The Apathy's Story

A voice suddenly comes over the loudspeakers across Majestic HQ.

"Smokescreen, the Apathy, Order, Duplired, Dupligreen, and Midas," listed off the voice. "You're needed in Briefing Room #4. Report immediately."

"What, now?" asked Midas. "I just touched down!"

"It has been three hours, thirty-seven minutes, and twenty-three seconds since Midas boarded the airship that carried him back from a successful assignment," said the voice. "If you are to find Midas in the halls dallying in his progress to the meeting, make sure to let him know he has had plenty of time to recover for his next assignment."

Midas, grumbling, heads for Briefing Room #4. Meanwhile, a Sniper Bill, who has until now been at a shooting gallery practicing his aim and ignoring all other stimuli, holsters his rifle and heads for the same Briefing Room.

The Dupli-Brothers follow Midas while an armored man who had been reading in the barracks sets down his book and heads for the Briefing Room. At the same time, a humanoid robot who had been standing around in a hallway makes his way for the Briefing Room.

As the six enter the briefing room, they come across a radio on a table - Mockingbird, their supervisor and the one who just made the announcement, never shows his face. Also on the table are costumes - black paint, fake spikes, and a mask that looks like Alex, a black leather trenchcoat, boots, cowboy hat, sunglasses, a broadsword and shotgun, an orb decorated with images of rock and earth, and a mess of burlap that, when properly assembled, looks like Patches.

"What's all this?" asked Midas.

"Gentlemen," said Mockingbird via the radio. "When the Marksmen were brought under Majestic's employ, we struggled to find stealth operations for you, since most of what you do ends with something exploding or several people dead - not exactly the quietest approach. This mission, though, is perfect for you.

We framed US Secretary Marshall Judah for the assassination attempt on Zenmei Gekkani, a student at Tracgram University. We sent agents to start a riot against this attempt in Sanctuary. The agents escaped, but the citizens were captured. As we speak we are detonating earthquake bombs under their residences to destroy them and frame Marshall Judah - for who else would know where they live but the man who ordered their arrest and forced them back in their homes?

Of course, not everyone is going to believe this - the people of Fantasma, despite the assassination happening there, are much closer to Judah then the people of Haven, where his embassy is. Ironic, isn't it? But that's not the point. We've set up events that will split the world's opinion on Judah. The air is thick, and we need you to light the spark by killing him.

Of course, it's not that simple - you can't just do it looking like yourselves. The world needs something more visible to hate then a ragtag band of misfits. Enter your disguises - you're going to imitate the White Platoon. Midas, with your newfound skills you'd be perfect to imitate Alexander von Koopa. Smokescreen, your body type matches Dr. Y perfectly, and your unique body structure can allow you to mimic his strange flexibility. Order, the orb you see before you covers you in an earthen set of armor - perfect for disguising you as Ganymede, or rather 'Erix' as he was formerly known. Duplired, you can transform - you're perfect to imitate Terrus. Dupligreen, I'm afraid you'll have to be limited to Duma's form. And Apathy, I know you won't complain about having to imitate Patches, but this suit should make you look more humanoid.

An airship is waiting to take you to Sanctuary, where you'll have some... very visible backup. Your job is to get attention and make it absolutely clear you want Marshall Judah dead. Make some noise, people.

If there are any questions, I will allow three minutes to ask and answer them. After that you are merely wasting time."

"Mission parameters accepted." says Order. "This 'Judah' shall pay for staining the rank of Marshall!"

"I'm just dandy!" says Dupli-Green. "I'll like being a dinosaur with sharp claws!"

"And I'll like being such a handsome man!" remarks Dupli-Red.

"No problems here either." comments Smokescreen. "I think I'll make a good doctor."

"Good," sad Mockingbird, cutting off Midas' objections. "Suit up and get ready to head out."

Midas, grumbling, paints himself to look like Alex. The Apathy starts to put on the Patches dress.

Smokescreen begins dressing himself as Dr. Y, Order grabs the orb and attempts to activate it, and the Dupli-Brothers transform into their respective disguises.

The orb activates easily, covering Order's body in rocks.

"I will do my best to operate within this form!" says Order while Smokescreen finishes dressing himself.

By now Midas and Apathy have finished getting dressed.

"Head to the airship hangar," said Mockingbird. "Your transport is waiting."

Smokescreen, Order, and the Dupli-Brothers all nod before heading for the hangar.

Midas and the Apathy follow them to the hanger, where an airship painted white awaits them.

"Let's hope no one realizes the real White Platoon could never travel in style like this." remarks Smokescreen before boarding the ship alongside Order and the Dupli-Brothers.

"I think us killing people is going to make news more than a fancy jet," said Midas, boarding the ship alongside the Apathy.

The airship has no pilot - then again, the Marksmen are used to flying like this. It's possible this is their old ship repainted. While this may seem like Majestic just saving money, they've reworked several of the engine components and other technological doodads so it runs better.

Smokescreen, Order, and the Dupli-Brothers all sit down--Dupli-Green looking over his claws afterwards, and giggling.

The airship ship takes off, heading for Sanctuary.

The earthquakes soon subside, but a few minutes later, all the screens in Sanctuary fill with static before being replaced with the image of a man wearing a theatrical mask - this one of tragedy. Clearly, a hijack by one of the Gracchus collective.

"Ladies and gentlement, citzens of Sanctuary!" announced the Gracchus member. "Lend me your ears! Yesterday we suffered the attack of a crazed tin tyrant, who nearly rent our fair city to the ground with a horde of abyssal creatures! We survived, but in the process we missed the real enemy - the enemy that dwells within!"

"This can't be good," said Judah, watching from inside the embassy.

"Last night, Zenmei Gekkani, reporter at Tracgram University, was attacked!" said Gracchus. "The perpetrator remains at large, but left behind a rifle that could only have come from one place - the embassy of U.S. Secretary of the Armed Forces, Marshall Judah! And the coward hid behind his embassy walls, claiming diplomatic immunity! So a few good men and women took to the streets, looking to make him answer for his crimes! And yet he beat them down violently, with the aid of super-powered beings he is supposed to despise!"

"I don't-" began Judah, before realizing Gracchus couldn't hear him.

"And did he take them to jail? NO!" shouted the Gracchus member. "He forced them back to their homes, and kept them locked in, with bracelets to monitor their positions! Why? So he could detonate earthquake bombs beneath those houses, crushing these men and women, and several innocents, in the rubble! For who could have known where those men lived, and who could have placed the bombs in time, but Marshall Judah and his dogs of the military? And still he hides behind his embassy walls, behind superhumans, behind every position he can that makes him BETTER than us!"

About this time, an airship painted white arrives, flying above Sanctuary. Within the jet are... the White Platoon?

"We shall suffer the indignities brought on by this criminal no longer!" said the Gracchus member. "If he brings his soldiers, we shall counter with our own! If he kills one our men, we shall kill ten of his own! And if he hides behind his embassy walls..."

Suddenly, a massive robot rises from the ground near some of the destroyed buildings - a giant tripod (well, not quite - it has four tentacle-like legs), with four mechanical tentacles coming out of the large dome it had for a "head" and various weapons attached to said tentacles and dome.

"We shall tear the embassy down, brick by brick, and bury him within!" shouted the Gracchus member. "Today, Marshall Judah is going to die!"

The giant robot slowly but surely makes its way to the embassy, tentacles swinging all around it.

"Battle stations!" said Judah within the embassy. "We are in crisis mode here, people!"

The guards at the embassy scramble.

Amsel lifts Hopscotch into the air, and begins running away from the American embassy as fast as he can.

"What are you doing, Count Amsel?!" shouts Hopscotch. "We gotta stay and help out!"

"This isn't our fight, Hopscotch!" answers Amsel. "We must get out of here while we still can!"

Within the white airship, "Dr. Y" cocks his shotgun, "Terrus" cracks his knuckles, "Duma" licks her lips, and "Erix" slams his fists together.

"Are you all prepared to bring the one called Judah to justice, fellow law enforcers?" asks "Erix."

"Maybe it'd be better if you kept quiet during this." replies "Dr. Y."

Lucas's aircraft touched down at the Templar base. As he did, he noticed the commotion unfolding. "What in the...?"

At that time, Parasoul and the Black Egrets were riding in on their motorcycles, taking heed the airship and the giant mech. "Men, be on your guard! We're dealing with some heavy artillery here."

The airship door opens, revealing the "White Platoon" onboard.

"Jump out," said Mockingbird's voice over the airship loudspeakers. "Your parachutes will automatically deploy."

"Are you sure about thi-" asked "Alex".

Before he can finish, "Patches" pushes "Alex" out of the airship, jumping after him. True to Mockingbird's word, the parachutes automatically deploy before they reach terminal velocity, and the two hit the ground safely. Meanwhile, while most of Judah's men keep up their fortified positions at the embassy, others ride off towards the giant robot, aiming to slow it down... And don't do much, as the robot opens fire on them with machine gun turrets, killing several.

"Dr. Y," "Erix," "Terrus," and "Duma" jump off of the airship as well, and presumably hit the ground safely thanks to the parachutes.