Spirals of Fate is a serialized work of fiction centering on the intellectual property of City of Heroes and City of Villains. Chapter One centered on two villains, Vincent and Mara, and their breakout from the Zigg, a prison used to house those with super powers. They met another villain named Mosaic and the three headed for Arachnos flyers and freedom. Chapter 2 explored the perspective of the young heroes called to defend their city from the rising tide of crime.

Spirals of Fate: Chapter Three (Harsh Environments)- Part One
By Michael Lafferty and Matthew Eberle

Mosaic was avidly staring at the landing zone the flyer was approaching. Soon he would be back on the ground, in the center of an Arachnos base. All he would need to rebuild his small empire would be right at his fingertips. Everything he could possibly require would be available – if he was clever enough to gain access to them. To start with he had to find some way to keep Vincent and that girl under his control. As the flyer banked in a lazy circle around the landing zones he saw one of the Seers floating along the battlements, using her psychic power to defy gravity.

Mosaic smiled as the answer to his problems suddenly became crystal clear.

- - -

“All new recruits will form a line here!” an Arachnos soldier yelled loudly over the rumbling murmurs of the crowd. “Take the equipment, clothing, or armor you need and move to the other side of the platform. You’ll find changing rooms there.” The crowd seemed determine to ignore him. One escapee from the prison took things too far when he attempted to scale the walls around the courtyard and leave. Most of the crowd turned to watch. The soldier raised his weapon, a vicious club-like device with barbs at the end and pointed it at the convict. A distinctive whine could be heard a split second before the particle cannon discharged.

The convict yowled in pain, a strangely feline sound coming from his throat as he tumbled down the wall. There was a heavy thud when he hit the flagstones of the courtyard. The entire crowd of inmates turned towards the soldier angrily. Several seemed willing to attack the new threat immediately. For his part the soldier simply pointed upwards, bringing their attention to the ring of Arachnos personnel standing on the wall above him. Particle cannons, blades, and more exotic weapons were aimed down into the crowd.

“As I was saying, form a line here,” the soldier yelled again. “Take the equipment, clothing or armor you need and move to the other side of the platform. This isn’t a discussion, people. Move!”

Vincent turned away from the spectacle and began rummaging through the vast piles of fabric, weapons, and equipment laid out on tables in the center of the courtyard. A pair of jeans that showed some promise was strewn across the top of the pile. He grabbed those and absently looked around. Mara was right behind him, timidly picking up pieces of clothing in her search for something her size. Mosaic hadn’t been with them since they got off the flyer. He had ducked out the back of the transport and immediately been accosted by several soldiers and one of those floating girls. Vincent shook his head and looked around for Mara again. She came up with a webbing of leather that she couldn’t figure out. It looked like some kind of restraint for captives, but she wasn’t sure. The young woman frowned and tossed it back on the pile.

“Hey, now,” a gravely voice rumbled next to her. “Why toss that back, girl? Some of us would like to see you in it!” the villain laughed. Mara turned around, a look of dread on her face. The man standing behind her, if that was the appropriate term, seemed more metal than flesh. Robotic forearms were nailed on to armored biceps. A facemask and helmet covered his head. As she watched the man was snapping a blaster unit into his left forearm.

Mara backed into the table awkwardly. She frowned in concentration and felt the familiar chill, electric feeling as she became invisible. Several of the inmates around the villain who was mocking her looked around in confusion. The young woman watched that confusion fade into anger. Her original tormentor laughed roughly. “That’s a good trick, babe,” he chuckled. “But I’ve seen it before. You’re not gone, you’re just invisible. That means you’re somewhere right about here,” he trailed off as he raised his left arm. The blaster began to charge with a trembling whine as he pointed it off to Mara’s left. She glanced around quickly. The bolt would miss her, but she was out of room to dodge. The crowd had closed ranks, denying her an easy escape.

“I think that’s enough,” a quiet voice interjected as a leather-clad figure clapped his hand on the villain’s left arm.

“Says who?” the mechanical horror demanded. He quickly turned to point his weapon at the newcomer.

Mara shivered as she watched Vincent’s eyes disappear behind polished obsidian orbs. He had changed into the green shirt and jeans he had acquired in the courtyard. No one seemed to notice a man changing behind the tables. He’d added a black leather jacket and a pair of gloves to protect his hands. Mara looked back at her assailant. Two of his friends had stepped up next to him. The one closest to her suddenly erupted in rocky growths, easily doubling in size. The far one’s hands were engulfed in flames.

Vincent simply smiled.

- - -

Mosaic had just finished talking to the Seer when a fight broke out in the courtyard below. He glanced down and blessed the timing. A few seconds earlier and he would have been back to square one. As it was, his plans were salvageable. Several villains were fighting a single figure wrapped in midnight mist. Vincent, of course. Probably defending that girl again, Mosaic thought to himself. He watched with interest as the three attackers attempted to beat Vincent into submission.

The first to attack was a mechanical construct or cyborg. Its particle cannon discharged a scintillating beam of charged energy that Vincent’s protective aura seemed to absorb with ease. The second, a rocky creature, hammered on the smaller man with heavy fists of stone. Vincent was forced to block those with his forearms or dodge entirely. The third was walking around behind him, pelting Vincent with small bolts of flame. Mosaic shook his head in amusement.

Vincent’s fists slammed into the rocky creature like onyx bolts of lightning. Traces of that energy clung to the brute’s figure, blinding him briefly as Vincent’s blows steadily smashed into his torso and face. Chips of stone flew from the force of the impacts. As the heavy attacker fell to his knees Vincent lunged past him. His hands clamped down on the robotic villain’s forearm weapon. There was an agonized shriek of metal has he ripped the cannon free. Sparks flew from the mangled connections. Mosaic nodded in approval as Vincent pulled the attacker off balance, dragging him close enough for a single blow. The powerful uppercut flung the villain off his feet. He struck the pavement heavily and didn’t move. The young man turned towards his flaming attacker and took a single step menacingly towards him. The last of the three had obviously decided to abandon his friends as he disappeared in a shower of glittering sparks.

… to be continued
In Chapter 3, Part 2 violence erupts from an unexpected source.

This is a fictional story is based on the intellectual property of City of Heroes and City of Villains. That property was used as a backdrop for this story with the permission of both Ncsoft and Cryptic Studios. While this story uses that world as a backdrop, it is not meant to reflect either gameplay or storylines with the massively multiplayer online world. Some of the images used with Spirals of Fate have been taken from the game and modified to suit the illustrative purposes of this story. This story is intended for entertainment purposes only.

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