Heroes: The Road of Good Intentions

[Marcao]

His attention naturally gravitated towards the attractive woman that took a step closer to him and bowed ever so slightly before him. His eyes lingered over her face for a moment, her ebon pools momentarily snaring him within them. When she offered her hand, he hesitated for only a moment before his right hand moved. It was gloved of course, part of the ensemble that he wore but it was the thought that counted.

His hand brushed against her own, skin separated from skin by a resilient weave of fabrics. He bent down and moved, the top of her hand brought near to his lips. The contact was brief, lasting only a second or so before he was releasing her hand.

"The pleasure is mine." His words sounded completely honest on that regard.

She was a woman of many talents, and while he had no desire to entangle himself with her only a blind fool would not appreciate her obvious beauty. It could all be a test of course, but he was about to join her team. He was willing to work with her this one time...

[Dark Silver]

In a different part of the complex, in the medical ward, the prone form of Saibot lay connected to various monitor and diagnostic machines.

The telepath who had just left the room could still get nothing from the man's mind, and everything remained stable. The attending nurse then, could barely be blamed when she jumped, as the hand grabbed her wrist, and the very human, very tired voice, spoke, "I need to talk to Blackheart..."

[LadyTevar]

Argent's eyes dropped as he released her hand, and she stepped back, blushing even more, confused by Tachyon's expert delivery of a move she'd only ever seen in movies. Touching him, she still felt nothing of his emotions; it was like a silken shroud draped around his mind, preventing her from reaching him. Even Legacies was easier to read than Tachyon.

Perhaps that was why she never felt Saibot wake, or maybe it was the large black 'scar' in her mind that marked the deep soul-link they had shared.

[Cynical Cat]

Blackheart stepped back and picked up his phone. "Give me a second." He listened for a moment. "Are you sure?" "He asked for me, not anyone else?" Another pause. "Alright, I'll be down shortly." He folded up the phone.

"Continue with the meet and greet. I have something I have to attend to." He walked out of the room and headed toward medical. So Saibot had recovered consciousness and the first person he wanted to talk to was a person he hated and not his girlfriend. Maybe he had brain damage.

He walked into medical and headed for Saibot. "I'm here," he said.

[Dark Silver]

Saibot was half sitting up in his bed, nurses trying to keep him from getting up in anyway. When Blackheart walked in, Garth's eyes locked onto his team leaders.

"Tell me everything that happened after the Freak took me. Can't trust anyone else to tell the exact things."

[SirNitram]

"What, just because I've got an ego larger than some stars, I'm an unreliable source?" Gravitas groused, not far away. Then again, he settled back, preparing to let his mind wander again.

[Dark Silver]

"No offense God-man, but you look like your zonked on meds for reliable information....and I got a feeling it'll be better coming from Blackheart for some reason."

[Cynical Cat]

"Depends when the Freak took you," said Blackheart. "You came back from your lone wolf run in a bad state. You saw the rest of the team as enemies and you did your best to kill us. You collapsed the street above you, killing a bunch of poor homeless bastards. We subdued you, but had to take the deal Gravitas forced on us with Freak Show and some very bad guys probably got away. You've been unconscious ever since."

[Dark Silver]

"So in other words....I fucked everything up pretty badly....killed people, and tried to kill my teammates."

Garth stopped trying to sit up, and just laid back down in the bed, the machines steady in the background with their beepings.

"I killed...innocent people. Some kind of hero...."

Garth looked to Blackheart, "I'm sorry. I should have listened to orders, and I shouldn't have gotten pissed. When do I expect the heavily armed guards come to take me away?"

[Cynical Cat]

"Sorry doesn't cut it, but you know that," said Blackheart. "As for guards dragging your ass away, they are waiting for to recover enough for the telepaths to figure out how much legal responsibility for your actions you have."

[Dark Silver]

"The sorry was meant to you, it's the best apology I can make. And fuck the telepaths. I killed the people. I had to much power to not be held accountable when I misuse it. That's not what I fought for...it's not what you fight for."

[Cynical Cat]

"Then you had better figure out how you are going to make up for all that," said Blackheart.

[Dark Silver]

"Hard to make up for killing people. I can't bring them back. Tell your bosses I'm awake. They may as well send in the telepaths."

Garth remained laying back in the bed, staring at the ceiling.

[Cynical Cat]

Well, he hadn't been expecting a heart to heart. He left, stopping only to tell Bowman that Saibot was awake. He headed back to the gym. "Saibot's conscious," he said bluntly. "He hasn't asked to speak to anyone in particular."

[LadyTevar]

Lei jerked at Blackheart's announcement, and suddenly all emotion around her muted as she shut herself up tight. She'd not felt Saibot wake, and inside her mind she turned to that black scarred place and tried to feel something... anything beyond it.

The emptiness made her shiver, mentally and physically, her arms unconsciously wrapping around herself, eyes down but seeing nothing. Slowly, jerkily, her right hand started rubbing her shoulder in a vain attempt at comfort, the other arm protectively over her stomach. The shadows at her feet writhed aimlessly as she took one step... two steps ... backing away from the rest of the team slowly.

[B4UTRUST]

Several Ultima mind fuckers invaded medical to see to Saibot. Machinery was drug in and devices attached to both the psychics and to Saibot, recording, scanning, reading, and doing many unknown things that involved flashing LED lights, whirring fans and drive heads spinning at random intervals.

They asked no questions of Saibot and gave no answers. Everything they wanted they took by force from him. Where he resisted they broke through. In the end, they had all that they needed and knew everything there was to know.

And a short time later they vanished, their devices and machinery vanishing with them. Reports would be generated, recomendations made and a trial set.

[SirNitram]

"That kinda shit can really make a man wonder and be concerned." Gravitas contemplated as he watched the silent squad march back out.

[Dark Silver]

"Nothing you need to be concerned with Gravitas......"

Saibot had just finished being mentally probed groped and raped by the machines and mind fuckers, and remained in his bed, most of the medical machines, except for the basic trackers, removed and not put back on - though he was still restrained.

"Sorry about dropping that street on your head...."

[Marcao]

He blinked as Argent’s eyes dropped and for a moment he caught sight of the blush that graced her cheeks. He really would have expected that someone with her beauty would be used to such treatment, if anything it was almost endearing. He considered the turn that his thoughts had taken and frowned ever so slightly, he really was not really trying to do what he had moments before acknowledged he would not do. Argent was dangerous, and while a part of him whispered that he might like what he might enjoy this chase the more rational part of his mind reminded him of his obligations. He had accepted this assignment because of Blackheart. It may be the last team the agent would have if the rumors were to be believed. Still, Argent was certainly not someone that he had expected.

A moment later, Blackheart’s phone vibrated and his attention flickered towards him. When Blackheart spoke, he watched him go with some curiosity. What exactly had occurred that warranted his immediate attention? He was so focused on the possibilities that he overlooked Argent’s initial reaction. His eyes flickered towards Hotfoot then before sliding towards Warpath and then around his immediate surroundings Hotfoot, Warpath, Argent. Where were Legacies and Blast? His head turned to glance towards Argent once more but the beautiful and mysterious dragon-woman before him no longer seemed to be the same woman that had been before him moments before.

He hesitated for a moment, immediately aware that something was definitely amiss with her posture and mannerisms. He watched her as her arms moved and wrapped themselves around her, his head tilting slightly to the side as his mind considered possibilities, her dossier flashing within his mind. Argent: Empath, Shadow manipulation, Teleportation. Was she under some sort of empathic distress? His eyes shifted towards Hotfoot in particular considering that he could see him, but he did not seem to be in any distress. Argent took a step back and then another, as if seeking solace from whatever ailed her.

At that moment, he was uncertain as to how to proceed. A part of him wanted to allow Argent the space that she seemed to crave, but something held him back. He was part of this team now and a member was clearly in some form of distress. If Solitude was what Argent truly wished, she could take herself away from them at a moment’s notice could she not? It was a gamble and one that he may end up paying for but he trusted his instincts. Before she could take a third step away from him and the rest of the team, his left hand reached out for her. It was a slow motion, not meant to be threatening at all and allowing her the flexibility to rebuke his advance. Assuming that she shadows which were slithering by her feet like a den of restless vipers did not attempt to tear his arm off, his hand would make gentle but firm contact with one of her arms before he spoke.

“Argent.â€

[SirNitram]

"Not the worst thing ever done to me. Mind you, last time I was a little more invunerable." Gravitas replied. "And I figure I got plenty of cause to be alarmed. Argent was nearly kidnapped and/or executed in the middle of a meeting by a pair of pencil-pushers with serious firepower, and we're not sure why. I'm not sure how far I trust this place.. Then again, no one here trusts me, so I guess that's deserved."

[Dark Silver]

"If it counts for anything, I trusted you. But well..look at what happened last night."

Saibot placed full blame on himself for everything, even the most stupid person in the universe who couldn't read a human being for shit could see that in his face.


Then with the mention of Argent and the fact she was nearly abducted, he seemed to snap out of it, "Is Argent ok? What happened Godling? Last thing I recall because of those mind fuckers, was me slicing her with the sword..."

[SirNitram]

"One of the Freaks patched up her sword wound." Gravitas answered quickly, smiling gently, trying to reassure. "She's fine, physically. You missed a serious dressing-down by an empathic master getting us to spill our guts on what happened. Everyone apparently thinks I'm insanely paranoid, but what the hell..."

"The two guys burst in after the guy.. Calls himself 'Reason' and claims everyone listens to him eventually, arrogant twat.. Left. Special Agents, or so their paperwork said. Lots of paperwork. And some serious firepower. We stopped 'em. But you can imagine how this, after Argent was just going to be 'restricted' in where she can go, puts me on edge."

"....And your trust does mean alot, Garth." He used the first name. "You hate my kind, and I can't say we don't provide lots of reasons. But you fought the good fight, and now you're at least trying again. Not many do. By the way... Godling sounds so silly, even if it's accurate... When I was mortal, they called me Phil."

[LadyTevar]

[quote="Marcao"]“Argent.â€

[Dark Silver]

"I don't even know why I hated....I was just fighting originally to protect those who couldn't. I don't even remember when it turned to generally hating Metahumans."

Garth's head lifted off the bed, and he looked to Gravitas, "Phil huh? You don't look like a Phil..... I doubt I'll be getting out of what's coming. It was...good working with you for awhile there Phil. I'm glad Lei's alright..."

[SirNitram]

"Yea, well. Not my original body." Gravitas smiled sadly. "But yea. We all get what we deserve in the end. Always. I just hope you don't deserve what I've gotten handed in my day. Rest now."