Bane Spider Project Threatened

Hmmm, it seems that Westin Phipps has stumbled me onto a greater plot than I first thought. It would appear that Miss Francine the Schoolteacher to the Freaks was just the tip of an iceberg. Phipps suspects some kind of underground ploy and I'm inclined to agree with the psychotic loony.

Much as it loathes me to do so.

Anyway, I headed out to follow a lead to a Crey Facility where they were researching some form of mindwipe device. Seems that Longbow and Wyvern are working to break Bane Spider conditioning - that will never do. I interrogated the devices' erstwhile creator, Dr Nova who informs me that the device was wanted by a rogue Bane Spider called Hugo Figures.

Of course, being a hive-mind Bane Spiders mind-control themselves and then link themselves to the each other. They're a vast network of self oppression, designed to enforce their own loyalty so it seems Hugo and Longbow are trying to break it down.

I've dispatched a troop of ZR Automated Combat Units to dispatch this Hugo. I'll have to see about this Agent Gally Ido that Phipps told me about another day.

Surveillence Report Intercepted

Source: Arachnos Internal Security
Clearance Level: Threat Clearance Level 40

Content: Our captive Wyvern Spy has been "rescued" by Master Zaprobo of Arachnos Research and Development. It is unknown at this time as to what motive he may have had to release the hero operative. The Arachnos base was later assailed by Longbow forces who were dispatched with minimal losses. Master Zaprobo had already left the scene.

We request a full investigation by Arachnos Arbiters into the behaviour and motivations of Master Zaprobo, with a view that he is a threat to the Bane Spider project.

[[ Investigation into Master Zaprobo terminated by order of Arbiter Daos ]]

Like Looking in a Mirror!

Uncanny! I was looking for a contact on the inside of Aeon Corp in an effort to monitor Dr Aeon's movements and perhaps find an opportunity to bump off the hack, when I stopped dead in my tracks. I swear, the man could have been twin of me in my younger days!

Better yet it turned out that he is an employee of Aeon Corp, and after the judicious application of a little persuasion he accepted me on as a "consultant" due to my superior knowledge and expertise.

Oh, and the little shot of mind control drug I administered. Still, can't leave these things to chance.

Recluse's Victory Assailed

Black Scorpion has not allowed me to tinker with a Bane Mace as of yet (apparently to have access to such high technology I need to further prove my worth) but he has given me an Executioners Mace that I have managed to modify. At the expense of any offensive power I have made the basic web grenade more highly explosive so it can cover a patch of ground and snare multiple foes.

And not a moment too soon as shortly after I'd acquired the parts I needed from a Crey facility in the Nerva Archipelago, I got notification from Arachnos Research and Development monitoring stations that the Heroes of Paragon City were going to stage an assault on Recluse's Victory.

It took me a good two hours to hack my way into Lord Recluse's scientific database (Black Scorpion needs to change his passwords more often!) and identify what "Recluse's Victory" really is. Time and Dimension travel in one project! Yeah, you heard me right.

The place is a future version of Atlas Park where Arachnos is near dominant over Paragon City. Somehow, there are Temporal Pillboxes that have been constructed to lock down the future - weak points in the continuum. Once we control them, we control who has ascendancy in the future. And the heroes were going to get there first? Not on my watch!

Rallying as many Rogue Isle citizens as I could we marched on Recluse's Victory. It was an afternoon of glorious battles and humiliating defeats.

In the end before Arachnos could sieze control of all the Temporal Points I was called away by Black Scorpion for "emergency" upgrades to his armour after he took some minor damage in Recluse's Victory as well (we were joined on the battlefield by Lord Recluse and Black Scorpion himself, as well as Ghost Widow and Captain Mako. Didn't see Scirocco),

Next time Paragon... next time!

Bane Spider "Exterminator"

Dobbs called me in today as there was a bit of a fracas in an Arachnos Base - some Arachnoids had broken in and needed clearing out. During doing the deed, I freed one of the Bane Spider Executioners who had been captured by the horrible creatures.

Of course I had to activate my latest armour to match up and show him what a Bane Spider "Exterminator" can do! It seemed to make quite an impression as I got a later notification that Black Scorpion has increased my Threat Clearance Level to 43.

Now, all I need to do is get the specs in for the modifications to an Executioners Bane Mace and requistion the parts. I think I can probably make the damn things a sight more effective than they are right now...

Step into my parlour...

I met with a new contact I was introduced to by Terrence Dobbs - some exterminator that Arachnos employs to get rid of Arachnoids whom I've been oddjobbing for.

She's a strange one this Regent Korol - appears to be one of the Tarantula Mistress' in command of all the robotic-arachnid forces of Grandville, as well as in psychic contact with the Fortunatas.

She seems to act as intelligence for Arachnos, as I have been working for her shutting down intrusions from Paragon City's Crey Corporation. Appears they are attempting to steal the processes and devices used in creating Tarantula Units.

I may have to intervene and deliver a warning to Countess Crey herself at this rate...

Upgrading the ARAD Lab

Worked on some weapons technology today specifically for the defense of the ARAD Laboratory. The base unit had been installed by Doc Bot a week or so back and I only just got around to checking the specs on the unit and making my own unqiue changes.

Doc has been making some great strides with the ARAD Laboratory since taking over from Dr E Genius (who is mysteriously missing still) and has expanded our underground bunker in size. Now we just need to work out what we're going to fit in the extra space!

Foiled! Aeon Back on the Loose

I could scream. I really could. Black Scorpion, bless his insane little heart, gave me orders to kill Dr Aeon! Finally, a tacit order to kill the fraud of a scientist. Obviously, our little plan had to be approved by the Arbiters - can't just off the Governor of Cap Au Diable with no excuse!

Those damn Arbiters knew everything! Knew I'd kidnapped him, tortured him and worse under Black Scorpions' orders. Bad enough to be caught, worse to then be ordered to rescue Aeon from Silver Mantis. Worse still to be assisted by some of Ghost Widows' Night Widows.

Now there is an interesting aside - my sensors picked up some sort of binary transmission via a modified telepathy to these Night Widows. Much like the way the Clockwork King reputedly controls his robots. It hints at some quasi-robotic intelligence having influence over the Widows, and not just Ghost Widow herself.

Anyway... the whole sorry debacle wasn't over - after threatening Dr Aeon to keep the hell away from me, and to keep his fool mouth shut about the "extra-curricular" projects I forced him to work on, I then got another order from Arbiter Daos.

To go and incapacitate Black Scorpion himself!

Well, I enlisted Ares MkII from Doc Bot as extra muscle, before going in with a ZR Series Autonomous Combat Platoon. While his armour was tough, alas he seems to be recruiting scientists straight out of college - I was able to bypass the armour in good order with the application of my robots' lasers and Ares MkII's electrofied fists.

Next time Black Scorpion - come direct to Arachnos Research and Development and not use your own pet scientists with untested technologies.

School's Out, Freakshow

Got a call from Westin Phipps today - apparently someone has been trying to educate the Freakshow. Now, I'm all for a good education, but it seems that then some of Paragon Citys' "Heroes" were then milking the school teacher for information - bribing her with more resources extracted from Paragons' own educational budget.

Idiots.

I had to force my way into the warehouse where this "Miss Francine" was holding class and forcibly extract her from her students. So that Arachnos can re-educate her on how she was being used by "Paragons Finest". Seriously... just smacks of double-standards to me.

Mystical Invasion Repulsed

I was called into general action today along with all the citizens in Grandville to repulse some strange mystical entities that seems to be leaking into our dimension from some mystical realm that the Mu Mystics refer to as "Croatoa".

Regardless, these things seemed something like out of a kids halloween party - just a week or so early, and so much taller! Firstly, the minor annoyances have had to be dealt with - door to door searches for vampires, ghost, werewolves and their ilk.

Then a number of us were called to the beaches outside of Spider City - a manifestation of "Eochai", King of the Fir Bolg had been spotted. It took the combined firepower of mine and seven of the Isles' most puissant citizens to drop this giant monster.

Worse, soon after having destroyed this beast, we had an emergency signal from The Fab, that their works were being disrupted by some sort of giant ogre calling itself "Jack in Irons". I gather this was from its eloquent speech of "Jack in Irons, Jack Smash!" as it stomped around (sounds like some Brutes I know actually...).

Still, we descended upon The Fab to meet this second terror who seemed to fall in shorter order as some of the citizens with us corrupted his form with radiation and ice. Didn't help that the Arachnos Bane Spider Troops got confused in the melee and attacked us as well.

Anyway, with those two manifestations dealt with, Mu Mystics warned us that they may well become more frequent and to keep an eye out. Me? I'll just avoid them in future and allow others to take care of them - I have research to be getting on with!

[Expletive Deleted]! How DARE They!

Damn Paragon City, damn their Police Department and damn that infernal research company that cut my funding. I am outraged - I will tear them limb from frikkin' limb. Noone does that to Master Zaprobo, NOONE! I will pull every storage, construction and research facility down around their ears.

Breathe... Today, while working for a new contact that by Grandville Broker Wiggy the Brit introduced me to - an canny character called Westin Phipps - I was told to intercept a shipment of new textbooks (might be something useful in them, maybe not). Imagine my outrage when the Paragon City Police Department who were protecting the shipment were using MY technologies.

Yes, you heard - they were using the ZR Autonomous Combat System. Single units, not a whole platoon. Oh I am livid. They removed my funding, forced me and my creations out then arrested me. And after that, simply continue my work anyway?!

Oh, it is ON Paragon City.

Jump Jet Perfected

I took a quiet period today to field test a device I had just perfected that, for once, was not a weapon. Just an improvement for my anti-gravity field. A modified Arachnos jump-jet that increases my forward momentum.

Alas, the device is too prone to overheating so I can only get it working in thirty-second windows. Plus it takes an inordinate time to cool back down. Still, it made the long journeys in the Nerva Archipelago slightly shorter - which can only be a good thing.

Been a while since I had a bit of leisure time to tinker with a secondary system. It was relaxing.

Priority Report Intercepted

Source: Unknown - Trans-Dimensional Communication
Clearance Level: Bravo-Tango Six

Content: Lord Nemesis, Target DIS-1NF must be discontinued - he has accessed our computer plans (thus revealed he is the true Master Zaprobo) and liberated the real Technician Naylor from one of your esteemed duplicates who appeared unable to repulse an attack from the Masterminds' creations.

Addendum: Shortly after we discovered this unauthorised access and rescue, we recieved telemetry from the Naylor-clone that it had been destroyed by assailants unknown. Prime computation would assume Master Zaprobo got to it before enough of us did - assume a single platoon is not sufficient to subdue Target DIS-1NF and further attempts will require more Warhulk, Comet and Jaeger support units.

Ghost Busters!

Ah, I loved that movie. Such beautiful portable nuclear reactors they had... if only... ahem.

Anyway, after getting the Ghostslayer Rifles and Grenades from Dr Aeon I tweaked them to my own specifications (i.e. made them work properly) and then headed out to Paragon City to test them.

Some evil spirit was haunting a graveyard in the Astoria region, plus with my new contacts in Arachnos I was able to be teleported in. They worked as expected. I saved a few rounds and a couple of bombs for my own personal use later.

Never know what I might run across, and when.

Capture Aeon? My Pleasure!

Ah, Black Scorpion knows me too well. In his desire to develop defenses against the machinations of Ghost Widow, he has tasked me to lead a team against Dr Aeon himself.

Well, the hack does seem overly interested in matters magical so stands to reason I can lock him in a lab and force him to produce results! And afterwards, maybe Black Scorpion will let me kill the little swine!

I found the young whippersnapper in one of his labs - alas his paltry energy beam weaponry was no match for my new battle armour, which I really must name... anyway. I took with me a friend of my old colleague Dr Zweistein - one Vanessa von Kreiger.

Her loyal bodyguards proved to be quite handy in cornering Dr Aeon while I incapacitated him with my ZR Pulse Rifle.

A report from Black Scorpion appears to indicate that the "good Doctor" can't produce shielding (bah, my ZR Aegis Transponder was one of my first inventions) but can only produce weapons that are effective against ethereal creatures.

I'll have to get a Drone ZR to torture Aeon to ensure he's telling the truth, then head out to field test the weaponry. Busy, busy, busy!

Nemesis Ploy? Further Investigation Needed

Well, after a quick trip back to the lab and melding the Rikti Alloys into the empty shell of a ZR Assault Alpha Model, I have created some fairly serviceable battle armour. I modelled the aesthetics to match an Arachnos Bane Commando and think I have improved on both the form and function.

Since I got word from Technician Naylor in Nerva that he required more assistance with his Portal research, I headed over with Ares Mk2 and my new suit to see what I could do (Naylor always seems to send me in as an assault squad, but never gives me time to meddle with the portal technology itself - has he got orders to stop me from doing so?)

Well, when I arrived in this dimension, as expected the Nemesis Army were there, but they didn't attack me. Not even once. Well, since they wanted to play nice I healed a couple of them and shielded a Jaeger that was in over its head. But, I don't trust them... they're up to something. I just don't know what yet.

Surveillence Report Intercepted

Source: Unknown - Trans-Dimensional Communication
Clearance Level: Bravo-Tango Five

Content: Sub-Commander, we have identified the subject in report DIS-1NF crossing into Platoon Five's sub-dimension. We have advised all troops to treat the subject as a friendly as per standing orders within the report.

The subject seems to have been decieved by the ploy - it was noted that he both healed our troops as well as provided them with forcefielding against the Devouring Earth abominations and meddling Longbow.

Of note, the subject is wearing some form of new armoured suit. It far surpasses that of any previous design we have seen. Between the suit and the forcefields the subject projects we may be hard-pressed if he sees through the deception.

Commander out.

Correction Time for Longbow

Well, now that the lab has been straightened up and I have made contact with my old colleague Doc Bot, I was finally able to venture into Spider City. I met a wonderful Rikti Ambassador called Kuhr'Rekt.

Seriously, those idiots over at Paragon have them all wrong - this is the second intimate dealing I've had with these aliens and they have been more cordial than the so-called "Freedom Phalanx" ever were.

Due to my local knowledge he contracted me for a few missions for him - for which in return I procured a few little toys from him.

Firstly I was able to barter from him one of the energy rifles the Rikti seem so proud of. It was at least comparable to my own ZR Assault Rifle, but lacked that extra bit of punch. Still, a serviceable weapon and one I will be keeping around for a forseeable time.

The second trinket was much more to my liking - three Rikti Drones, hard coded to follow me once activated. Alas, the Ambassador seems to have not fully trusted me as the first Drone I activated self-destructed on me after a certain period of time. I have retained one for futher study and reseach - of particular not is its shielding... I should be able to adapt it quickly for some form of body armour.

So, with a full ZR Autonomous Combat System Platoon, a Rikti Drone or two and Doc Bot's Ares Mk2 we made short work of the Longbow Base that Kuhr'Rekt wanted dealt with. Which was a pleasure since the imbecilic fools locked me up and set my research back by months!

Hell, I would have done it for nothing!

Emergency Broadcast Intercepted

Source: Paragon Emergency Broadcast System
Clearance Level: Omega

Content: Attention all Registered Heroes. Threat Level 40 Supervillain Master Zaprobo has been filmed escaping from Longbow Secure Storage Facility "Agincourt" in the Nerva Archipelago (see attached).

All active heroes on Etoile Islands Operations are advised to exercise extreme caution. Sources have confirmed that Master Zaprobo is beginning to reassemble Arachnos Research and Development under the direct command of Black Scorpion.

We repeat: Master Zaprobo is back.

A Meeting of Minds

Finally, Black Scorpion has approved my access to Grandville (after losing the paperwork a few times, no doubt). My first stop was to beg an audience with Lord Recluse himself.

Mysteriously, the Arbiters allowed me direct access to our leader, who still seems under the delusion that I may be one of his Chosen Ones.

Still, it suited my purposes and I was able to give Lord Recluse a direct status report on the research of Arachnos Research and Development and our works so far. He seemed moderately impressed and directed me to work even closer with Black Scorpion and his "Project Destiny" - as part of which he has allowed me access to progress my Threat Clearance Level on from 40.

We shall have to see what the coming months bring.