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

[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.

[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."

[legionnpcs]

Another civilian floats into the air, darkfield energy crackling but she doesn't bother to decloak. Umbra's imperious voice cuts through the voice synthesizer and it - and the shadow powers - give her away anyway.

The hologram is wearing an implant because the real Umbra is.

"It's not use, Timber Wolf. They're not going to listen. I told Kid Quantum it wasn't going to work. We're going to have to do this the hard way."

We. The two of them might not be alone.

[legionnpcs]

They all get a message over their comms, from the same user that warned them something was wrong.

This time it's verbal, gurbled by a voice synthesizer.

"You're compromised. They're everywhere. You need to get out. I can guide you to safety. I can also explain what's going on but you don't have time, you need to move."

[truefaceofthelaw]

Drokk. A coup, what the hell did he tell them? They should have just told them from the damn beginning, saved all this trouble. Rico's about to growl you couldn't have let us in on the plans before I just blew your cover? at Timber Wolf, when Umbra reveals herself and well...

That seals it. He brings his hand up and sweeps it to the side, squeezing the trigger as he starts to regroup with his teammates. He thumbs the velocity dial up and swaps out the cartridges to ricochet as he does. Non-lethal doesn't mean it can't be something a little more painful than a stun shot.

"You can talk while we're running!" Rico demands back into the mic, regardless of whether it's received or not.

[orbislife]

Zenyatta catches up to the other Legionnaires. (Speed outside of Transcendence is not his strong point.) If this was part of the adapted plan, the senior Legionnaires would have given some kind of response before the chase had progressed as far as it did. The disguised team wouldn't have been compromised by their own side.

Being an omnic, Zenyatta is all too aware how one can be hacked and forced to do something one does not wish to. He cannot tell with certainty, but he senses discord within them. Something is amiss. But what?

"I am afraid you will have to explain more before I take any action," he says not to the mysterious voice but to the Legionnaires before him. Zenyatta hovers before them, and his orbs spin rapidly around his neck. He's agitated. "What is happening?"

Zenyatta may need more convincing to leave the senior Legionnaires behind and abandon his role of protecting the president by going elsewhere.

[agnominal]

"Something's gone wrong. With them."

Wished he could say he was surprised, but no. Their minds seem mere playthings to the powers that seek to tear the universe apart. Still invisible, Locus sets himself up behind Zenyatta to cover a retreat.

"We need to move. Now."

The mission was key. But so was remaining beyond the influence of whatever had corrupted their fellow Legionnaires.

[legionnpcs]

They're sent coordinates in the city.

"You'll find a transmat point there. If you can reach it, we can get you away."