Semi-Autogyro

John nodded. "Well, I do not read a situation as a whole. I typically break individual things down. For example." He did a quick scan of the room. "There are twenty-three feasible improvised weapons that I could respond with if you suddenly attacked me. Four exits, not counting the ability to make my own." He looked back to Mali. "I can control the battlefield by activating the fire alarms, disabling the lights, or use those screws and nails on the shelf behind me as impromptu caltrops."

He stood. "But you have to realize, that thinking that way has been permanently ingrained upon me. I was forcibly made to think in this manner. I can teach you a little yes, but there are aspects to my training that I cannot and will not share." John shot Mali a sad grin. "Not that it has ever stopped Morgan from trying."

Of course it will be needlessly complicated, when magic is involved.  Myrmidon internally groused as the alarms went off. He racked his brains at her question for a few seconds before responding.

<< The practitioners I do know, I would prefer their uninvolvement in this situation. I would not be unopposed to calling them after clearing this facility, but it would be unlikely there would be much to save. All SHADOW bases are fitted with a self-destruct mechanism, which is used when the facility has been compromised in some form or another. Which means that we have lost the luxury to loiter. >> The clone hero pointed at the obviously magical stave. << Would taking or breaking that do anything to help or hinder us? >>

Myrmidon

(4)

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(1 pp)

John checked his oil level, before turning back to Mali. "Chakrams? Interesting weapon choice, favoring ulility over direct force." He gave a bit of a smirk. "It is true that my repitorie is somewhat limited when it comes to...disabling targets. But my training was more proof of concept than anything else. I am a generalist as opposed to a specialist, which was what my instructors wanted. But I would gladly assist in any instruction you might need or think that I might be lacking in."

"If you would like I could assist you in that regard. While I am not a pure martial artist, I am familiar with a eclectic range of styles that I have integrated together to best suit my needs." He gave a wan smile. "Besides, having a hidden weapon is always a good idea." John moved to the other tire. "I am also very familiar with military style training, and I probably could figure out a couple of exercises to further assist you. Tactical training on the other hand, well, I have been bothering Headmaster Summers and Mister Archer for quite some time to create a mandatory class for that."

John laughed as he sat down by his bike. "That might matter if I had interest in any relationships of that nature. My existence is complicated enough as it is and dragging others into that morass is something best avoided." There was a hiss of air as he used the tire pressure gauge. "No sense in taking others down with me."

"You mentioned that your style was weak against Akido earlier. Have you considering expanding your training to shore up the weaknesses inherent in your style? I know some people are purists for their style, but rigidity is a weakness unto itself."

"Possessing a survival instinct is intrinsic to a persons' well-being. You have a higher degree of said instinct because you are keenly aware of the consequences of your actions, but sometimes that same instinct can leave a person paralyzed with indecision." He stood, done with the tools he was using. "I have seen that first hand, all to often. Granted, most people cannot ignore their instinctive responses...but sometimes being willing to perform the bold action or make the sacrifice play is better than caution." He returned the tools back to their original locations, and returned with a tire pressure gauge. "Although, I am a bit of a hypocrite where it comes to supporting my mental outlook on things."

"All too true. But you have to admit, there is probably some common sense lacking from our direction for keeping on doing what we do." John pointed out. "Well, and knowing some of our mutual acquaintances I could probably state that as an universal truth as well." He chuckled ruefully. "What was that quote? 'We are all a little mad here?'"

John sighed. "Honestly, we are likely to keep running into that scenario. it is easier to gain power with all the numerous shortcuts such as Black Magic, Illegal Tech, and the like. So those will be invariably chosen a more over training which takes time and effort to get results versus instant gratification." He gave an 'eh' gesture. "Though I have heard magic users complain at length about neophytes meddling in things that they should not. So I would hazard that our complaint is more cross-discipline than we think."

John shot Mali a shark-like smile. "If I had fought fair, I probably would have had some injures. However, I lured him to a narrow hallway and used a flash-bang grenade to disorient him. It was a small matter of dealing with him then." He nodded at the mention of Aikido. "Joint-lock and grappling styles tend to be a pain to deal with, but the majority of the styles that people like us will run into in the field are the more hard styles. Akido and similar styles typically do not go into those lines of work, after all."

"Unfortunately I tend to run into more trained individuals than gang-bangers and the like, but I still occasionally see a flying kicks every once and a while. Granted, most opponents are nowhere near the caliber that I had to fight during the recent incident. But our freelance work is an interesting way to see a whole plethora of styles." He shifted slightly, to reach a hard to get part. "I think the most unusual fighter I have come across was a capoeirista practitioner who used boot knives."

The blonde nodded in sympathy. "I understand perfectly. At least I managed to stop wincing every time I see poor weapons handling in movies. I assume it is the same with you for martial arts, as you were properly trained in a style." He paused, checking the tension in one of the cables. "I think I nearly choked when I saw a movie with firearms held 'gangsta style'." He actually provided the air quotes, voice dripping with sarcastic contempt. "I thought it was a Hollywood joke until I ran into on the street."

"Apparently all mt friends think I am a bit old-fashioned when it comes to my taste in things." The teen said with a wry smile. "I was not a much of a fan of those at first. Little bit too much fakery for my taste, even though I enjoy the heroic bloodshed movies like Hard Boiled. Then Morgan threatened to make me watch romantic comedies so I would not have anything to object to." He chuckled, remembering the other Irregulars faces as he stoically endured the sappy movies, seemingly entranced. "Turned out I liked those as well."

"Thank you as well. I am glad that there other enthusiasts on campus." He checked the tension of one of his cables as he continued talking. "I was introduced to the hobby after Victoria gave me an impromptu Steve McQueen marathon. Seemed interesting at the time. How did you start?" John asked idly. In truth since the whole incident a little over a week and a half ago he was getting a bit antsy with how...sedated everyone on campus appeared and it was getting to the point that even he felt the need to somewhat normal conversation to resume between students. Even if he was not suitable at all for that task.

John recognized the familiar height of Mali even if she was sitting on the floor, and shot a friendly half-salute in her direction. "Good Afternoon, Miss Mali. I have to admit, I was not expecting company today." He sat down cross-legged next to his bike, clicking on the penlight as he started to check the state of his ride. "Usually it is pretty quiet around here, since most of the students do not bother with transportation or rely on their powers." Moments later, he realized that he had almost committed a faux pas. He leaded around from behind his bike and gave her bike an appreciative nod. "My apologies. That is a nice ride you have there."

John had to admit, the girl was a skilled pathfinder and he let Blodeuwedd and her take the lead. With Subito and Giang in the middle, he could bring their offense up quickly if needed while he kept a few paces behind them while keeping the others in sight as much as possible. He kept their pace normal even though he knew that they could easily cover ground but lose the chance of surprise. But he needed to make a identification method in the off chance they were infiltrated, even if it included Kazra.

An hour or so later when they were about to cross a small stream he stropped the others. << Hold please. >> He extracted a length of bandage wrap from his medical kit and retracted his suit from his left arm. << We need a way to determine if we are ever infiltrated. So we will use a double mark system. >> Taking a marker from another pouch, he inscribed a large 'X' on his left forearm and proceeded to wrap a length of bandage covering the mark before tying it off and holding the marker to the nearest person. In this case, Giang. << Same location, same symbol. If you have a reason to doubt one of the others' identity, have them show you the symbol. Doppelgangers typically miss small details that cannot be ascertained, and in the case of perfect mimicry the mark is not a naturally occurring feature and requires knowledge that only mental magics can typically have. >> He reformed the suit over his left arm and waited for the others to finish.

<< When we arrive at our location, I will need a small amount of time to reconnoiter the area and develop a plan of attack, so do not stage an attack unless you are in danger. >> Looking at Kazra, he nodded towards the north. << Lead on, Miss pathfinder. >>

Friday January 25, 2013

1400 hours

Claremont Academy Workshop

John easily pushed his motorcycle into the workshop, intending to get some preventative maintenance done before the weekend. He was wearing his 'dirty work' clothes, a jeans and t-shirt ensemble that possessed more stained than clean areas with his sunglasses sitting up on his forehead. He knew that doing this should not take the clone teen much time, which was good, because after he was done here he still had to clean up and make the weekly movie night at Victorias'. Flicking open the kickstand, he left his bike resting on it as he started scrounging the workshop for the needed tools. He had just picked up a belt tension gauge and was reaching for a nearby penlight when he heard thought he heard someone else approaching.

Picking up the penlight, Who would be here on a Friday? Usually it is pretty quiet around this time of week. He mused to himself before succumbing to his curiosity by moving back around to comer to see who else would be here.

*Pokes head in* Did somebody mention SHADOW?!?!

Yeah, The vibe I get off of SHADOW in universe is like a competent version of COBRA from GI Joe, with the higher echelons divided by technology or magical leanings. There's minor squabbling between the two, but nothing really crazy. Also, don't forget OVERTHROW which is the 'public' persona of SHADOW as represented by bomb-throwing terrorists and anarchists. A plot with them could easily lead to their behind the scenes handlers. Think of the first Sherlock Holmes movie with RDJ, the scapegoats (Lord Blackwood/OVERTHROW) run around and cause problems while furthering the goals of (Mortiarty/SHADOW).

As for Myrmidon himself, he is a fake German so the European threads sound fun, and I have already pretty much set off his mirror evil double to be Overshadow himself.

John resisted the urge to audibly sigh, instead settling for an internal one alongside making a mental note to have Mister Archer work on Subitos' situational awareness skills once they returned to Claremont. He remained silent while the young noblewoman argued her case to his classmates, listing to their reasons for the decision for her to stay or go. In reality, he knew that this was a catch-22 situation, and that either choice was not optimal. So he would go with the lesser of the the two evils, keeping her here. Not to mention that other than 'go north to reconnaissance the river delta' was not as concrete of an objective as he would have preferred.

With Subito saying that he would return the girl he finally spoke up, walking over to the Puerto Ricoan teen and shaking his head. << I believe that course of action would be unwise. >> He said, before turning to face Kazra, her defiant look reflected off his faceplate. << This is not a game, or a adventure. We are facing an enemy who has the ability to look like anyone, and not fifteen minutes after we set out you show up claiming to be Princess Kazra. Which strikes me as rather convenient, timing-wise. >> He held up a hand, forestalling the counter argument he knew was coming. << We do not know you, so you cannot adequately prove your identity to us one way or another. So I will choose the option where I can keep an eye on a potential saboteur, as returning you to the others would possibly insert a spy into their ranks. >>

He kneeled down, facing Kazra on an eye-to-eye level, if she could see his eyes behind the darkly mirrored surface. Judging by his tone and inflection John was not at all amused with the current situation. << I do not mean to belittle your skills, but terrain obstacles and pathfinding are the least of our worries. Mister Subitos' flight ability is just one of his many skills allowing us to easily bypass earthbound dangers while transporting others if need be. The quicksand you mention is a moot point with Miss Giangs' considerable abilities, not to mention making dehydration a non-issue. Miss Cerys is perhaps one of the most skilled operatives I have had the pleasure to work with in the field. As for myself, this mission is very much along the lines of what my training and abilities were intended for. >> He paused, letting it sink in. << Whereas I do not know your abilities, other than what you claim, and I therefore cannot rely on that supposition to keep everyone safe during this journey. So I and the others can not and will not tolerate any errant behavior or intentional falsehoods from you. Do you understand? >>

Myr uses his Skill Mastery on Notice for a 20 total.

Myrmidon waived off the offered goggles. << I will take your word for it. >> He said simply, as he stepped aside to let Blodeuwedd interrogate the clone. He laughed darkly at pathetic overtures the clone made << Allies? No. >> He stated as he loomed beside the replicant.

<< So. All it takes is destroying the container. A simple matter. >> The helmeted hero moved over to the covered cadavers, and turned in the direction of his ally. << Is there a chance at backlash? >> He asked her, knowing they were on a limited timetable as it was.

Myrmidon nodded, as the blue glow surrounded his lower legs and arms. When it was finished, the helmeted hero had what appeared to be heavy armor in those locations, which he flexed slightly with the slight whirr of servomotors before following Blods directions. He stalked over to the three clones deep who were deep in meditation or maintaining a spell, whichever he did not know, pausing before he instigated his attack. Hopefully they are not magically protected he mused before dispatching the two on the outside with a strike to the neck.

The third and final clone was taken out of his reverie by the distinct sound of bones snapping followed by two lifeless sounding thumps hitting the floor. Before he could parse the situation he felt a hand on the back of head and then nothingness. Myrmidon picked up the one he had spared, and dragged it back into the passageway. << Here. Smelling Salts. >> He said as he fished the item in question out of his medical kit and flicked it onto the chest of the unconscious clone. << What now? >>

Make Weapon:

Damage 5 (PFs: Improved Critical 2 [18-20], Mighty, Variable Descriptor 2 [Any Physical]) [10 EP] (Assault Gauntlets & Greaves)

18/25 total Tech Aug used.

Then he'll sneak down by the trio and take two them down and KO the third. Skill mastery on stealth for a DC 29 total, and then he'll all-out power attack these guys. (I'm assuming they're mooks so taking 10 on his attack will be a +17, and flat footed if they don't see him since they're all within takedown attack range as well.)

John waited for the others to voice their opinions, as this was a request and not an order. Catching Giangs glance at him he shrugged lightly and lightly nodded in the others Claremonters' direction, indicating he would go along with whatever the group ultimately decided to choose. At the moment he was more concerned about his lack of information on the Serpent people. Magic foes were more of Etains' or Morgans' bailiwick, as John focused more mundane and technological opponents. The teen did know they were able to be slain, which unfortunately was not the case with a large majority of magic entities. However, he knew that Cerys had experience in the mystical field from his previous encounters with the Welsh teen which would help immensely if they chose to assist.

After the others were finished, he spoke. "It appears that we have reached a consensus to aid you in this endeavor. We require any information you have, no matter how insignificant it might seem, on the serpent peoples. As Miss Cerys indicates, we also must keep this to a minimum number of people as we are dealing with a foe with superior espionage abilities." Counterespionage tactics and strategies immediately started being formulated by the teen, as he mentally began constructing plans and counters.

John nodded at Summers in affirmation before turning to the others. << It is the 15th of January, 2013. Earlier today, android duplicates of the people present staged a terror attack on Freedom City. Before whatever event that triggered them they were indistinguishable from their authentic counterparts. However at 0900 hours this morning they all simultaneously went hostile across the city. There are others still unaccounted for, judging by the duplicates that have been taken down or destroyed but not found to be present at this location. The androids are based on Preserver technology, specifically that of the Curator. After disabling one of the androids and analyzing its remains, we traced its signal to this underground facility where we found all present in stasis guarded by another android duplicate. By our estimation this infiltration must have been ongoing for several months, but all of you present should be able to present a more concrete version of events. >> Myrmidon waited for the others to quiet down before continuing.

<< We do not know how secure this facility is, so it would be best if we could move to safer environs before any further questioning. >>