PeabodySam

I wrote this short story last July, during the time that BZPower forums were offline, and so I could not post it right away. Nearly a year later, I rediscovered this story on my computer and decided that it was finally time for it to be published. ----- Cursed Form 91,818 B.G.C. I opened my eyes for the first time. When my eyes were shut, I dreamt of places, beings, and adventures of another life. But now these visions deserted me, and I beheld an entirely different scene. I was submerged in orange fluid. My vision was blurred and I was barely conscious, but I saw dark figures surrounding me, watching me. Although I was already slipping back into unconsciousness, I was plagued by dozens of questions. Where am I? How did I get here? Why am I here? What is going on? Who are they? Who am I? ***** When I regained consciousness, there was a notable change in my environment. The orange fluid had been drained, and I now saw that I was contained inside a large glass tube. Outside, I saw lots of delicate machinery, filling the small room. I now more clearly saw my observers. Each one possessed four arms and two large yellow eyes. They were entirely organic, with black-green scaly skin. They watched me with interest, but their expressions told me that they did not seem particularly pleased about what they saw. Slowly, I turned my head, taking in my surroundings. I still had many questions, and I wanted answers. Unfortunately, I could see that the other beings seemed content to simply observe me. They occasionally talked amongst themselves, but showed no intentions of answering my own questions, or even releasing me from my containment, for that matter. I reached up and tapped the glass. A few of the observers noticed, but they turned away and continued their conversations with one another. I knew that they did not wish to speak with me, but I had little intention of being treated like a caged beast. I balled my hands into fists, then thrust my arms out. My fists shattered the glass, and my containment fell to pieces around me. The glass shards bounced harmlessly off of my armor. Instantly, all eyes were on me, and the room was silent. At last, one of the observers, presumably the leader, stepped forward. "What madness is this?" he demanded in an irritated tone. I locked eyes with him. Slowly, I spoke my first words: "Who... am... I?" The lead observer's expression softened, betraying that he was satisfied, or perhaps amused, by my question. Other observers began talking, but none were speaking to me; again, they were talking amongst themselves. "He appears quite sentient." "Excellent. He speaks our language quite well." "His temper may need to be contained." "Let us begin the testing right away," the lead observer declared. Again, I asked my question, to which the observers took little notice. I repeated my question. This time, the lead observer glared at me, visibly annoyed. "Perhaps," murmured one of the other observers, "it would be best to humor him. We must be prepared to answer these questions in our second trial." The lead observer considered this, then nodded and approached me. "You are our creation," he explained, "our experiment." My eyes widened with surprise. "You... created me?" The observer's expression betrayed mixed feelings. His smile boasted pride, but in his eyes I saw embarrassment or perhaps even disgust. "Indeed," he nodded. "I am Zyents, and these are my fellow experimenters." "Why," I inquired, "did you bring me into being, Zyents?" "That is a rather long tale," frowned Zyents. With a sigh, he added: "But I suppose that I should have an answer for you, since I'll likely be asked that same question after our second trial." Zyents grabbed a chair, sat down in it, and watched me with wary eyes as he recounted my origins. "Several decades ago, I saw a large object, almost looking like a giant robotic being, enter our planet's atmosphere one night. Nobody believed me the following morning, but no one could deny that there was now a large land mass where before there was only water. We scouted the terrain which, despite the thick forestry and presence of three peculiar structures, appeared uninhabited. We were about to quit our search when that observation was suddenly proven false." Zyents handed me a sketch. I looked it over and saw the image of a biomechanical warrior. "We saw a mysterious being emerge from the largest of the three structures; specifically, the structure located directly in the center of the new land. The figure wore armor and carried a spear, but most interestingly he had the ability to control air itself. Due to his armor and weapon, we assumed that he had emerged from the structure with some sort of violent purpose. As such, we engaged him in combat. Although he incapacitated most of our number, we successfully amputated a small part of his being, which we kept as a scientific sample. He retreated, and we pursued our adversary to the same structure from which he emerged. " The experimenter took the sketch from me before continuing to recount his experiences. "Upon entering the structure, we passed through a long series of tunnels before discovering, much to our surprise, an entire series of islands located beneath the new land. These islands were inhabited by a wide variety of biomechanical species, including 'Matoran', short but very common citizens of the islands, and those called 'Toa', warriors such as the one we had encountered. As we observed their world, we wondered what potentials we could reach by creating one of these 'Toa'. So, we extracted genetic information from our severed sample. " Zyents made a wide gesture towards the rest of the laboratory. "Underneath the other two smaller structures of the new land, we found a secret tunnel with a small empty cavern halfway-through the passage. Although we did not know its original purpose, we were able to convert the cavern into this secret laboratory, where we set up the proper equipment for our cloning process... such as the test tube that you just broke. After many months of development, you were finally completed." I was silent for a moment, as I let the story of Zyents sink into my head. Then, I inquired, "What happens now?" Zyents stood, grinning eagerly. "Now," he replied, "testing begins." "Testing?" I repeated uneasily. "Indeed, testing. Now that you are alive, we must be sure that all of your vital systems are functional and that you are capable of basic instinctual tasks, such as walking. This is all in preparation for our second trial. Rest assured that you will be rewarded with a surprise upon completion of the tests." Thus, testing began. All of my life functions appeared to be functioning properly. It became clear to the experimenters that I possessed the sentience and intelligence of the Toa I was based upon; however, because of "modifications" made during the cloning process, they made me speak their language. On the other hand, there were numerous issues that the experimenters found. They determined that I was partially blind in one eye, and as such my depth perception and hand-eye coordination were off. They also expressed disappointment when I tried to walk for the first time. For some reason, walking seemed completely wrong, almost as though it was not as I remembered it. For several hours, I was only capable of stumbling about, often being forced to crawl on my torso. Eventually, I was able to overcome this problem, but even then walking seemed strange and alien to me. The experimenters shook their heads at this, jotted down notes, and talked amongst themselves. I was certain that one of them muttered: "This will be corrected in the second trial." All these comments about a "second trial" made me curious. What was the first trial? My creation? Why was a second trial necessary? Did they plan to put me back in a test tube to improve my being? As I contemplated this, a darker theory formed in my mind. As the tests neared completion, I finally got a chance to speak with Zyents, the head researcher. He studied my breathing, claiming that he was testing to see if I could control air. I chose this moment and dared to ask, "What am I to you?" "Pardon?" murmured Zyents, not paying attention. I glared at him. "I'm just your little experiment, a laboratory specimen. In your eyes, I am not an equal." Zyents glared at me with a bored expression. "That is true. We are, after all, your creators. We deserve to be respected as thus." "But do I deserve to be treated as a thing?" I snapped. "A mere object that can be thrown away when broken?" Zyents sighed, but his breath carried disappointment, not regret. "You must come to understand," he explained. "You are our first attempt at cloning this Toa. Our sample was contaminated, or perhaps even tampered with. As such, you are flawed... deformed. We will have to try again, but creating you, an imperfect specimen, took time and resources. And we'll have to replace that test tube that you smashed, and I hope you realize that the tube was expensive." My dark fears were realized. "So that is what you meant by that rewarding surprise you promised me. You were going to dispose of me and start anew, and maybe in your second trial you might succeed in your little cloning process. But me? I'll just be... put to death." "As you creator," declared Zyents, "I have the right to determine your fate." "As my creator," I snapped, "you owe duties to your creation. You ought to grant me a long happy life in this world. But you care nothing for me! You may be my creator, but you are not my master." My anger rose; I did not notice the air pressure rising with it. Zyents scowled. "Such impunity!" he spat. "I gave you life; I owe you nothing more!" "You should not have gifted me with life," I retorted, "only to take it away!" By now, all the researchers were staring at me with wide eyes. "You don't understand!" claimed Zyents. "This is all for science!" "Oh?" I was skeptical. "Then let us assume that the second trial works perfectly, or what if I had been flawless? What then? What would you do with your warrior who could wield the element of air? Science? I think not." Zyents said nothing. Although he glared at me with contempt, his limbs were trembling. "This isn't science!" I declared. "You have taken the study of the world around us and perverted it to meet your own selfish ends. You sacrifice its true purposes... and you sacrifice my own life, deeming me as a failure." "Stop this now!" demanded Zyents. I frowned. "I have no right to defend my very life?" Then, Zyents placed his hands over his ears and screamed in pain, a most terrible sound. The other experimenters did likewise. I saw monitors break and glass shatter. As if under a tremendous weight, Zyents's legs buckled. Only then did I notice that the room's air pressure was exceedingly high. Panicked, I wondered what the cause was. I slowly looked down at my own hands and recalled that I was based upon a Toa who controlled air. In my anger, I had created a high air pressure. Seeking to rectify this, I raised my hands and called upon my inherited ability to control air. It took massive willpower, but I was able to reign in the air pressure. The pressure lowered, and slowly Zyents and the other experimenters were back on their feet. I smiled, allowing myself some pride in my triumph. I had mastered my element. Or so I thought. Now that the air pressure was on the decline, I could not stop it. In only a matter of seconds, the air was dangerously thin. Zyents's eyes bulged out of their sockets. He desperately gasped for air and gave a muted plea for help. Then, one by one, Zyents and the experimenters collapsed to the floor. Once again, I panicked. And in that moment, I lost control. The room was filled with howling winds. All around me, machinery was demolished. Glass shards from my shattered test tube flew about like deadly projectiles. I was deafened by the wails and screams of the wind. It was over quickly. The air was normal again, but now I was surrounded by destruction. I rushed to the aid of Zyents; despite his intentions, I felt that I owed something to my creator. But when I laid my eyes on his body - still, silent, and impaled by shards of broken glass - I knew that I could not save him. Looking around, I saw that none of the other experimenters survived. "I'm a murderer," I realized. Horror-stricken, I backed away from the corpses as I desperately tried to rationalize my actions. "No!" I whispered to myself. "It was an accident! I was defending myself, but I lost control...!" But no matter how I shut my eyes, I could not dispel the images of the lifeless forms of Zyents and my other creators. They had given me life... and I had taken theirs. Frightened by what I had done, I backed away, then turned and ran down one of the tunnels connected to the laboratory. Eventually, I reached a dead end. Before I could turn around and head back the way I came, a hatch opened in the ceiling. I hid in the shadows as a mechanical beetle-like creature dropped down into the tunnel. Its metallic body was colored in shades of green, it carried two large shields, and it had narrow red eyes. It was followed by seven more of its kind, which all looked nearly identical except for red shapes partially obscured by their faceplates. The lead beetle made shrill clicking noises. It and its brethren shifted into ball-like forms and rolled down the passageway. Curious, I followed them back to the laboratory of my creation. There, the beetles unfolded out of ball mode and surveyed the area. Without hesitation, they began spraying acid from their shields at everything they saw. The demolished machinery, the rubble, even the corpses. I felt sickened as I watched the face of Zyents melt away. In a matter of moments, the beetles' task was done. Where there had once been a laboratory, there was now only an empty cavern. Nothing remained of the place or people that created me. The beetles shifted back into ball mode and rolled away. Hoping to find an escape, I began to follow them, but a quiet crack caught my attention. I looked down. A few shards of glass littered the ground, having escaped the beetles' acid. Gingerly, I picked up one of the pieces, realizing that these were the last remnants of my creation. I followed the beetles to the opposite end of the tunnel. There, another hatch opened in the ceiling, and one-by-one the beetles climbed out of the tunnel. Before the hatch closed, I too ascended out of the passage. I emerged from a large structure that appeared to consist of four tall pillars and the secret hatch in the center. I recalled what Zyents said about three structures on the new land. I was quite disturbed by what I saw on the surface. This new land might have been at one time a beautiful jungle. However, all around me the beetles were destroying the forestry. The green acid-spraying beetles were joined by a swarm of red flame-throwing beetles, and together they laid waste to the land, burning and melting until there was nothing left but a barren wasteland. I glanced back at the structure. It was sinking into the ground. But not sinking, I realized. Retracting. As though it was designed to do so. Thinking quickly, I recalled that the third and largest of these structures was located in the center of the new land. Dodging the mechanical beetles and their handiwork, I traveled through the wasteland until at last I found what I sought. Indeed, the structure was much larger than the one that concealed the tunnel and Zyents's laboratory. However, it too was retracting. I was running out of time. I sprinted towards the structure and forced open a large hatch in its center. Quickly, I jumped through, only to be surrounded by darkness. I allowed myself a few moments to adjust my eyes to the lack of light before continuing. I proceeded through a long series of tunnels. At the far end, I passed through a narrow opening and found myself facing a silver sea, with a great stone barrier behind me. I wondered how I could possibly hope to cross the sea, but then I saw a small boat docked at the barrier not far from my position. At first, I could not believe this stroke of good luck. Then, I recalled that Zyents and the other experimenters had explored this area; this must have been their boat. Zyents. It was though I could never get him out of my life. Everything I did, I did only because he gave me life. I felt sickened whenever I thought of him, because I was reminded of how he planned to dispose of me... and how I killed him in return. Still, I climbed down and took the boat. I set sail and traveled to the south. The travel was slow and eventless, but after passing through a tunnel and emerging at another ocean, I finally saw a large land continent to the south. By the time my boat washed up on the shore of the land continent, night had fallen and I was suffering from fatigue. I paused my travels to get some rest, but no matter how I tried, I was unable to lie down in a comfortable position. Ultimately, I was forced to sleep sitting upright and leaning my side against a tree. While I slept, I dreamt again of people and places of another life. They felt so incredibly real. But when I awoke, the visions were dispelled once more. ***** I woke at the crack of dawn. I was pained by pangs of hunger and thirst, but I saw neither food nor freshwater anywhere. Thus, I resumed my journey, this time hoping to find something to satisfy my needs. At last, I stumbled upon a village. The inhabitants were biomechanical, like me, but they were short in stature, so I doubted that they were fellow Toa and guessed that they were likely Matoran. Still, as I watched them carry on their daily tasks, they seemed friendly and peaceful. I had a feeling that they could help me. I approached the village. One of the Matoran noticed me, so I shouted: "Excuse me? Can you help-" The Matoran's eyes widened behind his mask. He pointed to me and yelled in a language that felt familiar but I could not understand. "Manas!" This alerted the entire village to my presence. The Matoran all began shouting to one another. Although I heard "Koro mangaia!" and numerous cries of "Manas zya!", I could not understand what they were saying. But when the Matoran formed a village defense, armed with swords, claws, and other weapons, I understood that they were not giving me a friendly greeting. The Matoran began firing catapults and disks at me. As agile as lightning, I dodged their projectiles, but I got the message that I was not welcome. Thus, with a heavy heart, I turned and left. Behind me, the Matoran cheered in triumph. "How... barbaric!" I thought aloud. My creators wished to dispose of me, the villagers rejected me... why could I not find sympathy or kindness anywhere? Above, the skies darkened with storm clouds. I continued traveling until I came across a small lake, where I decided to stop and quench my thirst. I bent down over the water's edge to have a drink, but then I saw a creature staring up at me from the depths. What a hideous countenance this creature had! Its arachnid face possessed large mandibles and glared at me with eyes that were as red as a burning fire. Instinctively, I lashed out at the creature and jumped back, perceiving it as a threat. But my hand had only hit water, and when the ripples in the water's surface died away, the creature still waited in the depths, staring right at me. Cautiously, I reached towards the water creature with one hand. In response, the creature reached up a hand to meet my own. However, when I dipped my hand into the water, I could not feel the creature's hand; I felt only water. When I pulled my hand away and waited for the ripples to disappear from the water's surface, the hideous creature was still there, watching me. Cold fear took hold of me. I slowly reached up and touched my face. The creature in the water imitated me. I ran my hands across my facial features, feeling every line, every line, every curve, and every bump. So did the creature. Then, I positioned my hands so that the mimicking creature would touch its mandibles. My fingers touched them. They were there. That was no creature of the depths. That... that was my reflection. I was the monstrous creature with the hideous arachnid countenance. "... you are flawed... deformed... an imperfect specimen..." "Manas zya!" It all came together. Zyents and the experimenters wanted a Toa, but their sample was contaminated by arachnid DNA, resulting in a deformed abomination that they wished to dispose of. The Matoran protected their village from what they perceived to be a hideous monster. I had a cursed form. The knowledge overwhelmed me. I gasped for air. I clutched one hand to my chest, and the other to a large rock for support. "Oh, wretched creature!" I whispered. "You shall be abhorred by any sane being who lays eyes on you!" I began to weep, but my hand slipped off the rock; as a result, I lost my balance and plunged into the lake. For several terrifying seconds, I was drowning. I flailed about helplessly. Water filled my lungs and weighed me down. On the verge of death, I briefly considered drowning as an escape from the torments of life. A surge of strength took hold of me and I vaulted myself out of the lake. Dripping wet, I slowly crawled away from the water. Then, my remaining strength left me, and I collapsed upon the ground, panting for air. Rain began to fall from the dark skies above, and I felt the water droplets as they ran down my armor. When I had thoughts of suicide, what gave me the strength to survive was my will to live, my refusal to let death claim me. But how could I live if every being despised me? I slowly regained my strength and gradually sat upright. I glanced back at the lake which changed my life and made everything so clear to me. The raindrops hit the lake, sending ripples across the water’s surface. I watched the ripples. They started so small, but in only a matter of seconds their size increased exponentially. I watched the ripples. Then I knew what to do. With renewed strength, I stood and walked through the rain. Every drop that landed on me only boosted my confidence and determination. The lake and rain washed away my old naive, grieved self. I had a cursed form. But that did not make me much different from those who had normal lives, such as the villagers. The indifferent rain fell on all of us the same way, after all. Could we not share the same hopes for a brighter future? I had a cursed form. If that prevented me from interacting directly with society, so be it. I could still find ways to spread my influence across the universe like ripples across the water's surface. Even if I had to begin in anonymity, I would build myself a reputation that would one day earn me respect, not quick judgment. It is said that rain is the most dreary and miserable weather condition. I disagree. Although I was created in Zyents's laboratory, I was reborn on that rainy day. I was cleansed of my guilt and fears. I was given new life, strength, and purpose. If it is true that all endings are actually new beginnings, then I hoped that I would die on a rainy day. I had a cursed form. But I had something far more important. The ability to carry on, even with a cursed form. ----- Before you ask, no, this short story is not a criticism of science. I'm all for science. In fact, I was writing this short story during my spare time when I wasn't doing science myself! Instead, this short story was one that I had in mind for years and finally felt inspired enough to write last summer. Comments appreciated. Constructive criticism encouraged. Spam given to the vikings. Flaming given to the pyromaniacs.

OOC: That's it, French Fries. You've asked for it.Also, I'm glad to see that Brikman McStudz knew that Pterisa would never take someone pointing a gun at her sitting down.IC: Rex's joy over his reunion with Ben Gunn was brief. His PDA began beeping, and as he read over the message, his smile disappeared and was replaced with a grim expression."What is it?" inquired Amanda."I'm sorry, Ben Gunn," apologized Rex. "You cannot imagine how overjoyed I am to see you again, even if you are the bearer of bad news. But an urgent matter has just come up that demands my attention. If you wish, you may come with me."Ben Gunn shook his head. "It's alright, Rex. I need to use the facilities anyways, so I could use a little break."With that, they exited the broom closet and stepped out into the hallway. Rex gave Ben Gunn some quick directions to the nearest facility, then piloted his hover-chair in the direction of the detention block. His grim silence worried Amanda, who read his features and could tell that something was definitely wrong.At last, Rex found the Dino Attack agent whom he was looking for, Andrew, along with a group consisting of Zachary Virchaus, Minerva Fabello, Kareem Nazareno, Laxus, and even, to Rex's surprise, Pterisa. They were bringing along a Dino Attack agent with a large handlebar mustache, whose arms were locked behind his back by Nazareno to ensure he wouldn't escape.Rex stopped his hover-chair and looked at the group before him. Raising his eyebrows, he murmured in a quiet and surprised voice: "What's all this about?""Ah, Rex," nodded Andrew. "I'm glad you could come. This," he gestured to the mustached Dino Attack agent, "is French Fries.""Yes," frowned Rex, "but why is he being escorted to the detention block? Surely, this is not how an elite agent such as French Fries should be treated. What did he do to deserve this? Really, guys. Let's act a little more reasonable here. Nothing that French Fries has done at all constitutes him being locked up.""But-" began Zach."That's enough," Rex waved his hand, cutting off Zachary. He piloted his hover-chair until he was hovering right in front of French Fries. The other Dino Attack agents either stared at Rex in disbelief or began murmuring amongst themselves. Rex locked eyes with French Fries, smiled gently, and began taking off his gloves. "Elite Agent French Fries, today is your lucky day."With that, Rex landed a single punch on French Fries's face, summoning every ounce of physical strength he had as he made the attack. French Fries staggered back, and there was noticeable blood on his mustache.Then, Rex stripped away his facade of gentility and civility. His smile twisted into a horrible scowl as he gritted his teeth. "I've waited a long time to do that," Rex hissed through clenched teeth. "That dates back to the Kotua era. Oh, how I longed to give Kotua what he deserved, but I never had the chance. Then recently, with Rotor's little firing squad... I thought I'd give that to Rotor, but Clint Wayne was too quick. But this... Kotua may have been mad, but he was also intelligent and a loyal agent when not under mind-control, and Rotor at least is a competent leader with a good taste in music. You, on the other hand, have no redeeming factors. So, all this anger has been bottled up for nearly a year... and, as we all know, we shouldn't bottle up anger... because when it releases...""How dare you!" snapped French Fries. "You dare to assault an elite agent? I'll have your hide for this! My friends in high places-""Don't you see?" interrupted Rex. "I am an elite agent too, and so is Andrew over there. We don't need 'friends in high places'... we are the people in high places. And even so, I've got a friend, too: Specs, our team leader, and you can't get a place higher than that. But still...""Puh," scoffed French Fries. "I don't need to listen to you. Not after hearing the screams of your precious little mutant as I ran it over.""You just crossed a fine line, buddy," Rex narrowed his eyes. "Andrew, as an elite agent, you have the authority to pardon me. I need you to pardon me.""Pardon you?" blinked Andrew. "Pardon you for-""For this," growled Rex. With that, he lunged out of his hover-chair and tackled French Fries to the floor. Everyone was too stunned to react; they could only stand back and watch in horror as Rex delivered a No-Holds-Barred Beatdown. French Fries did not even have a chance to fight back, as every second landed another blow upon his face. "YOU..." shouted Rex as he laid blow after blow upon French Fries, "SICK... 4+ FIGURE...! Is it true? IS IT TRUE?""What?" gasped French Fries in between blows."DID YOU OR DID YOU NOT RUN OVER TROUBLE?" yelled Rex."I don't know!" snapped French Fries. "They all look the same! Pesky little buggers! Nobody's going to miss that mutant!" He just did not know when to shut up.Seething with fury, Rex landing a punch right in French Fries's mouth, knocking a tooth or two loose. "I SWEAR TO BUILDER..." screamed Rex, "IF YOU LAID SO MUCH AS A FINGER ON TROUBLE... YOU'RE DEAD! YOU HEAR ME? DEAD!" The horrible No-Holds-Barred Beatdown continued for another few dreadful seconds before Amanda finally snapped out of her stupor and tried to pull Rex off. In the end, it took the combined effort of Nazareno, Andrew, and Amanda to pry Rex off of French Fries, and even as they forced Rex to sit back down in the hover-chair, the elite agent was still trying to throw punches at French Fries.When French Fries stood, his face looked like he had ran through traffic. His mustache was soaked with blood, which also dripped out of cuts on his lips and cheeks. His eyes were swollen from all the bruising, and he could scarcely do more than squint. To ensure that he did not try to escape, Pterisa grabbed his arms and locked them behind his back.When the others managed to finally calm Rex down, he wiped the sweat off his brown and glared at French Fries. "Get this scum out of my sight," he growled. "If you need to, get Specs's permission to lock him up in the highest-security prison available. And Andrew, please make sure that you pardon me."OOC: Ah, a good way to finally let loose all that anger that had been bottled up for the past seven years! As well as show a little bit of Rex's insanity showing through again.

OOC: Oh, no, poor Katerina! "And I Must Scream", much? Heh, actually... Ben Gunn wasn't the Chekhov's MIA I had in mind while adding that entry to the TV Tropes page. Yep, there's still one more Chekhov's MIA that is still missing in action.Okay guys, prepare yourselves. A bit of a drama plot tumor coming this way. Hopefully, it won't be as bad as the last time such a plot tumor came up in my posts, but... still, prepare yourself for unneeded drama ahead.IC: As the meeting in the conference room dismissed, Frozeen tried to slip away, but he was stopped in his tracks by Shannon Grimton, who moved her wheelchair in his path. "I had hoped," frowned Shannon, "for both of our sakes, that we would never see each other again."Not sure how else to respond, Frozeen nodded. "I know this probably doesn't mean much," he murmured, "but I'm sorry. I'm sorry about that incident in senior year-""'I'm sorry' doesn't cut it, Peter," Shannon bitterly shook her head. "What you did to me would have destroyed any other girl that age if her hormone-influenced emotions were just a little crazier. I survived... but that does not mean I have to like you for it.""I know," Frozeen adverted his eyes, trying to focus on the floor or the ceiling, anywhere but her. "It was really stupid of me. I should never have said that... if I had known that all I was going to do was break your heart...""Peter," Shannon narrowed her eyes. "You told me that you loved me... while I was already in a relationship with another man. You left me confused. And when I finally decided to break up with him so that we could be together... you told me that you thought it would be 'for the best of both of us' if we had nothing to do with each other. Do you even begin to understand how heartbroken you left me?""You don't understand!" snapped Frozeen. "Okay, you want to know the full picture? I've got Asperger's syndrome! I'm socially inept! All throughout middle school and high school, I harbored a secret crush on you, especially since you were one of the few people who were always nice to me instead of bullying me around and picking on me for being different! I wanted to tell you my feelings, but because I've got Asperger's, I didn't have the guts to tell you! And by the time I finally worked up the courage to tell you for once and for all, it was too late! Okay? I'm different, I'm socially inept, I have trouble speaking to people because I have Asperger's syndrome! You're normal, Shannon; you would never understand how hard it is for me!"Shannon was silent for a moment. Frozeen withdrew his anger, silently cursing himself for keeping it bottled up and letting it explode now. When Shannon spoke again, her voice still carried the same level of bitterness, but it was no longer so harsh in tone. "But I do understand, Peter. My brother has autism, and all my life I've had to be there to support him."Frozeen blinked in surprise. "Autism?" he repeated. "I'm sorry... I never knew...""Some people," continued Shannon, "might look upon my brother and say that he 'will never fit into society' because he is 'different'. But I see him differently. I know that he has a vastly-intelligent mind and, even more importantly, a strong heart. He is the one who inspired me to study biomedical engineering and technology. I look past what other people may call 'differences' and see people for who they really are. And you, Peter... I knew you had a good heart. And that's why, throughout middle school and high school, I hoped that you would, one day, work up the courage to tell me how you felt. But, by senior year, I knew that I could not keep waiting, so I had decided to give up and start dating someone else. But Peter... those feelings you had for me... I had them for you too. That's why, ultimately, I chose to break up with my boyfriend so we could be together, rather than stay with him and turn my back on you."Frozeen was silent, but Shannon could see tears welling up in his eyes. He couldn't bear to think of what might have been, or dwell on the fact that he was so foolish to keep silent all those years. He wanted to speak his mind, to open up and admit his true feelings for her, to show that after all this time he still loved her, but he just could not form the words in his mouth. At last, Frozeen wiped his eyes, shook his head, and whispered: "I'm so sorry, Shannon." With that, Frozeen walked past Shannon and out into the hallway.OOC: Okay, good! You survived the drama-filled plot tumor! You deserve a reward for such a feat! But what would be a good reward... Hmm... Oh, I know! There's a surprise waiting for you in the System-Based Creations subforum. Go check it out!

The year is 2010. In April, scores of Mutant Dinosaurs mysterious attacked LEGO City, leaving the city in a state of post-apocalyptic ruins. In response, Minifig soldiers, scientists, and civilians caught up in the action banded together to form a team that would strike back at the dinosaurs and retake LEGO City... a team known as D.I.N.O. Attack. D.I.N.O. Attack has all the latest technology and impressive vehicles to use in the battlefield against the Mutant Dinosaurs. From the compact Street Sprinter hunting down Mutant Lizards to the impressive T-1 Typhoon battling against Pteranodons and T-Rexes, they are more than a match for the Mutant Dinosaur threat. But where do they keep these vehicles when they are not in use? Where do they design all their new dinosaur-fighting technology? Where do the Dino Attack agents sleep at night? Dino Attack Headquarters, of course. Modeled in the style of LEGO's Dino Attack and Dino 2010 themes from 2005, Dino Attack Headquarters is a minifigure-scale building fully assembled in LEGO Digital Designer. I started off by building a miniature model consisting of 347 bricks, which was a little smaller than micro-scale, but gave me a clear idea of where I wanted to go with this project. After that, I scaled it up to 4126 bricks, over ten times as large as the original model. I refer to this model as the façade because it has a complete exterior but nothing inside except for squeaky-clean light-gray tile floors. With the façade complete, to populate the interior with characters and scenes from the now-seven-years-old Dino Attack RPG, stirring an anachronism stew while filling the area with mythology gags and subtle references only RPG players would catch. And once the interior was fully populated, the finished model came out to a whopping 6024 bricks. Luckily, although it lagged terribly as the building process went on, the LEGO Digital Designer software was strong enough to support the Dino Attack Headquarters without crashing. So, welcome to Dino Attack Headquarters! Care to go on a tour? We'll start with the first five floors of the... erm, "central tower", for the lack of a better term. Dang it, Jim, I'm a LEGO builder, not a skyscraper architect! Upon entering Dino Attack Headquarters, we find ourselves in the lobby. Please take a seat next to Ben Gunn or Coral while waiting. Over there at the desk is D.I.N.O. Attack's receptionist, Elizabeth Wilma, and it looks like Alpha Team agent Frozeen is currently checking in. Our next stop is the mess hall. Can't see? Try another view. You're in luck, because Mama and Papa Brickolini are serving their world-famous pizzas! Over at the table, Septimus and Minerva Fabello have already sat sat down to eat their pizzas, Zachary Virchaus is grabbing a seat right now, and Raider is looking for a spot to sit down and drink. But what is A5T3R-01D doing here? Everyone knows that Builder Droids don't eat or drink. Over here, we have the detention block for Dino Attack agents who have been... err, misbehaving. Ex-lawyer Rockford peers into the complex while the Brickster takes a stroll down memory lane. Over to your left, our psychiatrist Dr. Nicholas Saran is talking to Carl Lutsky, who seems to be going on a rant about someone named "Dust" apparently standing in the corner. Over to your right, Demoman has been locked up for his own safety. Here, we can unwind in the lounge. Want to riff bad movies with Andrew and Laxus? Or would you prefer to join in Helm and Tracer's game of pool? The choice is yours! Ah, this next room is very important: the briefing room. Here, the founding members of D.I.N.O. Attack hold conferences and give mission briefs to Dino Attack agents going on missions across the globe. At the head of the table, three of the four founders stand: Digger, Shadow, and Viper. Those sitting at the table include elite agents Gary Moffat, Magma, Cobra, and Voltage, as well as infamous villains Evil Ogel (and two of his Guard Drones) and Lord Sam Sinister, with Lord Vladek grabbing a seat as well. Up this staircase, and we'll cover the next four floors. Here, we have the secret room of the now-defunct Portal Operations Team, which experimented with portals and teleportation. One of their Teleport Pads still stands, it appears. The room is now occupied by Ronald E. Army and Scout, who are being lectured by Spy about something important, it seems. Oh, dear. Who knows what this room was for? Because now it's on fire! Pyro has gone completely mad and has trapped herself in a burning room. Luckily, Holly Vinyaya arrives at the scene in her heat-proof Space Police armor, while Hotwire is the only one sensible enough to grab a fire extinguisher. "What if we need to mail a letter?" was a question once proposed by Return. Our answer is the post room. Check your P.O. box to see if you have any letters, or give letters to Ed Mail so he may deliver them. The apocalypse itself cannot stop LEGO Island's greatest mailman. Behind these crates, we can find the sniping post. Sniper and Shotgun are hard at work, but sniping is a good job, as either of them will tell you. And now, we ascend to the top four floors of the headquarters. In the communications room, our communications team is hard at work monitoring the team's PDA and radio communications. Even with a broken arm and a wheelchair handicap, Hertz and Gromtin continue to do their jobs. But I wonder, what is Ata doing with that briefcase? Not much to see here, just some security cameras. These installments are part of Engineer's latest security system, and he is busy over there making a few last-minute adjustments to that camera. Of course, that won't stop Adventure from posing for pictures in front of an operational camera. Why don't we take a peak inside an elite agent's room? Here, elite agent Rex sits on his bed, with his trusty wheelchair beside him, while Amanda Claw finishes writing a letter at her desk. Up here is a very important room: Specs's office. Seeing as Specs is our team leader, you better have good reason for coming in here. Here, Specs sits behind his desk, watching a holographic message from an unknown sender. Our tour takes us to another section of Dino Attack Headquarters, the west wing. Or is it the east wing? Which direction is north? Argh, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that most of D.I.N.O. Attack's scientific activities takes place in this three-story area. It's also got a nice glass roof, so how can you argue with that? The wing's first floor is occupied by the technology center. Here, D.I.N.O. Attack produces all its latest technology. Off to the left, we have 2B and Bluetooth monitoring the computers. Weapon experts such as Raptor, Louis "Dryptosaurus", Zorikk, Claymore, and Axel look for new ways to defeat the Mutant Dinosaurs. Our representatives from UlTech Industries, including Dr. Cyborg, Kara Wise, and an Infiltrator, repair a high-tech hover-chair stolen from XERRD. Mur experiments with portal technology, but has not yet made progress. One of our greatest technicians, Kotua, is currently washing his hands, attracting suspicious stares from Zero and Kai. Pray that you never have to wake up in the hospital wing. If you do, don't worry, because we have some of the greatest doctors on the planet, including Dr. Marco Martinet and Dr. Clickitt. While Medic operates on Heavy, Semick and Sam Throramebi have a moment of reconciliation. Zenna and Giovanni Wade bring a wounded Kat in on a stretcher. There's no time for nonsense here... but with Enter and Return, there sure is plenty around. Directly underneath that wonderful glass roof is our science laboratory. Here, scientists such as Frank Einstein, David Norman, Roger Remous, and Strangebrick study the Mutant Dinosaurs in an effort to find a cure for their mutation. If all else fails, Reptile is conducting research on the Green Goo brought in by a Barrel Pusher Drone. Now, for the final area of our tour, let's open that giant door and step inside the garage, where Dino Attack vehicles are manufactured, maintained, and repaired. Down below, a sparring match takes place between Zelda Frodongan and Kareem Nazareno, attracting an audience including Nick Lightning, Fullmetal, Zyra, and Aravis. Of course, not everyone is interested in the match, as we have Kuru playing with his laptop and Trigger sulking by himself. Old LEGO Racers such as Sam Race, King Joseph Race, and Greybeard take interest in the Dino Attack vehicles. On the catwalks above, mechanics such as Databoard, Bill Ding, and PBB unload spare parts for Urban Avenger and Fire Hammer repairs, while helicopter pilots Palmer, Rotor, and Cabin make their way to the T-1 Typhoon landing pads. After all, while the garage might not be big enough to host a T-1 Typhoon, the impressive helicopters can make a safe landing on the helicopter landing pad atop the Dino Attack Headquarters roof. And so, that concludes our tour of Dino Attack Headquarters. I hope you enjoyed your time, and feel free to leave comments, criticisms, and suggestions in this BZPower topic. As you exit the lobby and step out onto the streets of LEGO City, just be careful and don't let the Mutant Lizards get you.

OOC: Because Amanda knows his name. I don't exactly know how Bogart would know (most likely, Amanda would have told Bogart off-screen, or told someone who told Bogart off-screen), but seeing as Amanda talked to Adventure (off-screen) about Montoya's release, it's very likely that she told him Montoya's name.IC: Rex's chair floated beside Amanda as they left the Dino Attack lobby. Rex was still shaking his head about what just happened. He was shocked that Greybeard had taken it upon himself to be Ata's judge and executioner, but seeing as Greybeard was a pirate and a realist, it did not come as something completely unexpected. That, and as much as Rex hated to admit it, Greybeard's apparent animosity towards ninja allowed him to bring up a valid point: if Ata was such a skilled shinobi that he could escape Dino Attack's highest security prison, no doubt he could do it again.Still, Rex could not believe how quickly Ata had seemingly changed in the past twenty-four hours. From a trusted technology and communications expert... to a XERRD shinobi and infiltrator... to yet another death brought about by this war.Wanting to take his mind off the subject of Ata, Rex was about to ask Amanda a question when they both suddenly stopped. The old man in the black suit appeared before them. He walked towards them, taking long strides with every step, and stopped in front of Rex's hover-chair. "I need to speak with you in private," he spoke to Rex. "It's very urgent matters."Amanda narrowed her eyes, and Rex, taking notice of this, bit his lip. "I'd... feel a little safer if my companion Amanda was with me while we spoke," Rex explained. "We've just had some problems with trust and security, and while you did help solve these problems (thank you, by the way), I'd just feel more comfortable if-""Very well, then," nodded the elderly man. "Now, come in here with me. We haven't much time to talk about this."Rex and Amanda traded glances, but followed the old man as he entered the broom closet. The bulk of Rex's hover-chair made the space a little tight and claustrophobic, and the lighting wasn't so good here, but it seemed to satisfy the old man.Now that they were closer, Rex could tell there were some things... off... about the elderly man. His black suit was brand-new... so brand-new, in fact, he forgot to take of the price tag. He stood tall and erect, but he also appeared dangerously thin, as though he was suffering from years of malnutrition. His skin was horribly pale, and was wrinkled on his face but stretched bone-tight on his hands. Aside from a few strands of silver-white hair that covered his scalp in an attempt to replicate a comb-over, the man was completely bald. Strangely, although he was shaven, it appeared that he had not done a very good job at it, as there were noticeable cuts on his cheeks and chin. There were also a number of larger cuts and prominent bruises on the old man's scalp and hands. His eyes were sunken deep into their sockets, with only a glint of light reflecting off their shiny surfaces to let Rex know that they still existed.But most of all, there was something familiar about the old man. Rex could not put his finger on it, but his appearance and his voice vaguely reminded him on someone he had once met. But surely, Rex thought to himself, if I ever met a Minifig like this before, I would remember.The elderly man cleared his throat. "I come to you," he explained, "bearing bad news from the Goo Caverns... knowledge of XERRD's current activities."Rex raised an eyebrow. "In the Goo Caverns? Sir, Dino Attack Team was down there just a few months ago, and we cleansed the caverns of Mutant Dinos and Dr. Inferno's forces... shortly before the caverns collapsed in a massive volcanic eruption. Why would XERRD be down in the Goo Caverns when their main base of operations is on Dinosaur Island?"The old man shook his head. "They were down in the Goo Caverns, holding a meeting in an outpost. I overheard their discussions, and one of the scientists mentioned that their Dino Island Laboratory was in ruins thanks the work of one known as 'the Brickster'."Rex blinked in surprise. "The Brickster? I don't believe it... so the Brickster-Bot invasion was a success, not a suicide mission.""They were most... displeased about the Brickster's work," continued the elderly man. "Especially the one that they called 'Dr. Rex', who appeared to be a Mutant T-Rex wearing silver armor and speaking plain English. In fact, throughout the entire meeting, Dr. Rex seemed like he was on the verge of an explosion. I overheard a few of the scientists murmuring among themselves: they think Dr. Rex has finally gone mad, but they are too afraid of him to say or do anything to stop him. At one point, they received a message from... oh, what were their names... ah, yes: Michelle Glados and Paulie Gonepus. That's when I learned about the Dino Island Laboratory; they were on their way back to that lab when the other scientists explained that the lab was destroyed.""So," muttered Rex, "looks like Glados and Gonepus got away after all.""They were not alone," elaborated the old man, "but of the scientists that contacted the XERRD outpost, they were the ones who spoke the most... I remember that Raul and Ingrid were with them too, but they did not speak as much. Quite interestingly, Glados was saying something about a 'Darkitect'. She was reporting that XERRD had lost a Maelstrom Temple, but was trying to explain that the whole Dino Attack was actually the work of a 'Darkitect' who was manipulating XERRD. Gonepus even dared to suggest that they quit while they were still ahead, to which a number of scientists in the Goo Caverns hushed him up, saying something along the lines of 'You don't want to know what happened when Dr. Wile Lee and Dr. Robert Nicholas suggested that to Dr. Rex'. Needless to say, Dr. Rex was outraged by the the talk of this 'Darkitect', proclaiming that 'he doesn't exist' and 'he's just a myth', asserting himself as XERRD's true leader, and declaring that XERRD's purpose was always to help destiny return the world to the dinosaur age. I suspect that the only thing that saved Gonepus's live was the fact that he was not in the same location as Dr. Rex when he made this suggestion.""Oh my Builder," murmured Amanda. "The Darkitect has really destroyed his mind.""Indeed," agreed Rex, bitterly. "He was once a gentleman-like scientist. Now, he's reduced to being MegaBlokLand-bent upon destroying the world... without even knowing it.""But that's not even the worst news," the elderly man shook his head. "Dr. Rex was downright furious upon learning the news from Glados and Gonepus; in addition to the loss of the Maelstrom Temple and the so-called 'rumors' of the Darkitect, he learned that his trusted second-in-command was actually a Dino Attack spy. In retaliation, he ordered that someone send a message to someone named Attila Huntsman to begin destroying the Dino Attack Team's morale, and then... and then Dr. Rex proclaimed the following message.""When the sun sets on December 21, 2010... Dino Attack Headquarters shall come crashing down... the courage of Dino Attack Team shall fail... and the age of Minifig civilization shall end!"Rex's eyes widened. He turned to Amanda and inquired, "What's today's date?"Biting her lip, Amanda checked her PDA. "December 20, 2010."Rex's heartbeat started to race. Clutching his chest in pain, Rex whispered in incredulity: "Tomorrow... he's planning an attack... and it's tomorrow!""I'm sorry that I could not have delivered this message sooner," the elderly man scratched his forehead. "Even for me, it takes some time to travel from the Goo Caverns to LEGO City, and I had to make myself a little more... presentable; I don't think they would have allowed someone who looked like a homeless bum to enter Dino Attack Headquarters and ask to speak with a high-ranking agent such as yourself. That, and I entered right in the middle of Huntsman's chaos, and I would have waited in the lobby for you, but I wanted to help track him down, so I tried to join in the mole hunt.""Oh wait," blinked Rex. "You're the one that Elizabeth Wilma referred to as 'Gun'."The old man chuckled. "Don't let my appearance deceive you, Rex. And don't let the fact that a couple tons of rock fell on my head and finally knocked some sense back into me fool you, either. I still might not remember my real name... but I sure remembered that little nickname that you and Greybeard bestowed upon me when we first met a few months ago."Rex's jaw dropped. When he found his voice, he could only manage to stutter two words in disbelief: "Ben Gunn?"

OOC: Alright, Atton, I'll lend you a hand.IC: Montoya heard the security doors to the detention block open. A Dino Attack agent who looked like a shameless knock-off of Indiana Jones approached his cell and casually leaned against the bars. "G'day, mate," grinned the Dino Attack agent. "Now, you're the one they call Montoya, eh?"Montoya looked up with surprise. "Err, yes," he nodded. "That's me.""Well, today's your lucky day!" the Dino Attack agent clapped his hands together. "The name's Rick, but the folks round here know me as Elite Agent Adventure. And, as an Elite Agent, I have the authority to pardon you and set you free."Suspicious, Montoya raised an eyebrow. "Why would you free me?" he wondered.As he unlocked Montoya's door, Adventure shrugged. "I don't know the full story, but Amanda Claw put in a good word for you and said I could set you free. She said that you owed her a favor or something like that."Could it be? thought Montoya. With hesitation, he asked: "I'm afraid I don't know anyone by that name. Maybe if you could tell me what she looks like...?"Adventure smiled to himself. "That sheila is might pretty, I tell you. I'd say she's likely in her mid-twenties. Got long brown hair, usually tied in a ponytail. Kinda quiet, though; she doesn't speak much unless it's necessary. She's also got some high-ranking friends, like that honcho Rex who manages to stay in the action while sitting in a wheelchair, and from what I hear, she's quite skilled with a knife. I can respect that; there's nothing quite like going on an adventure and cutting your way out of primate-infested jungles in a macho fashion with explosions in the background while..."As Adventure continued to ramble, Montoya thoughts turned grim. Based upon that description, Amanda Claw had to be Silencia Venomosa. Which meant that the only reason that she sent Adventure to set him free would be so that he could talk to Trigger. That must have been the favor she was referring to."... and a monkey named Vladimir Bananas flying off into space. Ah! There we go!" Adventure opened the cell door and tipped his hat in Montoya's direction. "You're free to go, Montoya!" ***** "I be tellin' ye!" muttered Greybeard as he walked alongside Frozeen. "Thar be an elderly fellow who helped us take down th' mole. I did not imagine it, says I! Rex, Zachary, and Minerva say they saw 'im too!""Right," frowned Frozeen, "and he just mysterious vanished right before Amanda and I walked in?""Aye," nodded Greybeard, "as strange as it sounds."Frozeen sighed. "You know, I'd think that, after growing up on LEGO Island, joining the Alpha Team, and experiencing the Dino Attack, I'd be used to strange things like this. Still, experience does not make it any easier to comprehend. He wasn't... pale or translucent or anything, was he? I sure hope there aren't any ghosts haunting Dino Attack Headquarters now." He shuddered at that thought."It be this room to yer left," pointed Greybeard.Together, they entered the room where Greybeard left Mary Rose during the pursuit of Ata. They were surprised to find that the little girl was not alone, but accompanied by Shadow, Digger, and a female Dino Attack agent in a wheelchair. Mary Rose was sitting on a table, and the wheelchair-bound agent sat in front of her, speaking with Shadow and Digger."... is true, then we should not be relieved that Mutant Dinos have been appearing less and less frequently in LEGO City. The families and businesses that have returned to LEGO City from Antarctica have put themselves in danger. And-"The female Dino Attack agent turned to see the newcomers enter the room. "Oh," she muttered, as her face turned to a bitter expression. "It's you.""What?" Greybeard raised an eyebrow, confused. He turned to ask Frozeen if he knew what she was talking about, and saw that Frozeen was quite flustered.Swallowing hard, Frozeen managed to say: "Oh! Um... hello again. It's, uh, been a while.""Indeed," agreed the female Dino Attack agent, "it has been 'a while'.""I be sorry," apologized Greybeard, "but I don't exactly Remember Th' New Guy, so, err, could someone fill me in so me timbers belay their shiverin'?""Right," nodded Shadow. "After the revelation of Ata's true loyalties, we had to promote someone else to the position of leading technology and communications expert, and this young woman here seemed fit for the task.""And her name be...?" inquired Greybeard.The Dino Attack agent wheeled herself over towards Frozeen and Greybeard. "As Peter and I have known each other since middle school," she explained, "we don't need to exchange formalities. However, as you and I have only just met, Greybeard, it is only fair of me to introduce myself. I am Shannon Grimton, leading technology expert with a degree in biomedical studies, and only daughter of the late Gromit Grimton, who served Alpha Team under the nickname of 'Gromtin' before perishing in Mission Deep Freeze."OOC: Sorry for those who were waiting to learn more about the old man. Exchanging formalities with him will have to wait until either later tonight or tomorrow.

OOC: As interesting as that prospect would be, I admit, it wasn't the idea I had in mind. Never mind, you are correct; I had forgotten about that encounter, but now that you remind me that it took place in the Ogel Undersea Headquarters, I remember it now. Don't worry, avmatoran. You don't need to apologize to me. You just wanted to know how Rex and Amanda would respond to what Dr. Cyber said, and so I gave you an honest answer.IC: Rex piloted the hover-chair through the hallways of Dino Attack Headquarters, trying to pursue the fleeing Ata. As he caught more and more glimpses of the XERRD mole darting from shadow to shadow, he became more and more sure that it was him and not some trick of the mind. Unfortunately, even after the hover-chair was fully-repaired by Dr. Cyborg, this was the first time Rex ever tried chasing someone with it, and it was not something he picked up on quickly.Behind him, Rex became aware that a small crowd of followers were pursuing him in return. First, there was Zachary Virchaus and Minerva Fabello. Behind them, Frozeen and Amanda struggled to catch up. Rex overheard a quick exchange between Zachary and Frozeen as the latter explained that Rex had taken Zed Provhezor's hover-chair after the Maelstrom Temple battle."What exactly are we doing?" yelled Minerva as she ran."It's Ata!" Rex quickly shouted over his shoulder. "He's escaped!""Ata?" wondered Zachary. "The communications expert? What about-""The mole!" Frozeen quickly filled Zachary and Minerva in on the news. Evidently, while word was slowly spreading around that Attila Hunstman was the traitor, it hadn't reached the ears of Zachary or Minerva yet. "He's actually a XERRD shinobi... it's not surprising that he could find a way to slip out of the high-security imprisonment!""Th' mole be a shinobi?" Rex became aware of an older, grizzled, and familiar voice join those behind him. "Th' same mole that caused them Antarctica riots? Blow me down, I be shiverin' me timbers if I don't help ye shoot down that bilge rat, says I!""Great to have your help, Greybeard!" responded Rex. "I think he's headed for the lobby!""Tell you what, Rex!" decided Frozeen. "Amanda and I'll go this way and meet you there! Hopefully we can surround him and catch him before it's too late!""Sounds good to me!" agreed Rex.As Amanda and Frozeen left the main group and took a detour, Rex, Zachary, Minerva, and Greybeard continued the pursuit for another few minutes. The only way Rex could be sure of where they were going was based upon the occasional glimpse of Ata slipping from shadow to shadow. As a shinobi, his skills of sneaking around and avoiding security systems were greater than normal; Frozeen was right, Rex realized, as nearly any security system would be no good in holding Ata.At last, just before reaching the lobby, Rex heard the sound of a flintlock pistol firing just as Ata emerged from one shadow. Greybeard's aim was true, and Ata stumbled. "Hah!" barked Greybeard. "Ye shinobi think that ye be so invincible! That we buccaneers don't stand a chance against ye! Well, think again, matey!"Still, Ata was nearly out of the building, and with surprising perseverance, he continued to flee with uncanny speed. As he saw Ata enter the lobby, Rex feared for a moment that they were too late and that Ata would escape. By the time Rex, Zachary, Minerva, and Greybeard entered the lobby, Ata was already at the doors. "No!" shouted Rex.At the last possible second, an elderly man in a black suit who was sitting on a chair by the doors bolted out of his seat and extended his arm in a horizontal chopping motion, slamming it into the neck of Ata. The XERRD shinboi, caught by surprise, was knocked backward upon the floor and gasped for breath. As Rex and his friends approached Ata's fallen form, the old man lowered his arm and stared at them.Greybeard stood over Ata's body and glared down upon him with his one good eye. "So," he hissed, "ye be th' mole responsible for th' Antarctica riots. Ye be th' one who stirred violence in th' Dino Attack Team and in th' refugee facilities, endangerin' us all in th' process. What cowardly scum ye be! It be time fer ye to dance a fine dance tonight!"Then, before Rex, Zachary, or Minerva could stop him, Greybeard fired his flintlock pistol again. This time, he silenced Ata's gasps forever.Before Rex could find any words to say to Greybeard, Frozeen and Amanda arrived. "Ah, good!" panted Frozeen. "It looks like you got hi... Oh, my.""Ye can't lock up a shinobi," grumbled Greybeard, "an' he deserved t' be punished fer what he did.""We did have some help, though," added Zachary. "If it weren't for him..." He trailed off, and everyone looked in the direction he pointed; Minerva, Rex, and Greybeard with surprise, and Frozeen and Amanda with confusion.The old man that they had seen... had disappeared.OOC: Unfortunately, I can't write anything more tonight. Tomorrow, you'll learn more about the old man who stopped Ata.

OOC: @Jacks: Actually, if I remember correctly, Frozeen never met Loop, but Loop and General Evil did work together at one point. Very briefly. Before General Evil and Magma got into a classic Scorpion Orb Launcher vs. Blizzard Blaster battle.@Brikman: Split a brick, eh? A funny phrase on its own, but reading it here made me realize that LEGO Island actually got some crud past the radar!@that guy: Was it ten, or was it five? I remember that, not counting Glados, there were fifteen XERRD survivors, and I thought that ten of them were loyalists while the other five surrendered...IC: Rex and Amanda traded glances. Rex could see that Amanda Claw was horrified, disturbed, and repulsed by Dr. Cyborg's story. She locked eyes with the former XERRD scientist and murmured in an exasperated voice, "Do you know what you just said?"Dr. Cyborg faltered. "Why, what's the-""You're glad that Uærlig Sindstorme was assassinated?" continued Amanda. "You consider it good luck that Edward Korrupte was murdered? You want to actually thank Silencia Venomosa... this horrible fiend... this murderous terrorist... for doing a 'good job' just because your company profited from it?"Rex could see that Amanda was getting very distressed about this; it was obvious from her body language and from her voice. Gently, he reached out towards Amanda and murmured, "Amanda, please relax, it's okay-"Amanda shook her head. "No, Rex. It's not 'okay'. Dr. Cyborg, listen to me. Silencia Venomosa was not some miracle you should thank. She was a cold-hearted murderer. A complete monster. And if you consider it good fortune that, eight years ago, a horrible massacre occurred on Main Street, LEGO Town... Edward Korrupte was not the only one killed that day, you know. At least a dozen police officers, all of whom had families of their own, were murdered for doing their job. And not to mention all the innocent civilians who got caught in it all. If you consider that day good fortune just because you profited from it, then... then... you're no better than Walter Breen!"Although Dr. Cyborg appeared disturbed by the other things she said, that last comment made him angry. "Don't compare me to that dirty coward!" he snapped. "In fact, what does Walter Breen even have to do with this?""Because he is the one who-" Amanda stopped herself, realizing that she was about to give away too much information. She took a moment to regain her composure, so Rex decided that it was in their best interest if he did some talking."The thing is, Dr. Cyborg," explained Rex, "the work of Silencia Venomosa is still recent in the minds of most LEGOLAND civilians. It may be considered, as they say, 'Too Soon' to say such things about her. I know you meant well, and I thank you for repairing my hover-chair, but... I think Amanda's right. If Silencia Venomosa is half the person everyone makes her out to be, then her work is nothing to be thankful for."With that, Rex quickly glanced at Amanda, who nodded silently in reply. ***** When Rex, Amanda, and Frozeen arrived at the post room, they were surprised to see Ed Mail already there, picking up some letters written by Dino Attack agents while putting others written to Dino Attack agents into their respective P.O. boxes. "Well, I'll be," grinned Frozeen. "Looks like the rumors were true after all; not even the apocalypse itself could stop the world's greatest mailman.""Oh, hello, Peter," murmured Ed Mail, not even looking up from his work. "How's things been since your family moved to LEGO Town?"Although he could have launched into detail about the disappearance of his father, the revelation of his true heritage, and all the misery he had been in since joining Alpha Team, Frozeen chose to simply shrug. "Oh, you know. Thing's have been just fine, even if I do miss the old days back at LEGO Island. How has LEGO Island been the past few years?""The same," nodded Ed Mail. "Working every day... because there's mail to deliver every day... and I'm the only mailman on the island... so I never get a break... but it's okay... because it's always nice on LEGO Island... and even if it were raining, snowing, sleeting, or hailing, there's still mail that needs mailing... so I wouldn't get a break anyways... so might as well enjoy working in such nice weather..."Frozeen smiled with a look of nostalgia in his eyes. "Ah, Ed Mail," he chuckled. "You haven't changed one bit.""This letter is for Bartholomew Enderson," Amanda spoke up, handing her envelope to Ed Mail."And this one," Rex reached into his suit and pulled out a familiar envelope, "is addressed to Helen Rutherford."Frozeen raised an eyebrow. "You're still going to send Spy's love letter, even after he... well, you know?"Rex nodded solemnly. "It was intended for her, and it would not be right to keep it from her. Additionally, Specs and I have added a letter of our own to inform her about Spy and Scout and to extend our sympathies towards her. We're also including phone numbers so that she can arrange their funerals, receive grief counseling..."Rex felt a lump in his throat as he spoke. Over the past year, he had seen many Dino Attack agents die. This was the first time he found himself directly involved with the process of delivering the news to the deceased's loved ones. It pained him to think of poor Helen Rutherford as she sits in the Antarctica refugee facilities, all alone, reading the horrible letter that would tell her that her husband and her son would never come home.Ed Mail took the letters and put them in his oversized sack of mail. Then, he slung the bag over his shoulder, bending over due to its massive weight, and began to slowly walk out the post room. Rex, Amanda, and Frozeen watched him go.As Ed Mail stepped into the hall, Rex thought he caught a glimpse of someone hiding in the shadows and darting around the corner. Rex blinked and narrowed his eyes, but the figure was gone. Did his eyes deceive him, or had Ata somehow escape from his high-security imprisonment?Gritting his teeth, Rex thought to himself, I'm not going to take any more chances. With that, he pulled on the joystick and piloted his hover-chair out into the hallway, intending to give chase.OOC: Would appreciate it if no one else caught Ata. I've got a very special person in mind to do the honors.

OOC: Unfortunately, I believe that settles the issue. I cannot have any debates regarding religious, political, or sexual views in Dino Attack RPG, and as RPG host, I must do what I can to keep Dino Attack RPG from being closed due to the above reasons (remember: BZPower is a family-friendly website, and none of these debates should take place here). Despite any Unfortunate Implications, I'm afraid that it's best that we don't offend any of our fellow players, and thus I have retconned "wife and kids" to a more generic and ambiguous "family".@Brikman: Well, if Atton wasn't going to use that line, then I certainly wasn't going to pass up the opportunity!@Atton: If you're out of ideas how to get Montoya legally out of the prison complex, I'll see what Amanda and Rex can do... if not, well, there's always that stick of dynamite that Firecracker handed Demoman...@avmatoran: Since your post takes place in flashback, I hope you don't mind if I move on.IC: Rex and Amanda Claw made their way to the post room. They were rejoined by Frozeen, who was reading through something else that they had found in Spy's briefcase: Spy's journal."Spy was on to something," murmured Frozeen as they walked. "To quote from one of his more recent journal entries...""While Blondie, Angel Eyes, and Maria may have learned that "Huntsman" is the mole, this does not make my job any easier. As far as I know, there is no Dino Attack agent codenamed "Huntsman", and the closest codename I can think of ("Hunter") has been used by at least three Dino Attack agents... one of which is operating with the GAIA Squad in Mount Bricklake and the other two... well, it may be difficult to track either of them down. Still, I speculate about the mole's identity. An efficient mole would be one who does not attract much attention from the rest of the team; the less likely he/she is to stand out, the less likely he/she is to be suspected. Therefore, I doubt that the mole is anyone of the elite status or higher; most likely an inconspicuous standard agent that no one would bat an eye at. At the same time, an effective mole needs to be in a position where he/she can learn as much information as possible. A technology expert would be an ideal occupation for a mole, since he/she would be granted access to much information. The problem is that Dino Attack Team has no shortage on technology experts; they are nearly as common as the scientists and the soldiers. This, of course, leaves the eternal question... who is it? Also, I will need a new suit, as a Hybrid got blood on my favorite blazer yesterday and I am most displeased about this."Rex and Amanda traded glances. "Wow," nodded Rex. "He nearly had it. If he had lived a little longer, I suspect that he would have figured it out before the rest of us. As much as I hate to admit it, Ata was smart; Spy was dangerous for a mole to keep alive, and so he knew that, by brewing suspicions and paranoia, he could turn Spy's teammates against him."Frozeen sighed. "It's truly a shame that Spy was killed. He was one of those veteran Alpha Team agents that I could not help but admire, even long after I became an elite agent. Like Agent Gromtin, for example. He was twice my age when he died back in Mission Deep Freeze, but much smarter and more skilled than I'll ever be. Before joining Alpha Team in 2000, Gromtin was a computer designer; his four years with the team changed him to a complete technology expert and master hacker."Amanda glanced out the window, seeing the destroyed skyline of LEGO City. "Wherever his Creative Spark is," she murmured, "I hope it's in a better place.""Well," shrugged Frozeen, "I doubt that he's trapped in some Builder-forsaken desert wasteland for all eternity... that's about one of the few things I can imagine being worse than a desolate city.""How about a desolate city in some Builder-forsaken desert wasteland?" added Rex."Taken over by Ice Drones that he cannot kill, no matter how hard he tries," mused Frozeen, "and his only source of internet has to be stolen from some big, tall, ominous-looking citadel ruled by an oppressive overlord that makes Evil Ogel look like a soft, cuddly bunny." Chuckling himself, Frozeen decided: "Yep. Forget MegaBlokLand. That... thing we just described... that sounds like a fate worse than MegaBlokLand for Gromtin. Pray to Builder that his Creative Spark is, indeed, in a place much better than that.""Did he have any family?" inquired Amanda."I... think he once mentioned a daughter," shrugged Frozeen. "It's funny, though. I haven't actually thought about Gromtin in years. All of a sudden, we're talking about him, completely out of the blue, like some Big-Lipped Alligator Moment."Amanda thought about what she had told Montoya, that she had not thought of Schiess or Montoya until they suddenly reentered her life. "Maybe Gromtin's Creative Spark is just reminding you that he existed," suggested Amanda, "for some special reason that only fate knows."Frozeen laughed, and Rex and Amanda both stared at him in surprise. "I'm sorry," he chuckled. "I couldn't help it... but I just had a mental image of a little ball of light flying around my head shouting 'HEYLISTENHEYLISTENHEYLISTEN' in a high-pitched voice, just to remind me of what I already know."Rex managed a smile. "Well, when you put it like that..."OOC: I know, I know. It's filler. Killer filler. Filling space and killing time. But I just got a little carried away with some of the references in this post...

OOC: ... Well, there go my plans to reveal that "A.J." stood for "Andrew Jackson", as a little shout-out to the fact that Abraham Lincoln was the first (and, some believe, the current) Team Fortress 2 Pyro.And so, I guess that makes Pyro our first explicitly homosexual character in Dino Attack RPG (sure, there was some Ho Yay between Tzenovich and Luzwheit, but that was nothing more than just subtext). Unless, of course, I retcon "wife and kids" on the wiki to "husband and kids" (since nothing on the wiki, especially stuff on the wiki that is never mentioned in-game, is set in stone), but I think it's best to see what the other Dino Attack RPG players think before I do this. Personally, I find there's nothing wrong with homosexuality, but... well, you know... there's always going to be some people who are strictly against it, and I just don't want any trouble here.Also, I forgot to mention this, but interesting to see a Distaff Counterpart to Bartholomew Enderson. I've actually been writing something tentatively titled "Bartender Confessions", in which Bartholomew recounts his experience with Silencia Venomosa (i.e. how they met, how he ended up as her secret-keeper, etc.).IC: After reading the letter over for the third or fourth time, Amanda Claw was finally satisfied. She could never put her emotions down in words as easily as in body language, but this would have to suffice. Silently, she folded the letter, placed it in an envelope, and stood from her desk."Are you ready?" inquired Rex.Amanda nodded. With that, they left Rex's room and headed to the Dino Attack post room. Along the way, they passed the door to the prison complex. Amanda paused there just long enough for Rex to stop his hover-chair and turn around with a confused expression."That's the prison complex," he murmured, "I thought we were heading to the...""We are," nodded Amanda. "This letter is going to tie up one loose end. While I'm here, I would like to tie up another loose end. There's someone I need to speak with."Rex realized to whom she was referring. "Would you like me to come in with you?" offered Rex, concerned.Amanda shook her head. "I know that you're saying that for my own safety... but I feel that this would be better if I could speak with him one-on-one.""Then I'll wait out here until you return," decided Rex.Amanda Claw opened the door, passed through the security checks, and entered the prison complex. She considered it a good omen that most of the cells were unoccupied, and of the handful that were occupied, Amanda only knew a few of the occupants.In one cell sat Demoman, who was drunkenly singing a song to himself. "Ah sailor went t' sea, sea, sea t' see what he could see, see, see, but all that he could see, see, see was th' bo'om o' th' deep blue sea, sea, sea!" The way he put emphasis on the word "blue", Amanda noted, seemed to reflect his depressed mood; evidently, he was still hit hard by Ronald E. Army's death.Do you SEE what I did there?At last, Amanda found the person she was looking for. A man in his late 30s or early 40s, dressed casually, a cigarette butt in his mouth, sitting in a way that made it clear that he seemed resigned to his fate. Silently, she stood outside his cell, locking her eyes upon his form.When he looked up and saw her, he startled. Just seeing her made all the horrible memories that haunted his nightmares for eight years come rushing back. Despite the cold fear running through his body, he managed to appear composed, and put on a scowl as he glared at her. "Why?" he hissed. "After all these years, why do you come to haunt me now? What sort of dark sadistic gambit are you planning to make my life miserable?"Amanda's features were solemn. In her years as Silencia Venomosa, she left no survivors or witnesses, and thus could not imagine how horribly the life of such a survivor would be forever impacted by their encounter with the infamous assassin. Now, as she looked into Montoya's eyes, she knew. And it sickened her, filling her with guilt for what she had done."Montoya," she spoke, quietly yet loud enough for the prisoner to hear her words.At the sound of her voice, Montoya blinked in surprise and stared at her with shock, just as Schiess had done back in the Maelstrom Temple. Surely, everyone knew that the one defining trait about Silencia Venomosa was that she never, ever spoke. As this realization washed over Montoya, his aggressive facade faded away as guilt settled in. "I can't believe it," he whispered as he lowered his gaze. "I got the wrong woman. I'm... I'm so sorry..."Amanda shook her head. "No, Montoya. You need to listen to me. I'm the one who should be sorry... because you were right. You got the right woman."Montoya raised an eyebrow and looked up at her once again. "What?"Amanda sighed. "The very first thing you asked me when you came into Dino Attack Headquarters... if I remembered you. I do remember you. I thought you were dead, and I had not given a single thought to you or Schiess since that night... but yes, I do remember you. I remember Schiess. I remember Orange, Scorsese, Verbal, Deniro, and Keaton.""So it was you," Montoya muttered bitterly."And I understand," continued Amanda, "why your first instinct upon entering Dino Attack Headquarters was to shoot me in the face with a shotgun. But as much as you would like to come up to me and say, 'Hello. My name is Montoya. You killed my teammates. Prepare to die,' I know that you will never get your revenge. You don't have it in you to look me in the eyes as you pull that trigger... and walk away, forever burdened by the fact that you have just taken someone else's life, just as I had taken five lives that fateful night. You may have pointed a shotgun at me today, but I could tell that, even if Zachary Virchaus hadn't conveniently shown up, you didn't actually have it in you to actually pull the trigger.""Shut up," grimaced Montoya. "You don't know me. You don't know what I'm capable of. If you think that I'm too weak to-"Amanda shook her head. "You're not weak, Montoya. You're Minifig. Unlike Schiess, you have emotions and morals. Schiess wants to kill me just because I foiled the heist, but you want to kill me to avenge the deaths of others. And that is what makes you strong, not weak. I remember you, Montoya. Eight years ago, while you, Schiess, Keaton, and the others plotted the heist on Dacta Corporation while I sulked silently in the background, I paid careful attention to everything about you. Your words, your tone of voice, your actions... even your body language. And I could see that you were different, Montoya. Schiess and the others were cold-blooded mercenaries only in it for the money... as was I. But you... you weren't in it for yourself. You were in it for someone else. For everyone else, it was just another job. For you, you were hoping to quit your criminal life and go clean after this job was done, perhaps even settle down with someone you loved. Perhaps, even, over the past eight years, you changed your ways and actually go clean. Eight years is a long time, and people can change drastically in eight years. And that is why I need your help, Montoya."Montoya was silent as he continued to stare at Amanda. He furrowed his brow, trying to think of what she could possibly need him for."The woman you met eight years ago," explained Amanda, "is no longer the person that I am today. I've changed, too, over the years... and the fact that I am finally speaking is only the least notable of these changes. Much like you, I've quit my criminal life, and I've joined Dino Attack Team in hopes that, by helping to save the world, I can redeem myself of all the horrible crimes I've committed in the past. I cannot change the past, but I hope to change the future. I cannot ask you to forget, or even forgive me for what happened with Dacta Corporation and Mindstorms, Inc. But I hope that I can get you to see that I have changed. That I am repentant. That I wish to redeem myself. That I have found a Minifig who loves me and, once this war ends, I intend to settle down with him."Amanda shot a quick glance at the exit door. "The problem is that Schiess, or 'Trigger' as everyone calls him now, refuses to believe me. To him, I have not changed one bit from the person who foiled that petty heist eight years ago. And for that, he wants to kill me, and not even the entire Dino Attack Team will stop him. Nothing I can say or do will change that. He won't listen to me. Nor will he listen to anyone on this team who has worked with me for the past year. But you... Montoya, he trusts you. He will listen to you. Montoya, if you can convince Schiess that I have changed, I would be eternally grateful.""How do I know that you're telling the truth?" inquired Montoya. "Eight years ago, we thought you were one of us, but it was all just an act. How do I know that you aren't deceiving me now."Amanda sighed. "You can never truly know for certain. But sometimes, life requires you to take a leap of faith." She locked eyes with Montoya, hoping to make it clear that what she was saying was genuine. "I must leave you now, but I implore you. Please, Montoya. Please see me for who I am, not for who I was." With that, she turned and started to head for the exit."But what about Orange, and Keaton, and-" began Montoya, who stood and leaned against the bars of his cell.Amanda Claw stopped. Gently, she murmured: "Think of it this way. The best way to avenge their deaths... is not by taking another life... but by saving another life." With that, she left the prison complex, and Montoya watched her go.OOC: Was that alright, Atton? I know Amanda did a lot of talking while Montoya did a lot of listening (a little ironic, huh?), but Amanda is hoping that she can at least get Montoya to see that she has changed, in hopes that he can change Trigger's mind. Of course, Trigger might be more stubborn than Montoya, which could lead to some interesting conflicts between the characters of the moral Montoya and the cold-blooded Trigger...

OOC: I wasn't saying it was impossible that A.J. Orange could be a homosexual woman; I just thought that, on a site such as this one, themes such as sexual orientation might be a little... out of place. Then again, this is Dino Attack RPG, full of violence, drugs, and swearing, so anything is possible I suppose... but I just prefer the idea of an ugly man being under Pyro's mask.Funny thing that reminded me of, though. When I reflected upon the fact that Frozeen is 32 and we have very little information regarding his romantic life (back in the Alpha Team: Mission Deep Freeze RPG, everyone had a girlfriend... except Frozeen), I briefly (as in, for maybe about thirty seconds) considered the possibility of Frozeen actually being a closet homosexual. I ultimately dismissed the notion in favor of basing Frozeen's romantic life upon my own personal experience (i.e. he is definitely heterosexual, but rather socially awkward and even a little lacking in the self-esteem department, which makes it a little difficult for him in the dating department). At the end of the day, it's better to write about what you know; writing a character as something that I was not might potentially cause him to fall under certain... stereotypes. Therefore, Frozeen is a heterosexual, if socially-awkward, individual. Maybe, if I'm feeling nice to him, I'll finally give him a girlfriend before all is said and done.Also, Brikman, very nice timing with Ed Mail. What with the letter that Amanda needs to write, it's a good thing that he showed up so that she can deliver it!Now, to listen to "Final Boss [Orchestral Remix] - Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story Music Extended" to cure that PeabodySam's Disease and do some IC writing...IC: All eyes were on Evil Ogel as he strode towards Rex, Amanda, and Frozeen, flanked by a pair of Guard Drones that stared forward with blank expressions and empty eye sockets. Ogel approached the trio and looked upon them as a king may look upon his servants. "I understand the Dino Attack Team has been having some... difficulties involving a XERRD mole," rumbled Evil Ogel, his baritone voice echoing through the room."Err, yes, that is correct," nodded Rex. "We have taken care of the issue. The mole has been identified and taken into custody.""Is that so?" Ogel raised an eyebrow, puckering his lips ever-so-slightly as he did so. "What a shame. I was hoping to assist your team in tracking down the mole."Frozeen frowned. "If you don't mind me asking, Ogel, how exactly would you have assisted us?"Evil Ogel smiled darkly as he chuckled. "A few Evil Plant leaves, a little Green Goo... and a couple of Mind-Control Orbs. It would have been all too simple for me to force the mole to publicly confess the truth. All too simple indeed." He laughed, a terrifying sound that rang through the Dino Attack Headquarters.Rex and Amanda traded worried glances while Frozeen made a disgusted sound under his breath."Very well then," nodded Ogel. "As the mole situation has been taken care of, what do we have here?""Oh, nothing," shrugged Rex. "We're just checking the contents of a dead man's briefcase.""Oh?" Ogel raised an eyebrow. "Who's the dead man, might I ask?""Agent Spy," Rex replied quickly, only to realize too late, as Frozeen shot him a glare, that he said too much.Evil Ogel's lips curled into a hideous smile. "Ah, at last. Agent Spy has met his demise. I have had enough with him sneaking through my bases, uninvited, all while disguised as one of my Skeleton Drones. He was a worthy adversary, but it admittedly comes as pleasant news to know that he has finally passed. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to take a look at Spy's briefcase."Despite his faux politeness, Rex, Amanda, and Frozeen could tell that any attempt to refuse would elicit an unwanted response from the two Guard Drones. They had no choice but to back down and give Ogel what he wanted.Evil Ogel approached the briefcase and began rummaging through it. He looked through all the clothes and scowled as he laid eyes upon the numerous Ogel Drone disguises. But then, one disguise in particular caught his attention. Raising his eyebrows in surprise, he reached into the briefcase and pulled out a black helmet with a golden visor, nearly identical to the one that he wore.For a moment, he stood perfectly still, silent as the grave. Then, Ogel's face broke out into a grin again, but Frozeen noticed that it wasn't his evil gloating type of smile, but his sinister masterminding type of smile. "I don't believe it," Ogel whispered. "I've got it! I see it now! It is clear as day now! Oh, what a brilliant plan I have masterminded! Dr. Rex shall never see this one coming!"With that, Evil Ogel turned to face one of his Guard Drone. "Contact DID-S4, DID-S2, and DID-S5 of squadron LMM-03/04-01. It is time! This plan, I will guarantee you, shall not fail! It's foolproof! Whereas my gambits with the Boggle Rocket, the D.O.O.M., the Whirlpool Machine, the Time Freeze Ray, and more have all failed, this plan will succeed! I know it! It is the perfect plan to... to..." Ogel faltered, as his expression turned to a confused frowned."I never thought I'd see the day," smirked Frozeen, "when Evil Ogel, known for masterminding failed plot after failed plot to take over the world, finally comes up with the perfect, foolproof plan...""... to save the world," Evil Ogel finally managed to spit out, through clenched teeth and with a grudgingly bitter tone.OOC: I've got an idea, Atton, for how Amanda Claw is going to approach Montoya. Hopefully, I'll get around to using it in my next IC.

OOC: Glad to see nobody actually burned down Dino Attack Headquarters in my absence.Wow, Brikman. If it weren't for the fact that we now know that Ata is behind this, that argument could work uncannily well towards Minerva Fabello being a mole. In fact, the argument she presented (i.e. gaining the trust of Dino Attack agents in high standing in order to appear innocent) could have easily been used for Amanda, and was actually one of the things Ata did.Well, Atton, given that Pyro's section on the Squad's wiki article states that he had a wife and kids who died in the Dino Attack, it would be kind of awkward if he was actually a woman. I agree with him most likely being pale, unshaven, and sweaty from being underneath that mask all the time; his time as an insane pyromaniac in the apocalypse likely has not done good things for his health.IC: "... in a fire. Luckily, the local LEGO Town fire department arrived at the scene immediately, and there were only minimal casualties. Right now, the building has been evacuated as there could have potentially been structural damage to the building itself, and construction crews have been deployed to survey the damage. But worry not, Miss Brix, because..."Bartholomew Enderson looked up to see Silencia Venomosa enter the bar. She took a seat, but to Enderson's surprise, she turned her attention to the news playing on the television. There was the news reporter, Lotta Brix, and she was interviewing someone that Venomosa recognized all too well."... despite this setback, the company will remain strong and geared towards the future, as it always has been. I have no doubt that my grandfather Korrupte would be proud to see how far Dacta Corporation has come in only three generations." As he said this, Edward Korrupte smiled assertively and adjusted his red tie."Excellent news, Mr. Korrupte," Lotta Brix flashed a smile. "Now, do you have any idea what may have caused the fire? Already, rumors are circulating, especially with the recent murder of Mr. Sindstorme, that this was no mere accident, and someone with malicious intent may have triggered the fire. Do you think the elusive Silencia Venomosa may have been behind this?"As Korrupte's smile disappeared and was replaced by a grim expression, Enderson leaned in close to Venomosa, gestured towards the television, and raised an eyebrow questioningly. Her response was simple and understood as she shook her head ever-so-slightly. She had already received her reward from Korrupte; there was no profit to be gained from antagonizing him... at least, not without a client."I highly doubt that Venomosa was behind this," stated Korrupte. "Recovered security footage shows a pair of unidentifiable men entering the building with a canister of kerosene. They were sloppy in covering their tracks, and I have already notified the authorities, ensuring that they will be tracked down and brought to justice. Besides, I personally do not believe in the myth of Silencia Venomosa, and I am confident that I have nothing to fear at all from her."Quietly, Bartholomew Enderson slipped Silencia Venomosa the envelope from Walter Breen. She took it, opened it, and read the letter inside. "He says that everything you need to know is in that letter," whispered Enderson. "He... didn't want to see you in person."Venomosa sighed and gently shook her head, an action that took Enderson by surprise for a brief moment. She was always a stoic, which combined with her eerie silence to place her right in the middle of Uncanny Valley. And yet, as Enderson reminded himself, she was only Minifig. A girl who could not have been more than 20. Evidently, she agreed with Enderson's view on Breen, and was disappointed to see such cowardice in her clients.As she folded the letter once more, Enderson caught a brief glimpse of a few words that stood out to him: "Dacta Corporation" and "Edward Korrupte". He glanced back at the television screen, and Lotta Brix was still interviewing the CEO of Dacta."... but worry not, since I shall be surrounded by police escorts at all times. If anyone dares to lay a finger on me, he must be absolutely mad to try such an attempt."Oh my Builder, thought Enderson. He glanced back at Silencia Venomosa, who was already standing up and about to depart. It occurred to him that, as her secret keeper who had somehow managed to stay alive, he might possibly be the only person in the whole world that she actually trusted. She was only Minifig, a girl no more than 20, and she trusted him as a daughter might trust her father. As she turned to leave, Bartholomew Enderson spoke in a wavering voice, but with genuine compassion: "Take care."She glanced quickly over her shoulder and locked eyes with him. She simply nodded in reply. Then, she left the restaurant."Be safe," whispered Bartholomew Enderson. ***** Rex pulled the joystick, and his newly-repaired hover-chair moved forward. The hover-chair's design was a marvel to behold, assembled with advanced technology that could have only come from the greatest minds of Paradox. Unfortunately, that meant that repairing the broken and glitching chair was easier said than done for Dino Attack Team's most skilled technicians. They had only just fixed its problems, but before giving it back to Rex, they had warned him that the slightest bit of damage could potentially cause it to start malfunctioning again.Accompanying Rex were two of his closest teammates: Amanda Claw and Frozeen. Even with the mole's identity revealed, Rex felt it was best to surround himself with people he knew for certain that he could trust. Together, they entered the room where Attila "Ata" Hunstman once lived, before his living situation was permanently changed to a cell."Look at this," Frozeen pointed towards Ata's bed. On its own, it appeared normal. Compared to the rest of the standard-issue beds for Dino Attack agents, Rex could see that its pillow appeared thicker than normal. As an Alpha Team agent, Frozeen's attention to detail served him well.Together, they approached the bed, and Amanda cautiously slipped her hand into the pillowcase. She pulled out, much to her surprise, a briefcase. It was locked, but before Frozeen could offer to open it, Amanda had picked the lock herself. The briefcase opened, and their eyes widened at what they saw."Wait a second," blinked Rex. "Amanda? Remember how we ran into Spy and he was grumbling something about a briefcase? I think we just found out what happened to it."Spy's briefcase contained an assortment of gear. There was a handheld device which Frozeen identified as the electro-sapper, designed to disable security systems... for example, the cameras and turrets set up by Engineer. There were packs and packs of cigarettes, much to Amanda's disgust, but Rex noted that only some of them were real; the rest were the fake kind that created smokescreens, such as the one used in the Portal Operations Room. There was a number of knives and pistols inside the suitcase, which must have been the weapons that Ata used in addition to stealing Amanda's knife.But most notably, there were clothes. Lots and lots of clothes. More clothes than Rex thought it possible to fit inside a single briefcase. As Rex, Amanda, and Frozeen rummaged through these clothes, they realized that they were not just any clothes, but disguises. One set of clothes looked like it would be worn by Pyro. Another set bore more than a passing semblance to Greybeard's pirate garb. There was also a XERRD labcoat, an Ogel Drone uniform, and even a dress inside the suitcase.Amanda's eyes drifted towards an envelope underneath the cigarette packs. She took it and, with Rex's permission, opened it and pulled out a number of photographs. Every single picture showed the late Jim "Spy" Covalent, ninja cowl and all, in various romantic scenes with a woman who bore some semblance to the equally-late Bob "Scout" Rutherford. She showed this photos to Rex and Frozeen before opening a second envelope she saw in the briefcase. Reading it, she reported: "It's a love letter to Helen Rutherford, telling her about the victory at Fort Legoredo and promising to return to her as soon as the Dino Attack war ended."Looking over the photographs, Rex murmured, "He must really have loved her. It's really a pity that the letter never got delivered... or that his promise will not be fulfilled. And on top of all that, her son won't be coming home, either." Rex sighed. "Poor Helen Rutherford. I'll have to extend my sympathies towards her... it must be so hard for her to lose two loved ones in this horrible war.""This reminds me," Amanda gently put down the letter. "I need to write a letter of my own. You see, there are some loose ends that need to be tied up... and one of them is an old friend of mine, Bartholomew Enderson. I... I need to write him a letter, thanking him for always being there for me... and telling him that... that I'm sorry... that he is free now.""Well, well, well. What do we have here?"Rex, Amanda, and Frozeen startled at the sound of that deep, booming, all-too-familiar voice. Amanda and Frozeen spun around, while Rex rotated his chair to face the voice's owner. Striding into the room, flanked by a pair of Guard Drones, was none other than Evil Ogel himself.

OOC: Seven years ago on this day, a BZPower member received approval from Hahli Husky to create a text-based roleplay game based upon a brand-new LEGO line. He could not have possibly dreamed that this RPG would still be around today, with such a grand storyline created by a dedicated base of players who are to thank for the fact that this RPG has survived the riggers of time. I can honestly say that, of all the things I've created over the past few years, Dino Attack RPG has been my greatest achievement, and I owe it all to you guys. Thank you, everyone! Yes and no. When Pyro and Demoman were introduced, it was intended as a mere little shout-out to Team Fortress 2. It was not until later, when I decided to introduce Spy and bring up the possibility of a mole, that I decided to introduce Captain Ersatz versions of the rest of the Team Fortress 2 cast in preparation for a "Meet The Spy" reenactment. Only later did I realize, by coincidence, that Pyro and Demoman are the only two BLU classes not explicitly killed in "Meet The Spy". In Dino Attack RPG, I decided to maintain this fact because I was aware that Pyro and Demoman were the first to be introduced, and I thought it would be fitting for the Second Headquarters Squad to start and end with the same two members.I agree with Jacks; I like Brikman's idea for how Firecracker pushed the detonator and nothing happened. Not only would it be funny, but it would also be very in-character for both Demoman and Firecracker while not creating anything devastating.I'm also curious as to how the two mobsters got information relating to the Dino Attack in 2008 when XERRD wasn't founded until 2009 and the Darkitect hadn't conceived the Dino Attack until 2010.IC: Specs and Amanda watched from behind glass. “I should have suspected this,” frowned Specs. “His behavior has been quite… odd, especially in recent times.”Amanda sighed with her arms crossed. “You would be surprised what dark secrets one can hold,” she murmured quietly. Nervously, she locked eyes with Specs. “Is it truly wise leaving him in there… alone… with Ata?”“Ata has stated that he will only speak to Rex,” stated Specs. “We’ll be here, watching, listening, and keeping a close eye on them.”On the other side of the glass screen, which was seemingly masked by a mirror, Rex and Ata sat across from each other at a small table. Both were rendered immobile; Rex paralyzed in his wheelchair, Ata cuffed to his chair. All items had been confiscated from both Dino Attack agents to ensure that Ata could not use them against Rex.Rex grimaced at Ata, who sat back and smiled placidly as though he were perfectly relaxed. “I’m disappointed in you, Ata,” claimed Rex, although his true emotions were much stronger than mere disappointment. “A month ago, I had trusted you like a brother… you helped Amanda and me return to Dino Attack Team, and you helped find the Constructopedia and save LEGO Island. But now, after all you have done for the team, you reveal yourself to be a filthy, cowardly, murderous traitor. You disappoint me.”“I disappoint myself, too,” smirked Ata. “I should have been better prepared to face your precious little girlfriend; after a fight between her and Trigger broke up, I found her knife cast aside in the hallway, and I thought that using it for my next little murder victim would have taken care of her. I’m no fool, and I know my own limits. For example, I knew that I stood no chance against Spy, so I let Soldier take care of him. World’s best infiltrator doesn’t stand a chance against a shotgun to the head, hmm?”Rex fought back his anger. “I looked through your records, Ata,” continued Rex. “Attila ‘Ata’ Huntsman, age 42, an ordinary civilian who left the refugee facilities in Antarctica to join the Dino Attack Team. It’s a shame we’ll have to add in that, somewhere along the way, you were corrupted by XERRD.”“You assume I was bribed,” chuckled Ata. “You assume that I was just another Dino Attack agent who was manipulated by XERRD into betraying you guys, like Oswald Fabello. You assume that I’m only working for XERRD because I was offered a reward, like Señor Palomar or Mr. Cunningham. Well, here’s the big reveal… I have been willingly working for XERRD the entire time. What you don’t see in those records is that I am a retired Paradox Shinobi; I was recruited by XERRD at the same time as Wallace Bishop and Michelle Glados. While they were hired for their scientific intellect, I was hired for my skills as an infiltrator. In fact, this plays into the very reason why I would only speak with you.”“Which is…?” inquired Rex.“You see, Rex,” nodded Ata, “you and I joined this team for the same reason. We are both moles working for XERRD. The only difference between us is that one of us became the mask. When it became apparent that their first mole had failed, they planted me in Antarctica so that I may blend in with citizens, eventually join the Dino Attack Team, and keep an eye on all of you by overseeing communications. If anything, Rex, I am far more loyal to my superiors than you ever were.”Rex remembered what Dr. Einstein had told him about his origins. “Wrong,” he gritted his teeth. “A brave Minifig sent me to help Dino Attack Team, and I openly continue to follow his wishes even today. You… you lied, you deceived…! Everything good about you… everything that we liked and trusted about you… a lie! Why did you even bring Amanda and me back into the team? Why did you give us the Constructopedia?” “I admit,” Ata grumbled, “I would never have brought you and Claw back to Dino Attack Team if it weren’t for that meddling agent Chupacabra who witnessed my findings and refused to believe my insistence that it was merely a glitch! And you were never meant to make it inside the L.E.G.O. Radio Station alive… a certain pack of Mutant T-Rexes should have finished you off! But both instances, I found, worked to my favor. I earned your blind trust. But unlike you, Specs never trusted me. In addition to simply spying on the team’s communications, I created communication blocks at Dino Attack Team’s least convenient moments and simply passed them off as glitches… which would have worked if I didn’t have Specs looking over my shoulder every minute. He also grew suspicious when he saw me lingering around his office, trying to eavesdrop on private meetings of the founding members.”“So you’re the one behind the communication blocks,” muttered Rex. “I thought that there was more than Murphy’s Law at work. Seems your work is a little active for an infiltrator who oversees communications. And speaking of ‘active’, why did you kill most of the Second Headquarters Squad?”“Wasn’t it obvious?” shrugged Ata. “Engineer and Sniper were involved with this HQ’s defenses. While Medic’s operation would have revealed that ‘Specs’ was behind their deaths, it was not something that was ready to be revealed, so I killed him for knowing too much. After all, I still needed to brew enough suspicion and distrust to turn Spy and Claw’s teammates against them; only once that succeeded did I choose to reveal the killer to you. While it is true that Dr. Rex was most displeased to learn that nine Dino Attack agents took out the greatest Hybrid establishment in the western frontier, this proved to only be a secondary motivation for an infiltrator such as me.”“Hybrids,” murmured Rex, whose face twisted into a scowl as a realization dawned upon him. “You were the one who told them to execute Order 66! You’re the reason I’m in a wheelchair! And on top of that, you try to make my life miserable by framing Specs and attempting to condemn Amanda! And all this time, I trusted you for deceiving me and the rest of the team!”Once again, Ata smiled. “If I may, I will point out that you are wrong about one thing… my act as innocent little Ata may have been a lie, but it was never ‘wrong’, as you imply. This is all for the greater good! XERRD shall reshape the world in a far greater image!”“Baron Typhonus,” muttered Rex.“Excuse me?” Ata raised an eyebrow.“If you truly worked for XERRD this whole time,” Rex frowned, “then you were horribly deceived, just like the rest of XERRD. XERRD’s true purpose is not to help destiny… it’s been reduced to a marionette whose strings are pulled by Baron Typhonus. Typhonus has blinded you from reason and is using your Mutant Dino army to bring destruction and chaos to our planet in order to help the Maelstrom destroy the universe!”“You lie!” snapped Ata. “Baron Typhonus is either dead or a prisoner to the Maelstrom – everyone knows that!”Rex shook his head. “You could say that there have been… scientific advancements and recent findings that highly suggest otherwise. Baron Typhonus is not imprisoned by the Maelstrom… he is the Maelstrom. And he’s been using you to help him accomplish his goals!”Ata was silent for a moment. When he spoke again, he sounded as though he had all of his life sucked out of him. “You say… that everything I’ve done… has been a lie?”“Ironic, isn’t it?” smirked Rex.Ata did not reply.“Ata,” Rex spoke sternly, “you know the charges for treason. We shall hold you under custody for now until your exact sentence can be determined. You, like Kotua, were deceived and controlled by a greater power, meaning the severity of your punishment might be lessened… but I will not promise this.”OOC: I regret to inform you that I will be away for the next two days. Don't burn down Dino Attack Headquarters or anything until I get back!

IC: Rex’s mind raced. He watched from his wheelchair as two Specs stared each other down. What he saw boggled his mind; while it answered some of his questions, it created a dozen more in their place.“What is the meaning of this?” the first Specs narrowed his eyes.“You’re not supposed to be here,” hissed the second Specs, pointing his blade at the first Specs. “You were supposed to be making arrangements with Frozeen to track the whereabouts of Dino Attack agents during the times of the murders.”“We finished early,” sternly stated the first Specs. “And you’re not supposed to be here, either.”“Clearly, not anymore,” agreed the second Specs, who pocketed his weapons, reached into his jacket, and pulled out a cigarette case.“Stop him!” shouted Rex, but Amanda Claw was already on the move.She darted around the first Specs and knocked into the second Specs, tackling him and subsequently pinning him against the doorway. Specs grappled with her and tried to grab at the emergency lighter on her belt, but Amanda responded with a clean uppercut. Specs crumpled to the floor, and Amanda kicked away the false cigarette. Specs tried to reach for it, but Amanda placed her foot on his arm and pressed a knife to his neck. He cursed under his breath.At that moment, Pharisee arrived at the scene. He saw Amanda pressing her knife against Specs's neck, and Rex could make an educated guess about what ran through his mind. "Agent Claw!" he growled, cocking his gun. "Stop right there-""It's alright, Pharisee," spoke the Specs who was standing, who nodded to the head of internal affairs and waved his hand. "I believe we have found the mole."As Pharisee's eyebrows raised upon looking at the two Specs in a single room, Rex sighed in relief. He glanced at the Specs lying on the floor, then back at the Specs who was standing. Once again, he felt a sense of admiration and trust in his team leader, which had felt throughout the entire Dino Attack... until it was threatened by the false Specs lying on the floor. It disgusted Rex, just thinking about how the mole disguised himself as the team leader to successfully shatter Rex's trust and morale.“Let’s see who’s really under that mask,” declared Rex, eager to identify the true mole, killer, and traitor.The first Specs strode over to where the second was pinned. The second glared with contempt, first at Amanda, then at the first Specs. The first bent down, grabbed the balaclava of the second, and yanked it off.Rex’s eyes widened. “You?”The mole smirked. “Come now, Rex. Remember why I joined the team? To leave my mark on history!”"Stand back, Agent Claw," muttered Pharisee. Amanda did as she was told, and the head of internal affairs grabbed the mole. "Normally, we would lock you up in a dank cell for the rest of your pitiful life, but seeing as you're working for XERRD, you'll have useful information. It's time for an interrogation."The mole shook his head as he was dragged off by Pharisee. "I shall only speak to him!" he declared, and then he pointed at Rex. "I will not say a single word to anyone else!"As they watched Pharisee take away the mole, Rex, Amanda, and Specs traded glances. "He came far closer to tearing our team apart than Dr. Rex's greatest army of Mutant Dinos," frowned Specs. "By planting seeds of paranoia and distrust, he turned us against each other. Let this be a lesson to us to never let this happen again."Rex sighed. While it came as a relief that Specs was not the mole and all the rumors about Amanda could finally be proven false, the identity of the mole still disturbed him. The mole was someone he thought was too innocent to be capable of infiltrating and murdering, but now he could see that, in a mole hunt, it truly was necessary to distrust anyone... even the seemingly-innocent, for no one would suspect them.And who would have ever suspected the quiet and innocent communications expert Ata?OOC: At last, Rex, Amanda, Specs, and Pharisee have found the mole! And this was not a last-minute decision; when I introduced Spy, brought up the possibility of a mole, and wanted to create a reenactment of "Meet The Spy", I decided to choose an innocent minor character to do the job, thinking that nobody would suspect him. Because I believe in a Fair Play Whodunnit (which is why it should have been obvious that Specs was not the mole), there are a number of hints towards the mole's identity. In fact, prior to the start of At War's End, Atton Rand had picked up on some of these hints and successfully deduced the correct answer. Since Atton had figured it out so quickly, this led to me dropping fewer hints and instead putting much more emphasis on Red Herrings such as Spy and Amanda. But all along, it was Ata.My next IC will most likely deal with the interrogation, which should answer some questions about the mole. that guy, I hope I didn't interfere too much with your plans for Pharisee, but I figured that Pharisee was the best character to come in and lock up the mole once he was revealed.

OOC: Just confirming that this is correct. Additionally, a plot point I wished to develop but never had the time to do so was the idea that non-mutant dinosaurs do not normally have names (Chompy, of course, being an exception since he was named by Frozeen). This would have tied into the differences between non-mutants and mutants.IC: Rex and Amanda traded glances. They were now waiting at the door to Specs’s office. The last time they were here, it was the most secure room in Dino Attack Headquarters. Now, it seemed more intimidating than a XERRD fortress.Grimly, Rex nodded to Amanda. Without knocking, she reached out and opened the door.Specs sat at his desk, looking down at some paperwork and scratching his head. He raised his eyes as Rex and Amanda entered. Clearing his throat, Specs stood and muttered, “Rex, it was fairly obvious to me back in the hospital wing that you were lying.”Rex coughed, and behind him Amanda understood the cue. “What is it that makes you so certain of this?” Rex raised an eyebrow.“It was in your tone,” explained Specs. “You were clearly holding something back, and in doing so you were directly defying orders. You know very well who this traitor is, but you couldn’t bring yourself to say so in front of Frozeen and Greybeard. Perhaps now will be different.”“You think I’m trying to protect the identity of the mole?” frowned Rex.Specs cleared his throat. “I never said that. But, I believe you are hiding something important, hoping that you may protect someone’s reputation and even, perhaps, the team’s morale. We shall deal with this quietly and privately, Rex. No one will know. I am sorry, Rex, but what must be done must be done. Now tell me who the traitor is. That is an order.”Rex’s mind raced. Specs’s order came as a threat, but Rex did not know how. If Rex tried to back out, that might give Specs some sort of perverted satisfaction… or move to more aggressive methods. If Rex openly admitted that he knew Specs’s true identity in front of Amanda, Specs could do whatever he wished to her to ensure that Rex remained the only witness, and Rex could not let that happen. What sort of sick sadistic pleasure was Specs finding from this ultimatum?Stalling for time, Rex murmured, “Well, you see, Specs, your methods are most… err, concerning, you might say. This, I am afraid, puts me in a dilemma, an ultimatum, a point of no return, as some might call it. Converging such information and revealing it to all who stand in this room, even now, with only a few people to witness what happens in this room once said information is converged, I am afraid, puts us in a situation where you may think you may have dominant control, be the alpha male, the leader of the pack, and whatever you say goes and nobody questions it…”Specs narrowed his eyes. “What are you talking about…?” Then, Specs felt something grab at his wrist. He tried to turn around but it was too late: his hands had been cuffed behind his back by Amanda Claw, who had slowly and silently slinked around Specs’s office to position herself behind his chair. “What is the meaning of this?” demanded Specs.“I am sorry, Specs,” echoed Rex ironically, “but what must be done must be done.”“I hoped I was wrong,” hissed Specs. “I prayed that it wouldn’t be either of you. But it is all too clear now, and I cannot ignore this deliberate act of betrayal, Rex. This pains me. Here we are, so close to the final battle against XERRD, and you endanger Dino Attack Team’s morale in a way that cannot be reversed!”“I am not a fool,” declared Rex, “and I will not damage our team’s morale by revealing the truth. You may even be remembered as a great hero who mysteriously disappeared, Specs. But for now, I cannot allow you to act as XERRD’s mole any longer. Because of you, seven innocent agents lie dead, and two more have placed themselves and others in danger to protect themselves from you.”“You cannot be serious,” Specs gritted his teeth. “You are accusing me of being the mole?”“Don’t act as though you don’t know what I’m talking about!” snapped Rex. “You let me see you when you killed Soldier and Heavy so that I ma-”“I am not the traitor, Rex!” Specs spoke with such authority and certainty, Rex almost believed him. Then, Specs was silent for a moment. At last, he murmured, “But why would you accuse me of being the mole in private if you wish to protect my reputation, might I inquire? It simply isn’t logical. I would think that, in doing this, you are attempting to damage my team’s morale.”“Why would I do that?” blinked Rex. “I want to ensure that Dino Attack Team wins this war!”“As do I,” murmured Specs. “But you, Rex… I fear you may have fallen victim to manipulation by XERRD’s true mole. It appears that neither of us is the mole, but I fear that the mole is standing in this room with us.”Rex blinked in surprise. “What?” he whispered.Specs turned over his shoulder to look at Amanda. “For a long time, I feared that your loyalties may have been bought by XERRD. After seeing how well you worked with the rest of the team, I began to dismiss my suspicions as paranoia, but unfortunately Digger recently told me that Agent Trigger accused you of being the mole, and private detective Bogart has collecting mounting evidence pointing to you as the killer. Still, I desperately tried to believe otherwise, but when I could see that Rex was holding something back in the hospital wing, I feared that he knew your secret and was trying to protect your reputation; I know you two have feelings for each other, and I feared the worst. And here you are, trying to arrest me.”Over Specs’s shoulder, Amanda appeared surprised. She locked eyes with Rex, and Rex could see that she looked a little paler than usual. Evidently, Rex noted, Specs came much closer to discovering Amanda’s real secret than she felt comfortable with.“You’re lying!” snapped Rex. “I’ve had enough with this, Specs. You’ve been playing enough mind games with me already, and you’re not going to make me fall for all those inane rumors!”“Rex,” Specs narrowed his eyes. “You must listen to me. I do not know what you saw in that room, but I assure you that it was not me. At the time of Scout, Soldier, and Heavy’s deaths, I was calling Mrs. Rutherford on the phone to confirm one of my theories. I can prove this alibi; just speak to Shadow and Viper, for they were in the room with me. Claw, on the other hand, has no such alibi.”“How dare you,” growled Rex. “You taunt me by revealing yourself as the mole, then expect me to believe that the person who I trust the most-”“Even more than your own team leader?” Specs raised an eyebrow.“Stop it!” snapped Amanda. In frustration, she threw her knife down upon Specs’s desk. Both Rex and Specs stared at her with wide eyes. Once again, Rex noticed the tears on her cheeks, which made her otherwise tranquil fury look heart-wrenching. “Just stop it, both of you! I’ve had enough of it today! The murders of the Second Headquarters Squad, the paranoia and suspicion of the mole hunt, and Trigger and Montoya out to kill me for the very life I’ve left behind!”Rex opened his mouth to speak, in an effort to comfort her, but he was interrupted by the door knocking.“MegaBloks,” muttered Specs. “Agent Claw, uncuff me at once. This conversation never happened, understand?”Amanda quickly complied, but while Specs remained uncuffed, she escorted him to the door to ensure that he would not try to escape. Specs rubbed his wrists, then reached out and took hold of the doorknob. When Specs opened the door, he jumped back in surprise and knocked Amanda back.Clenching his jaw, Specs glared at the person in the doorway. “This certainly answers some questions.”Then, another Specs entered the office, wielding a pistol in one hand and a knife in the other.

OOC: Okay. I may have taken his aggressiveness a little too far, and that's my fault. I pictured him as a man who, even if his heart was in the right place, wasn't afraid to use his intimidating image to do what must be done, and the last line of your previous IC post made me think that he would be willing to respond to Rex's "Over my dead body" (essentially a threat, i.e. "If you do that, then I'm going to fight you to the death") by cocking his gun. I was also under the impression that, while he wanted to talk to Rex to gather info, he was ready to arrest Amanda if he needed to, and I thought that the overwhelming amount of evidence against her (plus the fact that Rex essentially admitted that her alibi wasn't exactly vacuum-proof) was enough for him to decide to place Amanda under custody until her innocence could be proven; if she is guilty, this would protect everyone, but if she is innocent, this could potentially protect her. As I said, this was based upon my own interpretations of the character, and I apologize if I misinterpreted Pharisee.I understand that you don't want Pharisee turning into another Lutsky. However, here's a possibility: it's not Pharisee who's turning into Lutsky, it's Rex. Since my last IC post is told from Rex's perspective, it's not altogether clear, but... perhaps Pharisee and Bogart weren't really going to arrest Amanda on the spot. Maybe they were just going to ask her some questions, or inform her that she had to stay under Rex's supervision for the time being. Rex, however, could very well be going paranoid due to the whole mole thing and everyone trying to kill/arrest Amanda, and mistakenly believed that they intended to bring harm to her, which caused him to assault them.That's an interesting prospect, I admit. Rex giving in to paranoia, possibly following the path of Lutsky.

OOC: Great, now you got me confused and unsure of what to do. The idea was supposed to be that Montoya is interested in revenge like Schiess, but he's much more emotionally driven. Whereas Schiess is the more practical of the group, and he simply has a moral code that involves killing people who double-cross him, Montoya is more angry for the people she killed and doesn't always think things through, like his last method which had a number of problems (including his own uncertainty of whether he could bring himself to do it).OOC: Yes, but we discussed this scene via Steam chat, and we agreed that it wouldn't work for a number of reasons, which could mostly be traced back to the characterizations of Amanda and Montoya. The scene would require Amanda to be a victim and Montoya to be a cold-blooded torturer. Whether she's Amanda Claw or Silencia Venomosa, it is nearly impossible to victimize her, especially in the way that was just done; she'd be far more likely to fight back than to simply go along with what Montoya tells her to do, even if he is holding a gun to her face. If anything, it's even harder to victimize Amanda Claw than it is Silencia Venomosa, because now Amanda isn't alone; she's surrounded by a team of people who trust her, and (as demonstrated my post above) the mere prospect of putting her in any sort of danger would incur Rex's wrath (one of the major reasons why the scene in Specs's office was retconned).And while Montoya is more emotional and thus far more angry about Silencia Venomosa killing five men, he's also the most moral one of the group. While it's true that he'd probably want to see Venomosa brought to justice even more than anyone else, torturing her doesn't sound like something his character has been built up to. It makes him seem no different from Trigger... or worse, no better than Venomosa herself. This directly contrasts with his established personality, which was done to make Montoya seem more human than any of his colleagues. Remember that, while Trigger swore vengeance, Montoya tried to escape his previous life because he didn't want any more of that.An alternative that you brought up, which I thought would work much better, is that Montoya tries to confront Venomosa only to realize (because he is more emotional and moral than Trigger) that she is trying to reform as Amanda, which would lead to some interesting character conflicts between Trigger and Montoya.

OOC: Let's just say that they were searching the rec room for Pyro and Demoman...?And so, after five years of waiting, we've finally met the Pyro. And... I'm pretty sure that video raises more questions than it answers. To celebrate, let's partake a little in Pyro's favorite activity, eh?IC: Rex's features hardened. "Now, see here," he gritted his teeth. "In the past year, no one has worked more closely with Amanda or known her better than me. Her intentions are pure, and her brother's death fuels her motivations to help Dino Attack Team win this war. I see no reason to even consider that she is guilty. We're wasting time here; the mole is out there, and you-""I have no such... attachments to anyone in this team," interrupted Commander Pharisee. "Your judgment is hindered, Rex, leaving you blind to the truth.""He's right," agreed Detective Bogart. "It's a necessary precaution when it comes to these investigations to be willing to distrust anyone, even those that you think you can trust with your life."Rex grimaced as he remembered what he saw in the portal operations room. Although Pharisee and Bogart demanded to know what he told Amanda, he barely even knew them, and could not bring himself to admit the truth yet. "I am sure that you are right," muttered Rex, "and that no one is above suspicion when we are hunting for a mole. But remember... I am the only living witness to this mole, and I am certain that he-""You admitted that you could have been mistaken about 'his' gender," corrected Bogart.Rex swallowed. "Well, I do have an idea... an untested hypothesis that probably holds no water and thus I shall withhold said hypothesis until I have more substantial proof-""Even if it continues to put your girlfriend at risk of arrest?" Pharisee raised an eyebrow."It's not like that!" snapped Rex. "I saw Agent Spy's head explode because someone made the mistake of thinking that he was the mole! I'm not going to put any innocent lives at risk by reenacting the Salem Witch Trials with some McCarthyism thrown in! I... I have an idea, but the only way we can get it to work is if he makes an Accidental Public Confession.""We've already had one of those," frowned Pharisee. "From what Detective Bogart has told me, your girlfriend admitted to owning the very knife used to kill Sniper.""But Amanda could not have killed Sniper!" insisted Rex."How do you know?" inquired Bogart. "Does she have an alibi?""Indeed," nodded Rex. "At the approximate time of Sniper's murder, Amanda was looking for Gun." Bogart and Pharisee traded glances with confused expressions, so Rex rolled his eyes. "Some Dino Attack agent who had no imagination when he came up with his codename.""Were you with her as she was looking for... Gun?" queried Bogart."No," Rex shook his head."She was alone?" Bogart raised an eyebrow. When Rex did not reply, he continued: "Then how do you know that was what she was really doing? Look, Rex, this alibi isn't as vacuum-proof as you would like it to be, and there is mounting substantial evidence pointing to Amanda as the murderer. We may have to take her in until such a time that her innocence can be proven, not approximated.""Over my dead body," Rex gritted his teeth.Pharisee cocked his gun. "I can do that."As Rex shot Pharisee a dark glare, Bogart cleared his throat. "You know, Rex, all you have to do to clear Amanda's name is just stick with her at all times to prove that she has an actual alibi. That being said, why is she in the backroom by herself?"Rex gestured towards the wheelchair sitting next to the couch. "She's faster and quieter alone than she is with me. We're looking for agents Pyro and Demoman, hoping to protect them from the mole, assuming that the mole's pattern is killing off the entire Second Headquarters Squad. She went into the backroom to look for Pyro or Demoman, since Elite Agent Adventure told us that he last saw them in here. We both agreed that, if she were to encounter the mole as he tried to attack either of them, she could save them if she weren't hindered by me.""I see," Pharisee nodded. "Detective Bogart, come with me." With that, they turned away from Rex and strode over towards the door to the backroom.Rex paled. "What are you doing?" He struggled to look over his shoulder at the two men as they opened the door. He couldn't believe his eyes; they were taking advantage of the fact that he was crippled so that he could not stop them as they arrested Amanda. "Get back here! As an elite agent, that's an order!""I'm Head of Internal Affairs," shrugged Pharisee, "and Bogart here isn't even working for the team. You have no authority over us, and your orders mean nothing.""MegaBloks!" shouted Rex, seething with fury. His heart pounded madly in his chest, but Rex ignored the drumming as Heroic Safe Mode took over. He reached for his wheelchair, but fell off the couch and onto the floor. Not even bothering with the wheelchair anymore, he crawled with his arms over to the backroom like some sort of vicious wild animal.Pharisee had already opened the door by the time Rex reached them. He rammed his elbow into Bogart's knee and grabbed the pants leg of Pharisee. As Pharisee tried to kick Rex off, Bogart lost his balance and fell into the head of internal affairs, causing the three of them to pile atop one another in one chaotic jumble.Rex, at the bottom of the pile, gritted his teeth and tried without success to shake Bogart and Pharisee off of his body. "This ends now!" he declared, although his voice sounded like a wheeze due to the weight on his back. "I've put up with enough Mutant T-Rex dung throughout this entire apocalypse, and the last thing I need is more pointless fighting inside Dino Attack Headquarters!"There stood Amanda. Her back was turned towards the brawl, and her eyes were focused upon the dartboard hanging on the wall in front of her. As Bogart and Pharisee stood, one of them addressed her by name, and she responded, but did not look away from the dartboard. "I'm sorry to report that neither Pyro nor Demoman are here," she murmured. "I apologize, Rex, for not returning sooner... but I needed some alone time to think.""Think about what?" inquired Bogart."About how Angel Eyes and Maria found my knife in Sniper's back. And about the accusations Trigger has made against me. And about all the rumors that I have heard. And... oh, Bogart, please put out that cigarette. Smoking is not allowed in Dino Attack Headquarters."Rex then saw that Amanda's knife was planted in the center of the dartboard: a perfect bull's eye. As he crawled slowly towards her, Rex could see thin streaks of water on her cheeks, which indicated that she had been crying. She was far better about showing it in public than Kate Bishop or Pterisa, but Rex knew that Amanda was every bit as troubled as they were, and the sight of her in pain caused Rex's heart to ache.Pharisee stepped towards her. "Ms. Remous, you are under-"As though on cue, an Egyptian standard agent rushed up into the room and looked down upon Rex. “Elite Agent Rex!” he gasped. “You have to come quickly! Pyro and Demoman have gone absolutely mad!”Amanda turned around, and Rex's eyebrows raised. “Lead the way, agent…” Rex began, trailing off when he realized that he had never met this particular agent.“Anubis,” the agent quickly introduced himself.Amanda grabbed her knife off the dartboard and sheathed it. Then, she carried Rex back into the rec room, put him down in his wheelchair, and began to follow Anubis. Although they didn't say anything, Rex could tell that Bogart and Pharisee were following them.Then, Anubis led Rex and Amanda to a room which appeared to be on fire. They were hit by a wave of heat, and once Rex adjusted to the new atmosphere, he could see through the flames and, in the far corner of the room, recognized Pyro. Pyro, appearing unaffected by the fire in his flame-retardant suit, brandished his flamethrower and kept shouting something made incomprehensible by his balaclava and helmet.“Pyro!” shouted Rex over the roar of flames. “What is the meaning of this?”Pyro pointed his flamethrower menacingly at Rex and again shouted the incomprehensible message: “Spmm chmmmk!”“Someone needs to keep an eye on Pyro and make sure he doesn’t do too much damage,” muttered Rex, “to the base or to himself. Where is Demoman?”Anubis led Rex and Amanda to another room. Rex’s eyes widened in shock, for the room was filled with explosives. In the far corner sat Demoman, one hand gripping a detonator, the other holding an empty bottle.Demoman sneered upon seeing the agents enter the room and laughed. “If any ah yehs thinks yehr… comin’ an comin’ to… ach, yeh remember? I don’t! I do not, would not, could not… ah train up yehr grass…”Rex held his hands up, attempting to convey that he intended no threat. “Demoman,” he spoke quietly and slowly, “please put the detonator down and-”“Ah, Ronald, yehr ah great pal, like ah bo’le ah rum…” Demoman attempted to drink from his empty bottle. “An if any ah yehs so much as muscles ah twitch wards meh, one lil push… an KABLOOEY!” He waved the detonator over his head, laughing and hiccupping as he did so. “Ain’t no way yehr ge’in meh like yeh got Ronald… they gonna glue yeh back togethah… in MEGABLOKLAND!”“Ronald?” repeated Rex.“Ronald E. Army,” whispered Amanda. “He was good friends with Demoman… I guess Demoman did not take his death well.”“This is not good at all,” frowned Rex. “Pyro and Demoman might be trying to defend themselves from Spe… from the killer, but in doing so they are endangering themselves and others. We need to find a way to stop them.”“Rex! Amanda!” called a familiar voice. Rex, Amanda, Anubis, Pharisee, and Bogart turned to see Ata approach them. “Specs wishes to see you two in private, in his office,” he reported, “as soon as possible.”OOC: ... Well, looks like I got a little carried away with the whole scene between Rex, Bogart, and Pharisee. Just to give you guys a heads-up: in my next IC, I intend to have Rex and Amanda finally confront Specs.Oh, and just to confirm that, at this point, Pyro and Demoman are Story Hooks. Don't wait for me to get them out of their pits of paranoia. Although, I must say, after watching Meet The Pyro... it's awfully tempting to introduce a Red Shirt Army...EDIT: ... Huh. Looks like, while I was writing the scene with Rex, Bogart, and Pharisee, Atton Rand posted. I'm... not sure what to do about that. I mean, Atton, I remember that you proposed this scene to me, but I thought we agreed that it was too out-of-character for both Amanda and Montoya...

OOC: I think I probably found that theory even funnier than most other Dino Attack RPG players, because it reminds me of a LEGO Studios brickfilm I planned (but never actually made) back in 2005... in which Specs turned out to be a woman, and was the sister of one of the other three founding members (most likely Shadow, but I cannot remember). It was one of those whole big "No, you can't go on the battlefield because you're a woman!" "Well, too bad, because now I'm pulling a Sheik on you all!" types of stories.And speaking of Sheik... almost finished Ocarina of Time 3D!Also, while I know that these flashbacks have taken time away from the current plot, I've admittedly been having too much fun working with Silencia Venomosa's character. Don't worry, because my end of the flashbacks is nearly over. I do have my next present-day IC written up, but given the nature of its subject matter, I've decided that it would be most fitting if it were posted tomorrow. Why? Because tomorrow will be Day 3 of a certain videogame update... and I'm expecting that we'll finally meet someone.IC: "... found dead in his office early this morning. Autopsies have shown that Sindstorme was killed by some sort of horrible venom. Many security guards were killed, with their manner of deaths ranging from slit throats to gunshot wounds to inhaling toxic gases, and many of Mindstorms' creations were found smash and deconstructed in Sindstorme's office. While security cameras were apparently disabled during the time of this heinous crime, recovered footage from shortly before the crime shows an unidentified woman entering the building. Although the footage is too blurry to make heads or tails of her identity, rumors are already circulating that the mysterious Silencia Venomosa is behind this. Mindstorms, Inc. is currently struggling to get back on its feet, and this process could take months or even years before the company has fully recovered from this tragedy, with the rumored NXT project being put on hiatus."As the news continued to play on the television, Bartholomew Enderson poured a drink for the bearded man sitting at the bar, handed the glass to him, and proceeded to clean another glass with his towel in a desperate attempt to take his mind off of what he just heard."In other news, there was a break-in last night at the Dacta Corporation building. Details are still fuzzy regarding this event, but despite the deaths of secretary Ursula Bennett as well as numerous security guards, CEO Edward Korrupte assures us that everything is under control and the perpetrators have been 'taken care of'. This is Lotta Brix, reporting the evening news. Back to the studio!"The bearded man had black hair that was already graying with streaks of white. He wore an expensive gray suit with a blue tie, and as he stared at the television, he smiled with a hint of smugness. "Truly remarkable, isn't it?" he murmured. "It amazes me what one woman can do.""Remarkable?" repeated Enderson, with the raise of an eyebrow. "I would agree, but I would probably use words like 'tragic', 'terrible', or 'horrifying'. I see that you believe the rumors that Silencia Venomosa is behind this?"The bearded man chuckled. "Oh, you know just as well as I do that these aren't mere rumors. She is a rather impressive and gifted individual. In one clean strike, she was able to knock down Mindstorms, Inc. No doubt that they will recover over time, but right now, they're flailing in the seas of marketing and business, threatening to drown them now that their boat has sunk. People say that these corporations are so powerful, and yet, all it took was one person to topple such a great empire as Mindstorms.""I suppose," nodded Enderson. "But, and I just ask this as a mere bartender, doesn't it concern you that a single person has the power to do such a thing? If you don't mind me saying, you look like the sort of person who would be worried by this prospect."The bearded man shook his head, but his smug smile grew. "Of course not. I have nothing to fear from her. While she has remarkable talents, Silencia Venomosa is merely a weapon. If she were not a mercenary and simply hunted down whomever she pleased, she would truly be something to fear. But she's not. She's a weapon. Without someone there to pull the trigger, she is powerless. And whoever pulls that trigger... is the one who holds the true power.""It's a dog-eat-dog world out there," pointed out Enderson. "As a bartender, I have little to fear, but for businessmen like you... who is to stop a competitor from grabbing the weapon and pulling the trigger on you?"The bearded man's expression remained smug, but turned dark as well. "Simple. I grab the weapon and pull the trigger first." He held up an envelope.Bartholomew Enderson's features hardened. I should have known that he was a customer in more ways than one, he thought with disgust. Still, as it was his doom, he slowly took the envelope from the bearded man and hid it in a secret drawer underneath the counter."All the details are inside that envelope," continued the bearded man. "Do not lose it." With that, he paid for his drink and stood to leave."Details regarding your meeting?" inquired Enderson."Excuse me?" blinked the bearded man.Enderson furrowed his brow and bit his lip. "Well, you see, normally, her... clients hand me a letter telling her where and when to meet them so that they can discuss her job in further detail. It's her standard routine."The bearded man raised an eyebrow. "Do you think I am a fool? I know better than to meet her face-to-face. Everything she needs to know about the job is in that envelope. When she succeeds, I'll give you another envelope enclosing her payment. There is no need for us to place my life in danger by putting myself in the same room, or even the same building, as her."Bartholomew Enderson frowned with defiance. "If you don't mind me saying, sir, I hardly approve of this whole business myself, but when you're going to pull the trigger on another man's life and you don't even have the courage to look at the weapon you are using... that is what many people would consider to be cowardly."The bearded man scowled. He leaned upon the counter and put his face in close to Enderson. "Do you know who you are?" he hissed, so close that Enderson could smell his breath."Bartholomew Enderson," he sighed, "a bartender.""And do you know who I am?""Walter Breen, administrator of Brick League United.""There's a difference, you see?" sneered Walter Breen. "There's a reason why I am the administrator of one of the world's leading companies in building and scientific advancement, while you are... a lowly bartender. So, if I were you, I would not question my judgment in this matter. Now, be quiet, do your job, and make sure that letter gets to Venomosa.""Good day, sir," muttered Bartholomew Enderson. Then, Walter Breen turned and left the restaurant.

IC: Silencia Venomosa approached the door to Uærlig Sindstorme's office. She could hear Sindstorme inside, who sounded quite exasperated. "... just been hearing about it on the news." As she swung upon his doorway, she saw that Sindstorme was on the phone and, with an incredulous expression, stammered, "Set up?" Then, Uærlig Sindstorme saw her."Oh, MegaBloks!" he gasped. He hung up the phone and pressed a large red button on his desk. Instantly, a number of large Mindstorms robots that were on display in his office came to life. Gears turned and motors groaned as the Mindstorms robotics inventions stepped off their pedestals and marched towards Silencia Venomosa. "Ms. Venomosa," Sindstorme spoke sternly, "I advise that you put down your knife and your gun immediately."Silencia Venomosa knew that these hulking scraps of metal could easily crush her. While her speed and agility could allow her to dodge their attacks, she was not a fool, and she could see that she was outnumbered and overpowered. So, Venomosa nodded grimly, and slowly laid her knife and her gun down upon the floor. The robots glared down upon her with large, watchful eyes."Now see here, Ms. Venomosa," frowned Sindstorme. "You can't just barge in here with..."As the CEO of Mindstorms, Inc. rambled in a typical large ham fashion, Silencia Venomosa reached into her pocket. The robots observed this action, but did not react when she pulled out a cell phone rather than a weapon. She dialed a number, but before she finished, Sindstorme noticed what she was doing."Put down the phone, Ms. Venomosa," Sindstorme narrowed his eyes. "Not that I can possibly imagine who you would be calling."Silencia Venomosa nodded, and laid the cell phone on the floor beside her gun and her knife, but before she let go, she pressed the "call" button.There came a series of loud rumbling noises, as though a giant was marching through a thunderstorm. As the noises grew louder and louder, Sindstorme's room began to shake. Uærlig Sindstorme himself was rather confused about the source of the noise. At last, the rumbling stopped just outside the door.And then, there was a brief moment of silence before the storm broke.Silencia Venomosa ducked down quickly, just as a huge, metallic fist slammed through the doorway. Uærlig Sindstorme gasped in horror and cowered behind his desk while Venomosa grabbed her weapons and darted out of the way. The metallic fist was followed by a second fist, shattering the door into splinters. Then, a robot that was even taller and more intimidating than those activated by Sindstorme marched into the CEO's office.The latest prototype of the Mindstorms NXT project.Before getting involved with Schiess's gang, Silencia Venomosa's job was officially to investigate the secretive NXT project that Mindstorms had been developing. In comparison to Mindstorms' earlier robots, which were yellow-black and already looking primitive in design in comparison, the Mindstorms NXT was sleek and silver and futuristic. Its programming was far advanced beyond that of its predecessors, and it could and would do far more than any previous iteration.And just before the attempted heist, Silencia Venomosa secretly reprogrammed this prototype to activate when it received her phone call.From the shadows, Silencia Venomosa watched as the NXT tore through Sindstorme's robotic bodyguards. They tried to do their job, but their primitive designs did not stand a chance against the advanced next-generation capabilities of the NXT. Even if it was merely a prototype, it was all that Sindstorme and Venomosa hoped it would be... much to the regret of the former and the pleasure of the latter.It was over quickly. The Mindstorms robots that Sindstorme had activated lay in pieces at the feet of the NXT. The NXT turned its attention to Uærlig Sindstorme, who was desperately typing in commands into his computer. The NXT marched towards Sindstorme and reached for him, just as Sindstorme pressed the "Enter" key. Despite Venomosa's reprogramming, the prototype NXT could still be powered down via Mindstorms computers. The NXT's eyes dimmed as the robot shut down.Silence fell over the office. Uærlig Sindstorme regained his composure and slowly stood, brushed the dirt and debris off his suit jacket. He looked with disdain over the ruined Mindstorms robots that littered the floor, then laid eyes upon Silencia Venomosa. "Well, then, Ms. Venomosa," he muttered. "I have tried to be reasonable and civil with you, but I'm afraid you leave me with no choice."Then, quick as a flash, the CEO of Mindstorms, Inc. strapped a gas mask over his face and pushed another button. The vents opened and began to pour out toxic fumes. Silencia Venomosa raised an eyebrow, but calmly stood there, staring right at Sindstorme. For about a minute, they stood off against one another as the toxic gases filled the room. As Sindstorme became increasingly confused, Venomosa became increasingly amused."You have got to be kidding me," murmured Uærlig Sindstorme.But she was not kidding him. Over the past few years, Silencia Venomosa had trained herself to build up a resistance to the certain toxins that she used in her jobs. It just so happened that one of these toxins was in the last-resort poisonous gas defenses of Sindstorme's office.Sighing in defeat, Uærlig Sindstorme closed the air vents and opened a window, letting the toxic gases flow out of the room. When the air became safe for him to breathe, he removed the gas mask and stared at Silencia Venomosa. "What do you want?" he whispered.Silencia Venomosa walked up to Sindstorme's desk. She pocketed her cellphone and her gun, but as a demonstration, she showed him her hand, laid her knife against her palm, and drew. Since she was wearing gloves and did it lightly, she did not leave a cut, but she wanted to ensure that Sindstorme understood her message.Then, Venomosa pocketed her knife and pulled out two new knives. She laid them upon Sindstorme's desk, but rested a hand on each one to ensure that he did not try to grab one for himself. One knife was twisted and blackened, almost appearing to be forged from volcanic rock. The other knife was a bright golden color, shining brilliantly as it reflected light off its surface. She looked at Sindstorme, glanced down at the knives, and finally locked eyes with Sindstorme once more.Uærlig Sindstorme was silent for a moment. He realized what Venomosa wanted from him, and it was a cruel choice. He knew of her reputation well enough to know that, either way, she was going to kill him. But the manner in which he died was in his hands. He had to choose the knife with which she would cut his hand. But which knife was better? Which knife would show mercy?He stared at the black knife. With its twisted edge, it looked painful just to behold, and its dark color brought forth to mind images of the world's blackest hearts from the depths of MegaBlokLand. No doubt, that knife would bring a terrible death. Then, he turned his attention to the gold knife. Gold was pure; i.e., a black heart versus a heart of gold. That had to be the right choice. He could not imagine any way it could be otherwise. Finally, Uærlig Sindstorme worked up the courage to point his finger at the gold knife.Silencia Venomosa nodded. She pocketed the black knife, took Sindstorme's hand, laid the blade of the gold knife upon his palm, and drew. Sindstorme winced as the knife left a cut and drew blood, but otherwise seemed painless. As Venomosa pocketed the gold knife, Sindstorme stared at her, as though asking, "What happens now?"Silencia Venomosa smiled darkly.Then, Uærlig Sindstorme became aware of a burning sensation that took hold of his entire body. He doubled over in pain and screamed. It felt like he was on fire and burning from the inside out. He fell onto the floor and writhed in agony, his horrid scream piercing the air. And then, Uærlig Sindstorme was silent.As she approached the office's now-open window, her escape route, Silencia Venomosa continued to smile with sadistic pleasure. Uærlig Sindstorme was a gullible fool. He thought that the knives represented hearts, just as she thought he would, but hearts were not Venomosa's style. The knives represented snakes, and to quote D.H. Lawrence's Snake:"For in Sicily the black, black snakes are innocent, the gold are venomous."

OOC: Darn it, Andrewnuva! When Lieutenant Rex drinks the dinosaur DNA and that somehow turns him into a T-Rex, you missed the perfect opportunity to poke humor at the absurdity of the situation... by lampshading the whole concept of the Mutant Dino Serum.IC: With five of the mercenaries dispatched by her knife and the remaining two undoubtedly having perished in that flaming wreckage on the side of the road, Silencia Venomosa immediately returned to Mindstorms, Inc. Her first goal was to slip into the security office, slit the throats of whoever was unlucky enough to be there at the time, and disable the security cameras. This was accomplished quickly and silently. Once that was out of the way, she was free to finish the job.Along the way, she sneaked up on security guards and slit their throats while making her way to the elevators. As she approached the metal doors, they slid open, and she ducked to the side to avoid being seen as a grizzled elderly man in a longcoat, a young redhead in a nice suit, a scientist with messy hair and spectacles, and a tall, stern man with a nasty burn scar stepped out of the elevator. As soon as they passed, she darted inside the elevator.Just before the elevator doors shut, a voice called: "Hey, you! Stop!" A line of security guards rushed towards the elevator, brandishing their guns.Silencia Venomosa frowned. Even if she preferred to use her knife due to its effective and deadly silence, she carried around a gun of her own, which, while not nearly as silent as she would like, was custom designed by her to greatly reduce the sound of the gunshot. She turned around, drew her gun, and fired at the security guards. She took down three of them before the doors shut. But even before the elevator began to rise, she heard someone shout: "Cut the power!"The lights in the elevator shut off, encasing Venomosa in darkness. As the security guards rushed towards the elevator doors and tried to open them, she knew that she had to act quickly. Leaving behind a little "surprise" for the guards once they entered the elevator, she opened the emergency exit in the elevator's ceiling and hoisted herself out into the elevator shaft. Then, gripping onto the elevator's cable as a rope, she started climbing up the elevator shaft. It was a tedious process, but Venomosa was patient and determined.Silencia Venomosa was satisfied to hear, far below her, as the security guards finally barged into the elevator, were shocked to discover that it was empty... and fell to the floor as they inhaled the deadly toxins that she left for them. ***** “Are you sure?” Amanda whispered to him, trying to conceal the terror in her voice.“Positive,” Rex gritted his teeth.“It can’t be!” Amanda shook her head.“I would not believe it,” Rex bit his lip, “but then that would mean that I could not believe even my own eyes. Did my own eyes deceive me when Specs came into the room, shot Soldier, stabbed Heavy, and was about to slit my throat?”“Did you hear the way Specs spoke in the hospital wing?” Amanda shot a quick glance over her shoulder. “He put so much contempt and anger into his voice every time he referred to the mole… in fact, I could be mistaken, but I do not even think he ever said ‘mole’, ‘infiltrator’, or such… he always said ‘traitor’.”Rex sighed. “I do not know what his motivations are… But Specs would truly make an effective mole. His balaclava hides his expressions and his emotions, allowing him to masterfully control his own appearance to hide any hint at his true identity. And his position as team leader gives him full knowledge of every action by the Dino Attack Team, explaining why XERRD is always two steps ahead of us, and yet nobody would ever suspect him.”“But why would he leave you alive,” wondered Amanda, “if he knew that you knew that he’s the mole?”“Because he knows that no one will believe me,” grimaced Rex. “He’ll know how painful it would be for me to know such important information and be unable to tell anyone… and watch my friends die all around me at his hands…”Just like the Darkitect said.Rex’s heart raced. He clutched his chest and began breathing heavily.Amanda was immediately alarmed. “Are you alright?” she gasped. “Should I bring you back to the hospital wing?”“No, no,” Rex waved his hand. “I’m fine. But I think we ought to check on the remaining members of Second Headquarters Squad… Pyro and Demoman. They need to be protected.”As they left to look for Pyro and Demoman, Amanda lowered her head and murmured in a low voice, “You know, a lot of people are suspecting that Silencia Venomosa is the one behind this.”Rex bit his lip. He remembered what Spy had said just before he died, that there may have been an unfathomable malicious intent behind the murders of the Second Headquarters Squad that would have been in Venomosa’s style. Slowly, Rex nodded. “I know. It certainly does not help that your knife was found in Sniper’s back.”“But I’m innocent, Rex,” whispered Amanda, looking at him with wide, desperate eyes. “Some people refuse to believe it, but I’m innocent. I left behind that life long ago, and nothing XERRD could do or offer would change that. You believe me, right?” Rex locked eyes with her, letting his expression speak for him. He trusted her more than he had ever trusted anyone before.In actuality, while the lives of Pyro and Demoman were a major concern for Rex, that was not the thought that got his heart racing. Specs likely only needed one person to know who he was, just one person to torture with the horrible truth. Anyone else who knew was expendable and would be better off dead…And now Amanda Claw knew.OOC: I included a minor little shout-out to that one short story of mine about the four guys in the elevator... which reminds me, I've really got to get around to uploading that short story online sometime. I got it published in a local magazine called The Observer, but I also was hoping to upload it onto deviantART or something...

OOC: Atton and I discussed this while we were planning this flashback, and we agreed that Schiess and Montoya escaped the car after it caught fire, but Silencia Venomosa, who was a short distance away in a dark and stormy night, saw the flaming wreckage and assumed that they were dead. Due to dramatic effect, I decided not to include this in my IC, feeling that it would detract from the Nightmare Fuel (which, I'm proud to say, based upon Brikman's reaction, worked beautifully) of the scene.IC: "And what's this?" Bogart knelt and picked something off the ground from where Rex had been found."Looks like a cigarette butt to me," muttered Hotwire. "When are these Dino Attack agents ever going to learn that there is a strict no-smoking policy in Dino Attack Headquarters? It's unhealthy, it's certainly not 'cool', it kills you...""You say that this was where Rex was found," mused Bogart. "Was Rex a smoker?"Greybeard shook his head. "Nay. I be workin' with th' young rascal fer a few months now, an' me deadlights ne'er seen th' likes o' him so much as take out a lighter.""I believe Agent Spy may have been a smoker, though," pointed out Mort. "He used to be in the Alpha Team, and although I never worked closely with him, I know that he and Frozeen worked together during a rescue mission and infiltration of Ogel's Mountain Fortress at one point in 2008. Maybe he can confirm it for you.""Does anyone know where I can find this Frozeen?" stood Bogart."He went to the hospital wing with Rex and Amanda," reported Vinyaya."I can lead ye thar," volunteered Greybeard. When the private detective nodded, the old pirate made for the exit and beckoned for Bogart to follow.Outside, Greybeard was greeted by Mary Rose, who was waiting with King Joseph Race. "Oh, grandpa!" she ran towards the old pirate."Is she yours?" inquired Bogart, raising his eyebrows.Although Greybeard replied with "Aye," he shook his head ever so slightly with a grim expression to let Bogart know that he was not telling the truth in front of her."What's going on in there, grandpa?" timidly asked Mary Rose.Greybeard glanced back to the formerly-safe room, where there now were two dead bodies and a headless corpse. With a shudder, he murmured, "Nothin' ye e'er want to see. Trust me." ***** When Rex regained consciousness, he was back in the hospital wing. Initially, his first thought was an annoyed, Darn, why is it that I always wake up in the hospital wing?Then, he recalled the events that transpired just before he fell unconsciousness. The shock of that revelation startled him awake. He bolted upright, gasping for air.“Oh, thank the First Builders you’re alright,” sighed Amanda. Now that Rex was awake, he saw that Amanda, Frozeen, and Greybeard were all gathered around his bed. Amanda was kneeling beside him, while Frozeen and Greybeard stood. They appeared relieved to see that Rex was alright, but at the same time still very anxious and concerned. There were two others that Rex did not recognize: a tall man in a suit and fedora, and a little girl hugging Greybeard’s leg.“The name’s Bogart,” the man in the suit introduced himself, extending a hand towards Rex. “Private Detective. If you don’t mind, I would like to ask you a few questions.”“Uh, yeah,” nodded Rex, still trying to get his bearings. “Sure. Of course.”“We found ye lyin’ in that room,” explained Greybeard, “with th’ corpses o’ Spy an’ Heavy an’ Soldier. We also found Scout lyin’ in the hallway, also dead. It be a relief ye be still alive.”“We also found this,” added Bogart, who held up a cigarette butt. “Do you recognize this at all?”Frozeen leaned in close. “From the looks of it,” he murmured, “it’s no ordinary cigarette… it’s one of Spy’s false cigarettes. Smokescreens he used to cover his escapes. Given the fact that Spy was also found in the room without a head, it’s probably not him…”“If not Spy, then whom?”Rex startled, and the others turned around to see Specs approaching the bed.Rex wanted to jump out of his hospital bed, point an accusing finger at Specs, and declare, “There’s the traitor!” However, he knew that could not afford to do so… yet. He needed to explain to Amanda, Frozeen, Greybeard, and others whom he could trust about what he saw, or else his accusation would seem insane. He could not do so in front of Specs, either… or, at least, not out loud.Rex gritted his teeth, feeling his face grow hot as Specs approached his bed. Bogart, Frozeen, and Greybeard stepped back, and Amanda promptly stood. The little girl hid behind Greybeard, peeking out nervously to look at Specs. “I received word that the mole was the one responsible for killing off most of the members of Second Headquarters Squad,” declared Specs. “You are our only witness to one of these murders. If you know anything about this traitor, please say so.”Rex was silent, trying to think of what to say. If only there was some secret-agent code he could use to communicate with Frozeen, or pirate phrases that Greybeard could catch…Specs sighed. “Elite Agent Rex, I ask this as a favor. But, given the dire times and the importance of such knowledge, I ask again, and this time as an order: What do you know about XERRD’s mole and the murders of agents Scout, Spy, Soldier, and Heavy?”Rex locked eyes with Amanda. He knew no spy talk or pirate accent, but he remembered the first reason he ever felt a bond with Amanda… she could communicate through body language alone, and he could understand her easily due to his dinosaur instincts. He prayed that she could understand what message he wished to convey.Shifting his eyes quickly towards Specs, Rex reported, “Scout, Soldier, and Heavy were already in the room with me when Spy entered. Fearing that Spy was the mole, Soldier killed him. I sent Scout for you, but he never returned. Then, the infiltrator came in and murdered Soldier and Heavy.”“Did you see who the traitor was?” inquired Specs.Rex looked back at Amanda, bit his lip, furrowed his brow, and quickly shifted his eyes back to Specs again. “I cannot recall,” he lied. “When he came in, he lit a cigarette and created a smokescreen that masked his true form. I could not make out his identity.” While Frozeen showed Specs the cigarette to confirm Rex’s words, Rex once again glanced at Amanda and shifted his eyes towards Specs.Amanda raised her eyebrows ever-so-slightly.“That’s a shame,” frowned Specs. “We are so close to tracking down this traitor, and you, our only living witness, do not know who it might be. Frozeen.”The Alpha Team agent stiffened. “Yes, sir?”“I need you,” ordered Specs, “to figure out a way to track the whereabouts of every Dino Attack agent in this building at the times of these murders. We need every possible scrap of information to help us determine what cowardly scum is responsible for killing my men. Now come with me.”“Trust no one,” Amanda said quietly to Frozeen. The Alpha Team agent nodded in comprehension, then departed with Specs.“One thing be fer certain,” muttered Greybeard. “We needs to get ye out o’ bed… if th’ traitor returns fer ye, th’ hospital bed might be yer death bed.”“Right,” sighed Rex. “My wheelchair, please?” Amanda pushed the wheelchair to Rex’s bedside, and with some assistance from Amanda and Greybeard, Rex climbed into the chair. Then, Amanda proceeded to push Rex out of the hospital wing.Just before they exited, they were stopped by Bogart. “Excuse me, Agent Rex, but are you sure that is all that you saw?”Rex nodded grimly. “As I said, the attacker’s appearance was masked.”“But you referred to your attacker using male pronouns,” pointed out Bogart. “If you could not see this person, how could you be sure of ‘his’ gender?”Rex bit his lip. “I’m… fairly certain that he was male.”“But given that ‘his’ appearance was, as you say, masked,” continued Bogart, “you admit that there is a possibility, however slim, that you are mistaken?”Unsure how to respond without giving anything away, Rex slowly nodded.“Do you have a weapon of choice, Agent Rex?” inquired Bogart.“Yes. I prefer to use a Sonic Screamer.”“And you?” Bogart turned towards Amanda. “Agent Claw, what’s your weapon of choice?” When Amanda did not respond right away, Bogart smiled and murmured, “Come now, don’t be shy.”Rex nodded to Amanda. He thought it was in their better interest if she remained completely open and honest with the private detective. With Rex’s support, Amanda admitted quietly: “A knife.”Bogart raised his eyebrows slightly as he nodded. “Do you normally carry a knife on you?”“Yes.”“May I see it?”“Of…” Amanda trailed off as she reached for her knife. Her face betrayed surprise as her trusty weapon was not in its sheath as she expected it to be. In disbelief, she began patting herself down in a vain attempt to locate her knife.“Would this be your knife?”Rex blinked in surprise and Amanda’s eyes widened as Bogart held out a knife. Upon finding her voice, Amanda quietly murmured, “Err, yes.” As she reached out and took the knife from Bogart, she dared to inquire: “Where did you find this?”“I didn’t find it,” Bogart shook his head. “You can thank Angel Eyes and Maria, for they were the ones who found it…”“Thank you,” nodded Amanda.“… in Sniper’s back.”Rex stared at Amanda as she paled, color leaving her face. Bogart’s features hardened, on the other hand. At last, Amanda slowly sheathed her knife, nervously stepped away from Bogart, and whispered in a wavering voice: “Thank you for your time, detective Bogart.”“If I need to ask you two anything else,” Bogart tipped his hat as he narrowed his eyes, “or if you two find any information that you need to tell me… we’ll find each other.”

OOC: As do I, Jacks. Clever way to slip in a long-overdue MST3K reference.Before I forget, Brikman, was Athena Fabello at all inspired by the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series? I ask because her given name comes from the Greek goddess, her maiden name (Chase) is also the last name of Annabeth Chase (one of Athena's daughters, no less), she has blonde hair (which, in the series, was one of Athena and Annabeth's defining physical traits), and her personality and depiction in Napoleon XIV reminded me of May Castellan (Luke's mother).IC: Just as she expected, as soon as Silencia Venomosa opened the door, someone fired at her.Silencia Venomosa was too fast, and Keaton's gun arm was too slow. Shooting from the waist, mixed in with shaking arms due to an adrenaline rush, made the bullet all too easy for Venomosa to avoid. Keaton and Schiess were wise enough to do what any sane man would do: run. As they ran, Silencia Venomosa pursued with an unnatural silence.As her prey neared the door, Venomosa drew her switchblade. Schiess was already out the door. Keaton almost made it. He would have made it if he were only a half-second faster. But Venomosa would not let her prey get away so easily. She let the knife fly from her hands and watched it cut through the air before planting itself in Keaton's back.Five down, two to go.Wordlessly, Silencia Venomosa stepped over Keaton's corpse and exited the Dacta Corporation building. ***** Schiess held his breath, until their car was so far away from Dacta Corporation that he could not even see the building in the rear view window. Sweat drenched his forehead, and he desperately hoped that she was not a biker girl who would pursue them in a climatic car chase. Upon realizing that motorcycles were far too loud for her style, Schiess allowed himself to relax a little."Mind telling me what's going on?" shouted Montoya, who kept his eyes locked on the road ahead of them. Unfortunately, it nearly midnight on a stormy night, and he could only see the next few feet of highway ahead of him that were illuminated by the car's headlights. He had a lit cigarette in his mouth, and hadn't the time to put it out when Schiess showed up."It's her," shuddered Schiess. "That 4+ Figure double-crossed us! We should have known better than to trust her!"Montoya paled. Since their team of mercenaries consisted of seven men and one woman, Schiess did not need to name her in order for Montoya to figure out what what he meant. "And the others? She didn't..."Schiess nodded grimly. "She killed them. Every single one of them.""Oh my Builder," whispered Montoya."But at least we got away, right?" Schiess looked down at the briefcase in his lap. "And we've got the blueprints. Mission accomplished." He pulled out his cellphone and called the president of Mindstorms, Inc. "Mr. Uærlig Sindstorme? This is Schiess. I've got the documents you requested, but Silencia Venomosa-"Then, Schiess caught sight of perhaps the most disturbing thing he had ever seen in his life. In the rear-view mirror, he saw a dark shape clinging onto the passenger side of the car. He caught a glint of light as it reflected off a knife raised in the air."-is on our car!" he screamed to Montoya."What?" gasped Montoya."She must've hitched a ride before we pulled out! Grabbed onto our trunk or climbed onto our roof or something!""Where is she?""Passenger side!" Schiess pointed out the window."Well, what do you want me to do?""Knock her off! Drive into the guardrails!""But-""Just do it!" snapped Schiess.Montoya complied, and their car swerved to the right. It grinded against the right highway guardrail, sending sparks flying into the air and creating a horrible noise of metal scratching metal. "Did I get her?" inquired Montoya, whose eyes were locked dead forward.Schiess looked past Montoya and saw the dark shape now on the driver's side of the car. Shaking his head vigorously, Schiess pointed and shouted, "No! Driver's side, now!""Oh, MegaBloks!" gasped Montoya as he dared to quickly glance to his left and saw the dark shape that had to be her. Quickly, he turned the wheel and slammed the car into the left guardrail.As Montoya did so, Schiess glanced up at the sunroof and saw the dark shape pass overhead. Thinking quickly, he pulled out his gun and shot at the roof of the car. Even as he shouted "Passenger side!", Schiess dared to roll down his window, poke his head and weapon out, and fire at the dark shape clinging to the car. But as Montoya tried to swerve the car to the right again, the dark shape disappeared behind the car and popped out again on the driver's side. "Driver's side!"The car swerved to the left, then to the right, then to the left again, as Montoya desperately tried to shake off the dark shape and Schiess fired his gun whenever and wherever he could. This process could not have possibly lasted more than a minute, but it felt like an eternity of terror to Schiess and Montoya."Where is she now?" cried Montoya.Schiess looked out his window and saw the dark shape just below him. This time, in addition to seeing the glint of light reflecting off a knife, he could make out her facial features and her long dark hair blowing in the wind. Schiess fired his pistol at her and, as she darted to the side, grabbed the cigarette out of Montoya's mouth and threw it at her. The burning cinder forced her to maneuver awkwardly, and in the process, she let go.To Schiess's surprise, this did the trick. The dark shape vanished, and as he looked in the rear-view mirror, he was relieved to see her body rolling on the wet road behind them. Sighing in relief, Schiess leaned back in his chair. "It's over. We got her."Montoya, who was now just as sweat-drenched as Schiess, grinned. "I can't believe it!" he laughed nervously. He reached down, grabbed another cigarette, and lit it to celebrate their victory. "We're going to make it! We're..."His smile disappeared. "What's that noise?"Schiess's eyes widened as he heard a most terrible series of sounds... the sounds of popping tires. Too late, he realized what she had been doing on their car. "She slashed our tires!" he cried, but it was too late.Without tires, the car's wheels skidded across the wet road, sending sparks in the air. Montoya gripped onto the wheel and slammed on the brakes with terror, but that did nothing to stop their car as it swerved left and right, slammed into another car, crashed through a guardrail, and landed upside-down in a ditch.Battered and bruised, dizzy and nauseous, Schiess struggled to stay conscious. He shook Montoya, and to his relief, his partner was still alive. But as he looked out the windshield at the highway on which they were driving, what he saw filled him with the most undiluted form of terror imaginable.There she was.Silencia Venomosa.Although she was cloaked in shadow, it was undoubtedly her. Her long, dark hair billowed in the harsh storm wind, as did her longcoat. In one hand, she still gripped onto that terrible knife, seeming to glow as light reflected off its shining surface. Her cold eyes pierced through the night, looking directly at Schiess.And still, with an eerie silence so unnatural that it could not possibly be of this world, she walked slowly but steadily towards their car with the terrifying poise and air of a serpent about to strike.Silencia Venomosa was out there. She couldn't be bargained with; she couldn't be reasoned with. She didn't feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And she absolutely would not stop, ever, until he was dead.And as Schiess beheld this horror, the car caught on fire.

OOC: What I believe Andrewnuva is trying to say, Atton, is that there is little point in trying to maintain a sense of believability in a universe where believability is tossed out the window. Dino Attack RPG relies on "Willing Suspension of Disbelief", not "Semi-Believability".Also, glad to see some resolution on the fate of that injection needle, Andrewnuva. I was wondering about that.Okay, Brikman. I've already got a little something written up for when Rex regains consciousness in the Dino Attack hospital wing, but it takes place as long as a few hours later, so I'll give you some time to get that IC in. I left it open as to who it was coming into the room on purpose so that others like you could join in, but I figured that I'd let you know in advance that Amanda, Frozeen, and Greybeard were among the ones who came in.Since there seems to be some question over Scout's shady phone call, I suppose I can reveal the other half of the conversation now: See the importance of context? That's what we call a Red Herring.Also, I can also say that I recently rewatched Iron Man... and this time, I didn't see Faran Tahir playing Raza... I saw Faran Tahir playing Dust.IC: Silencia Venomosa watched from the shadows as Scorsese and Orange disabled the security systems of Dacta Corporation. Since it was in her style to leave very little information for the authorities to track her down by, she let them do their job. Then, she would do her own job.She had recorded all information she could gather regarding the heist on Dacta, then sent it over to Edward Korrupte. He responded in a long letter that, to anyone else, would seem professional and emotionless. Venomosa, on the other hand, had dealt with corporate executives before, and her keen eyes could make out the slight nuances and tiny hints in his message that betrayed a barely-controlled fury. As she had anticipated, Korrupte was far more than merely displeased that Mindstorms was sending mercenaries to steal his blueprints, and that was just enough to push him over the edge.In her message to Korrupte, Silencia Venomosa also included a note about making sure that Ursula Bennett stayed in the building during the heist. In Korrupte's letter, he revealed that he was hesitant, but if Venomosa wished it, he felt it was wise not to interfere. What Venomosa did not tell Korrupte was that Bennett would most likely not survive the night, but Venomosa did not care; Bennett was a loose end, and this seemed like the perfect "accident" to kill her off.The last sentence of Korrupte's letter was what filled Silencia Venomosa with sadistic anticipation: "Do what you must." In layman's terms, that was how a CEO tells an assassin such as Silencia Venomosa to "Kill everyone."Already, Silencia Venomosa was formulating a plan in her head on how she would assassinate the president of Mindstorms, Inc. With such a huge name as Mindstorms, she did not want to pass up the opportunity on creating an assassination that would be remembered for years to come. She considered the ways in which the president would try to protect himself. For that, she already had a very special idea. But how to actually kill him? That would require some thought.At last, Scorsese and Orange finished their work and disabled the security systems. They turned to reunite with the main group. Schiess's voice came in through Scorsese's radio: "Scorsese, where are you?"Silencia Venomosa chose that moment to strike. Silently, she slipped out from the shadows, creeping up on her two targets. She pulled out her trusty knife, ready to end their lives and quickly.Scorsese picked up his radio. "We're working our way up to-" he began.Just then, Venomosa grabbed Orange from behind, clamping one hand over his mouth. She felt him tense against her body and struggled against her grip, but she was too quick. In one swift action, she slit Orange's throat and dropped his body to the floor."Oh Znap!" cried out Scorsese, who stared wide-eyed at Silencia Venomosa.Disappointed, Venomosa mused on the fact that Scorsese wasted his reaction time with words, not actions. Before Scorsese could say anything more, Venomosa delivered a kick that knocked him to the floor. His radio slid across the floor, just out his reach.Cursing, Scorsese reached for the radio, but Venomosa stepped on his hand. He cried out in pain and, finally deciding to actually do something, pulled out his gun. Silencia Venomosa was slightly amused by this pitiful threat as she simply knocked the weapon out of his hands and plunged her knife into his abdomen. Scorsese's life came to an abrupt end.Venomosa heard Schiess's voice on the radio shouting. "Scorsese, Orange. Are you there? SCORSESE! ORANGE! ZNAP IT!" While Schiess cursed, Silencia Venomosa dragged away the bodies of Orange and Scorsese. In her previous visit to Dacta Corporation, she made a note of where she could hide corpses without anyone noticing for days; she remembered one time, back when she was just a rookie, where she made the mistake of hiding bodies in a utility closet, just like she had seen in the movies. It turned out that the police had also seen those movies, and the utility closet was the first place they checked. Until she could dispose of these bodies properly, she had to hide them in a better place.Two down, five to go. Just another Tuesday, mused Silencia Venomosa.After hiding the corpses of Orange and Scorsese where no one would find them, Silencia Venomosa started after the rest of her group. She internally debated whether it would be wiser to maintain the facade that they were on the same side or, as she had done with Orange and Scorsese, just ambush and kill them. She decided that, if she ran into any lone stragglers, she would just kill them on the spot. If she ran into the whole group, she would play innocent... and maybe, when they weren't looking, release a toxic gas and kill them all in one swift stroke.As Silencia Venomosa considered the possibility of poisons, she suddenly knew exactly how she would kill the president of Mindstorms, Inc. It was a new idea she recently developed... a horrible, sadistic, malicious idea that she could not wait to use. It was also a literary idea, quite beautifully inspired by a passing line in the poem Snake by D.H. Lawrence.Yes. It would be the perfect death for the corporate head of Mindstorms, Inc.

OOC: Just a minor note, that guy. (As far as we know,) Amanda does not know that Rex is with the Second Headquarters Squad; she left him in the lobby to (supposedly) look for Gun.I promise, avmatoran, that I'll get to your PM as soon as possible. With the mole hunt and the Trigger/Amanda flashback being the most relevant issues at hand for me at the moment, I've been spending a lot of time focusing on getting these done. In the meantime, if you're asking my approval for something, think about what it is you are asking about and try to judge whether or not I'll see it as g-modding or going Off The Rails.And now... for part 3 of 3!IC: Just then, Amanda's PDA started beeping. She held up a finger to Naomi, telling her to wait a second, then reached into her pocket and pulled out the PDA. She pressed a button and spoke: "Standard Agent Claw.""Hi, this is Elizabeth Wilma," came the voice on the other line."Ah, yes," nodded Amanda. "Has Gun returned to the lobby and spoken to Rex yet?""I was about to ask if you had any luck finding Gun yet."Amanda frowned. "I'm afraid not. I just checked Rex's room, and there's no sign of Gun here.""Because Standard Agent Soldier just came in, grabbed Rex's wheelchair by the handlebars, and rushed him out of the lobby, all the while shouting something about gathering the Second Headquarters Squad in a 'safe room'."Amanda's eyes widened. "What?" she blinked, incredulous. Rex is with those incompetent lunatics? I better find out where he is and take care of this immediately. "Thank you," she muttered. "I'll try to find Rex immediately, and hopefully one of us can find Gun in the meantime." She pocketed the PDA and began to head out the door."Wait!" called Naomi before she could go. "The handwriting test?""Oh, yes, of course," murmured Amanda. She grabbed a slip of paper, quickly wrote something down on it, and handed it to Naomi. "Hope you can figure out who's really behind this before anyone else loses their life." Then, she exited Rex's room and sprinted down the hall.Naomi watched her go, then looked down upon the paper. What she saw seemed to drain all hope from her body:"Careful. People are capable of writing in various styles." ***** When Rex finally found his voice, he stammered: “Soldier! You just killed Spy!”“Dude!” Scout’s jaw dropped. “That… that was my dad!”“So much blood!” commented Heavy, staring at the corpse of the Dino Attack agent once known as Spy. “How could this happen?”Sergeant Ronald Army realized that Rex, Scout, and Heavy were all glaring at him. “What are you maggots looking at me for?” he shouted. “Spy was obviously the spy! He gave himself away! Oh, he thought he was so tricky and smart, speaking in third-person, but no one would show so much respect towards a cowardly murderer unless that cowardly murderer was himself! And then he even admitted that he could be the killer!”“‘Could’ is not a certainty!” snapped Rex. “Spy could be very innocent, and you’ll be under arrest, charged with murder!”“Unless,” Scout glared darkly at Army, “you’re the true traitor! Get’m! Beat’m to a pulp!”“Now is killer killing time!” Heavy sneered, revving up his machine gun. Ronald Army swallowed nervously as he saw a furious Heavy and Scout charge towards him.“Stop this madness now!” Rex shouted from his wheelchair, unable to physically intercept. “Soldier, you will be placed under custody. Scout, find Specs and tell him about what has happened. Heavy, you will stay here with me and Soldier until Specs arrives.”Shooting Sergeant Army one last dark glare, Scout spat on the floor and walked towards the door. Heavy sneered at Army and sat down upon the desk, his machine gun aimed at the army sergeant.“You can stop revving your gun, Heavy,” Rex said. “It’s starting to get a little obnoxious.” Heavy’s machine gun was making so much noise, in fact, Rex could faintly hear Scout shouting about something but could not make out the words.Heavy sighed in disappointment, but pulled the switch to turn off his gun. When the revving continued, Heavy’s eyes widened. “Uh, oh. Gun is not stopping!”“Here, let me help with that!” Sergeant Army already started reaching for Heavy’s weapon.Heavy pulled it back, giving Army the evil eye. “This is my veapon!” he growled. “You do not touch my gun!”Scout was still shouting something, but was incomprehensible over the sound of Heavy’s machine gun and the argument between Heavy and Army. It only became harder for Rex to make any sense of anything when Army actually laid a hand on Heavy’s gun, leading to a wrestling match over possession of the heavy weapon. Of course, neither the strong, furious soldier nor the incompetent military sergeant would listen to the attempts of a handicapped man in a wheelchair to make them settle down.One by one, things started to quiet. First, Scout stopped shouting, likely having given up on whatever message he was trying to tell the others.Then, Heavy’s machine gun stopped revving. This was followed by a triumphant laugh from Heavy, who declared, “Hah! See? I fixed my own veapon vithout any of tiny baby man’s help!”Sergeant Ronald Army lay on the floor, amidst the broken pieces of the desk, as though he had stood in the way of an elephant stampede. Covered from head to toe with bruises, he slowly and painfully picked himself up. Still, he managed to say, “You… call that… breaking every bone… in my body? You… stupid foreigners… do not-”Heavy slammed his fist into Army’s face, sending the military sergeant flying across the room. He crumpled against the far wall, where he lay mostly still. “Okay!” he wheezed. “Now… every… bone… is… broken…!”“Keep crying, baby!” laughed Heavy.Rex was aghast. Not since Kotua had he seen so many Dino Attack agents fighting one another. He could not possibly imagine how these agents had worked so well together in the Second Headquarters Squad. All that was needed was a bit of suspicion, and suddenly they turned against one another like savages.“Okay,” Rex sighed, rubbing his forehead, “now that’s over with, we all need to just calm down. Scout, what were you trying to say? Scout? Are you still there?”No reply.“Fine.” Rex glanced at Heavy, who was smiling and hugging his gun, then turned to look at Sergeant Army. “Looks like we’re going to have to get you to the medical wing as soon as possible.”Heavy smiled in Rex’s direction. “It is good day! You are here-”Rex was on the verge of explosion. “Agent Heavy! I will not condone this behavior! You will be-”Heavy’s smile vanished. “Spy!” he shouted, pointing towards Rex. “I see spy! He is killer!”“Now I’m the mole?” seethed Rex, unable to believe what he was seeing or hearing. “That’s your excuse? That’s going to be the reason why I’m next on your beat-everybody-up list?”Weakly, Sergeant Army lifted his arm, pointing at Rex. “Get down, troop! Hit the deck!”Rex blinked in surprise. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw the glint of light reflecting off a knife. Immediately, he launched himself out of his wheelchair.There came the sound of a gunshot, and Sergeant Ronald E. Army let out one last sigh and moved no more. Heavy, roaring furiously, revved up his machine gun and charged at their mysterious attacker. From his position on the floor, Rex could not see what happened, but heard Heavy bellow in pain, followed by a loud thud as the large Dino Attack agent’s body hit the floor.“No…” whispered Rex. He strained to turn over. Footsteps coming closer. Cursing his immobile legs, he pushed with his arms and twisted his body until he could face his assailant.The figure approached him with a knife. The infiltrator bent down close and pressed the edge of the blade against Rex’s neck. Frozen with shock, Rex was rendered entirely immobile, and could only stare into the eyes of his attacker and wait for his end.There came voices from far off down the hall. The killer quickly glanced in that direction, then looked back at Rex. Then, the mole chuckled softly, pocketed the knife, and pulled out a cigarette. The infiltrator lit it, then dropped it down upon the floor.The room was suddenly filled with smoke. Rex coughed violently, his eyes watering. Then, just as suddenly, the smoke cleared. His attacker was nowhere to be seen.Several Dino Attack agents rushed into the room. Rex, still in a state of shock, his eyes and throat burning from the smokescreen, could not quite make them out. The whole world was blurring. As far as he knew, all but two members of Second Headquarters Squad had been killed.But that was not the worst thing Rex had seen in the last hour. He now knew the identity of the spy, the infiltrator, the mole, the killer.Specs.Then, Rex fell into unconsciousness.OOC: Confirming via Word of God that Scout is dead; when he stopped shouting, that was an indication of his death. And now, remember that your characters are still acting only with IC information, not OOC information; with Rex unconscious, nobody knows that Specs is behind all this yet, so don't instantly march up to Specs's office and demand to arrest him. Of course, with Crusher and Pierce's operation, that might change...So, is Specs really the XERRD mole? Why did he kill most of the Second Headquarters Squad? What are his true motivations, hidden behind that mysterious balaclava of his? Or is there something else entirely behind that balaclava? Is there more to this story than I am telling you? Is nothing as it truly seems? Is this even reality? Let the Wild Mass Guessing begin!Let me just say that from the very moment that I introduced Spy and first brought up the possibility of a XERRD mole, I planned to have this three-part IC based upon "Meet the Spy". That means that every member of Second Headquarters Squad, except Pyro and Demoman, were essentially redshirts: I introduced them with the sole purpose of killing them off eventually. Still, I knew better than to make them the typical underdeveloped redshirts, and so I created the Gold City/Fort Legoredo mission so we'd have some time to get to know and love them... so their deaths could be all the more punishing and heartbreaking.