1x1?

[RavenWolf1010]

A little while later, Roxanne stumbled into the back of the shop. There was a window, always left unlocked. But, it was on the second story. From there, she fell forward onto the bed. The woman proceeded to switch on the T.V. The news was raging about her most recent rescue. Tapes recorded of her touching down in front of the ambulance bay continually played as the newscaster talked on in the background. "... Storm was then seen disappearing into the E.R., carrying the small child of Beth Anderson, age fourty-two. Because of the remarkable acts of our residential superhero, as well as the esteemed surgeons of Plainsborough Hospital, Beth is expected to make a full recovery." The screen flashed to the view of a pale woman with a nasal cannula. "I'd just like to thank her, whoever she really is, and wherever she may be. She saved my life, and now I'll be able to watch my baby grow."

 

Roxanne smiled, her heart warming at the woman's words. In another few hours, she'd go and visit her, on Storm's behalf. "A topaz, would suit her well." With that, she drifted off to sleep.

Edited July 13, 2014 by RavenWolf1010

[pudding]

((Derek the minion! I love it! We've got to do that!))

 

Scandal stopped and glanced back at Derek, finally noticing his nose. It did look oddly twisted around from how it was normally. Quickly, she set the gun down and crossed over to him, peering at his nose curiously. Oh dear. She was a villain, not a sadist. She quickly stood back and snapped her fingers, causing a tile in the ceiling to shift to the side and a whirring, robotic contraption to hover down from a dark place above. It clicked softly as it zoomed over to Derek's chair and easily sliced through the ropes so he could stand. "Just don't leave the room," She ordered sternly before turning away and picking up the gun again. It couldn't be too hard to flip flop them? Of course, she'd need a fail-safe for herself for a dramatic reveal at the end. Oh, this plan would work brilliantly! She'd just have to make sure Derek wouldn't get hurt in the fight. She could probably just mic him or something to simulate the regular banter she and Storm held in a fight and then let her robots rescue him or something while she pretended to be him.

[shadow_claw]

((How does she find out though...? I'VE GOT IT.))

 

As soon as he was released, Derek rubbed his wrists tenderly. Rope was painful. It always was. His eyes flitted to the mechanical arm that had released him. Where...where had he seen that before? He felt like he had seen it another time, but couldn't properly recall when. Not any of the times he had been kidnapped, but... As he looked around, there were more and more things he recalled using or putting together. It...didn't make any sense! The young man cringed and lurched forward as pain split through his skull. The motion made him fall out of his chair onto the cold floor. Clutching his head in silent agony, Derek curled up on the floor. Flashes of distant recollections kept trying to surface in his mind, but only lasted mere seconds. Whimpering softly, he clutched at his right ear as it suddenly burned. On the backside of that ear was a sort of...watermark. Most everything Scandal made had it somewhere. One could easily connect the dots as to why if more of the story was revealed. (())

[pudding]

Scandal dropped the gun onto the floor this time, ignoring the clatter in favor of hurrying to Derek's side. She paused, wary of touching him at first, before noticing something she had not seen before. Her eyes widened as her green fingers grabbed ahold of Derek's ear rather roughly, trying to see the mark better. Her other hand grabbed at Derek's wrist, trying to pull it away from his ear. Usually, she was good at keeping herself under control. The villain couldn't lose their temper; it was unsightly. But this brought up bad memories. Memories of something that had been taken away from her, probably destroyed. And it made her angry with everyone but especially Derek. "Where did you get this?" She asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. If this was some kind of tattoo.. She was very close to having her robots restrain him rather roughly. "Answer me now!" She wasn't going to put up with any of his stuttering today. She was getting an answer out of him or she was going to gut him.

[shadow_claw]

As expected, Derek had a problem replying. He didn't know what she was talking about. His ear...it just...burned. Like there was something there that shouldn't have been. But all he knew was that his ear felt as if it was on fire. "I-It hurts..." He whimpered softly. The man trembled violently upon being grabbed, and curled himself further into a ball. Why wouldn't it stop? Another wave of pain washed over him as more images flickered through his thoughts. Ones he had never seen before. Each one portrayed the same thing; Scandal had once cared for him. She had a soft side. As he finally came to terms with this, his skin seemed to flicker. He went a shade or two paler, and his brown hair turned black. Deep green eyes became a soft wine red. His general structure remained the same, but Derek Redcastle looked entirely different. It was a bit of a...self-induced security system, being able to alter his own looks. By the time he had finished, he remained perfectly still in his scrunched-up position.

[pudding]

Scandal ignored him at first, her eyes glaring into the back of his ear. She didn't want to hear it. She wanted to know what he was doing with that mark. But whatever change had come over him finally managed to frighten her off as she quickly released him and stumbled away when his hair changed, along with his skin. That wasn't right. People couldn't do that kind of thing. Not normal people, anyway. She hesitated then looked upwards. She didn't know what was going on here but she knew one person who would. "Send a message to Storm," She ordered then looked back down at Derek. "And get him to the happy room." Several bots decended from the ceiling and circled around Derek, ready to lift him up and take him to the so-called 'happy room'.

 

It only took a few seconds for a bot to make its way to town hall and start throwing a fit. It was the only way Scandal knew how to summon Storm so it was fairly normal for this to happen. The bot was programmed to tell a message only to the hero but in order to summon her, it had to make a mess first. This involved blowing up several cars and making a general ruckus with horns and various musical instruments.

[shadow_claw]

No! Not the happy room! Derek had only been dragged there on a few occasions, and each one was far from pleasant. Calling it the "Happy Room" was a clever use of a misnomer. Frozen in fear, he remained locked in his curled-up position even when carried. Through a grapple between himself and the robots, he was eventually strapped down to what appeared to be a modified dentistry chair. Although there wasn't much of any real violence, Derek struggled weakly once restrained. "Please...no...n-not again...Please..."

The process was really quite simple. A specially-modified narcotic gas was administered in small doses so that the target (Derek) wouldn't struggle. That, and the gas had a tendency to have its recipients answer any given questions. This usually involved rambling as well, however. The only downsides to it was that it usually made Derek violently ill some time after falling under its effects. As soon as the respirator was placed over his mouth and nose, the young man's body went slack. It was effective, at the very least.

[RavenWolf1010]

As chaos errupted and people began to scream, her eyes fluttered open. Roxanne felt much better now, and was ready to go again; and it was obvious, that she was needed. Having fallen asleep in her suit, and was ready to go. The woman drifted to the window and slipped out. From there she began to enter the minds of those around her. It was a quick process, and she determined that it was one of Scandal's robots, causing chaos. "What is it now?" She flew towards the bot, crossing her arms. Thunder rumbled overhead. "Too lazy to do your own work now, Scandal?" Storm's silver eyes narrowed.

[pudding]

Scandal nervously chewed at her nails, watching the screen as Derek gradually relaxed. This was crazy. Why did he have that mark on him? She didn't like this one bit. But a beeping distracted her as she turned to a monitor. Ah, the hero had arrived. Her robot settled down as an image appeared from the camera on top of it, projecting onto the wall nearby. It was Scandal, watching Storm from the eyes of her robot. "More like busy," She replied, leaning a bit closer to the camera as her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Tell me, who is Derek Redcastle?" She reached up and brought down one of her monitors to show the camera Derek's unfortunate situation. "Because I noticed he had a little mark on him. My signature, as it is. I figured you'd know the answer. If not, no worries. I'll carve it out of him if I have to."

[RavenWolf1010]

"How should I know what you do in that 'secret' headquarters of yours?" Storm cocked her head. "You will carve it out of him? You shall not lay a hand on an innocent mortal. Your grudge is with me." She had to think fast now. "What about a trade? Me for him?" There enlies a problem. Scandal could be wrapped up in Derek Redcastle, and not want to accept. The super heroine knew she was putting herself in a bad position; yet her desire to protect the people of her city trumphed her own desire of survival.

[pudding]

"Now why would I do that?" Scandal asked, tilting her head to the side. "You know I've kept my operations very secret from you. I'm not about to just swing the door open and invite you in for tea." She laughed then stepped away from the monitor. "I guess I'll just have to see for myself. Have fun, little miss. I'll send a few robots to spar with you or something." She gestured to the monitor and turned away, waiting for the monitor to power off or Storm to interrupt. She wasn't an idiot. Pffh.

[shadow_claw]

Poor Derek just couldn't stop talking by the time the drug got into his system. It was mostly muffled by the mask around his mouth and nose, however. "Do you...don't you remember me? I...I was little the last time you saw me..." Although Scandal hadn't had children in the conventional way, she had created something organic once. Well, semi-organic. More like genetically engineered. The man's red eyes shone with sadness after speaking. He resembled something like a kicked puppy. "It's me...Scourge. Please, don't forget me. You couldn't have!" Tears welled in his unfocused eyes as he spoke. She couldn't have forgotten him! It had only been five years! Turning his head so it was resting against the padded seat, he squeezed his eyes shut as tears slid down his face. "I-I...I missed you..."

[pudding]

As it was, Scandal did not remember. She remembered something being stolen and hatred towards Storm but she didn't remember him. Not as he was now, not after he'd grow. Genetically engineering meant rapid growth spurts. The tiny child she knew looked nothing like Derek. And even then, she didn't remember him in the past. She pulled over a microphone, turning it on so she could talk to him in the Happy Room. "Your name is Derek Redcastle," She replied firmly. "If you can't explain that mark to me, I've got nothing more to say to you." She turned the microphone off then turned to the video feed, lifting up one of the larger guns as she did so. "I've got some investigating to do. Tell you what, I'll leave the camera running. Maybe it'll be interesting what I find."

[RavenWolf1010]

The woman clenched her fist. She had to find Derek. Inhaling deeply, she began to search through the many minds. None however, turned out to be Derek's. "Come on, there has to be something." Her eyes fell upon the robot. A spark of an idea ran through her. Lunging, she snatched the bot. It screeched in protest, slashing at her angirly. Storm didn't let go. Instead, she searched for an access panel. What she was trying to accomplish, was a long shot. And from what she knew, Scandal's boys would self destruct if compromised. But, maybe Roxanne could change that... She wasn't exactly a tech wiz, but she could trip the circuit and get it to reset. Hopefully, anyway.

 

The robot powered off, allowing her easier access to it now that it wasn't fighting. People were beginnig to gather around her. That wasn't good either. She had to pay a visit to an old friend. Taking the bot with her, she shot into the air, and then to the west side of the city with a rumble of thunder.

[RavenWolf1010]

The woman clenched her fist. She had to find Derek. Inhaling deeply, she began to search through the many minds. None however, turned out to be Derek's. "Come on, there has to be something." Her eyes fell upon the robot. A spark of an idea ran through her. Lunging, she snatched the bot. It screeched in protest, slashing at her angirly. Storm didn't let go. Instead, she searched for an access panel. What she was trying to accomplish, was a long shot. And from what she knew, Scandal's bots would self destruct if compromised. But, maybe Roxanne could change that... She wasn't exactly a tech wiz, but she could trip the circuit and get it to reset. Hopefully, anyway.

 

The robot powered off, allowing her easier access to it now that it wasn't fighting. People were beginnig to gather around her. That wasn't good either. She had to pay a visit to an old friend. Taking the bot with her, she shot into the air, and then to the west side of the city with a rumble of thunder.

[shadow_claw]

Of course, Scandal's response didn't help his distress any. Derek's hysterical sobbing fogged up his respirator and made it harder to breathe. After all, he hadn't forgot everything. At least, not entirely. It was all still present in his subconscious. "Y-You gave i-it to me!" The man blubbered. " S-Said it was h-how you-you'd find me i-if I e-ever got lost! Please, just let me go! I can prove who I am, I promise!" As he began to cry again, tendrils of darkness crept from the corners of the room and wrapped around the restraints. As his eyes suddenly snapped open, the darkness easily severed the restraints. With his hands free, the man pulled the respirator off. Instead of trying to escape, however, he curled back up in the seat and began to cry again. How could he have been forgotten?

 

((I updated with a new sheet for Scourge.))

[pudding]

"Hey, hey!" Scandal yelled as the visual went to static. What was Storm plotting? She scowled and quickly darted over to a nearby panel, flicking several switches. Oh good, the self destruct was still online. But before she could switch it, her attention was brought back to Derek just in time to watch his apparent escape. How was that... what? "Wait," she ordered, causing the robots to quickly disappear back into the ceiling before they could apprehend him a second time. She pulled the microphone back over to her so she could speak to Derek a second time. "Derek, how did you do that?" She asked softly, watching the monitor. Storm was almost completely forgotten. Why couldn't she remember him? It was like something was scratching at the back of her memory but she couldn't quite recall it.

[shadow_claw]

Scourge wasn't inclined to reply. He felt so heartbroken and dejected, all he wanted to do was cry. But the sound of his creator's voice was just enough to convince him to talk again. "I...told it to do it." The "it" wasn't exactly specified, but video evidence proved he bent the will of the darkness effortlessly. And, with the video back on, he created himself what appeared to be a blanket out of the shadows. Wrapping it around himself like a child, Scourge sniffled pathetically. He was just...sad. Rejected by his creator. What was he supposed to do from there? She didn't want him.

[RavenWolf1010]

"I could try. You have to disable the self-destruct." The man maneuvered the bot carefully. He saw a small wire and clipped. A red glow that illuminated the inside of the robot powered off. "There, now, what'd you want it to do again?"

"I need it to lead me back to her base. She has a hostage." He set the bot down. "Roxanne, you can't keep throwing yourself around like that. I saw the news this morning. It's only been a couple hours-"

"I know, but I as given these powers for a reason! I have to use them to help!"

"Not to the point of killing yourself! What good are you to the city if you're dead?" She fell silent, her expression unreadable. "Just fix it, please." The man sighed, and pushed the contraption away. He set his hands on her shoulders. "Listen, I care about you, ok? You're the only family I have left."

"Zeke, please...." Roxy hung her head, avoiding eye contact. She could sense his emotions. Fear, sadness, love. The woman knew he had feelings for her, but nether of them had ever discussed it. If Scandal had ever found out...

"No, Roxanne, listen, I know you're doing your job. But think about yourself too." He turned away and began working on the robot again, working in silence. He snipped a few wires, tied other together, then nodded, turning back to her. "Alright, I need a bit of a jump start." Storm nodded, touching a hand to the metal side. An arc of electricity leapt from her hand to the metal, forcing the machine back into working order. "I remove the camera so she can't track you. It won't blow either. It's programmed to go back to the point of origin. Unless an EMP is activated, it should work for you."

"Thank you, Zeke." He smirked, waving a screwdriver around. "It's what I do." The bit looked to Storm expectantly. She nodded and it glided to the window. It seemed it was going to wait, but before she could open it, it crashed through the window. Roxanne looked to Zeke apologetically. He shrugged. "I didn't like that window anyway." He winked and waved her off.

[pudding]

Scandal frowned but managed to switch on the security system. The fortress-resting underground in the sewers, quickly went on lock down. Grates slid into place to block access and water began to flow more rapidly from where the fortress was located. Everything was underground and completely hidden from sight but Scandal was paranoid enough to activate it just in case. But then she set off, hurrying down the hall to the Happy Room. She quickly opened up the door and looked around the pristine room painted with colorful, childish images. Rainbows and such, that ilk. "Derek?" She asked, hesitating in the doorway as she looked at the strange blanket he had. Why was this so familiar to her? "Derek, come here."

[RavenWolf1010]

The not came to a rest over an open patch of land. Storm was confused, but the bot wasn't letting up. "What gives?" The bot looked to her, unmoving. "Did I mess you up too bad? Do you need fuel?" It drifted towards her, then with a metal arm, pointed down. "Underground?" It made sense. But there was nothing underground other than... The sewers. But how was she to access them? The bots had to leave and enter from somewhere though, right? "Entry point?" The bot's remaing camera focused and unfocused slowly. It moved slowly to a stormdrain. Rushing water echoed through the concrete pipe. "Seriously?" A foul stench crept up from the depths. It may, or may not have been human sewage. Storm runoff could be just as bad.

 

The bot slid into the dark, disappearing into the gloom. "Hey! Wait!" The opening was small, and she barely had more than a few inches of wiggle room. As she progressed, it widened, eventually opening into a large tunnel. Black water churned beneath her, and the stench of mildew was almost overwhelming. Now she faced another problem. Where'd the robot go? "Crap."

 

She had to get Derek back. This was not good. While she'd said to not have known him, she knew all too well who he was. It's been many years, but she remembered. He was a creation of Scandal. A powerful one way that. She'd helped him create a human identity around what he had been. That had included tucking memories away. But, under enough stress, those could break free. Scandal however, wouldn't likely remember. It'd been one of the nastiest fights they'd had... And well, stuff happened.

Edited July 13, 2014 by RavenWolf1010

[shadow_claw]

That was all it took. Just three words. In a dark blur, the man curled up in the chair had his arms wrapped around Scandal. His scrawny shoulders shook as he began to sob again. "I missed you so much. You...never came back for me. I was so scared." He mumbled tearfully. Even if he had been designed for world domination, he had a bad case of separation anxiety. Five years trapped in the back of his own mind was a lonely and dark time. "I couldn't handle being away from you. I had to forget it all from being so sad. I-I'm sorry, mother." Scourge wasn't the little boy Scandal had originally created, as unstable genes made him grow quickly. He was mentally stuck as a child in some aspects. In others, he was a viscous war machine. These others were hard to come by. The scared little boy was his dominant mindset.

[pudding]

Scandal stumbled slightly as the man threw himself at her, wrapping her up in a big hug. She hesitated at the touch but managed to bring herself to pat him on the back. He was taller than she but really, she wasn't used to be touched. Just attacked or punched, usually by Storm. It was unusual and actually quite nice. "I don't remember," She replied with a small shake of her head. "I don't remember anything like you." She hesitated then pulled away to look up. "Check all of the records. I want to find what is going on here."

Checking the records now. I'll inform you if anything comes up.

[shadow_claw]

Three more words ended up being what made him release her. He froze, staring at the alien in utter disbelief. He took a few shaky steps backwards, tears welling in his eyes yet again. "How...how don't you?" This was all he had the ability to say. His lower lip trembled, but he didn't start sobbing again. Not this time. He had cried all the tears he had. He had to be strong this time. For Scandal. "I don't know what I can do to prove it. But I'm...I'm yours." If she rejected him, where would he go? Back to the surface? It was quite obvious that he wasn't normal just at a first glance. Going to the surface wouldn't be safe. But he couldn't stay where he wasn't wanted, either.

Edited July 13, 2014 by shadow_claw

[pudding]

"I don't know!" Scandal exclaimed, holding out her green hands before holding her head. She was trying to remember, she really was. But her intelligence was failing and she couldn't remember any of it. There was nothing like him that she could remember. "It's like it's there but I just can't remember any of it. I don't know why or how but it's just out of my reach. Just... give me a moment."