SpicyWaffle

Bee-Keeper III's Reflex +9 vs. DC 18: 1d20+9 → [12,9] = (21)

With two of the uproarious bikers down for the count in the blink of an eye, there was no doubt that the tide of this gunfight was about to shift. The Bee-Keeper, still heroically poised amidst the ensuing chaos, was ready! With so many other heroes on the scene, it was time to put these villainous cads down before they put anyone else at risk. Wings aflutter with a metallic whir, the Hero of the Hive hovered over the ground, streaking towards one of the ill-fortunate laser-toting bikers whom were so keen on causing a ruckus in the Fens. Like a freight train gone mad, a metal fist came crashing in against the criminal's face with a telltale WHAP! Staggered, the Bee-Keeper wasn't yet done. Catching him at the color and holding him aloft, the Apiary Avenger pressed the palm of his hand against the rough-and-ready fella's chest. "Zzeriouzzly. You guyzz juzzt never wanna do it the eazzy way! Now, get ready to feel the ZZTING OF JUZZTIZZE!" Then came the blast. There was no concussive burst. No flying ne'er-do-well to be strewn against the asphalt. There was only the Bee-Keeper, and a young motorcyclist with a basketball sized hole through his chest. Letting go, the former villain collapsed lifelessly against the ground, the Bee-Keeper resuming his heroic stance anew, unperturbed by the sleight he'd committed. "Ha! No way I'm gonna let you guyzz get away with thizz! You're zzo going down!"

To stop Bee-Keeper from looking like a total tool, gonna spend a Hero Point to pick up Immunity (Drowning in a River Because That's Pretty Unheroic) for 1pp. Because drowning sucks!

Impressed by Jessica's technical know-how, Baxter couldn't help but feel somewhat inspired by her. Building a battlesuit from scratch couldn't have been easy, and it was understandable why she was so upset about whoever-these-guys-were for attacking what amounted to something immensely important to her. This was about more than just catching the bad guys and putting them in jail; at least, as far as Baxter could tell. They'd struck a nerve with Ironclad, and in return they'd have her ire. But now came the moment of truth as the duo touched down on the silt-splashed riverbed, the far more mechanically-inclined young woman tore the steel door asunder with tremendous might. The torrent of water was just a precursor for the dive ahead; a thought that marginally unnerved the Bee-Keeper, given the weight of his trusty battle armor. "Here goezz nothin'," he said aloud to no one but himself, taking a deep breath as he plunged into the depths of the river, following along with the leader of this little investigation.

With the lesser pajama-wearing goons thwarted (and much of impromptu battlefield in tatters), it was time to take care of the more serious threats... threats, it seemed, Cobalt Templar was already becoming more accustomed with! After watching and wincing at the somewhat comical scene of the immense sumo being flung around like a ragdoll, Baxter felt surprisingly overwhelmed by his newest colleague's brute strength. Awed, even! But the tables, as they so often were, turned as the stoic woman with the fancy swords caught Cobalt Templar at the point of her blades! "Hey, hey, whoa! Not cool!" the Bee-Keeper barked back, almost ignoring the far more muscular and intimidating gentleman he'd chided only moments ago. Moving to render aid was a bad idea, as Baxter soon found out. With a painful boot to the head, the lone remaining male ninja sent the armored hero staggering backwards and gripping his helmeted face. It was like getting hit by a car with toes! Whoever this guy was, he meant business, his smug look of self-satisfaction rubbing the young teen like an Indian burn. "Oh, that'zz it!" sneered the Hero of the Hive, fists clenched as he steeled himself for the counter-attack. This time, Baxter didn't even bother moving towards Cobalt Templar and the sword-swinging lady endangering him. Soaring just inches above the ground, the Bee-Keeper closed the gap with startling alacrity. Once more, the muscular brute delivered another kick in anticipation, but this time, Baxter was ready! He took the kick straight on, another ripple of pain aching across his ribs as the man's foot connected with the metallic armor. Unfortunately for the ninja warrior, the Bee-Keeper saw it coming, and took hold of the man's leg! Even now, the shadowy kickboxer's eyes went wide; whatever was about to happen next wasn't going to be pleasant! Coming back down to the ground, the armored avenger's superior strength gave him considerable leverage as he began to spin the martial artist around like a kid with a bucket full of water at the beach, building dizzying momentum as he went. He had one shot at this - and while Baxter was feeling a bit of vertigo, the suit's targeting functionality picked up the slack. Just as the reticle came over the woman with the blades, he loosed his grip, sending the would-be kung-fu master flying towards his former friend holding Cobalt Templar at bay! Alas, Baxter was too little, too late. While the man whom had kicked him so soundly came crashing to a stop as he flew through glass and vivid mannequins displaying the latest fashions within a nearby shop, the armed assailant in the wasp motif was too quick, avoiding the collision with a quick step away from the man she held at blade-point. But at least she had backed off a bit, and that was all that mattered for right now. Whether the other fella was going to get back up or not Baxter hadn't a clue; he was too busy shaking off the dizziness! "And that'zz what you get!" he yelled towards the collaterally-damaged store and the thrown ninja likely still lying inside.

"I know whatcha mean," Baxter hummed back, following Ironclad's lead and keeping his own speed in-check. "It'zz like... when I firzzt zztarted flying in the zzuit, I wazz zzcared to death. Alwayzz thought I'd hit a tree, or a building or zzomething," the Bee-Keeper laughed, looking down on the scenic vista from above as they swooped ever closer to their destination. "It'zz nizze though; makezz me feel free. Maybe not azz, y'know, free azz zzomeone who can fly on their own, but it'zz got itzz perkzz. The peazzeful zzort of quiet givezz you time to think." The Bee-Keeper paused for a moment, before turning to the armored lady beside him. "At leazzt our zzuitzz have one thing goin' for em' that mozzt heroezz who can fly don't. We don't have to worry about catching bugzz in our teeth!"

"Uhh... not that I'm aware of," Bee-Keeper replied, honestly trying to think of he'd yet earned a 'nemesis' of sorts. "Mozztly zztick to, y'know, gangbangerzz and zztreet thugzz. Uzzually, anyway." But the more he thought about it, the more it started to see like he might have! Maybe. Sort of. Though it might as well have just been coincidence, it certainly felt odd now in hindsight that every big outbreak therein, the Bee-Keeper had been present. "Actually, y'know what? Maybee I have!" he suddenly mused, still fluttering away with a low buzz above the city streets. "A couple of dayzz ago, me and Cobalt Templar got ranzzacked by zzome weird ninjazz wearing wazzp outfitzz. They juzzt... I don't know, came outta nowhere! Before that? There wazz thizz bank robbery. Guezz what? Yep. Giant robot wazzp," the Bee-Keeper hummed, as if now truly re-examining the circumstances. "Y'know, it'zz kinda weird. Like, every time zzome wazzp-thing zzhowzz up, I'm there. I mean, not to zzound like zzome zzorta conzzpirazzy nut, but... y'know, two for two."

Flitting along quietly, Baxter had much to stew upon within the bubbling cauldron that was his mind during the trip. Even as Harrier gave his spiel about the Curator and his supposed machinations after their arrival, it was a meaty thing to dwell on, and Baxter remained just as mentally engrossed in his thoughts. Here he was, mulling over the flurry of information out-of-costume as he struggled to come to grips with the scenario he and the others had been forced into. Talk of loved ones was unnerving for Baxter. How long had they been looking for him now? A day? Two? More? And now, unable to find him, they must be miserable. His mom and dad, his friends... Jessica, Fleur... more people than he cared to think about now, unaware that he'd been jostled into some hellish nightmare where he was being chased by some extradimensional super-villain. He didn't want to think about what might be happening on that other Freedom City now where Stratos and whomever else were still stranded. To say the young teenager looked out-of-place compared to the other heroic sorts present might have been an understatement; dressed in what might pass for casual wear for any high school student, though while his clothes weren't, Baxter himself certainly looked worse for wear. He was tired and distraught, and not just physically. He looked worn... haggard, even, despite his youth. Other than the pair of large blackish-purple bags below his eyes, the dark-skinned boy might have otherwise passed for ordinary. Indeed, one might even go so far as to say Baxter looked boring! But the small scattering of bruises etching across his arms told a different story. He'd taken his fair share of licks, and it showed. "Yeah," the innocuous teen finally mustered out in reply, looking up from his sullen thoughts and back towards Wander. "Van. Bus. Boat. Anything other than that, man, I don't know... I never had a chance to really test how much the armor can tote." He almost seemed to cheer up a bit at the thought of being useful, but his voice waned as he drifted in thought again. "I'm pretty sure I can get us wherever we're goin'. But, y'know, knowing exactly where we're going would be nice," he murmured, peering off towards the eerie sky still hanging over their little hidey-hole of horrors. He paused for a moment in thought, deciding now was the best time to share his hidden factoid, lest they be caught unawares if the creature who'd sang a song of strife in his head was still on the prowl. "I don't... I don't wanna just wander around this place. When we were still in Freedom -- or whatever it was -- there was something there, too. Something following us. Following me," the Bee-Keeper said, voice dropping to a whisper. "It knew who I was. It... it knew about you, Jay. It sounded like an Omegadrone," That last bit came with some odd emphasis, the Bee-Keeper turning towards Harrier as he said it. "But not like you. It was... I don't know. Different, but the same. Creepy and cold and... and unnatural." "All I'm saying is, if we're gonna head somewhere, I don't wanna stay in one place too long, y'know? Point A to Point B, stopping only when we have to," he finished, trying his best to muster up some sort of authoritarian aura, though only managing to sound more and more frightened of whatever creature may or may not still be keen on his trail. "I... I don't wanna get blindsided by whatever it is. Keep moving, makes it harder for it to find us, right?"

Initiative +6: 1d20+6 → [11,6] = (17)

Before he could figure out where he'd been transported, Baxter was battling not only with a sudden sense of clumsiness and distortion as he arrived in the wooded glade surrounded by what he could only surmise were either friends or secret foes, but with the gravity of which he'd just escaped. Despite his stumbling arrival via teleportation, the Bee-Keeper paid only the remotest heed to the people around him, too busy watching his home - his fake home, but his home nonetheless - drift away into the grey void looming beyond. Where was it going? Who was the Curator? Why had he taken them here? So many questions... but there was only one thing Baxter could think to say now in the wake of such a fearful sight and despite all sense of urgency: "Where... where will the Curator move the zzity?" he asked, unable to turn away from his home slipping into the distance. In hindsight, and only now that he'd been whisked away based on little more than a risky gamble, Baxter truly felt sorry for the decision. Stratos was still there, trapped in that strange spheroid of preserved buildings and only partially demolished landmarks. How many other people might yet still be there? He didn't know. He didn't want to think about it. If even just one other person was stranded, they had to be rescued! If only he'd kept cool instead of berating the slightly perturbed old man then, perhaps, he might have made it out with them... He didn't wait for an answer, shaking his head in an endeavor to push the thought away and raising a hand to belay whatever ill-suited answers were about to come his way. There wasn't anything he could do for them now. Baxter was scared, but he wasn't stupid. They knew they shouldn't stay, and he couldn't agree more, but his silence prevailed even as he forced himself to look away from the floating menagerie of cement and skeletons. Even Jill's flurry of scathing words just seemed to bounce off him. It wasn't that he didn't notice, or that they didn't cut him to the quick; her lashing just felt insignificant in comparison for the Hero of the Hive who was very much out of his league. "Yeah... zzorry. Zzorry. I could have... yeah. Zzorry," he murmured again slowly, modulated voice distorting his odd amalgam of sheepishness, terror, and uncertainty. "I can fly uzz pretty quick," he mumbled back, nodding towards Blue Jay as his intended passenger. Out of his element and struggling to digest what he was looking at, it was clear as crystal he wasn't at the peak of his game. But even in his slightly frazzled state, the armored incognito teenager couldn't help but cast a leery glance towards the one Blue Jay had called the One Free Drone. He was grateful not to have been immediately waylaid, but there was still some... uneasiness, despite the other girls' vouching. The day before, he'd woken up in rubble with him advancing on his prone position. Now? Now, Baxter was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with people he'd suspected of harboring camaraderie with an Omegadrone. He was right still, at least partially, though not in the way he'd thought. He'd have time to hash out his feelings on this Omegaless Drone later; preferably when being recaptured wasn't as high a risk. "You juzzt... you juzzt point the way, and I'll follow. But I want zzome anzzwerzz when we get to... to wherever we're goin'," he added before turning back to face the empty vacancy where a same yet different Freedom City once stood. "... azz long azz it'zz away from here."

Behind the bee-themed facade, Baxter brimmed with both relief and jubilation. Joining the Freedom League, leading his own team... now there was a dream come true, far and away they might seem. Heck, they might not ever really happen! But still, the thought was enough, and Gabriel's odd sort of conviction in Baxter's own endeavors struck him profoundly. Before Fleur de Joie had vouched for him, he hadn't had anyone really speak for him; to elucidate on the fact he was not in fact a wanton criminal in sheep's clothing. Now he was two up! "Thankzz," mumbled the Bee-Keeper as he tried to hide his enthusiasm behind his helm, the weight from his shoulders at the sudden inquisition evaporating even as the two hovered in-place as he struggled to find the words for what he had to say next. It was a struggle, especially after just opening up like that. It was... weird. He felt weird. The whole situation was weird. Never before had he been questioned about his heroic qualifications! Sure, he gave a little spiel for Fleur - and meant it! - but he didn't have to explain his reasoning. It just felt so... out of place? Baxter wasn't sure, but it made him feel oddly uncomfortable. A change of subject was a must! "Zzo... my own team, eh?" he inquired, perking up at the prospect. "Guezz we'll zzee how that goezz. Y'know, eventually, or whatever. Juzzt gotta find a catchy name!"

Following right behind Jessica after she took off and cracking a smile at her pun, Baxter was all too happy to take the direct approach. Leave all that sneaking stuff to people like the Raven and Foreshadow. The sooner they got there, the sooner they could kick these guys' butts! The sooner their butts were kicked, the sooner Dawes Tech would be nice and safe from any future attempts! Nice and simple. "Zzoundzz good to me!" buzzed the Bee-Keeper in response as he closed in alongside Ironclad, trying hard not to dwell on the aspect of submerging himself underwater in a giant metal suit. "We zzhow up, punch zzome badguyzz, they zzpill the beanzz about their plan, and then we ruin it. Couldn't bee too hard if thozze guyzz ranzzacking Dawezz are all we've gotta deal with."

"Zzoundzz like a plan, man," bemoaned the Bee-Keeper as he came shoulder to shoulder with his latest super-acquaintance, equally displeased with the fact they'd ended up surrounded. Who sends ninjas to attack a mall? It wasn't like they were having a sale on nunchucks at the Gap or something. There had to be a bigger score here than just running amok. But there was a time for questions, and a time for kicking gratuitous amounts of ninja-butt. And that time was now! Moving away from Cobalt Templar in a flurry of heavy footfalls, the Bee-Keeper III unloaded on the encircling ninjas, a rapid-fire volley of honey-like goop and high-powered energy blasts pelting them each with thunderous force. One by one, they fell like dominoes. Ninja dominoes. But still, the concussive force of the armored avenger's own potent armament was making quick work of the foolhardy (and oddly open) shadow warriors too surprised to bound out of the way. There's always a couple though who aren't as keen on getting blasted as their friends though. Clearly angry, their retaliation was swift and vengeful as they moved against the Bee-Keeper for his snide insinuations about zapping their friends. Three of them came a'runnin', weapons held high! The first was unfortunate in his attempt, catching a face full of metal fist and cracking the concrete as he kissed it. His friend behind him, however, was wholly successful! Electro-sword held up at the ready, the wasp ninja swung hard and fast... but it was only a ruse as Baxter tried to block! Caught off-guard, the sneaky so-and-so stuck something to the boy - some sort of round discus thing. Peering at it got the Bee-Keeper no where fast; but he soon discovered its nefarious means. With a tremendous 'Whumph!,' the disc exploded, sending Baxter reeling against the floor as metal ground against the tiles, the young hero breathless from the sudden explosion. Before he could get back to his feet, that third ninja was right on top of him, leaping through the air like some sort of nightmare. Driving home with its sword, the masked assassin struck home against the armor for the second time this afternoon, generating another sear across the once impeccable armor of the Bee-Keeper and causing Baxter to hiss out in pain. "Oh, that izz it!" barked the Bee-Keeper gruffly. He'd clearly had enough of this tomfoolery! With his assailant still poised on top of him, Bee-Keeper let loose with another blast of energy from his gauntlet. For Baxter, it was nice to literally get that thing off his chest. For the ninja? For the unfortunate ninja, it got to go on a rather painful trip, catching the brunt of the blast right in its gut before being propelled upwards and into the ceiling of what was once the second-story food court. As if that weren't enough, the ensuing fall belted the poor thing, forcing an eruption of moans after a somewhat hilarious scream. "Haha! Take that, you zztupid ninjazz!" he wheezed out, regaining his posture and throwing his arms up in a combative stance as he whirled back around to meet he muscular mook. "C'mon! That the bezzt you guyzz've got? Weeeeeak!"

It had become a somewhat strange routine, but nevertheless, the Bee-Keeper III was once more soaring above the Fens. He wasn't there expecting trouble - in fact, it was quite the contrary! While the Fens were notorious for their seedy dealings to the budding Freedonian hero, it was only ever so rarely something more than petty thugs brawling or ne'er-do-wells struggling to rob a Go-Mart. To say it was 'nice' would be a misnomer; but rather, it was generally quiet by comparison to what felt like his usual shenanigans! And when you've had a heck of a week, sometimes it's nice to end it on a rather uneventful note. But today? Today was different. Oh, man, was it different! From his lofty view, Baxter couldn't help but stare on in stupefaction at what he was looking at below. The suit had picked up the sounds; familiar sounds. Sounds that Baxter couldn't have possibly forgotten since the last time he'd been blasted by energy weapons. And sure enough, there it they were: men on motorcycles blasting at other armed men huddled inside a warehouse, their vague threats of reclamation through force of arms more than a little unsettling in the Bee-Keeper's eyes. Talk about a curve ball! Now wasn't the time to gawk though! While the Bee-Keeper wasn't exactly savvy on what was going on, that was hardly the point. The point was that this little show of force in the streets of Freedom City was a serious health hazard. With the way those blasts were decimating the concrete, who knew what would happen if someone actually got hit! That wasn't going to happen. Not on the Bee-Keeper's watch! It was time to put an end to this fracas! Descending down to the street, metal wings beating impossibly fast and emitting a telltale buzz, the Hero of the Hive crashed to the asphalt surface below, almost intuitively striking a heroic pose as he saddled himself between the menagerie of men and their firepower. "Alright, kidzz! Time to put the-- Oh! Hey, Jubatuzz!" the yellow-and-gold bee-motifed teen chimed through his modulated voice, not quite yelling despite the volume in his voice as he caught sight of the humanoid cheetah he'd missed during his oggling of the battle beforehand, granting his one-time ally a friendly, almost nonchalant wave before turning back to the goons surrounding him. "I don't know what beef you guyzz have, and I totezz don't care. Whatever planzz you had? Yeah. Ruined now that we're here! Zzo here'zz the deal: you guyzz put the lazzerzz and zztuff away, tell uzz where you got em', and you get to go to jail without a buzzillion bruizzezz. I know! That'zz a pretty zzweet deal, right?" Now he was insulting them, clenched fists pressed against his hips as the Bee-Keeper stood in defiance of their comical little shootout. "Zzo whaddya fellazz zzay? Can we zztop thizz zzilly violenzze and juzzt turn ourzzelvezz in like nizze, zzivilizzed crookzz?"

My internet's working... sort of. For some reason it's coming and going in spurts. It doesn't help that my schedule got flipped around for work, so now I'm working the morning shift instead of the night shift. No posts from me today, but I super-promise I'll get back on my posts first thing tomorrow evening; rain, shine, or radioactive squirrels from the Seventh Dimension!

"Hey, wait up!" Bee-Keeper buzzed back as Blue Jay rocketed out of their makeshift hovel, her armored companion fluttering after her as briskly as he was able. Chasing after the surprisingly spry archer, Baxter couldn't help but feel a wave of dread descend upon his shoulders as the eerie glow from above seemed to grow more and more with each passing moment. It was also somewhat odd that they didn't just blast the two when they broke from cover; a fact that struck the Bee-Keeper as more than peculiar. Maybe they just hadn't seen them yet? Hard to say when you're busy flying after your only friend in a world turned topsy-turvy. When she finally came to a stop, winded and out of breath, the Bee-Keeper descended back to the ground beside her, a metal hand clasping Blue Jay's shoulder in a feeble attempt to keep her still momentarily. "I don't know!" exclaimed the dark-skinned boy hidden behind the bee-themed armor at Blue Jay's latest query, his own vision drifting to the luminescent borders slowly filling the sky. "I don't anything about what'zz going on! But we gotta get outta here! Whatever'zz going on'zz bad newzz!" he continued, looking skywards towards the alien vessels circling the skies. "If I can get uzz pazzt thozze zzhipzz, I can fly uzz outta thizz--" At the crackle of communique filling his helmet, Baxter cut himself off, his free hand reflexively pressing itself against a non-existent ear adorned on the helmet in some attempt to focus the audio. His heart skipped a beat as a familiar woman's voice blared through, admitting to the fact she knew who he was! But that was besides the point now. But it felt... different. He wasn't sure, but the woman's voice seemed concerned. Whether it was a ruse or a part of a larger trap to try and bait the two out was yet unknown. On the one hand, if the supposed 'good guys' were telling the truth, then the safer option was this teleportation deal; sparing Baxter and Blue Jay the risk of being blown out of the sky by the foreign craft above. On the other hand, if it was a trap, then they'd be walking right into it... and chances were they wouldn't be walking out. It was a big gamble, and neither outcome looked good. But someone had to make a call, and if those space ships started shooting while the Bee-Keeper endeavored to whisk Blue Jay and himself out of its encroaching borders, the prospect of the unprotected girl being hit was... unwelcome, to say the least. It wasn't a risk Baxter wanted to take... not if it meant he'd be stranded on his faux homeworld alone. After a moment of pause, the Bee-Keeper looked to Blue Jay, then to the craft overhead, and then back to her again. It was a stupid idea. It was a stupid, terrible idea! And yet, it seemed like the best chance they had. It was all or nothing. "Look. I can fly uzz out. I can! But... but I can't. Not with you; not if thozze zzhipzz zztart zzhooting at uzz if we get too clozze," Baxter said hurriedly, his voice sharp and to-the-point. "It'zz juzzt too rizzky. I'm about to do zzomething that'zz probably really zztupid, but you're juzzt gonna have to truzzt me on thizz, okay? It'zz juzzt... it'zz the only choizze we've got if we wanna get out." Letting go of Blue Jay's shoulder, the Hero of the Hive took a deep breath, laying all his chips on the table as he began broadcasting anew on every channel he could. He didn't wait for her answer; they needed to get out of here, and fast! "Thizz izz the Bee-Keeper," he began, modulated voice filled with mild trepidation even as he looked around frantically for a street sign. "We're at... uhh... we're at a Stan's, near the riverfront. I can't zzee a zztreet zzign anywhere. I don't think... wait, hang on..." Whirling around to face the remnants of the restaraunt, Baxter scoured the battered and beaten scene where people had probably had their last meals before whatever happend had happened, flipping broken chairs and delving through shattered glass before picking out a torn and dusty old menu from the debris. "It'zz... uh... it'zz on three-twenty-two Banner Zztreet. Got that? Three-twenty-two Banner Zztreet."

Having gone from timely savior to a one-man sweatshop at the sight of the gargantuan man's intimidating stare and firearm being pointed squarely in his face, all the Bee-Keeper could do in the wake of the cape-billowing hero's momentous ninja interception was emit a frightened, yet relieved chuckle. Boy, was he glad he wasn't on the receiving end of the giant mace! With a physique like Cobalt Templar's, Baxter would probably lose his head if he got thumped by that thing! "Haha... uh, yeah. Let'zz get thezze guyzz!" nodded the Bee-Keeper, regaining his composure in the wake of the awkward intervention. At least Cobalt Templar was all gung-ho about dealing with these masked weirdos. Bee-Keeper III couldn't agree more; they posed a serious threat to the safety of the folks who'd been caught by surprise in Millennium Mall, their high-tech toys a menacingly rude awakening for the armored Hero of the Hive. Before the dynamic duo had a chance to begin the offensive anew, a sudden eruption of smoke ensorcelled them, obscuring sight and eliciting even more screams as it spread across the tiled floor of the mall. Having caught the two mid-conversation, the Wasp Ninja took their opportunity to counter-attack! Baxter tensed sharply as his vision spontaneously became obfuscated, but the Apiary Avenger had his own countermeasures! Quickly flipping the helmet's enhanced vision on, the smoke seemed to clear from his line of sight... but too late! From an almost prone, crouched position, one of the masked assailants had crept his way beyond the Bee-Keeper III's line of sight, high-tech sword at the ready even as Baxter spied him below. In a terrifying upward slash that arced with malign electricity, the blade scraped across the suit with sinister intent, causing the teenage hero the emit a squeal of first surprise, then a groan of paralyzing pain! "Argh! You zztupid jerk!" barked the yellow-and-black hero as the blade left not only its scathing cut across the battlesuit, but also a discernible burn from its shocking discharge. Oh, this guy'd earned Baxter's ire now! Taking the hit with a wince and a grain of salt, the heavily-armored bee-themed superhero whirled around on his heel almost without skipping a beat, delivering a swift punch to the assassin's ugly mug. But he wasn't done - oh, no. Not yet. Just as the ninja began to sink to the cold and unforgiving floor beneath him, the Bee-Keeper maneuvered around him as quickly as he could, locking his arms around his mid-section. With a swift but clumsy hoist, the boy in the tin can lifted the barely conscious assailant upwards, suplexing him against the concrete tiles with wicked force! Dropping his armaments, the technologically superior warrior slumped to the ground unconsciously, Baxter himself pleased - albeit sore! - with the results of his counter-attack. "Zzeriouzzly! Who are thezze guyzz?!"

Keenly listening first to the young lady's tale, Baxter's enthusiasm quickly shifted to that of intrigue as her funky bracelet signaled her. It wasn't long before his own eyes were tracking the mysterious red line across New Jersey, blinking in momentary surprise as the computer soon revealed the starting location of the mysterious craft that had besieged them. "Guezz we're about to find out," laughed Baxter, trying hard not to seem overwhelmed by the uncomfortable prospect of drowning. Giving the seat he'd taken up a reprieve and letting the cushion reshape itself from its sagging and disfigured form, Baxter was greeted by the familiar twinge of pain as he rose, a reminder of the painful welt he'd picked up from the armed goons who'd stormed Dawes Tech. He was eager to get to the bottom of this; to find out why they were so keen on raiding it. Jessica probably was, too, he wagered. "Let'zz get thizz zzhow on the road."

Blue Jay's tale of Omega's defeat struck a nerve with Baxter. It took the Centurion everything he had just to crack the armor that fateful; the Bee-Keeper didn't even think it was possible to kill the tyrant who so readily demolished Freedom City all those years ago! Yet here she was, regaling him with a story about Furions and the deeds of the mighty - one of whom Baxter recognized! But it made no sense. Blue Jay was right about one thing though: if Wander was this great and powerful warlord who bested the Lord of the Terminus, what sense did it make for her to change hands now? Bee-Keeper, too, fell silent as the weight of Omega's death sank in. First came the shock and disbelief, but then came the awe-wrenching concern of what might transpire of Wander and her friends were to engage them. Just the thought of meeting someone who supposedly slew the oppressive Lord of Entropy was palpable enough; he didn't need to consider the prospect that she might be against them. Thankfully, the Bee-Keeper didn't get a chance to dwell on the subject as Blue Jay tore him back to reality at the mention of investigating some great secret. In the face of everything else that had happened, however, the concept of a secret school for superheroes seemed more plausible than ever before. For a moment he hesitated, as if considering his choices - though the more he pondered them, the more he realized he really didn't have any better ideas. "Yeah. Yeah, I think I can keep your--" he began, though the Bee-Keeper's words were cut short as his eyes drifted skywards. Growing wide, fear once more gripped the young hero as the dazzling display filled the sky anew with unknown terror; space ships and silent laser beams raining from the heavens of those dark and dystopian clouds hanging overhead. Almost instinctively, the Bee-Keeper reeled at the sight; his fear barely contained as he stepped out of the makeshift headquarters the pair had acquired to get a better look at ensuing chaos. "Oh, man. Thizz... thizz can't be good..." he said, voice barely above a whisper, an unintentional attempt at being quiet. Turning to Blue Jay, the armored teenager looked on towards his colleague. He was terrified to find out what the hub-bub was all about... but a thought kept him focused: it could reveal the nature of why they were here, or perhaps a way back home. Then again, this school Blue Jay mentioned seemed incredibly important. Whatever the decision, the Bee-Keeper wasn't keen on splitting up now in the least. "How far'zz thizz zzchool?" inquired the Bee-Keeper quickly, looking off towards the horizon where the mysterious vessels seemed to be headed. "Might bee now or never if you wanna check it out, Jay."

Having silently followed along with his new escort after being assured the young crooks wouldn't be scampering off anytime soon, Baxter as mentally abuzz with his own queries. What, exactly, had Fleur told him about their little escapade with the fake Malador? And why the sudden interest in his personage? Sure, it was nice to actually meet some new heroes who didn't instinctively decide to punch him in the face, but this time it felt... odd. Almost intentional. And then Gabriel spoke, and whatever semblance of stoicism was hidden behind the Bee-Keeper Armor's helmet evaporated in a heartbeat. "Wow. That... uh... that wazz more blunt than I wazz exxpecting!" laughed Baxter, a little shocked to hear the question at all. Straight to the point and all business, the Bee-Keeper III paused for a moment as he considered both his own words and those of his inquirer, fluttering with a low buzz in-place above the well-lit city below. It was a tricky thing; he wanted to be honest - especially to a friend of Fleur's! - but had to be wary of giving away too much. "You ever zzee thozze moviezz where there'zz zzome guy down on hizz luck, and he'zz given thizz chanzze to turn hizz life around through zzomething like leading a crappy hockey team or whatever?" the Bee-Keeper began, trying to find the right analogy. "Y'know, how they figure out along the way that thizz wazz what they were born to do, and everything juzzt turnzz around becauzze of it? Get the girl, get the job, win the trophy, yadda, yadda, yadda? Yeah... it wazz nothin' like that for me." Looking away from the man towards the shadowy remnants of his hometown in the horizon, the Bee-Keeper almost seemed to space out for a moment, as if lost in thought. He didn't even seem to look back to his chronicler as he continued anew, his modulated voice rife with seriousness. "When I wazz a kid, I grew up reading comiczz about the Freedom League and the Atom Family. Uzzed to zzay that when I grew up, I wanted to be a zzuperhero. Cute at firzzt, but after a while, your parentzz zztart to... y'know, get conzzerned, 'zzpecially after having zzuffered through the Terminuzz Invazzion. Dangerouzz zztuff trying to zzave the day, rizzking everything for people you barely know, fighting people and monzzterzz and other villainzz... to a lot of people, that zzoundzz crazzy. But me? I wanted to bee zzomething more than juzzt zzome boring ol' guy, living a boring ol' life, alwayzz zztuck doing zzomething I hated. And for a time, that aczzually zzeemed okay," confessed the yellow-and-gold bee-themed hero, turning his view skywards. "But then I found thizz; found the zzuit. I wazz ready to juzzt be a regular guy forever; and here comezz thizz thing, built by the zzupervillain himzzelf who took on the Freedom League on hizz own. I coulda turned it in; called the copzz and maybee even picked up a nizze reward for zztumbling acrozz zzome crazzy guy'zz zzuperweapon before zzomeone elzze did. Coulda left it there, too, I guezz, and juzzt let it keep on collecting duzzt..." The young man paused again, conviction rising in his voice as he turned back to the sonic-emitting hero lodged in the air alongside him. The helmet might have been a stark and unflinching facade, but there was something about the way the Hero of the Hive looked at the nosy colleague of Fleur's - a strange passion exuding from his very person. "Inzztead, I took it. I zzaw thizz battlezzuit, and thizz? Thizz wazz my one chanzze - a one-in-a-million opportunity to live the dream that juzzt landed in my lap. Maybee it wazz zzelfish; man, I don't know. But with it, I could be more than juzzt zzome lawyer, or teacher, or janitor. I could be like thozze people in the comiczz - like the people I alwayzz looked up to. I could be zzymbol; zzomething for people to rally towardzz inzztead of away from. Able to make a differenzze, even if it wazz juzzt a little bit and left the big leaguezz to every other cape and cowl that livezz here in Freedom." Looking away again, the armored would-be hero just laughed again; a short staccato against his own overwhelmed explanation. "I don't even know if I'm really cut out for thizz zztuff. Beetween the beatingzz, the bruizzezz, the... man, zzeriouzzly, have you ever been electrocuted? That hurtzz!" the Bee-Keeper laughed again, but just as soon as he finished, the vigilante was once again overcome by a somber sense of status. "But even though I've been beeaten up a bazzillion timezz, I've alwayzz gotten back up. Alwayzz done by bezzt to do better nexxt time. It'zz not eazzy, but I'm trying, y'know? Trying to live up to thizz... thizz idea of beeing a zzuperhero and turn thizz Bee-Keeper deal around. I don't know if I can zztick with it - if I zzhould zztick with it - but I'm not gonna know for zzure if I don't give it my all."

Another sigh hit Baxter as Blue Jay's suggestions raced through his head. If the Freedom League had a fancy space station still floating around and in-tact, he wasn't sure he could get in-touch with it. It wasn't a matter of hardware or software still functioning, but rather that his own technical expertise was... well, less than stellar. It might be impossible to get in touch with the Furions or these Overriders the archer kept mentioning. The other choice was more grounded in possibility; scrounging for more supplies and the like. But with daylight - or what passed for it - overhead, what hours of sunshine they had needed to be used wisely. Still yet, though, the Omegadrone who spoke through the comms channel made mention of some things; of the strange sky, and an unseen puppet master. Perhaps this unknown villain was responsible for the sudden flash, or perhaps not. It was hard to take the words of an Omegadrone seriously, whether freed or not. Meeting this Steven fellow above the clouds might just be a deadly trap... or the key to unraveling this whole mystery. Baxter was at an impasse. On the one hand, he couldn't just leave Blue Jay alone to fend for herself in good conscious. But on the other, what if the supposedly freed Omegadrone was right? Was it worth the risk to find out? "But what about thizz drone, Jay? And thezze people it'zz with? I mean, I'm not crazzy on the idea that it'zz actually tellin' uzz the truth, but it might bee willing to spill the beeanzz about what'zz going on. Y'know, with zzome inzzentive. Bezzidezz, you zzounded like you knew thezze people - Wander and Jill, right? I don't know what they look like, but... but you didn't zzee them back at Freedom Hall, right? On the zzecurity tapezz? Maybee... I don't know, maybee they were on to zzomething," prattled the Bee-Keeper, both desperate for answers and assistance with equal aplomb. "I'm juzzt zzaying, we can't do thizz on our own. I can't do thizz. I've never... I mean, juzzt look around! I barely recognizze thizz plazze azz Freedom!" he waved towards the shattered windows and the crippled city beyond, still calm despite his sudden curiosity in the goings-on with this Harrier guy. But despite his facade of cooling off from the days incidents prior, Baxter was still feeling the strain; the lack of sleep certainly not helping him to cope with the stress. "With the way thingzz are lookin', I don't... I don't think there'zz anyone on that zzpace zztation of yourzz. We need help. And we need to know for zzure if thezze guyzz are the real deal before it'zz too late."

Glad to have the saintly interloped present and capably disarm the crooks, the Bee-Keeper's mood suddenly shifted at the mention of Fleur de Joie and Gabriel's gauging look. For a moment, a small pit formed in the belly of Baxter Bowles; not just awkwardly intimidated by the sudden emergence of one of Fleur's friends, but the notion of having a 'heart-to-heart' with the white-clad entity. It was a strange sense of fear that gripped the Bee-Keeper from behind his unflinching helm, lip curled inwards even as the young teen bit down in thought. What could this mysterious guy want to say that was so important they needed to be... well, not here? "Uh..." stammered the Bee-Keeper, as if mulling the idea over in his head. Looking to the criminals, they seemed like they weren't going anywhere. Almost like they were imitating mannequins or some such; light as a feather, stiff as a board. A valid excuse escaped him at the moment as the foreboding air of doubt began to creep its way into the Hero of the Hive's chest. It looked like he didn't have a choice this time. "Yeah, zzure. We can cruizze or whatever. Y'know, if you're zzure thezze guyzz'll zztay put for the copzz..."

Amidst the impromptu shelter and scrounged supplies, the Bee-Keeper had a long night to think things over. Blue Jay had made a point - with this Omegadrone and his pals still broadcasting out in the open, anyone who didn't know better would be walking into a trap. While he didn't want to think too much about having to face them eventually, it was becoming alarmingly clear that the time was nigh at hand. But it still gave him time to dwell on things; many of which he shouldn't have. Of friends and family back home. People he'd left behind. Things he hadn't said. But in his musings, he recalled bits and pieces of things between the quiet meal and the time to settle in. The broadcast certainly set off several red lights in Baxter's head; but there was something else. He vaguely recalled stories of a heroic Omegadrone cruising through the skies of Freedom City - his Freedom City, that is - and saving lives. Then again, Baxter had also heard far stranger things, like that Bigfoot lived in Wharton Forest, or that giant mutant alligators that shot laser beams lived in the sewers. Regardless, the young boy banished these thoughts for the time being. He didn't need any more stress than he'd already accrued, and he was too mentally and physically exhausted to deal with it now. In lieu of that, however, Baxter turned to more productive things like eating by the makeshift fire in the back of the supermarket. He didn't even think twice about it as he removed his helmet and began to gorge himself on Twinkies and bottled water. After all, what was the point of hiding his identity now? Besides, it would have been tricky to stuff his face with it still encompassing his head. With large bags under his eyes and red with irritation, the young man was nonetheless recognizable for Tona, equally uncaring in revealing his alter ego in the wake of all the troubles that had befallen the duo. The chill eventually began to take its toll despite the quaint fire, and soon the helmet was back where it belonged atop Baxter's head, warding away the cold as best as the Bee-Keeper Armor could manage - which is to say not very well. Baxter's own endeavors to stay awake were of mixed results to boot, slipping in and out of consciousness even as he struggled to remain focused on the area around him. But exhaustion took him in the night, and a dangerously unwanted reprieve removed him from the waking nightmare he'd stumbled into. It wasn't until the blaring of the Omegadrone in his ears woke Baxter, the morning light - if it could even be called that - having returned to the desolate lands of this worlds' Freedom City. "Great," moaned the Bee-Keeper as he stirred from his slumped-over state, feeling every muscle in his body ache with soreness as he staggered to his feet. "Now he'zz trying to butter me up." Looking around where the campfire still smoldered, the absence of Blue Jay alarmed him. Spurred on by his missing compatriot, he was relieved to find her scrounging for sustenance beyond, a small sigh escaping his lips as he laid eyes on her. Moving over groggily, the armored avenger was looking slightly worse for wear, but at least he wasn't as much of an emotional wreck. "Zzo I've been thinking," he began, clearing his throat and winding one of his arms in a circular motion to try and alleviate some of the stiffness. "You know, about thizz whole broadcazzt thing. You're right. They don't zzeem to be giving up on it. We're gonna have to do zzomething about it... but..." continued the Bee-Keeper, as if struggling to find the right words for the situation. "You ever heard of an Omegadrone zzuperhero? Back home, I mean? It'zz juzzt... I mean, I'd heard zztoriezz, y'know? But that can't be true. Omegadronezz were all about zzerving Omega or whatever, zzo the chanzzezz of thizz guy - thizz Stephen whatever-hizz-name-wazz - being the exxact zzame one doezzn't zzeem likely, y'know?" Rubbing his head in thought before emitting a low yawn, Baxter took a moment to ponder his next statement carefully, turning away from Blue Jay to face the shattered remains of the front window somberly. Same old skeletons. Same old decrepit city. The eerie silence continued on, unflinching from day to night; disquieting through its own quiet. Baxter hated every second of it, but he'd just have to deal with it for the time being... until they could find their answers, one way or the other. "Whadd'ya think, Jay? We wanna rizzk taking thezze guyzz' word that their the real deal, or what? If they are, then man, that'zz juzzt great! But, y'know, if they're not... zzomeone'zz gonna have to take em' down to zztop them from baiting folkzz to em'."

Bee-Keeper III Beenevolent Benediction (7) Bumble Rumble (7) Chaos, Steel, and Wolves (7) Re-Gifting (9) Test Site I (5) Test Site II (9) Test Site III (2) The Invasion That Never Was - Time and Chance (7) GM Chimply Awful (1) Total Posts: 54

Equally as surprised by the sudden emergence of a white-clad vigilante as the crooks in front of the Go-Mart, the Bee-Keeper was struck silent by the figure's appearance. How had he not seen this guy floating around earlier?! The two remaining thugs looked to one another, as if in deep contemplation. But the moment passed just as soon as it had come as the men reviewed their situation silently: their getaway vehicle in tatters, and one of their number disarmed. How could they have possibly stood against not only this bizarre bug-themed hero, but a member of the Freedom League proper? In a clatter of metal against concrete the thugs dropped their improvised arms, hands upraised and sinking to their knees. "We're sorry! We give up!" one of them decried, intimidated by the angelic interloper who'd more-or-less shell-shocked them into surrender. And just like that the robbery was over; one man held against the wall, whilst the other two rendered themselves unto the pair of heroes whom had interceded. "Wow. That wazz... uh... definitely eazzier than I thought it could bee," the battlesuit bearing hero mumbled, surprised the armed men had so willingly conceded in the wake of this vaguely familiar emissary's arrival. But, hey, as long as the job was done, that was all that mattered! "Thankzz for the help! Probably would've had to fight em' if you hadn't zzhown up and zztuff."