Unexpected Allies

(OOC: Unless someone objects, I'm thinking that the Twilight Zone just be an extended portion of Angel Island, and it is the counterpart of the Twilight Cage of Mobius Beta.)

It had been over a year since Dr. Finitevus had treacherously betrayed the Dark Legion hierarchy and the Brotherhood, trapping the two parties in the Twilight Zone. While the Dark Legion had perviously been interred in the Zone, it was an entirely new experience to the Brotherhood.

The two separate factions had agreed to keep to 'territories' and avoid contact, instead of continually fighting. It had worked for their arrangements so far, although poor Moritori Rex was in a predicament about his dual identities, and how the charade would be affected by all the close relations. All it would take would be a misplaced jeer from one of the DL, and his cover would be blown, with serious consequences.

It would take a treaty and meeting of like-minds to get a way out of this prison. The Dark Legion had the knowledge of a singular way out, but no idea of whether it had been plugged or not, and not sufficient manpower. The Brotherhood had the power in excess, but they had no idea of the sort of territory or holes that the zone offered, aside from the two, perviously found ways in... While Finitevus had a way to come in and mock them occasion, they had no way to access any of his warp rings, and they had no real technologically created exits. A new solution had to be created.

But which group would leave, and which group would be doomed to remain?

Players: (Dr. Finitevus, Spectre, Moritori Rex, and soon, Trac)

'Oh, how absolutely superb...Surrounded by Legion...' Were Spectre's sarcastic thoughts. Here he was in the heart of enemy territory, Dark Legionnaires everywhere, and not one of them were facing the wrath of the elder Guardian's powers. This entire city, thanks to Legion technology, rendered the Guardian's link to the chaos force useless. How frustrating it was to be without the powers he had his whole life grown accustomed to as if it were a part of himself as natural as any of his limbs, implementing it into his every day life. How infuriating it was for Legion to be so close and have to hold back this avaricious need to slaughter. Alas, killing them would certainly extinguish any hopes of an alliance. Now that wouldn't be too good.

A shame. Spectre certainly wanted to demonstrate what he could do. Kill a few here, kill a few there, make a few beg, make a few suffer. His total hatred for the Legion was unrivaled by that of any of the other members of the Brotherhood, especially the hatred for the one who stood before them , mocking them with his every gesture before words were even spoken.

It was taking Spectre a tremendous amount of self control to keep from lunging at Moritori Rex now. This pompous Echidna was the reason behind Spectre's miserable childhood... If not for him and his legion maybe Tobor would never have changed into such a hateful and aggressive Echidna. It was HIS fault that the Guardian's father suffered such a calamity that cost him his organic eyes and the kindness he once had in abundance. Unbeknownst to the black furred male, the one he's called father all his life was the one sneering at them, Moritori as he appeared undisguised, still just as evil as the father he's grown up with, though that terrible side of 'Tobor' only fully emerged when alone with his 'son'.

"Heh..I'd prefer to spend as little time here as possible, Moritori. Pointless chit chat would only prolong this little visit and your not my preferred company of choice. I intend to get straight to the point. We both need a way to escape this zone. If you and your people could have rid yourself of this place by yourselves then you would have done so already. And the chances of another Ultimate Annihilator going off and weakening the barrier between zones is highly unlikely. You need our help as much as we need yours."

As the subject of Tobor was brought up, Spectre couldn't bother to hold back a scowl in disdain. Good riddance to that man. Red eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms. He really didn't care much for the one he called father. "I suppose we do want him back..." Of course, with those words he was speaking for the rest of the Brotherhood who had never seen 'Tobor's' true colors, something Spectre had to suffer through on a daily basis. But enough of Tobor. "Hypocritical we may be for using technology for good. Stooping to your level is something we haven't. The Brotherhood does not use it for tools of war and destruction like your kind since the start of the Dark Legion."

Moritori Rex had been filled in on the situation of their last escape from the Twilight Zone in most recent history, due to some sort of cosmic intercession, and it was doubtful that such an event would occur two times in a row. The Legion had also previously created a portal machine that could open a rift about three men tall, and twenty across, a nice junction to lead an army out of, as Luger had once done. Such a machine had fallen into disrepair, and the engineers the Grandmaster had sent down to determine its efficacy in current events had discovered that even though still functional (weak as the beam was), it no longer worked against the dimensional barriers. The cosmic eventuality had apparently shifted their zone just a little too much, out of the realm of technology alone, or at least, their current technology.

Despite his outward appearance of a cool and collected demeanor, even verbally assaulting the Guardian, he was just as anxious to get out of here as they were. With limited options, Moritori understood that an alliance would be most beneficial to both parties concerned, and that only by cooperating could they survive and get out of there. They had common interests and desires: freedom, and revenge on the man who had betrayed them and led them here. If only such a linking were not so.... distasteful, he would have already signed them off as a whole faction, and pushed the Guardians over to their engineers to collaborate on their escape.

Working together with the very same contigent that was responsible for murdering his father and depriving him of a childhood and life under the love and guidance of the leader of their society and culture. Living under the same black sky as this family that exiled and abandoned them for refusing to turn their backs on the glorious past and culture that their society had built up for itself. Blaming such achievements as the source of all evil when Grandfather Dimitri had only been there to bring the light...

If he had blood anything less than completely icy, it would have boiled in indignation... but Moritori was a cool player. They were still unaware of the Tobor situation, which worked to his advantage. Any alliance, however temporary, would result in gaining more information from the Brotherhood, the sort that would have been too sensitive before - information like Chaos Force output, or if, instead of being containers for the energies, their capacity for Chaos Force channelling, and any degree of that. It was already presumed that Spectre was their most powerful candidate, which meant that his engineers would be spending the most time with him.... getting the most information out of him.

That is, they would have to.... and the Guardians would have to comply, if they ever wanted to use their precious power again. Moritori was currently wearing the only band which negated the effects of the Control Tower's impulses, leaving him the only one able to access his tentative ties to the Chaos Force - the ties that let him continue his charade as their father figure.

"We have never desired the destruction of Echidnopolis, though you may have been misled by the teachings of your predecessors. Your kind, instead, was the one to drive out and destroy millennia of history and culture in a single swipe.... and to exile those who would preserve it. You think that we would destroy what has been built up since then? No, child.... we would only add what the Echidna race has been lacking... knowledge. Our history. Our origins. The lifeblood of the dead Knuckles Tribe that was our very progenitor... that which set us apart from the mother colony of Albion itself, and allowed us to thrive and move beyond even their own advancements. Under the wing and protection of Lord Dimitri, we have remembered and kept the very essence of what we have lost...."

He sniffed. "You call us out for what we are - fanatic, perhaps, in the technological alterations, though most definitely, I assure you, their application in the extention of life could only be called a rightful blessing, and damn your Aurora for what you consider 'due time'! No! You say that we are the murderers - you, who have denied, through your pogroms, the possibility of extended life through the medical advances that you proclaimed as heretical - Even your forefather Edmund was well used to the comforts of the hospitals which you have never, never known because of your blindness. We have never hidden what we are from you; you have hidden your true faces from your people, from your society, and from your own children. Expect that some day, they shall turn on you."

...Perhaps that was too much... he forced a sick, malicious smile back onto his face. "Indeed, now that the scales are balanced, and we can come to a better understanding... our current situation forces closer association and dependence than either of our factions would so desire. I offer you this, Guardian: cooperation and no treachery on our part, a return of your power that you are so reliant upon, and a free return to your home in Haven.... as long as the same is expected and returned on our part...." He paused, trying to recall what else he wanted. "We will return your.... Guardian Tobor to you, to do as you wish with... we expect the same of you: deliver up Finitevus, and don't meddle in our retribution. I'm sure you can find it in your hearts to turn a blind eye to the vengence that I know you well wish for yourself on his sorry form."

Moritori Rex sneered, and waved a hand at his faithful and dutiful Phineas. "And if not? We'll find a way out at some point; I assure you. You will be left here to fend for yourself, if you can, and see how you like it in this quagmire - time as slow as the breath of stone. Any form of treachery and attempted coup d'etat? My secretary Phineas alone is more than capable of dispatching you without a trace of remorse. Doctor, why don't you show him what you can do?"

There were plenty of options for a demonstration: electronics in every region of the room and city, the cybernetics on any one of the Legionnaires currently in the area, and, of course, a small army of nanites in every living Guardian's bloodstream, injected during a routine exam, or flu shot.* Insufficient to completely take over their form, or even perform a crude cyborgization on their limbs, but enough to make actions painful, cut off blood flow to the heart or brain, even provide an electric impulse to the heart that would ultimately prove fatal. He would see for himself what Phineas cared to do, and exactly how cruel his little doctor could be. Perhaps it would provide some sort of stimulant to Luger and show him exactly what was expected of a Grandmaster-to-be, though, seeing as he had given up the title all too willingly upon the return of his father, and had acted as Moritori's willing subject even when he had the Legion rightfully under his control, not too much could be expected of him.

*Perhaps what Moritori was trying to put in Hawking in the other timeline? Nanites not injected into their target site, but exposed to oxygen-rich air could be potentially dangerous, like becoming a corrosive substance before petering out past the nanite prime. In this timeline, Moritori was never caught.... so it's very possible. His past actions certainly didn't seem to corespond with the Moritori that Penders made us face up with - killing Hawking in so obvious a manner as to be caught like that didn't match with the decades (if not centuries) that he spent in the guise of a father and grandfather, as well as a Guardian and member of the Brotherhood. Nanites it is.)