Foreign Object

Randall Grey, a man determined to change the world. A man who fought alongside the heroes, having saved the world countless times. A man who's good heart was twisted and withered by the darkness that clouded this city. The Crusader, they called him. Though he was never as beloved as the others, he still did his duty. Protecting the innocent from foes they dare not dream of facing.

It had been years since the attack on New York, years since Pain showed his face in this city. Yet he shows up just when control of the city was falling to the Crusader.

'How dare he? After all this time, after all the destruction he left in his wake. He dare show his face? Stick his nose in my plans?! No, this is not acceptable. The stubborn fool should've just stayed dead.'

The Crusader stood tall with arms crossed, rage and fierce determination clung to his face. His nostrils flaring and brows furrowing as he stared off into the city. "Alpha, he's on his way. I know he's discovered me, the big oaf is more astute than most give him credit for. I wont make that mistake."

The Crusader closed his eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply through his nose as he gathered his thoughts. "I cannot face him yet, I need more time to gather my strength and bolster our forces." He said almost shamefully, his eyes opening as he turned to face his ally. "Pain is the only man who can stop us. We will NOT allow that to happen."

His attention drifted back to the city, "This city deserves better." He said through gritted teeth, passion and anger sewn into every word. "It deserves a true clean slate, wiped clean of the filth that inhabit this world..."

The power of the sun glowed strongly in his eyes, an aura of light radiating from him as he stared up into the bright yellow sun. "We will be the catalyst for a new world.."

Alliances were always something that Alpha went out of his way to foster, if only because in the end the strength they offered him was something that he could make use of. His latest ally was known as The Crusader, a rather powerful metahuman and one that many would decry as a villain rather than what they preferred to call themselves. Many called them evil but they seemed to prefer to call themselves someone that did what needed to be done. To an extent Alpha could respect that and that alone was why he even decided to work with someone like this man. What their full intentions were he could not work out but it appeared to be something about a better world. How they wished to bring about a better world was unknown but there was one that supposedly be able to stop his plans. A metahuman that went by the moniker Pain and one that he had heard of before.

Before the destruction of New York they had been known across the world for their heroic exploits, but then again even the greatest of heroes at times fall. It had been said they died during the assault upon New York and yet that was obviously wrong with their sudden reappearance. Should he deal with this person once again preparation needed to be made, should Alpha ever be forced to deal with him without any manner of backup. The question then had been how he would deal with someone that had such overwhelming strength and the answer did not come so readily either, meaning that Alpha needed to think outside of the box. From the information given his intelligence far outstretched the bruiser and so all he needed to do was make use of that when dealing with them. If it ended up with him killing the hero then that was good, but at the very least he needed to avoid dying personally.

The fact that they were interfering with this Crusader was not unexpected really, and the fcat they were doing so as early as they were did not surprise Alpha much either. It all required that he made sure he was prepared for almost anything to avoid making himself look like a fool when the time came. So all he did for the moment was listen as The Crusader would demonstrate their vocal annoyance with his plans being interrupted by this hero. From what they had said, it sounded as if they were not ready to deal with them and that meant that likely the problem would fall upon Alpha to deal with the brute. Consternation and so many other emotions flowed through the taller male, though all he did was stand there passively as those dull grey eyes watched from behind his black mask.

All it took was a glance to the side to allow him to look out over the city, his tongue dancing over his lips in silent anticipation. It was perhaps a chance more than anything to test the rumors of this metahuman personally, but then again attempting to take them on alone when they were at 100% would have been foolish. Wearing them down seemed like something that would have yielded better results in the long run and so he would have to go along with that for now. "Regardless of whether you're prepared or not, that doesn't make the reality of him coming any less true." His tone did not suggest any condescension but rather as if Alpha were stating a fact. Likely Pain would not just stop chasing should they try to escape. Considering the man he was working with, only death would really atop the crusade they were on. How long they would find him useful was also a question that flowed through his mind but that passed quickly.

Should that day come he would be ready for it. "I assume you would want me to deal with him?" Sure he may have not had an army, but those he did have would likely be able to slow down Pain to some extent.

"Yes, exactly." He replied as he turned to away from the sun to face his ally. "I never expected an interference of this magnitude.." Frustration and contemplation lingered in his voice, seeming almost lost in thought for a moment as he looked past Alpha. "We will succeed, but only with your help." The Crusader slowly drifted through the air towards Alpha, hovering just a few feet before him. He held out his hand and within it conjured a ball of light.

"I advise extreme caution..His power knows no bounds." In the sphere images began to flash, though blurry it wasn't difficult to see what was happening. A bulky grey haired man was reaping a path of destruction through the city, displaying raw power unlike anything of this world. It was none other than Pain himself, battling a group of supervillains. These images served as a warning, to give his ally an idea of what he's up against.

Abruptly, he clenched his fist, crushing the orb and images of Pain. "Do not try to kill him. Slow him down, weaken him. Use the city and it's people against him.." The Crusader demanded sternly as he lifted higher into the air, moving to leave the rooftop. "I'll send reinforcements. When they arrive, I'd advise you leave them and retreat." He stated coldly as he turned away. Sacrifices were necessary for their success, especially now.

"Thank you for your help. Survive this, so that you may see our new world.." With that, he moved to fly away, only to be interrupted by the thunderous arrival of his old friend. An expression of pure disgust clung to the Crusader's face, "Stop him!" He shouted angrily, nostrils flaring as solar energy blasted from his feet in attempts to fly off quickly. Though he had to flee now, if this was done right crushing him later would be simple...

Thunderously, the once mighty hero crashed into the high rooftops the villains had perched themselves upon. There was nothing but anger emitting from him, radiating like an aura of darkness one could feel just by looking at him. This man was none other than Pain himself, a man who once carried the entire weight of the world on his shoulders. Alike to the great greek titan Atlas, he chose this burden simply because he has the strength to do so.

"Where do you think you're goin'? I got a bone to pick with you, punk!"

He shouted ferociously as one hand reached into the cracked rooftop below to scoop up a heavy block of debris. Like a pitcher on the mound, he wound up and threw the car-sized chunk of debris with incredible ferocity and far less grace. It rocketed towards the Crusader, who's back was turned in attempts to flee.

Though it was just a normal chunk of concrete, when thrown by Pain it may have well been a missile. The debris moved with at such extreme speeds, that even one as powerful and adept as the Crusader would have no chance of evading while off guard. He was helplessly in Pain's line of fire, only Alpha could help him now.

It all happened in the blink of an eye, in the rush Pain did not seemed the least bit concerned with the Crusader's ally. At least not currently. Though it was a long shot, he believed that the Crusader had been manipulating people. That perhaps some of them could be reasoned with. Deep down, he hoped there was still reasoning with Randall as well.

When a name like Pain was brought into the mix, Alpha expected an exceptional amount of destruction.Going against such a force of destruction haphazardly would only bring about their own downfall and so this had to be handled with the utmost care. While he had not prepared exactly for the former hero, one always had to assume they would deal with a living wrecking ball like that. Shit, this guy is crazy. The mental voice of Zeta chimed within his mind, showing astonishment from their end about the threat they would most likely face.

Well people did consider him the world's greatest hero for a reason. Alpha mentally responded, while keeping half of his attention upon the metahuman who seemed flustered more than anything else. It didn't take a telepath to know they wouldn't care if this Pain person killed him so long as they got away, and yet he had no intention of dying. It would take more than a muscle bound brute to take him down. They did not want the hero killed, which made no real sense to him. It may have been so they could take them down later, an ego boosting exercise to be sure.

Still, he would go along with this plan of theirs. "Don't kill him? Very well, I'll be sure to slow him down." Arguing with a man like this would also do no good, they had their plans and he would make them work for him. Things were in place, pieces ready to be played once all was as it should be. As soon as they released the energy from their feet to propel them away, Pain would make his appearance with a loud shout.  

This Crusader must not have very many quality men if Pain plowed through them so quickly. Alpha thought to himself as he turned to face the man, tearing apart the very rooftop with incredible strength. The chunk they removed was large, thrown with incredible velocity at  the seemingly greater threat. Within that moment all time seemed to slow down as his mind took in everything, from the size of the chunk, it's trajectory as well as the force behind it that would be needed to cause it to move so fast. Reacting with incredible speed, the air before the concrete projectile wavered as a barrier of psionic energy formed.

Nearly invisible to the naked eye, the concrete missile would collide with a loud boom as it broke apart from the impact alone. Sending out parts of it that clunked heavily downwards to the rooftop below as he let the defense fade away. Just from the force behind that alone, Alpha could tell this would be no easy matter. "You must be Pain. Quite the throw, however the bone you have to pick with him will have to wait. You see I was tasked with dealing you, and I am not one to disappoint. " His mechanically altered  voice flowed through the air. As soon as that statement was made, he crossed his arms over his chest, the building under his feet beginning to rumble violently.

Glass would crack, before shattering and flying out of their windows, cracks forming along as the building began to shake apart. ''Let's see if you're as durable as they say." Within a matter of seconds the building beneath them would rapidly begin to deconstruct, torn violently apart as the pieces would all be moved to pressed against Pain in the attempt to force him into a sphere made of the building itself, held together by an ungodly amount of force. Suspended in the air by his own telekinetic power, Alpha would continue to create this in the hopes of crushing Pain, or at the very least cause mild discomfort.

Frustration and astonishment immediately showed on his face, surprised to see his assault so easily deflected by seemingly nothing. Though it was invisible to the naked eye, with his experience and intellect he easily deduced what had happened. As the rocks and debris rained down, he looked over to the man responsible for defending The Crusader. Clearly he was a telekinetic of sorts, nothing he hadn't faced in the past. However he was never one to underestimate, this man seemed quick on his feet. For him to react to that was incredible, he made deflecting the attack look easy. His composure was strong, he approached with no fear and greeted with confidence. This was clearly one of The Crusader's better men, he'd have to be careful and handle this quickly before he entirely lost his trail.

Standing tall with arms resting at his sides, Pain eyed down the man who now spoke to him. His eyes sharpened to an angered glare, brows furrowing as he mentally prepared for what was sure to be a dangerous battle. "We don't have to do this. My fight is with him, I don't want to hurt you." His expression might have said otherwise, but Pain genuinely attempted to talk him down. His efforts were clearly in vain, the man taunted Pain's durability and began unleashing his power.

The building rumbled violently, and soon after all the windows loudly shattered. Pain was taken aback, slightly losing his footing. His stance parted and his arms tensed to help keep balance. He looked all around him, then to the man creating this disturbance, curious as to what he was planning. The building around him began to entirely deconstruct, quickly dissolving into a spherical prison which surrounded him swiftly. Before he could react, largely due to hesitation, he found himself entirely surrounded by the artificial prison. His icy eyes darted about in search of an escape, but found none. He was trapped.

The walls grew thick and began to close in, or at least it felt that way. The pressure grew more intense with each passing moment, feeling as if he was being crushed. He could feel the tightness in his body, most would be unable to even breathe in such an environment. At first his body had trouble adjusting to the strange new environment, but he quickly adapted. Pain brought his arms in to his chest, crossing them over one another as he curled his body in. He gathered strength from within for a brief moment before unleashing his power. His arms thrust upwards and outwards, his legs holding firm as he blasted apart the prison that held him captive. The debris quickly began raining all around them, while Pain glared stoically at his foe.

"I can see there's no convincing you." He stated calmly as he lowered his arms, returning to a more rested position he had before his assault.

"But if you want to kill me, " He paused briefly, rolling his neck with a loud crack. "You'll have to do better than that."

The anger was palpable from this giant of a man. Just looking at them, taking in the glare they shot his way would have caused a lesser man to step down but he was no lesser man.  As the cocoon of rubble closed in upon the hero, he already began to enact the next portion of this plan. Despite the fact that he was moving back, an image of him remained floating within air, as the true Alpha chose rather to orchestrate the next part of this battle from a safer location. Trying to take a brute like that upfront would have meant his death, and dying was something that he didn't really feel up to now. Instead, Alpha chose to take residence within a nearby building, needing only to create an illusory curtain between him to make his hiding complete as the battle would likely continue.

With a display of impressive strength, the metahuman brute would break through the massive amount of debris with a single powerful push. Chunks of building were thrown about as well as a bit of dust as the hero rose seemingly unharmed from the wrecker as what remained of the construct itself would begin to descend towards the ground below. "Always the confusing ones you heroic types." The illusions spoke, arms crossed over their chest as they continued to hover within the air. "You have the chance to kill me multiple times, and yet you don't take that. However, if you really want me to try. No harm in doing so." This Alpha would raise their arms as the debris roused from the ground, hovering upwards.

"Let's see you dance a little." The fact people hadn't evacuated the area within a close section of the city suggested that either New Yorkers were suicidal or something else entirely. Without much warning they rapidly rose around him much like a field. "Durable you may be, but I do wonder how easily people are to break." With a thought large chunks of the building that had been blown apart were thrown outwards, beyond Pain with a specific target in mind. The trajectory was clear to anyone that could read it and that was nearby, but not too near. People still trying to escape from the scene of destruction that the fighting had caused. Should they be hit, well they would likely not take to it as well as Pain.

"Now it's fight me or save them. Choose hero." Depending upon what they did choose, someone would be hurt.

Though Pain had been surrounded by this man's illusions, his confidence seemed even mightier than before. His expression stoically unchanging as he glared down the surrounding foe. To his knowledge, they were likely one of two things. Clones created by this man's power, or the more likely option, judging by their synchronization, simply illusions. Puppets on a string, which meant the 'puppet master' had used the first attack simply as a distraction to tuck himself away. Clever, for tacticians the first attack was almost always a feign, but it was only a delay to the inevitable. The Crusader must be stopped.

The immediate falling debris was of no concern or consequence to him, the surrounding civilians had started fleeing when they first arrived. He could see that from here, however a calculated attack against them was something he may even have difficulty stopping. There were still more than enough people in this crowded city in danger.

"My goal was never to kill you, don't force my hand." Pain stated boldly as his stance shifted into a skilled martial arts form. His eyes darted about the surrounding wall of illusions, who were lifting the wreckage up intending to use it as a weapon. At first, he thought they'd use it against him but his eyes widened when he realized that was not the case. The group of illusions taunted him, and instead went for the civilians nearby on the streets.

"You bastard!" Pain shouted as he leaped backwards with perfect form, immediately following up with a massive slam of his hands. Clapping them together outwards before him resulted in a massive shockwave, one that would tear apart any normal human being and destroy nearly any structure caught in it's wake. Thanks to their high elevation, the shockwave would only affect the illusions and hopefully the real one had been tucked away with them though it was highly unlikely. He seemed too intelligent for that, but it was a start. This all happened within the span of a brief few seconds, giving him apt time to react to the attack made on the civilians.

The once protector of New York leaped from the wreck of a building down towards the falling debris, much of which had begun crushing the streets and some innocents below. There seemed to be too many for him to stop them all alone, even with his super speed. Maybe if he had more time, but he was reacting to the attack after all. Pain picked out the larger ones first, flying into them at incredible speeds and utterly obliterating the massive chunks into a tiny harmless rain of pebbles. He repeated this to the best of his ability, saving countless lives and to his own amazement none reached the ground once he had started his rescue. One final massive falling piece had gotten too close to the ground for him to smash, the largest one he intended to save for last. It was just moments away from crushing a group of firefighters were who evacuating civilians from the scene. However, at that last moment, when the sun was blocked out above them, when all hoped seem lost and their demise imminent. Pain arrived, ripping the concrete street up as he slid into place.

Upon his shoulders was a massive boulder of steel, concrete and debris which weight and sheer size would crush even some of the mightiest supers. However, he stood unaffected, holding the weight unflinching before the group of firefighters and civilians. A group of officers and more civilians were off in the distance, not directly affected but entirely astonished by what they were witnessing. Superhuman's were a daily threat to these people, but to be protected by one again was clearly something they had missed. The crowd began to applaud, and the young girl at his feet shed tears as she hugged his leg. "I knew you'd come back! They said you were dead, but I knew they were wrong!" She hugged him tightly as she sobbed, uncaring of the fact that he was carrying what looked like a small moon on his back. The whole crowd seemed assured, applauding despite the destruction that surrounded them.

The once protector of New York looked around, his icy blue eyes seemingly astonished by what he was witnessing. The applause, the gratitude, the little girl. They all seemed to soften the man of stone, he was visibly distraught for a brief moment when he looked down at her. Immediately, the face of stone once again took over as he barked out to the crowd. "Get out of here, now, all of you! It isn't safe here." Pain demanded authoritatively with his deep and booming raspy voice. A firefighter grabbed the young girl, and all began to evacuate as swiftly as they could. Pain exchanged a nod with the young man in uniform, with eyes alone assuring a mutual respect. In his eyes, these men and women were more heroic than him, to be out here facing this danger without any powers.

With that, still carrying the massive chunk of formed debris, the big guy left the ground and flew high into the sky back towards their initial fighting ground. "Now you've pissed me off!" Pure anger seethed through his booming voice, his eyes scanning the area very closely for any sign of him. With that time, anything could have happened. He could be long gone by now, or he could be launching an attack at any moment. Even with his enhanced senses, he could not find this man. It must have something to do that power of his, maybe he was just that good, or maybe he fled.

"Show yourself, face me trickster!" He shouted as he held the massive chunk high above his head, with his elevation and position literally blocking out the sun to the streets below. His hands dug tight into the wreckage, intending to use it to crush the very man who had conjured it.

Pain's reaction was what Alpha had expected, but then again heroes were all the same. Indignation was expected, and yet they ran off to help their precious people, aqll the while giving him time to set the area up his liking. Settling illusions where they needed to be, should he have to set things up to his liking. Not that he was confident in his victory but that was not the goal of things, so all he had to do was keep his eyes on the prize. Delta would transmit him information on what Pain was doing, which seemed to be what he could to help the people that were now in trouble of being flattened by many pounds of rubble. Maybe doing enough damage to help the Crusader once they returned, well that may even smooth things along easier in his relation with the mad metahuman. Keeping himself as hidden as possible, Alpha kept the illusionary image of him standing there with arms crossed over his chest.

Soon enough Pain would return with a large Boulder of debris, likely still outraged by the underhanded tactic employed against him. The image of Alpha chuckled as they shouted, appearing from behind a broken building with a posture that was nonchalant. They looked up to Pain, the sun blocked by the large bit of earth they held within their hands. "Do you take me for a fool? Reveal myself so you can beat me into ground chuck. I think not, wearing you down is the saner solution." Without offering any time to reaction, Travis would concentrate his telekinetic power upon the rock within Pain's hand, intending to shatter it before it could be thrown down upon him. Should that work, well he would find that the weapon was now in smaller and harder to grasp fragments, likely falling down towards the street below.

Stopping him from being able to use it as a weapon was not his main intention, just something that came as a side effect of the convenience of his own power. If his tactic had worked, well the large chunks that had been formed from the even larger whole would begin to fly back at Pain speed approaching sound, all of them deadly projectiles and likely able to turn a human into a fine mist from casual contact, though he did not expect too much harm to happen to Pain. That would have been nothing more than a distraction while Travis focused a large amount of force in a single point before unleashing it as a powerful telekinetic attack. While the damage was not widespread, its puncturing power would be something else entirely.