Aberrant: Infinite Earth - Fiction - Gods at War (Complete)

[Charlie Cole]

Date: January 19, 2010

Location: Tampa, Florida, United States

Time: 11:57 AM

Tampa City Hall, the street of East John F. Kennedy Boulevard and the surrounding area was packed with swarms of people. The area closed off and cordoned from normal traffic, amongst the packed crowds there were several kinds of people. The mayor-elect, and all the politicians and officials required to be present for one reason or another. There was the onlookers and watchers. More than normal, as well as two groups very much inflated for a rather unfortunate reason.

Geryon's threat had drawn the natural massive influx of nova event aware photographers, reporters, cameramen, etc. The fact that history might well repeat itself had added onto the normal dramatic and rating significance associated with the Teragen and their actions.

On the other hand, to prevent such an occurrence, the Tampa Police Department,- which indeed had received additional advanced weaponry and special training from Utopia in lieu of actual T2M or other associated presence- had turned out in force to protect their new mayor. And, as he tended to think of himself of a sort of entirely separate category, there was Charlie.

Hidden in a side street off the JFK Boulevard, completely hidden from normal sight by a special invisibility suit, equipped and ready, he waited. Composed, yet tense, a slight smile formed out of excitment, as he waited for the likely appearance of the Teragen. Considering the oath of office was being taken at 12:00 sharp, it would probably be now or never.

Click to reveal..

Fox is ST'ing this for the part of Geryon, et al, etc.

Though I don't think Revelation or Joe would be here directly, you may feel free to have them post if they're watching, or seeing through say, TV or the OpNet.

[Mr Fox]

12:00 PM sharp the Mayor stepped up to the platform surrounded by the Chief of Police and several uniformed officers bearing serious looking assault rifles. Despite the threat of Teragen violence John Simmons, the newly elected mayor, stepped forward with confidence and a certain amount of arrogance. It was attitude that had gotten the man elected and he was displaying it now as if there was nothing he had to worry about on this, possibly his last day of life.

Camera flashes snapped constantly and had to be a distraction to the men guarding the Mayor, but they didn't flinch from their duty and stood rock steady scanning the crowd and surrounding buildings. What made this day and this particular Mayor so controversial was his hardline stance on Nova crime. In the last year several nova related crime sprees had captured the public's attention and become a campaign issue that had propelled John Simmons into office as the man who wouldn't back down from anyone.

"My fellow citizens of Tampa, thank you for electing me your Mayor. You're confidence in me will not prove in vain. As I take office today the state of our fair city is such that we need not worry. We face no serious economic challenges, indeed, just last week a new contract to host a major scientific convention was awarded. We face no serious social issues, Tampa was recently voted one of the best places to live in the state. Indeed, the only serious challenge we do face is the one for which you elected me... the Nova problem." Here he paused and scanned the crowd, but not in fear, but rater in the way successful politicians do, with eye contact and a friendly smile that is aimed at no one.

It was statements like that last which had caught the attention of radicals in the the Teragen and made Simmons high on the 'need to squish' list.

"There is one thing my administration will be known for and that is equal treatment for every citizen. That means in both a positive and a negative way. I don't care what your genetics, if you commit a crime you WILL do the time!" His repeat of his campaign slogan was the signal that started the action.

Like a flee, Geryon leaped over several city blocks to land near the platform. Or rather that was what he attempted. The men with the guns reacted fast enough to get off a volley of anti-nova rounds. Two of the men succeeded in hitting the nova in motion which threw him off course and negated some of his momentum causing him to land short and to the right of the platform. Whatever they were shooting did seem to have some effect, the massively muscled freak of nova nature grunted in pain as he stood up.

Click to reveal..

I'm not rolling dice here for a battle between titans. Because of the damage he just took, you will have time to react and take an action before he moves again. I'm shooting you a pm, because there is one thing I want to occur during the fight, and I want to discuss that with you.

[Charlie Cole]

Geryon's surprise tactic caught everyone off guard, people barely scattering away in time, the brave (or more likely, foolhardy) reporters and cameramen remaining a mite too close to the action to be considered safe from possible area damage, trying to get perfect shots and breaking news reports.

Charlie on the other hand, was extremely fast and quick, physically and mentally, even for novas, and honed by his elite combat training, he already had yanked the face-mask of the suit off, revealing the Elite mask he wore, a white one with the image of a blue winged rat on it.

He had shot off in flight, whipsword activated and ready in hand. Despite the invisibility suit still covering most of his body, the speed and motion involved quickly showed everyone including Geryon, that he was on the scene and begging to handle the rumble.

The flash of light that formed his main body outline saved Geryon, as he shook off the shots and shifted position. He didn't react fast enough, but the upper torso and shoulder moved enough to prevent a kill thrust from getting to the head.

Nevertheless, the sword embedded itself deep and painfully in the brutish Terat's upper left shoulder, and howl of pain, disgustedly in its way, shocked everyone around.

Geryon was capable of speed though, as despite the difficulty and pain involved with the lodged weapon in his arm, he brought his hands together in a super-strong clap, the shock wave slamming the suprised Charlie to the ground and sending many a reporter and camera to pieces.

Apparently fixated on Simmons, Geryon leapt onto the now-shaken platform, the Terat gambling that he could make an example before leaving and evading this elite.

[Mr Fox]

Geryon howled aggravation at the wounds but did not allow that to slow him. Speaking clearly and into the mic, "The One Race is subject to no monkey law. Die, ape!"

Slowly enough for the cameras to follow, but fast enough that Simmons couldn't avoid it even had he tried, the massive arm shot out directly at the Mayor's head. Things seemed to go into slow motion as everyone present waited to see red and grey splatter. Things didn't happen quite the way expected however, instead of the snap and pop of bone shattering, there was a whoosing noise in the mic as the fist passed right through Mayor John Simmon's head.

Geryon stood fist extended for a critical few seconds trying to understand why his prey wasn't effected. Simmons for his part simply stepped to his left unhurt in the slightest.

Those three seconds were enough time for the Elite who had wounded the big Terat to take another action, and as it turned out they were the most critical 3 seconds of the the taint riddled nova's life. He could have made good his escape had he not paused, or turned and attacked his biggest threat, but instead they were wasted with shock.

Click to reveal..

Cole's turn. You've got the init and a free shot. Carry on.

[Charlie Cole]

Charlie was shocked too, but he didn't show it, and acted with immediate haste. Forgoing flight, he leaped tremendously high and quick, and heading through the air like a quasi-spearhead, impaled Geryon at the back of the upper neck, the sword's impossibly sharp point and blade digging into the spine.

Partially paralyzed, Geryon collapsed to his knees, causing everyone to stare in shock as 'Air Rat' vaulted up and over the massive hulk of brute muscles.

He left his sword buried in his opponent's body and once completed with the acrobatic maneuver, pulled out of the hook belt in his suit... the maser gun pointed at Geryon's right eye.

'Air Rat' smirked as he faced the crippled Terat. "A monster like you deserves to lose. Any last words before I blow your face off?"

[Mr Fox]

The big nova glared and uttered one word defiantly, "Traitor!"

[Charlie Cole]

Charlie smirked and shook his head in blatant mockery of the Terat. "Sorry, that's not true. Besides, I thought you Teragen hated DeVries and elites? Well, we get to return the favor for New York."

Having made the reference to the botched Teragen Liberation Movement's attack upon the New York City DeVries offices, Charlie smirked and pulled the trigger.

A beam of hot energy blazed into Geryon's eyes, and this time, red and gray matter did splatter about. Charlie ignored the ruined head of the corpse, and turned to extricate his whipsword, heedless of the shouts and flashing lights.

[Charlie Cole]

Date: January 20, 2010

Location: DeVries Offices, New York City, New York, United States

Time: 10:39 AM

Charlie sat back in a side room chair, awaiting something that he cared little for, but was going to have to do. Bound by the contract of employment and the simple fact that he very well HAD killed Geryon, he was going to have to appear at a press conference.

Well, there were some things he had been told to look forward to. The multi-million dollar bonus for axing the brute. Sales of his action figures had practically skyrocketed, leaving many store stocks wiped clean from the inventory.

Of course, fame was nice, but not a significant perk to Charlie Cole, and besides, he already had more money than multiple clones of Croesus.

Which begged the question, why was he fighting? Why involve himself in all these wars and conflicts if he had no real inducement to do so?

This wasn't the first, or thirty-first time he'd considered this quandary. Of course, the answer generally was the same. It just felt right, like that was who he was. It wasn't necessarily the most pleasant or comforting assessment of one's self, but it always worked for Charlie.

This time, a moment of niggling doubt wormed its may into his head. Geryon hadn't ever for a moment felt unconcerned about what he was doing, was he? NO. Charlie knew that the portrayal of the Teragen by Utopia was a bit exaggerated and stretching the truth a great deal, but the Primacy and Nova Vigilance always left a bad taste in his mouth.

After all, Simmons had only said that novas should pay the penalty for their crimes, as much as baselines should. That only made sense right?

After all, the Mayor-elect had turned out to be a nova, and had saved himself from Geryon by decreasing his density to near nil. His platform as Simmons later pointed out after the mess of Geryon's death, was 'Justice for All', not anti-nova. Law and order was his rule.

Mal may have claimed that novas were not subject to baseline law, but equally, he'd by his own words put off any definition of 'nova law' until some future date.

The Terats didn't say anything was wrong, only that what they did was right. And to Charlie Cole, who had erupted over the pain of getting himself and friends involved in a brutal gang war, there was something noxious in that concept.

In that way, they played straight into Utopia's hands. And Geryon had no right to call him a traitor for stopping him.

Charlie smiled and looked mentally refreshed, even as an aide came in to inform him that it was time to get ready for the press conference.