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The PRT catches wind of a strange increase in disappeared domestic animals in the downtown area. Given that the people who live there are the rich and powerful, this is clearly a problem that needs to be investigated and solved immediately. The PRT, of course, agrees that this is of utmost importance, and not just because of precedent about mass abductions of pets, of course not, why would you think that, they are so very worried about Fido, even Scion recognizes the merits of rescuing lost pets.
(Lorica's asked to maybe keep a few more eyes there than she has been.)
Sadde and Bell in Worm
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thinkering
Bots converge and swarm as directed, though they keep eyes on the barriers too.
And presently the extant heroes have arrived.
"In position," Dauntless says from a position of cover.
"In position," Dauntless says from a position of cover.
"Drupe, as soon as you're ready to contain the hybrids, give the others a signal. Glam, block all windows with something sturdier than the boards if you can, and irrespective of that when Drupe gives the signal I want you inside through all exits. You like theatrics, figure out a way to make sure Blasto doesn't even think escape's an option. Dauntless and Velocity, you two are to stay outside and watch the exits, listen for Lorica's bots' instructions on the comm, if anything tries to escape you go after it."
mxglam
"I'm gonna give the building a black square hat so that all windows are covered by the same thing," Glam announces, because it's only good and proper to inform your team of your tactical maneuvers, of course.
Said hat appears! And before Blasto's hybrids or the Tinker himself can react to the sudden extra measure of darkness, Sadde has two muscled copies tear the garage door apart and one smaller-but-still-brutish copy for each of the other two doors do the same, opening the way for Lorica's bots.
The interior is much the same as the first lab was, except much better outfitted, with much more expensive material and tools. The warehouse has a second floor of metal walkways that's mostly unused, and several hybrids inside various vats. The only macaque ones are a couple of helpers with lab coats, and the extant hybrids are huge bears simultaneously very similar and very different than the ones the hybrids fought earlier. There are several of those—apparently Blasto doesn't want a repeat performance of the last time.
Said hat appears! And before Blasto's hybrids or the Tinker himself can react to the sudden extra measure of darkness, Sadde has two muscled copies tear the garage door apart and one smaller-but-still-brutish copy for each of the other two doors do the same, opening the way for Lorica's bots.
The interior is much the same as the first lab was, except much better outfitted, with much more expensive material and tools. The warehouse has a second floor of metal walkways that's mostly unused, and several hybrids inside various vats. The only macaque ones are a couple of helpers with lab coats, and the extant hybrids are huge bears simultaneously very similar and very different than the ones the hybrids fought earlier. There are several of those—apparently Blasto doesn't want a repeat performance of the last time.
thinkering
Bots flood in and assess the place and shine some lights on anything that moves or looks like it might start.
mxglam
Blasto gets over his shock and starts moving—
"Kill order!" Glam makes their copies say at the same time. Blasto freezes, and a new copy appears out of the doorway. The hybrids don't do anything without Blasto's signal, but look very aggressive at the sudden bots and copies. "You do anything and you get one," Glam elaborates, and Blasto sags a little.
"Kill order!" Glam makes their copies say at the same time. Blasto freezes, and a new copy appears out of the doorway. The hybrids don't do anything without Blasto's signal, but look very aggressive at the sudden bots and copies. "You do anything and you get one," Glam elaborates, and Blasto sags a little.
"Blasto, have you been watching the news?" Armsmaster speaks through the bots.
Blasto flinches. "I—sorta?"
"Those monkeys you released a while back are multiplying and mutating. Are you aware of the PRT's opinions on self-replicating minions?"
"Um."
"Do you know what happened in Ellisburg?"
"Yes...?"
"We will do everything in our power to prevent anything like that from happening again, and I do mean everything." Blasto reacts as if he's been slapped, flinching with his whole body. "So you have two options: you cooperate with us, or you don't. If you don't, we'll deal with it anyway, but you get a one-way ticket to the Birdcage, and don't even think about trying to escape, you are more than outnumbered and outmatched, here."
"Outnumbered?"
"Glam can create an arbitrary number of copies or other objects, including restraints for each and every one of your hybrids," he fibs. "Drupe can control and secure them, Dauntless and Velocity are faster than anything you could hope to create would be, Lorica and her robots have enormous multitasking ability. There is no way you will be able to leave this place."
Blasto looks at the floor. "I was just trying to do research—"
"Too bad," Armsmaster interrupts. "Are you going to cooperate?"
Blasto looks around again, then sighs and says, "Yes," in a small voice.
"I hope you understand that if you try to trick us you will be facing the rest of your life in the Birdcage." Blasto doesn't answer. "Is that understood?" Armsmaster insists. Blasto nods mutely. "Excellent. Lorica, Glam, bring us some of those monkeys, I want to make sure Blasto's not lying to us before using anything he creates on this city."
Blasto flinches. "I—sorta?"
"Those monkeys you released a while back are multiplying and mutating. Are you aware of the PRT's opinions on self-replicating minions?"
"Um."
"Do you know what happened in Ellisburg?"
"Yes...?"
"We will do everything in our power to prevent anything like that from happening again, and I do mean everything." Blasto reacts as if he's been slapped, flinching with his whole body. "So you have two options: you cooperate with us, or you don't. If you don't, we'll deal with it anyway, but you get a one-way ticket to the Birdcage, and don't even think about trying to escape, you are more than outnumbered and outmatched, here."
"Outnumbered?"
"Glam can create an arbitrary number of copies or other objects, including restraints for each and every one of your hybrids," he fibs. "Drupe can control and secure them, Dauntless and Velocity are faster than anything you could hope to create would be, Lorica and her robots have enormous multitasking ability. There is no way you will be able to leave this place."
Blasto looks at the floor. "I was just trying to do research—"
"Too bad," Armsmaster interrupts. "Are you going to cooperate?"
Blasto looks around again, then sighs and says, "Yes," in a small voice.
"I hope you understand that if you try to trick us you will be facing the rest of your life in the Birdcage." Blasto doesn't answer. "Is that understood?" Armsmaster insists. Blasto nods mutely. "Excellent. Lorica, Glam, bring us some of those monkeys, I want to make sure Blasto's not lying to us before using anything he creates on this city."
The other fights are almost wrapped up. Without Drupe to contain monkeys where Windflower was coming, some of them escaped, but the trees themselves are almost all dead and contained, with only a minimal number of civilian casualties.
Which will, of course, be a PR nightmare.
When the monkey arrives, Blasto is finishing up concocting something. "This is supposed to attract them. They'll be unable to resist following it." To demonstrate, he wafts it about, and the monkeys start struggling. Glam lets one of them go, and it quickly crosses the length of the room to be near Blasto, causing him to yelp and almost lose his balance and fall. "I'm going to make more of this and you can use it to attract the monkeys anywhere in the city."
"How long will this take?" Armsmaster asks.
"For the whole city? An hour."
"See to it. And get rid of your hybrids."
"But—"
"You're under arrest, Blasto, in case it wasn't obvious. There's no but."
"You said I wasn't going to the Birdcage!"
"We will discuss your options once this situation has been resolved and you've been transported to the PHQ, but we clearly cannot let you go."
"I won't make anything that can reproduce!"
"Get to work.."
"But—"
"I'll leave you under Glam and Lorica's supervision and will be joining you myself as soon as I can." And he cuts off transmission.
Blasto sighs and resumes work.
Which will, of course, be a PR nightmare.
When the monkey arrives, Blasto is finishing up concocting something. "This is supposed to attract them. They'll be unable to resist following it." To demonstrate, he wafts it about, and the monkeys start struggling. Glam lets one of them go, and it quickly crosses the length of the room to be near Blasto, causing him to yelp and almost lose his balance and fall. "I'm going to make more of this and you can use it to attract the monkeys anywhere in the city."
"How long will this take?" Armsmaster asks.
"For the whole city? An hour."
"See to it. And get rid of your hybrids."
"But—"
"You're under arrest, Blasto, in case it wasn't obvious. There's no but."
"You said I wasn't going to the Birdcage!"
"We will discuss your options once this situation has been resolved and you've been transported to the PHQ, but we clearly cannot let you go."
"I won't make anything that can reproduce!"
"Get to work.."
"But—"
"I'll leave you under Glam and Lorica's supervision and will be joining you myself as soon as I can." And he cuts off transmission.
Blasto sighs and resumes work.
thinkering
A bot lands on each of his shoulders to peer at what he's doing and forward video to Miracle Max for the hope of warning if he tries anything fishy.
He won't try anything fishy, but he'll eep and almost drop his vials once the bots land on him.
Eventually Armsmaster does arrive, looming over there and watching Blasto work in silence, and eventually Blasto's done with a large batch of the substance. "If you spread this around the city any extant monkeys will follow you."
"Very well. And now you are com—"
Blasto looks around in a panic, reaches inside his lab coat-
Eventually Armsmaster does arrive, looming over there and watching Blasto work in silence, and eventually Blasto's done with a large batch of the substance. "If you spread this around the city any extant monkeys will follow you."
"Very well. And now you are com—"
Blasto looks around in a panic, reaches inside his lab coat-
Armsmaster sighs and walks towards Blasto, but the two macaque helpers, which had been hanging back, get very agitated by this and start reaching for stuff inside their own lab coats—
mxglam
Glam binds them with the Siberian-binds (it's so much better to do this with not-quite-people) and they start struggling. "We should probably get rid of the other hybrids," they say, even though said hybrids haven't moved since they arrived.
"I trust you to deal with that. Lorica, can you outfit your bots with the pheromones? Drupe, the trainyard is a good place to attract them to, wait there for the monkeys Lorica's bots will be bringing and make sure they don't escape. I'm going to bring Blasto into custody."
thinkering
"Can do." Bots fly to and "sip" from the substance in an orderly fashion and head out to lead monkeys to the trainyard.
mxglam
Glam "deals" with the hybrids, verifying that the macaque ones aren't people in the strictest sense first (how can you even verify that? can they afford the doubt?), then focuses on Windflower's barriers.
"There are probably monkeys all over the city. Try to cover as much ground as you can," Armsmaster says as he's loading Blasto onto his bike, properly secured.