Daemon X Core, Penumbra Wars Prologue part 2 (Patreon)

Raven and Mosquito [Kaiser]

Within the server room of the Fermi and Felix Foundation Central Headquarters, Kaiser finishes destroying the server data. Unfortunately during his operation he encountered that the employees within the deeper reaches of the building were acting highly strange. Less like corporate employees and more like rabid fanatics. Kaiser had cut his way through the facility facing all matters of odd behavior from not just the security forces, but the general staff too.

Upon exiting the server room a large figure descends from the other end of the hallway. The unmistakable puppet-like form of the Toy Man. 

[Kaiser]: Let me guess, company payroll?

[Toy Man]: Outside contractor Raven. 

[Kaiser]: I'll give you till the count of 10 to explain yourself Assassin.

[Toy Man]: Won't be necessary, we are both here for the same reason, here to kill the CEO and stop whatever is happening here.

[Kaiser]: I don’t work with lowlifes like you.

[Toy Man]: Both of us are killers, don't be prideful now, think better and be reasonable. Our chances are far better if we collaborate.

[Kaiser]: I think I'll take my chances alone.

[Toy Man]: So foolish of you, are Ravens, such solitary animals.

[Kaiser]: I’ll be on my way.

Kaiser proceeded with his mission, with the explosives planted he now only had to find and deal with Benjamin.

The Lesser Felix [Felicity Felix]

In the midst of Operation Twisted Jaw, Felicity and her security forces confronted the Tyrant Team, during the skirmish she kept receiving reports of oddities in the building. She would be confronted by a group of employees who attempted to lure her into seeing the Imposter Moon Signal. Realizing something strange was going on she retreated, encountering the Tyrant Team. She was informed of what they suspected, and she confirmed it to them. After handing them her ID Card to access the interior of the building's archives. 

Felicity would continue her journey down the building where she would be confronted by more affected employees and security personnel. She would fight her way down the building, meeting a Fixer named Johnny “Boa” Sidewinder who was there on a separate contract to terminate an employee totally unrelated to the signal. The top floor of the building explodes due to the heavy fighting from the Tyrant team and the Machine Panthers.

[Felicity]: Fuck, okay cowboy we have to get out of here!

[Johnny]: We?

[Felicity]: Yes, for fucksakes, I'll pay you once all this shit blows over.

[Johnny]: Well, I can't say no to a lady like you!

[Felicity]: The fuck is that, listen let's go.

[Johnny]: Ever been to the Underworks?

[Felicity]: The sewers? 

[Johnny]: Yep, there's a safe house in it, run by Rat people believe it or not.

[Felicity]: Rat people? 

[Johnny]: Yep, but we gotta book it, it's a fair bit away in the 12th Ring.

[Felicity]: That's farside! We aren't making it by foot in a day Cowboy.

[Johnny]: Nope, that's why we are gonna take a lift on the Metro! 

[Felicity]: The Metro and then the sewers, good I'm sure going to be bumming it out. 

Slip Jaw [Ministry]

Operation Twisted Jaw has failed, all remaining Operators must withdraw to safe houses as soon as possible, destroy any evidence, terminate any witnesses. Fixer Kaiser has failed to kill the CEO of the Fermi and Felix Foundation. 

The Moon Signal has altered those directly exposed to it, the Majority of the Eastern and Central Headquarters of the Fermi and Felix Foundation have been compromised by the Imposter Moon. We are racing to enact a full media and information black out from the 4th Ring and 5th Ring. 

We have lost contact with Minister Whitestone and the Tyrant team. Fixer Kaiser has also been unaccounted for. 

From the information gathered by Whitestone and Kaiser, it is vital to stop the spread of the Imposter Moon Signal. Two days following the failure of Operation Twisted Jaw it is suspected that the Fermi and Felix Foundation has succeeded in signal bombing several corporation headquarters in the 4th Ring, the Ministry has sent out an urgent warning to all Corporations within the 4th and 5th Ring to shut down any direct lines to the Fermi and Felix Foundation, attempts to cut the telecom lines have failed, as the teams sent in have met heavy resistance from Fermi and Felix Foundation employees and civilians near the facilities, authorized use of heavier force have been approved to neutralize the facilities.

Third day several signal flare ups are reported across the whole city, a massive media and information blackout is quickly enforced to mitigate damage.

The Perfect Moon [Benjamin Felix]

In a strange pocket within the burning remains of the Fermi and Felix Foundation Central Headquarters, Benjamin stood alone, his body bisected and reattached into one multiple times. His form liquid and translucent one moment, the next he is burning and freezing, drowning and dehydrated all at the same time. Before him a great figure sat down, the moon looming behind his obelisk form. The figure smiled a red toothy smile. 

[Agape]: What a strange human being, no mutations or flaws within your genetic markers. How dull you must be Benjamin Felix the Fifth. 

[Benjamin]: What are you? 

Benjamin struggled to piece his words together as his tongue crawled out of his mouth and into his empty right eye socket. 

[Agape]: You appear to be struggling, but I am Agape Pazuzu, Oldest among us who existed before this reality. 

Pazuzu snapped his fingers and reconstructed Benjamin perfectly, flawlessly and dull as he was before.

[Benjamin]: You are the one that sent out the message from the moon aren't you?

Pazuzu's smile grew wider.

[Agape]: Yes it was me, I grew bored and I can see from your dreams and brain activity that you were bored too. I can grant you a wish, anything you could ever want in this reality. Yet I wonder what could a “perfect” human like you even want?

Pazuzu leaned down to look at Benjamin closer, his head dwarfing the man. Something within Benjamin spiraled forwards, something instinctual and base in his very being.

[Benjamin]: I want things to be beautiful, I want the world to be beautiful. 

Benjamin stepped back confused as to where that came from.

[Agape]: You can make the world beautiful Benjamin.

Pazuzu whispered something into Benjamin's ear. Benjamin's pupils ruptured and his vision went dark, only for a moment as the light of the Imposter Moon illuminated his surroundings. He was back in the remains of the Fermi and Felix Foundation Central Headquarters. As he looked around him, countless people were looking up at him. He knew what he had to do and how to do it, but he would need more flesh. The signal hummed within his ears and he saw it through his eyes, she would make the world beautiful, a golden goddess.

Burned White Coat [Kaiser]

Within the burning ruins of the Fermi and Felix 4th Ring Headquarters, Kaiser stumbled up to his feet. He clenched his side and leaned against the rubble, he felt like a building just fell on top of him. His hearing was shot, his eyes watery, his nose was stuffed with ashes and blood.  His shades busted on the floor, he was struggling to stand straight. He tried to remember what happened between him and Benjamin, but it was all blank. As he reached down to pick up his shades a hand came out of the rubble grabbing on to his. 

Flesh bruised and burned, eyes ruptured and a strange grin that was stuck to their face. Kaiser pulled himself away and fell backwards, as others came out the rubble and smoke. They approached him, only to be struck down by a fiery figure, a mess of limbs striking in all directions. It was Toy Man, he turned around and looked at Kaiser, he looked like he was saying something, but Kaiser passed out.

Kaiser woke up somewhere dark, a cold drip of water hit his face. He felt a burning pain around his ribs, he was badly injured. Next to him were his two swords, badly damaged and his smashed pair of shades. As he got up and looked around he saw that he was in the Underworks of the 10th. He didn't think about it twice and slowly began to make his way towards an exit. He had to make it to Norro's Smithy.

Remedies for Toxins [Igor]

At the barren concert platform near the junction point between the Underworks and the Nexus Mass Elevator down to the Gulch. Igor met with Ripper Doc, he needed information on the Aberrations being used by the Corona Syndicate and Ripper Doc had been hunting down members of the Syndicates Chemical Production Arm. 

[Igor]: Allow me to introduce myself, I am the Eye of the Old Believers in Atlantropa.

Igor stood in front of Ripper Doc, he spoke with a noticeable Ruthenian accent, his voice slightly distorted by his Mirror Mask. 

[Ripper]: Ripper Doc, fixer working for Minerva Corp. What do you want? 

[Igor]: Details Ripper, I have been dealing with Aberrations, but more troubling is the sudden rise in junkies. I believe that the Corona Syndicate is dealing with an abnormal substance for their narcotics. I have seen several people catatonic, looking up at the sky and whenever I attempt to approach them they enter a frenzied state. I found several vials of this near the latest group I encountered. 

Igor produces a small vial of glowing blue fluid and tosses it at Ripper Doc.

[Ripper]: That's a good guess, but this here isn't anything out of the ordinary for the slums. It's Star Dust, a stimulant that had unfortunately been circulating for decades now. The Syndicates do harvest it from aberrations, but they also can “dirty” Star Dust by harvesting it directly from junkie corpses.

[Igor]: Despicable.

[Ripper]: True, but what you are describing isn't anything like what typically happens to a junkie on this. They usually simply crash after taking the drug, the effects don't last longer than a day and the more they use it the less and less the high lasts. To put it simply they are skittish, but not violently so.

[Igor]: What you are telling me is that this isn't the lead I think it is?

[Ripper]: That is unfortunately so, if I find out anything more about their drug production I'll let you know. I am usually at the Shaw Lodging and Emporium. 

[Igor]: Thank you, If there is anything I can do to help you let me know.

[Ripper]: See any Corona Syndicate thugs kill them and if you find hideouts let me know.