[Nexus] AMEN XLI: eXtra Large Injury

[Gulaghar]

By Gulaghar


A BRIEF HISTORY by the esteemed Lord Magtok

Spoiler

In the darkest pits of despair there lived a fearsome being, one made of pure malevolence, hatred, and madness. He had an equally dark and loathsome plan for our world, the formation of an organization to be known as Evil Incorporated, destined to spread his unhallowed name throughout the world, so that all might come to know and fear the one named Psyke_D.

Fortunately for the rest of us, there's already a webcomic called Evil Inc. When this was pointed out by yours truly, the members of this fledgling new organization went into a frenzy. What good could an evil organization be without a suitably original, stylish, and menacing name? All sorts of suggestions were produced, everything from Vilecom (painfully bland) to Fullbladder's Fabulous Funky Foursome (Totally incorrect, as there was at least six of us by then).

Finally, someone (and by someone I mean me) offered a suggestion even better than Evil Inc, the "Association of the Malicious, Evil, and Nefarious". Everyone immediately realized that this was by far the best name they'd ever heard of, and after a chorus of "AMEN, brother"s and nibbling on some pixies, the Association had officially begun.

Years went by after that. In-jokes were formed, members came and went, and dictators were ousted and replaced with new dictators more swiftly than Central America during the Cold War on steroids. It was a glorious time, full of wars with EVIL, The Town, France, and HALO. (All ending in AMEN victories, aside from the last one, which was more of a cease-fire stalemate thingy)

Lives were lost, promptly restored, and then lost again. Love blossomed between various Associates, dark feuds between others, and every manner of nonsense imaginable, but that chaotic energy, that "Burn it all and let the gods sort it out" attitude always came before anything else.

Sadly, these days were destined to end eventually. AMEN just couldn't keep up with HALO, GLoG, and the rest of the world, and xenophobically shut its doors upon the rest of the world. A Dark Age ensued, full of newbs posting inane nonsense and old members complaining about the newbs instead of trying to better their situation, until eventually, not even the newbs were posting anymore.

Then came hope. Most called him crazy (and they were right), others called him ridiculously optimistic, and some say he's a big smelly dragon who doesn't bathe anywhere near as much as he should (Or maybe only I say that), but everyone else called him Gordon, the new leader of AMEN. Realizing that this xenophobic age had to end, he led AMEN out of the darkness, and brought about a new age of darkness, gave us a world where AMEN is once again a serious threat. For that, we owe him our thanks. I'm still gonna stab him in the back the first chance I get, though.

THE BUILDING

Spoiler

You don’t want to know. The greatest minds of our time have studied AMEN’s base, only to be driven MAD by the labyrinthine, ever shifting corridors and reality-defying chambers. The base itself is sentient, and doesn’t really take kindly to smartasses trying to map it. That being said, as long as you don’t try too hard to make sense of the base, it’s not difficult to find, say, the an empty bunk, the common room, the can, the lab, et cetera. Of course, there’s much more to the base than that, but I can’t tell you about it. 1) Because it would crush your little mind, and 2) because I don’t wanna.

MEMBERSHIP FORM

Spoiler

You don’t want to know. The greatest minds of our time have studied AMEN’s membership form, only to be driven MAD by the labyrinthine, ever shifting legalese and the reality-defying... ah, you know the drill. Just sign in blood at the bottom. Don’t worry, once you get past the legalese it’s all fairly standard. *cough*

LIST OF MEMBERS

Spoiler

Character	Player
Gordon	Phantom
Magtok	Magtok
Jack	Murkus
The Moff	Moff Chumley
Rot	VampireRot
Becky	BR
Darcy	HT
Xavier	Billtodamax
Ilpholin	Reinholdt
Anyu	Haruki
Zefir	Zefir
Greg	Firefox
Rose	Gulaghar
The Hatter	The Alexandrian
Brother Pavel	The Alexandrian
GM	Goblin Music
Dark Lord	D_Lord
Moff 4	happyturtle
Allen	ApeofLight
Mr.Bunbun	ApeofLight
Kal'selthezaar	Kid Kris
Ivan	Moff Chumley
Commodore Fluffy	CommodoreFluffy
Orrey	Murkus

OOC NOTES & RULES

Spoiler

For the sake of variety, these rules will be listed in the form of Russian reversals. Wanna know why? Because I WAS BORED.

In Soviet Russia, AMEN base doesn’t destroy YOU!!
In Soviet Russia, godmodding aren’t allowed to YOU!!
In Soviet Russia, spam doesn’t post YOU!!
In Soviet Russia, t3h s3cks drop curtains on YOU!!

HOW TO JOIN

Spoiler

Step 1) Wander in.
Step 2) Attempt to secure a membership form from an existing member. Which is no mean feat.
Step 3) Do not, under any circumstances, read the form. No, not even then.
Step 4) Sign in blood, please! Preferably yours.
Step 5) Congratulations, you’re now in AMEN! Weekly dues are paid to the current head.

About Henchmen

Spoiler

NPC Henchmen for the most part can be godmodded, however, the named henchmen are reserved for ThePhantom to control.

Standard henchmen attack uniform. by MethosH, from the Nexus webcomic.

NPC Henchmen

Spoiler

There are 147 npc henchman, each with a css color designation such as DarkRed, LimeGreen, and Cyan. Pink is the only henchwoman and seems to be the supervisor over the rest, though she still ranks below the named henchmen. Nobody but Gordon really knows what made them take the job at AMEN, but it must have been good.

Named Henchmen

Spoiler

Rogar: Head Henchman, manages the henchmen. Fights with electrostaff.
Sweetums: Head Ogre Usher, most powerful fighter of henchmen. Makes the very nice fudge.
Pete: Henchman of Naval business. Insane, thinks he's a pirate, always talks like one.
Mr E: Spymaster of henchmen. No telling what he looks like.

[BladeofObliviom]

[Main Room]

Cyrus is laughing on the couch. He traumatized a small child with her worst nightmares made flesh! That's automatically a good day!

[ThirdEmperor]

Hallways

The spell net is basically an anti-magic field, and will absorb any spells or magic Rael attempts to use and return them as an extremely painful shock.

Prometheus leads Rael and carries Sarah down several flights of stairs, until they must be a good thirty feet underground, and through the labyrinthine tunnels that compose the lower levels of the base, until they reach an area that seems newer than the rest of the twisting maze of passageways. Here the old rooms have been torn down and replaced, thick cement walls sealing up any possible entrances or exits to the lab, except for the air vents. The only way in or out is a single teleportation platform, which is where Prometheus is headed.

[C'nor]

[Hallways]

Unless, presumably, one could fit through the air vents. But, since there's an antimagic field around the shapeshifter, that's not likely to happen. Rael continues to follow Prometheus.

[ThirdEmperor]

Hallways

Prometheus sends a mental command to the drones operating the teleporter, and there should be a horrible sensation, somewhat similar to being reduced to the size of an atom, stretched back out and used as a tea cozy, as the three of them are warped into the lab.

Prometheus's fortress isn't precisely impressive. Lack of funds and the fact he's had to build basically everything out of scrap have seen to that. Still, for what amounts to an underfunded garage workshop, it's pretty much the best he could do. An old, bloodstained couch, bookshelf and cot takes up one corner of the room, while the rest is occupied by a massive workbench covered in various gadgets and devices in various states of being built or turned into components, ancient, broken-down war machines that are slowly being dismantled for parts, and some sort of generator like device, which appears to be what teleported them in. It also produces a teleport disruption field, one that prevents anyone else but Prometheus from warping in.

This is just one small part of the lab though, Prometheus's personal workspace, marked off by old metal railing that's been welded to the floor. Past that, there's a sharp drop directly into the room below, a factory floor where dozens of Drones work mindlessly, tirelessly, efficiently, slowly constructing some sort of enormous machine, wiring and welding and adjusting and assembling.

"Home sweet home, although not for much longer I think. Sadly, you're going to be stuck here as well till you answer my questions and I decide what to do with you. The Drones will have a dungeon set up in no time at all."

[C'nor]

[Hallways]

Given the precautions taken, that seems rather likely.

"So, what are your questions?"

[Slii Arhem]

The Door

A dainty, distinct knock raps out a jaunty little ditty on the door.

[ThirdEmperor]

Prometheus's Lab

"For a start, why are you here? Why the interest in Stu?" Prometheus asks, dropping the unconscious Sarah onto the couch.

[C'nor]

[Prometheus's Lab]

"I'm here to get Karyana. As for the interest in Stu, I'm acting as a debt collector for a third party."

[ThirdEmperor]

Prometheus's Lab

"Really. And I suppose Karyana was here to attempt to collect this debt as well?" Prometheus says, sarcastic and deadpan.

[Zefir]

The Door

Zefir goes to the door and opens it.

"Yes?"

[C'nor]

[Prometheus's Lab]

Rael nods.

"Yes. She was here to try and get him out of AMEN, so that he didn't have backup if he didn't want to pay."

[Slii Arhem]

There's an arm that has been crudely chopped off at the elbow floating at about head height that will continue to knock in mid air. Under it sits a little girl playing contentedly with a pile of mud. She grins up at him beatifically.

I'd very much like to spy on you now Mr. I think we could be bestest friends if you'd just let me in.

Begin the mind probe! The little girl will attempt to brute force her way into Zefir's brain, doing a complete highjack of all the information she can get her grubby little mits on.

[ThirdEmperor]

Prometheus's Lab

"Do you think I'm an idiot? Debt collectors. Three of you have so far showed up on AMEN's doorstep, every time asking to speak with Stu. One of you even joined AMEN for this reason. Debt collectors. Do you honestly expect me to believe a bunch of "debt collectors" would risk AMEN's wrath over money?! No. You insult my intellect." Prometheus glares at Rael. "You are assassins, spies, enforcers, I know not which, but I can guess, and I do know you are not "debt collectors". Now, will you tell the truth willingly, or must I tear your brains apart to find it? Who are you, and who sent you?"

[Zefir]

Well manny mages and such tried to get into his brain and he has build a natural defense against it. It's not high, but it prefents less skilled people fomr hacking his brain.

Either way Zefir will go try to pick up the gir and when succed turn her around and gave her a heavy kick outside.

[C'nor]

[Prometheus's Lab]

"I'm Rael Kairos. She's Sarah Bloodchanter, and Karyana you know. And I never said that we were here for money. The idiot owes our employer, who chose to remain anonymous, his soul. He offered up two Abyssal Pacts to kidnap him and bring him back."

[Earl of Purple]

Originally Posted by C'nor

[Nephrim's Room]

Karyana isn't expecting it. But, if Nephrim isn't quick, she might find that a newly formed mouth is trying to chew on her head.

Karyana is also superhumanly strong. So... I guess it depends on which is stronger? How much can Dam'Bul lift/throw/push?

Nephrim was quick, and does not receive a chewed-on head. She won't do that again, but she does continue stabbing with her wristblade and kneeblade.

Dam'Bul can lift two large men, each with one hand and then throw them maybe twenty feet. Don't forget that he's biting as well, with inherently magical teeth.

[Slii Arhem]

His hands pass right through her, and she laughs outrageously.

Teehee, you're strong mister munster, that's funny yupyup!

And then, noting the rather lackluster amount of info she got, she decides to change tactics and weaken his defenses.

HURRBLAARRG!

Psychic Vomit Time~!

[ThirdEmperor]

Prometheus's Lab

"Assassins then." You can hardly, in Prometheus's mind, collect the soul of a living creature. "Very well. At least we are getting somewhere. Now, what organization are you part of? You three are obviously not operating independantly."

[C'nor]

Originally Posted by Earl of Purple

Nephrim was quick, and does not receive a chewed-on head. She won't do that again, but she does continue stabbing with her wristblade and kneeblade.

Dam'Bul can lift two large men, each with one hand and then throw them maybe twenty feet. Don't forget that he's biting as well, with inherently magical teeth.

The mouth elongates, and begins to take on a distinct resemblance to that of a crocodile. Nephrim still doesn't hit Karyana's third heart.

The beaked, spined, tentacles are barely as strong as he is, but that should be just enough for them to hold on, given that they should be stuck in his flesh by now. The biting is more effective, and he can probably bite much of them off.

Of course, when he does so, the ends that are still attached reform into beaks again, and try to resume burrowing in, this time being careful to stay out of chomping range.

[Prometheus's Lab]

"I'd prefer not to divulge that. I have a feeling that the consequences of doing so would be long, painful, and deadly."

[Zefir]

Zefir jumps bag, he has awaited an attack after noticing the first mental attack, and the not able to grab thing worked as well. It's not time for that. he graps into his bag and drags out a flashbang setting on his sunglass he throws it outside and while jumped a bit back he tries to close the door with the other hand.

[ThirdEmperor]

Prometheus's Lab

"I'm afraid that not answering will lead to worse. We can, and will, do much worse things than simply kill you if you don't answer. And we will, one way or another, get an answer eventually." Prometheus says coldly.

[Slii Arhem]

The girl jumps forward through the crack of the door as it's closing, contorting impossibly to squeeze through, until the door shuts on her midriff and she's pinched in two, everything from her waist up landing inside the building.

Owwww... no fun Zeffy.

And with that her eyes close, she most likely dead now, or soon will be.

[C'nor]

Originally Posted by ThirdEmperor

Prometheus's Lab

"I'm afraid that not answering will lead to worse. We can, and will, do much worse things than simply kill you if you don't answer. And we will, one way or another, get an answer eventually." Prometheus says coldly.

[Prometheus's Lab]

"Fine. It's a group called MURDER - Mysterious Unscrupulous Reconnaissance, Dispatching, Espionage, and Ruination. They're fairly new, apparently."

((Deadtime, at least for a bit))

[ThirdEmperor]

Prometheus's Lab

"And who runs this organization? How well funded is it? How many members does it have?"

[Lord Magtok]

Originally Posted by VampireRot

[Main Room]

"I see..."

Pink sips her tea thoughtfully. She's actually wearing her normal clothes under the bathrobe. She's not stupid, after all.

"You have a rather relationship focused mind, don't you?"

The henchwoman allows herself a slight smirk.

The cyborg shrugs, ignoring the implied snark and taking the comment entirely at face value. "Of course I do. Relationships are everything, henchmissy. In a society as chaotic and barbaric as ours, there are only two things that truly matter: Death, and curtains. Love...and becoming wormfood for all eternity. The sooner you realize how simple the world really is, the sooner you might one day rise up and become something more than a putrid little chunk of subservient clone meat.

I mean, just ask Vasquez, our new benevolent lord and master, how she stays in power, entirely unbothered by any of the assassination attempts and simmering hatred that plagued her predecessors. The others could only kill you if you caused trouble, but as a six foot-something lady soldier person Vasquez can kill you AND has boobs. It's the only reason Gordon hasn't gone and shot her in the face in the middle of a Council meeting and declared AMEN the new rulers of Inside, y'know. The only reason that makes sense, anyway. I'd plug her full of lead myself, honestly, but the workload involved in replacing Vas just sounds waaaaay too aggravating to be worth the trouble."

[Zefir]

Originally Posted by Slii Arhem

The girl jumps forward through the crack of the door as it's closing, contorting impossibly to squeeze through, until the door shuts on her midriff and she's pinched in two, everything from her waist up landing inside the building.

Owwww... no fun Zeffy.

And with that her eyes close, she most likely dead now, or soon will be.

He doesn't answer. he just fokus now on his mind to keep his thoughts clean from others taking more and more distance. both hands free isn't good for his enemy, since they fill very quick and another pair of flashbangs where thrown to the door where the mental attacker is.

[Earl of Purple]

Nephrim's Room

Since she hasn't hit the third heart, she has a hand free. More importantly, a wristblade. She'll try and amputate the crocodilian mouth with it, though her kneeblade is still being inserted into Karyana's ribcage.

Dam'Bul starts melting into a slightly acidic red goo. The goo will quickly sublime away, returning the essence of the temporarily vanquished demon to the Abyss. Meanwhile, though, the goo may do a fair bit of damage to the tentacles given that they're burrowing into the demon's corpse.

[Slii Arhem]

They clank uselessly against her half-a-corpse and detonate, again uselessly. She's just bleeding out, no need to force a confrontation here.

[VampireRot]

Originally Posted by Lord Magtok

The cyborg shrugs, ignoring the implied snark and taking the comment entirely at face value. "Of course I do. Relationships are everything, henchmissy. In a society as chaotic and barbaric as ours, there are only two things that truly matter: Death, and curtains. Love...and becoming wormfood for all eternity. The sooner you realize how simple the world really is, the sooner you might one day rise up and become something more than a putrid little chunk of subservient clone meat.

I mean, just ask Vasquez, our new benevolent lord and master, how she stays in power, entirely unbothered by any of the assassination attempts and simmering hatred that plagued her predecessors. The others could only kill you if you caused trouble, but as a six foot-something lady soldier person Vasquez can kill you AND has boobs. It's the only reason Gordon hasn't gone and shot her in the face in the middle of a Council meeting and declared AMEN the new rulers of Inside, y'know. The only reason that makes sense, anyway. I'd plug her full of lead myself, honestly, but the workload involved in replacing Vas just sounds waaaaay too aggravating to be worth the trouble."

[Main Room]

Pink raises an eyebrow.

"Really? That's it? Death and curtains? For such a..."

The henchwoman waves a hand vaguely.

"Varied? Worldly? Cloned? man as yourself, that seems like a way too simple approach. And surprising too, since I doubt you're getting much, ahem, 'tail' these days."

Oooh. Bringing up the deadtimed fiance. That's a low blow, Pink.

"Maybe it's because I'm just an NPC, but I really don't think that's all there is to life. It's much more complex. And Vasquez definitely isn't staying in power just because of her gender. Actually... it sounds more like you're jealous of her power, and trying to rationalize the fact that you're not god-king of the Nexus, but she pretty much is."

The minion smirks again.