Shadow of Death (IC)

[Andrew B.]

Blaze looked at his fallen opponents and noticed something odd. On the backs of the hands that didn't burn up, there was an hourglass mark.

What does that mean? he thought, confused.

He made a call to HQ, "Enemies neutralized here. I'm moving on to the next group. Also, does anyone know of the significance of an hourglass mark? I'm seeing it all over the place."

[Tyg3rW01f]

Colt quickly whipped out his rifle and began scanning the area.
Steel, you're the one who's got the advantage here. This blade is the one that screws with minds...

[Mytical]

Sapputiyok

You arrive to Neptune. It looks like that the 'cities' have been recently been built. Seeing as the Neptunian people had no need for them or roads. They float on the wind, looking like transparent jellyfish with visible brains in the center mass. They are quite breathtaking, even if very foreign to look at.

Valzar

Nobody at IDP knows anything about the hourglass symbol, but they do have the coordinates of the next (and nearest) attacks by these creatures.

Colt

Steel seems hesitant "Boss, while the last couldn't affect me, for I didn't have the capability for it.. I am not sure this one can't affect my mind. Even if it is electronic, are we sure that this thing can not do to me what it does to organic minds? It would have to affect many different kinds of minds.. However, all I notice is the sword on a stone slab.. (He describes what Colt is seeing). BUT, my sensors are picking up... suddenly he shifts to Strength form just in time to deflect some sort of projectile. "Ok, my brain is just as affected as yours I think, but my sensors are not. We will have to rely on them for this." He puts up a 'Heads Up Display' where the sensors say there are enemies.

[Tyg3rW01f]

Colt dove for what he thought, HOPED, PREAYED, was cover. The now-adrenalized man scanned, his rifle at the ready, his breathing coming fast and shallow. Go to Speed/Agility, Steel. Just in case. C'mon... lemme know where you are, you pug-ugly, snot-nosed wan-
A bullet streaked past as Steel dodged.
"Hello!" Colt blinked. Okay... hill, two o'clock; creepy hangman's tree...

[Andrew B.]

Blaze reached the next location without a hitch, and scanned for his targets.

Ok, there they are, he thought, but what's that other reading? There's someone or something else here.

With that, he moved along towards his targets.

[Mytical]

Colt

After Steel has transformed to his speed form, more dots showed up on the HUD. Lots of them. You can feel Steel starting to get .. frustrated. No.. not frustrated. Angry. You feel some sort of feedback, it hurts.. a lot, but there is .. something else with the pain. Something buried in all of those with a mortal coil. Chained, forgotten, quiet.. until now. Steel's voice is a bit cold and emotionless "I am getting tired of being two steps behind. Of chasing shadows while our enemy uses puppets to come at us." It is getting harder to concentrate, the rage turns white hot. "NO MORE!" Just as you feel the lumbering beast that has been chained break free, and you come to your senses...Steel goes out of speed form.

A steel gauntlet slams down on one arm, then another. It feels similar to Strength form, but not .. quite. Your whole body is incased soon in an unfamiliar form. You hear an electronic voice say "Warning : Rampage form initiated, safety disabled. Human host overriden. Interlink now maximum, extermination protocols online."

Your body, no longer under your control, just strolls out into the middle of whoever (or whatever) is firing at you. It just shrugs the shots off as if they are spitballs. Two rather large canons form, one on each arm. It begins to fire barrages, leveling everything in a 360 degree circle. Even when the dots on the HUD vanish, extinguished, it just keeps firing. It's power reserves finally deplete, and Steel and the 'Rampage' form just shut down. You are standing in the middle of a smoking crater, the sword and you the only thing that survived the assault. It is beyond doubt that Mindbender had influenced Steel, but it is also evident that what it unleashed was something that Steel was capable of. Something that both of you working together could accomplish. After this display, however, it might not be something that you would want to be capable of. If there had been any innocents, they would have been smeared into paste.

Valzar

As you approach the area, you notice that the yeti's are not alone. Creatures with Jackal's faces are with them. Each has a Hourglass symbol on their foreheads. One though, is much bigger then the others. Your character would not know it, but it looks like Anubis, Egyptian God of the dead. With him is Horus.

[Tyg3rW01f]

Colt flopped onto his back. He refused to be angry with Steel; he was disappointed.

Despondent, Colt sheathed Pathfinder and gripped Mindbreaker with the gauntlet. Soon, he was back at HQ, locking Mindbreaker in the same vault as Despair. He locked the door and walked to Morganna, the mechanic.

"Steel's done something to himself; no idea what. Once he's better and back to himself, tell him I'm out after "Cleaver", okay?" Colt carefully set Steel's ball-like resting form in its old spot in the Armory, then left to pursue the trail set by Pathfinder.

[Andrew B.]

Ok, there's more monsters this time, Blaze thought, I wonder what those jackals can do. And why is one so much bigger?

With that thought, Blaze rode down to the battle.

[Ghel]

Sapputiyok wanders around the Neptunian city, searching for someone to help xer with xer research.

[Mytical]

Colt

You feel as if you somehow have stepped back in time to the days of the Vikings. Or maybe you took a wrong turn and ended up in Thor's Asgard.. or something. The dimension gate comes out in the middle of an Arena. All around you are warriors wearing some sort of animal skins, wielding various weapons, all trying to kill each other. There are dozens and all manner of weapons are being used. Of course 'Cleaver' stands out like a sore thumb. There is one warrior who the others are trying very hard to avoid, but each time one gets anywhere near the warrior they get almost split in half.

Valzar

Well things start out good... the smaller jackal headed creatures seem to be easier to deal with then the Yeti like creatures. However, the large one steps in front of your bike, and backhands you off of it easily. The others start closing in on you, but the large figure holds out a hand, and they stop.

"مورتال كنت تواجه أنوبيس، الركوع أو يموت."

Sapputiyok

One of the giant floating jellyfish comes down to you. Something that feels like static electricity covers you, and somehow you know that the creature is 'talking' to you. You can even understand it. "May I assist you with something?"

[Tyg3rW01f]

Colt blinked, dodge one warrior, then another, before fighting back in the only way he really knew how: with obviously superior fire-power.

Ducking, weaving, dodging, and occasionally kicking and pawing, Colt fought his way to high ground and a wall to which he could put his back. From there, he kept up a good fight, shouting curses and insults, blasting away with his rifle and pistol.

Really wishing I had two pistols right about now! No, I'd settle for unarmed combat in Steel's agility mode right now!

His real target in the fracas was the warrior wielding Cleaver, and so he kept blasting that warrior's intended targets. "Come at me, you foul-smelling vomit from a fish-wife's !"

"RAAAAAAARGH!" The warrior charged. Colt waited until the man was within a car-length, and held down the trigger until Cleaver fell to the ground, and the warrior's front-side was hamburger. Leaping forward, Colt slashed, and clawed his way all the way back from Valhalla to IDP HQ.

The last of the Viking-types crashed through the door of Strongarm's office, cleaved in twain, with Colt falling to his own arse, wild-eyed, waving Cleaver, and covered in blood and gore.

"Sweet mother of a leapin' chupacabra, Batman! DO NOT send me back to Valhalla after another sword! Please, NO!!" Colt tossed both Cleaver and Pathfinder on Strongarm's desk, followed by the now-crimson gauntlet.
"I'm done! Job's finished! I'm done! YISH!!" With that, Colt had a gibber-fit, complete with waving his hands and arms and dancing insanely about for a few moments.

Colt looked like he'd been thrown into a vat of butcher's leavings in a slaughterhouse. Strongarm could even identify a human lung slupping about in one the man's pockets!

Colt shook himself out of his fit, and said, calmly, "I'm going to go shower! And change clothes! But I strongly suggest you call for a janitor!"

Leaving the office, Colt shouted, "CLEAN UP ON AISLE SIX!!!"
With that, he walked into the locker room.

[Tyg3rW01f]

Another IDP officer looked in through the smashed doorway. "Boss? What the j'ktraf was that?!"

[Mytical]

IDP Strongarm's Room

The officer looks around, but does not see Strongarm. A sign is on his desk. "Out for a very very long lunch." Apparently between the time Colt left, and the time the other officer came in, Strongarm has left the building. It is the first time in over 50 years his office is empty during "Business Hours".

[Andrew B.]

Blaze stood there, looking at the jackal that spoke. After a moment, he said, "I didn't understand a syllable of that."

He charged toward the yetis, summoning the vines, to try and trap them. As he did so, his flames and eyes glowed, as he burned hot. He cut through one set of foes, the jackals near by him started to move in for the attack.

[Mytical]

Elsewhere - ((The next time the characters sleep, they have an .. odd dream))

Strongarm is in an otherwise empty bar, a bottle of some amber liquid in a crystal flask. A voice is heard. "Good afternoon my old friend." ((Ghel, your character would recognize the renegade Rutopian when the figure can be seen))

"Don't call me old. You were ancient when the first single cell organizm formed in my world." Scoffed Strongarm.

"That is true, Old man." Chuckles the figure. "You are not in your office? That is not like you." The figure sits with Strongarm.

Strongarm's shoulders slump. "I think I drove one my officers off the deep end, you know who is back.. and he probably is going to collect."

The figure sits back. "So, that is why you didn't go to figure out what you can do to help your officer?"

"I am not going back to the IDP. I've sent for a temporary replacement until Goldie is up to speed. It's time old friend. I am going to end it."

The figure nods. "We knew it would come one day. What brought this about?"

"The officer I told you about. I honestly was at a loss for the first time in my career. I didn't know how to react. That is when I knew it was time. Because no matter what, the person in charge needs to know what to do." Strongarm drinks some of the Amber liquid.

"Very unlike you. I've seen you not bat an eye when faced by a dracolich." The figure waves, and the amber liquid refills itself.

Strongarm nods, downs that, then stands up. "I have miles to go before I sleep. I just hate that what I have to do will make what my people have to do harder." Strongarm hefts the single sword that he did not destroy, Shieldbreaker. "I have to pay my debt, but I choose how I pay it."

((Your characters then wake))