Voltage, the King, and Marvelous Machines

[Ari]

Marceau shrugged awkwardly "With so little time to prepare, very little idea of what was going on, and no idea what they were doing, it could have turned into a tragedy on a much vaster scale. I really don't know what we could do over to make it right, besides going back in time to convince that guy it would be a bad idea by bringing him to meet this future self or something" he suddenly shook himself briskly "That aside, what's done is done after all. I'll be sure to bring more anti-explosives in the future, and I'll read up on how to disable machinery. Mistakes like these can serve as terrible examples, if nothing else" he swathed his cape around in front of his arms and turned to go, adding "It's a shame this was our first meeting Voltage, you strike me as a bon hom-as a good guy to have your back. I hope we can meet again sometime, I mostly patrol around the Fens, West End and the Theater District, and I'd be glad for the assistance"

he saluted the grey-clad genius "Hope to see you around, and that the rest of your evening is less eventful"

With that he slipped out of the warehouse and swung off into the greying city, the chill wind and grisly future for the burned man evaporating whatever good cheer remained in him that night.

[Thunder King]

"I mostly patrol wherever I find trouble...flying and all. We'll probably meet up again sometime...". With that, Voltage turned around and flew away, his head swimming with thoughts.

He supposed that he would spend a long time questioning his actions, but he ultimately realized that there was nothing else he could have done. With what they knew or had, this was the best result they could have got.

It still wasn't quite good enough.

[Thunder King]

GM

January 31st, 2012, 6:00 PM

Dr. Green looked around nervously as he shuffled through the halls of the hospital. He wasn't sure how the boy would react. He watched as a nurse stepped past the door to the boy's private hospital room. Dr. Green swallowed and bolted towards the door, opening it slowly.

Andrew Hall lay in bed, in poor condition. He wore a patch over a missing and ruined eye, and his entire left arm was just gone, a bandaged stump in it's place.

"Look at you, Andrew..." Dr. Green said, walking towards him. "Look what they did to you. They wouldn't listen." Andrew's rage subsided and he seemed to be thinking things over. "Your arm, gone, your left eye, gone. I hear your lungs are ruined to less than fifty percent capacity."

Andrew would have growled, shouted, or screamed, but he could not. The pain medicine numbed virtually everything. Still, he found himself agreeing with Dr. Green. Yes, they ruined his life, they took away his powers.

"I know it seems early, but I know someone." Dr. Green said, laying a small business card beside Andrew. "An expert in cybernetics. They can give you what those, those so called 'heroes' denied you. They can give you power. You'll be stronger and faster. That's what you want, isn't it, Andrew? I can cover the cost of the cybernetic implants with my leftover grants. Those fiends destroyed my one remaining chance to prove that my research had merit. I want to see them crushed, do you?"

Andrew, very slowly and painfully, managed a slow nod.

"Good." Dr. Green said. "Now, hide that card, and as soon as you get a chance, give the number a call. We'll get you your arm, and your eye back, and oh so much more. That machine would have worked, Andrew. After all, why do you think it took that lightning-shooting idiot so many shots to take me down?" He chuckled. "If you want to return to your empty life, with your disfigured face, missing arm and ruined lungs, you're welcome to it. But if you want vengeance against those who wronged you, well...the number is on the card."

With that, Dr. Green left, leaving Andrew with his thoughts.

The young man reached down, delicately, with burned fingers, and picked up the card. The rage in his eyes now replaced with a sinister gleam.