Blarghy

Want a Computers check, or can I just take 20?

"Mostly me," Leviathan agreed; he put a little humor into his voice, even though he remained tense about the situation. "But if you can access the email that Ph0enix used to contact you, and let me see your phones, then I'll get started." He plopped into the huge captain's chair and began to type. Tracking down another hacker--one with a head start and perhaps even better skills than himself--wouldn't be easy or straightforward, but Leviathan hoped that he could get a little information from her messages to Bonfire, and then use those scraps to begin his hunt. Furthermore, he had to find Ph0enix without spooking her, which could be the hardest part. Will she know by now that we dealt with mAZ? Has she already gone underground, or fled the city entirely? Or laid down some other trap that I might be playing right into? Leviathan growled worriedly to himself, pushed the thoughts aside, and got to work.

Leviathan: 4 Freedom of Information 2 Frogs Rush In 2 Puigo: 3 Intent 3 Guide point to Leviathan.

Rose-tinted glasses aside, Puigo's being kinda vague here because I myself don't know much about the Delaztri. " Hopefully Thevshi approves.

Puigo looked up at Smith and was silent for a long moment. He was no happier aboard the Arrow of Justice than he'd been at the research station, and thus a poor conversationalist during Frankan's meals, usually only speaking when he had to, like now. This particular question was especially difficult for the Puigo; he disliked hearing the "old empire" referred to as a thing of the past, let alone having to do so himself. He forced the words largely to just play along. In the back of his mind, he still held onto the possibility that maybe this was all a trick, and he was merely biding his time. Soon, he'd know one way or another: the Lor would either present another Praetorian he recognized, who could confirm their awful stories, or they wouldn't, and Puigo would respond by fighting to the death. The second option filled him with far less dread. "It w...was..." he struggled with his phrasing and the memories alike. "...The Delaztri Empire was magnificent. They brought peace and stability to the galaxy, and my fellow Praetorians were beacons of hope to all in need. A thousand species from a thousand worlds worked together for the common good. Our scientists created miracles; our soldiers fought with honor against the forces of tyranny and chaos, like the Communion." Puigo's pink eyes squinted bitterly as he thought back on the war that cost him his proper place in time. "I was very proud to have a small role in it all. The Delaztri gave my people true sapience, uplifting us from simple animals. In return, they didn't so much ask for loyalty, but rather, gave us purpose. I don't know much about your universe today, but I fear it must be darker than the past, due to their absence."

POSED BY HGM Well, I meant that I'd do it myself (you generally only submit edits for your own characters), but yes, this is the place! Leviathan: Minor fluff edits, primarily the mentioned fan art, but I also need to update his and his brothers' ages. We're pretty close to Tristan's birthday, so I'll go ahead and round up.

Nah, it's done. Best to let it go, I think.

During the intermission, Puigo's mood didn't improve, but rather continued to deteriorate. He still couldn't entirely believe what the Lor had told him, and the unknown elements of his situation piled on top of the immense distress he felt. He hardly slept or ate; the alien's pale green skin became oily and cold as a result, under his ancient Delaztri suit, and he avoided company when possible. Learning of his ship's condition was yet another blow. At least the Audacity hadn't been entirely destroyed, but Puigo still felt like a dear friend was drifting between life and death in a hospital bed, while he looked on helplessly. When Frankan finally arrived, he uncoiled from his chair and looked up at her. "Thank you, Minister," he croaked; Puigo's translator remained smooth, even as his natural voice betrayed how beaten and low he felt. "If possible, I would like to bring my personal craft, the Audacity, with us. It is a small vessel, if your ship has a hangar."

Quick question: has there been any word about Puigo's ship, the Audacity? He definitely would've asked about it during the time-skip, probably repeatedly, and any evasions from the Lor would make him suspicious and angry again.

"I don't," Leviathan answered gloomily. He was still brooding about Ph0enix; "I think she betrayed us," he told Bonfire. "Ph0enix could find your private number and tried digging into both our pasts; there's no way she didn't know that mAZ has super-powered connections. This was a setup from the start. She probably wanted to take out two threats at once: we put mAZ away, and then their friends do the same to us. Well, not if I have anything to say about it. I want to find her, and then I want to find whatever secret friends mAZ supposedly has." He scratched his snout with a blunt claw. "Ph0enix won't still be using the same Dark Web site I used to contact her the first time; I'm sure of that. But, she did email you to start this whole mess, and she called your civilian phone. Even though she blocked her number, maybe I can still work with that, if we go back to my lair and do a little hacking of our own. Between my computer and your connections, we might be able to catch her before she slips away. That's my suggestion."

Alright, I'm ready for the meat of the game whenever everybody else is. I think the garden could be a fun place for a fight scene anyway, but that's up to Thev. The lair is at your disposal--particularly since it eventually heals itself.

"With SCIENCE!" Leviathan thundered happily, his deep voice echoing off the trees. He felt a little more comfortable now, and a lot more excited, just like the last time he brought someone to see his favorite handiwork. Various bugs and beasts around them turned to see why their normally-quiet creator was making so much noise, but then quickly went back to their business; neither genetics nor life experience had told them to be afraid of Leviathan, no matter his quirks. "I based my work on Earthly DNA, then changed these creatures and plants to be the way I wanted them," he proudly continued. "And they don't just look strange. I improved everything I could to make more healthy life, and thus, a better environment to live in."

I'm about to leave on vacation; see you guys in about a week, week and a half.

I'm amused by the idea of Aquaria trying hard to resist eating things in the lair when Leviathan's around, but sneaking meals when she can and occasionally coming by to gorge herself when he's not home. She's one of the few heroes who could reach the lair without help, after all (once he updates his security system to include her).

Something about Aquaria's response made Leviathan chuckle and released a little of his tension. Less anxious than before, he laughed and said, "Almost! I am a scientist. A biologist, and a doctor. My labs are at the bottom of this base; I could show them to you sometime, if you like. But for now, we'll start with the garden. This way." He led the guests back from the trophy room to the central elevator. The next level it dropped to, Leviathan passed by without stopping, but Aquaria and Jessie could still see it through the transparent elevator walls: it was a big, tall room with a spiral structure in the middle, computer stations branching from the twisting ramp. Above all that technology was a ceiling full of colorful flowers, which they passed through on their way lower down. "That's the bridge," Leviathan told them. "Like on a ship." But he wasn't interested in pausing there, instead continuing on to the next floor below. This one was even larger; it looked to be about thirty feet tall and as wide as the entire lair. They couldn't easily look at it from within the elevator this time, as their view was partly obscured by the waterfall that poured down around them. When the elevator stopped, the door opened outward and upward to shield them from the cascading water. Leviathan stepped out and motioned for them to follow. "The garden," he announced. Almost nowhere else on Earth could they find such overflowing, vibrant, bustling life. The garden had walking paths, of sorts, where nothing grew except strange red clover--very resilient, quickly bouncing back upright even after Leviathan stepped on it--but all around those routes were bizarre plants from Leviathan's imagination. They came in every shape and color; the majority bore succulent fruits too, a few of which their creator sampled. Whole trees grew here too; they were fairly narrow but had long, elegant limbs, decorated by beautiful flowers, in a way that made them look like wooden dancers. The walls and ceiling here had more glowing bulbs of natural light than the rooms above. It was pleasantly warm, but not humid despite the waterfall, thanks to a constant circular breeze swirling gently around. The temperature felt like a nice summer afternoon. Aquaria might be particularly interested in how the waterfall around the elevator fed into numerous pools throughout the area. The channels connecting them were a little cramped for someone of her size, but the pools themselves looked comfortably wide and deep enough for swimming. And of course, lots and lots of not-food shared the garden with Leviathan. In the nearest pool, Aquaria would see, among other animals, a creature shaped rather like a mermaid. Its lobster-like tail looked deliciously plum, propelling it along through the crystal clear water. Crab claws stretched from its torso in place of arms; they clicked together to warn away another passing swimmer. Its head still resembled a fish, drinking water through a perpetually-open mouth while the gills on the sides of its cheeks fluttered. The whole animal was a beautiful blue color, as big as a good trout, and would make a scrumptious meal. So would the bird-thing that landed on a tree limb near the Deep One. It was fat, had spiny, green feathers like some of the ancient dinosaurs, and regarded Aquaria with either curiosity or skepticism. Like the other animals here, it was accustomed to seeing Leviathan and his human self, so he and Jessie were no surprise, but apparently Aquaria was a bit of a novelty. The bird watched her with its big eyes, the color of molten silver, and made a "Quuuuuuuaaack!" sound, snapping its beak shut at the end with a hard click. Then it flew away to chase a cloud of red and gold insects. These were big enough that single bug would fit in Aquaria's palm--several together would be a nice snack!--and each had four butterfly wings. When the bugs took to the air, their round wings blurred so quickly that their colors did too; the whole cloud together looked like a moving sunset. When that green bird swept through, it grabbed one of the insects in its beak and scattered the rest through the air, like a handful of rubies. The air here was sweet, the water was sweeter, and if it was possible to make something closer to paradise in this mortal life, then Leviathan would like to see it.

Leviathan: 8 The End of the World Job 1 Freedom of Information 3 Frogs Rush in 3 Good Company and Good Cheer 1 Puigo: 3 Intent 3 GM: 1 X 2 = 2 The Doctor Is OUT 1 GM posts to Adept, just to give him a little something this month, and Guide point to Leviathan.

Having this conversation--however quietly--right in front of the security team gave Leviathan a whole new reason to be nervous, but if he shared Bonfire's confidence that they wouldn't be overheard, then he was willing to look a little suspicious if it meant preserving their secrets. He definitely didn't want to get caught in a lie and risk Blackstone; aside from the unpleasantness of prison, the consequences would be extremely dire for Tristan Delacroix. "I think we should leave out Ph0enix and my little 'trick,'" he hissed back, referring to how he morphed earlier. Louder and to the officer, he answered, "Been following them all night. Heard about mAZ from another hacker and decided to take 'em out." That was certainly true--although Leviathan hoped that the hackers were listening carefully too and would assume he meant their new European friends from Club Mayhem. The police, too, could perhaps be tricked in the same way; hopefully, hopefully, he and Bonfire wouldn't face any legal difficulties from refusing to give up criminals who didn't really exist. It wasn't aiding and abetting when there was no actual crime, right? That's right, mAZ--we've got our own connections. Let them wonder who all we know, what kinds of criminals are passing information to us. Especially when they ask around and can't figure out who the men from the club are or who they work for--besides Bonfire and me! Get a little more scared, mAZ; start mistrusting every other scumbag in Freedom City and make some mistakes. I'll be ready to exploit them when you do.

"I...don't know if I can trust you," Puigo admitted, now stunned instead of defiant. The tale he heard left him reeling, and while a large part of him continued to rail against it, he also felt sick and scared. He slumped against the nearest wall, and his many limbs began to shrink again. "If you can bring me to another Praetorian, then...then I...I will listen."

I still wouldn't mind showing off the garden, but otherwise, I don't have anything planned.

Damn it! he thought once he realized he'd been trapped. I don't have the tools to get out of here. I could make them come and get me; my suit will protect against gas, and I've beaten obstacle courses simulating automated defenses before, so if I force the Lor to send a strike team in to subdue me, I could overpower them and use their entrance as an escape route. If I succeed... Puigo's head whipped back and forth desperately. Even when the intercom delivered news, he remained suspicious. Another lie, certainly, he thought, although less confident this time. A deep, dark worry was building up inside him, whether or not he acknowledged it. Maybe this can buy me time to think, at least. "What survivors?!" he demanded. "Tell me, then!"

Leviathan also picked up on Aquaria's look, and her question supported his uncomfortable suspicions. He hadn't thought much about Deep One eating habits, even after witnessing them firsthand; if his guest just ate one of his animals alive, right in front of him, then what exactly was he supposed to say? Logically, he knew it was no crueler than the nonstop hunting that these lesser creatures did among themselves anyway, but he was very glad that the issue didn't come to a head. "I don't eat them," he answered hesitantly. In an odd twist, Sea Devil's followup question was even more unsettling than the first, despite how casual it seemed. Again, Leviathan had the opportunity to lie and support his cover story, but a combination of friendship and the suspicion that Jessie would catch him made him pause. "...No, they are not from space," the great lizard sighed. "I have told other people that they are. That is part of the story I have to protect my identity. But the truth is, I made everything here. This lair and all the life in it." He gestured around himself and smiled awkwardly at this difficult confession.

Leviathan's first thought was predictable: Can we trust these officers? He especially wondered in light of their equipment; perhaps it was meant for him. Maybe they worked for mAZ and were planning to take the hackers out of sight and just let them go. Even if the guards were honest, then they were still almost certainly going to find the briefcase full of money, which could raise some problems, or at least questions. Would mAZ already be suspicious of their new business associates from earlier in the night? Would they tell the police? Would they tell their special friends, those "heroes" that Leviathan desperately wanted to learn more about? "Cold doesn't bother me," he mumbled. "Rather help you keep an eye on this crew anyway until they're locked up. Just in case you need help. We can talk on the way, or at the station."

At first, Leviathan thought Grimalkin had disappeared to do as he suggested: pop out of her business card like a rabbit from a hat. He held it away from himself, only to then lean his head back in surprise when the pixie was flying just ahead of him. He sloshed his cider a bit, and his eyes crossed to keep track of her. "That's definitely a trick!" he agreed. It put his own shapeshifting to shame, although Leviathan wasn't about to say so. He almost started talking about the conservation of mass and how it clearly didn't apply to Grim, but stopped himself; she'd already said that her magic defied all science. Besides, another question came to mind anyway. "So...is this the 'real' you?" Leviathan asked. He took care to turn his head a little, just in case his breath might be like a strong wind to someone so small.

The circular elevator was quite spacious, plenty for the three of them, and dropped smoothly. "Dogs are nice," Leviathan agreed, "but I wouldn't really call my animals 'pets.' They live on their own, mostly." Soon enough, the guests saw for themselves: when the elevator stopped at the next floor, they were at an intersection of four connected hallways. Hanging vines with beautiful flowers and fruit draped from the walls and ceiling, though none of it seemed native to Earth--and neither did the weird little reptile that clung to one of the vines, eating pale green berries. Its body looked vaguely like a monkey, but it had fewer fingers, a shorter, stubby tail, a long nose, and of course, scales. The creature's big, dark eyes turned toward them, and it chirped, but didn't flee. "Most things stay in the garden, but they use the stairs to roam around sometimes," Leviathan explained. He led the ladies down one of the hallways and into a domed room similar to the docking bay; this one had lots of golden ivy with a new kind of fruit of the same color. Leviathan plucked a few, ate one whole, and offered the others to his guests. If they tried it, they'd find that the skin was nice and tangy, while the pulp tasted kind of like an orange. There were no seeds inside to worry about. Other than the food, this room also had two human-sized "statues" made of tightly intertwined vines. They stood against the far wall; the first was a skillful depiction of a Deep One and wore the crown of beaten metal that Leviathan had mentioned. The other statue had a suit of futuristic armor made of sliding plates, most of them pretty battered; next to it was an ivory stand with a big, powerful rifle. "Took those from a guy named Solemn," Leviathan bragged. "I was working with another hero, Bonfire--have you met him?--and Solemn tried to kill us. Didn't work out for him, as you can see! He's in Blackstone now."

I assume that you've made my Sense Motive roll for me (if necessary), and that Leviathan thinks the hackers are telling him the truth?