Gothic Burns

The winner takes the cake, however they will not know of the ants that have laid their eggs inside the layers.

Thanks to a certain interloper [@amaranth] the tangled plan can set one of his plans in motion, in a similar vein to Detroit there is an x-factor to accelerate the city's entropy. A trick as old as time, the switcheroo or as they say in classic sci-fi movies the 'bodysnatcher'. As for Bugrom the process is relatively fast and 'tested' with several individuals, everybody is attacking and defending. While the chaos ensues his activities will be utterly unknown, as he has no interest in the immediate scale of things. Striking, from blindspots and picking off key individuals is more to his liking.

A Xox had been prepared after witnessing the man in the video, the king of the swarm will be a reflection of the mutant messiah. A role set for 'two' as they are kept in glass tubes, incubating as he applies finishing touches. His whereabouts are currently unknown but he has with him access to the outside world, and means of transportation to Gothic. A few oddjobs from Dystopia , a key piece is a teleporter which Bugrom had acquired from an ambush during late hours. This resource has been mass produced and there are five in his immediate location.

The enigmatic figure opens a doorway into Gothic's subterranean network of subways, from here he will initiate his work. Bugs; Drones and Soldiers; Hybrids/Demons; Brutes are deployed in that order. Brutes are kept for last as they have not been spawned, over a hundred drones have been made. Some are from the memories of his time in the Vine Villians, others are in the remnants of the Hive in Dystopia. Numbers mobilize to create ranks, divided into five person groups as they scour the subways.

Dibs on @brahma_bull ;) Jokes... But not really.

@anthony_stark

Gunther Beremud sat behind his desk in his well-furnished office, fingers steepled as he fixed his gaze on the young woman who sat across from him, a woman known on the streets of Gothic City only as the Wolf. It was not often that the high-ranking member of the Watchers felt unprepared, but the news that the leader of his Street Savages had just brought him had made him feel exactly that. It was not a feeling he was enjoying.

“You’re sure.” It was not a question.

“Never been more, boss. Every word I’ve heard says this city’s about to be ripped a new one, and every mutant in town is lining up to be a ripper.” Despite the nature of the report she’d just made, the young mutant seemed unconcerned, idly flipping a butterfly knife in her right hand as she spoke. A life spent on the street of Gothic city had made he rather jaded to the notion of mayhem and violence, even on the level that was now impending.

“Get the Savages moving,” Beremud replied, rising to his feet and crossing to an elaborate, man-sized safe that stood in one corner of his office. “Take to the streets, stir up resistance against these radicals, and slow their efforts in whatever ways you can.” As the Wolf departed with a sadistic grin, Beremud opened the safe with a retinal scanner, revealing a suit of high-tech armor. He had no intention of joining the battle directly, but in the event that it made its way to him, he had no intention of being caught defenseless.

Pulling his phone from his jacket pocket, he punched in a number. “Get me the President. We have a situation, here.”

I just need to find an av...

@mercy_: Wait! You're on his (her) side here!

@antonia: ....si. Mercy's the boogeyman of mutantkind right now, she's taking out threats before they have a chance to further harm.

You're not O_o

I just read your post, amazing job. Antonia is hands down one of my favorite characters.

The crusaders will make an apperance.

@mercy_: So I've heard. I'll have to get to work on my antithesis. ;)

Thank you! I like her too. [Whew! I worried for a brief moment I'd get berated and perma-banned for using Babs.]

The underground networks are slowly being filled with smog from a central point, the cover facilitates a spread of movement as they can only give vision to those that have walked their own paths. Shelled bodies skitter through the railways to access other points of entry, following the ominous fog that enshrouds their presence. Drones, in the hundreds, the thousands began their march to victory. Firstly securing a location that will give them advantage over the surface dwellers.

Clouds of smoke wafts out of the subway entrances on the streets, cutting a section of the city away from the rest. An invitation to mystery, a passageway to certain death. Perhaps there is more that lies inside, but it will be only open to those brave enough to enter. Tunnels that lead to nowhere, as the crooked city twists and turns directions to a chaotic fractal. A phenomena which melds with that of the city's own, insanity bridging over to madness. Smog engaging with pollution, rainfall covering smoke.

Bugrom fiddled with his sai as plumes emerged from numerous gaps between his threads, his 'mouth' is essentially a chimney that billows out cover. Drones have moved into the trains as they smuggle out passengers, removing them from the city as they are clumped together in piles.

Now you're the one making me nervous O__O Is Avalon stock available for public purchase btw? Because that's something Mercy would like a piece of, due to Antonia and to the feeling of it being a successor to Camelot, which Andres obviously had a large hand in.

Pffft no, never. Babs is awesome and you're more than doing her justice.

@mercy_:

Mercy's the boogeyman of mutantkind right now

digging the sound of that

@mercy_: I don't think so, no. Nerx asked me the other day and I looked up the pros and cons, and some of the things I read made me say "nope." With their internal workings, Avalon needs Lena Dante on deck more than Kamelot ever did.
Why due to Antonia? I...don't think they've met?

Gracias. I like to think so too. Or something. Well, that I'm doing well.

@strongarm: Thanks :)

Ah yes, the real world logistics of stuff. You know you've got her! I may wanna involve Ren someway as well if you're amenable (what I was going to PM you about earlier). I think that Avalon's the place to be right now haha, and I'm seriously contemplating maining Ren.

They haven't, but she knows of Antonia's reputation and capabilities and has faith in her.

De nada.

@mercy_: Carthage is open I heard

Yes it is.

@mercy_: I was gonna ask you if you were still gonna send that PM, but I didn't wanna be a pest. >_> I was curious.

Oh! Well....I guess that makes it suck that much more that we're on different sides. [And now I'm kinda curious as to how things would go, meetings in different contexts and with different knowledges.]

@antonia: don't ever worrying about pestering me haha

I think it's interesting, because I think they both approach from the generally same vein of things but different ideologies, but Antonia's doing this to protect the city, right?

@mercy_: I do that. With a lot of people.

Her thing is this. Not anti-mutant, but against the sort of drastic change certain factions (like Arcani, especially) are trying to bring about. I guess something akin to (I think, if I have it correctly) a mirror standpoint from Champion's "I don't want anybody hurt, but I also can't stand by and watch the persecution of mutants, so I'll strike certain alliances," from her end being "I don't like the persecution of mutants, but right now, they're not ready for this drastic a change. Too soon, and they won't just stop with overthrowing the order and getting equality. They'll move right to dominance and oppression or complete eradication if they get the upper hand in a violent, forceful conflict, because tensions are and would still be high," and because figures like Amaranth are still prominent and out there, free, alive, and stuff, and while I think Amaranth himself personally wishes for coexistence, I think he's kinda accepted it as impossible right now (check with LL for confirmation), and most if not all of his allies within the Arcani tend to feel that way, or they outright hate humans because they feel they're inferior.
This in particular, yes, to protect people and keep civilian danger minimal.

That's fair, and if this were almost any other circumstance, Mercy would be as well. But...I don't know how much you've been following what I've been doing with her, but I'm taking her very close to borderline anti-villain, almost ironically, in her quest to pay some semblance of respect to Andres's legacy as part of it. But also to insure a safer future for Catriona, who will undoubtedly have some form of powers (even by Sanguine legacy she'll have them, let alone the genetic jackpot of Knightfall family blood).

So while Mercy doesn't agree with mutant supremacy, unending hate crimes, as well as people who proclaim themselves the savior of a race, are grinding on her gears. Mutants are dying, and humans are continuing to pass laws against them, and being passive about it is no longer an option.

Mmm yeah, that is usually the almost inevitable way of things, especially when it's an interactive story. Peaceful coexistence is boring, there needs to be somebody with the upper hand.

THAT being said, if it does escalate past the point where mutants are fighting for coexistence and are actively fighting for supremacy, that's where Mercy steps out.

Mercy's not anti-human, she's for equality, but she'll do bad things to get them to that place.

So...what's going on here? o_o

@strigidae_23: I'll post soon :)

@ziah_darksong:

For some reason, I want to fight you o_o

@mercy_: I'll admit I haven't been following most things extremely closely, but I've caught bits here and there and kinda hit a general thing, maybe? Except the part about the kid. But I get it. Understandable motivations, even from a character perspective (fun fun). Nia'd probably understand, but not fully agree for a number of perspective and other reasons, and that's where it gets fun.
[Plus from an OOC perspective, someone who's an actual player has to stand up for the humans and stuff; no fun if everybody is all "overthrow the order!" And Charles the extremist is gone for now (jerk still has Abby's mother).]

Also, feel free to PM any time about whatever it is you thought. I'm legitimately curious.

@antonia: Yeah, the baby's only something that's been referenced in her narrative with people who actually know about the baby. She was born in secret prior to Andres's death and Mercy (for very obvious reasons) has kept her out of the public eye. But natural parental instinct is to leave the world better and safer for your child than it was originally, and that's part of Mercy's driving motivation right now.

Natural conflict over ideologies is always fun, especially when in the end, it's generally speaking the same stance (neither is pro one at the cost of the other, but they have very different ideas of how things can be maintained/achieved). And you have a very valid point about the OOC perspective, so kudos to you for stepping up in that aspect, especially against Amaranth haha.

I'll probably send you a PM tomorrow :) Still not quite sure what I wanna do, where I wanna go. I have two more RPGs lined up with Ren and I want to see where her head is after that.

:o

@mercy_: Aww! A part of me really wishes I still had a villain so I could play on that. Hm....

Now that you mention it like that, that's sorta where I intended to eventually take Abigail in the beginning (I should be re-establishing her in the world soon; can't wait on Gambler's Theft Auto forever). Funny how things work out.
Grazie. I've always wanted to fight LL's characters (every single one I have ever seen), and I really have been thinking a lot about how to take on Amaranth (and started getting new ones once Avalon rolled around), so it'd be fun to see which things worked and which wouldn't, and how they'd work/not work.

At your cadence.

Screw it. I'm tossing as many characters as I can manage in this.

@antonia: Baby's not a plot point! That's a promise I made myself haha, that's why nobody knows about it except Val in canon :D

I stopped waiting on Gambler for the RPG he was supposed to post in like two months ago that was the RPG idea he used to drag me back from leaving to take a break....only so he could abandon me -___-

LOL I hadn't noticed that <__< >___> <___< You're an incredibly tactical and methodical thinker. You're one of the few on this board who is actually smart and good enough to take on and take down an LL character without her selling a lot, imo.

Ha! Have fun.

Samies >_>

@mercy_: Baby's not just the point of my plot. You bet your behind I wanna be really bad, though! ^_^

I held out hope. He popped his face in. But fool me twice (exactly that many times), and....I've heard so many different endings to this saying, I'm not even sure how it's supposed to end.

Thank you once again! ^_^ I like to think I'm pretty high echelon, but I don't like to think it because I don't wanna get full of myself.

And we are gonna be absolutely miserable by the second round of posts.

@antonia: Mercy's baby is not involved in any plot at all O_O No you don't <___<

He really left us, Zaubs </3

That's a good place to be. Know your worth but don't let it get to your head or allow yourself to stagnate.

@antonia: Hahahaha so you also have experience with that? LMAO it always happens.

@mercy_: Don't worry! I'm not after your baby! Besides, smiley!

He has to come back. Unless.....
The prophecy! Those who announce always come back. Those who don't.....>_>

(I have a feeling I'll have a lot of catching up to do when I wake up tomorrow before posting in this...)

(damn just took the time to read what's going on lol, don't understand everything but good luck! :D)

Probably gonna end up doing the same, then wearing myself out, and cutting some out :P

I'm possibly go round three with Amaranth soon >.>. Stark shall post in a few hours!

Railways have been overtaken, and the hive is in the process of dismantling them. Rivets with railroads are taken apart and modified into simple tools, weapons used to pierce/cut/slash personnel. A hundred soldiers finding whatever they can wield in this improvised armoury, nothing to damage any of the big players but enough to severely hamper rank and file forces. Their vision is relinquished to the Tangled Man who pulls the strings in the core of it all, in the five man group there is a hybrid to lead the drones. Several passengers are removed from their piles and lined up in rows as their own clothing is used to bind them, not to be used as rations or hostages. Rather as shields, while the entirety of the force is divided some of the new spawns occupy themselves around the captives. Placing them on layers of webbing, tied to them as a terrorist would don a vest of bombs.

@amaranth:

'It's time', 'Gothic City', there was only one implication. As the Babylon Tiger's powerful voice conveyed, it was not just time, it was that time. The commencement of the war on man. Though he who lies behind the infamous mask of the Brahma Bull remains a mystery, a facet of his identity had always remained evident, his overt hatred for the imposed social norms and conventions of humanity that prevent his mutant brethren from seizing their evolutionarily warranted position as the globe's apex creatures. Within the forsaken walls of Gothic City, the blackness of the night sky soon to be lit with the irate, rufescent conflagration of the Gothic City Nightmare. Encompassing his elephantine, seven foot five frame of one thousand, six hundred fifty-six pounds, is Gothic Square architecturally shambled.

His monstrous physique garnished in onyx militaristic clothing, his torso protected by a Type lV ballistic vest, dangling from his gargantuan back, a XM25 CDTE grenade launcher and IMI Tavor TAR-21 assault rifle, embellishing his pouched duty belt were a collection of his iconic grenades, and coiled by his right hand's grip around the hilt, a large Facão (Machete), it's ebony blade stained with the blood of those who have fallen before him. And peering from his menacing, thick mask, the incandescent redness of a monster's eyes, staring into the hearts of the gathered Bois before him, their silence stemming from respect, from fear, in attendance there were only mutants. A human is an animal, a savage creature successful only in war against it's own kind. "Beware the savage man, the children of the Devil", the domineering bass of his overtly deep voice reverberating all about them.

"The foulest of God's hominids. They will kill you, deny you your freedom from the fabrication of society's ethical standards designed to hold us back, the superior men", he continued, tamely pacing before his gathered army. "Burn this city, prevent these dogs from breeding. Heh", a malicious grin beneath his mask, "Tonight this city is a Catholic Church, these people, books, and we are the Nazi's that burn them!". "Meus irmaos. We have been labeled by Western propaganda. Maniacs, terrorists, extremists, abominations! HA!", he scoffed, "The walls have been breached. They will have you bound in slavery and change your names". "Burn their homes! Slaughter their families! Skin them alive!", the Brahma Bull growled, "In the end, no one will know these people ever existed. Their ruins, our empire!".

And as bombs erupted, blasting apart the surrounding infrastructure, reducing everything in their path to dust, to rubble, blood splattering across walls, corpses mangled, the Gangster of Guerrilla Warfare commanded, and his hounds listened, for he is the harbinger of death.

@brahma_bull: Holy sht O_O

@brahma_bull: @beremud:

The President’s cerulean blue eyes pensively gazed upon the ensuing chaos within Gothic with nothing other than utter indignation. Gothic, the City of Sin…Did not deserve to be saved. It would have been far more pragmatic to allow the destitute city to fall into Amaranth’s extreme hands thus using that as an excuse to invade, and decimate the city not unlike how he had once defeated the HALO Corps with the Enforcers.

All-out war on Gothic City would have been easier than this turmoil of internal conflict. Brother against Brother, mutant against mutant…”Tsk,” Stark’s resentful eyes dallied over to the side as his personal adviser came through the door, alerting the President of Beremud’s message, “Gunther, I want you to disrupt the army of mutants lying ruin to Gothic, use your resources and try to slow their efforts… But in the event we fail and Gothic falls into Amaranth’s hands, we must act swift. Prepare your best men, your best warriors; whatever you use…Just be ready for war” Terminating the encrypted line and standing up, Stark’s flamboyant red suit materialized upon his features as Horizon prepared his systems for imminent combat. “Sir, Brahma Bull has been sighted within Gothic; advice terminating his life prior to engaging Amaranth?” Horizon’s advice did not fall on deaf ears, the President’s metallic fist angrily clenched as his eyes burned with jaded rage.

Speedily flying through Gothic airspace at hypersonic speeds, the President’s AI Horizon fed him an up-to date relay of current events, casualty reports and estimated buildings damaged. His eyes scanned over the information as he instructed Horizon, “Get Kurt, the Commissioner, to order an immediate evacuation order – And get a hologram projection of me doing a speech somewhere, tell the public that we’re doing all we can” terminating the call as one of his satellites caught sight of Brahma Bull and his cronies, “Gotch’a…” Thundering through the air at hyper-sonic speeds as the trail of a sonic boom was swiftly escaped, the engulfed sight of Gothic caused Stark to feel a little uneasy about the situation…He was meant to protect these people, and protect them he would.

Faster and faster Stark hurtled forwards; his metallic palms were poised forwards as they were driven forwards by the ebullient energy of Stark’s foot repulsions units…The destination? To smash into the Bull with more force than a speeding train going at hyper-sonic speeds, the Gangster of Guerrilla Warfare would not survive this bout, not if the President had his say.

@ren_: Snaps your neck.

@anthony_stark: Hehe, nice :) This'll be the most exhausting RPG in a long time, I'll be posting as Champion and Espada (maybe) as well.

@anthony_stark: Pulls out her Mercy account and assassinates him!

@ren_: We'll see what Miss Boogeyman has to say when I shoot her face off :P

@thee_champion: I gotta' agree! I'll probably be using more than one too XD It'll be a fun one though :D

@anthony_stark: It's worth it though! Really? With who else? Kurt and maybe Cormac? I think I'll post as Champ in a couple of hours.

In the surface world that events that are unfolding reminded him of Detroit, during the initial phase of the cleansing where a wretched hive is overtaken in its darkest hour. It is not that different, change a few faces here and there the results will be the same. It has happened before, and it will repeat itself unless a hero [@dark_vengeance_] is there to stop them. Above the subways there has already been signs of chaos, quakes made of flame and military thunder [@brahma_bull] spread like plague.

@anthony_stark: She'll probably laugh when the bullet doesn't penetrate her telekinesis?

I have this problem because I want to meet a little bit of almost everybody.