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famed & framed
"There will be no prison which can hold our movement down."
The Ingress has pulled you in. Your body experiences several sensations at once: being pushed forward as if a hand is resting on your back, momentary and startling blindness, a gentle ringing in your head. You have difficulty discerning whether it is hot or cold, but where you have been prodded is noticeably warmer than the rest of you. Some may suffer from dizziness while others are perfectly fine. Once equilibrium has been reestablished, you will notice you are standing on a long platform and that the room is filled with a soft cerulean light. It's slightly humid and dark despite the glow around you, and nothing is familiar.
Yet, unlike most new crew arrivals, this one is in the middle of chaos.
Despite more recent events, the planet of Emiri is not as peaceful as it once was. Frederick Link is still missing, and the authorities of Emiri have yet to lift the interplanetary ban they have placed on all space crafts docked at the aerospace. The captains previous held a meeting asking crew for any and all information that might help them locate the Komai, a mysterious group determined to undermine Link'd Inc's work providing flourishing matches across the universe by causing random acts of violence and protest across the three main cities: Harashan, Avelle, and St. Murtel. These things have led to mass arrests as well as an unsettling atmosphere spreading across the planet, and since a previous broadcast, things are beginning to escalate.
A downward spiral of these events begins as soon as new arrivals start to leave the Ingress—an unmarked box arrives in the cargo bay addressed to the inhabitants of the Moira. As per his job, Niko Bellic is the one to discover this box and open it. For some, the contents may be particularly gruesome. Link’s body is inside, clothed in a simple white button-down and pants (no shoes), and it looks as if letters have begun to bleed through the material. Anyone with expert knowledge of torture may note that Link was, in fact, tortured for information, and those letters? The writing itself spells out the name St. Murtel.
The captains, having been alerted of this, make an attempt to contact those at Link’d Inc. Unfortunately, the damage has already been done.
☄ First: MISCOMMUNICATIONSomehow, whether intentional or not, the Komai have once again hacked public systems and networks to brand those of the Moira as the ones behind these terroristic acts. They still use their own name, but the images are different, focusing on familiar faces wearing the ship’s uniforms and traveling to the Aerospace to return to the Moira. Not only that, there are short recordings of Link’s final words that mention a very recognizable name: Captain Thán. The Komai have redirected the blame to the Moira and its crew for their own means, and in response, any and all crew who are captured by authorities will immediately be detained and shipped out to unknown locations. The Captains send a message via MID and request everyone return to the ship to prevent this from happening. Yet, not all messages will be delivered depending on how far away they are.
With everyone’s safety hanging in the balance, the Captains have decided to take things into their own hands and find a way to lift the block on the Moira so they can leave Emiri’s orbit and avoid further repercussions regardless of whether or not any one of the crew wants to stay.
☄ Second: DECOY & DISTRACT After learning that Benjamin Link, son of recently deceased Frederick Link, knows how to unlock the ship so they can leave, the captains ask for volunteers to act as decoys on a mission to the Aerospace in Harashan. Their job is to distract guards and Emiri citizens, leaving the path clear for Benjamin to get to the computers. The captains reiterate that they are to use nonfatal methods as they don’t want a repeat of the events on Caducus Primary. Without his help, the ship won’t be able to leave, making this mission critical and extremely time sensitive. ☄ Third: RESCUEDuring the mission, Benjamin informs the crew that the Komai aren’t incorrect in their claims that Link’d Inc uses unforgivable means to obtain information in order to make their matches perfect. The children the crew dreamed about are just two of many—the offspring of Emirian citizens who had gone missing. It has long been suspected that Link’d Inc was involved in their disappearances, but only recently has the Komai done anything to shed light on these gruesome rumors. Benjamin, after successfully unlocking the ship, disables the security systems in St. Murtel, which will allow the children a chance to escape. They’ll need assistance in getting out of St. Murtel and to a pre-designated area in Avelle where a group of Komai and Emirians will be waiting for them.
But be careful. If anyone is recognized as part of the crew, they will be placed under arrest for treason and possibly never heard from again. ☄ Fourth: BREAKING OUTNow that the computer systems in Harashan’s Aerospace have been used to release the Moira, the entire crew are being called back via MID for an expedient exit from Emiri. Crew will be asked to assist other Moirans in getting back to the ship as quickly as possible via transporters or other small crafts as leaving is their only option at this point. In the escape, Emiri launches an attack on the Moira in an attempt to stop them. The ship’s previously unused defense systems activate, and those assigned to those positions are required to man their posts. Perhaps even those who don’t have the clearance are needed. Either way, it’s time to leave. ☄ Fifth: REFUGEESNow that the ship has finally escaped Emiri’s orbit, the crew will notice a group of stragglers in the main hall. During the crew’s quick exit, about fifty Emirians have taken refuge aboard the Moira, and the captains have agreed to take them to the closest planet so they may start again or live a life free of Link’d Inc “rule”. The captains ask the crew to help get them clothes and food for their short stay, no longer than a day at most, and to occupy them as best they can. Tell jokes, sing songs, bring up the kittens so that everyone can attempt to wind down after this series of unfortunate events. Light entertainment won’t be provided, but on request, some crew members may do just that.
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hownkai) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thisavrou_log2016-02-01 11:09 am
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Good, that's--really good. Look at you. All hot and invincible. [Pun intended. He reaches out with the unoccupied hand and cups her cheek, brushing his thumb under her eye. ] You're my super-honey.
I said I would, didn't I? [As grateful as he was that she had these abilities right now, if she wanted to be cured, he'd do it for her. He wouldn't force her to keep something she didn't want.]
Eh, you know. Stuff. Generally unpleasant stuff. Did you know Barton is married? To an actual woman. He's got kids and everything. I didn't expect it. I don't think any of us did, actually. Except Romanoff. She knew, sneaky little spider. [He's avoiding that question, Pepper, dear.]
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[And she doesn't have words to express how much she loves him for saying it.
He had indeed said he would save her, make her human again after Killian's attempts to turn her into a trophy. She doesn't need to hear that the choice is hers to know Tony would do whatever she asked, fix her or leave her as she is. She leans down without another word, presses her lips to his and thanks whatever force that has drawn them here for bringing them both. She prides herself on her ability to not only cope, but prosper in adverse situations, to make sense out of chaos in whatever method she can. She was okay here on her own, without Tony at her side.
But God, she feels so much closer to whole just having him there.]
I don't know why that should surprise you. It is Natasha. [Her voice is soft only because she's still close to him, breathing in his scent even as she chides him a bit.] I'm also pretty sure you skipped over a big part there. What exactly do you mean by "generally unpleasant stuff."
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[Tony made a hesitant sound, looking uncomfortable. Yeah, that was a subject he didn't want to touch with any length of stick.] HYDRA took over SHIELD and essentially shut it down. That's something. Fury's still being a creep. We hired Hill, one of Fury's, and apparently still one of Fury's. Traitor. Uhh, let's see, we've been running around shutting down HYDRA bases looking for Loki's magic wand. Bruce and I created a monster by accident, and oh, we made some new friends--well, one. She does this mind-control thing and telekinesis. And Beafcake and I destroyed a country. Small one. [He lifts a hand slightly and pinches his fingers together to indicate 'small'. Yeah, he'll just ramble that on and hope his calm tone and all the extra, unneeded details distract her from the terrible things.] Generally unpleasant stuff.
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Bruce said he would help me. [Of course to what extent could be redefined, depending on the road Pepper chose to take. For the moment, she wants to focus on what's already been set into place; the rest is a bit too much just yet.] I told him, after he was about to start lecturing me for going down to the planet too. [She glances down again, to where her fingers remain wrapped around his.] He's the only other one who knows.
[And while Tony isn't always the best at keeping secrets, he also isn't always the worst. This time, she thinks he might manage to not let anyone else in on hers.
She sits upright when he relents, his rambling changing direction to tell her a brief overview of what's transpired for him. It's a lot even from the start, her eyes going wide even at the very first thing he manages to get out. Pepper almost has to bite her tongue literally to keep from interrupting him, at more than one point in all of that. Congrats, Tony, that calm tone doesn't help distract her at all.]
You what?! [She doesn't even know where to start. Gone are the loving looks of adoration of just a few seconds before, replaced by the disbelief that even half of what he's said is even possible.] Tony, what are you even talking about? HYDRA and SHIELD, and you made a monster, and--and you destroyed a country what were you thinking?
[Oh God what even is their world in the coming years?]
no subject
Whoa, whoa. See, this is the kind of overreacting I was afraid of. I don't know all the deets, but SHIELD was a mess. Apparently HYDRA--terrorist organisation--was festering inside SHIELD, taking it over or something? I don't know, I was a little busy when it was all going down. [Pepper, sweetie, honey, don't judge him. There are perfectly good explanations for all of this... he hopes.]
Bruce and I sort of had this idea of a world that didn't need us to protect it. We could all just kick back and retire because we were gonna build an artificial replacement. No more going into battle, no more worrying I may not make it back, no more alien invasions. But something went really wrong and we sort of... messed up. A total FUBAR. But, we fixed it. Made a nicer, better version and that version is called Vision. We threw JARVIS' matrix into an artificial body, long story short, you're a mother and a grandmother, honey. Or, you were a mother.
Said artificial replacement turned a small European country into a meteor. Collision meant life as we know it would go the way of the dinosaur, and it's back to protolife. So, Thor and I had to blow up the country before it hit Earth again--it sounds crazy, but we evacuated everyone. [It's all said very calmly, but knowing him as well as she does, she'd probably notice his tight-lipped, level-headed reply was hiding the fact that he might be slightly swallowed by guilt.]
Well, actually, I didn't get to see us blow up the country. It was the plan Thunderbuns and I had cooked up, but I got yanked here, instead. I'm just gonna say all went as planned and no one died tragically.
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At least he relents on that point, so Pepper does to. Better, he agrees to keep her secret, which while no surprise, is still a comfort.
A small one in light of everything else. She keeps her commentary to herself as she listens, and at the start of it, the logic almost seems sound. No more worrying, and God, did he start whatever mad work he'd attempted for her sake as much as his own? Tony would, he'd do exactly that, and she lets out a slow breath but still forces herself to let him continue.
After that, it's the shock that keeps her words at bay. FUBAR isn't even close to describing it all, and Tony knows it. He's chattering on just like he would about anything else, but this isn't some casual conversation. It's a confession, because even if the plan had worked perfectly, there's no way to deny so much loss. People had to have died, in spite of their best efforts, and even those that survived would have lost literally everything, because of Tony's best intentions.
And worst of all, he's not even sure if he saved the world, or pieced together its destruction.]
Tony... [God, where does she even start? Part of her is angry at him, angry at the genius that could make something like this possible and would, because he never knows when to temper himself. She's a little mad at herself too, because where is she during all of this? Had she agreed to this crazy scheme, hoping they might be able to lead a normal life? She has to wonder, because Pepper could see it happening that way. Deciding to trust Tony's judgement, because she wants his safety assured.
She curls her fingers more tightly around his, then lifts her other hand to touch his face. For whatever reasons she has in the future, Pepper will allow this to happen. That means now, she has to pick up the pieces in the aftermath, like she always does.]
You should talk to Steve. I think he's from a date closer to yours than I am. [Maybe from far enough in Tony's future to give him the answers he needs.]
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Yes, it was a confession. One he doesn't expect her to forgive or fully understand, but he needed to get it out as much as he hated to do it at the same time. The way she says his name almost stings, but he doesn't show it. If he knew she was wondering whether she had a part in approving of his plan, he'd more than emphatically tell her she wasn't in the loop. She held no fault here. It was all him. He wouldn't even let blame fall on Bruce if he could help it. They had an idea, he rushed it.
He rushed it because he killed them all. He didn't do enough to protect everyone and he lost everyone he cared about. How could he not rush it?
She mentions Steve and he scoffs, looking away.]
I don't know when the guy's from exactly, but he's not my biggest fan right now. I think he might be a bit before me? Maybe not. Getting the 'cold shoulder' vibe. But I spoke to the Maximoff girl and she seemed willing to not kill me, so I'm gonna assume it went okay. [Granted, it was before he he went in the deep freeze, but it still counted.]
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And it's also better that he doesn't know her thoughts, because Pepper likes the idea that he could hide something like this from her even less. She'd underestimated the trauma caused by the Battle of New York to him, let him spiral while she focused on the assorted aspects of their life until one night when his suit jerked her away because Tony had a nightmare, and the machine saw her as a threat. Now this, and it doesn't matter that it hasn't happened for her (yet) or that she will know nothing when it does. It still feels like something Pepper should have been able to stop.
But all she can do is try and fix it now. So when Tony looks away, she doesn't let him. Her palm rests on his cheek, and she gently pushes him to look at her again.]
Then that's all the more reason to talk to him. You two need to work this out. [Not only so Tony could piece together himself in the aftermath, but because the Moira is far from a safe place. They don't need a rift among allies while they're all stuck out here.
Still, it seems like there's more she doesn't know. Tony mentions a name, making Pepper frown as she tries to place it.] Maximoff girl? There's someone else from our world here?
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Not sure there's anything to work out? We were getting along fine fighting Ultron. I can never make amends for that FUBAR, but I think we found some common ground again. He was--I didn't tell the team I was working on Ultron and that pissed him off. Giving him breathing room is probably best.
[He kisses her palm gently and rests his head back again.]
Yeah, one of the kids HYDRA experimented on. She's got powers and a grudge against me. She's got an enhanced twin brother, too. She twisted our heads. Made us see things. But they're friendlies now, don't worry. Dunno if she's still here. Didn't look.
no subject
Still, it's hard to argue with him when it comes to Steve. Part of her still wonders if Tony's logic isn't routed in his own regret--I can never make amends,--but in the end, he knows Steve better than she does. They've barely spoken, and only here on the Moira. For Tony, they've been working as a team for sometime now. Given his reaction, maybe as friends.]
If that's what you think is best. [For now. If breathing room doesn't work, then Pepper herself would intercede--but Tony doesn't need to know that just yet. At present, she's willing to try it his way.
Besides, there's other concerns. Ones not brushed away by the tenderness of a kiss, and Pepper makes a note to learn who this Maximoff person is.] Do you know why she has a grudge? [A question asked gently, even if Pepper has an idea of the answers. The history of Tony Stark and Stark Industries isn't a clean one, regardless of their best intentions.]
If you know her first name, I can look later. [Not now, because both her hands are preoccupied with touch him, feeling that familiar warmth and anchoring them both as he tells her all of this. She wouldn't pull away from him now for something as simple as that, even if it's hard to just think of them as friendlies after Tony's connected them to HYDRA.]