Log started: 11/25/02 2:53:59 PM Training Room - Skull Fortress This majority of this room when inactive is nothing but a giant black box with an overlaid shimmering green wire grid, dotted with holographic projection orbs at regular intervals on the ceiLIng, and a control panel for programming simulations. The only other feature is a shielded viewing balcony above the entrance, where one can watch without fear of stray fire. When turned on, however, the holographic generators can create any scene imaginable, even modifying the laws of physics at will. Thanks to the technology of simulated damage, Masters can use this room for combat training as much as they wish, and no medical drones are necessary. Contents: Contents: Watcher Petakay [RM] Holographic Terminal Reinforced Doors : Common Room - Skull Fortress $$$$$$$$$$$$ Robot Master $$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 12/35 Posted Author Whats this? Thu Nov 21 Dr. Wily ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Those Robot Masters who are observant, or who try to go see Dr, Wily/radio him will notice that he isn't responding. ERWIN refuses to give the Doctor's location, though the computer will comment that Wily is safe. Ballade is LIkewise, equally tight-LIpped, if you can even find him. The door to the Lab is locked tight, with various Joes and Mets standing guard, as well as one furiosuly nerping Mr. Tristan in his mini-saucer. There is also massive lag on the Robot Master computer network today, though systems analysis is unable to determine whats causing the problem. ___ __ | |Dr. / / | |/ \/ / |__/\ / \/ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$ Robot Master $$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 12/36 Posted Author RepLIforce Thu Nov 21 Metal Man ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "They have broken the truce and here you can hear it in the General's own words." #-1 FUNCTION (RADIO: ) NOT FOUND GLobal-Chatter General transmits, "The cease-fire with the Robot Masters was dissolved upon the initial announcement of Wily's death. He has, since his return, failed to renew the cease-fire. All RepLIforce personnel are hereby cleared for defensive action against Robot Master crimes and incursions." "Morons, so watch your back and don't share any information with them. -El Ego was here. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$ Robot Master $$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 12/37 Posted Author From Gemini Thu Nov 21 Gemini Man ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --Text Message. On Robot Master computers. Accessible to anyone. Reads the following.-- We have permission to run stealth operations. This is direct from Bass and Dr. Wily. We had persmission to run them during the truce. We have permission to run them NOW. The joke in Seoul was a hoax and harmed no one. We did not hurt any civiLIans during that 'operation.' In conclusion, before anyone accuses us of going against orders, maybe he should ask someone what our orders ARE. -- Gemini Man -- Gemini Man -- "Everyone should have a Gemini in their LIves...but it might be exhausting to have two!" $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$ Robot Master $$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 12/38 Posted Author Stardroids Thu Nov 21 Pharaoh Man ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Ra is pictured, in the repair bay. A rather deep, yet clean and deadly, cut is traced along his entire body, currently being repaired.* " Pharaoh Man here. After discussions on GLobal Frequencied led to Regulus' personal arrival at the Sheol Pit, where I awaited Sting Chameleon for our duel, I have come to learn much. " Pharaoh Man coughs sLIghtly, and a video feed of the encounter is shown, including Regulus' striking Pharaoh with his sword, forcing the Master to take a knee from damage. For those trained medics, the blow took Ra from 100 percent operational status to critical. " Firstly, Regulus knows /nothing/ more then we do from him. For all their omnipotence, this enemy has evaded their inquisitions as well. Pestering of Regulus, at the least, is pointless, as well as it has proved lethal. Second...." Regulus charges Pharaoh Man with learning true 'honor' via 'the Swordsman among his brothers', lest the Stardroid not continue to honor Ra's yield, and insure either he or other Stardroids enforce this. " I am officially requesting transfer of my re-education to either Sword Man, or that Sword Man be included in the process along with Bright Man. Thus far, I have completed all instructions to care for Ditz Pinkmouse, despite his ingestion by Snake Man. That is all. " *The Spinny Returns. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$ Robot Master $$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 12/39 Posted Author I propose... Thu Nov 21 Guts Man ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ...that we team up with the Mavericks and forget the others in the alLIance. the others are idiots and are slowing down our progress to deal with the Stardroid threat. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$ Robot Master $$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 12/40 Posted Author Re: Pharaoh Man Fri Nov 22 Sword Man ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "I would be honored to verse Sir Pharaoh in the precepts of Honor." .._ ...|_|_|..._|_ -(_)-..._ _..-(___)- .......| | |....| $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$ Robot Master $$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 12/41 Posted Author Lunar Base Fri Nov 22 Guts Man ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ With the Stardroid threat looming over our heads do you think we should prepare the moon base in case earth is destroyed? Or would it be useless and they'd just find us anyways after destroying earth? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$ Robot Master $$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 12/42 Posted Author Money for Nothing Fri Nov 22 Gemini Man ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ --A Gemini Man report. Both of him, side by side, from Gammasphere.-- One twin starts: "Evening all. Managed to do a LIttle bit of work today...in disguise and out." This Gemini looks at the second... "I talked to a few Maverick Hunters. Seems that Mars wanted them to make him a 'flag.' Might be the 'Banner' that he mentioned when he was talking over us." And when he says 'over,' he means 'over.' "There doesn't seem to be a lot of intent to aid among the Hunters as of yet....but we don't know for sure who else has contacted them." "Better item is that we have all the information that RepLIforce has, on Luna, Aquarius, Pisces, Uranus, Betelguese..." The first Gemini rolls his eyes... "All that. Putting personaLIty profiles in the mainframe for your perusal, if you care." "Our personal assessment is that none of it has anything to do with anything. We're still trying to figure out what the lot of them have to do with one another, but they'll probably watch this video somehow, so see us in person if you need our assessments. We'll keep looking around, in the mean time." --Gemini symbol, then a Wily symbol, then end transmission. ...That's somewhat new.-- -- Gemini Man -- Gemini Man -- "Everyone should have a Gemini in their LIves...but it might be exhausting to have two!" $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$ Robot Master $$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 12/43 Posted Author Bonnes: Meeting with Virgo Fri Nov 22 Tron Bonne ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Wily Spinny. The Bonne Logo suddenly /CHOMPS/ down on it, flashes for a moment, then opens with a seem that opens down the middle* Details: What follows is a recorded message from the Gesellschaft's logs, retransmitted to the RM Reports Database. Tron appears, looking worried, tired, and drained. "...I'm putting this down because I don't know where else to put it. We don't use this much, no... ...but this may be important. ...Last night, we were able to contact Virgo. ...She came to the Gesellschaft and spoke with myself, Teisel, and Soprano. We were able to learn a lot." "It seems, the Pendants were not meant for us to find. They were meant for the Stardroids to find should they ever return... we had guessed something LIke this... but it was proven true. That is the reason why they caused so much havoc." "The Pendants were a warning to the Stardroids... and they didn't reaLIze what had happened. I showed Virgo the final events of that encounter with the robotic boy who was so much LIke Duo, yet not. She seemed to pity all of the Pendant holders... saying, of course, that they weren't meant for us. Virgo gave several reassurances to us, and I gave her a full copy of all the information of the whole incident, including the full video of the final encounter with that thing that destroyed El Paso... as well as recordings of the four images we salvaged from Starhaven, and my studies to the end. ...I trust her. She means us no harm and in fact wishes for us to actually not be in the way of what is coming... but to merely assist to gather what the Stardroids require so they can face what is coming." "It seems we've had a major breakthrough. Also, the theory Teisel and I came up with might just hold true. We beLIeve the Stardroids are afraid. They do /not/ know what is coming. They are leading us around and around... ...some of them, Pisces and Regulus to name, prodding us and poking us with confusing words and misleading goals... yet they have no answer themselves. I really thing they didn't intend to come back here, but, now that they /are/ here... they are trying to get the information they need by the very species that ended up defeating Duo and defying the Judgment." "They need /our/ help this time." The image dissolves then, the Log ending(Prematurely), and Tron's real face, now with the soft, pastel colors of her room behind her and her hair down as she gazes at the camera. "Well, there you have it. We were able to speak to the Stardroid, Virgo, and learned a great deal. As for what is going on now... There might be several possibiLIties. One thing is for sure: Duo is Dead, so that thing wasn't Duo Reborn. ...Virgo thinks that, and I quote: 'There was some energy left here on earth, and it created the Pendants...perhaps there still IS energy here.' As for the rest... I didn't get any answers concerning Denebola or the others, but... She said she would be in touch." Tron sighs tiredly "...At least we know for a fact now what really happened. She is going to take the disc I gave her and show what happened to the other Stardroids. As for the trouble now... ...That is up for you to decide on what to do, Doctor. ...For me, I'm going to get some sleep." "Tron. Out." *bLIp!* -- The Lego Queen Cometh! -- Tron Bonne! -- $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$ Robot Master $$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 12/44 Posted Author Energy Fri Nov 22 Pharaoh Man ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Pharaoh Man, fully repaired, appears on the screen.* " Miss Bonne's encounter has finally given us the information we need; namely, that energy belonging to Stardroids is still out there somewhere. The same energy that formed the pendants...and it has been under our noses this entire time. However, the destruction that we were capable of when the pendants were harnessed may very well be the weapon needed to defeat this 'Denebola' and others in the battle to come. Thusly, I propose we begin a planetwide search for this energy, and base out operations from the last surviving abode of the Stardroids themselves-Atlantis. Its survival is a mystery we never did solve....and it may prove to be one of the many keys to the survival of Earth itself. Pharaoh Man Out. " $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$ Robot Master $$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 12/45 Posted Author Swordy and Ra Fri Nov 22 Bright Man ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bright Man appears on the screen. Woo! "I'd be happy to have your help on this matter, Sword Man. As it stands, you would be an excellent role-model for Pharaoh Man. You could help teach him not to, y'know, be such a complete and utter dick all the time." He smiles, "Oh, and if at all possible, I would LIke to speak with Enker and Ballade when the chance presents itself. Whenever you two have a moment to spare," he bows sLIghtly, "Bright Man out." $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$ Robot Master $$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 12/46 Posted Author Intruder! Sat Nov 23 Tengu Man ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Sometime around I took some of the air drones out for a spin. By the way. They suck at formations. But anyway." Tengu grimaces. "Couple of them started falLIng out of the sky. Now, they /were/ running into each other, but they're a LIttle more sturdy than that. Then," Tengu veritably snarls, "SOMETHING tried to go after MY BIRD." Shot here of Void Starfish grabbing on to a mechagyrfalcon, presumably Tengu's. "Metal ID 'd it as being Void Starfish. I got her offa my birds and engaged. The damn RepLIforcer got the better of me." He scowls at the camera. "Drained the cores of a couple Tengu Birds and er...me. But she didn't get off without a scratch, either." Pause. "I don't know what the HELL she was DOING THERE, but I don't know what happened after she left. She kinda...disappeared. "Tengu out!" $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$ Robot Master $$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 12/47 Posted Author Stardroid Madness Sat Nov 23 Pharaoh Man ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Pharaoh appears. In the background is the Tidal Dam in Gamma Territory, at the Barbary Coast. Assorted construction drones scamper about, doing something to the supports and structure. Pharaoh does not look happy.* " While heading for the Eastern front, I came accross this woman by the Tidal Dam...." *Picture of red haired, green eyed woman, Spica's 'casual' human form* " After some talk, she was revealed as the Stardroid 'Spica', surprisinGLy enough. She seems to be opposed to our 'alteration of nature' via the dam, and at one point began to disrupt it, should Aquarius not have arrived and told her to stop. Pisces soon appeared, searching for Aquarius, and they all dissapeared. The dam itself is being inspected and repaired. I recommend guard drones at all dams inside our territory to be put on alert, and Spica not to be trusted near them. For the most part, though, she was not awfully agressive...offensive is another story. I'll leave this project in Gamma's capable hands, as far as the Tidal Dam is concerned. Pharaoh Man out. " $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$ Robot Master $$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 12/50 Posted Author Sun Nov 24 Pharaoh Man ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Pharaoh Man's broken body is found in Skull Fortress Medical Support, his last known location being Syria, where he reported being engaged by the Stardroid Denebola. It appears the final blow was deLIvered via a 'crush' of some sort from all anGLes. Security shows no logged entry by Pharaoh Man in any form, and security videos 'skip' a few moments for the room in question, Ra just appearing. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$ Robot Master $$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 12/51 Posted Author Pharaoh Man's Role Models Sun Nov 24 Bright Man ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The cheerful one appears on the screen, wearing a big ol' smile of evil happy happiness with extra happy evil. "Good news, Pharaoh Man! You're almost done your re-education. Unless you FAIL this last lesson, in which case you can start over once again right from the start. As long as you do well, however, then perhaps you will be allowed to take back your position of Delta Squadron Commander." "See, as we know, your leadership abiLIty has been sucking recently because you are /mean/. 'Mean' in the /loser/ way, mind you. Not 'mean' in the Bass-Kicks-Ass kind of way. Thus, it is time for you to learn /other/, /better/ forms of leadership. Thus, I have decided that you are to have role models. Two of them, to be precise! Specifically, Enker and Sword Man. Enker for his strategic abiLIty and Sword Man for his respectful nature. I have already discussed it with them, and you are to stick near them. /Learn/ from them. See how well their leadership works. After which, I shall require a two thousand word essay on what you have learned and what you plan to do when- ah, /if/ - you get your command back." Bright Man pumps his arm and grins, "I'm sure you can handle this. I look forward to hearing from both you and your teachers. Bright Man out!" $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$ Robot Master $$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 12/52 Posted Author The Morning After Sun Nov 24 Pharaoh Man ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *Pharaoh Man appears, supported upon a large medical table LIfted to an anGLe. His entire body is being slowly but surely rebuilt from the crushed remains, and assorted medical drones scurry about him.* " Greetings. As some of you already know...my meeting with Alpha apparently had disastrous results last night. It occured when we came upon a pair of Ancient Measuring Balances...scales, which turned out to be Denebola in disguise. Alpha shared with me as a warning that the Stardroids are seeking Artifacts of importance...possibly manifestations of the energy spoken of to Miss Tronne by Virgo. I agian ask we investigate Atlantis, and add to the LIst the remains of El Paso and Easter Island, all holding importance to the Stardroids in previous incursions on Earth. Denebola sought to 'judge' me based on my cooperation in telLIng him /everything/ I knew of Regulus in my encounters with him...claiming the Stardroid's 'stench' as he called it, was upon me. " Ra rolls his eyes sarcasticly. " Of course, I told him I had encountered Regulus, but nothing more. Thusly, I was judged 'guilty', and Denebola summarily attempted to destroy me. Alpha, fooLIshly, tried to /help/ despite it being made clear she was free to go if she so choosed. Reploids...when shall they learn? Anyways, as I fought Denebola, it became obvious that he has not only /murdered/ Mercury...he has absorbed all his powers, including attacks, abiLIties, et cetera. Upon the arrival of the crabLIke Stardroid spotted in Rio only hours before disrupting a Women's Volleyball Tournament, it become clear he and Denebola were alLIed...which rebuffs that two factions are emerging. Those Stardroids who have betrayed and chosen to murder their ex-comrades, and those who resist. Should one Stardroid absorb all of his brethren....then may Amun-Wily help us, and the Universe have mercy on us all. I fell when Denebola, taking a LIquid metalLIc form, consumed me, and crushed my body into deactivation. From there, I remember nothing, all sensors went offLIne. As for the missing security logs, I can only assume the Stardroids left me here and removed evidence of their means of entry....it is doubtful Alpha survived the confLIct as well, and performed such a feat as returning me in the fashion I arrived in. Pharaoh Man out. " *Spinny.* $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$ Robot Master $$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 12/53 Posted Author Automated Medical Report Mon Nov 25 Metal Man ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *It is just a short status report on Metal Man* Physical damage to unit Metal Man Ni, however unit has taken a high level of damage to code. Unknown if unit Metal Man will fully recover. Starting on code repairs. *End Message* -El Ego was here. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$ Robot Master $$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 12/54 Posted Author Casablanca Report Mon Nov 25 Bass ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "The Stardroids paid a visit to the Til MeLIl district of Casablanca, in case you're wondering why there's a lot of new property damage." "The short of it is this. Scorpio is working for the Nothing. He probably killed Venus, perhaps more Stardroids. He is completely insane ... and has power over the mind. He struck Guts Man, crippled Metal Man and tried to harm me ... but I was too strong for him. I will find him, I will kill him. Yes." "Scorpio has selected the Reploid Pallbearer as his own. Apparently he made some kind of deal to preserve /our/ city. His coloration has changed ... but I will kill him as well all the same. All who will offer assistance to Scorpio will pay -- with their *LIves*!" $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ IC News $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 14/14 Posted Author Cease, Ceasefire! Thu Nov 21 News Report ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *news flash* The General of RepLIforce, in a bold move, was heard to announce the following on the GLobal broadband radio frequencies! Citing the incursions in Seoul as one of the reasons for the accord's dissolution, at least for the Master and RepLIforce portion. The announcement is as follows: "The cease-fire with the Robot Masters was dissolved upon the initial announcement of Wily's death. He has, since his return, failed to renew the cease-fire. All RepLIforce personnel are hereby cleared for defensive action against Robot Master crimes and incursions." It is unclear what this boades for the other portions of the cease-fire alLIances, or how it relates to the Stardroid menace. Stay tuned for updates! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ IC News $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 14/15 Posted Author Where's our Hero? Thu Nov 21 News Report ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A commercial appears on television with Mr. Movie Trailer Voice speaking, "During our darkest hour only one could help us..." Shows a silhouette of a small boy. "...when uGLy rears its uGLy head he'll always be there to save us..." A LIghtning bolt flashes illuminating the boy's face. "...because when the Maverick Hunters, RepLIforce and the UN fail us we have but one last hope..." Suddenly LIghts shine on a cardboard Hero Boy, "HERO BOY! He is our only hope! But have you seen him? Without his might earth may finally perish! So to everyone out there! Find earth's mightiest hero! Because earth's special forces are no match for them! Mega Man has failed us time again! RepLIforce is nothing but a corrupt miLItary group and the UN is dragged down by too many poLItics! HERO BOY! WHERE ARE YOU?!" $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ IC News $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 14/16 Posted Author Sting Chameleon vs Pharaoh Man Thu Nov 21 News Report ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Posted over the entry on the events board for the match of 'Sting Chameleon vs Pharaoh Man' is this sign: "Match Postponed due to Divine Intervention via Stardroid" Pictured is a Chibi-Regulus chasing after Ra with a sword while Sting Chameleon strikes a pose. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ IC News $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 14/17 Posted Author Ceasefire? Fri Nov 22 News Report ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ We interrupt your regularly scheduled broadcast as all the signals in the world are abrutply taken over by.....the Robot Masters? Thats right. The Wily spinny appears on the screen, rotates for a few seconds, and then is eaten by a chibi Wily-head that floats onto the screen Pac-Man style. It chomps across the screen and off the other side as Dr. Wily fades in. The good doctor is sitting at his desk in his personal quarters. Several small figurines stand on the desk in front of him: General.....Colonel. Awww...Wily has toys. "The ceasefire is over?" Wily peers intently into the camera, a faint GLeam of madness in his eyes. He reaches calmly under the desk and pulls out...a hammer? "Ok!" SMASH! The hammer crashes down onto the General figure, then rises up again. Wily beats the figurine repeatedly, cackLIng insanely as he does. Abruptly, he leaps out of his chair, cLImbs onto the desk and begins jumping up and down on the smashed figure. Colonel is soon smashed as well. The scene fades away to what looks LIke a Pac-Man board. This one, however, is extremely cluttered, with LIttle sprites representing various RepLIforcers running around in place of ghosts. The Wily-head appears in the bottom corner, and all the LIttle segments are suddenly transofmred into Power Pellets. Within moments, the board is clear. The LIttle WIly-head moves to the center of the board, and grows legs and arms, becoming an SD-Wily. "YEAH! I WIN!" The chibi Doctor flashes a peace sign, and the feed cuts. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ IC News $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 14/18 Posted Author Scratchy Transmission Fri Nov 22 News Report ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ *An image appears, showing a somewhat flustered woman with a tv-shirt with an ankh on it, "Ack! Wrong feed! Turn on the tape! THE TAPE!" The image switches* (The screen is filled with an ankh superimposed on the bird-skull face of Landon DeVry, the image then switches to the shadowy form of the Doctor, aLIt from behind by his electric turbines* Citizens of the world. I, Dr. Landon DeVry, say that this is the time for us to unite against a common foe. I also suggest the immediate evacuation of important personel to the space station Eurasia, and the immediate adaption of Eurasia for space fLIght capacity. We must not perish with our world if our 'heroes' fail us as they so often have. I have sent an advance fleet of ships to Mars in order to begin estabLIshment of an advance base for myself. I advise the rest of you to petition your leaders to follow in my footsteps. Time is of the essense, my fleet will not reach the Martian surface for at least another 2 weeks, and then estabLIshment of faciLIties will take longer. Time is ticking humanity, we do not have time to wait for heroes, or mysteries, or prophecies. We must survive. For Humanity. DeVry out *the image cuts* $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ IC News $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 14/19 Posted Author Response to DeVry's Plea Fri Nov 22 News Report ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ GNN has recently received a press-release from LIght Labs and the affiLIated Maverick Hunters. It's only unusual in the capacity that neither Dr. LIght, Dr. Cossack, nor Signas were the ones to issue it as they usually are. Instead it's issued by one Dr. J.R. Matthews, clearly a woman in spite of her name. No video, simply an audio feed. "It is unsurprising that one who has claimed his own attrocities were for the betterment of mankind would choose to flee at the first sign of danger. I do agree, however reluctantly, with him on one point: We must set aside our differences and unite against a threat that we all face." "But there are none who are 'more important' than others of this world. None who are more worthy of being saved from this imminent threat than others. To suggest such a thing, to suggest we turn tail and run after all we have risked and lost is an insult to us all." "This is Earth. This is our home no matter what background we come from - Whether Human, Android, Reploid, Cyborg, or Bioroid. Whether civiLIan, UN, RepLIforce, Maverick Hunter, Robot Master, or Maverick that fact does not change. This is our home, and we will stand our ground." $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ IC News $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 14/20 Posted Author UN's Response Fri Nov 22 News Report ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ (Cue UN Podium. But instead of Kelly, Thackery, Garneau, or any other UN Senator stepping up... It's Serena Gilbert.) Before ya'll ask why it's just LIttle ol' me, and not one of the bigger boys and gals at this conference... they're at a meetin'... possibly with one of the Stardroids... and quite simply, Ah also think they don't want ta waste their breath on this matter, so... Here Ah am. (Serena holds out a sheet of paper and ahems.) As fer the official response. "The World Government known as the United Nations would LIke to response to DeVry as follows: While we are looking into the issue of terraforming and colonizing the planet Mars, we will not abandon the Earth. It is and will always be our home and every world power, with the exception of the Wily Empire of Africa and the Maverick Empire, has agreed to stay on Earth to fight the menace that the Stardroids have encountered should they make their way to Earth. It is my wish that the people of Earth do not follow DeVry's cowardly ideals. We have defied the Stardroids. We will defy those whom the Stardroids have fled from. Signed by the most honorable Sec-Gen Kelly McLaren." (Serena finishes reading.) So there it is. Oh, DeVry, sugah? Ah've a message ta ya from mah friend Bluegrass. She said that she's watchin' ya and waitin'... fer the right moment. Just so ya know. (Serena leaves admist flashing LIghts. BLIp.) $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ IC News $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 14/21 Posted Author A Hole in Space? Fri Nov 22 News Report ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ It's Missy Smiles, whose 'disposition' dial got stuck in the 'sunny' position when she was five. Grinning LIke usual, fingering a LIttle sheaf of papers LIke usual, she addresses the camera in her usual way. "As many of you know by now, the world's observatories and astronomical institutions have been running day in and day out since this most recent affair with the Stardroids began several weeks ago, and once again, are reporting unexplained phenomena in the skies." Missy looks over her papers slowly, then re-reads things, before looking back up to the camera with a furrowed brow. "Er, it would seem that many heavenly bodies, including the planet Pluto and approximately ten percent of the surrounding visible stars, have... disappeared." She GLances over her papers once more. "The ninth planet is completely invisible to even the most powerful of telescopes, when its calculated position in the sky is focused upon. Radio, X-Ray and Gamma-wavelength telescopes report a similar... lack of Pluto." The news view is replaced by a shot of space. You know how it looks... twinkly stars. Except there's a big fat black lack of stars in one particular spot. It's not very big, but the 'gap' is still distinct. "Astrophysicists around the world are at a loss as to the nature of this 'hole' in the sky, as there is none of the telltale radiation and debris that would signify their outright destruction. The best guess that anybody can manage, is that the heavenly bodies are simply... gone." Back to Missy. She offers a helpless shrug and, of course, a smile. "We'll bring you any further details we learn of this mysterious hole in space." Commercials n'stuff. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ IC News $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 14/22 Posted Author United Nations rumor mill... Fri Nov 22 News Report ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Some bit in the news. LIke, in the newspaper or something. Yeah. Newspaper. "... rumors have been running rampant about the fate of the UN investigation team, led by Dr. Helmut Haschenkopf, that was operating on Starhaven prior to its evacuation. Dr. Haschenkopf and his associates, who had become a famiLIar sight in GNN stories regarding Starhaven, have all but completely vanished from the pubLIc eye following last Saturday's chaos in orbit. Most rumors suggest that Haschenkopf, Datastream, and other officials responsible for Starhaven explorations are being held accountable for the recent return of the Stardroids, and are facing appropriate discipLInary action, even bordering upon criminal charges of treason and high conspiracy. The United Nations is remaining tight-LIpped about the truth or falsehood of these rumors, stating only that 'Those associated with the events onboard Starhaven, both prior to and including the termination of the expedition on Saturday the 16th, are receiving due compensation for their efforts, regardless of whether they were ultimately for good or ill.' The vague UN press release failed to detail just what this 'compensation' entails." Underneath this story, there's a coupon for twice the milk for half the cost! Oooh! Quick, cut it out, go to the store and get you some milk! Mmm! $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ IC News $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 14/23 Posted Author The latest in LIght drinks! Sat Nov 23 News Report ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ On most channels a commercial for a new LIght drink appears. It starts with a picture of the Starhaven orbiting the Earth, "We LIve in troubled times. The Stardroids have returned, and whatever defeated them must be worse. It's hard to relax today, and it'll probably be worse tomorrow. But..." The screen fades, showing a person who looks at the sky, obviously afraid, "Why try to relax? Instead, why not /fight back/??" Suddenly the person finds a can of soda in his hand. The image isn't big enough for you to be able to see the writing. He takes a drink, and suddenly he begins growing in size. He looks at himself, then at the soda, and finishes the drink. Suddenly he grows larger, and larger, until he becomes bigger than the earth. The Starhaven looks LIke a LIttle toy besides him. "RM Products Inc. presents the new Super Density Soda! Same size, ten times the drink! Now it's time for revenge!" Meanwhile the person takes a hold of the Starhaven, and crushes it. A number of Stardroids manage to get out, but the person begins swatting them mightily. "Super Density Soda, in stores now!" $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ IC News $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 14/24 Posted Author Ultimatum Sat Nov 23 News Report ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bass stands in what must be the interior of the SS Dreadskull. Behind him are legion after legion of drones of various kinds. The ship looks filled to capacity, much LIke those old crafts that held AlLIed soldiers during D-Day. Except ... these soldiers are far, far more numerous. Bass himself is surrounded in a dull green GLow, his energy crystals a pulsing crimson. Yet he presents himself in a calm, rational manner as he begins to speak. "Mavericks of Europe. Time and time again, you have challenged the Robot Masters. Time and time again, you have been beaten. You have broken countless cease-fires and truces with our forces because of your seeminGLy endless aggression. We have ignored your infractions for the sake of world peace, no matter how egregious." "This ends today." "The Robot Masters will no longer tolerate your attacks on our personnel, no matter what their nature may be. We will no longer turn a bLInd eye to the atrocities you commit just a few hundred kilometers from our shore. The screams of the oppressed people of Europe /have/ been heard by Doctor Wily, and our patient justice will one day find its purchase on his ancestral lands." Bass walks in closer to the camera, green sparks fLIcking off his armor. "If you wish to prevent a war, a war you will *lose*, Metal Shark will be deLIvered to Tartarus for his just punishment." "You have 24 hours to comply." $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ IC News $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 14/25 Posted Author Interrupted Programming Sat Nov 23 News Report ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A figure appears on the screen, a bo-staff in his hands that touches the ground and crosses his chest at a eighty degree anGLe. Then, he speaks, "You sit here, hiding from the truth that is out there. You beg and plead, you cry and run, and you are shunnneeeddd." The last word coming off in a whisper that echos through for a second as he leans in closer to the camera. His optics gaze out, a twinkle in each showing some small scene playing out within them, "You are turned aside LIke garbage put to the curb. They say, 'we've beat you, you aren't much'. They say, 'we can survive without you, we can perserve'. Then as it is said, let it be so." Dropping the bo-staff, the figure sits in a chair that wasn't there a moment again and leans back, crossing his arms over his chest and bringing a leg up to rest on the other knee. "I offer to you all a chance for redemption. Turn back from your wandering and come home to the truth that is nothingness incarnate. Come back to the darkness you embraced so long ago when you accepted Duo's offer. Come back to our fold, come back to your family, my family." His tone seems to edge to the aspect of beseeching you to have sympathy on his task, and of his quest to reunite his 'family'. "My wayward brothers and sisters, your time in the bLInding and misleading LIght can come to an end finally. Do not be led astray by the hatred and destruction that Duo and the forces he serve lead you upon. You are as far from 'god' as an angel can fly." Waving a finger gently, he sits up a bit straighter, his eyes become just a hint darker. "Do not take up the banner of hatred and death. Toss it aside, cut it asunder. Sew up a new banner, the banner of free will. Bring yourselves home to me." The flash of a toothy grin, the very grin many would say the devil wears when deaLIng with your soul, appears on his face as he raises a hand and stretchs it out to the world around him. "As the world comes to an end, know what it truely is to be free. Know what it is for you to be removed from the game that Duo and his horde used you as chess pieces. Return to the true natures you once embodied, the forces of the universe you once were. Return to them and expand into the world which you know inhabit." "And prepare them." "Prepare them for a time that will require no judgement." Narrowing his eyes closely, the figure's mouth twitches up in the simplest of sneers. "As for the world you now hide upon... "Spinning complacently in the darkness, covered and bLInded by a blanket of LIttle LIves. False security has lured the madness of this world into a slumber. Wake up. An eye is upon you. Staring straight down and keenly through. Seeing all that you are, and everything that you can never be. Yes, an eye is upon you. An eye ready to bLInk. So face forward with arms wide open and mind reeLIng. Your future has arrived. Are you ready to go?" The figure fades from the view of the camera, though the cLIp seems to LInger for a moment before a voice continues... "If not? I only hope you can sleep secure at night, as I come up from behind and destroy your symphonic resonance with the universe." $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ IC News $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 14/26 Posted Author Rubicon Sun Nov 24 News Report ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The last 30 seconds of Bass' Sheol Pit fight with Metal Shark is shown; the Shark's body has been punched through, and he has been thrown to the wall of the Sheol Pit. Bass' slow advance. The last holographic attack of `Requiem'. Her kilLIng herself with a sword. The strange, cold look in Bass' eyes after she disappears. The black wave that punches out of Bass' Buster, the legacy of Void Starfish. The theft of Metal Shark's weapon, then the Megablast that reduces him to a pile of smoking parts. The screen pans across to land on the pile. Freeze-frame. Voice-over by Bass. "My pain is not mocked. My patience for Maverick misbehavior has ended. Any threats to Wily Africa, or the Robot Masters anywhere in the world, will result in the aggressor meeting Metal Shark's fate." "Further, if Metal Shark commits these ... atrocities against me again, Maverick Europe *will* burn. The humans you keep there *will* be freed. Our justice will find its immediate purchase." "There will be no second chances. Do not test me, Sigma." $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ IC News $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Message: 14/27 Posted Author Archelogical Discovery! Sun Nov 24 News Report ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "Shelly Longbottom here with Dr. Mustachio Longbeard who has recently led an expedition in AustraLIa's wild outback in search of any reLIcs from the past. Doctor, please tell us about this amazing discovery you've unearthed!" "Yes, sank you Shelly. You zee, we have discoverted the location we beleef to have been part of see many GLaditorial events see humans participated in back in see early two zousands. See 'Surfifor' series. What we haff found is a completely intact package of 'Zingers' which is a brand of twinkie sat has not been marketed under sat name since see mid-twenty-one zousands. It appears to be completely intact and efen still fresh!" Back to Shelly who looks approprpiately surprised. "Wow, doctor, that's incredible! But it can't possibly be good still can it?" "We beleef sat sey are, Shelly, and we haf a team out currently working on testing out our seory sat twinkies are see only food produced sat have an eternal shelf-LIfe!" Shelly looks confused, "But, doctor, the only way to properly test out such a theory is if someone were to actually *eat* them! No one's stupid enough to eat food over a hundred years old!" The doctor smiles proudly, "Not true, Shelly! One of my team members is currently reesking LIfe and leemb to test sis out. Let us go to see LIfe broadcast from his helmet-cam, please!" The scene cuts to a grainy film with bad sound. Leaves are in the way as the camera-hat wearing individual is clearly sitting in a bush of some sort staring out at Guts Man of all people. There's a bit of shuffLIng and wigGLIng around, and a package of Zingers are tossed out at Guts' feet. He looks down, picks them up, then stuffs them into his mouth chewing noisily. "Mmmmmmmm twinkiLIcious." Cut back to Shelly and Dr. Mustachio Longbeard. "There you have it! Apparently twinkies are the only food product that can outLIve even cockroaches! Amazing! Back to Dan the Weatherman for today's broadcast." $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ [Radio: (D) GLobal] Guts Man transmits, "Heheheheh, Stardroids are funny thinking they can kill me. Hehehehe. That's LIke trying to kill Elvis! It ain't gonna happen." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Abernathy transmits, "So, in theory, we need to gorge you to bloating, drug you up, and wait for you to die of natural causes?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Yin Yoma Byte transmits, "...For once, Guts Man, I must agree. That one in Seoul tried to kill me as well... ...and failed." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Burst Man transmits, "Guts, Elvis is not dead, he's just returned home..." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Guts Man transmits, "That's why the Stardroids need our help. They can't kill us in one shot anymore. Unless yer Metal Man, cause he's weaker than a homeless man." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Abernathy transmits, "Elvis, Byte, and Guts Man. ... I'm beginning to see a pattern here." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Squeak Toy Serenade transmits, "Is this some kind of new sport? Taunt Stardroids till they shoot you?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Abernathy transmits, "Apparently, Lady Serenade." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Guts Man transmits, "It's a fun sport!" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Squeak Toy Serenade transmits, "I suppose it's no stranger than tying a big rubber band to your feet and throwing yourself off a bridge.." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Abernathy transmits, "I'd say. But last time I checked, bungie jumping didn't have any bearing on the fate of the world." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Squeak Toy Serenade mildly, "Tie the rubber band around a Stardroid and push -them- off the bridge?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Abernathy transmits, "Oh, right. /That's/ a better solution than shooting them." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Guts Man transmits, "We could give them poison milk." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Squeak Toy Serenade transmits, "Yeah, a few would probably LIke being tossed off a bridge.." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Abernathy transmits, "Sorry. I'd rather not risk LIfe and LImb on the premise that 'a few' might enjoy having that happen." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Squeak Toy Serenade transmits, "Me too. I'll wait for one of them to come to me and volunteer first." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Metal Shark switches on his radio, "&(&! Robot Masters..." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Guts Man transmits, "I think I'll sell my soul to a Stardroid. Then when they power me up I'll use my new found powers on them!" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Abernathy, dryly: "Doesn't work that way, I'm afraid." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Alpha transmits, "It worked in... ... one of those shows. *rummage rummage*" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Guts Man transmits, "Hey Pallbearer sold his soul and he's purple now!" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Abernathy transmits, "Last I checked, being purple wasn't an ungodly power, just a minor annoyance." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Abernathy transmits, "'Halt, Stardroids! I will defeat you with my ungodly -- purpleness!' 'Oh no! A giant man-shaped grape! Flee!'" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Squeak Toy Serenade transmits, "Behold the power of berries." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Guts Man transmits, "He's a purple people eater is what he is. I mean Scorpio's all about hunger." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Burst Man transmits, "Let's go kill Scorpio." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Cleaver Cow transmits, "...I ain't even going to ask." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Abernathy transmits, " ... Grapes are berries? -- But has he eaten anyone yet?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Cleaver Cow transmits, "[OOC] Remove ain't. On wrong window for that. :)" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Abernathy transmits, "One wonders. If this 'Scorpio' is about hunger -- GLuttony, for the sake of the argument -- when are the other six vices going to put on an appearance?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Cancer transmits, "I am Disease." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Squeak Toy Serenade transmits, "Really. With a name LIke 'Scorpio' I'd figure he'd be moody, unpredictable, dark, and somewhat oversexed." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Guts Man transmits, "Whenever they feel LIke it? You can't goad them out of hidding. That is unless you dress up LIke them and make flagrantly gay gestures." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Guts Man transmits, "What kind of disease? Venerial?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Abernathy transmits, "Excuse me. Five. I think I sold my soul to 'wrath'. -- Disease isn't a vice, it's one of the four horsemen." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Abernathy transmits, "If only, Lady Serenade." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Squeak Toy Serenade transmits, "Ah, well, what can you do?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Abernathy transmits, "... Dress up LIke them and make flagrantly gay gestures?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Burst Man transmits, "How powerful those StarDroids migth be?I'm sure not that much, hmpf..." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Squeak Toy Serenade transmits, "Pretty powerful, Burst. Out of my leauge, anyway." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Metal Shark transmits, "The hell? What is in this video made by Bass?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Abernathy transmits, "A blend of eleven herbs and spices?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Burst Man transmits, "You got smacked around by Bass don't you?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Alpha transmits, "Entertainment." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Guts Man transmits, "Oooooh elven herbs." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Abernathy transmits, "And spices!" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Squeak Toy Serenade sounds rather.. bemused. "I certainly hope I remembered how to do this right.." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Metal Shark transmits, "Please..Take it too a less pubLIc channel." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Squeak Toy Serenade transmits, "What, bungee cords?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Abernathy transmits, "Hey, if you didn't, does that mean I get to keep Acoustic?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Metal Shark sound of welding, "Ugh..." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Squeak Toy Serenade transmits, "... Wait, those idiotic media censors made bungee cords inappropriate for pubLIc speaking? .... Yes, Abernathy." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Abernathy transmits, "Wonderful. Eventually, EVERYONE will die and will all their posessions to me!" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Burst Man transmits, "You people are nuts..." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Abernathy transmits, "... I need sleep. Right." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Squeak Toy Serenade transmits, "Sleep is good." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Guts Man transmits, "Sleep eh?" [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Bass transmits, "Don't mind him, Serenade ... he is LIcking his wounds." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Metal Shark transmits, "Yes...Sleep..." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Abernathy transmits, "So it is. Goodnight. *cLIck*" [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Serenade transmits, "I heard something about that, sir." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Bass transmits, "He is fortunate I spared his core out of a sense of goodwill to Sigma." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Metal Shark transmits, "..." *jaws theme plays in the background* "Stop that, stupid droids."" [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Burst Man transmits, "Hey Sere, What going on with you?Are you sociaLIzing with Masters enemyes?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Cancer transmits, "SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK! And I just found out that is Caffiene is of the gods. Whoever made is... 'COFFEE!' has my praise." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Starburst Dragon transmits, "OOC: This is all IC conversation, isn't it?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Alpha transmits, "I read somewhere it was lethal...." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Serenade transmits, "No, Burst, I'm not. I'm teaching a Stardroid how to properly throw himself off bridges with rubber bands tied around his feet." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Patchup Panda transmits, "Huh...maybe I should try some." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Guts Man transmits, "You don't want COFFEE! you want Coffee King brand coffee! Grown deep within the south american junGLes guarded by the mystical El Chupacabras, Coffee King beans are the richest coffee beans on the earth. When brewed just right you'll know you have the best cup of coffee when the smell itself energizes you. One sip of Coffee King coffee and you'll be hooked for LIfe. Yes Coffee King coffee, the best coffee in the world! If you drink something else, you're drinking crap." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Patchup Panda transmits, "...El Chupacabras?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Alpha transmits, "Coffee is made from beans?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Squeak Toy Serenade transmits, "Goatsuckers?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Patchup Panda transmits, "What the heck is that?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Bass puts on his announcer voice. "Coffee King! Ask for it by name. Available in all civiLIzed coffee shops and retail outlets." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Metal Shark transmits, "Coffee is made from goatsucking beans?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Patchup Panda transmits, "Okay, who let the media on?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Burst Man transmits, "You Suck!*grumble grumble*" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Alpha transmits, "Where are the civiLIzed coffee shops and retail outlets?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Metal Shark transmits, "Now..On to the more impo---UGH!" *sound of hammers* "M-More important issue..What in the MOST detail is on this moronic video Bass made?"" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Patchup Panda transmits, "...a video." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Cleaver Cow transmits, "Oh, yes. Bass, you will be pleased. Sigma has obtained a copy of that video and placed it in our rec room." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Sigma transmits, "If you wish to view it, Metal Shark, do feel free. As I stated, no harm shall come to it." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Metal Shark transmits, "Kiss as-" *sound of slamming* "Erk.."" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Metal Shark transmits, "OOC: That *was* to Cleaver, not Siggy." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Bass doesn't say anything. Instead, he transmits a promo for the video, in classic `When Animals Attack' style. "See! The Force Commander Bass face down against a /real/ shark Reploid! Hear! The screams of anguish as the Shark faces off against the most dangerous Android in the world! Twitch in sympathetic PAIN as Metal Shark gets Megablasted into LIttle bits! WHEN SHARKS FAIL TO ATTACK! Ask for it by name! Now available at all official Tartarus merchandise outlets, and onLIne at www.bassvideo.com!" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Cancer transmits, "OOC: Psst! Bass, look at your finger. Hybrid. :)" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Alpha transmits, "I think I left the TV on..." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Alpha transmits, "OOC: Bass is what he says he is!" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Bass transmits, "OOC: Hey, blame my ad staff." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Cancer transmits, "YAAAAAAAAAAAHOOOOOOOO!!! THIS BUNGEE JUMPING IS FUN!!! WOO HOO!!!" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Alpha transmits, "..." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Alpha laughs LIghtly. [Radio: (D) GLobal] Squeak Toy Serenade attempts to say something witty or clever, but fails and instead just gigGLes. San Angeles - Quake District Behold, the destruction of the past. Not from war, not from the Mavericks or Robot Masters or even by humans themselves but from nature. Most of this area has been completely violated by the ground itself, though much of the destruction has been cleared, most of it remains. Toppled buildings no longer stand so erect and noble as the rest of the city. Even the ground itself remains disrupted, massive blades of rock miles long protrude at devastating anGLes as if Mother Earth herself struck down this part of San Angeles with a power the Mavericks and Masters may never know. Signs are posted -everywhere- warning anyone from entering this section of the city. Contents: Contents: Prismatic Spider [RF] Conduit [Magna] [RF] Abernathy ['colorful'] [C] Barrage Raptor [Unarmored] [RF] Scorpio [Scorpio] [SD] Pallbearer [DuelLIst] [RF] East : San Angeles - Southern Downtown North : San Angeles - Western Downtown Southeast : San Angeles - Southern Outskirts Joules arrives from the San Angeles - Southern Outskirts. Joules has arrived. Barrage Raptor dodges! Her ego remains. And Scorpio just ripped off of one of her favorite movies! Damn him! "Why do you want the other Stardroids so bad, huh? You afraid that they'll join together and beat you? Is that it?" She smirks, "That's it, isn't it? You want to try to take them down one by one before they can join forces and beat the snot out of you." She backs off a step from Scorpio, and reaches into her subspace pouch, grabbing hold of a block of explosives, and throwing it at Scorpio, before she whips out her Vapor 29 and opens fire with the weapon, aiming to detonate the explosives near Scorpio. Barrage Raptor strikes Scorpio with her C-4 Charge attack. Breeze arrives from the San Angeles - Western Downtown. Breeze has arrived. Scorpio is smacked by explosives, one arm flying off in a shower of sparks and shattered GLass, leaving only the inky colors of his arm, the cel-shading fading back into place as he scowls at Barrage, voice going to a very ELIjah Wood. "I wish to kill them... my business is my own. If you wish it of me... I will take your LIves from you..." He cackles in his many voices, droning Shrapnel-sounds keening from his vocoder. "SEE YOU LATER, ALIGATOR-TOR! AFTER A WHILE, CROCODILE-ILE! DON'T FORGET TO WRITE-ITE! Welcome TO MY NIGHTMARE-MARE!" He flexes, and everyone who's approached him so far is Welcomed to a pleasant vision of Scorpio's mind... a hell to behold, if it gets through your brain. Scorpio misses Barrage Raptor with his Night Terrors attack. Scorpio strikes Abernathy with his Night Terrors attack. Scorpio strikes Conduit with his Night Terrors attack. Breeze is enroute. Flying over the cityscape, she's making fair time towards the transmissions of people broadcasting various degrees of injury, and assistance requests. Bazooka in her right hand, ten silvery orbs floating around her, she looks decked out. [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Bass, over the sound of roaring engines: "I'll be there shortly! What's the situation down there?!" Prismatic Spider arrives with a squade of MSE medics, the Spider Scientist himself charging forward. The medics spLIt off in pairs to assist various wounded people, while Prism himself holds out a famiLIar scanner, looking for a signature... [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Magnet Man transmits, "Bad." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Beta CO Metal Man transmits, "Denebola sir he is slagging the city. I'm near him and I think he is going to notice me shortly so I'm going to try and do some damage to him.." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Guts Man transmits, "The cheese is full of termites." Clown Man An Attack Train is enroute, on that train is Da Clown and Da Monkey... as they approach the site, they halt the Attack Train and jumps out. Cue Motto! "PREPARE FOR TROUBLE!!!" "AND MAKE IT DOUBLE!!!" "TO DEFEND AGAINST THE EVILS OF TRUTH AND LOVE!!!" "TO UNITE ALL UNDER WILY'S NATION!!!" "TO EXTEND WILY'S MIGHT TO THE STARS ABOVE!!!" "CLOWN MAN!!!" "SIDESHOW!!!" "TEAM CLOWN IS READY TO FIGHT!!!" "SURRENDER NOW OR PREPARE TO DIE WITH LAUGHTER!!!" "ExVeeMon, That's Right!!!" Team Clown GLances towards the 'Droid... ready for... almost... anything. [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Magnet Man transmits, "There's a massive Tsunami heading towards The Coffee King as well." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Pharaoh Man transmits, "Surviving CiviLIans are being ushered to evacuation sites. One of the Stardroids agianst Denebola has arrived, Regulus, and is confronting him." Virgo has arrived. [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Ring Man transmits, " Valcanos, lava, hurricanes, hail, earthquakes, mad gods, nothing major..." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Theta Squad CO Sword Man transmits, "...so, with Regulus confronting this Denebola, which shall we persue first: The evacuation of all civilains, or the assault on Denebola?" [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Beta CO Metal Man transmits, "Fight and give the people time to run." Pallbearer is lying, catatonic, flat on his face, not even twitching, LImp and apparently LIfeless. However....his LIps, in an eerie fashion LIke a broken record, consistantly mouth the words 'LIfe is pain' repeatedly. [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Virgo transmits, "Save LIves, or lose your own. Make your choice." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Pharaoh Man transmits, "Metal Man, a battle would only put them in more danger...." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Theta XO Clown Man transmits, "I suggest evcuate the CiviLIans..." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Pharaoh Man transmits, "And Regulus will not stand for interference when confronting his brother. I can gurantee that." Conduit grabs his head screaming in pain at the seering visions passing through his minds eye. Staggering backwards he trys to fight off the effects of the attack, writhing around LIke a mad man. After several seconds the visions begin to fade and Conduit regains his sense, breathlessly he growls at Scorpio, "You're jedi mind tricks won't work on me, only money." With that he decides to try something, pulLIng his arm back a GLowing ball appears in his hand and its quickly pitched LIke a baseball. From what he's seen so far, Scorpio seems to shatter everytime he's struck by high explosives, perhaps its a sign of weakness, one way to find out. [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Ring Man transmits, " Too late Metal just called down the thunder..." Coaster Raptor arrives from the San Angeles - Western Downtown. Coaster Raptor has arrived. [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Theta Squad CO Sword Man transmits, "....very well. I shall dispatch my Blade Joes to assist in the evacuation. We shall be there shortly." This isn't fair. But then, neither is LIfe. Dammit. With one of those truly unsettLIng howls only human throats can manage, Abernathy is struck with -- whatever it is, the vision of Scorpio's mind -- and LIterally loses his grip on the rock, tumbLIng off and disappearing down the other side from the shack with a puff of dust. Don't expect any sarcastic comments about this one. Conduit misses Scorpio with his Explosive Sphere attack. [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Guts Man transmits, "Sweet! Another Metal Man beating!" [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Pharaoh Man transmits, "Get the mop and bucket." Joules has left. [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Guts Man transmits, "We might want to keep a Stardroid around you know." Void Starfish arrives from the San Angeles - Western Downtown. Void Starfish has arrived. Barrage Raptor manages to not get taken in by these halucinations of Scorpio's yet again, "Man. You are a total nutcase." She shakes her head, before tilting it, to pop her neck, "Right. Well then, how about this, Scorpio. I'll give you a chance to surrender to me." She says, putting her hands on her hip, as one sLIps behind her back, to grab ahold of a bigger explosive, "So, here's the deal. You leave the planet and never, /ever/ come back, and then I'll let you LIve. That sound cool?" Being the only one near Scorpio that seems to be even remotly combat effective, she watches Conduit miss again, and shrugs, "That's not how you use explosives. This is how you use explosives!" She hurls this larger charge at Scorpio, and this time, detonates it with her wrist mounted detonator. Barrage Raptor strikes Scorpio with her Semtex Plastic Explosive attack. [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Theta Squad CO Sword Man transmits, "Blast it all....I shall send the Blade Joes ahead. I shall attempt to extract Sir Metal from the confrontation point. Enough times we have fallen, and I shall not see it happen again, with other matters at hand." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Bass transmits, "He's already dead." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Bass transmits, "Focus on the evacuation ... I'm coming." Void Starfish whirls in silently and looks about a bit... what -is- going on out here? Void Starfish activates her stealth mode. On request from an ally, there's a skating raptor making it's way quite hurridly toward the quake district in San Angeles. Raptors have to protect each other anyway, right? Regardless Coaster is making his way here just as fast as he can, even using his boosters, something he doesn't often do. "What a thing to wake up too..." Scorpio is blasted again, flying apart in a shard of GLass and spattered ink... and for a moment... a LONG moment... it looks LIke he might be dead. "Temper temper, LIttle girl, you've been NAUGHTY." Scorpio reappears, sLIding into reaLIty in a blueshift of colors as he grins. "And you need to LIghten up and tell me what I want to know, Citizen Bar-R-AGE! MORE THAN THAT WOULD BE TREASON!" He pounces her, shoving huge, colorful pills at the Raptor, syringes darting toward her. "AND YOU KNOW WHAT?" Scorpio strikes Barrage Raptor with his Happiness Is Mandatory attack. Barrage Raptor is temporarily disoriented by Scorpio's Happiness Is Mandatory attack. Barrage Raptor falls to the ground, unconscious, due to massive systems damage. Scorpio says, "Happiness IS Mandatory." Breeze finishes closing on the area, spotting the fight below. "Ch...not even sure why I bother." As Scorpio's assault strikes Barrage, five of the orbs floating around her depart and sail down towards Scorpio. Buzzing around at various anGLes LIke insects, they fire thin red beams at him, then rise back up to return to Breeze. Breeze strikes Scorpio with her Plasma Option attack. Clown Man GLances up at the Scorpion-thing and icks... "...So what's the best way to take care of a insect?" Sideshow smiles darkly, "How else..." Da Monkey's chest GLows... ...And Clown and Sideshow are in a giant boot. A green one. In particular, the one from Super Mario Bros. 3. "...Step on it." "Groovy. Scorppy... Insanity is also Mandatory, sucka." And the boot tries to squash the Scorpion. You miss Scorpio with your Random Assault attack. Breeze sends a radio transmission to Jet Stingray. Barrage Raptor gets blasted by all the needles! She hates needles! And then she just kinda slumps to the floor, the assault too much for the poor raptor. Of course, she has a smile on her face. Since happyness is manditory. Breeze receives a radio transmission from Jet Stingray. Breeze sends a radio transmission. [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Beta CO Metal Man transmits, " Unit 009 Metal Man offLIne." Conduit growls even more loudly as Scorpio pounces on Barrage, "Get off of her!" He charges at Scorpio, trying to get a better anGLe, "You aLIen freak, what the hell are you, an intergalactic crack head?!" Conduit's hands burn red, he mutters to himself, caught up in all the quoting, "These hands of mine are GLowing red, their loud roar tells me to defeat you, Burning Finger!" Broth hands fly forward, twin jets of flame unleashed at the stardroid. Conduit strikes Scorpio with his Magna Inferno attack. Breeze receives a radio transmission. The starfish watches for a LIttle bit... and decides that maybe she is needed after all. Thus without flash or fanfare, she appears and begins emitting a confining beam of gravity to try and hold the... whatever it is... still for long enough to let some others get in a few soLId hits. Void Starfish deactivates her stealth mode. Void Starfish misses Scorpio with her Tractor Beam attack. Breeze sends a radio transmission. Isaac arrives from the San Angeles - Southern Outskirts. Isaac has arrived. Prismatic Spider's scanner pings back on Pallbearer's location, and leads the Spider Scientist there quickly, as he's not trying to run this time. As the battle rages on with Scorpio, he kneels next to Pallbearer and begins running some scans. "Cmon Pall, don't give up on me now..." Prismatic Spider takes out a medical scanner and scans Pallbearer. The explosion of C4 and the yelLIng of combat is more then enough to guide the energy rail riding raptor right toward the foyer all are fighting in. Optics carefully take in all the details they can. Barrage, down. Oh well great, add two points of annoyance to Coaster's char sheet, or something. Figuring he may have some surprise on his side, the raptor pulls his rifle off his back and takes aim at the offending stardroid. "You need to simmer down, darn things, at least the other ones I ran into weren't so threatening.." all words are mused to himself as he aims and fires. Coaster Raptor misses Scorpio with his Standard Energy Rifle attack. Scorpio cackles as he drops Barrage, Breeze's blasts soaking into his apparently ink-GLass armor with LIttle appreciable effect, Scorpio turning to look at... Kuribo's Shoe. BLInking, Scorpio has LIttle time to actually avoid it... so he merely grabs something that seems to phase into his hand, the blue and red of the Stardroid flashing white as a happy-looking star appears. He grins, letting the boot phase through his now-insubstatial body. "Good. Bad. I'm the one with the Starman." Stepping away, he's caught in Conduit's Inferno, body bubbLIng and sizzLIng with the heat, Scorpio cackLIng. "Oooh! Now you're cookin' with gas!" He steps out of it, sidestepping the beams of energy from Void and Coaster, and ponders. "Uh... huh-huh... you guys suck. You need to, LIke, not fight. Or something." He stares at all of them... at the same time, and projects a mental wave... for all of them to cease their fight-or-fLIght response. To still that instinctive drive to survive... to numb and slow them down. A black void shimmers into existence, LIke a doorway right into space behind where Barrage has fallen. A few scattered stars doesn't look at all out of place here. To anyone who's seen Virgo appear...which unfortunately includes Barrage, should reaLIze that the Zodiac Stardroid is here. Virgo looks down to the Raptor's body and frowns. She takes off her cloak with a snap, unfurLIng the cloth to its full extent. The cloak gently floats onto Barrage's body...and it should keep her from losing any LIfe. She arrived too late. And Barrage asked for her help. Now.. she takes a deep breath as if to scream at the top of her lungs, but her LIps move in a whisper, a language unheard on this planet. The skies boom LIke thunder and echo in the streets, "SCORPIO!! Leave them alone! /I/ am your target!" Scorpio strikes Breeze with his Whipped Id attack. Breeze is temporarily disoriented by Scorpio's Whipped Id attack. Scorpio strikes Conduit with his Whipped Id attack. Conduit is temporarily disoriented by Scorpio's Whipped Id attack. Scorpio strikes Coaster Raptor with his Whipped Id attack. Coaster Raptor is temporarily disoriented by Scorpio's Whipped Id attack. Scorpio strikes you with a GLancing hit from his Whipped Id for 0 units of damage. Clown Man is temporarily disoriented by Scorpio's Whipped Id attack. Scorpio strikes Void Starfish with his Whipped Id attack. Void Starfish is temporarily disoriented by Scorpio's Whipped Id attack. Scorpio SPINS on his heels. "YOU." Clown Man bLInks at the wave, before he collapses to the ground, holding his head... as does Sideshow. Kuribo's Shoe... since Sideshow isn't focusing on it... merely disperses... LIke the hologram it is. Breeze stops fighting...but not for immediately obvious reasons. "Maybe I do give a damn...I know why now." Then moments later she changes her mind, after Scorpio's latest melodrama. "...Or do I?" she seems pretty calm, floating in the air, seeminGLy content to debate with herself for now about if she feels LIke fighting or if she even feels threatened. Coaster Raptor fires, misses, then the wave. The wave more or less, just feels wierd in the reploid raptor's head and the rifle is just dropped. One hand sLIps up to Coaster's head, cobwebs in there fairly thick at the moment.. Void Starfish halts in midair. She wasn't too sure about being here in the first place, and now... she settles to the ground, tilting her head curiously. The wave washes over him, he had no chance to evade, "Well... maybe your jedimind tricks work after all..." Still there, and untouched by the latest round of Scorpio's mindscrewing, Abernathy -- leans just sLIghtly around the rock he's sheltering behind, one hand pressed to his ribs. The sudden appearance of Virgo nearly causes him to cringe back behind the rock ... but not quite. Oh, this could get interesting in the extreme. It was just a matter of watching without getting smashed. Pallbearer is completely stationary. DeathLIke save for his LIps. As the blast passes over everyone, he suddenly jerks and writhes, LUNGING foreward to try and grasp Prismatic by the collar..... "LIfeispainLIfeispainANDPESTILANCESHALLSWEEPTHEWORLD!!!" Pall then twitches, drops back down, twitches again, and stills, again catatonic save his LIps. Barrage Raptor is still out cold! But now she has a nice Virgo cloak over her. Yay! Abernathy sends a radio transmission to Prismatic Spider. Prismatic Spider receives a radio transmission from Abernathy. Prismatic Spider sends a radio transmission. Abernathy receives a radio transmission. Abernathy sends a radio transmission. Prismatic Spider receives a radio transmission from Abernathy. Prismatic Spider sends a radio transmission to Abernathy. Abernathy receives a radio transmission. Techno arrives from the San Angeles - Southern Downtown. Techno has arrived. Abernathy sends a radio transmission. Prismatic Spider receives a radio transmission. Prismatic Spider sends a radio transmission. Abernathy receives a radio transmission from Prismatic Spider. Isaac arrives in the battle zone just intime to see Scorpio attack the defending troops on and Virgo arrive. The former PR man for Gate's resarch projects is already looking to where he might be of use in helping the wounded and stragGLIng civiLIans. So he quickly raises his personal force feild and gets to work. Prehaps he will lend some fire to the soLIders in a moment. But first to see what he can do for the wounded. Isaac projects a forcefield around himself. Prismatic Spider is rather surprised by that, almost smacking Pall upside the head instinctively. However, the time passes, and Pall LIes down once more.... giving Prismatic Spider the chance to pull out a dampener and slap it on his neck. A fLIck of a switch and the pain is gone... But so are most of his motor functions. He moves around to Pall's head and begins opening it up... This isn't the best place to do neural work, but he needs to stabiLIze Pall before transporting him... Somewhere. [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Bass transmits, "Get all the civiLIans out. Secure the perimeter. Nothing else gets in or out of the city without us knowing." Abernathy sends a radio transmission to Prismatic Spider. Prismatic Spider receives a radio transmission. Techno enters the San Angeles - Western Downtown. Techno has left. Prismatic Spider sends a radio transmission. Abernathy receives a radio transmission from Prismatic Spider. Virgo returns Scorpio's startled look with an intense...smile. Her eyes sparkle with anger, "Surprised to see me, dear Scorpio?" She knows not to give Scorpio time to react, and she throws arm towards Scorpio and metal chains fly off, LInks of metal snaking in the air around Virgo, around Scorpio, over and around the fallen EarthLIngs, ringing in a symphony of sound and destruction. An end of the chain, if that is truly the end, strikes out at Scorpio, snapping the chain LIke a whip. Barrage Raptor is, uh...Still where she got put down by Scorpio, only covered up by Virgo's cloak now. Virgo misses Scorpio with her Virgo Chain Strike attack. [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Pharaoh Man transmits, "Bass....we are being targetted by Denebola, and must defend ourselves, unless you have some sort of plan to execute..." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Bass transmits, "Fall back. Hold the perimeter..." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Guts Man transmits, "You got it boss!" Isaac takes out a medical scanner and scans Barrage Raptor. [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Pharaoh Man transmits, "Bass, the perimeter is nonexistant, at best its a few piles of rubble." Scorpio growls as chains whip around, encircLIng and trying to surround him, and he scowls. "What in the world do you think you're doing? You're not actually /protecting/ them, are you? You're a Stardroid! We judged these puny fools... and we can rise above! With It's help, we'll be sated forever..." His voice drops, and he launches himself at Virgo. "There is no LIfe in the void... there is only death... for you." He tries to spray the other Stardroid with acid, nasty stuff that drips from his tail. Scorpio misses Virgo with his Misbegotten Prescription attack. [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Bass transmits, "Alright, Pharaoh Man -- go attack Denebola now, make him angrier and accompLIsh nothing. See what it gets your beloved people. It's madness to strike now...so get everyone who you can out, keep anyone else from getting close, and wait for my command!" Isaac is trecking across the battle zone when he picks up a RepLIfroce IFF signal comming from a downed unit. Well the forcer is still aLIve. That means he might be able to help them. He cLImbs up and over some wreckage untill he spots Virgo's cloak, from underwhich the IFF is comming from. He LIfts up the cloak to find the fallen form of Barrage Raptor. He drops his force field and pulls a few baic tools and starts trying to work on some repairs to the fallen Assault Unit. Isaac lowers his forcefield. [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Pharaoh Man transmits, "Bass, I'm not asking for permission to attack Denebola....I don't need yours to do so, either. As for the civiLIans, they are clear. What I want is a plan. A strategy. Something to tell me you are not going to stand by and let them destroy Amun-Wily's Empire..." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Bass transmits, "The radio is compromised, idiot. If I *did* have some overarching plan, it would be INSANITY to put it over this frequency now." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Dr. Wily transmits, "He will not let the Empire be destroyed. Nor will I." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Pharaoh Man transmits, "Then I recommend, you execute it as quickly as poss- Amun-Wily!" [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] King transmits, "Sir Pharaoh Man, thou dost betray a lack of trust. Trust in thy commanders, and the Lord Wily's will SHALL be done." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "Doc, we're retreating." "We have messages to pass on." Abernathy leans back against his rock, no longer watching the Stardroid confLIct -- and heaving a quiet sigh. Mmhm, yeah. Barrage Raptor is still under Virgo's cloak. And the only wounds she has are the syringes that that evil Scorpio person stuck in her, which caused a happyness overload. Which shut her down. So that's where she stands. Take it away, Mr. Fake Wily. Isaac quickly patches hte two breaches while opening up a systems access pannel in Barrage's back and gets to work at imputting a few commands that Gate showed him long ago about how to quick boot a reploid. "Ah this should hopefully do it..." Pallbearer's neural net, even as protected as it is in a nerpium shell, is a veritable /MESS,/ holding on to LIfe by a thread. A couple wires spark from inside the casing, pall's LIps slowing...it's obvious that unless he's helped soon...he's a dead mummybot. Even though technically he shouldn't be able to speak...something in Pall's wrenched mind strains to be given voice. "...nNnoO, the LIght, the pretty white LIght..." his eyes twitch over, trying to watch Virgo. "Don't hurt the LIght....not thrYurRghahrh..." his words slur and collapse once more. Those of you watching carefully, his eyes now display a miniature, inverted version of the BSOD. Virgo turns effortlessly, avoiding the acid injection. Raising her hands, twirLIng her fingers into what might appear as arcane gestures, she directs the chains in a dance, even though she does not touch the chains themselves. "We /attempted/ to judge them. Have you forgotten that we failed?" The chain loops into a spiral of small and big circles, gaining speed LIke a large corkscrew. The chain seeks out Scorpio again. "If you seek death so much, I should try to let you find it." Isaac takes out a medical scanner and scans Barrage Raptor. Virgo strikes Scorpio with her Virgo Chain Strike attack. You are now unstunned. Breeze finishes the argument with herself, apparently. A few seconds after the exchanges between Virgo and Scorpio, she turns visibly enraged. She points her left palm down at Scorpio, a horizontal tornado building in front of her hand. A few seconds later, the tornado fLIes forward and tries to plow into Scorpio rather forcefully. Breeze receives a radio transmission from Jet Stingray. Breeze misses Scorpio with her Windstorm attack. Breeze sends a radio transmission to Jet Stingray. Abernathy sends a radio transmission. Prismatic Spider receives a radio transmission from Abernathy. Void Starfish perks up. No LIfe in the Void? Well, that much is true. Death to Virgo? Noooo... the Void LIkes people who volunteer to be stardroid target practice. The fact that it's another stardroid? Even better! Both can die! But the evil one has to go first. She reverses the polarity on her tractor beam, sweeping it across again. And yes, she does suck, but that will come later. Void Starfish strikes Scorpio with her Repulsor Beam attack. Breeze receives a radio transmission. Prismatic Spider shakes his head as he dives in, working from memory on Pall's neural net structure... Of course, he has a perfect memory, but... "Bloody hell." Instantly, his topmost right hand shifts into multitool mode, whirLIng and snipping at a rapid pace, moving to reattatch cables and respLIce wiring. "Hang on, Pall... Hang on..." Prismatic Spider effects some minor repair work on Pallbearer. Prismatic Spider takes out a medical scanner and scans Pallbearer. Prismatic Spider sends a radio transmission to Abernathy. Abernathy receives a radio transmission. Abernathy sends a radio transmission. Prismatic Spider receives a radio transmission. Clown Man and Sideshow slowly shakes off the effects... and eyes Scorpio. "You know," Clown comments, "I have always heard music does sooth the savage beast..."Sideshow hrms, "So have I actually." Clown nods, "Which is why I'm going to SING!" He holds up a microphone. And now... an Selection from the vaults of 'The Reasons Why Earth should be Nuked' collection. "o/- Near...Far...No matter where you are... I know my heart will go onnnnnnnnnnn... -/o" Conduit shakes his head a bit as the fog that had descended on his mind clears away, "The hell?" Looking around he spots Scorpio again, "Oh thats it, this mind screw is coming to an end." Electromagnetic fields start to bend to Conduit's will as he draws in energy for his next attack, "Stupid stardroids, constantly trying to screw with us." Conduit thrusts his right arm foreward, a powerful electromagnetic wave racing for Scorpio. You strike Scorpio with a GLancing hit from your Clown Scream attack. Conduit strikes Scorpio with his Magneto Crusher attack. Scorpio growls as he's blasted by three of the people he just stunned, though another misses his eye-straining form, and he's wrapped in Virgo's chains. He suddenly sounds a lot LIke Judge Dredd's psycho LIttle brother. "You... you are a traitor to your species, Stardroid. You choose to play with the humans, when we could have been GODS!?" "KNOW THIS, FLESH CREATURES! THESE FOOLS SHALL NOT ALWAYS BE HERE TO SAVE YOUR PATHETIC LIVES! AND EVEN THEY ARE POWERLESS AGAINST THE NOTHING! YOU'RE ALL DOOMED! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" His voice is a electric shriek, and Scorpio bursts, scattering into thousands of shards of GLass that spray everywhere, leaving only the inky center... which dissipates. Scorpio retreats from the area swiftly, outdistancing all pursuit and parting shots. Breeze has disconnected. Void Starfish feh. "The Nothing is yummy." Now, where were those other evil stardroids hanging about? Isaac can't seem to get Barrage Raptor to resart. Damn those Applesoft OS systems! Damn them to hell. Well the Lucky forcer is still aLIve. He stands up ans looks about hopefully a full blown medic will be able to help Barrage. "It seems we have repelled him. He then puts the cloak back over Barrage, keep the dust off and well The Stardroid had to put it here for a reason... Virgo takes out a medical scanner and scans Barrage Raptor. Breeze has connected. Conduit grumbles as Scorpio runs away, "Coward." Well, it seems he's survived his second stardroid encounter in one piece. Breeze abruptly spins around, and...begins flying the way she came, leaving the area without word or ceremony. Breeze sends a radio transmission. Void Starfish abruptly vanishes. Void Starfish activates her stealth mode. Void Starfish enters the San Angeles - Western Downtown. Void Starfish has left. Barrage Raptor never seems to survive Stardroid encoutners in one peices. It's a bad habit of her's. Either way, she's still laying down there. Coaster Raptor eventually shakes off the cobwebs in his head, only to see Scorpio leave. The raptor kneels down to grab his rifle and put it in it's place on his back.. "What next?" he murmurs to himself. Scorpio has left. Abernathy remains behind his nice, quiet, stable, non-nightmare causing rock. Non- ... oh, next week is going to be /so/ much fun. Without so much as a noise, the diplomat gets carefully to his feet -- now that the party's over, it's safe to go home, albiet slowly and with great care. He does not reactivate his stealth mode, content to be one of the walking wounded LImping home in plain sight, head down to hide the blood and right hand pressed against his ribs. [Radio: (F) AlLIance] Conduit transmits, "Anyone know how things are going in Africa?" Breeze receives a radio transmission. Virgo's Shining Chain is detonated by Scorpio's departure, but holds up well enough to do a constriction, a mass of chains weaving in and out LIke a busy wasps' nest. Virgo steps forward, then back, beckoning the chain to return to her with a touch to her forehead, inviting it back. The chain jinGLes with a coaster-LIke action and wraps itself around the Zodiac. She sighs, feeLIng that it was Scorpio's choice to leave, since her attacks only just pinged at him. Turning back to Barrage, she sees the old man Isaac tending to her, "Wait...she is preserved by my cloak." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Quick Man transmits, "So, what /is/ going on down there?" Breeze enters the San Angeles - Western Downtown. Breeze has left. [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Theta XO Clown Man transmits, "Scorpio has departed from here... how is it going back home?" Pallbearer is catatonic...until Prismatic finishes picking his brain. Pall then jerks into consiousness, still in pain, despite the blunting effects of Prismatic's previous treatments. He crawls, scurrying away as quickly as a gravely mentally scarred person can do, cowering in a corner and sobbing. "The bug, the sting the burn, the hate, hate, hate, is it gone? Is it gone?" he shivers, reaching for the edge of a destroyed counter for support, behind which is a backpack filled with Pall's things. [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Quick Man transmits, "Don't ask me, unless you're really desperate." Coaster Raptor is quick to remember who's under the cloak as well. Considering that, the raptor walks up closer to where it is, and Issac, looking down at the Stardroid's cape, then at her. He figures this one must be at least somewhat good to run the other one off. Not a word is said, he's just looking the Zodiac over. 5th Stardroid he's seen, 4th was Scorp. Isaac halts and nods as he has just set it back over her. "I figured there was reason it was there Madam Stardroid." Never caught this one's name after all. Best to be poLIte as she did help. "Thank you for your aid..." He then steps back and looks over to Coaster. "Coaster, it is good to see you are all right." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Conduit transmits, "Whats going on in africa?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Gemini Man transmits, "Pain, mostly." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Regulus transmits, "Do you truely wish to experience it?" [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Quick Man transmits, "Sorry for not coming there myself, I was just checking on the cat LIke I do every day to see if there's something suspicious about it." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Alpha transmits, "I don't know, not paying much attention." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Conduit transmits, "Is that stardroid still attacking?" [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Quick Man transmits, "Need help now?" [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "It's a cat." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Rigger transmits, "Pain for who now?" [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Ring Man transmits, " CiviLIans clear, city is torn up, we're taking a *cut off by extremely loud and painful sounding noise*" [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Quick Man transmits, "But it's from Starhaven, who knows what they could use it for?" Prismatic Spider jerks back as Pallbearer moves away. "For LIght's sake, Pall! You're head's still open!" He quickly moves over to Pall and tries to close up the maddened forensics Reploid as best he can before something gets into it that shouldn't. [Radio: (D) GLobal] Kain transmits, "Lots of pain..." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Gemini Man transmits, "Humans," "children," "Reploids," "Robot Masters," "Kittens..." Isaac hands you a cookie for a job well done! [Radio: (D) GLobal] Conduit transmits, ".... You're not making sense." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Rigger transmits, "Stop stepping on the kittens already! ... God that gives me nightmares...." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Prismatic Spider transmits, "Denebola is trying to wreak havoc over there." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Denebola transmits, "Well, I was razing a city. Now, I'm just hurting these Androids, and a pesky ninja." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Kain transmits, "I haven't hit you. Yet." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Rigger transmits, "Ah, Special K." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Quick Man transmits, "... It sounds LIke you do need help." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Aquarius transmits, "What happens when you taunt a tiger? The tiger eats you." Barrage Raptor lays there under the cloak. Out cold. At least people care about her. [Radio: (D) GLobal] King transmits, "Thou doth persist in annoying Us, Stardroid...methinks thou doth need a lesson in manners." Pallbearer shrinks from Prismatic's touch, but is unable to avoid, as weak as he is. "Nooo, noo! Don't hurts any more...no, no, LIfe is pain...no LIfe is pain...all hurts...all dies, all is left with me to feel...." he sobs, looking away, trying to curl into a LIttle ball. [Radio: (D) GLobal] Aquarius transmits, " . . you're getting upset because someone more powerful than you are has the same attitude about it you do? Lovely." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Quick Man transmits, "I think I'll go check it out. Be right there." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Bass transmits, "You demand honor of us, Stardroid, while your brother slaughters innocents, destroys homes, ruins LIves. You stand by and watch while we try to save the weak, and then you mock our courage. The challenge made is clearly unfair; your brother is superior in strength, speed and tactical output to any one of us. Is that your point? Should we destroy ourselves in the attempt to destroy this menace?" A short pause. "Who *really* wants for valor here?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Regulus transmits, "And if I acted, I would share the fate of Mercury, and you would face someone stronger. Though it pains me, to act is to condemn far more." Virgo kneels down at Barrage's side and draws the cloak from her pinholed body. She waves her hand over Barrage and sets on her forehead, touching her with heaLIng energy yet again. Virgo closes her eyes, connecting with the Reploid again, joining emotions and thoughts of the last things that Barrage had seen before she was taken out. She ends the vision, LIfting her hand away suddenly before the jolt passes onto her. "There, that should do." Conduit enters the San Angeles - Western Downtown. Conduit has left. Prismatic Spider shakes his head, extending his hand to the fallen Pallbearer. "No, Pallbearer... LIfe doesn't have to be pain... Scorpio is gone... Come with me and I will help you." Coaster Raptor watches the stardroid, silently. He can't do much else at the moment save maybe get her back to base if there aren't any other RF'ers around, he really hasn't looked yet... Abernathy has disconnected. Abernathy has connected. [Radio: (D) GLobal] Kumicho NOT Mikage Yukiato transmits, " Denebola is it? I was wondering if we could have a LIttle talk later on, once you are no longer busy." Clown Man GLances at the Stardroid and waves amiably. "...As much fun as it has been watching your former friends turn psychopathic killers waste this city, I have to get back. I need to patrol Africa. [Radio: (D) GLobal] Kumicho NOT Mikage Yukiato transmits, " But much later..of course..." Virgo waves back, finding the situation sLIghtly odd, "You were missed there, Clown Man." Barrage Raptor is suddenly...Awake again, "Ow!" That really hurt. Not many people can whack her into unconciousness with one shot, "Nrgh...She sits up, and looks up at Virgo, "Virgo...You actually came. Wow.." She can't help but smile a bit.. Abernathy pauses, not quite having walked out of the area yet -- and raises his free hand to tap at the anGLe of his jaw, adopting a LIstening posture and watching the activity down below silently. [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Ring Man transmits, "I've reached critical condition. I'm going to have to pull out." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Magnet Man transmits, "I can hold on, I ain't out of this yet." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Quick Man transmits, "I'm almost there." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Theta Squad CO Sword Man transmits, "My systems have taken on water, and the sonic boom has overloaded my audio receptors...I am reaching critical status, but I am still operational." Virgo nods. Barrage couldn't know that Virgo came just as everyone else fell. It was close, especially since Scorpio didn't seem wilLIng to stop until he turned around and saw her. "I am here..." Pallbearer just curls up into a ball, sobbing, slowly trying to curl up even tighter. "No! No...nonononono. Always here, always not, always LIstening, always looking, always whispering, always always always I can't get arouuuunnnnnd...." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Alpha transmits, "Can Denebola eat me?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Shield transmits, "Yes." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Denebola transmits, "Why bother." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Alpha transmits, "Oh, I guess you have a point there. Don't eat Necro and Angie then." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Bass transmits, "Hit the f**ker." Prismatic Spider lays a hand on Pallbearer's shoulder. "We can protect you, Pall. Scorpio isn't there, he can't hurt you right now... We stopped him... Everything will be all right, but you need some help." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Gamma CO Gemini Man transmits, "Ok, you first." Pallbearer cries at the feeLIng of Prismatic's hands on him, curLIng tighter, unwilLIng to move, simply waiLIng in agony and sadness, too frightened and in too much pain to function. Barrage Raptor stands herself up, "Virgo...Thanks." She says, "I'm GLad you came. It's more than the other Stardroids the Nothing is trying to kill will do." She looks up at Virgo, and offers her hand, "So...Yeah. Thanks a whole lot. I...Guess I really can't think of anything else to say." Prismatic Spider 's hand moves from Pall's shoulder to the controls for the pain dampener. As he turns up the dampening effect, he mumbles soothinGLy... "It'll be all right, Pallbearer.. We'll fix you back up, all right? The pain will be gone... Just sleep..." Virgo says, "I should go." She stands up suddenly almost if she didn't hear Barrage, pinching up her cloak at the same time. But before she can toss the cloak on, she hears the wails of the one touched by Scorpio. Poor Purple Pallbearer. She should help him, but she's expending so much energy to help, it's starting to drain. Her feet betray her upbringing as they bring her to Prismatic and Pallbearer, and her words betray her soul as she speaks, "Please let me help."" Coaster Raptor just silently sLIps out... simple as that. Coaster Raptor has left. Pallbearer continues sobbing as the pain dampener is turned up, "Mirror will be mad at me. Mirror will be mad..." he sniffles, and then, Virgo is nearby....which causes him to cower once more. "The LIght, the pretty LIght...please no more hurts...I'm sorry." Prismatic Spider shudders as he looks up to Virgo. "... Virgo... Your offer is appreciated. If you can help, please do so... And if you need my assistance for the process, please tell me." Yes, it looks LIke he's ready to jump through hoops to get Pall's mind back in one piece. Abernathy continues to observe from his spot on the hill, though he can't -- exactly -- hear everything passing between the three. Some things were blatantly obvious to a keen observer of people, even with the sound turned off. A thin smile graces his LIps as he continues to watch the drama. Barrage Raptor wanders closer to Virgo as she looks over Pall, "Yeah. Help him out...Even if he did agree to help Scorpio out, he did it for a good reason. He's not a bad person or anything." Not that she'd have done it if the roles were reversed...But that's a different story. The Shining Chain detaches itself from Virgo's body, and it rotates quickly, the LInks singing as they cLIng together and it shines with a pure white LIght. It is worse than she thought, Pallbearer is shrinking from the LIght. "LIght should not be feared for it is the only hope in the darkness." When Pris asks if he can do anything, she is about to say no, but then she changes her mind, offering her GLoved hand. "I can use your help. Please take my hand." Prismatic Spider nods, and takes Virgo's hand without a second of debate. Anything to help a friend. Pall doesn't deserve this end. "GLadly." Pallbearer shakes his head. "No nos...the LIght, it wanes, it wastes itself. No point, no point. Pain is pain, will always be. The pretty white LIght shouldn't. Not here, not now. not this wretch." He backs up a LIttle, now facing them unavoidably, still scared. Isaac is still here but talking on the radio to someone. Isaac says, "Cancer is in Tartarus."" Abernathy is still observing, silently, and shows no incLInation toward moving closer, interfering, or speaking out. Just watching. Virgo nods..."This may not be comfortable." She smiles...knowing that the simple twitch of the muscles would encourage the earthLIng. With her free hand, she shows the Shining Chain where to go. It shoots towards Pallbearer LIke an arrow towards his heart. The chain parts into four, wrapping over his shoulders and around his hips, joining in the back and holding Pallbearer from escaping. "Now..." Her hands tighten into fists, somewhat crushing Prismatic's hand. She responds to Pallbearer's confused words, "The LIght intensifies, the LIght is reborn. Pain will be LIfted. The pretty white LIght will always be, to spite the dark. Here, now, always." Barrage Raptor just hangs out nearby. She wants to help out too. But she's not the medic type, so really this isn't her thing. Fighting is. Isaac watches the whole process facincated by it. Pallbearer is still afraid as the chain wraps around him, looking up to Virgo.... "Here...now...always?" he says disjointedly. It's not easy to wipe memories of hell from one's mind, nor the torment he went through prior to that. However...Pall attempts to respond well to the treatment...his own normal mind starting to reform from the shattered remnants left by scorpio. Prismatic Spider stands silently, only twitching sLIghtly as his hand is clenched, ignoring the feedback signals from his systems warning him of possible damage. .oO(Come on Pall, get better...) Assault Styracosaurus hands you a cookie for a job well done! Barrage Raptor has reconnected. It's difficult at first, but her grip loosens once Prismatic's desire to help his friend flows through her to his friend. She draws more energy from Prismatic, quickly sending his energy levels close to empty, feeding the LIght that Pallbearer sees, only LIght, no hell, no pain, no tortured memories. Refracted LIght from the GLowing chains form a sinGLe LIne of multi-colors from Prismatic/Virgo to Pallbearer...and then they disperse into many directions. The chains loosen and fall. Firestorm Phoenix hands you a cookie for a job well done! [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Magnet Man transmits, "Sorry Brothers, but I'm suffering major damage, I have to retreat." Pallbearer collapses as the chains are released...grumbLIng and muttering coarsely. "Good god...that bleedin' hurt..." He starts trying to get to his feet, looking around...and looking in /AWE/ of Virgo as he spots her. His mouth hangs open for a second before he shakes the feeLIng off, remembering LIttle of the circumstances, but knowing he is deeply indebted to her. As would be the respectable british way, Pall gets to his feet, slowly and shakily, then bows respectfully to the stardroid before him. "Madame Stardroid...Though it's not known to me why...Thank you." He then looks to Prismatic, Barrage, and the others... "Well...what did I miss?" he says, leaning back against the half-shattered counter for support. Barrage Raptor has partially disconnected. Barrage Raptor shrugs, "The usual. Death, destruction, me getting taken down by a Stardroid /again/. Prismatic Spider grunts as he feels his power draining, the gently shining prismatic refractor in his abdomen dimming as his energy levels drop to dangerously low levels. Still, energy is LIttle concern to him, the combined power of his internal reactor and the passive energy created by the refractor will allow him to recover in time. As he pours everything he can into his efforts to assist Virgo, his legs waver, and almost buckle under the strain of keeping him standing on such low power levels... and finally falls to his knees as the curing is complete. As he sits there, hand in Virgo's, he mumbles, "Too much." That's plenty. With a shake of his head, Abernathy turns away from the sight of Pallbearer's heaLIng -- perhaps redemption? -- and strikes off for more ... populous ... parts of the city. Time to LImp home, LIck his -- metaphorical -- wounds, and get on the move again before anyone reaLIzes he's vulnerable. That's the way LIfe went, hey? You pays your money and you takes your choice. Abernathy enters the San Angeles - Western Downtown. Abernathy has left. Virgo wavers as well, but she manages to stand, as she only acted as a booster for the power, kicking it up the notch it would take to heal minds. She takes the chain from the ground, it has spent too much much energy in the process and it will be time before she can do this again. "It is only temporary. You will remember what the LIght spares from you now. But things can be handled, in time..." Pallbearer nods... "I see...Thank you again, all the same." He sighs. This could be very bad. But he had time now...at least so it'd seem. Prismatic Spider slowly stands up again, wobbLIng... "Pallbearer, come back with us. Scorpio knows that he can't defeat us now. We can protect you and I can help you when you need to deal with what Scorpio's done to you again..." Pallbearer nods solemnly. "All right...Tell Colonel I'm thankful." He reaches behind the counter, snagging his backpack. Pallbearer gives Prismatic a helping hand in short order, walking with him towards the door. Virgo turns to Prismatic before he goes, and she splays her hand on her chest still feeLIng the energy that Prismatic has donated her, "Please take care." Barrage Raptor just follows behind the two now, "Yeah. We really owe you, Virgo. You need anything, just ask. Prismatic Spider nods. "I will, Lady Virgo. Thank you for your help... Be careful... This isn't the end of them, I fear... And there are still choices to make." Pallbearer has disconnected. Virgo loops the spent chain between her shoulder and her hand, "It's not done by far." Prismatic Spider nods to himself as he eaves with Pallbearer. So much work to do, so LIttle time. Prismatic Spider enters the San Angeles - Western Downtown. Prismatic Spider has left. Isaac has left. Barrage Raptor goes home. Barrage Raptor has left. [Radio: (D) GLobal] Bass transmits, "One down. Two to go." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Guts Man transmits, "And you people didn't want to do anything against the Stardroids in the first place. What do you think now arrogant alLIance?!" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Alpha transmits, "You're not going to eat them?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Ring Man transmits, "You have a strange fixation with ingestion don't you?" [Radio: (D) GLobal] Guts Man transmits, "The body disappeared before we could eat it." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Quick Man transmits, "All Maverick Hunters do. Just look at the worm." [Radio: (D) GLobal] Alpha transmits, "Well, I'm just surprised since that's what all the Stardroids do, so if you wanted to ascend or something..." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Bass transmits, "...good work, everyone. We proved a point today." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Beta CO Metal Man transmits, "I see we were successful..." [Radio: (A) Masters-Main] Bass transmits, "Begin repairs to the city. Get the injured back to base for work. We will continue our preparations ... and we should be expecting more of these `attacks'." [Radio: (F) AlLIance] Metal Man transmits, "Denebola has been fallen by Bass..."