Chapter 115: Delayed Onset Rampage

Chapter 115: Delayed Onset Rampage

“In a shocking turn of events, Chemestro, once hailed as a bright new star with the potential to become one of Franklin city’s five Anchors, has seemingly gone berserk, attacking multiple homes and businesses overnight.”

Perry’s jaw slowly began hanging open as the newscaster continued.

“Additionally, several allegations of sexual misconduct have surfaced over the last twenty-four hours, from actresses who have publicly expressed support for the super in the past.”

“The hell?” Perry muttered to himself. That was weird.

“Delayed onset rampage?” Heather asked, kicking her heels against the workbench next to Nat.

“Well, maybe...but I don’t know if Chemestro even knows how to sexually misconduct. I mean, I’m not saying these women are liers, but...it seems out of character for him. I think if he went on a rampage, we’d see a lot more loss of life and property destruction and less mustache twirling evil. Dude could take down a city block in about the time it takes to sneeze, so why is he being so precise?”

“It seems...designed to make people hate him.” Perry said. “I mean, school, orphanage, DMV?”

“I thought no one would be mad about someone destroying a DMV.” Heather said.

“Just imagine how long the lines are at the other ones now.” Perry said.

“Aaah,” Heather nodded. “diabolical.”N0v3lRealm was the platform where this chapter was initially revealed on N0v3l.B1n.

“So if he’s trying to provoke animosity...then this is a trap, right?” Natalie asked, peeling her goggles off. The round protective eyewear had left two inverse panda-eyes on her face.

“Well, yeah, but I don’t think it’s for me,” Perry said. “It doesn’t target me specifically at all. I think...I think he might be in some kind of trouble and...” Perry felt like he was forcing the words past sandpaper, “Need some help.”

Perry checked his XP to next level.

XP to next level: 362

“Well, I can sort out exactly what he’s trying to do after I arrest him.”

Chemestro is a powerful super with tons of potential. Arresting him is sure to get me to level seven...and if he IS in trouble, whoever’s doing it to him is probably worth even more.

“You got a greedy look on your face there.” Heather said.

“Nuh uh,” Perry shook his head as he began checking over the Mk.5, getting the spells he would need ready.

The Mark Five was created to be even more resistant to Chemestro’s powers, by introducing more resilient inner wiring, redundancies, and self-healing material throughout the entire guts of the machine, rather than just the plating.

Hopefully it would finally give him something Perry could use to harvest Chemestro’s XP bring him to justice.

Okay, what spells will be useful against Chemestro?

With Chemestro’s bracers giving him resistance to magic, and his hyperweave making him highly resistant to physical damage, AND his power to slip through attacks...There wasn’t much that was particularly effective without being outright lethal.

Perry searched his memory for anything that could help.

Daxer’s Faux teleportation might come in handy, Perry thought, grabbing the spell frame and attaching it to the Mk. 5’s chest slot, inserting the spell disc in the back.

Daxer’s Faux Teleportation used magic to shift the light in such a way that you looked several feet distant from where you actually were, or even make multiple copies.

Perry had several different diamonds with specific cuts that could be rotated in front of the striker, like a CD player, and each one would provide a different effect.

It could buy me a couple seconds of confusion, because he’s never seen it before.

Let’s see, what else? Perry didn’t add Disintegrate, because he was planning on putting that spell into his soul as a powerful trump card, he was running on his last demon eyeball....and he didn’t wanna kill anybody.

Static Shock of course. Perry had added a way to rachet the output down in case he needed to tase a civvie.

Perry loaded the usual Kolath’s Floating armaments into his armor, wincing as his pile of areonite dwindled further.

Tomward’s Floating Dazzler and Dregor’s Flacidity were included, more for utility than anything else: Perry didn’t expect Chemestro to be put down by either of them, but he might be able to cut through a building or float a civilian out of harm’s way.

Anything else? Perry loaded the Bargand’s Favor applicator, then stood back and viewed his work.

The Mk.5 was an ominous matte black piece of armor, with hard angles that appeared to be made out of plastic and shadow.

I think I need a splash of color somewhere. Perry thought. Just so I don’t look like the bad guy.

“So,” Perry said, turning back to his team. “If Chemestro really is on a rampage, there’s a decent chance of getting killed, but I’m willing to bet he’s just putting on a show. And if that’s the case, it’s my responsibility as his official nemesis to throw a wrench in whatever scheme he’s involved in.”

“How much of this is the XP talking?” Heather asked.

“About fifty percent.” Perry admitted, regretting having let them in on the details of his System.

Perry considered for a moment. If Chemestro was actually on a rampage, he had a choice to make: A truly rampaging, unleashed Chemestro could kill most of them in the blink of an eye.

Picturing Nat or Heather turning to dust in front of his eyes was a sobering thought.

How much am I willing to bet that Chemestro is actually faking it?

Perry was only willing to bet himself...

WHOMP!

The illusion split in half, then re-sealed a moment later as the vacuum closed.

“Did you just try to kill me?” Chemestro demanded. That had been the sound of a vacuum closing, implying Warp had figured out how to tear spacetime and by extension, he’d figured out how to tear people.

“I knew you’d dodge it. You’re number one, after all,” Warp said with a shrug.

Stage two is going to be more dangerous than I thought.

“Let’s do this, then.” Warp had been kind enough to do him the courtesy of demonstrating a lethal attack. Now if he fell for one, it was his fault.

Playground rules, I suppose, Chemestro thought.

Warp launched himself forward and gave a exaggerated windup that Chemestro could dodge in his sleep.

It was a ruse.

Instead of dodging, Chemestro went passable, watching Warp’s other hand.

The exaggerated punch split into sixteen fists that attacked from every angle, and Chemestro allowed them to slip through his body while he boxed Warp on the ears and dodged the space-splitting coming from the other hand.

“I see you can split your limbs now too. Not much use if you’re still too slow,” Chemestro said, landing behind Warp.

Suddenly a burst of electricity from his shoulder paralyzed Chemestro’s limb’s.

He left a receiver in my deltoid when I passed through his fists.

Warp whipped around, and Chemestro dodged by allowing himself to fall through the ground.

The ground warped around him, and suddenly up was down as Warp distorted spacetime.

Chemestro pulled the receiver out of his shoulder and spat it in Warp’s face, countering with a cross.

Warp’s head split around his fist.

Chemestro dodged the follow-up uppercut. He had to dodge rather than use his power to let it slip through, because Warp might have another one of those recievers in his hand, and it couldn’t be allowed to lodge in his brain.

They kicked away from each other and paused for a moment to size each other up. Warp’s fighting had improved. More than Chemestro’s, even.

I’ve improved in other ways. If Chemestro was right, He and Warp shared the same weakness, and it couldn’t be erased by a couple forced hugs.

“Wow, this looks like a pretty high-level fight,” Paradox’s modulated voice echoed through the devastated buildings as the Tinker glided to a halt beside them. “Is there a buy-in, or can I just start wherever?”

***Paradox***

Wow, they’re really going at it.

“Wow, this looks like a pretty high level fight,” Paradox said as he arrived. “Is there a buy-in or can I just start wherever?”

“Paradox, Thank goodness you’re here,” Warp said, backing away from Chemestro and taking a crisp stance, the air distorting around him like heat waves. “We can take him out together. He’s too strong to face alone!”

Perry frowned, glancing between Chemestro, who was taking the moment of respite to catch his breath, and the ripped Korean-looking fellow with the scar on his eyebrow. He was just as much a specimen of perfection as Chemestro. Suspiciously so.

Warp

Time active: 2 weeks. (yeah right)

Combat training: None. (bullshit)

Majored in Arts & Humanities before Triggering. Enjoys video and board games. (Not a chance)

The guy’s ripped, and fights like he’s been at it his entire life, and his self-made bio on Nexus is fabricated. This is a setup. But who is it a setup for? Might as well play along with it until I know more.

“Alright, let’s kick his ass,” Perry said, rolling his shoulders.

“Right,” Warp said, taking his pose.

Perry switched off his external speaker.

“Mark five, track the highlighted individual and keep him on the bottom of my HUD,” Perry said, creating a small mini-screen that followed Warp’s location.

Trust, but verify.

Perry charged toward Chemestro, bulling through the super’s disintegrating effects and swinging for his jaw.

Perry felt a surge of satisfaction as Chemestro’s eyes widened.

Yeah, you can’t destroy my armor anymore, Whaddya think about that, punk!?

And that was the last thing Perry remembered.