Dino Attack: At War's End

PeabodySam · June 8, 2012

Septimus was unfazed. "I remember all of it," he said. "Everything from before, I can remember it now. Mort, it's me, Swerve."

OOC: Aha! I knew it! Doesn't make this plot twist any less satisfying, though.IC: When Rex regained control over his own body, the only thing he could manage to do was weakly and feebly shake his head in disbelief. Amanda clutched Rex’s hand, and when their eyes met, Rex could see the grief and sorrow in her features.“What are we going to do?” she whispered.Rex tried to speak, but he was too choked up to do anything other than soundlessly move his lips. When Amanda’s eyes darted towards the door, Rex shook his head once more, this time with more vigor. “We mustn’t tell them,” he managed to speak in a hoarse voice.Amanda glanced back at Rex, her expression full of concern and uncertainty. "Specs?" she suggested. "Frozeen? Greybeard? General?" After a short pause, she added: "Chompy?"Rex bit his lip. “No one must know. Our team’s morale is higher now than it has been in a while… we succeeded in a mission, unlike the Goo Caverns, and without any betrayals, unlike LEGO Island, or devastating riots, unlike Antarctica. Tell any Rookie Agent that Dr. Rex is attacking tomorrow with his full forces, and he’ll gleefully tell you, ‘Bring it on!’ Because now… now, they see how our team has persevered through the hardships of previous missions and has successfully completed our most vital mission to date. The team is invincible, they think. Their morale is too great, too strong…”Rex sighed. “I saw how they looked at me after the Hybrids’ betrayal. As much as I don’t like to boast, I have noticed that I grew quite a reputation in Dino Attack Team… veterans have often looked upon me as a fire-forged friend, while rookies look at me as a war hero. The betrayal of the Hybrids hit our morale pretty hard, but I think that a major shock factor was the fact that a Hybrid managed to reduce me, Elite Agent Rex, to a cripple in a wheelchair. And if something as comparatively small as that could deal such a blow to our morale… imagine the devastation this news could cause. And if Dr. Rex attacks when our morale is low… then, as Greybeard always says, ‘Ye may not survive to pass this way again’.”Amanda lowered her eyes. “Rex… I…”Rex looked at his hand in hers, and proceeded to take her other hand as well. “We shall carry this burden alone. When the bell tolls, we shall accept its ringing. But until then, we shall live every day as a blessing, for every second we spend together… is like… an eternity of everything I could have ever wanted.”Amanda swallowed slowly, and once again lifted her eyes to meet Rex’s. “Till death do us part?” she whispered.At first, Rex was still, but then he nodded slowly and grimly. “Till death do us part,” he agreed, choking back tears.Then, the two lovers embraced as though they would never see each other again.

*****

Engineer sat back and relaxed in his chair. He watched his handheld device. Its screen displayed security footage from all around Dino Attack Headquarters… footage provided by Engineer’s own security turrets.Engineer was pleased with himself. After infiltrations by stealthy Mutant Lizards and betrayals by Quasifigus lacertilia, Dino Attack’s hallways were not always a safe place to be. Or at least, that used to be the case. Now, with Engineer’s improvements, no mutant could walk through the headquarters unnoticed.“Dino Attack Team,” smiled Engineer, “just another satisfied customer.”Engineer gave a contented sigh, resting in the chair. Lowering his helmet, he was about to doze off after a hard day’s work, but in his peripheral vision he caught sight of movement in one of the security videos. Peering a little closer, he saw a dark figure moving towards the security camera. Engineer could not make out the person’s features, since he kept mostly to the shadows.That was suspicious.Engineer frowned, glancing left and right before staring at the screen on his handheld device. He pressed that particular security video, and the footage expanded to cover the entire screen, giving him a clearer picture. He saw the dark figure reach into a briefcase, pull out some sort of unseen device, and suddenly the footage turned to static. The signal was lost.“Dang it!” growled Engineer. He jumped out of his chair and grabbed a wrench from a nearby toolbox. “Nobody knocks my security turrets offline!”He had no idea who this mysterious figure could be. However, he remembered a rumor he heard while working with the Dino Attack Team during the secret mission to Antarctica: a traitor was rumored to be amongst them. He was more than willing to gamble that, whoever this traitor was, he would target the security systems first.With that, Engineer stormed out of the room, heading towards the hallway where that particular turret was located. Glancing back down at his handheld device, he saw another camera go offline. Based upon the position of that camera, he could tell the route that this mysterious person was taking.OOC: ... And with that, I officially begin the hunt for XERRD's mole in Dino Attack Team.By the way, while I have made it known that my goal was to end Dino Attack: At War's End on July 1, I don't think that goal is realistic anymore. Between the Development Heck, the occasional real-life delays, the longer-than-anticipated end to the Adventurers' Island story arc, and of course that good-for-nothing hacker, it's taken us this long to get to the pre-final battle phase, and I don't want to rush either the pre-battle or the battle itself. Still, I would like to wrap up At War's End before the end of August; while I thought it would be nice to end the RPG on its seventh anniversary, I don't want to rush the climactic ending of this seven-year-old RPG and thus I would be willing to push back its end date a few more weeks if necessary.

Edited June 8, 2012 by PeabodySam

Jacks · June 8, 2012

OOC: PeaSam- I suppose, if you found that twist satisfying, then I have succeeded. I'll admit I got rather irritated with myself for bringing Septimus into this game after the Alpha Team RPG fizzled and I failed to ever write that short story about Hotwire's first mission, meaning that I never got to develop the character of Swerve as a minifig, but I guess I can say it paid off.And I had been under the assumption that the plan had been to end this RPG by the end of August already. I am relieved to find that you decided to do that rather than end on July 1, because I still have more up my sleeve than I can reveal in just 22 days.

that guy from that show · June 8, 2012

OoC:Sigh, well this included less characters then I plainediC: Naomi Carver stood anxiously by the front gate of the dino attack headquarters in Lego city. A jacket was rapped around her shoulders to shield her from the cold night air but she still shivered. Fifteen helicopters had landed on the tarmac that evening, but none of them contained Hertz. Once word of the victory at the temple of Creation reached her, she and the other medics had quickly packed up outpost 4 and left the island for the last time.It felt strange leaving the great concrete building empty. She had walked past the empty rooms of the outpost on her way out and reflected on the eerie quite that filled the place. The sound of the waves outside was the only sounds that could be heard as she walked outside to turn of the power and lock the dour for the final time.Nazerano, Zelda, the medical staff, and the support staff packed up the helicopter and took the short trip to a smaller island to the south of Adventurers’. There a cargo plain had been had been secured on the runway that would be used to ferry all the supplies back to the mainland.Naomi had received no news about whether Hertz had survived or not. With the broken radio at the outpost, there had been a sad lack of information during the last few hours.Fire hammers and Urban avengers where loaded into the plain and Naomi took advantage of the time to admire the tropical paradise. With the maelstrom lifted, the island felt bright and alive again. Seabirds sailed overhead and the water sparkled with a new light.Walking to the beach she spotted a strange sight on the shore. She moved closer to investigate and discovered that it was an old seaplane. The yellow pontoons had been covered with the green algae and she could tell that it had gone undisturbed for the last few weeks.She pulled opened the dour to inspect the interior of the vehicle. All the labels of the craft had been fitted with Arabic letters and the charts she was able to locate appeared to be of Egypt, the Indian Ocean, And the Pacific.She pulled out a map that contained detailed graphic of Adventures’ island. She could not read what it said but the shape was unmistakable.Also in the cockpit appeared to be a photo of an old hieroglyph. It looked like a pharaoh but Naomi had no idea which one. She placed the picture carefully on the seat and spotted another image on the dashboard. It was an old brown and tattered image of a man and a young buy. The man wore a pith helmet, spectacles, and a bowtie. The boy was smiling and had his arm around the man’s back.“You should not be looking threw other people’s things Naomi.”She dropped the photo as Nazerano walked up behind her.“I did not hear you coming.” Said Naomi quietly.“It’s a gift.” Smiled Nazerano. “We best be leaving, the cargo plain will be departing once everyone is on board. I suggest you get a good seat well there is still space.”Naomi nodded and picked up the photo from the ground. She had no idea who the child was, but he looked happy. The photo was returned to where she found it and she shut the dour to the seaplane. Someone had cared for the child enough that his photo had been taken along on its final journey. The owner might never return to the plain but she wanted to treat the sight with respect.Chances are that whoever owned it had died on this island. She wished she new his name, instead he would live on as another number on the wall of agents killed in action.She followed Nazerano to the cargo plain. It was time to leave this place.

* * *

Naomi watched as the last helicopter landed. The injured were carried out first followed by any agents still in walking shape. It seemed like an eternity waiting for the last man to disembark. By the time they had finished Naomi still saw no sign of Hertz. She looked around franticly before finally seeing a lone figure step out of the helicopter.He walked with a limp and had bandages wrapped around his head. A broken arm hung in a sling but his face lit up with joy when he saw her.Naomi ran up an embraced him. He winced in pain but he wrapped his arm around her nonetheless.“I’m so happy your okay.” Said Naomi.“So am I.” Said Hertz.The stood alone on the tarmac in each other’s arms. They paid no head to the people around the, the world could keep on spinning now that she new he was safe.

avmatoran · June 8, 2012

OOC:Um, by your silence PeabodySam, I'm guessing you haven't decided. Not to rush or anything, but I want to start leading up to it now if you allow me to do it.

Brikman McStudz · June 8, 2012

OOC: Well, that guy, I'd say the odds of us both being at Reiman Gardens is just a teensy bit higher than the probability of anybody else in this RPG of being there since we both happen to live in the glorious state of Iowa.My suspicions were also confirmed with your post, Jackson Lake. An excellent twist indeed.IC:"What took you so long?" Minerva asked as Zach sat back down at the table, his tray now piled with only pizza."I was talking to the chefs," he said. He had been rather happy to see the Brickolinis, especially after the previous week. They talked briefly, and from them, Zach learned there that even more LEGO Islanders had been enlisted to assist the Dino Attack Team. While he already knew Dr. Clickitt, Enter, and Return were here, he was interested to learn that Nubby Stevens and other employees of the Octan Gas Station were now acting as mechanics for the team. Pepper Roni was also working with the cafeteria, but he was often delivering food to people around HQ and sometimes to people who had moved back to LEGO City."And they're from LEGO Island too, right?" Minerva asked as she pulled one of the slices of pizza off of Zach's tray. He nodded as he took a large bite out of one of the pizzas. He smiled. He had certainly missed the Brickolini's world famous pizza. "Sounds like LEGO Island is a nice place when its not overrun by Mutant Dinos.""It's great," he said, swallowing. "I'm glad to have grown up there instead of in the United States. Even with its crazy citizens and insane criminal who wants to destroy everything.""Sounds better than living in LEGO City," Minerva said, sighing. Zach remembered what Provencal had said out Minerva and Oswald's early way of life and how...unpleasant it was.“You lived in LEGO City?” he asked.“Yes.” She looked down at her food as she spook. “When my mom lost her mind and couldn’t work anymore, we moved from a house to a cheap apartment in a bad part of the city.” Zach could see she clearly didn’t want to talk about too much.“Perhaps you could move to LEGO Island,” Zach said. Minerva’s eyes seemed to brighten as she looked up at him. “Everyone’s rather friendly. Not extremely judgemental. I’m sure they would welcome you. You already know Andrew and I. It shouldn’t be too hard to adjust.”Minerva revealed a small smile. “That sounds nice.” Minerva’s smile suddenly widened as she stood up. Zach turned and was surprised to see Kareem Nazareno standing behind him. He rose to his feet, somewhat nervous. Nazareno gave him a hard look, but it seemed to lighten as he extended his left hand. Zach shook it, smiling.“Good to see you again,” Nazareno said. "Even with a beard and a lot of hair with a variety of color."“You, too,” Zach responded, scratching the back of his head. “Look, I’m sorry about-”“I forgive you,” Nazareno said. “I read that message you sent out. I understand.”Zach glanced at Nazareno’s chest. “Minerva told be about that wound. I-”“With the Darkitect banished from this planet, I easily disposed of the Maelstrom inside of me. I should be able to be fight this next battle with you.”"That's good to hear," Zach said. He briefly glanced over Nazareno's shoulder and saw a girl with black and purple hair behind him. It didn't take long for him to recognize her."Zelda?!" he gasped. Zelda Frodongan smirked. "How are you...?""The medics pulled a trick on the Maelstrom that got me out of there," she said casually."However," Nazareno added. "I think the Maelstrom learned its lesson from it and we won't be able to pull it again to save other Stromlings.""I suppose," Zach shrugged. "I guess we will still be working together." Zelda nodded."Nazareno and I were about to go do some training," Zelda said, looking at Nazareno. Zach raised an eyebrow. "We were picking up a small bite to eat.""That reminds me," Zach raised his right arm, showing his lack of hand. "Mind building a replacement?""The Maelstrom too much for it?" Zach nodded. "Very well, we shall go to the infirmary and I will see what I can do." He turned to Zelda. "I'll be back. In the meantime, feel free to make yourself acquainted with Agent Fabello." Zelda nodded and took Zach's spot across from Minerva."See you later," Minerva said. Zach waved and he and Nazareno started head toward the infirmary.

Andrewnuva199 · June 8, 2012

IC: Stranger proceeded into the mess hall with a slight bit of curiosity at the developing crowd for the lunch line. While far from the quality of public school cafeteria food, the mess hall condiments usually weren't that popular, even after a crowd of agents fresh off a mission arrived.After spending some time in line though, all was made clear. Some popular pizza chefs were now manning the kitchen, it seemed, and their breakfast pizza was apparently quite a hit. And after nibbling on a piece he took, Stranger easily understood why.Taking an omelet and some sausages, along with another slice of the pizza, he nabbed some milk and started to look for anybody familiar enough to have a seat with. After a moment, he saw Trigger and Snake sitting near the back, and made his way over."Hello again, tough guy," said Stranger, talking more to Trigger more than anything. The mercenary looked at him with a bit of a look of contempt, then he started to smile. "I remember you," he said. "You were the guy who had a bit more sense and one of those lizards as a pet. Where is it, anyways?""The lizard thing's a bit more complicated than that," said Stranger, sitting down opposite of them. "But just know that I helped him get an early ride back, and I've let him be with some of the scientists near the pens to try and sort out communication matters or whatnot. Weird stuff like that.""Why do you even bother with it?" Snake asked, sipping from his drink."Believe me, when you spend a couple days with it in a cave and exhaust all the insults at its mother you can muster, you start to get okay with him. But enough about that mess, let's talk about something else.""Good," said Trigger. "How about how you ended up here. You on any merc jobs?""Naw, just a hunter from the Old West who likes the modern style of things. Got stuck in a city overwhelmed by lizards, and banded with a couple other survivors to fight through tooth and nail just to reach an evac point. Four times. Then I signed up here.""Impressive, especially considering what the average Minifig usually can get their hands on. I'd have a good time fighting with you on some jobs.""Yeah," Stranger said while taking a bite from his omelet, "well, I may not have issues shooting blockheads who deserve it for working with the likes of Dr. Rex, I will say I prefer shooting the creatures I can take the head off for my mantelpiece without getting put into a psychiatric ward.""Whatever suits you, I suppose," Trigger was silent for a moment as he took a bite from a slice of the breakfast pizza. "At least you aren't rushing in without legs, failing to notice the big picture of a threat, or believe you can save some Stromling just by asking nicely. I swear, those blokes that 'redeemed' that Virchaus should pray to Ole they weren't killed the moment they went in that temple.""Eh, you really need to start understanding that people aren't always acting reasonable around here. We're letting some of the planet's most notorious villains ally with us, the Second Headquarters Squad is nearly brimming with unreasonable agents and yet was still given Fort Legoredo to handle on their own, and Digger is still around even after snapping and nearly fracturing the team. From how I understand your points, half the team should've been let go ages ago. And yet here we are."Stranger turned back and pointed his thumb at the crowd of agents trying to get pizza. At the same time, he could see Andrew coming in at a brisk pace, his Martian friend and the Minifig/Mutant Pterosaur Hybrid the mission reports had mentioned coming in close behind him. The latter didn't really strike him as too odd, though glancing back at Trigger and Snake, they had raised they eyebrows at seeing her."With all due respect, Trigger, whoever hired you essentially sent you to the madhouse team."---------------"Papa and Mama Brickolini!" Andrew was saying to the familiar cooks! "It's so great to see you again!""Oh, Andrew!" said Papa. "Good to see you're looking as fine as you were on LEGO Island! I've heard you did quite well on the last mission.""Heh, 'Quite well' is a good term for it. I assume you saw how Zach was looking...""He can certainly be quite... energetic... at times," Pterisa said to Laxus as the two observed the Elite Agent converse with his fellow LEGO Islanders. The two were still winded after Andrew caught them off guard by practically dragging them over."I suppose it's just because he's getting to meet with people he knows well" said Laxus. "It's a small-knit community on LEGO Island, as I understand it, so they're more close to one another than standard neighbors these days. Plus, I've heard nothing but praise for Brickolini's Pizza, so... yeah.""You're kidding! Pepper's here too!? I've got to meet up with him at some point!" Andrew continued"I'm sure he's eager to meet with you too," said Mama. "He's admired the team so much after one of the members saved him when he got stuck back on the island after the first attacks. Do you think I can convince the kitchen staff I can bring a piano in here?""Not just that, but..." Pterisa paused. "It's quite strange how eager he is. I wouldn't figure most agent to be so supportive like he is. It's almost a little creepy, honestly.""I suppose that's just in his nature, part of the LEGO Island thing I mentioned earlier," Laxus said to her. "Plus with his knowledge of how strange Dino Attack's bedfellows have gotten, it's easy for him to accept your nature. Plus it might help that he became friends with me first. After Martians, I suppose barely anything else is stranger.""I see... But what about you? How can you just so easily take in who I am?""Hey, you should see the kind of aliens you can meet around the local space ports! Squidmen, guys with tentacles all over their heads, thin little green guys, spider people, insectoids, even creatures that naturally look like Minifig skeletons! Compared to them, you'd barely turn heads in one of the bars of the Sector 6 Asteroid colony."As Pterisa began to contemplate this information, Andrew turned back to her and Laxus and gestured them over to the food counters. The Hybrid seemed anxious again, but Laxus was able to help her walk over."Oh, you were right about making some diverse friends," said Mama Brickolini. "Good to meet you two.""it's... nice to see you... too," said Pterisa, looking a little nervous, but pleasantly surprised that they seemed to glance over her appearance."The pleasure is mine as well," said Laxus. "I've heard great things about your pizza. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm sure that'll soon change.""Oh, I'm sure you'll love it!" said Papa Brickolini. "Only the best LEGO Island has to offer, and it was a hit at Antarctica as well!"Laxus took a piece from one the many dozen pizzas left available at the counter (The Brickolinis had clearly been prepared) and took a bite.It was hard to describe, but it was wondrous, to say the least, and it made him get a tray to get two more slices to carry. Andrew and the Brickolinis laughed."See?" Andrew said to Pterisa. "No one can resist Brickolini's pizza. Go ahead and try some."OOC: I worry about not writing the Brickolin's dialogue right, thinking that perhaps it might've helped to capture their accent-based pronunciations too. But I suppose the results of that wouldn't have read too nicely.

Atton Rand · June 8, 2012

IC: Pierce was quick to dash to the aid of Rotor and Cabin. The latter had a large bruise on the front of her head but seemed to be semi-conscious. He looked up and saw someone who appeared to be Carver, who was busy holding Hertz's hand. "Give me a second," Pierce muttered as he stood up and walked toward them."Carver," Pierce shouted as he approached the vehicle she was standing in. "Hey Carver, is that you?"Carver turned in surprise, probably not expecting to have seen Pierce."Listen Carver," Pierce said. "We got an emergency, we got two people down with head wounds. Don't ask me how they got them, just come on."

Brikman McStudz · June 9, 2012

IC:Zach and Nazareno soon reached the infirmary. "Quick question," Zach said as they entered the large room. "Why come here?""I can only assume that you never received a medical examination after your little Maelstrom trip while on Adventurers' Island and when you arrived here, you immediately went to the cafeteria to eat," Nazareno responded. "I think an examination is in order. The examination and the construction of your new head should take around the same time. I have better resources here to work with than at Adventurers' Island, so it shouldn't take too long.""Fine. See you later." Nazareno bowed his head and left the room. Walking past several beds where medics were assiting agents, Zach met a brown-haired mustached doctor."Hello," he said, his voice of a higher tone than any man Zach had met. "My name is Dr. Martinet. What do you need?""I guess a quick examination," Zach said. "Make sure I'm a-okay for fighting." Martinet nodded and gestured Zach to an empty bed."Name?""Zachary Virchaus." The doctor's eyes widened quickly and stared at Zach with surprise. Here we go. Zach thought irritably. The surprise seemed to fade away immediately and was replaced with cold anger."So you're-ah the Stromling," Martinet hissed, revealing the appearance of an Italian accent. Zach fully expected not be welcomed by some people, but Martinet's clear hatred of him was something he had not expected. "So tell me: How did-ah you become a Minifig again?""A combination of factors, including nostalgia, love, willpower, and a cure invented by a Dr. J.D.""What?!" the surprise returned to Martinet. "You killed him!""He killed him," Zach corrected coldly. "Stromling!me killed him. A sick combination of myself and the Maelstrom controlled by actions then, not me. He developed the cure and it was his last request that it be use to save me.""Trying to save the man who killed you," Martinet muttered. "It sounds like something J.D. would do." Turning back to Zach he said, "I know this is a long shot, but do you know the ingredients of this cure so it can be recreated. Apparently J.D. never wrote down any notes before being killed.""I don't-" Zach paused as a sudden wealth of information came into his brain. "Write this down," he said monotonously. He then listed a long string of ingredients. "I think that's it." He said as he finished.As Martinet finished writing, he looked at Zach curiously. "Did J.D. tell you it or something?""I think he knew it would be needed for further research and implanted it in my brain or something after his Creative Spark repaired mine." Martinet smirked."Always thinking ahead." His expression turned solemn. "I apologize for outburst. J.D. was a close friend of mine. When I find out he was killed, I headed to Adventurers' Island for the sole purpose of avenging his death. You were quite a hammy Stromling, by the way."Zach bowed his head, grinning. "Thank you. Now let's start this check-up, shall we?"**********************************************"So the beard and long hair is the process of the Maelstrom aging your body?" Martinet questioned, a clipboard in hand as he wrote down notes."That's what I think.""Well, it seems like a reasonable explanation. With some observations and some tests, I think I have a rough estimation of how much time.""Let's hear it."Reading from a clipboard, Martinet spoke, "I think your body aged approximately one year, five months, and six days."Zach frowned. "Wasn't nearly as long as I thought. Though I suppose I should be thankful I'm not a 19-year-old in a 60-year-old body. I'll take aging a year.""Yes, and the purple hair," he continued, poking the stripe with his pen. "Have you tried washing it out.""On my list of things to do." Zach said."I don't think it will work," Martinet said calmly. "I think it is permanent. Like the Darkitect has tagged you as once being one of his own."Zach frowned again, but he supposed it made sense. He had seen Zelda's purple stripe, so it sounded right. Then, "Alright, so I have a friend who's hair turned white after nearly being choked by the Maelstrom. What about that?""Explain the circumstance." Zach did. "Hmm. I have no idea why her hair turned white while yours turned purple. I imagine it is some symbolism that only the Darkitect understands. Perhaps it was because she wasn't a Stromling. Perhaps it was because she played an extremely vital role in saving you. The purple on you represents the Maelstrom and it's darkness and chaos. The white on her hair represents the opposite end of that. Good, hope, faith. I believe you said love played a role? All of those most likely represented the features Fabello needed to head into that temple to save your life. Not exactly mainstream symbolism, but this is the Maelstrom." Zach was silent as he pondered Martinet's words. "This is all Wild Mass Guessing. Don't take any of what I just said as cemented fact.""Alright. Anything else worth noting?""Yes," Martinet became extremely somber. "The Maelstrom appears to still be within your system." Zach suppressed a gasp. His suspicions were correct. "Just a small amount. It can't anything to you, really. It might generate some negative emotions during high-stress, but other than that, it's just sort of...there. It doesn't seem to be trying to gain control of your mind or destroy your body. In fact, from my analysis, it almost looks like you are in control it."Zach let this information sink in. He was correct about emotions being fueled by the Maelstrom. He imagined that when he lost control in the Maelstrom Temple it was due to the high concentration of Maelstrom energy in the building. It appeared, thanks to his willpower and imagination, he had overpowered the remaining energy. And it sounded like he controlled, so he could thank the Darkitect for that. And so that is where the Maelstrom lightning came from. He realized. He also now understood why his left hand had appeared infected with the Maelstrom in his mind before he became a Minifig again in Hotep III's temple."-it was prototype, so naturally, there are still bugs to work out," Martinet was saying. "It was surprising that J.D.'s cure worked as well as it did, though. Thanks to you, we might be able to fine-tune it and cause it to eliminate the Maelstrom permanently from a being's system.""Hmm?" Zach said. "Yeah, lucky.""However, it shouldn't be too difficult to eliminate the rest of the Maelstrom from your body.""What? Nah, I'm good." Martinet gave him a suspicious look. "Like you said, it can't do anything to me. And it may be important to use later on." Martinet raised an eyebrow. "Just trust me, doc."Martinet rolled his eyes. "I suppose I will. I think everything else (except for your right hand, which is being remedied now.) is in working order, so you're free to go." Zach nodded his thanks and started to head toward the exit.

Jacks · June 9, 2012

OOC:

My suspicions were also confirmed with your post, Jackson Lake. An excellent twist indeed.

I'll believe it was a good twist, but I can tell it wasn't excellent. And I know that because you didn't flip your laptop.I'll be away for a week or so for a family reunion; leaving tomorrow evening. I'm not sure how often I'll have access to the internet, but I will try my absolute hardest to keep up with this while I'm gone.IC: The UITech dropship floated smoothly into the hangar of the DAHQ. As it touched down, Katerina Schattenberg stood, glancing at the figures of Rainer and Wolfgang behind her. She reflected on the events of the previous day. It had been less than twenty-four hours since she'd re-awoken, and in that short time she'd seen an admirable man die, apparitions of her past, and finally the planet purified of the Maelstrom. Given her primary goal, it didn't make much sense that she was still following this undisciplined, ragtag "team" around; by all rights she should have left the planet immediately, to seek out the Nexus Force. She'd been re-thinking her previous strategies -- perhaps multiple people could enter the Maelstrom to confront the Darkitect face-to face...But there was one thing left for her to do on this world, and that was pass on a few choice words to the man who'd allowed the Maelstrom to wreak havoc on the Lego Planet in the first place: Dr. Ronald Alexander------------------------Once Kara Wise and X1 and X2, escorting Carl Lutsky, had disembarked, along with the three ShadowTech passengers, the dropship sat quietly. For a few minutes the only sound was the occasional ping as the engines cooled. Then there was a rattle and a soft scraping as one of the storage cabinets slid open, and a minifig dropped to the floor. He tore a strip of cloth from one of the sleeves of his black uniform, and tied it around his forehead, taking care to keep his third eye squeezed shut. He then looked around quickly and disappeared into one of the corridors.OOC: avmatoran, I'm awfully sorry if you had intended to write the return of your ship yourself, but I really needed Katerina back at HQ.

Atton Rand · June 9, 2012

IC: While Pierce was busy talking to Carver, Sarah turned toward Kate."Pierce and I have already eaten," she said. "You might want to go get yourself something. I'll come see you later."Kate nodded shyly and started to turn. Then she remembered everything that happened. She took a moment to think about it, and turned back."Mom," she said. "I need to talk to you. It's really important."Sarah looked her in the eye. "What happened to Uncle Wally," Kate said. "I thought I told you," replied Sarah. "He di-""THAN WHY WAS THERE A PICTURE OF YOU IN THAT XERRD FORTRESS?!" Kate asked. "I met up with some guy claiming to be Wallace Bishop who was telling me he was in a mental ward or something!"Sarah sighed. She walked up to Kate and put an arm around her shoulder. "I'm afraid I never was too honest with you," she said. "Why did you lie to me?" Kate asked."You were so young, you wouldn't have understood," replied Sarah. "It was horrible Kate, and you didn't need to be dragged into anything."

PeabodySam · June 9, 2012

OOC: Jacks, while it may not have been so-surprising-that-it-flipped-anyone's-laptop, I still found it quite a satisfying twist. We've been wondering for a long time why Septimus was different from all the rest of Ogel's drones, and now we finally have some light shed on his mysterious background. Hope you have a great time, and see you when you get back (or have internet access)!IC: "So, remind me again," grumbled Greybeard, "why be we here? 'Cause I'd much rather be gettin' me sleeps right now rather than wanderin' th' ruins of LEGO City at night." The old pirate glanced around, taking in the sight of a typical residential street that had been wrecked by Mutant Dinos."If you notice," explained King Joseph Race, "these buildings have been wrecked much more recently compared to most of the city. You see, about mid-way through the year, Dino Attack Team had cleared some sections of the city of Mutant Dinos, making them safe to be repopulated. This residential area is one such area, and as soon as it was cleared, some construction crews came up here and rebuilt these homes, and a couple of families moved up here and took up residence. Now, the problem is... somehow, this area of LEGO City was not as clear as Dino Attack Team thought it was. A pack of Mutant Raptors came in and tore up the place.""Any survivors?" inquired Greybeard. "I doubt it, but...""That's what we're here for," shrugged King Race. "Besides, I thought the two of us could use a little bonding time... it's been years since we've last seen each other, and yet this is the first time we've truly interacted in the Dino Attack."Greybeard nodded in agreement. "So, eh, how be things with yer son, Samuel?"King Race smiled to himself. "He's definitely got some of his father in him. And he's not just a racer, either; he's also a pilot, which is why he's been spending a lot of time with Dino Attack Team piloting T-1 Typhoon, giving airlifts, transporting supplies and agents, and such. The one thing is... he's still used to having a casual life on Sandy Bay. I am old, Greybeard, and he is my only heir. I just hope sooner or later he comes to accept that, one day, my sun will set, and my son will rise.""Wait, what?" blinked Greybeard."Oh, come now," King Race frowned lightheartedly. "I was trying to be punny." As they approached a dumpster, the Space Knights king dared to ask: "Now, how about you, Greybeard? Do you have any family?"Greybeard paused as he opened the dumpster. "Well, ye see-"A shape jumped out of the dumpster and tackled Greybeard to the ground. The old pirate was too stunned to react, but King Joseph Race ignited his laser saber. The futuristic sword's illumination shed light on Greybeard's attacker, and they were both surprised to see that it was not a Mutant Lizard, but rather a little girl wielding a broken hammer.The girl, too, was surprised. She stared at Greybeard with shock, dropped the broken hammer, and whispered: "G-Grandpa?""Eh?" blinked Greybeard, too shocked to saw any words.Deciding that she was not a threat, King Joseph Race lowered his laser saber and laid a hand on the girl's shoulder. "My dear," he spoke gently, "what is your name?""Mary," murmured the girl, so quietly she was barely even heard. "Mary Rose.""Mary Rose," nodded King Race. "That's a beautiful name. What are you doing out here?"Mary Rose shuddered. She looked to be only five or six years old. "Mommy and Daddy... we went to the South Pole where there is no dinosaurs... but then they said no dinosaurs at home anymore... so me and Mommy and Daddy go back home, and we see dinosaurs... I can't find Mommy and Daddy!" She began crying.Ah, belay that! Yer parents be dead, and thar be no point in wastin' yer energy cryin'! Now, belay that an' grow up, ye little wench! That's what Greybeard wanted to say. In any other circumstance, that is what he would have said. Instead, for some reason, he could not muster these words. He stood up, patted her head with his one hand, and whispered, "Don't ye worry now. We'll find yer parents. I promise."He immediately regretted saying this obvious lie when Mary, naive and sweet, looked up at him with such irresistible eyes. "You'll keep me safe, right? Grandpa?" she asked.Greybeard hesitated, but then he nodded. "O' course, me granddaughter.""Come," gestured King Race. "We should get you back to headquarters. It's much safer there." As they walked back towards their vehicle, King Race bent in close to Greybeard and whispered in a barely-audible voice: "I didn't know you had a granddaughter.""I don't!" hissed Greybeard. "Thar be only one woman I ever slept wi', an' she danced a fine dance long before she could conceive a child. It be impossible. I be certain that I be completely unrelated to Mary Rose. I probably just look like her grandfather, like how I look like Blackjack Hawkins an' Colonel Colt Carson; that be all. But..." He laid his one good eye on the little girl who was hugging his leg. "Thar be somethin' about her that makes me feel protective o' her. As if, even though I don't have any granddaughters... if I did, she'd be like Mary Rose."

*****

Engineer waited silently around the corner. He heard footsteps coming from down the adjacent hallway. Smiling grimly, he tightened his grip on his wrench. The footsteps grew louder. His target drew nearer. Engineer held his breath. The footsteps were now at their loudest. His target had arrived.Quick as a jackrabbit, Engineer darted out from his position and swung his wrench down with all of his might. It hit with a loud clang, and his target immediately crumpled to the floor. There, he laid on his stomach, unmoving.Engineer laughed in triumph. “Thought you could go ‘round my hallways and not get noticed?” sneered Engineer, beating one hand with his wrench. “Thought you could just disable my sentries and not face the consequences? Thought you could be a wily lil’ coyote and catch yourself a roadrunner? Well, I’ve got an answer for you, buddy.”With his head held high along with his hat, Engineer proudly proclaimed: “Nope.”Engineer looked over the still form of his fallen foe. He thought about the rumors of a mole, and thought with glee about when he could announce the news that the traitor had been caught. Then, he considered the fact that he had acted so quickly with his trusty wrench, he did not even know who the mole was. Curiosity and a thirst for knowledge overcame Engineer’s scientific mind. He gently kicked the mole’s side until he rolled over onto his back, revealing his face. It was a face Engineer recognized.That was Engineer’s first shock. He jumped back with horror, only managing to produce a feeble “Agh!”Then came Engineer’s second shock. The mole was very conscious and was waiting for Engineer to roll him over. Pressed against his torso was a pistol, hidden while he was lying on his stomach. Now that it was exposed, he fired at will.The gunshot rang through the hallways. Then, Engineer fell.OOC: Just to confirm by Word of God that Mary Rose is not Greybeard's granddaughter, or closely related to Greybeard in any way. As Lampshaded by Greybeard, what is most likely is that her grandfather also uses the Blackjack Hawkins/Colonel Colt Carson "gray beard face" which Greybeard uses.I'll be away for most of the weekend; however, my next IC should be either late Sunday night or early Monday morning. Just to let you know in advance, Atton, that's when I would like to use Pierce for that idea we discussed.

Atton Rand · June 9, 2012

I'll be away for most of the weekend; however, my next IC should be either late Sunday night or early Monday morning. Just to let you know in advance, Atton, that's when I would like to use Pierce for that idea we discussed.

OOC: That's okay. It just happens I did the big thing with Pierce I needed to do. Now he's just got to go treat a couple of patients.Out of curiosity, in your last post, did you draw inspiration from Inglorious Basterds. I'm not a huge fan of the movie or anything but I couldn't help noticing a similarity between what happened to Engineer and what happened to Shosanna.IC: Pierce quickly led Carver toward the helicopter, where Rotor and Cabin were both lying. Sarah Bishop was just taking Kate out of the hangar."What happened?" Carver asked."Long story," replied Pierce as he crouched down next to Cabin. "We got a slight concussion over here. Rotor took more of a beating. Alright, Carver, go and get the others, and bring two stretchers with you."Carver nodded nervously and ran off. She showed up a few minutes later accompanied by Wade and Crusher with the stretchers."What happened here?" Wade asked."You'd never believe me," replied Pierce. "Just give me a hand. We got some serious head wounds and we need to get them to the emergency room immediately."Wade nodded as he and Crusher started to put Rotor onto one stretcher. Meanwhile Pierce and Carver were working to get Cabin onto the other. "And this is a serious issue. Whatever happens, make sure Enter and Return do not know what we're doing. I don't want them mucking this up."

***

"Alright," Angel Eyes said as he opened up a briefcase. "I think we can split this evenly three-way. 1000 Dollars, that would be 300 for me, 300 for you, and 300 for Mari- no wait, that's not going to work."Clint stared impatiently as Angel Eyes tried to divide the money he had been given for his role in Gold City. "... 200 for me, 200 for you, 200 for Mari- no wait.""Where is Maria, anyway?" Clint said curiously. Angel Eyes looked up. "She seems to have wandered off," replied Angel Eyes. "Probably busy doing some things she wasn't allowed to do in El Paso."Clint smiled, at that moment, Maria suddenly burst through the door."Hey," Angel Eyes said. "We were just talking about you.""You gotta come quick," Maria said with a look of seriousness in her eye. "Somethin's happened. Somethin' real bad.""What do you mean?""You ain't goin' to believe me until you see 'im,"Clint slowly got to his feet as Angel Eyes put down the money. They followed Maria out the door and into a nearby hallway where they saw a familiar corpse."He's been shot," Maria said. "I ain't got no idea who done it or why."Clint bent down and examined the body closer. "Engineer," muttered Angel Eyes. "This was the guy who thought noone could outdo his guns.""Well," replied Clint. "Someone did. He knew too much.""You think it was the mole?" Asked Angel Eyes."That would be one explanation," replied Clint. "We 'ought to do something," replied Maria. "Should we tell 'em about... you know?""No," replied Clint. "Not yet, not until we are absolutely sure. Just be careful of anyone else you run into."

Edited June 9, 2012 by Atton Rand

Andrewnuva199 · June 9, 2012

OOC: Just wanting to say, I did leave some threads in my last IC for others to take some use of, them mainly being how Trigger reacts to what Stranger told him about being in Dino Attack, and how Pterisa reacts to Brickolini's pizza (because I figured deciding what food she likes might be a bit much for my own posts, but maybe that's just me.)Currently on a lack of IC ideas, but I'll put some thought into it today.

Atton Rand · June 9, 2012

IC: "That's one way of putting it," replied Trigger. "I mean less than a megablocking hour ago, I was on a chopper with this guy Rotor, who's supposed to be like this super tough guy. Some girl came up to him and started bludgeoning him with a megablacking rifle shouting something about she didn't want him to znap with her daughter. I mean really, we have mothers now."He looked up to see Kate stepping into the room with Sarah Bishop. Kate quickly went to the line to get some food while Sarah sat down at an empty table."Right there," Trigger said, pointing toward her. "That girl you've been praising for saving your megablocking buttocks is here with her znapping mother."

Brikman McStudz · June 9, 2012

OOC: I agree with PeabodySam, Jackson. Besides, I lost that laptop a week ago since it was school-issued. If we're lucky and there are enough Wham Lines at the end of August, the laptop may be flipped again.Also, that time I listed in my last IC was how long Zach was a Stromling, including the hiatus.IC:As Zach was about to reach the door, Nazareno appeared, a golden metal hand in his grip. "I have finished your hand," he stated plainly."Great," Zach said, accepting the hand and connect it to his wrist. He shuddered as the wires of the hand connected to the nerves in his wrist. He wiggled his fingers. "Thank you again." Nazareno bowed his head. As he stared at the hand, he remembered the time when his first prosthetic hand had been built. How he hadn't wanted a hand with a gun built into it, comparing it to Stromlings and the various weapon attachments to their arms. He smiled. If this was some fictional story, it would've been some excellent foreshadowing for what was to come. Or delicious irony, I'm never quite sure.Nazareno pushed past Zach and approached Marco Martinet. "Are there anymore people in need of prosthetics?""Yes!" Martinet responded. "If you will follow me..." As Martinet and Nazareno turned and started to discuss prosthetics, Zach approached a dark-haired woman wearing a labcoat. "Excuse me...""Dr. Naomi Hale," she said, smiling slightly. "Can I help you?""Yeah. Do you think there are any glasses here I could use? These were sort of scavenged of a fallen agent and aren't in great shape." Zach handed the glasses to her. She looked at them briefly before nodding. She turned and left Zach for a minute before she returned with a new pair of glasses. Naomi Hale adjusted them briefly before giving them to Zach. He placed them on his head."This will work," he said, blinking several times as he adjusted to the flawless vision. "Thank you." Dr. Hale nodded, smiling. Zach turned and exited the infirmary.What to do now? he thought. Looking at his torn and dirty uniform, he came to a decision.Time to bathe. With that, he started looking for a shower.*******************************************Minerva gnawed on a pizza thoughtfully as she listened to Zelda speak. Minerva liked Zelda well enough. She was just rather...chatty. She seemed extremely energetic and always ready to move. She also decided Zelda had some one-sided crush on Nazareno, which Minerva found extremely amusing.As they talked, Minerva saw Commander Holly Vinyaya approach their table, holding a tray of food. She looked at Zelda and her eyes widened immediately. Minerva hoped she wouldn't have to talk Vinyaya against shooting Zelda. To her surprise, Vinyaya just rolled her eyes and took a seat next to Zelda."You took that rather well," Minerva noted as Zelda was silenced in the presence of Vinyaya."It's becoming rather annoying," Vinyaya said. "I suppose the medics fixed you somehow after vivsecting you, Frodongan?" Zelda nodded quietly. She seemed rather uncomfortable next to the commander. Vinyaya slapped Zelda's back in a comforting manner. "I am will to look past mostof that battle, Zelda. I'm not going to kill you unless you give me a reason to." Zelda smiled weakly."I'm sorry about that incident," Zelda said. "It's not exactly a fun thing to think about. I killed a man and played somewhat of a role in leaving a man without a leg." Minerva watched as guilt and regret began to appear on Zelda's face. "It's fine," Minerva said with certainty. "You and Zach weren't in control. It was all the Darkitect's doing." Zelda nodded, but there was still some doubt on her face. "If it could clear you conscious, you could go apologize to Hotwire over there." Minerva pointed over to the Elite Agent, who was conversing and eating pizza with two other agents. Zelda bit her lip."Maybe later," she said, turning her glance from Hotwire back to her food. Minerva smiled reassuringly."He seems like a reasonable person," Minerva continued. "He was also in the Maelstrom Temple, so I doubt he's had anytime to develop any contempt toward you." Regardless, Zelda refused to go speak to him yet. Minerva shrugged."So, now," Vinyaya said, eager to change the subject. "I hear this pizza is better than the stuff they used to serve at Jo-Co's Space Diner before Kranxx blew it up..."

avmatoran · June 10, 2012

OOC:PeabodySam, PLEASE respond! I know you have logged on since I sent the PM!IC:Dr. Cyborg was in the cafeteria trying the breakfast pizza when his sensors picked up a faint gunshot. "Gotta go," he said. "What's up?" Andrew asked. "I heard a faint gunshot. I think that's my cue as self-appointed, de facto internal police."He left the cafeteria and started making his way to the source of the gunshot, changing to battle mode as he did.

Jacks · June 10, 2012

OOC:

If we're lucky and there are enough Wham Lines at the end of August, the laptop may be flipped again.

Oh, I've got some more where the rest came from :sly:

Though that's mainly because I'm finally in a position to execute all the Dramatic Reveals that have been lurking in my head since 2009...IC: Hotwire chomped absently on another pizza slice as Wright let out a peal of laughter. "You were right," she said. "Your codename does fit you."Hotwire smirked and swallowed. "Which one'd you tell her?""The time you wired the light switches to the fire alarms," Shiller chuckled.Hotwire grinned. Shiller's tales of their school days were doing a great deal of help in getting his mind off of recent events. He'd always felt that the past, unless specifically and directly related to one's present situation, was irrelevant, but he had to admit now that a ghost from your past appearing right in front of you wasn't always a bad thing. Only...there was something that was bothering him. Some detail he could feel burrowing its way up through the layers of his brain. A tingle on the back of his neck alerted him of someone else's attention. He glanced over and saw Zelda, sitting with Minerva and Vinyaya, quickly look down. No hard feelings about the leg, he thought to himself. She was as good as forgiven.Only...Hotwire couldn't look at her without simultaneously seeing Tracer, pale and short of breath, hooked up to all those machines...And that was it, that's what was bothering him. Swerve and Sarah are long gone, and the same for Kotua, Sauro's disappeared, Tracer's dead, and Kat...well, Kat may as well be dead... He looked back at Shiller and Wright again. How much longer before I lose them too?------------------------Asking around had proved futile. He must have volunteered under a codename, Helm thought, leafing through a hard copy of the Agent Database. He'd gone through all the H's anyway, just in case -- Hacker, himself, Hertz, three Hunters, and so forth -- as well as the J's for good measure. No luck. Nothing for it then; he set aside the files he'd already checked, and then returned to the beginning, flipping through every single file individually. A few agents gave him funny looks but he ignored them.Even if it took all day, Bartholomew Helmutson was going to find his son.

Andrewnuva199 · June 10, 2012

OOC:PeabodySam, PLEASE respond! I know you have logged on since I sent the PM!

OOC: PeabodySam's a busy man, and he often doesn't have the time to respond to everything when he finds time for a post. Not to mention he's gone till late tomorrow night. Just cool your jets and think of something until you get this matter sorted out.

Atton Rand · June 10, 2012

OOC: PeabodySam, I know you're going to really hate me for doing this, but I feel this is a good opportunity for some character development.IC: Everyone turned in surprise as there was a loud gunshot. Angel Eyes put his gun into his holster as he looked at the crowd."I hate to report that one of our agents is dead," he said toward the crowd staring at him. "Engineer's body was found in this building, so we know the killer must have been someone on this team. Now I can't confirm this, but while in Gold City my colleagues and I heard... rumors about a possible mole in the team, and this is starting to make it appear to be true. I suggest that from now on you make sure to keep a careful eye on any and all agents you interact with, since they must be someone in this building. Questions."The room was silent. Angel Eyes lit his pipe and turned for the door."I think I know who's behind this," Trigger muttered, lighting a cigarette. "I tried to warn them that hiring that megablocking son of a 4+ Silencia Venemosa was a bad idea."He started to stand up. "Well, I guess it's time to go kill a bounty hunter. You up for it?"Snake slowly got to his feet and followed Trigger out of the room. They worked their way through several corridors trying to find the ever elusive Silencia Venemosa. Bedrooms and washrooms yielded nothing. They searched every room, every closet they found. Every time they found a door they'd open it, until finally they found what they were looking for, Specs' office."An unusual hiding place," Snake said."We gotta check everywhere," replied Trigger. He raised his gun and slowly reached for the doorknob. He turned is slowly and opened the door as quietly as he could to see Silencia embracing another man.Quickly, he ran into the room and grabbed Silencia right round the neck, pulled her away from her friend, and put a gun to the side of her head."Who set us up?" Trigger asked coldly. "WHO SET US UP!?"Silencia remained silent."DON'T ZNAP WITH ME!" Trigger shouted as she struggled to break free of his grip. "Was it you? I bet it was you Silencia.""I'm not-""DON'T TRY TO PLAY INNOCENT WITH ME!" Trigger shouted. "I KNOW WHO YOU ARE! YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DOUBLE-CROSSED ME BACK AT MINDSTORMS!""What?""Oh, that's right. YOU KILLED FIVE OF MY MEGABLOCKING COLLEAGUES YOU SON OF A 4+! YOU THOUGHT YOU HAD ME WHEN MY CAR VEERED OFF THE ROAD AND LANDED IN THAT MEGABLOCKING DITCH!"OOC: PeabodySam, if you're interested I actually did just yesterday get an idea for what might have gone down at Mindstorms Inc.

Jacks · June 10, 2012

OOC: Ooh, Imma have some fun with this.IC: Everyone in the mess hall jumped as the shot rang out. Hotwire, Shiller, and Wright turned in surprise to see a gunslinger standing on a table in the middle of the room. Angel Eyes finished his anouncement and stepped down, and Hotwire's eyes narrowed as Trigger and Snake immediately stood and left the mess hall."Now that looks awfully suspicious to me," he said to his compatriots. He stood awkwardly. "Znap it, unarmed again. Thought I learned my lesson yesterday morning."Wright pulled a handgun from her boot and handed it to him. "You kick around with us and we'll cure you of that habit pretty quick." She pulled two more guns from her belt, and Shiller drew a long pistol from inside his jacket. Hotwire nodded and reached for his crutch, but Wright shook her head. "Too noisy. Use my shoulder instead." Hotwire raised an eyebrow, but complied, and the three of them quickly followed Snake and Trigger.After a good fifteen minutes of shuffling through the hallways, they suddenly heard shouting up ahead. Shiller and Wright darted over against the wall, nodded to each other, and burst around the corner."Nobody move!" Shiller shouted, as Hotwire hobbled onto the scene. Trigger had Amanda in a headlock, with a gun pressed to her temple, and Snake was standing by, armed as well."Drop the gun," Wright ordered, both of her pistols pointed at Trigger's head. The mercenary growled. "I said, DROP THE GUN, YOU 4+.""Are you znapping kidding me?" Trigger shouted. "After I went to all this trouble to--""Can it," Shiller snapped. "Save your excuses for the court-martial. I think they're punishing treason with death these days.""I did have my suspicions when you went to so much effort to try and keep us out of the Maelstrom Temple," said Wright, "but I wasn't sure until now. Now DROP YOUR GUN.""Wait, what?" said Hotwire. "Oh good heavens, Trigger isn't the mole. True, he's a total Jack Stone, and he'd probably get along swimmingly with Duke, but he hasn't been here nearly long enough to be worth informing XERRD. The worst that'll happen to him is incarceration as an accomplice to treason. No, Trigger's nothing more than the hired muscle for the real mole...who's still in this room." He swung around and pointed his gun at Snake. "You've been on this team almost as long as me, haven't you?* You must've thought you were pretty clever," he said. "Keeping a low profile, letting half the team think you're dead... We might not have found you if it hadn't been for that Blood Knight--" he jerked his head towards Trigger -- "but now, my one-eyed friend, you're nicked."OOC: *Hotwire may not necessarily be aware that Snake of Spades and this Snake are different people.

Edited June 11, 2012 by Jackson Lake

Andrewnuva199 · June 10, 2012

OOC: Well, that was sudden. For Rex, that would definitely be a good case of mood whiplash.Wanna do another IC, but I still want to have PeabodySam handle the "Important" issue of whether or not Pterisa likes Brickolini's Pizza. Which might also have to do with some slight concerns I might have regarding the fact I feel a bit odd writing with the character without much input from the person who actually created her and I might be miswriting her a bit, but that's hopefully just me being overly panicy or something.

Atton Rand · June 10, 2012

OOC: Well, that was sudden. For Rex, that would definitely be a good case of mood whiplash.Wanna do another IC, but I still want to have PeabodySam handle the "Important" issue of whether or not Pterisa likes Brickolini's Pizza. Which might also have to do with some slight concerns I might have regarding the fact I feel a bit odd writing with the character without much input from the person who actually created her and I might be miswriting her a bit, but that's hopefully just me being overly panicy or something.

OOC: That's okay, I'm kinda in a tight spot as well. I'm personally thinking I'm going to wait for PeabodySam's input before I do anything else with the hostage situation, as I am interested to see what he'll do with Amanda. The other big action scene at the moment is the whole thing with the medics, but since I brought Naomi into it I was hoping to wait for That Guy to add something.

Brikman McStudz · June 10, 2012

OOC: Actually, Andrewnuva, I think you've got free reign over Pterisa, as she is now listed as a Story Hook on the wiki. You (and the rest of us, naturally) are free to develop Pterisa as much as we wish without killing her.IC: Vinyaya stood up quickly after the agent's announcement. "What are you going to do?" Minerva asked."Help with any investigation," Vinyaya said, make sure her weapon was still on her person. "We get a lot of Black Hole Gang moles in the Space Police ranks and I have a rather good idea on how to spot them. I'm going to go find Specs and the other Founding Members and help them get the bottom of this." Vinyaya then quickly jogged away from them and left the mess hall."More spies?" Zelda said, annoyed."Welcome to the opposite end of spying," Minerva said jokingly, referencing Zelda's old role while working with the Maelstrom. "The person being spied on." Zelda rolled her eyes and glanced around. There was small amount of panic among the agents at the news of Engineer's murder. Several people stood up and left the cafeteria to whereabouts unknown."What do you think we should do?" Zelda asked."I don't know. Assuming neither of us are the mole-""I have an alibi," Zelda interrupted. "I was with Nazareno the whole time before I came here.""And I was with Zach," Minerva said. "So that disregards them.""Where are they anyway? Still building Zach's hand?""Yeah." Minerva bit her lip. She hoped that this mole didn't reach Zach or Nazareno. "They will be fine. They can take care of themselves.""Well I doubt this mole is just going to be killing people he meets in the hallway alone," Zelda said, waving her hand. "He probably killed Engineer because he found out who he was. He will only start killing a lot of people when Dino Attack figures out who he is."Minerva smirked. "Quite an understanding of the spying game.""Shut up," Zelda said, smiling weakly. "That was how I did it. When Vinyaya revealed me in front of nearly every Elite Agent on Adventurers' Island, I had no choice but to kill everyone to try and get out. However, if they had killed me, I had already passed on the information I had learned to Zach, so I still would've succeeded in my main goal: gathering intel.""So it's a safe bet that this guy already passed on what he learned to XERRD.""If he was smart. And if there was any relevant information to the next mission, the Founding Members would do well to change their plans to catch XERRD off-guard.""Hmm," Minerva nodded as she took a drink of milk. "So we're fine sitting here and eating?""For now," Zelda said as she took a bite out of a biscuit. "Just keep your eyes peeled."

that guy from that show · June 10, 2012

IC:Personally, Naomi Carver did not expect Rotor’s injuries to be particularly serious. For the most part it was congruent with wounds she treated on agents who had been in a particularly nasty bar fight.With the help of Doctor Pierce she got Rotor on to a stretcher and carried him out of the hanger It seemed unnecessary but the doctor was concerned with the prospect of a concussion. They would need to run some basic diagnostic tests to insure that his brain functions still met the control.She had to admit, he did look beet up. He was still awake, which was a good, though his face was very bloody. Naomi carefully washed it away to check for possible skull damage.“Do you intend to bring him into surgery?” she asked“I don’t know yet.” Responded Pierce. “I’ll need some X-rays to determine if there are any skull fractures. That’s my biggest concern right now.”The carried him into the medical ward and placed him in a bed not far from Hertz’s. Wade and Crusher soon followed with Cabin’s stretcher. Cabin also had been hit by a rifle butt and Carver could tell it looked much more serious than Rotor’s. He had been hit more times but based on the injury on Cabin’s face there was more force to her impact.“She defiantly has a skull fracture, probably depressed at the Maxilla, Nasal, and Zygomatic.” Said Wade. “She has much of the symptoms; Cabin here is bleeding from the nose, eyes sockets, and around the eyes. It also appears the pupils have dilated.”“We’re going to need some X-rays to check the existent of the damage.” Said Crusher “I’m afraid we’re going to need to check for brain damage on her as well.”“What about the face?” Asked Naomi.“Miss Bishop hit Cabin very hard. We might need to perform some reconstructive surgery on it.”In the background Rotor vomited. Doctor Hale rushed over beside Pierce. “That’s not a good sign.” Said Hale. “We need to get him in surgery right away! He probably has some form of Compound factor. Carver, get some anesthetics right now!”She did as she was told. It appeared Rotor’s injuries were worse than she initially thought. At first she found it slightly amusing that a girl’s mother had bludgeoned him. A lot a people thought he had it coming but now she recognized the risks.She followed Cabin and Rotor’s gurneys to the ER. Both Cabin and Rotor where at incredible risk of having permanent brain damage, this was for more serious than she initially thought.

* * *

Hertz lay in bed watching the whole event take place. It seemed Rotor had finally received his just rewards. Cabin on the other hand did not deserve what happened to her. He hopped that whoever did this to her would be held responsible. A lot of agents lately where getting away with brutally attacking each other and receiveing absolutely no consequences.He nibbled on the slice of pizza that Zach had brought him. It was nice to see him un-purple. The two had never gotten much chance to talk before and he hopped that would change in the future. Hertz liked Zach and he wished the best for the agent.He glanced over at the wide window that showed the operating room. He caught of brief glance at the interior before Naomi Carver closed the curtain. To spite what it appeared on the tarmac, reuniting with her and been extremely awkward and uncomfortable.He had looked into her eyes at the temple of creation and snapped her neck with his cosmotronic ray. He had no idea how he had been able to kill her but it felt strange looking at her after that experience. He felt incredibly guilty.In addition this was the first time he had seen her since his disastrous proposal. He had left her crying and alone but now she seemed to have recovered.Hertz never had been good at reading social cues. Had she moved on? Did she feel any differently about him since he returned? All of this seemed small in the face of the simple fact that they had only know each other for a few days.“I must seem pretty pathetic right now.” Muttered Hertz.Out of all the injuries he had received in the last few days, most of them where because of his own stupidity. He had fantasies about having a relationship with a woman he barley knew, and in addition, well everyone partied out in the mess hall; he sat alone in the empty hospital ward.“What a wonderful way to spend my first night back.” He said to himself. He looked around at the empty wing. “I wish I had a drink.”He rolled over and considered going to sleep. It would be the first time in days that he got any rest. He closed his eyes but a gunshot in the mess hall made him open them. There was some commotion there but Hertz opted to forget it. Instead he drifted of into the endless realm of sleep

* * *

Carl Lutsky was led to a small white room in the basement of the dino attack headquarters. It had one chair and one cot, aside from that it was vacant.The guards escorting him deposited him in the room before turning to leave.“How long am I going to be kept in this prison?” demanded the ex-commander. “Hopefully not long, we all have work to do agent, by keeping me locked up your be inhibiting the success of the mission.”“We’ve been instructed to not engage in conversation with you agent Lutsky.” Said the guard. “If there is anything you need you may contact us. Otherwise we expect you to remain quite and cause no trouble. Is that understood?”“You are out of line agent.” Said Carl Lustky. “When addressing a superior officer I expect to be treated with the respect I’ve earned.”The guards said nothing.“I addition, I should not be treated like some criminal. These are the same rooms that are used to hold XERRD operatives, I don’t think I deserve to be degraded to that degree now do I?”The guard still said nothing.“I have done noting to merit this kind of treatment. Yes, I shot a man, but by doing so I saved the operation from catastrophic failure.”He stopped to wait for a response from the guards but they said nothing.“Answer me.” Said Lutksy sternlyNo responds.“That’s an order.”Nothing“ANSWER ME CLIKIT!”“That’s enough Mr. Lutsky.” Said a new voice.The guards left the hallway leaving Lutsky alone with the newcomer. He looked franticly around before spotting a peg-leged man standing in the shadows.“Good evening Carl,” said the man. “My name is doctor Nicholas Saran, I believe we have a lot to talk about.”

* * *

Digger put his feet up on his desk as he offered Solomon Koplowitz a cup of coffee. The doctor waved it away and took a seat in another chair in the founding member’s office.“I’m sorry agent Digger, I’m afraid I prefer tea.” Said Solomon.“Suit yourself, I’m afraid we don’t have very good coffee around here anyway.” Said Digger. “We have not been able to perform much containment in the Amazon area, hence the coffee exports have trickled down to almost nothing.”“I’m sorry to here that.” Said Solomon. “I feel horrible considering what role we played in all of this.”“Well your not the first member of XERRD to defect doctor Koplowitz, you are however the first member to sit down with me in my office.”Digger rose from his desk to walk about the room. “The others would say that I should not talk to you doctor Koplowitz. They have not particularly trusted me since Antartica and I feel I’ve been out of the loop lately, I choose to have this conversation here as oppose to a cell because of it’s privacy. “Seeing me talk to a leading member of XERRD would further ingrain the idea into their heads that I ‘go easy’ on the advisory. Others like Shadow and Viper would prefer that I keep you looked up in the detention levels until you prove yourself to be of some use to us.”Digger pretended to take great interest in a bone lying on his shelf before once again taking a seat at his desk. “I prefer to take a more civilized approach.”“That’s nice of you Digger.” Said Solomon. “However I doubt that you brought me here to make small talk.”“Well you’re right of course doctor Koplowitz.” Responded the founding member. “Over the last few years my attempts to find a cure for the mutant dinosaurs has been regarded as foolish by my colleagues. Any work to find an antidote for the mutation serum has continuously been shoved aside in favor of simply increasing the caliber of our weapons.”Digger sighed and sat back in his chair.“I dislike the path the dino team is taking. We started as a means to capture the mutants but have become something more like a means to exterminate them. I’ve expressed my concerns to Specs but look where that got me. I’m seen as too radical now.”“That may not necessarily be your fault Digger.” Said Koplowitz. “During my time working with XERRD we distributed maelstrom bricks to stir up negative emotions. That was the reason behind your actions Digger. The fault was not your own.”“Regardless,” responded Digger. “To a curtain degree I did believe them, and I think I still do. I still believe there is hope for the mutants. This war’s voctory would seem hollow if it was at the price of extinction.”“Digger, you’ve rambled on for awhile,” smiled Solomon. “Now why did you bring me here?”“Because I believe you can help me,” said Digger. “I believe you know the cure for the mutant dinosaurs. As of yet, you and doctor Strangbrick are the highest ranking members of XERRD to defect, you must have some sort of knowledge about how the mutation works.”Solomon let out a deep sigh. “Digger, by talking to me in private like this you are further risking your position here in the DINO team. I did extensive reading on you career here and I don’t think that’s something you want to throw away.”“But can you help me?” asked Digger.“You don’t understand.” Said Solomon. “If Specs cought you talking to me you would certainly face consequences. They would think you are at it again, I’ve already committed enough sins in my life Digger, don’t make me add destroying your life to that list.”“I don’t care Solomon,” resonded Digger. “I’m willing to risk it. I want this war to be over as much as the next guy but not at the cost of throwing away what I believe it.”“Well then I’m sorry I can’t help you.” Frowned SolomonDiggers face went Dark. “You can’t help me, or you won’t help me.”“Both,” said Solomon, “I did very little research on the serum itself, I can’t give you any information outside of what you probably already know.”“Well if you won’t help me, maybe Doctor Strangbrick would.” Considered Digger.“Digger don’t get yourself back into this.” Said Solomon. “From what I’ve herd you’ve been doing well the last few weeks, do you want the throw that all away.” Digger was about to respond when shouting from down the hall interrupted him. It sounded as if it came from Spec’s office.“What’s going on?” asked Solomon.“I don’t know.” Said Digger grimly. “But I don’t like the sound of it, we better go and take a look.”Digger shoved a gun in his belt and walk briskly down the hall. Solomon shrugged and followed suit.OoC:This is my first time writing with Digger. I don’t know weather he is a public domain character or not, considering he was made by LEGO. I hope there were no glaring inaccuracies; I read his wiki article when I wrote this.Also, I’m having a hard time determining Solomon’s race. Should it be Asian or Jewish? The character is mostly a mix of Morpheus from the Matrix and Sir Ian McKellen

Atton Rand · June 10, 2012

I’m having a hard time determining Solomon’s race. Should it be Asian or Jewish? The character is mostly a mix of Morpheus from the Matrix and Sir Ian McKellen

OOC: The name Solomon seems to strike me as Jewish, though I think that might have to do with the fact that the only other Solomon I know was a Jewish character (who may or may not have been based on a real person, I'm not totally sure) in a really disturbing book I had to read in English class. I don't think I have time for an IC right now, it's almost supper time, but I'll post one as soon as I can. Edited June 10, 2012 by Atton Rand

that guy from that show · June 10, 2012

OoC:That was sort of my original plain when when created him, hence the name. However I like this head, and I want him to fight with a a katana.

avmatoran · June 10, 2012

OOC:Don't expect me to be here to often, if at all other than this for this week. You may use my characters, just don't do anything drastic.IC:Dr. Cyborg heard shouting coming from Specs' office, about the mole. He burst in, arm cannon raised. When he got in, he saw Trigger holding his gun to Amanda's neck, Hotwire shouting at another agent. He raised his arm at Trigger. Holding a gun to a renowned Dino Attack Agent was pretty indicative of a spy. "Let go, Trigger!" he yelled, "Or I'll assume you're the spy!"

Atton Rand · June 10, 2012

OoC:That was sort of my original plain when when created him, hence the name. However I like this head, and I want him to fight with a a katana.

OOC: I don't see any reason why that couldn't be applied to a Jewish character, and who said you had to be Asian to use a katana? Maybe he just has a great deal of respect for Asian culture.IC: "YOU MEGABLOCKING SONS OF 4+ DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH, DO YOU?!" Trigger shouted. "THE MOLE IS RIGHT HERE! SILENCIA VENEMOSA CAN DENY HER IDENTITY ALL SHE WANTS BUT IT'S OBVIOUS HER LOYALTIES WERE BOUGHT BY XERRD! Trust me when I say that she can and will betray you if your rival offers more money. Now you might as well confess, admit you're a megablocking traitor, or I swear I will blow your ZNAPPING BRAINS OUT SILENCIA AND DO THE REST OF US A FAVOR!"

***

Things were hectic throughout the emergency room. Crusher placed two X-Rays of Rotor's skull onto a large flat light.

"Well," Pierce said. "They'll live, provided we can get to work immediately. We're going to need to stop the bleeding and relieve pressure on the brain."

OOC: You know it's funny how I initially intended to play that whole confrontation for laughs and yet it's become such a serious issue.

that guy from that show · June 10, 2012

OoC:Well I thought it got serious when you said we should get strictures and called in a fourth medical personal. In addition it’s about time that these relatively innocent smack downs had some real consequences.I might get around to another iC: latter tonight.

Edited June 11, 2012 by that guy from that show

Atton Rand · June 11, 2012

I might get around to another iC: latter tonight.

OOC: I know this is going to sound like a strange request, but could you please stop misspelling later. It kinda bugs me the way you keep mixing "later" and "latter" for some reason. Edited June 11, 2012 by Atton Rand

that guy from that show · June 11, 2012

I might get around to another iC: latter tonight.
OOC: I know this is going to sound like a strange request, but could you please stop misspelling later. It kinda bugs me the way you keep mixing "later" and "latter" for some reason.

LOL. Well you've probably figured out I'm a pour speller by now. My spell check only does so much i suppose. I'll take particular note of Later/Latter in the future. For your benefit :sigh:

Andrewnuva199 · June 11, 2012

OOC: Actually, Andrewnuva, I think you've got free reign over Pterisa, as she is now listed as a Story Hook on the wiki. You (and the rest of us, naturally) are free to develop Pterisa as much as we wish without killing her.

OOC: Ah, okay. Figures I don't check it for things like that, especially since I was working on the page not too long ago when I finished vectoring a sketch I made of her.Also, been playing around with LEGO Dino sets I've managed to acquire recently. One thing I did was make some Minifigs of a few of our characters in a style similar to that of the D.I.N.O minifigs (is that what their group is called or what?). Might make a bit of canoncial sense, since I bet some of our characters might return to take the reigns of Dino capturing come the events of that line.

Jacks · June 11, 2012

IC: As the commotion continued to escalate after Dr. Cyborg's sudden appearance, Wright swore violently. "I've had enough of this." She shoved her guns back into her belt."Finally," said Trigger, "someone around here listens to reas--" Then he abruptly stopped speaking. This was because, in the blink of an eye, Wright had leapt forward, deftly wrenching the mercenary's gun out of his grasp with one hand, and punching him square in the face with her other hand. At the same moment, Amanda twisted out from the headlock. Trigger was already stunned from the punch, so when he was thrown off balance, he hit the floor hard, striking the back of his head. He lay flat on his back, dazed but not unconscious.Wright tossed the mercenary's gun to Shiller, then turned to Amanda. "You all right?""For the most part," Amanda replied. "Thank you.""Good." Wright put her hands on her hips and lowered her voice a bit more. "Mind telling us what all this 'Silencia Venomosa' business is about?" Amanda winced and looked at the floor.Before she had the chance to say anything more, Hotwire cleared his throat. "If everyone would just calm down for a few minutes, I'm fairly confident we've got our mole right in front of us." He still had his gun trained on Snake."What?" exclaimed Dr. Cyborg incredulously. "No, it's got to be Trigger.""As satisfying as that would be, I think he's above suspicion," replied Hotwire, shaking his head. "He may be the very embodiment of the worst qualities of Duke, O'Cozy, and Dust combined, but he draws way too much attention to himself. The informant would have to be someone who doesn't stick out as much...someone who would benefit from having a loud, aggressive red herring at his side." He glared at Snake. "Anything to say for yourself?""I'm no mole, I can swear that much to you," the one-eyed agent growled. "They promised me I'd be a free man if I helped this megablockin' team win, so what would I gain from losing us the war?""Duly noted, but you're not quite above my suspicion yet.""Well, even if Trigger isn't the mole, he did try to assassinate a trusted member of the team," Dr. Cyborg insisted. "That could easily be construed as treason, even if it is not the specific kind of treason we're looking for.""Good point," Hotwire responded. "Make sure he doesn't have any other weapons, and don't let him out of your sight."At that moment, Digger rounded the corner, followed by one of the XERRD scientists whom Hertz had captured. "What in the name of Ole is going on here?"

Edited June 11, 2012 by Jackson Lake

PeabodySam · June 11, 2012

OOC: Okay, guys, I just got back. And let's see... Oh dear.Well, let me start off by saying this: I was intending that, by the time Engineer was killed, Rex and Amanda were already out of Specs's office. Specifically, I had planned that Rex would be asleep in his room while Amanda would be roaming Dino Attack Headquarters alone due to insomnia. From there, I toyed with the idea of her meeting up with Trigger along the way, and I would have likely gone through with this in my previous IC had Trigger not been already interacting with Stranger, forcing me to post the "Greybeard meets Mary Rose" bit first and leave the "Amanda confronts Trigger" idea for later.Now, you see, the major bit of Fridge Logic is that Rex and Amanda started embracing before Engineer even noticed that someone was disabling his sentries. So, let's say that it takes Engineer some few minutes to track down the mole and get killed. Since nearly everyone else (i.e. Trigger) was at the cafeteria when this happened, it probably took a minute or two before anyone (i.e. Trigger) found Engineer's corpse. Then, since Trigger and Snake apparently did a thorough search of Dino Attack Headquarters before landing at Specs's office, that could take quite some time, say a half-hour. And yet, when he opened the door, Rex and Amanda were still there, still embracing one another. No matter how much they love each other, I doubt that they would be locked in the same embrace for all that time.Which is why I intended that, after said embrace was finished, Rex would retire to his room while Amanda wandered the halls... while Engineer saw the mole and got himself killed.Now, up until one post ago, I had the idea of politely requesting that we retcon the bit where Trigger and Snake find Rex and Amanda in Specs's office to Trigger and Snake finding Amanda wandering alone through the headquarters, which could work since Rex was literally unmentioned from that point on... until Jacks's post right above mine, in which Rex finally speaks and is spoken to. Of course, the problem is that, given Rex's character, if he was anywhere near Trigger when he was threatening Amanda, Rex would likely not have controlled himself to speaking forcefully and instead would have either tried to shoot Trigger or launch himself out of his wheelchair in an (possibly vain) attempt to tackle Trigger; he's not one to sit around when Amanda has a gun to the face.And then, there are other little things. For example, Trigger just announced that Amanda Claw, one of Dino Attack Team's most trusted agents but also known for having a mysterious background and formerly holding a vow of silence, is Silencia Venomosa, a name that got super-stoic Michelle Glados herself to show fear. I'd think that there would be a greater response to his declaration; even if everyone tries to deny its validity after a moment of shock passes, such an accusation would draw far more than Dull Surprise or even no surprise at all (which sounds like what just happened).Now, I'm not saying that we should retcon everything like a vacuum cleaner, but I'm just a little disappointed, seeing as I wanted to handle the inevitable Amanda/Trigger confrontation with care.In about two hours, I'll post IC, but I thought that it was urgent that I get my OOC thoughts across as quickly as possible.

Edited June 11, 2012 by PeabodySam

Jacks · June 11, 2012

OOC: Sorry. I shall edit my posts to get them out of Specs's office, and I expect Atton and avmatoran will do the same.And, for what it's worth, now that the situation has calmed a bit, you still have ample opportunity to handle the Trigger-Amanda confrontation once Trigger stops being stunned. :POn that note, there's a slight issue I wanted to point out to all of us involved in this scene -- so far, our characters seem to have been acting with implicit knowledge from beyond the fourth wall that none of them are the mole. If they are to act more logically, they will have to consider the possibility that Trigger is right, as well as the fact that none of them are above suspicion. I had intended to transition to this in my most recent IC with the arrival of Digger, but 1) I wasn't particularly comfortable controlling other people's characters for any longer than I already had, 2) I seem to recall that, back in the olden days, the Founding Members were only playable by PeaSam, and 3) I was really tired. :PJust a thought for whoever continues the scene next...

Edited June 11, 2012 by Jackson Lake

PeabodySam · June 11, 2012

OOC: Of course, the lesson to be learned from all this is: "When a player says that he's going to be away for X amount of time, please wait before interacting with his characters."That being said, the founding members (as well as pretty much any official LEGO character) are public domain and, unless currently in use by another member, can be played by anyone. That being said being said, since Specs left to speak with the Second Headquarters Squad last we saw him, I would request that he does not appear until I'm ready to unveil the results of said discussion.IC: "I'll tell you what!" snapped Trigger, pointing an accusing finger at Amanda. "You hired a MegaBlokin' mole of XERRD!" Trigger was creating such a scene that Ata, who happened to be passing by, stopped to see what going on.Digger looked at Amanda with surprise. "Don't be silly," he shook his head. "Agent Claw is easily one of our most trustworthy-""She's Silencia Venomosa!" proclaimed Trigger. "For the love of Ole Kirk Christiansen, why are you all so MegaBloking blind? Digger, you and your blokes didn't hire some quiet girl who was a refugee from Antarctica; you hired a mercenary, a bounty hunter, a terrorist! Mindstorms, Dacta, the Brickfather... do I even need to remind you all of what she has done in the past?"Amanda watched Digger as he paled. She considered herself lucky that Dr. Cyborg barely remembered his past and that Wright apparently never heard about Silencia Venomosa. Digger, on the other hand, seemed to recall all those horrible headline-breaking stories about the mysterious silent woman who always evaded the authorities... and left death in her wake. "You can't be...?" the founding agent whispered.

For a moment, Amanda remembered how Pterisa reacted when she was exposed in the Maelstrom Temple. The poor creature was horribly insecure of herself and all but completely shut down when she feared that others' trust in her was shaken. The fact that Pterisa was part Mutant Pterosaur seemed insignificant in comparison to Amanda's past as Silencia Venomosa. For starters, Pterisa was innocent, even if her race was not... but Amanda was entirely guilty of every horrible action committed by Venomosa. While Pterisa hid her identity with samurai armor, Amanda attempted to bury Silencia Venomosa and never look back.And now, after trying to repress her past for so long, Trigger had just blurted out her darkest secret like it meant nothing to her.Instinctively, Amanda drew her knife and approached Trigger. She moved slowly, but her silence and poise made her movements akin to that of a serpent about to strike. She stared down Trigger with tranquility that masked a burning inferno of hate and anger. She raised her knife, the same knife that had gutted the stomachs of Mutant Lizards, impaled the abdomen of a Dark Spiderling, and sliced through the flesh and bone of Stromlings, all in the last week. She wanted nothing more than to plunge that knife into Trigger's body.Then, Amanda tossed aside the knife. Ata watched with surprise as the knife clattered to the floor. All eyes were fixed on Amanda as she spoke, quietly, with fury so tranquil that it filled everyone with utmost dread. "My name is not Silencia Venomosa," she hissed. "I am Amanda Remous, the sister of Roger Remous, a brave geologist and paleontologist who died for Dino Attack Team's cause. I am here to keep his memory alive and avenge his death. That is something worth fighting for, something far greater than money, something you would never understand, Schiess. So never call me Silencia Venomosa again. You may only call me Claw. I said this once before, I'm saying it again now, and if I need to, I shall say it again and again until it is drilled so deep into your brain that not even the real Wallace Bishop could extract it. Do you understand?"Trigger responded by pointing his gun at Amanda. "Go to MegaBlokLand," he growled.Although she did not speak, Amanda smiled coolly, a provocative expression that practically screamed the words "After you!"The combination of her silence and her smile infuriated Trigger, who almost pulled the trigger in time before Digger, Wright, Dr. Cyborg, and a few others all stepped in and wrestled the weapon out of his hands. Amanda continued to smile, but then her attention was drawn to Solomon, whom she recognized from the battle in the Maelstrom Temple. She recalled hearing reports that five out of the sixteen surviving XERRD scientists from that battle had surrendered to the Dino Attack Team, and realized Solomon must have been one of them. With interest, she stared at the XERRD scientist, trying to discern what he was thinking.When Trigger's weapons were finally confiscated, the mercenary grumbled with disgust. "I think everyone needs to pull their heads out of their hip pieces. Anyone among us can be the mole, and you shouldn't discount anyone just because of how long they have been working with the team or how trustworthy you think they are." He shot a glare towards Amanda, who smiled sweetly in return, which somehow infuriated him even more.Dr. Cyborg cleared his throat. "Solomon, I don't suppose you remember anything about XERRD's mole in Dino Attack Team?"Amanda watched Solomon's expression as he shook his head. "I'm afraid not. We knew that we had someone planted in Dino Attack Team, but most of us were not told who it was. I suppose this was deliberately done by Dr. Rex, since if none of us knew anything useful, we could not give it up in an interrogation." He seemed to be genuine, Amanda thought."I suppose the only thing we can do now," murmured Hotwire, "is trust no one until we get down to the bottom of this.""Keep an eye out for anything suspicious," added Wright.

"Good idea," nodded Ata. "I should probably get back to work..."Amanda bit her lip. "I suppose I'll need to return to Rex-""That reminds me," Digger raised an eyebrow. "Why aren't you with Rex?"Amanda sighed. "Rex has had a long, hard day. I figured that the best thing he needed was a little rest. He refused at first, but only moments after he laid down on his bed, he was unconscious. Me? I've got insomnia, and I felt like I needed a walk as much as Rex needed a rest.""Okay, just making sure," nodded Digger. "Poor guy. Keep an eye on him for me, okay?""And an eye out for the mole, as well," added Dr. Cyborg.Amanda nodded silently, then she turned and departed down the hall. The others watched her go, and Trigger made a silent mental vow, before all was said and done, to hunt down that worthless traitorous backstabbing double-crossing Silencia Venomosa and make her confess in front of the whole Dino Attack Team.Amanda's own thoughts drifted back to Trigger. She could not help but know that she would wait with almost-eager anticipation for such a final confrontation. It was a loose end that needed to be tied up for good.

One by one, the crowd that had gathered dispersed. Ata was the last to leave, watching everyone go before deciding that he needed to return to his task.

*****

This particular Dino Attack hallway had became a crime scene. Word had quickly gotten around about the death of Engineer, and investigators were brought in to analyze the area.There laid Engineer, lying against the floor, his mouth slightly open, and a bullet hole in his head. The once-beige floor of the hallway was now stained red.Dr. Alan Pierce, who had left the hospital wing when he heard the news, frowned as looked over the dead body. This was beyond his medicinal capabilities to rectify; Engineer was dead, and there was no changing that. He recalled stories about Zenna’s attempts to revive Kat after she was shot in the neck, but it was too late.“Out ov ze vay! Out ov ze vay!”Pierce looked up with disgust. He saw Dr. Dietrich Luzwheit, also known as “Medic”, approach the crime scene. Beside him was Heavy, who was pushing aside anyone in Medic’s path.Heavy looked down upon Engineer’s fallen form. “So it is true,” he grimaced. “Engineer is dead.”When Medic laid eyes upon Engineer’s corpse, all he said was, “Oh, dear, zat doezn’t look good. Very vell, zen, I’ll bring him back to ze lab.”“Wait, what?” blinked Pierce. “Just what do you think you are doing, Dr. Luzwheit?”“Ah, Dr. Pierze,” frowned Medic. “I zought you might be here. I am taking Engineer back to ze lab vor zome… autopzy teztz.”“It’s rather clear that he died from a bullet wound to the head,” Pierce gritted his teeth. “You don’t need to perform an autopsy to find that out.”“Ja,” Medic raised a finger, “but vat ve don’t know iz ze zircumztanzez behind hiz deaz. Vor example, vat he vaz doing ven he died, vat gun shot him, und, mozt importantly, ze identity ov hiz killer. I can vind all zis out viz a vew zimple teztz.”“What are going to do?” demanded Pierce. “Cut open his head with a rusty bonesaw, rip his brain apart to find a few specific cells, and poke needles into his eyes to broadcast his last sights onto a television screen?”Despite the tone of Pierce’s voice, Medic smiled and casually replied, “Ja, zat vaz ze idea.” He quickly gestured towards Heavy, who approached Engineer’s corpse. “Exzept zat I take ovvenze to ze ‘ruzty bonezaw’ comment,” he continued. “I vould never uze anyzing viz ruzt on it. I alvayz make zure zat my bonezaw iz completely clean bevore I dizzect people viz it.”“You can’t be serious!” gaped Dr. Pierce. “We’re not cutting up Engineer; we’re sending his body back to the Holdem family where it belongs!”“Vat vamily?” Medic raised an eyebrow. “Ze man vaz purely practical! He vaz not a believer in love or beauty! I doubt zat he ever got married. Zerevore, ve have nozing to loze. Ivan, take him avay.”As Heavy picked up Engineer’s corpse, Pierce rushed towards Medic and grabbed the doctor by the shoulder. “I shall not permit you to do this!” he seethed. “How dare you cut up a fellow teammate just to satisfy your sadistic pleasures!”Heavy glared at Pierce. “Shall I beat little man for you?” Medic did not reply.Medic and Pierce locked unyielding eyes. For a moment of silent stalemate, the tension in the air around them was so high, it was almost tangible.“I do vat I can because I muzt,” hissed Medic. “Engineer vaz my teammate, my comrade, my vriend. He vaz a brilliant man ov zcienze, und it painz me to zee him dead. I vill zee to it zat he iz avenged, zat he did not die in vain. I muzt vind out ze identity ov hiz killer. Zis iz not vor my benevit… zis iz vor Engineer, vor you, und vor everyone elze on zis team. Iv I can vind ze identity ov Engineer’z killer… I can ztop him bevore he takez anozer live. I have ze zkillz und ze technology to vind zis out, und I shall ztop at nozing to do vat muzt be done, regardlezz ov vezer or not you approve, Dr. Alan Pierze. Do you underztand?”Pierce bit his lip. He did not trust Medic for an instant, not since the incident with the World City mayor. Still, he had to admit that Medic’s argument was rather compelling. Grimly, he took his hand off of Medic’s shoulder and nodded.Wordlessly, Medic and Heavy took Engineer’s body and departed.OOC: The implied idea is that if we get around to having a final confrontation between Amanda and Trigger, it would be just the two of them, alone. While Trigger has no such qualms, Amanda still wants to appear innocent in front of her fellow Dino Attack agents... if they meet each other alone, it would give her an opportunity to take off her mask of sincerity... allowing for a fully-satisfying meeting with Silencia Venomosa herself.I just find it so interesting that, while Amanda has spent the entire Dino Attack trying to forget about Venomosa and making sure nobody ever learned about her, Trigger just tossed all her efforts out the window by calling her out on it in front of other Dino Attack agents. Interesting in a good way, not in a bad way. It allows for some clear tensions between the two characters and their opposing agendas and personalities.I might as well give you all a heads-up and let you know that I'll be away this coming weekend as well. Please don't pull anything on me again this time!

Edited November 30, 2012 by PeabodySam

Atton Rand · June 11, 2012

OOC: I'll post a proper IC later, but I just wanted to clarify that the misunderstanding was my fault. I had no idea of what exactly Rex was doing or how much time has passed. The last post I could find as a point of reference ended with Rex and Amanda making love, so that was really what I tried to work with. Also if I had known PeabodySam was planning a confrontation himself I would have waited a bit before bursting in on Amanda.

Jacks · June 11, 2012

OOC: No harm done, Atton. Even if the misunderstanding was your fault, I certainly didn't help by trying to Turn It Up To Eleven. At least we could work this out without a Retcon Carpet-Bombing^T^M.Now that it's over, I can begin preparing for my next identity reveal...IC: "Sir, has anyone determined the exact time Engineer was killed?" Hotwire asked Digger, as Amanda walked off down the hall. "The three of us," he indicated himself, Shiller, and Wright, "had been in the mess hall since 6:45. We'd be able to rule out anyone who was there at the time."------------------------As soon as Septimus had been treated, he had been whisked off for questioning. A good number of Dino Attack agents had been connected with Alpha Team as early as Mission Deep Freeze, so they would easily be able to determine whether Septimus was telling the truth, or was simply delusional.Mort, however, knew with a sinking certainty that the drone really was Swerve. No one else -- save the Sea Drone, whom Swerve had killed, and the Agents in the sub -- had been present at that Ogel Undersea Base at the time of the incident, and Swerve had refused recognition, so hardly anyone knew that he had saved Mort's life that day. He'd volunteered for transfer to the Dino Attack Team very early on, and after he disappeared, Mort had asked to be stationed in Lego City, hoping to discover what had happened. And now, after he'd assumed that his old friend was indeed dead, Mort had found him. But instead of relief, he felt only intense confusion.How on earth could Swerve have become a drone after the war started, when the production of Ogel's Mutation Orbs had been stopped in 2008?

Brikman McStudz · June 11, 2012

IC:Zach reentered the cafeteria, his hair cut back to its original length and his face now clean-shaven. The rush for breakfast had died down dramatically and very few people were still eating. A quick look soon found a brown-and-white head resting on a table, a carton of milk next to her. Zach moved toward her."Minerva?" he said, shaking her shoulders. "You awake?""Yeah." She lifted her head and rubbed her eyes. "Zelda left with Nazareno to train or something. I was just taking a break." Minerva rose to her feet and looked at Zach. "You shaved?""I did?" Zach responded in mock-surprise. "No way!"Minerva punched his shoulder hard. "Ha ha. Didn't like the beard and hair?""It was fun for a while, but it wasn't my 'thing', so to speak.""And you washed out the purple?" she continued, ruffling his hair affectionately."No," he said flatly. "It wouldn't come out, so I dyed it.""Wouldn't come out?" Minerva glanced up at her hair. "So the white won't-""Nope. A doctor I spoke to predicted it. Zelda and I are going to have purple hair forever and you are going to have white hair. Though honestly, the purple with Zelda's back hair and the white with your hair looks fine. Purple with orangy hair didn't look too fantastic to me.""Good, because I was intending to keep my hair like this.""So, where to now?" Zach asked."Seeing you gives me the good idea of bathing," Minerva said. "I think I'll go do that now.""I-what?" Minerva pushed past him. "What am I supposed to do?"Minerva didn't turn. "Go see what Nazareno and Zelda are doing? I don't know." And with that, Minerva was gone. Zach rolled his eyes and exited the cafeteria, intending to find Nazareno and Zelda.

Atton Rand · June 11, 2012

OOC: No harm done, Atton. Even if the misunderstanding was your fault, I certainly didn't help by trying to Turn It Up To Eleven. At least we could work this out without a Retcon Carpet-Bombing

OOC: I will admit, I hadn't expected it to go quite to the extent that it did. The initial plan was to have Trigger attack and then wait for PeabodySam's response. I wasn't expecting five other people to end up being involved.By the way, this next bit is based on that... idea I told PeabodySam about. If there is anything he would like to contribute I am fine with that. I would prefer it if for the time being nobody else got involved with these events. I haven't worked out all the details yet, so I am going to be a bit vague at first, but I got a rough idea of the key points so I'll try and work out the details as I go.Also, bonus points to anyone who can spot the movie reference in one character's name.IC: There was a knock at the door of the office as a man in a fancy, three-piece business suit looked up from his paper work. "Come in," he said. There was a slight creak as the door opened and the man watched a tough-looking man enter. He wore a thick leather jacket, a pair of jeans, dark-coloured boots, and a pair of thick sunglasses. His face was clean-shaven, and he had light-brown hair combed back. He stepped into the room casually, taking off his sunglasses."I understand you got a job here," said the tough-looking man."Yes," replied the business man. "You got a name?""Call me Schiess," replied the tough-looking man."Good," replied the businessman. "Your job should be fairly straight forward."Schiess looked around the room. There were six other men sitting around."I've called you all here because you're the best of the best," the businessman said. "Take a seat."Schiess sat down in one chair next to a rough-looking man with short, curly hair."Things have gotten rough recently," the businessman said. "Mindstorms Inc. is currently the number one producer of modern technology, and in order to ensure that it stays that way, we've got to take stern measures.""What's the job?""For now, you're hired guns," replied the businessman. "At this point, our rival Dacta Corp. is mostly trying to do the same thing, but we've got the upper hand right now.""You want us to do the dirty work?" Asked a tall man in the corner, wearing a blue shirt and a vest, with a slight comb over."That would be one way of putting it," replied the businessman."I think we can handle that," replied Schiess."At this point, I need you boys to keep a lookout," replied the businessman."When do we get to do something fun?" Asked the curly-haired man next to Schiess."You'll get your chance, Keaton." replied the businessman. "We're not quite ready yet, but we will eventually want you to perform a heist on Dacta Corp. once we know what we're dealing with." Edited June 11, 2012 by Atton Rand

Dino Attack: At War's End

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