Former mayor of the people.
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Jun 13, 2016 17:23:50 GMT
Post by Senator on Jun 13, 2016 17:23:50 GMT
"ALERT, ALERT!"
The siren rung trough SHIT like an ear piercing scream, causing students to turn their heads towards the speakers. They had just left their classes, so most were alerted by the current situation. Why would the sirens ring? It didn't seem like there was an earthquake or a fire, and usually the siren was only used for the direst of emergencies.
"There has been a security breach in one of the laboratories! Confirmed meta-human influences on campus! The higher authorities have been alerted, and all students are recommended to leave campus! This is not a drill, I repeat, this is -NOT- a drill!"
Most students understood to leave. Supervillains and heroes were no laughing matter. Who knew what sort of damage they could cause... Although a few daredevils stayed behind, interested in possibly getting a look or two at the heroes and villains fighting it out trough the school grounds.
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This was his town. His city. It had been like that forever. He remembered this school as well. Old and respected, even if it had such a... Crude, name these days. When the alert came, Senator was the first to respond, taking his leave before the board could report to him on what the threat exactly was. Not that he minded. Probably just some young mutant or another C rank threat breaking the school property down as a way of rebelling against the system. His face twisted in a frown as he crashed down in front of the school gates, which were wide open. He coughed and threw his cape to the side, revealing his two tentacle like appendages. They reached to the sides of his exoskeleton and drew out two pistols. He'd use his bare hands for fist fighting.
The campus doors were open as well. His feet stomped against the marble flooring as he made his way trough the almost ghastly hallways. His eye scanned the area in search of any clues who could've been behind the attack. What were they after? The labs, eh... Maybe one of the school's experiments? Perish the thought. He bit his lower lip and kept going.
Hopefully he'd get reinforcements.
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Jun 13, 2016 20:37:38 GMT
Post by artemis on Jun 13, 2016 20:37:38 GMT
 Are all schools so dramatic? Artemis closes her eyes, but it doesn't help with the ringing in her ears. It would have been more advantageous if the perpetrator thought the administrators unaware. But of course, safety first. Never mind that a loose animal endangers everyone for as long as it remains free.
Artemis arrives to campus in a golden chariot pulled by several deer. Perhaps it defeated the point of stealth, but the other enforcement entities have already assured them that they would be working with no secret cover.
She calls for one of the Sentech administrators to help her from her carriage, as if she were a princess. One of the students is deigned the honor of holding her bow while she walks over to the other Initiative agent on duty.
"You will leave the incident solely to me, I hope?" She doesn't recognize the man. With any luck, she outranks him. If not, then she will simply have to shoot the quarry before he does.
Senator
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Former mayor of the people.
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Jun 14, 2016 11:17:45 GMT
Post by Senator on Jun 14, 2016 11:17:45 GMT
artemisSenator looked over his shoulder at the sudden voice. A young girl? Christ. Things were going to hell these days if a girl like this could call herself a "superhero". He tried to recall if he had seen her around the rankings before. He never remembered hero names or their ranks. There was no reason to. He was one of them, and his duty was not to suck ass for a great A+ rank. His duty was to kick ass if his home was under threat, and Sentech was one of those places that can be counted as a part of his home. He rolled his eye at her, looking to see that she even had a student hold her bow? What the hell was this. "This is my city." He looked forwards in an almost bitter manner. Not that anyone here remembers the 80's anymore. Perhaps the dean at most, but that was just hopeful thinking. "This is not a competition. We're here to keep the populace secure, and having one of them as your little caddie doesn't seem to keep that objective up to date." His voice was calm and very matter-of-fact like. He didn't wish to sound bitter, especially when this girl was his comrade for this mission. The two tentacle like appendages that sprouted from his shoulderpads tightened their hold on his pistols. "Senator. John Doe, rank B." He hated telling his rank, but it was useful to gauge out the power levels of the heroes present. Hopefully she wasn't the type to get into an ego comparison contest just because the ranks were equal. But he had a bad feeling about all this. The more they dawdled, the more time the criminals had to escape the area.
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Jun 14, 2016 20:37:47 GMT
Post by artemis on Jun 14, 2016 20:37:47 GMT
She misunderstands him. Artemis smiles. "No, you are not my competition." She's glad to see a human with sense and humility, even if it was unexpected.
She doesn't know what a caddie is, and she doesn't care to know. "Artemis." She doesn't give her rank. It didn't matter. All the humans needed to know was her name and the reassurance that she had everything under control. "Lethal force is permissible today, yes?" She didn't want to shoot the suspect in the head, only to find out later that local law enforcement wanted to interrogate them. That's just unnecessary hassle.
Artemis doesn't care to rush in like a bull. Even the most powerful heroes could be bested by an ambush.
Senator |
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Former mayor of the people.
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Jun 15, 2016 12:46:06 GMT
Post by Senator on Jun 15, 2016 12:46:06 GMT
"I'm glad we've made that extremely clear." It was refreshing to see a hero who wasn't just all talk and all rank sucking. Maybe they could even do some team work and handle this case before dinner. His wife had made him some delicious meat loaf for dinner, and he didn't want to miss it just because of some youngster getting cocky with his powers. The tentacle arms relaxed their hold as they scanned trough Senator's nerve systems, realizing he felt a bit more relaxed than he did before. He smacks his lips together and thinks for a moment. What decision had the upper brass made.
He let out a sigh. "They want it/them alive and for interrogation, like always." That was the common protocol. Bring them back alive and rehab them and make them productive members of society, like always. Even if they escaped jail almost daily. He was getting a bit too cynical for this damn place. He took a few steps forwards, exoskeleton stomping against the marble flooring once more. He stopped for a second to consider. "Leave the student behind. If you need someone to carry your bow, I'll be the one to do it. Risking civilian lives in a case like this is unforgivable."
Meanwhile, whatever was above them was being loud. Senator could hear the heavy footsteps against the floor of the upper hallways. His eye traveled upwards. Just what the hell had broken in here?
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Post by artemis on Jun 16, 2016 3:27:22 GMT
"Only for vigilantes." Which Artemis considered to be misguided protocol at first. Nobody puts on a mask and goes around blowing up buildings without knowing exactly what they're doing.
She shrugs and takes her bow from the boy. "I wasn't going to bring him. He would have slowed me down."
Artemis wrinkles her nose. "They're coming from the labs." She can't see anything from here, but she can always identify the sterile smell of a science environment. "I will perform reconnaissance."
It was really an excuse to get to the scene first. If Senator objects to her knocking out the villain first, then she can just say that she struck back in self defense. Artemis has gotten better at navigating the intricancies of Initiative bureaucracy.
She punctures the second floor window with a well placed arrow. It plants itself firmly on the classroom ceiling. Artemis transforms into a hawk with her bow. She flies right through the window, leaving the other hero to take the stairs.
Senator |
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Former mayor of the people.
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Jun 16, 2016 13:05:18 GMT
Post by Senator on Jun 16, 2016 13:05:18 GMT
"We don't know if it's a vigilante or a villain." It. He should not try and dehumanize the villain just yet. For all they knew it was just some confused hero-to-be confused with their powers, and they could be searching SenTech for a way to find a "cure". He had heard horror stories related to youths finding their powers and then trying to find cures for them, due to being afraid of being called freaks. He could understand... Or, well. Perhaps not. His own transition to the hero business was relatively painless and easy to handle, with his son and wife ready to support him at every turn. They made sure for him to know that he had fans and support back home. Thinking about them made John smile.
What killed the smile was Artemis suddenly announcing she would scout ahead, leaving out by the window. "Protocol states that in a situation like this we should attempt to keep together---" He sighs and lowers his hand, which had been reaching for her. "Damn teenagers and their constant hurry elsewhere. Things were a bit different when I was the mayor..." He bites down on his lower lip and turns to stare at the stairway. He could climb it. Or. He slams his fist against his chest, causing a jetpack to pop out from the back of his suit. He began to float slightly above the ground, dust pushing off the marble flooring. His eyes turned back to the boy who had been holding Artemis' bow. "I suggest you go home now, son."
And with that Senator flew over to the stairway and shot up, going along the floors until he'd find whatever it was that was running around the lab. His eye was nailed on the hallways. He could see... Trails of moss? Moss. Something similar to it splattered everywhere, was if whatever had broken in was shedding it in a constant stream.
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Post by artemis on Jun 17, 2016 3:09:29 GMT
Artemis had only just transformed back into a girl when the entire labrotory exploded. Flames licked the edge of the window frame. Both the girl and the lab disappeared under a curtain of fire and smoke. A regular human would not have survived.
Of course, none of it actually harmed Artemis. If anything, she saw it as an advantage. She can't die from the carbon dioxide fumes, and she didn't need her eyesight to see what was going on. She listens for the tell-tale stomp of feet and follows through the flames.
She lets loose a single arrow and smiles when she hears a sharp gasp of pain. She's hunted in the foggy banks of Malaysia and the deep greens of the Amazon. This was child's play in comparison.
Senator |
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Former mayor of the people.
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Jun 17, 2016 10:54:38 GMT
Post by Senator on Jun 17, 2016 10:54:38 GMT
The explosion ran trough the building and down the stairway, causing Senator to stop and pop his helmet on to cover himself from all the noise. He stopped at the lab floor, landing down onto the floor, running about the hallways to find the source of the smoke. His helmet allowed him to breathe in some oxygen from his spare tanks, allowing him to run to the smoke filled room. He couldn't see for shit, but at the very least he could hear to compensate. Whatever had caused the explosion was in great pains right now. He let out a grunt and allowed his tentacles to get to work. They quickly pulled down on the triggers of the pistols they had been carrying before, unleashing a barrage of lead into the smoke. Hopefully Artemis had the smarts to avoid it.
Another pained groan derived from the smoke. The toxins dissipated quickly, as if there was something absorbing them in. Suddenly a blob of... Something, seemingly heavily toxin filled moss, was spat at both Artemis and Senator. It clashed against Senator's body armor and pushed him back against a wall. A thousand warnings popped up about how the armor was quickly expelling the acidic blob away from itself. The smoke had vanished by the time Senator had the visor of his helmet cleaned, revealing...
A large moss creature. Around eight or nine feet, the creature shook it's mane and looked between the two heroes with it's beady eyes that barely pushed out from it's skull. It was almost humanoid in shape, if a bit hunched over. It let out a loud roar and smacked it's mossy hands against it's chest, causing some of the material it was made out of to fall onto the floor.
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Jun 17, 2016 21:30:45 GMT
Post by artemis on Jun 17, 2016 21:30:45 GMT
Why is it that science experiments seem to cause more problems than they solve?
A few bullets actually did hit Artemis. She didn't bother avoiding them. They were merely bullets, after all. The pellets fall right off her skin. The acid doesn't. Her skin doesn't burn, but her clothes do. Artemis really needs to get a more durable uniform. At least her undergarments are holding together.
She sighs. She picks up one of the bullets.
"What happened to the nonlethal approach?" Artemis throws Senator's pellet on the ground with a clink. "The rules only apply to agents who aren't you, I see."
She shakes her head. Men.
There has to be a core somewhere. A nexus that acted as the control center and held all the... vegetation together.
Well, it's not like Artemis is ever going to run out of arrows. She fires quickly with her super speed, nailing the enemy at ten arrows a second. Before long, there are fifty arrows stuck in the monster's head. There's practically more metal than moss at this point.
0v6|yDnk <50 it stops the monster, <10 it's defeated
"Huh." Artemis figures that she should have gone for the heart from the start. The moss monster turns on her while she's deliberating.
Senator |
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Former mayor of the people.
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Post by Senator on Jun 18, 2016 9:44:16 GMT
The hell was this thing. Senator's eye focused on it, eyeing it up and down. It seemed to be fresh, considering the moss on it's body looked wet. Then again, the wetness could come from all the chemicals it has absorbed into it's body by now. Was this it's goal? Was it some science experiment gone haywire in the labs, was it some poor mutant confused and afraid, or was it an alien? Too many questions with no real answers to them, considering it looked like the being couldn't even talk, just roaring like a mangy beast. It's eyes turned on Artemis with quite the guttural growl, gently shaking it's head until those arrows fell out of it's head, plinking down onto the ground like they were mere needles ripped out of a pincushion. It shook it's whole body next, until about four globs of moss dropped off of it's arms and shoulders. These four blobs were still for a brief moment before sprouting up, letting out little growls, charging towards Artemis. They seemed to be mostly harmless, but an annoyance still. They hopped upwards, attempting to land and dogpile on her. "A few bullet wounds won't kill." Senator grumbled and kept his helmet on, causing his voice to come out as a slightly metallic and almost hollow tune. While the moss monster had it's back turned towards Senator, he took the time to act. Guns didn't clearly work, considering it just seemed to absorb hits like that. Perhaps punching it would be better? The acid it had absorbed was strong, but not strong enough to melt his exoskeleton. Senator launched himself forwards and aimed a rocket boosted punch at the monster's stomach. f7jSc5ch<50 the punch reveals a weak spot, <10 the punch hits the weak spot Success! The punch shred trough the mossy construct enough to reveal a beating gloop of... Something, which seemed to be extremely wet and red moss. Senator packed away for now, preparing his pistols for another barrage at the spot before the creature would hide this new weak spot. artemis |
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Jun 18, 2016 23:42:12 GMT
Post by artemis on Jun 18, 2016 23:42:12 GMT
This is quickly turning out to be one of Artemis' least favorite fights. The enemy is disgusting, and her clothes are barely hanging on to her body. She shoots another ten arrows into the globs. These lacked the nuclei of its parent construct, and were felled quickly.
Artemis looks around for some cover. Actual cover, mind. She finds a lab apron and puts it on, preserving some of her modesty. Nearby, there's a small white mouse in a cage. The poor thing is shaking in his cage, right next to a lot of dead mice with no visible injuries.
She doesn't feel good about this.
When Senator shoots into the core, gas starts pouring out of the core like a punctured balloon. It smelled like peat, but Artemis easily identified it as poison. She has nothing to fear, but the human?
"Don't breathe it in."
Senator |
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Former mayor of the people.
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Jun 19, 2016 11:21:03 GMT
Post by Senator on Jun 19, 2016 11:21:03 GMT
artemis"Bah. Do not worry. My helmet has a filter that should be able to keep the toxins out." He did still hold his breath, just to be safe. Safety was never a thing one should avoid, right? He watched the best, it's hand reaching over to feel the punctured core. Brown liquid was slowly seeping out of it, dripping onto the floor. It let out a groan of pain and slammed it's fist against the nearby wall, before then groaning again and doing the same motions repeatedly. Was it going trough it's swan song? A possibility. It was a shame, really. The beat seemed to be completely thoughtless, working just on base instinct and hunger. The moss around it's frame throbbed and dripped down on the floor... Until the being finally fell down onto it's stomach, apparently lifeless. The moss around it began to fall off, like a cat shedding some furs or a snake shedding it's skin. Below the moss was a simple frame of... Something, perhaps bone or wood, who knows, and the now empty heart of the being. What was it? An experiment gone awry? Why would SenTech have something like this in it's labs? Or was it some poor soul who had drank some of the liquids, or maybe it was... So many questions. But never enough answers.
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Jun 20, 2016 10:32:29 GMT
Post by artemis on Jun 20, 2016 10:32:29 GMT
The Initiative needed better filtering options. Or better dispatchers. Or both. It doesn't take a second opinion for Artemis to figure out that she was probably better off dispatching things that weren't acidic goop monsters. Amphomorphic blobs did not occur organically in nature.
Artemis looks around at all the acid and fire. She doesn't think that she needs to threaten anyone. There's enough property damage done to SenTech that the administrators themselves will ensure that no moss monsters will happen again. She pulls out her phone. It's completely melted down. Which means that she'll have missed five calls by the time that the Initiative issues her a new one. She can't be wasting time here.
"Call the fire department and poison control." It's all that Artemis has to say before transforming into a hawk. She flies out the open window, free of toxic fumes and clothes-melting acids.
Senator /exit |
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