MISSION: ANALYZE STRANGE MASKS

[awakeningwill]

[There's a robot on the camera with two rather grotesque looking... heads? Both of them isolated in thick, futuristic-looking glass tubes for study.]



[For those unaware, Zero will fill them in:] These were left behind after the monsters in the lake and underground bunker were defeated. Their function is... unknown.

The results have come back from Dr. Freeman's lab, and as far as he can tell, these masks are extremely old... most likely ancient. Their exact age is unclear, but their composition matches no known substance. They are organic, however.

Whatever they are, these... 'masks' are definitely connected to the anomalies happening in this city. If anyone else has come across clues in their investigations, or have any relevant knowledge, contact me.

= = =

It's absurd that I should be talking about this as a sidenote, but I'm sure you've all seen Dr. Eggman's latest declaration on the network. With an army that large, he's likely to take advantage of any chaos or unrest that happens in the city by unleashing it on us all. The more people he captures, the more he can add to his ranks with the Roboticizer.

We need to find his base, destroy his machines, and free the animals trapped inside them. With the Egg Carrier downed, it won't be as easy to find as before... Is there anyone who can track his signal back to him, or covertly scout for his location?

Comments

[rivalsolarbeam]

[Hello Mr. Robot. There is an antsy Venusaur.]

Oh... there's, uh, another one.

[awakeningwill]

[Perhaps Bulba could feel the intense, laser-like stare of Zero's robot eyes drilling into him.]

...Where is it.

[rivalsolarbeam]

[HE CAN FEEL IT.]

... I can go get it.

[Action, in da lab.]

[trustycrowbar]

Zero... It's safe to say that these masks are some of the creepiest damn things I've ever seen.

[And that's saying something, coming from a guy who's had to fight a giant psychic cyborg space fetus. Gordon stands up from the microscope screen, giving the pattern of pores on it a mistrustful glance.]

I wish I could tell you more. They ARE organic, but there are leather and bone masks out there; this is something different. These are more like... a cross between fossils and taxidermy trophies. These things came from actual creatures, but they're not decaying. It's like they're individually frozen in time, or something.

[Labby lab times]

[awakeningwill]

[Well, that didn't tell them much, but it was a bit better than the giant question mark that was there before. For rather obvious reasons, pretty much anything organic was already far out of Zero's realm of knowledge, so Gordon was the best shot he had at understanding any of this.

Needless to say, he was frowning suspiciously at these masks.]

You make them sound like they could come alive...

[SPOOKY lab times!]

[trustycrowbar]

That isn't possible. You can't reanimate something that's dead.

[But that leans on a particular assumption that he isn't completely sure of: Were these things really dead? There have been enough zombies in his line of work to teach him that the line isn't as clearly defined as he once thought it was. His doubt is apparent, by the way he gives the tube a long, lingering stare...]

[...BEEPBEEPBEEP--]

GAH, JEEZUS! [Visibly spooked, he lurches away from the tube and against one of the printers, then takes a look at what it has to say.] ...Another temperature spike in the solution. Those magnetic waves are coming faster.

[Video]

[mach_n_roll]

Diiiiid I hear something about breaking Eggman's stuff? Is it that time of year already? Hahah, I hope he got me something nice this time. That Egg Carrier business last time was SO last decade.

[That's this way of volunteering, Zero.]

[awakeningwill]

[Oh. It's you. The one who pretty much single-handedly threw the idea of a covert mission into the Egg Carrier out the window. The fact that he took all of this so lightly really got on Zero's nerves, but to the casual observer, he was as stone-faced as usual.]

You're... Knuckles's friend. The loudmouth.

Is there any way you could scout Dr. Eggman's location without alerting him to your presence? [As in, quietly?]

[mach_n_roll]

[Ugh, seriously? Well, if it keeps Eggman out of the hospital this time, then he's all for it.]

[...What? He's his rival, he's not heartless.]

If that's what you really want, but I don't see why I can't just get in, destroy the factory, and get out like I always do.

[video]

[drawin_on_trees]

[There's nothing but a scream from Skull Kid.]

[awakeningwill]

[Uh... what was he supposed to do about this?

Look, Zero's not the best with kids.]

...

What's... wrong?

[drawin_on_trees]

Nooooonononono... Those aren't supposed to BE here! Those things are bad news! Just... make 'em go away!

[itsjustrats]

I guess it's safe to say that nobody should wear them.

[awakeningwill]

That wouldn't be very smart. [Understatement delivered via deadpan.]

We don't even know what their purpose is, yet.

[itsjustrats]

Going on past experience with ancient masks, they're probably crammed with evil magic. Or booby-trapped. Or, you know, both.

So how secure are those thing you're keeping them in?

[jfc don't steal the evil masks, Garrett.]

Video post as well

[will_be_god]

I wish to study these...beings in person. I trust you will permit this.

[awakeningwill]

They're in Dr. Freeman's lab, if you insist on taking a look.

[But definitely not unsupervised.]

[will_be_god]

I do. Things must be studied in as much detail as possible to obtain from them their full scope.

[Private.]

[machomonotreme]

I have no clue where his base is this time. And being as he has no chaos emeralds - least, I don't THINK he does - I got no way to really track him.

You get someone to figure it out though, you know I'm in. We got enough trouble, what with monsters and masks and earthquakes and red moons. We don't need to deal with his crap on top of it all. You want to make a move, I got your back.

[sooper private]

[awakeningwill]

I know. Thanks.

These masks and their connection to the anomalies in the city should be top priority, but as long as Eggman is active, our attention is split. But destroying his base only took him out of the picture for a few months - anything short of killing him, and he'll keep coming back for revenge.

We need something to keep him busy...

Re: [sooper private]

[monotreme_101]

I gotta admit, my ability to figure out anythin' about those masks is gonna be limited. I don't know of anything like 'em in any of the cultures I've seen or studied or found. I got plenty of treasure hunting experience and those things are totally new to me.

What I CAN do is smash Eggman's creations six ways to Sunday and free up those weird birds. Even if they caused a lot of property damage, they don't deserve to be cooped up like that.

[babylonmechanic]

WOW are those things ugly.

You want some analysis done?

[awakeningwill]

If you think there's any new insight you can bring, they're in Gordon's lab. You're welcome to take a look.

I had something I want to ask you, too. [Meet him there?]

[Private]

[megabuster]

I'd say I can't believe someone would take advantage of a situation like this for personal gain, but I've seen Dr. Wily do it before, so...

...You know, Eggman kinda reminds me of Wily in a way.

[awakeningwill]

Don't remind me. I know the type.

[Rock didn't have the misfortune of being created by Dr. Wily. Having someone around who was like a round, maniacal counterpart was really not one of Zero's favourite things.]

Vivian was the only one with a hope of changing him. But she's no longer in the picture. As long as he lives, he's never going to stop.