User:GuyPerfect/Slash Ragequit

When the Good Times are Over

Flying high across the city, sunlight shimmering from his many reflective costume pieces and the citizens down below cheering at the very sight of their hero, The Devotee gets a call from one of his contacts regarding a breaking incident.

"There's been a kidnapping by the Freakshow; woman by the name of Iris Flemming. She's a professional troller, someone who shows up at public events with politicians and other figureheads and intentionally stirs up contention among the crowd. She's no troublemaker, though, as time and time again she and the company she works for have educated the public of the crafty wordings the people they vote for use to try to sway them in their direction. The city really is better off because of them, which is why their conduct is permitted.

"This situation is a standard-issue ransom attempt, except what the Freakshow want as payment is for you to show up so they can beat you down. How or why they captured Ms. Flemming is anyone's guess, but I figured that if they want you to fight them, it'd be an acceptable suggestion for you to oblige. Once you take care of them and save the hostage, the police can pin this down to figure out what motives may have been behind this unusual crime."

"You got it. I'm on my way." And just like that, The Devotee was off to the warehouse where the Freakshow had taken their captive.

Upon arriving, The Devotee wasn't met with any resistance. There were no guards inside or outside the entrance, and once inside, he noticed something was odd: the entire warehouse was devoid of color. He was the only object with any hue in the entire facility. As he walked down the dusty corridors of the abandoned building, The Devotee was met only by the sound of his own footsteps echoing down the halls. There was no life anywhere to be seen, and the black-and-white landscape in front of him made this all the more apparent.

In the back of the warehouse was Iris Flemming, loosely tied to a post in such a way that she could not undo the bonds herself. The Devotee freed her without much effort loosening the knots, but was intrigued by the utter lack of Freakshow or... color... in the entire facility. He did happen across a note taped to the wall near where Flemming was being held, however.

"Hey, Dorkvotee. We had everything set up to really make you eat dirt, but we can't be bothered to follow through with it. We heard someone open the front doors and we got all ready to attack you, but it wasn't you. It was some other guy who just came in and started busting heads. And then he talked to us. A real eye opener, too. He clued us in on the futility of our antics and now we can see that it's all a waste of time. Even you, why do you do what you do? Day in and day out, it's always the same thing. You never have anything to work towards or any variety in your activities, so why do you keep doing it? It's not worth it, so we've packed our bags and are leaving town for more invigorating pastures. You can save the day or whatever, but we'll be long gone by the time you get here."

The Devotee's contact was baffled, and neither the experts at DATA nor MAGI were able to figure out how the life had been sapped not only from the Freakshow in that warehouse, but the warehouse itself. There wasn't much time to think on it, however, because reports of similar incidents started springing up all over the city. Villains from all gangs and organizations started packing up and leaving town, and the city started to turn shades of grey as a sort of virus continued to spread. After some careful tracking, The Devotee and his contact were able to locate an office building in Atlas Park that was about to lose its color, and he went in to investigate.

Nearing the top floor of an otherwise empty office building, The Deevotee passes one last Hellion carrying a box just as he enters a large lobby. The color follows the Hellion out, and all that remains in the lobby is a darkish figure, who can't himself leave without getting past The Devotee first.

"What's going on here?" queried the hero. The dark figure turned to reveal beneath its cape a battle-worn suit of armor topped with a helmet that no light could enter. A dreadful voice echoed out from the helmet's confines.

"Your enthusiasm is misplaced, hero. You cannot save the city from this reality. It is not a cataclysm that will bring destruction from the outside world, but will instead siphon the very will to live from every person who lives here. Even the villains who do battle for control of this place have lost all interest in its worth, and the citizens cannot be far behind once they realize that there is nothing they can do to stop the inevitable exodus. They will all leave in droves, and the city, lifeless and void, will crumble under the weight of its own inadequacy."

The figure once again turns away from The Deevotee.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" retorted The Devotee. "Protecting this city is its own reward because the people here are worth saving. It's a community of PEOPLE I interact with, and there is nothing that can take away the joys I experience when I get to make someone's day. Working with other heroes to eliminate the threat of evil will NEVER get old, no matter what form it comes in. You need to stop this nonsense immediately!"

"I am The Doomsayer," the figure replied, "and my influence knows no bounds. Resist me if you will, but you are destined to fail."

The Doomsayer draws a sword, but does not move otherwise. He seems to be awaiting The Devotee's decision.

"Very well," decided The Deevotee, "if you won't stop this nonsense yourself, then I'm going to have to put a stop to it for you!"

The Devotee lunged at The Doomsayer, and was very quickly surprised at the villain's swiftness and combat prowess. A battle of wits and might ensued; where each combatant was able to deal hefty blows to his opponent. With every strike against The Doomsayer, spots of color splashed all over the room. As the fight went on, The Doomsayer's interest began to wane, but The Devotee's resolve grew ever stronger. This proved to be the turning point in the battle, as The Doomsayer's focus began to break and he let his guard down more and more. Eventually, The Devotee got the upper hand and landed quite a succession of devastating blows against his enemy, finishing with a massive uppercut that sent The Doomsayer to his back all the way across the room and his sword flying out of his hand.

The Doomsayer slowly struggled to his feet as The Devotee slowly stepped forward, ready to knock the villain back to the ground. Much to his surprise, The Doomsayer began to laugh.

"Like I told you once before," The Doomsayer reiterated, "this is not a destruction that you can stop with your own might. You will see it seep into the hearts and minds of everyone who lives in this city, and simply defeating me cannot stop it at this point. You, too, will fall victim to its effects, as you look on with despair as everything you work for tears itself apart in a vortex of apathy and disinterest.

"I'd love to stay and persuade you myself, but I do have some place to be." The Doomsayer then vanished in a flash of smoke.

The Devotee found himself alone in the room which was restored of its color, but his success seemed to be short-lived, as the color quickly drained itself once again. Emerging from the office building, The Devotee is met by a PPD officer.

"You need to head to St. Martial out in the Rogue Isles. The mastermind behind this operation is holed up in Jackpot, commanding his lieutenants such as The Doomsayer from there. How do we know this? Well... in his attempt to make you feel like he got the last laugh, Doomsayer used his MediCom teleporter to transfer to the hospital to recover while you were sent on a fool's errand looking for him. What he didn't expect was the Police Drone protecting the hero reclamation area, which promptly transferred him to the Zig. He was quite easy to interrogate after the beating you gave him. So, um... St. Martial's the place to be. We're all rooting for you!"

A quick and shady deal with Submariner Janus was all The Devotee needed to slip into the Rogue Isles undetected, and he made his way to Jackpot in St. Martial, which is generally the most colorful location in all the Rogue Isles. Though the sun was setting and the neon lights of the nearby casinos illuminated the unusually empty streets below, the area was still without color--more of a sepia tone here, even--and was slowly growing darker. It wouldn't be long before this part of the city ceased to exist.

The source of the depression was coming from a nearby bar, where The Devotee went not knowing what to expect. In there, he found but a single figure, a villain with a vicious appearance: demonic wings and a tail beneath a display of skulls and sharp horns. The villain had color, albeit only in shades of red, and he seemed amused at The Devotee's presence.

"I'll admit," the villain began, "that I didn't expect any heroes to show up here before everything was destroyed. I'm guessing The Doomsayer slipped up and got himself caught? No worries. You're the only one who came, and you'll be swallowed up with the rest of this city in just a few moments when this all comes to an end. Perhaps you'd like to express what's going through your mind before you're lost to oblivion?"

"Who are you, and why are you doing this!?" demanded The Devotee.

"I was a great villain, you know," the great villain answered, "and citizens and lesser villains alike would shriek in terror when they heard Slash Ragequit was coming to town. I was as infamous as they come, ruling the weak and wreaking great destruction wherever I went. It was pretty fun... for a while..."

Slash Ragequit becomes lost in thought, envisioning in his mind the events that transpired as he shared his story with The Devotee.

"I could destroy anything. Whatever wouldn't shred would be burnt. Whatever didn't burn would be torn apart by spectral essences. Legions of warriors would lash out against me, and they would all fall to the ground a few seconds later. It really was the greatest way to live."

Slash Ragequit clenches a fist at his side, and black flames suddenly surround it.

"But it still wasn't enough. That was all there was! Riches, power, the authority to do whatever I wanted and get away with it. Somehow, still not enough. There was nothing to keep things fresh, to keep me doing what it was I once loved to do. Even the gods turned against me, it seems, shutting themselves behind closed doors and never revealing anything of their deific works. And that was for all of us; we ALL had to live with that. There was no point in moving on, in continuing to waste time..."

Sharp claws appear on the backs of Slash Ragequit's hands as the rest of his body is engulfed in dark flames.

"My villain license is set to expire, but I don't plan to renew. I'm gonna take care of this and be done with it, and bring everyone else down with me. There's nothing left that this world has to offer for the likes of you and me; it's just more drabble day after day. It's time to stand up and make a statement, you know? Gotta go out with a bang."

Slash Ragequit's focus returns to The Devotee as the images fade from before his eyes. He addresses The Devotee in a most menacing tone.

"And if you think you're going to stop me, then you have my invitation to try."

Readying his weapons and fiery armor for battle, Slash Ragequit is suddenly doused with a fire extinguisher and knocked to the ground from behind. PPD officers quickly restrain him.

"Wait. Erk. Hang on! What's going on? The police? HERE!? But how? When'd you get here? Come on, you didn't let me finish!"

The Devotee antagonizes the helpless villain. "While you were daydreaming, I had some of my friends come in. You really set yourself up like the goon that you are, and you'll be spending the rest of your license's duration locked behind bars thinking about what you should have been doing differently. Thems the breaks, eh Slashy-poo?"

Slash Ragequit becomes infuriated, his eyes showing more anger than a thousand enraged men. A spark has been rekindled in his villainous mind, and as soon as it does, color is restored to the world--to Jackpot, and St. Martial, and all of Paragon City that was affected earlier. A brief barrage of ethereal sharks disorient the surrounding police officers, and a hot burst of dark fire releases Slash Ragequit from his restraints. He quickly heads for the door, and turns to taunt the hero as he leaves.

"You had to go and mix things up, didn't you?" threatened the soon-to-escape villain. "You've made things ever more interesting having to deal with other people's crazy ideas in this repetitive world of ours. You win and lose at the same time, I guess, 'cause I'll be renewing my villain license after all. You could chase me, I suppose, but you've probably got a fair number of other villains returning to Paragon City after their brief vacation. I'll leave that choice up to you."

Breaking down the door with a heavy kick, Slash Ragequit heads outside and makes his getaway, while The Devotee and the PPD officers rush back to Paragon City to welcome their evil friends back home. Just goes to show that it takes all kinds--both good and evil--to keep this world running the way it's supposed to.

Character Details

Statistics: Name:   Slash Ragequit Server: Triumph Alignment: Villain Archetype: Scrapper Threat Level: 50 Primary: Claws Secondary: Fiery Aura Epic: Leviathan Mastery

Powers: (Hover mouse)

It's On Purpose

The story above originated during the period prior to Going Rogue's release, where users left and right were clamoring for "Going Rogue info" and complaining about how we didn't have any. It was indeed a time of dryness with very little communication with the development team, and doom-saying was as abundant as... erm... potassium iodide in restaurant salt packets?

It became disgusting after a while, where people were talking about how "there's nothing to do" in the game, and that they "need new content" to continue subscribing, etc. I was one of what was apparently few who enjoyed the game and all that there was in it at the time, and continued to play and be happy playing with what was already there. So in a Flame Warriors style of parody, I devised the story of The Devotee and his encounters with the villains of Paragon City who gave up and left because life was too boring.

The villain, designed to be as cliché as I could possibly fathom, turned out much better than I anticipated. I guess all of those elements combined actually make a pretty snazzy costume, but people pick from them individually because they're "cool" and all you're left with are hundreds of uninspired designs that all share the same basic attributes:

• Red-on-black color scheme
• Black fire
• Demon wings/tail
• Bone/skull motif
• (To a lesser extent) Horns

And this is stuff you see on hero characters. But yeah, after I made the costume and started driving the guy around, I kept seeing and seeing that bulleted list on other people's characters. It made me sad, to an extent. In order to indicate to those observant enough to identify a trope when they see one, I went through the trouble of obtaining the Cliche badge and put it on this character.

The Claws, not surprisingly, were chosen as the primary due to the word "Slash" in the character's name.

I like the irony that the character cannot fly.

P-Up D-Down

Starting at the wrong end of the melee class paradigm, I found my characters becoming increasingly stronger offensively, but increasingly weaker defensively. The Tanker knows the merits of true resilience without loading up on Defense-based Set Bonuses. The Brute survives pretty well too, but does quite a bit more damage. And now, the Scrapper does lots of damage, but is comparatively fragile. I can only imagine how this will all end when I get around to Stalker.

When I level up, I do so with SOs all the way up to level 47, when I finally Frankenslot all the IOs I procure for the character. Slash Ragequit was not much of a sight to behold on SOs, even in the higher levels. I had to think that maybe this was one of the powerset combinations that just didn't perform all that well, and I wasn't sure if IOs could fix it.

Well, I sank the money into a full build and took it for a spin. Sweet genius was that an improvement, and I'm not sure why. The Scrapper can actually stay standing now, does crazy damage (even AoE, which isn't too common for melee characters), and Endurance issues are virtually non-existent even without any Alpha Abilities. Watching whole groups die so fast made me do some double-takes back when it first started happening.

Slashy Burny

Claws really could have been a boring set. There are only so many ways to swipe your hands at people. But they made it interesting. Focus and Shockwave in particular give the set that long-desired ranged punch, and the self damage boost power Follow Up is an attack, which can apply the bonus constantly with sufficient recharge. The attacks themselves are all pretty fast to begin with, without requiring much recharge Enhancement, and the Endurance usage is low enough that you're not always panting for breath. A very nice way to go.

Fiery Aura also brings a lot to the table, especially for a defensive set. With Burn in the mix as a pretty high-damage PBAoE attack and Blazing Aura constantly going off, it's probably the most offensive defensive sets of any of them. Mix in some self heal, Endurance refill and a self rez and you've go something with a lot of functionality. Oh yeah, and then there's Fiery Embrace, which is more self damage on top of Follow Up. Sweetness on a stick.

I didn't really know what to pick for the epic set, since Scrappers/Stalkers get kinda shafted in that regard, but Leviathan Mastery looked like it could work. It has Hibernate which, with perfect irony to the secondary powerset selection, will keep me alive in the event Healing Flames can't do the job. Toss in yet another ranged attack with knockback (just like the other two) and a ranged hold and you've got a winner.