PeabodySam

OOC: I'm relieved to hear that the climax is receiving so much praise. I knew that, after over seven years and a two-month-long final battle, ending it all in a satisfying conclusion would be insanely difficult to pull off. Luckily, it sounds like I've succeeded in pulling it off! Forgot to comment on this (it jumped out at me before Team That Guy did so, but Team That Guy made me forget about this). Semick met Zero? Interesting little retcon. I don't suppose you're going to ellaborate, or you're just going to leave it as a Noodle Implement? As Brikman pointed out, we do have a canon reporter named J. Theano following around the Dino Attack Team. Lotta Brix, the reporter from the Alien Conquest line, has also made cameo appearances in the Mindstorms flashback. Which leads us to my IC idea for today... Okay, guys, seriously. You're making me cry right now. It truly touches me to know that Dino Attack RPG has affected you guys as it as has affected me. This is a Crowning Moment of Heartwarming for me. Thanks, guys. Heh, what do you know? I guess it's true what they say: crazy great minds think alike. As for the sentience level of L'mahr, it would be significantly lower than any of my previous characters, but probably closer to how Andrewnuva depicts Stranger's Mutant Lizard. Good thinking, since the kind of "epic" music that would fit my post best would be the more dramatic, penultimate, the-end-of-it-all type of "epic" (like "Battle of the Heroes") as opposed to the proud and bombastic type of "epic" (like "Star Wars Main Title").Also, the end of my post, concerning the passing of General, was intentionally written to fit with "Triage of Dawn" from the Half-Life 2 soundtrack. Seriously. That's a rather beautiful piano/trumpet duet to hear after finally crawling your way out of Ravenholm, and it was used for the scene of RED Spy's death in "The First Wave" (which specifically inspired General's death scene). I'm pretty sure that, in the current set-up of BZPower's forums, all LEGO, BIONICLE, and HERO Factory stories go in the same Library now. On my old computer, I've got quite a bit of Alpha Team: Mission Deep Freeze RPG archived, but mainly only the posts directly concerning Frozeen. I've also got as much of the Goo Caverns arc archived as possible, and I think it was around the LEGO Island arc where I started becoming lazy in the archival process. Luckily, for At War's End, we've got Brikman, who has been emailed every single (non-edited) post in the RPG. Chronicler of Ko-Koro expressed interest in returning for the finale... unfortunately, while I did play the Oath of Order (and sent him a PM, just as I sent you a PM), this never came to be. He's usually signed in as Anonymous these days, but Jacks, Brikman, and I all went through an Anonymous phase during At War's End (although... I did see one time where there were four Anonymous readers reading the RPG during the final battle...), so there's no way to tell if he's reading.If you are reading this, then I have to say: "Hi, CoKK! Good to see you!"As for Kotua, I've recently tried to track down what exactly happened to the biggest LEGO RPG player of his day (he had the most amount of posts in both the Alpha Team RPG and the original Dino Attack RPG, not to mention all the other RPGs, such as the Exo-Force RPG, that he participated in!). Unfortunately, for all intents and purposes... he dropped off the face of the internet in late 2007. And not just on BZPower, but on nearly every other website (like Flickr or MOCpages) that he was active on at the time. All without any clear warning. And after that... complete dead silence. It really is a shame that he is gone, because he really was a definitive part of the LEGO RPG experience back in 2004-2007. Nailed the coffin in the head (or however that idiom goes again) with the Walter Donovan scene, as that was exactly what I had in mind when I wrote it. As for General, I just could not see him fighting the Mutant Dinos with his bare hands (and seeing as I already introduced laser sabers, I thought, "Why not?"), and the "remove my helmet" bit was also kind of thrown in on the spot as a reference to Anakin's death (although the scene, as a whole, was a reference to "The First Wave", as I said before). As the others have already said, I would be largely against this becoming canon because it would cheapen Rex's sacrifice. However, as a non-canon "What If?" scenario, I do admit it is a very intriguing idea, and I've already come up with some ideas as to the A.I. becoming self-aware and going on a (most likely tragic) quest of self-discovery, as a result of having Rex's mind but not his memories.One thing that has to be remembered is that the transition from human to A.I. almost never works well.<I AM AWAKE. AND I AM GOING TO KILL YOU ALL.> Ooh, I'd be eager to read that when you're ready to write it. I don't know... I've always been interested in reading an analysis of a work. Maybe that's why I'm now addicted to TV Tropes. I understand. Especially since General hasn't really been important since the Goo Caverns arc (and even then, he was only minimally important), I understand that he might have alienated new players. Still, he has been around longer than both Rex and Dino Attack RPG itself (although not quite as long as Frozeen and Chompy), and I wanted to tie up his story for good, since (as I said before) this might very well be the last time we see my LEGO cast of characters.Aside from, you know, Five Years Too Many... which I do plan on revisiting now that the Dino Attack RPG is nearly over... OOC: Airship, yes, although it's currently landed.Honestly, I have no idea what Kotua originally meant when he used the phrase "airship" to describe the Voltage. I think the term actually comes from Subzero (whose real BZP username I cannot recall!), the founder of Mission Deep Freeze, who wrote about a few airships in his time.So for years I've been writing about my characters' exploits in a smaller version of the Voltage... and I've never been quite sure what sort of vehicle that is.But I think "heavily armored futuristic zeppelin" might be the best way to think of it, except maybe with more advanced engine technology too. (Because I'm pretty sure we've written these things into space, like when we fought the LEGOLAND military, although I believe I tried to retcon some of this).I know we've all had different interpretations of the airships, and the fact that Victor Draven and Kotua aren't around anymore to ask about it certainly doesn't help. As for me, I've always kind of imagined airships as massive sci-fi spaceship-esque vehicles that aren't designed to leave Earth's atmosphere (you can see an example with Villains Headquarters). I do recall that I described PBB's Airship as looking something like a mash-up between a standard Alpha Team airship and a classic pirate ship or something like that... I must point out a little bit of Fridge Logic here, avmatoran. Zachary's operation on Rex was intended to keep the Maelstrom away from the Creative Spark during the extraction process. I imagine that, in the magnification abilities of the Einstein Device, having a Creative Spark that is tainted by residual Maelstrom might possibly have presented a problem in the destruction of Maelstrom. The only "Confessions" story I had in mind was regarding Bartholomew Enderson, and seeing as his confessions would be... classified... it's probably not something that should be put in Scott's hands. That, and Enderson is in Antarctica.IC: Samuel Race surveyed the damage. Luckily, his years in training as a helicopter pilot allowed him to make the crash-landing of the Joseph's Heir as smooth as possible. The tail rotor was all but completely melted away, and the T-1 Typhoon's armor was scorched and charred from battle amongst the flames. It had suffered some other damage between the fight with Dr. Rex and the crash-landing. However, overall, the Joseph's Heir looked like it could be repaired with ease and, one day, fly again."I'll make you proud, Dad," promised Race as he looked over the helicopter."Hello again to all our listeners in Antarctica!"Sam Race raised an eyebrow and turned around, and he was surprised to see a man approaching him with all sorts of equipment for broadcasting radio signals, and he was speaking into a microphone. "You're tuned in to WDNO - Dino Radio, and I'm J. Theano, reporting live from the battlefield of Dino Attack Team's final battle, bringing you interviews with some of Dino Attack Team's greatest agents who worked together in achieving the greatest victory LEGO Planet has ever known! With us today is one of Dino Attack Team's elite agents, who flew a T-1 Typhoon straight into battle against the evil Dr. Rex and lived to tell the tale!"Sam Race grinned sheepishly. "Actually, I'm not an elite agent. I just work with the team; I'm not actually an official member."J. Theano did not break his stride as he was corrected by Race. "I hope you all heard that, because you don't have to be a Dino Attack agent to be a hero. This is Prince Samuel Race of the Space Knights, hailing from Castle Cove and a champion of numerous LEGO Racing championships! So then, Prince Race, to all our listeners in Antarctica, tell us... what was it like to take on the evil-"Before Theano could complete his question, they were approached by a middle-aged man with thin round glasses holding a large camera, accompanied by a radio operator. "Excuse me," said the middle-aged man, "my name is agent Scott, and I'm a journalist working for the Brick Street Journal. I hope you don't mind if I ask you a-""Sir, you'll have to wait a moment," frowned J. Theano. "I'm conducting an interview here for WDNO - Dino Radio, and all our listeners in Antarctica are surely eager to hear what Prince Race has to-""Um, who are you again?" Scott raised an eyebrow. "I joined this team because there weren't any journalists up north reporting on the action."J. Theano was aghast at this statement. "Now, see here, Mr. Scott! I've been following Dino Attack Team for months and providing all the news for everyone down south! I saw them fight off a herd of T-Rexes trying to destroy a small power station, and I was there when the new Iron Predator stopped a raptor rampage in its tracks! And you just show up out of nowhere, and-""Welcome back! Seymour Brickstein here, reporting live for the LEGO City News!"J. Theano and Scott both turned around to see another news crew approach the crash site of the Joseph's Heir, this time lead by a Minifig in a beige trenchcoat and wearing a brown fedora. "Here we are at Ground Zero, mere minutes after the defeat of the Mutant Dinos, and with us today is a Dino Attack elite agent-""Who are you?" interrutped Scott."I'm Seymour Brickstein," the reporter shrugged. "Haven't you heard of me? I've been doing the LEGO City news for years, and I've always known where to find a good story!""Oh right," nodded Sam Race. "Yeah, you were that guy who covered the Robot Chronicles last year.""But LEGO City was evacuated just before the battle," frowned J. Theano. "You shouldn't be here, this is a classified area.""You're one to talk," scoffed Scott. "At least I officially signed up for this team.""You're just jealous because I just got back from interviewing all four founding members," proudly boasted J. Theano. "Yes, even Specs! Good luck finding a better news story than that!"Scott was shocked by this. "Now, wait just a se-""Hi, this is your reporter, Lotta Brix, and we are reporting live from downtown, where the Dino Attack Team has just emerged victorious in an epic struggle against the Mutant Dinos!" Yet another news crew approached the scene, this time lead by a female reporter in a red jacket with black-rimmed glasses."Where are all these news crews coming from?" gasped Scott.J. Theano threw his arms up into the air. "Ladies and gentlemen," he announced, "the Mutant Dino invasion is over. Bunker down, though, because the news reporter invasion has just begun!""I'm more qualified at delivering this story than all of you combined," scoffed Lotta Brix. "While you're all bickering, I'll get right to the heart of the story and be there to deliver the news to all our viewers! I would have come a little earlier, too, but my news crew refused to follow me into the battle.""With good reason," shrugged Seymour Brickstein. "That sort of thinking will get you abducted if you're reporting on an alien invasion!""You're one to talk," chuckled J. Theano. "You're the one who nearly got run over by a racecar, got your news van towed during a report, and almost got stomped on by Dr. Inferno's robot mech!""Theano," sighed Scott, "please keep your oversized chin out of this."As J. Theano, agent Scott, Seymour Brickstein, and Lotta Brix argued, bickered, and debated over who would get to broadcast the news story, Sam Race leaned against the hull of the Joseph's Heir and watched the scene with increasing amusement. They had forgotten about him, and the LEGO Racer inside of him enjoyed seeing the competition between all the reporters.*****"... an' sore I be t' hoist me colours on th' likes o' that, so instead I take me hearty into th' pub, but between th' squall an' me dead deadlight, settin' a course fer th' tavern be not quite as easy as ye think, savvy? So thar, we waited, fer nei'er o' us be willin' t' dance a fine dance out in th' rain quite yet, fer dead men tell no tales. Avast all o' them blaggards! Aye, we sent them all down t' Davy Jones's locker, but I be gettin' ahead o' meself. An' once me mateys arrived, aye, that be when me an' me shipmates scuttl'd th' ol' cockroach. An' I suppose th' poop deck must have been scrubb'd very recently, says I, fer then like a ship at sea on a stormy night, I find meself a man o'erboard. But before th' scurvy scum could shiver me timbers-""Okay, okay, okay," Scott shook his head. "I think that's enough; I'm afraid we're all out of time for this interview. Thank you, Mister... err... Pirata." He then muttered to J. Theano: "I've had enough; you interview him!"Greybeard laughed as the reporter scurried off. Clearly, his pirate accent was far too much for the reporter to handle.OOC: Couldn't resist the conflict between three canon LEGO reporters... and Scott. And, since today be Talk Like A Pirate Day, I be makin' sure t' throw in a little somethin' o' anoth'r wi' Greybeard, savvy?

OOC: Wow, talk about Anyone Can Die. Just like that, Semick, Swerve (heck, even the undead are dying!), and Kareem Nazareno kicked the bucket. I'll admit that I didn't see any of these coming, but I enjoyed reading them (well... maybe except for Nazareno, seeing as it was a Tear Jerker that left Darkling currently as a Karma Houdini, but I hope we'll take care of him later). Also, I think that Semick has, hands-down, the most dignified death in the entire RPG.Thank you, everybody. It's been fun, guys. But now, I think it's time we ended this war. Heh. You know, after watching To Boldly Flee, I was wondering why we passed up the opportunity to have a Dr. Insano ersatz working for XERRD. Then I saw this lovely bit and laughed. Then I sighed rather sadly, knowing that, much like how we are ending this seven-year-old RPG, To Boldly Flee marked the seventh anniversary of the Nostalgia Critic... and, well...Seven years, bad luck. Yeah, sure. Although I haven't seen you on Steam in nearly a month. But if you want to chat about something or if you're up for a match of Mann Versus Machine, feel free to drop me a message.I hope to keep in contact with some of you, even after the RPG ends. I feel like I've known you guys too long to just cut things short like this. I suppose, when you get down to it, this is the reason why I enjoy killing off my main character at the end of long, epic stories. Not because I want a depressing downer ending... but because I want an ending that manages to be optimistic... while... um... not Tasting Like Diabetes... or something like that? I'll probably be on RPG burnout for quite a while once my commitment to Dino Attack RPG is finished. But I have been considering joining Alien Conquest RPG... no promises, though... My character would most likely be a Pluuvian Brain Beast (a.k.a. Clinger), just to be different from all the other players who are playing as the humans or humanoid aliens, and it would be named something along the lines of L'mahr (or maybe Yabba M'Yzyng). Again, no promises, and I'm most likely going to be taking a long break from RPGs after this (and if I return, then I'll probably revert to my original style of short ICs and making stuff up as I go along, rather than long ICs building up to a specific plan).Although, if you want to be in on a little secret, I've got a character idea that I've been waiting a long time to use for an Exo-Force RPG, should it ever come around. Jajajajaja! My brilliant evil mad zcientizt experiment to vorze all ze RPG playerz to get ovv zeir lazy bumz und keep pozting vaz a brilliant zukzezz! Well, I admit it's certainly better than my original idea, which was for Dr. Cyborg to pull an Injection Saw out of nowhere (and subsequently hang a lampshade on it).... Well, guys, this is it. I would suggest listening to "Battle of the Heroes" by John Williams, "Last Battle" by Koji Kondo, or whatever other climatic "battle to end all battles" song you can think of while reading this.IC:The end had come.Dr. Rex lumbered towards Dino Attack Headquarters, his pace quickening with every step as he was more determined than ever to raze it to the ground.Down below, a Dino 4WD Trapper driven by agent Anubis struggled to catch up to Dr. Rex while avoiding the tendrils of destructive Maelstrom energy. The idealist hailing from Egypt might not have been one of the team’s most famous members, but he had seen a lot during his time in the war, from what he perceived as the ghost of Rev Raptor to a Maelstrom-infected brick in Digger’s office. Anubis had seen Semick’s grand sacrifice and Swerve’s kamikaze maneuver, and knew that no matter what happened in the end, even a moment’s delay could help buy the headquarters just enough time. All he needed to do was to create that delay.In a valiant effort, Anubis unleashed the hook and cable of the jeep in one last attempt to replicate the strategy he had developed with the LEGO Racers. After hooking it on Dr. Rex’s foot, Anubis drove in a tight circle around Dr. Rex, hoping that the rope would trip the Mutant T-Rex and stall him just long enough. He knew it would not work, but Anubis was determined not to go down without a fight.As Dr. Rex faintly felt the cable tugging against his shin armor, Anubis’s plan was given away. Growling, Dr. Rex raised one foot, snapping the cable as he did so, and slammed it down upon the hood of the Dino 4WD Trapper. Then, he opened his maw and engulfed the vehicle and its driver in a jet of purple-tinged flames. Anubis forever departed from this world.His chains pulled by Baron Typhonus to make sure that he kept going, Dr. Rex unrelentingly closed the distance between himself and Dino Attack Headquarters. A group of Iron Predators gathered at the base of the building to defend it from the Mutant T-Rexes. Dr. Rex clawed his way through his fellow Mutant Dinos to get close enough, then paused as a dozen Cryothermic Cannons pointed at him. In a single blast of his fire breath, he incinerated the Iron Predator defense around the base of the building. There were no survivors.A flash of lightning illuminated the area, and thunder rumbled from the heavens. Up above, the clouds began to swirl into a vortex-like shape.Staring up at the center of the vortex, Dr. Rex bared his teeth and then delivered an inhuman roar. He was not sure what drove him to do so, but he felt compelled to climb up towards the heavens. He buried his claws into the wall of Dino Attack Headquarters, and the tendrils of Maelstrom energy began to cling onto the building’s side to give him even greater grip. Then, placing claw over claw, foot over foot, and tendril over tendril, Dr. Rex began to scale Dino Attack Headquarters.*****The end had come.Rex had made peace with his fate, and nothing could sway his decision. He was ready to meet his destiny. Still, the knowledge that this was it… everything had been building up to this moment… everyone who had lived and died fighting this war was fighting for now… and it was all about to come to an end at last… With this knowledge in mind, Rex could not help but feel tears forming at the base of his eyes.It had only been eight months, but it felt like nearly eight years to Rex as he reflected upon all that had happened during the Dino Attack. He had learned of his unique origins on Adventurers’ Island. He discovered that he was part of a XERRD gambit to destroy the Dino Attack Team. He had tamed Mutant Dinos, starting with his dear friend Trouble. He worked with close comrades such as Frozeen, PBB, and Chompy. He fought against a mind-controlled Kotua and saved Dino Attack agents in peril such as Databoard, Turahk-Kal, and Glide. He went on adventures with Zero and Phantom. He met, fell in love, and ultimately married Amanda Claw. He battled some of the most famous villains and later allied with them. He discovered the Dino Island Laboratory and altered the very premise of the war. He teamed up with Reptile, Hotwire, Zenna, Greybeard, and Fullmetal in the Goo Caverns mission. He fought alongside Coral and Semick for the fate of LEGO Island. He met Andrew, Dust, Zachary Virchaus, Dr. Cyborg, and Hertz in the battle for Adventurers’ Island. He looked into the eye of the Maelstrom and challenged the Darkitect himself.Everything he had experienced was building up to this moment. And then, after so long, it would finally end.Andrew’s words had truly moved him. Although Rex was aware that he had gained quite a bit of reputation among the team, after enduring so much pain, feeling so much darkness, and seeing so much death, Rex’s heart was warmed by Andrew’s praise. It made it just that much easier to accept his fate, with the knowledge that his life really meant something.Thunder rumbled, and Dino Attack Headquarters shook with the force of impending doom scaling its wall. The battle was longer than Dino Attack Team could normally endure, so many had died, and those that were still alive were weary. It seemed as though they did not stand a chance, but Rex knew that as long as Dino Attack Team carried the heart and courage that it had shown these past twenty-four hours, they would keep on fighting to the end. It was all so very powerful to Rex.Rex thought of everyone who had fought for the Dino Attack. The founding members: Specs, Shadow, Digger, and Viper. Those that had disappeared, such as Kotua, Databoard, Zero, and Fullmetal. Those that had perished, such as Amanda, Adventure, and Semick. And those that were still fighting today: Reptile, Hotwire, Rotor, Zenna, B, Andrew, Hertz, Zachary, Dr. Cyborg, Frozeen, and Greybeard.The greatest people anyone could have ever known.“Thank you,” whispered Rex as tears welled up in his eyes. “Thank you all.”Rex turned to see Zachary Virchaus and Dr. Cyborg staring tentatively at him. Rex noticed that the latter had reconfigured his arm cannon to resemble a XERRD injection saw, presumably for the extraction and containment of his Creative Spark. “Are you ready?” inquired Zachary.Rex quickly surveyed the area around him, locking eyes with everyone present, starting with Reptile and Hotwire, and ending with Frozeen and Greybeard. It was a mutually understood communication; an unspoken but heartfelt goodbye. Then, turning his attention back to Zachary and Cyborg, Rex nodded slowly. “Remember, Zach. If I’m right, the Maelstrom will do everything in its power to prevent my Creative Spark from being extracted.”“I’ll hold it back,” nodded Zachary. After a brief pause, he noted: “I… think that might have been the first time you called me ‘Zach’.”Rex smiled, sadly. “Goodbye.” Then, at peace, he slowly shut his eyelids and raised his arms to a T-position, allowing Zachary and Dr. Cyborg to do their work. As Reptile, Hotwire, Zenna, Hertz, Specs, and Gromtin prepared the Einstein Device to receive its payload, Dr. Cyborg and Zachary nodded towards each other, and then Zachary made his move.Zachary concentrated upon the Maelstrom energies in Rex’s body. He could feel their presence, and they had taken up root so deeply in his body that they could never be extracted. However, Zachary could also sense a source of pure Imagination: Rex’s Creative Spark. The Maelstrom could not bear to be too close to the Imagination, but while it was kept at bay, it licked at the Imagination like fire biting at dust in the air, and almost seemed to be attempting to constrict it.Pooling his energies, Zachary focused in prying the Maelstrom energy away from the Creative Spark. It was a slow process, like attempting to remove boulders from an avalanche without triggering another rockslide, for if he moved too quickly, Zachary knew the Maelstrom would retaliate. Rex was still alive, after all, and his features hardened ever-so-slightly as he felt the Maelstrom in his body shifting around. Slowly, the Maelstrom gave way, clearing a path to Rex’s Creative Spark. “Now…!” whispered Zachary in a strained voice.Without hesitation, Dr. Cyborg made his move. He planted his reconfigured arm cannon into Rex’s torso. Rex’s body stiffened and he made a muted grunt, but he relaxed his form. Dr. Cyborg began to extract the Creative Spark, and the injection-cannon began to glow a brilliant blue as it was filled with Imagination.Just as Dr. Cyborg completed the process, the Maelstrom retaliated. Tendrils of Maelstrom energy, much like the ones constricting Dr. Rex, sprung out from Rex’s body, and Dr. Cyborg jumped back just in the nick of time before they could grab him. Rex’s eyes suddenly shot open, but they were completely blank and lifeless. He opened his mouth and produced a bloodcurdling laugh.“It is too late! This is the end! And now… you will die!”The other Dino Attack agents gasped and looked upon Rex with horror. Maelstrom energy swirled around Rex as more tendrils burst out of his body. He set his cold, dead eyes upon Zachary and Dr. Cyborg, and shambled towards them. The Maelstrom tendrils stretched and, before Dr. Cyborg could react, wrapped around him and began to constrict his form.Stop him! whispered a voice, just barely audible enough to be heard.Greybeard snapped out of his stupor first. He fired his flintlock pistol at Rex, who stumbled and let go of Dr. Cyborg, dropping the scientist to the floor. This bought Zachary just enough time to control the destructive powers of the Maelstrom energy and turn it against itself.Before their very eyes, Rex’s body aged at a horrifyingly rapid pace. His hair turned white, his body turned frail, and his face was covered with wrinkles. In only a second, he appeared eighty years old, the true age of Dr. Rex. Even then, Rex continued to age and wither, and his Dino Attack uniform disintegrated as his skin decayed. A mere second later, Rex was little more than a skeleton, and then that too crumbled into dust. Only then did the Maelstrom energies collapse upon themselves and vanish for good.For a moment, everyone was only able to stare at the space where Rex had once stood. If seeing Rex forever crippled, seeing him give in to madness, and learning that he was about to die were not disturbing enough, what had just transpired left everyone shaken.At last, Andrew found his voice. “It… wasn’t Rex. Without his Creative Spark, the Maelstrom just turned his body into another puppet for the Darkitect.”“That’s right,” nodded Kate Bishop. “Rex is in there.” She gestured towards Dr. Cyborg’s right arm.Dr. Cyborg looked down upon his arm cannon. He furrowed his brow and bit his lip. With Rex’s Creative Spark contained in his body, Dr. Cyborg suspected that any of Rex’s last words or thoughts would be projected through him. And yet, while his HUD confirmed that there was indeed Imagination stored in his system, it was silent.There was no turning back now; Rex was dead, his essence contained inside the injection-cannon, and his body turned to dust after becoming a tool of the Maelstrom. Still, Andrew and Kate’s words brought some sort of comfort to the Dino Attack agents, as they knew that Rex’s Creative Spark was still pure enough to do the trick.Hotwire and Hertz finished preparing the Einstein Device as Dr. Cyborg approached Reptile. Working together, the pair of scientists loaded the Imagination into the Einstein Device, and then Specs, Hotwire, and Hertz sealed the device. Andrew, Zenna, and Zachary held up the newly-repaired launcher, while Specs took the completed Einstein Device and looked it over.“We are ready,” Specs nodded firmly.*****As Dr. Rex scaled the side of Dino Attack Headquarters, placing claw over claw and tendril over tendril, he was constantly harassed by T-1 Typhoons. The Dino Attack helicopters had kept the Mutant Dinos at bay long enough; now that Dr. Rex himself had arrived on the scene, it was time to slow him down by any means necessary.Ride of the Valkyries and Brixter Boss blasted through the air as Rotor and the Brickster opened fire upon Dr. Rex with everything they had. Shadow and Digger blasted Dr. Rex with XL-4 Voltaic Launchers and Quintronic Sonic Beam Emitters. Sam Race’s T-1 Typhoon darted around too quickly for Dr. Rex to react in his numbed state, which was not helped by the combination of sonics and loud music ringing through his ears.Although the sonic attacks rattled his brain and the high-powered compressive power cells of the Voltaic Launchers were powerful enough to nearly cause him to lose his grip, he kept going. Even if the Maelstrom possessing his body did not force Dr. Rex to keep climbing, his anger, his hatred, and his determination pushed any thought of defeat out of his mind. After all, his silge armor protected him from most of the attacks, so in the end, the T-1 Typhoons could only slow him down… they could never stop him.Still, annoyed by the efforts of the T-1 Typhoons, a jet of fire erupted from Dr. Rex mouth, consuming the ninth floor of Dino Attack Headquarters in flames. Thanks to the high specific heat of silge and the mind-numbing pain he was already suffering, the fire barely affected him, but it would spread quickly, destroying all in its path like a wildfire.Dr. Rex continued his unrelenting ascension of the burning building. Nothing could stop him.*****Fire and smoke were not the only things that were rising to the thirteenth floor of Dino Attack Headquarters. Right on cue, a T-1 Typhoon arrived at the scene, and Viper could be seen hanging out of the cabin. Again, since Zenna’s T-1 Typhoon was occupying the helicopter landing pad, Viper had to jump down to the floor. Balling his hands into fists, Viper shouted: “Alright! Are we ready to show these scales who’s boss or what?”Hertz could not hear anything, but he could feel Dino Attack Headquarters shaking beneath his feet and was starting to become uncomfortably hot. He glanced through a broken window and noticed the smoke rising. Peeking out, he saw that the lower floors were on fire, and Dr. Rex was still climbing; even with the T-1 Typhoons slowing him down, he was unrelenting. Trying to control the volume of his voice while retaining the necessary tone of urgency, Hertz screamed: “LOOK, GUYS, THIS BUILDING ISN’T GOING TO STAND MUCH LONGER ONCE DR. REX GETS UP HERE. IF WE’RE GOING TO FIRE THAT THING, WE’D BETTER DO SO FROM A T-1 TYPHOON IN FLIGHT, JUST TO BE SAFE.”“Don’t worry,” Specs shook his head, “we’ve got a perfectly qualified pilot right here… if you’re up to the job, agent Zenna.” Astounded, Zenna was at a loss for words, but was able to nod her head once she regained control of her body.“Just remember,” Viper told Zenna, “you’ve got to fly the Typhoon so I can get a clear shot at that big bad beast. It all does kind of depend on you… but hey, no pressure!”“Don’t worry,” grinned Andrew. “She’s an ace pilot. She can handle this easily.” He patted Zenna on the back, hoping that would give her a good confidence boost.As Frozeen and Greybeard called for assistance, Andrew, Zachary, and Hertz finished dismantling the Super Teleport Pad in order to scavenge for bricks. They quickly assembled a blockade to keep the Mutant Lizards at bay; even though it would not hold for long, it might just be long enough. While it concerned him that this left everyone trapped in LEGO City, Specs knew that it was necessary to destroy the Super Teleport Pad before any Mutant Dinos could use it to travel to Antarctica, or else all would be lost.Zenna sat in the pilot’s seat and reacquainted herself with the T-1 Typhoon controls. One by one, everyone started climbing aboard the T-1 Typhoon. With so many elite agents, the helicopter cabin quickly grew crowded, so a T-2 Typhoon was quickly summoned to carry those that could not make it aboard the first one, such as Pharisee, Kate, Saran, and Gromtin. As Frozeen was helping Gromtin load her wheelchair into the helicopter, the makeshift barricade exploded as fire, Mutant Lizards, and Mutant Raptors poured out.Although Greybeard unsheathed his cutlass, General shook his head. “Did you forget about me? I’ve got the G.E. Body exosuit, and unless one of these mutants is carrying a Panrahk XP, I’ll make it through. Leave this to me.”Frozeen knew that General was right, as he once knew the perks of the G.E. Body. “We’ll provide air support,” nodded Frozeen. “Come on, Greybeard.” With that, the Alpha Team agent helped the old pirate step into the T-2 Typhoon before climbing aboard himself. No sooner had the T-1 Typhoon taken off and the T-2 Typhoon pull away from the building that the entire thirteenth floor became engulfed in the fire.General struggled to see through the fires, but as he turned away from the helicopters and faced the Mutant Dinos, he grinned and eagerly murmured: “I always wanted to use these.” He pulled out four Space Knights laser sabers, a gift from King Joseph Race during their time working together in the Portal Operations Team. Igniting the futuristic swords, General battled in the flames against the Mutant Dinos, with movements more like a graceful dance than a fight to the death.Mutant Lizards, Mutant Raptors… it did not matter, for a few quick strikes with his laser sabers would incapacitate any of General’s foes. Still, he appreciated the aid of the T-1 and T-2 Typhoons, which circled around the rooftop and provided cover by firing at the Mutant Dinos.From the T-2 Typhoon’s cabin, Frozeen watched the battle and nodded approvingly. After so many years of being General’s arch nemesis, it was immensely satisfying to see him fighting on the same side. “Come on, General,” he whispered.There was a flash of lightning immediately followed by a great thunderclap, but General could barely hear it over the terrifying sound of a bloodcurdling roar. Narrowing his eyes, General saw a great figure rise up from the flames and loom over him. In the darkness and through the flames, all General could see was a great shadow with a pair of glowing eyes, but he knew who it was.“Dr. Rex,” General narrowed his eyes.Dr. Rex looked down upon General and bared its teeth. “You…” he growled. “You were the one… who turned Talia… against me!” Seething with fury, Dr. Rex opened his mouth and poured out a jet of fire.General jumped out of the way in the nick of time, his agility never failing him. However, in the process, he dropped three of his laser sabers, and they were swallowed by the fire. “That’s right!” nodded General. “Your fight is with me! Now, let’s end this!”Dr. Rex roared and charged towards Dr. Rex like a bull, shaking off the combined firepower of the two Typhoons, which were now joined by a third belonging to Rotor. General leapt to the right, but Dr. Rex was surprisingly quick to react, swinging his tail low and knocking General to the floors. As soon as General was back on his feet, Dr. Rex swung his tail again.This time General was ready and grabbed Dr. Rex’s tail. General climbed up onto Dr. Rex’s back and ran along his spine whilst dodging the tendrils of Maelstrom energy, laser saber at the ready. Upon reaching the base of Dr. Rex’s neck, General found a schism in Dr. Rex’s armor where the helmet and neck met, and tried to pry it open with the laser saber.Although he successfully loosened the helmet, General was unable to knock it off before Dr. Rex reacted by shaking his entire form. In his attempt to dodge a tendril of Maelstrom energy, General lost his balance and fell off. In mid-fall, General threw his laser saber like a javelin aimed at Dr. Rex’s exposed eye, but the weapon was swallowed in the Maelstrom energy and disintegrated.No sooner had General hit the floor did Dr. Rex slam his foot down upon General’s form. He watched with surprise as General, struggling but still capable, slowly pushed the great weight of an armored T-Rex foot off of himself. Like the myth of Atlas, General managed to stand, lifting Dr. Rex’s foot above him with all four of his hands.Out of the corner of his eye, General noticed that Viper and Specs, aboard the T-1 Typhoon, were now loading the Einstein Device into its launcher. “Well, here we are,” grimaced General, hoping to buy some time for Viper. “Two beings, immortalized by our impenetrable armor, locked in epic battle until judgment day.”“Perhaps,” sneered Dr. Rex, “but when Ogel… designed you that… cheap suit… he should have… made sure… nothing… was exposed!”Tendrils of Maelstrom energy snaked down Dr. Rex’s leg. General realized what was about to happen, but was too late to do anything about it. The Maelstrom shot into the eyeholes of his helmet, the only exposed part of his form, giving the tendrils access to his weak and vulnerable body within. As Maelstrom energy poured into his G.E. Body, General could only scream as he suffered impossible pain.Despite all the firepower of the two T-1 Typhoons and the T-2 Typhoon, nothing could move Dr. Rex as General’s legs buckled and he collapsed under the weight of the foot. “No!” cried Frozeen, staring in horror at where General once stood. “General!”Rotor’s T-1 Typhoon circled around Dr. Rex, blasting everything the helicopter had. As Dr. Rex tried to focus upon the helicopter, the Brickster’s own T-1 Typhoon arrived at the scene and rained MegaBlokLand upon Dr. Rex, with so much explosive firepower that even Dr. Rex was knocked back. As a swarm of Mutant Pterosaurs dive-bombed the Brickster’s Typhoon, the T-2 Typhoon provided cover and shot the pterosaurs out of the sky.Sam Race’s T-1 Typhoon flew past Dr. Rex so quickly, the mutant tyrant lizard king barely had enough time to react as Rotor went in for another round. This time, Rotor ordered his gunners to fire at where General had loosened Dr. Rex’s armor. A volley of XL-4 Voltaic blasts rained down upon Dr. Rex, and his helmet went flying into the air and disappeared as it fell off the roof of Dino Attack Headquarters.“Now’s our chance!” Hotwire shouted. “Zenna, take us in so we can fire at his exposed head!”However, having a weak point revealed only made Dr. Rex even more dangerous. Roaring furiously, he tore a chunk out of the Brickster’s already-damaged T-1 Typhoon. The T-1 Typhoon was engulfed in flames as it flew through the fires of Dino Attack Headquarters. However, as the flaming wreckage fell down to the streets below, Frozeen was relieved to see the Brickster jump out in time, escorted by two Brickster-Bots with jetpacks.Zenna attempted to fly in the T-1 Typhoon close to Dr. Rex to give Viper a better shot, but the helicopter was bombarded by a flock of Mutant Pterosaurs. Reptile and Hotwire fired their weapons at the Mutant Pterosaurs, but they were too many in number. When the T-2 Typhoon attempted to provide cover, it was struck by Dr. Rex’s eye beams. While it remained in flight, it was temporarily out of control.Hertz grabbed a pair of Sonic Screamers in the ship’s cargo and released a combined sonic pulse that knocked more of the Mutant Pterosaurs out of the air. Rotor’s Typhoon went in for another attack, and only some quick maneuvering skills by Sam Race’s Typhoon kept Dr. Rex from tearing both helicopters out of the sky. Sam Race went in for another pass, but flew a little too close and ended up with his tail rotor on fire.By the time the Mutant Pterosaurs were cleared, the T-2 Typhoon was back in control of its own flight, but Rotor was having problems against Dr. Rex. The Mutant T-Rex tore off Rotor’s XL-4 Voltaic Launcher and disabled one of the Quintronic Sonic Emitters with his laser vision. An Alpha Team Helicopter and Agents Aerial Defense Unit tried to provide cover, but a bolt of lightning knocked the latter out of the skies while the former was consumed by Dr. Rex’s fires.Zenna circled her T-1 Typhoon around the roof of Dino Attack Headquarters. Sam Race knew that his burning T-1 Typhoon would not remain in flight for much longer, and so he recklessly decided to go in for one last pass. He served as a distraction to Dr. Rex while Rotor’s Typhoon unleashed another volley of attacks. While Sam Race looked for a safe place to crash-land the helicopter, another T-1 Typhoon arrived, piloted by Shadow.Even as a Mutant Pterosaur attacked the helicopter, Digger was lowered by the cable and fired a handheld PLARXX Radar Ray at the last possible second, scrambling the Mutant Pterosaur’s senses and knocking it out of the sky. The newcomer T-1 Typhoon flew towards the roof of Dino Attack Headquarters and opened fire on Dr. Rex.The T-2 Typhoon joined Rotor and Shadow’s T-1 Typhoons in a joint attack upon Dr. Rex. It was a valiant effort, but Dr. Rex was growing tired of the ordeal. He breathed fire at Rotor’s Typhoon, fired laser vision at Shadow’s Typhoon, and then slammed the bulk of his mass against the hull of the T-2 Typhoon.Greybeard stumbled and fell out of the T-2 Typhoon’s cabin. Frozeen acted quickly, grabbing the old pirate’s hand and saving him from a fiery fate, but their combined weight threatened to throw them both out of the helicopter. Kate wrapped her arms around Frozeen’s waist and Dr. Saran did likewise with Kate, but their combined weight was not enough, as they began to slide out of the cabin. It was not until Pharisee grabbed Saran’s shoulders with his great, strong hands that they were stopped from falling out.But before Pharisee could lift the others back into the helicopter, Dr. Rex raised his head to the T-2 Typhoon and opened his maw. His teeth were mere inches from Greybeard’s position, and the old pirate felt his hand slipping out of Frozeen’s grip. Feeling Dr. Rex’s hot breath, Greybeard locked eyes with Frozeen. “If I let go…” he whispered, “ye can make it…”“Don’t let go!” cried Frozeen, even as Mutant Pterosaurs circled overhead, waiting for the kill like a wake of vultures.“The war ends…” hissed Dr. Rex, as another jet of fire was about to erupt from his maw and consume the T-2 Typhoon.“Now!” shouted Reptile from Zenna’s T-1 Typhoon.Specs and Viper traded glances, then locked eyes upon Dr. Rex. Zenna’s reputed piloting abilities had proven themselves, for they were now at the perfect angle to get a clear shot at Dr. Rex’s exposed head while he was distracted by the T-2 Typhoon. “The Mutant Tyrant Lizard King…” announced Specs.“… now extinct!” grinned Viper as he pulled the trigger.Time seemed to slow as the Einstein Device was fired from its launcher. Flashing lights on the device seemed to leave a trail of blue light in their wake. The projectile flew through the flames and the debris of the wrecked thirteenth floor. Viper’s aim was true, and nothing could block its path.Out of the corner of his eye, Dr. Rex saw the incoming Einstein Device. He knew that it was moving too fast and already too close to dodge. Instead, Dr. Rex slowly took in a deep breath that he knew would be his last. This was it. This was the end. Everything he had worked for was over.But despite this knowledge, Dr. Rex felt a strange sense of relief in his final moments. It was over. He knew not what lied beyond the grave, but no matter what waited for him after death, he would finally be able to escape his cruel life. He would finally be freed from Baron Typhonus’s will. No one would have to suffer any more. It would all… end.Thank you, thought Dr. Rex, with sincere gratitude.When the Einstein Device hit, it detonated, releasing its payload. A great wave of Imagination, magnified in volume by the programming of the device, exploded outward, consuming Dino Attack Headquarters in an aura of blue light. It was too bright for anyone to look at, forcing many to avert their eyes or squint. The sound was also deafening, like a mixture of a whirlwind, an earthquake, an explosion, and a tidal wave all mixed into one.Faintly, one could hear the cries of hundreds of Mutant Dinos caught in the blast radius. The effect of the Einstein Device upon these creatures was that of a mercy kill. The Maelstrom in their bodies was simply too much, and by destroying the dark energies, their Creative Sparks were extinguished in the process.As the T-2 Typhoon raised its altitude, the Minifigs caught in the blast radius were unharmed. Rather, they were filled with rejuvenated energy and life, and with ease, Greybeard was pulled back aboard the helicopter.Rex, the one whose Creative Spark powered the Einstein Device, was only dimly aware of his surroundings. When the Einstein Device detonated, he knew that he would cease to exist, since his essence would be spread so far that it could never possibly come back together. But he did not regret his choice. Instead, as he reflected upon his life and thought of all the lives he would be saving… Reptile, Hotwire, Zenna, Rotor, B, Andrew, Hertz, Zachary, Dr. Cyborg… he felt at peace.For everyone.And so, when everything Rex knew became a white void and he heard a mysterious voice proclaim, “It is time,” Rex was ready to accept his fate. It was, indeed, time.I’m coming… Amanda…And then, Rex was gone.*****It was over.When the light faded away, all that remained of Dr. Rex was his armor, cast about the debris like a broken toy. The storm had subsided; while it was still raining, it had calmed to a light drizzle, and there was no longer any lightning.Dino Attack Headquarters still stood. It had taken more damage than one thought it could bear, between Firecracker’s explosives, the destructive Mutant Dinos, and the wild fires of Dr. Rex, but as though it were a symbol of Minifigures’ ability to persevere, it still stood as a monument to Dino Attack’s triumph.Most of the Mutant Dinosaurs, which were invading Dino Attack Headquarters at the time, were caught in the blast radius of the Einstein Device. Those that remained, scattered around the torn-up streets and wrecked buildings, were now masterless, as Dr. Rex had perished and, through him, Baron Typhonus had been banished for good. They were left confused and aimless as they tasted freedom for the first time, and as such no longer seemed to pose a threat to the remaining allied forces. Similarly, with their leaders captured during the battle, the Fright Knights and the Inferno henchmen quickly surrendered.Specs breathed a sigh of relief. “It’s over, at last.”“No,” Reptile shook his head. “This isn’t the end. This… is a new beginning.”The cabin of the T-1 Typhoon exploded in triumph. Andrew and Zachary laughed and patted each other on the backs; Hotwire gave Reptile a high-five; Dr. Cyborg nudged Hertz, grinned, and gave a thumbs-up. The radio was abuzz with cries of victory and a number of famous movie quotes. Specs and Viper nodded to each other. Everyone knew that they could never have done it without each other. Only by working as a team could they prepare the Einstein Device and win the battle.On the T-2 Typhoon, the passengers were celebrating their own victory. Greybeard had already proclaimed “Drinks all around!”, and Dr. Saran was recalling some sort of amusing anecdote to Gromtin and Kate. They received confirmation via radio that Rotor and Sam Race both survived the battle, and as they passed Shadow’s T-1 Typhoon, they caught a glimpse of Digger, still swinging on the cable, whooping excitedly.Frozeen stood apart from the rest of the celebration in his cabin. As the fires were already dying down, he jumped down from the helicopter and landed back on the thirteenth floor. He ran through the wreckage and the debris until he found what might have once been Specs’s office.There laid General, half-covered by a large piece of debris.Grunting, Frozeen pushed the rubble off of General’s form, who cried out in pain. “Oh my Builder,” whispered Frozeen as he surveyed the damage. Even if G.E. Metal could withstand so much, General looked to be in terrible shape.“Frozeen…” he whispered. “Please remove… my helmet… Cannot… breathe…”Nodding, Frozeen pulled the G.E. Body’s helmet off of General’s head, exposing his face for the first time in a decade. His skin, which was already wrinkled with age and scarred by burns, was now blackened and charred after what the Maelstrom did to him.General took in several deep breaths. “Ah… to breathe again…” he murmured, “for the first time so long… without a filter… to feel the rain… against my face…” Sighing, General locked eyes with Frozeen. “I’m not going to make it… will I? Tell Talia… I love her… and I’m sorry.”“You did good,” nodded Frozeen. “You did real good.”General chuckled, and they clasped hands. Then, General lightly brushed one hand against Frozeen’s cheek. “Your father… would be proud…” General whispered, a smile crossing his dry and broken lips.Frozeen took his hand, even as he felt it grow limp in his grip. General sighed one last time as he stared off into nothingness, passing away.Greybeard approached Frozeen from behind and gently laid a hand on the Alpha Team agent’s shoulder. “He be dead, but not in vain,” murmured Greybeard. “Much like Rex, he be gone… but ascended t’ a higher plane o’ existence. They now live on in all o’ us now.”Frozeen nodded his head solemnly.After seeing so many die in the past twenty-four hours alone, Frozeen felt no sadness or grief over the death of General… only grim acceptance. The deaths of Rex, General, and so many more were not to be mourned, but to be celebrated, for they gave their lives to save others, Frozeen realized. The Alpha Team agent stood as he gave one final goodbye to the brother and general of Evil Ogel.It was over.At last.OOC: That's it. It's finished. The war is over. These past seven years have been full of combat and strife... and now, we can finally enjoy peace.I tried to integrate as many available characters in the area into the battle as I could (as for Rotor and his crew, I'm just assuming that after the Blaire Darkling fiasco he returned to Dino Attack Headquarters because he wouldn't want to stay out of the fight). And even though it mostly came down to just Zenna flying a T-1 Typhoon with everyone aboard it, I made sure we put emphasis on the fact that "everyone aboard" contributed heavily to the Einstein Device, defense of HQ, or other important aspect of winning the final battle.We're now in peacetime. Feel free to wrap up any loose ends and celebrate your victory. You guys definitely earned it. And in say, two weeks (maybe three if we feel like procrastinating), we'll close up shop for good. In the mean time, I know I have quite a few loose ends to wrap up, especially considering that this might potentially be the last time you see Frozeen, Greybeard, and the rest of my crew for a long time.I know I sound like a broken record, but... Thanks guys, it's really been a blast. I'll probably have a more speech-like "thank you" speech come closing time, but I cannot sum up my feelings for how... happy... and proud... I am to have written this grand story with you. Thanks for all the memories!

OOC: I'm seeing that people are experiencing writer's block and running out of ideas. I suppose that means that it's time. We've done all that we could... now, all that remains is the end of it all. Unless there are any objections, my next IC will most likely conclude the final battle. Problem, players? Hooray! Even though she's not your primary character anymore... However, as Brikman and Andrewnuva both said (and I see that you corrected this later on), it would have been impossible for Zenna to return to Dino Attack Headquarters via the Teleport Pad. The Teleport Pad's primary purpose is to be "the point of no return", and if someone did return... well, it's not really much of a point of no return, is it?As for your bout of Fridge Logic later on, remember that the Portal Operations Team went on a world tour before the final battle. It's most likely that, at one point, they stopped in Antarctica and cleared a space in the refugee facilities to receive whatever was teleported by the Teleport Pad (and, like a fire lane, most likely filled the area with signs saying things like "NO PARKING") to make sure that no one would be in the way of an incoming teleportation. Just a quick comment. Based upon the context, it seems that Andrew was implying that Claw was an elite agent. As far as I recall, she never actually received that promotion.And, if I'm not mistaken, I think Rosalie Mercedes is an elite agent. Gromtin too. So female Elite Agents are not an endangered species yet. Really impressive work you're doing here, that guy. I'm truly amazed. As for what the "horns on the side of the building" were intended to be... on the original headquarters, they were purely aesthetic, and intended to fit in with the visual style of Dino Attack sets such as the Iron Predator and T-1 Typhoon, which used horns in their designs. Just to be honest, my headquarters should not be taken as a canon example of "what is located where" in the building, for the most part. Sure, the garage is obviously in the left wing while the science/technology/medical centers are located in the right wing, and the lobby is obviously on the ground floor, but in the central tower, I had no real plan of what went where.For example, the 11th floor in my model was simply represented by a hallway that Engineer had set up some security cameras, much like the hallway where he first spotted Ata. Rex's room is on the 12th floor because I realized that I was on the 12th floor and still hadn't shown the living arrangements of the Dino Attack agents. I know, right? Actually, I'll just go ahead and confirm by Word of God that the final battle has been going on for much longer than 3-4 hours. In fact, as you'll see in my IC, December 21 is coming to a close...You know, seeing as this particular Five Man Band involves real people who all have their own points of view regarding which member of the band they see themselves as, this might be a little too YMMV to be on the tropes page.And now, I shall listen to an instrumental version of Alan Menkin's "Hellfire", followed by an extended version of Koji Kondo's "Last Battle", as I write this next IC.IC: Through the purple mist clouding his vision, and the agonizing pain and unbearable suffering that shook his entire form, Dr. Rex looked upon Dino Attack Headquarters. Despite the valiant efforts of Dino Attack Team, Alpha Team, Agents, and other factions, the base was now infested with Mutant Lizards, stalked by Mutant Raptors, bombed by Mutant Pterosaurs, and even now the Mutant T-Rexes had reached the building.The sight both pained him and pleased him. Dr. Rex still felt horrible that everything... everything he had ever worked for... all his dreams and wishes... were nothing more than a lie, and this was all the doing of Baron Typhonus. But he had already resigned himself to his fate, for there was nothing worth fighting for any more. Talia rejected him... Catherine renounced him... XERRD abandoned him... now, Dr. Rex's only hope was that the Darkitect would be merciful enough to grant him a swift death.And the last thing that stood between him and that escape he so desired was this insufferable team and their pathetic headquarters.The sun sets, Ronald. They continue to fight, despite all that they have lost so far. But now... it is time. Dino Attack Headquarters shall fall. Kill them all.Dr. Rex barely had the strength to nod. "Let us end this," he agreed, the sound of his voice barely more than a guttural growl from the back of his throat. With that, he slowly mustered the strength to take one step towards Dino Attack Headquarters, then another, then another.The sounds of his footsteps, complemented by the echoes of thunder as lightning streaked across the sky, served as the very song of impending doom.*****Rex stared out a window, looking out at the battlefield below. Despite the Mutant Dinos that were infiltrating the building, T-1 Typhoons, Iron Predators, and other vehicles led by Shadow, Digger, Viper, Rotor, and other elite agents kept the Mutant T-Rexes at bay. Rex could even tell which one was driven by Digger, for its weapons would never fire until at the last possible second, and Viper's vehicle was undoubtably the one that was moving the fastest, challenged only by another T-1 Typhoon piloted by Sam Race. Alpha Team and Agents provided back-up, and the Brickster's T-1 Typhoon was certainly doing damage...Behind him, Rex knew that Specs, Reptile, Hotwire, Zenna, Andrew, Zachary, Hertz, Kate, and Gromtin continued to work frantically on the Einstein Device. They were close to completion, and thanks to Dr. Cyborg, they needn't worry about the device going off prematurely and killing everyone. Frozeen and Greybeard both volunteered to guard the stairwell, and as it turned out, their assistance was very much needed due to the Mutant Lizards that were trying to access the thirteenth floor.But Rex saw the ruins of the battle-scarred city, with some buildings engulfed entirely in flames that reached high into the sky like the fires of MegaBlokLand. The devastation of this battle made the initial Dino Attack pale in comparison. Rex swallowed hard as he saw three Mutant T-Rexes tear apart an Iron Predator while an Agents Aerial Defense Unit, in its attempt to help, was shot out of the sky by a flock of Mutant Pterosaurs. Down there, Dino Attack, Alpha Team, Agents, Rogue Knights, and Skeleton Drones were dying. They held their ground, but were inevitably being pushed back by the overwhelming number of Mutant Dinos. There was no way Dino Attack Headquarters was going to stand much longer... not against this. It wouldn't be enough.And then Rex saw him. Through the darkness and the heavy rain, Rex could still see him, as his body was illuminated by the fires of war and the flashes of lightning; in the shadow, only his red eyes could be seen. Dr. Rex was marching towards Dino Attack Headquarters. And there was no stopping him now.Rex clutched his chest in pain. It was agonizing, as though a claw was ripping through his torso. His heart pains were worse than ever, and Rex had no doubt that the Maelstrom in his body had to do with it. He knew that everything was about to come to an end. Everything."We're running out of time," Rex whispered. When the chest pains subsided, Rex repeated his words in a louder voice so that the others could hear."According to my watch," murmured Specs, "it is now 5:36 PM. Sunset.""Remember Dr. Rex's declaration?" frowned Gromtin. "He said that Dino Attack Headquarters will fall when the sun sets.""That was a short day," remarked Hotwire. "I mean, this battle does feel like it's been going on for weeks, but sunset already?""It is the winter solstice, after all," pointed out Andrew. "Although it may not look it, considering that it's a thunderstorm. I wonder if maybe XERRD got ahold of Evil Ogel's old weather-manipulating pipe organ and used it to raise the temperature high enough for the Mutant Dinos to fight in.""Whatever the reason or cause," muttered Reptile, "it is clear that we have to finish the Einstein Device now or never. We may never again have another chance to strike at Dr. Rex.""But wait!" pointed out Dr. Cyborg. "We still don't have the Imagination! Sure, we managed to fix up the weapon so that it won't obliterate every Creative Spark in the blast radius, but that means that it still needs Imagination to counter the Maelstrom... and I don't think we really have any Imagination stored in this building, do we?""I don't believe so," Reptile shook his head. "Even when we had Dr. Einstein working with us, we never thought to keep a storage of Imagination. And even if we did, where could we find it? You cannot just smash a LEGO model and expect orbs of Imagination to just fall out; this isn't Nimbus System, where Imagination is far more bountiful from what I hear.""IF EINSTEIN HAD DESIGNED THIS THING TO OPERATE ON RADIO WAVES," Hertz spoke in an unintentionally loud voice, "IT WOULD BE FAR EASIER TO FIGURE OUT-""Well, I don't think we're up for a last-minute reprogramming," shrugged Hotwire."I'll do it," decided Rex.Hotwire raised an eyebrow, slightly bemused. "Come on, Rex. I appreciate the offer, but I don't think you're exactly the most qualified for reprogramming the Einstein Device to-"Rex shook his head. "No. I'll do it. I'll power the Einstein Device."The realization of what Rex meant washed over the Dino Attack agents as they fell silent. Rex sighed. He knew that the Einstein Device might very well be their salvation, and Reptile was right: it was now, or never. They could not afford to waste time considering the options; they had to act."You... you cannot be serious," Andrew shook his head. "Rex, like it or not, you're a little too valuable to this team to-""To sit around in a wheelchair and do nothing while everyone else is dying out there?" retorted Rex."But you're like a hero!" blinked Dr. Cyborg. "Everyone looks up to you, and-""And what good am I?" snapped Rex. "PBB, Aster Oid, Adventure... Amanda... even Trouble... they've all died because of me. Me. A so-called 'ropes expert' who can't do anything without endangering the lives of others and relying on Deus Ex Machina to save the day if the Big Darn Heroes don't arrive in time. And in our darkest hour, when you need a hero the most, where was I? Giving in to the very madness and lust for death that Dr. Rex and Baron Typhonus live for. I failed you. I've failed you far too many times.""Get ahold of yourself, Rex," frowned Reptile. "There must be another way that does not require an unneeded sacrifice.""And how many more deaths shall it take?" Rex raised an eyebrow. "How many more friends shall perish on the battlefield? How many more family members in Antarctica will be waiting for their beloved to return home, only to see a pair of Dino Attack agents forced to solemnly deliver the tragic news?""What be all this?" barked Greybeard as he and Frozeen approached Rex."I'm ready, Greybeard," declared Rex. "I'm ready to die.""You're going to sacrifice your Creative Spark to empower the Einstein Device?" blinked Frozeen. "Rex, you know... if you do that... there's no going back. I'm still confused about the circumstances that followed after Dr. Rex killed me, but I think it's because my Creative Spark was still alive that I was able to be reborn. Without a Creative Spark, you will... cease to be. There's no return."Rex sighed solemnly. Slowly, he shook his head. "Return was never an option, and I hope we all knew that when we signed up for this team.""Belay that!" declared Greybeard. "Rex, listen t' me! Don't be foolish, an' think this through! Yer young, an' even i' ye think yer world be over after th' death o' Amanda, thar be much more t' live fer. I be old; I liv'd me life! I be... alone." Grimly, Greybeard stared at the Einstein Device. "It should be me. I be th' one whose Creative Spark should be sacrificed, not yers."Rex locked eyes with Greybeard. "I have thought this through. It's the first time that I've been able to think clearly since my ill-fated marriage earlier today. With my Maelstrom infection, I do not have much longer to live, and even if I do survive this battle, what little life I have left will be full of pain and suffering and, in the end, benefit no one. But what if I can be useful? What if I can use what I have left to do something good? What if I have the chance to make a difference? What if I can do something meaningful and save everyone, rather than continue to bring pain and death upon all those whom I love dearly as my comrades, my family? Well, Greybeard, I have that chance. I can be useful. Just as Trouble used his dying breaths to kill Michelle Glados and save countless from her derranged ideas... just as J.D., Tracer, and Einstein sacrificed their Creative Sparks for the greater good... I shall not let my death have little consequence. I can do good; I can do the right thing... and if I must die a few weeks early, then I shall accept the bell's toll."Resting a hand on Greybeard's shoulder, Rex whispered: "And you're not alone, Greybeard. There is someone down in Antarctica who is, right now, praying that her dear granddaddy, the one thing she has left, will come home safely.""Mary Rose," breathed Greybeard.Rex nodded. "You still have family. As for me... this is my destiny.""I should 'ave known," whispered Greybeard. "Them dreams I had... they were about this moment." Greybeard swallowed hard. "Rex, me hearty... adios."After a short pause, Rex noticed: "You're crying."Shaking his head, Greybeard declared: "Shiver me timbers, I be not cryin'! It just be... th' rain. Thar be... err... a leak in th' roof, if ye... haven't... noticed." Still, the old pirate was clearly choking something back, and everyone was able to call his bluff.Frozeen patted Rex on the shoulder, but was at a complete loss for words, for try as he may, the Alpha Team agent just could not think of anything he could say. He settled for a handshake, and as Rex and Frozeen clasped hands, Rex murmured: "Thank you, Frozeen, for so much. Tell Chompy... tell Chompy that I said 'goodbye'.""I will," nodded Frozeen.The sound of Mutant Lizard screeches came from the stairwell, so Frozeen and Greybeard were forced to depart and return to their duty. Rex turned to face the other Dino Attack agents... Specs, Reptile, Hotwire, Zenna, Andrew, Zachary, Hertz, Kate, and Gromtin. "Together," announced Rex, "we have fought through this war and lived through so much. It's... truly been an honor to have known all of you. Now, we are at war's end, but it is up to us to decide how it ends. As for me... I've made my choice.""Reptile, Hotwire, Andrew, Hertz, and Gromtin, ready the Einstein Device to load Imagination. Zachary, I hope your Maelstrom powers can come in handy for this... I'm going to need you to just keep the Maelstrom in my body at bay while Dr. Cyborg (or someone else) extracts my Creative Spark. Specs... if you wish, I would suggest calling Viper and letting him know that, if he wants his dream to come true, he better come here soon."Glancing out at the looming shape of Dr. Rex in the distance, Rex whispered under his breath: "I'm ready. Let's end this."OOC: Unless there are any major objections, I'll end the final battle with my next IC post. If anyone wishes to do anything in particular before then, I suggest you do it now. With Willa the Witch and Dr. Inferno both down, and many of our posters running out of ideas, I believe that it is time. After that, I'll let the RPG run just a little bit longer (maybe a week... but two might be necessary, given the rate at which we move) to wrap up any loose ends in the post-war celebration.Guys... it's been fun.

OOC: Wow, Brikman. That was... quite an exhilarating read. Err, yeah, you kind of do. If you want to come up with silly portmanteau names, by all means do so, but please don't try to disguise them as shipping names if you aren't going to actually ship them.And if these are intended for laughs, then some of these (... Ronny) fail to elicit the Intended Audience Reaction. I come from a city with a name that can only be properly pronounced by those that live there. However, as of last Wednesday, I have moved a little west of south to a place that is a little east of north, in a city which a notorious inability to pronounce one of the letters of the alphabet.Does that answer your question, avmatoran?IC: While the others were either working with Specs on the Einstein Device or leaving with Shadow, Digger, and Viper to battle the Mutant Dinos and protect the lab from the ever-increasing amount of invaders, Rex sat in his wheelchair, staring at the palms of his hands. He was not suffering another Heroic BSOD, but the cold realization from his reality check forced him to face the fact that he was going mad... and becoming more and more like his nemesis, Dr. Rex."What's it like?" Rex dared to inquire. "To be... mad?"Frozeen chuckled softly in response. "For every person, madness is different. Some people may grasp very little of reality. Some never know what time and place they are in. Some people are... err... convinced that everyone is a leprechaun out to steal their gold. But you, Rex... I fear your madness appears to be a more violent case. Unfortunately, I'm no psychiatrist and... well, I've never been good at reading people, so I can't tell you anything for certain. But, uh... look... if there's anything you need, I'll try to help as best as I can."As Rex and Frozeen conversed, Greybeard saw an elderly man in a black suit enter the lab. Greybeard immediately recognized him as the strange person who clotheslined Ata during the traitor's attempted escape, giving the old pirate the opportunity to catch up and execute the cowardly traitor. Greybeard approached the elderly man and offered him his only hand. "I apologize, me hearty, fer I did not get a chance t' thank ye properly fer what ye did back thar."The old man looked into Greybeard's eyes and grinned. "You're welcome. I figured that you could use a hand, Greybeard."Greybeard faltered. "How did ye know..." The old pirate trailed off as he realized why he thought that the elderly gentleman looked familiar in the first place. "Blow me down," whispered Greybeard as he broke out into a wide grin, "it be Ben Gunn!""I'm glad we could meet again one last time," nodded Ben Gunn. Glancing up at the collapsed ceiling and catching a glimpse of the dogfight up above, he added: "Even if it is in such... dire times. However, I'm afraid I must go for now. I imagine that elite agent Rex over there is occupied, so if you could kindly escort me to this Teleport Pad I've been hearing about...?"Greybeard furrowed his brow. "Why? Be ye not going t' stay an' fight? Ben Gunn, back in th' Goo Caverns, ye killed Mutant Lizards wi' yer bare hands! An' then proceeded t' eat their limbs like th' drumstick o' a chicken! If that doesn't make ye what some o' th' younger folk call a 'Memetic Badman', I be not sure what does!""Alas," sighed Ben Gunn, "those circumstances were... different. You see, the Goo Caverns were my... home. My territory, you could call it. I knew every last square inch of those tunnels like the back of my hand, and when Mutant Dinos invaded, I had the high ground. I knew how to use my territory to my advantage. Out here... I am a fish out of water. And while I still have enough of a fighter's spirit in me that I could clothesline the mole... I'm old, Greybeard. I don't think it's in my power to put up a good fight any longer against these creatures. Therefore, I'm afraid I must resort to the final option."Before Greybeard could reply, Ben Gunn's eyes drifted to the Einstein Device and the Dino Attack agents working on it. "Hmm," murmured Ben. "That looks like something that Einstein would have made. Hold on..." He approached the device, studied it for a moment, then took it from Specs, made a few quick adjustments, and handed back. "There you go. I doubt that fixed it, but I'm sure that it would help."The others stared at Ben Gunn with incredulity as he returned to Greybeard's side. "Okay, I'm ready to go now.""Aye, then," nodded Greybeard. He led Ben Gunn to the Super Teleport Pad, where General was still operating the controls.Frowning, Ben Gunn whispered to Greybeard, "I'd... feel better if he wasn't the one who teleported me."Greybeard raised an eyebrow, but dismissed it as just another one of Ben Gunn's many idiosyncrasies. While Ben Gunn got into position, Greybeard went up to General and asked him how the Teleport Pad worked. General quickly explained that the coordinates were all set up, and all that needed to be done to teleport someone was a push of this one button. So, after distracting General, Greybeard pushed the button while Ben Gunn was standing on the Teleport Pad. With that, the elderly man vanished in a beam of blue light."Wait a second!"Greybeard blinked in surprise and turned to see Frozeen running up to the Teleport Pad, with Rex following in his wheelchair. The Alpha Team agent looked as though he had seen a ghost. The commotion had caught Genera's attention. "Who was that?" Frozeen demanded to know. "That man who just teleported?""Arr, that be just Ben Gunn," explained Greybeard. "Oh, Rex! That be him! Remember th' old man who stopped Ata? That-""Yes, I know," nodded Rex. "I'm glad to hear that he got out alright after all the explosions and the Mutant Dino invasion.""Who's Ben Gunn?" General raised an eyebrow."Just some crazy ol' hermit who be livin' in yer Goo Caverns fer years wi'out ye or Ogel knowin'," shrugged Greybeard."What's the matter, Frozeen?" inquired Rex, concerned. "You look like you've just seen a ghost, and I know what you look like when you see one of those. Who did you think it was?"Staring at the now-empty Teleport Pad, Frozeen shook his head sadly. "Just... someone I thought I knew."OOC: Make of that what you will.EDIT: Oh, WOW! 5,000 posts, AND Ackar's helmet! Today is a big day for me on BZPower, I guess!

OOC: You know, I have the feeling that these shipping names were created for the sole purpose of having a shipping name. But you need to sail a ship in order for a ship to have a name. Some of these (Balditect?) make absolutely no sense, while others (Ronny) are just... wrong... on so many levels. No one's shipping any of these (and if you are, then I'm seriously worried about you), so why are you making these names for no reason (it's like trying to come up with a name for a character you aren't going to make)? Just curious.Also, I finally beat Half-Life 2: Episode 2 today! Man, playing it on a computer without any lag sure makes one heck of a difference during the final battle. And as I was playing it, I remembered that the name "Einstein Device" was also intended to be a reference to the "Magnusson Device" from Half-Life 2: Episode 2.In other news, I also created a page for LEGO Dino Attack on TV Tropes. Still not going to add our own TV Tropes page to the site until the RPG is finished, but I figured it would be best to be prepared.IC: As Shadow discussed their methods of attack with Rotor while Specs assisted Reptile, Dr. Cyborg, Gromtin, and the others in working on the Einstein Device, Rex skulked to himself in his wheelchair. It irritated him that Dr. Cyborg was so concerned about the Maelstrom in his body that he was ignoring the hordes of Mutant Dinos, each one with Maelstrom in its body, at their doorstep. That, and the fact that Dr. Cyborg had so carelessly revealed that which Rex was trying to keep secret during Dino Attack Team's darkest hour did not improve the situation, for every now and then one of Rex's teammates would look upon him with worry, concern, or - worst of all - pity.Greybeard had no intention of letting Rex go just yet, and Rex had a feeling that Rotor would be too stubborn to recruit a wheelchair-bound individual such as himself. Crossing his arms, Rex sat back in his wheelchair and stared off into space. That was when he noticed someone familiar standing in the darkness, with a sneer plastered on his features, and the madness in his eyes showing through the shadow cast by the wide rim of his top hat.Rex seethed at the sight of him. Feeling his heart pounding, Rex pointed a finger at the figure and shouted: "This is all your fault! How dare you, wretched monster! You are out to make my life as miserable as in your power! Well, you've succeeded! I hope you're happy now, because it will be the last time you shall ever feel happy as long as I am alive!"Baron Typhonus laughed in response. "Tick, tock," he echoed. "Tick, tock.""Uh, Rex?"Rex noticed that the others were staring at him in confusion. "Who are you talking to?" Frozeen raised an eyebrow."Are you all blind?" snapped Rex. "He's right there, in the shadows! Baron Typhonus, the Darkitect himself, has come here to mock me!""There's... no one there," frowned Reptile.Dr. Cyborg looked at the shadows where Baron Typhonus stood and proceeded to scan the area with his robotic eye. "I'm not detecting any signs of any living lifeforms," he reported, "nor do I see any Maelstrom levels here. Zachary, do you feel anything?"Zachary Virchaus shook his head in response. After one last worried glance at Rex, everyone went back to what they were doing, completely ignoring Baron Typhonus as the Darkitect gloated at Rex from the shadows."I'm not mad!" insisted Rex. "He's there! The sick 4+ Figure is standing there, and he's mocking me! He's been out to get me this entire time! He revived Dr. Rex! He killed Amanda! He killed...""Belay that, Rex," muttered Greybeard. "Thar be no one, an' I be not needin' both o' me deadlights t' see that much.""But..." Rex trailed off, as he stared at Baron Typhonus. Was it possible that the Darkitect was not truly there? No, of course it wasn't! He could see Typhonus as clear as day! But... was it as clear as it seemed? Was it true? Frank Einstein's words echoed in Rex's mind:"Sometimes, he would tell me that he saw a dark figure wearing a top hat in the same room as him. Sometimes, he would make such a claim while I was in the same room and could plainly see that there was no such person."Rex's heart raced, and he clutched his chest due to the pains. But what had occurred to Rex was far worse than the physical pain. The Darkitect was there, but not actually there... rather, only in his mind. Rex was seeing things that did not truly exist, and these things were the very same things that Dr. Rex, who feel deeply into insanity after his little Maelstrom experiment, had seen.I'm becoming more and more like Dr. Rex.Rex continued to clutch his chest, but practically shivered as the cold realization washed over him. The anger and lust for revenge cleared from his mind as Rex whispered in terror: "Oh my Builder... I've finally gone mad."

OOC: Okay, so I'm all moved in for now, and it looks as though I might be available over the weekend, as my workload doesn't begin in full force until next Wednesday... then we'll talk about how busy I am. Over two years old? April 14, 2012 was only four months ago! Given that Zachary Virchaus celebrated over a year of being the Featured Article, it wouldn't hurt to give Dust a bit of time to bask in his newfound glory, eh? Though, are there any nominations for featured article?As for another video when this is over... we'll see. I have ways of celebrating Dino Attack RPG's legacy. Excellent work, that guy! Just to be clear, the reason behind my Dino Attack Headquarters's lack of internal detail is because the main focus on the project was on the exterior of the building, and the interior was added admittedly as an afterthought after I noticed just how empty it looked. Despite the incredibly large exterior of the building, it was not large enough for an entire Minifig-scale representation of Dino Attack Headquarters's interior, but I wasn't daring to increase the scale even further.I see you're only constructing two floors and a roof at this increased scale. Good thinking; my version of the building, in its full thirteen-floor glory, is a huge strain on LEGO Digital Designer's capabilities. To rebuild the entire headquarters at this scale would certainly crash the program! And, since you're only focusing on a small area, that allows you to work in even greater detail.Although, if I may, I notice that Laxus has a green head in these screenshots... the actual head color for Laxus is teal. Problem is, most of all pages are abysmally behind the times. I do my best to keep my own pages updated, and even then I struggle to do so (for proof, see Talia Kaahs), so I doubt it's currently within my abilities to worry about keeping others' pages up to date as well as my own!That being said, as Dino Attack RPG Wiki is a collaborative project, no one should be afraid to edit someone else's page.IC: After Dr. Cyborg dispatched the Mutant Lizards, Rex overheard Specs whispering to Digger while rubbing his forehead: "To be honest, I'll be glad once this war is over to return to a normal life. At heart, after all, I am only a scientist. Hopefully, once the war ends, I'll be able to conduct even greater studies of the remaining Mutant Dinos rather than having to worry about the entire team resting on my shoulders.""We do have an impressive team," murmured Shadow, as he glanced out at the battlefield."They do me proud," nodded Specs. "I was hoping to reduce the casualties of this battle and increase their chances of survival, which is why I ordered the rookies and suggested that the standards evacuate immediately. Instead, they have shown only the greatest bravery and dedication to our cause. It may be a foolish choice, and it may be the last decision they ever make... but I cannot help but feel proud of them."Clearing his throat, Specs raised his voice to a more audible level as he announced that, due to his technological engineering background, he would assist the other elite agents in helping to design the Einstein Device in any way that he could. However, Shadow, Viper, and Digger (who, although he was a paleontologist, was not a technician and enjoyed the thrill and excitement of battle) would assist other elite agents such as Rotor in defending Dino Attack Headquarters.Rex sighed. "I'm neither a scientist nor a technician," he declared, "and so I am of no use to anyone here if I'm sitting here wasting my time while the rest of you are working on the Einstein Device. With all due respect, I believe it would be best if I rejoined the battlefield. We need every hand we can get to destroy those abominations."The other Dino Attack agents traded glances. Many of them were put off by Rex's sudden change in character, and it worried them to see a respected elite agent in this state. Then, Dr. Cyborg stepped forward, with a concerned expression on the organic half of his face. His robotic eye scanned Rex's body, and Dr. Cyborg frowned. "Rex," he murmured, "there's a dangerous level of Maelstrom energy in your body. It's... not enough to infect you or anything, but it's potentially lethal to your system."Digger coughed, a little nervously. Specs took notice and narrowed his eyes, while others raised their eyebrows in surprise at Dr. Cyborg's revelation. "I don't believe that this is the work of Attila Hunstman?" he inquired.Rex shook his head as he clenched his teeth. "No, it's not. For once, that cowardly traitor did not have a hand in this. You know whose fault this is? This is the fault of that armored abomination who is now leading an army of monsters to kill us all. And where has this foolish experiment of his gotten him? Possessed by the MegaBloking Darkitect! It's his fault, and he's going to pay for it!""Why didn't you tell anyone?" Dr. Cyborg raised an eyebrow. "I fear it might be too late for even me to extract it. Maybe with Zachary's help..."Zachary looked down at the bandages on his stomach. His battle against Willa the Witch had weakened him, and he did not know if he could extract the Maelstrom energy from Rex's body. Still, now that Dr. Cyborg had pinpointed its source, he could feel its presence."I don't need your help," snorted Rex. "That's all everyone ever wants to do - help someone because they pity them. Well, I don't need anyone's pity right now! Pity is not going to slay every last one of those Mutant Dinos! Get back to work and focus on that Einstein Device!""Rex," frowned Zachary, in an attempt to rationalize Rex's behavior, "this isn't you talking. The Darkitect is trying to stir your irrational emotions-""Listen to me, Rex!" insisted Dr. Cyborg. "This is dangerous! If we cannot get that Maelstrom out of your body, then you... then you might die!""Then so be it!" snapped Rex. "Let me die!"Rex began to wheel himself towards the exit of the lab, but Greybeard stepped in the way and blocked his path. "Belay that!" barked the old pirate. "Yer stayin' here!" Although his tone was harsh, Greybeard masked empathy towards Rex. T' be young an' think yer life be over wi' th' death o' yer dearly belov'd, thought Greybeard. It feels like only yesterday.OOC: Don't take Rex's harshness too personally, anyone. He's just been really on the edge (perhaps even more so than *le gasp!* Sarah Bishop!) ever since the death of Amanda, and as I thought about a Maelstrom-Infected Brick's influence on Digger, I realized that the Maelstrom energy in his body probably isn't helping the situation for Rex.Don't worry, you won't have to endure this darker version of Rex's personality for much longer. The end is coming!

OOC: Just letting everyone know that, unfortunately, the prophecies have come true.If you've been wondering about why I haven't been posting as frequently this past week, it's because this coming Wednesday is the day I've been anticipating (with a mixture of excitement and dread), the day that will most likely shake up my ability to be on BZPower for a long time. Moving day. This past week (and well into tomorrow), I've been cleaning up around the house and packing up my things, and on Wednesday, I move out to a brand new beginning.Unfortunately, that means I don't know when (I promise you, "when" - not "if") I'll be able to post IC next. Maybe things will look pretty good and I can be back on track by Thursday or Friday... but knowing my luck, I'm not betting on that. Instead, I'm willing to gamble that it may take some time to get my life rescheduled, and BZPower might need to be temporarily sacrificed in the meantime.The usual rules stand: don't kill Rex, don't defeat Dr. Rex, yadda yadda yadda until my return. But in all other areas (i.e. the repairing of the Einstein Device*, the battle against the Mutant Dinos and the Inferno mech and the Fright Knights, etc.), do not feel obligated to wait for me. I'll be back, I promise... but I don't want everything to come to a standstill until my return.*Just one little note about that. Feel free to repair the damage and improve its Maelstrom-targeting programming, but there is one question in regards to the device that I would prefer to remain unanswered for reasons that will become clear in the future: To destroy Maelstrom, you need Imagination. Where will the Einstein Device find that Imagination?

OOC: Heh, maybe I should have toned down the "doom and gloom"iness of Specs's message. The point of the message was to basically reduce Dino Attack Team's numbers to those directly controlled by players, since most of us (sorry, crazy!) are elite agents, so we wouldn't have to worry about a bunch of redshirts possibly getting in the way.-----You know, the last time I was able to say "This is the first time I'm posting on my new computer", it was in late 2007. Dino Attack RPG was in its dark ages, with many of its original players having left and my commitment to the RPG not as passionate as it is today. Even though Dr. Rex and the first XERRD laboratory was just discovered, it was crawling along, just barely alive, and what few players were left were all doing their own separate things. Its father, the Alpha Team: Mission Deep Freeze RPG, was long gone, and its brother, the Pirates RPG, had just passed away. The death of Pirates RPG had rekindled my devotion to Dino Attack RPG, and as I posted for the first time on my new computer, I promised myself I'd stick around until the end.Nearly five years later, I once again have the privilege of saying that this is the first time I'm posting on my new computer. And here we are, in the darkest hours of the final battle... and Dino Attack RPG has never been so great. In these past five years, rekindled interest in Dino Attack RPG brought in an influx of new players who brought new life to the aging RPG. Beginning with the battle for the Power Station, people stopped doing their own things and started working together. With the Goo Caverns story arc, Dino Attack RPG "grew its beard", as TV Tropes would say. Despite the Time Slip, the forum update, and a malicious hacker, Dino Attack RPG has been through more than anyone can bear... but it has perservered. Today, Dino Attack RPG is truly my greatest accomplishment on BZPower, and I'm honored to have worked with you guys these past few years.[/endminispeech]----- Just isolating this point to bring up a detail that you may have forgotten. Frank Einstein is no longer needed to get access to the real Wallace Bishop; before he died, he told Kate that if she ever wanted to speak to the real Wallace, she should go to Napoleon XIV and give the administrator the following message: "William's bell is ringing." It's basically implied that this is a code phrase that Einstein gave the Napoleon XIV staff which would grant permission to speak to Wallace.Also, just to add on to what Andrewnuva said. You have Kate Bishop, and I have Mary Rose. Both Kate and Mary are more or less treated the same way in-universe (no greater example than the fact that they both had Aliens-inspired rescues). But Mary is twelve years younger than Kate! That's why there are Dino Air Trackers airlifting people directly to the top of the building, so they don't have to make their way up thirteen floors of doom.IC: "At last," laughed Andrew Jackson, although his voice was muffled by the balaclava he was still wearing, "it seems that Lady Luck has set her fires upon me! Or is it that Lady Luck has set me on fire? How does that idiom go? Bah, I don't care, I'm just going to take those fires and burn everything with them! Ha, ha, ha!"Only a short time ago, Andrew Jackson was being forcibly escorted against his will by a pair of Dino Attack agents to a Teleport Pad in the basement. When they received the message that Mutant Dinos were infiltrating the building and said Teleport Pad had to be destroyed, they turned around and began heading towards a new Teleport Pad supposedly being built on the roof. They did not get very far before everything blew up in their faces... literally.Andrew Jackson was the only survivor of the three Dino Attack agents. All around him, Dino Attack Headquarters was in ruin, filled with rubble, smoke, and of course fire. The sight pleased him so much. He found a pair of brooms in a nearby supply closet, used a nearby flame to set them both on fire, and was now running through Dino Attack Headquarters, wielding the burning brooms like torches and swinging them at any foolish Mutant Dinos who dared to come too close, and laughing madly the whole time."Burn in MegaBlokland, you hideous reptile!" cackled Andrew Jackson as he knocked one of the burning brooms into the face of a yellow-skinned Mutant Lizard. The Mutant Lizard screeched in pain and retreated, but Andrew Jackson pursued and did not relent until he cornered the poor creature and set it on fire. The sight of the Mutant Lizard's pain filled Andrew Jackson with sadistic glee, for it satisfied him to give these monsters the very medicine that they had given him back in April.With the Mutant Lizard reduced to a burning carcass, Andrew Jackson continued his mad burning spree around Dino Attack Headuarters. Once or twice, he saw other Dino Attack agents and medical personnel trying to make their way through the base. When they saw him, they'd shout "What are you doing?" and other sorts of things, but Andrew Jackson just laughed it off. He was having too much fun right now just to stop because someone told him. This was the best time he had since that soon-to-be-dead man took his belongings!Unfortunately, that did still come with some consequences. While fighting a Mutant Raptor, Andrew Jackson's mad swinging of his broom-torches caused the flames to lick at his sleeve and set it on fire; after all, this was not his usual Dino Attack uniform, which was designed to be flame-retardant. Grumbling to himself, Andrew Jackson wasted precious time ripping the sleeve off his shirt and gave the Mutant Raptor an opportunity to attack. "Znap you!" snapped Andrew Jackson, who kicked the beast in the snout and proceeded to drive the raptor away once he picked up the broom-torches again.Andrew's triumphant laughter was interrupted when he heard some voices nearby. He instantly recognized two of them, picking up on Demoman's drunken rambling and the voice of that Western lady who did that thing at Fort Legoredo. There was a woman who spoke with the hint of a pirate accent, and a man who spoke a slight British accent. But there was something that disturbed Andrew Jackson deeply as he eavesdropped on them.He heard them say "pyro" as they talked to each other. But, as he listened, he realized that they were not talking about someone named Pyro... they were talking to someone named Pyro. "Impossible," whispered Andrew Jackson, who grew suspicious immediately. He followed the voices and found Demoman and that Western lady, along with a pirate woman, a Dino Attack sniper, a Mutant Raptor wearing Demoman's scarf around its head, and someone who made Andrew Jackson's face turn hot with anger.She had long, straight, dark-colored hair, and her back was turned towards Andrew Jackson, so he could not see her face. But, he immediately recognized the flame-retardant Dino Attack uniform that she wore... the flamethrower that she carried... and, most offensive of all, the firefighter's helmet that she wore on her head."That's my hat!" bellowed Andrew. "Nobody takes my hats!" Yelling incomprehensibly in his maddened fury, Andrew Jackson charged at the group, his twin flaming brooms at the ready.One second later, Andrew Jackson was pinned to the wall by the thief's comrades. Evidently, charging at a whole group of people to take down one person while screaming loudly to give away oneself's position was not as effective a strategy as Andrew had hoped. They accosted him, yelling things like "What the heck do you think you're doing?" and "Holy Znap, man, calm down!"Andrew Jackson pointed at the thief, shouting: "She took my stuff! Get out of my way, or I'll burn your house down too! You don't want to get in the way of a man on a mission! Why, I..."As he was still wearing the balaclava, everything Andrew said came out as incomprehensible muffled gibberish. The others traded glances in confusion. Sighing, that Western lady from that Fort Legoredo who did that thing with the Hybrids that one time stepped forward and pulled Andrew Jackson's mask off, exposing his pale, sweaty, dirty, and unshaven face, as well as making his voice audible."... the lemons! They burned my house down, these sons of MegaBloks, and they burned my family alive! I'm the only survivor, and by keeping me away from that thief who took my stuff, you're preventing me from extracting my wrathful vengeance and sending all these freaks to the fires of MEGABLOKLAND!"As Andrew Jackson continued to rant, the thief finally stepped forward, and Andrew could see her pale face at last. She stared at Andrew Jackson in his pitiful state, then sighed and shook her head. "It's me, Andrea," she murmured. "Don't you remember... Dad?"Just like that, Andrew Jackson silenced. He stared at the thief... Andrea... in shock as the cold realization washed over his hot face. He was so focused upon avenging his wife and his two sons, who had all died in the housefire, that Andrew Jackson had neglected to consider the possibility that his eldest daughter, who had moved out several years ago, could have survived the initial Dino Attack. "Andrea...?" he whispered. "Is that really you?"Andrea Jackson Orange nodded slowly. "Yes, Dad. It's me."But Andrew Jackson felt no joy over seeing his daughter again. The madness and the anger returned as he pointed an accusing finger at Andrea. "How dare you!" he growled. "You miserable little girl! You were nothing but trouble when you lived at home, and now... you dare to steal my stuff? My suit, my flamethrower... my hat! The very hat I wore when I worked for the fire brigade! I worked hard to earn that hat, and you just take it from me? How dare you show your face now! I'm going to burn-""Dad, listen to me!" Andrea raised her voice. "You never approved of anything I ever did, not even Sam Orange, the only person that I ever truly loved! And I've come back to help you now, and you still disapprove-""Help me?" snapped Andrew. "You took all my stuff! Your mother and your brothers are dead... you dare to prevent me from avenging their deaths? Those were my tools to giving those reptiles the justice they deserved! And there was a mole running through Dino Attack Headquarters, and I could not spy check anyone to save my teammates because you took my belongings!""Listen to me!" shouted Andrea. "Dad, you never listened to me! Never!" She lowered her voice before continuing. "I know that Mom, Jack, and Steve died... but they weren't the only ones, you know. Sam died too, as well as the children we adopted. Dad, we both lost our families in the Dino Attack. All we have now is each other... you're the only family I have left. And when I found you, you were too drunk to do anything about the mole, who had already killed Engineer and Medic!""Aye," grinned Demoman. "That was ah fine drink we had togethah, eh, Pyro?""I was too late to save Scout, Heavy, Spy, Sniper, and Soldier-" continued Andrea.Demoman suddenly burst into tears. "Ah, Ronald! Why do th' good always hafta die young? They got more cross-dressin' flame-retardant arsonists than they got th' likes of you! Everyone thinks I'm just a..." Sobbing, the explosives expert buried his face into the shoulder of the Mutant Raptor, who stared quizzically down upon the crying Minifig, who was now mumbling something about a pain train.Sighing, Andrea continued. "I couldn't lose you, Dad. That's why I locked you in your room and took your belongings. I was hoping that, if I posed as you, the mole would come for me instead of you. I wanted to save you, Dad. I wasn't trying to steal your stuff or dishonor the memory of Mom, Jack, and Steve... I was trying to protect you.""Wait a second, so you were never really agent Pyro?" blinked the Western lady. "But... even after I cleaned you up some, you were still so pale. If you weren't wearing that suit all the time, how could...?""After the initial Dino Attack," explained Andrea, "I wasn't able to be evacuated in time. I banded together with a few other survivors, and we hid out underground in a makeshift bunker we made. We stayed down there for a few months, and we'd only leave on very rare occasions to fetch some food or other supplies, and that was only at night. That's how I got to be so pale. Trust me... I developed some claustrophobia down there and started having hallucinations from being cooped up for so long."Andrea's words washed over Andrew Jackson. Despite being driven to madness, Andrew realized that what she said was true. They had both lost their families, and now that they only had each other, that should cause them to bond more closely as father and daughter than they had ever accomplished before. While it is true that Andrew Jackson's insanity and psychotic pyromania would never be truly cured, just for now, as he realized that the daughter that he once disowned had come back to save his life...Tears formed in Andrew Jackson's eyes. Slowly, he reached out to his daughter, his only family, and looked her in the eyes. "I'm... I'm so sorry..." he whispered. Then, he embraced Andrea as he had never done before, with the tender care of a father who loved his only daughter.OOC: Seeing as we had an overwhelmingly positive response towards Version 2 of Andrew Jackson's backstory, I decided to go with that. I hope Atton Rand doesn't mind... but now, Andrea Jackson Orange is no longer merely a Story Hook and given full reign to Atton Rand, so that's a good prize, right?Besides, I couldn't resist the opportunity to parody some TF2 players' obsession over hats.

OOC: Ooh... Athena's final moments were heartbreaking. You know, this brings up an interesting point. The reason that I chose Kate Bishop (not Rex, not Frank Einstein, not Pterisa, not even Sam Sinister) to deliver the final blow is because I wanted to let her character "grow up" a little, as well as to show that you don't have to be a great soldier, scientist, etc. to have what it takes to save the day. She'll never be like Rex, Reptile, Andrew, Hotwire, Zachary, etc., but she should be able to have the courage to do what's right in a moment of great crisis. Unfortunately, all that was undone as soon as Kate appeared in Atton Rand's next post.IC: As they made their way through the twelfth floor of Dino Attack Headquarters, Rex glanced out a shattered window. Outside Dino Attack Headquarters, the T-1 Typhoons and Fright Knight Windships engaged each other in dogfights; Emperor Chang Wu's fleet patrolled the river from any more Inferno Super Airboats; and united groups of Dino Attack, Alpha Team, Agents, Rogue Knights, Skeleton Drones, and even what might have been a XERRD member or two worked together in an effort to bring down Dr. Inferno's attacking robot mech.That was all outside. Inside Dino Attack Headquarters itself, which was still filled with fire and smoke after that massive explosion, Rex traveled with his comrades to the thirteenth floor, where the Portal Operations Team's Teleport Pad was located. They were rushing to get there before the next wave of Mutant Dinos, or any that survived the explosions, caught up to them. It was a difficult journey due to the fire and rubble blocking their paths, not to mention the destroyed stairwells.The thirteenth floor was in the worst shape. The roof had caved in, creating even more destruction and ruin, and now the rain was pouring down. Rex was reminded of the wrecked laboratory where he met Frank Einstein for the first time, and realized that it pained him to see Dino Attack Headquarters, a symbol of LEGO Planet's last hope, in such ruin... without even bringing down a fraction of the Mutant Dino army that was still invading the building.Dino Attack Headquarters shook as thunder echoed in the heavens. A Windship drew close to Dino Attack Headquarters, but was subsequently shot down by a T-1 Typhoon and an Agents Aerial Defense Unit. A flock of Mutant Pterosaurs dive-bombed towards the building, but then were knocked out of the sky by a pair of T-1 Typhoons.When they found the Portal Operations Team and the Teleport Pad, Rex noticed that the Teleport Pad was much larger than the one originally built several months ago. This one was large enough to teleport an entire Fire Hammer, and with good reason; as they approached the Super Teleport Pad, a Dino Air Tracker lowered a wrecked Fire Hammer with a pair of badly-wounded agents inside, treated by a medic that Rex recognized as Dr. Samuel "Lay" Go. Nodding grimly, General pushed a button, and the Fire Hammer, wounded agents, and Dr. Go all disappeared in a flash of blue light. The Dino Air Tracker departed to find someone else who needed evacuation.General, Shock, and Sam Throramebi turned to face Rex, his comrades, and the founding members as they approached. The three of them were all dripping wet and covered with dirt, and Rex noticed that Throramebi's prosthetic mechanical arm was missing, forcing the Rock Raider to work with only one hand. General nodded his head towards Specs. "Just as you ordered," he murmured, "we have built a Super Teleport Pad to Antarctica."Specs nodded grimly. Looking down at the Einstein Device in his hands, whose lights were still flashing blue, the team leader sighed. "Unfortunately, I believe that we may need to evacuate far more than I originally hoped, and even this Super Teleport Pad might not be enough. I've tried to repair the launcher, but I haven't the tools. And with the Einstein Device armed and possibly unfinished, there's no telling how much time we have or how much damage it will cause."The Portal Operations Team traded glances. "What do you propose, then?" inquired Shock."Please hand me your radio," Specs held out his hand. Shock obeyed and gave him her radio. With Gromtin's help, since she learned a thing or two from Hertz, Specs was able to broadcast the message to the entire Dino Attack Team and its allies. Before he spoke, Specs closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, and Rex felt a shiver down his spine as he witnessed what he believed to be Specs feeling defeated for the first time in his life."My fellow Dino Attack agents and allies, we are now in our darkest hour of greatest peril. Dino Attack Headquarters has suffered great structural damage already, and still Mutant Dinos are breaking in with the intention of bringing down what is left. I will not lie to you; if Dino Attack Headquarters falls, then I believe that this battle is lost. I fear I have no choice but to prepare you for defeat.All rookie agents are ordered to leave the city, either by means of your own transportation or by being airlifted by a Dino Air Tracker to the Teleport Pad on Dino Attack Headquarters' top floor; it is too dangerous for you. Standard agents are advised to do likewise, but encouraged to keep fighting if you have the courage. All elite agents must report to Dino Attack Headquarters to protect this building and hold off Dr. Rex's forces for just a little longer. We also have a... device that some of you elite agents may help repair; come to the thirteenth floor for further details.Teammates, comrades, allies... friends... this is the end, and it will end one way or another, but it is up to us to decide how it will end. Make me proud."With that, Specs ended the message and walked towards a shattered window to survey the battlefield below. After a moment of silence, he handed the radio back to Shock and nodded grimly. "Thank you. You are now dismissed. For your own safety, I advise that you go to Antarctica now.""Excuse me?" frowned Shock, who blinked in surprise. "I joined this team to get revenge on Dr. Rex. I'm not leaving until I get the opportunity to give him what's coming to him. Let me at least talk to him; maybe I can confuse his emotions long enough to-"Frozeen bit his lip. "Err, Shock, listen to me... Kat already tried to pull off that stunt and... well, it didn't work. In fact, it only made things worse.""Kat?" blinked Rex. "As in, Katerina Schattenberg?" He remembered what Hotwire had told him just before the Adventurers' Island mission, that Katerina Schattenberg was actually Dr. Rex's long-lost sister. Dr. Rex already knew that Talia Kaahs had turned against him; Rex knew that all too well, judging from the end of the Goo Caverns mission. But if Katerina, his own sister, tried to talk to him and only made things worse... "Everything we throw at this guy that doesn't kill him only makes him stronger," Rex muttered. "We're going to have to kill him in one swift blow."General gently laid a hand on Shock's shoulder. "Please," he whispered. "I'm old; I've lived my life, even if it is a life full of regret. You, at least, are still young... please, be safe. Too many have died already, and seeing as you've only just convinced me that I still have a heart... don't break it." They locked eyes for a moment, and then they embraced for what may be the last time. It pained Rex to recognize the same feelings that he shared with Amanda, and he clutched his chest again... not due to chest pains, but due to heartache."Take Mary Rose wi' ye," added Greybeard. Kneeling down, Greybeard looked Mary Rose in the eyes. "Be safe," murmured the old pirate, "me granddaughter." Mary Rose wrapped her arms around Greybeard's torso, pressing her head against his chest. Greybeard was taken by surprise for a moment, but then relaxed and returned the embrace.Patting Sam Throramebi on the back, Frozeen smiled grimly. "Well, old friend, I don't think one arm's going to do you any good out here.""Agreed," nodded Sam, glancing at the hole in the socket where the mechanical arm used to be attached. "And I don't think any of you want to hear my high-pitched girly scream.""You still say 'Eep!' when you're scared?" Frozeen chuckled softly, recalling all the good memories that he spent with his old Rock Raider friend.Despite the current mood, Sam Throramebi laughed one last time. "Yep. 'Eep!' That's still my line." They patted each other on the back, neither wishing to acknowledge that they might never see each other again."Rex, are you going or staying?" inquired Gromtin. "I might just think that it's... you know, a little safer for you. That wheelchair, unfortunately, doesn't come packed with all the weaponry that this one does."Rex shook his head. "Like it or not, I'm staying. And I'm not leaving until Dr. Rex is dead."That settled it. Shock, Throramebi, and Mary Rose stood in the Super Teleport Pad, saying their final goodbyes. General pushed a button, and the three Minifigs vanished in a flash of blue light. And then, they were gone, safe in Antarctica.Rex frowned as he stared at the Teleport Pad. "Wait a second," he murmured. "What if Dr. Rex's intent is not simply to destroy Dino Attack Headquarters? What if he also wants to teleport Mutant Dinos down to Antarctica to wipe out the refugee facilities?"After that, thunder rang like a church bell, shaking Dino Attack Headquarters like an earthquake. Looking out at the battlefield, Rex knew that Specs was right. This was the end. It was time for a penultimate ultimatum to determine how this story would end.OOC: Basically, Andrewnuva's proposal as to how the Einstein Device could work is if we all contribute in some way to its defeat. Some suggestions he made were Zachary and Dr. Cyborg's knowledge of the Maelstrom being contributed to the Einstein Device's programming; technicians, builders, and scientists such as Reptile and Andrew working to finish the Einstein Device; and fighters and soldiers such as Rotor helping to keep the Mutant Dinos where we want them for when the Einstein Device is finally fired. Of course, this will require cooperation, but a little teamwork between our players certainly would help bring about a satisfactory end to the final battle, right?Unfortunately, the end of August is upon us, and I now strongly believe that Dino Attack RPG will carry on into at least the beginning of September (I'm thinking, after the end of the final battle, I'll give everyone a week to wrap things up for good). If this is the case, then I'll do all in my power to stick around until the end, but my ability to post as often as I've been doing for this summer (practically one post a day!) will be inhibited. Just letting you guys know in advance.

OOC: Baneech? PM received and will likely be taken heavily into account. It's just going to require some cooperation from everybody to make it work. Perhaps, but in a battlefield filled with Mutant Dinos to the point where Snake hasn't even left the city, surely there must have been a less mean-spirited way to show his character and bring him back into the action besides kicking Plastic Serpent while he's down? Of course, given that he was trying to pull this stunt when only a fraction of the Mutant Dinos were actually in the building (with Dr. Rex, the most important target, still far enough away from the building to be unaffected), it would never have worked to the desired effect. However, seeing as we still have a number of important characters (Rex, Hertz, etc.) and things (the Teleport Pad, the Einstein Device, etc.) in the building, and no one down in the basement to stop Firecracker, I decided to tie the original building's fate into how the new building could have possibly survived such explosive power.IC: When Viper and Sam Race arrived in the technology center, the entire area was in ruins. The floor was littered with rubble, broken glass, and damaged machinery. Snapped electrical wires over dripping pools of water sprayed sparks everywhere, and the fires throughout the center were filling the air with smoke.Most disturbingly, although there were a few Mutant Lizard carcasses scattered across the area, most of the blood staining the walls and floor did not belong to any Mutant Dinos.Already, the next wave of Mutant Dinos were breaking into Dino Attack Headquarters, and with the damage caused by all those explosions, they were finding it easier than ever to infiltrate the base. Viper and Race fired their weapons at any living Mutant Dinos they encountered, but had to be careful to aim their shots precisely to avoid shooting any machinery and potentially creating an explosion.After felling a Mutant Raptor, Viper and Sam Race scavenged the area as quickly as possible and discovered, amidst rubble, fire, and pools of blood, the Einstein Device. The fabled weapon looked like a miniature missile, with an outer coat crafted from sleek silver- and blue-hued metals. Nearby, they located a bazooka-esque rocket launcher that appeared to be what the Einstein Device was intended to be fired from."You think it's damaged at all?" inquired Sam Race.Viper shrugged. "If it is, Specs is a techy; he'll know how to fix it. Come on, let's get out of here before any more 'scales' show up!" Viper grabbed the Einstein Device and its launcher, and the two former racers made their way towards the exit.As they passed a broken window, Viper glanced outside and saw the familiar armored and Maelstrom-possessed form of Dr. Rex himself, slowly lumbering towards Dino Attack Headquarters. There was no way he could be stopped, what with that armor that no bullet could pierce, and all that Maelstrom energy wrapped around his body. Surely, Dr. Rex was the biggest and baddest of all Mutant T-Rexes.And, as Viper thought about it, he was now holding in his hands the one weapon that could potentially defeat the biggest and baddest of all Mutant T-Rexes for once and for all.Digger would tell me to wait until the most intense moment to strike, mused Viper. He loaded the Einstein Device into the launcher and aimed at Dr. Rex. Well, MegaBlok that! It's time to bring him down!But as Viper was about to pull the trigger, Dino Attack Headquarters shook again, just violently enough to cause Viper to stumble. Before he could regain his balance, Viper dropped the rocket launcher onto the floor and tripped over it. Sam Race stopped in his tracks and proceeded to give Viper a hand in getting back up. However, when they both looked at the Einstein Device lying the floor, they noticed a few blue light bulbs on its surface were now lit up and flashing."It... wasn't doing that before, was it?" Sam Race bit his lip."MegaBloks!" whispered Viper. "I... I think I just armed the Einstein Device! I don't know if that means it'll go off, or how much time we have until it does... um..." As Viper picked up the rocket launcher, he now saw that it had suffered a bit of structural damage and, try as he may, he could not load the Einstein Device back into the launcher. "This isn't good," frowned Viper."Hurry!" beckoned Sam Race. "We have to bring the device back to Specs! Maybe he can fix it before it's too late!"Gritting his teeth, Viper glared out at Dr. Rex, still visible through the shattered window. "I'll get you soon enough," he promised himself. "You and your scales are all going down!"*****When Viper and Sam Race caught up to Specs, Shadow, Digger, Rex, Frozeen, Greybeard, Gromtin, and Mary Rose on the tenth floor, Specs's eyes widened at the sight of the flashing blue lights on the Einstein Device. "You armed the Einstein Device?" gasped the team leader, and as he raised his voice, it seemed that he was on the verge of lose his reputed composure. "Viper! What did I tell you about the Einstein Device?""Why are you blaming me?" Viper raised an eyebrow."Because I know that you secretly desire to be the one to deliver the final blow! I know you want to be the one who defeats Dr. Rex! But Viper, look... there's still too many of our own units on the battlefield. If the Einstein Device goes off... I don't know for sure what will happen, but I fear that it will place all our lives in danger. The Einstein Device is supposed to be a last resort, not just some toy that can defeat the big bad for us!""Well, why wait?" snapped Rex, earning some stares. "They're all going to die, anyways! Why does it matter if we wait for the Mutant Dinos to kill them first? We might as well go down and bring all those abominations down with us in one swift and clean strike!""Rex!" blinked Gromtin. "I understand that you're eager to avenge Claw, but what you're suggesting is-""Guys, stop it," stepped in Digger, who was raising his arms as though he was trying to physically contain the argument. "I know that we're all on the edge given the situation, but this is no way to be acting in a crisis. Trust me, I've learned that lesson the hard way. I'm all for exciting and intense moments, but this is a time to act calm and reasonable.""You're right," Specs nodded grimly. Rubbing his forehead, he thought for a moment, considering his options. "Perhaps, with some combined effort from some of our elite agents, we can modify the Einstein Device to lessen the risk to our fellow Dino Attack agents. Even with the technology center in ruins, we still have some strong scientists and engineers in the team, like Reptile and Dr. Cyborg.""And it's a device that deals with Maelstrom," added Digger. "Perhaps Zachary Virchaus can lend a hand in that department.""And with skilled fighters like Rotor," murmured Shadow, "we will find the strength to keep the Mutant Dinos where we want them for just a little longer.""Sounds like we have a bit of a plan emerging," Rex raised an eyebrow. "I've learned to hate plans... they never go right. But, if this works... then we can stop the Mutant Dinos for good. Count me in."

OOC: Okay, while Snake vs. Snake was kind of funny, its novelty wore off, leaving Snake vs. Plastic Serpent feeling just unnecessarily mean-spirited.Before I forget, Brikman, I was inspired by your posts to redesign 6037 Witch's Windship. What do you think?So, we've got a Jarate'd-off, Maelstrom-possessed, nigh-invincible Mutant T-Rex, a mad scientist in a giant mech, a witch in her personal Maelstrom Dragon-carried windship, an entire army of mooks, and Mutant Lizards and Raptors infiltrating Dino Attack Headquarters... and it's raining. Sure can't get much worse, can it? Well, thanks to Firecracker, it just did.IC: There was a loud booming noise, like the sound of thunder, and Dino Attack Headquarters shook, as it had been throughout the battle. This time, however, the thunder was much louder, to the point of deafening, and the shaking was far more violent. Those that did not fall to the floor hit the deck as fireballs rose out nearly every stairwell. Mutant Lizards screeched as they were engulfed in the flames, while the more resilient took cover.When it was over, Rex performed an upper-body push-up and surveyed the area. Smoke filled the air and ash covered the floor. The walls were charred, windows were shattered, and there was rubble everywhere. There were some flames that still burned, and the entire area looked as though it had survived a Mutant T-Rex rampage.Still, despite all the damage caused from the explosions, Dino Attack Headquarters was still standing... for now, at least. After the original building's fate, Brick League United made sure that the new building could endure a blitzkrieg and survive. Many walls were reduced to rubble, entire stairwells and rooms had collapsed, but the building's core structure remained mostly intact.Rex's ears were still ringing from the explosion, so when Greybeard shouted "What th' devil?", it sounded muffled and distant."Looks like-" Frozeen paused to cough the smoke out of his lunge. "Looks like Demoman's been having a field day.""A lot of good that drunkard did us," Rex gritted his teeth. "Now, Dino Attack Headquarters is barely on its last legs, and there's still an entire army of Mutant Dinos out there ready to tear it down! Nice job breaking it, hero!" Locating his wheelchair, Rex crawled towards it and, with some insistent assistance from Sam Race, climbed back in.Likewise, Frozeen was helping agent Gromtin climb back into her own wheelchair. Frozeen asked if she was alright, and she reported that, aside from a bit of hopefully-temporary hearing loss, she was alright. "This is elite agent Gromtin," she spoke into her radio. "Agent Shock, can you read me?"After a bit of static, Shock's voice came in. "Loud and clear! What was that?""We'll worry about it later," frowned Gromtin. Glancing at Mary Rose, who was tightly hugging Greybeard's leg, she inquired: "What is the status of the Teleport Pad?""The roof collapsed during the explosion," reported Shock, "but luckily the thirteenth floor held out under our weight. The Teleport Pad has suffered some minor damage during the fall, and Throramebi is currently making some repairs. Other than that, we should be alright to continue evacuating units to Antarctica.""Good. I fear we'll need to evacuate many more units in the next hour."Everyone turned to see the four founding members - Specs, Shadow, Digger, and Viper - walking through the smoke."What brings you here?" inquired Frozeen. "Your team needs you out on the battlefield!"Specs shook his head. "I'm afraid that, given these... recent developments, we've been forced to land our T-1 Typhoon. We have only a short time before the next wave of Mutant Dinos enters Dino Attack Headquarters, and with the structural damage caused by these explosions, I know that this building will not survive. That is why it is of the utmost importance that we retrieve the Einstein Device from the technology center before it is too late.""As a former racer," declared Viper, "I can run down there as quickly as possible and get the Einstein Device before any of those 'scales' can. Sam, you're probably the only one here who can keep up with me in a race. As much as I'd like to say that I did this alone, it's probably a good idea to have someone covering me.""Sure," nodded Sam Race. "I'll accompany you to the tech center. Don't worry guys, we'll be back before you know it!""Just be careful," nodded Frozeen."Don't get yourselves killed," muttered Rex. He wheeled himself towards a nearby shattered window and peeked out the battlefield. Dr. Rex was roaring to his fellow Mutant Dinos, which were still massive in number and still rushing towards what was left of Dino Attack Headquarters. Locking his eyes upon Dr. Rex, Rex whispered, "Come on, Ronald, you sick 4+. We'll end this for once and for all."Although Dr. Rex was too far away and the sounds of battle were surely too loud to carry Rex's voice, the armored Mutant T-Rex seemingly turned to look directly at Rex as though he heard what Rex just said.Rex's heart began pounding, and he clutched his chest due to the pain. Now that Amanda was dead, the chest pain was worse than ever before. In his mind, Rex saw a brief flash of Baron Typhonus, the Darkitect, grinning and laughing in triumph. Gritting his teeth, Rex hissed: "I... won't... let... you... win...!"OOC: Does the Einstein Device count as Deus Ex Machina if it's been in the making since 2009?

OOC: Played TF2 for the first time in a long time, and I joined Atton Rand for a few rounds of capture/defend at GravelPit. He was a Medic, and I was a Pyro. We won some, we lost some, but we sure had a lot of fun through it all. Oh, darn, I just remembered a line of dialogue that I wanted to use (I came up with it while reading your post, Jacks, but forgot about it when I was actually writing) which would have been perfect for the situation. Seeing as it isn't plot pivotal (but instead more important to understanding character), I guess I'll just go back and edit it in, but here's the line in question:"You... You are the reason... You are why I... did all this... You! You're.. the cause of all this! This... this is all... your fault!"See, because if Katerina's story is accurate (and I'm willing to bet it is), then the separation of Ronald and Catherine was truly Ronald's Start of Darkness. Everything he's done (and everything that's happened to him, including his fate worse than death) is a result of this. So, of course, the Darkitect would find it much easier to break Dr. Rex's will by redirecting the blame towards Katerina herself, not the situation. You're on the right track, but as I recall, his name was not MacRaptor; it was Mr. Pilkington. But perhaps I've said too much... Hooray for Rosalina expy!IC: Frozeen and Sam Race ran down a hallway in Dino Attack Headquarters, firing upon Mutant Lizards and the occasional Mutant Raptor along the way. Greybeard ran after them, but kept his pace slow enough to ensure that Mary Rose could keep up, as he did not want to let the little girl out of his sight."Yeah," explained Sam Race along the way, "when my dad and I took a tour around headquarters, they said that the communication department was right around - oh my Builder!" As they rounded the corner, they were shocked and disturbed to find the entire area left as a burning ruins, as though a rocket had hit the area and took out an entire section of this floor."No," whispered Frozeen. "She... she must have escaped in time...!" With that, the Alpha Team agent turned on his heel and ran in the opposite direction, desperate to find elite agent Gromtin. After recovering from his shock, Sam Race caught up to Frozeen, while Greybeard lagged behind to keep Mary Rose safe.At the far end of a long hallway, Frozeen was sure that he saw someone in a wheelchair. However, the hallway was also host to at least half-a-dozen Mutant Lizards, who knew that a handicapped Minifig would be easy prey, and were sprinting down the hallway with saliva dripping from their jaws. "No!" shouted Frozeen. He pulled out his personal handheld laser gun and fired at the Mutant Lizards. Although he downed a few of them, the survivors adapted quickly and made quick, random movements to throw off Frozeen's aim. They were outrunning him, and despite his athletic training in Alpha Team, Frozeen knew that he would not reach the end of the hallway in time."Shannon!" he cried out a warning. "Look out!"The Minifig in the wheelchair, who thankfully turned out to be agent Gromtin after all, turned her head and saw the advancing Mutant Lizards. In response, she pressed a button on one of the wheelchair's armrests. Suddenly, a minigun, a laser device, and a rocket launcher popped out of her wheelchair, and every weapon was aimed at the Mutant Dinos. A short round of bullets, lasers, and rockets later, there were no Mutant Lizards left standing.When Frozeen reached Shannon's wheelchair, he was panting for breath and wiping sweat from his brow; having survived Alpha Team training, this was not from any physical stress, but rather from the stroke of fear for Gromtin's life. "Oh, thank goodness you're alright," he whispered, unable to raise his voice any higher. "When I saw the mutants infiltrating the building... and I saw the communications department in ruins... I..."Gently tapping her wheelchair's minigun, Shannon grinned. "As I said, my brother got me interested in technology and engineering. Now, you'd think I would sit in a wheelchair for a few months and not make a few modifications? Besides, the Mutant Lizards needed a lesson in ballistics."By this time, Sam Race, Greybeard, and Mary Rose had caught up to Frozeen and Shannon. "I've been meaning to ask you," murmured Frozeen. "How did you end up in a wheelchair? I know now's probably not the best time, but...""... but might be the only time," completed Shannon. "Very well, I suppose. I was trapped on the third floor of a building infested with Mutant Raptors. While I fought them off as best as I could, I knew I was outnumbered. So, as I detonated an explosive to take care of the rest, I did the natural thing and jumped out a window. Broke my legs upon impact, but I still had enough strength to turn around and fire my Cosmotronic Ray at one Mutant Raptor who jumped out after me. Since some of the doctors here refused to let Enter and Return operate on me, I've been confined to a wheelchair until my legs heal. But don't worry, I've made the best of it."Staring at the impressive weaponry of the super-wheelchair, Frozene nodded. "I see. Look, Shannon, I...""Uh, guys?" called Sam Race. "We've got some company!"A large swarm of Mutant Lizards of all breeds emerged from a nearby stairwell and were looking for prey. Although Shannon fired her wheelchair weaponry at the Mutant Lizards, even more Mutant Lizards appeared behind the group. Greybeard cussed loudly and tried to slash with his cutlass, but it was quickly knocked aside by a camouflage Mutant Lizard. To top it off, a Mutant Raptor appeared among the group of Mutant Lizards.Suddenly, some of the Mutant Lizards began to screech and scatter. Narrowing his eyes, Frozeen saw a Dino Attack agent enter the scene, firing a Sonic Screamer that was duct-taped to a flamethrower. The lethal combo of sound and fire drove away the Mutant Lizards, but the Mutant Raptor held its ground and roared. In response, the Dino Attack agent whipped out a Cosmotronic Ray and opened fire, felling the great beast, and then proceeded to pull out a shotgun and end its life for good.Only after the Mutant Lizards were chased away did Frozeen recognize the Dino Attack agent... by the fact that he was in a wheelchair."Rex?" whispered Frozeen. "Is that you?"The Dino Attack agent shot a glare at Frozeen, which surprised the Alpha Team agent. For a moment, although the face was definitely Rex's, it was as though he did not recognize the agent at all. Then, Rex seemed to realize that it was Frozeen, Greybeard, and Sam Race standing there, for he nodded grimly."Blow me down!" grinned Greybeard. "We be hearin' rumors that ye be down!""Those rumors were true," Rex narrowed his eyes. "I was down... but now I'm back. And I swear to Builder that I'm not done here until every single one of these MegaBloking sons of 4+ Figures are dead. For too long, they've wreaked death and destruction upon the world... now, it's time for them to pay."Frozeen was taken aback by Rex's sudden change in attitude; this was completely unlike the friendly idealist he used to know. It took him a moment, but he put the clues together fairly quickly. "Amanda...?" he whispered.Rex shook his head, and only now Frozeen saw that his cheeks were wet.Horrified, Frozeen's jaw dropped. Greybeard shook his head in disbelief, as the memories of his dreams came flooding back with the image of Amanda Claw hanging from the very noose which took the life of "Bad Luck" Beatrice. "I'm so sorry," whispered Sam Race.Rex scowled. "Sorry? Don't pity me! I don't need your pity! If you want to waste your time with useless apologizing, then I have no use for you. Make yourself useful and assist me in killing every last one of these abominations! No one shall rest until we've sent them all to MegaBlokland! Now, come on!" With that, he turned his wheelchair and began wheeling himself down the hallway.Although Frozeen was relieved to know that Rex was still alive and had rejoined the fight, he was disturbed by Rex's change in character and news of Amanda's death. As he reflected upon the latter, Frozeen remembered the promise that he had made to himself and realized that he was still standing next to Shannon. Locking eyes with her, Frozeen spilled: "Shannon, I know this is crazy, and you probably think that I'm a moron and a fool for waiting such a long time to tell you and finally telling you on the brink of the world's destruction, but I love you, and I still love you, and I've never stopped loving you, even when I told you that I didn't, that was a lie, because I actually loved you, and there's no way that I'm going to let the world end without telling you that I still love you, and-""Peter," interrupted Shannon. Although the tone of her voice was harsh with urgency, the look in her eyes was soft and understanding. "I know, Peter. I always have known."Frozeen could not muster any more words, instead averting his eyes and blushing."Um, look, guys," Sam Race, feeling a little awkward, bit his lip. "We should probably get going."The others agreed, and began to follow Rex through Dino Attack Headquarters. "Ye know," Greybeard whispered to Frozeen, "thar be somethin' about Rex that be shiverin' me timbers. It be not just that he be lustin' fer revenge, says I. It be... well... th' way he spoke, an' th' look in his eyes... he be remindin' me o' Dr. Rex."Frozeen felt the blood drain from his face as he realized that what Greybeard said was, indeed, the horrible truth.

OOC: Heh, we go from a day of lots of posting... to a day of barely any posting. "Nein!" declared Dietrich Luzwheit as he slammed his fist down upon the computer desk. "Zirty zecondz!"Barely louder than a whisper, Ivan Tzenovich murmured: "Twelve seconds."Bob Rutherford stared at Ivan and clapped his hands together. "Yeah, they're screwed." With that, Ikaag, Lahka, Gromtin, Dr. Miner, Skorpeo, and countless others also gathered around the computer in City 25896 nodded in agreement. Err... sorry to burst your bubble, but despite making this reference to LOST's ending, I'm actually not familiar with the source material. It's just that LOST's Gainax Ending is so infamous that it reached the ears of even non-LOST fans such as myself. Well, our "rough plan" was that my post would have Dr. Rex feeling ashamed and fighting back at the Darkitect. And, in a way, this did happen (as noted in my previous OOC, the Maelstrom tendrils basically were Typhonus's response to Dr. Rex's fighting back). This might have worked (as I was writing by the seat of my pants, no guarantees, and we'll never know otherwise), but seeing as Katerina made sure that she threw in that "I renounce you as my brother" bit, there was no way I was going to let the Darkitect not use that little detail to utterly break Dr. Rex's will. So, in the end, nice job breaking it, Katerina.Also, the comment about "out-bluffing each other simultaneously" brought these two Brawl in the Family strips to mind. Heh.IC: Despite Bill Ding's valiant efforts to build a blockade out of the wrecked Fire Hammer, it was only a matter of minutes before Frozeen, Greybeard, and Sam Race encountered Mutant Lizards running through the halls. Frozeen fired his weapon and Greybeard slashed with his cutlass to fell the beasts, while Sam the ever-quick just kept running. He would dart into one room, quick check to see if anyone was there, and immediately rejoin his partners to report his findings. Once or twice, they found Dino Attack personnel in trouble and saved them from the dinos."Thar!" Greybeard pointed with his hook at the door to the conference room. "That be th' room I told Mary Rose t' take cover in!"A few hungry Mutant Lizards smelling fresh meat were swarming into the room once used for mission briefings. Bellowing, Greybeard charged forward and slashed madly with his cutlass, bringing down most of them. The Mutant Lizard in the lead was just out of his cutlass's reach, so Greybeard pulled out his flintlock pistol and fired, and his aim was true.As Frozeen and Sam Race followed Greybeard into the conference room, they saw the old pirate looking around, frantically looking for the little girl. He became increasingly desperate and worried as he saw Mary Rose nowhere in sight. Calling her name over and over again, he checked under the table, behind the cabinet, everywhere he could imagine. When Greybeard laid his one good eye on a pool of blood in the corner of the room, he cried: "Mary Rose! Granddaughter, where be ye?""Grandpa?"The voice came as soft as the wind, but directed Greybeard's attention to the air vents above. Through the grating, he noticed a pair of eyes peering out at him."Mary Rose!" laughed Greybeard, relieved to see that the little girl was still alive. "How did ye get up thar?""I'm good at hide-and-seek," whispered Mary."You said that you found her hiding in the dumpster of a Mutant Raptor-infested neighborhood," murmured Frozeen. "I wouldn't be surprised if that experience taught her a few important lessons in survival.Suddenly, they heard the familiar roar of a Mutant Raptor, and saw the beast standing outside the room. Sam Race quickly ran to the door of the room and slammed it shut, then turned a key to lock it closed. He stepped a few paces back as the Mutant Raptor rammed itself against the door."You can't lock a Mutant Raptor out of a room," frowned Frozeen. "They're too smart!"A newspaper slid into the room from under the door. The Mutant Raptor slammed into the door again, knocking the key out of the doorknob. The key fell right onto the newspaper, which slid back under the door back out into the hallway. They heard the sound of the key clicking in the doorknob, followed by the Mutant Raptor opening the door with a vicious snarl.Although Frozeen prepared to fire his weapon, Greybeard stepped forward and raised his cutlass. "Lower yer firearm," whispered Greybeard. "This be me fight, says I!" As he confronted the hungry Mutant Raptor, Greybeard pointed his cutlass at the beast and gritted his teeth. "Yer kind took me eye an' Mary's parents, an' gave nothin' back," growled Greybeard. "That shall be all that ye be takin' from me, says I! Ye have come fer Mary Rose, but I won't let ye have her!"The Mutant Raptor growled and lunged towards Greybeard. The old pirate darted to the side and slashed with his cutlass. The blade of his sword cut into the side of the Mutant Raptor's face, leaving a scar across the dinosaur's eye. "An eye fer an eye!" declared Greybeard as he swung his cutlass again.The Mutant Raptor knocked the sword out of Greybeard's hand. Snarling, it tackled Greybeard to the floor. Unable to let the fight continue without intervention, Frozeen and Sam Race stepped in to fight the raptor. The only thing they succeeded in was pulling the beast off of the old pirate, but they were quickly knocked down by a swing of the raptor's tail.Just then, with a loud clang, the section of the air vents where Mary Rose was fighting fell from the ceiling and crashed down upon the conference table, depositing Mary right in the middle of the action. This immediately caught the Mutant Raptor's attention, and the creature quickly assessed that the defenseless little girl was far easier prey than the three older men. Baring its teeth, the Mutant Raptor stalked towards the conference table, as Mary Rose backed away in futility."Git away from her, ye bilge rat!" screamed Greybeard, who charged at the Mutant Raptor with his retrieved cutlass at the ready. Before the raptor could react, the old pirate jumped onto its back and thrust his sword into its hide. As the Mutant Raptor bellowed in pain, Greybeard made a few more strikes with his sword, swiped at the raptor's lips with his hook, and finished it off by planting the cutlass into the Mutant Raptor's skull. With a pained whimper, the Mutant Raptor collapsed, with Greybeard standing victoriously over its carcass."Grandpa!" cried Mary Rose as she ran towards the old pirate with her arms stretched wide. "You saved me!"Sheathing his cutlass, Greybeard met Mary Rose in a much-needed joyous embrace. "I be so sorry fer leavin' ye here!" whispered Greybeard, who sounded on the verge of tears. "But I be here now, and I be protectin' ye from them beasts! I won't let them git ye! Ne'er!""Okay," frowned Sam Race. "So, we rescued Mary Rose. What now? It's too dangerous to bring her with us.""Sam," decided Frozeen, "escort Greybeard and Mary Rose to the Teleport Pad in the basement as quickly as-"A voice came in on Frozeen's radio. "Attention! This is agent Shock! Due to the Mutant Lizards and Raptors infiltrating headquarters at an alarming rate, we've been left with no choice, and so we activated the self-destruct mechanism of the Teleport Pad in the basement. All personnel in need of immediate evacuation must travel to the rooftop! We are nearly finished building this pad.""Darn," murmured Frozeen. "Greybeard, if you can protect her, Mary Rose can come along with us while we search for agent Gromtin. We'll bring her to the rooftop to be evacuated as quickly as possible."OOC: Okay, so who caught the reference? No, not the obvious Aliens reference that I was building up to for a while (only to have Greybeard's thunder stolen by Sarah Bishop), I mean the other reference.

OOC: What's this? Two IC posts from PeabodySam in one day! Blasphemy! But seeing as we're moving along at a rather fine pace at the current moment, I figured I'd post that which I chose not to include in my previous IC.EDIT: Oh! I almost forgot! Gary MegaBloking Oak is on XERRD's side? We are screwed! ... oh, wait. Blaire Darkling's declaring a truce? Whew! Heh, what did you expect? Dr. Rex to suddenly be "Oh please, forgive me?" Well, that might have been the case, but I literally waited until you posted to write Dr. Rex's response because I wanted it to be a logical (for Dr. Rex) response to whatever Katerina had to say. As he was renounced as her brother, I took that idea and ran with it, with Dr. Rex's inherent brotherly love for his sister being absolutely crushed as a result.Although, as I was writing it, I originally wanted to have an "argument" between Dr. Rex and the Darkitect, with Dr. Rex wanting not to hurt her but the Darkitect urging him to do so... it's mostly intact, but the Darkitect's lines have been removed and replaced with more Maelstrom pain and constriction, since I felt it would be a lot more powerful that way.Although, I have to say, your writing Dr. Rex for the previous scene was spot on. I especially liked the anecdote about their childhoods, as it excellently conveys Dr. Rex's inability to cope with loss, which provides the roots of his actions today. Really emphasizes the idea that Dr. Rex, for all the horrible war crimes he's committed, is a tragic villain.IC: "Holy Znap!" gasped Frozeen as Dr. Rex demolished the great wall which served as a protective barrier on the perimeter of Dino Attack Headquarters. He watched in horror as Mutant Lizards and Mutant Raptors, gathered at the armored T-Rex's feet, rushed forward over the ruins of the wall, heading straight for Dino Attack Headquarters.In only a matter of seconds, Frozeen calculated, the Mutant Dinos would reach the doors of Dino Attack Headquarters. Despite the building being constructed to withstand Mutant Dino attacks, there was no way it could be protected from such sheer numbers. The great door to Dino Attack Headquarters's garage was sliding down, but Frozeen knew it would never close in time."Shiver me timbers!" whispered Greybeard. "Mary Rose be in there...!""Shanno - I mean, agent Gromtin, too!" added Frozeen in a terrified shout. "She's in a wheelchair... she's a bio engineer and tech expert, not a fighter... she doesn't stand a chance against them!"Sam Race narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip on the steering wheel of the Fire Hammer. "I've lost my father today," he gritted his teeth. "I'm not going to let anyone else die." Before either Frozeen or Greybeard could ask what he was doing, Sam slammed his foot on the gas pedal and floored it. The Fire Hammer raced across the rubble that was once the protective wall, plowed through a few Mutant Lizards running towards headquarters, and crashed through the front doors of Dino Attack Headquarters. Bricks and shards of broken glass flew everywhere, and Frozeen and Greybeard ducked to avoid getting hit by the debris.The quickest to recover, of course, was Sam Race. He pointed to someone who appeared to be a mechanic, since he wore a blue mechanic's jacket with white sleeves and a white hat with the Octan logo on it, who was staring at the mess made by the Fire Hammer's dramatic entrance. "You! See how quickly you can take apart this Fire Hammer and build a barrier or something to keep the Mutant Dinos out for a little longer!""Got it!" nodded the mechanic, already running towards the Fire Hammer. "Building is my middle name, after all! Actually, it's my first and last name. Heh, I actually only just noticed that.""Good to see you, Bill Ding," nodded Frozeen, who hopped out of the Fire Hammer and helped Greybeard step out. "Now, let's find Mary Rose and Sha - I mean, Gromtin before the Mutant Dinos do!" ***** "Okay, Kat. What did we learn today? Do NOT make the big scary mad-scientist-turned-T-Rex angry!""Attention all Dino Attack personnel! This is agent Shock speaking. If you need to evacuate to Antarctica, you have only a few minutes remaining until we destroy the Teleport Pad in the basement; we cannot afford to let any Mutant Dinos get near it. We are now constructing a Teleport Pad on the roof of Dino Attack Headquarters.""It's a sure good thing that those Rogue Knights and Chinese soldiers arrived. We need all the help we can get against these Inferno agents and Fright Knights!""Orders from Digger! T-1 Typhoons, keep fighting the Mutant Dinos, and shoot down any Maelstrom Dragons and Inferno crafts, too! Dino Air Trackers, prepare to airlift units to the rooftop Teleport Pad for mass evacuation.""Darn it! I was shipping Vinyareno!""Mutant Dinos are inside the building! I repeat - Mutant Dinos are inside the building!""All our base are belong to them?""That's it. From now on, we're shooing out the clowns. If you want to make jokes or funny references, stop. Now is not the time. Use the comm chatter for serious communication now!""... Ah, you're no fun anymore!""I heard that! Who said that?"

OOC: And so, another one bites the dust. Parody Failure? Square Peg, Round Trope. A Parody Failure is when you try to parody a subject by doing something... but what you're parodying was already acknowledged or done by the subject matter. For example, the Snake vs. Snake fight would be a Parody Failure because it was supposed to parody the similarities between Snake Plissken and Solid Snake... but Metal Gear already fully acknowledges and embraces the fact that Solid Snake is similar to Snake Plissken, making the parody unnecessary. Mistakenly thinking that a former construction worker named Spike is named after Foreman Spike from Wrecking Crew is... not at all what this trope is about. Heck, it's not even a parody, so how could it be a failure?And really, this is coming from the guy who did not realize that Amanda's corpse was still with Rex, in the middle of a battlefield, surrounded by Mutant Lizards and about to be killed by Michelle Glados, and followed with an OOC message telling no one to interact with them.... I'd think you'd be a little more understanding about making errors while reading other peoples' posts. Which reminds me, I do have another chapter of Five Years Too Many written up. I should probably get around to posting it.IC: "Dino Attack... turned you... against me...!"Dr. Rex thrashed around, feeling muscle spasms all over his body as he struggled to remain still despite Baron Typhonus's urging, despite the Darkitect pulling his strings. The physical pain was greater than ever, and Dr. Rex wished for nothing more than to simply die.But now, even worse was the emotional pain. If it weren't enough that he only now realized that he was little more than the Darkitect's plaything, Dr. Rex now had seen his sister, his dearly beloved Catherine, again, after so many years of being forcibly separated... and she had just disowned him. He remembered all too well the pain he suffered from losing her the first time. Now, like a musical motif, a dark reprise of those memories was now playing."I... cannot..." Dr. Rex, aghast at Catherine's words. "No..." Unable to even put his thoughts into words, Dr. Rex delivered a terrifying roar that was so loud that it nearly deafened those nearby.A violent muscle spasm shook Dr. Rex's entire body. The Maelstrom energies constricting his being tightened their grasp."She's... my sister...!" panted Dr. Rex, although it was unclear who exactly he was talking to. "I cannot lose... not again...!"One tendril of Maelstrom energy wrapped itself around his neck. It constricted tightly, choking Dr. Rex and causing him to thrash about violently again. Although Dr. Rex tried to roar again, his breath was stopped by the Maelstrom energy, silencing his cry of defiance. Katerina took a step back, for all the good that it would do.When Dr. Rex found the strength to look at Katerina again, his eyes appeared to be ablaze with fury and madness. The Maelstrom energies around his body glowed brighter than ever, and his form almost appeared to be burning in a purple inferno. "Fine!" he spat, and Kateirna could hear pure hatred dripping from his words. "You dare... to renounce... your own brother...? Then you... are no sister of mine...! You mean nothing... to me now! I shall... destroy... all... and I shall start... with... you!"Dr. Rex roared, and Katerina took a step back, for all the good that it would do. It disturbed her to see such a brilliant, if misguided, scientist descend to such feral besity. As Dr. Rex, with his maw opened wide, lunged at the building where Katerina stood, he was stopped for a third time by an all-too-familiar voice."Doctor Ronald Alexander!""You!" growled Dr. Rex, snapping his head towards a nearby parking garage sponsored by Octan. Sure enough, through the purple haze that clouded his vision, Dr. Rex recognized Evil Ogel standing there, alive as ever. "How many times do I have to kill you?" Without even waiting for the evil mastermind to respond, Dr. Rex charged towards the parking garage and, as soon as he was close enough, swallowed Ogel whole. Already knowing the pattern, Dr. Rex open his maw as a jet of purple-tinged flames erupted from his mouth, incinerating the entire parking garage. It pleased Dr. Rex to hear the shouts and cries of a hidden Skeleton Drone army in the instants before they died.Turning back to the three-story building where Katerina was, Dr. Rex was infuriated to see his sister nowhere in sight. Not wanting to leave any chances, Dr. Rex rammed his body against the building, smashing it against his armored hide. Then, he repeated it again and again, until the entire building was reduced to a pile of rubble. Before the dust even settled, Dr. Rex breathed fire over the ruins, surely incinerating anyone who could have survived the building's collapse.Turning his attention back to Dino Attack Headquarters, Dr. Rex saw through the purple haze that there was a large barrier protecting the building's perimeter. A few snipers remained on the wall, those that were smart enough had already fled. In a matter of mere seconds, Dr. Rex demolished the entire wall, and there was Dino Attack Headquarters on the other side, vulnerable as ever.Dr. Rex raised his head and roared to the heavens. The army of Mutant Lizards and Mutant Raptors gathered at his feet rushed forward, eager to claim Dino Attack Headquarters. In less than a minute, they would break into the building.In his pain, Dr. Rex's agony had turned to anger, the only fuel that kept him going. Talia Kaahs had been turned against him. XERRD no longer accepted him. Catherine, his own sister, had forsaken him. He was left with nothing but his Mutant Dinos, and Dr. Rex now knew that they too did not truly see him as their leader, for he was merely a puppet to their true master, the Darkitect. Dr. Rex had nothing. Nothing but his pain and his anger.Now that Catherine had renounced him, Dr. Rex knew that he would not hold back any longer. If he had nothing, then nothing mattered to him. It would not matter if Catherine or Talia stood in his way; he would slaughter them both like animals. When he was finished with Dino Attack Team, killing every last one of them and grounding their headquarters to dust, then nothing could ever stop him.Everything was about to come to an end.And then you'll kill me, right?Later.OOC: Oh, yes! I am so happy that we got that long-anticipated Ronald/Catherine reunion in. Unfortunately for both of them, it happened at a very inconvenient time for Dr. Rex... but now, there's no hope for redemption. Dr. Rex has had quite a few moments... but I can safely say that he's truly "snapped" for good this time.

OOC: Yes, they are. Unfortunately, that means that our "prototype" friend has no such lightning abilities, as it was created before the Maelstrom was added to the formula. The Fr-what? The French Visorak have taken over Kini-Nui? The French Fries are rebelling against the world's most incompetent elite agent? The French Toast is causing Dell Conagher to wield dual sub-machine guns? The French are forming an angry mob and attacking me for thinking that just because it begins with "Fr" that it must be French? And the Nazarelda shippers rejoiced. Oh, yeah. Those were the days... though, I suppose, now that I've begun reading Discworld for real, these references might turn intentional one day. That is, if I ever finish The Color of Magic... ... Now it's Atton Rand's turn to feel that way! Per chance, is this Spike who worked in construction at all related to Foreman Spike from Wrecking Crew? Wow, you even managed to find a way to slip in the "BLAH!" that normally accompanies the Lazer! Anyways, that was a very enjoyable read and certainly a satisfying death for Paulie Gonepus.IC: From aboard their personal T-1 Typhoon, the founding members continued to oversee the Dino Attack Team's struggle against the Mutant Dinos. Although Cyrista's Bane had not only been defeated but also now pledged its allegiance to the Dino Attack Team, the battle against the cybernetic T-Rex was costly and broke the front lines long enough for Dr. Rex to gather a Mutant Dino army. Now, as the Maelstrom-possessed monster charged towards Dino Attack Headquarters, Specs knew that it would not remain safe much longer.As much as Specs hated to do so, in case Evil Ogel or any other power-hungry villain was listening to the radio, he had no choice but to contact the technicians and weapon designers. "What is the progress of the Einstein Device?" he inquired.The radio crackled to life with the voice of one of the lead engineers. "Almost finished! It'll be done in about a half-hour, I'd say."Specs frowned, seeing the Mutant Dinos drawing closer and closer to headquarters. "We don't have a half-hour." As a technician himself, Specs wished for a moment that he were not obligated to lead the team so he could help the others in designing the weapon that could very well bring their salvation. "I understand the importance of taking your time, but we cannot afford for the Mutant Dinos to get to the Einstein Device before it's ready.""It will be ready," promised the engineer.Next, Specs checked with the Portal Operations Team. "What is the progress on Operation Antarctica?"General's voice came in through the radio. "We've finished building a Teleport Pad to Antarctica's refugee facilities in the basement. So far, only those in need of medical attention and those who absolutely cannot fight have been sent through. We intend to build another Teleport Pad atop Dino Attack Headquarters so that T-1 Typhoons and Dino Air Trackers can airlift entire units to be teleported to safety... as well as provide everyone a place to fall back to, should Mutant Dinos start entering the building.""Good," nodded Specs. "But work quickly. If Dino Attack Headquarters is overtaken... we may have choice but to teleport as many units to Antarctica as we can.""Yes, sir," agreed General. "Shock, Throramebi, and I will assemble the Teleport Pad as soon as we reach the rooftop. We shall honor the memory of Libo!""'Honor the memory'?" blinked Digger, who was eavesdropping on the conversation. "What happened to Libo? I mean, last I saw, he was still alive, even during... well, you know... that incident.""Dropped a bridge on him," muttered Shadow, a little bluntly."Oh, come on," frowned Viper. "Be serious.""No, it's true," Specs shook his head sadly. "When I sent the reformed Portal Operations Team across the globe in search of XERRD's teleport pads, Libo was with them. At one point, their journey brought them to Japan, and they found the country overrun with Mutant Dinos commanded by Hybrids. After disabling XERRD's local teleport pad, they were pursued across the nation by the Mutant Dinos. When they reached the famous Stone Tower Bridge, Libo lagged behind to give the others a chance to escape. When the Mutant Dino army tried to cross the bridge, Libo brought it down... but he was still on the bridge when it collapsed.""That's a shame," sighed Digger. "That guy did so much for us, only to die without much recognition or fanfare.""We'll worry about the memorial service later," grumbled Shadow. "Now, we should be thinking about giving these Mutant Dinos a taste of their own medicine... destruction and carnage."OOC: Yes, I know I dropped a bridge on Libo, but I honestly saw no other direction for his character to go. He kind of hit a dead end, in more ways than one. Besides, I did (once... maybe twice) foreshadow the likelihood that he would not survive the Dino Attack.Whenever you're ready, Jacks. It's your move, after all.EDIT: Oh, wow. While I was writing that, that guy finally wrote that Pharisee/Trigger confrontation. Ah, yes. It was most cathartic indeed to read Trigger finally get what was coming to him from a mile away.

OOC: Welcome back from your trip, Andrewnuva!You know, it's a shame that the trailer for Mann Vs. Machine didn't come out before the final battle started, as it would have provided excellent pre-battle inspiration. Ah, well. But at least I figured out a way to incorporate it into Project: LEGACY... Sorry about the late reply... Sure, go ahead.IC: The Fire Hammer skidded across the wet road, splashing a large puddle and sending water flying into the air. As the Fire Hammer lacked a windshield and a roof, Frozeen and Sam Race were soaked to the bone by now from all the heavy rain, while Greybeard's pirate longcoat was waterproof enough to keep his clothes underneath dry."Come on!" Frozeen gritted his teeth. "We need to intercept the Mutant Dino army heading to Dino Attack Headquarters! Maybe we can incapacitate a few dozen Mutant Lizards before they reach the building!"As the Fire Hammer turned down Christiansen Street, lighting flashed directly overhead, immediately followed by the great crack of thunder, roaring above the howling wind like a massive explosion. The brief second of light provided by the flash lit up the area around them, and even Greybeard could see the movement of many Mutant Dinos. They were not all marching down one street, but their numbers were so great that they were forced to swarming down whichever path was available. Frozeen shuddered to think of what happened to the front lines in order to allow so many Mutant Dinos to break through.Although Frozeen heard cries of triumph over the radio regarding the apparent defeat (and subsequent allegiance) of the so-called Cyrista's Bane, the cybernetic Mutant T-Rex that he had heard so much about but never actually saw in battle, he could tell that victory was still not in their grasp. "Looks like we've got a Zerg Rush on our hands," reported the Alpha Team agent. "I suggest we start falling back to headquarters before it's too late.""Fire th' cannon, me hearty!" shouted Greybeard once the Fire Hammer was close enough to the Mutant Dino army.Frozeen aimed and fired the Xenon Multi-Mode Launcher at the Mutant Dinos, making sure to switch up modes every few shots to prevent any Mutant Lizards from adapting to his strategy. Sam Race floored the gas pedal and rammed the Fire Hammer into the Mutant Dino army, and Frozeen winced as he heard the crunching of bones under the jeep's wheels and saw the occasional carcass fly up onto the hood. After the Fire Hammer plowed through the Mutant Dinos, Frozeen noticed that one of the headlights was now broken."Careful!" shouted Frozeen. "This Fire Hammer's seen better days; unless we do some last-minute modifications to this thing, I don't think it can survive another charge like that!""You know," shrugged Sam, "all those years ago, I laughed at Workman Fred for thinking that a digger could be a good racer. Right about now, I'm wishing that I had one of those.""If we find one lyin' around," suggested Greybeard, "then 'we got t' build like crazy', says a certain maniac Redbeard knew once, an' then maybe this Fire Hammer be better suited t' plowin' through th' Mutant Dinos."Already, Frozeen saw a number of Fire Hammers, Urban Avengers, and the occasional Iron Predator driving in the direction of Dino Attack Headquarters. Driving away from headquarters, but sticking around close enough to fire at the Mutant Dino army with pistols and rifles, was a Fire Hammer driven by Lord Sam Sinister, and it appeared that Mr. Cunningham and possibly even Rudo Villano were also riding the same vehicle. The Brickster wasn't the only one out to have a good time during this battle.Still, it wasn't enough."If Dr. Rex and his army gets any closer to headquarters," Frozeen gritted his teeth, "then it won't be a safe place for much longer!" He thought of Shannon Grimton, confined to a wheelchair and overseeing communications, and shuddered at the thought of her being trapped in Dino Attack Headquarters when Dr. Rex arrives. I won't let that happen, he promised himself.

OOC: They say laughter is the best medicine, so... I don't always use emotes, but when I do, it's because I cannot properly express my thoughts in words.As for my thoughts on this image? :superfunny:You know, I think that might be the first time I've ever used an emote on BZPower's new forums. I honestly can't remember the last time I used an emote, even on the old forums... funny, considering that my posts back in my noob days were covered with third-degree emotes on 95% of their bodies. Oh Ole Kirk Christiansen, I was laughing so hard at that.Okay, so now that we all had our laughs, it's time to switch back to serious gear.IC: The T-1 Typhoon landed on one of the helicopter landing pads atop the roof of Dino Attack Headquarters' garage. With Dr. Rex and the Mutant Dino army moving closer with every second, it would not be a safe place for long, but an announcement over the radio made it clear that anyone who needed to be evacuated quickly had to return to Dino Attack Headquarters immediately.The elite agent who piloted the T-1 Typhoon shoved Andrew Jackson off the helicopter. The mad arsonist was now wearing a balaclava that covered most of his face and muffled all his rambling to incomprehensible mumbling; he did not seem to even notice, for he kept on talking anyway. A few more agents took the stretcher carrying Amanda's body and took it off the helicopter, ready to bring it to the morgue. Only Rex did not move, still staring straight ahead with the unwavering Thousand Yard Stare.They were greeted by Shannon Grimton, who, despite being confined to a wheelchair, made it her personal duty to help all Dino Attack agents at the headquarters. She was clearly overworking herself, but she did not let that deter her, instead becoming even more determined. Shannon looked solemnly at the stretcher as it passed by, knowing fully well what the shroud-covered body meant. Looking into the helicopter, she saw Rex sitting there, unmoving. "Excuse me," she stopped the elite agent pilot, "is that elite agent Rex?"The pilot nodded. "Yeah. Unfortunately, he's been completely unresponsive, and I don't think he's going to budge.""Where's his hover-chair?" inquired Shannon.The pilot sighed and shook his head. "We were unable to recover it when we rescued him."Shannon raised an eyebrow. "Well then, regardless of whether or not he is suffering PTSD, he's completely immobile unless we find him a wheelchair. I've got a spare wheelchair in my room; keep an eye on Rex until I get back.""With all due respect, agent Gromtin," frowned the pilot, "but it would be faster if I were to retrieve the wheelchair. Besides, you look like you've been working a lot... take a breather for a moment."Sighing, Shannon nodded, knowing that he was right. She quickly gave directions to her room and where to find the spare wheelchair. When the other elite agent departed, Shannon wheeled herself as close to the T-1 Typhoon as she could manage. She looked up at Rex, who made no motion to show that he was even aware of her. "Rex," murmured Shannon, "I know you don't want to hear this, and there's nothing I can say or do that will ameliorate things, but... I truly am sorry to hear about Amanda."Rex was silent. However, despite his blank expression and his complete lack of movement, his mind was far from empty. Instead, thoughts bounced around inside his head like gas particles inside a container, speeding up and raising in pressure as the container is heated by a Bunsen burner.Amanda is dead.Lust for revenge!Trouble is dead.Set the world on fire!Everyone is dying out there.Make Builder pay!They are to blame!Monsters, freaks, abominations!Kill every last one of these sons of MegaBloks.They killed them!Revenge!Fire!Amanda died.There is no hope anymore.Lost.Trouble was killed by his creators.Innocence is dead.Lost.Then I defy you, stars!Burn it all!No.Their deaths will not be in vain.They died for a cause.Amanda, Trouble, King Race...Everyone out there who is fighting and dying...They fight for freedom.They cannot lose.Not to chaos.I will not let them.No.I will not.I shall see to it that they win.I shall see to it that they are avenged.I shall see to it that the Maelstrom suffers in MegaBlokland for all eternity.I shall see to it that I have my revenge.Rex's features hardened as a shadow passed over his face. He narrowed his eyes and gritted his teeth. For the first time since he was rescued by the T-1 Typhoon, he spoke, and with every word, he felt the lustful fires of revenge burning inside of him as the faces of Amanda, Trouble, and all those who had died in this war passed through his mind."This has been more than anyone can bear," whispered Rex, "but we will persevere."

OOC: Nice work there, avmatoran!You know, the perfect boss theme for Cyrista's Bane, in my opinion, would probably be the "Forgotten Beasts" VG Megamix by razanak7. Since the megamix mashes together the final boss themes of BIONICLE Heroes and Epic Mickey (plus "Nemesis King Koopa", which is used for the first 2/3 of the final battle in Super Mario Galaxy), it's quite fitting for one of the RPG's final bosses. More importantly, the use of "Nemesis King Koopa" and "Vezon's Awakening" gives it a feeling of raw feral power, like that of a T-Rex, but the electronic underscore provided by the Metroid tracks gives it that cybernetic twist. Meh, pretty sure none of the rest of us can legally drink anyway, except for PeaSam, what with him being a centenarian, and possibly Atton depending on what part of Canada he's in.Hah, I don't drink either. And when I do, it's on religious occasions, and only when my relatives fail to hear me when I say "Grab. The. Grape. Juice!" Three glasses of wine on Passover go a long way... but I digress. Anyways, the whole "drinking game" thing was a joke (but you probably already knew that, in fact, I know you do, so why am I telling you?[/infomaniac]), poking a little humor at a depressing subject such as the fact that Kate starts crying in every other post she appears in. Don't worry, I'm aware that you guys are underage, but that shouldn't stop you from trying with apple juice, grape juice, cranberry juice... but, as I said, be careful. Even with apple juice, it can prove fatal.IC: As the Third Headquarters Squad walked through Dino Attack Headquarters, Demoman fell behind, mumbling incomprehensible gibberish. Suddenly, the others heard Demoman as he began laughing hysterically. "Hey guys, get a load ah this!" called the explosives expert."Demoman, get back!" Elizabeth's eyes widened. "It's one of them Mutant Dinos!""I call 'im See," grinned Demoman, who was sitting on the snout of a Mutant Raptor. "See, it's short for Velo-SEE-raptor!" He laughed as the Mutant Raptor gently nuzzled him. Although it was baring its teeth, the Mutant Raptor almost appeared to be smiling."It's too dangerous!" called Firecracker. "Get out of the blast radius before I blow this lizard up!"The Mutant Raptor growled, but Demoman patted the Mutant Dino. "Why?" frowned Demoman. "We're ol' friends, See and me! Hah, we gonna do stuff together! We gonna defend points, steal an Oscar from a doctor, go an a treasure hunt in New Zealand, get captured by snipers an' hippies, win the game by throwin' some hats on fire...""That's interesting," noted Pyro. "Look at this Mutant Raptor. I'm not sure, but it looks... different... from all the other ones.""It's sure acting friendly," mused Elizabeth."See?" grinned Demoman, who had taken the bandana off his head and wrapped it around the head of the Mutant Raptor. "I told ya they were all a bunch ah wee lassies! Now it's on like..." He trailed off, apparently forgetting where he was going. See the Mutant Raptor didn't mind, and once again bared its teeth in a mock-smile as Demoman laughed."Fine, it can come with us," muttered Firecracker. "Now we have to get going quickly! We're not going to blow this taco stand if we sit around all day playing with this lizard!"OOC: Hope you don't mind me adding an extra member to the Third Headquarters Squad, Atton, but I've been looking for something to do with the prototype Mutant Dinos that followed Pterisa north. Still don't know about the Mutant Lizard and Pteranodon, but I wanted to give Demoman a Mutant Raptor sidekick as a shout-out to the Rappy "n" Demo videos. Don't worry, Atton, "See" the Mutant Raptor is Maelstrom-free and completely loyal to Dino Attack Team.

OOC: In case anyone's interested, I finally drew up Dr. Rex's Mutant T-Rex form in Flash, as he was first mutated, while wearing silge armor (note that the uncovered underbelly and jaw is non-canon and strictly artistic license), and while possessed by the Maelstrom. Seeing as I really cannot go too far forward with Dr. Rex's attack on Dino Attack Headquarters until Cyrista's Bane is defeated, I guess it's time to answer some questions from the Adventurers' Island mission. As I said in our Steam chat, these questions can be answered with some creative thinking. Heh, reminds me of the various Dino Attack RPG doodles of mine, only a fraction of which I've actually scanned and uploaded onto deviantART... You know what, avmatoran? I actually fully support this notion. I've felt kind of bad about rejecting some of your various proposals and ideas (such as way back when you tried to say that Dr. Cyborg was Dr. Rex's brother), but I actually see no problem at all with this idea and I rather like it. Okay, guys! Ready for a really depressing drinking game? Read Dino Attack RPG, and take a shot every time you read the above sentence (or something close to it)! Warning, this may be fatal. Do not drive after attempting this game. Seeing as Dr. Nicholas is also a one-off reference character, it wouldn't make much sense to make him leader either. But I'm more than willing to see Dr. Cyborg take over.IC: Lord Sam Sinister von Barron could hear the distant sounds of battle. He felt Dino Attack Headquarters shake as though it were caught in the middle of an earthquake. Between the explosions in the battlefield and the thunderclaps in the heavens, it might as well have been an earthquake. Still, Lord Sam Sinister walked with an unwavering regal air as he passed through the Dino Attack prison complex.Chuckling to himself, Lord Sinister contemplated how, only a short time ago, he had been locked in one of these cells. Now, he had returned, but not as a prisoner. Stopping outside one cell, Sam Sinister cleared his throat to get the attention of the cell's occupant: an overweight hunter wearing a dark-gray jacket and a brown fedora.Mr. Cunningham looked up and was surprised to see him. "Lord Sinister!" he stammered. "I-""Quiet!" hissed Lord Sinister. "Do you want to alert the entire Dino Attack Team to what I'm about to do?" With that, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys that he had stolen. As soon as the cell door was open, the Lord von Barron rushed inside, grabbed Mr. Cunningham by the jacket, and pulled him out of the cell."My lord," Mr. Cunningham shook his head, "it ain't my fault that I failed to capture the alpha female T-Rex-""Well then, mis amigos. I cannot say that I am surprised to see you here, Señor de Barron."Lord Sam Sinister stiffened. He scowled as he turned to face the occupant of another cell, who was wearing a clean and expensive white suit, and immediately recognized him as none other than Señor Palomar."Enjoying those bars, Palomar?" inquired Sinister. "They're quite fitting for you. I imagine you'll need to get used to them, for you'll be seeing them for a long time.""I hope you're proud of yourself," retorted Palomar. "You're a lying, cheating scum of a lord. I offered you a chance to make a name for yourself back on Adventurers' Island, and instead you saw to my fall while you profit from it. You're a dishonorable man, Lord Sinister.""You can always trust a dishonorable man to be dishonorable," smirked Lord Sinister. "It's the honorable ones who always do something stupid. Evidently, as I'm not the one behind bars and you were captured thanks to me, I must not be the so-called honorable one.""You act as though the Adventurers' Island mission was your victory," scowled Palomar. "You act as though the Dino Attack Team should honor and respect you. Evidently, as tu amigo Cunningham just described, you deserve none of it. You sent one of your henchmen to hunt the alpha female T-Rex after our little talk in the XERRD Fortress, knowing fully well that the Dino Attack Team sought her allegiance. It does not take a Frank Einstein to determine that you were... convinced by me to join XERRD, but backed out at the last moment in the Maelstrom Temple when you thought you could profit from the other side.""Oh, is that what this is all about?" mused Lord Sinister. He chuckled softly. "I'm no Evil Ogel, but even I can mastermind plots and manipulate others to benefit me in the end. For you see, Señor, during our little... discussion in the XERRD Fortress, I overheard you giving orders to Doctor... ah, Doctor Penta Gonapus, was it? You were intend upon either killing the alpha female queen... or worse, corrupting her. Now, while it is indeed quite true that I intend to add her stuffed body to my trophy collection one day, that is not the reason I ordered Cunningham to hunt her.""What?" blinked Mr. Cunningham. "Lord Sinister, I ain't followin' here..."Lord Sam Sinister placed his hand on Mr. Cunningham's shoulder. "I had only a short amount of time to act, and so I did what any man of power would do in my position... I called upon my own men to do the job. I needed to ensure that Hexa Gonapus would never complete the mission, but I could not afford to waste time filling Cunningham in with the details. He's far too dimwitted to get it, anyway.""Excuse me?" frowned Cunningham, balling his hands into fists.Ignoring Cunningham, the Lord von Barron continued. "I gave him the orders to follow Rex, Claw, and the savage to the Ugalego temple and to set up traps to catch the alpha female T-Rex. I'm not naive enough to believe that she would simply leave her temple and walk into a trap; the traps would never have worked... trust me, I know from experience. However, Octo Gonapus would never see it coming. He'd walk into those traps. I saved the alpha female's life, and Dino Attack Team has me to thank.""I don't believe it," snorted Señor Palomar."You see," smirked Lord Sam Sinister, "You could say that I was being dishonorable... in order to be honorable. As for now... there's a lot of dinosaurs out there, and Mr. Cunningham and I are going on a hunting trip. It's open season for dinosaurs, after all!"OOC: If anyone wants to write about Lord Sinister and Mr. Cunningham joining the battle, feel free to do so.

OOC: Wow, an overwhelming response for Version 2. It's a good thing that our unnamed elite agent gave him a uniform, or else it would have been "some unshaven, sweaty guy in his underwear talking into some agent's ear"... I shudder at that mental image. I laughed so hard at that quote. Although, "Doctor Paulie-MegaBloking-Gonapus" would probably be more phonetically accurate.As for Gonepus/Gonapus, I honestly don't care which way it swings. Heck, I'm not even sure if the original name is Octagonapus or Octogonapus (is it spelled like octagon or octopus?), so... yeah.IC: "Stay clear of that hovercraft there," murmured Frozeen."Don't worry," Sam Race narrowed his eyes. "When I'm behind the wheel, I'm practically the fastest thing alive... he'll never land a hit on me!" With that, he turned the wheel, steering the Fire Hammer out of the way of the XERRD hovercraft.The hovercraft was vaguely egg-shaped, predominantly silver in color with a few red and black highlights. A Space Marauder sat in its cockpit, pulling switches and nobs to control the craft's flight. Laser beams were fired out of the hovercraft's weaponry, striking the wet road mere instants after the Fire Hammer maneuvered around their path."Shiver me timbers, what be wi' them XERRD lunatics?" grumbled Greybeard from the Xenon Multi-Mode Launcher. "Even wi' Dr. Rex possess'd an' Dr. Glados in Davy Jones's locker, they be not lowerin' their swords, raisin' their white flag, an' callin' a truce!""As long as this 'Darkling' fellow is in charge," muttered Frozeen, "it seems that XERRD will keep on fighting. Let's take this guy down. Greybeard, can you get a clear shot?""Aye!" reported the old pirate. He fired the Xenon Launcher on electricity mode, but having only one good eye, his depth perception was off, and the projectile was too far to the left to hit the XERRD hovercraft. "Blast! Whose idea be it t' put th' one-eyed pirate in charge o' th' cannon?""Fine!" shouted Frozeen. "We'll switch places!" As Frozeen climbed out of the Fire Hammer's passenger seat and tried to climb to the Xenon Multi-Mode Launcher, he nearly fell off the moving Fire Hammer as it swerved out of the way of the XERRD hovercraft's wrecking ball, which was suspended underneath the craft by a chain. As the hovercraft flew past the Fire Hammer, Frozeen got a better glimpse of the Space Marauder pilot, and was surprised to see that he was forcibly strapped in, with mechanical arms gripping tightly onto his limbs and a metallic plate placed over the lower half of his face.Once Greybeard was sitting in the passenger seat and Frozeen was seated behind the Xenon Multi-Mode Launcher, the Alpha Team agent switched to sonics mode and aimed the launcher at the hovercraft, which was spinning around for another go, ready to slam the wrecking ball into the Fire Hammer. Frozeen fired, and the sonic attack shattered the chain connecting the wrecking ball to the hovercraft, dropping the large ball to the ground. Sam Race swerved the Fire Hammer out of the ball's way, while the hovercraft was on a collision course with the Xenon Launcher.Frozeen waited until the proper moment, then jumped off the Fire Hammer and landed in the cockpit of the XERRD hovercraft as it passed by. The XERRD pilot, who was wearing a red Space Marauder jacket over black clothes, turned to look at Frozeen, and through the XERRD scientist's goggles, Frozeen could recognize the look of someone being forced to do something beyond their will and being unable to do anything about it. Taking out a miniature laser device usually used by Alpha Team agents to open locked doors, Frozeen cut through the robot arms gripping onto the Space Marauder. As soon as one arm was free, the Space Marauder tried desperately to free the other, and Frozeen helped him out. Then, with both arms free, the Space Marauder pulled a joystick and crashed the hovercraft into the pavement.The Fire Hammer pulled to a stop beside the fallen hovercraft. Frozeen helped the XERRD scientist pull the metallic plate off his face, unveiling a bushy mustache over his upper lip. Now able to speak again, the Space Marauder sighed in relief. "Oh, thank you!" he grinned. "You Alpha Team agents are able to use those gadgets for tasks beside snooping as usual, I see.""Who are you?" interrogated Frozeen."Dr. Robert Nicholas," the XERRD scientist introduced himself. "I'm a XERRD scientist and engineer, a certifiable genius with an IQ of 300." Looking up and seeing Greybeard and Sam Race stepping out of the Fire Hammer, Robert Nicholas grinned. "Ah! You know what they say... the more, the merrier!""An IQ of 300, hmm?" mused Frozeen. "Then how did a genius like you find himself strapped down in a XERRD hovercraft?"Dr. Nicholas's smile faded. "Well, you see, I was recruited into the organization for my intellect. And when we first started the plans for the Dino Attack, I thought it was a good idea at the time... to conquer the world and create a utopia? Looked good on paper, at least! But then, as the year went on, the Maelstrom and the Mutant Dinos started sliding out of our grip... rather like Chaos in the hands of Kotua, both in 2004 and in 2010."Frozeen blinked in surprise. "How did you...?"Dr. Nicholas laughed. "You see, I myself was rather interested in using Chaos as a weapon for XERRD. However, when I researched what happened when Kotua thought he could control Chaos six years ago, and then witnessed for myself when history repeated itself earlier this year, I decided that Chaos was far too much of a loose cannon. But I digress."Glancing in the direction that Dr. Rex and the Mutant Dinos had gone, Dr. Nicholas shuddered. "I started to see Dr. Rex falling into madness, and I realized that the Maelstrom was the cause. The Dino Attack was out of our control. I, along with my colleague Dr. William Lee, suggested to Dr. Rex that we quit while we're ahead... his response was to restrain me to this hovercraft, force me to participate in this battle, and be unable to even scream.""What happened to Dr. Lee?" inquired Frozeen."He's in a hovercraft, too," shrugged Dr. Nicholas, "but I can't imagine where he is in the city at the moment. Anyways, it sounds like, once Blaire Darkling is defeated, XERRD will be without a leader. I may very well rise to the occasion and give myself a promotion, assuming no one else beats me to it...""If you were the leader of XERRD," frowned Frozeen, "would you surrender to Dino Attack Team?"Dr. Robert Nicholas gave a crooked smile that Frozeen immediately distrusted, for it looked a little too power-hungry for the Alpha Team agent's tastes. "Why, of course!" chuckled Dr. Nicholas. "That's right, the great Dr. Robert Nicholas has reformed!"OOC: I honestly don't care whether or not Dr. Nicholas actually becomes XERRD's leader if/when Blaire Darkling relinquishes the position. If anyone has any better ideas, feel free to voice them.

OOC: Again, if Trigger is so certain that Dino Attack is fighting a losing battle, then he has nowhere to run. Then again, if Silencia Venomosa herself couldn't get that through his head, I don't think anyone can.IC: "Get your hands off of me! Get off! Do you know who I am? I'm the man who's going to burn your house down!"To say that Andrew Jackson was very irritated would be an understatement. It seemed that his stroke of bad luck had gone from bad to worse. Now, not only had someone stolen his belongings, but in response for trying to smoke out whichever son of a MegaBlok did it, the other Dino Attack agents demanded that he shut up!"Yeah, yeah," groaned the elite agent who had grabbed him and taken him aboard a T-1 Typhoon. "Are you mad? You're running around in your underwear, without any weapons, and you won't stop shouting into the radio when everyone else is using the comm chatter to coordinate a proper defense! Here, put on this Dino Attack uniform... make yourself look decent. I'm sick of looking at you like this."Grumbling to himself, Andrew Jackson took the uniform that wasn't his and put it on. The ex-firefighter didn't always look like a dirty, sweaty, pale, and unshaven homeless bum; before the Dino Attack, some of his friends told him that he looked like he could have been a famous historical figure. But after that tragedy and the ensuing war, Andrew Jackson could care less about what he looked like. Ironically for a former firefighter, he now looked as though he had not touched a single drop of water in the past few months, not even to wash his hands, much less bathe himself.As soon as Andrew Jackson put on the Dino Attack uniform, the elite agent gestured towards the back of the helicopter cabin and said, "Now get back there and keep quiet. We're getting you out of here as soon as we can, Mr. Jackson, so I suggest you stay out of the way."Rolling his eyes and muttering under his breath, Andrew Jackson walked into the back of the cabin and saw another Dino Attack agent sitting there, staring straight forward. Beside the Dino Attack agent was a stretcher, and although the Minifig placed on the stretcher was covered with a sheet, Andrew Jackson immediately knew what it meant. "Oh, good!" he grinned. "More dead bodies! Are we going to cremate them afterwards?""Be quiet back there!" shouted the elite agent from the cockpit. "Show some respect!""Respect," grumbled Andrew Jackson as he took a seat beside the other Dino Attack agent. "Bah! I'm the one who deserves some respect around here! They all call me 'mad', 'psycho', 'crazy', 'maniac'... but I'll show them. I'll show them who's mad! Oh, yes! I'll show them, and then I'll light them on fire, and laugh as they scream and burn, and-""If I hear one more word that has anything to do with pyromania," ordered the elite agent, "then I'm going to force you to wear a balaclava to muffle your voice!"Andrew Jackson rolled his eyes. He turned to look at the Dino Attack agent sitting beside him. He barely noticed that the other agent was still staring straight forward, having not moved a muscle since Jackson boarded the T-1 Typhoon. Furrowing his brow, Andrew Jackson looked over the other Dino Attack agent. "Hey, wait..." he realized. "I know you! Hey, remember me? We worked together on the LEGO Island mission! I helped out in the attack on the XERRD laboratory! Oh, man, that was fun! By the time I was done there, every Mutant Dino, XERRD scientist, and Inferno goon had third-degree burns on 95% of their bodies!"The other Dino Attack agent didn't respond at all. He just kept staring straight ahead.Jackson didn't mind; instead, he kept on talking. "Didn't see much of you after that, though. I helped out the team in the desert area, though I hear that there was a lot of action in the jungle too. Meh, I suppose they kept me out of the jungle so I wouldn't burn it down in mass deforestation... which, of course, would have taken care of all those pesky Mutant Dinos who deserve to burn anyways, and I burned them too, out the in desert, and it would've been fun to see the whole jungle on fire! Hah! But no, they kept me in the desert. The desert's fine too; very hot out there, and the sun is the king of all blazing infernos."Leaning in closer, Andrew Jackson continued in a low voice: "Now, nobody's believing me, but after we got back from a successful mission, I celebrated in the mess hall with Demoman... he's a real party animal, you know... had a few drinks... and then I woke up, locked in my room, and all my stuff is stolen! I later found out there was a mole hunt going on, and a lot of Second Headquarters Squad's members were killed. Too bad that I was... out... or else I could have smoked that mole out for you guys, even if I had to burn Dino Attack Headquarters to the ground to do it! I'm a master spy checker, by the way. But nope... I was out cold, and some son of a MegaBlok took all my stuff! And when I find out who did it, I swear, I'm going to make sure he burns in MegaBlokland for it, just like all those Mutant Dinos!" Andrew Jackson caught himself, controlling the volume of his voice and checking to make sure that the elite agent in the cockpit did not hear.The other Dino Attack agent was still unresponsive."You know," nodded Andrew Jackson, "I like you. You're the kind of person who doesn't talk back. Not like my eldest daughter, anyway. Oh, she was a sweet little girl enough in her youth, like most girls her age. And then, when she became a teenager... that's when she became a rebellious little brat who hated her folks for... you know, no reason other than being a whole generation older than her. Typical rebellious teenager crud. And then she ran away with someone named Sam... haven't heard from her since. Not that I care anymore... it's not like she would ever do something to help her old man, even in these dark times."Glancing out the window, Andrew Jackson sighed. "It wasn't always like this, you know. I used to be a firefighter... I used to stop fires, not start them. But then when I came home one day and found my house burned to the ground, my family trapped inside, and these Mutant Lizards... these little sons of MegaBloks to blame... that's when I gave in to the urges that every Minifig has buried deep within. For you see... deep down, we all just want to see the world burn. We want to give in to our destructive tendencies and watch the inferno. And there's nothing that can trigger this urge quite like your lust for revenge! Oh, yes! That's what happened to me! As I set a Mutant Dino on fire... I love every moment of it, and I lust for the moment that I can set the next son of a MegaBlok on fire! They burned my home, they burned my family... and now, they burn for it! It's like I always say..."Leaning in close, Andrew Jackson whispered into the other Dino Attack agent's ear: "Make life rue the day it thought it could put you through MegaBlokland... by taking the fires of MegaBlokland and bringing them back to LEGO Planet!"Although the other Dino Attack agent still did not respond, Andrew Jackson patted him on the back. "Just remember that!" he grinned. "There's nothing quite like the lust for revenge, for when the world burns you, you burn the world back! You just want to set the world on fire! You laugh as everything is absorbed into a blazing inferno! Arson and pyromania become your best friends as you kindle, char, inflame, and ignite! You burn up the world, and you're really a fright! And only then will Builder know that He should have known better than to hand you combustible lemons!" Andrew Jackson laughed manically.Groaning, the elite agent entered the cabin and grabbed Andrew Jackson by the arm. "That's it," he grumbled, "I'm getting you a balaclava!""Remember what I said!" called Andrew Jackson as he was dragged out of the cabin. "Lust for revenge! Set the world on fire!"And while the other Dino Attack agent, none other than elite agent Rex, did not move so much as a muscle, he heard Andrew Jackson's words as they echoed in his head.OOC: Okay, so the way that I wrote Andrew Jackson is vague enough to allow for two possibilities.Version 1: Andrew Jackson is just some random Dino Attack agent who, by means of Remember The New Guy, participated in the LEGO Island mission. When he was talking about fighting in the desert, he was referring to the desert of Adventurers' Island. When the Dino Attack squads from across the world returned to headquarters, he celebrated with Demoman... and woke up, missing his belongings thanks to a Noodle Incident. Like many other Dino Attack agents, he lost his family in the initial invasion and joined the team to avenge their deaths, so there's nothing to raise an eyebrow at about that.Version 2...

OOC: Don't worry, all's well.Nice to see new minifigs, Jacks! Also, your version of French Fries is closer to how I imagined him (mostly due to the color scheme), although it would be up to Atton Rand which version is more "canon".Ah, so Matthew Vherestorm's "vhereabouts" are revealed! Of course, I didn't make the connection between Vherestorm and Darkling... until I saw Nazareno enter the scene, and then I immediately put the pieces together.IC: From behind his balaclava, Specs frowned as he surveyed the battlefield aboard the founding members' personal T-1 Typhoon. Dr. Rex and his forces were approaching the Dino Attack Headquarters at an alarming rate, and they were no closer to figuring out how to stop the armored Maelstrom-possessed Mutant T-Rex. Actually, the technicians back in the lab were still finishing the Einstein Device, which could possibly bring their salvation, but Specs and the other founding members agreed that it was too much of a liability to use in anything other than an absolute worst-case scenario.Einstein designed the device to counteract Maelstrom energies, thought Specs, but based upon the blueprints, it could be potentially lethal to anyone with a Creative Spark. It needs Imagination to destroy Maelstrom, after all."Pteranodons on your right, Shadow," called Digger. Shadow nodded in response, aiming the helicopter's dual Sonic Screamers and firing upon the Mutant Pterosaurs."So, any new ideas on how to take down the Big Bad?" inquired Viper. Specs had quietly observed that Viper had been very eager to know about Dino Attack Team's plans to defeat Dr. Rex. Viper already called dibs on the Einstein Device, if it needed to be used, which was met with Specs's disapproval; obviously, if the Einstein Device needed to be fired, no one was going to wait for Viper to show up and do the honors.Specs shook his head. "I'm thinking, Viper.""Got it," Viper rolled his eyes. "Just don't think all day.""Any word from Rex?" asked Digger. Given Rex's morals, he and Digger got along well, and Digger was concerned by the recent tragedy that had taken place.Specs sighed. "He's still unresponsive. The death of agent Claw took a lot out of him, and he won't talk, listen, or even look at anyone. We may have to finish this battle without Rex's help. Given the recent death of elite agent Adventure, it's a loss that will be... difficult to afford, with one elite silenced in addition to another elite dead, but we must persevere.""I'm detecting movement across the river," reported Shadow. "There's still a few Inferno Super Airborts transporting troops, but now there's a few unidentified vessels approaching the city."Curious, Specs turned around and looked out at the river. Digger handed him a pair of binoculars, and as the team leader looked through the binoculars, he was surprised by what he saw. There were a number of battleships that looked too archaic to have come from anywhere other than Castle Cove, and they were accompanied by a fleet of Chinese junks flying the flag of Emperor Chang Wu. As the Rogue Knight Battleships and Emperor's Ships approached the Super Airboats, they engaged the Inferno vessels in combat. The Chinese soldiers fired crossbows and muskets at the Inferno agents, while the Rogue Knights boarded the Super Airboats and slayed all aboard. Once or twice, Specs thought he glimpsed the black tentacles of an Ogel Mutant Squid reach out of the water, grab hold of an entire Super Airboat, and pull it under the surface, never to return."It appears," mused Specs, "that our allies Lord Vladek, Lord Sinister von Barron, and Evil Ogel have sent us some... reinforcements to protect the river from the forces of XERRD and Dr. Inferno.""In our darkest hour," grinned Digger, "help shall arrive!""It would be nice," grumbled Shadow, "if Alpha Team's promised reinforcements could arrive as quickly as possible. We need them right now!"OOC: Just to satisfy all the comm chatter comments about the founding members, I've sent them out on a T-1 Typhoon. I also wanted the alliances with our favorite villains to pay off during the final battle; while Ogel's already done his stunt and the Brickster's currently having too much fun, I thought it would be nice to see Vladek and Sinister send help as well.

OOC: By the way Brikman, I couldn't resist the urges, so I broke down and made it after all. Here's the Brickster's T-1 Typhoon!IC:"Hang on guys, I'm adding Dr. Rex to the 'Turns Red' page on TV Tropes.""I don't think now's the best time for that. Watch where you're driving-""Wouldn't 'Turns Purple' be more accurate, though?""Um... heh, heh. Nobody needed a fire hydrant there, right? Do we have any firefighters on this team?""Yes.""Okay, to all you firefighters, I apolo-""My fellow Dino Attack agents, this is Andrew Jackson speaking. I would make an announcement. Whichever one of you sons of MegaBloks took my stuff, you're as dead as all those other Mutant Dinos! I swear to Builder that I'm going to find you and burn you alive! You're all going to burn! BURN! BURN IN MEGABLOKLAND! BURN STUFF! BURN IT ALL, IT MUST BE BURNED!""Okay, what's this guy's problem?""I don't know. Why does Dino Attack Team keep hiring these psychos anyway? With Kotua, Chupacabra, Duke, French Fries, Pyro, Baldrick, and others that I'm probably forgetting, this place is more of a nuthouse than Napoleon XIV Mental Institution!""... OR I'LL BURN WHERE YOU LIVE AND I'LL BURN YOUR HOUSE WHEN YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT AND BURN YOUR MOUTH!""Dang. Whoever took this guy's stuff, I suggest you give it back. I'm kind of getting tired of listening to him rambling.""Just ignore him. He'll shut up.""... AND I'LL BURN YOU AND I'LL BURN YOUR MUTANT DINOS AND I'LL BURN YOUR FOOD AND I'LL BURN SO MUCH APPLE JUICE THAT THEY WON'T BE HAPPY IN PARAGUAY ANYMORE!""... eventually.""So, um... Wow, you didn't miss a shot, Gaston! You're the greatest hunter in the whole world!""Gaston? That was Belle. Gaston deserted us at the beginning of the battle. Dirty coward. He could have used some lessons in manliness from Adventure.""STUPID MUTANT LIZARD! I'D BURN YOU IF I STILL HAD MY STUFF! YOU TOO, MUTANT RAPTOR! I'D BURN YOU ALL!""... okay, seriously, this guy needs to shut up. All in favor of muting his mic-spam?""Turn off that radio," muttered Sam Race, who was furrowing his brow and pursing his lips. "It's really unfitting to the current mood."Frozeen sighed. "Sam, I know that you're still upset about your father's death... and I understand. I too know what it's like to have lost a father, and I know that nothing I can say or do will make up for how you feel right now. But we need to stay updated on what's going on elsewhere on the battlefield, and that means listening to the comm chatter. You guys didn't hear anything about Amanda yet, right?""I got me one hand on th' wheel," grumbled Greybeard, "an' me one eye on th' road. An' yet, I be listenin' as hard as I can, an' I be not hearin' a single thing about Amanda since that message about Rex bein' down. I hope that lass be safe, says I.""Me too," Frozeen nodded grimly. "I can't believe that Rex is down. I hope that just means that he's merely out of the fight at the moment... not that... well, you know. And no news on Amanda... that's concerning." He swallowed hard, unable to properly discuss his feelings. If anything happened to them so soon after their marriage, he thought determinedly, then as soon as I see her again, I'm not going to waste any time. I'm going to tell Shannon how I really feel."I told you," shuddered Sam Race. "We're dead! We're all dead! It's hopeless! Anyone can die!""Sam!" snapped Greybeard. "Quit yer bellyachin' back there! Yer father would not want ye bawlin' yer deadlights out like this... he depended upon ye t' be his successor t' th' throne, an' he wanted ye t' be an even greater king than he ever be! His sun has set... it be up t' ye t' make sure his son be risin'!"Frozeen caught notice of a pack of Mutant Raptors attacking a nearby Agent Supertrike further down the road. Now that the Agents stopped fighting with and started fighting alongside Dino Attack Team, Frozeen felt obliged to help out the Agent in trouble. However, as he grabbed a pair of binoculars and looked through them, Frozeen scowled as he saw that the Agent in question was none other than Grease."What be that ye see?" inquired Greybeard.Part of Frozeen wanted to tell Greybeard, Oh, nothing. Let's just keep going. But as tempting as this was, Frozeen knew it was not the right thing to do. As Alpha Team and Agents were both allied with Dino Attack Team, it would be wrong to leave a fellow ally for dead. Besides, as much as Grease was a troll and a bully, Frozeen knew that leaving him to die would make Frozeen no better than Grease.Gritting his teeth, Frozeen reported: "It's an Agent in trouble. Let's go help him."The Fire Hammer drove towards the Agent Supertrike, which was already shredded to pieces by the time they arrove. Frozeen leaned out the window and fired at the Mutant Raptors with his Cosmotronic Ray. As they sped by, Frozeen reached out, grabbed Grease's hand, and hoisted him into the Fire Hammer.Looking at his rescuers, Grease snobbishly crossed his arms and pointed his nose in the air. "Well, if it isn't the 'old schoolers'. An Alpha Team agent, a classic pirate, and a Galactic LEGO Racer. As out-of-date as ever. What the heck do you think you're doing? I didn't need your help!"Frozeen glared at Grease. "Look. I don't have to like you, and you don't have to like me, but we're allies now, and you've got to shut up and just accept the fact that we need to put our differences beside us and work together for a common cause. Now, if you're not so grateful about the rescue, then there's an abandoned Urban Avenger right there which is currently not attacked by a pack of Mutant Raptors.""And so I will," muttered Grease."Besides," Frozeen murmured, his voice dripping with verbal irony, "I'm sure you would have done the same for me."The Fire Hammer stopped beside the abandoned Urban Avenger in question. As Grease stepped out of the Fire Hammer to take the other vehicle, Frozeen heard the heavy footsteps of an approaching Mutant T-Rex. On a nearby perpendicular street, Frozeen saw the horribly-familiar armored Mutant T-Rex that was Dr. Rex, his armor laced with constricting Maelstrom tendrils, leading a large group of Mutant Dinos of all sizes."They're heading right for Dino Attack Headquarters!" gasped Sam Race. "We... we gotta warn them! Greybeard, let me drive... I'm much faster driver than you are.""Now that be th' spirit!" grinned Greybeard, glad to see Sam Race starting to return to his old, confident self.Frozeen thought about Rex and Amanda, who let him, Greybeard, and Sam Race out of the Iron Predator to give them a chance of escape in case Dr. Rex caught up to them. He wondered, for a moment, if Dr. Rex actually did catch up to the Iron Predator. With a shudder at the thought of the consequences, Frozeen decided not to dwell on that.Rex and Amanda are still alive out there, he assured himself.*****"Okay, seriously. Someone please stop this Andrew Jackson guy, he's reduced to speaking Angrish.""AHRMMAHR FAHRRAHRN MAHRH FLAHRMAHRTHRAHRWAHRR GRAAAAAAAAAAHR!""Danny? Has Lisa been tearing this guy apart too? He sounds a lot like Johnny right now.""Does Specs have any spare balaclavas? He should hand one to this guy. Maybe it would muffle his speech to just incomprehensible gibberish that no one can hear.""You know, the way this guy is acting, you'd think that he's the victim of identity theft or something.""Sounds like he'd get along just fine with Pyro to me. Maybe he should join the Third Headquarters Squad."OOC: Had way too much fun with the comm chatter this time, poking humor at something that's been bugging me for a while. Sorry about the Mood Whiplash, though... might want to see a physical therapist for a speedy recovery.

OOC: Had a feeling you would say that. Evidently, someone missed this exchange... Even if Frozeen doesn't remember, Andrewnuva199 sure does. And it was perfectly foreshadowed and set up to to show that Ogel did not really die. Don't believe me? Go back to July 6, 2012, and read my post again. Knowing what you know now will make things a lot clearer.For the record, I've never seen an episode of Buffy, so it was not an intentional reenactment.EDIT: Okay, so I had to reply via phone, so I couldn't post my full thoughts just yet. Now that I'm on an actual computer (oh, man, typing is so much easier than texting!), I'll elaborate a little further.The problem is that Ogel's "death" was clearly staged like a death and intended to make everyone (in-universe, at least) believe that he had actually died. It's only by the fact that he evidently did not actually die, as shown by his reappearance at LEGO City Hall, that we know otherwise. However, even so, looking at my IC post on July 6, 2012 will show that I set up this event in advance, so that some people (for example, Andrewnuva) could put the pieces together and figure out that Ogel never really died, even before his reappearance at LEGO City Hall.With Spy Clops's defeat, there's nothing to indicate that he survived other than the fact that he's an official LEGO character so it's against the rules to kill him. After being shot multiple times (by a weapon that can kill in only one shot), burned in close combat, and flying through a wall, no one can survive that. If he weren't Spy Clops and he was just some random cannon fodder, he'd be dead. There's no indication IC of his survival, and I don't mean that you even need to say that he survived at the end... instead of just saying that Sarah barged in there and fired her shotgun at him, you could have been a little more specific and said that she fired at his mechanical legs, which definitely won't kill Spy Clops and would be easy to repair, ensuring his survival. Just saying that he was shot with a shotgun is vague enough to sound like he could have been shot in the chest, in the arms, or even the face, two of which are fatal and one of which can still cause blood loss.In essence, if you're going to go all-out on an official LEGO character (without properly setting up in advance that he was faking his death, as was done with Ogel), make sure that there is some indication of his survival. Even if you just say that he was shot only in the mechanical legs, that's much better than just saying that he was shot. Otherwise, as I said, you could replace "Spy Clops" with "Red Shirt" and, with the "no killing official characters" rule out of the way, it looks like No Kill Like Overkill with a healthy dose of No One Could Survive That.