Aberrant: Quantum Zero - Quantum Zero - Elites

[Alex Green]

Aftermath:

Alex catches his breath, then releases it after a while.

*Wow. I just... wow.*

*How many people lived here? 25K? 100K? Did the effect stop with one city?*

Alex glances up and decides that if the atmosphere is still intact then it must have *only* been like a nuke. Miles. Maybe dozens of miles. But his famly was much further than that. Alex takes a step and realizes that walking just isn't an option right now so he sits heavily.

*Did I make things better? Or worse?* Some things are best left unthought. It doesn't take much effort to think of something else.

*Why am I still alive? Ground zero nuke from inside me, I can't live through that. Ah... more support for pattern information storage? Destruction of my dark matter body didn't carry over?*

And some things best left unthought get thought anyway. *Dimentional interface? Is that why I felt something on the other side?*

Alex lays down, closes his eyes, and with an effort of will focuses on not thinking and not sleeping. He tries to find his center and meditate for a while.

{Willpower point spent on meditation... I figure he needs it).

[Prince of Boredom]

... and the Kitchen Sink:

It's a few seconds before Aaron can halt his own headlong charge & regain control - his fists hurt like Hell, but it's a good hurt, a proud hurt... a 'you should see the other guy' hurt...

... the storm slowly begins to disipate...

Aaron quickly suppresses a smug smile, rapidly refocusing on the task at hand. He quickly flies back to the harem and again gently picks up Jolt.

Hovering at the edge of the balcony, he turns over his shoulder to Shockwave, "You better get out of here fast, I don't think that'll stop him for long." And then, as an after thought, "And give our friend there that hammer and armour, I have a hunch it might be useful to him..."

With that, Thunderbolt quickly takes to the sky, flying as high and fast as possible in the opposite direction of where Hannibal rocketed off.

[ProfPotts]

Texas Hold-Em:

A wave of Lodestone's hand causes the last One Man Army's Ultramachinegun to spark, grind to a halt, then begin to belch trails of black smoke from the electric motor. Dropping the now useless weapon the musclebound soldier casts his eyes around for a replacement.

Flying back out of the reach of the last opponent Jetstream lands, leaning forward to brace his hands on his knees as he breathes deeply,

'Guys,' he yells, 'I'm out - someone else get this straggler so we can go make sure we got the damn eufiber!'

Picking Up the Pieces:

"You can come out y'know. I won't 'urt you if ya do"

Much to The Samurai's surprise nothing leaps out to assault him. However, a moment later - even as his injuries finish regenerating & his eufiber costume knits itself back together - two highly recognisable figures descend from the sky to alight near by: the handsome features, big brown eyes, & long black hair pulled back into a ponytail of the lead figure are unmistakably those of James Najarian, the world-famous Nova reporter, dressed in a smart yet casual safari-suit style outfit; following on is, naturally enough, the Nova camera-man Christopher Andrew Gaal - his skinny white frame clad in a loose-fitting jumpsuit covered in equipment-filled pockets, a hi-tech Ultra-High-Def camera with satallite uplink OpNet facility & built-in editting suite on his shoulder. As he pans the camera slowly across the scene of devestation - finally coming to rest on The Samurai - Guy notes Gaal's fingers expertly flashing over the controls of his camera, editing, cutting, & inserting special effects in real time - suggesting that they are transmitting live...

Najarian glances at Guy, frowns, then - covering his headset mic with his hand - calls over to his partner,

'Is that...?'

Gaal doesn't even take his camera from his eye - just gives Najarian a 'thumbs up' sign. Hovering over the rubble Najarian approaches Guy, a well-practice 'serious' expression on his face as he does so,

'Here we see our first survivor of this terrible event - the first of, we hope, many. We are now only a short distance from the centre of the blast area - an area initial satellite images suggest could be almost one-hundred & fifty kilometers across! Compounding the mystery of the origins of this disaster we find that this survivor is, in fact, the Elite known as The Samurai: previously listed as Missing In Action & thought to have been killed in battle with his fellow DVNTS Elite Decay.'

Landing next to Guy Najarian turns to him,

'Samurai - what can you tell us about the events here last night which have cost so many their lives? Were there other Novas involved? What is your involvement, & how did you even come to be here, alive & well?'

Meanwhile... at the very centre of the blast area... Alex, with a little effort, manages to slip into a relaxing meditative state...

Lightning Knights & Fair Maidens:

"You better get out of here fast, I don't think that'll stop him for long... And give our friend there that hammer and armour, I have a hunch it might be useful to him..."

Shockwave shrugs,

'You're th' boss... I guess... just...' she glances around with a concerned look, '... you are coming back, right? Or sending some transport or something? If that hit didn't take big black out, then I'm pretty sure I can't...' ::unsure

[Prince of Boredom]

Lightning Knights & Fair Maidens:

Shockwave shrugs,

'You're th' boss... I guess... just...' she glances around with a concerned look, '... you are coming back, right? Or sending some transport or something? If that hit didn't take big black out, then I'm pretty sure I can't...' ::unsure

Thunderbolt stops just before he's about to take off, the look of dismay apparent even in his electric form, "Look, I don't know what to do. I offered to take you with me, but you said you wanted to stay and help. All I know, and all that matters right now is that I have to get Jolt out of here safely. You can still come with us..."

Waiting for her response, Aaron makes his way to the case with Thor's hammer and armour, smashes the glass, and nods to the archeologist, "Take them, your certainly look as if you've earned them," and hopes that for once his hunch is right.

[Bahamut810]

Lodestone frowns. "Alright...Sorry OMA...but your gonna have to go now." he says as the bullets that his large metal cohort had stopped lift up and made their way to pepper OMA.

(Taking the metal bullets that bounced off Alex and using them in a Magnetic Blast)

[Alex Green]

Alex tries to focus on nothing…

*I’m naked. Will my dark matter grow back?*

*Probably. Just Breath.*

*Will I Sunburn?*

*You can’t sunburn. Just Breath.*

*There’s something else here, I can feel it. It’s just out of sight.*

*Just Breath.*

*Tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands, maybe…*

*Just Breath.*

*Did I….?*

*There is no thought. There is no feeling. Worry later. Just breath.*

*Breath.*

*Breath.*

*Breath.*

*…*

[knave]

Picking Up the Pieces:

Much to The Samurai's surprise nothing leaps out to assault him.

::sly

However, a moment later - even as his injuries finish regenerating & his eufiber costume knits itself back together - two highly recognisable figures descend from the sky to alight near by: the handsome features, big brown eyes, & long black hair pulled back into a ponytail of the lead figure are unmistakably those of James Najarian, the world-famous Nova reporter, dressed in a smart yet casual safari-suit style outfit; following on is, naturally enough, the Nova camera-man Christopher Andrew Gaal - his skinny white frame clad in a loose-fitting jumpsuit covered in equipment-filled pockets, a hi-tech Ultra-High-Def camera with satallite uplink OpNet facility & built-in editting suite on his shoulder. As he pans the camera slowly across the scene of devestation - finally coming to rest on The Samurai - Guy notes Gaal's fingers expertly flashing over the controls of his camera, editing, cutting, & inserting special effects in real time - suggesting that they are transmitting live...

::brick

*'is 'ad to 'appen... wot do I bleedin' say... Nova reporters... Now...* ::confused

*couldn't 'appen to a nicer bloke...*

Najarian glances at Guy, frowns, then - covering his headset mic with his hand - calls over to his partner,

'Is that...?'

Gaal doesn't even take his camera from his eye - just gives Najarian a 'thumbs up' sign. Hovering over the rubble Najarian approaches Guy, a well-practice 'serious' expression on his face as he does so,

'Here we see our first survivor of this terrible event - the first of, we hope, many. We are now only a short distance from the centre of the blast area - an area initial satellite images suggest could be almost one-hundred & fifty kilometers across! Compounding the mystery of the origins of this disaster we find that this survivor is, in fact, the Elite known as The Samurai: previously listed as Missing In Action & thought to have been killed in battle with his fellow DVNTS Elite Decay.'

Landing next to Guy Najarian turns to him,

*No bleedin' way you're going to be hable to keep anyfing secret from 'ese bastards... Not when Nezumi 'ad you for bleedin' breakfast... 'undred and fifty....*

Guy sighs...

*'ey can probably read your bleedin' mind... just hact honourably... Do what you owe 'ose people you just.... *

'Samurai - what can you tell us about the events here last night which have cost so many their lives? Were there other Novas involved? What is your involvement, & how did you even come to be here, alive & well?'

Guy inclines his head solomnly. (in Japanese) "Hello Mr Najarian. Mr Gaal. I'm afraid I cannot speak for any other novas. I can say that I failed to deactivate a device being built in the FSS communications hub... and it seems that many... many innocents paid the price of that failure."

[ProfPotts]

The Power of a God:

"Look, I don't know what to do. I offered to take you with me, but you said you wanted to stay and help. All I know, and all that matters right now is that I have to get Jolt out of here safely. You can still come with us..."

Shockwave shakes her head,

'No mate - what I mean is we need to rescue these people: either that bastard you hit goes down for good, or we need to get these ladies out of this place. You're right - Jolt is priority one; but I know her too well - if she snaps out of it & realises we left others to the fate she'd escaped...' the red-headed Aussie completes the thought with a sad shrug of the shoulders.

"Take them, your certainly look as if you've earned them,"

The vitrium display case shatters under Thunderbolt's super-strong fist - several of the 'harem girls' yelp in shock, but the captive just blinks at Aaron, then stares at the artefacts within the case, before finally swallowing hard, nodding, & reaching out for the hammer...

... Aaron's hunch proves to be spot-on: the sky is rent (yet again) by an ear-shattering clap of thunder as a bolt of lighting blasts through the ceiling to bathe the captive in blinding light! As the spots before Thunderbolt's eyes finally start to fade he sees that where once stood the battered & bruised captive now stands the awe-inspiring presence of Thor: Norse God of Thunder! Clad in the armour from the case, & carrying his mighty magical mallet Mjollnir, Thor peers around him - taking in the expanse of scantily-clad beauties arrayed around the room - & a huge grin forms on his face,

'I was about to ask why I'd been called across Bifrost, away from battling the frost giants of Jotunheim, once more to tread upon Midgard - but I see that it is a party to which Thor is summoned!' ::laugh

Clapping Aaron heartily on the back the huge Norseman adds,

'Fellow Thunderer - you do Thor proud with this display of companionship...' spoting Shockwave standing across the room - clad in her black & green Elite outfit & looking poised for combat - Thor nudges Aaron & asks, '... but tell me, friend - why is that one so over-dressed?' ::huh ::devil ::sly

Finishing Touches:

"Alright...Sorry OMA...but you're gonna have to go now."

With an accompanying casual gesture Lodestone pulls together the hundreds of spent bullets & shell casings scattered around the battlefield & sends them hurtling towards the last OMA: the blast of shrapnel catches the muscular figure square in the chest, sending him flying back to land, sprawling, fifty feet away. A final shot from Jaguar's railgun nails the now-prone OMA - but it's far from clear whether it was necessary of not. In any case, the fight seems well & truly over...

Slipping his gun into its back-sling Jaguar pulls a remote from his pocket, taps a control, then catches his surveillance drone as it arcs round back to him. Glancing at his fellow Elites the Harlem Nova slips the device back into his pocket,

'That should keep the boys in the media department happy for a while...'

Stepping over to one of the fallen OMAs Jaguar crouches down & feels for a pulse. Removing what looks like a pair of ceramic rings joined in a figure of eight from inside his coat he slips them over his thumbs & draws them apart - the carbon-fibre thread between the rings is invisible, but all the Elites know the deadly hi-tech garotte for what it is. Looking between the others Jaguar asks the question:

'Mercy or hardcore?' :tombstone:

Reality TV:

"Hello Mr Najarian. Mr Gaal. I'm afraid I cannot speak for any other novas. I can say that I failed to deactivate a device being built in the FSS communications hub... and it seems that many... many innocents paid the price of that failure."

Najarian nods in best 'interviewer' style,

'I see - but what else can you tell us about...'

The Nova reporter's question is cut short as the debris a short way off erupts - flung wide - leaving a cloud of dust hanging in the air around the bulky figure within. For a moment it's hard to make out who the figure is, then...

'FOOK!'

... the Mongolian Elite's own colourful mode of speech is unmistakable as Tank reveals that he too is far from dead! Stomping towards Guy & the reporters Tank brushes dirt of himself as best he can, swearing all the time as he contemplates the tattered rags which used to be his favorite Hawaiian shirt (what sort of bloke wears his favourite shirt, over his eufiber, to a Nova-fight anyhow? ::confused ). Guy notices Gaal's fingers working overtime on the editing controls as he attempts to bleep Tank's words in real-time...

Remaining professionally cool Najarian waits for Tank to approach, then asks,

'Tank, Samurai - you have both survived. How many more do you think are alive here?'

[knave]

Reality TV:

Najarian nods in best 'interviewer' style,

'I see - but what else can you tell us about...'

The Nova reporter's question is cut short as the debris a short way off erupts - flung wide - leaving a cloud of dust hanging in the air around the bulky figure within. For a moment it's hard to make out who the figure is, then...

'FOOK!'

... the Mongolian Elite's own colourful mode of speech is unmistakable as Tank reveals that he too is far from dead! Stomping towards Guy & the reporters Tank brushes dirt of himself as best he can, swearing all the time as he contemplates the tattered rags which used to be his favorite Hawaiian shirt (what sort of bloke wears his favourite shirt, over his eufiber, to a Nova-fight anyhow? ::confused ). Guy notices Gaal's fingers working overtime on the editing controls as he attempts to bleep Tank's words in real-time...

Guy acknowledges Tank's arrival with a slight bow of the head. *One less soul on your conscience mate...*

Remaining professionally cool Najarian waits for Tank to approach, then asks,

'Tank, Samurai - you have both survived. How many more do you think are alive here?'

Guy turns back to the reporter duo.

<japanese>"With respect, Najaran-sama, you are the ones able to fly. Perhaps we should be searching for survivors rather than making news. Or at very least combining the two."

That said, Guy waves to tank to indicate his intentions and sets off into the blast crater - searching for any signs of life he can find.

[archer]

Finishing Touches:

With an accompanying casual gesture Lodestone pulls together the hundreds of spent bullets & shell casings scattered around the battlefield & sends them hurtling towards the last OMA: the blast of shrapnel catches the muscular figure square in the chest, sending him flying back to land, sprawling, fifty feet away. A final shot from Jaguar's railgun nails the now-prone OMA - but it's far from clear whether it was necessary of not. In any case, the fight seems well & truly over...

Slipping his gun into its back-sling Jaguar pulls a remote from his pocket, taps a control, then catches his surveillance drone as it arcs round back to him. Glancing at his fellow Elites the Harlem Nova slips the device back into his pocket,

'That should keep the boys in the media department happy for a while...'

Stepping over to one of the fallen OMAs Jaguar crouches down & feels for a pulse. Removing what looks like a pair of ceramic rings joined in a figure of eight from inside his coat he slips them over his thumbs & draws them apart - the carbon-fibre thread between the rings is invisible, but all the Elites know the deadly hi-tech garotte for what it is. Looking between the others Jaguar asks the question:

'Mercy or hardcore?' :tombstone:

Shifting back down to his natural(but still metal-skinned) form, the blood-spattered Joe shrugs. "We could kill him I guess. But how do we know which one's the original? Unless we get that one, offing a clone doesn't mean much. Hell, I already splatted two of 'em."

[Prince of Boredom]

The Power of a God:

Clad in the armour from the case, & carrying his mighty magical mallet Mjollnir, Thor peers around him - taking in the expanse of scantily-clad beauties arrayed around the room - & a huge grin forms on his face,

'I was about to ask why I'd been called across Bifrost, away from battling the frost giants of Jotunheim, once more to tread upon Midgard - but I see that it is a party to which Thor is summoned!' ::laugh

Clapping Aaron heartily on the back the huge Norseman adds,

'Fellow Thunderer - you do Thor proud with this display of companionship...' spoting Shockwave standing across the room - clad in her black & green Elite outfit & looking poised for combat - Thor nudges Aaron & asks, '... but tell me, friend - why is that one so over-dressed?' ::huh ::devil ::sly

Aaron glances back at Shockwave and gives her a 'maybe that wasn't such a great idea look' then turns and smiles to Thor,

"Uhm, actually Thor I, uh, called you to, uh, Midgaard for something more...important. We, uh, mortals request your aid rescuing these wom...fair damsels from the, uh, hideous clutches of Ha... the evil stormlord Hannibal. We must get them to safety, then we can return to defeat him."

He turns back to Shockwave and just shrugs...

[Bahamut810]

Lodestone shakes his head. "No...We got what we care here for. Hopefully." he says as the metal box flies to his metallic friends side. "Alloy? Would you like to open our spoils?"

[ProfPotts]

Talking the Talk:

"With respect, Najaran-sama, you are the ones able to fly. Perhaps we should be searching for survivors rather than making news. Or at very least combining the two."

Najarian smiles & nods then, with a covert signal to his partner (who begins to pan slowly across the scene once more), covers his mike & whispers

'Look, I'm sorry Samurai - but I don't actually speak Japanese...' ::rolleyes

As Guy heads further into the crater the Nova reporter sighs, signals Gaal once more, & (his reluctance instantly fading into a concerned, professional, look) begins to talk to Tank instead. The Samurai can hear the chorus of 'FOOK's echoing behind him as the large Mongolian begins to explain in great detail how he (single-handedly it sounds like) won the great battle here against terrible odds... ::biggrin

Heading into the centre of the blast zone Guy, here & there, spots other Elites pushing themselves out of the rubble: some appear injured, others seem to have been tough enough to shrug off the worst of the blast or, like Guy, just heal really quickly. Across the way he spots Zombie combing through the wreckage looking for his lost arm... There are, however, no traces of the baseline occupants of the city. Then, in the centre of the carnage, he spots Alex... lying naked on the ground...

... Despite what he's just been through Alex feels strangely at ease as he meditates - as if a great pressure or burden has been lifted from him: though troubled by recent events his thoughts don't seem as dark as they once did. It's hard to quantify - & even a little guilt-inducing considering what's just happened to the city - but somehow he feels as if everything is going to be okay... But there's something else: as well as feeling unburdened he feels a little empty - like the feeling you get when you know you've forgotten something, but can't quite recall what - almost like a sense of loss, although he's not so sure that it's a bad thing... Try as he might, his 'dark matter' outfit won't grow back... ::unsure

Suddenly the eerie calm of the blast site is shattered by the whine of hypersonic jets - glancing up the Elites spot a DVNTS sub-orbital transport swooping in low, switching to VTOL, & landing nearby...

Mission Accomplished?:

"We could kill him I guess. But how do we know which one's the original? Unless we get that one, offing a clone doesn't mean much. Hell, I already splatted two of 'em."

"No...We got what we care here for. Hopefully."

Jaguar listens to his fellow Elites, then shrugs, nods, puts away the garrotte, stands up, & heads over...

"Alloy? Would you like to open our spoils?"

Catching his breath the rather exhausted-looking Jetstream heads across to the remains of OMA's caravan as the others examine the metal crate. Rooting through the debris (using a mini-tornado to help him, despite his tiredness) he finally lets out a 'Whoop!' of delight & yells across,

'Hey guys! I found masks! Masks for everyone!'

::w00t

Of Gods & Men:

"Uhm, actually Thor I, uh, called you to, uh, Midgaard for something more...important. We, uh, mortals request your aid rescuing these wom...fair damsels from the, uh, hideous clutches of Ha... the evil stormlord Hannibal. We must get them to safety, then we can return to defeat him."

Shockwave mirror's Thunderbolt's rather doubtful expression, but concentrates on trying to encourage the women to head downstairs. Calling over she says,

'I guess we better find a truck or something - one we haven't trashed yet...'

Thor nods sagely,

'If only I had my goat-chariot with me I could...'

... suddenly he seems to notice Jolt lying in Aaron's arms for the first time. A frown creasing his brow beneath the Norse helm the thundergod steps over,

'I see the evil one has troubled your woman greatly, friend Thunderbolt.'

Shaking his head with a mixture of sorrow at what's happened & disgust at Hannibal's suspected actions Thor leans down to whisper in Jolt's ear before stepping back & folding his mightly arms across his expansive chest...

... A moment later life flickers back into Jolt's eyes - for a moment she focuses on Aaron, then a smile touches the corners of her mouth as she mutters something in Japanese, sounding almost relaxed. Still in Thunderbolt's arms she stretches, then embraces him, whispering more Japanese in his ear before switching to English,

'Thankyou,' she whispers, 'you came for me - my hero!'

The touching moment is cut short as the skies outside once more turn black, the wind whips up, & a clap of thunder echoes across the city, heralding the return of Hannibal! Shockwave runs over to peer outside, Jolt slips from Aaron's arms & transforms into a being of crackling blue electricty (harem costume & all) a determined expression on her face, while Thor steps front & centre, claping Thunderbolt on the back as he does so,

'Well my friends,' Thor's voice rumbles out, even across the noise of the new storm, 'shall we teach this upstart what true Thunderers can do?' The self-proclaimed god seems almost to relish the opportunity to do battle once more... ::biggrin ::sly

[Prince of Boredom]

The touching moment is cut short as the skies outside once more turn black, the wind whips up, & a clap of thunder echoes across the city, heralding the return of Hannibal! Shockwave runs over to peer outside, Jolt slips from Aaron's arms & transforms into a being of crackling blue electricty (harem costume & all) a determined expression on her face, while Thor steps front & centre, claping Thunderbolt on the back as he does so,

'Well my friends,' Thor's voice rumbles out, even across the noise of the new storm, 'shall we teach this upstart what true Thunderers can do?' The self-proclaimed god seems almost to relish the opportunity to do battle once more... ::biggrin ::sly

*DAMMIT!*

Aaron looks to the darkening skies outside,

"I had hoped we could get out of here before he came back..."

He then glances back at Shockwave and then his gaze lingers on Jolt,

"We'll try to keep the fight outside, in the sky. Get the women down to the ground floor... maybe see if you can find a way to call for backup..."

He then looks Shockwave in the eyes, his own electric eyes pleading,

"Please, keep her safe..."

Taking one last, longing look at Jolt, he sighs, hovers above the floor and transforms into a being of pure electric fury and turns to Thor,

"Let's finish this, Stormlord."

[Alex Green]

In the Pit:

,,

... Despite what he's just been through Alex feels strangely at ease as he meditates - as if a great pressure or burden has been lifted from him: though troubled by recent events his thoughts don't seem as dark as they once did. It's hard to quantify - & even a little guilt-inducing considering what's just happened to the city - but somehow he feels as if everything is going to be okay... But there's something else: as well as feeling unburdened he feels a little empty - like the feeling you get when you know you've forgotten something, but can't quite recall what - almost like a sense of loss, although he's not so sure that it's a bad thing... Try as he might, his 'dark matter' outfit won't grow back... ::unsure

*…*

*…*

*…?*

*Something’s wrong. And right. And wrong because it’s right.*

*…conclusions?*

*I was wrong.*

*Correct.*

Suddenly the eerie calm of the blast site is shattered by the whine of hypersonic jets - glancing up the Elites spot a DVNTS sub-orbital transport swooping in low, switching to VTOL, & landing nearby...

Alex lets the awareness of the jet wash over his consciousness’ outer layers without affecting him.

[knave]

Talking the Talk:

Najarian smiles & nods then, with a covert signal to his partner (who begins to pan slowly across the scene once more), covers his mike & whispers

'Look, I'm sorry Samurai - but I don't actually speak Japanese...' ::rolleyes

Guy bows at this and sets off... *Close one my son... *

As Guy heads further into the crater the Nova reporter sighs, signals Gaal once more, & (his reluctance instantly fading into a concerned, professional, look) begins to talk to Tank instead. The Samurai can hear the chorus of 'FOOK's echoing behind him as the large Mongolian begins to explain in great detail how he (single-handedly it sounds like) won the great battle here against terrible odds... ::biggrin

*...*

Heading into the centre of the blast zone Guy, here & there, spots other Elites pushing themselves out of the rubble: some appear injured, others seem to have been tough enough to shrug off the worst of the blast or, like Guy, just heal really quickly. Across the way he spots Zombie combing through the wreckage looking for his lost arm... There are, however, no traces of the baseline occupants of the city. Then, in the centre of the carnage, he spots Alex... lying naked on the ground...

::ohmy

Guy runs over to Alex and checks his vitals. Depending on how that goes he'll spend as long as it takes with the rescue crews helping survivors to get out of the wreckage.

[Alex Green]

Guy runs over to Alex and checks his vitals.

::huh ::angry ::nono Alex immediately opens his eyes and focuses his attention on Guy. Alex says,

"Well..."

*Watch it. You're probably in shock, claiming responsibility for this wouldn't be a good move.*

"...I guess that could have gone better. If we see Magda we'd better let her know she won. She held us off long enough."

[knave]

::huh ::angry ::nono Alex immediately opens his eyes and focuses his attention on Guy. Alex says,

"Well..."

*Watch it. You're probably in shock, claiming responsibility for this wouldn't be a good move.*

"...I guess that could have gone better. If we see Magda we'd better let her know she won. She held us off long enough."

::confused

"Mate! You're ALIVE!"

::confused ::unsure

"Bleedin' 'ell!!!"

Alex ends up the recipient of a Samurai sized bearhug as Guy reassures himself that he's still alive.

(some time and a considerable amount of male bonding later...)

"er.. Wot - you say. Magda? I fought hit was me?!?!?! Wif the grenade... and the containment..."

[Alex Green]

Alex endures Guy's hug but doesn't really respond. He looks around and says dully,

"You sure you want to take credit for all this? We seriously need to talk to legal..."

"And don’t feel it was you alone. After you bugged out, M could have stopped it. For a couple of seconds I had it contained. It was small, I put it inside me.”

For a moment Alex is lost in disturbing memories as he looks around seeing something even worse than the surroundings.

”We could have done it. Right then. We could have. He could have opened a gate and I could have pulled the... whatever it was... through. Made a mess on the moon or at the South Pole. But he opened a gate and just stepped through it. It wasn’t stable even before you did your thing either."

[knave]

Alex endures Guy's hug but doesn't really respond. He looks around and says dully,

"You sure you want to take credit for all this? We seriously need to talk to legal..."

::huh

"And don’t feel it was you alone. After you bugged out, M could have stopped it. For a couple of seconds I had it contained. It was small, I put it inside me.”

::huh "Hinside you?"

For a moment Alex is lost in disturbing memories as he looks around seeing something even worse than the surroundings.

”We could have done it. Right then. We could have. He could have opened a gate and I could have pulled the... whatever it was... through. Made a mess on the moon or at the South Pole. But he opened a gate and just stepped through it. It wasn’t stable even before you did your thing either."

::ohmy

"You mean... "

...

::ohmy

"You mean... it's not my fault?"

::unsure

"No mate... I pulled the trigger..."....

"I did..."

::huh ::ohmy

"'e messed around wif time before... I say we find 'im and make 'im put it hall back..."

[Alex Green]

"No mate... I pulled the trigger...".... "'e messed around wif time before... I say we find 'im and make 'im put it hall back..."

Alex focuses for a moment and says,

"What you did was fail to disarm the bomb. You didn't build it. I didn't build it. We told him to turn it off and he refused. Even after it all went South he ran rather than fix it."

"And even if he still had his toy, would you really trust him not to make it worse?"

[knave]

Alex focuses for a moment and says,

"What you did was fail to disarm the bomb. You didn't build it. I didn't build it. We told him to turn it off and he refused. Even after it all went South he ran rather than fix it."

"And even if he still had his toy, would you really trust him not to make it worse?"

::ohmy

"No. No. You're write mate. But I messed it up, so I gotta make it write. 'e's a nut, mate. We 'ave to make it write!"

*No matt'r wot* :tombstone:

Then - as if no hugging or any preceding dialog had occurred.

"You're bleedin' tough, you know 'at... Come on - let's see 'oo else made it..."

Guy sets off to help the rescue some novas.

[Alex Green]

"You're bleedin' tough, you know 'at... Come on - let's see 'oo else made it..."

Guy sets off to help the rescue some novas.

Alex watches Guy move off for a moment, then he slowly walks over to where the airplane is and gets aboard. Still naked he finds a seat, buckels in, and is asleep before he settles in.

[archer]

Mission Accomplished?:

Jaguar listens to his fellow Elites, then shrugs, nods, puts away the garrotte, stands up, & heads over...

Catching his breath the rather exhausted-looking Jetstream heads across to the remains of OMA's caravan as the others examine the metal crate. Rooting through the debris (using a mini-tornado to help him, despite his tiredness) he finally lets out a 'Whoop!' of delight & yells across,

'Hey guys! I found masks! Masks for everyone!'

::w00t

"Really?" Interested, Joe heads over to see what Jetstream's found.

[ProfPotts]

Clash of the Titans:

"I had hoped we could get out of here before he came back... We'll try to keep the fight outside, in the sky. Get the women down to the ground floor... maybe see if you can find a way to call for backup..."

Jolt & Shockwave both nod,

'There are some phone lines in the street outside,' comments Shockwave, waving in the general direction of the front of the villa complex, 'Jolt could jump 'em & go for help...'

Jolt nods again,

'Okay...'

"Please, keep her safe..."

Shockwave grins,

'Don't worry - I'll clear any "reinforcements" they've sent out of the way - then our girl will have a clear path to do her thing!'

Shockwave smacks her fist into her hand to emphasize the point then leaps down the stairs after Hannibal's fleeing harem; Jolt shares a lingering glance with Thunderbolt, then she too turns & descends...

"Let's finish this, Stormlord."

Thor beams a wide smile ::biggrin ,

'Yes, my friend,' he concurs, 'to battle!'

The thunder god holds his hammer aloft: in response winds whip round him to carry him into the sky, and arcs of lightning begin to dance across his body & armour. Flying outside Thor & Thunderbolt both see the dark form of Hannibal swooping down towards them out of the raging storm clouds...

Homecoming:

Recovery efforts at the blast site are relatively short-lived: it's soon confirmed that the only things to remain intact were the super-tough Elites - even Magda isn't located (although considering how tough she was there's a good chance she survived & left before anyone else even woke up...). A couple of the more photogenic Elites take over from Tank in dealing with Gaal & Najarian, but before long the DVNTS hyperjet is loaded up with the survivors & ready to leave - a report that Project Utopia Novas have been sighted heading towards the blast site is enough to hasten the Elite's departure even more...

The sub-orbital transport's climb out of the atmosphere is hard & fast, but even so those aboard get a clear... & disturbing... view of the devestation zone as the aircraft banks to one side: it appears to be a perfect circle, a shallow crater almost one-hundred & fifty kilometers across, the entire region flattened by the weird blast. Just as strange the damaged zone seems to just stop at the edge - a testament to the unnatural nature of the event. Even when the plane reaches the edge of space the blast area can be seen - a giant blot across what was once South-Eastern Chad. The Elites aboard the aircraft watch the view in silence... even Tank fails to break the sombre mood...

The flight is over almost before it begins - mostly consisting of rapid ascent & descent. Moments after the hyperjet rolls to a stop at the DVNTS airfield support crews are swarming all over it, as medical teams swarm over the returning Elites. Directing the organised chaos is Chief Technical Officer Rachel Alinski - the round-faced, lab-coated, Nova genius taking no more than cursory glances at most of the wounded Elites before passing them into the hands of lesser professionals. Reaching Alex & Guy she nods to the pair,

'Congratulations,' she says, 'based on the reports I've received you two saved the world.'

Paydirt:

"Really?"

Leaving Andy alone with his unopened crate Alloy steps over to see what Jetstream's unearthed: sure enough, inside the remains of a display case, are the masks (or representations of the masks) of the various Elites One Man Army has beaten over the years. Shaking the debris off his own grey mask Jetstream proudly put it on,

'Call me "Jetstream" boys,' he says with a grin, 'I'm back in business!' ::biggrin

[knave]

The flight is over almost before it begins - mostly consisting of rapid ascent & descent. Moments after the hyperjet rolls to a stop at the DVNTS airfield support crews are swarming all over it, as medical teams swarm over the returning Elites. Directing the organised chaos is Chief Technical Officer Rachel Alinski - the round-faced, lab-coated, Nova genius taking no more than cursory glances at most of the wounded Elites before passing them into the hands of lesser professionals. Reaching Alex & Guy she nods to the pair,

'Congratulations,' she says, 'based on the reports I've received you two saved the world.'

::blink

::blink

::confused

"I.... You..."

"We need to bleedin' talk about 'is. About 'im. About wot 'e's bleedin' capable of. About wot we... wot I dun... About wot you told me to do... "

At this point Guy fully intends to get Alinksi to a place of relative privacy and force the issue - specifically questioning her about why Maelfius didn't even think the thing was a bomb... What else it could have been... and about what DVNTS intends to do about him.

[Alex Green]

Homecoming:

'Congratulations,' she says, 'based on the reports I've received you two saved the world.'

::huh ::blink

Alex says,

"Oh. Actually... I was hoping to talk to you about that. Something happened while I was there that I'd like to ask you about."

(If he can get her alone Alex will tell her about his attempt to halt the reaction and ask her if he made it better or worse).

[ProfPotts]

Quizzing the Doc:

"I.... You... We need to bleedin' talk about 'is. About 'im. About wot 'e's bleedin' capable of. About wot we... wot I dun... About wot you told me to do... "

"Oh. Actually... I was hoping to talk to you about that. Something happened while I was there that I'd like to ask you about."

'Okay,' replies Alinski, totally managing to miss the emotional undertones of the two Elite's comments, 'we can all talk in my office.'

The good doctor's 'office' turns out to pretty much be yet another lab - with custom computer systems, blueprints, bits & pieces of electronic gear, & all sorts of other 'work in progress' scattered over everything. Several glossy metallic-looking robot 'bugs' buzz around the place, or crawl over the walls. Alinski brushes a robotic centipede off one chair & removes a laptop from another, offering the seats to the two Elites. She herself leans back against the cluttered desk, ignoring the artificial spider which procedes to scamper up her arm to sit atop her shoulder.

'So, gentlemen,' she says, 'what is it you wanted to talk about?'

After listening to the two Elite's questions Alinski strokes her fingers across her chin in thought, then responds,

'Well - Maelfius's device was designed to, as far as we can tell, re-write the physical laws of the universe into something else. Essentially it would have destroyed, or rather over-written, our reality with something different. That didn't happen, so I can only surmise that your actions managed to disrupt & contain the effect he was generating: that "blast" was pretty much the least we could have expected - I'm frankly amazed that it was so small. Must be something to do with your "dark matter" Mister Green...'

[Bahamut810]

Lodestone sighs...so much for making sure the job was done first. He waves his hand and tries to force the box open.

[Alex Green]

Quizzing the Doc:

'Okay,' replies Alinski, totally managing to miss the emotional undertones of the two Elite's comments, 'we can all talk in my office.'

*OoooKayyyy. The good news is she isn't going to lie to spare my feelings. That's also the bad news. On top of that if I want a clear answer I'm running the risk that Guy finds out I made things worse. Well.... no help for it.*

After listening to the two Elite's questions Alinski strokes her fingers across her chin in thought, then responds, 'Well - Maelfius's device was designed to, as far as we can tell, re-write the physical laws of the universe into something else. Essentially it would have destroyed, or rather over-written, our reality with something different. That didn't happen, so I can only surmise that your actions managed to disrupt & contain the effect he was generating: that "blast" was pretty much the least we could have expected - I'm frankly amazed that it was so small. Must be something to do with your "dark matter" Mister Green...'

The weight of the world shifts off Alex. ::wub ::innocent ::xmas ::ultracool ::w00t ::thumbup

*Better. Not worse. Averted, not caused. Made the right move. All of that.*

*She knows about the other issue too. ::glare Well... fine. Knowing isn't caring.*

Alex says deeply and from the heart,

"Thank you."

"Oh, and Maelfius survived."

[Prince of Boredom]

Clash of the Titans:

Thor beams a wide smile ::biggrin ,

'Yes, my friend,' he concurs, 'to battle!'

The thunder god holds his hammer aloft: in response winds whip round him to carry him into the sky, and arcs of lightning begin to dance across his body & armour. Flying outside Thor & Thunderbolt both see the dark form of Hannibal swooping down towards them out of the raging storm clouds...

Shaking his head at the sheer stupidity of what he's about to do, Thunderbolt flies at full speed towards Hannibal, though this time at a point above his head.

Once (if) he flies past Hanibal, Thunderbolt executes a sharp half loop, attempting to slam into the back of Hanibal while he is (hopefully) occupied with Thor.

(activating physical prodigy and irresistable force)

[ProfPotts]

Doing a Pandora:

Surprised to find himself the 'professional' one all of a sudden, Lodestone easily rips off the lid of the metal crate with a simple gesture & just a touch of concentration.

Glancing inside the container Andy, for just a moment, thinks it's empty - then he spots an almost liquid inky blackness lining the inside of the crate & rippling gently... before it suddenly explodes outwards, like a blast of pseudopods, & clamps itself tightly around Lodestone's head! Blinded by the thing around his head he stumbles backwards a couple of steps before he realises that his still-active force field is, for the moment, keeping the stuff from coming into direct contact with him... ::unsure

Q 'n' A:

"Thank you... Oh, and Maelfius survived."

Alinski nods,

'I guessed as much,' she replies, 'he's insane, but not stupid.'

Casting an eye over Alex the good Doctor tilts her head to one side,

'So how are you feeling, Mister Green? Would you like me to run some tests? We could head on over to the medical...' pausing for a moment to gather her thoughts Alinski continues, '... that reminds me - your "house guest" is over at the medical building - she's not hurt, but she seems to have had a bit of a fright.'

Double Team:

Thunderbolt blasts past Hannibal, performing a perfect Immelmann turn & zooming back towards his target even as Thor charges forth, carried aloft by stormy winds which rival Hannibal's own, twirling his hammer round his fist & bellowing Nordic war cries. There's no way even Hannibal could survive...

... In a flash everything gets turned about. Hannibal reacts as if his assaillants' moves were the most predictable things in the world: at the last moment he moves - almost lazily it seems - so one side, his hand shooting out to barely strike Thunderbolt's shoulder, the touch being just enough to send the DeVries Elite smashing his irresitable way into the charging Thor! Tangled together the two Elites are rocketed back down by Thunderbolt's incredible momentum, smashing through the roof of the villa, the next floor, & out of the side wall to end up sprawled across the gardens of the inner courtyard - a cloud of dust & debris marking their path...

[Thunderbolt is Injured with Bashing damage]

Swearing colourfully Thor pushes the smaller Aaron off him & struggles to his feet, brushing dirt, debris, & assorted plantlife off himself as he does so,

'Odin's beard!' he mutters, 'He makes us look like drunken children!' ::huh ::angry

[knave]

Q 'n' A:

Alinski nods,

'I guessed as much,' she replies, 'he's insane, but not stupid.'

Casting an eye over Alex the good Doctor tilts her head to one side,

'So how are you feeling, Mister Green? Would you like me to run some tests? We could head on over to the medical...' pausing for a moment to gather her thoughts Alinski continues, '... that reminds me - your "house guest" is over at the medical building - she's not hurt, but she seems to have had a bit of a fright.'

::blink

So far Guy has spent the conversation with mouth open and eyes pingponging back between Alex and Alinski - his stomach feeling like a troup of sea scouts have been charging through chasing that last knot badge.

His resolve finally breaks...

"Sorry Alex... Your 'ealf's important an all, but - turning to Alinski - DIDN'T YOU BLEEDIN' FINK WE'D NEED T'KNOW 'AT WE COULDN'T DEFUSE IT!?!!?

He leaps to his feet.

"We killed a bleedin' city you daft cow!"

He turns to storm out.

*Mate, don't be a bleedin' fool. She can 'elp. She's maybe the only one...*

but he leaves anyway.

[Bahamut810]

...

!!!

"Holy Sh!t!" Lodestone yells as he throws his arms up, throwing a magnetic field up to try to push it away, and manages to protect himself.

After a moment he is able to compse himself, since his magnetic field stops its attempt to eat him...or whatever its trying to do.

"Uhhh...you guys have any idea what this thing is?" a still slightly alarmed Lodestone calls over to the other Novas.

[Alex Green]

Q 'n' A:

,,

At the good Doctor’s words Alex wonders,

*Fright? Threatened by a nova? Fought with Alloy? Heard I was dead? Something else? Sounds like a visit to medical is what I need.*

Then as Guy storms out Alex considers,

*It could have been disarmed. Guy could have made Maelfius open a gate and I could have dragged the reaction somewhere else.*

Alex opens his mouth to say something to Guy’s back, changes his mind, then turns back to the Chief Technical Officer and says,

”Doctor Alinski, tests, yes please. When I came back my dark matter stuff was gone. I feel like I’ve had a conjoined twin removed.”

,,

Alex fingers his ill fitting jump suit which was supplied to him by the medical personal on the plane. Apparently he’s not the first naked elite to come back from a battle.

”There was something else too, for a while there it felt like something was in the darkness with me.”

(On the walk to the medical center)

”Do you know what happened to Mani?”

[ProfPotts]

Doc Bashing:

"Sorry Alex... Your 'ealf's important an all, but - turning to Alinski - DIDN'T YOU BLEEDIN' FINK WE'D NEED T'KNOW 'AT WE COULDN'T DEFUSE IT!?!!?"

Alinski flinches under Guy's outburst - the mechanical spider on her shoulder rears up & hisses at the shouting Elite,

'I... I didn't...' Alinski begins to stammer out, but Guy's in full-swing...

"We killed a bleedin' city you daft cow!"

Staring after The Samurai's exit Alinski slowly turns to Alex, face pale, eyes wide & rimmed with tears,

'I... I didn't know! Does he... does he think I... I made that happen on purpose? I... I don't know what else we could have done! Maelfius was going to kill the planet, if not the universe - we had to stop that, but I didn't know how far he'd got with his machine, or even exactly how it worked! I'm a genius, not a psychic...'

Turning away the good doctor wipes her eyes & shakes her head, shoulders slumped,

'... He's right... I should have seen it coming, should have done something more... Maybe if I'd gone with you, maybe...' she lets slip a deep sigh, adding in a whisper, '... even now I fail to live up to everyone's expectations...'

...

...

...

... After a too-long uneasy pause Alex breaks the silence...

”Doctor Alinski, tests, yes please. When I came back my dark matter stuff was gone. I feel like I’ve had a conjoined twin removed.”

Turning back to Alex Alinski clears her throat & tries to sound professional again,

'That's interesting, Mister Green,' she replies, 'I understand you've been running some experiments? Maybe it would help if I could read your notes - your observations over time: there could be a clue to what's happened to you in there.'

”There was something else too, for a while there it felt like something was in the darkness with me.”

Alinski frowns,

'There's mounting evidence that a Nova's eruption is guided, at least to some degree, by the subconscious mind. In your case the fact that you were studying dark matter obviously guided the powers you manifested: I'm sure you realise that the DMD isn't actual "dark matter" as science understands it, but it's probably close to how your sub-conscious mind pictured "dark matter" - a powerful force found out in the dark depths of space, fluid yet strong,' brushing the mechano-spider off her shoulder she heads out the door & towards the medical centre as she continues, 'Naturally the subconscious is never a simple thing to understand, no matter what pop psychology will try to tell you - while your "dark matter" is your most obvious manifestation of power you're also strong, tough, & athletic even in your "normal" form - not to mention virile. All these things could be attributed to some aspect of your subconscious at the moment you erupted - or perhaps they're just random, we can't know for certain. In any case, the point I'm trying to make is that any mysterious "presence" you felt within your power manifestation was most likely some aspect of your own subconscious mind. That isn't to imply that makes it any less interesting... or troubling... just that the chances of you being taken own by aliens is, I feel, a slim one...' recovered somewhat from Guy's verbal assault Doc Alinski flashes Alex a wry half-smile ::sly .

”Do you know what happened to Mani?”

Alinski thinks for a moment before replying,

'I believe she saw some sort of unpleasant results with your rodent expertiment - to be honest I've been a little too busy these last few hours to really investigate further. The medical staff made sure she was comfortable & calm.'

Pushing open the door to the medical centre Doctor Alinski leads the way, pausing at the reception desk to check a PDA one of the nurses on duty passes to her. Glancing up she says to Alex,

'Your guest is in room six, second floor: you can visit her now if you want, or we can get straight to the tests.'

[knave]

*Nice going mate.* the words ring through Guy's mind along with the picture of Alinski's eyes lined with tears.

*You made a woman cry, AND blew up a city.*

Guy storms across the base - full of anger - full of anything that'll distance himself from the enormity of the act that he, and others - there were undoubtedly now others responsible - perpetrated. Even the nigh immediate regret of losing his temper at Dr Alinski is comparatively pleasant in comparison - but that too is simply a brief mask for the overreaching, all consuming truth of it all... He'd failed. Failed because he hadn't known what he'd needed to know. Because he hadn't been prepared to do more - try harder to prevent the explosion.

Looking about for the first time in what seems like quite a while, Guy finds himself standing below a sign marked 'MASKS'.

Shrugging, he enters.

*Cause you just know a lemonade's gonna cheer you up no end.*

[archer]

...

!!!

"Holy Sh!t!" Lodestone yells as he throws his arms up, throwing a magnetic field up to try to push it away, and manages to protect himself.

After a moment he is able to compse himself, since his magnetic field stops its attempt to eat him...or whatever its trying to do.

"Uhhh...you guys have any idea what this thing is?" a still slightly alarmed Lodestone calls over to the other Novas.

"Huh?" Once he'd realized that his own mask wasn't likely to be in OMA's collection, Joe had started to lose interest. Hearing Lodestone shriek like a little girl behind him, the big Elite turned to see what was going on, muttering, "Now what?"

Seeing the black inky mass trying to attach itself to their resident master of magnetic mischief, Joe rolled his eyes and walked back over to try and help. "There was a reason I didn't open that before, genius. We came to get Verse's eufiber-critter, remember? And from what I remember from when he got squished after the Korea job, this thing is grabby and mean."

Not wanting to touch it with his bare hands, Joe looks around for a pole or stick he can use to scrape it off Andy and back into the box.

[Bahamut810]

"You could have warned me. I didnt know what to expect. Where the hell is Verse? He could take care of this right now."

[Alex Green]

Doc Talking:

'That's interesting, Mister Green,' she replies, 'I understand you've been running some experiments? Maybe it would help if I could read your notes - your observations over time: there could be a clue to what's happened to you in there.'

Alex nods.

Alinski frowns,

'There's mounting evidence that a Nova's eruption is guided, at least to some degree, by the subconscious mind. In your case the fact that you were studying dark matter obviously guided the powers you manifested: I'm sure you realise that the DMD isn't actual "dark matter" as science understands it, but it's probably close to how your sub-conscious mind pictured "dark matter" - a powerful force found out in the dark depths of space, fluid yet strong,'

Alex again nods in confirmation. ::innocent

*I wonder long it took her to figure that out? A full second? Ah, if I’d erupted like her…*

*Yes, just think of it. Oh, to be stuck in a lab somewhere. Oh, to still have no athletic ability at all. Oh, to have rotten lungs and get tired after walking up one flight of stairs.*

*Cigarettes caused that. Eruption and the basic nova package should have fixed that.*

*Oh, to never have the hope of getting laid.*

*OK, point.*

'Naturally the subconscious is never a simple thing to understand, no matter what pop psychology will try to tell you - while your "dark matter" is your most obvious manifestation of power you're also strong, tough, & athletic even in your "normal" form - not to mention virile. All these things could be attributed to some aspect of your subconscious at the moment you erupted - or perhaps they're just random, we can't know for certain. In any case, the point I'm trying to make is that any mysterious "presence" you felt within your power manifestation was most likely some aspect of your own subconscious mind. That isn't to imply that makes it any less interesting... or troubling... just that the chances of you being taken own by aliens is, I feel, a slim one...' recovered somewhat from Guy's verbal assault Doc Alinski flashes Alex a wry half-smile ::sly .

Alex says,

“So the potential problem is from monsters from the id and not from Lovecraft.”

'I believe she saw some sort of unpleasant results with your rodent expertiment - to be honest I've been a little too busy these last few hours to really investigate further. The medical staff made sure she was comfortable & calm.'

::confused ::blink

Pushing open the door to the medical centre Doctor Alinski leads the way, pausing at the reception desk to check a PDA one of the nurses on duty passes to her. Glancing up she says to Alex, 'Your guest is in room six, second floor: you can visit her now if you want, or we can get straight to the tests.'

It is on the tip of Alex’s tongue to say that she can wait, but a phrase one of his more social brothers said comes to mind.

*How did he put it?* *Family comes first.* *Mani is, could be, might be, will be family, ergo… *

Alex says,

“I’d better do a quick check up on Mani and let her know I’m still alive.”

Alex goes to room six on the second floor and knocks on the door, then after a pause, goes in.

“Hello?”