Ultimate Thunderbolts - IC

[Keia]

The Professional

Lower Manhattan, New York
Warehouse
September 12th, 2005 7:48pm

Anthony looked around after getting out of the cab. He tried to find someplace to plant the ipod and headset so it wouldn't get stolen but some that the dot would be entertained away from him. On a whim, Anthony did one more scan over his body and his items . . . 'Perhaps the little minx planted more than one of those devices on me or my stuff. One to be semi obvious and a real subtle one . . . .' He pulled out a piece of paper and a pen and jotted down some words once he was well away from the dot.

Then it was off to the meeting . . .

Still wearing fatigues and a black t-shirt, comfortable hiking boots peeked out from beneath the fatigues. Standing 6'2" with brown hair and eyes, Anthony entered the room scanning the surroundings and taking everything in.

After Smithers finished, Anthony spoke up, "Hello everyone, I agree with Smithers here, quite a group. Myself, I'm Anthony Scarpetti with a codename of the Professional. You may have heard of my exploits as the Taskmaster . . . don't think I trained any of you . . . and I don't forget a face."

Making a motion for quiet, Anthony handed the piece of paper over to Mr. Smith.

[sblock=Writing on note]I think I may be bugged or something. I found one and deposited it a block from here on an ipod. It might be a good idea to check if there are any others on myself or anyone else.[/sblock]

"Before we get too happy with everyone . . . I think it's time to thank Mr. Smith for these wonderful accommodations, the opportunity to meet new people and new friends . . . <continuing a speech he had heard a couple of weeks ago while waiting for any action> . . . "

 

[Gideon]

Fracture; 1 HP

Fracture watched the first two speak their piece.

While Verdent spoke, Deckards mind rang with one question

Mutant?

While the second man spoke Fracture looked over him with not a small amount of appreciation. This was certainly a skilled warrior; one that seems to have brought trouble. Fracture tensed and looked quickly around the warehouse and up at the windows with the strange not passing and speech. His bones almost ached to be released.


OOC: Assesing the various people at the table.

 

[lissilambe]

Kaiju

The large, broad-shouldered man waved to the others and gave a very friendly smile. "I call myself Kaiju. I get bigger and stronger, and I'm really hard to hurt," He explained. He held a hand out to each person, with an eager look onhis face. "I'm really looking forward to doing some good with all of you guys."

 

[Corvus Coronoides]

Verdant

Kaiju

The large, broad-shouldered man waved to the others and gave a very friendly smile. "I call myself Kaiju. I get bigger and stronger, and I'm really hard to hurt," He explained. He held a hand out to each person, with an eager look onhis face. "I'm really looking forward to doing some good with all of you guys."

Samuel takes the big mans hand and returns the handshake.

"I'm looking forward to doing something right for once as well. Taskmaster - I've heard of you, but we've never met. This could very well be an interesting group to work with"

Samuel then looks over at the young man who is yet to speak ...

 

[Dayspire]

Verdant - [sblock]You don't visually recognize anyone. The name Taskmaster, sure you've heard of that. Back at the Trisk (the prison you were incarcerated in, also known as the Triskelion) you heard his name from time to time. Supposedly, he had some type of 'school' for operatives (i.e., thugs/minions/etc). Kaiju, you haven't heard of. You find it curious that he didn't mention a previous name. The other two still haven't introduced themselves.[/sblock]
Gideon - [sblock]One by one, you examine the men you are to work with. The way they stand. The way they move. How they hold their hands. Where they distribute their weight.

You look over at Kaiju - the golden skinned one. Moves a bit slow. Probably good in a fight, but you're fairly sure you're better. But how tough is that skin of his? And how strong is he? You wonder.

Verdant. Green hair, trenchcoat. About the same as Kaiju. Somewhat of a fighter, but not someone who's been down in the Pit. Odd coming from him, considering he looks like a scientist. But there's something about him that's strange. Almost like he's not entirely... human.

Taskmaster. Now here's someone who's fought in the Pit. Or something as hellishly similiar. He has grace and balance, and the eye of a hunter. He's a warrior. Something about how he's standing seems almost familiar. Too familiar.

Unnamed fellow. Knows how to fight, sure. But he's got to have something else going on there. Some power. He's not the type to stand there and punch. Who knows, maybe he can throw fire or something.

Mr. Clark. He has a face that has a bit of surface-dweller arrogance you're use to. And the way he moves? He's a fighter, too. Highly trained. Not up to your caliber, but still someone you don't lightly want to mess with. Interesting.[/sblock]
During the introductions, Mr. Clark takes a piece of paper from The Professional and reads it. His face goes quickly from surprise, to anger, and then - oddly enough - to satisfaction. He gives a nod to The Professional, which seems to say, No worry. Mr. Clark seems to have it under control, or else he believes it doesn't matter. He motions for the introductions to continue.

OOC:Still waiting for intro's for Twister and Marrow.

 

[Gideon]

Fracture; 1 HP

Once the Professional had wrapped up his speech Deckard did his introduction

Fracture stood up looking like a really well built hobo. His muck caked cloathes showed a variety of rips and tears and the smell they produced was only a little better than the sight.

"My name is Deckard and I'll be going by Fracture unless any of you have a better suggestion."

His shrewd eyes took in everyone individually in the group before he sat down again.

 

[Keia]

The Professional

Anthony looked at Mr. Smith, trying to get a read on his emotions and thoughts. Anthony nodded in return, then listened to the bum make his introductions. Anthony tried to place all of the individuals her, trying to remember if he had trained anyone here . . . or if they were carrying themselves as though the had been trained.

"Fracture sounds fine to me," the Professional replied to Fracture with a nod of approval. Turning to Mr. Smith, the Professional mentioned, "I would like to know what that microdot was that I have stowed away . . . if you know of anyone that could check it out . . . it might come in handy."

OOC: Assessment on everyone.

 

[Nuke261]

Twister

David sat at the table watching as everyone introduced them self. He usually liked to steal the show but really wanted to see who these others were. An interesting mix. Seems like all the groups are.

"Well, I'm David Cannon, No point hiding that since I've been something of a celebrity." A smile grew across his face that he could not hide. "I was 'The Cannon' in the UCW. Great gig. Then I got greedy and used my powers to become Whirlwind. That was actually pretty cool. Until the Ultimates stomped on me."

His demeanor changed slightly. However, David had come to grips with his massive defeat. He decided it was all a learning experience.

 

[lissilambe]

Kaiju

"I thought you looked familiar," Robert said with a look of glee on his face. "That's so cool! Dude, you were awesome! The way you'd 'atomic stomp' people was just wicked!" He sounded so sincere, it was scary. What was worse, this man was clearly in his late twenties, and clearly bigger than nearly anyone David had faced in the ring, but equally clearly was the adolescent glee in his voice at meeting a hero. "Could I get your autograph?"

 

[Dayspire]

The Professional - [sblock]Your gaze flickers over each man standing near you, and without even knowing it you memorize them. All of them. The cadence of their speech, the way they walk, stand, sigh, and everything else. You measure yourself against them, using the scale that worked so well in your school.

Kaiju. You'd rate him a 4 on agility, and perhaps a 4.5 on fighting ability. Not much defensively, perhaps a 2.1 or so.

Verdant. Solid 4's across the board.

Fracture. Nice. You could work with someone like this. Hell, you could probably learn a thing from him. Quite a few 9's or 10's. He has the look of a predator. That's okay, you've never been prey to anyone. You realize that you've been unconsciously standing like him, mimicking his stance. He has good balance, so it's not a bad stance to mimic.

Whirlwind. Low-level fighter. Three's, maybe even a 2.5 on defensive capability. Still better than the average shlub off the street.

Mr. Clark. Whoah. What's going on here? Very odd. Mr. Clark's stance is tough to read. It keeps... changing. And his body language is almost random, too. Very odd. You've never seen anything like it before.[/sblock]

Mr. Clark listens to the introductions, nodding to each of you in turn. He smiles at Kaiju when he asks Whirlwind for his autograph.

"Now it is my turn, yes?" he says. "To begin with, my name is not 'Heinrich Clark'. I found it vital to create that identity to secure certain... trusts. Now the time for disguises is past. Here is the truth."

Reaching around his neck, you see 'Clark' grab a bit of skin around his neck and pull. Suddenly, his face seems to stretch and twist as he pulls it off the top of his head! What he holds in his hand - the face that you've known briefly as Heinrich Clark - appears to be nothing more than a thin piece of fleshy cellophane. The face below is quite different from the mask. It is a mass of scar tissue, pink and twisted. You see a recognizable mouth, and two eyes - but everything else has been presumably burned off long ago. Small tufts of withered hair stick out in various places on his scalp.

"Not so good, ja? I know... it is difficult to look at." Quickly, he grabs something from his belt and then dons a scarlet mask with a golden diadem near the forehead. "Ah, that is much better. Now you have seen my true face, and you should know my true name. I am... Baron Helmut Zemo." He gives an almost royal nod of the head.

Baron Zemo. The name is familiar even to those who know little of World War II. The original, Heinrich Zemo, was a brilliant scientist who offered his services to the Nazi party. He invented many weapons for Germany during this period, and this brought him into constant conflict with both the US and Captain America. During their last confrontation, Heinrich was seemingly killed in a landslide. His son was never heard of until three years ago - just after Captain America's triumphant return from being encased in a block of ice for forty years.

As it was related by Captain America on the Today Show, the new Baron Zemo - the originals' son, Helmut - blamed the Captain for the death of his father. Using his own skills and technological genius, Helmut captured him and was preparing to dip him into a vat of experimental chemicals. But Captain America was not so easily murdered. He managed to free himself at the last moment, and overcame Baron Zemo. Alas - as the Captain told the story - the new Baron Zemo fell into the vat himself, and perished.

Apparently not.

"Ja, I see that look on your faces. Disbelief. Horror. But other than my name and face, I have been truthful with you." Zemo sits down in his leather chair, throwing the the flexible face of "Clark" on a nearby console. He steeples his fingers and sighs. "When I pulled myself from the vat I had fallen into, I saw a reflection of my face in a mirror. Those chemicals disfigured me. I was... I am... hideous. And after some time, I saw that my actions were as well. Your Captain America did nothing wrong. It was my father! And me, for believing so blindly. By almost dying, I saw that I needn't let my father's sins blacken my own soul. I could... instead... redeem the name of Zemo." He reaches over at a console, and hits a button. The screens go black, and then begin playing scenes of horror from the past two years. The Hulk, randomly grabbing a pedestrian and ripping off his arm. The alien race known as the Chitari, killing over 20,000 soldiers during their attack. The so-called Sinister Six attacking the White House. Hundreds of images of various horrors flicker on the screen behind Zemo as he watches you.

"Horrible, no? I know that these events horrify me. But most of these are preventable. All it takes is the desire to fix these things, and - of course - the power. Power which we have! The Ultimates have it. But they must do as their leash-holder Fury commands them to. The 'Fantastic Four' that have been in the papers? Bah. They have power, but they have their own keepers."

Zemo stands and hits a button, and the screens go black.

"We will be beholden to no man, no group, and no country. We will only seek to redeem ourselves by our actions." Zemo begins to pace back and forth, gesturing. "Yes, it will be under new identities. Many of us have a past that would jaundice the public eye far too much. And it is this very same public eye that we must depend upon. The media shall be a tool of ours, yes? For we must always prepare for the worst case... that of our true names becoming known. So, in essence... it is a race, to do more good than any evil we have done before." Zemo stops and gestures at the warehouse. "This? You must wonder about my chosen site for our meeting. Ahh, it is simple mein freunds. We must appear humble to the public, unlike these other groups. This site is perfect. And from this wreckage, we shall rebuild." Zemo stops and places a hand over his face, lowering his head. His voice comes out as barely a whisper. "And for some... perhaps they can rebuild the wreckage of their soul."