BODY SNATCHERS [modplot]

[letsgolegion]

Who| Rico, Tadashi, Zenyatta, Reinhardt, Joshua, Vance, Locus
What| "Body Snatchers" plot
Where| The planetary senate complex of prospective UP world Epryria, and the capitol city Mejehn.
When| The same time as "After These Messages"
Warnings/Notes| Plot has some really angsty stuff, mind control, character death. Please see ooc post.

Epryria and the UP have had contact for quite some time now, but it took new of the threat of Chronoblivion to finally push the world into joining the United Planets for safety in numbers.

The UP government has had its eye on Epryria for some time now, thanks to its thriving scientific community. The planet's advances in bioengineering even surpass that of the Coluans' in some respects. It's a large part of why why most of the population is sporting different cybernetic implants. The Legionnaires have found that to be something of a hurdle in acting as diplomats for the mission. Half of Epryrian communication takes places nonverbally, due to the sharing of words and images through implants.

Since the team is largely there as extra security and only the most experienced Legionnaires are being expected to help the UP ambassadors with actual diplomacy, Brainiac 5 and Kid Quantum were the ones that had opted to temporarily have optical and cortical implants put in.

There's one day left before the actual signing of the treaty, which is to happen in front of a crowded hall of government officials and special guests.

Comments

[whereabout]

Joshua's expression doesn't change; the game face has been on since about the first five seconds after this mission began.

But he glances towards Vance, catching his eye and tilting his head slightly in the direction away from their assigned beat - over towards where Zenyatta's group was posted.

[whereabout]

Look noted and mentally filed.

And suddenly, he just really isn't comfortable sticking around in this room any longer than he has to. "Understood. If that's everything, we'll get to it."

[googledox]

Someone moves to intervene. Someone they're probably not expecting.

Brainy, up where he'd been working on a balcony, discussing some security measures with some of the security forces, sees them start moving, down out of the corner of his eye.

His eyes go wide and his jaw clenches as he sends out a message over the implant network.

But he wipes the resigned expression off his face as he drops down in front of the two.

"You both seem startled. What's wrong?" he asks them both. "Have you noticed something amiss?"

He makes it sound as if he's simply reacting to the way they're acting, as if he thinks they've noticed some kind of security breach. His voice is its usual calm. Helpful.

But in asking that question, he's revealed something very important: He didn't get the same message.

[the_civilian]

Tadashi hesitates, hovering in mid-air (he can't push through the crowd as easily as Reinhardt, it seemed like a better idea).

Brainy approaching them when he sees them moving with a purpose isn't strange, but blocking them is. Reinhardt had suggested Brainy and Kid Quantum might be compromised, but --

He smiles weakly.

"Gut feeling," he explains, unable to help glancing back in their intended direction.

[justicecrusader]

Reinhardt was not good at the art of subtlety. He was the sort of person to charge in, without a second thought, and hope for the best. He was the muscle, the wall everyone hid behind. As such, he hadn't really given much consideration to his actions, assuming he would come across a clearly-defined enemy, and simply take them out.

Brainy, however, was the opposite of clearly-defined. An ally, potentially compromised, was the very definition of 'complicated'. It didn't help that the entire situation was uncomfortably familiar, reminding Reinhardt of the fall of Overwatch. But rather that stand here trying to come up with an excuse, he simply stated:

"We believe there might be trouble. Please, follow us."

[googledox]

"If there is indeed something wrong, we should remain in position," Brainy says carefully. "I'll contact Kid Q and let her know you have concerns."

The lights on the implant flash and his eyelids briefly flicker.

"There. She'll ensure the nearest Legionnaires investigate."

Now there's no need for them to leave this area, right?

[sir_vancelot]

He may not have had a lot of experience with this sort of thing, but Vance knows how to be circumspect when necessary. And it IS necessary right now. So when he reads over the message, he takes another few moments before he glances over to Joshua. Nothing that would be taken as out of the ordinary.

He inclines his head in agreement, putting away his comm as though bored. But anybody watching his face would find his eyes sharper, taking in everything as they moved.

[agnominal]

It's a little too vague for Locus, but there's not much they can do without giving away the fact that they've been tipped. He's had a feeling for some time now that something wasn't quite right.

Sometimes, the paranoia wins.

No unusual movement.

That he can see. But if they have eyes on them, then they have to be somewhere. High ground, perhaps? He's been checking regularly out of habit.

[relativityspeaking]

Someone notices. Someone notices they're also moving out of position.

Kid Quantum smiles and walks towards them, omnicom in hand.

"I have some extra intel I'd like to go over it with you two."

Clearly, she didn't get the same warning message or she would've been responding to it.

[legionnpcs]

High ground is the right place to look. Up on one of the tiered levels of the room, a figure shows up on infrared, one that can't be seen by the naked eye. The figure is male and athletic-looking, but somewhat skinny.

[truefaceofthelaw]

Bingo.

Going to make my rounds. I'm patrolling the upper tier. Could be hot up there. Keep an eye on the crowd and on me just in case it gets rowdy.

And with that, Rico stows the communicator away in his glove and strides off in a well-practiced pace that very carefully doesn't look rushed. Not urgently enough to draw attention to himself and potentially tip somebody off that forces are in motion. Hopefully Zenyatta and Locus get the message, although they're welcome to act on his information however they want.

[orbislife]

I shall do that. Our rounds will be in harmony.

That must mean Rico has seen something.

Zenyatta will make sure to keep Rico in his line of sight. As long as he doesn't go too far, Zenyatta will be able to send him an Orb of Harmony to support him. If he goes far, then Zenyatta will have to move to do that, but he will do that if needed.

[agnominal]

Locus isn't worried about the distance. If it comes down to it? He won't miss.

Understood.

The tension of the moment is familiar. Waiting for the hammer to fall. His attention falls to the crowd around them, looking for an exit if need be. A surging, exciting crowd could pin them in the midst of the chaos.

[legionnpcs]

Whoever this is he's not just waiting to be found out. The way he moves suggests he's well-trained. He avoids the people in the crowd, slipping between them without letting himself be touched, and tries to put some distance between himself and Rico, as if he realizes he's been caught, but is trying to avoid creating a fuss by just booking it.

But he still seems to be trying to stay in few of Locus and Zenyatta, as if he doesn't want to lose sight of them even though he's starting to make his way towards escape.

[truefaceofthelaw]

There's no time to worry if their communications could be monitored. His target's already realized they're onto him. Rico doesn't reach for his lawgiver, not when he can draw it so quickly anyway and it would do nothing but cause a panic, but he switches on his mic to the local network.

"He's on the move. Well-trained. By his behavior, he might be trying to intentionally draw us out from the crowd. Stay here, I've got him."

[orbislife]

"I understand."

Hovering a little higher, Zenyatta fills his orbs with more omnic energy. The orbs take a more golden hue, and he moves his hand in a fluid, circular motion. A golden sphere of energy forms. Zenyatta will need to have a visual on the target to attach an Orb of Discord on them, but he can send Rico an Orb of Harmony. It will help keep his health up should their mysterious guest tries to bring Rico to harm.

[agnominal]

He fixes his targeting system in his helmet to follow the man's outline. Strange, that he seems only to want to escape Rico's view. He could just blend back into the crowd entirely. And yet.

What is he up to?

Locus shoulders a little closer to Zenyatta, ready to block him if need be. Metal his friend might be, but his own armor could probably take a hit significantly better.

[whereabout]

Bad news.

Whatever suspicions the group had been tossing around before now, this adds another layer - that someone would warn them of impending danger, but not trust their leaders with that same warning...

But he doesn't bat an eyelash. "Did something urgent come through?"

[legionnpcs]

And he's on the move - as if he heard what was on the local Legion network.

He parkours down from one balcony to another one, trying to disappear in the body heat of the crowd. They're going to have to find a way to stop him fast or they're going to lose him.

[truefaceofthelaw]

Well, so much for not causing a scene.

"Halt! This is your only warning!" Rico shouts, chasing after him. He swings down to follow right on his heels, trying to draw a bead on him. Even though he has the brief advantage of height and good sight lines, it's still drokking packed in here.

He might not get a good shot off. Might miss, and what a nightmare that would be. But, it's nothing more than a thought in the back of his head, and Rico hasn't missed in a long time. But he has to minimize possible risk to civilians, doesn't he?

He doesn't hesitate for a second before he raises his gun and fires a stun shot at the back of the figure's head, but he times it so that it'll pass through empty space if he misses. Hopefully the others are already on the ball, but he's not too used to trusting people to do their job.

[orbislife]

Zenyatta appreciates the concern. In terms of defense, Locus is sturdier than Zenyatta, but he is also not in danger either. He watches the scene unfold, seeing Rico become aggressive in his chase. His Orb of Harmony is doing little good for Rico, so he changes targets. Locus will find a golden orb of light hovering over his shoulder.

"Locus, can you provide support for Rico? This will heal you should you get injured." It's not much of a plan, but they cannot just stand here while a potential threat escapes.

[agnominal]

"Understood. Repositioning."

And he goes silent on coms, a moment before a ripple in the air closes around him and suddenly? He doesn't appear to be there anymore. Just an orb, floating, then taking to the air.

Without causing undue alarm by zipping about visibly, it will allow him to close in and continue tracking, should Rico need the assist.

[legionnpcs]

The figure goes down and goes visible...

[atippleoftransparency]

And it's one of the native Legionnaires. Invisible Kid. He's wearing one of the same implants that Brainy and Kid Q got, and to his credit, he fights the effect of the stun round to the head. It should've knocked him clean out but a pre-Legion life of being a child spy means his first instinct when losing consciousness is to fight it tooth and nail. He fights it now as he writhes on the floor, his eyes rolling back in his head as he tries to crawl away.

Because of the ringing head ache, he doesn't realize that he's contacting the others verbally instead of through the implant.

"This is ... Invisible Kid. We've...been...compromised..."

[legionnpcs]

The crowd is panicking now. When Lyle passes out, a random member of the crowd steps out to defend him, powering down a hologram disguising him as an Epryrian.

It's Timber Wolf. He has one of the implants too.

"Everyone take it easy," he says to the displacee Legionnaires. "I know this don't look good, and I wish we could explain what's going on, but we can't, for reasons we can't control. We need you rookies to come with us. Quietly and peacefully. Boss's orders."