Living_Hellfire

Father Seamus O'Malley knelt at the altar of Steel Canyon's St. Augustine's Church, his fingers interlaced, his eyes closed and head bowed before the crucifix. "Holy Father, I come to you in prayer. I have been a faithful, if imperfect servant. I have led my flock as best I can, but I have lost a member. She is ambitious and capable. She is good and noble, but she is ambitious and young. She is... gifted, Lord. She is one of those blessed with special abilities and she has taken it upon herself to do what she considers to be Your work." The young man sighed and rested his forehead against his folded hands as he squeezed his eyes shut. "I have tried to dissuade her, to wait and to learn but she is impetuous and determined. Please, Father, guide me in bringing her back home." The Sanctuary door creaked and closed with a bang, startling the young priest who got to his feet with a start. There, striding down the procession was man dressed in a flat, black suit tucking a still lit cigar into his breast pocket. The firelight from the votive candles reflected off burnt-orange lenses beneath the brim of a black fedora, the muffled sound of footsteps on the carpeting thumped through the place of worship. "Ye called, Father?" He asked as he came to a stop, level with the first pew. Father O'Malley shook his head. "No, not you, demon. You are banished from this place, and all other places consecrated to God. You cannot be here." The Man in Black grinned. "It's Nephilim, nae demon. Did they teach ye aught at Seminary?" The priest swallowed. "The Holy See has pronounced you blasphemous, I must ask you to leave this church immediately!" The Man in Black stuck his hands in his pants pockets and took in the stained glass windows for a moment before speaking. "Father... ?" "O'Malley." He replied, his bravery returning. He clutched the crucifix around his neck and held it out "And you are banished from this place, Abomination!" The Man in Black sighed. "That's nae how it werks, mate. I dinnae despise them, they despise me. Now, I'm here tae render aid. I unnderstand ye've a wee lost lamb. Tell me about this misplaced member o'yer flock already an' I'll consider meself well an' truly banished, aye?" The the snapping of candles was the only sound for a moment before the priest gave ground. "Her name is Calliope Smith. She's a good girl, only eighteen years old but she's gifted with abilities like so many in this City. She told me... " He seemed to wrestle with his conscience "She told me in confidence that she has these abilities and that she intended to break up a demonic summoning circle in Talos Island." The muscles of the Man in Black's jaw worked as the priest spoke. "What's the date, Father?" The young seemed confused "It's Tuesday, the 19th." "Nay... what year is it?" The confusion only increased "Twenty-Nineteen. Why?" "Four years.... " "I'm sorry? What did you say?" "Ne'er mind. Talos Island, ye said?" "Yes, The Tsoo were to perform the ritual three nights ago and... Calliope has been missing ever since." The Man in Black turned and strode down the procession to the Sanctuary door which opened of its own accord and he disappeared into the night. As the door creaked closed Father O'Malley turned back to the crucifix above the alter and made the sign of the cross. "Forgive me, Father, for what I have just done." Thunder rolled over Steel Canyon.

Thunder rolled over King's Row as brilliant white lightning wove its way down between the arcs of black electricity and an alabaster card fluttered down to land at Soul Star's feet. Upon it were scorched the words "The Legendary Living Hellfire". A burnt orange streak of flame seared its way across the night sky and was gone. ((@Living_Hellfire. I can usually be found in Pocket D or in whatever pick up group needs my help))

Calliope Smith walked the long trail between the burnt out shacks and ramshackle buildings of Mercy Island's slums as the sun dipped below the Western horizon. She had spent far too long with Professor Carlisle and now faced the consequences of making her way through the urban jungle after dark, against the express instructions of her father. The usual cadre of drunks, addicts and homeless called to her as she snuck her way through the shortest route, avoiding the obvious thoroughfares. She knew she was hunted. "Heeere, little pretty!". A voice called from the rooftops as she rounded the corner onto Salvage Avenue, not four blocks from home. Two figures dropped from balconies blocking off her exit to the main street. She turned to flee only to find two more thugs armed with bats emerging from the shadows behind her. Calliope clutched her book-bag to her chest, pressing her back against the the alley wall and then felt something other than fear for the first time and her right heel slammed against the brick foundation behind her. "Leave me alone!" She cried at the four men. "Oh, no, Pretty, you're coming with us. Dr. Aeon pays extra for mutants." The largest of the four stepped into view, pressing his face into the girl's. He was a slab of meat, towering over the 14 year old girl, wielding a tire iron meant for long haul truck trailers. He smiled, revealing gaps filled with rotting meat, buttressed by teeth suffering of lack of cleaning, held together loosely by swollen gums. "Remember Calliope" Professor Carlisle's voice rang in her head. "Anytime you use your gifts you call attention to the gods, and they will often judge if your use of those gifts is righteous." And so she set her teeth and braced, her left hand holding her school back to her chest, her right hand down at her side as she faced off against The Ragdoll Slavers. "No. I'm not goin' anywhere with you!" The meat slab reached out for the girl and the alley-way lit up with pink, preceding the sound of a small explosion, sending the slab back into the wall behind him. The remaining three stepped back, lifting their weapons when the sickly, sweet scent of tobacco filled the air. "Alright, I reckon that's quite enough." Said a rough voice with a Scottish brogue. "I reckon the wee lass isnae interested in joinin' yer company." The meat slab slowly slid back up the alley wall, rubbing his eyes and clearing his head. "You. Why are you here?" He demanded, pointing his club at The Man in Black as he strode down the lane, the sharp clicks of hard soled loafers echoing off the bricks. "Ye tell yer master that he's got my attention. He'll nae be harvestin' this one." He ground his heel to a stop between the girl and The Ragdoll Slaver leader. "She's under my protection." "Boss..." Said one of the henchmen from the dark. "Maybe we should..." "Shut up!" Snarled the meat slab before holding up the end of the tire-iron under the nose of The Man in Black. "This girl is coming with us! We found her! That's how it works!" The Man in Black puffed his cigar and the blue smoke filled the alley, choking and intoxicating. He looked back at the little girl huddled against the wall. "I'm nae savin' her from ye, ye feckin' bellend. I'm savin' ye from her." The cherry of his cigar flared and flashed against the burnt orange, opaque lenses of his shades. Eight shoulders relaxed involuntarily as they realized the stakes. "This one's nae fer ye, an' ye can tell Dr. Aeon I said as much. Now, off ye fuck." And they did. The Man in Black stepped out and away from the little girl, showing his back and side, relying on the primal indicators of mortal non-verbal communication before asking. "Alright, lass?" "Thank you." She said, hesitantly before stepping back out into the alley and following The Man in Black out onto Solace Drive. She looked right, down the three blocks to her apartment building before looking up at her benefactor. "I think I've heard of you, Mister." "Is that so?" He grinned as he tucked the still lit cigar back into his breast pocket. "Why don't ye regale me with the tales as we take ye home, aye?" "Well, my friends at school say you're the hellfire guy." He smiled at the girl. "Aye, I reckon that's so, but me mates call me Liv." She nodded as she walked. "What should I call you?" "Ye may call me however ye like, lass." He grinned from behind his beard before reaching into his breast pocket, revealing an alabaster business card upon which were scorched the words "The Legendary Living Hellfire" and handing it to her as they reached the door to her apartment building. "But this is the surest way tae get me attention. Jes' toss it intae the nearest open flame an' I'll hear yer call." She took the card before bounding up the steps and turning. "What did you mean, Mr. McRae? Why am I under your protection? Why did you say you were protecting them from me?" For the first time the air felt heavy, as though the question sounded inappropriate. The silence was almost oppressive before The Man in Black spoke. "Ye've a great power, Calliope Smith. A great power, indeed. I reckon yer professor kens it an' I've reason tae believe yer da unnerstands it as well, at least insofar as he's cautious an' concerned about it. Mind yer da, Calliope, an' mind yer professor. They're good men who seek tae aid ye in protectin' yerself an' more'n that, in aidin ye one day in protectin' others. As I do." Mercy Island was eerily quiet for a moment as The Angel spoke. "An ye ken how tae find me should ye make a mistake, as I'm sure ye will." The click of hard soled loafers echoed in the slums of Mercy Island and a young girl with a destiny went to bed.

Tuesday, October 7, 16:41hrs Local Time, 2025 The shambling undead marched their way across the Western bridge towards The Ziggurat and into a storm of bullets fired by the Paragon City Corrections Department officers as they hunkered behind make-shift bunkers of boxes and broken furniture. For the first half-day helicopters had arrived bearing food, medical supplies and most crucially ammunition, but those sorties had stopped and all manner of reinforcements had dried up. The corrections officers were on their own, scraping the bottom of crates for the last few rounds they could find. Their charges pressed their faces against the bars of their windows, literally captive to fate and to the fates of their captors turned guardians. The prisoners on the North, East and South sides of the structure envied those with a bird's eye view staring out the Western windows of the prison, while those staring out the Western side of the prison envied those who could not bear witness to the onslaught of rotting, moldering corpses slowly gaining ground towards the men and women in dirty, disheveled uniforms holding back the undead host. Thunder rolled over Brickstown and a cry rose up from the officers manning the barricades as a small speck of burnt-orange flame scorched its way through the heavens towards The Zig. The Prisoners on the South side of the prison rushed to the barred windows and a roar rose up that washed over the prison from South to North as the convicts stared upwards into the afternoon sky, screaming their approval as The Legendary Living Hellfire made his entrance. Many if not most had feared an encounter with this being for their entire criminal careers, but now they could not have been more joyous at his arrival. He banked left over The Ziggurat, over a sea of upturned faces and raised fists as the PCCD officers cheered his arrival and granted an Angel's Mercy to the abandoned undead, purifying them with flame and sending them to the hereafter before rising again into the Heavens and disappearing into the lightning. ******** Rory Evans scrambled up the staircase towards his bedroom and The Witch followed. On all fours he scarpered as fast as he could, the cackle in his ears competing with the creak of the stairs as the wretched creature followed in his wake. He had been home, alone while his parents had gone out to scavenge for food during the annual occult uprising. A routine affair at this point, but they had forgotten to lock the door behind them. At ten years old Rory had only known life in a City of Heroes, where the impossible was probable and danger lurked around every corner. Where villains skulked and where life and death hung in the balance of every decision. But he had also heard tales of protectors and guardians who interceded when necessary, to shield the innocent. It was was with this thought in mind that he made the landing at the top of the stairs, right hand gripping the banister as he spun himself around to sprint down the hallway to his bedroom. The Witch was hot on his heels, her coned, wide-brimmed hat shaking as she cackled from behind an overly long, wart-infested nose. Her teeth were needles, her hands were claws and her breath stank of rotted meat. The stench almost overcame the boy as he slammed his bedroom door behind him and scrambled under his bed, panting. And then the odour of rotting meat disappeared, replaced instead by the rich, sweet scent of tobacco. "S'alright, lad. Jes' stay there, everythin' will be jes' fine." Said a voice. Rory looked left from under the bed. Black leather loafers. The Witch shredded the door with a final, gleeful laugh and stepped into the room and gasped. "No." Rory watched her right foot take a step back. "Oh, aye." Said the voice, and The Witch ran, followed by the sharp clicks of hard soled shoes. **** Author's Note - I screwed up the formatting on this somehow and I can't figure it out. Very sorry for the underlining under the entire text.

Good job, pal! Im a big fan of anyone who puts effort into art that celebrates this game and their superhero alter-egos. Keep it up!

Wednesday, May 28, 07:06hrs Local Time, 2025 Janice Roberts had been a nurse a long time. Almost thirty years on the job and she'll tell you all about it. She was proud of what she did, she did it as well as she could and tried to be kind to junior nurses coming up. In 2017 she had been approached by Longbow, on recommendation of the chief of staff for Paragon City Hospital. She largely dealt with wounded soldiers, operatives and the occasional meta-human. She knew this patient was special. She could tell, the air felt warm. She heard the clicks before she smelled the cigar. "Ladies, stand up straight, please!" She chirped and nurses Philomena and Krystal stood up from their filing duties as a man in a flat black suit strode around the corner and approached the nurses station. Double-breasted with burnt orange pin-stripes, shirt to match. Black tie, black fedora and burnt orange, opaque shades. And the black, leather loafers. "Mornin', erm... Nurse.... ?" He grinned as he stopped. "Roberts! Janice Roberts, innit?" "Yes, sir, Mr. McRae." She smiled. "Grand, a pleasure tae see ye again, Nurse Roberts." He replied with a nod. "Would ye be so kind as tae direct me to where I may visit a patient?" "Of course, Mr. McRae. I assume you're here to - " She waved her hand backward at the two junior nurses who were now gawping. "Composure, ladies, please." She whispered. The Man in Black pretended not to notice. "Aye, Miss Park. If'n ye'd be so kind as tae direct me tae her room?" "Of course, Mr. McRae. Miss Park is in room 308, just up the hallway there, follow the blue line painted on the floor. Okay?" He smiled and nodded. "Thank ye, Nurse Roberts. Ye'r very kind." And with that plucked an already lit cigar from his breast pocket and jammed it between his molars and headed up the hallway, following the blue line painted on the floor. "Excuse me, Sir!" Nurse Roberts turned to find Nurse Philomena with her hand up. "Sir! You can't smoke in here!" The Man in Black stopped and turned, the hard-soled loafers grinding against the floor. He took the cigar from his mouth and dropped his hand to let it hang between his fingers. A coil of blue smoke wound its way around his arm, over his shoulder to encircle his fedora like a halo. "Aye? Is that so?" "Yes, sir. You can't smoke that in here!" Nurse Janice Roberts was horrified and it showed. She grasped her clutched hands to her chest as she stared at her Junior. "Nurse Philomena! Mr. McRae is well aware of the rules! We will speak about this later!" She turned her head to address The Man in Black but the only evidence of his presence was a thin cloud of cigar smoke hanging in the air. --- Sergeant Chris Williamson of the PCPD heard the clicks too and he began to smile. "What?" Asked Constable Barry. "I'm about to introduce you to a friend, Todd." Chris replied, motioning down the hallway to indicate a man in a flat black suit striding towards them and smoking a cigar. "Hey, he can't smoke that in here." "Shut up, Todd. Just keep your mouth shut." "Alright, then?." "Hey, Liv." "Who's yer mate?" Asked The Man in Black, motioning to the young Constable. "Oh, I'd like you to meet Constable Todd Barry. He's been with the PCPD for about three years now. He's doing well and he's up for promotion shortly so he needs to know what it's like to do this sort of thing." "Aye, I reckon that's because some day he'll have tae be ye, standin' there with yer chevrons introducin' me tae some new youngster, aye?" He puffed his cigar. "You ca-" "Shut up, Todd!" "How's the missus an' the wee ones?" "Sylvia's great and the boys are growing like weeds." "Ach, that's brilliant, mate!" "Thanks. Would you like to see Miss Park?" "Aye, mate, if'n ye'd be so kind." Chris punched the assist button and the door swung open and The Man in Black entered as quietly as he could, a trail of blue smoke in his wake. ------- The doors hissed closed behind him and he tucked the cigar into his breast pocket. He rounded the bed and stood a few feet away from the foot before crouching down to read the chart. June Park. A.K.A. Jump-Around. Female, 23 years old, meta-human - Teleportation. She had been shot twice, full penetration through the right shoulder and one grazing wound to the head resulting in a hairline skull fracture. Heavy bruising to her abdomen and extensive bruising and lacerations to her knuckles and elbows. She hadn't just transported the Longbow team into battle, she had joined them. He stood and looked down at the sleeping girl. What showed of her face between the bandages was purple, the same purple he has seen from the skies over Cape au Diable. He knew a warrior when he saw one. Her eyes fluttered and opened slowly before settling on The Man in Black as he stood at the foot of her bed and froze. "Who are you?" She asked calmly. "Why are you in my room?" "I have many names." He grinned at her warmly. "Me mum called me Fergus. Me Granda calls me Angziel. Mortals call me The Legendary Living Hellfire, which is a wee bit embarrasin' tae be honest." He chuckled to himself "Me mates call me Liv. Everyone else calls me Mr. McRae." "You saved us." "Ach, I wouldnae put it that way. More like I aided ye whilst ye saved yerselves." June smiled despite herself and winced. "I jes' wanted tae say that I was impressed an' tae give ye this, fer when ye've a need." He held up an alabaster card and laid it next to the water bottle on the rolling tray by June's bed before moving toward the door.

Monday, May 26, 01:52hrs Local Time Sergeant Winters slammed his last clip home into the assault rifle as he crouched behind the late model sedan. He keyed the radio in his ear "Medical, report!" "Jump-Around is still out, Sergeant. I've stopped most of the bleeding, but her head injury is my primary concern. I'm not sure if she is going to be able to regain consciousness." "Keep working, Command has assured us that help is on the way, just do the best you can." He clicked off and checked his right flank. Corporal Veers nodded at him as she ducked back down after delivering a volley of covering fire into the Arachnos forces blocking the exit of the fenced parking lot. "We've got this, Rebecca. We just need to hold on." He said. "Yeah, how do you figure that, Sarge?" He smiled at her. "Because we're on the side of the Angels." he replied as a speck of burnt orange flame approached from the West, high above them in the clear night sky. The battle was fairly straight forward from a bird's eye view. Arachnos forces had the Longbow infiltration team pinned down in the parking lot outside a non-descript office building. Behind a stack of steel crates a Longbow medic tended to a small figure in purple and gold while three soldiers held off a small army of Arachnos troopers. Several APCs raced down tight, narrow streets to reinforce the black armoured troops attacking the infiltrators, but most worrying were the three Arachnos fliers converging on the action. The Legendary Living Hellfire poured on the speed, diving at the airborne attackers. Lightfire sheared through the starboard wing of the first flier, sending it spinning into the abandoned commercial park North of the battle and The Angel on Fire warped the air around him, coming back around to close with the second sending blast after blast of concentrated, kinetic Hellfire into the engine of the craft. The resulting explosion sent the flier into a flat spin that carried it West, over the battle where it came to rest on the beach, a flaming wreck. The third flier had made its target. It circled, according to procedure, looking for a place to deliver its cargo of twelve troopers before shuddering. The pilot tried to adjust, but the OAT meter slammed against the pin and the aircraft lost altitude rapidly in the thinning air. She slammed the throttle forward to climb, but unbeknownst to her, it was already too late. The Legendary Living Hellfire drove his fingers into the titanium of the flier, channeling Hellfire to melt away the top of the craft. He tore away the titanium shielding, passed through the aluminum insulation and dropped down into the troop transport compartment. Men and women screamed in agony as their clothing ignited, revealing blackening flesh. Equipment fried, superheated to the point of combustion, gunpowder exploded in the ambient heat and eardrums popped as communication earpieces exploded. The pilot scrambled desperately to regain control of the flier but she was only denying the inevitable. The last thing she heard was a single word, spoken in a Scottish brogue. "Burn!" The Arachnos flier evaporated in the ensuing inferno, ripped to shreds down to the molecular level. The explosion lit up the night sky and for a moment the gunfire in the parking lot stopped as all heads turned. There, in the sky, surrounded by ash and dust floated a lone figure wreathed in Hellfire. "See, Rebecca? I told you!" Corporal Veers grinned at her Sergeant and popped back up to deliver kinetic retribution on the still stunned Arachnos troopers. "Medical! Status report!" "I think she's coming around, Sergeant! The bleeding is under control for now, but she'll need a hospital." "Good! All units, converge on Medical Sector now! Go! Go!" The Longbow agents retreated towards the crates, laying down blistering covering fire for themselves as they went, finally joining Specialist Medic Alverez as Jump-Around got to her feet. "Hang on... okay, I got this." The Superhero waved her left hand in a circle, opening a portal as gunfire rattled against the steel containers before collapsing into the arms of Sergeant Winters who carried her through, into the safety of the Longbow headquarters.

Monday, May 26, 01:07hrs Local Time, 2025 "Gin!" She cried as she slapped the cards down onto the table. "Goddammit, Mike!" "It's Mikayla, Steve, how many times?" "Fine, fine... sorry. Bad habit." The two security guards sat in cheap, white plastic chairs at a folding table in what used to be a greenhouse on the roof of a two storey warehouse. Two other such tables were placed haphazardly in the room holding hastily assembled electronic equipment, laptops and an improvised radar system, a radio cradle with six slots sat on a shelf by the exit door, two slots unoccupied. The stars twinkled down at them, shining through the glass ceiling of the now repurposed greenhouse in the early morning hours. Steven shuffled the cards and began to deal them out when thunder rolled over Mercy Island. Steve paused and locked eyes with Mikayla. "What's the forecast for tonight, Mikayla?" "Supposed to be clear." Four eyes widened. Two heads turned skyward to spot a burnt orange speck in the sky. Mikayla grabbed the binoculars on the table and peered through them as Steve bolted upright, spilling over the chair and dove towards a red button sitting on a nearby desk, but not before tripping over the loose cabling strewn about the floor. "It's him!" Mikayla blurted as she lowered the binoculars. "IT'S HIM!!" As the burnt orange comet screamed overhead. The sonic boom shattered the glass of the greenhouse, showering the two security guards in glass, followed by a wave of almost unbearable heat that carried with it a single word, like a whisper shouted in the dark. "RUN!" And so they did, out the exit and down the spiral staircase to the second floor, out into the hallway where they called for the men and women working overnight setting up offices and secondary labs to evacuate. In all eleven people made it down the stairwells and out the emergency exit by the time The Legendary Living Helfire had come around for another pass. Three workers would go unaccounted for in the aftermath, never to be found. He watched them flee out the side entrance as he made his final approach on his second run. Holding out his hands in front of him he summoned twin cones of Hellfire that draped themselves across the roof of the building. Aluminum evaporated and steel support girders liquified almost immediately, collapsing the roof down onto the second floor. His strafing run complete, he climbed into the sky, soaring above the city. The cool, early morning air giving an extra snap to the flames in his wake as he rose upwards, banking left before coming to a stop. He hung in the air hundreds of feet above the sea of low-rise buildings, arms folded across his chest and watched the progress of his efforts. The fires capered and danced malevolently, devouring all matter organic and inorganic. He watched as it jumped from surface to surface as it communicated with itself, making decisions, like a predator deciding what part of its prey to consume next. It gleefully chewed through the flooring of the second storey, sending the remains crashing down onto the first before finally guttering out with the exception of a handful of stubborn spot-fires that danced in the dark. Down through the wreckage he floated, almost reluctantly, dreading what he would find. He would not be disappointed. It was a horror show of experimental cruelty. Stations were set up to dissect and vivisect these poor, unwanted creatures. Limbs and extremities, scattered by the destruction of his entrance were strewn about the enormous, hastily assembled laboratory and along every wall were stasis tanks filled with fluid containing massive, mutated Arachnoids. Most of the tanks had been consumed or otherwise damaged beyond repair by voracious Hellfire but a a few remained relatively unharmed. He approached one of the tanks that were still intact and inspected the monstrosity within and The Angel grew wroth. He clenched his jaw in anger. These poor creatures, products or even descendants of Recluse's avarice and cruelty, granted not mercy but a second chance at torture as they were mutated even further. Changed forever from the mortals they had been or could have been into these... things. Recaptured and subjected to even more agony and usury. Only peace remained for these poor souls. He raised his hand and clenched his fist and the tank melted, sending the Arachnoid to wherever it needed to be in the hereafter. He repeated this for every tank left standing until his labour was finished and he paused, allowing the moment to pass over him when he heard the roar. The monster came out of the dark, enormous and feral, larger than any Arachnoid he'd ever seen. It grabbed him out of the air, carrying him backwards, crashing down onto the floor. Uncaring of the blistering heat as its hands and appendages began to blacken with contact, the two combatants grappled as they slid across the laboratory floor before slamming into the corner of the room. The Legendary Living Hellfire tried with two hands to control four. Sharp appendages stabbed at him, mostly skittering off Infernite armour but occasionally finding flesh, punching holes in the Angel as they slid to a stop. There was a flash. A Celestial Blade and an amputated appendage and the mutated Arachnoid leapt away, with one fewer limb. He got to one knee and coughed blood onto the melting floor beneath him before bearing down, inward, summoning Hellfire to cauterize his wounds. A helpful trick learned from his time in The Pits. He climbed to his feet as the Arachnoid mutant stalked him. The Angel recognized this behaviour. The doubly mutated creature was unsure of its prey, having been not so easily defeated. It circled him, backing away from the foe that floated a few inches off the floor, closing the distance. "Big boy, aren't ye?" He twisted the grip of his gladius in his right hand. "Alright, then, let's see what ye've got." The thing charged and was met with hardened flaming projectiles that struck with just enough force to send it staggering off course, sending it careening into the wreckage of a shattered stasis tank. It fumbled and thrashed for a moment, freeing itself from the corpse of its kin before regaining its feet. "Aye, I've got ye now." The thing charged again and The Legendary Living Hellfire moved through time and space, meeting the creature half-way, driving all three feet of Lightfire through the chest of the monster. It thrashed and struggled, first lashing out and then frantically attempting to get free but it was too late. A black circle widened around the Celestial Blade's point of entry and the Arachnoid cooked from the inside. Its head lolled back on its neck as it burnt to ash, leaving nothing but a cloud of blackened flakes that floated into the updraft. "Arh.... Godsdammit." Muttered The Legendary Living Hellfire as he wiped blood from his mouth. His ribs ached and he checked beneath his armour to find still seeping wounds. He would need a moment to recover, but he wouldn't get it. "Mr. McRae" A voice in his mind, fractured but clear. "Mr. McRae, this is Specialist Paulson with Longbow." The Angel sighed as he rose up through the carnage and into the clear night sky. "Hello, Specialist Paulson, why are ye invadin' me noggin'?" "I'm sorry, Mr. McRae, but we need your help. One element of the infiltration team sent to Dr. Aeon's lab has made it out successfully, but the second element has come under heavy enemy fire and has lost their transport specialist." "The teleporter?" "Yes, exactly. They need you, Mr. McRae. They won't make it out without you. You're the only one that can help them now." He turned East, towards Cap au Diable and breathed slowly. "Mr. McRae?" "I'm on me way" A blazing trail of burnt orange flame scorched its way across the early morning sky.

Saturday, May 24, 20:47hrs Local Time, 2025 Jessica Sanchez stepped out into the soft drizzle of the late evening and turned South, towards the docks of Peregrine Island before pausing under a streetlamp and turning right, down an alley towards the soft glow of a steel barrel in which blazed a cheery fire. She stopped at the appointed spot, mid-way and waited. "Alright, then, Agent?" She turned quickly, peering into the darkness to spot the cherry of a cigar glowing brightly in the dark under a rooftop overhang. She pulled up the collar of her overcoat and relaxed her shoulders. "Mr. McRae, thank you for meeting me." "Did it werk?" "Yes, they took the bait and now they're scrambling." The cherry of the cigar flared again and the scent of tobacco smoke filled the alley. "We're currently tracing their activity, they seem to be relocating to a backup facility in Mercy Island. We don't have the exact location yet, but we will. We are currently tracking transport vehicles as they evacuate the warehouse facility in Sharkhead." She paused "Mr. McRae, I hope you don't mind me asking, but when Sergeant Rafiq asked you to scare them, was that what you had in mind?" "Nay, lass, I dinnae mind ye askin' 'tall." Hard soles scraped against pavement. The moment hung suspended in the air. "Now, ye were sayin'?" "Right." Jessica cleared her throat. "Long story short, we think Lord Recluse is revisiting his Arachnoid project." "How so? An' what does that have tae do with Superadine?" "Well, I will answer that question, but first I want you to meet someone. Will you excuse me a moment?" Agent Sanchez made her way towards the street and motioned to a scrawny, middle-aged man with face tattoos and threadbare clothing. They spoke closely for a moment and then the pair made their way back down towards the burning barrel. "Mr. McRae, this is John Doe, he is our informant inside the Superadine operation in Skyway City." "Wait, 'Mr. McRae'? You didn't say anythi-" The cigar bloomed in the dark, reflecting off of burnt-orange lenses under the overhang. "Oh, no. No! You never said anything about him! You brought The Devil?! Longbow are working with The Devil now?!" The Man in Black chuckled. "I assure ye, ol' Scratch doesnae give a lick, mate. Me an' Lucifer have very little in common other than ancestry." "Listen!" Hissed Agent Sanchez as she grabbed the ex-con by his shoulders "This is your best shot, do you understand me? It's either this or you go back to the Zig. Tell him." They stood facing each other for a moment before Jessica rapped him on the shoulder. "Tell him!" John Doe sighed. "They're adding something to the 'Dine." "And... tell him the rest." "I don't - Look, Mister... " He put his face in his hands for a moment before looking up again "Listen, Mister... whatever you're called, I-" "Ye ken well me name, lad." His voice was pregnant with power as he spoke and for a moment the rain felt warm against the ex-convict's skin. "Now, tell me what ye know." "It's blue." "What's blue?" "The stuff, the stuff they put in the 'Dine. It's blue and it comes in these little vials about yeah big" John held up his hand, thumb and index finger three inches apart. "It gets added to the batch as a final step before it gets shipped off in the Skiffs. That's all I know." His head swiveled between the agent and The Man in Black. "That's it!" "Go." Said Agent Sanchez and the ex-con sprinted to the street and disappeared into the evening. "Agent Sanchez, I'm still nae certain o'where this is headed." She jammed her hands into the pockets of her overcoat and leaned closer to the building, out of the rain. "As I'm sure you're aware, Longbow has multiple concurrent operations at any given moment. One of the parallel investigations we have concerns Dr. Aeon who, approximately eight months ago simply disappeared from the radar. We discovered approximately five months ago that he's got a satellite laboratory on Cap Au Diable where he's been working on some project or another. Our agents and sources tell us that he's been working on a neuro-amplification agent designed to render the subject incredibly susceptible to suggestion." "So... " Said The Man in Black as he puffed his cigar "Ye reckon Aeon is werkin' on a substance fer Ol' Stevie in order tae finally bring tae heel his failed experiments, then?" "Yes, that's essentially it, but it's more than that. As you know, Superadine will cause the subject to grow in both size and strength. Imagine an Arachnoid the size of Wretch, but completely under the control of an Arachnos commander. Now imagine an army of giant, supersized Arachnoids. That's what we think is happening." "That would be a wee spot o'bother indeed." "Indeed." "What's the plan, then?" "We're going to launch a two-pronged assault. An elite Longbow strike team will hit Dr. Aeon's lab with the help of a handful of meta-humans who specialize in teleportation and combat support. We're going to try to wipe out Aeon's research and any active samples he may have stockpiled in his facility. Meanwhile we want you to hit the new production facility on Mercy Island and take it out entirely. Leave nothing standing. As panicked and disorganized as they are it should be a relatively soft target." "Alright, then... What's the time frame?" "Twenty-eight hours from now."

Friday, May 23 18:14hrs Local Time, 2025 Right on time. The Angel on Fire wasted no time "chasing" the skiffs as they registered the heat signal behind them and ignited their afterburners, climbing into the thin cloud cover over the water and separating as their rear-mounted guns swiveled to face the oncoming threat. The firmament shook as four sonic booms echoed over the Atlantic Ocean and the flanking skiffs banked left and right respectively while the lead craft lifted its nose up into the draft and allowed the trailing skiff to duck underneath and take lead, pouring on the speed. A fifth sonic boom shook the heavens and the battle was joined. Tracers lit up the early evening sky as they coursed their way towards the burnt orange comet. The rounds splashed and danced as they approached the centre of the blazing star as the man shaped figure rolled, capering almost playfully in the swirling fire, a tattered, shredded cape snapping in the burnt orange trail in his wake. The first Skiff went down hard, carved in two, right down the centre line by a blazing, concentrated beam of Hellfire. Its shredded remains fell, twisting and burning into the ocean below. One down, two to go. The reaction from the Sky Raiders was immediate. The lead skiff nosed down slightly, gaining speed as the coast line of the Rogue Isles appeared in the distance and the other two took up a rear flanking position. The cannon fire relented slightly as The Legendary Living Hellfire climbed, gaining altitude and taking position above the escorts into firing position on the lead craft. The Sky Raiders opened up once more, firing into the sun at their pursuer sending 50mm rounds of high-explosive proximity rounds at a target that was no longer there. The Ghost of Paragon City grinned as he registered the panic. He manifested his Celestial gladius as he dove, shredding the port side wing of the skiff guarding the left flank of the lead Sky Raider aircraft and arced right, blazing a trail of burnt orange flame in front of the nose of the remaining two skiffs, forcing the lead craft the barrel roll clumsily to avoid immolation. A sixth sonic boom shook, shattering the instrumentation of the Sky Raider craft guarding the right flank. The Legendary Living Hellfire couldn't hear the screaming enunciators in the cockpit but he knew they were there as he rounded the curve, heading back towards Paragon City, climbing again into the sun, climbing, climbing before pausing and holding still. Arms out, eyes closed The Angel fell backwards and Hellfire followed in his wake as casually he resumed his chase. The Sky Raiders raced towards Sharkhead Island with Hell on their heels. Before long the lead craft broke off, racing North West towards Grandville as the sole escort banked South to greet the hunter that would bring its fate. The skiff opened up with lead cannons, sending a blistering barrage into the burnt orange comet. The oncoming fire was intense and The Angel on Fire ducked his head and channeled Hellfire to provide cover as the rounds melted and splattered against the heat shield before colliding with the skiff, igniting the cold-fusion reactor powering the aircraft. The resulting explosion lit up the newly darkened night sky over the Atlantic Ocean and the lead skiff sped onwards to safety. Some time later Arachnos agents would report a fisherman who witnessed a bright, burnt-orange light over the ocean, West of his fishing spot. The report would contain the following description; "Like wings, but on fire, and then there was a blast of heat that came off the water. I packed my gear and headed home. I don't know nothin' else."

Please DM me if you need a cash donation. It's probably the only thing I can do to contribute and I'm happy to do so.

Friday May 23, 16:48hrs Local Time, 2025 Abdul Rafiq stood at the corner of First and Fisher in the warehouse district South of the Green Line awaiting his contact. The sun was just lowering itself, but there would still be another couple hours of daylight. Thunder rolled in the cloudless skies over Independence Port and he knew he wouldn't have to wait much longer and he was right for shortly thereafter came the unmistakable sound of hard-soled leather loafers on pavement. "You took your time, Mr. McRae." The Man in Black shrugged and grinned behind his cigar, stopping a good six feet from the other man. He plucked the cigar from his mouth with the first two fingers of his right hand and let his arm drop to his side and the smoke coiled around his arm like a snake. "Well, I'm here now. How can I aid ye?" There was no point in arguing with him. "My bosses need your help. Our intel reports have revealed that every night, right around six o'clock a squad of specially refitted Sky Raider Skiffs have been making runs to Sharkhead Isle." "Go on." "They're leaving from Skyway City, specifically one warehouse in the Northern District. When we investigated the warehouse we discovered a massive operation producing Superadine." "Aye, well... Trolls, innit?" Abdul grimaced and waggled his head "Well, yes and no. You see, the operation is being run by a woman." The Man Black narrowed his eyes behind his burnt-orange lenses. "A female troll?" "No, Mr. McRae. A woman. The Trolls call her Boss-Lady." "Hardly a creative bunch. Who is she?" "Well, that's the thing, we don't know. We've heard her voice on surveillance and our CI on the inside has seen her, but no pictures are available, she rarely is on scene and seems to avoid any window that isn't blacked out. What we DO know is that she is very much in charge." "Tell me about yer informant." "He's an ex-con, but that's the other thing that's unusual about this. Trolls don't hire outsiders, but this operation is so massive they don't have a choice, but nobody would willingly work for Trolls so they're forced to hire ex-cons. The kind of guys who can't get a job anywhere else." Abdul sighed. "These guys... they really don't have any other options and from what our informant tells us most of them figure that even if they do get pinched working for Trolls that the worst that happens is that they get hit with an accomplice charge and released with time served and, frankly they're probably right about that." The Man in Black jammed the cigar back between his molars and breathed deeply, sending a plume of blue smoke into the air. "An' so ye'd like me tae shut it down, then, is that it?" "Not exactly, Mr. McRae. You see, as you know it's highly unusual that the Sky Raiders and The Trolls would be working together at all and what's truly exceptional is the notion that they both may be cooperating with a third party in the Rogue Isles. Moreover, this mysterious "Boss-Lady" figure can't be identified so there may even be a fourth player." Abdul sighed and looked around, making sure, not for the first time that they were more or less alone. Cars hissed past, but the sidewalks were empty and all visible doors and windows were closed. "What we want from you is a little more... subtle." The Man in Black chuckled. "Subtlety is 'ardly me speciality, Abdul." "I - WE know, but we'll get to that. You see, Dr. Keyes developed a kind of nano-tracer pigment that functions like a kind of marker or... what are those things old people use when they play Bingo?" "A dauber?" "Yes, that's it, a dauber. Every day about a dozen crates leave this warehouse in Skyway and are loaded onto four modified Skiffs to be transported. We know they fly over Khalisti Wharf towards the Rogue Isles, but that was all we knew up until about a month ago, which is when we managed to convince our informant to use this dauber to mark one crate every day. So, for the last few weeks, one of those crates got marked and every single time they ended up at the same place in Sharkhead Island." "Positron is aidin' ye? I'm rather shocked, the only person Positron aids is Positron." "Well, no, not exactly, this is tech he developed for other purposes, but we managed to get our hands on it, so no he's not directly involved in this." "I'm less shocked." Abdul pressed his lips together. "So, ye'd like me tae shut down the warehouse in Sharkhead, is that it, then?" "Well... no. We'd like you to follow the skiffs, but we don't want you to do anything other than scare them." "Scare them? Am I the boogey-man, now?" "Well... I mean... " Abdul shrugged. "Alright, point taken. So, skiffs leavin' o'er Khalisti around six o'clock aimin' t'wards Sharkhead. Have ye an address?" "Seven, Seven, Four, Three, Seven Kelprun Circle. It's another warehouse." "An', ye jes' wish me tae frighten'em? Who, the Sky Raiders or whosoever is at the warehouse in Sharkhead?" "Well, either. Both. Look, as I said, there could be up to four players involved here and this operation is incredibly well run, smooth, quiet. We have no idea how long this has even been going on before we caught wind of it. We need to know who's involved and in order to do that we need to make them panic a little, shake the bee-hive and see what comes out. Maybe they relocate, maybe someone with doubts decides to turn state, for sure it'll set off a flurry of communications that may help us pin down what we're dealing with, but either way they seem pretty comfortable in what they're doing and we need to change that. Make them make a mistake or something." The Man in Black puffed his cigar and stood silently for a few moments. "Why me? Surely you've got operatives what would be capable o'reconnoiterin' such a place." "Well, yes, but we don't just want to observe it, we want to shake the tree and to do that we would have to make ourselves known. These people, whoever they are are not afraid of law enforcement, that much is clear. So we need something bigger, more dramatic to really send the message." "Why nae another like me? There are plenty o'heroes in this city what would be willin' tae render aid." "Mr. McRae, there is no one 'like' you in this city or any other city. You are one of a kind. You are exactly the sort of message we want to send. If they think YOU are onto them and interested then they'll panic and quite probably make a mistake and that's when we can grab them." "Flatterer." Abdul rolled his eyes. "Will you help or not?" The Man in Black nodded and grinned. "Aye. I reckon I shall." Before turning on his heel and walking away. "Wait, where are you going?" "Fishin'!" Came the answer back, over the sound of hard-soled loafers and the sickly, sweet scent of tobacco. Thunder rolled over Independence Port and Abdul Rafiq was alone. He wiped the sweat from his brow and whistled for a taxi and made his way home.

Friday, May 23, 17:24hrs Local Time 2025 Jeremy Stanton stood on the shore line in Khalisti Warf, eschewing the dock in the hopes that he would catch something smaller but more delicate. It was a quiet afternoon, edging on dusk as the midges began to float over the water. These rare moments were precious. They allowed him to reflect on the week before returning home to Marjorie for a late supper. She was making bulgogi tonight. Jeremy had no idea what that was, but Marj was growing adventurous with her cooking since their son had left home to college. This was his final weekend with them before returning to NYU. "Howdy, mate!" Jeremy turned to watch a man in a flat black suit, smoking a cigar and wearing a fedora stride down the beach towards the water, not a stone's throw from where he stood, hard-soled leather loafers grinding against the coarse sand. The Man in Black puffed his cigar and reached into his coat pocket, producing a short rod so black it seemed to drink the light. He cocked his neck and stretched his chin while he adjusted his collar with his right hand and flicked his wrist with his left and the little rod extended into a fishing pole with a sharp snap. "Any luck?" Asked The Man in Black as he gazed at his neighbour from behind opaque, burnt-orange shades. "A little." Jeremy replied, raising his voice slightly over the breeze. "A few bites." The other man nodded and cast his line into a cloud of midges. "Ye come here a lot?" His voice carried on the breeze, feeling warm against Jeremy's sweater. Jeremy shrugged, looking back over his line. He watched the man nod out of the corner of his eye. "Yeah, this is my favourite spot." "Ach, that's grand." That warmth again. He reeled his line in, shrugged off his sweater and tucked it into his backpack before taking up his fishing pole once more and casting into the river. "How're ye called, mate?" "Jeremy." "Name's Fergus. A pleasure tae make yer acquaintance." Jeremy smiled and looked over at the bearded man grinning behind his cigar. A burnt orange light shone against the bottom of his fedora's brim. Fergus nodded before looking back to the water. "Well, Jeremy, it's a fine evenin' fer fishin', aye?" Time passed, as it does. The two men stood on the shore casting and reeling. Jeremy occasionally yawning while the other man smoked. "So, what do ye do, Jeremy?" "Um... I was an accountant. I'm retired now." Fergus nodded. "How about you?" "Oh, I'm a teacher, a helper. Odd jobs, renderin' aid when required, that sortae thing." Jeremy nodded, puzzled. "So, like a handy-man?" Fergus grinned again, chewing the cigar between his molars as he cast his line again. "Aye, summat like that, I reckon." "I have a bathroom that could probably use your services." The Man in Black chuckled. "I reckon I'd be more hindrance than help on that one, mate." Jeremy reeled in his line and reached back to cast before pausing. "You're... " Fergus turned his head. "You're... you know?" Jeremy asked, turning and looking at the other man. "You're him, right?" The Man in Black, fishing pole in one hand, reached up to take the cigar from his mouth with the other as a squad of Sky Raiders roared overhead. "Jeremy." "Yes?" "Cover yer ears, mate, an' crouch." Thunder rolled over Khalisti Warf and lightning struck as The Legendary Living Hellfire took to the skies, leaving a glassy pit in the beach where he had been standing. Jeremy slowly stood up watched the burnt orange streak as it scorched the air, bending through the sky in pursuit of the Sky Raider squad. He gathered up his fishing gear and headed home, never once thinking to put his sweater back on. It turns out bulgogi is delicious.

I'm honestly slightly offended that nobody has had the balls to do this with me. At least as far as I know, I spend far more time writing about myself than I do actually playing the game these days.