[color=lightblue]"Well. That's a tall order. We don't even know if this [b]Reality Bringer[/b] is an actual person or an event."[/color]

Alex strode forward and took two pagers; one for himself that he clipped to his belt, and the other went into his pocket for Shirley to have when he went back later, being careful not to crush the tiny rectangular devices in his big, augmented hands. As he walked back to his spot, he thought about what agent Reynolds had said moments prior. Hex's journals had pointed to this so-called [b]Reality Bringer[/b] or some associate thereof and then he'd died of a supposed 'overdose'. That in itself was bullshit, he knew that. But who or what was this Bringer that they commanded such power to take out Hex? And, more importantly, make it look like a suicide? The implications worried him.

Still, there was much work to do before they could even reach that conclusion. Alex went over the events leading up to their meeting in his head, while the other, older supers made nervous banter. Hex was dead. Agent Reynolds had discovered his body. Suspected overdose. She had read his journals and found some details about a [b]Reality Bringer[/b]. Putting two and two together, she made a hypothesis that Hex was murdered but it didn't fly in the CFPD. So she used Hex's equipment to broadcast a cry for help on the Network, attracting all these washed-up heroes and villains, including himself and his sister, thousands of miles from home. Agent Reynolds had only one hope left; he didn't know her motivations to bring this ragtag bunch of misfits together, but she knew that Hex's death was more than just an overdose. It just didn't make sense. But the only way to find answers was to embark on this sordid journey into the underbelly of Cedar Fort, of Hex's private life and the journals he kept.

And then there was the matter of their company. Stardust. Biomancer. Avant Garde. Some old crone and an armoured, what he assumed was a cop or officer of some form. The three big-name supers, he knew. Hex had spoken at length about Stardust and Biomancer. Alex had even faced down Biomancer once or twice, when the once-villain had sown terror on behest of some terrorist group in the UK who'd paid him off. But Stardust...the extent of her power eclipsed even his, as much as he was built for combat. She could vaporise him with a click of her fingers and he wouldn't be able to lift a finger, which scared him inside. And then there was Avant Garde. A man who could manipulate paint, making the world his own misbegotten canvas at some point in the past. Alex had never personally fought him, but had heard some scattered stories about him along the Network. It was strange, how many people in this room were connected to the dead warlock. But what puzzled him the most was the two unnamed people; the crone and the armoured man. He recognised neither and yet, his appearance being the most mundane of the bunch made him stand out all the more. Alex made a point to ask this armoured man about who he was later, after everyone else had taken their pagers. As he took another drag from his cigarette and blew the smoke to the ceiling, Alex spoke.

[color=lightblue]"I'm just surprised at who showed up. We're all washed up misfits of society. My sister pulled me out of bed and we flew across the pond to a country we haven't been to in years. But Hex was a family friend. Showed us a direction when we thought everything was lost. I owe what's left of my miserable life to him. Me and my sister do. We'll do whatever it takes to find out who killed him and put them down. You have our support, agent Reynolds."[/color]

As the group began talking again, Alex edged his way past the other supers and approached the armoured man, tapping him as lightly as he could on the shoulder, which would feel like Alex was lightly shoving him.

[color=lightblue]"I don't recognise you from anywhere, at least, not that I know of. What's your name?"[/color]

ET winced as the Tower nudged him, a little [i]too[/i] strong. The man was echelons stronger than even his augmented self. But, he was non-hostile, which was a start. And unfortunately curious. He gave the Tower a once-over, then pulled his cover story from the file to the front of his mind. "They call me Arbiter." It was true, although nobody outside of his the MCPD would have any record of the name. "Private security. Not really powered, so to speak, but they give me lots of money, and [i]lots[/i] of tech."

His eyes furrowed--not unpleasantly--as he remembered the powerset of the Tower from the file. "Nice cyber. Bit old though, eh?"

[color=lightblue]"Old, aye. 'Bout as old as I am now. But at least the boys at Hereford keep upgrades in good supply. Had to visit them before I hopped the pond."[/color]

Alex rolled his shoulders and briefly flexed the cybernetics in his arms, the machines within whirring and making soft noises as the nanites in his skin rippled and his augmented muscles warmed up briefly before cooling down again as he relaxed. None of this would be visible, of course, but the noise would be audible.

[color=lightblue]"So. How d'you know Hex? Didn't really seem likely that he would work with a small private security outfit."[/color]

ET snorted, getting into character. "It wasn't so small. One of the biggest ones, though you'll understand that I can't give too much detail. Strictly speaking, I'm here off the books, and I'd rather keep my personal life and business life separate. It's hard enough to get my suit out of the armory, but the guy there owes me a favor." He tilted his head to one side. [i]Gabbie, can we--[/i].

[color=7ea7d8][i]Done.[/i][/color] And just like that, the Tower's body came alive. The cyber didn't seem to realize it was being watched, so ET nudged it gently. [i]What can you tell me about yourself, chum?[/i] To the man himself, ET shrugged. "Hex saved my life. I doubt he even remembered doing it, and he wouldn't have recognized me anyway." He patted the retracted helmet behind his head. "But I owe him this much, at least."

[color=lightblue]"Aye. Well I guess we all owe him something."[/color]

Alex didn't realise that ET had a power. A power that let his cybernetics speak for themselves. And as ET nudged the machines within the man, the voice within them came to life.

[color=lightblue][i]Ho there, chum. Prodding about the ol' machinery again, are we?[/i][/color]

"Mmm." ET said. "Besides, not all of us can be as famous as the Tower. Golden boy of England, tragedy of the Knight Anglais. My condolences, man. That's rough business." He shifted slightly, bringing his arm gauntlet up to fiddle with one of the panels. 

To the cyber, he said, [i]You've caught me. A stranger in a strange land, of superheroes and villains. Can you blame me? You're an optical computer, right? Any advice here would be appreciated--you seem like a reasonable chap.[/i]

[color=lightblue][i]Oho, not just an optical computer, chum. I control all the systems within the big boy here. Optics, muscles and his hardened second skin. The man here depends on me and it brings me great pride to assist a strapping young fellow such as him. Say, how are you even conversing with me?[/i][/color]

Alex shrugged and took another puff of his cigarette, politely exhaling smoke up towards the ceiling.

[color=lightblue]"Shite happens. I didn't ask for all of that bullshite in Utah to happen. But then again, it brought me and my sister peace of mind for once in our lives. It let us live like actual people back home. No faffin' about with superhero politics and villains or worrying about public image. We were people once. Hex's death, it shook us both to the core. That's why we're out here now."[/color]

"I can respect that," ET said. He liked this man. If they'd met earlier, things might have been different, but here he sensed a kindred spirit. "We've all gone through our tragedies." His mind pulled up an unbidden flash of Dave, and his head throbbed. "My brother died to a maniac." The memories washed over him for a second, and he awkwardly dug out his flask from who-knows-where. Not too much left in there.

His mind was getting frazzled, keeping these two conversations going. [i]Frankly, I haven't the slightest idea how. It's my gift, I suppose, but only sometimes. Apologies in advance if I suddenly ignore you, it sort of...fades in and out.[/i] Like now, as Gabbie read his mind and severed the contact. There'd be time for conversing with the machines when there weren't a bunch of supers to keep tabs on.

ET stared at the flask in his hand for a long, long second, before finally sighing and putting it down. "Thanks for not threatening to kill me. Wasn't easy to get here, and to be honest, I was starting to feel unloved."

[color=lightblue]"I wouldn't want to kill anyone here. Not unless I had to. But we're all here to find out why Hex is dead. So...let's focus on that, I guess."[/color]

Alex dropped the stub of his cigarette and crushed it under his heel, rubbing out the embers onto the cold concrete. That's what they were all here for. Hex.

Time to start getting some answers.