Post by The B-Witch on Jun 8, 2010 14:00:32 GMT -5
*the Schemer's plan was perfect. He lured a great number of clique agents, all activate members of the new gods...and even that waterlogged loser, Llyron into an escape ship. But the only escape this ship was making was beyond this mortal realm.
The ship was remote controlled and was sent on a destination that would rid himself of his former allies and most hated foes once and for all. Unfortunately, the Schemer greatest enemy raised its head to smite him once more. This foe was not Llyron, Batman, Reed Richards, Charles Xavier, The Wizard, Magneto, Shreck or any of his other assorted rogues gallery of opponents. Rather...it was the one foe that constantly prevented he...the Schemer from achienving ultimate victory. The infamos X-factor.
This was not the group of former Xavier foes...but rather certain problems that the Schemer was not aware of when creating a scheme...and therefore could not account for when he devised it. It was the only thing that ever stopped him from taking over the world in his opinion...and now...it had arisen again.
This time the X-factor was mutant named deception..apparently from the brief reading he got from her mind...deception was Masque's daughter...and like that tiresome tart had a knack for foiling his greatest moments of triumph. Masque daughter....hateful hussy that she was got ahold of his omniblaster and reversed the course of the escape ship...saving those aboard.
Those that could fly....Llyron, masque...in an altered state, Spectrum would be back in seconds....looking for vengence on the Schemer. He had only one chance....unleash the clique sentinels was having built. eight were done...and six were active.
Pulling forth a spare omniblaster...the Schemer summoned the sentinels to to aid him in his retreat back to Philmont towers.....from which he could unleash his ultimate plan....the one he thought would never be needed...but now apparently would be.*
Schemerbots!! Full destructive mode!! Attack the New Gods....Attack Llyron...attack the clique as they return!!
*He bellowed...meanwhile....he began to hobble back to Philmont towers his laser burned leg...using the omniblaster as a makeshift crutch. Inside the tower was where he planned to make his stand against the hoard of foes shortly to return.*
Miles distant...on the ship...Creature King address Spectrum.*
me love...I'll be ceading to whatever commands ye want....but I say we pound the flipping Schemer 'til his ruddy nothing but......
*He seemed nonplus....stuck for the proper word. Brawn of all people finished the sentence for him.*
Meatsauce, Spicer.
Cor bloody right, Brawn. What say ye Spectrum...fly us new gods, Brawn, Shadowcaster, Hot Rod, ye and me back to Central park....and we'll finish off the flippin' schemer once and for all.
*He whispered in her ear.* And then we can recruit his kids to join yer new gods...and ye and me' can celebrate it all privately later, wot.
--
She rubs her stomach lightly as she looks out from her office window in the WBN tower, nearly half a block away from the Philmont Towers. She, unlike her darling, had to deal with reality on occasion rather than just man flights of fancy and world domination. She knew how to take over the world...she had the reports on her desk to prove it. She'd been given the updates on her Good Works programs throughout the countries and had found her own potential students.
She sipped camomille tea and glanced over the Bugle, shaking her head at their headlines about war coming and was reaffirmed in her notion to have vibranium imported from Uganda and implemented into her building's outer structure. Her board felt it wise since they did have such aggressive remarks towards Mutants and mutant haters alike that they would come under attack.
"Darling...what are you doing now..." She had to think it out loud, "you attract more with honey than with vinegar..."
She rubs her stomach again gently, "Don't be like daddy, please."
--
Llyron had decided to save her with his device, though she was a little concerned that he didn't sound exactly sure that it would work. Still, she changed into a mouse and settled on his lap in preparation, and then something happened and the ship reversed course. Breathing a quick sigh of relief, Masque changed back into herself, deciding to stay on Llyron's lap for the time being. Not an opportunity she got very often and she smiled up at him while Roddy and Spectrum snuggled in their corner. “Thank you for trying to save me.” She rested a palm on his muscular chest. “I'm very grateful.”
Masque assumed that the Schemer would have some other traps planned and looked around at the others upon the ship with her. “He's going to have something else nasty waiting for us. Just be wary when you get free.” Masque wouldn't be there. She could easily avoid notice from Schemer's sentinels or whatever just by a shape change. She intended to go after her ex and make him pay for what he almost did to their sweet baby boy.
--
She says nothing, continuing the incessant scritch, scritch of the nail file, doing her best thinking always while she files her nails. Right now the rage inside her is too great, and the nails are nearly filed to points, holding out her hand critically, picturing them pucturing Schemer's neck. She turns her head as her Puck whispers to her, planning, always planning.
"You know, you are nearly as annoying as the Schemer. Always telling Me what to do. Who do you think you are talking to? Giving orders to a goddess....hmmph....."
Nina rises and paces in the small space, realizing that they are slowing, assumably returning to New York, what was supposed to be her New Avalon.
"Idiots," she says under her breath. "He fails. We fight him, he fails. He tries to lead us and once more, he fails. Why is this so hard to take over, when he is always failing?"
When they arrive, she doesn't wait for the hatch to be opened, turning to a speck of light and exiting through the ventilation, waiting for the others to gather.
"I see no point in returning to the park. It is only one more place where he will expect us to be. Roddy, get your d**n'd dinosaurs out of the city, if there is even one baby one left. They are useless and too difficult to control. THen we will decide where to be, that he will not expect us. You heard the Schemer, he tried to kill all of us. It is time to have our day and get rid of his green ass once and for all."
--
Llyron was pleased. Death was SO annoying. Not that he wouldn't have risen again, his mind copied into another body. But he was no fool, no esoteric scientist like Vyrra that believed a copied mind was the same as the original. He believed in the soul, the spirt. Even his intelligence reports had revealed things like Mephisto and he knew through his mother's memories of Set. His greatest goal was to recover Arnim Zola's process wherein the mind was energized and actually transferred itself at the moment of death - avoiding the inevitable. This scheme had been the closest to being successful of any which included the death of Llyron. He no longer thought of it as a game. He'd known schemer's identity for years, and let the information slide ... enjoying the 'game'. This was too much. The man must die - as in true death. He must be prevented from transferring his mind to another body.
He looked to Masque.
"You have always been a priority to me. But to be honest, you were the only one I could devise an escape for. Lark and others I simply did not have enough time to devise a rescue for. You wouldn't want to seduce Pym for me and get some shrinking particles, would you? Next time, I'd like to go with you ..."
He grinned, then stood lifting her easily as if she were made of air. Then set her down with a light slap on her bottom. He was happy to be alive.
"Mundane forces of defense, I can muster. You have no idea how much I've held back when fighting the Philmont. It was a diversion ... an intellectual counterpart to my physical battles against the Atlantean Barbarians. I have the resources of a nation at my back, the technological knowledge of Supernalia's alien race, the techno-organic abilities of the pawns Pulse left behind, and hundreds of atlantean special forces implanted with the genetics of the most powerful beings on earth. Still, vengeful as I am, schemer truly has more to fear from Spectrum. She is as mad as he is. I would at least make his death relatively quick ..."
As the ship landed, they finally managed to smash through the force field - also not waiting for it to open. With the combined power in the ship, nothing could contain them long. And the field wasn't designed to ... it hadn't needed to. Someone external had saved them. He'd been wary of his last plan for escape, timing a teleport to the exact moment the field dropped to allow their destruction. It had had a very LOW chance of success. Had Spectrum saved them ... or the less insane Threshold? Someone was due a debt of gratitude.
"We should have known not to board a ship that schemer himself did not enter. Even had he done so, he'd have used a clone or LMD. I've given him chances at non-aggression. My only demand was the protection of civilians in his schemes. Now both he and the american government have tried to kill me. They will both fall ... and fall hard."
--
*The Schemer made his way into Philmont towers and to the elevator. He pressed thedown button...sophisticated DNA scans giving him access to do so. He was heading to the deepest subbasement in the facility. He would need to be there for protection. Because this next scheme would prove deadly to anyone on the surface. New York was going to fall this day....taking everyone topside with it. Oh yes...there would be a hot time in the old town tonight...as the hoary old saying went.
Meanwhile...fedora clad schemerbots...each 20 feet tall took their position around Philmont towers....seven of the eight at least did....one strangely broke formation...and began ripping up the pavement along fifth avenue as if digging.
On the returning escape ship Creature King grumbled under his breath. He was not one for backtalk....even from Spectrum.*
Watch yer tongue lass...I'll be taken, insults. Ye folla??
*Brawn grumbled at the creature King.*
Shut yer yap and do as yer told, Spicer. Spectrum calls the shots here...not you. I'm with you, Niahm.
*Brawn say and shrank to his normal height. And with that...he, Hot Rod and Shadowcaster followed her lead....and more reluctantly..Creature King...using his powers to command the Dinosaurs in Manhattan to basically get lost...joined them.*
*As the elevator started down...The Schemer used his telepathy to summon Hard Core. It was difficult breaking through the interference of the selenium...but with effort...he could at least make telepathic contact.*
My darling....find shelter....deep underground....or join me in Philmont Industries..the lowest sublevel....avoid the Sentinels out front...they will attack you. I'm about to launch a scheme that will destroy all the dinosaurs....all the giant insects...and all living things presently in Manhattan!!!
--
She blinks and raises a brow as she glances out the window. "What the hell are those?"
She moves to her door quickly, looking at her secretary. "Get everyone to the underground shelter, now."
Then her hand moves to her cell and she calls down to the Zoo to let her sister know of the impending doom that her beloved was about to unleash. "Get all the animals to shelter, I know Tarantula gave you the funding for your sheltered sublevels, get everyone there now. He's gone insane and is planning on leveling the island."
She shakes her head and gets into her express elevator, the one you ha to have a key to get in and lets the door close behind her, preventing others from joining her as the floor of the elevator simply opens to let her drop to the lower levels, stopping herself just short of the basement level so the room could take on the elevator appearance again before she steps out.
--
Spectrum took charge as she was wont to do, Masque had never gotten the hang of calling her Niahm, and started bossing Roddy around. Masque smirked, knowing from her own brief fling with Roddy that he wasn't going to take to that and she looked forward to the spat. They had been far too cute lately.
Masque smiled up at Llyron, selective hearing making her miss anything past the fact that she was a priority to him until he asked her to seduce someone for him. “For you, my Prince, anything.” She fluttered her lashes flirtatiously as he lifted her, marveling once again at his strength. She gasped a bit in surprise as she smacked her rear, having not expected that from and narrowed her eyes slightly, but was soon distracted the the opening of the hatch leaving the ship with the others and nodding to Llyron. “Whoever it was that saved us is due a giant reward, but right now, we've got to get Schemer.”
She turned her gaze towards the city. “Its pretty obvious that he's going to be holed up in the towers. And there's bound to be some pretty good defenses. So, I'm thinking you heavy hitters.. Spec—Er...Niahm, Brawn, and the handsome Llyron..” A moment to look over the delicious green musculature. “..should take on the robots or whatever he's got, while I try to get into the building. He can't have it sealed against every kind of creature. A roach can get into a lot of places.” She mused a moment then continued, “I can open any DNA locks obviously, and I'll search for some sort of control room to shut the defenses down?” She looked around. “Unless someone else has a better idea.”
--
She hisses, eyes blazing as she looks at Roderick.
"You have forgotten your place. Take your place in the new gods and go get those fragging dinosaurs out of the city. If you can get one under control, he might be a help in getting the Schemer out of the hiding I can only guesss he will go to. She hurries, knowing that once she is closer to him, he will read all her thoughts.
"We find Schemer, kick his clone ass and then when he is holed up where he can't be a pest anymore, we'll start on the spawn." She smiles now, an evil smile that looks kind of ugly now on her pretty face. "Now and then you get a great idea Puck, persuade the schemer's children to join the new gods against him. He's given them reason to now, especially Lark.."
She hates the idea of having Lark around her, the annoying little pregnant dog, but at least on her side, she'd be able to hear for awhile.
"NOW, I'm ready to go," she says and takes Roddy, Brawn, Shadowcaster, and the rest of the New gods up into the air to get to Philmont's building before it is too late, leaving the rest of the clique behind. Any ideas they had about banding together were gone, and it was coming clear to them now that was not going to happen. She doesn't trust Llyron now, so she regretfully leaves Masque behind as well, knowing that she will be dealing with her later.
--
Three stealth 'eye in the sky' drones flew overhead a few blocks from schemer's tower, detecting the sentinels. The information was relayed to Llyron. His flagship arrived and landed nearby ... a marvel of alien and atlantean technology.
[ Link ]
The other drones which had been observing the Master Mold, keeping a lock on it's unique energy output, dropped jacktags - and Retriever robots appeared, armed with morpheus guns. They were lower tech robots, but in larger number. Their purpose ... to deliver the payload their weapons carried. They attacked like a swarm of bees as opposed to the sentinel's bull elephant approach. They 'swarmed' into the building - they would launch techno-organic blobs at any opposition .... the alien material digesting the material and adapting/duplicating it. The blobs were equipped with vibranium and selenium to burn through any energy field protections.
They were a useful addition to the atlantean armory. The fact that Llyron had traded access to a parallel dimension for pulse's kind to infest was a willing sacrifice. One that was known by none, not even he himself ... as he'd removed the memory.
[ Link ]
"First step is to master mold. It must be captured, or schemer will have an unending supply of high powered reinforcements. I've sent Retriever robots to do so. If I know schemer, he opted to cover his own 'green ass' first, and so has recalled all the active sentinels to guard him, and not this facility. I will join the battle against schemer, but as we enter we must scan and destroy anything that may be concealing a force field - such as trapped us within his ship. Even I cannot survive a nuclear blast within such a field - and I wouldn't put that past him. Masque, keep near me. Or even attach to me in an alternate form. We have work to do ..."
He flew toward the tower ... he would come in behind the shock troops such as Spectrum. They were more expendable.
--
*the Schemer reached the sublevels and exited the elevator. There he made his way down a maze of corridors...he reached his master control center. He placed his hand on the DNA scanner...then placed his eye over the retina scanner and finally he pulled forth a key kept in the brim of his fedora which opened the array of locks securing the room. The door opened before him....almost magically and the Schemer stepped inside.
Within was the technological nerve center of Philmont industries and the clique. From here...he had complete access to his various defensive systems.*
Guardian Spheres!! *The Schemer called out to the mekkano two artifical intelligence that operated the clique defenses.* Activate and launch. Operation...elimination. Targets...Masque, Llyron, Spectrum, Creature King, Brawn, Shadow....correction....the first two names and all current members of the new gods!!!
*The baseball sized sphere's...four of them launched....laser ports opening in the process and on the surface...street level...a phoney mail box slot opened...and the Sphere's were outside....ready to zero in on all targets. Then he spoke again.*
Prepare countdown sequence....operation meltdown in progress!! Timer set....10 minutes count down proceeding...now. Targets....Washington, Manhattan and Atlantis. Oh and London too. I hate fish and chips.
*He sang gleefully to himself.* Goodbye piccadilly, goodbye Westminster square.
*He ceaded...and gave more orders to the computer.*
Full lockdown mode....all defenses secure this level. Prevent all from entering....place heat shields over exterior of the sublevels at once. Place teleportional deflectors around this level as well. Lockout all attempts to stop the countdown save my own. Activate all LMDs to defend this level.*
*He grinned Devilishly...believing this time....he would win for certain. He then made telepathic contact with Hard core.*
Good girl. Get to the lowest level you can my dear....and as a personal favor...leave Cynthia upstairs. She needs to work on her tan. *He chuckled manically....settling into his chair....unaware that the fedora clad sentinel that was digging was heading toward his location.
He did here the battle above as his sentinels took hits.*
The fools....they think I'll be using a Nuclear device no doubt. Oh are they in for a surprise.
*Brawn followed along....heading off with Spectrum....while Creature King...still stinging from the public dressdown followed as well. He did not like to be pushed...but he would put up with it from Spectrum for the time being. He had not even plucked that delightful sunflower. He and she still had to have a go of it before he could set relationship ground rules. Once she would set him down....he would activate a bear tattoo off his back...and send it out to find the Schemer...and rip his face off. For the moment, however, he was busy telepathically herding the dinosaurs into the holland tunnel...and out of town as Spectrum requested.*
--
"She's tan enough darling...and she's not in the city at the moment anyway."
She shakes her head, watching the mutants that worked for WBN shuffle their way into the lower level. There was a reason she was staying in power, and it wasn't her darling.
She looks at her secretary who was just arriving and shakes her head, "I guess it's a good thing I chose today as a bring your kids to work day, isn't it?" She glances over to the cluster of children coming in from the building's day care. "Quickly, get them down to the lock room...I want everyone in here safe." She winces a bit, but simply rubs her stomach before following the group. She passes by a few monitors that were showing the street level security cameras and the horrors taking place above as the giant fedora wearing omega sentinels were staying around the Philmont building, save for one that was tearing up the ground.
Darling, why is one of them digging? She furrows her brow as the camera feed is suddenly cut off, proceded only by the buzzing that came from one of the guardian spheres.
--
Narrowing her eyes as Spectrum rises into the air with only a chosen few, Masque watches a moment. She and that Niahm were due for a little chat. But it would have to wait. Right now, the Schemer was the priority and they must get to him and get rid of him once and for all. Masque intended to be the one to put him down. As the mother of two of his children, and victims of his abuse, she had a better reason than most.
She turned to Llyron as he spouted some of his cute techno-babble, listening and nodding like she understood any of that crap. She did understand when he asked her to stay close to him and she grinned and pressed her body against him for a brief moment before a chameleon appeared in her place, clambering up to his shoulder, prehensile tail wrapping partway around his neck and gradually blending in until she was the same shade of brilliant green as he was.
They flew to the towers and masque looked over the sentinel looking things and the floating orbs and then one of the robots caught her attention. Was it...digging?
--
~ ~ Retriever report coming in, highness. Master Mold was destroyed outside the facility, and is being recovered. The facility shows limited defenses. No sign of active production. ~ ~
Good, no reinforcements. But what kind of paranoid stock pile of weaponry did schemer have in his tower?
~ ~ Highness, 'eyes' reporting clique defense spheres launching from concealed ports in the sidewalks. Launching jacktags to strike points and infest the tubes with T.O. blobs. ~ ~
Stealth tags would hit the ground near the egress points and techno-organic blobs would appear, oozing back down the tubes just revealed .... devouring any technology and energy fields they encountered.
"It seems schemer left us a 'mail chute' to drop my own devices down. They're alien tech ... and devour other technology. Stay near my head, and it's selenium field, beautiful. But then you'd already surmised that ... you ARE the best."
With that, he dove at one of the hulking sentinels ... a clean miss, and PLOWED into the concrete in front of it, lying prone. He rolled though, covering her from the impact with his body.
"Seems my inner ear might still be shaken up by my battle with thor ..."
Note to self ... have that moment removed from the video recordings. How embarrassing.
--
*The Schemer's Sentinels set out to attack as the invaders attacked.*
Enemies detected. *The hat wearing sentinels stated in a cold machine tones.* Targeting.....targets acquired.
*The Sentinels opened fire with power nullifying catchwebs fired at the new gods that arrived. Another was launched at masque. Another that Llyron missed turned and observed the sneaking.*
Targeting Llyron. Target acquired. *The sentinel unleashed a concussion beam that at close range could possible knock the super-powered prince of Atlantis out. The Schemer wanted none dead....he wanted them alive for want was to come.
Meanwhile...the Schemer narrowed his brow at Hard core's remark.*
Digging?? *He activated the exterior scanning devices*
What the devil is that thing doing???
*He pondered the problem...and shortly..his computer like brain came up with the answer.*
Oh no!!!!!!!! *He realized that he had ordered the sentinels to attack the clique.....and he was part of the clique.* It's coming for me!!!
*As he spoke...the techo-eating blobs Llyron unleashed took out two of the guardian spheres...and oozed down into the sublevels through the mail slot. It got to his computer...and sensing a threat...the computer set off the launch sequence early.*
No!!! No!!! Not yet!!!
*But it was too late....four fedora shaped rockets launched from a special clique safehouse miles distant....and started toward skyward. Their destination....the Van Allen radiation belt circling earth...specifically...the areas of the belt directly above London, Atlantis, Manhattan and Washington D.C. Worse...the technological blobs had effected their the programming of the rockets...making what was to happen...a mystery..even to the Schemer.*
--
She shakes her head and moves to get her people behind the shielded walls of WBN's sub-level. They had all questioned her as to why she wanted it built...they weren't questioning any longer. The thick walls of layered concrete and vibranium were working their greater strength to maintain, while the duralum seals were beginning to bond.
She had jokingly said that it was for earthquake insurance...and end of the world scenarios, as someone would have to survive to cover the stories. They laughed...back then.
What's going on out there, darling? or do I really want to know?
The last of her people get to the building section and she signals to get it closed down. "Send a signal out to the field, make sure they get out of the city...we may be at ground zero and I want my people safe."
--
Llyron stood beneath the blasting concussive wave, on hands and knees covering Masque with his body. Trouble was, he couldn't even move until she was clear ... and he was taking a beating.
Masque, however, was no slouch. She sprang from beneath her organic shield and rolled to her feet, taking the form of Llyron himself and grasping the nearby trident. Her strength was non-mutant but still the 2 ton strength of an atlantean. The blade was a unique alloy, incredibly sharp and sliced through the weapon port of the concussive blaster - disabling at least ONE of the robot's repertoire.
Meanwhile, the skin on llyron's back was flayed open ...revealing a metallic layering beneath.
--
*The Schemer tried to tighten defenses around his room...but the technology eating blobs had done there work too well. His computers were offline. And the Sentinel robot had dug its way into the main chamber in which he presently dwelled.*
Mutant detected. *It said of the Schemer.* Halt mutant!! *It broke into the chamber....and had a catchweb all prepared for the clique leader. At close range now...the Schemer planned to use the omniblaster's communications to give the sentinel new orders....but the technology eating blobs attacked the sentinel. Its self-repair units might overcome the attack....but for the moment...it was too busy defending its systems to cause a threat.
The Schemer sighed in relief...and contacted Hard core again.* The new gods, Masque and Llyron are attacking me.....and one of the sentinels tried coming after me....*He paused and decided to take credit for stopping it.* But I defeated it.
*He checked what systems in his computers had not been effected and saw what was occurring with the Fedora ships.*
Oh no!!!! My ships...their course has been altered!!! d**n that Llyron!!!
*He grimaced knowing Hard Core was going to be pissed.* Uh....well my dear....my fedora craft were suppose to hit the Van Allen radioactive belt an briefly open holes in it....allowing direct sunlight through. Without the belt to filter the rays...it would melt everything it touched. Specific targets I selected were going be destroyed...then the radioactive belts self-repairing nature would fill in the holes....leaving only those cities untouched. But now..........
*He paused and braced himself knowing she was going to let him have it.* Well dear....at the current places they will strike...the chemicals within those ships will react with the radioactive belt...and spread through it. In the course of a few days...the belt will be destroyed....and...well....uh....all life on earth will go with it.
--
She blinks and shakes her head a bit listening to his explanations. Her eyes drift over all of the people she had in the safe room with her, then she quickly turns away from them and starts back to the door. WHAT?!?! Seriously, you really blew it this time darling.
She eases just out of the door to pull out her cell, then shakes her head closing it. "Heh, who would I tell..."
She looks back at the mass of people, still huddled together and furrows her brow and simply clicks send on her phone. Someone would pick it up and relay it...lord knows there's enough people monitoring the cell frequencies nowadays.
"Van Allen belts may collapse...ships heading towards them have chemicals that will disrupt them."
She shakes her head, then simply slumps down against the wall, clicking her phone closed.
--
~~ Control to Llyron, TO units have entered inner core and taken control of computer. Sentinel has been engaged ... outcome unknown. Sending more units down the slots ~~
"Excellent ! Continue the offensive."
He stood, and as the sentinel turned toward Masque, he nailed it with an upper cut ... sending it flying into the building.
"Well done, Masque."
He took his trident back.
"Please assume a form other than my own. The sentinels were primed to attack me ..."
~~ Sir, missile launches from Clique facilities. Blobs report targeting was toward the Van Allen belt before they destroyed it. ~~
d**n. This could be bad
--
The ship was remote controlled and was sent on a destination that would rid himself of his former allies and most hated foes once and for all. Unfortunately, the Schemer greatest enemy raised its head to smite him once more. This foe was not Llyron, Batman, Reed Richards, Charles Xavier, The Wizard, Magneto, Shreck or any of his other assorted rogues gallery of opponents. Rather...it was the one foe that constantly prevented he...the Schemer from achienving ultimate victory. The infamos X-factor.
This was not the group of former Xavier foes...but rather certain problems that the Schemer was not aware of when creating a scheme...and therefore could not account for when he devised it. It was the only thing that ever stopped him from taking over the world in his opinion...and now...it had arisen again.
This time the X-factor was mutant named deception..apparently from the brief reading he got from her mind...deception was Masque's daughter...and like that tiresome tart had a knack for foiling his greatest moments of triumph. Masque daughter....hateful hussy that she was got ahold of his omniblaster and reversed the course of the escape ship...saving those aboard.
Those that could fly....Llyron, masque...in an altered state, Spectrum would be back in seconds....looking for vengence on the Schemer. He had only one chance....unleash the clique sentinels was having built. eight were done...and six were active.
Pulling forth a spare omniblaster...the Schemer summoned the sentinels to to aid him in his retreat back to Philmont towers.....from which he could unleash his ultimate plan....the one he thought would never be needed...but now apparently would be.*
Schemerbots!! Full destructive mode!! Attack the New Gods....Attack Llyron...attack the clique as they return!!
*He bellowed...meanwhile....he began to hobble back to Philmont towers his laser burned leg...using the omniblaster as a makeshift crutch. Inside the tower was where he planned to make his stand against the hoard of foes shortly to return.*
Miles distant...on the ship...Creature King address Spectrum.*
me love...I'll be ceading to whatever commands ye want....but I say we pound the flipping Schemer 'til his ruddy nothing but......
*He seemed nonplus....stuck for the proper word. Brawn of all people finished the sentence for him.*
Meatsauce, Spicer.
Cor bloody right, Brawn. What say ye Spectrum...fly us new gods, Brawn, Shadowcaster, Hot Rod, ye and me back to Central park....and we'll finish off the flippin' schemer once and for all.
*He whispered in her ear.* And then we can recruit his kids to join yer new gods...and ye and me' can celebrate it all privately later, wot.
--
She rubs her stomach lightly as she looks out from her office window in the WBN tower, nearly half a block away from the Philmont Towers. She, unlike her darling, had to deal with reality on occasion rather than just man flights of fancy and world domination. She knew how to take over the world...she had the reports on her desk to prove it. She'd been given the updates on her Good Works programs throughout the countries and had found her own potential students.
She sipped camomille tea and glanced over the Bugle, shaking her head at their headlines about war coming and was reaffirmed in her notion to have vibranium imported from Uganda and implemented into her building's outer structure. Her board felt it wise since they did have such aggressive remarks towards Mutants and mutant haters alike that they would come under attack.
"Darling...what are you doing now..." She had to think it out loud, "you attract more with honey than with vinegar..."
She rubs her stomach again gently, "Don't be like daddy, please."
--
Llyron had decided to save her with his device, though she was a little concerned that he didn't sound exactly sure that it would work. Still, she changed into a mouse and settled on his lap in preparation, and then something happened and the ship reversed course. Breathing a quick sigh of relief, Masque changed back into herself, deciding to stay on Llyron's lap for the time being. Not an opportunity she got very often and she smiled up at him while Roddy and Spectrum snuggled in their corner. “Thank you for trying to save me.” She rested a palm on his muscular chest. “I'm very grateful.”
Masque assumed that the Schemer would have some other traps planned and looked around at the others upon the ship with her. “He's going to have something else nasty waiting for us. Just be wary when you get free.” Masque wouldn't be there. She could easily avoid notice from Schemer's sentinels or whatever just by a shape change. She intended to go after her ex and make him pay for what he almost did to their sweet baby boy.
--
She says nothing, continuing the incessant scritch, scritch of the nail file, doing her best thinking always while she files her nails. Right now the rage inside her is too great, and the nails are nearly filed to points, holding out her hand critically, picturing them pucturing Schemer's neck. She turns her head as her Puck whispers to her, planning, always planning.
"You know, you are nearly as annoying as the Schemer. Always telling Me what to do. Who do you think you are talking to? Giving orders to a goddess....hmmph....."
Nina rises and paces in the small space, realizing that they are slowing, assumably returning to New York, what was supposed to be her New Avalon.
"Idiots," she says under her breath. "He fails. We fight him, he fails. He tries to lead us and once more, he fails. Why is this so hard to take over, when he is always failing?"
When they arrive, she doesn't wait for the hatch to be opened, turning to a speck of light and exiting through the ventilation, waiting for the others to gather.
"I see no point in returning to the park. It is only one more place where he will expect us to be. Roddy, get your d**n'd dinosaurs out of the city, if there is even one baby one left. They are useless and too difficult to control. THen we will decide where to be, that he will not expect us. You heard the Schemer, he tried to kill all of us. It is time to have our day and get rid of his green ass once and for all."
--
Llyron was pleased. Death was SO annoying. Not that he wouldn't have risen again, his mind copied into another body. But he was no fool, no esoteric scientist like Vyrra that believed a copied mind was the same as the original. He believed in the soul, the spirt. Even his intelligence reports had revealed things like Mephisto and he knew through his mother's memories of Set. His greatest goal was to recover Arnim Zola's process wherein the mind was energized and actually transferred itself at the moment of death - avoiding the inevitable. This scheme had been the closest to being successful of any which included the death of Llyron. He no longer thought of it as a game. He'd known schemer's identity for years, and let the information slide ... enjoying the 'game'. This was too much. The man must die - as in true death. He must be prevented from transferring his mind to another body.
He looked to Masque.
"You have always been a priority to me. But to be honest, you were the only one I could devise an escape for. Lark and others I simply did not have enough time to devise a rescue for. You wouldn't want to seduce Pym for me and get some shrinking particles, would you? Next time, I'd like to go with you ..."
He grinned, then stood lifting her easily as if she were made of air. Then set her down with a light slap on her bottom. He was happy to be alive.
"Mundane forces of defense, I can muster. You have no idea how much I've held back when fighting the Philmont. It was a diversion ... an intellectual counterpart to my physical battles against the Atlantean Barbarians. I have the resources of a nation at my back, the technological knowledge of Supernalia's alien race, the techno-organic abilities of the pawns Pulse left behind, and hundreds of atlantean special forces implanted with the genetics of the most powerful beings on earth. Still, vengeful as I am, schemer truly has more to fear from Spectrum. She is as mad as he is. I would at least make his death relatively quick ..."
As the ship landed, they finally managed to smash through the force field - also not waiting for it to open. With the combined power in the ship, nothing could contain them long. And the field wasn't designed to ... it hadn't needed to. Someone external had saved them. He'd been wary of his last plan for escape, timing a teleport to the exact moment the field dropped to allow their destruction. It had had a very LOW chance of success. Had Spectrum saved them ... or the less insane Threshold? Someone was due a debt of gratitude.
"We should have known not to board a ship that schemer himself did not enter. Even had he done so, he'd have used a clone or LMD. I've given him chances at non-aggression. My only demand was the protection of civilians in his schemes. Now both he and the american government have tried to kill me. They will both fall ... and fall hard."
--
*The Schemer made his way into Philmont towers and to the elevator. He pressed thedown button...sophisticated DNA scans giving him access to do so. He was heading to the deepest subbasement in the facility. He would need to be there for protection. Because this next scheme would prove deadly to anyone on the surface. New York was going to fall this day....taking everyone topside with it. Oh yes...there would be a hot time in the old town tonight...as the hoary old saying went.
Meanwhile...fedora clad schemerbots...each 20 feet tall took their position around Philmont towers....seven of the eight at least did....one strangely broke formation...and began ripping up the pavement along fifth avenue as if digging.
On the returning escape ship Creature King grumbled under his breath. He was not one for backtalk....even from Spectrum.*
Watch yer tongue lass...I'll be taken, insults. Ye folla??
*Brawn grumbled at the creature King.*
Shut yer yap and do as yer told, Spicer. Spectrum calls the shots here...not you. I'm with you, Niahm.
*Brawn say and shrank to his normal height. And with that...he, Hot Rod and Shadowcaster followed her lead....and more reluctantly..Creature King...using his powers to command the Dinosaurs in Manhattan to basically get lost...joined them.*
*As the elevator started down...The Schemer used his telepathy to summon Hard Core. It was difficult breaking through the interference of the selenium...but with effort...he could at least make telepathic contact.*
My darling....find shelter....deep underground....or join me in Philmont Industries..the lowest sublevel....avoid the Sentinels out front...they will attack you. I'm about to launch a scheme that will destroy all the dinosaurs....all the giant insects...and all living things presently in Manhattan!!!
--
She blinks and raises a brow as she glances out the window. "What the hell are those?"
She moves to her door quickly, looking at her secretary. "Get everyone to the underground shelter, now."
Then her hand moves to her cell and she calls down to the Zoo to let her sister know of the impending doom that her beloved was about to unleash. "Get all the animals to shelter, I know Tarantula gave you the funding for your sheltered sublevels, get everyone there now. He's gone insane and is planning on leveling the island."
She shakes her head and gets into her express elevator, the one you ha to have a key to get in and lets the door close behind her, preventing others from joining her as the floor of the elevator simply opens to let her drop to the lower levels, stopping herself just short of the basement level so the room could take on the elevator appearance again before she steps out.
--
Spectrum took charge as she was wont to do, Masque had never gotten the hang of calling her Niahm, and started bossing Roddy around. Masque smirked, knowing from her own brief fling with Roddy that he wasn't going to take to that and she looked forward to the spat. They had been far too cute lately.
Masque smiled up at Llyron, selective hearing making her miss anything past the fact that she was a priority to him until he asked her to seduce someone for him. “For you, my Prince, anything.” She fluttered her lashes flirtatiously as he lifted her, marveling once again at his strength. She gasped a bit in surprise as she smacked her rear, having not expected that from and narrowed her eyes slightly, but was soon distracted the the opening of the hatch leaving the ship with the others and nodding to Llyron. “Whoever it was that saved us is due a giant reward, but right now, we've got to get Schemer.”
She turned her gaze towards the city. “Its pretty obvious that he's going to be holed up in the towers. And there's bound to be some pretty good defenses. So, I'm thinking you heavy hitters.. Spec—Er...Niahm, Brawn, and the handsome Llyron..” A moment to look over the delicious green musculature. “..should take on the robots or whatever he's got, while I try to get into the building. He can't have it sealed against every kind of creature. A roach can get into a lot of places.” She mused a moment then continued, “I can open any DNA locks obviously, and I'll search for some sort of control room to shut the defenses down?” She looked around. “Unless someone else has a better idea.”
--
She hisses, eyes blazing as she looks at Roderick.
"You have forgotten your place. Take your place in the new gods and go get those fragging dinosaurs out of the city. If you can get one under control, he might be a help in getting the Schemer out of the hiding I can only guesss he will go to. She hurries, knowing that once she is closer to him, he will read all her thoughts.
"We find Schemer, kick his clone ass and then when he is holed up where he can't be a pest anymore, we'll start on the spawn." She smiles now, an evil smile that looks kind of ugly now on her pretty face. "Now and then you get a great idea Puck, persuade the schemer's children to join the new gods against him. He's given them reason to now, especially Lark.."
She hates the idea of having Lark around her, the annoying little pregnant dog, but at least on her side, she'd be able to hear for awhile.
"NOW, I'm ready to go," she says and takes Roddy, Brawn, Shadowcaster, and the rest of the New gods up into the air to get to Philmont's building before it is too late, leaving the rest of the clique behind. Any ideas they had about banding together were gone, and it was coming clear to them now that was not going to happen. She doesn't trust Llyron now, so she regretfully leaves Masque behind as well, knowing that she will be dealing with her later.
--
Three stealth 'eye in the sky' drones flew overhead a few blocks from schemer's tower, detecting the sentinels. The information was relayed to Llyron. His flagship arrived and landed nearby ... a marvel of alien and atlantean technology.
[ Link ]
The other drones which had been observing the Master Mold, keeping a lock on it's unique energy output, dropped jacktags - and Retriever robots appeared, armed with morpheus guns. They were lower tech robots, but in larger number. Their purpose ... to deliver the payload their weapons carried. They attacked like a swarm of bees as opposed to the sentinel's bull elephant approach. They 'swarmed' into the building - they would launch techno-organic blobs at any opposition .... the alien material digesting the material and adapting/duplicating it. The blobs were equipped with vibranium and selenium to burn through any energy field protections.
They were a useful addition to the atlantean armory. The fact that Llyron had traded access to a parallel dimension for pulse's kind to infest was a willing sacrifice. One that was known by none, not even he himself ... as he'd removed the memory.
[ Link ]
"First step is to master mold. It must be captured, or schemer will have an unending supply of high powered reinforcements. I've sent Retriever robots to do so. If I know schemer, he opted to cover his own 'green ass' first, and so has recalled all the active sentinels to guard him, and not this facility. I will join the battle against schemer, but as we enter we must scan and destroy anything that may be concealing a force field - such as trapped us within his ship. Even I cannot survive a nuclear blast within such a field - and I wouldn't put that past him. Masque, keep near me. Or even attach to me in an alternate form. We have work to do ..."
He flew toward the tower ... he would come in behind the shock troops such as Spectrum. They were more expendable.
--
*the Schemer reached the sublevels and exited the elevator. There he made his way down a maze of corridors...he reached his master control center. He placed his hand on the DNA scanner...then placed his eye over the retina scanner and finally he pulled forth a key kept in the brim of his fedora which opened the array of locks securing the room. The door opened before him....almost magically and the Schemer stepped inside.
Within was the technological nerve center of Philmont industries and the clique. From here...he had complete access to his various defensive systems.*
Guardian Spheres!! *The Schemer called out to the mekkano two artifical intelligence that operated the clique defenses.* Activate and launch. Operation...elimination. Targets...Masque, Llyron, Spectrum, Creature King, Brawn, Shadow....correction....the first two names and all current members of the new gods!!!
*The baseball sized sphere's...four of them launched....laser ports opening in the process and on the surface...street level...a phoney mail box slot opened...and the Sphere's were outside....ready to zero in on all targets. Then he spoke again.*
Prepare countdown sequence....operation meltdown in progress!! Timer set....10 minutes count down proceeding...now. Targets....Washington, Manhattan and Atlantis. Oh and London too. I hate fish and chips.
*He sang gleefully to himself.* Goodbye piccadilly, goodbye Westminster square.
*He ceaded...and gave more orders to the computer.*
Full lockdown mode....all defenses secure this level. Prevent all from entering....place heat shields over exterior of the sublevels at once. Place teleportional deflectors around this level as well. Lockout all attempts to stop the countdown save my own. Activate all LMDs to defend this level.*
*He grinned Devilishly...believing this time....he would win for certain. He then made telepathic contact with Hard core.*
Good girl. Get to the lowest level you can my dear....and as a personal favor...leave Cynthia upstairs. She needs to work on her tan. *He chuckled manically....settling into his chair....unaware that the fedora clad sentinel that was digging was heading toward his location.
He did here the battle above as his sentinels took hits.*
The fools....they think I'll be using a Nuclear device no doubt. Oh are they in for a surprise.
*Brawn followed along....heading off with Spectrum....while Creature King...still stinging from the public dressdown followed as well. He did not like to be pushed...but he would put up with it from Spectrum for the time being. He had not even plucked that delightful sunflower. He and she still had to have a go of it before he could set relationship ground rules. Once she would set him down....he would activate a bear tattoo off his back...and send it out to find the Schemer...and rip his face off. For the moment, however, he was busy telepathically herding the dinosaurs into the holland tunnel...and out of town as Spectrum requested.*
--
"She's tan enough darling...and she's not in the city at the moment anyway."
She shakes her head, watching the mutants that worked for WBN shuffle their way into the lower level. There was a reason she was staying in power, and it wasn't her darling.
She looks at her secretary who was just arriving and shakes her head, "I guess it's a good thing I chose today as a bring your kids to work day, isn't it?" She glances over to the cluster of children coming in from the building's day care. "Quickly, get them down to the lock room...I want everyone in here safe." She winces a bit, but simply rubs her stomach before following the group. She passes by a few monitors that were showing the street level security cameras and the horrors taking place above as the giant fedora wearing omega sentinels were staying around the Philmont building, save for one that was tearing up the ground.
Darling, why is one of them digging? She furrows her brow as the camera feed is suddenly cut off, proceded only by the buzzing that came from one of the guardian spheres.
--
Narrowing her eyes as Spectrum rises into the air with only a chosen few, Masque watches a moment. She and that Niahm were due for a little chat. But it would have to wait. Right now, the Schemer was the priority and they must get to him and get rid of him once and for all. Masque intended to be the one to put him down. As the mother of two of his children, and victims of his abuse, she had a better reason than most.
She turned to Llyron as he spouted some of his cute techno-babble, listening and nodding like she understood any of that crap. She did understand when he asked her to stay close to him and she grinned and pressed her body against him for a brief moment before a chameleon appeared in her place, clambering up to his shoulder, prehensile tail wrapping partway around his neck and gradually blending in until she was the same shade of brilliant green as he was.
They flew to the towers and masque looked over the sentinel looking things and the floating orbs and then one of the robots caught her attention. Was it...digging?
--
~ ~ Retriever report coming in, highness. Master Mold was destroyed outside the facility, and is being recovered. The facility shows limited defenses. No sign of active production. ~ ~
Good, no reinforcements. But what kind of paranoid stock pile of weaponry did schemer have in his tower?
~ ~ Highness, 'eyes' reporting clique defense spheres launching from concealed ports in the sidewalks. Launching jacktags to strike points and infest the tubes with T.O. blobs. ~ ~
Stealth tags would hit the ground near the egress points and techno-organic blobs would appear, oozing back down the tubes just revealed .... devouring any technology and energy fields they encountered.
"It seems schemer left us a 'mail chute' to drop my own devices down. They're alien tech ... and devour other technology. Stay near my head, and it's selenium field, beautiful. But then you'd already surmised that ... you ARE the best."
With that, he dove at one of the hulking sentinels ... a clean miss, and PLOWED into the concrete in front of it, lying prone. He rolled though, covering her from the impact with his body.
"Seems my inner ear might still be shaken up by my battle with thor ..."
Note to self ... have that moment removed from the video recordings. How embarrassing.
--
*The Schemer's Sentinels set out to attack as the invaders attacked.*
Enemies detected. *The hat wearing sentinels stated in a cold machine tones.* Targeting.....targets acquired.
*The Sentinels opened fire with power nullifying catchwebs fired at the new gods that arrived. Another was launched at masque. Another that Llyron missed turned and observed the sneaking.*
Targeting Llyron. Target acquired. *The sentinel unleashed a concussion beam that at close range could possible knock the super-powered prince of Atlantis out. The Schemer wanted none dead....he wanted them alive for want was to come.
Meanwhile...the Schemer narrowed his brow at Hard core's remark.*
Digging?? *He activated the exterior scanning devices*
What the devil is that thing doing???
*He pondered the problem...and shortly..his computer like brain came up with the answer.*
Oh no!!!!!!!! *He realized that he had ordered the sentinels to attack the clique.....and he was part of the clique.* It's coming for me!!!
*As he spoke...the techo-eating blobs Llyron unleashed took out two of the guardian spheres...and oozed down into the sublevels through the mail slot. It got to his computer...and sensing a threat...the computer set off the launch sequence early.*
No!!! No!!! Not yet!!!
*But it was too late....four fedora shaped rockets launched from a special clique safehouse miles distant....and started toward skyward. Their destination....the Van Allen radiation belt circling earth...specifically...the areas of the belt directly above London, Atlantis, Manhattan and Washington D.C. Worse...the technological blobs had effected their the programming of the rockets...making what was to happen...a mystery..even to the Schemer.*
--
She shakes her head and moves to get her people behind the shielded walls of WBN's sub-level. They had all questioned her as to why she wanted it built...they weren't questioning any longer. The thick walls of layered concrete and vibranium were working their greater strength to maintain, while the duralum seals were beginning to bond.
She had jokingly said that it was for earthquake insurance...and end of the world scenarios, as someone would have to survive to cover the stories. They laughed...back then.
What's going on out there, darling? or do I really want to know?
The last of her people get to the building section and she signals to get it closed down. "Send a signal out to the field, make sure they get out of the city...we may be at ground zero and I want my people safe."
--
Llyron stood beneath the blasting concussive wave, on hands and knees covering Masque with his body. Trouble was, he couldn't even move until she was clear ... and he was taking a beating.
Masque, however, was no slouch. She sprang from beneath her organic shield and rolled to her feet, taking the form of Llyron himself and grasping the nearby trident. Her strength was non-mutant but still the 2 ton strength of an atlantean. The blade was a unique alloy, incredibly sharp and sliced through the weapon port of the concussive blaster - disabling at least ONE of the robot's repertoire.
Meanwhile, the skin on llyron's back was flayed open ...revealing a metallic layering beneath.
--
*The Schemer tried to tighten defenses around his room...but the technology eating blobs had done there work too well. His computers were offline. And the Sentinel robot had dug its way into the main chamber in which he presently dwelled.*
Mutant detected. *It said of the Schemer.* Halt mutant!! *It broke into the chamber....and had a catchweb all prepared for the clique leader. At close range now...the Schemer planned to use the omniblaster's communications to give the sentinel new orders....but the technology eating blobs attacked the sentinel. Its self-repair units might overcome the attack....but for the moment...it was too busy defending its systems to cause a threat.
The Schemer sighed in relief...and contacted Hard core again.* The new gods, Masque and Llyron are attacking me.....and one of the sentinels tried coming after me....*He paused and decided to take credit for stopping it.* But I defeated it.
*He checked what systems in his computers had not been effected and saw what was occurring with the Fedora ships.*
Oh no!!!! My ships...their course has been altered!!! d**n that Llyron!!!
*He grimaced knowing Hard Core was going to be pissed.* Uh....well my dear....my fedora craft were suppose to hit the Van Allen radioactive belt an briefly open holes in it....allowing direct sunlight through. Without the belt to filter the rays...it would melt everything it touched. Specific targets I selected were going be destroyed...then the radioactive belts self-repairing nature would fill in the holes....leaving only those cities untouched. But now..........
*He paused and braced himself knowing she was going to let him have it.* Well dear....at the current places they will strike...the chemicals within those ships will react with the radioactive belt...and spread through it. In the course of a few days...the belt will be destroyed....and...well....uh....all life on earth will go with it.
--
She blinks and shakes her head a bit listening to his explanations. Her eyes drift over all of the people she had in the safe room with her, then she quickly turns away from them and starts back to the door. WHAT?!?! Seriously, you really blew it this time darling.
She eases just out of the door to pull out her cell, then shakes her head closing it. "Heh, who would I tell..."
She looks back at the mass of people, still huddled together and furrows her brow and simply clicks send on her phone. Someone would pick it up and relay it...lord knows there's enough people monitoring the cell frequencies nowadays.
"Van Allen belts may collapse...ships heading towards them have chemicals that will disrupt them."
She shakes her head, then simply slumps down against the wall, clicking her phone closed.
--
~~ Control to Llyron, TO units have entered inner core and taken control of computer. Sentinel has been engaged ... outcome unknown. Sending more units down the slots ~~
"Excellent ! Continue the offensive."
He stood, and as the sentinel turned toward Masque, he nailed it with an upper cut ... sending it flying into the building.
"Well done, Masque."
He took his trident back.
"Please assume a form other than my own. The sentinels were primed to attack me ..."
~~ Sir, missile launches from Clique facilities. Blobs report targeting was toward the Van Allen belt before they destroyed it. ~~
d**n. This could be bad
--