Wednesday

[Excidia]

This is a story I wrote several years ago for a contest on the official forum.  I couldn't get the word count down within limits so I never submitted it.  It tells the story of the first mission of a Lady Grey TF my main toon participated in.


Wednesday

I don't mind working for Vangaard.  They pay what they agree to pay.  No stupid add-ons to the agreement at the end, no trying to skip out on the deal and, so far, they haven't betrayed me.  It also amuses me every time that the "Earth for Humans" brigade wants to hire an alien to break some heads for them.  Sometimes the heads belong to humans.  So when I heard the Lady Grey herself was looking for some people to do a job I decided to check it out.  Nothing better to do on a Wednesday afternoon.

The team consisted of 7 heroes, and me.  I don't like heroes.  The hypocrisy bothers me.  I'm willing to admit I like to bust heads, why can't they?  Looking around the team there was no one I knew directly.  A few I'd heard of before but as a "friend of an enemy" type thing.  I extend my aura to make the air around me crackle with electricity.  Not enough to injure, Vangaard doesn't like you to fight in their base, but a subtle threat anyway.

Grey announced we were going to rescue some girl.  I stop listening.  I hate rescue missions.  The target is usually too stupid to live.  But okay, we're off to rescue someone.  Hurah.  Grey tells us of a lab the Rikti have taken over.  I get there in about 10 seconds...the heroes haven't even left the Vangaard base yet.  I go in anyway, I want to see what we're up against.

I attack the first group and kill all of them within 10 seconds.  The average Rikti can't hurt me.  Most are weaker than I am and they rely on energy weapons.  Only _most_ are weaker, there are some psi users among the Rikti and those can really mess with me.  I target those first and can kill one before it even knows I am there.  So much for mind readers.

I take out two more groups before the rest of the team finally arrives.  They complain and I shrug.  I'm here to do a job, not cater to them.  One of the group, I'll call him Captain Incompetent, tells the group that if we can get a teleport beacon onto the girl he can pull her out.  I like this plan, it means skipping the hour long process of leading an idiot out of a maze of hallways.  That's why I hate rescue missions.  The target doesn't ever want to leave.

Okay.  Good plan, you all stay at the door and out of my way.  I like this plan.  I grab the beacon and run off.  I hear a few shouts of complaint but I ignore them.  I don't need them, they'll only slow me down.  Alone, I move fast enough the Rikti can't see me.  Staying with the group would just be painfully slow.

I quickly find the spot where the Rikti broke into the lab.  Rikti are gophers and tunnel everywhere.  Good news, for me, is they are systematic and tend to build in a giant loop.  So it doesn't matter which way you go, you almost always end up in the right spot.  Seconds later I find where they are holding the girl.

A portal, some machinery, a few dozen Rikti, and the girl hovering in front of everything.  Two psi users that I can see.  I pause long enough to extend my aura to maximum and encase my hands in stone.  It's Rikti Stomping Day.

The first one goes down in one hit.  The rest turn and fire.  Most of the energy my aura funnels into the ground.  A little makes it through but it's just a tickle.  They're close enough that my aura starts to burn the Rikti.  Their metal armor conducts my electricity directly to their skin.  After a few seconds the air smells a bit like bacon.

A few, including the largest Rikti in the room, realize the futility of shooting me and draw weapons that resemble a cross between a sword and an ax.  They are right, those can hurt me a lot more than their guns.  I kick the ground to create a localized earthquake under a group of them.  They're too stunned to do anything while I beat down the leader.  The fight takes less than 30 seconds and the room is mostly clear.  There are still Rikti alive but they are scattered and don't pose a threat.  One of the machines holding the girl in place has already been destroyed.  I compress a bit of my aura into a javelin made of electricity and throw it at the remaining machine.

The girl drops to the ground and I grab her.  She starts talking.  Blah blah blah, don't care.  I hand her the teleport beacon and trigger my comm.  "I got her, queue teleport."  I tell the team as another group of Rikti attack.

A flash of light and I'm standing in front of a giant robot.  Rather than to the door, Captain Incompetent teleported me three feet away from the Clockwork King and his court.  All of them turn to look at me while a glow forms around their heads.  Mercifully, I only feel the first few hits before my mind shuts down.

I really HATE heroes.

[Paragon Avenger]

Nice story.