Post by The B-Witch on Jun 24, 2010 13:21:49 GMT -5
*The Schemer was in deep this time. Threshold turning against him caught him completely off guard. How his best friend could do this to him was beyond even his genius to reason out. For now the Schemer was on the run with his own creations...the Life model decoy androids....and his fedora class sentinel robots on his trail. Vaguely...he wondered why this was happening. The city was wide open. The Super heroes of Manhattan, the army and the national guard were far to busy capturing dinosaurs and dealing with giant insects to deal with looters. There were billions for the taking....yet Threshold, his insipid adopted daughter Lark....and now apparently his beloved Hard Core were turning on him. Fools!! Were they allergic to profit.
He could worry about this later...for now escape was the only option. The subway enterence was blocked off....robots would soon be closing in....his only hope now was the sewer system. Fortunately....he had commited to memory ever access tunnel in the city. A sealed manhole just ahead would grant him access....and then...down that maze of rot infested corridors....he could escape...and plan his revewnge at his lesuire.
The manhole was sealed shut....but not for not. A simple flip of his wrist...and bipolar amplifier within his Fedora would be landed on the manhole. The gravity increase would cause the manhole to be crushed....leaving the Schemer an open route of escape.
He climbed down the ladder into the sewer...and attempted to flee deep into the tunnels. If he could reach the main access tunnels of the sewer...he could lose those following him.
Meawhile...roughly two blocks away....the new gods had been searching for the Schemer as well. But unlike the traitor Threshold...and the turncoat trollop Hard Core....they wanted the Schemer dead.
Creature King had been scanning for the Schemer...using his rapport with animals to see through their eyes. As the Schemer entered the sewer....he did not notice a rat observing him intently. Creature king....through the rodents eyes witnessed the Schemer come into the sewer...and had the rat watch him closely.*
Got him, lass. *Creature King said turning to Spectrum.* The ruddy Schemer has gone underground...into the flippin' sewer. Down a manhole....eightth a bleeker street.
*Brawn smacked his fist into his hand. He wanted to nail the Schemer once and for all. But he said nothing of this out loud....it was Spectrum's call. She was the leader. IF they were going to go after the Schemer...she would be the one to decide.*
--
The first aid kit went to good use...patching up her step-son. She had often wondered how the boy survived being in the military school without blowing up and taking everyone with him. Pulling the piece of fencing material from his back did make her wince a bit, relieved that Eric was making sure the boy didn't feel the pain of it...and having had chunks of wall embedded in her back, she knew how much it could hurt.
"Well, I've done what I can, Eric. His body's instability should help him heal, but I don't know how long it will take."
She looks at her blood covered hands for a moment, then turns her head and retches violently, thankfully into a trash can she'd been putting the waste first aid products into. Not her most glamorous moment...at least it was just Eric and Thomas there with her.
--
He flew up into the sky, the fuel injected glider he had made from lawn mower engines banging and wheezing through the sky as a trail of oily black smoke rolled through the air behind him, his armor wobbling in the wind as it was nothing more than fragments of rubber maid tubs melted together and painted blue, with gloss paint for that extra shine. He almost looked like a real goblin, but he had something the others didn't have, an intelligence that many would work for for a hundered years and never acquire, he was beyond a born genious, he was born with the power of SCIENCE!!!!, that strange mind that occurs once every few hundered years, only he was one that even exceeded the likes of Einstein or Forge.
He looked down, surveying the land, he had no real money, the gas he used for his board he would siphon from dead cars in the junk yard, even the wings on his glider were sections of the door of a old 84 cavalier, repainted for a shine, from a distance it looked intimidating, but up close you could tell he didn't have any funding for his brilliance.
As he surveyed he looked through his blue power ranger helmet that had some milk caps glued on it to look like a goblin mask, seeing a man stealing a purse from a lady, he flying down as the man started to cross the street, sweeping down and throwing a bunch of fire crackers infront of him, using a hanger to hook the purse as the man jumped back from the bangs to look up at the goblin. "You son of a..." was all he could say as he looked up to a trash truck smashing him like a bug, the truck screeching to a stop as the remains of the thief flopped to the ground and rolled to a stop, he flying to the lady and dropping the purse, then flying off, leaving a cloud of smoke that nearly made the old lady choke to death in her condition.
He sweeped up into the air, seeing something he'd always heard of but never had seen live, sentinels chasing what looked like an innocent man down the road and into the sewers, no one knew the sewers like he did, he used them often to travel at night so he wouldn't be caught for a curfew violation, as well as he didn't have to worry about homeless people at night, at least the ones up on the streets, they were the ones not to be trusted.
He flew to a service door, hopping off his board and tugging on the thing, and tugging on the thing, yelling. "DAMMIT, could someone help me?" A random man walking up helping him pull the grate out of the way. "Thank you citizen!" The man looking at him chuckling. "Uh yeah...welcome...power goblin ranger..." He blinking. "Blue Goblin!" The guy nodding walking off. "...right..." He hopping on his glider and flying underground.
He approached the tunnels that the man, Schemer was running towards, coming up on one of the water retention ducts, reaching the wheel and beginning to spin it, as the Schemer ran by he would wait for the sentinels with fedoras following, when the first one entered the tunnel behind he would let the water flow, it exploding in a straight jet towards the sentinels, hundereds of thousands of gallons of water in a roaring jet, he zipping off towards the schemer, grabbing him by the shoulders, and scooping his butt on the front of the glider as he took off full speed, the board banking back and rocketing up through the open sewer grate into the air, flying downtown towards his secret domain.
As he flew down a glass window creeked open, the board schemer and blue goblin now all in a downward spiral, the Schemer being thrown off the glider, falling a hundered feet and landing on a stack of matresses, he feeling them all compress and compress and then a moment without movement before the springs would recoil and send him flying fifteen feet across the warehouse on his butt with a thump, the Goblin's glider dying as it popped and banged, the glider hitting the ground and sparking and whistling as it scratched the pavement slamming up against a wall, the Blue Goblin toppling onto the concrete and rolling and tossing until he smacked against a wall, his plastic armor plates popping off, a few still on, one covering his hand, one covering his left leg and his helmet busted in two, he laying in a daze staring at the ceiling.
Inside his domain was a terminal with 14 very old computers, a phone, a refrigerator, a stove and a bed, with 2 small lights hanging on 80 foot chains that hung over his work/living station. He had various parts of engines scattered all over the floor, a chalk board with equations that seemed way out of mathematical league, and cans of WD-40 as well as tools scattered through out. He also had a picture of a man and woman in a picture frame on a box next to his bed, and a .45 calibur loaded sitting next to it.
He grunting as he sat up, pulling his helmet off, rubbing his head. "...Maybe I should have used Valvoline that time, I tried Quaker State...I don't think it was as good..." He said with a groan as he stood up, moving over to the computers, they somehow surveying the movement of the sentinels, he looking at the radar, walking over to a microwave with some odd device ontop of it, some type of dish, he hitting 5 minutes and pressing start. "I'm projecting microwaves upwards to scramble signals within a 10 block area Mr. Schemer...after 5 minutes the sentinels usually stop their searches by protocol..." He walking over, powering down his computers and flipping the lights off sitting in the dark waiting.
He then walked over to the fridge, opening it up, his little stomach growling. He saw a half a cup of water and a bottle of V8 vegetable juice and looked at the man he saved and his options again. "Would you like something to drink, I have some vegetable juice..." Looking around, seeing he'd ate his last cup cake, he'd have to go find some food somewhere again tonight. "If you wanna make a clean get away, there is an entrance to the sewers in the back of this warehouse...watch out for the rat people, I'm their friend, they might have me over to have dinner with them, they might have you over for dinner for them." He laughing almost insanely as he walked over to a chair and took a seat, leaning back in the creeky old office chair.
--
Threshold snipped the thread on the last of the stitches he’d administered to the boy’s lacerated flesh, sealing the wounds. It was a job he’d become intimately familiar with over the years. A combination of his power’s ability to dull pain and his own calm personality and intelligence had conspired to often make Threshold the team’s field medic. He’d stitched, patched and cast his team mates together more times than he could count. More often than not due to one of Schemer’s plans going wrong.
“There is an open bed in the medical bay. Why don’t you take the boy there.” he said to Adrianne, nodding in the direction of a closed door. “Carefully…his instability makes it difficult to know how deep the damage to his back was. There could be spinal damage…” He stopped, seeing her vomit into the trashcan of medical waste. Concern flickered over his face as Eric used his power to feel through her body, checking the conditions of the children in her belly.
“Nevermind…rest. I’ll get him into the bed.”
Threshold stood, walking into the med bay and getting a blanket, which he used to wrap the gooseflesh covered body of Schemer’s son. With a grunt he carefully picked the young man up, carrying him into the med bay and laying him out on it. Instantly the automated medical treatment system activated, feeding an IV into Prodigal’s arm and scanning to assess the necessary treatments.
Satisfied that the boy was in as good of hands as he could be considering the situation, Threshold turned and made his way back into the command center, cleaning his hands of blood as he went.
“Are you alri…” he started to ask, before he was cut off by an alert from the Sentinels and LMD. Schemer was gone. An unknown party had appeared, fending the machines off and grabbing the Schemer before taking off and disappearing from the Sentinel’s scanners.
“Oh hell..” Threshold said, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.
--
He was napping comfortably inside his mother's womb until the stench of blood on his mother's hands reached him through his link with her. He wasn't smelling it himself but he was reacting to her revulsion to it. He muttered in an agitated manner. ~What in blazes is going on?~ Through their link he got the full picture of what was going on and was angered. ~What is the meaning of this? Where is father? And what has this imbecile done now?~ He was referring to Winston Jr.
--
On Roddy's cue, Spectrum directs the new gods, all of them to meet her at the sewers, Brawn to guard the entrance, and the others to drop down into that God-forsaken muck and surround the Schemer. This was it, so she was on the same side against the Big Green Hat with the clique, and she would have to remember to thank him for that little trip down disloyalty, that helped nudge them to turn on him as well. For her it wasn't personal. She was a winner, and he wasn't winning anymore, his schemes all turning sour and leaving her looking ridiculous much of the time, not befitting a goddess and not bringing on much adulation from her own people even. The recent resurgence of the new gods and the new additions to their ranks only went to prove what she had said all along that they have strength and might on their side, and the superior leader in Herself.
She is already there, a speck of light flitting around like a lightning bug, watching Schemer go by the bumbling Goblin and following, watching even so as they hurl below, catching the schemer in a force field that she knows will last only seconds, and the goblin in another, holding the latter up near the ceiling suspended while she concentrates on Schemer, waiting for the others to catch up. They would be on foot, some of them and she would field this until then, alert to slam the Schemer with quick bursts of light each time he might try to escape from her .
"So, on the run again, like some common fugitive, are we?"
She laughs. "I really must remember to thank Threshhold. He doesn't know much about loyalty but I do like his style."
--
*The Schemer was getting his wits about him when suddenly...something happened...someone came from behind and gathered him up.*
Rocket?? *He said thinking it his newest recruit....the woman who could fly like a jet engine had come to recue him....but no...his telepathy spoke of someone else. A glider??? *He blinked as he was taken into the air.*
What the devil...Hobgoblin?? *Suddenly events took a turn for the worse and he was falling from the sky along with his savior....or was this a delberate attempt to destroy him by dropping him from an insane height.
He crashed on a matress stack below....and was suddenly caught up in a forcefield.*
Spectrum!!! *He said not seeing her...but knowing her powers well enough. *He was shaken from the fall...and it took a few moments for him to collect himself. When he did so...he fell back on his famed omniblaster for salvation. Magnesium flares fired into the force field would free him. For heat bent light...and her force field would give way to a heat burst.
He fled....noting Brawn and Creature king coming after him. He followed this goblin....now seen as some wannabe version of the green goblin but in blue....where he led. The New Gos must not have not have him....for truly he would die at their hands.
In this blue goblin's hideout...the Schemer saw his savior was a child....a young fool playing games. And yet...the simple parts he created to make his costume displayed genius....nothing near his own mind you..but genius none the less.*
Tell me about yourself....why did you come to my aid?? You do realize who am, boy???
*Meanwhile Creature King complained bitterly at the Schemer's temporary escape.* The bleeder slipped us!!!
*Brawn was not put off.* Don't matter, Kingy. We'll find him...he can't have gotten far.
--
"I'll hold together, Eric." She moves to get up, then gets hit by the rush of messages from one of the beans. "Your father tried to kill the others...your brother...well...tried to be heroic."
She staggers a bit, not really thinking about how odd talking to herself would be to Eric as she goes over to wash her hands. "What do you mean he's gone? How could he just vanish? Someone had to have helped him."
She rubs her stomach gently, trying to calm the kids down as she walks back towards Eric. "Is there anything on the sentinel's sensors to say what happened?
--
“There was an a low flying object that intercepted him and took to the skies, then an energy pulse that scrambled the Sentinels’ readings. They are searching now but they are not registering his genetic signature. Who would have the technology to do this, and a reason to help Schemer?”
His fingers fly over the keyboard, bringing up several new commands, accessing scans of the city for troop placement. He notes that the New Gods had been moving in on Schemer as well…and he had little doubt that they would not be so kind as to merely capture the man when they found him. Spectrum didn’t forgive slights. On the screen a new dark green blip appeared on the screen. Threshold nodded, recognizing the com icon that had just come online.
“Spectre. This is Threshold. Locate Schemer and bring him to the Philmont building command center please.”
In the sewers the LMDs continue their search, noting and dismissing several Rat People that scurried away in the darkness. The subterranean dwellers were not their target.
--
He leaned back in the chair, it creaking and he smiling until he opened his eyes to look up and out the window at the stars above, seeing a lady hovering in the window, his eyes going wide as he lunged forward, grabbing his gun and rolling up under his work table, cocking the gun and looking at Schemer. "You go, I'll hold them off..." He twisting the gun around, shooting it, bb's pinging out of the .45 caliber look alike, the sound of the metal beads pinging off the warehouse window seal...and outside.
He then motioned to Schemer and pointed to an access panel below the table opening it, and waiting for schemer to jump in, then he would, sweeping down the watery slide of water that was a supply for the city, he and Schemer blowing through three hundered feet of piping before shooting out into a pool underground of fresh clean city water, Goblin coughing and barely able to paddle himself up to the underground beach, rat people sitting on the bank pulling him up onto the coast of the underground world, he looking at Schemer as a few went to drag him up next to the boy, then they all scurried off...the hatch behind would be all that remains of them.
He looked at Schemer. "I don't know who you are, but I know you had some really big robots chasing after you sir, I'm the Blue Goblin..." he taking the blue armor panel off his leg, and the glove, the paint washing off the plastic as he laid down and coughed some more water up. "The sewers are my home, I make things for the rat people, they bring me food sometimes. We get along pretty well, why are all the people chasing after you, and why do you wear that hat, it makes you look old..."
--
Masque had stuck to the plan, let Schemer go for their own sections of the city to loot. Naturally, she'd claimed the area around fifth avenue and was busy filling her coffers. After a while of trying to lug a couple heavy bags around, she called her ex, Nuallan, and a couple other mutants and had them come out, promising them a cut if they kept looting and storing everything back at her warehouse.
Hearing a noise behind her, a chittering version of her name, she turned and saw one of the rat people beckoning to her. Masque had connections through all of the animalistic groups within the city. This one wanted her help, and she owed them a favor so she bade her goons keep gathering jewelry and she changed into the form of the rat people and followed them into the sewers.
Following the creature through the twists and turns of the subterranean warrens, she soon came to the cavern where the Blue Goblin and the Schemer were laying, sodden from the water. The little rat person came to stand in front of them and then changed into the alluring and beautiful form of Masque. First she glanced to the Goblin, “Hello, young man. And then to the Schemer, “Hello Winston.”
--
*the Schemer simply looked about the haven of this Goblin and sighed. He obviously had intelligence...but no money to put his dreams into a functional reality. Rubber-made products indeed. This youngster was creating his devices out of junkyards for heavens sake. And this was the hook the Schemer would use to get his aid. As usual....money was the root of all goodness. Goodness for him anyway.*
I'm the Schemer. *He said to the young man....not elaborating beyond that. Indeed...he could hardly believe the boy had not heard of him. His name was known throughout the world. In mutant circles....all knew him and had differing opinions of him.
Too many...he was a hated foe...or criminal madman. Too others...a hero. Even the lowly morlocks knew of him....and some even worshiped his name. For he was one that struck back against the humans that mistreated the sewer dwellers. Worshiping him seemed a most understandable reaction in the egotistical mind of the Schemer. Indeed...was he not worthy of being considered something close to a god??
He turned his attention to the Goblin once more.*
Dear boy. I can make you better than you are....with my connections I can give you money and resources to upgrade your technology a hundred fold!! And all I ask...is you get me out of the city.
*A few miles distant....Spectre heard Threshold's remarks....and nodded.*
Right on bossman. *The teleporter said flatly....and smiled.* Congratulations on the promotion, sir. I'll fetch the Schemer for you. Just give me his last general location...and I'll find him and 'port him right to you.
*Masque appeared suddenly....in the midst of the goblin and he...and the Schemer turned to her..offering a thin smile.*
Masque. I trust you've made quite a killing looting?? I'll add to it. One million dollars. And all you need do is help myself and new indigo colored friend her get me safely out of the city.
--
"Well, at least Spectre is willing to help bring him here." She furrows her brow, rubbing her stomach again now that the voices in her head went silent.
"Well, at least one of my children is a telepath it seems." She looks over the screens for a moment. "Hopefully they'll both be sane as well. There really needs to be more level headed geniuses in this world. Not just ones wanting to rule it, but ones that could rule it justly."
She puts her hand on Eric's shoulder. "I still wish I could figure out what causes Winston's instability...or just lower it to some reasonable level."
--
He looked at his bb gun that was jammed, the water pouring out of it, looking at Masque and dropping the gun, he sighed and stood up, his legs a little shaky, he had a bruise over one of his temples and rubbed his head, looked like he was suffering a mild head injury, walking wasn't his strong point as he wobbled on his feet.
-Meanwhile, back at the Batcave!!!-
Prodigy laid still, his skin starting to glow a soft blue, the look of his skin shimmering as he started to regenerate, his mind slipping into a mental cocoon to protect himself while his body began to undergo it's healing process...his entire body phasing as he was see through, from skeleton to muscles, all the organs moving, it was quite spectacular to see this process.
--
“His last known location is being uploaded to your Com Spectre. I’ve triangulated where he disappeared from sensor range via the Sentinels. It’s likely that he will once again retreat underground as the street cameras pose too much of a risk of us locating him again.
His telepathy is likely a large factor. Having the ability to hear everyone’s thoughts…to influence them to do whatever you want. It has been known to unhinge even the mind of Charles Xavier from time to time. Have you had the children screened? It is possible that Winston’s illness could be located and nipped in the bud in the children.”
Eric continued keying in commands to the machine army. One of the LMD had just arrived with the unconscious Lark, taking her to the med bay. The others continued to search the sewers..
In a deep tunnel one of the LMDs paused, head cocked to the side as it’s audio sensors picked up the distorted echo of talking. Processing the sound through it’s filters it was able to isolate the vocal patterns of Schemer, Masque, and one other. Signaling its mechanical companions, the LMD moved into position, tracking the sound toward it’s source, weapons at the ready.
--
Masque had expected something...more. She expected him to welcome her presence with open arms.. Or, more likely, abuse in some fashion. But this coldness was new and she didn't' like it one bit. He could afford to be a bit more passionate about his savior, especially in the face of the entire mutant world, including his own Clique, hunting him down.
Glancing at the wobbly boy, Masque dismissed him as no threat. “I want more, Schemer.” She crossed her arms obstinately. “I want to be second in command. And five million dollars.” She turned and spoke to the rat people and they scurried away, to spy out the best route to get out of the city. “And I want you to ditch Hard Core.” She considered a moment. “I also want you to help me steal our grandchild. I'm going to raise him or her myself.”
--
*The Schemer grinned as masque's greed came to the surface. Of course she would not settle for a million dollars. Such was merely the opening bid. Masque's greed and intelligence in haggling over business transactions...along with her outer beauty had always been her most enjoyable traits.*
Second in command. *He sighed...he loved Hard Core deeply...but obviously she was siding with threshold. A moments lament...and the deal was made.*
Apparently the job is open. You are my new second in command, masque. You and this one. *He pointed to the fumbling goblin...obvious slightly hurt somewhat from the ride into this hovel lair of his.*
Of course there will great financial rewards to go along with your new position...and a great deal of responsibility.
*Suddenly...LMDs skittered down the corridor leading to the goblin's hideout.*
Blast and botheration!!! Discovered!! Masque....earn your keep my dear....dispose those things.
*Nearby...Spectre heeded Threshold's words and began a grid pattern search of the area. It took only a few 'ports to end up in the Schemer's location. Masque....The Schemer and some kid in blue armor were there.....he simply would teleport them all back to Threshold. Waist not...want not.*
--
She listens to the com from Spectre and simply waits. There was little else for her to do, though, she did notice the bluish light coming from the medical area and nods to herself.
"Thomas is healing himself...he will probably be joining us in here shortly." She wobbles a bit, then just moves over to take a seat again. The whole pregnancy thing was beginning to wear thin on her, and thankfully she was able to keep her gestational insanity intact, otherwise NYC would have been destroyed. She chuckles softly at the notion of herself getting soft because of being pregnant...though she knew the risks to herself, she was dangerously serious about making sure these children survived to be born.
--
He sat up slowly, his eyes blinking as he took a deep breath then let it out, his feet nestling against the floor as he felt the coldness of it against the bottom of bare feet. He pulled the blanket around his body, standing up, feeling his now dry and clean skin completely repaired walking down the hallway unable to remember the events up to, he couldn't really remember, coming out of a healing cycle was sometimes rather strange for him, there was a period of not knowing what was going on, and he walked into the room with Threshold and Hardcore and blinked as he looked around with confusion.
"Anything to eat in here?" Is all he could manage to say..."I thought I was...where am I?" He looking at them both with a large about of frustration in his eyes, taking a seat and taking a deep breath letting it out. "Sure am hungry..."
--
Eric nodded, noticing the blue light emanating from the med bay as well. The boy’s powers were impressive, he wasn’t sure that his own mutant abilities could affect Prodigy when the boy was in his energy form.
“He asked us to stop. Do you believe he will be siding with his father in-spite of the fact that Winston tried to kill him? If so we need to sedate him now before he fully awakens.”
At that the air popped, a pressure wave of displaced air pushing through the room. Threshold shook his head at the mild discomfort of the sudden depressurization with heralded the arrival of a teleported. Arming himself with his guns and their high velocity bullets, Threshold turned to greet the three that Spectre had brought in. His first order of business was to disable the largest threat. Schemer. With a mental flash Threshold sent his power to fire every pain receptor in Schemer’s body while simultaneously disabling input from the man’s other senses. Sight, touch, sound, all cut would be cut off.
Keeping his focus on Schemer, Threshold nodded slightly to Spectre
“Good work.” He said, then his eye flickered to Masque and the boy..
“Masque. Long time no see. Are you with Schemer or with us?”
--
Blue Goblin blinks looking at everyone...not really knowing what to do, he moves to the corner.
--
Masque waited and then grinned as Winston acquiesced to her demands. Nodding softly, she looked at him seriously. “I know what it takes and I'm going to be the best person under you that you've ever had.” With a faint smirk, she stepped forward, preparing to seal the deal with a kiss but then there was an interruption.
Schemer saw the LMDs behind her and she turned to regard them as well. Then he ordered her to take care of them while he ran away with the blue kid, whoever he was, apparently a new recruit of some sort. “Alright, you guys head out the north tunnel, the rat people will lead you out of town. I have a brothel in Jersey that has a healer on staff. They can take you there.”
Interposing herself between the robots and the injured duo, Masque regarded them a long moment before realizing that she had no idea how to hold off these things. Masque was more the “Lover not a fighter” type. And then everything faded out, and when it faded end, she, along with her two companions were on the wrong side of Threshold's guns.
Masque glanced to Schemer a moment and then back to Thresh. The wind had shifted direction, it seemed. “Good to see you as always, Eric. “ Oddly polite conversation under the circumstances.
“I'm on my own side, you should know that by now. I was asked for help by the rat people and they brought me to these two. Before I could do anything, I was attacked by robots and then transported here.” Her best alluring look was focused on Threshold. “I have nothing to do with any of this, just wrong place at the wrong time.”
He could worry about this later...for now escape was the only option. The subway enterence was blocked off....robots would soon be closing in....his only hope now was the sewer system. Fortunately....he had commited to memory ever access tunnel in the city. A sealed manhole just ahead would grant him access....and then...down that maze of rot infested corridors....he could escape...and plan his revewnge at his lesuire.
The manhole was sealed shut....but not for not. A simple flip of his wrist...and bipolar amplifier within his Fedora would be landed on the manhole. The gravity increase would cause the manhole to be crushed....leaving the Schemer an open route of escape.
He climbed down the ladder into the sewer...and attempted to flee deep into the tunnels. If he could reach the main access tunnels of the sewer...he could lose those following him.
Meawhile...roughly two blocks away....the new gods had been searching for the Schemer as well. But unlike the traitor Threshold...and the turncoat trollop Hard Core....they wanted the Schemer dead.
Creature King had been scanning for the Schemer...using his rapport with animals to see through their eyes. As the Schemer entered the sewer....he did not notice a rat observing him intently. Creature king....through the rodents eyes witnessed the Schemer come into the sewer...and had the rat watch him closely.*
Got him, lass. *Creature King said turning to Spectrum.* The ruddy Schemer has gone underground...into the flippin' sewer. Down a manhole....eightth a bleeker street.
*Brawn smacked his fist into his hand. He wanted to nail the Schemer once and for all. But he said nothing of this out loud....it was Spectrum's call. She was the leader. IF they were going to go after the Schemer...she would be the one to decide.*
--
The first aid kit went to good use...patching up her step-son. She had often wondered how the boy survived being in the military school without blowing up and taking everyone with him. Pulling the piece of fencing material from his back did make her wince a bit, relieved that Eric was making sure the boy didn't feel the pain of it...and having had chunks of wall embedded in her back, she knew how much it could hurt.
"Well, I've done what I can, Eric. His body's instability should help him heal, but I don't know how long it will take."
She looks at her blood covered hands for a moment, then turns her head and retches violently, thankfully into a trash can she'd been putting the waste first aid products into. Not her most glamorous moment...at least it was just Eric and Thomas there with her.
--
He flew up into the sky, the fuel injected glider he had made from lawn mower engines banging and wheezing through the sky as a trail of oily black smoke rolled through the air behind him, his armor wobbling in the wind as it was nothing more than fragments of rubber maid tubs melted together and painted blue, with gloss paint for that extra shine. He almost looked like a real goblin, but he had something the others didn't have, an intelligence that many would work for for a hundered years and never acquire, he was beyond a born genious, he was born with the power of SCIENCE!!!!, that strange mind that occurs once every few hundered years, only he was one that even exceeded the likes of Einstein or Forge.
He looked down, surveying the land, he had no real money, the gas he used for his board he would siphon from dead cars in the junk yard, even the wings on his glider were sections of the door of a old 84 cavalier, repainted for a shine, from a distance it looked intimidating, but up close you could tell he didn't have any funding for his brilliance.
As he surveyed he looked through his blue power ranger helmet that had some milk caps glued on it to look like a goblin mask, seeing a man stealing a purse from a lady, he flying down as the man started to cross the street, sweeping down and throwing a bunch of fire crackers infront of him, using a hanger to hook the purse as the man jumped back from the bangs to look up at the goblin. "You son of a..." was all he could say as he looked up to a trash truck smashing him like a bug, the truck screeching to a stop as the remains of the thief flopped to the ground and rolled to a stop, he flying to the lady and dropping the purse, then flying off, leaving a cloud of smoke that nearly made the old lady choke to death in her condition.
He sweeped up into the air, seeing something he'd always heard of but never had seen live, sentinels chasing what looked like an innocent man down the road and into the sewers, no one knew the sewers like he did, he used them often to travel at night so he wouldn't be caught for a curfew violation, as well as he didn't have to worry about homeless people at night, at least the ones up on the streets, they were the ones not to be trusted.
He flew to a service door, hopping off his board and tugging on the thing, and tugging on the thing, yelling. "DAMMIT, could someone help me?" A random man walking up helping him pull the grate out of the way. "Thank you citizen!" The man looking at him chuckling. "Uh yeah...welcome...power goblin ranger..." He blinking. "Blue Goblin!" The guy nodding walking off. "...right..." He hopping on his glider and flying underground.
He approached the tunnels that the man, Schemer was running towards, coming up on one of the water retention ducts, reaching the wheel and beginning to spin it, as the Schemer ran by he would wait for the sentinels with fedoras following, when the first one entered the tunnel behind he would let the water flow, it exploding in a straight jet towards the sentinels, hundereds of thousands of gallons of water in a roaring jet, he zipping off towards the schemer, grabbing him by the shoulders, and scooping his butt on the front of the glider as he took off full speed, the board banking back and rocketing up through the open sewer grate into the air, flying downtown towards his secret domain.
As he flew down a glass window creeked open, the board schemer and blue goblin now all in a downward spiral, the Schemer being thrown off the glider, falling a hundered feet and landing on a stack of matresses, he feeling them all compress and compress and then a moment without movement before the springs would recoil and send him flying fifteen feet across the warehouse on his butt with a thump, the Goblin's glider dying as it popped and banged, the glider hitting the ground and sparking and whistling as it scratched the pavement slamming up against a wall, the Blue Goblin toppling onto the concrete and rolling and tossing until he smacked against a wall, his plastic armor plates popping off, a few still on, one covering his hand, one covering his left leg and his helmet busted in two, he laying in a daze staring at the ceiling.
Inside his domain was a terminal with 14 very old computers, a phone, a refrigerator, a stove and a bed, with 2 small lights hanging on 80 foot chains that hung over his work/living station. He had various parts of engines scattered all over the floor, a chalk board with equations that seemed way out of mathematical league, and cans of WD-40 as well as tools scattered through out. He also had a picture of a man and woman in a picture frame on a box next to his bed, and a .45 calibur loaded sitting next to it.
He grunting as he sat up, pulling his helmet off, rubbing his head. "...Maybe I should have used Valvoline that time, I tried Quaker State...I don't think it was as good..." He said with a groan as he stood up, moving over to the computers, they somehow surveying the movement of the sentinels, he looking at the radar, walking over to a microwave with some odd device ontop of it, some type of dish, he hitting 5 minutes and pressing start. "I'm projecting microwaves upwards to scramble signals within a 10 block area Mr. Schemer...after 5 minutes the sentinels usually stop their searches by protocol..." He walking over, powering down his computers and flipping the lights off sitting in the dark waiting.
He then walked over to the fridge, opening it up, his little stomach growling. He saw a half a cup of water and a bottle of V8 vegetable juice and looked at the man he saved and his options again. "Would you like something to drink, I have some vegetable juice..." Looking around, seeing he'd ate his last cup cake, he'd have to go find some food somewhere again tonight. "If you wanna make a clean get away, there is an entrance to the sewers in the back of this warehouse...watch out for the rat people, I'm their friend, they might have me over to have dinner with them, they might have you over for dinner for them." He laughing almost insanely as he walked over to a chair and took a seat, leaning back in the creeky old office chair.
--
Threshold snipped the thread on the last of the stitches he’d administered to the boy’s lacerated flesh, sealing the wounds. It was a job he’d become intimately familiar with over the years. A combination of his power’s ability to dull pain and his own calm personality and intelligence had conspired to often make Threshold the team’s field medic. He’d stitched, patched and cast his team mates together more times than he could count. More often than not due to one of Schemer’s plans going wrong.
“There is an open bed in the medical bay. Why don’t you take the boy there.” he said to Adrianne, nodding in the direction of a closed door. “Carefully…his instability makes it difficult to know how deep the damage to his back was. There could be spinal damage…” He stopped, seeing her vomit into the trashcan of medical waste. Concern flickered over his face as Eric used his power to feel through her body, checking the conditions of the children in her belly.
“Nevermind…rest. I’ll get him into the bed.”
Threshold stood, walking into the med bay and getting a blanket, which he used to wrap the gooseflesh covered body of Schemer’s son. With a grunt he carefully picked the young man up, carrying him into the med bay and laying him out on it. Instantly the automated medical treatment system activated, feeding an IV into Prodigal’s arm and scanning to assess the necessary treatments.
Satisfied that the boy was in as good of hands as he could be considering the situation, Threshold turned and made his way back into the command center, cleaning his hands of blood as he went.
“Are you alri…” he started to ask, before he was cut off by an alert from the Sentinels and LMD. Schemer was gone. An unknown party had appeared, fending the machines off and grabbing the Schemer before taking off and disappearing from the Sentinel’s scanners.
“Oh hell..” Threshold said, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration.
--
He was napping comfortably inside his mother's womb until the stench of blood on his mother's hands reached him through his link with her. He wasn't smelling it himself but he was reacting to her revulsion to it. He muttered in an agitated manner. ~What in blazes is going on?~ Through their link he got the full picture of what was going on and was angered. ~What is the meaning of this? Where is father? And what has this imbecile done now?~ He was referring to Winston Jr.
--
On Roddy's cue, Spectrum directs the new gods, all of them to meet her at the sewers, Brawn to guard the entrance, and the others to drop down into that God-forsaken muck and surround the Schemer. This was it, so she was on the same side against the Big Green Hat with the clique, and she would have to remember to thank him for that little trip down disloyalty, that helped nudge them to turn on him as well. For her it wasn't personal. She was a winner, and he wasn't winning anymore, his schemes all turning sour and leaving her looking ridiculous much of the time, not befitting a goddess and not bringing on much adulation from her own people even. The recent resurgence of the new gods and the new additions to their ranks only went to prove what she had said all along that they have strength and might on their side, and the superior leader in Herself.
She is already there, a speck of light flitting around like a lightning bug, watching Schemer go by the bumbling Goblin and following, watching even so as they hurl below, catching the schemer in a force field that she knows will last only seconds, and the goblin in another, holding the latter up near the ceiling suspended while she concentrates on Schemer, waiting for the others to catch up. They would be on foot, some of them and she would field this until then, alert to slam the Schemer with quick bursts of light each time he might try to escape from her .
"So, on the run again, like some common fugitive, are we?"
She laughs. "I really must remember to thank Threshhold. He doesn't know much about loyalty but I do like his style."
--
*The Schemer was getting his wits about him when suddenly...something happened...someone came from behind and gathered him up.*
Rocket?? *He said thinking it his newest recruit....the woman who could fly like a jet engine had come to recue him....but no...his telepathy spoke of someone else. A glider??? *He blinked as he was taken into the air.*
What the devil...Hobgoblin?? *Suddenly events took a turn for the worse and he was falling from the sky along with his savior....or was this a delberate attempt to destroy him by dropping him from an insane height.
He crashed on a matress stack below....and was suddenly caught up in a forcefield.*
Spectrum!!! *He said not seeing her...but knowing her powers well enough. *He was shaken from the fall...and it took a few moments for him to collect himself. When he did so...he fell back on his famed omniblaster for salvation. Magnesium flares fired into the force field would free him. For heat bent light...and her force field would give way to a heat burst.
He fled....noting Brawn and Creature king coming after him. He followed this goblin....now seen as some wannabe version of the green goblin but in blue....where he led. The New Gos must not have not have him....for truly he would die at their hands.
In this blue goblin's hideout...the Schemer saw his savior was a child....a young fool playing games. And yet...the simple parts he created to make his costume displayed genius....nothing near his own mind you..but genius none the less.*
Tell me about yourself....why did you come to my aid?? You do realize who am, boy???
*Meanwhile Creature King complained bitterly at the Schemer's temporary escape.* The bleeder slipped us!!!
*Brawn was not put off.* Don't matter, Kingy. We'll find him...he can't have gotten far.
--
"I'll hold together, Eric." She moves to get up, then gets hit by the rush of messages from one of the beans. "Your father tried to kill the others...your brother...well...tried to be heroic."
She staggers a bit, not really thinking about how odd talking to herself would be to Eric as she goes over to wash her hands. "What do you mean he's gone? How could he just vanish? Someone had to have helped him."
She rubs her stomach gently, trying to calm the kids down as she walks back towards Eric. "Is there anything on the sentinel's sensors to say what happened?
--
“There was an a low flying object that intercepted him and took to the skies, then an energy pulse that scrambled the Sentinels’ readings. They are searching now but they are not registering his genetic signature. Who would have the technology to do this, and a reason to help Schemer?”
His fingers fly over the keyboard, bringing up several new commands, accessing scans of the city for troop placement. He notes that the New Gods had been moving in on Schemer as well…and he had little doubt that they would not be so kind as to merely capture the man when they found him. Spectrum didn’t forgive slights. On the screen a new dark green blip appeared on the screen. Threshold nodded, recognizing the com icon that had just come online.
“Spectre. This is Threshold. Locate Schemer and bring him to the Philmont building command center please.”
In the sewers the LMDs continue their search, noting and dismissing several Rat People that scurried away in the darkness. The subterranean dwellers were not their target.
--
He leaned back in the chair, it creaking and he smiling until he opened his eyes to look up and out the window at the stars above, seeing a lady hovering in the window, his eyes going wide as he lunged forward, grabbing his gun and rolling up under his work table, cocking the gun and looking at Schemer. "You go, I'll hold them off..." He twisting the gun around, shooting it, bb's pinging out of the .45 caliber look alike, the sound of the metal beads pinging off the warehouse window seal...and outside.
He then motioned to Schemer and pointed to an access panel below the table opening it, and waiting for schemer to jump in, then he would, sweeping down the watery slide of water that was a supply for the city, he and Schemer blowing through three hundered feet of piping before shooting out into a pool underground of fresh clean city water, Goblin coughing and barely able to paddle himself up to the underground beach, rat people sitting on the bank pulling him up onto the coast of the underground world, he looking at Schemer as a few went to drag him up next to the boy, then they all scurried off...the hatch behind would be all that remains of them.
He looked at Schemer. "I don't know who you are, but I know you had some really big robots chasing after you sir, I'm the Blue Goblin..." he taking the blue armor panel off his leg, and the glove, the paint washing off the plastic as he laid down and coughed some more water up. "The sewers are my home, I make things for the rat people, they bring me food sometimes. We get along pretty well, why are all the people chasing after you, and why do you wear that hat, it makes you look old..."
--
Masque had stuck to the plan, let Schemer go for their own sections of the city to loot. Naturally, she'd claimed the area around fifth avenue and was busy filling her coffers. After a while of trying to lug a couple heavy bags around, she called her ex, Nuallan, and a couple other mutants and had them come out, promising them a cut if they kept looting and storing everything back at her warehouse.
Hearing a noise behind her, a chittering version of her name, she turned and saw one of the rat people beckoning to her. Masque had connections through all of the animalistic groups within the city. This one wanted her help, and she owed them a favor so she bade her goons keep gathering jewelry and she changed into the form of the rat people and followed them into the sewers.
Following the creature through the twists and turns of the subterranean warrens, she soon came to the cavern where the Blue Goblin and the Schemer were laying, sodden from the water. The little rat person came to stand in front of them and then changed into the alluring and beautiful form of Masque. First she glanced to the Goblin, “Hello, young man. And then to the Schemer, “Hello Winston.”
--
*the Schemer simply looked about the haven of this Goblin and sighed. He obviously had intelligence...but no money to put his dreams into a functional reality. Rubber-made products indeed. This youngster was creating his devices out of junkyards for heavens sake. And this was the hook the Schemer would use to get his aid. As usual....money was the root of all goodness. Goodness for him anyway.*
I'm the Schemer. *He said to the young man....not elaborating beyond that. Indeed...he could hardly believe the boy had not heard of him. His name was known throughout the world. In mutant circles....all knew him and had differing opinions of him.
Too many...he was a hated foe...or criminal madman. Too others...a hero. Even the lowly morlocks knew of him....and some even worshiped his name. For he was one that struck back against the humans that mistreated the sewer dwellers. Worshiping him seemed a most understandable reaction in the egotistical mind of the Schemer. Indeed...was he not worthy of being considered something close to a god??
He turned his attention to the Goblin once more.*
Dear boy. I can make you better than you are....with my connections I can give you money and resources to upgrade your technology a hundred fold!! And all I ask...is you get me out of the city.
*A few miles distant....Spectre heard Threshold's remarks....and nodded.*
Right on bossman. *The teleporter said flatly....and smiled.* Congratulations on the promotion, sir. I'll fetch the Schemer for you. Just give me his last general location...and I'll find him and 'port him right to you.
*Masque appeared suddenly....in the midst of the goblin and he...and the Schemer turned to her..offering a thin smile.*
Masque. I trust you've made quite a killing looting?? I'll add to it. One million dollars. And all you need do is help myself and new indigo colored friend her get me safely out of the city.
--
"Well, at least Spectre is willing to help bring him here." She furrows her brow, rubbing her stomach again now that the voices in her head went silent.
"Well, at least one of my children is a telepath it seems." She looks over the screens for a moment. "Hopefully they'll both be sane as well. There really needs to be more level headed geniuses in this world. Not just ones wanting to rule it, but ones that could rule it justly."
She puts her hand on Eric's shoulder. "I still wish I could figure out what causes Winston's instability...or just lower it to some reasonable level."
--
He looked at his bb gun that was jammed, the water pouring out of it, looking at Masque and dropping the gun, he sighed and stood up, his legs a little shaky, he had a bruise over one of his temples and rubbed his head, looked like he was suffering a mild head injury, walking wasn't his strong point as he wobbled on his feet.
-Meanwhile, back at the Batcave!!!-
Prodigy laid still, his skin starting to glow a soft blue, the look of his skin shimmering as he started to regenerate, his mind slipping into a mental cocoon to protect himself while his body began to undergo it's healing process...his entire body phasing as he was see through, from skeleton to muscles, all the organs moving, it was quite spectacular to see this process.
--
“His last known location is being uploaded to your Com Spectre. I’ve triangulated where he disappeared from sensor range via the Sentinels. It’s likely that he will once again retreat underground as the street cameras pose too much of a risk of us locating him again.
His telepathy is likely a large factor. Having the ability to hear everyone’s thoughts…to influence them to do whatever you want. It has been known to unhinge even the mind of Charles Xavier from time to time. Have you had the children screened? It is possible that Winston’s illness could be located and nipped in the bud in the children.”
Eric continued keying in commands to the machine army. One of the LMD had just arrived with the unconscious Lark, taking her to the med bay. The others continued to search the sewers..
In a deep tunnel one of the LMDs paused, head cocked to the side as it’s audio sensors picked up the distorted echo of talking. Processing the sound through it’s filters it was able to isolate the vocal patterns of Schemer, Masque, and one other. Signaling its mechanical companions, the LMD moved into position, tracking the sound toward it’s source, weapons at the ready.
--
Masque had expected something...more. She expected him to welcome her presence with open arms.. Or, more likely, abuse in some fashion. But this coldness was new and she didn't' like it one bit. He could afford to be a bit more passionate about his savior, especially in the face of the entire mutant world, including his own Clique, hunting him down.
Glancing at the wobbly boy, Masque dismissed him as no threat. “I want more, Schemer.” She crossed her arms obstinately. “I want to be second in command. And five million dollars.” She turned and spoke to the rat people and they scurried away, to spy out the best route to get out of the city. “And I want you to ditch Hard Core.” She considered a moment. “I also want you to help me steal our grandchild. I'm going to raise him or her myself.”
--
*The Schemer grinned as masque's greed came to the surface. Of course she would not settle for a million dollars. Such was merely the opening bid. Masque's greed and intelligence in haggling over business transactions...along with her outer beauty had always been her most enjoyable traits.*
Second in command. *He sighed...he loved Hard Core deeply...but obviously she was siding with threshold. A moments lament...and the deal was made.*
Apparently the job is open. You are my new second in command, masque. You and this one. *He pointed to the fumbling goblin...obvious slightly hurt somewhat from the ride into this hovel lair of his.*
Of course there will great financial rewards to go along with your new position...and a great deal of responsibility.
*Suddenly...LMDs skittered down the corridor leading to the goblin's hideout.*
Blast and botheration!!! Discovered!! Masque....earn your keep my dear....dispose those things.
*Nearby...Spectre heeded Threshold's words and began a grid pattern search of the area. It took only a few 'ports to end up in the Schemer's location. Masque....The Schemer and some kid in blue armor were there.....he simply would teleport them all back to Threshold. Waist not...want not.*
--
She listens to the com from Spectre and simply waits. There was little else for her to do, though, she did notice the bluish light coming from the medical area and nods to herself.
"Thomas is healing himself...he will probably be joining us in here shortly." She wobbles a bit, then just moves over to take a seat again. The whole pregnancy thing was beginning to wear thin on her, and thankfully she was able to keep her gestational insanity intact, otherwise NYC would have been destroyed. She chuckles softly at the notion of herself getting soft because of being pregnant...though she knew the risks to herself, she was dangerously serious about making sure these children survived to be born.
--
He sat up slowly, his eyes blinking as he took a deep breath then let it out, his feet nestling against the floor as he felt the coldness of it against the bottom of bare feet. He pulled the blanket around his body, standing up, feeling his now dry and clean skin completely repaired walking down the hallway unable to remember the events up to, he couldn't really remember, coming out of a healing cycle was sometimes rather strange for him, there was a period of not knowing what was going on, and he walked into the room with Threshold and Hardcore and blinked as he looked around with confusion.
"Anything to eat in here?" Is all he could manage to say..."I thought I was...where am I?" He looking at them both with a large about of frustration in his eyes, taking a seat and taking a deep breath letting it out. "Sure am hungry..."
--
Eric nodded, noticing the blue light emanating from the med bay as well. The boy’s powers were impressive, he wasn’t sure that his own mutant abilities could affect Prodigy when the boy was in his energy form.
“He asked us to stop. Do you believe he will be siding with his father in-spite of the fact that Winston tried to kill him? If so we need to sedate him now before he fully awakens.”
At that the air popped, a pressure wave of displaced air pushing through the room. Threshold shook his head at the mild discomfort of the sudden depressurization with heralded the arrival of a teleported. Arming himself with his guns and their high velocity bullets, Threshold turned to greet the three that Spectre had brought in. His first order of business was to disable the largest threat. Schemer. With a mental flash Threshold sent his power to fire every pain receptor in Schemer’s body while simultaneously disabling input from the man’s other senses. Sight, touch, sound, all cut would be cut off.
Keeping his focus on Schemer, Threshold nodded slightly to Spectre
“Good work.” He said, then his eye flickered to Masque and the boy..
“Masque. Long time no see. Are you with Schemer or with us?”
--
Blue Goblin blinks looking at everyone...not really knowing what to do, he moves to the corner.
--
Masque waited and then grinned as Winston acquiesced to her demands. Nodding softly, she looked at him seriously. “I know what it takes and I'm going to be the best person under you that you've ever had.” With a faint smirk, she stepped forward, preparing to seal the deal with a kiss but then there was an interruption.
Schemer saw the LMDs behind her and she turned to regard them as well. Then he ordered her to take care of them while he ran away with the blue kid, whoever he was, apparently a new recruit of some sort. “Alright, you guys head out the north tunnel, the rat people will lead you out of town. I have a brothel in Jersey that has a healer on staff. They can take you there.”
Interposing herself between the robots and the injured duo, Masque regarded them a long moment before realizing that she had no idea how to hold off these things. Masque was more the “Lover not a fighter” type. And then everything faded out, and when it faded end, she, along with her two companions were on the wrong side of Threshold's guns.
Masque glanced to Schemer a moment and then back to Thresh. The wind had shifted direction, it seemed. “Good to see you as always, Eric. “ Oddly polite conversation under the circumstances.
“I'm on my own side, you should know that by now. I was asked for help by the rat people and they brought me to these two. Before I could do anything, I was attacked by robots and then transported here.” Her best alluring look was focused on Threshold. “I have nothing to do with any of this, just wrong place at the wrong time.”