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[color=MediumOrchid]"I-I- that's not how friendship works...I-I mean. I'm a hero, and you're a villain. You know that, right? Even if we met when we were- what, 5? [i]Once?[/i] Maybe then, we were friends, but now... you said your father was a friend of mine, my father is a convicted serial killer, that's really not the best family connection."[/color]

Kat pouted. [color=Crimson]"We can be, like, cross-organization friends? I dunno. [i]Or,[/i] even better, you can [b]join[/b] us! I'd love to have you. You can be, like, my top lieutenant. Some of the older villains have, like, mini-squads that work for them! I mean, I don't [i]have[/i] to be your boss, y'know. We can be partners! Your power is really cool, by the way. I haven't heard firsthand, but I've heard you have a really pretty voice."[/color] Kat, now that Patricia was listening, seemed to be chatting up a storm. 

[color=MediumOrchid]"B-but, you know, friendship does usually start with talking..."[/color] Patricia took another sip of the very high-quality water. [color=MediumOrchid]"S-so... um. After this. What are you guys going to do with us- with the heroes? Why? Where are you sending us?"[/color] Kat smiled happily, looking over at Patricia with wide eyes. [color=Crimson]"Ooh! I can tell you, but no telling your other hero friends, OK?"[/color] Apparently oblivious to the fact that Patricia, as a hero, was undeniably going to tell all of her hero friends ASAP, Kat continued to ramble on. [color=Crimson]"So, basically, after Vinnie does his terrible stuff, the heroes get sent to ZERO HQ. I'm not a fan of the torture, personally. It's really cruel. I mean, they are [i]heroes,[/i] so they do absolutely deserve it, but I try to keep a moral high ground,"[/color] Kat said, before quickly adding, [color=Crimson]"You're not bad though, Patricia! You're basically one of us. You [i]should[/i] be, anyway,"[/color] Katharine said, giving Patricia another quick hug (she really liked hugs) and totally ignoring the fact that this statement would likely mortify her before continuing. 

[color=Crimson]"Afterwards, we bring the heroes to the Ultra Death Machine. Well, it's not [i]called[/i] that, of course, but that's what it looks like. Using the machine, we give the heroes a 'quick, merciful death.' At least, that's what Daddy told me,"[/color] Kat said, pausing to think for a moment. [color=Crimson]"Though I always found it strange that they scream when going into the machine, if it's so painless and merciful. But anyway, it's a really cool machine. It's, like, really big, and it looks like one of those CAT scan machines! So anyway, what the machine does is-"[/color] Her speech was cut off by the sounds of "How Will I Know" by Whitney Houston emanating from her phone on the bed. [color=Crimson]"Oh, sorry, Patricia,"[/color] Kat said, reaching over to grab the smartphone and picking it up, putting it against her ear. [color=Crimson]"Paradox? What? I can't hear you...it sounds like you're moving really quickly right now!"[/color]

There was a pause, before Kat spoke again. [color=Crimson]"What? No, no way! You can't see me! There's no cameras in here!"[/color] She looked around frantically. There didn't [i]seem[/i] to be any cameras in the room.

Pause. [color=Crimson]"Wh-what?! No! I'm not a traitor, I swear!"[/color]

Pause again. [color=Crimson]"St-stop! N-no! Don't do that!"[/color] Katharine was tearing up at this point, water brimming at her eyelids. [color=Crimson]"Pl-please! I'm n-not!"[/color]

Another pause. [color=Crimson]"Y-you're so m-mean to me, Paradox!"[/color] she practically shouted into the phone. After another pause, she yelled, [color=Crimson]"Shut up!"[/color] before hanging up. The poor female villain was in tears, curling up on the bed. [color=Crimson]"I hate him...I hate him I hate him I hate him I hate him..."[/color] she repeated over and over again, for the first time not trying to actively grab Patricia as she sunk into a little ball, head between her knees, as she began to sob. [color=Crimson]"Why does h-he always choose me?"[/color] she asked, probably not to Patricia. [color=Crimson]"J-just because of who my father is he does this. Nobody else! He only ridicules m-me! We're s-supposed to be on the same side b-but he just...h-hates me! I don't know wh-why!"[/color] She continued to sob heavily. Evidently either this Paradox person was a really horrible human being, or Katharine was just an incredibly sensitive person. Or perhaps both. 

[@canaryrose]
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As Blake wiped the dirt and grass from his elbows, he watched the now-downed Ranucci, who was currently in a lot of pain. Blake shrugged. [color=CC5500]"Was that just me or was that possibly the [i]worst[/i] assassination attempt ever? Like, he had the element of surprise and he didn't even hurt one of us. That's pathetic."[/color] Blake chuckled as he walked over along with Jamie and Rumi, watching Rumi put on his magic shield and armor. Blake smiled. [color=CC5500]"He already got disarmed, Rumes. His gun is in the shrubs right now."[/color] Blake pointed to the shrubs, before looking back to Ranucci, who began to respond to Rumi's inquiries. [color=gray]"Vinnie's the boss...and there ain't nobody in there, please, just lemme go!"[/color] Ranucci yelped, reverting to a hillbilly Southern accent. [color=gray]"The heroes are in the other building, through the trapdoor..."[/color]

Blake leaned in. [color=CC5500]"So in the end, he wasn't even a real Italian! That's weird. So, terrible assassin man, what's the deal with these captured heroes?"[/color] Blake leaned in, hoping for an answer from Ranucci, when the man suddenly began to shiver, before then full-on thrashing in Rumi's arms, like he was being electrocuted. Blake first went to Brie, but of course the girl wasn't there, and probably wasn't anywhere [i]near[/i] the area, so Blake ruled her out. Little to Blake's knowledge, inside his chest, Ranucci's defibrillator was going wild, before eventually it stopped, Ranucci's eyes closing as his heart stopped as well. Blake watched in shock and a bit of horror. [color=CC5500]"Rumi, check his pulse. Is he actually...shit, man, what the hell happened? People don't just [i]die[/i] like that. Did you stab him with some...science juice?"[/color] Blake asked accusingly, a little unsettled. The man [i]did[/i] just try to kill him, and Blake was not exactly mourning, nor would he chalk up any plans to attend the man's funeral, but nobody deserved to die like that. He had to admit that he was just a little disturbed by what had transpired. 

He was about to be a lot more disturbed. 

Blake sighed. [color=CC5500]"Let's go inside...ooh! Airplane!"[/color] Blake pointed up at a soaring object that was zooming through the sky. [color=CC5500]"Hold on..."[/color] Blake muttered, scratching his head. [color=CC5500]"That's definitely not a plane...that's...no way...."[/color]

The word Blake was thinking of was "person" as said "person" came crashing down in a nosedive, smashing directly into the house and causing the small, unimpressive building to crumble like a cookie. Blake coughed as dust and probably asbestas launched outwards in a plume of smoke and dust. As the smog cleared, Blake observed the man standing in the ruins of the house. He was tall, very tall, but his most obvious feature was that the man appeared to be wearing some type of robot suit or something. Polished metal covered every inch of his body, up to his face, which had a strange helmet look to it. Across his silver-black body were lines that were currently pulsing green. The man/creature(?) looked at the three.

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[color=20C20E]"Firebird. Quake. Sir E. Brum."[/color] the robot/man said in a decidedly robotic voice, as he appeared to be scanning the trio. He stepped forwards, two large pieces of metal emerging from his back that Blake could only assume were bazookas [color=20C20E]"My name is Paradox. You are outgunned. Surrender now or be annihilated."[/color]

[color=CC5500]"Burn in hell!"[/color] Blake shouted, before releasing a pillar of flames where Paradox stood. The flames enveloped Paradox as they rushed towards the sky. One palm raised, guiding the flames upwards, Blake looked over at the two with a smile. [color=CC5500]"A lot of really pathetic villains,"[/color] he noted with an arrogant grin, before allowing the fire to cease. [color=CC5500]"Well, that was easy-..."[/color] Blake blinked as he noted that the man was still standing there, shoulder bazookas out, as he was currently surrounded by a pulsing green forcefield. The forcefield vanished as Paradox's mood lights turned to blue. [color=20C20E]"I accept the terms of your surrender,"[/color] Paradox noted with an eery robotic laugh, before firing two missiles at high speeds, one at Blake and the other at Rumi. Blake was expecting to be eradicated but instead, the missile released a net that ensnared Blake and pinned him to the ground- he could only assume the same was happening to Rumi. Blake struggled against the net- they weren't isolonic, thank God, but they were very tough and heavy, and he would need some time before he could burn free.

Meanwhile, Paradox turned to face Jamie. [color=20C20E]"Quake categorized as S-Tier hero. Field testing and data collection authorized by Command-1."[/color] He spread his arms, his voice as robotic, monotonous, and choppy as possible. [color=20C20E]"Hit me with your best shot, hero."[/color]

[@canaryrose] (again), [@Scarifar]
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