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Post by Big Martin on Jul 12, 2016 19:58:27 GMT -7
The note had been delivered, the meeting arranged, and everything was in place! Being the sort of person who liked to get things right, and who didn't have much experience setting up secret chats with fellow superpowered criminals, Big Martin had started setting up early, taking precautions as he had planned. For one thing- as the time he had specified approached, he was nowhere to be found! The cunning cat commander was far too cautious to simply show up on one of the most lawless areas of the city and expect everything to go well. However, he had not sent an invite only to disappear entirely: all over the northeast corner of the slums, cats were stalking about, in numbers a little too high to be normal. Sure, there were strays in this area. But strays didn't walk around in regular patrols, perch themselves on rooftops and scan the area like furry security cameras, didn't hang around near locals and watch for any suspicious moves. No, this was not simply a swarm of dim-witted animals- this was a coordinated swarm of dim-witted animals, engaged in a precise and strategic Operation! Any sign of her yet?
"No, Big Martin!" The grey cat that spoke sniffed the air. "Not time yet. But she will come, or we will catch her like mousey." We have to give her some leeway, at least. And if we do end up going after her, no scratching. Or biting.
"Can we have Boris jump on her?" Preferably not. Boris is our last resort, I'm hoping she'll be cooperative.
The cat yawned. "Chatty humans. Fine. But she will give me belly rubs." Big Martin gave the mental equivalent of a sigh. This was why nobody would ever take him seriously. Maybe if you ask her nicely...
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Pandaemonium
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Post by Limen on Jul 13, 2016 2:47:40 GMT -7
It’d taken Limen an entire day to figure out who “BM” was supposed to be. It really should have been clear; for one, she knew Cat Guy’s non-nickname name, and it started with the letters B and M. The message had also been dropped off by a cat. It was a little hard to get more obvious. It was kind of embarrassing, after spending a good ten minutes laying on her back staring at the note the following evening, for it to suddenly hit her. She blamed the stress of a dragon attacking the city.
Even though the sender had been obvious, the intent of the meeting set up by the note was anything but. Was this a challenge? A trap? A meeting to discuss secrets? Besides the fact that she’d fought him on two different occasions, Limen wasn’t exactly sure why Cat Guy had any interest in her. She felt kinda like she’d gotten one of Gil’s overly vague answers in the form of a little slip of paper. It told her absolutely nothing.
Regardless of what she was walking into, Limen was not about to turn down a direct invitation from the Invincible Cat King himself. That was not to say she wasn’t taking… precautions, however. She was not the kind of super who could walk into a fight unarmed and expect to walk out the winner. Her bow (a new bow, Ion Ghost #29, as it was) and a full quiver were on her back and a few choice items were placed in her sweatshirt pocket to bounce along with her brass knuckles. Even so, she was traveling comparatively light. Her backpack had only the barest necessities in it and she’d left her motorcycle on the south side of the slums. Her bow was her only visible weapon.
“Follow them”, the note had said. And so she did. As she worked her way northeast, she kept her eyes out for the small furry animals that were the super’s trademark. Hands in her pockets, she trotted after them whenever she caught sight of them among the shadows or on the rooftops. She could tell she was getting close when the cats started looking less like wild residents of the slums and more like military personal quartering in the area. Still, Cat Guy himself was nowhere to be found. 6:30 was approaching fast, as was the northeast corner of the slums. Where was he?
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Post by Big Martin on Jul 13, 2016 15:20:41 GMT -7
As soon as the Pandaemonium super walked calmly into the designated area, cats began to whisper urgently among themselves. "Target sighted. We have found the Limen!"
So she showed up. Very good! All right, keep going as we rehearsed for now. Tabitha, Bernard, you're up.
At precisely 6:30 PM, the grey-furred cat suddenly stood up, yawning, and trotted down the street towards Limen, coming to a stop a few feet in front of her and addressing her in a bored tone. "Thanks for showin' up. Big Martin wants to speak with you, but we can't do it here, and he didn't want to invite you straight over in case you brought friends... so you gotta come with us. And scratch my head, please."
The cat yawned again, even as a shadow loomed out of a nearby side alley. A large tiger came prowling into the open, approaching Limen and- unless she resisted -rubbing against her with almost enough force to knock her over. The grey cat leaped onto the striped beast's back, and looked at her. "Get on. We're gonna take you for a ride!"
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Pandaemonium
Posts 278
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Post by Limen on Jul 14, 2016 16:53:53 GMT -7
Limen didn’t have a clock, but if she had, she would’ve been impressed. Just when she was beginning to worry she was going to get a whole lot of cats and very little Cat Guy, her guide appeared before her. The fact that the cats could talk had been something she was vaguely aware of. Strange, yes, but (if she sat down to think about it) she’d probably seen weirder. She crouched down so as to be on better eye level with the cat. She did indeed scratch their head.
She watched the tiger approach out of the alleyway with the same calm interested she’d given the talking cat. Man, tigers were significantly more intimidating up close. She placed one of her hands on the pavement to keep herself from falling over.
“Wait, seriously?” Limen asked, not like someone who thought the notion was ridiculous, but like a child who had been granted free access to a candy store. Was it dangerous to ride an unknown tiger to an undisclosed location? Absolutely. But the idea of riding a tiger outweighed any reason common sense might have to counter it.
She swung herself gracefully to her feet. She was almost bouncing on her heels as she looked between the tiger and the smaller cat twice, waiting for them to say it was all just a joke or something. They did not.
And so Limen mounted the tiger. She rolled her shoulders twice, a wide, toothy grin crossing her face. All she needed was a cool pair of sunglasses.
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Posts 113
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Post by Big Martin on Jul 15, 2016 21:08:47 GMT -7
The tiger's muscular shoulders tensed beneath Limen as soon as she was upon it. Pushing off the ground with its powerful limbs, it ran forwards, building up momentum before springing into the air.
Tigers didn't often jump, but when they did, it was a damn impressive sight to see. The huge beasts could propel themselves up to fifteen feet in the air, and even with the slight added weight of Limen, this one was easily able to reach one of the lower roofs nearby, and from there jump for the higher ones. Within moments, it was up above the street, racing across the flimsy rooftops of the slums at a breakneck pace.
The wind rushed against them as the odd trio moved away from the area swarmed by cats and deeper into the poverty-stricken part of the city. They attracted a few looks, no doubt, but from the ground them would be difficult to see, little more than an orange blur passing by. Swift and stealthy, as only a cat could be!
After a few minutes of this marvelous journey, the tiger alighted on a large, open roof, atop something that might have been a gym or a warehouse, once. Breathing heavily, it relaxed, giving Limen an opportunity to get her bearings, overcome any lingering nausea, and find her feet.
The grey cat that had accompanied her on the ride had already hopped off, and was making its way to the opposite end of the flat roof, where a lone man stood with his back to them. Clad in a finely tailored black suit, with short blond hair visible on the back of his head, he remained still, staring off into the distance, seemingly oblivious to Limen's arrival.
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Pandaemonium
Posts 278
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Post by Limen on Jul 17, 2016 21:10:16 GMT -7
Evening air rushed around her along with the lights of the city and the buildings of the slums. She felt like she was riding a motorcycle of pure muscle and fur.
On second thought, a motorcycle made of muscle and fur would be both disgusting and impractical. Perhaps it was more accurate to say her childhood dreams of being carried away on the back of a mythical beast had, fifteen years later, been achieved? She was a little sad when the tiger finally came to a stop atop the large roof.
Limen stepped off the tiger and casually brushed loose fur from her pants. The ride had been a lot more… vertical than she was used to, but as someone who drove motorcycles off dragons and still needed to drive across the city on a bridge of light with Sanduleak, she didn’t feel much for adverse effects besides the crushing disappointment that she was no longer riding a tiger. Travel that made most people puke was common practice for her. Enough so that, even though she’d never gotten into a crash (that was her fault), she knew several people who refused to get into a vehicle with her at the wheel.
She followed close behind the little grey cat for several steps before stopping. And there was the man himself, dressed all smart-like and standing on rooftops all super-like. One interesting bit of trivia, Cat Guy was blond.
“Yo, Lord Cat.” She greeted, granting him a dramatic bow. “We meet again.” She picked up her casual pace towards him again, but instead of walking directly towards him, set her destination to the edge of the roof about three meters to his left. When she reached her journey's end, she settled down to a crouch. Her gaze was set in the same direction as his; away.
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Post by Arthur Shale on Jul 19, 2016 16:17:23 GMT -7
The great Cat Lord looked upon the city, and he found it wanting. With a sigh like the breaths of a thousand kittens, he turned his gaze to one side, and spoke unto the pilgrim Limen:
"Coffee?"
He had a pair of paper cups in his hands, the kind one grabbed from a cheap drive-through cafe chain on the way to work. He held one out towards Limen. "Still warm, if you want it."
For once, there wasn't a single cat on him or around him. Other than his suit, which was notably fancy and somehow completely free of cat hair, he actually looked pretty ordinary. Slightly messy hair, dorky glasses, clean shaven chin, in his late twenties or early thirties based on his appearance. More of an accountant or a banker than a villainous overlord.
But appearances weren't the goal, today. Honesty was.
"It's Martin, by the way. Or Arthur. In case you wanted to know." He smiled. "How've you been? Dragon didn't hurt you too badly, I hope."
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Pandaemonium
Posts 278
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Post by Limen on Jul 21, 2016 18:41:18 GMT -7
And so it was said unto Limen, like a voice from the man who helps you with your mortgage or car insurance, and Limen replied:
“Free coffee? Bribe accepted.”
Fighting someone as means of only introduction, regardless as to the results or actual harm caused by those fights, was not the gold-star track for feeling comfortable around said person. Especially if that person also has super powers. And large cats. However, when he offered free food, the air of hesitancy around her dispersed. Limen swung herself back up to her feet and happily closed the last few feet between them.
She was greeted by a face. Not in the metaphorical sense - an actual, honest to goodness, maskless face. Limen blinked once, raising her brow (her hand still grabbing the coffee cup despite her brain taking a moment’s vacation there). Was it weird that she’d become so used to seeing people with masks that seeing someone’s actual face felt like she was looking at his exposed muscles?
“Knew your name was Martin, Cat Guy.” She chuckled. She moved to stand beside him, hand on her hip, facing out towards the city. “Arthur’s a new one, though.” Raising the paper cup in cheers, to coffee, a new face, and a pleasant night, she said, “Mine’s Rook. Though you probably could just google that.” She would’ve taken off a mask or hat if she had been wearing one, it only felt fair, but she had none. Her good old usual face would have to do.
“Didn’t get hit as hard as a lot of people. I’ll be back up to ship shape before too long here.” She answered with a shrug. “But I’ve got to ask, why’re you sharing your face and name with me? If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were setting me up for some contractual deal I’m going to feel obligated to agree to.”
She sipped the coffee. It was cheap, but it was better than the instant stuff she drank with every meal. Plus, it was coffee. “Also, you’re a lot older than I was expecting.”
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Post by Arthur Shale on Aug 2, 2016 22:17:37 GMT -7
The comment about his age made Arthur wince a little. He wasn't that old. Then again, compared to most supers, he'd lasted quite a while. In this, he was an oddity, so it wasn't surprising she'd ask about it.
"I suppose my behavior must seem somewhat childish. Not to mention my methods." He smiled wistfully. "Unfortunately, my earlier years were rather more bland than yours. I've been able to command cats for some time, but I never really found a reason to exercise that talent. Until recently, of course... you could say I've been making up for lost time."
He scratched his head, frowning. One small comment and she'd made him give half a monologue. He wasn't here to recite his life story, damnit, he had an agenda to pursue! "Hope you're satisfied with that, because there are more important things to discuss." He crossed his arms, trying his best to look formal and serious. "Like you and your friends. I know you're part of Pandaemonium, but would you say they're good people?"
No, wait, he hasn't meant to word it like that! Quickly, he backtracked. "I mean- I'm not trying to criticize your decisions or anything, but I'm curious! There seems to be some disunity among your ranks, or at least not the kind of coordination we see from the Bulwarks. Looking at you and some of the others I've met... I can't help but wonder whether you and your fellow so-called pandas are really all on the same side."
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Pandaemonium
Posts 278
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Post by Limen on Aug 9, 2016 13:18:25 GMT -7
Five sentences. Limen grinned. Quite the bounty - about Lord Cat’s past, none the less - for an off-hand comment. She could tell she was going to like chatting with him already. That little talk of his past was almost enough to distract her from the fact that he hadn’t answered her actual question: why he’d shown her his face. Almost. The thing she was coming to find about Emerald City was the supers here never do answer the questions you ask. What was the saying, ‘the best way to get the right answer on the Internet is not to ask the question, to post the wrong answer’? It was sort of like that; it was almost better to ask the questions she didn’t want answered and then say random stuff in different ways until she finally got what she was looking for.
“Consider me satisfied. For now.” She sipped the coffee.
“But that, my dear Lord Cat, is a huge matter of opinion.” She began, smiling proudly and knowingly like a librarian who was going to tell a curious student all about her extensive knowledge on Abraham Lincoln. “Good people? Most of them, probably not. Some of them murder because they can or blow up buildings to watch the fireball. But I like them. Same side? Depends on if you count ‘unable to turn your back to them because they’ll totally take the opening because they think it’s funny’ on your side or not. Also depends on how much of us pandas you’re encompassing there. A lot of the various gangs under the Pandaemonium title don’t get along. At all. But if you’re talking about the supers, we’re… probably the best way to put it is we’re like a really big, really messed up family. Some of us hate each other’s guts, sometimes for no discernible reason, and we do attack each other randomly for fun. But if you get down to it, we’re all got each other’s backs, yeah? If one of us needs help, we’re not going to let them fall.
“Why do you ask? Thinking of joining?” She asked, tilting her head at him.
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Post by Arthur Shale on Aug 20, 2016 16:07:11 GMT -7
"Precisely right!" Big Martin smiled, slightly impressed that she'd figured him out. "You complain about backstabbers, but that's nothing compared to what I've had to deal with. There is literally no loyalty among the unaligned. I can't be fully effective without reliable contacts, and Pandaemonium gives me opportunities to network." He raised one finger, sharply. "But! I can't get in with a family that goes against my core principles. You know I'm not averse to a little destruction of property now and again, but I feel that some among your side go beyond mere rebelliousness, and into full-on psychotic assholery. Namely, your so-called leader."
He let that hang for a moment, letting her come to the obvious conclusion. "I wouldn't want my entry to be boring, would I? I fully intend to join, but only after covertly deposing Mosh Man and setting up someone more suitable as a figurehead." He frowned. "Not that there are any great leaders among you... but that doesn't matter. I'm not so foolish as to believe Pandaemonium can be brought under control, I just need someone at the top who's at least willing lay down a few ground rules. And for that, I need the manpower to put them in place."
He spun around, facing her head on, speaking a little louder. "That time at the airport, you came after me... You like a challenge, don't you? So why not help take down one of the biggest names in the city- exciting, large-scale, and you get to feel good about it after the fact!"
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Pandaemonium
Posts 278
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Post by Limen on Aug 26, 2016 14:29:51 GMT -7
Limen swirled the coffee, putting a hand on her hip and exaggerating the tilt in her shoulders to match his theatrics. “Not complaining. I think it’s fun, probably because I fully engage in the backstabbing.” She sipped the coffee. “So you won’t be mad if I randomly challenge you to fights? Not that I don’t already. You’ll fit right in.”
That was the easy part to respond to. The rest was a bit more... complicated. Limen contemplatively crouched down and stared out over the city. “Careful who you say that to, friend.” She said, her voice low. “That’s outright treason there. It’s a little different because we’re Pandaemonium, but if I was more patriotic to our leader, you might have an arrow in your side right now.” She gave him an innocent smile. “But I’m not, so therefore you don’t and we don’t have to have our rematch just yet.”
She took another long sip and watched cars in the distance. “I do like a challenge and I do not like Mosh Man. But while I’m not loyal to him - stopped being loyal about the time I realized I needed to keep tabs on my head if I was in any proximity of him - I’m not loyal to you either. If I help you, I’ll be playing a hand in the death of one of my faction. Directly helping someone kill another person doesn’t sit well with me in general, but make it one of my faction mates?” She shook her head. “This is my answer. If it’s just you and me, it’s just going to be you. Best of luck to you, don’t die, I’ll totally work for you when you’re King of the Pandas too. But, if you can get other Pandaemoniums onto your side, who actually want this and aren’t being conned, then I’ll help. Regardless, I won’t be killing anyone myself. Especially including the Pandaemoniums who’re inevitably going to try to stop you But, I’ll provide plenty of colorful cover fire from where I won’t get my arms turned into projectiles.”
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Post by Arthur Shale on Aug 29, 2016 19:31:07 GMT -7
Limen wasn't quite as enthusiastic as Big Martin had expected. Could it be that all her courage and bombast in battle was but an act? Perhaps the thrill of fighting other supers got to her head, making her more prone to making rash decisions than she was now. It didn't matter, however: the one he needed to convince was the Limen of the moment, and although she hadn't pledged herself wholeheartedly, she did seem open to his ideas.
So he smiled at her, a polished and practiced expression he'd perfected over years of dealing with boring civilians. "Fair enough. I can understand not wanting to put yourself at risk. In fact, I doubt anyone's going to want to get directly into the line of fire- it's probably going to be a careful operation." He ran one hand through his hair. "But I thought you'd be interested. Believe me, you're not the only one tired of Mosh Man. I've spoken to others in your faction, and the sentiment is widespread. All I'm doing is setting the spark, really- and maybe providing a little extra coordination and firepower along the way."
He hesitated. That should be enough, really. She'd said she'd help him if he gathered others to their side, and he'd already planned on doing just that. However, something she'd said had hurt him a little. Responding to it wouldn't necessarily help his cause, and might even drive her away, but he'd never been good at keeping quiet in tense situations.
"I'm not a killer." His fists clenched, and his eyes glanced away, avoiding hers. "Not when I can help it, at least. We don't necessarily have to murder the man- his power only works on living things, so if we can trap him in something inanimate, we could keep him there, hand him over to the Bulwarks or stick him on a ship across the Pacific. It makes things more risky, and there's always a chance of him coming back, but..." He let out a breath. This was stupid. He was stupid. "... it's worth a try, no? Setting an example, showing that Pandaemonium can become more than just a horde of thugs."
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Pandaemonium
Posts 278
Power Level 25
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Post by Limen on Aug 31, 2016 17:00:39 GMT -7
“I certainly appears to be that way.” Limen hummed. She’d heard more than a few quiet grumbles from the unpowereds of her faction, and a number more obvious ones as the result of the recent dragon fight. It probably wouldn’t be hard to get people to agree with Cat Lord’s initiative, but actually getting people to show? She wasn’t the only one who liked all her limbs, and she could count herself lucky that she could bring a sniper rifle and consider herself help from a block or two away.
“Careful operation sounds like a great plan on paper, but never overestimate a Panda’s ability to keep quiet.” Limen joked. “But I am interested, just not in the killing bit.” She shrugged, having already said her part on that. “If you can find a way to walk away from a Mosh Man overthrow with the heads-attached-to-bodies count equal to what it was when the fight began, well,” she chuckled and swung back up to her feet. “Then you really should consider changing your name to ‘Cat Lord’.”
She downed the rest of the coffee and gave him a soft smile. She could respect that he didn’t want to go straight to the kill option, even if doing so might very well get the kill option turned back on him.
“Whatever you do, just don’t go getting yourself killed, yeah? I’ve still got to beat you in a fair fight and make a name for myself off the victory.”
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Post by Big Martin on Sept 5, 2016 14:49:27 GMT -7
Limen's words elicited a smile in return from Arthur. "Neither you nor Mosh Man stands a chance, I'm afraid. Keep trying, though- it's good training for both of us, and I'll confess that I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with." He raised one arm, intending to mess up her hair, then thought better of it. She might look like a sweet kid, but there was still a good chance that she'd take it the wrong way and electrocute him or something for the gesture. Instead, he held his hand out, and let a cat leap onto his arm.
More of his feline servants came rushing towards him, jumping and climbing onto his body until Arthur was covered entirely by the swarm of cats, becoming a writhing mass of fur and tails with a man barely visible inside it. "Nice talk, thanks for coming. Next time we meet, I'm suppose you'll be trying to stop me again... but if there's ever something you need a few thousand cats for, just find a stray and ask for me. You're one of the better villains I've known, and I'd be glad to offer you a hand in your schemes, if you'll accept the aid of a rival." He stepped away and waved, nearly flinging a cat off his arm with the enthusiastic gesture. "Be seeing you, little nemesis! Cheerio!"
He leaped onto the back of the tiger that had brought Limen, and it bounded off to a lower rooftop, carrying him away. He might have spoken with her longer, but he'd gotten what he needed- though he couldn't be entirely sure she'd help him against Mosh Man, talking with her more wouldn't make it any more positive. He'd just have to trust her. Hopefully his dramatic exit would inspire some further confidence from her.
For all his bluster, however, Big Martin made a mental note to start crafting some new battle plans, and training his cats to deal with Limen's specific powerset. Perhaps he was willing to expose his identity and ask for her help, but she was still an enemy, in a sense, and he'd be damned if he let her defeat him without a fight!
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