"Pests" Control [Scheme]

Respect, was what Solomon would use to describe his view of Big Martin. The man controlled an army of cats. They were small creatures, hardly a threat even in numbers, yet Big Martin had somehow taken a mass of the small mammals and used them to rise, in a matter of months, to become one of the strongest and most influential supers in the city. When Solomon had first heard of this, he was confounded. How had cats never lost a known battle in the super capital of the world? However, as he had done research on the super, how he had fought in battle, it became clear. His armies had more to them than just brute force. They were organized, moved in perfect synchrony, and with purpose beyond simply ‘attack this’ as even many solo supers did. The man was a strategist, and one of no small caliber.

It had made Big Martin one of the largest threats in the city. It also made him a challenge, and a worthy opponent. Now, it would also make him Solomon’s first target.

He had traveled out into town today in search of a large density of cats. What he soon found, however, was a cat of the entirely wrong density - which was to say, ran over. Alone, this was not too strange, but there was a second a ways down, and a third beyond that. All were recent. By that point, something had to be going on. It seemed as though the tires were going out of their way to hit the cats, and these were far from any usual tracks. A quick scrying spell, focused on the past of the third killed cat, revealed a blurry picture of the cat’s last moments and confirmed there was indeed something odd going on. Involving a very large truck, as it were. At least that wouldn't be hard to find.

Solomon began off at a jog, keeping an eye but distance on the tracks, and began on some spells he had figured to work as counters to Big Martin. He would not engage immediately, the shadows were his best location until he was prepared and could get a proper grasp of the situation. This was not something he could rush into. Even with possible back up from the truck, he did not expect this to be an easy fight. But, his target remained the same; the super’s unchallenged might needed to be brought to an end. It was time someone finally beat Big Martin.


SUPPORT: A first battle should be against a worthy opponent.

A Pandaemonium was indeed stalking the suburbs today, but not the one HaLOS and his allies had expected. Big Martin had already left along with his armies, but not before calling in a fellow super from the great red gang, and telling her of a certain attractive white-haired wizard she might be interested in.

A blur of bright pink and blue swept past in front of the roving war machine, snatching up a roving cat and moving it safely out of the way. Long, dainty fingers gently scratched at the creature's back, eliciting purrs of pure ecstasy. Smiling, Lust set the kitty down. So cute! She couldn't just let that ugly machine ruin it so, it would be an absolute tragedy to see such an adorable animal reduced to mere roadkill.

Her main reason for being here, however, was a different kind of cute.

With a bright, sweet laugh, she twirled away like a ballerina, putting distance and houses between her and the war machine before it could turn on her. Lust's speed was impressive, comparable to that of a professional athlete, but far more worrying would be the effect she had- though HaLOS was a machine, without hormones or any real emotions, it would find that its mind was affected by the sight of her, by the sound of her voice. Rational thought began to break down, strange ideas and signals welling up within its strange, cold mind.

The beauty herself had already skipped into sight of the two handsome men in the area, the widening of her eyes accompanied by a squeak of delight as she saw who had come to play with her today. To Gluttony, she gave a cheerful wave, and a mouthed 'bounjour,' for it had been far too long since she'd seen her fellow Sin. Her attention, however, was mainly held captive by the other man, the one in the fashionable coat that looked like a wizard's robe, with dazzling silver hair and a face as cute as a button!

She made eye contact, startled, and turned away slightly, blushing a bright shade of red. "Oh, oh my! Pardonnez-moi, Monsieur, but I am feeling quite faint. I had not expected to meet such a dashing magician today..." Her lips parted and her breathing grew slightly heavier, her chest rising and falling in time to her pattering heartbeat. "I'm afraid I may have been caught by your spell. Th- they say only true love's first kiss can undo such a thing!"

Her acting was pitch-perfect, a picture of surprise and innocence and sudden attraction, even if her words were utterly contrived. Perhaps, however, if one stared deep into her eyes, one might see what truly lay there- hunger. Oh, she'd play with them, steal their cats away and make them chase her down. They'd catch her no doubt, but the more time they spent doing so, the more attracted they would find themselves growing to her. She'd always wondered if magicians really were as sexy as films made them seem, and soon she'd have a change to find out firsthand!

Opposing: Not the pussy you were expecting!

PANOPTICON Ver. 3.023 online

Analyzing aberrant activities.

Coordinated aberrant movements detected in Emerald City, sector AM-35. Analysis suggests strategic motive against rival aberrants. Agent present on-site...

Detected: 28,006 unpowered humans
Detected: Four standard aberrants. See case files 1-5005, 1-5295, 1-5520, 1-5669.
Detected: One anomalous aberrant. See case file 3-0540 (cf. 4-0626).

Conflict probability within next 60 seconds: 99.99%

Mission log start.

(Click here to send in your next round's actions!)

He spared a glance to Gluttony. “Indeed,” he said simply, before returning to muttering the large spell he was trying to finish before he had to engage. The Keeper was far from an unwelcome sight given his standing in the last fight, though it was a shame it had dispersed before he could get a full gauge on the super’s abilities. Solomon supposed it wouldn’t matter much; Gluttony was a Keeper, and so any support Solomon gave him in battle would be done in prolonging the super’s aid, not out of obligation. If Gluttony fell, he would not be his responsibility.

He was still scanning the battlefield for the man, or at the very least a small army of cats. At who actually appeared to defend the house cats, Solomon’s face dropped. Lust, another Pandaemonium, one of Emerald City’s ‘Sins’, and a super of fairly little note. He’d done about as much research on her as he had originally on Gluttony, which was to say little more than her general abilities and reputation. The high profile target he was actually searching for was nowhere to be found.

Why was it she, and another Keeper (Arcanum, a fairly prominent member of the group, from what he could gather of her, but not an immediate threat to the city), were here, but the actual ‘Cat Lord’ was mysteriously absent? One would think, out of everyone in the city, he would have the most stake in a fight such as this.

Much of what he had prepared to fight Big Martin could for the most part be used against these two. Not to optimal effect, but well enough. There was one gap he had not arranged for, and for this he drew out a fourth book to join his usual three. Unlike the others, which were made of materials suited for heavy use and highly decorated, this one didn’t look dissimilar to one’s standard hardback novel. It could’ve been a grandmother’s old copy of Pride and Prejudices if not for the numerous doggy-eared pages and bookmarks stuck between. The pages flipped in the telekinetically lifted book. When they came to settle, Solomon began hurriedly speaking a short passage, using the time to fathom out why Big Martin had given this battle a miss.

It occurred to him about the time he came to the spell’s end. Of course, that’s what he had done. Solomon let out a single laugh. “It appears you’ve been played, machine, and I have walked into it with you.”

He gave Gluttony a cursory nod and spoke a final syllable. The fourth book flashed, and the world to him became subtly more focused and less prone to distraction, atop how he’d already altered it with a previous spell. His concentration was more easily honed and shifted to where he, at time of casting, wanted it to be. It was a simple spell, most generally useful for aiding in long hours of intense study; certainly not the most useful thing he might use for Lust’s abilities, but already he’d been spotted and it was the most he had time to cast.

Solomon strode out onto the soon to be battlefield. “But no matter. There will always be other chances,” His gaze drifted slowly between the the truck and the other Keeper, and settled ultimately on Lust. He gave her a sharp smile. “And unexpected situations can yield unexpected gain.”

HaLOS ignored what Arcanum is saying to it; there’s no point of doing any harmful action to them since they are tend to turn themselves into a silver goop of puddle. This isn’t an empty threat, however, since Arcanum decided to make thing harder for HaLOS to complete its primary mission for today. The street below it turned into quicksand, causing the vehicle to drop into a big hole that they made in order to stop it in its track.

The vehicle landed without being tipped over the side, so at the very least it isn’t too much of a problem other than mere annoyance. As soon as HaLOS gathered its footing down the hole, four large mechanical arms protrude out from the vehicle’s side and reached all the way up, grabbing on to the opening. As soon as it anchored the arms onto the concrete ground, HaLOS used the arms to lift up the vehicle above the hole in order to escape the trap that Arcanum has dropped it into.

“Hurting you is out of the question,” it response to Arcanum, “since you can’t be hurt by normal mean.”

This is not a simple cat’s extermination; this is a message to Big Martin and whoever he’s working with. The Pandaemonium’s days of doing whatever they want, thinking they’re untouchable is over. Everyone can be beaten, even for the self-proclaim cat lord himself; this has proven just how much of a coward Big Martin is when a real threat started to emerge to face him. If the cat-lord himself decide to run away with his tail between his legs, then the least HaLOS can do is punishing the Pandaemonium for their crimes, starting with this weirdo right here.

Now that the table has turned, HaLOS make its way through the muddy terrain that Arcanum made below its wheel as if the tank is hovering above the quicksand with no further issue.

“Enough of your foolish attempt, Arcanum; your trick won’t work on me a second time.”

Arcanum’s priority level has diminished to the point that it doesn’t really matter what they might do. HaLOS will still keep a close eye on them, but right now there’s a Pandaemonium that need some overdue punishment. Even if the cat-hoarder isn't here, HaLOS has already make a contingency plan in case Big Martin decided to run away like a coward. Dealing with those cats in a large area without worrying about hurting any innocent civilians is easier than dealing with each cat one-by-one in the city. It won't be long for HaLOS to find where they're hiding again, and once it does, Big Martin's days are numbered.