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Post by Lepa on Mar 12, 2022 20:26:09 GMT -8
The thief had escaped under the cover of the night, but he'd run into a dead end. He swore under his breath. Then he heard a voice behind him. "Time's up," It hummed, almost nonchalant. He swirled around to face the other man. "F-Fat chance, cat boy!" The thief stuttered, betraying what little confidence he had left in his heist. Still, he had his own equalizer, and quickly pointed his gun at his pursuer. The other man, Jedan, remained unfazed. He stood at the other end of the alleyway, hands in his pockets, his expression more amused than anything. He smiled. "...Too slow."A moment's hesitation was all Jedan needed. For him, time stood still whenever he desired it. He could only hold it for a meager 5 seconds, but it was more than enough for him. The next thing the thief knew, the so-called cat-eared man stood behind him. Jedan grappled the weapon free, disarming the suspect and swiftly knocking him unconscious with a well placed strike. It was business as usual for the android. As he prepared to report the man, he paused. "Hmm...?"He felt a strange sensation in the air... as if the connection was fuzzy. He looked upward. He saw nothing, but... something was off. It was only after the thief was taken care of that he left the scene to investigate the strange interference... |
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Post by Lepa on Mar 12, 2022 20:28:58 GMT -8
"Stay in bed!"
For once, it was Terry scolding his older brother. It wasn't the first time it had happened. It was no secret that he skirted around his brother's rules when he could, but when Quattuor would come home late, it usually wasn't good news. Terry grew antsy when he noticed the time, and when his brother stumbled in through the door, he immediately set to work on checking if he was okay. He wasn't the best at machinery, but Quattuor had at least taught him what to look out for.
"Terry..." Quat muttered. "I'm fine. Really-"
"No you're not!" He huffed. "I know you did it again! Don't do that!" The teen asserted, aggressively trying to tuck his brother into bed. He knew Quattuor was on a quest to fight these weird virus things, and it was the only reason he'd ever stay out so late. He was okay with him fighting viral monsters, but he wasn't cool with him pushing himself to exhaustion!
As Terry went about grabbing supplies, Quat sat up. He'd overheard an alert coming from his console from the other room.
"Huh...?" He peeled the blankets off of him, swinging his legs down off the bed. "Sounds like... abnormal activity... detected?"
"Quat!" Terry scolded him again. "No! You're resting!" He ran back over, nudging him to lay back down.
"But it could be another-"
"Another attack?" Terry interrupted. "S... so what if it was, huh? What're you gonna do, fight it? When you're like this?" He gestured at Quat's state. It wasn't terrible, but if he'd overexerted himself once already, then... then...! "...Y-You can't go, okay?!" He stammered, his voice cracking a bit.
Quattuor couldn't help but relent. Terry was a strong kid, but hearing him choke up in concern was enough to convince Quat to settle down. It wasn't every day he'd heard his brother so concerned about him... though it was a little sad given the circumstances.
"...All right. I'm sorry." He assured Terry, giving his hair a ruffle. "I'll rest..."
Terry perked right back up. "G... Good!" He nodded, handing Quat an energy can. "I'll... be right back!"
As he ran off, leaving Quat to recover, Terry couldn't help but stop by his brother's command console. The alarm wasn't terribly intrusive, but he figured he might as well turn it off while he was here. As he made his way into the room, glancing over the controls and screen, he paused.
"...Huh..." He squinted at the words.
"...Forcefield detected?"
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Post by Lepa on Mar 12, 2022 21:49:03 GMT -8
Zwei stood alone, his armored figure tall and imposing. He was perched atop a building, staring into the distance. It was far from the residential area, but it gave him a better view of the district. He stood still, his arms folded as he silently judged the space below.
"You felt it too, huh?"
Great, Zwei thought. It was him.
The looming shadow made no effort to face his brother as he approached. He remained still and steadfast, scanning the rows of homes. Jedan stepped up beside him, casting his gaze downward. He squinted, then pressed at his ear, deploying a visor. It took a few moments of adjusting its focus.
"...That one."
If Zwei had found the source, then Jedan had no idea which building he was talking about. He'd always been a bit curt with him, but that was fine. Jedan understood Zwei wasn't his biggest fan, and it was a simple fact he'd learned to live with.
"...Ah." Jedan squinted through his visor. "Yeah... I got it. Thanks." He closed his eyes. "I can definitely sense it better... but that just begs the question... why a field so strong for a place like this?" He opened his eyes, looking to Zwei. "This feels, like... way over budget. Like something more suited to a military base than... probably some guy's basement."
"Hmph." Zwei grunted. "Perhaps... it is a threat." He continued to stare off into the distance, or at least Jedan assumed he did. Darkness was really the only thing really visible on his face. "A forcefield implies keeping something out."
"It can mean keeping something in, too," Jedan added, continuing to scan the area. "Hmm..."
"I imagine you'd have a better look up close."
"Ah. No need." Jedan snerked. He enhanced the sight on his visor, closing in on a figure he recognized. "...Looks like Denomi's already on it."
"Tch. Of course." Zwei snorted again.
"Daddy's perfect little hero."
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Post by Lepa on Mar 15, 2022 18:26:23 GMT -8
...So this was it.
Denomi was still. He remained half crouched in the shadows of a building, observing a specific house. He scanned the small indicators within the darkened visor on his face, and all signs of the abnormal field pointed to the unassuming residence. It looked... normal. Still, he couldn't simply judge by appearances; he had to investigate further. So, under the cover of darkness, he moved.
He crept onto the property from the side, scanning the perimeter as he went. Most homes would have a camera out front, and if the source of this abnormality was a hostile one... Denomi wasn't interested in drawing their attention. He was here to gather information first and foremost, then report back to the doctor. After all, if he was to help protect the city, then it was important to know potential threats.
It didn't take him too long to sweep the area. Denomi was built for efficiency, so his movements were quick and concise. He confirmed that the antenna perched atop the building was responsible for broadcasting the field... but its localization made it difficult to determine its purpose. Was it to contain something inside? Or to keep something out...?
Perhaps the doctor would have a better idea.
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Post by Lepa on Mar 15, 2022 20:24:22 GMT -8
"...That is the full extent of my observations, doctor."
The older man sat silent in contemplation. For years he lived alone on his island base, observing Aster City as an outsider. Though it was founded on acceptance, its policy of extraordinary coexistence came with its own myriad of problems. Did he desire to help with those problems? Maybe at one point. Maybe he still did, but he was Theodore Klaus. He'd already been shunned by society before, humiliated and vilified in spite of saving lives, so he was wary of taking action.
That's why he had Denomi.
He knew Denomi could help them - he'd built him for it. But for the doctor's sake, he too was cautious. He would spend much of his time observing, then return to base reporting his findings. It was helpful, to say the least. So, this forcefield business... what was it? Who was behind it?
Dr. Klaus glanced up, catching his own reflection on Denomi's visor. The android stood silently the whole time, patiently awaiting for his creator to speak. The doctor nodded.
"...Thank you, Denomi." He turned his chair away from him to face his console. "From the sound of it... I believe... it's too early to know whether or not this is a threat."
"...Understood." The android paused. "...I would still suggest taking precautions. If the focal point of this abnormality is located in an area with a high concentration of civilians... I believe it would be best to observe it further. If I detect any malicious activity, then I may be able to take action before it endangers any innocents." Another pause. "...That is the worst case scenario, however."
"I see..." The doctor glanced downward in thought. "Then... do what you must."
"...Understood, sir."
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