Dr Archeville Posted May 29, 2011 Posted May 29, 2011 Date: May 13th, 2011 (Friday), the day after Perfect Storm. Early afternoon. Conditions: Mid-60s, humid, windy (~10mph), cloudy. Brief showers predicted for tomorrow, heavier ones Sunday. Place: ArcheTech Corporate HQ, 11th floor, dorms ArcheTech, one of the newest and brightest beacons of science and technology to grace Hanover, is a unique center for multi-disciplinary research in a number of scientific fields, especially those pertaining to metahuman activity and the increasing emergence of metahumans. Like the Albright Institute (an associate/friendly rival), it gather information about metahumans for scientific research and study. Like the Claremont Academy (another quasi-associate), it tries to help metahumans understand and control their abilities and find constructive ways to use them, particularly in cases where an adult has gained powers following exposure to some mutagenic energy or substance (and are thus too old for Claremont). The ArcheTech facility in Freedom City had two groups of dorms, a secured cluster in the reinforced basement for metahumans who had little control over their powers, and a less secure one, higher in the building, for those who had shown some mastery over their abilities. It was in this second group of dorms that Doktor Archeville had placed Thrude for the evening, partly because she had shown very good control over her abilities, and partly because these rooms frankly looked nicer (3-star hotel quality, opposed to the 2-star hotel-quality rooms in the secured section). Plus, if he had brought her to his home, Mona would have given him such a look. The injuries Thrude had suffered at the Fenris Wolf's jaws and breath had been almost completely healed, through a combination of the advanced medical tech at ArcheTech and her own superhuman stamina. Her eye was unsalvageable, but Archeville had ideas for a replacement which he planned to present to her after she had gotten some rest. She awoke with a warrior's hungers, and while the eggs, sausage links, toast, fruit, and juices offered in the small cafeteria near the dorms were tasty (for mortal fare), they were far from filling. She was perhaps considering going off a short hunting trip, when her host appeared, looking much the same as he did when he left last night, and uttered five magical words (in German). "" Took all night, had to teleport back to the homeland to get it, and build a pressurized oven big enough for it to accelerate the cooking time, but this should suffice! And once well-fed, perhaps she shall be in a more talkative mood!
N/A Posted May 29, 2011 Posted May 29, 2011 [bg=#000080]_""_[/bg] Thrude's word choices were archaic and her accent was distinctively Scandinavian, but otherwise, her German was perfect. While in the Teutonic wizard's holdings, she thought it courteous to converse in his native tongue. Her sapphire eyes lit up at the mention of a beast cooked whole. [bg=#000080]_""_[/bg] [bg=#000080]_"
Dr Archeville Posted May 30, 2011 Author Posted May 30, 2011 Archeville let out a hearty laugh Her bombastic nature is infectious! "" He lead her down the hallways, towards the large conference room he had set up for the feast. He had held many here in the past -- he liked to finish big deals with big meals, if not hold both simultaneously -- so the staff were not strangers to seeing large amounts of food brought in (thought it was a first to see Archeville himself be the one bringing it all in). The few they passed in the halls (mostly interns running paperwork back and forth, or technicians working on some thing or another) smiled and waved at the Doktor, and smiled and waved nervously at Thrude. He smiled and nodded as they passed. "" he replied in a calmer tone. "" Reaching the conference room, Archeville opened the double doors, and Thrude saw something quite distracting: a feast to rival those of Valhalla itself! Dominating the smörgåsbord at the far end of the room was a roast wild boar, surrounded by smaller platters. On these were sausages (beef, pork, veal) and ham, smoked turkey legs, cheeses, breads with honey and fruit preserves, fish (eel, herring, salmon, and lutefisk), fruits (apples, berries, hazelnuts) and vegetables (cabbages, pickles, and a variety of potato dishes). Off to the side, on a smaller table, drinks: beers, and mead! And some fruit juices and iced water. Pleasant music was present, too, drums and flutes and lyres, though she saw no Skalds. All that stood between Thrude and this feast was a mere 50 feet or so, and a few small tables and chairs in the spaces between. "" he exclaimed with a huge grin. Glad I was able to get the Olfactory Obscurer working again -- last time, the meal I held brought in folks from all over the floor, and it was not half as aromatic as this! I am sure there will be enough leftovers to make my staff up here very happy, though, once she has her fill here and I lower the smell-screen!
N/A Posted May 30, 2011 Posted May 30, 2011 The goddess sniffed the air appreciatively and sighed. [bg=#000080]_""_[/bg] She grinned as she poured two tankards of mead. [bg=#000080]_""_[/bg] She handed Viktor one of the steins, and raised her own. [bg=#000080]_""_[/bg] After her toast, she gulped down the entire stein in one stroke and poured another. [bg=#000080]_"
Dr Archeville Posted May 30, 2011 Author Posted May 30, 2011 'Lord Archeville'? Well, it is a good thing my rampaging Id is in check! "" he toasted and slung back a stein. He didn't get it all in one go, but he made a decent showing. "" he said, piercing a large sausage link with a fork and plopping it onto a plate. "" he reached into one of the many pockets on his snow-white coat, and pulled out a long golden box, much larger than should be possible to fit into the pocket, "" He nodded towards the large wad of gauze covering her left eyesocket, then opened the box. Inside was a collection of eyes! Some looked like completely normal human (or Asgardian) eyes at first glance, though a closer look would reveal some were artificial, while others seemed to be flesh and blood. Others looked wildly different: slitted cat's eyes, one with targeting crosshairs, one with variable lenses within, and so on.
N/A Posted May 30, 2011 Posted May 30, 2011 Thrude's remaining eye widened slightly at the prosthetics displayed before her. She raised a hand to the box, not quite touching it, just hovering above it. After lingering for a few breathless seconds, she pulled away. [bg=#000080]_""_[/bg] She raised her fingers to the gauze over her missing eye for a moment. [bg=#000080]_"<...This will serve as a reminder. A reminder to myself, of the price of even the slightest misstep when one travels the path of the warrior. And a reminder to those who would threaten this world, of what lengths her protectors are willing to pursue in the name of victory. Mayhap someday, I will take you up on your offer. But not today.>"_[/bg] [bg=#000080]_""_[/bg]
Dr Archeville Posted May 30, 2011 Author Posted May 30, 2011 'Yes, but could not such wounds also be seen by your foes as a sign of incompetence on your part? That you are too unskilled, too weak, to avoid harm?' ... yeah, there is no way I can present that counter-offer without getting my head squashed like a grape. But, this is not an unanticipated turn. "" he said with an enigmatic smile, "" He closed the golden metal box, flipped it over, and opened it to reveal an assortment of eyepatches, in a variety of soft, luxurious materials. "" No sense in risking infection! Assuming she can fall prey to the bacteria and viruses of this dimension. Better safe than sorry! "" he quickly lied, and set the box down on one of the smaller, empty tables, "" By which he meant homeless and with PR issues. "" Well, Erik did, during the Demon Invasion. And Lynn did, when the 'faeries' took her. And Mona's heart stopped for a few moments when she was hit by those Terminus energies in the hospital. So, in a way, they are! He reached into another pocket of his labcoat and drew forth his Elektromagnetic Screwdriver, and set it to play life-sized holograms of the Interceptors, a presentation he and VINCE had prepared some time beforehand from news and training footage, used whenever he found occasion to talk up the team. First was a group shot, "" the scenes changed to footage of the individual members, "" The shift in tone of his voice indicated a closer connection with that last one.
N/A Posted May 30, 2011 Posted May 30, 2011 Thrude ran her fingers along the surface of each eyepatch, appraising the materials. Finally, she selected one of silk. [bg=#000080]_""_[/bg] The goddess raised an eyebrow. [bg=#000080]_" During the presentation, she asked several probing questions. [bg=#000080]_" [bg=#000080]_"
Dr Archeville Posted May 31, 2011 Author Posted May 31, 2011 "" he replied at her choice of eyepatch. "" Science! And now came questions, questions he knew was coming, which he had prepared answers for, but was no less comfortable in facing due to the half-truths he had to spin. No sense in telling her the full truth if she turned down the offer. "" Especially since my Other is no more! He felt far more at ease tackling other questions. "" A moment of laughter prevented him from answering her next question right away, "" The push of a few buttons on the Screwdriver caused the guns in holo!Colt's hands to glow while the rest of the image faded slightly. "" I anticipate she will share Erik's views on them. "" he replied, with a bit more emphasis than he intended. "" Another few button presses, and the holographic display shifted to footage from the Terminus Invasion, of all the gathered heroes and unleashed villains. "" he said with a bit more disdain than he had intended, "" The recording had reached the part where Centurion and Omega's final battle began. He had meant to cut the recording partway through their fight, moving on to the next of many items on the agenda, but as soon as he saw it start, he could not tear himself from the battle between of Earth's greatest hero and destruction incarnate. Whoa.
N/A Posted May 31, 2011 Posted May 31, 2011 [bg=#000080]_""_[/bg] [bg=#000080]_"<'Guns.' Looks to be some sort of combination of a sling and a crossbow. Yet they belch forth thunder and flame with every pull. The work of dwarven runesmiths, I assume.>"_[/bg] The goddess was enthralled with the T-Day footage. [bg=#000080]_""_[/bg]
Dr Archeville Posted May 31, 2011 Author Posted May 31, 2011 "" he considered, "" Science is awesome! The Doktor cleared his throat after his small sciencegasm, "" He held up a hand to cut off the protest he was sure was coming, "" he nodded towards Vendrvapn, "" Memory metal composition, similar to Impervium? Psionic identification system, preventing access by those with unauthorized brain patterns? Who are not thinking certain command words? Not a gravitatonal flux -- the surroundings were undamaged, so its weight remained the same. Anchored to spacetime itself?
N/A Posted June 1, 2011 Posted June 1, 2011 Thrude grabbed a plate and heaped piles of food upon it as she spoke. [bg=#000080]_""_[/bg] [bg=#000080]_""_[/bg] the goddess declared between mouthfuls of meat and swigs of mead. [bg=#000080]_""_[/bg]
Dr Archeville Posted June 1, 2011 Author Posted June 1, 2011 "" Archeville beamed, "" Oooh, I cannot wait to get her blood samples under the bioscanners! He began adding to his own plate, though not nearly as much as the heaps upon Thrude's. "" he nodded towards Vendrvapn. "" he flexed one arm as she had, and pointed to what little bicep he possessed, then balled his fingers into a fist and slapped the left side of his chest, "
N/A Posted June 1, 2011 Posted June 1, 2011 [bg=#000080]_""_[/bg] The goddess continued to devour the feast set before her. [bg=#000080]_""_[/bg] Thrude swallowed, wiped her mouth on her sleeve, and drained another stein of mead in a single gulp. [bg=#000080]_""_[/bg] Thrude hesitated for a moment. Her countenance, which had bounced back and forth all evening between jovial and disinterested, suddenly darkened. She gulped, then sighed. [bg=#000080]_"<...By master dwarven runesmiths of the highest caliber. Much like my father's arms, it was forged specifically with me in mind, imbued with the same power over the elements. It focuses and amplifies my own natural affinity for the storms. And what I meant on the battlefield is that Vendrvapn has a will of its own. A rudimentary consciousness that will only allow itself to be wielded by those worthy of it. Heroes, with the courage to face Death and the will to sacrifice themselves for the greater good.>"_[/bg]
Dr Archeville Posted June 1, 2011 Author Posted June 1, 2011 She hesitated: is there something more to her relationship with the smith than client and craftsman? I am curious, but it seems a sore spot for her. Besides, she is dealing with enough of an adjustment as it is without dredging up shadows of the past! "" he exclaimed, "" He paused abruptly. If she is going to be on the Interceptors, she needs to be able to talk to them! "" He slung back his beer, "" he added under his breath, ""
N/A Posted June 1, 2011 Posted June 1, 2011 [bg=#000080]_"<'Antenna?' Like on a bug? ...No, not like that at all. Unless that is some sort of modern idiom I am unfamiliar with.>"_[/bg] [bg=#000080]_""_[/bg]
Dr Archeville Posted June 3, 2011 Author Posted June 3, 2011 She is a fast learner! Faster than I anticipated! She may be simple, but she is not dumb! Thrude proved a quick study, and Archeville an able instructor. By the time she'd had her fill -- and long past the point where he'd had to loosen his Gravimetric Belt a notch -- she was easily capable of speaking to anyone in the city and being understood without requiring the aid of angry gestures. "Excellent! Excellent!," he praised. "Well, I think you are ready to meet the team, if that is still your wish." He rose, slightly unsteady, and checked the devices around his waist, "" he muttered in his native tongue. Oh, and I will need to lower the Olfactory Shield and leave a note so the staff can come get leftovers! Not that there are many leftovers -- I think she alone will double the Interceptors' food budget!
N/A Posted June 4, 2011 Posted June 4, 2011 The goddess had indeed consumed as much as ten normal men would in her place. But then again, she had also displayed the strength of ten normal men in her battle with the Fenrir. And, subjective time dilation aside, it had been over a millenium since her last meal. She belched appreciatively. [bg=#000080]_""_[/bg] She stood from her chair with such force and alacrity that she knocked it on its back and sent it flying several feet behind her. [bg=#000080]_"<Who knows what vile villains even now plot nefarious schemes and amass armies to bring destruction and ruin upon the innocent people of this fair city?! Show me to my new comrades in arms, the sooner we might intercept these brigands and would-be tyrants and bring them to JUSTICE!>"_[/bg]
Dr Archeville Posted June 4, 2011 Author Posted June 4, 2011 Ha! Erik is going to love her! I wonder: is he still seeing Natalya? "Then take up your weapon," he exclaimed with infectious fervor, "and allow my Science to carry us to their base!" One hand danced across the controls to his Belt, while the other manipulated the Screwdriver. The Olfactory Obscurer went down, filling the nearby hallways with the sumptuous aromas of the feast. Heads soon poked out of doorways, and a crowd began to gather, but by the time the ArcheTech staff and interns arrived to plunder the remains of conference food (as was tradition in any place of business), their employer and his latest guest were gone. Continued here.
Recommended Posts