving reports of attacks at all precincts, please confirm."
No.4210
>>4209>Location: Sanctuary City - Downtown District>Time: 1:01 PM
>In a nearby alleyway off the side city's main streets - a group of the various vigilantes gather to discuss the current situation."So now all the MRD's being hit across all their precincts? Was this entire thing coordinated from the start?"
>Hyperia says in confusion, and with a bit of annoyance in her voice as she taps a brick in the wall, causing it to crumple into dust.
>Scalar shrugs as he begins reading through the various notes that he's taken during the event - flipping through pages faster than most people can even perceive his movements."Not sure, it might be a coordinated attack, though I'm not certain if the escaped Meta-Human criminals were working in tandem with those 'Horsemen'."
>Leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, Mosaic then shakes his head, stating:"They're not. We would've picked up on something if they were. As far as I can tell, this is just good ol' coincidence at work."
>Andromeda looks between all of the other vigilantes as she then says:"What if we're looking at this all wrong?"
>Paladin turns to face Andromeda, intrigued by her statement."How do you figure?"
>Andromeda then begins speaking, explaining her rationale:"What if the MRD were never the targets, but more of a red herring? As you said, the attacks weren't necessarily coordinated to help out the criminals."
>Silent for a moment, Mosaic, Hyperia and Scalar look at each other, as each of them responds with their own statement.
>Hyperia speaks first, saying:"So this was never about attacking the MRD and pushing them back then?"
>Scalar then speaks up, following her statement to say:"But the MRD themselves are an organization that's directly under the Executive Branch, so…"
>Finally, Mosaic then speaks up, concluding:"As usual with the villains of the week - diversion. There's only a few institutions and figures higher up the chain of command than the MRD, including the obvious one."
>Everyone then looks at Mosaic as he says:"What? If they were after anyone, it was probably him."