Mission:Masterpiece (Hero) - Part 1: The Dive
Part 1: The Dive
Briefing
Yo, Character, the name's Dakota Berg. You can call me Berg, I hate the name Dakota. But I figure I'd be up front with you about the name. I'm an agent of the FBSA. Yeah, I know what you might be thinking, I should be out there fighting crime. I should, but due to several class action lawsuits regarding accidental destruction of property during simple arrests, I've been ordered not to. That's neither here nor there, though. I've been assigned to the case regarding Malaise and his arrest. Thanks to your actions during the Warburg conference, you've been named as one of the heroes who should interrogate Malaise. We've got him in a secure safe house here in Brickstown now. Are you ready to talk to the man responsible for the death of Alexis Cole-Duncan?
This arc contains elite bosses and may be difficult for certain players to do by themselves.
- Agree to form a task force
Mission Acceptance
Dakota Berg hands you some documents
Great. First off, here's some information about the current situation, well, at least, part of the situation. Statesman has gone missing, probably off flying somewhere to clear his mind. Can't say I blame him, after all, Alexis was his daughter and all. Manticore is kinda on the outs with, well, everyone right now. Malaise, like I said, is being held in a safe house. Manticore insists that there's more to the plot, but Ms. Liberty is doubting that. She thinks Malaise's motive was revenge. You're the one who's going to talk to the freak to try to see what's going on. Everyone else is too invested in this whole thing; Liberty for her mom, Psyche for the fact that he was mind-linked to her. Anyway, here's the location of the safe house. Meet up with Ms. Liberty to get a rundown of the current situation.
Unnecessary Solicitation
They're waiting on you, Character.
Only a select few were invited to the funeral of Alexis Duncan-Cole. One notable hero who was absent was Manticore. Statesman and Ms. Liberty were present in the funeral, as were a number of now retired heroes who had fought side by side with Alexis during her time as Miss Liberty.
Those who attended took note that Statesman seemed distant, as if his mind was somewhere else, while Ms. Liberty gave a beautiful eulogy about the life of her mother.
Attendees noted that after the funeral, there was a loud verbal argument between Statesman and Ms. Liberty in the graveyard where Alexis was buried. Statesman blamed Ms. Liberty for her mother's death, stating that Malaise had no right to be outside of a prison. The argument intensified until Statesman flew away. He has not been seen since.
Mission Objective(s)
You had to go through several layers of security to get inside of the warehouse, including one to check if you were a shapeshifter in disguise.
Only someone with an incredibly detailed plan could attack this place. You wouldn't be surprised.
- Interrogate Malaise
- Meet with Ms. Liberty
- Interrogate Malaise
- Get to the security room to deactivate the music
Enemies
Notable NPCs
Sorry, Character. Things have just been... bad, since my mother was murdered. Grandpa's gone, said something about flying around to clear his head. I wonder if he actually is gone for good this time.
When grandma died, he tried to leave everyone behind, only he came back at the last minute. But... things are different now.
We've got Malaise held in the back. Sister Psyche and Aurora Borealis are there to keep him held down. Do you have any questions before going in?
- No, I'm ready.
- missing
- Tell me about what happened with you and Statesman at the funeral.
- Hrmph... he blamed me for all this. Of course, he also blamed Manticore, too. Grandpa went on this whole rant, saying how he told me that Malaise was too far gone, that he belonged either in a prison or an asylum. I told him that I thought Malaise had a chance to change, and that it was worth it to at least try.
- That's when we got into a whole debate about Uncle Stefan, I mean, Lord Recluse. I keep telling him that everyone has a chance to change, even Recluse, but grandpa doesn't want to believe it.
- He yelled at me that my 'foolishness' was going to get more people killed and asked if I was going to let Recluse in to the city if he tried to pull 'another' redemption card. Ugh, I swear, he wonders WHY I use my father's last name instead of his. Grandpa's just... I don't want to talk about it anymore, Character.
- Alright, that's fine. I'm ready to go.
- missing
- What about Sister Psyche? Is it safe for her to be here?
- We don't have much of a choice, Character. We need a powerful psychic here to make sure Malaise doesn't pull anything. Aurora Borealis is good, but, well, Sister Psyche is just better. We have plenty of precautions in place in the event that Malaise tries something.
- There... was someone else who wanted to help, but she's too inexperienced. Penelope Yin. She thinks she's all grown up, now that it's been over five years since everything happened in Faultline. But, she just doesn't have what it takes to handle a huge case like this.
- Alright, I'm ready to go.
- missing
- Tell me about what happened with you and Statesman at the funeral.
- Did you find any other information about Malaise?
- Barely. All we found out from him was that he has some sort of grand 'story' and that we're all playing our parts perfectly. Whenever we ask about Blitz, he goes on to say that he was just a guest star in all of this, a side character.
- Frankly, I'm starting to believe there's something bigger here, but it won't be easy to find out. I think he's finally gone mad, someone's done something to Malaise to push him over the edge. I don't know why that person would want my mother dead, but I'm sure as hell going to find out.
- Alright, I'm ready to go.
- Okay, Character. Malaise is in the back. I need to go work on finding grandpa. People are getting worried that this might be an Arachnos plot, and they want him around to keep Recluse in check. Not that I think we need him. We have plenty of heroes who can help stop Recluse, if push comes to shove. It's not like the old days.
- Very well, I'll handle everything.
- Tell me about what happened with you and Statesman at the funeral.
- What about Sister Psyche? Is it safe for her to be here?
- Did you find any other information about Malaise?
- missing
- Is it safe for Sister Psyche to be here?
- missing
- Have you found out anything else from Malaise?
- missing
Well, well. Neurasthenia. It's good to see you again. I was hoping this would happen, you and I meeting again. I've been keeping a close eye on you, a very close eye on you, with the obelisk... with Numina's father... and now this.
Finally, the story's unlikely protagonist and its antagonist meet, not to exchange blows like last time, but to talk. What will be revealed, I wonder? Will you find the answers you seek?
Tell me, Character, before you ask the question, let me ask you a question. What exactly is it that you're here for?
- I'll ask the questions around here, Malaise. Who are you working with?
- missing
- I'm here for justice, Malaise. Justice for the woman you killed.
- Aren't we all looking for justice, Neurasthenia? You believe I am the antagonist of the story, and you are the protagonist. The brave hero who will ride into town and solve everyone's problems. Did you ever think, however, about how to solve your problems? Hrm? Doesn't it get tiring, Character, to have everyone rely on you, and no one who you can rely on?
- You may think you're the protagonist, but when are you moving your story further, as opposed to the stories of others? Ah, but this was a tangent. You are looking for justice, but you will never find your justice. Alexis Cole-Duncan is dead, and, despite the miracle infested world we live in, she won't be coming back.
- I am looking for justice too, Character. That could, as one person on an opposite spectrum almost always says to another, make you and I a lot alike.
- And how have you been wronged?
- Look around you. We live in a world where heroes are common, and yet, many are celebrated. Yet, the artist, Character, the one who creates beauty, still struggles.
- What am I famous for? The works of art I've created, the stories I've written? No, what I care for, what I had passion for was meager compared to my super powers. Is it fair that I was born to a world that never understood my work? Is it right that I was given these powers but not the will to resist the temptation of using them?
- The justice I seek, Character, can be obtained. It is to make my masterpiece, one that the entire world will see and remember. In fact, you are a part of this masterpiece in progress.
- What are you planning with me, Malaise?
- Before Malaise can finish his words, a song begins to play over the speaker system in the safe house. You recognize the voice: Johnny Sonata, a singer from St. Martial, known for his ties to the Family. Sister Psyche envelops your mind in a shield as you can feel the melody of the music attempting to force your emotions.
- In the distance, you can hear explosions of violence. The music is turning everyone insane! Malaise laughs madly at you.
- Ah, the next part of our act! The Dirge of Chaos revealed! You've guarded this place well, but not from this!
- I'll be back, Malaise, once I handle this!
Please be careful dear.
The world is a big place.
You want to rule it all.
But the essential rule still applies.
If you want to rule the world, it'll just rule you.
You say it's lonely here.
The ones you've loved are gone.
The world could be better.
But why did you bother trying?
If you want to rule the world, it'll just rule you.
Destiny and love, you think you own it all.
You've got your plans, they always work.
Leave it to yourself, it's all you say.
You think you can do it yourself, but remember,
If you want to rule the world, it'll just rule you.
You say that life's unkind.
You wanted something else.
But baby, you made this choice.
You chose to change it all.
If you want to rule the world, it'll just rule you.
Debriefing