Heroes: The Rise of Omnicorp

[Dark Silver]

"I don't want to know..." Garth said as he floated closer to the now more american looking and sounding Japanese man.

"Let's get you to the base to clean up....just...remember our deal."

With that, Kyosuke and his things were picked up in a Energy bubble, and began to fly at a more modest speed back to the base.

[LadyTevar]

Argent slid out of the shadows in her family room, turning human as she emerged. She was keeping her emotions tight around her, but it was clear by her body language that she did not like what she'd learned.

She slumped down on the couch, dropping her head in her hands. "You were right again, you bastard...... he couldn't lie about it. Sentinel's Saibot."

[SirNitram]

As silently and as unnoticed as it had appeared, the being above the desert vanished.

Several wormholes later, to avoid being traced, Gravitas stepped back into the living room. "Things went quietly. Lots and lots of empty desert. Not many planes overhead. Got a gravitational layout of the area, though, so they can hardly keep me out."

[Cynical Cat]

"I'm sorry you're taking it so hard," said Blackheart. "Take what time you need."

[LadyTevar]

Argent nodded, slowly. "Just ... get the guys together..."

[Dark Silver]

Garth landed near the base, and a shiver went down his spine. He looked around, then frowned. His eyes seemed to shift for a moment, before he looked back to Kyosuke.

"Something's going down."

Garth opened a comm channel to Ghost, and spoke evenly, "Go home. Don't ask any questions, just go home. I'll have something sent for you there."

Saibot looked to Kyosuke, and beckoned him to follow. Within five minutes, the two were in Garth's personal quarters, and he was shoving a green tinged wooden box into the shapeshifted man's hands, "Get this to Ghost. Then leave him alone. Now get the hell out of here."

[B4UTRUST]

Kyosuke laughed bitterly.
"Yes, I'll do that. It'll take me about a day to get out of this desert if I survive through the day but sure, for you."

Kyosuke took the box and held it in his hand, feeling its weight. He set it down along with his bag and sword.
"If you're really worried, take one of these. It's approximately four doses, though I wouldn't recommend more then one in a weeks period. Or at all if you don't need it. Two doses and you'll live but you won't like it. Three or four and you're asking for a funeral."

With that he drew one of the vials out of his bag. There was a thick black liquid inside that bubbled and frothed.
"The basis for the final product. Concentrated, potent and most of all... deadly. I would not recommend its consumption.

"No chance for a lift then?"

[Agent Fisher]

Ghost had slipped his helmet back on and heard the comm call. "Understood Sentinel. And could you send me a binder that's in my room? It's a small black one. Personal photes." He explained before lifting into the sky and heading eastward, before getting too far, he stopped, turned towards Vegas and went that way. Might as well catch a flight, it would be quicker than flying.

[Cynical Cat]

"Alright," said Blackheart. He went through the house. "Argent wants to talk to us."

[LadyTevar]

Argent lifted her head, feeling a change in Ghost. "... Blackheart, I need to get back to Ghost. He's starting to worry something's wrong."

A shadow moved in the kitchen, pulling bottles of green tea out of the fridge. "He warned me the base has teleport inhibators. He traveled as far out as he can from it to meet me, but I don't know how close I can get to it now. Saibot may have turned them on to keep me away now that he knows I can get there." The bottles vanished into the shadows, stored for Ghost, if she got to go back. "Gravitas may be able to do more there. Permission to go to Ghost?"

Down the link to Ghost she frantically sent messages of reassurance and patience, trying to tell Ghost to hang on and wait. There was also an undercurrent of worry ... over him.

[Cynical Cat]

"Not alone," said Blackheart. "Two people with you. If Saibot or Ghost thinks they blew the lie and we're coming for them, divide and conquer is the smart move for them. I'm not sending you in solo to get gutted."

[Agent Fisher]

Ghost slowed and returned to the bluffs, waiting for Argent to return. He sent feelings of calm and acceptance.

[LadyTevar]

She could point out that Hotfoot had the dagger, and this was Ghost, not Saibot. She had the feeling that Blackheart wouldn't give a damn, so she didn't try. "You worry about me at the strangest times," she quipped instead, trying to lighten the mood a little.

"Ghost vacated the base, gave up Saibot, and is waiting on me," she stretched the truth a bit, because she wanted ... needed ... to talk to Ghost alone. But she figured that wasn't going to work either. "Unless you want Tachyon with you, he's welcome to join me. You'll need everyone else to get inside the base."

Again, she sent Patience and Reassurance down the line... with another undercurrent, this time of annoyance at the delay.

[Cynical Cat]

Blackheart's gaze flickered to Tachyon. "Yes. Go in force field up. Ghost is black ops background. Thinking happy thoughts while he's planning to gut the empath is within the cards. He was sent to infiltrate Ultima. Deception's a tool to him and he was good enough to fool you the first time about Saibot. He might not be walking you into a trap, but don't discount the possibility."

[LadyTevar]

A nod, as Argent took the warning as it was meant, Blackheart not wanting to lose any of his teammates. "One last thing, Blackheart," she said, taking dragonshape. "I asked him about Gazer." She met Blackheart's eyes squarely and told the truth as she felt it from Ghost.

"He wanted him dead, he even had thought of ways to kill him and get away clean. But he didn't kill him, was a bit disappointed he didn't get to kill him. But there's a part of him wondering revenge was truly what he wanted, or just justice for his wife. What happened to Gazer sickened him on that level." Her voice dropped a little, asking quietly "Is that answer enough for you?"

[Cynical Cat]

"No," said Blackheart, "because we already know he can fool you and it's quite possible the guy who killed Gazer and the guy who strung him up are two different people. Don't turn your back on him either. He's covert ops and he's been cooperating with a fugitive. If he wants to come along nicely then good but if he doesn't he can do a lot of damage. Respect his abilities and treat him as dangerous."

[LadyTevar]

She sighed, it had been worth a shot. "Where do you want Ghost held while you hit the base," she asked Blackheart as she walked over to Tachyon and curled around him.

[Dark Silver]

Saibot shook his head, even as he took the vial. He tucked it into a pouch at his waist, and looked at Kyosuke.

"I can get you away from here....goto the galley and get you some supplies. Take whatever you can get within the next fifteen minutes. Because if what I think happened, did, then this place is compromised. Check in the hanger, I beleive there's a buggy that will get you back to Vegas. If I'm still around within the next 24 hours, I'll find you. And give you this shit back." He patted the pouch which held the vial.

You are a God....they cannot destroy you...

'I hope your right...' was his mental reply....

[Cynical Cat]

"Good question," said Blackheart. "Anyone got any good ideas?"

[SirNitram]

"Hold a spook?" Gravitas lifted a brow. "I don't have any supermax facilities. I could drop him in a desert or something, but I'm sure he's got survival training."

[General Havoc]

Hydro was listening to all of the proceedings from the outskirts of the room, having trickled over before resuming his standard elemental shape. There were questions to be asked of course, but he did not ask them, not immediately. Instead he waited until the others were discussing the impending meeting with Saibot and with this "Ghost" person, and then he spoke up. His voice was calm, and rational, as it ever was, but the words he spoke were unlikely to fill the others with joy.

"Pardon me," he said, interjecting and sliding partway into the room. "I have a... request to make at this juncture. You are... preparing for the possibility of hostilities in relation to these metafleshbeasts designated Saibot and Ghost, yes?" He paused just a moment. "It is my wish to accompany one or the other of you in this endeavor, for various purposes."

[LadyTevar]

"yeah... thanks for the help there," she sighed, before looking up to Tachyon. "Without the ring, Ghost's merely human. Only think he's got is invisiblity." She looked back to Blackheart and Gravitas. "The 'base full of people' is probably a lie, but Gravitas might doublecheck. There's only one floor showing above ground, but we all know there's more to it. Why pretend."

She was pretending herself, trying to find good excuses to keep Tachyon and Ghost out of the upcoming fight. It was going to be a massacre; Gravitas and Blackheart, Blast and Hotfoot, all ganging up on Saibot. "One last suggestion? Hydro and Alexander stay here," she said bluntly. "It's a desert, which is dying for water. Alexander's just not ready."

Those were the last comments she made, before circling around Tachyon and vanishing between.

***

Heartbeats later, a shadow near Ghost bulged as Argent emerged, Tachyon standing behind her with his force-field glowing protectively. Oddly, when Argent shifted immediately to human, she was holding bottles of green tea. Sending Ghost an urgent empathic message of "TrustME/Play Along", she spoke first.

"Blackheart thanks you for giving up Saibot," she said softly, silently praying to the Goddess of Mercy that Ghost would get the hint, play along, and let her protect him from what was coming. "He's still afraid you're a trap and you're going to gut me, so he insisted I bring Tachyon for protection." There was obvious humor in her voice as she continued sending the empathic hints for Ghost to Trust and Play Along. "That's what took so long for me to get back," she finished, deliberatey stepping away from Tachyon to offer one of the chilled bottles to Ghost.

It was all she could do, set the stage, and hope the two players with her would follow her script.

[Agent Fisher]

Ghost nodded, catching on quickly. "No problem. And he's right to be cautious." Ghost said. "Don't worry though." He reached down to his right hand, pulling off the power ring. "I'd really like this back at some point." He said, handing it to Argent as he took the bottle and took a drink.

"By the way, Saibot seems to know something is up, he told me to disappear and he'd send something to me in a few days." Ghost said. "Base is empty, just him, but who knows what traps he may have there."

[LadyTevar]

The problem with power rings? They don't like Demonics. When he offered the ring Argent took a step back in rightful wariness. "Give it to Tachyon for safekeeping... last time I touched one of those it burned me badly," she explained.

Ghost's news was more important, however, and she exchanged a glance with Tachyon. "This is why I keep bitching about radios," she muttered. "All I can do is send them a feeling to be cautious and wary."

[Agent Fisher]

Ghost grimaced. "Sorry Argent." He said, handing the ring to Tachyon. "Like I said, I'd really like this back. I like the idea of starting Guardian Force back up, at least, just a small part of it.