City of Heroes

The Brotherhood of Justice

Author's Note: There we go, new chapter and here's a unique challenge for you all for a chance to have your own issue in the new Brotherhood of Justice Classified. Just send me an suggestion via email of what you'd like to see in a member of the Brotherhood's private life and I'll give you credit for inspiring that particuliar Issue. That is how Classified will work. Sort of like a show and tell answer session.

Disclaimer: I don't own City of Heroes, just a half eaten bowl of cereal and a badger.


Issue 8: Monster in the Dark 3 of 6

"I think that's all of them." Necrose stated as she decapitated a zombie with a forceful kick. The floors were littered with broken bodies and sluggish blood. After a moment of inspection she flicked her hand a few times, getting some small bits of gore off of her knuckles. She felt like throwing up, unlike the undead she had been around near her creation these were obviously weeks old and rotting to the core. "Of course we could always split up and I'll go back to make sure the bike isn't stolen."

"Not on your life." Came the dead pan reply as the Bard pressed a button to summon the elevator to the ground floor. Once the door opened the Bard looked back at Necrose and waited until she got the hint, entering the lift first. Only after that did he get in and punch a button for the next floor.

"Why don't we go to the top floor? Wouldn't it make it that much easier for us to hurry up and be done with this?" Necrose asked as she eyed his choice in the dim, flickering light. She had always heard that the heroes were rather streaky in these sorts of things, crazy rather to prefer going through all the minions before reaching the master behind it all. "All this will accomplish is us being tired and drained by the time we reach whoever's behind this all."

"I'm not going to leave your creator with anything but broken toys. If we leave the rest of his forces be then there's the chance they'll suprise us when we're dealing with him." He answered while crossing his arms over his chest. It was about this time that Necrose finally noticed the faint stench coming off of him and recoiled as if she'd been struck. Of course such a sudden jerk made the Bard whirl around in combat stance best he could in such a cramped space. "What's attacking you?!"

"That smell.. have you been drinking?" She held her nose grimacing and then turning so that she was facing the wall.

He dropped the pose and stood up straight again only to slump his shoulders ever so slightly. "I've had alot on my mind to think about." Necrose finally braved a look back at him and frowned as she seemed to find everything about his casual stance that told spoke of depression. the way his muscles were relaxed a little more then the last time she'd seem him, granted she'd been a little crazy then but her memory was good enough to go on. The slump of the shoulders from the usual military discipline style, even the way he looked just slightly heavier on his feet then normal.

For a second she honestly wondered how she could see of all these things, it isn't that she knew him well or that her powers involved telepathy. Not that she knew of anyway. While the elevator was going up conversation may was well take place. So she said the four words that seemed ever so cliche. "Wanna talk about it?"

"Rather not talk about my problems with someone that I can see their stitching that keeps their scalp from sliding off." The Bard answered after a second, almost as if her presence had taken a backseat to his own thoughts. His words carried no heat so she wasn't as offended or hurt as she normally was when some civillian made fun of her. So Necrose waited instead for the lift to get to the next floor which seemed to be taking forever.

"It has to do with the Brotherhood I guess. My stance on superpowers.. isn't favorable if you've kept up with anything about me." That was an understatement, if word on the street was right he tried to take Tempest out when they first met. "I hate powered heroes as much as villians. Absolute power corrupts absolutely and I... there is a certain individual that seems to have that." The Bard had almost spilled about their actual leader, that wouldn't do. Perhaps this talk would do some good to get things out and about as Betty had always preached. "She seems to have different powers all the time from her demonstrations in private and yet she won't tell us how that's even possible. Add to that we do seem to be encountering stronger villians all the time and my theory is proven."

Before she could ask what that theory was the bell dinged, but according to the lighted number they were on the.. top floor? "Obviously someone wants us to put in an appearance as soon as possible.." The Bard muttered and watched the door open to a deserted hallway.

The unlikely pair started to walk while keeping themselves alert. Necrose peered about the corridor that seemed to go on for miles into the darkness, illuiminated periodically by small fires in the waste baskets. It was absolutely silent, and that was even worse then having all of Arachnos just popping up in front of them in the Bard's opinion.

"Where could they be?" Necrose asked in a whisper, keeping her fists balled in case anything may just jump right out at them. She winced when her shoes made a particuliarlly loud squeek against the floor and her 'partner' shot her a glare for it. "Don't look at me like that. I'm not in this business so I don't have some fancy costume. For all the hype I'm just a clinically dead girl getting dragged along when she needs her beauty sleep."

"A good thing for all those civillians out there then." The martial artist replied in a clipped tone devoid of any true anger. Again Necrose was reminded of just how worn out he was.

"Why are you always so smart mouthed anyway? All that does is just get in the way of potential directions to take when dealing with people. Being witty isn't something to always be proud of." She replied while circling around the corner.

If the Bard had an answer she wasn't meant to hear it right then. The wall closest to her exploded out in a shower of plaster as a form that towered over both of them came through in a further burst of darkness, sending the Bard to the floor while the body plowed into Necrose. The woman was carried across the wall and slammed into the wall by her throat, feet nearly eight inches off the ground.

In the flickering firelight the Bard could make out the figure, almost as tall as Garm but not as built. He was completely clothed in black save for the stripes of yellow up the pant sides and a yellow tie just visible under the almost gentlemanly coat. Again, the apparent man's skin was black, painted or magically induced the Bard could not tell. His face was painted in a twisted parody of a clown's, which contorted further by the sickening grin he sported while he tipped his tophat to the captive Necrose. "Ah my dear lady, I've heard so much about it it's as if we've known one another for years."

Necrose coughed, and in a move that suprised the stranger, brought her knee up in a sharp jerk to his chin. The man creature let her go and nearly lost his balance as he stumbled back. Calmly he stood errect again, spit out a small it of blood and grinned again through crimson stained teeth. "Charming.. now my lady.. since I know your name, I shall give you mine." At this time bodies started to shuffled from various rooms behind Bard and Necrose as she went to help him up. Unlike the traditional Vahzilok these were clearly 'true' undead, dressed as various clowns. The tall man gave a sweeping bow, most of his face leaving the glow of the fire. "Ringmaster, lord of the circus of shadows. We will get to know one another quite well you and I."

From further up the hallway Doctor Coroner came with an escort of two clown zombies. He looked haggard, as if he'd been awake for longer then he was accustomed to. Doctor Coroner stopped within a few yard of Ringmaster and sighed before plastering a smile on his face. "Necrose, I knew that the call of the undead would drag you here. Now we can proceed with the experiment as soon as we rid ourselves of your pet there."

Necrose let go of the Bard's shoulders the same instant he tugged away once he was back on his feet. "Experiment? This was all some stupid test designed to piss me off and lose me a night of sleep?"

"Hardly. I would have preferred to not bring you back in this manner, but you see Project New Genesis must be run for the good of science." The Doctor answered with a witty smirk that almost appeared forced in Ringmaster's presence. He then cleared his throat. "Since I could not make the ultimate male specimen.. I had to settle for - "

"Watch your tone doctor, you're here on my good graces." Ringmaster cut in, causing Coroner to wince. Then, after a moment of looking at the imposing giant he continued. "You both are as close to living in a state of perpetual death as possible.. each with amazing powers. Now from you both I wish to see if a.. new generation could arise."


End of Monster in the Dark 3 of 6