Heroes: The Road of Good Intentions

[SirNitram]

"We're witnesses, Saibot." Gravitas looked at Blackheart quietly, trying to measure him. He knew the stakes. "For what it's worth. I trust you, Agent Blackheart. I'll help with that tumor all I can to make up for anything you offer me right now in terms of getting out of here. I have boltholes if we need it."

A finger jabbed directly at the powersuit. "And this walking tin can either learns to trust those around him or his precious black hole turns off. I will not be backtalked by an academic whose paranoid at this time, in this place. It's a security risk if you're proposing anything like what I think you are."

[Cynical Cat]

"Yes Hotfoot, that's exactly what I'm talking about," said Blackheart. "Ultima's security, for those of you that have been paying attention, is doing a good leaky sieve impersonation. Whoever these guys are they have access, heavy weapons, and a complete contempt for life. These assholes aren't walking on my watch, not if I can help it. Running that op out of Ultima won't work, so I'm not going to do that."

"This is a big step. Bowing out would be a smart move. I'm not going to hold it against you. My particular circumstances make this an easy call for me. Not so for everyone else."

[LadyTevar]

Argent's eyes met Blackheart's. "Running away from Ultima could get me in Gramercy... right down the hall from Saibot," she pointed out bluntly. "Will your safety net catch me, or will I still be under the sword, Blackheart."

[Dark Silver]

Warpath focused his optics on Gravitas as he spoke, and Stone, within it, almost smirked.

"I've got to much to lose Agent Blackheart, I'm sorry, but I have to bow out. But I won't betray you or your team. If you need anything, I just uploaded a secure contact line to Gravitas' laptop. Use it."

with that, Warpath turned, and walked out of the Infirmary.


----- o -----

Garth looked at Hotfoot, and with the best he could, pointed to the one which was introduced as 'flashbang', "That's my Box. The other I recognize...it's the recharger for the second set of Rings. One of those that Gravitas has."

Garth looked at Blackheart as he revealed what was said, "your nuts, you know that Hero? If Phil can get me a secure link to the moonbase...I can activate the remote security, and disable the anti-teleport field. There should be rations and equipment up there."

[Cynical Cat]

"Legally your ass will be covered," said Blackheart. "This is a volunteer only mission from your team leader that includes long term undercover and field work. Nothing illegal or or against your agreement about that, but if they really want to fry you, they will try to fry you anyway. It's a risk you're going to have to decide if you want to take. Same risk everyone is running. I'm a different story, but odds are fifty to one I'll be dead before any trial."

[LadyTevar]

Argent slowly smiled as Blackheart elaborated on his idea. "Done. Although if you wish to walk the line on the 'undercover', I still have contacts that can help us."

She was going to speak with Zufu either way. Both he and the current Don would be very interested in finding out who would set off a bomb that killed elderly and innocents, on the Don's own turf. Zufu would help him, in the interest of preventing a war between mobsters. Lei would not be surprised if Zufu had not already left a message for her in all of the usual drop-offs, knowing she had lived in that building for the past three months.

Tong or Mafia, you do not hit Family.

[Agent Fisher]

Ghost kept his mouth shut as he returned to the room, his plan to talk to Blackheart abandoned. He listened to the talk about going off the reservation. Now it was time to decide if he would go with them or stick with Ultima.

[Hotfoot]

"How many levels of crazy do we have to go through though? For all I know, this is what the space aliens that nobody's mentioned so far want us to do, which will let them rule the world. I mean, moonbases? Who what when where how? That's a long, long way from home, and I don't know how long it would take the rest of you, but I don't think I could walk back easily on my own." He looked around the room, letting out a long sigh.

"This is big, we've got a murderer running around killing metas, that Raising Cain thing, plus the Freak deal that still is running around somewhere, and we're going to forget about all of that completely? I mean, sure, they torched a building, but the way you guys were talking about this Raising Cain thing, that was world-ending. I mean, right now I'm tempted to ask Gravitas to teleport these boxes into the Sun or something. Seriously, Ultima's not seemed like the greatest organization since I've gotten here, but are we really going to go this far off the beaten path for this? I doubt those guys in the building were really government types anyway..."

[Cynical Cat]

"Good points Hotfoot," said Blackheart. "You have every reason to walk out now. I, however, intend to get things done. It's not happening now. People are constantly messing with the team and walking through base security like it isn't there. I don't intend to forget Raising Caine, but trying to tackle them under current conditions isn't going to work."

[Dark Silver]

"Unless my apartment building was suddenly declared a division of Ultima, they didn't exactly walk through base security. I had a couple of locks, an alarm system...and to be honest, it was broken into once or twice before, some minor theft I never bothered to report...."

Garth looked at the gathered team, "the problem still comes down to me, if it's who I think it is Blackheart, I can convince them none of you know anything. Hell, if it's who I THINK it was, it was payback for not getting those microchips from the Freaks....and their definatly not worthy of your time."

"Don't drag yourself and the team into my dirty business David. I already hurt everyone enough as it is."

[Cynical Cat]

"If it was only that, then I would be over reacting," said Blackheart. "Unfortunately goon squads are bursting in on our meetings, raiding homes, and unspecified agents of unknown organizations are stealing Legacies' parts. Not to mentioned they blew up an entire building full of innocent people to level your apartment. Mass murder isn't trivial. This team has enough problems without being constantly under siege. And we are under siege. Can't even get in a day in edgewise without someone fucking with us."

"So here's the plan, for those that are joining up. We go off the grid. I square it with the paper pushers upstairs. Then we hunt down and grind into dust some of these assholes who are hounding us so we can get some god damn work done."

[B4UTRUST]

Initial reports of the explosion were, as they often are, wrong. The thermal detonators exploded creating, for a few brief seconds, Hell on Earth. The explosion vaporised much in those initial seconds. Priceless memories and treasures were wiped out forever, not even ashes remained.

The gas lines that fed the apartment building did indeed go next. More then a dozen people died, though not all from fire. Several died from falling debris, others from suffocating from smoke inhalation. Several even lingered from injuries, unable to escape the inferno as they slowly burnt to death, their screams of pain and cries for help going unheard.

The explosions of the apartment and the fires that resulted sent burning debris into the air. Winds took the debris, spreading it to nearby buildings. Soon what had once been just one building was now seven.

Seven infernos raged, winds threatening to carry the fire further. The rubberneckers, gawkers and idiots who stood around the fire watching were now victim to their own stupidity. Buildings were collapsing around them, debris was threatening to kill them and firey bits of personal belongings were raining down on them.

Firefighters were dispatched and police set up a cordon trying to keep anybody else from getting stuck in the blaze. Firefighters struggled to contain the inferno and to keep it from spreading further. In the end they won out, but at great cost. Dozens dead, dozens more injured and hospitalized. Damages calculated at over a million dollars.

All to remove the evidence of one man's existance.

---------------------

Reason stepped off the elevator. He was flanked on either side by a pair of uniformed agents. Their uniforms identified them as IA security, the police of the internal police.

Reason's first stop was to grab Saibot's doctor and have a little chat. Preparations were made to transport Saibot under medical observation.

The trio stepped into the room. Reason was surprised to see Mirage team all in the room, but given the circumstances he could almost understand it. Though why anyone would willingly affiliate themselves with this guy was beyond his comprehension.
"Mirage team, a pleasure as always. Agent Blackheart, as of this moment Saibot is officially removed from Mirage Team and is being placed in protective custody until the trial. Your cooperation in this matter is appreciated."

He nodded to his security which stepped forward to slap cuffs from his wrist to the bed.
"The restraints are a temporary measure until we have him safely away. The doctors will be in here momentarily to prep him for transport."

[Marcao]

Things were moving too damned fast.

There was really no other way to explain it. One moment he had been involved in a simple conversation within Ultima HQ and minutes later it seemed that another of Team Mirage’s crisis emerged. It was surreal, Argent and Hotfoot disappeared and when they returned Hotfoot was holding two odd boxes and Argent was visibly pissed off. He did not as of yet possess the specific frequency which Team Mirage utilized, so he did not have to contend with Argent’s enthusiasm.

Moments later a debate began to occur and he could do nothing but stand there and try his best to listen. Most of it was going over his head; he was not intimately aware of Team Mirage’s missions and as such he was within seconds quite lost to it all. It was not a pleasant feeling being an outsider to a conversation but he bore it as best he could. It was when words started being passed around about going “off the reservationâ€

[LadyTevar]

Argent ... did nothing. There was nothing she could do to help him now.

She had no illusions as to how good the 'protective custody' might be by now. She would not be surprised if Garth vanished and never made his trial. Too many people had fingers in Ultima who would find Garth useful, for his skills or for his knowledge.

Lei's eyes met Garth's one last time, unable to say a word or even touch him by empathy. Then she deliberately turned her back to him, locking all her emotions tightly.

It was over. Let Blackheart handle Reason.

[SirNitram]

Great. Now Reason shows up. Gravitas thought silently to himself, hoping the man was just an empath. The conspirating in this room had a nasty chance of being picked up on, so the Nova picked the most painful moment of his life, and remembered in, hoping Argent wasn't listening in to the larger-than-life emotions that would flow now.

Pain stabbed through Gravitas, and he let it overwhelm his own thoughts.

[Cynical Cat]

"No," said Blackheart. "I'm not finished with him." He looked at the IA agents. "Leave. Now." His voice was steely. Any of the room's empath could pick up a rolling morass of outrage and fury burning within him.

[LadyTevar]

*That* jerked Argent's head around. First Gravitas getting depressed, then Blackheart's rage. One was remembered pain, the other ... No... it was not the Demon for once. It was simply his own anger and outrage. A slight shiver went through her at the force of it.

She wanted to tell Blackheart to calm down, it was a bad time to give in and lose his temper, but having Reason in the room stopped her. She wasn't giving the Agent any excuse to remove Blackheart from duty.

"Agent Reason probably hasn't heard about the explosion yet," she said instead, looking for a way to both defuse the brewing storm by giving Reason an out. Her black eyes flick to Reason briefly. "Someone firebombed Saibot's apartment building." It was all the explaination she felt Reason needed for Blackheart's anger.

[B4UTRUST]

Reason glanced over at Argent after Blackheart's outburst.
"IA has already been informed about the bombing. It's why he is being placed in protective custody. It would do very little good to have a trial for a corpse."

He turned his gaze back to Blackheart. Where Blackheart was angry, Reason was nothing. His eyes were the cool cop eyes that said 'Been there, done that, wasn't impressed enough to get a tshirt.'
"I assure you, Agent Blackheart, you are quite finished with him. This is not negotiable."

[Cynical Cat]

"You're right," said Blackheart. "Not negotiable. I'm not fucking through with him. If you had been doing your job Reason I wouldn't have to do this shit. Since you won't, I have to do it as well as my own."

[B4UTRUST]

Reason's eye twitched sligtly, just once.
"You *ARE* through with the criminal. I do not give a damn if you think otherwise. I have done my job and am doing it now. You, I'm afraid, are currently obstructing me in that job. Now, say your goodbyes or do not, I do not care either way. But, you are finished with him."

[Cynical Cat]

"Go back to your office and type up a report Reason," said Blackheart. "I'm let you know when I'm done."

[B4UTRUST]

"Yes, I am sure you would. And I would find everybody I need gone. Check the attitude, Agent. It is not in your best interest. But, seeing as how you do not seem to care about your best interest, having a suicidal martyr complex going, I am wasting my breath. I will not continue to waste it with threats about what I would do to you or have done to you if you two are not here upon my return. Take that as you will. You have twenty minutes to finish conducting your business. The medical staff will be ready to transport him into protective custody by then.

"Smile, agent. You are still alive today..."

Reason turned and left, posting one of his agents outisde the door with orders not to move except to stop the team from leaving with Saibot.

[Cynical Cat]

"Saibot, if you have anything to share about your employers or those who ran Guardian Force do so now," said Blackheart. He took out a piece of paper and wrote down the rooftop of his apartment building. He passed it to Gravitas and Argent. "First meeting spot. We can refine things from there, after I've had my talk with Reason. Go before I get back from the meeting. As of the moment I give you these orders, my status as team leader is still in force and you're following my perfectly lawful orders. That is if you've volunteered for the special assignment. Capice?"

[SirNitram]

"With Saibot or without, Blackheart?" Gravitas asked simply and quickly, already disconnecting wires from his own medical unit.. And patching them into his laptop. "This is gonna strain the damn system, no more net fun for me..." He muttered under his breath, already working on the destination. "Argent, can you do this, or shall I blaze a trail?"

[Cynical Cat]

"Without," said Blackheart. "This whole damn thing is about accountability. We can't start this by pissing on it. He has to face up for what he has done."