Red-Havok/Short Stories
From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe
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Mr. Shade - Chess Master
March 18th, 2011...
Mr. Shade stood alone in a dark room, illuminated only by the light of several monitors - all of varying sizes in front of him. As he took a drink from his glass he watched several costumed figures on the screens. These heroes would soon be known as the Infiltrators. But not yet... He Planned to bring them together and then fabricate a situation to throw them at - forcing them to become a team. That way, regardless of any reservation any of them may have, they would feel compelled to fight as a team. His team.
The door behind him opened. Shade turned around, not surprised by the sudden presence of the new figure.
"Mister Shade." The man spoke. "We have a situation."
The man was no stranger. He was director of Orthrus, "Odysseus Jones" as he was called. Shade's right hand man, also the hero known as Liquidus.
"Speak." Shade said with utmost confidence.
"Sir. The Orthrus squad sent to deal with the cyborg council has been compromised." Jones spoke firmly, almost referring to the fallen soldiers as pieces of a game. "We have not heard from them in almost twenty-four hours. We fully expect the worst."
"A failure?" Shade questioned.
"Unfortunately yes..." Liquidus confirmed.
"It is of little concern." Shade retorted.
The Orthrus Director was visibly in shock. "Excuse me?! Those are my men sir. Good men. You would simply leave them to die?"
"No. I think this is a fitting way to bring together the new division I've been working on." Shade responded, smug as ever.
The Orthrus director was quiet for a moment and finally spoke. "The Infiltrators?"
"Exactly."
"Sir, I appreciate what you\'re trying to do, but if my... if OUR men weren't put at risk I would have an easier time with this. They\'re human beings Shade." The Director paused, hoping to plead his case. "They're people. Like you and I, just trying to make a difference."
The room was silent.
"You would really consider the possibility of their endangered lives an advantage?"
"I would." Shade responded, coldly. "These men knew what they signed up for. What they pledged to. They should consider it an honor."
The room once again fell quiet.
"This situation is perfect. It will create a circumstance that The Infiltrators will need to react to with little time. We have your men to thank for that." Shade spoke, directing his words at Liquidus.
"Very well sir. I just hope you don\'t misjudge the situation."
"When have I ever?" Shade said, and with that he was left alone again in the room, watching the monitors.
"You've outdone yourself this time." He said aloud to himself. "You are a genius."
March 20th, 2011...
Liquidus waited in his office, tapping his fingers on the desk. Tonight Mr. Shade was sending The Infiltrators to the factory run by the cyborg council. Would they accept? If so, would they succeed? The lives of his men depended on them. There wasn't much he could do but sit and wait - and hope for the best.
Hours passed. His door opened.
A blue-haired woman walked in the room. She looked human, but just being in her presence you could tell she was something more. She handed Liquidus a report. He took it, and opened it, glancing over the information. "Thank you. That's all for the night."
"Good, I was getting bored." She left, as silently as she arrived leaving the director with the papers.
"I shouldn't have doubted him. I shouldn't have doubted them..." He said aloud.
The mission was a success. He decided he wasn't surprised. He knew what they were capable of. He decided he needed to thank them, personally.
It was time to introduce himself...
Data Remanence
The Longbow Warden watched the helicopter land. He heard about what was being sent here by his superiors. He wanted to see it with his own eyes.
Cyborg Sinister and the android Warcry. The Warden may have heard rumors, but he wasn't certain. This whole cyborg Council was definitely below Longbow's radar.
How could these heroes know about it? there was more to this. He knew it. He watched the two villains being unloaded. No matter who they were, nothing got out of Strongwall Prison.
Strongwall, unlike the Zig, was a Longbow facility. There had never been a breakout. Exadeus, for example, had broken out of the Zig twice during his career as a villain. He had been at Strongwall for the last three years. A fact that made the Warden smile.
"Can't we dismantle them?" A Longbow soldier asked.
"No." Replied another. "Sinister is still part human. We could kill him. as for the other one... he's indestructible far as we can tell. We can't get inside."
Longbow put Sinister and Warcry inside and into special EMP cells. Any hostile activity would render them useless.
Two weeks passed. Sinister lay dormant. Or did he? He was rebooting. Silently. His systems began to broadcast a message. It was quiet, bouncing around the various electronics in the facility until it was heard by it's intended target. Sinister knew this would take time, but it was the only say to send the message unnoticed.
The villain known as Technotroll heard the message. His mind could decipher electronic communication like it was his native tongue. He informed his fellow inmates of the incoming chance for freedom. In a few weeks time they would have an opportunity to escape Strongwall.
"Sir! Orthrus 402 reporting." The soldier saluted.
"Speak." Mr. Shade was busy, but continued to listen.
"Sir we've intercepted a strange broadcast. So far we can't make much sense of it, but the signal originated from Strongwall Prison. We have reason to believe it's Cyborg Sinister."
"Continue to monitor and translate 402. And get me the director."
"Sir!" The agent said, and left.
"Sinister..." Shade said aloud. "He might be able to pull this off..."
Red-Havok: Aftermath
Siren's Call.
We had sent a broadcast message to all available heroes that The Frontline was launching a preemptive strike against the criminals of The Isles... It almost seems like a simpler time. When the criminals were confined to Etoile, and us to Paragon. Our message was intercepted by The Dread Aces - a gang of terrorists who rerouted the broadcast all throughout the isles.
They knew we were coming.
We met on the battlefield and fought, all of us. Hero and Villain, fighting for our lives. No matter the grave threats we faced, we didn't kill. We knew better. It's the only thing that separated us from them. It was hard fought, it seemed. For a brief time we were not going to win this fight. But we pressed forward.
Eventually, the tides turned and the villain's figurehead leader - the one they rallied behind, fell. Defeated on the shore, one by one the villains attempted to rescue her. They failed. We won. We could have executed her right then and there. It would have sent a message. It would have made them think twice next time.
It also would have sent another message. Our allies would now be our enemies by this single action. We would no longer be champions of peace, but rather murderers consumed with revenge. We took the high road that day, as we always did. a decision made by myself, my brother and Nitedevil. We would not allow a villain, a life to be extinguished.
Are things really so different now?
There is no longer respect for borders or international law. As much as it pains me to admit, I respected my past adversaries. We were enemies, yes, but we both played by certain rules. This new breed of villain and hero don't seem to have a concept of that mutual respect. Even while we were at odds, certain lines were not crossed.
I crossed that line.
For the first time in a long while, I became that which I despise. The very actions I once had to fight to redeem.
Johnny called me a "fallen idol".
Is that what I am now?
Will I just accept that?
No.
I can't.
I fought for years to make up for my past transgressions.
Looks like that fight isn't over.
Longbow: Mending Fences
Xero Mercury had just returned from a field mission. It had been some time since his last real one. He had been with Longbow for so many years, he now had a desk job. It was the way things worked. He was director of his own division, and liaison to several supergroups. Xero was always known as a bit of a pain. He certainly didn't have many friends among heroes, or his fellow red and white co-workers. But it didn't matter. He got the job done, and it was done well.
Once Xero was liaison to The Frontline. There, he had interactions with heroes like The Havok Brothers, Imperial, Johnny Turbo, Liquidus, Nimbus, Cyberman and SincereAgape. He had come to know and respect these men and he even felt like they were the end-all be-all of super teams in Paragon. When the group disbanded, it left the city with a great sense of loss and it affected Xero no differently.
Since then, his attitude toward heroes had indeed changed. He decided never again to invest that kind of personal involvement with anyone outside of his own family. He had severed ties with nearly every costumed defender in Paragon. Unregistered heroes like The Masked Renegade and Foxy Ferret were obvious targets. On more than one occasion, Xero had specifically tried to make life difficult for Foxy.
This became even more apparent within the Longbow Organization when Agent Richard Slate rose to MVP status within Longbow. That was once what Xero was considered. He hated Slate. He hated heroes. He hated villains. He hated everyone. But there was one exception. Xero's brother, Tyrok Mercury. Ty had turned to a life of crime and no matter what Xero tried to do - whether that was intervening or preventing, nothing he could do was ever enough to help his brother. He hadn't seen Ty in years. He didn't know if he was alive or dead.
Xero scanned the monitors.
There had recently been a string of attacks throughout Paragon. They were random and without warning. Sometimes, Longbow was able to predict attacks. But not these ones. They were strange. Several villains, who in the past, had no documented interactions with each other had been working together. Xero's division members had hoped to call in some of Paragon's heroes to help with these attacks but besides the fact that Xero outright refused, the attacks always happened while most heroes were indisposed.
One attack happened while The Challengers were battling Dr. Corradine of Crey Industries. Another during the false rampage at The Challengers' press conference. Whoever was behind this was smart - if there was anyone. But there had to be. Xero knew better.
Luckily Xero caught a break in the case, however slim it was.
Agent Dukakis had successfully predicted a strike point, and Xero's division moved out. Dukakis was correct, and though Longbow was not successful in capturing any villains, he did discover one of their identities.
The supervillain known as Styng, a scorpion like cyber-assassin was none other than Xero's own brother.
Longbow needed The Challengers. There was no other choice - and Xero knew this.
He also knew that before he pleaded for their help, he had to mend fences...
