[Nexus] Inside 45

[Gullara]

[Paleolithic Park]

It takes Aeia a bit longer than Bark to connect the dots. Her smile is rapidly replaced with a worried look. "What were you supposed to do when you found us?"

[Thornwight Ave]

The pixie looks around at the strange new surroundings with undisguised fascination. "Um, what was I saying? Oh right, I need you to take me out to walk around in the woods sometime later or tomorrow or something. It's very very important." Mimi has yet to reveal what they'd be doing, however.

[ApeofLight]

[Paleolithic Park]

Foro has a slightly confused smile on his face. Why were they starting to worry? He was there to help them. "Ms.A! And you're Mr.B!" He said obliviously happy.

"Foro was suppose to call some people so they could come pick you up. They told Foro that the Ms.A and Mr.B weren't well and that they were dangerous. The old man told Foro that the two of you ran away and that you needed help! So Foro came to help! Now Foro just needs to call this number."

The magma monkey reached once more into his hat and brought out some papers. He looked them over a couple of times, even turning them upside down at one point, before frowning. "Foro forgot that Foro doesn't know how to read well. Will one of you help Foro read this so Foro can call people so that people can come and help Foro's new friends? Oh! Can Foro be your friend?"

[Murkus]

EIAC - JN
"Well...you know how the Nexus is like a hodgepodge of everything? That's Zero. Not only can he replicate anything so you can properly test anything on any kind of subject, he also just has plenty of bodily stuff that if replicated can help out a lot in the medical field. Like replacing limbs by growing them on the remains of the old ones, pain medication, ect..."
"He also makes a pretty good security detail, and an excellent trump card if someone is invading your place or trying to take it down."
It's true.

"My. He is useful. I think we'll put you to use right away, Zero," Naitiri says with a smug smile. Just then, one of her orderlies returns, apparently told through his cyber-brain connection get more gold. A large sack of gold - about a hundred ounces - is dumped beside Jane. "There's your first payment."

Andy just nods, nothing more to say about that part I think.

"Well, if you've got no objections, then lets get ready to go..." Naitiri says, starting off out of the room.

((To be continued in the New Thread! Save your replies for then, fellas!))

[Terumitsu]

[Thornwight Ave]

Dodging a cart, one carrying nothing but panes of glass and ripe fruit for some reason, Archimedes replied with his normal joviality although it was evident he was curious as to what Mimi was wanting to do. Or rather, he was always curious and he simply altered his voice inflection to make that evident on the topic in question. "We should have time enough on this outing to do that. Just what is it that you want to do out there, though?" It was entirely possible that she was feeling a bit homesick but there didn't seem to be any indicators of that. Unless he had misjudged her bodylanguage, which was always a possibility with a new culture, and that was the reason. He would have to wait for that answer but thankfully he was more patient than most things with a brain.

If there was nothing that really caught Mimi's eye at the moment, then the pair would arrive at the frozen sweet shoppe in short order. It was styled in the way of a 'old fashioned malt shop' with a checkered floor and neon just about everywhere that didn't have chrome. Due to this latter fact, the Magbot body fit in to the decor amazingly well. "Here we are!" Archimedes said, carefully dismounting the unicycle and leaning it near the entryway. After a moment's inquiry with a slightly bored looking half-dragon (silver lineage and young enough for this to apparently be a first part-time job), Mimi would be shown just what sorbet was with a wide array of flavors.

In all truth, though, she could probably just have a few scoops of what would normally be a 'sample size' and be done.

[Mina Kobold]

Red Zone - Near Trog's

"You two have fun. I'll be back soon." Confident as always, Young Star takes to the sky and flies to the alley where Meli unleashed the genie. Cupping his hands to his mouth, he yells out, "Hey! Jolly Green! You and me need to talk!"

Young Star's challenge is initially unanswered, only a faint breeze giving any sound from the alley. But suddenly, the wind strengthens and is filled with a green smoke, seemingly originating from an ordinary vase among the discarded objects in the alley.

"If that is what you seek, then we shall TALK!"

The Genie's booming voice replies as it solidifies into a dragon-like shape, horned and with piercing red reptilian eyes. The last word is said with such force that the wind from it would knock over most ordinary humans and sends the trash-cans of the alley flying.

[OrchestraHc]

Red Zone - Above An Alley

Young Star holds his hand in front of his face to protect it from the wind when the genie yells at him, but mostly seems unfazed by the intimidation tactic. He then begins snapping his finger next to his ear for the next few seconds. He nods, satisfied with having that level of hearing back and begins discussing with the monster.

"My name is Young Star, I'm a superhero, and this conversation can go any way you want it to," he starts, "That girl didn't have any way of knowing your rules, and it seems you didn't warn her. Can't you let her off with a warning rather than dogging her heels for the rest of her life?"

[Gullara]

[Thornwight Ave]

Mimi keeps looking around as she speaks, not wanting to miss a thing. "I need to find a few different flowers so I can give them to Riss soon." She feels no need to hide her feelings for Riss from anyone. Especially not Archie, seeing as he's a friend. *nodnod*

The conversation is momentarily interrupted by sorbet, it seems. The pixie looks at it curiously. "You eat this?" It looks strange to her. Well, no use hesitating. "Um, give me some of that one." She points at some orange sorbet first.

[Slii Arhem]

Paleolithic Park

Bark considers the monkey's words. The old wizard was working through proxies, probably multiple ones if he chose someone so... innocent, or naive Bark suppose, to search for them. Now, how to best approach this.

"The man you spoke with was either an evil wizard, or someone in the wizard's employ. We escaped from his clutches with our lives, but only just barely, and will not be going back. It would be best if you just forgot you found us." There, that doesn't sound crazy or delusional at all. Clearly Foro should trust and believe him.

[happyturtle]

Vinny's Place

Billie wakes up mid-morning, smiling at the memories of the night before. She'd gotten to beat up some stupid cultists, and then had a really great time with a nice guy. No, Vinny probably isn't a nice guy. Not in his line of work. But he'd been nice to Billie, and that's all she cares about.

But it was time to make her exit. Sticking around was never a good idea in these situations. Usually she didn't even stay long enough to go to sleep, but she'd taken some injuries in that fight, and she'd needed the sleep to heal up from them. She'd been on the streets long enough to have an instinct about men, and that instinct had told her she was safe around Vinny. He may be a thug, but he wasn't about to hurt a working girl.

She shimmies back into her dress. Her shoes she'd lost to magma, and her ruined stockings had been tossed somewhere last night. They certainly weren't worth looking for. She finds a scrap of paper and pencil and leaves a note.

Spoiler

Show

She slips out the door without a look back.

[UncleWolf]

Vinny's Place

Vinny opens his eyes as soon as the dame leaves and gives a small sigh. He wished that she had stay to make his bed warmer for a little while longer, but he understood that sometimes a woman didn't want to stick around with a guy she might grow to regret being with the longer she was there. He tosses aside the covers and pulls on some drawers before finding the note. He smiles a bit when he reads it and begins hoping that they'll meet again. It seemed she wasn't just any dame off the street if she wanted to come back.

Heading over to the record player, he flips the piece of vinyl over and plays the other side before getting to making his breakfast of fried eggs and whiskey.

[Murkus]

Aegis Vaults

Aegis Vaults is a top of the line bank, offering premium security and secrecy to the rich, the middle-class and the extremely-wealthy-yet-homeless class so often referred to as 'adventurers'. Although perhaps not as extravagant in it's safety measures as the private storage facilities catering to the inanely wealthy, Aegis has a reputation for being as secure as the common slob can hope for, with precautions against, if not every possible attack, at least every probable one.

For a start the vault door is a solid ton of hyperdurable adamantine-alloy engraved with defensive runes barring everything from disintegration to mundane rust, beyond that, a corridor divided by six circular arches and lined with smaller vaults each connecting to a secured subspace pocket.

And if the outer door was by some miracle breached, then the would-be robbers would have to contend with numerous traps and guardians only to leave empty handed, for the moment the alarms sound the portals leading to the subspace storages are immediately disconnected and their contents rendered inaccessible until the lockdown ends. That can only be done if the bank director places his living hand upon the scanner located in he security booth at the far side of the vault. All in all a nearly foolproof setup.

Nearly. This is the Nexus, sooner or later, every plan finds the fool against which it is not proof.

Naturally, the very fact I am explaining all this means that it will be sooner, rather than later.
----

Midnight, Saturday. Transfers time. The Nexus's unique currency system has always made digital transaction a tricky subject, most people preferring their money solid, palpable form with some physical weight to it. Hence, rather than simply typing in a few words and having the countless riches of their clients transferred via cyberspace, money has to be moved the old fashioned way, in banks bags and armored cars.

The courier vans arrive and the couriers undergo a series of methodical scans and questions to ensure they are who they seem before being let into the vault, the giant door opened, briefly.

But despite all measures and precautions taken, it's not until they're halfway through their task that the alarms sound and the flashing red lights begin. Highly trained as they are the guards spot the silver mist pouring from one of the bags in an instant, but that instant is all they get, every last courier, accountant and watchmen suddenly collapsing as a powerful sleep spell sweeps through the room.

"Well, real shame you folks won't be seeing the show, but I am afraid I've got no time to waste waiting for you sleepyheads to wake up." A voice chuckles with mock amiability, as a vaguely humanoid shape takes form within the ethereal mists.

Aegis Vaults

Alarms! That can only mean one thing... something set those alarms off!

Well if sound is a siren call to anyone it's... Doctor Decibel, Defender of the Defenseless!



Doctor Decibel hops down from a somewhere and poses!

"Don't even think about stealing those sacks of silver!"

Matt and Gelley are likely making their way across the city when the alarms sound. Divebomb had merely been using her thermal vision - spying on people in alleys, in parks, looking for trouble. Nothing that she'd seen, just yet.

And after only a few minutes, a bank robbery! What luck. DB can show Matt what she's capable of. "You hear that? Lets investigate!" And with that HEROIC statement, she leaps down in front of the bank to land gracefully on the pavement. With the clanking of metal boots preceding her entrance, Gelley storms the establishment, looking around to see what all the fuss is about!

[FireFox]

Aegis Vaults

Matt uses his wings to safely descend down to the bank and follows, a few steps behind Divebomb. He readies his shield and looks around.

[Mina Kobold]

Red Zone - Above An Alley

Young Star holds his hand in front of his face to protect it from the wind when the genie yells at him, but mostly seems unfazed by the intimidation tactic. He then begins snapping his finger next to his ear for the next few seconds. He nods, satisfied with having that level of hearing back and begins discussing with the monster.

"My name is Young Star, I'm a superhero, and this conversation can go any way you want it to," he starts, "That girl didn't have any way of knowing your rules, and it seems you didn't warn her. Can't you let her off with a warning rather than dogging her heels for the rest of her life?"

The Genie responds by giving a mighty shake of its scaled head. Grinning as it speaks.

"I explained it as my once Master wished me to. 'Speak your Wish and it shall be fulfilled to all my Might. It can neither change Emotion, Death nor the Divine.' That was well enough for that Master, and for many later ones."

The Genie's tone indicates that its former masters might have had a different point of view on this, but it keeps the air of politeness nonetheless. Continuing, it challenges Young Star as it changes form yet again. Now in the shape of a winged Harpie in ancient armour and silken ornaments, it speaks.

"But if you want my Vengeance halted, then do no more than destroy the Vessel that is my home in this Nexus."

It raises a hand to point at the vase, tassels of energy now emerging from the ground around it to form a protective shield. Giving Young Star a challenging look, the Genie awaits reply.

[Terumitsu]

[Thornwight Ave]

With no change of expression, the silver half-dragon brought out a thimble sized paper cup and proceeded to fill it with teaspoon. It was rather comical to watch but it was easier to do than one would expect, given that all he had to do was scrape across the top rather than try and dig deep down to get a scoopful. Archimedes paid with a small cube of pure copper fished from some pocket once the cup had been set on the counter, complete with an absolutely tiny spoon. At least, tiny for most people. but after all that, Mimi would be set down so as to try her selection while the A.I. in the Magbot's body took up residence on a nearby stool.

"Flowers you say?" Archimedes asked, once Mimi had taken a chance to try the frozen treat. "Any kind in particular? I may not look it but I am quite adept at identifying things." Having access to a wide array of databases would do that.

[Gnrlshrimp]

[Cliffs]

"I...I suppose." Ithuriel doesn't sound entirely convinced. But, thinking about it, she's an angel now. A divine servant! He's right, why does it matter if some tiny part of her never changed back?

Probably.

Might take a while for her to thoroughly convince herself of that, but it's a start at least.

"E-even so, I was sort of thinking that if anything did happen, then if I was at least with someone capable of subduing me then it wouldn't really matter. And you're a god, and, well, very handsome..." I'm sure Wolfy can figure out what she's trying to get at here.

[ThirdEmperor]

Aegis Vaults

In the time it's taken the heroes to arrive, it appears the rest of the villains have made their entrance as well. Outside the bank is parked a sleek black vain, engine still running, although the driver is nowhere in sight. Iron shutters have locked shut over the windows and door the moment the alarm sounded, but someone's since blasted a hole clear through the wall and into the main lobby.

Within, everyone is asleep, the accountants slumped against their desks, the customers fallen to the ground where they stood. Everyone except the three gentlemen wearing the stereotypical ski mask and hoodie bank robber assemble, one keeping watch on the entrance while the other two are hard at work smashing in the bulletproof glass shields dividing the teller desks from the rest of the bank to get at the goodies within.

As the first hero steps through the door (I'll assume it's Doctor Decibel, as he arrived first), the goon on guard duty nearly jumps out of his own skin, brandishing his shotgun in that general direction with obvious panic. "Hold it right there! First one to try something gets a lead sandwich!"

[Gullara]

[Paleolithic Park]

Foro has a slightly confused smile on his face. Why were they starting to worry? He was there to help them. "Ms.A! And you're Mr.B!" He said obliviously happy.

"Foro was suppose to call some people so they could come pick you up. They told Foro that the Ms.A and Mr.B weren't well and that they were dangerous. The old man told Foro that the two of you ran away and that you needed help! So Foro came to help! Now Foro just needs to call this number."

The magma monkey reached once more into his hat and brought out some papers. He looked them over a couple of times, even turning them upside down at one point, before frowning. "Foro forgot that Foro doesn't know how to read well. Will one of you help Foro read this so Foro can call people so that people can come and help Foro's new friends? Oh! Can Foro be your friend?"

Paleolithic Park

Bark considers the monkey's words. The old wizard was working through proxies, probably multiple ones if he chose someone so... innocent, or naive Bark suppose, to search for them. Now, how to best approach this.

"The man you spoke with was either an evil wizard, or someone in the wizard's employ. We escaped from his clutches with our lives, but only just barely, and will not be going back. It would be best if you just forgot you found us." There, that doesn't sound crazy or delusional at all. Clearly Foro should trust and believe him.

[Paleolithic Park]

"No no, Foro, the person looking for us is a bad man. He wants to do bad things to us. Please don't tell him anything about us." Aeia pleads. She may not have been worried about the wizard at all when he was a thing of the past, but now that there's a chance of encountering him again, she's really scared.

[Thornwight Ave]

With no change of expression, the silver half-dragon brought out a thimble sized paper cup and proceeded to fill it with teaspoon. It was rather comical to watch but it was easier to do than one would expect, given that all he had to do was scrape across the top rather than try and dig deep down to get a scoopful. Archimedes paid with a small cube of pure copper fished from some pocket once the cup had been set on the counter, complete with an absolutely tiny spoon. At least, tiny for most people. but after all that, Mimi would be set down so as to try her selection while the A.I. in the Magbot's body took up residence on a nearby stool.

"Flowers you say?" Archimedes asked, once Mimi had taken a chance to try the frozen treat. "Any kind in particular? I may not look it but I am quite adept at identifying things." Having access to a wide array of databases would do that.

[Thornwight Ave]

Mimi is very vocal about how much she enjoyed the sorbet, but not in the form of coherent words. Her mouth is too full for that. She manages to stop eating long enough to reply. "Nah, they just need to be pretty and colourful. Oh, and I need four of them."

[Reinholdt]

Aegis Vaults

Doctor Decibel replies to a gun being pointed at him!

"Surrender now villains and no one needs to get brutally maimed!" And strung up upside down. The blood rush really is quite a pain.

[ApeofLight]

[Paleolithic Park]

The monkey tilts his head in confusion. "Evil wizard? Bad man? Bad things?" The magma elemental gets very contemplative for a few minutes.

As he thinks Foro's face gets more and more troubled look on it. Eventually he breaks from his thoughts and looks very angry. The magma monkey starts to stomp the ground he's standing on and waving his arms around like a small child throwing a tantrum.

"Oh! Foro mad now! Foro want to call up people now and say mean things because they tried to use Foro against Foro's newest friends" The small enraged creature runs towards Bark and Aeia and plants his staff into the ground. With a hop Foro jumps onto the tip of his weapon as it changes shape so that the monkey could sit on it comfortably while being eye level with your average humanoid.

"Ms.A and Mr.B are Foro's new friends now!" He states as a simple fact. "And Foro helps his friends because that's what Foro does!"

[Terumitsu]

[Thornwight Ave]

Four? That was a particular number. Or at least, the insistence upon it was interesting. "I see. Well, perhaps orchids then, if you want something colorful? Or water lilies.. Do you want them to be large flowers?" Archimedes asked, bombarding her with questions in the brief span of time that he had before she began eating again. At the very least, though, it seemed she was enjoying the treat.

Rather than ask her everything up front, though, Archimedes would wait until the pixie had finished before asking the question that seemed to be a bit of a lynchpin. Or cornerstone if one preferred. "So is the number important in some way? Oh, and should each flower be a different color?" Well, maybe not that last question but it seemed like it needed to be asked anyway.

[McBish]

Rooftops

Dorris Dobbolina is a 16 year girl, who has lived in the Nexus all her life. She grew up here, goes to school here, has a job and a family here. But lately there has been a new aspect to her life.

Dori trudges through the streets happy to be done with work for the day. She has been looking forward to tonight all day long. She has only been patrolling for a few weeks now stopping only minor crimes.

How does this skinny young woman stop any sort of crimes? Well first she finds herself an empty alley and makes sure no one is around. Then she grows her second skin. It is a green exoskeleton that covers her from head to toe. Around her head she has no obvious mouth or nostrils, though there are selveral openings back behind her ears, and two large eyes in the front that are opaque from the outside.

Once the transformation is complete Dori takes off her clothes and stuffs them into her bag. No genitalia are visible, as a matter of fact there is no way to tell if Dori is male or female by looking. After stowing her bag into a hiding spot she climbs up the wall to the roof. A strange green mist coming from her wrist that seems to help her climb, leaving a sticky goo behind, that will eventually disappear.

Once she reaches the roof she stands and waits.

”I hope she finds this place."

She says to her self in a voice that is modified and sounds raspier and higher pitched then Dori's normal tone.

[Beans]

[Rooftops]
"She" does indeed find that rooftop before long.
A black substance oozes out of a jagged hole in the upper area of the building's north drainpipe, flowing impossibly up to the rooftop like a living thing.
Precisely because it is a living thing, and forms into a fairly shapely young woman.
She smiles at her friend.
Hiya Dori. How was work?

[McBish]

Rooftops

"It sucked Asida, John the manager sucks. He is a moron on a power trip, and I am sick and tired of him talking down to me. But I need the money, so I do my best to ignore him."

She sighs, which because of her suit sounds more like a hiss.

"But I have been looking forward to this. I hope we find something a bit more challenging this time. Muggers don't have much fight in them."

[Beans]

Rooftops

"It sucked Asida, John the manager sucks. He is a moron on a power trip, and I am sick and tired of him talking down to me. But I need the money, so I do my best to ignore him."

She sighs, which because of her suit sounds more like a hiss.

"But I have been looking forward to this. I hope we find something a bit more challenging this time. Muggers don't have much fight in them."

Asida nods, her clothes shifting into something a little more... superhero-ish.
Yeah, I agree... let's go.

[Gullara]

[Thornwight Ave]

Four? That was a particular number. Or at least, the insistence upon it was interesting. "I see. Well, perhaps orchids then, if you want something colorful? Or water lilies.. Do you want them to be large flowers?" Archimedes asked, bombarding her with questions in the brief span of time that he had before she began eating again. At the very least, though, it seemed she was enjoying the treat.

Rather than ask her everything up front, though, Archimedes would wait until the pixie had finished before asking the question that seemed to be a bit of a lynchpin. Or cornerstone if one preferred. "So is the number important in some way? Oh, and should each flower be a different color?" Well, maybe not that last question but it seemed like it needed to be asked anyway.

[Thornwight Ave]

"Not too small, and any nice flower is good." The pixie goes about finishing her sorbet, licking more than a little that got onto her fingers. She isn't all that used to eating utensils. Beyond a knife, perhaps.

She nods at the first question. "It's the number of days since I met Riss. Or, how many it's been when I end up giving them to her. I gotta pick one every day for her after this too, so I need your help till I can do it on my own." She explains. "It should be all different colours and all different kinds of flowers."

[McBish]

[Rooftops>>Red Zone Rooftops]

Dori smiles under her suit and takes a running leap to the next rooftop, her suit obviously giving her increased strength and dexterity, as she easily leaps large gaps. She makes sure Asida follows her before making her way towards the Red zone, the part of town she was always told to avoid. Well it isn't too dangerous for her now.

[Beans]

[Red Zone Roofs]
Asida follows, pulling herself to each roof with a swung, extending arm. She keeps close behind her friend and partner.

[McBish]

[Red Zone Roofs]

"How about you, how was your day?

Dori says as they leap from rooftop to rooftop searching for crime to fight.

[Beans]

[Red Zone Roofs]
I ate some mice and slept a bunch like normal.
She shrugs midair, which is kind of impressive.

[Murkus]

Aegis Vaults

Gelley, hearing Decibel's declaration of doom, decides to try a different entrance. She looks through the walls with her visor, noting three targets with her thermal imaging. Time to go to work. "Three of them, Matt. I'm gonna make a door."

Gelley will examine the metal shutters that've dropped around the bank. Mostly checking to see if they've got any special properties. If not, Gelley will take a few steps backward, check the trajectory and then put her shoulder forward to charge the shutters. Propelled by secondary thrusters and her tremendous strength, she hopes to smash through and startle the bank robbers.