HF RPG 2.5

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Jade:

 

The ship set down and the rear hatch opened, revealing a particularly smug Jade Rily leaning against the interior bulkhead.

 

"You know when you aren't cutting holes in my ship, you make a pretty good distraction."

[Onaku]

IC: Andrea Plume

^{Location: Her airship}
Andrea waited next to her airship, located at her usual hangout outside the garage she still rented. A smile came to her lips as she heard the distinct sound of Kat's thrusters approaching.

 

 

IC: Var Vilandris

^{Location: Eclipse Station - Tier 3}

There were few beings around in these parts. Rumours and a cold feeling of dread made sure that people tended to keep their distance from this place. She was here only by necessity. Var approached the rundown building in the centre of the 'deadzone', looking around and keeping her wits about her. There was no guarantee of safety in these parts of the station, less than in any other part, and any scum able to shake off the dread this place instilled would be very formidable indeed.

 

There was a heavy door on the building, and next to it sat a small button. A light buzzing sound was heard when she pressed it, and then silence. A few seconds later, a small hatch opened up on the door. "Who goes there? What do you want?" A cranky voice could be heard, and two peering yellow glowing eyes looked through the small opening in the door.

 

"I'm here to see Necrissia. I have need of her services."

[Klanadack]

IC: Wilhelm Gorn- Mekron

 

Gorn raised an eyebrow, a gesture that was masked by his helmet's static faceplate.

 

"Oh, come on. You know that I would have won either way."

 

Gorn set Corroder down on one of the seats within the craft, her communication with Black Phantom having gone unnoticed.

 

"Nevertheless, your assistance was appreciated. Thank you."

 

Gorn started making his way back to the street, before pausing and then turning back to Jade.

 

"Do you want me to come with you, in case she tries anything? Or have you got everything under control?"

[Rylinth Anderfel]

IC: Blink - With "Rotor"

"Ugh," she said, turning back to her phone. "Nothing super specific, no, but we do have our search area narrowed down considerably."

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Jade:

 

The pilot rolled her eyes, flipping down a bracing cage over Corroder's seat, where it locked into place.

 

"No, yeah, just leave the acid spitting super criminal here with me by myself in basic restraints, I'm sure that'll go well."

 

She sauntered into her seat and began powering up the craft.

[Klanadack]

IC: Wilhelm Gorn

 

"Her weapons have been removed, she will not be spitting acid again any time soon."

 

Gorn took a seat himself, across from Corroder so as to keep an eye on her.

 

"But I'll stay, if it will make you feel better."

Edited January 25, 2017 by Klanadack

[ZippyWharrgarbl]

IC: XPlode - With Whipcrack

 

"That will have to do, I suppose. Head back to the ship. We will meet you there." He turned to Whipcrack. "It appears we have something."

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Kat:

 

I touched down just outside my Team Leader's place.

 

Andrea Plume. I hadn't really gotten a good read on her yet but she seemed nice enough. And she dug the flying thing. Always a plus.

 

I stepped over to where she was working, "Heya, Team Leader!"

Edited January 25, 2017 by Strider!

[Onaku]

IC: Andrea Plume

^{Location: Her ship}

Andrea turned to where Kat was approaching and smiled. "Kat, thank you for coming. May I present to you... my masterpiece." Andrea stepped back from her ship and gestured to it. There stood a dropship painted with painstaking detail, a breathtaking portrayal of feathery wings and vast clouds on its hull. "So... how do you like it?"

[Kovsorr the Collectinator]

IC: Whipcrack (With Xplode)

 

Whipcrack grins, before breaking out into a cough.

"Excellent," he smiles.

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Kat:

 

I hovered up and around the ship.

 

"Paint looks good, anything new under the hood?"

[Rylinth Anderfel]

IC: Blink - With "Rotor"

"Just around the corner here..." she muttered to herself as they drew nearer to where the ship was parked.

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Jade:

 

"My hero..."

 

She opened a channel to Stormer, "Got a present for you Alpha Lead, headed to the Police HQ to drop it off."

 

The gunship lifted off, and eased into the sky.

[Onaku]

IC: Andrea Plume

^{Location: Her ship}

"Nope. I ain't touching that ever since I short-circuited the engines trying to boost their power. Took a week for me to fix it, and even then I still had to take it to someone who knew what they were doing to get it running properly. These newfangled dropships are out of my league. I upgraded it to the latest tech, but that's it. Nothing new on my end."

[ZippyWharrgarbl]

IC: Timothy Gyro - Very Concerned

 

He followed Blink, the bad feeling returning with a vengeance.

 

~

 

IC: XPlode - Leaving

 

"We should take our leave, friend. It seems we have found all that we could here."" He led the way to the door, gesturing for Whipcrack to leave first.

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Kat:

 

"Oh."

 

 

"So what's up, I'm sure you didn't bring me all the way across town just to admire your painting skills."

[Rylinth Anderfel]

IC: Blink - Villain Ship

"Alright, we're at the ship now," she told the other villains over the phone as she and "Rotor" arrived back at the ship. "Ready to go any time."

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Thak:

 

"...Rotor, what happened to your cloak?"

 

Is what he might have said if Rotor returned missing a cloak.

 

That hadn't happened, so Thak fiddled with a mobile phone.

Edited January 31, 2017 by Strider!

[ZippyWharrgarbl]

OOC: I want it noted that due to the vagueness of Scorp's original post I humbly requested to him that I decide exactly where Thak is and what he's doing, hoping to have him outside the ship working on his jazz ballet routine, but Scorp has cruelly denied my request >:u

 

~

 

IC: XPlode - Leaving Office

 

"Very good," he smiled. "Have Rotor start the ship, will you? We shan't be long."

 

~

 

IC: Gyro - Suspicions Rise

 

Gyro had stopped in his tracks to stare up at the ship, which was expensive looking yet generic and not really identifiable. The windows were tinted to prevent anyone seeing the interior, the ship was well looked after, but those were the only real noticeable things about it. If this was his companion's ship, then she'd gone out of her way to make the ship as unnoticeable as possible.

 

He was just considering that maybe that was a security thing or something when he heard Blink talking to someone on her communicator. He hadn't been paying much attention earlier, but the voice on the other end had sounded eerily familiar. He was starting to realise why.

 

As part of his own training, he'd taken to studying video records the Hero Factory had of Rotor. He'd gone up against the guy in simulations, too. It was kind of hard to figure out training regimes and fighting moves based around a back-mounted propeller in standard training sources, for one. For another, he... kind of... half-hoped he'd meet Rotor one day. That part, he'd jokingly told people was because he wanted to battle for the title of Best Rotor. To Scarlet, his most trusted friend, he'd told something much closer to the truth; he wasn't really sure why. He guessed some part of him thought Rotor would 'get it', whatever 'it' was. Answer some questions he had, understand how it felt to get irritable from walking on the ground too long or even just something as simple as empathising with getting the hang of doors and seating arrangements with a propeller attached to his back.

 

He remembered this now, because he remembered Rotor was often found committing felonies with XPlode. This meant a lot of the videos and simulations included XPlode in the scene. This also meant that the voice he could hear- not the words, but the sound and tone- was sounding very, oddly familiar.

 

As casually as he could muster, he started putting together an email in his CPU, containing the information he'd just found on the device. Either the guy on the other end of the call did one heck of an XPlode impression and he needed to get this information to the others anyway, or he was in a heck of a lot of trouble and needed someone to know vaguely where his scrapped parts had been left.

 

This didn't make sense, he fretted internally. If his new friend was in cahoots with XPlode, why would she take him here? His Hero Core was right there on his chest, and besides that, she'd been acting like she knew him. A possibility slowly bobbed to the surface of his mind, but it was so ridiculously impossible that it just couldn't be true... could it?

 

~

 

IC: Rotor - Meanwhile

 

"Whaddaya mean, ya ran out?!" Rotor demanded of the cashier. "I already had to walk halfway 'cross the city lookin' for this charger, and finally I get to the one dinky shed that's got it, and you ran out?!"

 

The cashier, who had worked in retail long enough to be numb to anything a disgruntled customer could throw at them, said in a voice that had been drained of all warmth and cheer long ago, "We get new stock next week. I cannot make the shipment come faster. I am sorry for any inconvenience. Will that be all today?"

 

"Can't you check in back?" Rotor snapped.

 

"We have our stock here in the computer. We do not have the charger." From this, they launched into a memorised yet still monotone corporate-mandated speech. "We have an amazing variety of all sorts of goods and wares here, from homeware to sportswear. Pause for laugh. Even if you did not find what you were looking for today, we would love to order it in for you, or make a recommendation on some other great deals we have today."

 

Rotor stared hard at the cashier. They returned with a thousand-yard stare right through him. He said, "Ain't there anywhere else you can check? Maybe you missed one?"

 

This triggered the same practiced speech he received before. He groaned. If he caused a scene, that could screw up XPlode's entire mission, but it was getting so hard. He elected to instead find something that was worth the effort of arguing with an employee at the door about whether he could bring his "planks" (his wrapped up blades) into the store, just so he'd have something to do if XPlode hadn't returned yet.

Edited January 31, 2017 by ZippyWharrgarbl

[Kovsorr the Collectinator]

IC: Whipcrack (With Xplode)

 

Whipcrack nods to Xplode, and makes his way back to the ship.

[Rylinth Anderfel]

IC: Blink - Villain Ship

"Got it," she responded, before snapping the phone shut and sliding it back into her pocket. "Ey buddy," she turned to "Rotor",  "He's saying to get the ship warmed up; he'll be back any minute."

[ZippyWharrgarbl]

IC: Gyro - Not Quite There Yet

 

"Uh, sure," he said, jostled from his thoughts and the preparations of his email. "Gimme a minute."

 

He climbed on board, to see another being playing on their phone. Well, it wasn't XPlode. He tried to look unbothered as he turned for the pilot's seat, which was noticeably large, even compared to Tim's larger than average size. He took note of some scratches on either side of the roof- where, perhaps, a large double-ended blade had scraped the metal during the jostling motions of more rough flights- and the impossibility he had been thinking about crept closer to the realm of the possible.

 

He couldn't ask, not without looking suspicious. If he was right, there was a good chance he wasn't getting out of this unscathed. If he was wrong, well, there was no need to ask and he could joke about it later.

 

"Hey," he said casually to the other being. It was best to sound neutral for now.

 

~

 

IC: XPlode - I Nearly Wrote 'With XPlode' Which Is Technically True

 

"It seems Blink has proven herself very useful," XPlode remarked as he re-locked the door and joined Whipcrack on the trek back. "Hopefully, we will be on our way to the runaway ship shortly."

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Thak:

 

He looked up, ready to return the greeting.

 

His view was taken by a robot who was distinctly -not- Rotor. Rotor didn't have a big glowing 'H' on his chest.

 

Not to mention the lack of cloak and aforementioned charger that Rotor had left to acquire.

 

That said, he wasn't aware of any Heroes who shared a passing resemblance with Rotor.

 

Thak let the matter be. After all, he wasn't doing anything illegal.

 

Yet.

 

"You get that charger?" He asked nonchalantly.

[ZippyWharrgarbl]

IC: Tim Gyro - Angelic Choir As Propeller Boy Finally Puts The Pieces Together

 

This being talked like he'd just left. A lot of things were falling into place, and impossible as it was, it was looking a lot like the impossible answer was the right one.

 

They thought he was Rotor.

 

He didn't know how. He didn't know why. He had a big Hero Core in his chest, big H and everything! He shared a resemblance with the guy, but he was smaller, for one, and his blades folded right down. A lot of things flew through his head as he tried to compose himself without looking like he had to try to do so.

 

Charger. Rotor was here- his tanks lurched at the thought of being so close to meeting the guy, but he wasn't sure what emotion caused it- and he went for a charger. Gyro came back without one. He had to explain that.

 

"Fresh out," he answered. "Of all the luck, huh?"

 

Maybe he was wrong. Maybe he was actually among a bunch of investigators and he looks a lot like one of their friends. Or he looks like a Hero friend of theirs. But who else looked anything like him?

 

His reply was short both from not wanting to go into too much detail- he knew from experience, the key to bluffing was keeping it vague- and from adding a hasty message to the files he sent to the rest of the Heroes.

 

The other Heroes would receive photos from Gyro's feed, including the information on where the ship might be, along with a message along the lines of:

 

Hey guys sorry I took so long but here's some files I found investigating and I'm not sure but I might be in trouble because turns out the investigator I was with might be a villain???????? Idk but now I'm on this ship and I thought I heard someone talking to XPlode earlier and they all seem to know me and I think maybe they somehow missed the big H on my chest and think I'm Rotor maybe but ????????????????????????????????????? But might be best for me to meet you at the starwhale because atm if they think I'm Rotor if I just play along I might be better off than if a bunch of Heroes rock up so I'm gonna try and bluff my way at least to the starwhale so see you there I guess??? Or not they might leave me in a scrap pile somewhere which might be bad lol. Or I might be wrong and I look like a huge dingus right now

 

Oh and ps please don't tell my team leader about this she will flip a bolt

 

~

 

OOC: Heroes now have access to the info on the thing Blink and Gyro found, including the rough idea of where the ship might be.

Edited February 2, 2017 by ZippyWharrgarbl

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Thak:

 

He nodded, putting away the phone and stretching to his full height.

 

"You aren't Rotor."

 

It was a simple statement. Matter of fact, even.

 

Not a trace of maliciousness in his admittedly gravelly voice.

 

Thak sighed, rubbing his temples, which drew attention away from the fact that he'd activated a comm to all of his party. One way, of course, it wouldn't do to have them respond.

 

"I do see the family resemblance, though. You certainly look the part, if a bit... Smaller? Refined, maybe. But I'm fairly certain Rotor does not have one of those...." He pointed at the glowing 'H', "...wonderful Quaza cores on his chest."

 

He extended the same hand for a polite shake, "If I might ask what a Hero is doing on my ship?"

[The Invisible Handman]

IC: Flynn Flames - Antropolis Hero Krew

 

It seemed like I was not getting an answer soon, oh well. Things  were getting a bit dull though, as I idly checked my computer I noticed I had an email. As I read it things got a lot less dull and a lot more ... dramatic.

 

"GYRO WAS SNEAKING OF WITH A REPORTER, BUT SHE MIGHT BE A VILLAIN! QUICK COBRA! WE MUST RESCUE HIM"

I bellowed as I grabbed the cold hero by the hand. We had to save gyro at all costs, especially now he was in such danger.

[ZippyWharrgarbl]

IC: GyRotor - This Was Meant To Be The Best Unintentional Stealth Mission Ever

 

Looked like, despite all possibilities, he'd guessed right. Time to put whatever acting skills he had to use. He fixed the guy with a mean look.

 

"What the heck're you talking about? 'Course I'm-" He glanced down at himself. "Oh. The getup. Uh, right. I figured I'd try a new doohickey I picked up from a pal of a pal, you know. I dunno the specifics, I think I heard something about hard illusion holograms or some other garbage. I dunno. Thought it sounded too good to be true. Shoulda known better, because the dang thing's stuck."

 

He scowled. "Yukk it up all you want. Ain't my fault. It'll be bad enough when XPlode gets back. Can't be worse than rubbin' elbows with the Heroes to look the part. Eugh. Be showerin' for weeks to get the goody two shoes stench off."

 

The scratches on the roof, where (presumably) Rotor's blades had scratched the metal, didn't look new. Taking a chance, he said, "Besides, this ain't your ship, dingus."

 

~

 

IC: XPlode - Huh

 

His stride paused for a moment, listening in. What in the galaxy was going on? Rotor was meant to be on board the ship. And now there was a Hero on his ship, and for some reason, Thak wasn't shooing them off. And the description... "Looks the part"? Was this a Hero in some kind of costume-

 

An odd, barely contained smile spread across his face.

 

He was pretty sure he had a vague idea what was happening now.

 

~

 

IC: Rotor - Being The Worst

 

Rotor, having shoved a handheld gaming device (plus charger) down the front of his cloak without an employee humbly asking if he needed help with the item, was browsing the game aisle and purposely jumbling the shelves as vengeance for wasting his time. He'd turned his communicator off; XPlode had, after all, been very clear that no one make a scene. Normally he wouldn't bother, and it irked him a little to have his comm off in case something important happened, but it seemed like a really bad idea to leave it on and risk getting startled at a bad moment, or accidentally jostling his stolen goods without thinking when answering a call.

 

He'd head out soon. It'd suck if he was all the way over here if things went bad and XPlode needed him ready at the ship for a speedy getaway. Sighing, he tossed a case onto the pile he'd made on the floor, and thudded out. Flying was risky, so it looked like it would be a long walk back.

[Rylinth Anderfel]

IC: Cobra Shard - What The...?

"VILLAINS? WHAT? WHERE?" Shard yelled as he was dragged into a run by Flames. Then he checked his email.

 

IC: Blink - Unaware

Blink, who had yet to enter the ship, remained blissfully unaware of Thak's confrontation with "Rotor".

Edited February 3, 2017 by Rylinth Anderfel

[The UltimoScorp]

Ooc: uh, Rylinth, Thak and Gyro are both in the ship....

 

IC Thak:

 

He laughed, genuinely.

 

"More astute than you seem, I see. You are correct, this is not my ship."

 

"That said, there is no hologram technology that can change the height of someone, and my friend, Rotor is taller than you."

 

"It might please you to know that I've hired him and this lovely lady here as protection while I investigate some missing property of mine. Sort of a... Rehabilitation, as it were."

 

"Mr. Xplode was kind enough to provide a transport along with his man, something I'm sure I'll have to repay him for at some point. He can be quite persuasive when he wants to be."

 

He shook his head and smiled his strange organic smile.

 

"If I might ask you again what you're doing here, Hero? Perhaps investigating a certain something gone missing?"

[Klanadack]

IC: Jason Ferro- Antropolis

 

Having also received and read Gyro's message, Ferro ran after Shard and Flames.

 

"WAIT! IF THEY THINK HE'S ROTOR, THEN ALL YOU'RE GONNA DO IS BLOW HIS COVER!"

[Rylinth Anderfel]

OOC: Fixed

 

IC: Cobra Shard - Confused

"Oh- oh yeah-" he stumbled to a halt. "Hey Flames, maybe we should take the 'stealthy approach'?"

[ZippyWharrgarbl]

IC: GyRotor - Bluff It Til You Stuff It

 

He stuffed his growing dread into the pit of his tank and turned it into an angry snort. "A'ight, fine, maybe it wasn't a hologram. Do I look like the kinda guy who gets that nerd stuff? I told you, I dunno what it was. So you can stop making up garbage, because "Mister" XPlode is comin' back right now and I gotta get the ship started. Thanks."

 

He was totally screwed if Rotor came back. Or if XPlode decided to quiz him on Rotor's personal life. He stomped to the giant pilot's seat, sat heavily in it, and started going through the flight checks for takeoff.

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Thak:

 

He draped himself around the chair, uncomfortably close.

 

"Just one other thing, 'Rotor'. What happened to the restraining bolts I asked you to get, hmm?"

[The Invisible Handman]

IC: Flynn Flames

 

With Cobra's hand still in my grasp, the moment he stopped my momentum carried me forward, I let go and fell straight into the ground. "But we have no time to lose ... fine we can stake the ship out"

[ZippyWharrgarbl]

IC: GyRotor - Struggling

 

He suspected this might be a trick, but he couldn't risk being wrong, so he decided to give an in-between answer.

 

"I don't remember you asking me for restraining bolts!" He flicked a switch a little too hard in feigned frustration. "And I ain't goin' back for 'em. I ain't yer gopher. Do your own shopping."

Edited February 4, 2017 by ZippyWharrgarbl

[Rylinth Anderfel]

IC: Cobra Shard - Rookie Squad

"Alright," he breathed a sigh of relief as he helped Flames back to to his feet. "Gyro's been having a tough time; the last thing he needs is for us to screw up his cover now. We'll stay hidden and the bad guys will never even know we're there! Come on!" Shard started moving again, but at a walk this time.

 

IC: Blink - NOW She's In The Ship

Blink sauntered into the ship, thoroughly unsurprised to hear "Rotor" and Thak bickering about something or other up near the front.

[The UltimoScorp]

IC Thak:

 

He shrugged, and slunk away from the chair.

 

He swept past Blink, and outside a ways. Out of earshot.

 

He tapped a button on his comm unit, tying it only to Xplode.

 

"I'm certain you heard all of that."

[The Invisible Handman]

IC: Flynn Flames

 

Now that I had calmed down a bit I followed ahead of Cobra at the briskest of walking paces. Coming to just within sight of the spaceship I could see some black amphibious alien entering the ship ... clearly some nefarious evildoer just waiting to kill Gyro ... NO, I had to wait. 

"How do we know when Gyro needs us?"

[Klanadack]

IC: Jason Ferro- Antropolis

 

"I dunno... I'm sure it'll be obvious if something goes wrong, though. Besides, mission control can see everything that Gyro does, so they'll probably send out an alert if things start to REALLY suck."

 

Once Ferro saw the ship, he quickly ducked behind a corner to avoid being seen.

 

"You guys should take cover, too. If they notice a hero watching them, they'll probably make a run for it."

[The Invisible Handman]

IC: Flynn Flames - Antropolis

 

The moment Ferro stopped talking I crouched down behind a crate.

"... Good point, I never got your name though ... I'm Flynn Flames"