CD Issue 17: Eggmates

General Summary

The cruel Brontes Taurus had seen through their ruse! The Dissidents were trapped on the Borderline Express, a Covenant Baronette in front of them, and train cars full of his soldiers behind them.   Luckily Paladin has been preparing for eventuality, leaping from his seat to grapple with the tormentor of his horse, suplexing him into the floor of the train. Siren wove a magical cage around the car, blocking the troops from approaching.   Malware decided to assault the guards in the car using biohazardous gas, assaulting their senses. She had keyed the gas to not affect the Dissidents, but Aliena's unfathomable extraterrestrial biology was susceptable to it.   Brontes leapt to his feet, growing into his super powered Thunder persona. He clapped his hands together and a sonic shockwave ripped through the car slamming everyone back.   Paladin's armor took the shockwave for him. Malware snapped at Aliena, trying to provoke her into taking on Thunder alone. Maggie, however, could still not see and released a torrent of plasma tearing Siren's shield down and stripping the car of its wall. Siren took the worst of it, and a massive portal tore down the train, ripping the shell from it.   Behind them, all the soldiers could see them and a wave of weapons fire rained down on the team. Styx was certain one of her team were messing with her technology, and treacherously hid behind her friend who was pelted with covenant energy weapons.   Paladin realized this had to end quickly, he turned on the Covenant Lord and slipped under his defenses and threw him up into the air. His horse, Pegasus (who had an axe to grind against Brontes for breaking his leg), was ready for action. He zipped along the train and kicked the lordling off into the horizon where a large impact and dust cloud was seen.   Siren engaged her sorcerous shieds to protect the team, and Aliena decoupled the rest of the train. As the rest of the train faded into the distance, Aliena could swear she saw a shadowy form hidded under the train of the car, mere feet from her moments ago.   The Dissidents took a moment to gather themselves. Richie comforted Ichabod, the youngest Taurus boy, who had been frozen immobile the entire fight. The team moved forward through the cars, pausing in the galley car to snack on some fancy foods. In the next car they met the horrible twines Cherry and Scilla Taurus who talked some trash. Malware suggested, tongue in cheek, that they murder the pair to prevent them from becoming as awful as the rest of their family. The rest of the team did not find this funny.   The locomotive was the foremost car. Here, one of the robots spun around in it's chair and spoke to the team. It was the hidden cyber spirit that had been haunting Malware, and it self identified as Drift. It was Malware's missing nano swarm, the one that was thought lost in Scorched Earth (See CD#11!)   Malware was very proud of their cyber baby, even though it was pretty rude to the team. Nobody was comfortable with his new super intelligence. Richie spent some time managing the various issues the team had, and there was some cute talk with Aliena who called Richie her 'Eggmate' (It was actually 'Age Mate'.) Ichabod revealed that he knew Siren was a Gatecrasher, and this was a big deal, especially that his brother knew too.   Drift warned the team they were approaching Wedge, and armed soliders were waiting. Aliena took this as her cue to create a shadow portal, and slide the team into Wedge.   The small rural town had seen better days. Siren cloaked the team as local mercenaries, and they decided to split up and look for their resistance contact. Drift quickly located their contact, identified by a unique Dragonfly pin. They regrouped, and slid into the booth and gave the passphrase exhange to identify themselves:   "We heard there are Chartruese Nummi Boars in this town"   "The only true Chartuese Nummi Boars are in your heart", replied Jenny St George.   Richie made his best surprised face.