[RPG] The Big-Oh! RP — An Archive of Storytelling

(OOC: WOOT! 200th post for the RPG! Rock on!)BIC:

What had made Alex move beside her, she thought as they walked off. Big Duo had watched her, she could feel its gaze on her, like that of an old friend visiting again.

"Mrs. Seebach, may I ask why Big Duo was just-," Freddy began, but was silenced by Alex's cold stare. She glanced to both men.

"Big Duo was doing what?" Emelia asked, not stupid and knowing that something was different.

"Nothing," Alex cut in. "It was nothing."

His hand gracefully swept up to the new megadues before them, the white machine that she had seen after Schwarzald's dissapearence. The one that had fought the black one. Now, though, it was fully repaired.

The new God... she heard as she remembered something, something she wasn't supposed to remember.

Emelia looked up to the machine, thinking about this creature, this shell, that was Alex's weapon against the Truth. Behind her though, she could not help but feel Big Duo's soft gaze upon her. What could a megadues want with me? Does it have to do with Michael? She glanced behind her. Once again, the other hand was slowly rising, enough that one was not sure if they saw it. Alex, again moved in front of Big Duo's vision, redirecting Emelia to his machine.

"I understand, this megadues is the one you pilot. Tell me, did my husband's papers help you in awakening this one? Was that why you needed his writings? I could understand if you had no idea how to awaken this one and I'd assume it has been inactive," Emelia rambled.

These poor megadueses they really are nothing more than puppets she thought.

(Nope....no hiding spot yet)



While on the way back to the hiding spot, Big Soh changed directions. "What are-- oh, I see. So Gaspard hasn't been destroyed yet. Yes, let us go back and finish the job."



* * * * * * * *

Big Soh arrived back at the dome where Gaspard just was. "Roger," Snake said to the pilot of the black Megaduce, "Gaspard's not done..."




<TBC>

Dastun had figured a large piece of the puzzle. "It's been you and your people all along! The assasinations, the attacks on the domes, all the recent megaduce attacks, its been you hasn't it!"

Vera smirked in silent pride as she lept forward with a crescent kick towards Dastun. On impact it sent Dastun a couple of steps back. The other military police were about to join in but Dastun waved them down. "BACK OFF! THIS IS BETWEEN ME AND HER! I usually don't like to hit women, but you're going to be an exception!" Dastun took a boxing position and started to advance on Vera. She lunged forward to deliver another kick but Dastun got his arm up to block and countered with a right jab at the gut.

(OOC: I just want to say that, Xel, you write Alan beautifully. I get the shivers reading your posts. )




Angel paused in her tracks. Emilia hadn't screamed in ten minutes or so. Beck stood next to her silently, looking back and forth at their surroundings. They were at the end of the alley, looking out onto a dark and abandoned street.

A noise somewhere behind them caused Beck to look over his shoulder. "Oh, great," he muttered. He put a hand on Angel's shoulder. She jumped, startled, but looked in the direction he was looking.

"What is it?"

"That guy. The cop. He's following us." Beck's eyes narrowed. "Should I take care of him?" He reached into his jacket, presumably for his gun.

Angel shook her head. "Leave him be. If and when we find Alan again, he won't want to follow us anymore. No sane person chooses to be around Alan Gabriel."

Beck nodded. They turned the corner onto the dark street, moving in the direction they'd heard Emilia's last scream come from. Moonlight fluttered in and out of clouds that threatened to dump more rain on them. Angel looked at her watch absently. It was late, but not as late as she'd thought it was.

"Do you think he knows who she is?" Beck asked suddenly.

Angel didn't answer at first. Her mind was overflowing with too many thoughts at once. She stopped, leaned against a building. "Even if he does, it doesn't matter. He's just using her."

"To get at you?" Beck was only vaguely aware of the strange relationship between Angel and Alan. The way he'd looked at her earlier was predatory, and Beck was certain that if he'd seen the man's eyes they would have been sly and.. the word eager came to mind. Beck shuddered.

Angel nodded. She didn't much feel like talking about why Alan Gabriel would want to get at her. "Something like that, I suppose." She drew in a deep breath and smiled. "But it's not important, is it? We both dislike him--"

"Dislike him? I outright hate him, Angel. I don't know him at all and I hate him. Can't you tell that there's something unnatural about him?"

She could, but she said nothing. Part of her was too aware of who Alan had once been, and could not bring herself to completely despise him despite all he had done.

But, hadn't she told Beck earlier that it was better to leave the past in the past?

"Of course." She said no more. Ahead of them, in the dark, cackling was heard. No scream this time. Angel wondered if Emilia was worn out from screaming or simply terrified of Alan. She plowed ahead again, towards the sound.

Beck followed. Behind them, Roland Bustems was still trailing, falling a little further behind than he had been. Beck decided to ignore him for now, unless the cop managed to catch up to them. Angel was right; if they found Alan before this cop caught up, he would be scared off on his own. He was tempted to turn around and tell Bustems just that, but decided against it. It would be his own fault for following them.

(OOC: I second that motion, Tifaria.)

Vera
---------------------------------

"So you're not as stupid as most of your people." the woman snickered, ducking back away from Dastun's jab. The two combatants circled each other warily before Vera lashed out with another kick. Dan raised his arms to block again, easily defending himself against her blows. Of course, he wasn't doing any better than she was, so the fight wasn't about to end anytime soon.

Gaspard pulled itself back to it's feet, armor falling off of it in pieces. He was still alive, doubtlessly. It's eyes began to throb green, the flashes of light growing brighter and brighter. The megadeus roared with fury, charging back into the dome with long, booming steps that shattered the ground underneath.

Vera moved back again, turning to one of the Union agents. "Agent 551! Fire on it! We have to take the Mercenary of Hell down!" The man promptly commanded, firing the Howitzer straight at Big Soh. Vera looked back in time to parry another of Dastun's punches, shouting out to everyone who could hear. "Well, what are you waiting for! Take it out!" The still-loyal Military Police were left watching as their weapons were quickly commandered by the foreigners, all trained on the scarred megadeus.

(OOC: Just so we're clear on the condition of Dastun's squad, the majority are really Union agents, and a small amount remains that aren't.)

Alex
---------------------------------

"I didn't NEED your husband's writings for anything." Alex mused, silently contemplating what Amelia had said. "I knew exactly how to unlock the powers of this Big. I was merely... curious.... as to what he had to say."

"Curious enough to kill, right?" The three turned their gaze to the source of the voice, a man soaked in rain. A rumble issued forth from the sky outside, threatening the return of the downpour. Alex smiled confidantly, never moving from his place besides Amelia.

"Habib." He said as the man approached. Underneath his coat, Amelia could just make out the outline of a gun. "What news do you bring?" Habib nodded gently.

"Michael Seebach... ...is dead." Alex's smile grew larger.

"Then you will join me in comforting the dearly departed's widow...." he replied with a patronizing tone, more directed at the shaking woman next to him than Habib. "Miss Seebach."

(OOC: Yeah, sorry if you didn't want me to do that, XN.)

"Argh," Snake said as the missiles hit Big Soh, "I will NOT be stopped that easily. Big Soh, fire the chest lazers in a manner just enough to stop the MPs."

Big Soh did just as Snake commanded, and stopped the MPs.

"Why the hell are they attacking me?" Snake thought. He looked around for an answer, and couldn't find one...at first. Then he saw her: Vera. "I remember her. I remember that woman. We've met before. Ahhh. Dammit! Gaspard, go away!" Gaspard had make another attack, and now Snake was covered in blood, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! I CAN'T COVER THIS UP!!!! DIE GASPARD, DIE!!!!"

Big Soh began to accelerate to Schizo-fighter speed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!! FULL SCHIZO BLAST!!!!!!!!! ARM ALL WEAPONS AND FIRE AT ONCE!!!!!!!"

"surely gaspard cannot take another one...." Snake thought, ".....but maybe....."


BOOM!!!!

Gaspard takes the full impact of the blast, leaving a cloud of smoke. "that had to have done it....." Snake heard the claw arm fall to the ground, then he heard the Megaduce topple, and the green eyes disappeared. "....did the head go too?....."




<TBC>

Roger looked at the screen, waiting for the dust to settle...

" I...don't know. I can't see a thing from this angle. "

He mused for a moment, pondering about going to ground briefly.

<TBC>

{ Bleh - caught up with job interviews and the such. Xx; }

When the smoke cleared, it was obvious that Gaspard was destroyed. The claw arm was severed, the other arm was just a giant weight, one leg was only attached by a few wires, and the head....the head was nowhere to be found.

"Roger, Gaspard has been destroyed. I'm leaving. I'll talk to you later." Snake said, and Big Soh left.


* * * * * * * *
(At the car)

"Dammit. I told them to stay put." Snake said after he got back to his car. The traffic had let up, and Snake took off to find his party.

* * * * * * * * * * * *
(Driving Around)


Snake was driving, and went through the detour, to the Megaduce site. He knew that Datsun would be there, and Datsun was interested in the current events. "There's Datsun and.....Vera?" All of the MPs were under some trance, so they didn't notice him. Snake got out of his car, "Datsun? It looks like you could use some help..... VERA!! You have lost, give up while you still can..."

Amelia stood, staring at the two men, Alex and Habib.

“What?” she uttered softly, disbelief all over her face.

“Michael Seebach…is dead,” Habib spoke again in a more directed, hurtful tone, with a sly smile on his face.

Amelia stood, feeling everything crash around her. It took most of her strength to keep her knees from buckling, to keep her standing. Her husband, dead? How? That gun in his coat. That man had shot her husband down like a dog. Anger, rage, confusion, and sadness surfaced all at once inside her. So many emotions, so much pain. Amelia placed her hand onto her chest. Her hand aching to fold around her necklace she knew wasn’t there. The necklace that Michael had given her one day during his disappearence. A broken piece of a megadues in the shape of a heart. She thought he had died then, but now, now she was almost certain this man wasn’t lying.

Amelia breathed in a large breath, preparing for a large sigh. Instead, when she breathed out, a wail and the tears that had been welling in her beautiful sad eyes poured down her cheeks.

“No, no, no, no…” she kept repeating as she cried. Her hands traveled to cover her mouth as she tried to gather herself. Not her husband.

Death was not a stranger to her, but now, death seemed to be her greatest stranger. In her mind, she cried out reasons why Michael couldn’t be dead. Why he would still come home one day to her awaiting arms. He promised. She mustn’t give up hope, but that was what she had told herself for all this time.

She had hardly reacted like this when her beautiful mother had died. She barely remembered that day, but the sombre room, the black, the engulfing cold. Now…now that was back, but even stronger.

Alex took a step over toward her, preparing to place his arm around her in a comforting way. Yet, she could still see that twisted smiled placed on his lips behind her closed eyes.

“STAY AWAY FROM ME!” she screamed. She turned to Freddy who was baffled by her move.

Freddy was unsure of how to react as an android. This woman, obviously unsettled by her loss was turning to a cold machine for comfort. Yet, he felt a sense of comfort for her. He could…he could sympathize with this woman and her loss for he had lost a person too.

Inside the hanger, a large, machanical wail burst forth, joining Amelia in her tears. Everyone froze as the echo slowly died away. Big Duo’s eyes flashed on. Amelia looked to the megadues. He had wailed with her, for the loss. She knew it.

“Big Duo, you feel my pain?” she whispered stepping away from Freddy and looking to the eyes of the mask.

Silently, inaudiable to anyone else, except for Freddy and her, she heard the machine speak and tell her ‘yes, it grieved with her.’

Freddy was confused. How could she communicate with a machine since she was human? He wanted to ask, but waited, now was not the time.

Amelia lifted her hand, reaching toward the machine, smiling deeply at the fact this megadues, the one her husband had affectionately named Big Duo, had been near her in her times of grief for her mother, her father, and now for her husband.

“Big Duo,” she whispered, breaking into tears again. This time, her strength gave out and she fell on her knees, bending over and crying, facing the megadues, her megadues.

Roland finally gave up and took a rest, leaning over a car. He was embarrassed that two prissy, beautiful people could out run a veteran cop. He started thinking about how he blew the chance of his life because he had been so careless with his diet and workout schedule. He was starting to get depressed until he realized where he was.
This was the street he parked his car on before the megadeus battle began. After spending thirty seconds or so regaining his breath, he ran to it and contacted an officer who he thought may be patrolling the area Angel and Beck were heading towards.

"Hey, Cuffer. It's Bustems."
"Yeah, what's up tubby."
"Hey shut up! I need some help. You know the golden guy who always tries to break the city? I forget his name...but anyways, I'm chasin' him. If you see him or a nice lookin' lady, tell me."
"I haven’t seen them, but I did see the stripes guy a few minutes ago."
"You saw the Stripes guy!?"
"Yeah but we're supposed to let him do what he wants. I don't get it."
"Yeah, the guys up top should really fill us in...Well I'm driving over anyway. Maybe they're related or somethin', ya know? Oh, and don't bust the gold guy yet. I got special permission."
"Yo, after we're done, lets look at the files and learn the names of these guys."
"Sounds good. See you in a second."

Roland was proud of how intelligent he was. He not only tricked his partner into letting him take all the credit, but had pinpointed Beck and Angel's position, or assumed he had anyway. He finished the half a hamburger on his dashboard and shot over to where Alan had been spotted.

(OOC: I would have mentioned some exact streets, but I'm not even sure where we are in the city anymore. We should clear up some positions in the other topic.)

(OOC, sorry guys, I just got back from A-kon tonight. I have been away from a comp for four days so I am a little behind)

Dastun and Vera were circling and then Dastund heard some stranger come up and call Vera out.

"You stay the hell out of this. This is a matter for the Military Police of Paradigm City. I will protect this city to the death; whether it be a giant robot, psycho foreigners, or this woman. I won't lose! I will save my city! MEN!! TAKE BACK YOUR VEHICLES, THERE ARE MANY BUT WE CAN STILL FIGHT!!"

with that, the MP's who were not foreigners let out a roar of power and charged their adversaries. Some were knocked back, others were victorious in their struggle, but they didn't stop, the fight continued.

"Well lady, this is what you get for picking on 'dogs', we tend to bite back when thretened on our turf."

With that He faked a left hook and landed a right into her gut. Sending her winded onto the ground.

"Fine, Datsun, but I have info you may want about the new Big in town. Contact me. Oh, Vera, Should you defeat him, then come after me, remember who I am: the Mercenary of Hell. You will not beat me."

After that, Snake drove off in search of his party.

"Dammit, where can they be?"

Just then Snake saw a figure that looked like Beck. "That HAS to be Jason. Who else would wear a stupid yellow suit?"

Snake parked his car and ran after Jason, because he knew Angel would be close by. He was right. "Angel!! Where's Emilia?!?!"



<TBC>

Snake's ring suddeny started flashing, "If you find her, and need my help, here's where you can reach me." Snake hands Angel a piece pf paper with the number for his communication ring. "I have something to do..."



* * * * * * * *

Snake got back in his car, "What does Big Soh want?"


* * * * * * * *

Snake arrived at the old missile base where he kept Big Soh. The place was rather large, and Snake had never inspected it.
"I guess I'll have a look around." He said.

Snake walked around and then came to a facility that looked like a laboratory....And it had a Cryogenetic freezing Chamber. "No.....Can it be? Why have i come back here? Big Soh, why did you bring me back here?!?!?! I don't want to be back at the lab!!!....."


<TBC>

Emilia would quickly find herself staring at an empty floor as the rounded side of a rapier whipped the edge of the phone, sending it careening up into the air. Without looking back he caught it as it flew, then smiled vacantly out at the road.

"Well, that was naughty of you, dear Isalai. Oh, but you really have no idea how old technology works, do you? Tracing the call might actually do you some good... that is, if you're in the same place by the time they trace it," he snickered, and with a flick of his wrist tossed it out the window. It landed safely and precisely in a garbage can, where the dumbfounded police officer on the other end continued to call out: "Tell us your name! Ma'am, what is your name?!"

Alan chuckled, but a part of him had to wonder-- those things were so antiquated; how did she get her hands on one as old as that? Few people even knew they came that old anymore, much less worked correctly. It didn't matter, though. He clearly knew more about it than she did anyway, so there was no need to dwell on it... for now.

"There's only two people in this city who need to know where you are now," he remarked, reaching briefly under his seat and retrieving a peculiar object: a large, brilliantly-colored red balloon that he extended out through the open window and released into the sky.

Vera
-----------------------------------

She dropped onto the ground, wheezing in pain and clutching her stomach. Dastun dashed toward her, intent on delivering the final blow. He was quickly stopped as Vera's whip wrapped around his neck and he was dragged, face first, into the concrete.

Vera stood up, her eyebrows twitching furiously, and tightened her grip. Dastun began to struggle as the cord squeezed into his throat. A malicious smile spread across Vera's face as he slowly conciousness...

And then she saw the balloon. It rose slowly over the skyline, the message of the bright red surface completely unmistakable.

"He has her?" she wondered. "No, Agent 340 wouldn't be so easily subdued... he must luring her away." With that, Vera drew the whip back with a snap, releasing Dastun. She ran past him, shouting "Now is not our day!" Recognizing the call, every Union agent quickly broke off from the fight, escaping in several different directions. The Military Police fired on them, but to no avail.

The blonde woman smiled as she passed the corpse of Gaspard. As soon as she was well out of range, the headless monster rose shakily to it's feet. As everyone watched in amazement, it punched the ground with it's good arm, blowing a hole open and neatly dropping through.

Elsewhere, a clock bell chimed out six-thirty A.M.

Alex
-----------------------------------

"Wha-what?" Alex gasped, staring at the strange scene unfolding before him. His eyes flickered back and forth between the crying woman and the crying megadeus, connections becoming clear and consequences showing themselves.

"You!" he shouted, pointing a angrily trembling hand at Amelia. "You're it's Dominus? You are Big Duo's dominus!?" Furiously he strode forward, arm raised to violently slap Amelia, who didn't move an inch. Which isn't to say that nothing in the hangar moved. The hand of Big Duo came crashing down between them, hurling Alex back. He pulled himself up fearfully, watching in horror as Big Duo's face looked down on him, as if to say "You will not touch her."

For a second more the fear remained on Alex's face, replaced only moments later by the now all-too-familiar look of cool fury.

A ray of sunlight shines down on Seebach's face, and he slowly opens his eyes. He squints and turns his head away from the bright light, only to find himself facing a wall. It is then he realizes he has been lying in a very comfortable bed.

'What the Hell?' Seebach thinks as he leans forward, throwing a blanket off his chest. The smell of bacon creeps into the bedroom, and the reporter realizes it must be morning.

'Am I dead?' Seebach thinks, as he gets out of the bed and walks to the window. He shades his eyes with his right hand, as he uses his left to open the windowsill. An industrial jungle is displayed before him, as a myriad of skyscrapers stretch all the way to the horizon.

"This can't be," Seebach whispers, as not a single dome lies in his sight. He turns to the other side of the room and sees another window. He runs towards it, too excited to notice there is no pain in his body. He opens the blinds and lifts the windowsill, but once again there is not a single dome in sight.

"Michael!" a woman's voice calls from the kitchen, and Seebach turns to the door. "Breakfast is ready!" However, Seebach doesn't recognize this voice; it's certainly not the voice of his wife, Amelia...

"Where the Hell am I?" he asks himself, taking another glance out the window. It is then that the answer dawns upon him, as memories begin to flood his brain...

"Of course; this is a Memory!" Seebach exclaims. "This is Paradigm as it was, over forty years ago."

The reporter smiles to himself as he begins walking to the door. Yes, he remembered now. This is similar to a memory he had six months ago, while he was exploring the underground.

Seebach walks down the stairs, only to find a beautiful woman waiting for him, a tray of food in her hand.

"I'm sorry to wake you, Michael, but your boss had called this morning asking you be in early today to discuss that next article..." Seebach interrupts her by kissing her on the lips, though he can't help but wish it were Amelia he were kissing instead...

"Thank you for making breakfast for me today," Seebach says as he takes the tray from her and walks over to the table. He sits down and begins eating it, though once more he can't help but think of Amelia.

'She's a much better cook, too,' he thinks as he finishes the meal. The woman (he refuses to think of her as his wife, even if she was in this Memory) walks over to him and takes the tray, then turns back towards the kitchen.

“I can take it myself,” Seebach says, as he tries to take the tray back. However, the woman shakes her head.

“You have to go to work,” she argues, and Seebach sighs in reply. He turns towards the door, grabbing a coat and hat from the hanger. He doesn’t bother saying goodbye, not to this stranger who masquerades as his wife in these Memories...

‘These fake Memories…’

Seebach opens the door, and is greeted by a newspaper flying towards his head. The paperboy’s grin quickly disappears as he stops his bicycle and calls out to Seebach.

“Sir, are you all right?” he asks, as he runs over to the reporter. Seebach, though disoriented by the paper hitting him square in the face, manages to stay on his feet. The world spins around him, but the reporter brushes the paperboy’s questions aside with a mumbled, “Yes, I’m fine.” The paperboy shrugs and remounts his bicycle, riding to his next destination.

A few moments pass before Seebach comes back to his senses, and he reaches down and picks up the newspaper. He quickly scans the headlines, and one in particular catches his eye: “Rosewater Makes Deal with Armed Forces.”

“Funny,” Seebach mumbles to himself. “I wasn’t aware that the Rosewaters were in power then.” He quickly scans the article, and another name catches his attention.

“Gordon Rosewater, head of the Paradigm Corporation, has recently signed an agreement with the military, granting them an undisclosed sum of money in return for raw material from old military vehicles. Mr. Rosewater has been commissioned to construct several large domes over New York, similar to the domes which have been constructed over foreign cities such as Tokyo and Beijing in recent years.

“General Roger Smith represented the military during the negotiation period, as both sides haggled over the cost of the exchange. An inside source indicated it was probably seven figures, though no one really understands why such a transfer would cost such an enormous sum…”

‘Roger Smith…that lap dog of Paradigm…’ Seebach thinks to himself. Shrugging his shoulders, he folds the newspaper and begins walking to his car.

Not fifteen minutes later, Seebach arrives at his office. When he enters the building, however, his boss greets him on his way to the elevator.

“Seebach!” he shouts, causing the reporter to turn around. “Before you go to your office, I’d like to have a word with you—in private,” he quickly adds, as some of the reporters begin sending glances towards the two. Seebach nods his head and begins walking to his employer’s office, as the boss turns to the crowd.

“All of you, get back to work!” he shouts, as he draws a cigar out of his pocket and sticks it in his mouth. He follows Seebach to his office, and when the two men are inside he quickly turns and locks the door.

“Okay Seebach, I’m sure you read that article about Rosewater signing a deal with the military, right?” Seebach nods in the affirmative, but before he can say a word his boss continues speaking.

“Right. Now, I had Lane on the case, but she wasn’t able to get any details out of anyone. That inside source; as far as I know, our inside source doesn’t exist, so much of that article was the product of rumors and hearsay. Of course, the public doesn’t know this, but it was imperative we get an article out before some of our competitors do. They shouldn’t be anymore successful than we have been.”

Seebach nods again, though internally his head erupts with questions. Before he can get a chance to ask them, his boss continues speaking once more.

“Seebach, I won’t lie to you; you’re the best reporter we’ve got. I want you to do what Lane couldn’t: I need you to find the details concerning this agreement, and I don’t care what it takes. At the very least, try and pinpoint a source; we need to know what in blazes is going on. Think you can handle that?”

Seebach’s boss lights his cigar after he finishes, giving the reporter a chance to speak.

“Well, I can’t make any guarantees, but I’ll try and find the truth.” Seebach’s boss grins and slaps him on the back.

“I knew you’d say that, Seebach! Now, get out of here and get to work! I’m giving you three weeks; I want to have this article out BEFORE the expo next month.”

Seebach nods as he turns towards the door. As he touches the handle, the images begin to swirl and fade into a cold darkness…

The Memories leave Seebach’s mind, and his right shoulder erupts in pain. Seebach slowly opens his eyes, only to find himself lying facedown in the street, but a few blocks away from the Speakeasy. Apparently, the rain had stopped hours ago. Using his left arm, the former reporter struggles to get back to his feet, but as he gets to his knees the pain in his shoulder becomes unbearable and he collapses. His lip wounds is re-opened as his face hits the ground, causing blood to drip down his bearded chin.

“So I’ve cheated death again,” Seebach whispers, as he wipes his swolen lip with his left hand. He hears footsteps in the distance, but his eyes cannot see through the moonless night...