Chronicler of Ko-Koro

[iC - Fade] "Well, this universe's League HQ is buried somewhere under all this ice. Based off what buildings are still standing around the base of the tower, I can pretty accurately guess where it ought to be," he said. "Now, ordinarily we'd have to spend hours combing through a maze of tunnels to find it... but fortunately, we've got a guy with us who can walk through walls."He extended his arms, motioning for the others to grab hold."Alright, hang on tight, guys," he said. "With any luck, this'll be a straight shot to the mansion... or whatever's left of it, that it..."[For Science!]

OOC: I'll admit, I've quite lost the thread on what, if anything, I ought to be doing. This RPG has a habit of occasionally getting muddled up from time to time, and I haven't had nearly quite as much time to make sense of what's going on as I used to.At the very least, I can try and move Fade's plot along a bit more...[iC - NPCS & Fade] The winding ice tunnels seemed to stretch on forever, twisting paths of white and blue that snaked like a labyrinth through the underbelly of Frigid's fortress. But the tunnel grew wider, ever so slight at first, before finallly opening up into a massive chamber, stretching up and crisscrossing through the ice towards the top of the tower. What had been a persistent, ever worrisome rumbling had grown to a roar as it echoed off the walls like some enormous amphitheater. Massive cracks cut through the walls like open wounds, and up above large chunks of ice, some the size of buildings, were breaking loose and crashing downwards. They smashed against the walls of the icy crevice and against themselves over and over on the miles-high descent earthwards, and by the time they reached Longshot and Plasmafire's team there was little left than a shower of frost-covered debris, the largest chunks no larger than a person. Still, the group wasn't about to take any chances, and stuck close to walls to avoid falling the falling rubble.But high up above, a tiny gray dot could be seen darting back and forth amongst the avalanche. It whipped about like a leaf caught in a thunderstorm, occasionally vanishing between crashing chunks of ice, but each time it appeared to have been snuffed out by some collision of rubble, it reappeared in view mere moments later. As it sped further down towards the floor of the chamber, the team could see just what, or more accurately, who was coming down towards them. Fade hurtled down towards them at breakneck speeds, glider cape unfurled behind him as he weaved through the deadly obstacle course crashing against the walls. He darted suddenly from one side to another, just barely squeezing the gap as two chunks crashed together in a shower of ice.A massive chunk blocked his path, wedged dangerously against the walls of the chamber. Fade let himself turn intangible and plummet, passing unharmed through the fallen chunk of ice. As he dropped his glider cape spread once more like a pair of wings, slowing his descent. Fade flung off his grappler, catching it on another falling bit of rubble. It swung him around as it fell, propelling him like a slingshot down towards the bottom. Fade hit the walls of the chamber feet first, and dug a wristblade into the wall to turn his plunge into a controlled slide, coming to a stop just next to the waiting team. He brushed a few chunks of ice off his cape, and marched over to the others."Everybody made it in alright? All in one piece, yeah?" he asked. "Good. Let's get moving, people! I don't want to be down here when all that catches up to me..."[For Science!]

[iC - Mystic] The glow faded from Mystic's eyes as the aura enveloping her dissipated."Specifically, do you know if... it has any ties to the Coalition?" she asked. "If he's gone off to warn them of our presence, we need to give chase. If he's an unaffiliated party, on the other hand, he's not our concern unless he continues to interfere in the mission."[For Science!]

[iC - Mystic] Who I am is irrelevant.. beyond the fact the real Epsilon has already met me, of course, Mystic thought back. All you need to know is I represent the League, and you are interfering in our official business. This will NOT be tolerated. You have the option to stand down peacefully. If you refuse to comply, we are more than capable of making you do so by force. I would advise the peaceful route. [For Science!]

[iC - Mystic] Mystic stepped down out of the jet, her eyes glowing white as her psychic aura radiated around her. Both the Epsilons felt another presence in their heads, carefully examining their thoughts."Pardon me if I do not take you at your word. A thorough examination of your minds should be more than sufficient to reveal the impostor," she said. "One cannot simply lie to a psychic."[For Science!]

[iC - Hivemind] Hivemind shrieked in surprise, ducking down as flames roared over her head. She patted her hair in a panic, checking to be certain it wasn't on fire."Jeeez, man, would you be careful with that? You could really hurt someone, Biz!" she said as she stood back up. "Seriously, if you're gonna take this whole "I AM A HERO" malarkey seriously, you might want to reconsider all this lighting people on fire stuff. What happens if some kid tries to imitate you and gets hurt? Honestly, you're setting a bad example..."[For Science!]

[iC - Mystic] Mystic did her best to mask her relief as she cut the connection with X-Calibur. She'd thought she'd made her instructions as simple as possible; don't try to focus on any one thing, just take it all in. Maintaining her psychic vision was a delicate process; focus two much on one view, and the whole field could collapse. But X-Calibur had insisted on devoting his attention to one sight at a time, and Mystic had been barely able to keep the field from flickering out right there.She supposed it wasn't his fault; it was a new experience for him, and she saw in a way wholly unlike anything most people could ever experience. But it had still been a draining experience for her, and she needed a moment to compose herself. She slipped away from the others and took a seat, shutting her eyes and focusing. Until the plane was down and her assistance was needed again, she was more than content to rest for a moment.---[iC - Hivemind] From across the Saloon, laughter rang out over the sound of combat and confrontation. Hivemind had been sitting alone on a barstool, content to simply watch in amusement as the fighting unfolded around her. But after Negafire's speech she suddenly doubled over with laughter, stopping only to catch her breath."Oh... heh... heeheeheh... sorry, Bizzaro, I'll... hah... I'll let you finish," Hivemind said between snickers. "Great... great little monologue, by the way... heheh... very grandiose, very epic... haheh... by all means, don't let me stop you, just keep talking... hahahee... I haven't seen anything this entertaining in ages..."[For Science!]

[iC - Mystic] "It might be advantageous for you to close your eyes," Mystic said to X-Calibur. "There will be a lot of visual data for you to process, and it may be easier if you do not have to concern yourself with your own eyesight as well."Mystic shut her eyes, the occasional flicker of a pale white aura shimmering around her as she concentrated. Suddenly, new sights flooded X-Calibur's vision; in addition to his own eyesight, visions from Mr. No-One and Ultionus came flooding in. They floated at the edges of the dark corners of his vision, merging briefly whenever the spies lines of sight crossed.Do not attempt to focus on individual details, Mystic's spoke into his mind. This will only make it harder to maintain all of the viewpoints in their mind. Simply allow your mind to take it all in. Focus only on the bigger picture for the moment. It will get easier to take in as your mind adjusts to it... Mystic chose to keep the last part of the thought to herself, hopefully, anyway...At the same time, she was focusing on the mysterious presence on the ground. While maintaining X-Calibur's connection was taking part of her focus, the energy boost from Sugar Rush was helping greatly. As it shot down her spinal column, it was a simple matter to redirect it up the neural pathways up to her brain. As her mental speed increased, Mystic started to zero in on the presence on the ground. She just needed to concentrate a little harder, and soon she could get a better idea just who was spying on their operation...---[iC - NPCs] "Really wish I could tell ya' more, Plas... really, I do," Longshot whispered. "But when we were fightin' Frigid, I was just a bit preoccupied gettin' my blasted arm flash-frozen off by that icy witch up thar. I didn't really 'ave time to come up with a detailed tactical rundown o' your heroic demise."All around them was the sound of distant rumbling and crashing. Longshot eyed the ceiling, worryingly taking note of cracks forming overhead."A'right, we're standin' under a coup'la million tonnes 'ah icd 'an snow, and it's all starting to cave in," she said. "Let's move quickly, people. We won't survive two seconds if any o' these tunnels start cavin' in on us..."[For Science!]

[iC - Mystic] "Uh... Sugar Rush, was it? If your 'energy boosts' can help improve mental clarity, your assistance would be appreciated," Mystic said. "I may have detected a presence observing the agents, but at this distance it's hard to pin it down while still maintaining my link with them. A boost from you might help to improve my focus"---[iC - NPCs] The snow began to rumble as a monstrous golem rose up from the snow, snapping claws of ice in the direction of Plas and Stella. A thin bolt streaked through the air with a faint whistle, embedding itself in the icy creature's head. Moments later the arrow exploded, snow flying in a fury as the Ice Golem was ripped apart by the blast. Crossbow in hand, Longshot marched across the field, flanked by other members of the League resistance."A'right, listen up, an' listen close!" she shouted. "I'll be headin' into the belly o' tha' beast with this here lot. The rest'a you will be standin' guard out here; if Frigid tries to close our escape route, do yer best to stop 'er. Do what'er you kin to help Sakeme's assault; keep Frigid's attention away from what we're doing inside."A shadow fell over the group; a large chunk of ice had broken free high up above on the tower walls. It slammed into the ground nearby, leveling what had once been a row of residential housing. Frozen shrapnel rained in all directions; Forcefield threw up a shield in front of the group to protect, chunks of crystal pounding and shattering against the barrier."It's gonna get pretty dangerous 'round here, an' the fallin' debris might be the least o' yer problems if Frigid gets to us. Do yer best to hold out, but be ready to fall back if things get to tough ta' handle. If this mission fails, we need tha' resistance to survive.She clipped her crossbow to her belt, and saluted her fellow heroes with her remaining hand. Without a word more Longshot turned, descending into the dark, icy tunnel blasted through the side of the tower...[For Science!]

[iC - Mystic] She wasn't having luck zeroing in on the psychic signature, so Mystic quickly sent a message to Mr. No-One and Ultionis's minds as discreetly as she could. She might not be certain there was anything there, but it was best to make sure they were aware of the situationI suspect you may not be alone. Have sensed possible presence in woods with you. Do not let it know you're aware of its presence unless forced to confront it. Attempting to hone in on its psychic signature and gather more information. May be nothing; will keep you informed of the situation.---[iC - Fade] Fade instinctively cringed. A few moments passed, and he glanced about in confusion.“...Huh. Not dead yet,” he muttered. “Odd. I was expecting the physical embodiment of winter to have a quicker draw.“Pardon?” asked Frigid. “Any particular reason you think you should be dead?”“Well... last I checked, you’re the living embodiment of endless winter,” said Fade. “Seeing how you usually run things, I ought to be a Fadesicle right now.”“Oh, Bryan... you used to be so smart,” Frigid said. “If I wanted you dead, I would have killed you already...”"Of course. Toy with me a bit first, why don't you?” Fade said. “So... when did you figure out it was me? Was I even through the front door when you figured it out?”“I had my doubts the moment you showed up unexpected, but I’ll admit it; I didn’t know for certain until I saw you bleed,” explained Frigid. “Now... what brings you here, Bryan? Tell me; what’s your plan?”“Frigid... you, or at least your better half, knew me since we were kids,” said Fade. “When have I ever gone into something with a plan?”“No... charging into danger with some foolish idea half-formed in your mind was more your style. So what’s it now?” she asked. “If you’re here to kill me, I’m afraid that’s not really something I can do anymore. Might I propose a better alternative?”“I’d say that’d be unusually helpful of you,” said Fade. “What are you playing at?”“Please, dear, we’ve done this dance before. You know where this is going,” said Frigid. “It’s just a simple offer. Join me.”Fade stopped, sighed, and frowned.“No. Nope. Sorry. That dog just won’t hunt. I’m sure you won your Fade over with a few sweet words and a smile, but I’ve already had this conversation in a different universe,” he said. “Speak of the Otherfade... don’t you already sorta have, y’know, a bit of a thing going on with him? Trying to collect the entire set, are we?”“Well. you’re here right now, you’re wearing his cape, and I haven’t heard from him for hours. I can do the math,” Frigid said. “If you killed him... I don’t know how you managed it. It should be impossible, but we never let us stop that before, did we? But, really.. alive or dead, what’s it matter? How different can one Bryan Steele be from another?”“Trust me, we stopped being the same guy a long time ago,” Fade replied. “Frigid... this is pointless. You’re not the woman I loved; you’re just an crazed, spoiled madwoman who happens to have her face. That’s never going to be enough to make me turn on everything I believe in.”Frigid smirked, then a chuckle escaped her lips. Slowly it grew louder, growing to a mocking cackle.“Really, Bryan? Is that what you keep telling yourself? Is that the only way you can keep going?” she asked. “I might not act like how you remember your precious Jen, but do you know what, Bryan? I have all of her memories. Everything she experienced, everything she ever felt... it’s all in my head.“And when you get down to it, isn’t that all she ever was? Wasn’t she just nothing more than an accumulation of thoughts and feelings? They’re in there somewhere - buried as deep as I can hide them, of course... but they’re there, and that’s what matters. Give yourself an eternity to work with, and you might be able to dig your love back up to the surface... oh, and how lucky for you; one of us just happens to have eternal life in a little needle.“That’s why you’ll always come running back to me, Bryan. As long as I’m around, so is she. And there’s still that glimmer of hope, that little itch in the back of your mind that maybe, just maybe, you’ll be able to save her. And as long as you have that hope, there’s nothing you won’t do to keep it alive.”Frigid leaned in closer and smiled.“So, Bryan? What’s it gonna be?”Fade locked eyes with Frigid, taking hold of her hand.“I... I’d want nothing more than to see Jen again...”SHUNKFrom his other hand sprung one of his wristblades, sinking into Frigid’s chest. She reeled backwards in pain, groaning and choking as she dropped to the floor. She raised an arm, trying to force frost to form, but only a few wisps of cold air formed in her hands. Fade knelt down, looking her in the eye and she gasped for breath on the floor.“But I’m sorry... I won’t betray my mission, or my friends, just for her,” said Fade. “One of your lungs has been punctured and collapsed. Your healing factor will stitch up the damage soon enough, but it’ll take you a minute or two to cough up the blood that’s filling up inside your respiratory system. I... I really wanted to find a more peaceful way to keep you occupied, but I’m afraid it had to come to this.”Fade rose and turned to leave. He ticked down the seconds down in his head; he’d skipped maybe a beat or two during that confrontation, but he’d kept count well enough to know he had less than a minute left. As he reached the end of the room he stopped and looked back where Frigid was lying on the floor, coughing blood and cursing his name.“If... If anything you just said is true... if there’s any trace of Jen left inside you,” he said, “I just want her to know... I’m sorry about what’s going to happen. Really, I am.”And then he was gone, phasing through the wall of solid ice in his path. Fade knew he didn’t have a lot of time left; he continued counting down in his head... Twelve, eleven, ten, nine, eight...---0:07... 0:06... 0:05... 0:04... 0:03... 0:02... 0:01...0:00The explosives Plasmafire and Stella had lined across the walls of Frigid’s tower detonated, plumes of flame and smoke erupting across its massive walls. Compared to the sheer scale of the fortress they might well have been firecrackers, but their placement was very precise. Slight cracks and crevices in the ice were blown wide open, fracturing the framework of the entire structure.Huge chunks of ice were torn loose by the blasts, raining down upon the frozen city below. The cracks spread wider, Frigid’s tower starting to cave inwards on itself under its own sheer weight. Down on the ground, dodging chunks of ice large enough to level entire city blocks, members of the resistance charged into action. Incendiary rounds streaked across the battlefield, quickly turning Frigid’s ice golems to puddles. Sakeme was leading the charge, katana in hand, disposing of frosty attackers with psychic blasts when he wasn’t turning their icy forms against them.“Alright, sounds like things are heating up out there,” Fade’s voice crackled in Plasmafire’s ear. “One of those explosions should have blown a pretty big hole at the base of the building. You and Stella get there as fast as possible, meet up with Longshot and the gang and start making your way inside. I’ll meet you guys on my way down.”[For Science!]

[iC - Mystic] Mystic had been sitting a good distance from the rest of the group, both to improve her focus before the mission, and because she wasn't in much of a mood for small talk. But now that they had reached their destination, she rose from her seat and moved down the aisle towards X-Calibur.""Now that we're in position, I should probably link your minds with our scouts on the ground," she said to him. "I'm not quite sure how you'll handle seeing through their eyes; this isn't something I've had to do before. My best advice to you would be to-"She stopped, a quizzical look on her face. Beneath the surface, her mind was racing into overdrive. As she'd attempted to strengthen the connection with Ultionis and Mr. No-One, she was almost certain she'd picked up a trace of another mind nearby. Mystic began scanning the area around them with her mind, trying to reconnect with that trace of psychic aura. It might be nothing, she might even be mistaken... but as they were heading into hostile territory with no clue what they were up against, Mystic wasn't about to take any chances. Normally she'd be able to zero in on the aura instantly, but projecting herself over this distance was difficult enough already, and scanning even this small area of the forest could take time.[For Science!]

[iC - Mystic] Mystic fell into step next to X-Calibur as she entered the League jet."In the interest of seeing that this mission goes smoothly, I feel I should warn you of a few things," she said, her tone just slightly above a whisper. "You'll be seeing things the way I do, and you might find it... difficult to adjust to. I don't mean to imply a lack of confidence in your abilities; it's just simply that your brain is wired towards seeing with only one set of eyes; focusing on just one thing at a time. It's not like watching video feeds on two different monitors; everything they see, you'll see at the same time, and you'll see it all at once. I will do my best to make the process easier for you, but you will still likely find it to be very disorienting."[For Science!]

[iC - Mystic] "Uh... yes, I can pick up hearing as well as sight; if it's processed in the brain, I can sense it," Mystic said. There was just a hint of uncertainty in her voice as she continued. "As for transmitting that information into other minds... erm... it is something I can do, but it would require significant concentration on my part. I... I would need to hear a bit more about your plan before I could say if it's possible."[For Science!]

OOC: Personally, I'd recommend sticking with Gallery; unless the League has decided to branch out into making blockbuster movies, I can't really think of a reason to justify calling it that without seeming a bit silly.[iC - Hivemind] Hivemind sidled up to the bar - as it turned out, Dare orders a pretty weak martini - and motioned over to the barkeep for something stronger. She winced as a burst of static rang in her ear, Grand Cross barking out orders at Coalition lackeys whose names Hivemind couldn't place to faces, and didn't particularly care enough to try. This was one of the reasons Hivemind rarely frequented the Sinful Saloon - the other big one being drinking alone inherently got depressing real fast. Honestly, how was she supposed to drink in peace with the bosses occasionally popping up to bark orders she didn't care about, at people she didn't care about?Well, it looked like Grand Cross was talking about some sort of prisoner transfer about to go down; a seedy dive like this seemed hardly secure enough for such an undertaking, in Hivemind's opinion, but then again not many bars were run by the largest criminal organization in the world. Hivemind leaned against the bar and watched the entrance, looking slightly disinterested. Maybe the transfer might be interesting, she supposed. Anything to liven this place up a little bit.[For Science!]

[iC - Mystic] You are correct, but I assure you, my physical limitations will not have a negative impact on the mission, Mystic telepathically replied to X-Calibur, perhaps just a bit defensively. My mental powers are more than sufficient to compensate. I merely require the sight of others to use in place of my own.She also picked up on Loadstone's thought as well, but did nothing to respond to him. Not that she didn't agree with what he was thinking - it was one thing to criticize the League's efforts, but another thing entirely to do so whilst using one's own powers for questionable ends - but this mission was neither the time nor the place to be discussing it. Besides, even though she could read people's thoughts, Mystic didn't feel like she ought to be barging in to their inner monologues. Just knowing she might be hearing their thoughts was enough to make people uneasy around her, no need to make things any worse by proving them right.[For Science!]

IC:Mystic rose from her seat and nodded politely to X-Calibur as she stepped over to him."Yes, I would be happy to offer my assistance in any way I can. My name is Mystic. I was helping to assist the Thomas investigation, but my skills were required to handle an incident with a Hungarian psychic; nothing to worry about, the situation is stable for now," she said. "My psychic abilities are very useful for coordinating team movement and communication. If you'll allow me, I believe I will be a useful addition to your group."[For Science!]

IC:Waving a screen in Mystic's face was probably a futile measure, but her hearing and Skyra's borrowed eyesight more than made up for that hindrance. Even without that, the thoughts she was picking up from Mr. No-One were more than sufficient. Try as she might not to pry, the intensity and emotion in the CIA agent's mind was pounding against Mystic's mental barriers. It was hard not to pick up a few things, although she did her best to avoid drifting any deeper into his mind."I... officially speaking, I should probably inform you that I wouldn't be allowed to authorize something like that," she said. "Off the records, however... his hypocrisy seems staggering."As she spoke, there were emotions simmering just underneath her words. There was a ting of anger in her voice, to be certain... but also something else. Just a hint of bitterness - weariness, even - as if she was listening to arguments she'd heard a thousand times before and, slowly but certainly, it was beginning to wear her down.[For Science!]

[iC - Mystic] "Well... thank you, I suppose. But it was hardly you I was worried about," said Mystic. "With any luck, it shouldn't be an issue in this case. Experience has simply taught me it's best to act cautiously in this sort of situation, that's all."[For Science!]

[iC - Mystic] Mystic responded to Ultionis in kind with a short, curt nod of her own before turning her attention back to Skyra. Like Ultionis, she wasn't really making much attempt to be friendly. If he needed to talk the details of the mission, Mystic would be more than happy to discuss it, but other than that she didn't really have much cause to be social with him."Well, it's a simple fact that there are others in the League who are... shall we say, not quite so comfortable with the way I use my powers," she said to Skyra, concealing any feelings she had on the subject behind a matter-of-fact tone. "They consider it... invasive, and I can't really say they're wrong for feeling that way. I merely wished to be certain my presence on the team would not be disruptive to the mission."[For Science!]

[iC - Mystic] Mystic nodded quietly as she listened to Skyra. She could probably have uncovered most of this information on her own; a few words into her headset would give her access to any number of League channels and databases. But Mystic had been juggling three or four different catastrophes today, and if she hadn't stopped to try and catch her breath she wasn't certain she could handle it all (not that she'd ever admit it). Besides, there was still a certain advantage to be found in getting a firsthand account of events."Well...assuming no crisis comes up in the next few minutes that needs my assistance, I'd be more than willing to lend whatever help I can, offered Mystic. "Assuming X-Calibur has no problems with that, of course."---[iC - Fade] As Fade stepped out of the tunnel, he was almost blinded by the light shining in. He’d spent so long wandering about in that frozen tundra, dark storm clouds covering the landscape, it took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust. An enormous window, made of impossibly smooth ice, lined the far end of the chamber. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much of a view beyond; they were up above the cloud layer here, leaving little to see but blue skies and a sea of gray mist spreading out to the horizon. An impressive vista, to be certain, but one that overstayed its welcome rather quickly.[/font]Fade turned his eye away, scanning the interior of the room. The ice was shaped and carved to resemble furniture down to the slightest detail. A master sculptor wouldn't be able to get such exact details down so perfectly. A long table took up one end of the room, a large canopy bed occupying the other. Carefully crafted, but Fade couldn't shake the sense of hollowness about them. Nothing more than imitations pulled forth from the ice, their artificiality impossible to ignore.Then the walls parted, and Frigid stepped in. Suddenly, everything seemed a little more real for Fade. It should have been easy to dismiss her - she was nothing more than a fake, doubly so, in fact. She was a double from an alternate universe, with memories that didn't belong to the woman he'd loved. But there she was standing before him, looking exactly as he remembered her... or at least, how he wanted to remember her. This was the girl who'd meant the world to him, not the mindless decaying husk he'd had to put of its misery. He ought to have been prepared for this, he really should have. But he'd only been fighting her through projections of lifeless ice and snow. It was another thing entirely to see her here, alive and - for a given value, anyway - well."So... it's true, then?" she asked. "X-Calibur is really dead?""Uh... I... yeah," Fade said, nearly stumbling over himself as he tried to remember how words formed. "If he's not dead yet, he will be soon. I left miles away from base, badly wounded, and lost in the wilderness. He won't last long.""Well now... that's good to hear," said Frigid. "Dead or alive, the League resistance will be in shambles. It should be a simple matter to wipe them out in one swift attack. Not that they've ever posed much of a threat, but they really are a bit of a nuisance to have on one's front door. Hardly befitting the ruler of the world, wouldn't you say?""Eh... Idunno," Fade said with a shrug, doing his best to stay in character. "Dealing with them... well, it made a nice hobby, I suppose. Something to do?""Really? Do I bore you, then?" said Frigid with a smirk. "I'm certain there are ways I could change your mind about that..."She leaned in closer... and Fade staggered back as something struck across his face. Frigid's hand struck outwards, a trickle of blood dripping from an icicle as sharp as a dagger. Fade clutched his cheek, feeling a slight cut running across it. A few drops of red spattered on the untouched icy floors."Now that's interesting, dear... you're bleeding," said Frigid. "Funny... you're not supposed to do that anymore, are you?"[For Science!]

[iC - Mystic] If Mystic had any thoughts on Skyra's apparent desire to behead somebody, she chose to keep it to herself."Well, it's a bit more complicated than that, but... actually, let's just stick with 'thinking loudly.' Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not certain it's something I could properly explain to you," said Mystic. "But yes, it's a bit harder for me to filter out stronger or more intense thoughts. Really, you people tend to broadcast your thoughs all over the place; it doesn't exactly make it easy for me..."In truth, it was a problem Mystic had spent a lot of time attempting to solve, not the least of which involving her recent attempts at meditation. But as long as she needed to rely on the minds of others for her sight, it was inevitable some thoughts would break through her mental barriers. Eager to avoid a conversation about the limitations of her powers, Mystic looked for any excuse to change the subject."So... any luck with the investigation?" she asked quickly. "I... my apologies, I was called away to assist on another mission. That happens a lot; abilities like mine are always in high demand..."[For Science!]

[iC - Mystic] "Hello, again."Mystic relaxed her posture slightly and opened her eyes, although she didn't turn to Skyra as he sat down. No use trying to meditate anymore, not with him hanging about. Of course, it wasn't like she'd had much success in that regard to begin with, anyway..."...Just for the record, I... I'm not quite sure if I should find that comforting or not..." she replied, making it clear whether or not she'd picked up on Skyra's thoughts.---[iC - Hivemind][/font] In another corner of the Sinful Saloon, a man in a navy blue three-piece suit and white balaclava sat alone at his table. Dare lounged casually in his chair, watching the other members of the Coalition present. A few gave him dirty glances, others evaded eye contact; for the most part, nearly everyone kept their distance from him.[/font]With a group like the Coalition of Corruption, there were plenty of reasons to be wary of a man who acted like a human lie detector. But Dare liked it that way. He loved the wary, hushed tones others used when they had to talk to him, relished the quickened, flustered beating of their hearts. His power might not win him many friends in the Coalition, but it was also a power that made people afraid to be his enemy. Everyone had secrets they’d rather keep hidden, and it was best not to anger a man who could reveal them at the most inopportune time.[/font]Without taking his eyes off the other patrons of the Saloon, Dare reached across the table, placing a gloved hand on his martini. His hands clasped around his drink... and instantly recoiled, red-hot pain shooting up his arm as if someone had driven a dagger through his palm. His vision was a blur, images occasionally bubbling through the haze: a reddish stain on his white velvet glove, an insect crawling on the rim of his glass. Through the tears, he saw the blurry figure of a woman take a seat next to him, orange-red hair catching the dim light of the seedy bar.[/font]“Hello again, Dare,” Hivemind said with a smirk as she took her seat. “Now, what seems to be the problem?”[/font]“H-Hivemind...” Dare stammered, words struggling to form. “I... I see y-you recovered after y-your last mission...”[/font]“Surprised, are we?”[/font]The mad scientist paused, picking up the bug from Dare’s martini and examining it as it ran along her arm.[/font]“Oooh... what a specimen have we got here, huh? [/font]Paraponera clavata,[/font] better known as the bullet ant. Has one of the most painful stings in the insect kingdom; the cool name is just a nifty bonus,” she said. “Oh, don’t worry, it’s not fatal... most of the time, anyway. You’ll just spend the next twenty-four hours [/font]wishing[/font] you were dead, is all. Funny getting stung by one [/font]here,[/font] of all places... I mean, they’re usually native to Nicaragua...”[/font]“[/font]You...[/font]” gasped Dare, “why... w-why are you doing this?”[/font]“Me? You think [/font]I[/font] did this?” Hivemind asked, feigning indignity. “I can’t be expected to be held responsible for what every bug in the world is doing, now can I?”[/font]Dare cried out in pain; a few patrons looked up for a moment or two, but for the most part no one was paying much mind to this corner of the bar. Neither Dare nor Hivemind were likely to win any Coalition popularity contests, so there was little reason to fret over their disagreements.[/font]“Tell me, which was hurting you there: the sting, or the lying?” Hivemind asked, smug satisfaction hidden underneath a veil of clinical detachment. “Can you even distinguish the two at the moment? Your arm must feel like it’s on fire right now..."[/font]Hivemind leaned in close, whispering in Dare's ear.[/font]"Now, let's get down to business. We both know what this is about. The Tornado affair. When you sent me after him, were you really expecting me to make it back alive?" she hissed. "You couldn't just kill me, could you? You already make half the Coalition nervous; bump me off, and they'll start wondering whether they'll need to do the same to you first. But if the silly little bug girl goes and gets herself killed taking on a dangerous and deranged ex-operative? Who'd even think twice? You didn't count on me having backup; after all, why on earth would I ask for help?"[/font]"[/font]I... I j-just told you that y-y-you had a m-mission..." Dare wheezed. "If you... c-couldn't handle it... on y-your own... t-that's your problem. i-isn't it?""So, that's how you're gonna play it?" said Hivemind. "Try and weasel your way out of this on technicalities?"Dare let loose a weak, pained chuckle as he glared at Hivemind. Anger was probably just about the only thing keeping him from passing out right now."Well... when the entire world k-knows when you're l-l-lying... learning to twist t-the truth is a useful skill," he said. "Besides... s-suppose you are right... what then? Who... who'd b-believe you? The word of a disobedient, loudmouth lab rat... against a man who c-can only tell the truth? Good luck. These folks might h-hate us both, but do you know the d-difference between the two of us? They don't have any reason to be afraid of you.""I dunno... my own army of poisonous and deadly insects seems scary enough," said Hivemind with a shrug, reclining in her chair."Really? Let's... j-just see... how f-f-far that gets y-you..." said Dare, drops of sweat dripping off his mask. "T-t-trust me... it'll b-be f-f-fun to w-watch... fun t-to watch you... y-y-you... GAH!""Yeah... you should probably get that looked at, and soon," Hivemind muttered. "Enjoy the next twenty-four hours, by the way."Cursing under his breath, Dare left the table as quickly as he could. Clutching his hand, he crashed through the nearest door and staggered out of the Saloon. Hivemind shrugged, reaching over and pilfering his abandoned martini. She took a sip as she glanced about the saloon's other patrons, taking mental notes and making snap judgments. Buncha weirdos in tonight, as usual; who the heck thought the Roman Legionnaire look was gonna make a comeback, anyway?[For Science!]

IC:[/font]Five minutes, thirty-eight seconds.[/font] Fade counted off the numbers in his head as he ventured further into the tower. He couldn’t carry a timer on his person without risking Frigid’s suspicion - heck, just carrying the patched-together League comm he’d borrowed from the resistance was dangerous enough, but he’d need it to coordinate his efforts later - so the only way Fade could keep track of how much time he had left was with his own mental countdown.[/font]This was probably for the best; all things considered. He desperately needed something to calm his nerves, and forcing himself to keep time was certainly helping. It was a probably a rare thing for a ticking timer on an explosive to calm someone down, but at the moment the bombs were pretty low on Fade’s list of concerns. Not only was he attempting to bluff someone who could shatter him into a billion icy shards on a whim, but that someone was [/font]her,[/font] of all people.[/font]The tunnel opened up into a massive cavern, leaving Fade standing atop a thin platform of ice overlooking it all. He glanced upwards; the walls of the cavern stretched far up into the tower, like massive crisscrossing ravines cutting their way through the entire interior of the fortress. Suddenly the platform lurched, drawn up the side of the icy walls like an elevator. Fade had more than a sneaking suspcion it was taking him all the way to the top.[/font]Come on, get a hold of yourself. It’s nothing to worry ‘bout,[/font] Fade told himself. [/font]You’ve fought her before. For the love of god, by the last count you’ve [/font]killed[/font] her at least twice. You can handle this. No, it doesn’t matter if you can handle it. You [/font]have[/font] to. A lot of people are counting on you, so your feelings shouldn’t even enter into it. It's just a mission, same as any other.[/font]The lift rose up for what might have seemed like an eternity if Fade hadn’t tasked himself with counting the seconds. Finally, with a bit less than five minutes left on his count, the elevator slowed to a halt, reaching what had to be the top of the tower. Fade didn’t even want to consider how high up he was; he’d had more than his share of high-altitude incidents, none of which he was particularly eager to relive.[/font]Eh, what the heck,[/font] he thought to himself as he stepped through the tunnel opening in the ice. [/font]Not like I haven’t relived enough today, anyway.[/font]..---[/font]I don’t suppose you could watch where you’re swinging that?[/font] a voice echoed in Skyra’s mind. [/font]I’m having a hard enough time focusing without worrying you’ll take someone’s head off by accident, you know.[/font]A short distance down the hall, Mystic was resting cross-legged on a bench. Her eyes were shut and she had a hand raised to her temple; it would appear she was attempting to focus her psychic powers. [/font]Attempting[/font] was probably the operative word, her tone suggesting she was less than successful in this endeavor.[/font]OOC: Still not quite up to date on current events, but I figure I might as well try throwing one of my characters back into the fray and try catching up on the fly.[For Science!][/font]

IC:[/font]Stella rocketed up along the side of the tower, the trail of flames blazing behind her little more than a flicker of light against the side of the massive spire. She hovered near a crack in the ice, pulling one of the charges off a belt of explosives. Stella wedged the blast charge into the crack, twisting the timer back. It began to beep, ticking down towards the end of its countdown. Stella soared off again, rushing to plant the rest of the explosives before the timer hit zero...[/font]---[/font]Fade emerged through the other side of the gate, stepping out into a massive hall. Light shone through the layers of ice, reflecting and refracting, casting dizzying patterns of light onto the walls. Massive columns of frost lined the walls, an equally impressive staircase took up the whole other end of the room. Snow and ice began to pull together in the air, and the frosty apparition of Frigid descended the staircase.[/font]"I wasn’t expecting you back here so soon, Bryan,” she said. “After I didn’t sense you returning from your mission... well, you’ll forgive me for assuming the worst.”“Yeah... figured it’d be best if I stayed low, kept phased most of the way,” Fade said with a shrug, nonchalantly leaning against one of the pillars. “Might have gone poorly if I’d ran into that little gang of League rebels. I mean, what with me killing their leader and all, I doubt they’ve been happy to see me?”“X-Calibur is dead, then?” asked Frigid, raising a frosted eyebrow.[/font]“I’d assume so. That’s usually what happens after someone stabs you, isn’t it?” said Fade. “I didn’t stick around to watch him shuffle off this mortal coil; just smashed the Supercharger and got outta there.”[/font]Fade threw back the hood of his cloak, glancing back and forth about the hall.[/font]“So... any chance we could have this chat somewhere more, y’know, in person?” he asked. “I kinda feel like I’m getting the cold shoulder down here... well, more than the usual, of course...”[/font]Frigid’s icy apparition merely smirked slyly before dissolving. The walls at the end of the stairs slid back, revealing another tunnel taking him further into the ice. The entrance Fade had come in through slid shut like it had never existed. Not that it’d really stop Fade, of course, but somehow he figured Frigid would suspect something was up if he made a break for it. No going back now, he supposed...[/font][For Science!][/font]

OOC: Well... real sorry about letting this plot fall on the wayside. As I'm sure I've said before, I've been awful busy lately, and as much as I love this RPG, my interest and drive to post have waned more than little as of late. Honestly, I'm not up to date enough on what's happening in-game to even begin to think about getting Mystic or Hivemind involved in any ongoing plots.However, I do intend on devoting as much energy as possible to wrapping up Fade's current plotline and getting everyone back into the normal universe. After that... I can't really stay if I'll stick around. I still have plots in my head I'd like to try out, and a trio of fun characters I really enjoy; I just don't know if I have the energy left for it. But that's a matter I'll worry about when the plot is over. In the meantime, let's get this started.IC:[/font]A crack of sizzling light sliced its way through the air, and a figure in a heavy fur cloak dropped lightly onto the floor. Fade slipped through the shadows, sneaking a glance through a shattered window. A massive wall of ice filled his vision; at this close a distance he couldn’t even see all the way around the massive fortress. Buried somewhere under that glacier was the League HQ of this universe, along with the Supercharger that could save it. It was just getting to it that would be the problem.[/font]“Plas, I’m in position,” he said, slipping a communicator off his belt. “Wait a minute after I go in, then start planting the charges where I’ve instructed. I’ll do my best to keep Frigid’s attention off the skies. Those explosives have a six minute timer once they’re planted, so that’s your window to get everything set up. Good luck.”[/font]Fade switched off the comm and hid it away safely on his belt. He glanced over his shoulder at a figure shrouded in the shadows.[/font]“And you? I trust you’ve held up your end of the deal?”[/font]Isuken Sakeme stepped out of the darkness, returning Fade’s glare in kind.[/font]“My troops are gathered around the fort,” he hissed. “Once you start this little fireworks display of yours, they’ll begin the attack. I question what good it’ll do, but if you’re content to send your friends charging off to their deaths... well, I’m hardly one to complain.”[/font]Fade gave little more than a nod to acknowledge Sakeme. He’d much rather spend as little time around him as he had to.[/font]“Of course, should you fail to make it back from this doomed mission alive,” Sakeme added, “I’ll be more than willing to intervene with my own plans. Hopefully you won’t have killed too many of my forces by the time that happens...”[/font]Fade glared in Sakeme’s direction.“Before we head out, I just want to make once thing clear. We might be in the same fight, but that don’t put us on the same side. You’re still a madman, still a monster and, most importantly, you’re still wearing one of [/font]my[/font] friends like a suit. Now, I can’t say I make friends easy, so when someone’s out to hurt them, I tend to take it rather [/font]personal.[/font]”[/font]“Oh, really now?” asked Sakeme incredulously. “Because she [/font]certainly[/font] doesn’t seem to remember you...”“Remember this. I know what kind of threat you’d be to a world as fragile and fractured as this, one without a proper League to stand against you,” said Fade. “When all this is over... when Frigid is taken care of... there’s still one world-conquering megalomaniac left in my sights.”[/font]“Was that a threat?” asked Sakeme. “That seems... [/font]unwise,[/font] with your plan relying so much on my cooperation. You don’t seem particularly worried that I won’t take offense... perhaps even sabotage your precious plan...”[/font]“Oh, I’m pretty much counting on a little betrayal. That’s the thing with guys like you, always working an angle. Can’t say I know what it is, but I know the other shoe’s bound to drop sooner or later. You’re kinda predictable like that,” said Fade. “Since there’s nothing I can really do to stop that, I don’t see any reason not to deal honest with you. You’re a big boy - a four-hundred year old boy, to be more precise - I figure you can deal with it.”[/font]A wild look flashed in Fade’s eyes.[/font]“Now... how about we get this party started, huh?”[/font]With that he turned, flipping out the window. He hit the snowbank below and rolled to soften the impact; with Otherfade’s cloak drapped on his back, he couldn’t rely on his glider cape without raising Frigid’s suspicions. There was no door visible in the massive wall of ice before him, but Fade guessed he probably wouldn’t need one. Odds are Frigid sensed he was here the moment he hit the ground.[/font]“Hey, honey? [/font]I’m home![/font]”[/font]Sure enough, the ice started to rumble. Cracks began to form, pushing shards of ice inward and outward. Finally, they formed together into a gateway through the ice, ringed by rows and rows of razor-sharp icicles. Fade did his best to hide his apprehension as he took his first steps inside; he needed to sell his performance as Otherfade long enough for Plasmafire and Stella to get the first stage of his plan rolling. He supposed he’d find out if she bought it depending on whether or not the dozen icy daggers surrounding him came stabbing down in a few moments...[/font]---[/font]In the ruins of Edward Steele's former laboratory, the smoke and fire were just barely beginning to die down. Machinery exploded as flames licked their delicate mechanisms, raining showers of sparks in every direction. In the middle of all this lay the body of Otherfade, abandoned and forgotten while the lab collapsed around it. A trickle of water runs down his cheek, the icicle speared through his eye socket melting down to a puddle in the intense heat.Then, his other eye blinks.[For Science][/font]