Dino Attack: At War's End

[PeabodySam]

OOC: That whole bit with Hendrik, Ariane, and Rainer Wolfgang Schattenberg was quite a fascinating read. Oh! And on a completely unrelated subject, Jacks, I've finally decided to pick up The Color of Magic (the first book of the Discworld series). Haven't had a lot of time to read it, but from what I've read so far, its amusing style is quite entertaining.IC: Although he lay still upon the floor, Rex’s head was spinning. Standing above him was his old nemesis Kotua. The last time they had seen each other, Kotua had gone mad and went on a campaign to exterminate all other Dino Attack agents with the help of a legendary monster known as Chaos. His number one target was Rex.“What are you doing here?” inquired Rex, his voice barely more than a whisper.Kotua chuckled as he once again began circling around Rex. “I’ve been following you for a long time,” he murmured. “Every time you fought a Mutant Dino and must make a decision whether to spare its life or kill it, I was there with you. Every time you watched as other Dino Attack agents bickered over useless things, I was there with you. Every time you saw how all it takes is a little push to shove someone into total darkness, I was there with you.”“And why do you come to me now?” groaned Rex.“Because now,” sneered Kotua, “you can see that I was right and you were completely, utterly, totally wrong.”“You’re wrong,” Rex gritted his teeth.Kotua responded with a kick. Rex cried out in pain and rolled over. “Stop deluding yourself,” declared Kotua. “You have seen it with your own eyes. The Mutant Dinosaurs are literally created and bred to be nothing but mindless monsters that obey only the destructive will of the Darkitect. You thought you could save them. But you can’t just adopt a Stromling, give it a cage, feed it every few hours, and think that it’s cured. A Stromling is still as vile, despicable, destructive, and evil as it ever will be.”“Mutant Dinosaurs are different from Stromlings,” muttered Rex. “They are intelligent beings, but enslaved and forced to destroy against their own will. They can be freed from their madness, and no one knows that better than me.”Kotua kicked Rex again. “Did you try to save me? Was I worth saving when I fell into madness? You spend so much time taming beasts that you ignore your own kind! What side of the war are you on, Rex?” After a pause, Kotua added: “Then again, the Dino Attack Team was never really all that ideal either. Too many of its members share your foolish ideals, and as thanks for my efforts in helping win the war, I am branded an insane villain by even one of my closest teammates, Databoard. But Dino Attack Team never really did get along, did it? Rotor’s trial here on this island; Greybeard’s actions down in the Goo Caverns; oh, and need I mention the entirely pointless idealist-realist debate that escalated into full violence? I seem to recall that it was Digger who declared war on the realists, not the other way around.”“Are you going somewhere with this?” grimaced Rex.“I’m just reminding you that your efforts are futile,” shrugged Kotua. “Just look around. See how well your team is doing against the Darkitect.”Straining his neck, Rex looked around. What he saw shocked him. Most of the Stromling Explorers had been dispatched, with the remaining few tailing after the mysterious samurai, who now held the Maelstrom Crystal in one hand and fired bolts of lightning at the Stromlings with the other hand. Most of XERRD had disappeared behind the Maelstrom vortex, led by Dr. Cyborg, although Michelle Glados and Carolyne Provencal were not among them.Everyone else, however, was engaged in combat, and fighting a losing battle. Greybeard tried to hold his ground against a giant figure dressed in a black hooded robe and wielding a wicked sword. Frozeen was locked in a struggle against a red-headed figure dressed like a baron, but trembled in fear as wispy ghosts flew all around him. Sam Sinister was trapped by spikes rising from the floor as chains lowered skeletons upon him. Katerina was confronted by a man in a brown suit and a woman in a blue dress. Garry paled as he was approached by a beaten girl and a Dino Attack agent with a bullet in his forehead. Everyone, even those that were fighting like Greybeard and Frozeen, looked absolutely horror-stricken, as though their worst fears had come to life.Except for the samurai, whose face was masked by a veil and did not seem particularly unnerved by the Stromlings that came closer and closer. If anything, it looked as though the samurai was looking for someone to toss the Maelstrom Crystal to, but seemed confused to see that everyone else was already occupied with their own conflicts. Also, when Rex finally recognized Glados and Provencal fighting a bearded Dino Attack agent, none of them expressed fear, but rather boredom, sick amusement, and anger, respectively. Amanda was nowhere to be seen.“As you can see,” declared Kotua, “Dino Attack Team is fighting a losing battle. I’m sure that, even now, your friends at the Pharaoh’s Forbidden Ruins are realizing that they chose poorly. Too bad, they will not come here on time. By then, it will be too late… the Darkitect will have his Maelstrom Crystal, and he will reign supreme over this world… before he abruptly ends it.”“Then what are you just standing there for?” snapped Rex. “Help us! You’re an elite Alpha Team agent; you’re supposed to save the world, not sit by and watch as it sits on the brink of destruction!”Kotua chuckled darkly as a shadow passed over his face. “I don’t know, Rex… I’ve always been a little partial to a little chaos in this universe.”There came a sound like a great tidal wave. From the shadows of the Maelstrom Temple emerged a massive being, vaguely reptilian in form, but its form was composed entirely of water that glowed purple with Maelstrom energy. It bellowed in fury as it laid cold, green eyes on its old enemy, Rex.“It… cannot be!” gasped Rex.“Let me reintroduce you,” smirked Kotua, “to your old friend, Perfect Chaos!”OOC: Anyone who listened to "In the Maelstrom Temple [DEMO]" and did not listen to my request about not looking any deeper into that last bit would have probably seen the ending of this post coming a mile away.The idea is that everyone in the Maelstrom Temple is now fighting their worst fears, brought to life by the power of Baron Typhonus. The only exceptions I can think of at the moment are Katerina (who has already killed the false parents), the samurai (for reasons you can probably figure out), and Provencal/Glados/Zach (because the Darkitect likely sees that they're already busy fighting each other).

Edited May 24, 2012 by PeabodySam

[that guy from that show]

He was hanging upside down with his legs hopelessly tangled in the remains of the bridge. He could only properly use one of his arms and it was the less dominant of the two. I addition he had never done enough sit-ups to tone his abdominal mussels and lift himself from his precarious position.Hertz could smell the heavy rot of the maelstrom lake a mere three feet from his head. Thankfully the mutant pterosaur had likely been killed in the fall but it did nothing to help his current situation.He had only broken his right arm hours ago and it had experienced way more stress then it should have. Threw the slightly torn and blackened cast the techy could observed that his arm had swollen and become black and bruised. It pained him to move it and he once again cursed himself for thinking so impulsively.That left his left arm to rummage in the backpack he had carried with him. Mostly it was filled with tracking beacons that he had planned to place along the temple trail as a means to find an easy way in and out. The vast majority tumbled past his head once the bag was open.Also in the bag were a rope, a PDA, a GPS, rations, and a flare gun. Hertz allowed the rest of the contents to spill past him as he scooped up the gun and took aim at the sky.He hesitated. Firing a flare would likely attract a hoard of stromlings. He would be defenseless to fend them off in his pathetic position.On the other hand no one would possibly hear his calls for help. Guns shots still filled the air and a single scream for help would certainly go unnoticed.If he wanted rescue the flare was his only option. Taking aim he fired it toward the sky and prayed a friendly would see it before a stromling would.Red sparks illuminated the clouds of fog and mist. Taking a deep breath Hertz removed his wire cutters and got to work cutting the stands that were holding his legs. With considerable effort he pulled himself into an upward position and clutched the cutters clumsily in right hand. A shot of pain shot threw his arm with every movement of his fingers but he finally removed himself from the mess and stepped onto the more stable cliff face.It was a mistake. The humidity had made the rocks slippery and he immediately lost his balance and slammed face first into the rocks. He saw stars but was thankful enough to not fall back into the purple lake. Clutching his bleeding temple be looped his arm around blacked vegetation and hoped for rescue.He looked up at the rickety rope bridge leading up to the summit. Hertz did not have the stamina of Indiana Jones in the temple of doom, he also new that it would be impossible with a broken arm anyway.“Hello?”Hertz looked to see a rope fall from above and stop by his face. There was an expertly tied loop on the end where he could slip his foot and Hertz excitedly did so after he tugged the rope in acknowledgment.As his savior razed the rope Hertz thanked the creator that an agent had taken the time to rescue him. Someone must have been close by enough to see the flair and already been on the island.The cliff face scrapped his back as he was pulled up. A sharp rock cut his lower leg but the pain was nothing compared to his joy of not being on the bottom of cliff.He looked up to see a smiling mustached face above him. He took the man’s hand gratefully and was lifted to safety on the wet island peak.“I can’t tell you how thankful I am.” Said Hertz. “I’m certainly glad you came around.”“All in a days work.” Sighed the mustached savior. “I was this close to taking the bridge.” He said as he squeezed his fingers together. “Curiosity got the best of me and I came back to have a look.”“I’m glad you did.” Said Hertz. “What’s your name?”“I’m a provisional agent by the name of Bart Helmutson. My buddies call me Helm.” Said Helm.“Nice to meet you Helm.” Said Hertz holding out his left hand. “I’m Hertz, telecommunications specialist.”Helm helped Hertz to his feet and handed him a pistol. “I was heading into the temple Hertz,” said Helm. “You’re in pretty bad shape, it’s probably better if you stay here.”Hertz accepted the pistol and shoved it in his belt. “You’re probably right. I won’t be much help fighting stromlings anyway. I’ll just wait here and guard the dour.”Helm chucked. “You’re a trooper kid.”He headed into the temple to fight leaving Hertz standing in the doorway. He reflected that he really had not contributed anything to the battle and had only gotten himself repeatedly hurt.“Well I’ve proven myself to be totally worthless.” He muttered as he kicked the dirt.It was at that moment that a group of XERRD scientists scrambled out a side dour. He heard them curse Dr. Cyborg’s real name before turning back to the main dour of the temple.The turned the corner and ran directly into the Hertz.“Magablok.” sweared the first scientist, a tall masked man barring a rocket launcher, “These D.A are everywhere. We’re not going to get out of here without being spotted.”“Who said anything about leaving?” said a bearded wizard. “If we get back to the chamber we can contain the maelstrom.”“You’re a moron Raul.” Spat a witch. “That Darkitect is in control now. This place is going to destroy itself now that that pirate brought the crystal here.”“She’s right Rual.” Said the masked man who had bumped into Hertz. “We lost, the maelstrom is the D.A’s problem now. We need to evacuate when we still can.”“Well how do you recommend we get off this rock!” said a scientist warring a gas mask. “We’re surrounded.”The tail masked man looked down at Hertz. They appeared to have forgotten about him but all at one they smiled menacingly.OoC:Will Hertz take any more punishment? Tune in tomorrow to find out!

Edited May 24, 2012 by that guy from that show

[Jacks]

OOC: avmatoran- My bad, I read the first paragraph of your IC too quickly and got a bit mixed up.PeaSam- Thanks, I've spent most of the day coming up with fridge logic to explain Katerina's adoption. And I've never actually read The Colour of Magic, but since Discworld isn't one single linear narrative, the fact that I read them in whatever order I find them causes me very little trouble.that guy- Minor issue. You pretty much nailed Bart Helmutson's personality, but he's been going by Helm since arriving on the island.

[avmatoran]

OOC:I am not good at keeping my pages on the wiki up to date, so if anyone feels like helping me with it, I would appreciate it a whole lot. Thanks.

Edited May 24, 2012 by avmatoran

[Brikman McStudz]

IC:Minerva shot a Stromling several times in the head. It collapsed rather quickly. She continued to fire at the trail of Stromling Explorers that followed the stranger samurai individual who held the Maelstrom Crystal. However, as the samurai began to blast away Stromlings with her lightning, Minerva allowed herself to pause.She glanced around the chamber. She had split up with Zach and she wished to make sure he was okay. She knew she was babying him, but she couldn’t help it. She just wanted to make sure he was okay.The first thing she noted was that everyone seemed to be locked into some sort of personal battle. Figures that in no way resembled Stromlings seemed to be harassing everyone. And each one of her allies displayed a face of terror.Her glance shot over to the Maelstrom vortex, where Baron Typhonus watched the battle with a smirk on his skeletal face. He has something to do with this. Minerva only recently learned of this controller of the Maelstrom, but was certain he was manipulating his forces against him.Another scan allowed her to find Zach. He was fighting a XERRD Sorcerer and Space Marauder, but was clearly losing. The XERRD scientists were faster and clearly more powerful than him. She turned and began to run toward him.“Hello, Minnie,” a voice suddenly said. Minerva froze in her tracks. She had not been referred to by her family nickname in four years. She turned around slowly to face the speaker. She gasped in shock.Oswald Fabello stood before her, his arms crossed with a wicked sneer on his face. He wore a crisp and clean black XERRD guard uniform with gold epaulets. He crossed his arms as Minerva stepped back in horror. But he was not the most surprising figure.Beside Oswald was a woman. She had long blond hair that stretched down the the middle of her back. She wore a pure black dress that hung down to her ankles, revealing bare feet that clawed at the ground anxiously. Her face once had former beauty, but the times caught up with the woman, giving her crow's’ feet around her eyes and tired wrinkles around her smiling mouth. Her gray eyes glistened as they stared at Minerva.Minerva was dumbfounded. “You...you are supposed to be at Napoleon XVI! You can’t be here!”Athena Fabello laughed, her voice light and airy. “Oh, Minnie!” Minerva winced at the use of the nickname. “I think the stress is getting to your head.” Oswald smirked as he and Athena walked over to Minerva and began to circle her like vultures.“Why are you here?” Minerva whispered, her fear growing.“Can’t a mother come and see her son and daughter without being questioned?” Athena responded sweetly. “I missed you, Minnie. Ever since Tod’s death you refused to even see me. Ozzy forgave me, so we decided to see you together.” Minerva doubted Oswald had completely forgiven his mother. She remembered nights with curse-ridden rants orchestrated by Oswald and directed at his mother for what she did to them and their brother, Tod.“You are insane!” Minerva spat. “You were institutionalized! How could you get here?”Athena smiled. “Oswald helped me come here. Apparently he worked over here once. Isn’t that great?” Minerva shook her head. Oswald cackled sharply.“So little Minnie can’t be happy that Oswald finally got a job to support his ungrateful sister?” Oswald hissed. “Even though his sister had been nothing but delinquent, coming home with wounds of various sizes and stealing processed food from convenience stores, he took care of you and made sure you were safe. Way to thank him!” Oswald screamed the last line.Minerva felt tears begin to roll down her face. “I am-”“You know, you’re right Ozzy,” Athena replied. “Minerva seems to think see is entitled to something.”“No!” Minerva cried out. “I-”“The best you could do in a family crisis was to turn to crime? I raised you better, Minerva.”“You did nothing!” Minerva finally screamed. “I didn’t know what to do! I thought I was helping-”“Helping?!” Oswald barked furiously. “Making me pay the small wages I had so I could get you out of jail? Yeah, thanks for the help! This is exactly why I changed sides!”“Wha-?”“I joined XERRD to escape! To start a new life, since my past life was being held back by you!” Oswald roared.“I was-”“Scared?” Oswald finished, moving face to face Minerva. “So was I, Minerva. Everyday knowing that I had to wake up unsure if there would be a meal. If you’d even be alive. And all you ever did was take advantage of me to survive!”“I was young, I-”“Young?!” Oswald spat. “Maybe for a bit, but even after becoming old enough to be employed, you didn’t! You’d prefer for me to do all the work while you went around and got in trouble! You are a worthless pile of filth.”Minerva shrank underneath Oswald’s lashings. Behind him, Athena glared at her. “You truly are a terrible person, Minerva. What you did to your brothers-”“Brothers?” Minerva called back. “I did absolutely nothing to Tod. You killed him!”“He sacrificed himself,” Athena said curtly, ignoring Minerva’ accusations. “To save a miserable wretch like you. He is more honorable and a thousand times better person than you ever will be, Minnie.”“Why couldn’t Mom kill you?” Oswald whispered harshly. “Why did Tod have to die? We loved him. He was a true son, brother, and friend who tried to make things better after Dad died. You did nothing. We hate you, Minerva. I imagine you would’ve killed Tod yourself if you had gotten the chance, you-” Oswald was cut off by the sound of a gun firing. He glanced at the gaping wound in his chest for a moment, then at the smoking gun in Minerva’s hands before slumping forward on to Minerva.Minerva threw him off of her and she scrambled back to her feet as Athena looked at Oswald. Tears were running from both women's’ eyes, though for different reasons.“Ozzie was right,” Athena whimpered, using Oswald’s nickname. “You are evil,”“No!” Minerva screamed. “He is evil. I loved Tod! He-” Minerva sobbed quietly, trying to find the words to describe her relationship with her late brother. “He was my best friend,” she weeped, never taking her eyes off of her mother. “He played with me. We talked together. Oswald is a liar.”“I doubt that,” Athena scoffed angrily. “You let Tod die, held your brother back, and then killed him when he told you the truth.”“It’s your fault!” Minerva snapped back. “You killed Tod, my best friend. I was alone and confused. I knew I needed to take his place and I tried my best. I only became a criminal to help Oswald and I. And the only reason that was even necessary is because of you!”“Don’t you dare talk to your mother like that!” Athena screamed at Minerva.“You aren’t my mother!” Minerva bellowed back. “You raised me for four years. After Dad died, you might as well have died too! You raving, insane alcoholic! All of our problems stemmed from the fact you couldn’t handle your grief. You were a nuisance! You were the fourth child that Oswald and Tod didn’t want to take care of! You-you-you...” Minerva faltered. Athena glared at Minerva, fuming before suddenly launching herself forward.Minerva step-sided Athena’s attack and raised the gun, firing three bullets into her back. Athena glanced back at Minerva, her eyes flashing angrily before she collapsed on the ground. Minerva stared at the body and watched as Athena’s body transitioned to the body of a Stromling. A quick look at Oswald’s body saw the same vision.Minerva fell to her knees, weeping softly. It was an illusion. All an illusion created by the Maelstrom to weaken her. And it had nearly worked. She wanted to roll into a ball and just cry. She had so desperately tried bury her past, but with Oswald’s betrayal and the appearances of Maelstrom!Athena and Maelstrom!Oswald, it seemed to try and bring itself back into the light.As she kneeled, she knew that the Maelstrom had played off of her fears. Fears that what had happened to Oswald and Tod were her fault. “It was Mom’s fault,” she whispered to herself repeatedly. Seeing her mother again struck a particularly sour note. She was legally insane and she was institutionalized in Napoleon XVI Mental Institution. She hadn’t seen her mother in six years as both Minerva and Oswald despised Athena for everything she had done to them.They’re still out there. Minerva thought. Oswald was with XERRD and Athena was in Antarctica. She knew she would have to face the both of them eventually, and she dreaded the moment when the day finally came. However, she needed to stop dwelling on the past and focus on the present. She raised her head and saw Zach continuing his fight with the Sorcerer and Space Marauder.Minerva wiped the sweat from her forward and rose to her feet. Her gun raised, she ran over Zach.

[Atton Rand]

IC: The thick mist obscured the visions of three agents as they proceeded toward the temple, only partially visible in the distance. "Where's all the Stromlings?" Cabin asked. "I thought you said there was an army of them.""There was," replied Trigger. "Someone must have summoned them and then they were recalled. I think a Stromling got a little power hungry and the Maelstrom took back control.""It recalled its own armies?" Snake asked."Reduced them at any rate," replied Trigger. "The Maelstrom's smart. It's not going to just send a bunch of Stromlings to kill us. It's like an elaborate chess game. It's trying to mess with us. Now I can resist this, but if you see anything or anyone you know who wasn't on this island, you ignore them. It's just the Maelstrom playing with your mind. Still, whoever summoned that first army is more dangerous than most Stromlings. I'd suggest you leave them to me."At that moment, the noise of voices started to grow louder. They could soon make out the vague shapes of a group of people menacingly surrounding two men; It wasn't long before Cabin recognized the face as that of Hertz.

[Andrewnuva199]

IC: "Okay men, enough delaying," Semick said into the mic. The T-1 Typhoons were finally in position, having mostly taken care of the Mutant Pterosaur attacks, and had at least one of them still protecting the bombardment formation. It was time to break in. "Let's hope everyone's still prepared."Semick gripped his controls for the front guns, the trigger only a light push from going off. "On my mark. Ten..."This is risky, highly risky."...Nine..."Semick knew what this was. Last minute doubt, possibly Malestrom trickery trying to play on his fears. He kept a straight face and did his best to ignore it.You could injure something or someone important. You could doom the planet just with a simple action."...Eight..."This was true. They delay in firing could've made people numb to Rockford's warning. But this had to be done.Like butterflies in the wind. You know what could happen."...Seven..."This inner voice had a slight point. During the preparations for the temple assult, Semick had a restless night due to his dreams. Nightmares were getting to him again, and in this case he had a rather vivid one.He dreamed of being among the last survivors of his kind. Of a failure of this mission leaving him and a few familiar and unfamiliar faces being the remnants of the LEGO Planet's population. And time was almost up."...Six..."In those last imaginary moments (so vivid!), he was holding hands with his last allies, taking in death together, morbidly accepting that the end was near for them, and the rest of the universe wasn't far behind.And that can still happen, if you make the wrong choice."...Five..."There were other options, true. Storming the temple on foot, protecting it from further exterior attack, but they weren't the immediate help he felt was needed.You realize the forces you're toying with. Reconsider before its too late."...Four..."The Malestrom was strong, Semick knew that, especially around the heart of its infection on this island. But Dino Attack was strong too. It had gotten this far in its war against the Dinos against impossible odds, and if he could use everything he had, he was determined to do it."...Three..."People like Dust or Trigger might be technically more realistic in the strategic outlook of things, but after all Semick had seen, he knew that there were acceptable times to take risks, times that might be a gamble, and if he had a chance to help his team in their darkest hour yet, he was going to take it."...Two..."You'll be dead!Dino Attack needs everything right now, Semick told his inner voice. If I die, I'll die knowing that I didn't stand down and let this happen. I'll do everything I need to if necessary."...One..."Fire!" Semick cried over the mic, and squeezed the trigger. The T-1s began, firing nearly in union, Striking hard down on the largest part of the temple where the radar readings stated that everyone was in. It was time to let them know that Dino Attack wasn't done yet.-------------The temple started to shake, slight pieces of debris falling from the ceiling."What was that?" Vinyaya asked out loud."Maybe something big just went down in the battle area," Laxus suggested."Could be Semick finally getting to blowing through the roof," Andrew added."I hope he isn't being stupid with his choice," Vinyaya muttered. "Who knows what physical state this building is in?""I'm sure he knows what he's doing. Now come on, I think the battle sounds are coming from down this hall."The three of them jogged down the hall, hoping to at least reach the battle area. Andrew was getting anxious. He wanted to get there soon. Not just because he felt that the more hands being handed to the team effort, the better, but the fact that the Malestrom corridors were looking more and more eerie by the minute. It felt like it was ready to show him some scary tall guy in a suit with no face the next time he looked down a-Andrew's heart skipped a beat for the umpteenth time today. Standing right down the hallway was a familiar Minifig in a red vest and train cap, a thick white moustace, and a pair of large glasses."The-the Infomaniac?" Andrew sputtered out."What the Megabloks is he doing here?!" Vinyaya asked. "Isn't he back in Antarctica?""I came here," the Infomanaic said, approaching the trio, "to talk to you personally, Andrew. About how you failed at LEGO Island."But while the words stung him, Andrew was already snapped out of it. With a look of annoyance, he raised his laser rifle and shot the "Infomaniac" midstep. He fell to the ground, his true visage as a Stromling revealed."What makes the Malestrom think," Laxus remarked, "that it can have some mook take the visage of some figure from our past and give us a good talking to, when the fact that someone we know taking the moment in the middle of a battle to try and chat rather than help us fight is going to fool anyone?""You'd be surprised at how the trick works on people under the right circumstances," said Vinyaya. "I think you two just might be a little too genre savvy for that right now. Now let's try and get going. I came here to save our planet, not ask alot of questions about the Malestrom's workings. I didn't expect some kind of Stromling Inquisition."Suddenly, three more Stromlings jumped out from the shadows, all three dressed in bright purple robes and gold necklaces, and at least one in a nice long-brim hat."Nobody expects the Stromling Inquistion!" said the Stromling in the hat. "Because our chief weapon is suprise! Suprise, fear, and nice purple uniforms!"Andrew just stared at the sight. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me," he groaned as he readied his rifle.------------The scarred Mutant Lizard commonly known as "Stranger's Friend" stood crouched down in one of the shadows of the chamber of the battle. Here the call of the Malestrom was strong, and the instinctual temptations great. The creature did his best to not look at the swirling vortex and the fearsome-seeming figure inside it, instead focusing on the figures in the battlefield.Most of the purple servants of the Malestrom were gone now. Most were preoccupied with the cloaked warrior now holding the crystal the chamber was so focused on several minutes ago. But it seemed the battle had taken some strange turn. Many of the Dino Attack Minifigs and their allies seemed halted by strange circumstances. Most were trapped by what looked like other Minifigs, who appeared to somehow install fear in them that was leaving them all but paralyzed. Others seemed stopped by obstacles that were holding them down by something other than just the physical obstacles. And at least some were being hounded by creatures that were triggering phobias, like one Minifig who was running in circles from a large butterfly.Still crouched in the shadows, the Lizard tried moving closer to the battle, listening to the things these Minifigs were saying. For all that was happening, the creature was still intent on finding and helping Rex. He had to be somewhere, and what these Minifigs were all saying had to give something away."....could you do this to us? Squander the fortune we....""....little Minnie can’t be happy that Oswald finally got....""....did was wrong. And the Team Commanders will....""....the heck is going on, I'm not good with computers, ask...""...dinosaurs are literally created and bred to be nothing but mindless monsters that..."The lizard's one good eye widened. It turned towards the source of the last few words.There was a Minifig on the ground, his face covered with hair growths and scars his legs spread out almost loosely, only supporting himself by his arms. Above him was a Minifig in garments similar to his, and though his face was much more plain, there was an unmissable look of hostility and hatred in his eyes.From what the Lizard could understand, the second Minifig was hounding the first about how helping Mutant Dinos was futile, how they were doomed to be servants of the Malestrom. He also rambled about how apparently their allies were useless and were fighting a losing battle. The Lizard felt insulted and enraged at this Minifig. It was despicable what he was saying to his own kind, and insulting Mutant Dinos wasn't helping its reputation either. Its crouch slowly began to ready for a charge.After some time, the second Minifig gestured its arms back behind him, and with the sound of a great rush of water, some kind of form started to emerge from the shadows surrounding the chamber. Some even came from right over the Mutant Lizard's head. The form merged together not far from the two Minifigs, and became some large, slightly Dino-ishy creature of glowing purple water. It roared a great roar, and looked down towards the Minifigs, specifically towards the one on the ground.The Mutant Lizard had no idea what was going on between the two, except for one thing: the Minifig on the ground was Rex, the "Dino Man" himself. And he was down on the ground, his values being tested to the limit, and his peril great. He needed help.Just as something above the chamber started to rumble, the Mutant Lizard charged forward out of the shadows, passing by other Minifigs in the middle of their own struggles, and leaped out into the air. It landed feet first right between Rex and his opponent, making the latter stumble back in surprise."What...?!" The Minifig uttered.The Mutant Lizard growled threateningly and crouched defensively. It was determined to protect Rex from these strange but undeniable foes.OOC: Hope none of that interrupts anybody's plans severely. And I wasn't trying to mock the whole "Malestrom reminds people of their fears" bit there. Just having a bit of fun with it in my usual style.BTW, I've been waiting to do that joke at the end of Andrew's part for so long.

Edited May 25, 2012 by Andrewnuva199

[Atton Rand]

Trigger put a hand over his forehead as a few bursts of flame were monetarily visible on top of the temple, which was now within walking distance."What do we do with him?" Cabin asked."Leave him," replied Snake. "I don't know about you, but the sooner I get out of here the better.""I'm afraid Snake is right here," replied Trigger. "We'll have to leave that guy behind. There's too many of them and we don't stand a chance."It was not long after that the door was finally visible. Trigger took a moment to examine it, his gloved hands pushing aside cobwebs before stepping inside."Alright," he muttered. "This is it. At this point I got a feeling we need to split up temporarily. Snake, Cabin, it is vitally important that you get to the source of the Maelstrom's power. I don't care about the historical significance of this thing, blow a few holes in the wall if you have to.""What about you?" Cabin asked. "I gotta find the master," replied Trigger. "I got to find the one who tried to summon that army before he does anything else that could znap this megablocking mission up."With that, Trigger cocked his pistol and turned toward a lengthy corridor, dissapearing into darkness.

[that guy from that show]

iC:The XERRD scientist known as Raul rushed forward and grabbed Hertz by the hair and yanked him to his feet. Hertz was shoved hard against the temple doorway and a glowing red weapon of some short was shoved to his chin.Raul bit his lip in excitement. “Looks like we got ourselves a bargaining chip eh Solomon?”“Now Raul lets remain civil.” Said the masked scientist. Hertz could see he wore a helmet similar to that of Ogal’s. A long black robe flowed around his figure that oozed elegance and charisma.“I ask you this doctor, do you think that that the D.A. will just let us walk away? XERRD has commuted war crimes; we will be persecuted as terrorists once this war is over. We need to make friends not enemies with the D.A.”“Well what do you suggest we do Solomon?” asked the woman.“I believe now is the time to offer our terms of surrender.” Said Solomon.Raul dropped Hertz to the floor with a thump and spun around to face Solomon. “Are you suggesting we go crawling to them for forgiveness? I have no intention to spend the rest of my life in a high security cell. Oh no! I’m going down fighting.”“The maelstrom is beyond our control Raul. Can’t you see that!” said Solomon. “We can’t possibly hope to keep this planet intact unless we submit to the D.A.”“Are you suggesting we join them!” yelled Raul.“I am suggesting we attempt to corporate with them.” said Solomon sternly. “We’re are losing this war, I hope you can see that! Bishop was a mole, Strangebrick and Cyrista defected, Provhezor and Breen are dead, and we lost almost a third off our resources when the fortress was destroyed.”“If I can say something.” Said Hertz weakly as he once again rose from the ground. “Using me as a hostage won’t be much help. We have some of the best snipers in the world on our side and you really will have nowhere to run. I don’t have the authority to accept a formal surrender but I can put in a good word and try and keep you from being treated to harshly.”He was silenced by a kick to the gut by the female scientist and he promptly collapsed. “Even if we did give up, (which I have no intention of doing) we would never be allowed to live. They have psychos like Rotor that would gladly kill us on sight.”With the helmet it was impossible to read Solomon’s expression but Hertz could tell he was contemplating. He passed around considering how he could convince his fellow scientists to follow his lead and stopped before Hertz.He held out a hand and lifted the bruised techy to his feet. Hertz felt pain every time he moved and he fully expected to be knocked down again.“What is your name son?” asked Solomon warmly. “My name is Soloman Koplowitz. I am a scientist for XERRD and formerly was a philosophy professor.”Hertz did not know how to respond. His training had taught him to not give the enemy his name but he gave it anyway as he nodded dumbly.“I apologize for my colleagues behavior. I am sure that your doctorate has tried to enforce that we are all bad people. We are not. Just like the D.A. XERRD has good men and bad men. We strove to help the world by harnessing it most awesome power. As you must know the maelstrom has grown beyond our control, we are willing to help you stop it if you will accept the terms of our surrender.”“You don’t speak for the whole organization Solomon.” Said Raul. “We can still escape. We can still endure.”“Raul you are as filled with dilutions as you were when we first met.” Said Solomon. “Do you expect to run from the law forever? We need to turn in our cards when we still have some chips on the table.”Solomon rose and stood apart from the rest of the scientists. “I intend to end my existence as a good man. That was something I hoped XERRD would make me. If anyone of you would like to join me step forward.”About half of the scientist stepped forward. Raul and the female scientist remained rooted where they stood.The female scientist addressed Raul. “I don’t agree that we can still contain the maelstrom.” She said. “But I know that if we are captured by the D.A we will suffer dire consequences.”“You’re ###### right you would.”Trigger stepped into the fray followed by Cabin and Snake. “Do you really think we would spare your miserable existence because you asked nicely?”“Don’t do anything stupid agent.” Said Solomon. “There are four of you and fifteen of us. We would offer a chance to go peacefully.”Hertz stood between Trigger and Solomon. “I know you don’t lessen to the rules very often Trigger but I hope you at least know not to shoot a man who’s surrendered.”“Get out of the way Hertz.” Said Trigger threw gritted teeth. “Your not a soldier, you don’t know what it means to fight and make a tough call.”“But you will only give them a reason to fight us!” yelled Hertz.A scientist warring a gas mask whipped out a heavy blaster. Most of the scientists who sided with Raul followed suit.“You’re a fool agent.” Said the gas-masked scientist. “In fact, your dead man.”Now Solomon had his rocket launcher pointed at Raul. “You are the reason why us scientists have such a bad name. Its people like you who have developed this image of vile that now is the face of XERRD.”It was a Mexican stand off of epic proportions. Hertz locked eyes with elite agent Cabin.“You’re an elite agent Cabin,” he said. “Your in command now, call of this blunt instrument of destruction you’ve found before he kills someone!”Trigger had his gun pointed at Solomon with Hertz standing between them. Solomon had his rocket launcher pointed at Raul and the XERRD loyalists. Raul had his gun pointed at Trigger, and Snake had his gun pointed at Raul.Hertz looked at Trigger and Solomon. “Lets just all try and settle down.”OoC: My what a mess I’ve made!I plain to develop the characters of Solomon, Raul, the female scientist, and the gas mask scientist. I will probably post pictures someday.Hertz really gets beaten up a lot.EDIT: It seems me an Atton posted at exactly the same time. This posses a problem.EDIT again: Ha ha stromling inquisition.

Edited May 25, 2012 by that guy from that show

[Atton Rand]

OOC: I would just like to point out a few problems with your last post. First, Trigger already left. He's got his own set of priorities, and even if he didn't, he's too smart to get into a foolish Mexican Stand-off like this. The only way I could see it really working is if Cabin went back for Hertz and Snake got involved out of self defense.

[that guy from that show]

OoC:Yes, well I had based this off your last post. I did not see you had posted before me and assumed that since you mentioned Hertz at the end you intended to interact.Perhaps Trigger overheard Solomon was planing to surrender and saw it as an opportunity to bag a bunch of XERRD members. He may have intended for them to go quietly and therefor easily capture a large amount of leading scientists but had not anticipated that Raul and the rest had not intention of surrender. Unknowingly he had entered a large amount of infighting and therefor a stand-off had occurred that he had no expectations of.Location wise, Hertz and the scientists where at the main entryway of the temple. I don't think Trigger would have been able to enter the building without getting somehow involved.

[Atton Rand]

OoC:Yes, well I had based this off your last post. I did not see you had posted before me and assumed that since you mentioned Hertz at the end you intended to interact.Perhaps Trigger overheard Solomon was planing to surrender and saw it as an opportunity to bag a bunch of XERRD members. He may have intended for them to go quietly and therefor easily capture a large amount of leading scientists but had not anticipated that Raul and the rest had not intention of surrender.Unknowingly he had entered a large amount of infighting and therefor a stand-off had occurred that he had no expectations of.Location wise, Hertz and the scientists where at the main entryway of the temple. I don't think Trigger would have been able to enter the building without getting somehow involved.

OOC: You know, that actually does make a certain degree of sense. I just think it's a bit out of character for him to take on a larger group of people just to save one man who isn't part of his objective. Then again, if they're right in front of the doorway (I was under the impression they were more to the side of the temple) I guess he wouldn't have much choice. Edited May 25, 2012 by Atton Rand

[Brikman McStudz]

OOC: Stromling Inquisition, eh? Oh, you.PeabodySam, I must ask you this. Since Breen and Glados seemingly swapped roles (With Breen biting the bullet from Einstein instead of Glados), would that make Glados killable?IC:Zach grunted as Provencal slammed her foot into Zach's chest. He squirmed underneath her and desperately tried to push her foot off of him. Provencal smirked as he struggled. She swung up her staff and pinned his right arm to the ground. Provencal then looked up toward Glados, who walked over and stared at Zach for a short moment before raising her foot and smashing his robotic hand as hard as she could.If there were actually pain nerves installed into the hand, the attack might have hurt a lot. However, the most he felt was a sudden electrical shock as the hand finally met its match, crumpling under Glados' might. Zach growled and continued to attack Provencal, but she refused."This is really amusing," Provencal stated, leaning in toward Zach's face. "Watching you.""Desperately trying to flee like prey escaping a predator," Glados added on, pacing around Zach.Zach didn't say anything, only glaring at the scientists. They clearly had him beat and yet that continued to punish him. He wondered dimly why the continue when he remembered that Michelle Glados and Carolyne Provencal were clearly among the most sadistic people he had ever met in his life. They gained amusement from watching others in pain. As soon as he stopped being responsive to the pain, they would most likely kill him.Glados kicked him in the face. He snarled at her. Even though Glados clearly went to great lengths to hide her feelings underneath layers of monotone and boredom, she was clearly amused while beating Zach. However, her uninterested tone only seemed to make Zach angrier."How?" he hissed. "How can you go around, acting like you don't care?" Glados raised an eyebrow an lifted Zach's torso up by his Dino Attack Agent uniform."Emotions make you weak," Glados hissed. "The only reasons you lie here now is because your anger at Provencal and the pain that fuels the beating. And because of that you are weak." She threw Zach back to the ground. Provencal lifted up her foot and backed away from him as well.Zach crawled to his feet slowly. Provencal smiled at him warmly. "I'm going to kill you," Zach muttered, staring at the two scientists, his eyes filled with contempt."Cute," Provencal remarked. "I have an offer for you...""Zachary Virchaus," he hissed."That's it. Zachary Virchaus. We may consider letting you live, on the condition you will go to Dinosaur Island with us.""And why would I even consider that?""You are the first confirmed Minifig to be a Stromling," she said. "An actually Stromling. Not a Mutant Dino. Think of what we could learn from you.""You've done a lot of things you probably regret," Glados said. "But we think we can put our differences behind us for science."For science. Zach wasn't sure why, but that phrase rubbed him in the wrong way. "For science, eh? I think I know your idea of science, and I want no part of it. Using science to destroy Minifigkind? Yeah, I really want a part of that." He imagined torture and dissections if actually agree to their demands.Provencal shrugged. "I figured as much. You are a rather unreasonable person though." She raised her staff and Glados pointed her rocket launcher at him. "I think we're done here - oh look!"Zach turned around and saw Minerva running toward him. She embraced him for several seconds before pulling away. Her eyes were red and puffy, but other than that, she seemed fine."I remember you, too!" Provencal said. "Very upset when you found out he had been corrupted. Even more upset when you learned I was the culprit."Zach looked at Minerva. Her countenance first suggested confusion, then anger as she seemingly recognized Provencal."And it's very clear why you upset now," Provencal continued, smirking. Glados scoffed, seemingly proving her point about emotions. Zach scowled. "Now, it is time to end this."

[avmatoran]

IC:Dr. Cyborg looked around in confusion. For an end-of-the-world battle, he was strangely bored. Everyone was being attacked by their worst fears. He saw one man running from a butterfly. Katerina was being confronted by who he assumed were her parents. Rex was talking to a man in a hood. Strangely, nobody listened to him when he tried to snap them out of it. Even stranger, nothing confronted him. There was one shade swirling around, saying something about how it was his fault, but he ignored as it had no influence over him.He noticed Zach and Minerva being confronted by Provencal and Glados. He went over there to help Zach. Plus he just never liked Glados. (Once, just to try to crack her chell (shell, get it?) he made a video game where an insane AI with her last name was the bad guy, a woman with her first name was trying to escape a lab, and a portal gun. She just dropped him off the side of the building with portals.)OOC:Anyone wanna hear about that shade? It's sorta cheesy, though. I warned you.

Edited May 25, 2012 by avmatoran

[Brikman McStudz]

IC:Zach suddenly saw both Provencal and Glados' eyes narrow at them, as if annoyed. Zach turned his head and saw that Dr. Cyborg had joined their group."Oh," Provencal said coldly, putting a hand on her hip. "Hello, Dr. Cyrista.""Yes. The 'deadly' Dr. Cyrista," Glados said. Dr. Cyborg raised an eyebrow. "The 'deadly' was in massive sarcasm quotes, you fool."Hard to tell with the way you speak. Zach thought. Dr. Cyborg smirked at the high-ranking scientists."Did you miss me?" Dr. Cyborg said calmly."In fact we have," Provencal hissed. "We've been wanting to see you again so we can thank you for betraying Dr. Rex and XERRD. It is so nice of you to join us."Glados glanced at the Maelstrom vortex for a moment. "Unfortunately, we do have more important matters to deal with. Dr. Provencal, please dispose of them." Provencal nodded and raised her staff."It was nice seeing you again, Cyrista, Virchaus, and-""Minerva Fabello," Minerva said through gritted teeth. At this, Provencal eyes and smile widened."Interesting. Regardless, it's time for you three to go!" With a wave of her staff, a brilliant purple blast shot out of the staff's head and moved at the Dino Attack Agents at a rapid pace.Zach winced. It was all about to end. He closed his eyes and almost instinctively raised his hands as if to stop the powerful blast of Maelstrom magic. He waited and...nothing.What? Zach opened his eyes and nearly jumped. A fiery purple ball of Maelstrom energy was floating ahead of him, Cyborg, and Minerva. It rested barely a foot away from his head and seemed to snap at him furiously."What's going on!?" Minerva whispered fearfully. Zach shrugged. He felt his energy being sapped away the longer the fiery mesh stayed next to them. Suddenly, a loud explosion rocked the temple and rocks and brick began to fall from the chamber's massive ceiling.The helicopter fleet. He thought weakly. They were blowing a hole in the temple. He pointed up to the ceiling."Semick's crew is blowing their way - WHOA!" He stumbled backward into Minerva's arms as the ball of Maelstrom suddenly shot upward. It kept going up and shot straight through the chamber ceiling like it was a house of cards. Bricks began to fall freely on into the chamber as outside light began to seep into the chamber.Zach was panting, barely able to stand. What just happened? His brain was trying to process the information. The Maelstrom magic advanced had been stopped and sent in a completely different direction. Did...did I do that? He thought back to the final moments before he became a Stromling. Ahua mentioned a prophecy. Zach had thought it was lies. It was too astronomically cliché to be true. He had learned the Darkitect himself had been responsible for saving his life at the Maelstrom pool. He had said he saw potential in Zach and took advantage of it. There was no power until after he became a Stromling.Perhaps I have been Touched by Vorlons. His being of a Stromling and general close contact to the Maelstrom maybe lead to Zach acquiring those powers Ahua spoke of. Perhaps half the reason the Darkitect wanted Zach dead was because he knew he had these powers.These powers clearly had a consequence. Holding back Provencal's Maelstrom magic had sapped away much of the energy he had managed to acquire following his redemption. He felt weak and on the verge on unconsciousness. If the current situation wasn't so dire, he might have succumbed. However, he worked past the tiredness and Minerva helped him back on to his feet.Provencal's mouth was hanging up, in shock. She was looking at the gaping hole in the ceiling in awe before looking directly at Zach. Even the mighty stoic Michelle Glados had a look of shock and fear on her face. Minerva leaned in close to Zach's ear."Did you do that?!" she whispered, her voice displaying her own fear."I-I think," Zach said, clearly dazed. Glados and Provencal were regaining their composure very quickly. Their surprise and fear melted away into anger. Glados whispered something into Provencal's ear. The red-haired scientist nodded and pointed her staff at the group again."Are you really going to try that again, Carolyne?" Dr. Cyborg said."Maybe," Provencal sneered. Without warning, both Glados and Provencal disappeared in a flash of orange light. Zach swore as Minerva looked around, confused."Where did they go?" Minerva asked. "How did they-""The device in Glados's hand," Dr. Cyborg explained. "It is a teleportation device. It allows her to teleport from one place to another." There was a rapid flash of blue and orange light to the agents left."Get down!" Zach yelled. He, Minerva, and Dr. Cyborg hit the ground as a blast from Provencal's staff shot over their heads. Suddenly, a blue light appeared in the middle of their group. Zach saw Dr. Glados for a second as she held a grenade in her hand. "Spread out! Move!" He scrambled to his feet as he saw another flash of orange light followed by an explosion that threw him forward.He landed hard on the floor. He grimaced as he pulled himself up. He, Dr. Cyborg, and Minerva were spread out and Glados and Provencal clearly had the advantage with heavier firepower and more powerful technology. He was about to start moving toward Provencal when he stepped on a bump on the floor. He grinned as he pulled up the knife he had dropped.Time for my revenge, Provencal.

[that guy from that show]

OoC:Atton, did we get out dispute worked out? I don't know whether I should post involving your party, have your party leave, or just retcon the whole incident.

[Atton Rand]

OoC:Atton, did we get out dispute worked out? I don't know whether I should post involving your party, have your party leave, or just retcon the whole incident.

OOC: AT this point I'm thinking we'll go with your idea for now.

[Jacks]

OOC: On that note, is Helm still with Hertz? that guy's post near the top of the page said he left, but one of Atton's posts said that the XERRD scientists were surrounding two men.

[Atton Rand]

OOC: On that note, is Helm still with Hertz? that guy's post near the top of the page said he left, but one of Atton's posts said that the XERRD scientists were surrounding two men.

OOC: That was a mistake on my part, from what I can tell, Helm went in while Hertz waited outside, at which point the scientists started ganging up on them, and Trigger bumped into them on his way in.

[PeabodySam]

OOC: Heh, I see you finally managed to get your inquisition joke in, Andrewnuva. How long has it been since you first proposed that idea in a Steam chat? Only then, it was XERRD scientists wearing red...Also, I apologize if you already stated this, but I cannot recall: what breed is Stranger's Mutant Lizard? I don't want to make any inconsistencies by stating that he was spitting acid or breathing fire...Regarding Dr. Glados, while I would prefer that she is still alive when the Adventurers' Island story arc is over (let's just say that I have an idea for the final battle, and she seems like a good candidate for that idea rather than just some random cannon fodder that we could care less about), I would be willing to let you kill her now if you make her death a satisfying one. Knowing you, that shouldn't be too hard... but as I said, if possible, try to keep her alive.IC: Rex's jaw dropped in shock. He barely even noticed the fact that the temple was shaking and a great rumbling was coming from the chamber's ceiling. All his attention was focused upon the Mutant Lizard that stood before him, which growled and snarled at Kotua as it crouched defensively over Rex's fallen form.Kotua's own surprise disappeared quickly, replaced by an amused smirk. "Still being a Fluffy Tamer, I see?" he chuckled. "I see things never really do change."Kotua's comment invoked in Rex the memory of a brief moment back at the Dino Attack Outpost. He recognized this Mutant Lizard as that one lizard in the camp area that nobody fired at; he later learned that this Mutant Lizard was not one of his own after all, but rather taken in by Stranger. Now, Stranger's Mutant Lizard friend stood between him and Kotua."I don't have the time for this," muttered Kotua. "Drown them both."Perfect Chaos nodded with unconcealed zeal. It stretched out an appendage, like a giant tentacle made from water, and raised in the air above Rex and Stranger's Mutant Lizard. The Mutant Lizard jumped back, closing its jaws on the back of Rex's uniform as it did so, and dragged Rex out of the way just before the water limb slammed down upon the floor.The appendage dissolved into a wave of water, which rushed into Rex and the Mutant Lizard and sent them sprawling across the temple floor. The Mutant Lizard recovered quickly and nudged Rex, giving him the strength to do an upper-body push-up. Rex looked up at Perfect Chaos, who roared in anger."You know," smirked Kotua, "this reminds me. One of the greatest bonding experiences Chaos and I ever had together... Did you really think that it was a wise idea to cage up all your little pets in an abandoned prison on the coast?""What?" gasped Rex.Kotua laughed. "Oh, you should have been there. It was just so satisfying to listen to the cries and screeches of dozens of Mutant Dinos as they drowned in the very cells that you locked them up in. They had no escape as Chaos flooded the entire building with its own being. There were no survivors, especially not after a swarm of Mutant Vinscale Octomus took up residence in the area."The Mutant Lizard bared its teeth, but Rex paled. He remembered that the last time he visited the former prison, it was completely devoid of life. Surely, Kotua must have had the technology to track down such a large concentration of Mutant Dinos... and it was right on the coast. Rex thought the former prison was the perfect place for his tamed Mutant Dinos, since he could convert the cells into cages and pens where he could keep them safe... but could it be? Did he really leave them trapped and unable to escape as Kotua and Chaos killed them all? Self-doubt clouded Rex's mind."Do you remember your dear friend Trouble, Rex?" continued Kotua.Rex froze. He could not remember the last time he spared a thought towards what was once his closest friend in the whole world. To hear his name again now..."He was there, too, when it happened. He had a mate, too, and hatchlings, I believe. It's almost a shame that Chaos had to snuff out the whole family just like that. Since it's Trouble's fault that this whole team-splitting debate began, I would have liked to have made him suffer a little longer before he died."Rex's self-doubt turned to anger. He glanced beside him and saw a fallen XERRD scientist and his rocket launcher. Thinking quickly, he grabbed the rocket launcher and fired it at Kotua.Surprisingly, Kotua dodged the projectile with ease, maneuvering with incredible reflexes and even displaying a bit of acrobatics. "Oh, please. I'm an Alpha Team agent; we're specially trained to deal with this stuff on a daily basis. What do you think I am? Some Stromling disguised as Kotua?""Of course," nodded Rex. "You're not real. Chaos isn't real either. You're just an illusion.""Just an illusion, huh?" Kotua raised an eyebrow. "Could an illusion do this?"Before the Mutant Lizard could react, Perfect Chaos grabbed Rex with one of its tentacle-like appendages. Rex felt himself hoisted in the air and tossed around like a rag doll. Then, the tentacle tightened its grip and became less defined in form, until it seemed to become a formless blob large enough to absorb Rex into its mass. Rex felt the cold water surround him and fill his lungs, and in a moment of panic, he realized that he was about to drown on dry land."Could an illusion drown you?" proclaimed Kotua from down below, even though his voice was muffled by the water surrounding Rex. "Could an illusion-"The Alpha Team agent was interrupted by Stranger's Mutant Lizard, who pounced on Kotua and began viciously snapping its jaws at him. Only the Alpha Team agent's quick reflexes saved him, and he was only barely able to push the Mutant Lizard off of him. In the meantime, however, Perfect Chaos had become distracted as well and accidentally let Rex go. Rex coughed water out of his lungs and his head was spinning at first, but seeing Kotua fighting the Mutant Lizard seemed to immediately sober him up.Perfect Chaos bellowed and tried to grab Rex again, but Rex still held onto the rocket launcher and fired it into the water beast's mouth. It barely affected Chaos, but it bought Rex the second he needed. He unlimbered some rope and wrapped it around Kotua's leg while the Alpha Team agent was distracted by the Mutant Lizard. Kotua tripped and fell to the floor, and before he could get up again, Rex crawled atop Kotua's fallen form. The Mutant Lizard snarled at Kotua, letting him know that any attempt to throw Rex off would be greeted by its sharp teeth."Let's end this," Rex growled. "I've waited too long to give you what you deserve!""Why do you keep fighting?" hissed Kotua. "Why won't you just give up?""Because I've got something worth fighting-" began Rex, but then he faltered as Perfect Chaos slammed a limb down up the floor once again.It wasn't that Chaos tried to hit Rex, because if that were the case, then it would have completely missed its target. Instead, Rex could now see that Chaos had been holding onto another Minifig, one who had succumbed to drowning, and threw her lifeless body down upon the floor. The anger that fueled Rex was extinguished momentarily, as a feeling of hopelessness and despair overcame him.The drowned corpse that Chaos had flung down on the floor next to him belonged to Amanda Claw.*****While all around them, the battle raged, Frank Einstein and Kate Bishop tried to focus on only one thing: the Imagination statue.Frank Einstein was breathing heavily, and he clutched at one side with his arm. The Maelstrom lightning had taken a lot out of the old scientist, and he required Kate's support to walk. Still, he knew that he would not give up, so long as the Darkitect had the slightest bit of power on LEGO Planet."How do we stop him?" asked Kate urgently."I don't know," admitted Einstein. "All I know is that this Imagination is the only thing that is keeping him at bay. But it is frail at the moment. We must find some way to strengthen the Imagination before the Darkitect can get the Maelstrom Crystal, or else all hope is lost.""And how can we strengthen the Imagination?" wondered Kate."Creative ideas," murmured Einstein. "Hopes. Dreams. Anything that can vanquish destruction. And... in the absolute worst case, should that fail... I may have a back-up plan. Creative Sparks are pure Imagination... and I believe that Dr. Provencal might have dropped this during the battle." He held up a saw with an injection needle attached.While Kate had never been there, she had heard rumors back at the Dino Attack Outpost about how a medic on his deathbed had contained his Creative Spark in one of these so-called Injection Saws. It killed him in the process, but it was supposed to be a cure for a Stromling's infection. She saw the look in Einstein's eyes and remembered his words about the bishop must be sacrificed, with the term bishop regarding himself. "No..." she whispered.Einstein shook his head. "Should I not make it through... go to Napoleon XIV, and tell the administrator 'William's bell is ringing.' Remember that. 'William's bell is ringing.' And..." With some hesitation, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a bishop chess piece. "Give this to Rex. I fear the worst is yet to come."*****The samurai flung lightning bolt after lightning bolt at the few Stromling Explorers who were still trying to get the Maelstrom Crystal. With disgust, the samurai thought about how these Stromlings were mindless servants of the Maelstrom, and their inability to give up was not a show of impressive determination but rather a complete lack of will.All around the samurai, the warrior witnessed Dino Attack agents and allies as they screamed and fought and battled... nothing. With the exception of that one Dino Attack agent who was trying to fight two XERRD scientists at once. At first, the samurai could not be sure of what was happening. Then, it became all too clear to the samurai.The samurai was approached by a female Dino Attack agent, who was dragging along what appeared to be the slightly-damaged but still possibly functional hover-chair that once belonged to the XERRD scientist, Zed Provhezor. The Dino Attack agent looked at the samurai, and the look in her eyes told of desperation and confusion, but the samurai could see that it was a very different confusion from that expressed by the others."He can't hear me," the Dino Attack agent whispered. "None of them can."For the first time, the samurai spoke. "They're trapped," she explained. "The Darkitect has brought their worst fears to life, but only in their mind."The Dino Attack agent stared at the samurai with shock. It took the samurai a moment to realize that the Dino Attack agent had only just realized that the samurai was female. She would have felt amused if the situation were not so dire. Then, a realization dawned upon her."You can't see them either?" the samurai asked the Dino Attack agent, who shook her head. Then that must mean... she thought. "It's up to us," she declared. "We need to wake them from their own nightmares.""But how?" inquired the Dino Attack agent as she looked out at the Dino Attack agents, battling images that existed only in their minds.

Edited May 27, 2012 by PeabodySam

[Atton Rand]

IC: "That's a good idea," replied Trigger sternly. "I've had no problem killing your kind before and I got no megablocking problem doing so now?"The scientists stared at him in confusion."Oh that's right," replied Trigger. "I'm no stranger to you. Of course you knew me under a different name, or rather no name at all, because I killed enough scientists that you were more concerned about getting rid of me than you were knowing who I really was."Slowly Trigger stepped backwards toward the door. "You remember that experiment on Xalax? Who do you think it was who burned all your notes and killed everyone there?"Trigger started to step into the door. "Much as I'd like to kill you I got more higher priorities," he said. "I don't want to waste my megablocking bullets on Jack Stones like you!"

[Andrewnuva199]

OOC: PeabodySam: I never really paid attention to the breed I had in mind, but have always pictured him as one of the brown ones, mostly due to that's the only piece of the Dino Attack line at the moment I have thanks to a lucky thrift store find.Also, glad that you could work him into your post. I felt it would be appropriate for him to intervene, considering the things Kotua was saying to Rex, but I was worried it might throw off your plans. Good to see things went better than expected.You got me confused about the whole illusion thing though. What qualifies Ptersia and Amanda for not seeing the Illusions of Fear?IC later. Everyone okay with me having Semick break through next post, though?

Edited May 27, 2012 by Andrewnuva199

[Atton Rand]

IC later. Everyone okay with me having Semick break through next post, though?

OOC: I'm not quite sure. While I understand how anxious you are, I do have some plans for Trigger in this area.

[Andrewnuva199]

IC later. Everyone okay with me having Semick break through next post, though?

OOC: I'm not quite sure. While I understand how anxious you are, I do have some plans for Trigger in this area.

What exactly do you have in mind? Other than Trigger getting hit in the head from falling debris or him getting angry with Semick's risk-taking, I don't see how that could be an issue.

[Atton Rand]

IC later. Everyone okay with me having Semick break through next post, though?

OOC: I'm not quite sure. While I understand how anxious you are, I do have some plans for Trigger in this area.

What exactly do you have in mind? Other than Trigger getting hit in the head from falling debris or him getting angry with Semick's risk-taking, I don't see how that could be an issue.

OOC: I don't totally want to give it away, because there is a certain amount of shock value involved. I'll PM you the concept.

[that guy from that show]

iC:Solomon Koplowitz had always had some difficulty with XERRD’s actions. The philosopher had joined in hopes of developing a better understanding of science, power, and human nature, but It seemed that his exploits had exposed him to the worst of humanity.Unlike many XERRD researchers Solomon had not been a member of Paradox but of the Sentinels. His early fight against the Maelstrom had not been a combatant position. Regardless, he still had been in close contact with Doctor Rex in his early actions in founding XERRD and he had eventually switched factions in hopes of learning more from the doctor.Paradox’s early exploits disturbed Solomon but in the face of the maelstrom it was a necessary evil. Doctor Rex had often discussed with him the fallibility of nexus force and expressed his anger at its inefficiently. Solomon had provided a balance for some time by stating that organizations were the only thing that kept nexus from destroying itself.Regardless Doctor Rex and other radicals formed XERRD a year latter and hoped to go further then even paradox would dare. Solomon was invited to join them and made a decision he would one day regret; he accepted.During his time he moved further from the nobility of the sentinels and eventually became one of Paradox’s Shinobi. He deviled deeper into the dark arts then he wished to admit but for a time he felt quite at home with other sadistic monsters like Michelle Glados and Zed Provhezer.Then Doctor Rex had begun tampering with the maelstrom in ways that Solomon had never dreamed. Solomon had warned him about the dangers but Rex had stopped listening to his scientists long ago. Before his eyes Doctor Rex had created an army of mutant dinosaurs beyond his wildest imagination.Solomon witnessed XERRD became obsessed with mutants. What had begun as a scientific adventure soon turned into a mad exploit for world domination.It was at this time that Doctor Cyrista left the organization. Solomon himself was tempted to follow the cyborg’s lead but some obscene notion prevented him. As XERRD became more and more evil Solomon Koplowitz remained at Doctor Rex’s side.He had never left. XERRD and its allies committed atrocities of epic proportions and Solomon did nothing to prevent the tens of thousands of people from dieing.Blood was on his hands now. He had chosen his path.

* * *

OoC:The following takes place slightly before, during, and after Atton’s postIC:“Put down the gun Raul.” Said Solomon slowly.The bearded sorcerer kept his gun pointed at Trigger. “These D.A. won’t take me alive.”“That can be arranged.” Grinned Snake.Cabin walked up behind him and carefully pushed the gun down.“I recommend you keep that gun pointed at the scientist agent Snake.” Muttered Trigger. The mercenary kept his gun aimed at Solomon but Hertz still blocked his path.“You’re not in command here Trigger I am.” Said Cabin sternly. “Now put down the gun before you kill someone.”“The minute this gun goes down we all get shot.” Said Trigger. “I’ve been in these situations before; Istanbul, Fort Legorado, Johannesburg, they all ended the same. If you had the experience I did you should know that elite agent.”Trigger suddenly shoved his gun back in his holster. Hertz let out a sigh or relief but he could see on Cabin’s face that the trouble was far from over."I've had no problem killing your kind before and I got no megablocking problem doing so now." Said TriggerHertz turned to look at doctor Koplowitz. The philosopher had a concerned look on his face but otherwise remained calm.“Oh that's right," smiled Trigger. "I'm no stranger to you. Of course you knew me under a different name, or rather no name at all, because I killed enough scientists that you were more concerned about getting rid of me than you were knowing who I really was."The mercenary slowly backed into the shadows of the doorway. The darkness of the maelstrom temple covered any chance of reading his face but Hertz still got an extremely negative vibe from the man.“You remember that experiment on Xalax? Who do you think it was who burned all your notes and killed everyone there? Much as I'd like to kill you I got more higher priorities, I don't want to waste my megablocking bullets on Jack Stones like you!"Snake shrugged and followed Trigger into the temple leaving Hertz with Cabin as the only agents outside.“Do you trust him?” asked Hertz.“No,” said Cabin. “But I respect his experience. I certainly don’t have to like him to see he’s an expert at what he does.”“We have plenty of valuable fighters Cabin.” Said Hertz. “This guys does not care about what we’re doing. He’ll join the enemy if they pay better. The Dino Attack team has never been in the business of buying mercenaries for exactly this reason, I want to know who hired him.”“As do I.” Said Cabin. “But I don’t want any distractions now. Semick just opened fire on the building and starting an investigation is not one of our priorities.”“I understand but…” Hertz trailed off. He did not want Trigger to do something that would compromise the team but he also did not want to distract the other agents at an important time like this. Meanwhile a large group of scientists had just surrendered and he needed to find something to do with them.Solomon walked up to where Cabin and Hertz were standing. Cabin glared at the scientist and backed away.“This conversation is over Hertz,” she said “anything I have to say I’m not going to say with him around. I’m going after Trigger, you better find something to do with these guys before they become a distraction.”Cabin put on her helmet and walked after Trigger and Snake leaving Hertz alone with the fifteen scientists.“What am I supposed to do with you guys?”Raul and his stooges still had their guns out. “If Solomon wants to throw his life away so be it, but there is nothing you can do to capture us. We outnumber you and doctor Koplowitz’s separatists so we are well within our power to just kill you and leave.”“Raul I beg of you don’t do this.” Said Solomon.“Well I suppose we will have to destroy you then.” Said Raul. “You’re all that’s stopping us.”The bearded sorcerer put his weapon up to Solomon’s face but the woman stopped him.“I respect you Solomon.” She said as she stepped between Solomon and his adversary “And I will not let Raul kill a men I respect. But if you try and stop us, there will be blood.”“I’m sorry to here that Ingrid.” Said Solomon sadly. “But the choice is always yours.”Raul, Ingrid, the gas-masked scientist, and the other seven loyalists turned away. Ingrid stopped to look back one last time before Raul led her into the dark.Solomon shook his head before turning to Hertz. “What do you want us to do?”Hertz had never dealt with prisoners before. He did not know whether it was best to tie them outside or send them back to the rest of the D.A. Regardless, it was impossible to send them away from the island. The zip lines worked only one way.“We won’t try and run Hertz.” Said Solomon. “These men lessen to me. If I tell them to remain we will wait by this dour in till you return.”“No offence doctor Koplowitz but I think leavening five XERRD scientists unattended would most certainly mean some sort of punishment for myself.” Frowned Hertz“I can understand your hesitation.” Said Solomon. “Perhaps you should call a helicopter.”What am I doing? Thought Hertz. I’m letting these people take way to many liberties. I’m not in charge; they are the ones making all the suggestions!Solomon held out his hands. ‘What do you want us to do?”Hertz backed away. “I don’t know yet, but I certainly don’t want you on a helicopter. You need to hand over your guns first of all. I’ve been letting you hold onto them for far to long!”The Scientists quickly withdrew their weapons and threw them on the ground. Solomon gave Hertz a ‘what now look.’This is two easy.“I’m calling for back up.” Announced Hertz. He pulled out his PDA and dialed an all agent bulletin.This is standard Agent Hertz. Five XERRD scientists headed by a doctor “Solomon Koplowitz” have surrendered to me at the main gate of the temple. I am requesting assistance in movement and detainment.Hertz looked at Solomon suspiciously, the man’s motives where hard to read.OoC:This turned out far longer then planned, but I wanted to explain Solomon’s back story and elaborate on Atton’s last post. Anyone is welcome to pick up the prisoners; I really had not plain when I started this and am now stuck with them. I want Hertz to go into the main chamber but I can’t leave the scientists by themselves

[Atton Rand]

IC: "What are we doing?" Snake asked coldly as he followed Trigger through the dark corridors."Step one," replied Trigger. "We got to find the master.""What the znap are you talking about?""Often in these places there's some power-hungry Stromling who tries to take over the Maelstrom. Someone summoned a gigantic army out there and I intend to find them. You know how to kill a Stromling?""Yeah," replied Snake. "Just got to hurt them hard enough for the Maelstrom to leave, then kill them.""Well," replied Trigger. "Maybe there's hope for you boys yet."

***

"Hello Rotor," said a strange voice from behind. Rotor turned in shock to see a young girl, one who he recognized.

"You again," Rotor muttered. "Come back for more."

"You tortured me," replied the young girl. "You beat me and tried to kill me for information you didn't have. You're too scared now, that I can tell others."

"I only did what I had to," replied Rotor.

"She's not real," Garry shouted from nearby. "It's in your megablocking head."

"You think he was honest with you," Jenny said. "Garry betrayed you. He was weak, he tried to send me away, telling you that I died, but he knew you wouldn't believe such a flimsy explanation."

"Listen, Rotor, if I'm right and you're talking to that girl, it's in your mind. She's dead. You killed her!"

"He won't listen," said the familiar voice of Palmer. Garry turned, and drew his gun, but Palmer disappeared. Palmer was cunning, but too confident. He thought he was unstoppable, but upon landing elsewhere in the temple, he felt a very sharp pain in his backside. There was more, within seconds he was riddled by bullets. His body fell to the ground, the Maelstrom starting to leave.

Quickly, Palmer looked up toward the two rough men who stood over him. Both had their guns aimed at him. He looked down to see pool of blood from his wounds. For a moment, he was not sure what to think.

"H-Help me," he said with a stutter..

"Shut up, Stromling," replied another man, a rough guy with an eyepatch. It was then that he finally clued in. The last thought to run through his mind was simply "oh znap".

At that moment, Cabin arrived and turned in disgust.

"What's the matter?" Replied Trigger. "Never seen a dead body before?"

With that, Trigger pulled out a large knife. "Well, you won't like what else I'm going to do,"

Snake and Cabin raised their guns as the sounds of footsteps grew louder, they lowered them as they realized they were agents.

"Thank builder," said one of the three. "Agent Wilkes. This is Jones and Henderson. We were in here with Garry but we got lost."

"Cabin, and this is Trigger and Snake."

"Look," said Trigger. "How do we know you aren't just a trick of the Maelstrom?"

Wilkes stared at him. "You don't," he said.

"Alright," replied Trigger. "We'll take you with us, but if any of you show the slightest sings of suspicion I'm gunning you down. Is that clear?"

***

Garry turned in surprise to see a group of agents approaching. "Wilkes, Jones, and Henderson. What happened to you three?"

"Kate was an imitation," replied Henderson.

"I know," replied Garry. "The real one's in here."

Rotor was still talking to an imaginary figure, but none of them liked the look of his face. Cabin ran up to him and gave him a hard push backward. It took a moment before Rotor totally came to his senses.

"Cabin," he said. "What're you doing here?"

"Looking for you," replied Cabin.

"Palmer's a Stromling," Garry said nervously. The other guys seemed to know. "He's messing with us, trying to play tricks on our mind, playing off our fears an-"

Garry was cut off as a strange man in a thick leather jacket approached and tossed a small object on the ground in front of him. It took a moment for Garry to fully accept what it was- Palmer's face. Palmer's severed head was lying right in front of him.

"That your guy?" Asked the man.

Garry nodded.

"Well, he isn't exactly a threat to us now," replied the strange man.

[avmatoran]

OOC:Technically, Dr. Cyborg is not affected by the Illusions of Fear, as he cannot remember his past. Therefore, no matter how they look, they have no power over him.IC:Cortana contacted Semick on the radio. "Wait! I can hear your plan over the radio. The debris from the blast is a large danger. Luckily, as a space-faring cargo-compatible ship, the Reclaimer is outfitted with a couple of tractor beams. If you will wait for me to get in position, I can pull debris away as it is generated."

[Andrewnuva199]

IC: Bluetooth heard the agent on the radio trying to give advice on the temple bombardment. Semick was too occupied, seeing as he was concentrated on keeping the T-1 fired directed properly."Sorry, but it's a little late for that!" Bluetooth responded. "We're already nearly done blasting out a hole! Any moment now, we're gonna break through!"-------------The "Stromling Inquisition" was remarkably easy to take down. To Andrew, it felt more like a petty distraction more than anything else.Regardless, after the fight, he, Laxus, and Vinyaya managed to pick up on the battle sounds better, though disturbingly, they seemed to have died down remarkably. The change in audio encouraged the three to quicken their pace.Eventually, after heading down one last corridor, the trio managed to reach the opening and into the main chamber. It was remarkable sight, both for the immense size of the chamber and the state of the battle. Except for a giant vortex with a disturbing-looking face within it and several Stromlings harassing Claw and a cloaked figure, there was hardly any Maelstrom battling going on. Most agents seemed to be preoccupied with other Minifigs, and normal looking ones like that. Some seemed familiar, like what looked to be Kotua facing Rex, a Mutant Lizard, and what looked to be Claw's body (which immediately indicated that there was something amiss here), while others were total strangers, and some weren't even Minifigs, like the agent who appeared to be running in circles from a giant butterfly.It didn't take a genius to guess that this was the same kind of illusion thing occurring that had made Andrew see the Infomaniac earlier in the temple. But it appeared that the shear shock and familiarity factor of these illusions were stopping his allies in their tracks regardless. And they weren't having the best of times facing their fears."Obviously, this battle isn't going well," Laxus said obviously. "Where should we start?""Claw over there seems to not be occupied," Vinyaya observed. "We best try with her and her... 'ally,' I suppose."Advancing over, shooting a few Stromlings that tried to get in the way as they went, Andrew was able to notice that Claw was dragging along some kind of electronic chair, and the cloaked figure was wearing a few bits of samurai armor, and was holding some kind of glowing crystal that seemed to emit feelings of dread and awe."Is that the Maelstrom Crystal I've been hearing the odd report here and there about?" He asked as they reached the two. The cloaked figure glanced at them, though due to their face garments, Andrew couldn't see their face."I'm guessing you just arrived?" said the figure, which had a feminine voice, much to Andrew's eyebrow-raising surprise."That would be a yes," said Laxus."What's the current objective here?" asked Vinyaya."Well, this crystal here," said Amanda, gesturing to said crystal, "the Darkitect is trying to get to it so it can unleash its full power. We've been doing our best to keep it away and find out how we can stop it.""Unfortunately," said the cloaked figure, "with everyone caught up in their own nightmares, our plans have steered to a halt. Can you see them?""Eh," Andrew said instinctivley, "yes, quite clearly. Why wouldn't we?" The two females simply stared. Andrew guess that they didn't have a fully idea of why either."Regardless of that," said Vinyaya, "I suppose our objective then is to try and snap everyone out of it?""Basically," said the cloaked figure."And I'm guessing it's not as easy as grabbing them by the shoulder and shaking them while shouting 'WAKE UP!', is it?" added Laxus."Trust me, I've tried," said Claw, glancing back towards Rex."Alright then," said Andrew, "I guess we're going to have start thinking on our feet again, aren-"Interruption came from above, as the steady gunfire and impact sounds Andrew and co. had been hearing for some time began to be joined by a large amount of loud cracks and creaks. Glancing up, he could see a semi-large circle starting to develop somewhere above and behind the Maelstrom Vortex. Small rocks and dust were falling from it fast, and the ceiling was also groaning substantially.Finally, it gave way. The circle of cracks gave way to form a circle of rock, which fell from the ceiling for several seconds until it impacted somewhere around the backside of wherever the Vortex was formed from. Said Vortex seemed to ripple, and Andrew was able to notice various pieces of rock getting sucked in.Turning his attention back towards the new hole in the ceiling, Andrew was able to see the light of the sky pouring in, until it was blocked by the familiar form of a T-1 Typhoon hovering above, its cockpit turned to face the battle below."Looks like Semick did it again," said Laxus.

[Atton Rand]

OOC: I love how Andrew just walked right past the strange guy he'd never seen before who had just thrown a man's head into the room without questioning it in the slightest.IC: Garry remained still for a moment, still unable to overcome the shock of seeing Palmer's head right in front of him."Standard procedure," Trigger said sternly. "Ensures the Maelstrom can't try to re-animate his corpse."His attention was drawn toward another group of people, two of whom he recognized. Quickly lighting another cigarette, Trigger was quick to approach them."Well, well, well," He muttered as he walked up to the two familiar women. "If it isn't Silencia Venemosa. I see I'm not the only one who got a gig working out here."Amanda stared at him in confusion. "Oh, no, of course you wouldn't remember me. You knew me under a different name, Schiess. We had a little run-in back in Mindstorms several years ago."OOC: Is it just me, or is there something interesting about the way I've written this character and constantly left it up to people's imaginations exactly what he's done.

Edited May 28, 2012 by Atton Rand

[avmatoran]

OOC:It's like the Noodle Incident from Calvin and Hobbes.

[Atton Rand]

OOC:It's like the Noodle Incident from Calvin and Hobbes.

OOC: That's kinda the idea. While I probably will go into detail about one or two things eventually, there is just something about leaving it to the imagination that makes things more interesting. I say that Trigger did a job on Xalax, your attempts to imagine exactly what it was he did are probably going to be far more effective than me simply stating it.

[PeabodySam]

OOC: Don't worry, Andrewnuva. While I do write some of my posts in advance (for example, nearly everything from Lord Sinister walking in with the crystal to Kotua saying "Let me reintroduce you..."), I do intentionally leave myself other times in situations where I must Write By The Seat Of My Pants. Since I left the Rex vs Kotua/Chaos situation in such a way, I was glad to have you send in "Stranger's friend", because it gave me some excellent material to work with.As for why Pterisa and Amanda cannot see the illusions... you know the answer. What do we know that is special about Pterisa? What makes Amanda different from Snake and Axel?IC: Amanda Claw continued to look utterly confused, struggling to ignore Andrew, Laxus, and Vinyaya as they stared in undisguised shock at her. Thinking quickly, she did the one thing that she knew would catch Trigger off-guard: she spoke. "I'm afraid you have me mistaken for someone else," she murmured quietly. "I've never seen you before in my life."As she expected, the sound of her voice had the proper effect upon Schiess. Up until this point, he appeared calm, composed, and stoic, even with a little arrogant confidence in everything he said and did. Now, just for an instant, his face betrayed genuine surprise and self-doubt. This allowed Andrew and Laxus to relax a little, though Vinyaya remained visibly tensed."Name's Amanda," Amanda introduced herself, "but you may call me Claw."Vinyaya cleared her throat. "Under normal circumstances," she declared, "I would have you instantly taken in, Schiess, and brought in for interrogation. We've been trying to catch Silencia Venomosa for years, and if you knew anything about her, we would take that information from your head as quickly as possible. Now, these are not normal circumstances, and we have more important matters at hand." She gestured to the Maelstrom vortex, with the Darkitect gloating in the center of the black hole."Right," Schiess nodded grimly. "Now, I may have learned a thing or two from my jobs against XERRD and even Paradox, but I don't need to be an expert on the Maelstrom to tell you that Imagination is key to destroying the Maelstrom." He gestured over towards the Imagination statue, where Einstein and Kate stood."Isn't that Frank Einstein?" blinked Andrew."I'll tell you all about it later," Amanda waved her hand.The samurai, almost casually, shot down a few more Stromling Explorers that were marching towards her with a blast of lightning. "I don't think the Darkitect is very happy about Dino Attack Team blasting a hole in his roof," she murmured. "But while I have what he wants, I might be able to distract him a little longer. Maybe if I break his concentration, it will help free the others from the illusions. Amanda, I think it will be best if you are with Rex while I do this. He might not hear you at the moment..."Andrew glanced over at Rex, who was distraught over the sight of Amanda's corpse. "But I think your voice is what he really needs to hear right now," finished Andrew."What does he see?" inquired Amanda."You," explained Laxus. "Dead."Amanda blinked in surprise. Quickly, she regained her composure and nodded grimly to the others. The samurai, Andrew, and Laxus returned her nod, but Vinyaya stared at Amanda with what appeared to be suspicion. They turned away, and Amanda began to run towards Rex, only to have her arm grabbed by Schiess."Cut the Znap," he growled in a voice so low that only she could hear. "You know who I am, and I know who you are. Even if you think that speaking for once in your life will disguise that. Nothing can change that, Venomosa."Silently, Amanda pulled away from Schiess and shot him a murderous glare. She saw that Vinyaya continued to stare suspiciously at her, and Amanda bitterly realized that, while Andrew and Laxus seemed to dismiss Schiess's accusation, Vinyaya suspected that some part of what he said might have been true. Amanda turned away from them and ran towards Rex, the Mutant Lizard, and the Stromling they were fighting.OOC: I must say, I'm enjoying seeing how Amanda Claw is affected psychologically by being a former bounty hunter/assassin/terrorist.@Atton's post right below mine: For the same reason why Pterisa is not named, I refer to Trigger as "Schiess" in this post because that's the only name Amanda knows him by at this point.

Edited June 2, 2012 by PeabodySam

[Atton Rand]

OOC: For the record, I would just like to make it clear that Schiess isn't actually Trigger's real name, it's simply a pseudonym he used during one particular job. Also, one thing I sort of got from your post but I would like to make clear is that Trigger is somewhat able to resist the illusions, as he's got experience dealing with this kind of thing.By the way, if anyone's wondering, I'd intended the second person he recognized to be Vinyaya (Trigger mentioned doing some work for the Space Police).

Edited May 28, 2012 by Atton Rand

[Andrewnuva199]

OOC: I love how Andrew just walked right past the strange guy he'd never seen before who had just thrown a man's head into the room without questioning it in the slightest.

OOC: It happens when Andrew's writer doesn't know where Trigger's beheading occured and assumed that he wasn't close enough to the entrance to the chamber for Andrew to take too much note of it.IC later. Debating what I should have Semick do next.

[Brikman McStudz]

OOC: I'm back from camping. Now, time to post.IC:Zach ran at Dr. Provencal, who seemed to be eagerly waiting for him. He raised the knife and prepared to attack when orange light suddenly consumed her. Zach stumbled through the light as it faded away, swearing loudly. He turned and saw Minerva and Dr. Cyborg suffering the same issue. Every time they wanted to land a blow on Provencal or Glados, Glados would cause them to teleport away with her device. He ran up to the group."We need to get rid of Glados's gun," he hissed."How?" Minerva asked. "She's too fast and-" She was silenced as two rockets suddenly shot at the group. They exploded as they hit the ground, send the Dino Attack Agents flying.Zach jumped back on to his feet as Provencal appeared in front of him, grinning. She swung her staff, sending a blinding burst of Maelstrom magic at him. Zach winced and threw up his hands. He allowed him to smile slightly as the fiery Maelstrom ball seized in its pursuit. He threw the magical fireball against the chamber wall. Provencal's smile faded slightly. She fired several more blasts, but Zach easily tossed away each one with his new power. As Provencal sent her final blast of magic, Zach redirected it at her. Her eyes widened in fear, but her worry was for naught. A flash of orange and blue light swept Provencal away as the blast shattered part of the chamber wall.Zach swore again, breathing heavy. The power continued to sap away his energy whenever it was used. Combined with the fast-paced battle against Provencal and Glados, his energy was disappearing quickly and taking a long time recover. Use power less frequently. He thought as he turned back to the battle.Minerva was glancing around the chamber, her weapon raised. At every flash of blue and orange light, Minerva turned and fired, but missed. Zach could see frustration growing on her face. Suddenly, Zach saw from his peripheral vision a flash of blue light. He quickly turned and knocked back Glados's rocket launcher. Underneath her Space Marauder helmet she frowned and threw a punch at Zach.It slammed into his face hard. Despite the searing pain, Zach held his ground and attempted to wrestle the teleportation device from Michelle Glados's hands. Her face twisted into a scowl as she tried to force Zach away. Suddenly, her eyes lit up in surprise, and she activated the teleportation device.Zach felt his entire body lurch as he and Glados left their area of the chamber in a flash of orange light. Not more than a second passed when a blue light blinded him as he appeared in the midst of many Dino Attack Agents. He fell to his knees, his mind and stomach in a whirl from the teleportation experience."Zach?!" he thought he heard Andrew say. Then: "Hey! Stop!" There were several blasts of weapons that were silenced in another flash of blue light. He raised a hand slowly, and another hand clasped on his and pulled him up. He blinked several times. Before him stood Andrew, Laxus, Commander Vinyaya, Claw, and a strange looking person dressed in samurai armor."What happened?" Zach asked, slightly dazed."Look for yourself," Vinyaya said, pointing. Zach felt his stomach drop. Dr. Glados stood a distance away, and in her hand rested the Maelstrom Crystal. Although he was certain that XERRD didn't want the Darkitect to have the crystal either, letting XERRD have that much Maelstrom energy to use would be foolish indeed."It's time to go, Dr. Provencal," Glados said almost triumphantly if her voice wasn't so monotone. "We have what we need. We can return later with reinforcements to deal with the Dino Attack Team and Typhonus." Zach saw as Provencal appeared from the shadows and started moving toward Glados. Zach and the other Dino Attack agents and allies started running toward the two scientists. As they approached, Zach saw a sinister smirk appear on Glados's face.The group's approach was seized as a gun shot rang out, followed by a miniature explosion. Glados's smile was replaced with a look of shock as she dropped her teleporter gun. It was mangled and scorched. Glados's expression turned to anger as she turned her stare at Minerva, who held her smoking gun tightly, still pointed at Glados."You little..." Glados hissed. Minerva had broken Glados's stoic persona rather well. The fury in the XERRD scientist's voice was evident. Zach saw Provencal aim her staff at Minerva. He prepared himself to intervene when Provencal suddenly pulled back, her eyes widening. Zach turned back to Glados.Lightning very similar to a Mutant Pterosaur's shot straight at Glados. It struck her hard in the chest, throwing her back against the chamber wall. Glados slid to the ground, her head limp and her chest rising and falling in a slowed, pained pattern. Zach turned his glance and saw the samurai's hands pointed at where Glados once stood. He saw all the agents' eyes look up and seemingly follow something fall to the ground. Zach turned and went into a sprint as the Maelstrom Crystal hit the ground with a delicate clatter.As soon as it hit the ground, two Stromling Explorers rose from the ground and started moving toward the crystal. Zach raised the knife and struck one Stromling in the chest before slicing its head off. The other Stromling was quickly dispatched by another blast of lightning from the samurai. Zach sheathed the knife and picked up the crystal with his one good hand and ran back to the group.The samurai extended its hands, as if to take the crystal from Zach. As it did, Zach froze. Allowed to concentrate for a small moment, he felt traces of the Maelstrom inside the samurai's body. He wasn't sure what to think. The samurai clearly showed itself as an ally to the Dino Attack Team by knocking out Glados and killing any Stromlings that motioned for the Maelstrom Crystal. And yet, the Maelstrom was apart of the samurai in some form. Perhaps this being overcame the Maelstrom's influence, but lacks a cure to get it out of its body. He decided to settle on that explanation. With the moment of suspicious past, he handed the crystal to the samurai."Thank you," the samurai said in a feminine voice, accepting the crystal. Zach thought he could feel some form of satisfaction from from the samurai as she had blasted Michelle Glados, XERRD's second-in-command. "Now for the other one." She turned her glare toward Provencal."Wait!" Zach said. Andrew, Laxus, Vinyaya, and the samurai gave him a confused look. "Let me and Minerva handle her.""Why?" the samurai inquired."Revenge," Zach said quickly. "She made me a Stromling. She gave me a fate worse than death. I think I should return the favor." As he finished, he noticed how dark and forceful he sounded as he relished the chance to get back at Provencal for what she did.The samurai soaked in this new information with some interest. As she thought, she blasted away any straggling Stromlings that still attempted to reach her and the crystal. Finally, she nodded. "Fine. Hurry up, though. We need as much help against the Darkitect as we can get." Zach nodded and turned away from the group and headed toward Minerva."We're taking on Provencal," he muttered to her. She nodded grimly and the two started walking toward the lone XERRD Sorcerer.OOC: So I knocked out Glados. In the midst of all the chaos in the temple, when she awakes, she should be able to slip out of the temple unnoticed and be used for whatever plans you may have, PeabodySam.

[Atton Rand]

OOC: I love how Andrew just walked right past the strange guy he'd never seen before who had just thrown a man's head into the room without questioning it in the slightest.

OOC: It happens when Andrew's writer doesn't know where Trigger's beheading occured and assumed that he wasn't close enough to the entrance to the chamber for Andrew to take too much note of it.IC later. Debating what I should have Semick do next.

OOC: I'd intended it to be right in front of the door. After all why would someone walk into the middle of a battle carrying a severed head just so he can throw it on the ground where nobody will notice it. To be honest it would be quite difficult for it not to draw attention as he enters.

[Jacks]

IC: The T-1s flew almost as a single unit, so when Semick gave the order to fire, Osprey had his pilot hang back to avoid getting in the way; with so many forces inside the temple, the last thing the captain wanted to do was get in the way and throw someone else's aim off. Instead, the Aerial Defense Unit stood guard over the ziplines on the shore of the mainland. With more agents than would fit in all the helicopters in the attack, those ropes could be the only way out when the operation concluded.However, when Hertz sent a call for backup over the open comm channels, Osprey responded immediately.--------------------Hertz heard a helicopter descending through the mists, and was slightly surprised to see that it was not a T-1, but rather an ADU. As it settled to the ground, the door slid open, revealing Captain Osprey standing in the doorway with Hotwire sitting further in. "Here for your prisoners," Osprey said.The techie nodded his assent. "Thanks." He turned to Klopowitz and the other scientists, who climbed aboard. Hotwire, meanwhile, climbed slightly unsteadily to the ground and hobbled over to Hertz as Osprey's ADU lifted off the ground again."As one invalid to another," the elite agent said, "you look like you could use some backup. I've got one leg, you've got a busted arm, I guess that make us even.""Are you sure?" Hertz asked uncertainly. "I heard you passed out cold on the other side of the gorge.""I feel much better now," Hotwire said. "Even military-grade painkillers have nothing on Agents first aid." He walked over to the pile of weapons discarded by the XERRD scientists and selected a laser rifle with a whistle of appreciation. "Haven't used one of these since the Goo Caverns. Still, it got me through that mess." He glanced over to Hertz with a grin. "Here's to staying alive." And with that the two DA agents, injured but no less determined, strode -- and hobbled -- into the temple.OOC: Sorry if this messes with your plans for Hertz, that guy; if that's the case I can change it.

[that guy from that show]

OoC:That's fine Jackson, I had actually planned to have Koplowitz talk to Hertz about facing his fear in the temple in a very ominous fashion but that would not solve the problem of getting ride of the scientists. Quite frankly I have been writing by the seat of my pants lately and really got myself into a corner. I'm glad you got ride of them, I can always have a Hertz/Solomon talk latter.I'm also happy that Hotwire is coming into the temple with Hertz. I wanted him to go inside of course but him being a cripple complicated things. I really have not had much interaction lately.I'm also thinking of sending in Doctor Saran, with all the fear and confrontation going about I think the addition of a psychologist would be interesting.The will defiantly be an iC tomorrow

[Jacks]

OOC: Only glad to help. I was actually planning to keep Hotwire with Osprey and was already halfway through that post before I changed my mind and decided to send him in with Hertz. That whole maelstrom-reveals-your-deepest-fears has given me an idea. IC: This was, without a doubt, a terrible day.Helm had already made it through almost all the corridors, and could hear the sounds of the battle right around the next corner, when some...thing had dropped from the ceiling. No, not just a thing, but a nightmare.He'd seen the Ice Snakes in Antarctica; that hadn't been easy to handle, not by a long shot. But those were sapient beings, and their king had allied them with the DA team, and, well, their word was better than nothing. So, at the time, he'd clenched his teeth and swallowed his terror, even though the Ice Snakes' massive size alone scared him more than the prospect of a world overrun by stromlings and dinosaurs.The serpent that surrounded him now was at least as large as an Ice Snake, certainly not a sapient being, and therefore quite likely to kill the sailor where he stood any moment now. It had to be some sort of jungle snake -- how else could it have grown to such a prodigious size? Helm didn't know one species from another, because they were all equally frightening.Well, perhaps some were more equal than others, especially when the venom that sizzled upon hitting the ground was dripping from a pair of fangs that were easily two feet long.Helm tried valiantly but ultimately futilely from preventing a small whimper from escaping his throat.------------------------Surprisingly, Hertz and Hotwire managed to proceed through the temple with little difficulty. Occasionally a Stromling Explorer or three would burst from the ground, walls, or ceiling, but Hertz's sharp eyes and Hotwire's reflexes, honed to a razor-sharp point over the course of the war, managed to render any attempt at surprise on the part of their purple, smoky adversaries useless.After a while the two agents became aware of sounds of movement behind them, accompanied by the soft chatter of multiple Stromlings."Following us?" Hertz ventured cautiously."Not sure," Hotwire muttered. "All of the others attacked us instantly. Why would they..." He stopped, as the same idea entered both their minds simultaneously. There was a moment of awful, heavy silence."They're sealing us in," Hertz said at last. "Nobody in this temple can get out without wading through hundreds of Stromlings.""I wonder if that's the army Trigger was wailing about," Hotwire mused. "Keeping us out on pain of pain would be one thing, but keeping us in..." The hypothesizing was interrupted by two Stromlings popping out of the ground just ahead. Hertz peppered one with bursts from his Cosmotronic Ray, and Hotwire dropped the other with a steady blast from the laser rifle."Whatever's behind us," Hotwire growled, "we can't do anything but keep going forward." They continued on their way down the corridor, and just around the next corner was a sight that could only be described as...odd------------------------Helm heard footsteps. He'd decided about twenty seconds ago that it wasn't worth it to keep his eyes open, but even were that not the case, he would not have been able to see who or what was coming up the corridor behind him, as the only thing he could see with his eyes open were the thick coils of the snake piled up as high as his shoulders."Helm?" That was Hotwire's voice! He tried to answer, tried to sound brave, but found that he couldn't speak."What's going on? You okay?" And that was the agent he'd pulled up from the cliffside...Hertz, that was it."Take a look," Helm finally managed. "Does this look okay?"There was a pause. Then Hotwire spoke up, sounding very uncertain. "Well, from over here, it looks like you're standing rigidly still in the middle of the corridor all alone."Helm's eyes snapped open. But Hotwire was somehow mistaken -- there were the coils of the snake, the venom pooling at his feet..."It must be the Maelstrom," Hertz said. "It's messing with your mind.""Still...a snake this big? And I'm just supposed to assume it's not really there?""Helm, earlier today you jumped out of a helicopter!" Hotwire said. "If you could ignore your aversion to heights enough for that, why let a lump of ophidiophobia stop you now? Especially since, when it comes to the question of the snake's existence, you're outvoted. Come on. We've got a battle to win, and you're coming with us."Helm took a deep breath and looked up into the massive serpent's wild, ravenous eyes. It reared back, ready to strike. The mariner summoned every ounce of determination he had, gathered his strength, and with a shout leapt over the coils. He felt the striking snake's head woosh past his foot as he hit the ground. He stood, panting, and turned. Where the giant snake had been, there was nothing but a blank stone floor. The puddle of venom was gone as well, with no evidence that it had ever existed to begin with."An illusion," he said. "You were right."Hertz grinned, and Hotwire clapped Helm on the shoulder. "Don't let it get to you, he said. "Happens to the best of us." Not realizing, of course, how true those words would turn out to be.OOC: Good heavens, that ended up being considerably longer than I expected; I got carried away, I suppose. I should just write all my ICs at 2 AM. :PAnyway, that wasn't the idea I mentioned. Not yet.EDIT: Also, that guy, what is Hertz's age? I'd thought, based on his wiki article, that he is 23, but I've just noticed that the Agent Database lists him as 27.

Edited May 29, 2012 by Jackson Lake