At the Mountains

The Reaper gave a nod, seeming unbothered by her reply. It was no difference to him, one option just happened to be a bit easier. This woman…and he supposed the boy would be a challenge to his plans. He enjoyed such things, but in a matter like this…there was a time constraint. He had to see his daughter’s performance soon. If he got caught up in a fight, lost in the moment…

He wouldn’t do that to her. He would never do anything to miss an important moment like this, not if he could help it. For now, he would step to the side, allowing the woman to ask her questions

The tired man reached up with his one arm and scratched the back of his head, leaning back in the chair and letting out a drawn-out sigh. “You came here without knowing what we’re doing? Ha…who hired you for this job?” He asked in that same drawn out tone, like he had just been woken up and was just passed mumbling. Another sigh. “Machines, if you didn’t catch that on your way here. New age weapons to fight the wars, to protect the elite, and for any other purpose you can imagine.” He spoke like he was reading off some slogan or that it was something that he had rehearsed several times over. “If you mean to ask what it is that I do…” A third sigh, “I am in charge. I am the lead designer and project manager of this facility. I come up with the ideas and build them. We also work on new age weapons, things to combat metas and other godly super powered beings. I also am in charge of designs and management there.” He ended with a small yawn. “I am going to stand up now.” He said, and unless stopped, he would stand up.

He was a tall, beanpole of a man that loomed over the party’s head. He turned to look at the arena behind him. “I didn’t even get to test out the big guns yet…you all made such a mess of everything before, I was curious to see how you would handle some of our bigger pieces.” He turned to face them and then held is hands up, like he was ready to be handcuffed. “But I surrender. You can take me away to whatever prison or facility you want to. I can’t turn off the security, so…you’ll have to deal with that yourselves.” He admitted, seeming almost entirely unbothered by the ordeal.

Sam finally decided to speak up, though it was once more directed at Pyrhha. “I think we should get him out of here…we could always come back and destroy this place later.” He cleared his throat a bit, “Or I could try and bring him to the exit and get him back to…I think we have an extraction point, if you wanna trash this place.”

Pyrrha furrowed her brow. In her time as an adventurer she had met plenty of scientists, both good and bad. There was something off about this man. He seemed so nonchalant about the whole situation occurring around him. His words seemed off. If he were the sole person responsible for creating all of these machines, then why would he just give them away? There was also the line about being ‘hired’. Was he not responsible for sending out the message and coordinates to this place? Pyrrha needed a moment to process everything, but felt that time was something she wouldn’t be afforded. Before speaking to the two men before them, Pyrrha would give a slight nod of acknowledgement to Sam, assuring him that she heard his suggestions.

“What do you mean hired? Were you not the one who sent out those messages with the intent of drawing people here? And why give it all away when you could profit from these inventions?” she just didn’t get it at all. And then there was Sam’s words. What were they going to do? She tried to keep an eye on the abnormally tall scientist while turning to address the man they had been fighting moments ago. “Knowing what we know now, what are your intentions for this facility?” She wanted to try and get an honest answer out of the two men.

If they could provide even that, then there might be some sort of peaceable solution to this whole endeavor. Or as her companion so eloquently stated, they could come back and bust the place up. But that option gave whoever, the chance to clear this place out and move operations somewhere else.

The one armed man  took in a long breath, another sigh, another long exhausted look towards Pyrrha. This conversation looked as though it was starting to take a toll on him, draining him, he was like an introvert at a party: exhausted, done with this conversation, and willing to give anything to be anywhere else. With the sigh still in his tone he went on, "Oh yes...I invited a bunch of people here to destroy some of my life's work and passion projects. You caught me red handed like a Scooby Doo Villain." A tone was still tired, but the edge of sarcasm still was there. "No, I didn't hire you. And I never said I gave them away, I certainly profit from these inventions. I work for a company that sells them. Is that all you got for me?" That last question was rhetorical but he had a feeling he'd get an answer regardless.

Though, for the first time, he did seem interested at her final question directed to the other not part of her group. He watched the man carefully, waiting for his answer.

The Reaper, for whatever it was worth, seemed at least more engaged and less annoyed by Pyrrha's questioning. A lot less sarcastic. He stood tall, a broad, proud look overtaking the villainous demeanor. When he spoke there was less of an edge to voice, though something still menaced there. "A nation, a citadel, a keep or castle...a foundation." He started to explain, his hands squeezing at the handle of his hammer. "We are in unclaimed land in a facility that can withstand the cold, provide for the people here, and with the machines here, have the means to build more like it. It also has the benefit of being rather green in terms of energy and waste control, which is always a plus."

"You're welcome for that." The one armed man chimed in.

"Here, I can build up a...base, a home, something grand. It will be, which may be something you are opposed to, a place built on villainy. At its core it will be an organization of Super Villains. But..." He rose a hand to try and stop any form of protest. "An organization of villainy. A place with a code, a system of ethics and rules so that nothing ever gets out of hand, that we don't take too much. Because that's problem with villainy, some people go too far, take too much, and do more than they ever thought of doing. So, a place for it to be controlled while still promoted. Even further of what I seek, is a safe haven for those with powers, abilities. Somewhere they won't be blamed or strung up or chased...right now, the world seems to idolize heroes, but that is a fragile thing that could change at any moment...I want a place where they are safe and free of judgement and this all here is the foundation for that. So that is my goals, take that as you will."

He let out the faintest chuckle, "I suppose that could count towards my villainous monologue."

Pyrrha found herself at odds. It wasn’t against her nature to help her enemy. Often times she found herself sympathizing with them. If only things could have been different. She felt nearly moved by the large man’s words, but it still didn’t sit right with her. That said, Pyrrha found herself thinking more about her new companion and the situation they found themselves in. While he most certainly was right and they could just leave now and come back later to wreck the place, that would give the man a chance to fortify his defenses. She let out an exhausted sigh as she mulled over the options.

Her glare would return to the disgruntled engineer. “As a matter of fact I do have another question. Whether you have the answer or not is irrelevant. But you have to have some inclination as to who sent out those invitations” That was still something that remained a mystery. There was also the question of just how many people received that message? If Pyrrha and Sam were to leave now, whats to say some other hero or villain wouldn’t show up soon after? She clearly looked disgruntled. She was not accustomed to making all the decisions on her own. Her friends and comrades were always there by her side guiding her along. She was more like a weapon. Point her in the right direction of a problem or foe and she’d take care of it. This level of thought was something she’d have to get used to. But for now she at least had one other mind at her side that could make this somewhat smoother.

She would turn to Sam, there was a clear look of concern on her face. “Well, thoughts? We’re a team after all so can’t just make all the decisions for the two of us.”

The one armed scientist shook his head, "I honestly don't. The company I work for makes a lot of enemies. A lot. We're doing crime here. We have competitors, people we've wronged, government agencies, and so forth who could've done this. The number of people who know about this base is limited, but I only have limited access to that."

Sam had done his best to follow both conversations. This sketchy scientist seemed...indifferent to his current situation. That meant...well, if he wasn't worried then he didn't think there would be any serious consequences or that he could avoid them completely. It was a bit of a leap, but the might also mean there was another player in all this. Then, the Crimson Reaper fellow had his own plans which it was hard to gage. He seemed to have the conviction for it, but it was hard to say if that was a good thing.

Of course, there was also the third party who sent them here, but there were no answers or clues for that yet so he couldn't dwell on that for too long.

He looked to Pyrrha, rubbing the back of his head as he looked up at the ceiling, "I...well...I was saying before I could escort this scientist to the front, keep him from getting away and out of danger if you wanna go deeper into the facility and well...I guess we could destroy the big project this guy said he was working on, destroy some of the research and means of production so these war machines don't get sent out into the wrong hands. Or we could all leave, provided Mr. Reaper would comply."

"I wouldn't."

"Right. Uh....so we'd have to fight him."

"I am certainly open to the challenge."

"Right...again, anyways. Could help him with his plans...though I still don't know if what he is proposing is good. It could be better than what we have, but it still feels like we're helping villains. So I am having a hard time on that one." He let out a sigh, "If it was just me...I would take the scientist and leave, bring him back to the law enforcement, try and get answers from him and then alert more people of what's going on here. Maybe come back with them. Either way, I don't think we should go deeper in with the scientist following us. So we should either leave him or have one of us watch him while the other goes on."

Pyrrha would take a bit to process the options presented to her. It was all quite a mess wasn’t it. “It doesn’t quite sit right with me, turning in our scientist friend here to law enforcement. Not like he did anything wrong in this instance to begin with.” she said glancing at the lanky, disheveled man. “As for you…” her gaze would then shift to the large imposing man that would become this places new owner and warden. “While the idea of leaving this place in your hands doesn’t sit well with my friend here, I can tell you have some sense of honor. And that your plans for this place come from a place of good intention.”

She’d hold out her hand in the direction of the man “Promise me that you will stick to your plan for this place and not allow yourself to deviate from that plan. Promise me that this place will remain solely under your control and we will leave it in your hands.” She’d look over to Sam to see if he agreed with her course of action. Almost expecting the idea to not sit well with him, she’d flash him a smile. “Look at it this way. If this place does become a problem, and our ‘friend’ here doesn’t live up to his end of the deal, then we’ll just come back and level this place to the ground. Not like you can just uproot this facility and place it elsewhere.”

Her gaze would return to the man, a slight smirk on her face as if her words to Sam were really meant for him instead. A matter of fact statement that if he did not stick to his plan and used this place for far more than he let on, that Pyrrha would be back and she would not be friendly about the visit.

The Crimson Reaper, Faust, gave a slight bob of the head. "I like to think I am honorable, I've never gone back on my word unless forced to." He stood a bit broader at this, some sense of pride in that stance. "But yes, you have my word that I will keep to my plans. If I don't I should expect you'll be knocking at my front door?" He asked, though not actually seeking an answer.

Sam put his hands in his pocket, rocking back and forth on his heels as he considered. He did so with a thoughtful hum, weighing her words carefully. His eyes drifted towards the scientist, trying to weigh if he actually was innocent. He didn't seem like the type who hadn't done anything wrong...not out here in the middle of nowhere making robots meant for destruction. But then again, they didn't have proof that anything was illegal here...

Slowly, though, his eyes would drift back to the imposing man and the rocking stopped. Now he certainly was a villain. The problem was that he might be their best bet here...that didn't sit well with him and it was clear by the way his eyes wavered that he didn't like this. Though, finally, he looked back to Pyrrha and nodded, "Yeah, okay. I'll trust your judgement on this one." He said, though the apprehension was clearly on his tone.

"So, where do we go from here? Me and the scientist bail while you guys go take out whatever else is here?"

Pyrrha smirked and gave the large man a nod. If he kept his word, then so would she. Thinking back on her previous experiences and all the trials that led her to this moment in her life it was hard to ever see things again as purely black and white, as her young compatriot might be seeing the situation currently. Sooner or latter he’d learn, and Pyrrha hoped this would be a good starting point for him. Not every enemy needed to be defeated or jailed right away, sometimes there was merit in coming to a compromise. It meant that while both parties held fast to their ideals, they were willing to meet eye to eye on something, and that was a rather big deal.

Pyrrha would turn her glance to her somewhat dejected new friend and give him a pat on the shoulder to reassure him that all would be fine. “I think we’ll both head back together, with our scientist friend here.” There was no reason for the two to split up, nor was there really any reason she should stay any longer. As far as she was concerned the mystery of this facility had been solved. The only thing that remained however, was figuring out who sent the invitations in the first place, though she somehow felt they’d not find their answer here.

More so, she also still didn’t trust the scientist and would rather not leave Sam alone in his company, so she’d opt to go with them instead. She’d give the large hammer wielding man one more glance before turning back to Sam and waiting for him to ready himself.

Sam gave his new friend a small grin and a nod. “Ah, alright. That sounds fine with me!” He said brightly, some of his usual spirit and pep returning to him. He reached into his satchel bag, dug through for a few moments, and then pulled out a pair of cuffs. He looked to the scientist, stared hard for a moment as he did some mental gymnastics and then leaned over to Pyrhha, “How do you handcuff a one-armed man?” He whispered, trying to be discreet, although he did a poor job of it. Their proximity of the scientist also made whispering near useless, but the effort could at least be appreciated.

Faust, the man with the hammer nodded to the pair and turned to leave through a pair of double doors. “I will be taking my leave then, I have to access the rest of this facility, take care of any lingering problems, and just start planning out my floor plan for this place. It was lovely meeting you both, please feel free to stop by if you ever feel the need, I’ll make you some tea! Or if you ever wish to be crushed into the ice. Whichever suits you better.” And, unless stopped, Faust would make his exit and would leave the three to whatever plans they had.

Sam was moving towards the scientist, ushering him away and towards a newly opened portal, leading them back the way they came. Sam looked back over to Pyhhra, “Alright, so once we’re out we just…heading home or how do you wanna tackle this? I don’t think I can portal us back to the city…I think the vehicle should still be out there, though. If we wanna take that back to the boat.”

Pyrrha couldn’t help but turn her glance to the scientist when Sam asked about how to handcuff him. Her eyes traced the mans silhouette then shifted to the cuffs in Sam’s hand. She wasn’t quick sure if they’d fit around the mans ankles, but it would at least prevent him from running, but that would also make walking and transporting him difficult. “Well he hasn’t given us any trouble so far, so I don’t think those will be necessary.” she’d try whispering back with a smile to Sam and then one to the scientist which spoke ‘Try to do something stupid I dare you’.

Her attention would then turn to their large and mysterious former foe who was making his exist. “Perhaps in the future we’ll take you up on that offer.” she said with a cheeky smile and wave as the man passed through the double doors. She felt good about this one. Sometimes it wasn’t always about defeating the bad guy. And in this case who knows, perhaps this act would work out in the future in their favor.

“Boat? I came here by plane. There is a research outpost not far from where we met. Its owned by a friend. We can leave our scientist friend with them. Im sure they have security of some kind. Though…” She took a moment to pause. Perhaps dropping the scientist off with the authorities was a bad idea. For all intents and purposes he hadn’t quite done anything wrong. It was then that she was stricken with an idea, an idea she wouldn’t reveal to Sam just yet. Instead she’d reach into a pocket and retrieve the phone she had been given. After sending a quick text, she’d turn to Sam. “Let’s get going shall we?”

Sam blinked those ghost white eyes of his, surprised that a hero called upon did not use the provided way of passage. Who could afford to take...or at least borrow an entire plane out here? Or who had a friend who was willing to let them just borrow a plane. Apparently this hero, and that was just another thing to set her above the rest. He beamed all the same, giving a nod.

The one armed man, for all that it was worth, was quiet on their exit, having no more to say and seemed unbothered in following along with his captors. Whether it was confidence, fear, or perhaps indifference, it was hard to tell, his face remained in the same neutral, or tired state.

He went to grab the villain they had caught and make sure the one armed man wouldn't get far. Not that, well...between him and Pyrrha he was sure that he wouldn't be getting far. And even still, with one arm there were probably limits to what he could actually get away with. Especially against two well-trained heroes. "Yeah!" He chirped and followed after her, "Lead the way, I am ready to get out of this place. I am so tired of all these robots I don't think I am gonna use my roomba for a few weeks." That was untrue. He actually his roomba, but the idea was the same all the same.

It had been a long day and they had both done, what he thought at least, a good job.