The Palladium Sentry/Siren's Call (Perpetual Team Up)

From Unofficial Handbook of the Virtue Universe

The base of the Palladium Sentry could at best be described as a work in progress. The proprietor- Brent Sheppard, known largely to the City of Heroes as Knight Sentinel- had made an endeavor to at least have a functional medbay as a priority in the construction of their new base. He was glad he made this decision in light of recent events. The medbay had a single bed, which was as comfortable as medical bedding would allow. Breia Sheppard sat on the stark white sheets that wrapped around the springy mattress which was inclined for comfort. Brent glanced across the white counters, which seemed to glow in the fluorescent light he’d hung in the medbay. His fingers walked over glass bottles of liquids and pills. He counted them off to himself: green, red, blue, brown, red, green, green. There. He’d found the bottle he was looking for. He removed a cork from the top, which plucked a resonant vibration across the room. He pressed a gauze pad to the top of the bottle and turned it on its side. Moon Dancer looked at him. Brent lowered himself to gaze carefully at her wound. Something had gashed her upper arm rather thoroughly. Knight avoided her eyes. In so far as he could keep his attention to doctoring her wounds, he wouldn’t feel quite as bad.

“Breia, this may-“

“Sting?” She suggested behind a smile. “I know. Go ahead.” Laughter flitted around every syllable she spoke.

Knight nodded and pressed the gauze to her arm. His best guess was an arrow wound. Her otherwise ivory skin had been torn to red flesh in a wound nearly an inch high, by four across the tangent of her arm. He rolled his fingers beneath the medical tape which pressed the salve to her arm. She hissed slightly and straightened her back. Knight took her hand and clenched it. He let his eyes fall on hers for the first time in a day or two. Ever since she’d come back he looked at her with great intensity, as if he had to capture her every detail- if she disappeared again. Her eyes were a light purple- the color of lavender. Framed with her dark hair they seemed emblazoned. She had very articulate features, slender and elegant. Her lips broke into a smile and her hand found his cheek. Brent forced a smile for her. She pouted slightly.

“Brent. Smile…please.”

His brow tensed with the subtlest of nuance at her request- slightly annoyed that he’d been caught. He widened his smile a bit- having an honestly hard time thinking of the task at hand. Breia knew, though, her slender fingers slipping from his jaw.

“Then go take care of him and come back to me quick.” She beamed. She’d had a way of levity which counteracting Knight most of the time. Knight did smile now involuntarily. She planted a tender kiss on his forehead- as if he were the one in need of the doting. Knight kissed her cheek and stood. He walked up the stairs of the Sentry’s medbay, his cape lifting behind him. He stopped at the top of the stairs and glanced back to Moon. “I love you.” He spoke warmly.

Atlas Park buzzed in normality. Knight set his foot on the white stone of Atlas Square and looked up. Heroes zipped through the skies. This was one of his favorite sights within the city. He began walking toward the yellow line, his feet lifting off the ground as he took to the air himself. He began ascending to climb the war walls.

He was headed to Siren’s Call.

He had some business to take care of.

A wind kicked up. Knight’s sword swayed at his belt, the hilt tapping the steel links that wrapped around his hips. Knight looked down at the blade, and said a small prayer. This blade was his heroism. The wind tossed his hair a bit, which relaxed him. The blade on his hip was light, made largely of steel. He’d used it countless times. He’d trained with a blade for most of his life. Today, like most others, it would be put to good use. Siren’s Call sprawled out beneath him. Knight’s gray leather boot bent on a steel girder as he set down. His gauntlet found it’s way to the hilt of his sword. Another breeze picked up as he scanned the area for Victor VanBraun, his opponent today.

He heard a heavy clank on the girder behind him. “Knight Sentinel!” Knight Sentinel turned on his heel, just in time to catch the cackling green barrel of a large robot. An odd looking man in a purple suit came to the robot’s midriff and had thrust his hand forward in command. Knight dropped his sternum into the girder, which caused him to cough slightly.

“Shit." He spoke into the metal as he rolled off of the I-beam. He caught his hand on the lip of the structure and swung below to a level that had a concrete floor poured. Knight took the opportunity to draw his sword. The sun had risen and sent a shining gleam up the point of his blade. This gleam went traveling quickly back down to the hilt as Knight leapt from another beam. Knight scowled as two more robots piled down into the skeleton of the building, a single red light scanning across their vision. Knight widened his stance and tensed his brow, sweat dropping from his forehead as he gritted his teeth in anticipation. A shadow appeared overhead, and two forms dropped into Knight’s vision. A blur of grayish yellow slammed into the mechanoid, bending one of the structure beams into an arc as it shorted. The hero known as Wild Prodigy set his stance down in front of Knight Sentinel. “Heh. Now where’d that little guy go?” He spoke with an air of youth. Knight couldn’t help but smile. The larger robot’s arm fell down into the building, followed by the image of Captain Spectacular, neat in appearance, a black and white suit clung to his massive form. His cape fell from behind him and settled on his calves. He picked up the massive arm, which seemed no issue of strength for him. He tossed the robotic limb into the sky. Knight followed it with his eyes. The Captain had somehow thrown the larger robot into the air and now had impaled it with it’s own arm. Knight watched in amazement as the robot exploded into a ball of electricity.

“Enter the Perpetuals.” Wild Prodigy smiled proudly.

Knight nodded to his company. “I didn’t expect you so soon.”

Captain Spectacular spoke: “Neither did we. Nevertheless, we are here.”

Knight nodded. “And I am glad for it.”

“Misterr Sentinel” a voice behind him spoke low. He knew the voice- the ‘r’ was rolled distinctively. “You should be more carreful here.”

Knight sheathed his sword again. “I understand Kitty. Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet…” She suggested. “Victorr VanBraun has taken a bounty out on you. Villains will be all around verrry soon.”

“Well, then let’s set up a perimeter Perpetuals!” Cap instructed. Prodigy nodded, running clear off the side of the building. Soon he was floating upwards. A green laser whirred past him. He tucked his thigh into his chest, dodging it entirely.

“That’s it!” he barked, “Time for a pounding!” He soon disappeared from sight.

Kitty had sat herself on the girder behind Knight, she glanced around the building briefly, and stood. She leapt after Prodigy without much of a word. Captain Spectacular and Knight Sentinel remained.

“Cap. Thank you.” Knight spoke solemnly.

‘Cap’ smiled. “You have the Perpetuals assistance wherever you need it, Knight Sentinel.”

The two men stepped forward and gripped hands. Knight’s voice leapt in his throat in sheer respect and anticipation for his ally. Cap released his hand with a nod.

“Good luck, Knight.” He looked to the sky and lifted from the ground.

“Kitty and I found the punk with the robots.” Prodigy radioed. “I guess he doesn’t like pain as much as he likes money.” He mused.

Knight Sentinel looked out the side of the building. Siren’s call wasn’t solely the stage for his battle. Heroes and Villains had quite literally been fighting a war here for years.

“Knight Sentinel…” A voice ventured through the comm-link of Knight and his friends. “I see you…” the voice rumbled.

Knight glanced around. He saw nothing. A slender figure perched on a single iron bar protruding from the concrete wall on the north side of the room. A yellow ‘T’ hovered in the air, a silvery gleam darted below it. Knight Sentinel clenched his teeth in anticipation. Sweat trickled past his ear and his temples flared. The hair on the back of his neck raised, every muscle in body firing short pulses into his mind: Move. Move. Move now. Now. N-

Ear piercing rings struck out through the construction building. Knight wasn’t quite sure what happened. All he knew was that know his right knee was planted on the gravelly floor, his left foot was balancing him, turned in an awkward position that shot spasms of pain up his calf. His right arm was quivering but gripping the hilt of his sword. His palms had shrouded themselves in sweat, his forearm stung with a searing red cut, which seemed to spill more blood with each blow to his core. His left hand was palmed to the flat of his blade and every second and one half another ear piercing ring let out as his entire body tensed to hold his sword to the hammer of his opponents katana. As Knight recoiled from each blow he frantically searched for one- any- state of mind. His brain was reeling, each pinpoint strike from this man’s Katana made his heart swell, every thought he had darted from incoherency to misunderstanding. He had one split second and that’s all he needed. Suddenly Knight became conscious of the beam he was crouched on, he became very aware of the katana blade falling towards him, several seconds out of syncopation. In one torrential upswing, the Knight Sentinel re-entered combat. His opponent couldn’t match the strength of his blow, and was forced to leap back from the momentum of his swing. Knight opened his stance on the beam for balance, his cape catching a high breeze as he lowered his vision to his opponent for the first time.

Turbushido, the papers had called him. He was tall, slender, deadly. His arms were wrapped in cybernetic metal. He stood now, surveying his opponent. His heels were pressed together, he stood upright with perfect balance. The pale glow of yellow light from his ‘Enforcer’ helmet was present even in the setting sun of Siren’s Call. He held a long Impervium Katana upright, and his arms hissed as he lowered the point to Knight Sentinel. In one brief flash the man was upon Knight again. Knight’s heavy blade caught his, and no longer did Knight have the luxury of recoil before the silvery sheen split his left bicep into a ribbon of blood. Knight staggered back on the beam, clenching the hilt of his sword to his arm. By chance he deflected a blow on the same arm, which seemed to spur him into action. He moved his blade to the right, deflecting the wispy katana in one split second Knight’s eyes caught the visor of Turbushido, before they descended again into frenzied swordplay. All the while, Knight Sentinel was backing away a silvery blur in front of him from the deflected attacks.

From a distance, the sight was quite remarkable. When Midknight Marksman had taken the shot at Turbushido he’d aimed a few clicks off of the back of Knight Sentinel’s head. As he fired a wind caught the wings of his arrow, which gracefully rolled to the right and downwards. It sank into the baggy cloth that shrouded Turbushido’s thigh. Marksman scowled as he saw a bolt of blue electricity wrap around the shaft of his arrow. For such a mastered shot, it was simply diminutive for it to be such in vain. Marksman collected his things. He hadn’t time- however- to mourn long. Turbushido had stopped his assault on the Knight Sentinel long enough to throw a threatening glare to the Marksman’s position on the opposite building. Marksman gathered his things quickly and began darting down the slipshod construction stairwell just as a Ninja clad in gray appeared in front of him in a cloud of smoke. The Ninja threw a dastardly kick in the air, right toward marksman’s forward committed run. A small black ball of speed descended from the floor above, the sound of tearing cloth rolled down the stairwell. The Ninja hurled the form into the nearby plywood wall, which bowed and cracked behind even its small weight. Kitty flipped off her back.

“Marrksman, I will coverrr your exit.” Her claws bared, as well as a threatening grimace as she darted after her opponent. Marksman slammed his bow into the plywood, making a large enough hole to crawl through. He tossed a long nylon cable from his belt over a beam that was protruding overhead, and began repelling down the wall of the building. He smirked to himself as he did so, notching an arrow to his bow as he swung into the ninth floor, which is where Kitty had swiped her claw into the Ninja’s forearm. Marksman released his arrow into the man’s shoulder, which released a current of electricity just as Kitty’s claw broke from the man’s flesh. The man convulsed briefly and slumped into a pile at the base of another staircase. Marksman unclasped the rope from his belt and both began to dart down the stairs.

Victor Van Braun watched on in entertainment from within the safety of Arachnos’ Siren’s Call Base. He had a monitor set up on each of them, and a glass of chardonnay in his right hand. He was a tall man, rippling with muscle. His head was encased in an ebony Samurai Helmet, trimmed in a red hued gem. His mask swung from the side of his helmet as he raised the glass to his pale lips. His brow arched at the dispatch of his Genin, he waved this off as another villain approached him. “Four hundred thousand, for that one.” He spoke harshly, forcedly as he pointed to the hulking image of Captain Spectacular, surrounded by an array of villains. As Van Braun turned away, his long black cape fell about his shoulders, revealing his muscular stature. He began walking into the combat zone, followed by a man shrouded in darkness.

Captain Spectacular is well known within the City for throwing one hell of a punch. Spectaculars white rubber glove kissed the cheek of a mid-air Genin bearing the mark of Van Braun. A small, concise vibration traveled into Captain’s knuckles, followed by a crackling pop of the man’s jaw dislocating. Captain’s lower lip pulled down in discomfort as the man fell into the powdery dirt of Siren’s Call. Suddenly Captain felt a long slice down his back, and heard the formation of a man behind him, and smelled the brimstone of the Netherworlds- a stalker…everyone hates a stalker.

“I’ll have my four hundred thou.” The purple mist spoke as the squared off black cape of VanBraun hovered down to Captain Spectacular, who had knelt to absorb the shock of the blade that traveled down his back.

“No one likes a stalker.” Van Braun spoke as the very tendrils which the man had grown to employ sprouted from the ground and took him by his would be throat. Van Braun knelt in front of Cap. “Hello Captain…” He nearly cooed.

“You must be Victor Van Braun…” Captain spoke through clenched teeth.

“Indeed I a-” Van Braun took a resounding uppercut to the chin, Captain Spectacular wasn’t one to fall to a blade wound, or the coup de’ grace of a scrapper. Captain followed up his punch with another, yet Van Braun caught it this time. “I have the blood of ORANBEGA flowing through me!” he nearly barked. “You dare to match my strength?” Captain Spectacular found a gloved fist in his side, which actually sent a dull pain through his abdomen. He then proceeded to slam the joint of his wrist into the neck of Van Braun, just beneath his helmet, who went rolling. Van Braun stood, but not easily. He raised one arm and several Ninja fell in a parameter around Spectacular, as well as the Netherworld tendrils which made quick work of binding his wrists and throat. Suddenly Spectacular’s vision clouded, and he was no longer capable of discerning Victor’s form. “I have a message…” Victor said through a roughened throat. “Knight Sentinel, and his allies will never rest while I hold sway within this world, and I hold a LOT of sway.” Spectacular found himself alone now, free of any restraint, ninja or stalker alike. He brought his hand to his chin.

“I shall pass that along, I suppose.” He said, shaking some of the cobwebs from his thought.

Wild Prodigy perched on an upright steel girder, he’d tracked down the “punk” in the purple suit. His eyes darted as the man walked in front of his robots. Wild wanted to put this pathetic excuse for a mastermind out of commission for a while. As the man paced in front of his toys, Prodigy clenched the girder beneath him. His prey pivoted on his heel, turning away from Prodigy. Prodigy sprung the instant that his line of sight was broken, and in mere seconds, the two tussled on the ground, rolling several feet before Prodigy stood, his arms wrapped around the man’s neck. As he stood, he faced multiple barrel’s of very large robots.

“You Fool!” The man barked. “You intolerable peasant!”

“Yeah, you just keep yappin’ ” Wild smirked as he stared down the barrels of the robots. Being this close was exhilarating. “Go on, tell ‘em to save you.” Wild mused.

“You confounded dolt!” the man yelled impatiently, much like a child. “I am the Count of-”

“I don’t really care.” Wild cut him off. “They stand down now.”

“Wild…” Kitty addressed. She had slinked her way on top of one of the robots. “Enough. We need to get back to Cap.”

Wild smirked, a small ‘humph’ rising from his throat as he punched the annoying man in his side, causing him to reel on the ground from the pain. “How’s that, Count of Whatever?”

Kitty swooped by him. “That was underrhanded.”

“Yeah, oh well.” Wild smiled to himself as he lifted into flight after her.

The blows between Katana and Broadsword rang out, a shrill resonance traveling across every metal beam in the area. Knight was learning. He had approximately four seconds in between this man’s fighting style switches. Turbushido, as Victor had called him, could not switch from swordplay style to style at a whim as could Knight Sentinel. Knight switched his stance into an offensive one, which caused Turbushido’s superbly fast swipes to slow for just enough time for K.S. to turn heel and run. He was growing weary, Turbushido was too fast for him, and Knight already had cuts all over his body. It was time for a new technique. Turbushido plotted his rubber encased feet into the concrete after his opponent, who had ducked into a stack of wooden boxes. A vertical beam of yellow light scanned across his vision and Turbushido gazed into the dark gap between boxes. He could see a heat signature left behind, it turned left ahead where the boxes were loosely stacked again. He darted down the corridor between the boxes and as his footing picked up he heard: step…beep…step step...beep step step step- BOOM! Wooden planks and roofing tacks whirled around him, cutting his torso of flesh and gouging the steel that composed a majority of his body. Knight Sentinel sprinted off the side of the building, falling freely as he flicked on his communicator. “Perpetuals. I will meet you at your base, I’ve eluded the robot for now…” he closed his eyes as a wind gathered beneath him. He was tired, and his flight faltered a bit. He saw the gate of Siren’s Call ahead, and he couldn’t wait to get home.