Epic M&M: Issue 4 (IC)

[Dalamar]

"A pleasure to meet you all", Johan says. "Hopefully we will be able to do more than just take your time. And speaking of doing, could we get started? Things do not get done on their own."

 

[Calinon]

China
X12

Without missing a beat, X12 responds. "Better I carve on me instead of someone else, unless you're offering yourself up," he says in a flat, cold tone. He stops rubbing his arm (regardless of whether the pain is gone or not). "There, all better," he adds with a tinge of sarcasm.

"Hey, I was just trying to get you to stop hurting yourself, but if you don't want my help and want to go off the deep end like Kevin, fine. Go right ahead. Get angry, get stupid; hurt yourself. Carve crap into your arm. No skin off my nose," he says, jabbing a finger into your chest with every sentence, backing you up to the wall and reminding you of two things. First, he's way stronger than you. And second, he's eight feet tall and it's really hard to intimidate someone you have to lean back to look up at. It's much easier the other way, as you are getting the feeling.

"I'm real sure Monica will love to hear that you've decided to become an idiot. That's a fine piece of tail to set loose," he says with another shove, then turns to walk away to gather his stuff. "And if this is what you decide to turn into, I'm pretty sure she'll be lookin' for a new friend when we get back."

New York: Methesda Ironworks
The younger man on Rebound's side flips through a data pad. "I got nothing, Henry," he says.

"Mister Methesda only sees people by appointment," Henry says. "If you tell me what you're here for, I'll see if someone will see you about it," he replies helpfully.

 

[Mordane76]

China
"I'm real sure Monica will love to hear that you've decided to become an idiot. That's a fine piece of tail to set loose," he says with another shove, then turns to walk away to gather his stuff. "And if this is what you decide to turn into, I'm pretty sure she'll be lookin' for a new friend when we get back."

"What Monica does is of little concern to me, Carl," X12 says. "I'm sure a girl of her promiscuity has already found plenty of partners since I've left -- but like I told her, that wasn't what I was interested in. If that's what she wants, that's fine with me," X12 says, unimpressed. "And as for Kevin... his problems are his own. Maybe you should back off, Carl -- worry about the reasons that got your ass sent here, instead of my carving on my arm. Last time I checked, it heals, so what does it matter?"

 

[Deva]

You meet up with Dara in the bath house.

Holy crap, you're nuts! she exclaims. And you slept in there with him? I had nightmares! I can't believe you didn't get in trouble!

"I did get in trouble," Raisa says quietly, pulling out the knotted elastic that's holding her hair back. She gimaces as she pulls out a dozen strands of hair. "That's why I was there in the first place."

She strips of her clothes and climbs into the large community bath, smelling rather ripe after training with Jackal and then sleeping in her sweaty gi. "I know I shouldn't have looked in the dojo, and yea, at first I was more than a little reluctant to actually go inside, but I'm glad I did." She dunks her head back, submerging herself in the warm water. They've got poor Michael chained in that room with no give what so ever. He can barely move, they treat him like an animal- she comes up out of the water and wipes the water from her face. "-and they don't allow anyone in there to see him. He's been dealt a crappy hand with his mutation, and to have to go through what he does just to try an learn how to control it? It seriously, totally, undeniably, sucks! I feel bad for him."

Raisa wades over to the side of the bath, folding her arms on the edge and resting her chin on her arms. She looks up at Dara. "Master Wen wants me to help with his training. I felt like the biggest jerk last night, beating on him while he was chained and couldn't defend himself. I don't know if I can handle doing it every day, but Master Wen wouldn't do it if it wasn't going to help Michael. Right?"

 

[Calinon]

China
X12

"What Monica does is of little concern to me, Carl," X12 says. "I'm sure a girl of her promiscuity has already found plenty of partners since I've left -- but like I told her, that wasn't what I was interested in. If that's what she wants, that's fine with me," X12 says, unimpressed. "And as for Kevin... his problems are his own. Maybe you should back off, Carl -- worry about the reasons that got your ass sent here, instead of my carving on my arm. Last time I checked, it heals, so what does it matter?"

"You're a real piece of work," Carl says, turning back on you. "Lemme tell you somethin, Meat. You're endin' up exactly like Kevin. Don't care about anyone. Hell, you don't even care about yourself. If this is the person your memories are gonna make you, you should stop lookin for 'em 'cause your turnin' into someone nobody will wanna be around. But hey, it's ok, because you can't choose who you are. It's all programmed up there already," he says, poking you in the head. "It's not like you have any free will to be better'n your past. Just a freakin' robot. God forbid you be who you wanna be," Carl says angrily, towering over you. The air around him vibrates so violently the walls shake and your teeth hurt.

"I didn't say nothin' when you beat up Monica, and I didn't say nothin' when you attacked Li, and I didn't tell anyone about you and your pet rock and I saw what Monica looked like, and I saw what you did to Li and your arm. But I'm gonna. Right now. Cause you need help."

Carl heads straight for the exit.

Raisa
Dara listens with wide eyes, listening to everything you say.

"Yeah, I guess," she says. "Still, you'd think there'd be another way. And chaining him up like that, even at night! He's pretty scary though. I don't think I'd sleep much if he wasn't tied up, especially how he looks. With those claws and gnashing teeth," she says, making a growly biting face.

But you know what they say, she says mentally.

Better you than me! she thinks with a giggle. You both turn as you hear Carl's voice echoing angrily out of the boy's bath house.

 

[Mordane76]

China
X12
"You're a real piece of work," Carl says, turning back on you. "Lemme tell you somethin, Meat. You're endin' up exactly like Kevin. Don't care about anyone. Hell, you don't even care about yourself. If this is the person your memories are gonna make you, you should stop lookin for 'em 'cause your turnin' into someone nobody will wanna be around. But hey, it's ok, because you can't choose who you are. It's all programmed up there already," he says, poking you in the head. "It's not like you have any free will to be better'n your past. Just a freakin' robot. God forbid you be who you wanna be," Carl says angrily, towering over you. The air around him vibrates so violently the walls shake and your teeth hurt.

"I didn't say nothin' when you beat up Monica, and I didn't say nothin' when you attacked Li, and I didn't tell anyone about you and your pet rock and I saw what Monica looked like, and I saw what you did to Li and your arm. But I'm gonna. Right now. Cause you need help."

Carl heads straight for the exit.

"I'm sorry, Carl, but I'm afraid I can't let you do that," X12 says flatly. He starts towards the giant, his eyes growing wild. "I need to know who I was -- I've done horrible things, Carl -- I've killed children, assassinated targets, and tortured helpless victims all at someone else's command. If you try and stop me from finding out who made me into what I was, and what I am now, I swear you won't make it out that door before I wrench the life from your incredibly thick neck. You maybe bigger than me, hell -- you maybe tougher than I am, thought I doubt it, but if you try and stop me from finding out who made me into a heartless killer, Carl, I'll beat us both to death with my bare hands," X12 screams as his frenzy reaches a crescendo, throwing himself at Carl.

 

[Velmont]

China
Kevin
You walk down to the gardens and come upon an old man, ancient even, tending the gardens. He's wearing simple clothes, wooden sandles and a wide brimmed straw hat. He stops his weeding and looks up as you approach and says something in greeting, but it is obviously in Chinese.

"Hi, I don't want to disturb your work." say Kevin while bowing to salute. Kevin looks at the garden. he crouch to smell a flower. "They have the good life. Beatifull, they relax here all day, and they even have someone who care about them and to watch them growing..."

 

[Calinon]

China
Kevin

"Hi, I don't want to disturb your work." say Kevin while bowing to salute. Kevin looks at the garden. he crouch to smell a flower. "They have the good life. Beatifull, they relax here all day, and they even have someone who care about them and to watch them growing..."

Well, he nods. Repeatedly. It becomes quickly apparent that he has absolutely no idea what you said. He repeats himself, in Chinese, which you don't understand in the slightest. We have a winning combination going here.

Carl's raised voice filters down from the bunkhouse area.

 

[Deva]

You both turn as you hear Carl's voice echoing angrily out of the boy's bath house.

"What the hell..." Raisa climbs out of the bath, grabbing a robe from the wall and quickly throwing it on as she leaves the girls bath house to see what's going on. (ooc:and yes, she will go into the boys bath house if necessary)

 

[Calinon]

China
X12
You hurl yourself at Carl, catching him by surprise. Fat lot of good it does you. You slam your shoulder in the back, locking your hands about his waiste trying to take him down. He simply turns with your grapple attempt, shoving you off him. He's quick to recover.

"Have you lost your mind?" he shouts at you as his force field jumps up about him again. He opens his mouth and a blast of energy strikes you in the chest. You barely weather that when a second blast takes you. Moments later, all thoughts of doing anything to Carl are lost as you crack your head off the cobblestones of the courtyard. You try to shake the cobwebs out of your head as he stalks towards you, clamping his hand over your face and picking you up in that grip.

You attack and hit, but lose the grapple check badly. Carl uses rapid shot, hitting with both attacks. You fail the first save with a 2 (12)( reroll of 5 becomes 10 (20)) taking a lethal hit. You fail the second save with a 4 (14) and are stunned and knocked back 40 feet, through the wall. Unable to recover in time, Carl exerts to close the gap and has you grappled (not to mention dangling off the ground).

Raisa
Dara runs out after you. You hear X12 shouting now. You are nearly halfway to the boys bath house when X12 flies through the wall of the building, landing heavily on the cobblestones cracking his head off the stones. Carl stalks out of the hole in the wall, disgusted look on his face and reaches down, clamping a hand over X12's face and picking him up. He seems completely focussed, and while angry, doesn't seem bent on killing X12.

He looks over towards the main house.

You share Dara's sense motive check of 24.

Kevin
Raisa and Dara come out of the girls bath house, dressed only in bath robes. You hear X12 shouting. The sound of cracking wood echoes briefly and you see X12 flying through the air. Carl's huge form stalks after him. You see Master Wen and Nova hurry from the back of the main house towards the bath houses.