Crimson

Briefing

I'm glad to see you, Character. I think you're just the person to help handle this.
I don't know what you know about the current state of Rikti affairs, but the Rikti trapped on Earth seem to be factionalizing around different philosophies. I don't know the whole run-down of how and why it happened, but the two factions call themselves the Traditionalists and the Restructurists. The important this is that the Traditionalists are willing to talk cease-fire, and our government has been trying to work one out with that faction.
This is where our 'friends' come in. They're planning to sabotage the talks. They've kidnapped two of the negotiators, one human and one Rikti, and are going to pin their deaths on the other side. Understanding why is part of their weird psychology. As far as our 'friends' are concerned, they would rather have an enemy they can made people afraid of and rally against, than a possible friend. From their point of view, it's safer and more useful for their own agenda if they have hostile Rikti aliens as a threat they can pull out at any time to scare people. If we had a cease-fire, that might lead to peace, or worse.
I don't know how you feel about the Rikti, but I think you can agree that preventing our 'friends' from using them as a boogey man is a good thing. So, I'm going to give you the locations of where they're holding both negotiators. The first one is Dr. Helen Spendler. I'll show you where our 'friends' are keeping her.

Mission Objective(s)

The Malta Group has re-conditioned this abandoned Council base.

Defeat lead kidnapper & his men
- Rescue Dr. Spendler

You freed Dr. Spendler, and found some important orders on her defeated captors.

Enemies

Notable NPCs

Babel Red Beta (Malta Operatives Gunslinger)
Dr. Spendler (NPC Hostage)

Malta Soldiers Dialog

Bable Red Beta Dialog

Dr. Helen Spendler Dialog

New Orders

You found this print-out of an email to Babel Red Beta, the leader of the Malta Group Operations team who had kidnapped Earth's negotiator with the Traditionalist Rikti. The orders state that Babel Red Beta's counterpart, Babel Red Alpha, is to move up his schedule and kill the Rikti Traditionalist negotiator, a scientist called C'Kelkah, ahead of schedule at a specified location.

Note: The third mission's timer begins immediately upon exiting the second mission.

Rescue Rikti negotiator quickly

Mission Objective(s)

This blasted section of the city hasn't been renovated since the Rikti War. The Malta Group must think it's the perfect backdrop to execute a Rikti negotiator and hope of peace along with her.

Rescue Rikti negotiator quickly - 2:30:00
- Locate C'Kelkah
- Lead C'Kelkah out of area

Success: You saved the Traditionalist Rikti negotiator C'Kelkah from assassination by the Malta Group. The peace talks should be able to continue.
Failure: You were unable to save the negotiator C'Kelkah from assassination by the Malta Group. You are uncertain if the peace talks will continue.

File:C\'kelkah.jpg

C'Kelkah

Enemies

Notable NPCs

Babel Red Alpha (Malta Operatives Gunslinger)
C'Kelkah (NPC Hostage)
Gunslinger (Malta Operatives Gunslinger) (Guarding C'Kelkah)

Ambush! Secure the prisoner!

After freeing C'Kelkah you will be ambushed by three squads of Malta soldiers

Malta Soldiers Dialog

Babel Red Alpha Dialog

C'Kelkah Dialog

Successful completion of this mission awards the Bodyguard Badge.

Bodyguard

You stopped the assassination of a Rikti peace negotiator.

Debriefing Mission Success

Now, I'm not telepathic, and I am certainly no alien telepath, but from people I know who are privy to such information, there are a lot of Rikti buzzing about the save you pulled off there. This C'Kelkah lady seems to be very influential among the Traditionalist Rikti. So, the talks will continue, and who knows? maybe something will come out of it. World could sure use a little more peace, at least in my opinion.

Debriefing Mission failure

Well, the good news is that the negotiations between the peoples of Earth and the Traditionalist Rikti are still going to continue. The loss of C'Kelkah was a major blow, but the Rikti seem to be taking it well. As I understand it, they don't seem to blame the death on humanity in general, but they are questioning how they can be promised any kind of safety when some of our mightiest heroes, and they meant you, weren't able to protect a single negotiator. Or at least, that's the line they're taking right now. The talks will go on, and that's a good thing.

Story Arc

Project: World Wide Red

Find out why a Chinese ambassador would have a Malta Group gunslinger as his bodyguard

Briefing

I've become aware of a complex situation, one that bears further investigation from our combined resources. I'll tell you up front that I'll give you more detail on this one, because I got a feeling this is going to be part of something very large and very dangerous. So, if you think you can handle it, then I'd like to get your assistance to find out what a Chinese ambassador would have a Malta Group gunslinger as his bodyguard.

Okay, let me set up the situation for you:

The Chinese ambassador to the U.S., a businessman and politician by the name Zheng Xiaoxuan, is visiting our fair city during some political talks with the American ambassador, anti-terrorism stuff. Naturally, this being Paragon City, the Freakshow decided to take the opportunity to try and grab both ambassadors and their entourages as part of some half-baked plan. Normally I wouldn't bother with something like this, but when a group of heroes went in to rescue the Ambassadors, they encountered something that caught my interest. See, the Freaks were already fighting someone when the heroes arrived. From the description those heroes sent back, it sounded like the Freaks had encountered a Malta gunslinger who was protecting the Chinese ambassador. The Freaks overcame him by numbers, and they managed to hold off those heroes and get away with the Chinese ambassador and one American, a CIA espionage type who was there to brief the U.S. ambassador. Those other heroes are investigating, but I've already got a line on where those Freaks are keeping the Chinese ambassador. What I want you to do is get the ambassador and any other captives the Freaks have out, and try to find out what Malta's interest in them is.

Mission Objective(s)

This abandoned warehouse has recently seen a pitched battle. Along with the normal detritus of Freakshow habitation, there are bullet casings and spent clips in every corner, scorings from power blasts and electricity, and plenty of bloodstains.

Rescue ambassador & hostages
- 3 hostages to rescue

You rescued the Chinese ambassador and the other captives from the Malta Group's agents.

Notable NPCs

Ambassadorial aid Leung Linwei (Hostage)
Jack Firenze, CIA (Hostage)
Ambassador Zhang Xiaoxuan (Hostage)
Kingdom Red 0-1-0 (Gunslinger)

Freakshow

Jack Firenze's theory

After you rescued him from Malta Group agents, CIA operative Jack Firenze told you:
'Those Malta goons attacked while the Freakshow were trying to grab us. From what they said, they were planning to make us alter the agreements to favor their agenda, but when the Freakshow attacked they had to alter their plans as well. I really owe you one. I'll make sure that none of our people have been compromised.

Debriefing

I'm glad to see you were able to take care of this. I'm sure that the Chinese embassy will send you some kind of certificate of thanks for your part in all of this.

Now, one of the hostages you rescued, Jack Firenze. I've heard of him; he's the head of the CIA's China Bureau. That makes him top brass, a real insider. Which makes me wonder why he would be here advising the U.S. ambassador in person for these talks. They're important, sure, but it's odd that they'd send a top man like him to do this in person when a subordinate would be fine. Maybe I'm just paranoid, but I got the feeling that there might be more going on here than we know. I'm going to keep looking into this. Check back with me later.

Protect a Russian ambassador from the Knives of Artemis

Briefing

After that incident with Malta, the Chinese ambassador, and the Freakshow, I've been keeping my eye on several of the people involved. Notably, Jack Firenze and Ambassador Zheng Xiaoxuan. Firenze's life has been pretty dull, but there's been a development with the ambassador. It seems that someone he was talking to, in this case a Russian ambassador, has been targeted by the Knives of Artemis. I could use your help to protect the Russian ambassador and find out why he's being hunted.

The Russian ambassador is named Yasha Kristovitch. He's a Gorbachev-era reformer with a talent for finding amicable but uneven compromises and rarely giving ground over things he believes in. He's actually been in Paragon City several times over the years, even lived here for three years back in the 90's. Now, he was seen going in to the Chinese embassy, where he got into a very loud disagreement with Ambassador Zheng about something. The Knives started hunting him shortly after that. They got his limo, but he got away. Your goal is to find him on the streets before the Knives can finish him off. I've pulled some strings to get the area isolated with an emergency force field; a quick trip on the Light Rail should get you there.

Mission Objective(s)

The Russian Ambassador Yasha Kristovitch is somewhere among these streets, but so are the huntresses who stalk him.

Protect Russian ambassador
- Protect Kristovitch

You were able to protect Yasha Kristovitch from the Knives of Artemis.

Notable NPCs

Yasha Kristovitch (Hostage)

Yasha Kristovitch's evening

After you saved him from assassination by the Knives of Artemis, the Russian Ambassador Yasha Kristovitch told you:
'You have my thanks. This is certainly a strange end to a strange day, but it is better than I might have seen otherwise. This has been an unusual day in general. First, Zheng throws out all that we had agreed to speak on, and then he starts talking about curious topics. He talks about decadence of America, he talks about how America is threatening his country and stifling its growth. He talks greatly about defense forces of Japan, as if testing my reaction. All very worrisome, and all very unlike Ambassador Zheng Xiaoxuan. He is not a communist hard-liner or a military expansionist. He is a businessman and as close to capitalist as he can be. I, of course, cannot reveal details of all we spoke about, but it would have been a most disruptive position to take in negotiation.
'When I tried to calm him, he grew bellicose and belligerent. I left before I was thrown out.'

Debriefing

Yasha Kristovitch is back at the Russian embassy safe and sound, and under protective guard. That will slow down the anti-terrorism talks some, but I doubt that was the point of all this.

Yasha Kristovitch's description of his talk with Ambassador Zheng has me worried. Firenze said that the Malta Group agents who grabbed them were interested in altering how the talks went. He thought it was all over and done with, but the way Zheng Xiaoxuan's been acting, I'm starting to wonder. I still have leads to look in on. Check with me again later.

Save Leung Linwei and find out what she's seen

Briefing

The situation in the Chinese embassy has just gotten worse. Do you remember Leung Linwei? She's the assistant to Ambassador Zheng Xiaoxuan, you rescued her from the Freakshow at the same time you rescued the ambassador. Well, since the ambassador has been behaving erratically, I've had Indigo monitoring the embassy. It seems that Ms. Leung just filed a complaint against the ambassador with the Chinese government, and she filed the hell out of it. Multiple copies through multiple routes, and according to Indigo, who is far more proficient with the language than I am, it went beyond being sternly worded. After doing this, Ms. Leung disappeared. Or really, I should say that she was abducted by forces unknown. I want your help to save Leung Linwei and get some idea of what she's seen to cause this kind of reaction.

Now, like I said, officially speaking Ms. Leung has 'disappeared', but between Indigo and myself, we know that she was abducted by unknown parties. Forunately, Indigo was able to tail a van that left the embassy for some nearby caves, after being loaded with an ambassadorial-aide-shaped bundle. That's where you're going. In the meantime, Indigo will keep an eye on the embassy in case something else strange happens. I got a theory about who's responsible and why, but let's see who you find in there first. Take out the leaders of the kidnapping operation and find Leung Linwei. Then we might get some answers.

Mission Objective(s)

The damp chill air of this cavern clings to every surface. Every step seems to echo far into the labyrinthine darkness.

Defeat lead kidnapper & his crew
- Rescue Leung Linwei

You rescued Leung Linwei from the Malta Group and defeated her captors.

Notable NPCs

Leung Linwei (Hostage)
Kingdom Red 1-0-1 (Gunslinger)

NPC Text:

Before combat:

Random Malta Operative 1: "They're gonna make this look like the Freakshow did it?"
Random Malta Operative 2: "Yeah. I saw 'em bringing in tools. That'll be nasty."

Kingdom Red 1-0-1: "After the girl is dead, we set charges and bury this place."

Combat Start:

Random Malta Operative 1: "What the? Character? Sound the alarm! We have a Meta-human Incursion, big-time!"

Kingdom Red 1-0-1: "We can bury you here too, Character."

Upon rescue:

Leung Linwei: "Character, you have my thanks. I have seen some disturbing things."

Leung Linwei's story

After you rescued her from Malta Group agents for the second time, Leung Linwei told you:
'I owe you my life a second time. Perhaps in return I can help you, though it will be helping me as well.
'The ambassador has been behaving very erratically. I was concerned that he was becoming a danger to our people achieving a beneficial outcome in these talks. So I lodged a formal complaint. When the ambassador found out, he grew very angry. When he realized that I had used so many channels to ensure my complaint got through, he became furious. He shouted and yelled and then, while he raged, he began to change. He was already not the Zheng Xiaoxuan I had worked with, but now before my eyes his body rippled like water and he began to shift between monstrous forums. I was overcome with revulsion and fear. I ran, but I did not get out of the embassy before these men caught me.
'They brought me back before the thing that was masquerading as Zheng Xiaoxuan. It looked almost like him now, but was sweating profusely. The soldiers called it 'Moment'. It told them to dispose of me, and make it look like the Freakshow was responsible. As they were dragging me out, this Moment creature said that it was losing cohesion, and that it would need to visit the real ambassador soon. This may mean that the real Zheng Xiaoxuan is alive, but after seeing that monster, I do not have much hope.'

Debriefing

Leung Linwei is safe for now. She refused protection in the Chinese embassy and has requested to be put in protective custody by Freedom Corps. She should be okay. If what she said is correct, particularly about the shape-shifter called Moment, then it could explain something. I've heard of Moment before, he's bad news in a big way. An amoral metamorphic mercenary and spy, he's been rumored to exist in intelligence circles since the late 80's, but no one's gotten close enough to confirm his existence. If he's involved, this might be even bigger than it looks. I've got to double check some things with Indigo. Check back with me soon and I'll see what we can put together.

Find the real ambassador

Briefing

I've asked Indigo to keep an eye on Ambassador Zheng Xiaoxuan and the Chinese embassy. They've gotten really quiet, but she did tail a car with the ambassador in it to a nondescript warehouse in town. She thought that she'd gotten foxed, because the ambassador wasn't in the car when it stopped, even though the same number of people who got in at the embassy entered the warehouse. She left them there, but after hearing what Leung Linwei had to say about the Ambassador's changes and the shapeshifter Moment, I'm starting to wonder if the ambassador who got in the car also got out of it at that warehouse, but didn't look like the ambassador at that time. I suspect that warehouse might be where the Malta Group could be keeping the real Ambassador Zheng Xiaoxuan. I want you to hit that place and try to find him.

Contrary to Leung Linwei's concerns, I'm pretty sure that the real ambassador is still alive. I did some digging on Moment, and found something interesting. The rumor is that Moment can't hold on to a new form for long until he's had time to adjust to it. In order to do that, he's got to keep synching up with DNA from the original until his body 'learns' the form and can duplicate it down to the DNA itself. If that's true, what it means is during an adjustment period, he's got to keep going back to the original source, who has to be kept alive. In this case, that would be Ambassador Zheng Xiaoxuan. If the ambassador is alive, then rescuing him becomes your primary objective here. Whether he's living of dead, though, you'll need to defeat every last Malta operative in that base or else Moment and Malta will be alerted that we're on to them.

Mission Objective(s)

You spot a Malta agent and follow him into a sub-basement of the warehouse. You emerge in a high tech facility hidden beneath the city streets.

Defeat all Malta agents in base
- Rescue the real ambassador

You rescued Ambassador Zheng Xiaoxuan and defeated his captors.

Notable NPCs

K.R. Support Unit 02 (Malta Operatives Zeus Class Titan)
Kingdom Red 2-0-2 (Gunslinger)
Ambassador Zhang Xiaoxuan (Hostage)

NPC Text:

Before combat:

K.R. Support Unit 02: "Outer perimeter is secure."

Combat start:

K.R. Support Unit 02: "Meta-human Incursion detected. Target identity: Character. Engaging combat mode."

Kingdom Red 2-0-2: "You will not take out my facility, Character!"

Upon rescue:

Ambassador Zhang Xiaoxuan: "I had thought I would die down here, Character. Truly, I must thank you."

The real Ambassador Zheng

Once you rescued him from the Malta Group, the real Ambassador Zheng Xiaoxuan told you:
'I did not know if I was going to live to see another day! Many in our government think that America's masses of uncontrolled meta-humans are a danger to stability, but that is because they have not seen heroes like you in action. True champions of the people, in the same tradition as our stories of Wuxia and legendary heroes. It is a shame that so many of my people's meta-humans were hunted down or went into hiding during the cultural revolution. It will be a long time before we truly recover.
'But that is not important right now. These men who abducted me, they called themselves the Malta Group. They took me shortly after the Freakshow attacked. They had a strange man with them called Moment. He clasped my hand and changed shape to look just like me! This 'Moment' has come back several times since then, to 'synchronize genetics', he said; and interrogate me for information. From what he's asked, I am very worried about the problems he could be causing while he hides behind my face! You have my thanks a thousand times over. I must contact my government and explain what has really happened.
'Wait! There is one last thing. I was not the only captive here. There was also a woman, a Dr. Lamarr. I wasn't able to speak with her, but I believe that she was being forced to work on some kind of project, though I am more of a business man and politician than a scientist or engineer and so can tell you little about what sort of project it could have been.'

Debriefing

The real ambassador is a smart one. He put himself under protective custody with Freedom Corps until he can prove his identity, or someone can catch the shapeshifter who's pretending to be him. He knows that if he just showed up without any support over at the embassy while Moment's still in control, he'd have no guarantee that it would go his way. He's planning something with Leung Linwei, but it might be wise if other forces handled this, and by 'other forces', I do mean us. Indigo and I will try to find the perfect opportunity.

Meanwhile, I'll also check into that Dr. Lamarr that Ambassador Zheng mentioned seeing while he was a captive. I think we're starting to get close to the larger picture. Check back with me soon, there's gonna be a lot more before this is done.

Catch the shape-shifter 'Moment'

Briefing

Thanks to you, Ambassador Zheng is safe and sound and under Freedom Corps protection. The problem is that the shape-shifter who was impersonating him is still in charge of the Chinese embassy, and still causing trouble. However, because you were thorough and made sure that none of the Malta agents holding the real ambassador were able to get word out that you freed him, this presents us with a window of opportunity to catch the shape-shifter 'Moment'.

It's time to put an end to this situation, but don't think that this one is going to be easy. I highly recommend you take some allies with you on this.

Glad as always to see that you can follow through. Here's the situation:
Indigo has been monitoring signal traffic around the Chinese embassy, and it just paid off. Seems that Moment, disguised as the ambassador, is going to an Asia-Pacific business conference. From the looks of things, this could be the best chance to catch him off-guard. He'll no doubt be heavily guarded, but this could be our best shot. You'll need to defeat and capture Moment, and you'd better make sure to catch any men around him too. He is a shape-shifter, so you don't want to give him a chance to get away.

Mission Objective(s)

Everything explodes into chaos the moment you enter the building! Malta Group operatives remove disguises and ready themselves to attack!

Defeat Moment & his men

You have defeated the shape-shifter Moment and broken his grip on the Chinese embassy.

Enemies

Notable NPCs

Hostage x 5
Moment (Devouring Earth Greater Devoured)

NPC Text:

Combat start:

Moment: "This operation is over. Time for a more combat-oriented form, I think."
Moment: "So, Character, what do you think of this form?"

Upon rescue:

Hostage 1-2: "My friend just called and told me Ambassador Zheng is on TV, claiming the ambassador here is an imposter!"
Hostage 3: "Ambassador Zheng turned into a monster! I saw it!"
Hostage 4-5: "Ambassador Zheng was saying the strangest things about the 'threat of America to his people!'"

Debriefing

You did a superb job on this one. Ambassador Zheng Xiaoxuan and his assistant Leung Linwei are back in control at the Chinese embassy, and Moment is in custody. Thing is, that still leaves us with two loose ends:

First off, Moment seems to have been working for Malta, but why would the Malta Group want to try to destabilize relations between the US and China?

Secondly, Ambassador Zheng mentioned a Dr. Lamarr who was also in captivity. I did some checking, and there is a Dr. Hedia Lamarr who went missing from Lawrence Berkeley Labs over a year ago. That might be a match, but the missing Dr. Lamarr was working on some kind of environmental clean-up technology. That doesn't sound like something that would interest Malta, so if Ambassador Zheng did meet her, and she's being force to work for Malta, then why?

I know I've had to leave you with some dangling questions in the past, and I will probably have to do so again in the future. This time, however, I think I'm gonna need your help on these loose threads. Indigo and I'll get to investigating, so check back real soon. It ain't over yet.

Look for clues to Malta's motives at a Malta base

Briefing

While the situation at the Chinese embassy is back to normal, that doesn't mean that this is all over and wrapped up. Indigo is looking for more information on that Dr. Lamarr, and while she's doing that, I have some questions about Moment and the Malta Group's motives I would like to have answered. Now, I know a place that might have some of those answers, but I'm pretty sure that they won't want to share them no matter how nicely you ask. I'd like you to go in there and look for information on Malta's objectives in the least nice manner as you can muster. Are you in?

The base I'm sending you to experienced a surge of activity just before they switched Moment and Ambassador Zheng. My guess is that they had Moment staying there up until that point. They'll probably start destroying information soon, so this could be our only chance to find out what's going on. Your objective is to search the place for any intel you can find about Malta's overall plan. Be thorough, but don't worry about taking out every last soldier.

Mission Objective(s)

Hidden deep under the streets of the city, this hidden lab was all but undetectable.

Search Malta base for clues
- 3 clues to find

You found several key pieces of information at the hidden Malta base.

Enemies

Notable NPCs

O.R. Support Unit 04 (Malta Operatives Zeus Class Titan)
Omnivore Red 1-1-5 (Gunslinger)

NPC Text:

Combat start:

Omnivore Red 1-1-5: "You're too late, Character. Even if you take this base, we will win in the end!"

Last remnants of scrambled data

You're able to stop this machine from erasing itself, but are only able to find a few fragments of its previous contents. Those fragments definitely indicate the outlines of a much larger plan:
'... control of this operation has been given to Director 17 by the Council of Directors. Director 17 has placed the final phase of this operation under Red Division. Three special branches of Red Division have been set up and assigned control over each part of Operation code-name: World Wide Red.
Group Kingdom Red:
Assigned to mission phase 1 - Destabilize US/China relations.
Group Kingdom Red has been assigned special operative codename: Moment until completion of phase 1.
Group Omnivore Red:
Assigned to mission phase 2a - Complete Project: Wildflower on schedule.
Also assigned to mission phase 2b - Activate Project: Wildflower on schedule.
Group Omnivore Red has been given control of Dr. Hedia Lamarr until the completion of Project: Wildflower.
Group Dreadnaught Red:
Assigned to mission support.
Duties: 1 - Protect Director 17
2 - Prepare Kronos class Titan Cyborg Units for use in Operation: World Wide Red.'

Damaging dossiers and documents

You found these dossiers on several prominent Chinese politicians in a safe on a Malta Group base. They range from the mildly scandalous to corrupt to nearly treasonous. With all of this material available for blackmail, Malta could probably keep a lot of politician's mouths shut about any actions they had Moment take disguised as Ambassador Zheng.
You notice that much of this blackmail material was dug up by Moment himself. Several pages have hand-written notes in small cursive lettering with funny stories, small details, and humorous sketches of various interesting people Moment met while gathering this information.

Reports on Asia

These stacks of reports detail what the Malta Group knows and believes about the state of affairs in Asia. The reports center a great deal on China, detailing Malta's main worry: That the Chinese have been building up a massive force of government-controlled paranormals to use in an attack on a western power. The report focuses on the gap between the number of trained paranormals in western armed forces and what it assumes the Chinese have. Throughout, the report mentions the cancellation of the Might for Right act and the 'disastrous' effect it had on controlling America and the West's meta-human community.

Debriefing

It's times like this that I don't mind being called paranoid. As I suspected, this is all part of a larger plan. Let's review what we know so far:

First, we've put a stop on phase 1 of their plans, to destabilize US/China relations. We know how they were doing it, but we still don't really know why, particularly because Malta's afraid of what they think is a meta-human power gap. Why antagonize someone you're afraid of? It has to tie into the overall World Wide Red operation, so the more info we have either way it could give us a better idea of what's going on.

Second, Operation World Wide Red has something to do with Dr. Hedia Lamarr. Dr. Lamarr went missing over a year ago, we have to assume that she's been in Malta's control since then. All Indigo's been able to dig up on her work is that it involved either pollution control or mining, and ecosystems. I'm going to tap a few resources of my own, see if I can find anything. I think this project wildflower is going to be the key to this.

And third, whatever this is, it's going to be big. This Director 17 is one of the top men of the Malta Group. They've assigned a full third of their effort just to protecting him. Well, protecting him, and preparing Kronos class Titans. So it's safe, I think, to say that this is only gonna get harder. We're gonna need your help more a lot more on this one. Keep in contact with me, I should have more for you soon.

Check with Firenze about any strange operations his people have seen in China

Briefing

I like to see loose ends tied up, and the Malta Group's fixation on china keeps on bothering me. So here's what I'm thinking. Do you remember Jack Firenze? That CIA guy you saved from Malta back when they were switching that shape-shifter called Moment for Ambassador Zheng Xiaoxuan? I figure he owes you one for that, so it might be a good idea to check with Firenze about any strange operations his people have seen in China.

It's unlikely he'll know much about the Malta Group per se; knowledge of its existence is rare even in the intelligence community, but he might know if any strange intelligent networks have been operating in the area. You might also want to keep your eyes open. There's a good chance that Firenze may still be a target for Malta.

Mission Objective(s)

This is one of several small government offices scattered about Paragon City. Though it should be completely unremarkable, the sounds of heavy weapons being readied alerts you to impeding danger.

Meet with Jack Firenze
- Find Jack Firenze

Your timely intervention saved Jack Firenze from the Malta Group.

Enemies

Notable NPCs

Dreadnaught Red 1-1-1 (Gunslinger)
Jack Firenze (Hostage)

NPC Text:

Before combat:

Random Malta Operative: "Don't let them get to Firenze!"

Dreadnought Red 1-1-1: "Is Mr. Firenze ready now?"

Combat start:

Dreadnought Red 1-1-1: "This is the end of your investigation, Character."

Upon rescue:

Jack Firenze, CIA: "That's what, the second time I owe you my life? I may have some information for you."

Jack Firenze's latest theory

After you saved him from the Malta Agents, CIA China Bureau Chief Jack Firenze told you:

'My people haven't seen any strange foreign networks operating in China, but I have been getting reports of some strange things. There have been foreign agents meeting with certain politically minded elements within the Chinese military. We haven't been able to gather much information about what's being talked about, but if I were to hazard a guess, they might be discussing plans for a covert coup de tat of all or part of the Chinese government. This "Covert group" you mention could be trying to gain favor with these rogue military elements so that they'd have access to China after the coup.

'Our signal intelligence boys have traced some of this information to a nest of unknown agents in the city. I'll give you what I can. Maybe we can help each other out on this one.'

Debriefing

What Firenze said could fit the facts we know. I'll see if I can corroborate the details of the info he gave you. I'll let you know when it's time to go in and check it out.

Check out Chinese/Malta connection

Briefing

I ran some checks on the information Firenze gave you about those foreign agents working in China with a base here in Paragon. Everything seems legit, but I'm surprised neither Indigo nor I caught any trace of it before this. That makes it all the more important that you check out what's going on in that spy nest and investigate the connection between China and the Malta Group.

You might want to take some back-up with you on this one. I have a bad feeling about this mission. Give me the word when you're ready to go.

Firenze's info pinpoints the site, but his people had no idea what you could be facing in there. Whatever you run up against, you're looking for more clues about Malta's overall plan. Search anything you can find for information or documents. Also, take out the base's leaders and shake them down for information, too. Someone's gotta know something.

Unnecessary Solicitation

Search anything you can find at that base for information or documents about Malta's goals and operation World Wide Red. Also, take out the base's leaders and shake them down for information, too.

Mission Objective(s)

The cracked plaster and moldering carpet of this place makes it seem like an unlikely home for a spy organization. Perhaps that unlikeliness is what would make it work well.

Defeat base leader & his crew
- 2 clues to find

You defeated the base's leadership and found several clues.

Enemies

Notable NPCs

O.R. Support unit 03 (Zeus Class Titan)
O.R. Support unit 06 (Zeus Class Titan)
O.R. Support unit 08 (Zeus Class Titan)
Moment (Moment Rikti Chief Solder)

NPC Text:

Before combat:

O.R. Support unit 03: "O.R. Support unit 03 reporting. Perimeter is clear."
O.R. Support unit 06: "O.R. Support unit 06 reporting. Awaiting contact with Character."

Moment: "Ah, freedom! Now all I need is a taste of revenge against Character."

Combat start:

O.R. Support unit 03: "O.R. Support unit 03 requesting back-up. Entering combat with Character."

Random Malta Operative: "There's Character! Director 17 says that's our priority!

Moment: "I collected patterns for Rikti forms during the war. As you can see, I've perfected them. Allow me to demonstrate!"

Strange medication

You found these bottles of strange pills inside a Malta base. The pills are a metallic grey in color, quite large, and are filled with a shimmering gel. The instructions on each bottle are to take the pills after being exposed to a 'bloom' to prevent infection by Project: Wildflower.

A materials request form

You found this e-mail on a computer in a Malta Group base. It requests a new supply of several rare radioactive isotopes for Dr. Lamarr's work to help regulate the 'bloom rate'. After the request, the author spends several paragraphs complaining about how Dr. Lamarr has become harder to manage as Project: WIldflower draws near completion. The author also mentions Dr. Lamarr's growing distress about the weaponization of her research.

The missing connection

After you defeated them, one of the Malta Group soldiers broke down and taunted you:
'We don't know about any China connection. Director 17 just told us to move operation to here and wait to take you out when you showed. We know every move you're making, Character! You might as well give in to our control and join the winning side.'

Debriefing

I just checked, and yeah, Moment had escaped just hours before you got there. That's too much just to be luck. Malta is watching you. Every coin has two sides, though. Now we know that whatever they're planning, Malta is worried about you getting closer to it.

This wasn't a total wash. You got some valuable information. I'll check into the contents of those pills; that might tell us what they were designed to protect against, which could also be a lucky break. They're radioactive and traceable. I'll get Indigo on it quick. Knowing what to look for could lead us right to Dr. Lamarr and Project: Wildflower before it's too late. The last thing is a question that we can't answer yet: Is Firenze being played by Malta? If so, is that part of Operation World Wide Red? I'll let you know when the first of any of these leads pan out. We're close. I just hope we can get there in time.

Check out Project: Wildflower and look for Dr. Hedia Lamarr

Briefing

Jack Firenze's information may not have turned up a connection between Malta and China, but it did end up giving us a way to find Dr. Lamarr and Project: Wildflower. Indigo took the list of isotopes you found and was able to trace them to a Malta lab code-named Omnivore Red 1, hidden in some caves under the city. I've confirmed through my own resources that resources for Project: Wildflower were sent to this same base. Logically, the next step is to send you to this base to check out Project: Wildflower in person, and look for Dr. Hedia Lamarr.

Make no mistake, Character, Malta is not going to want to give up this project easily. All the information we've gathered tells us that this base is going to be defended by some hardcore commandos who will not give an inch. I think we still have some time before Project: Wildflower is done, so I highly recommend you call in all the reserves you can.

Your main objective is to find out what Project: Wildflower is, and sabotage it or destroy it or destroy it. In order to do this, you'll probably need to find Dr. Lamarr and see if she's willing to help. We have found a major clue about what Wildflower could be, thanks to you. Do you remember those pills you found? The ones that were being given to Malta soldiers in case they were exposed to Wildflower? Well, they're not vitamins. They're some kind of symbiotic short-lived nanotechnology. My source hasn't had time to do a full analysis, but he thinks they're designed to destroy other nanites in a human body. This meshes with what else Indigo's been able to find out about Dr. Lamarr's work. It seems she was working on developing a kind of artificial nanotech ecosystem that could live in parallel with normal life. The idea was to use these as a way to clean up pollution without hurting the environment any further. I have a bad feeling that whatever Wildflower is now, it's not going to be about recycling.

Unnecessary solicitation

Your main objective is to find out what Project: Wildflower is, and sabotage it or destroy it. In order to do this, you'll probably need to find Dr. Lamarr and see if she's willing to help.

Mission Objective(s)

With the information from Indigo and Crimson, you've found the secret entrance to this laboratory complex hidden beneath the city.

Stop all Wildflower agents
- Find Dr. Lamarr

You rescued Dr. Lamarr, who told you the truth about Project: Wildflower and how to stop it.

Enemies

Notable NPCs

O.R. Support unit 01 (Zeus Class Titan)
O.R. Support unit 22 (Zeus Class Titan)
O.R. Support unit 21 (Zeus Class Titan)
Omnivore Red 7-7-0 (Gunslinger)
Dr. Hedia Lamarr (Hostage)

NPC Text:

Before combat:

O.R. Support unit 22: "O.R. Support unit 22 reporting. Area is clear."

Omnivore Red 7-7-0: "Make sure that neither Character nor the good doctor get out of here alive."

Combat start:

O.R. Support unit 22: "O.R. Support unit 22 confirming contact with Character. Entering combat."

Random Malta Operative: "Command! This is sentry team! We have an MHI! It's Character!

Omnivore Red 7-7-0: "Guess it's time for a showdown, Character."

Upon rescue:

Dr. Hedia Lamarr: "You've got to help! I won't let them do this to my research! We can't let them win!"

Dr. Lamarr rescued

After you rescued her from the Malta Group captors, Dr. Hedia Lamarr told you:
'I'm glad to see you, Character, but I wish you'd arrived sooner. Wildflower is complete! They're going to release it! I can't believe this is happening!'
'When these men first came, they were disguised as members of the government. Everything checked out; they said they wanted to see if my nanotechnology could be adapted for all kinds of uses. I was so excited. It was supposed to be a top secret government research position. By the time I realized that they weren't with the government at all, it was too late. Oh, I should have just made them shoot me rather than let this happen.'
'My original idea, you see, was to make a kind of artificial symbiotic ecosystem. It would have been so neat! It was designed to stay within defined borders, police its own growth, and not interfere with normal life. You wouldn't even be able to see it! All the while, it could collect pollutants or even build things. I figured it was decades away, but what a thing to devotee your life's work to!'
'But these people, they wanted to reprogram the nanocology into a weapon. Something they could have spread invisibility over the entire world, and then activate at any time to kill any infected target. An invisible distributed global assassin. That's what my life's work was to them. That's Project: Wildflower.'
'They were going to start by killing powerful heroes they're afraid of or can't control. They had samples and files on thousands of heroes, and can kill them all with the press of a button. The biggest mass hero death since the Rikti War, and it would be all my fault.'
'The development on Wildflower is already over, Character, but it's not too late to stop them. I know where they've set up the nano-breeders. I can help you get there. If we can reset the Wildflower nanites to disassemble each other, we can snip Wildflower off at the bud before it blooms.'

Ambush

Upon exiting this mission, you will be ambushed by the Kronos Class Titan.

Master of Olympus

Hero

You have destroyed the Kronos Titan, showing Malta that the Heroes of Paragon City defend their turf.

Villain

You have destroyed the Kronos Titan, showing Malta that you are a force to be reckoned with

Stop Project: Wildflower

Mission Objective(s)

Much of the interior of this older office building has been converted into a high-tech production machinery for nanites. As you enter the lab, you hear a muffled cry for help, and find that Dr. Lamarr is gone!

Stop Project: Wildflower
- 8 computers left

You have shut down Project: Wildflower. The nanites are consuming each other, and the world has been saved from the Malta Group.

Enemies

Notable NPCs

O.R. Support unit 25 (Zeus Class Titan)
Omnivore Red 7-5-5 (Gunslinger)
Omnivore Red 0-7-0 (Gunslinger)
Omnivore Red 7-1-7 (Gunslinger)

NPC Text:

Before combat:

O.R. Support unit 25: "O.R. Support unit 25 reporting. Area is clear."

Omnivore Red 7-1-7: "Character's messing up the computers! The nanites will eat themselves!"

Combat start:

O.R. Support unit 25: "O.R. Support unit 25 confirming contact with Character. Entering combat."

Omnivore Red 7-5-5: "Guess it's up to me to finish the job. Die, Character!"

Random Malta Operative: "We won't let you stop us, Character!"

Omnivore Red 0-7-0: "The world's ready for a new kind of freedom, Character. A new freedom under our control."

Omnivore Red 7-1-7: "We'll still win, Character. You'll see."

Targeted hero data files

You found these data files on one of the nanite control computers used to program Project: Wildflower. These files contain all of the information needed for the Wildflower nanites to target specific people for assassination. You notice that the Malta Group had assigned your death a very high priority.

Debriefing

Every time I think I'm paranoid enough, my enemies find a new way to show me different. This plot was big, even for Malta. An entire separate nanotechnology ecosystem, spread all over the world and ready to kill at will. It's no lie when I tell you that without your work, there's no way Indigo and I could have handled this alone.

Dr. Lamarr is safe, but she's going to be busy for a long time. Malta got very close this time, and that will worry a lot of people. Currently she's heading to the CDC. A nanite plague isn't really a disease per se, but they're the closest thing with the resources and authority to help her make sure nothing like this will happen again. That woman's a true genius. Shame it worked out against her. Just born about 50 years too soon, I suppose.

Well, there's still plenty of work to do. We've stopped Project: Wildflower, which means that Malta's Operation World Wide Red has been blunted at least. However, we still don't know if Wildflower was the core of World Wide Red or just an element of it. And what did China have to do with all of this? And is there still a chance to catch Director 17?

There's still more left to this, Character, so I hope you'll be ready for it.

Meet with Indigo to help hit Malta operations

Briefing

With Project: Wildflower destroyed and their plan to increase U.S./China tensions stopped, The Malta Group is probably reeling. Which makes this the perfect time to hit their operations while they're trying to recover. Indigo's got a target and an operation in mind, but has asked for your help to do the job. I can tell her to expect you if you're interested.

Indigo requested you meet her in person for security. She'll have all the details you need when you talk to her.

Mission Objective(s)

Meet with Indigo

Briefing

It's good to see you, Character. I've found a small facility that's being used as a front by our 'friends'. It was used as a secure data transfer node until recently, but with all the trouble they've had with your interference in Operation World Wide Red, they haven't finished fixing things there. This presents a perfect opportunity to compromise part of their network and do some snooping. What I need you do to is to physically infiltrate that base, defeat any and all Malta operatives there so they can't sound the alarm, and then use a little device I'll give you to get into their network. Easy!
The guard should be light, so this one shouldn't be too much trouble for you.

Security cracker

Indigo gave you this cobbled-together device. Once it's connected to a computer network, it should allow her access no matter how secure the network's connections might be.

Mission Objective(s)

This appears to be a normal office, until you notice the thin layer of dust on all of the office supplies. No one has used this as a place of business in some time.

Defeat all Malta agents at company
- Compromise the network

You cleared out the base and compromised Malta's computer network.

Enemies

Notable NPCs

Dreadnought Red 5-6-5 (Gunslinger)

NPC Text:

Before combat:

Random Malta Operative 1: "I can't believe Character stopped Wildflower."
Random Malta Operative 2: "It ain't over yet."

Combat start:

Random Malta Operative 1: "Character!"

Dreadnought Red 5-6-5: "This is only a minor setback. Director 17 already has a plan in motion."
Dreadnought Red 5-6-5: "You'll wish you never found this place, Character!"

Debriefing

Another job well done, Character. Indigo sends her regards. She's also sent along the first batch of data she's been able to pull. She doesn't know how long she'll have until they discover the tap, so she's working as fast as she can. This first bit should knock your socks off.

She found part of Malta's overall plan for Operation World Wide Red, or what the plan would have been if you hadn't stopped it. They wanted to destabilize US/China relations, then use Wildflower to kill off select heroes, yourself included, and have China take credit for it through their fake ambassador. With relations already unstable, they could move on with their plan and start pushing for a limited was between the US and China by employing compromised intelligence personnel to fake reports. By the time anyone realized what was happening, it would be too late. The war would be on, and they could bring any hero they wanted under their control once they got a new version of Might for Right passed.

We don't have to worry about that so much, thanks to you, but the men who attempted to perpetrate this scheme are still at large, being protected by the Dreadnought Red group. Which brings us to the second part. When you were heading to stop Project: Wildflower, Malta activated a Kronos class Titan cyborg to attack you. Turns out that was a local boy. It was assembled here in Paragon City by the Dreadnought Red group. Indigo's working on where it might have been put together. Once we have that, we may be close to Director 17 himself.

Investigate Crimson's target for info about Director 17

Briefing

Character, I've got a target for you that could take us a step closer to finding Director 17. Tell me when you're ready, and we can begin to put the last traces of Operation World Wide Red in its grave.

Indigo and I have pinned down the location where the Malta Group assembled that first Kronos class Titan cyborg. The bad news is that they have parts and supplies to make at least one more. Indigo thinks that the place may contain valuable intel, and I agree with her. Your first objective is to search for that. I also think that the base commander, code-named Dreadnought Red 3-9-0, might also have some information. Your second objective will be to defeat him and his men.

Mission Objective(s)

In a sub-basement hidden beneath an ordinary warehouse, you've uncovered an advanced robotic fabrication plant. Just the place to assemble a Kronos class Titan cyborg.

Defeat base leader & his men
- Search for useful intelligence

You defeated the leader of the Titan assembly base, and found some valuable information

Enemies

Notable NPCs

D.R. Support unit 31 (Zeus class Titan)
Dreadnought Red 3-9-0 (Gunslinger)

NPC Text:

Combat Start:

D.R. Support unit 31: "D.R. Support unit 31 confirming contact with Character. Entering combat."

Dreadnought Red 3-9-0: "You won't take my base from me, Character!"

Message for Director 17

You found this message in a Malta Titan assembly base. It's a memo from the assembly base's leader to a field agent to make sure that Director 17 has been notified that a second Kronos class Titan has been made ready ahead if schedule to be used against you. Even more important, though, are the special instructions for where and how to deliver the message. The field operative is instructed how to make sure that Director 17 receives the message covertly at his cover job working in the CIA.

Dreadnought Red 3-9-0's curses

After you defeated him in the Malta Group Titan Assembly base, Dreadnought Red 3-9-0 cursed:
'You think you've won, Character? hardly! You're already too late! We've finished a second Kronos class Titan, and it will crush you at the Director's orders. This is one base of many, one base we can afford to lose. You'll never stop the Malta Group! Never!'

Debriefing

They've built a second Titan. I was afraid of that, and all that you've found confirms it. They probably rushed it into production after they had to deploy that first one. That's some kind of bad news, but at least it's good to know about it. What's better, however, is the other piece of information you found. Director 17 is hidden within the CIA, and still in town. I'm going to tap some CIA resources and see if I can narrow the list of possibilities, or even force Director 17 out into the open.

Liberate the ex-CIA informant from the Malta Group and find out what he learned

Briefing

Now that we know that Director 17 is in the CIA, thanks to you, several encrypted messages Indigo had intercepted make more sense. I activated one of our resources, a former CIA agent, and sent him in to use his old contacts and try to connect who was sending those messages with who was receiving them. My plan succeeded better than I anticipated, and Malta Group agents jumped our man, taking him prisoner. I need you to liberate our ex-CIA informant from the Malta Group and find out what he learned.

He's going to be under heavy guard, but I don't think it's anything you can't handle. Well, maybe you and some friends.

As I said, our plan worked better than I had planned. When those Malta operatives grabbed our man, they tipped their hand that he found out something important. What Malta didn't know is that Indigo monitored their whole operation remotely, thanks to their compromised network, we know exactly where they took him, and we know that they plan to interrogate him before they kill him. Our operative is a tough one to crack, so we should have some time. But don't dawdle. All you need to do is go in and retrieve our man and learn what he knows.

Mission Objective(s)

Indigo's information has led you to this old warehouse. The black vans outside show that this is the right spot.

Find abducted agent
- Rescue captured agent

You saved Melvin Langley and learned the true identity of the Malta Group's Director 17.

Enemies

Notable NPCs

Dreadnought Red ??? (Confirm Gunslinger?)
Melvin Langley (Hostage)

NPC Text:

Before combat:

Random Malta Operative 1: "I can't believe this guy got so close to Director 17."
Random Malta Operative 2: "Yeah. It's like he's some kind of super-spy."

Combat start:

Random Malta Operative 1: "Command! This is sentry team! We have an MHI! It's Character!"

Upon rescue:

Melvin Langley, super spy!: "Good to see you, Character. I know who Director 17 really is!"

The True Identity of Director 17

After you rescued him from the Malta Group, ex-CIA clerk Melvin Langley told you:
'I did just like Mr. Crimson told me, and was able to trace who had sent the messages Miss Indigo had seen and who they went to. When they grabbed me, I knew I was right. You're not going to believe this, Character, but Director 17, one of the very board members of the Malta Group, one of the leaders of Malta's post-Cold War new guard, is none other than:'
'Jack Firenze, head of the CIA's China affairs bureau.'

Debriefing

I can't believe I didn't see that coming. It's so obvious, if it had been a snake it would have bit me twice for good measure. Firenze. Jack Firenze. Here I thought he was just incompetent. It all makes sense now.

This all started off when the Freakshow tried to grab Firenze and ambassador Zheng Xiaoxuan. Those Freaks ran into Malta troops, right? I bet that gunslinger was there as Firenze's bodyguard. When you rescued Firenze from those Malta agents back at the start of this, the switch went okay or to give Moment new instructions. Then the next time you talked to him, he sent you into a trap deliberately. That worked out for us, though, I doubt he knew you'd find any information there, or that I'd be able to use it. Everything's been pointing to him from the start.

Well, Mr. Director 17 of the Malta Group is in for a big surprise. This might take a bit of time to prepare, but I guarantee you that it's going to be over soon.

Deal with Jack Firenze, aka Director 17

Briefing

Character, it's time to deal with Jack Firenze, aka Director 17 of the Malta Group. This won't be easy, and we know that he has another Kronos class Titan under his command. If he activates it, there might not be much time before it can cause a lot of damage. Gather your resources and block out some time. When you give me the go-ahead, it's on.

Okay, Character, here's how this is gonna go down:

I just had Indigo send all of the evidence she and I have gathered about jack Firenze's true associations to the right people. A whole lot of the right people. A catch in an emergency debriefing, trying to figure out who was responsible for letting Langley get away. He'll know in a few minutes that not only has his cover been exposed, so has the entire World Wide Red operation and the existence of the Malta Group. Firenze's going to lock himself down and await extraction. Too bad for him, extraction ain't coming. Or rather, it will, but Indigo's re-routed them to the wrong building.

I tell you Character, I love that girl like a daughter.

That's where you come in. Firenze's going to sit tight waiting for an extraction that won't be coming. I want you to hit him while he's waiting.

Firenze's going to be well protected by some of the baddest things that Malta can muster. I don't care. I want him caught. I want all of his bodyguards caught. I want the other directors of the Malta Group to know not only that they are not untouchable, but that they can be caught and brought up for their crimes.

I know you understand me. I leave it up to you to make sure they understand even better.

Mission Objective(s)

You're angry at having been duped by Jack Firenze. You won't be leaving here without him in tow.

Capture all Firenze's men

You defeated Jack Firenze!

Enemies

Notable NPCs

D.R. Support unit 41 (Zeus class Titan)
D.R. Support unit 42 (Zeus class Titan)
D.R. Support unit 43 (Zeus class Titan)
Jack Firenze (Gunslinger)

NPC Text:

Before combat:

Random Malta Operative 1: "Where the hell is our evac?"
Random Malta Operative 2: "Character is almost on top of us!"

Combat start:

D.R. Support unit 41: "D.R. Support unit 41 confirming contact with Character. Entering combat."

Random Malta Operative: "Concentrate all fire on Character! Protect the director!"
Random Malta Operative: "It's Character! Defend the director at all costs!"

Jack Firenze, Director 17: "They re-routed the chopper! How did they re-route the chopper?"
Jack Firenze, Director 17: "I won't be taken down like this! Not by you, Character! Never by a hero like you!"

Jack Firenze's revenge

After his defeat, Jack Firenze, aka Director 17 of the Malta Group, cursed you by saying:
'Where were you getting your information? Tell me! Who was helping you? How were you able to tear down so much, expose so much? You so-called heroes never understood. Now you've ruined it. I've already seen the news. they call us a criminal conspiracy in the intelligence community. They'll all search for us, try to weed us out just to protect their jobs. We would have brought a new era of peace and security through this war. We would have brought everyone freedom, freedom and democracy under our control.'
'But it's not over! Even if this is the end of me, I still have one card left to play. When I realized extraction wasn't coming, I activated my second Kronos Titan. it will crash right through the War Wall, and level this area of the city! Not even you can stop it! Ah-ha-ha-ha!!!'

Stop Kronos Titan & entire crew

Note: This timed mission begins immediately upon exiting the previous one.

Mission Objective(s)

This small patch of forest is already aflame from the Kronos class Titan's attack on the War Wall! Malta operatives and engineers scramble about, ready to attack you and defend the Titan.

Stop Kronos Titan & entire crew - 1:30:00

You destroyed the Titan and defeated its support crew.

Notable NPCs

Dreadnought Red Kronos 02 (Arch Villain)

Note: Red Kronos 02 is not a giant monster but does count for the "Master of Olympus" Badge

Debriefing

The wreckage of that Titan is being recovered by the city. I hear the War Wall engineers were sweating bullets before you showed up. They didn't know if they'd have been able to stop that thing.

Firenze is in captivity and cursing your name. He's too smart to talk, but what he has to say is almost less important than what he represents. Firenze's capture and exposure has shown the rest of the Malta Group that they are not untouchable and invisible masters. Now they'll have to worry about threats from more traditional law enforcement. Which means that they won't be able to spend as much time dealing with unconventional threats like Indigo and myself.

Thinking about it that way, I suppose you could say I exposed this operation for selfish reasons, but I prefer to think of it as enlightened self-interest. Either way, I have you to thank. I'm just a paranoid old spook with too much blood on his hands and too many regrets, Character, but you are a true hero.

One last thing. It's just a funny bit of irony for you. Remember how one of the reasons Malta was so afraid of China in the first place was because they thought that china had far more meta-humans in their armed forces than we did? A super-human gap, they called it. If they'd really paid attention to their intelligence instead of seeing what they wanted to see, they would have known that most of China's meta-humans perished or went into hiding during th cultural revolution. Mao Tse Tung was too afraid of them destabilizing his vision of China. America may have one-third China's population, but it has twice as many super-humans, and four times as many in the military. Not to surprising they'd make that mistake, though. They thought the same thing about Russia for decades.

Souvenir

The thanks of the World

You received this joint certificate of thanks from the American and Chinese government when you put a stop to Project: World Wide Red.

It all began when you investigated the site where a group of Freakshow had attempted to kidnap Ambassador Zheng Xiaoxuan, his aide Leung Linwei, and Jack Firenze, the head of the CIA's China Bureau. It seems the Freaks had run into more than they could handle, and the place was now crawling with Malta Group operatives. You rescued all of the hostages, but found out little more information.

You next saved Yasha Kristoff, a Russian ambassador who had gotten into a loud disagreement with Ambassador Zheng and was now being stalked by the Knives of Artemis. He told you that the ambassador had been acting strangely confrontational and belligerent towards the United States.

The situation at the embassy took a turn for the worse when the ambassador's aide, Leung Linwei, filed a report against the ambassador's disruptive behavior with her government, and was then abducted by unknown forces. After you rescued her, she told you that the real Ambassador Zheng had been replaced by a shape-shifting impostor called 'Moment!'

Now that you knew about Moment the shape-shifter, Crimson was able to put some information together and found the location where the real ambassador was being kept alive so that the impostor could sample his DNA and interrogate him at will. You rescued the ambassador, who told you told you how he had been replaced. He also mentioned another prisoner, a Dr. Hedia Lamarr who he had met during his captivity.

You fought and captured the shape-shifter called Moment. Though he tried to defeat you by using a combat form. you prevailed. The real Ambassador Zheng went back to work. but you were still left with a number of questions.

You next struck the Malta Group base that had been housing Moment. and found out that the replacement of Ambassador Zheng had been part of a larger operation. code-named World Wide Red. Moment's job was to destabilize U.S./China relations leading up to an attack utilizing something called Project: Wildflower. and that Dr. Hedia Lamarr was being forced to work on Wildflower. You also discovered that Malta was preparing some of their Kronos Titan to deal with threats like you.

You sought information about the Malta Group's involvement with China by talking to Jack Firenze again. only to find him under attack by Malta. He told you about some mysterious foreign operatives who had been trying to gain access to China's military.

You struck the location where the foreign agents Firenze spoke of might be. and found Malta operatives and a newly escaped Moment. After you defeated their heavy resistance. they swore that he knew nothing about operations in China. The mission was not a loss. though. You found antidote pills for exposure to Operation: Wildflower. and better still. a way to trace down the captive Dr. Lamarr by looking for certain isotopes Project: Wildflower needed.

Acting quickly. you were able to find Dr. Lamarr at the Malta base where she was being forced to work on Project: Wildflower. She explained that Wildflower was a perversion of her own work. a symbiotic invisible nanotechnology-based ecosystem that Malta wanted reprogrammed to kill on their command. If released. it could infect the entire world. invisibly placing it under Malta control. Their first strike would be to kill thousands of heroes. yourself included! As you rushed to the site where Malta was letting the nanites multiply before releasing them. Malta unleashed their Kronos Titan! Undaunted. you made it to the nanite factory and reset all of the nanites to break themselves down. nipping Project: Wildflower in the bud.

With Malta operations reeling. you helped Indigo infiltrate their network. She found out that Malta had planned to use the hero massacre from Wildflower as a pretext for starting a war with China by using Moment and their blackmail information.

You next hit the facility where the Kronos class Titan you'd seen earlier was constructed. and found out that they had made a second one. You also found out that Director 17. the head of World Wide Red. was in the city and that his cover identity was within the CIA.

Crimson used his ex-CIA contact Melvin Langley to learn the identity of Director 17. and when that contact was captured. you went in and rescued him. Melvin told you that Director 17 was none other than Jack Firenze!

Crimson and Indigo exposed Firenze and his part of the Malta Group to the world and you went in and captured the traitorous director. At the last moment he activated the second Kronos Titan to destroy the city! Through valiant battle. you were able to destroy the second Titan stop Firenze's revenge. Project: World Wide Red was over.

Missions

Stop the Malta Group raid on the Crey science facility

Note: This is usually the first mission you will receive from Crimson.

Briefing

If you've worked with me before, Character, you know the ground rules, but I'm going to take a minute out and repeat them, just in case. You are not working for me, you are working with me. This is an important distinction, because it bases our working relationship on trust and mutual benefit. I will never send you to do anything distasteful or wrong, and in exchange I ask that you respect that the sources of my information are confidential. I will never steer you wrong, but I am under no obligation to tell you what's going on or how I know about it. That doesn't mean that I won't, but sometimes that's how this kind of work need to happen.

All of that said, I have just a situation right now that needs to be taken care of. Malta Group operatives are up to something nasty in a Crey science facility, and it wouldn't be a good idea to let them finish that raid.

Mission Acceptance

Crey and Malta may work together from time to time, but that does not make them friends. They just often have similar ends they wish to achieve, and see the other as a good means toward it. So this kind of thing isn't that uncommon. Your goal is to find out what Malta wanted and to defeat any and all opposition at that location. I trust that you can handle this. When you're done, meet with Indigo in person. She may have some information for you.

Unnecessary Solicitation

Mission Objective(s)

Though the high tech machines and computers of this lab all hum with power, the entire lab is deathly quiet.

Defeat all Malta in lab
- Discover Malta goals
- Find the Key

Notable NPCs

Circuit Red Alpha (Gunslinger)

Crey

NPC Text

Before combat:

Random Malta Operative 1: "Are there any scientists left?"
Random Malta Operative 2: "One, I think. They'll finish him off soon enough."

Combat start:

Random Malta Operative 1: "This is door watch! We have an MHI! We are moving to intercept!"

Upon rescue of researcher:

Crey researcher: "I think I'm the last one left. I'll tell you what I know."

Before combat with Gunslinger:

Circuit Red Alpha: "So, you're our Meta-Human Intrusion, Character. I should have guessed."

Dead Crey researchers

You found the bodies of the Crey scientists who had been slain in an execution-like style by agents of the Malta Group. These men will never be able to tell anyone what the Malta Group wanted.

The last researcher

After you rescued him from an imminent execution at the hands of Malta Group agents, a Crey researcher told you:
'They came in here with fake paperwork, and we didn't know what to think. Fergusun thought they might be government types here to check our security. Then they rounded everyone up, and just shot anyone who didn't cooperate, and had deadly robots that killed the protectors we had as guards. I'm smart enough to know how to survive, I helped them with whatever they asked.
'They were after our Revenants. I guess it doesn't matter now, but this lab, it is, or it was, part of the Revenant Hero Project. We had dozens of blanks stored, hundreds of tissue samples, full templating apparatus and dozens of para-personalities ready for use. They took it all, then they started killing everyone, whether we'd helped or not. I think I'm the last one left.
'I don't care if you know all of that, Character. I'll go to jail willingly. I'm smart enough to know when not to be trouble.'

Ambush!

After you exit the mission, you will be ambushed by Malta Operatives.

Meet with Indigo

Mission Objective(s)

Meet with Indigo

Briefing

Good to see you, Character. Crimson alerted me to what's going on. Malta Group operatives shipped several shipments of equipment out of that lab before you arrived. I was able to pull some strings and had the police stop all the trucks leaving the city, so at the very least our 'friends' didn't get away with any blank Crey Revenants. However, there's a lot that's still missing, including genetic profiles on hundreds of heroes, stored para-personality templates, and all kinds of things. Fortunately, we got a lucky break. An informant from within Malta has contacted someone in my network, saying he knows where the rest of the stolen Revenant Hero technology is. Unfortunately, I think our informant is about to get taken out by the Knives of Artemis. I need you to find the Malta informant before the Knives can finish him off. You'll have to take the Light Rail to the meet.
The idea of our 'friends' being able to mass produce super humans scares me, Character. I'd hate to see what they could do with that kind of power.

Meet the Informant

Mission Objective(s)

The coastal wilderness near Paragon City seems like a strange place to meet a covert operative, but the apparent unlikeliness of the location may be the best reason for it.

Meet the Informant
- Find the informant

You got the information you needed from the Malta Group informant.

Enemies

Notable NPCs

Malta informant (Captive)

NPC Text

Upon rescue:

Malta Informant: "Thanks for the save, Character. Let me tell you what I know."

The informant's story

After you rescued him from the Knives of Artemis, the Malta Group informant told you:
'I'll give you the location of where Malta's setting up the Revenant Hero Project, as long as you can take it out. They had a lab all ready and waiting to go once the assault team had captured the equipment.
'The higher-ups like the idea of being able to use the Countess' technology to make an army of duplicate meta-humans. I won't give you some sob story about how I'm a good person in a bad situation, but I'm a least smart enough to realize that if the top brass could whip up a meta-human army from scratch, then they're not going to need us anymore. We'd all instantly go from assets to liabilities, and I think you can guess what would happen to us next. I'm not helping you. I'm trying to save myself.
'I'd try to tell you that it's not a trap, but you'd have no reason to believe me. So, take it or leave it.'

Defeat all Malta in lab

Mission Objective(s)

This hidden lab beneath the city streets is filled with stolen Crey equipment.

Defeat all Malta in lab
- 3 Revenant Project items to destroy

You raided the Malta lab and put a final end to the Revenant Hero Project.

Enemies

Notable NPCs

Circuit Red Omega (Gunslinger)
Crate of Revenant Hero parts x 3 (destructible object)

NPC Text

Starting Combat:

Malta Operative: "It's Character! I knew something like this would happen!"

Attacking Revenant Hero crates:

Random Malta Operative 1: "We get this equipment set up, then we go into production."
Random Malta Operative 2: "Stop Character! This project cannot fail!"

Combat Start:

Circuit Red Omega: "Get ready to add Character to our project database."
Circuit Red Omega: "This is going to be the end of you, Character!"

Debriefing

Closure is a difficult thing to find in any business, Character, so you should enjoy it when you can. That Crey scientist has plea bargained his testimony for a reduced sentence, but I'll have someone watching him, just in case.

Indigo is working on bringing the Malta informant out of the cold and onto our side. Don't know how that will go, but she likes to have faith in people. It's an endearing quality of her personality.

Most importantly, The Revenant Hero project is finally over. You just filled in the grave and put flowers on the tombstone. Like I said, closer can be hard to find. Take a minute out and enjoy it.

It's interesting to think about how ferociously all of those people fought for control of the Revenant program. Now, I can see the tactical appeal of having disposable superhumans to do all of your dirty work, but I believe that if you're not willing to risk you life or what you hold dear to accomplish your goal, then maybe you should re-think what you really want. Power, control, security, all of those are just fancy ways of saying that you're afraid, and you want to not be afraid anymore. People will do a lot to avoid fear, even become the monsters they're afraid of.

I suppose I also believe, as Abraham Lincoln said, that 'As I would not be a slave, so would I not be a master.'

Not bad, friend. These Enhancements should help you. I want you to call in your position frequently.

Protect Robert Able from the Malta Group

Save the Able family

Briefing

A young fellow by the name of Robert Able has been targeted for capture by the Malta Group. I know that they've been watching this kid for about a decade, and if I'm right, then more than his life is in danger. I think it would be safer if Robert was out from under their watchful eye and under our protection.

Robert's out on a little camping trip right now along with his folks. You'll need to rescue the whole family, or else Malta will use them as leverage. Once you've handled that situation, you'll need to meet with Indigo. She'll have more information for you at that time.

Mission Objective(s)

Though this might be a pleasant place to experience the great outdoors, you know that agents of the Malta Group aren't out here to relax.

Save Able family
- 3 Ables to save

You rescued the Able Family from the Malta Group.

Enemies

Notable NPCs

Tom Able (Captive)
Robert Able (Captive)
Anita Able (Captive)

NPC Text

Upon rescue:

Anita Able: "Bless you, Character! Have you seen my husband or my son?"
Robert Able: "Character, who are these people?"
Tom Able: "I knew this was coming one day, Character."

Tom Able's odd words

After you rescued Tom Able from the Malta Group, he spoke to you with a broken expression and eyes filled with sorrow:
'They told me this would happen one day. They told us we couldn't run, and they proved it. They'd always come to check, every year. They would just tell us to accept it, or else they'd, they'd...
'I'm sorry, Character, but my wife and I, we're just normal people who've been powerless against these men for so many years. I can't tell you anything. I wish I could, but there's nothing I can do.'

Ambush

Upon exiting this mission, you will be ambushed by the Malta Group.

Meet with Indigo

Mission Objective(s)

Meet with Indigo

Briefing

The Able family's been under surveillance by our 'friends' for several years. They get visits from Malta operatives, usually twice a year, even though they've moved several times. Other than that, they're completely unremarkable. He's an mechanical engineer specializing in air conditioning systems, she's an administrative assistant with a degree in English, they vote conservatively, and have excellent savings. They've never had marital counseling and neither of them have any criminal record. Robert is a good student who used to have a weight problem until he hit a growth spurt two years ago. He'll probably be joining the army to get enough money for school, unless he gets some student aid. Nice enough people, but not the sort of folks Malta would be interested in.
Except that Robert was conceived en vitro at a clinic called Genrove Fertility. Shortly afterward, agents of our 'friends' started visiting the Able family. I have the feeling these two events are related. The Genrove clinic itself was destroyed in the war, but their records are being kept by the company that owned them. That company is Falcone Pharmaceuticals, a front for our 'friends' from Malta. I'll give you the location, you'll need to find the file on what makes the Ables special. After you get them, take them to Crimson. If we're right, then he should have the net step ready for you.

Find the Able's files

Mission Objective(s)

As you enter the offices of Falcone Pharmaceuticals, you notice a pronounced lack of office workers. Like Indigo said, this company appears to be a front for the Malta Group!

Find the Able's files
- Find the Able's files

You found records that explain the reason for the Malta Group's interest in the Able family.

Enemies

Notable NPCs

Helix Black 08-08 (Gunslinger)

NPC Text

Before combat:

Random Malta Operative 1: "Keep ready. Briefing said that Character captured Robert Able."
Random Malta Operative 2: "Do you think Character could come here after us?"

Combat start:

Random Malta Operative 1: "It's Character!"

Helix Black 08-08: "Character cannot be allowed to get any more information."
Helix Black 08-08: "Your investigation ends here!"

Robert Able's file

You found this file in the Falcone Pharmaceuticals, a front company for the Malta Group. The file is from the fertility clinic that Tom and Anita Able consulted, which helped produce their son, Robert. The file shows that the couple were unknowingly used in a biological experiment by a faction within the Malta Group.
According to the file, the Ables were chosen from among several couples for their close physical resemblance with a tissue donor the Malta Group wanted to make a genetic duplicate of. They produced a clone and implanted it into Anita Able instead of the child they'd hoped to conceive, all without the Ables' knowledge or consent. The man the Ables were used to clone was none other than Roger Vrabel, the original head of the Malta Group.

Deliver files to Crimson

Mission Objective(s)

Deliver files to Crimson

Briefing

This is some serious bad science you've uncovered here, and it gets worse. I've traced all of the orders concerning Robert, and they all come from the same organization within the Malta Group. These guys are a part of Malta, but they seem to have been operating semi-autonomously since the early 90's, and have been running some extra operations on the side. One of these side operations was the Able family and the production of Robert. They've also recently ramped up another project, and I want to make sure that this second project does not come to fruition. That's going to be your job.

You'll have to accomplish two objectives in order to do that. First, you'll need to take out the operative in charge of the place, a Malta agent called Helix Black 0-9-0. Secondly, I want you to find their mainframe. Destroyed or taken, they cannot be allowed to have it.

Defeat Helix Black 0-9-0

Mission Objective(s)

The mysterious nature of this Malta Group cell's operations are in the back of your mind. If there are any answers to be had, they'll be in this high tech base.

Defeat Helix Black 0-9-0
- Find Malta mainframe

You shut down the Malta lab. The words of Helix Black 0-9-0 spoke after his defeat still echo in your mind.

Enemies

Notable NPCs

Helix Black 0-9-0 (Gunslinger)

NPC Text

Helix Black 0-9-0: "It's now or never. We decide the future of the Malta Group here."
Helix Black 0-9-0: "You don't know what this is about. Robert Able is our only chance for the future!"'

The old guard

After his defeat, the Malta operative called Helix Black said the following to you:
'You're taking our future away from us. When the Cold War ended and the Berlin Wall fell, that's when it all went wrong. Younger agents asked what we were supposed to do now, and we didn't have an answer. So they made up a new one. There weren't any communists left to fight, so we'd help expand democracy and capitalism. Expand them by any means necessary. That was the new guard. That's when Malta started to change.
'Before, everything we did we did to protect the Western world. The new guard, they say they're doing that, but they also want wealth and power and even more control. If we could just have gotten Roger back. Re-made him in Robert. He'd run Malta for years. He'd get it on track. He would have changed everything! It all would have been right again!'

An old tape back-up

This large spool of magnetic tape weighs nearly 20 pounds. This kind of computer equipment hasn't been used in decades. It's labeled:
'Personality Recording
'Subject: Roger Vrabel
'Date: 1981'

Debriefing

You just averted a pretty tragic fate for Robert Able. That kid's going to have enough trouble dealing with the knowledge that he's not his parents' biological son, but at least he won't have to worry about getting his brain overwritten by a copy of a long-dead CIA spook and conspiracy founder.

I lived through the period when the change between the new and the old guard within Malta took place. Trust me on this, whatever Helix Black told you about the old Malta Group being all high-minded and great compared to the new one, they both looked like the same bunch of jerks from the outside.

This kind of mind-transfer stuff crops up ever few years when someone gives some mad genius too much discretionary research money. Getting an accurate copy of a personality or getting it copied over correctly is usually where these things fall down. These guys were probably pulling strings within Malta to get their hands on Crey's Revenant Hero equipment so they'd have a way to put that copy of Vrabel's personality into Robert's head.

The Return of Nemesis

Investigate what the Malta Group and the Nemesis Army are talking about

Briefing

All right, Character, I have an operation that I'm going to need your help with, but I have to warn you flat-out that this could be incredibly dangerous. Not that anything involving the Malta Group is ever safe and easy, but with the Nemesis Army involved, this could go above and beyond that. If you're up to it, I need your help to investigate what exactly the Malta Group and the Nemesis Army have to talk about.

I don't know if you're aware of the current state of the Nemesis Army, but they've taken a pretty bad blow. It looks like Nemesis is finally dead and gone, and most people expected them to just break up and go back to whatever life they led before. That hasn't been the case. They still perform operations and do missions and get orders, but no one really knows if those orders are coming from the Nemesis Army leadership and they've assumed command, or if they're coming from a usurper who's taken over as a new Nemesis, or from Nemesis himself.

Whatever the case is, despite those orders, some Nemesis Army troops are getting worried by these turns of events, and have been talking with representatives of, you guessed it, our friends in the Malta Group. So, what I want you to do is crash one of these little talks, defeat the negotiators, and try to find some clue over what all of this is about.

Unnecessary solicitation

Once you're at the target location, you'll have two things to do. First, I want you to find out what the Nemesis Army and the Malta Group are talking about. This is the Nemesis Army, so I'm sure they'll be some paperwork around. Second, I want you to help derail those talks. Take out all of the negotiators.

Mission Objective(s)

Both the Malta Group and the Nemesis army are incredibly dangerous by themselves. Any potential alliance between them must be stopped.

Defeat lead negotiators
- Find negotiation clues

You disrupted the negotiations between this group of Nemesis Army soldiers and members of the Malta Group. You also found that several of the Nemesis Army soldiers were wearing recording devices.

Enemies

Notable NPCs

Babel Green 2-4 (Gunslinger)
Negotiator Willcleff (Nemesis Officer)

NPC Text

Combat Start:

Babel Green 2-4: "It's clear that the Nemesis army is going nowhere. Join us."
Negotiator Willcleff: "We are espied upon!"

Malta Group contracts

These papers are contracts for employment within the Malta Group. The contract specifically states that the person signing it will leave the Nemesis Army and give over all Nemesis technology the possess, along with any Nemesis Army related information, and in exchange receive a very well paid contract to work for the Malta Group.

Surveillance devices

You found these surveillance devices on several of the Nemesis Army negotiators. These are clearly Nemesis technology, designed to record audio and video and send it back to another location. With a bit of work (and some quick calls to old contacts), you can trace the signal to its destination point.

Defeat monitoring station leader

Mission Objective(s)

The signals you traced have led you here. Hidden in the city sewers, a gleaming high tech lab sprawls before you. All imprinted with the indelible mark of the Nemesis Army.

Defeat monitoring station leader
- 4 recordings to find

You shut down this monitoring station and got copies of all their recordings. Indigo could probably help correlate them.

Surveillance records

You found dozens of different recordings made by Nemesis Army troops of their negotiations with Malta Group operatives. Each time, the Malta Group is trying to subvert the Nemesis troops into joining them. Each record is accompanied by a report by the Nemesis troops about how much the Malta Group negotiators believed them.

Ambush!

After exiting this mission, you will be ambushed by Malta Operatives.

Take recordings to Indigo

Mission Objective(s)

Take recordings to Indigo

Briefing

Wow, Character, this is some juicy stuff. Give me a moment to look through all of this.
Hmmm.
Interesting.
These are the weirdest time and date stamps.
Ah-ha! Okay! All of this data was being fed to a central point. My guess is that there are probably several monitoring stations like this one, all watching over Nemesis Army negotiation teams. I don't know if they're all talking to our 'friends', or if other groups are involved. A lot of villain organizations have been trying to move in on the Nemesis Army, now that it looks like Nemesis is gone. But seeing this effort on recording and analyzing, looking for other groups to show interest? This looks like part of a larger plan.
I'm like everyone else, Character. I really hope that Nemesis is gone forever. I know that we can't count on that. If this really is some elaborate plan to draw in and subvert other groups by tricking them into accepting Nemesis agents, then it can't be allowed to continue. I've been able to trace enough back that I should have the location of the central monitoring depository. I don't know what you'll find in there, but I'd recommend that you take friends along.

Find info at monitoring base

Mission Objective(s)

Indigo's information was correct once more. Hidden behind a facade of normal office space, you've found another secret Nemesis hideout!

Find info at monitoring base
- Seek clues

A plan of attack

You found these meticulous battle plans in a Nemesis base. They note where a high-ranking Malta Group operative and cell leader will be going to conclude what he will believe to be a deal to annex a portion of the Nemesis Army. What he doesn't know is that he and his men will be the ones getting annexed by Nemesis!

Nemesis technology spare parts

The spare parts you found seem almost puzzling at first. Though they're clearly Nemesis technology, they clearly aren't for repairing an automaton. In fact, they seem like just what you'd need to repair a biological support system that was based on Nemesis technology. Indigo's words return to mind. If Nemesis were alive, this would be the kind of plan he'd do. And if Nemesis were alive, he'd need parts like these to maintain his armor.

Stop Nemesis!

Unnecessary Solicitation

Missing Info

Mission Objective(s)

It looks like the Malta Group operatives who'd come here expecting intense negotiations got an intense fire fight instead. They seem to be holding their own, but if Nemesis himself is truly here, it can't last.

Stop Nemesis!

You have stopped the Nemesis Army's plot to infiltrate the Malta Group and defeated Nemesis. Or have you?

Notable NPCs

Nemesis? (Archvillain)
Vital Gold 1-2-1 (Malta Operatives Gunslinger)

Enemies

Debriefing

I told you that one was gonna be tough, but it looks like you handled it as well as anyone could have expected. The Malta Group's plan to subvert parts of the Nemesis Army is done with, as is the Nemesis Army's plan to subvert parts of the Malta Group. Vital Gold 1-2-1 is in Custody, and that's a lot of damage to the Malta Cells in Paragon City. And then there's Nemesis.

Who or whatever was inside that Nemesis body was killed when you defeated it. Internal boilers went into the red, fried most everything. Indigo monitored the medical reports, and according to the doctors, while there was a brain in there, meaning that it could have been Nemesis himself, the brain was, well, artificial. Like one of the brains Crey was working on for the next step in the Revenant Hero Project. All of which makes me wonder if that might have been not the real Nemesis, but a real Nemesis?

Rescue Candice Boxer from the Malta Group

Rescue Mrs. Boxer

Briefing:

I got a perfect piece of heroing for you, Character. The Malta Group are about to get rid of a mother with a story to tell by the name of Candice Boxer. If you can save her life, you might want to listen to what she has to say. It seems that Mrs. Boxer got a little too close to something bad while she was looking for her son, Joe. Now that she's crossed the Malta Group, she's going to need a rescue just to stay alive, much less to find her boy. Let me give you a fair warning: This might not look like much, but this could get pretty tough before it's all done.

If you can save Mrs. Boxer and listen to what she has to say, this could lead to something big. I trust you'll be able to follow up.

Mission Objective(s)

Crimson's directions have led you to a series of caves near the surface. You've already spotted at least one Malta soldier walking patrol.

Rescue Mrs. Boxer
- Save Mrs. Boxer

You saved Mrs. Candice Boxer from the Malta Group, and listened to her story.

Enemies

Notable NPCs

Aegis Ocher Echo (Gunslinger)
Mrs. Boxer (Hostage)

NPC Text:

Combat start:

Random Malta Operative: "Talk about tough breaks! It's Character!"

Upon rescue:

Mrs. Boxer: "Thank you, Character. When I went looking for my son, I never thought I'd find so much trouble."

Mrs. Boxer's story

After you rescued her from agents of the Malta Group, Candice Boxer told you:
'I'm so glad you came and saved me, Character. All of this trouble started when I stopped hearing from my son, Joe. Joe was in prison, you see. Much as a mother hates to say it, my Joe wasn't always a good boy. Drugs, gangs, and worse. He broke my heart for many years. My only comfort was that he never got in with anything really horrid, like the Freakshow. This latest time, though, I think he was turning things around. He was trying to finish his high school degree in Ziggursky, and he wanted to be part of his son's life. He wrote me every week, and my heart was full of hope for the first time in many years.'
'But then the letters stopped. I didn't think too much of it at first,but then I tried to visit him and no one in the Ziggursky administration had heard of my son. He wasn't in any of the prison records, even! I started to snoop around a it, when a guard who'd always been nice told me that a new government contractor had taken over record keeping at Ziggursky. I tried to get my son's records from them, but they said I'd need a court order. Well, I was going to do just that, but then these men came. They took me from my home, and I think they were going to kill me to keep me quiet!'
'Oh, Character, I know you must hear these stories every day. My boy Joe wasn't an angel, but I'm very worried about him. Perhaps you could check in with that contractor, Prison Control Handling, and see what's happened to my son?'

Ambush!

After exiting this mission, you will be ambushed by Malta Operatives.

Find Joe's Records

Mission Objective(s)

The moment you step into the Prison Control Handling Office, you can tell that something isn't right.

Find Joe's Records
- Find Joe's files

You found evidence of Joe's transfer to a secret Malta facility.

Enemies

Notable NPCs

Aegis Ocher Beta (Gunslinger)

NPC Text:

Before combat:

Random Malta Operative 1: "I heard Aegis Ocher Echo botched getting rid of that old lady."
Random Malta Operative 2: "You can't blame him. That was Character, not some bush-leaguer."

Zeus Class Titan: "Current area status is secure."

Combat start:

Random Malta Operative: "Character is here! Battle stations!"

Aegis Ocher Beta: "We can still salvage this operation. Take out Character!"

Zeus Class Titan: Area is now unsecured. Entering combat mode."

Prisoner transfer records

You found these papers in the offices of Prison Control Handling, a government contractor who was helping to manage Ziggursky prison. Contrary to PCH's claims, you did find a reference to Mrs. Boxer's son. It seems that he and several other prisoners were transferred to an unspecified medical facility for some kind of operation. The medical records show that the men were all sedated to prevent escape attempts, so it seems unlikely that this operation was voluntary.
While the address of the facility isn't mentioned, it seems that the driver must have gotten lost on the way. There's a small map to the facility drawn on a copy of the transfer receipt.

Ambush!

After exiting this mission, you will be ambushed by Malta Operatives.

Destroy Titan Center

Mission Objective(s)

You hear the clicks as Malta's security cameras begin snapping stills of your face.

Destroy Titan Center
- 2 pieces of info to find

You shut down the Titan center, and put an end to Joe's pain.

Enemies

Notable NPCs

A Titan called Joe (Zeus Class Titan)

NPC Text:

Combat Start:

Random Malta Operative 1: "The new Titans' conditioning isn't complete!"
Random Malta Operative 2: "I don't care if they have some of their old memories, we need those Titans now!"
Random Malta Operative 1: "It's too late! It's Character!"

Random Malta Operative 3: "The next set of Titans will be online soon."
Random Malta Operative 4: "Good. Getting new subjects is going to be harder now that Character is investigating."
Random Malta Operative 3: "It's Character! We need to get the new Titans online!"

Zeus Class Titan (x2): "I must fight. I must destroy Character!"

A Titan called Joe: "I can't stop it! The battle-computer, it's controlling me! You gotta stop me, Character! I'm begging you!"

Grim specimens

You found the gruesome sight inside this refrigerated container in a secret Malta Group lab that was producing Titan robots. Rack upon rack of disembodied human brains and nervous systems, each suspended in an individual container of sustaining bio-gel and labeled with a name and date of acquisition. The container marked 'Boxer, J.' is empty, as were several others.

Titan control schematics

You found these technical drawings on a computer in a Malta Group lab. They show how the Malta Group's Titan combat robots are controlled. The first and most disturbing thing you see is that the Titans aren't robots at all, but cyborgs that use a human brain to augment their battle computers. The computers, in turn, condition the brain to keep it in line.
Curiously, some of the notation in the margins of the scanned images are in Cyrillic.

Debriefing

You did good work today, Character. That wasn't easy, for a lot of reasons. It would have been nice if Joe could have been saved, but by the time I became aware of the situation, he was already on the operating table. At least he won't live out a life as part of a war machine.

Malta, they see the world in a binary fashion. Either you're with them or you are on their long list of enemies. As a hero, you've seen one side of that. I'm sure Joe may not have been a great guy, but he was still a person with hopes and dreams, and I sincerely doubt he deserved that fate. To Malta, he was just another piece of scum to do with as they needed so he could serve their cause.

I asked Indigo to look in on Mrs. Boxer. Make sure she's ok after the news about her son. She has a grandchild to help raise now, but not being a mother myself, I can't say if that's really any consolation to her. I can only believe that she can find an element of hope.

Stop Malta from shooting down the jet liner

Stop Malta anti-aircraft attack

Briefing

The Malta Group is preparing for an operation that seems like overkill, even to me. Seems that there's a passenger jet coming into town soon, and Malta wants to make sure it never lands. So they're going to station some of their Titans out on the coast, arm them with surface to air missiles, and shoot the jet liner down before it can reach the city. That's pretty extreme, even for them. Of course, I want you to stop Malta from shooting down that passenger jet, but I also want you to try and find out who or what could be on that plane that could make Malta take an action like this.

Now, that jet's going to be arriving on time, so you'll only have about 2 hours to finish this. I trust you can handle it.

Normally, Titans are armed for urban combat, so they wouldn't be able to shoot down a high flying jet. In order to do that, they're going to need to arm the Titans with surface to air missiles. This gives you two different ways of handling this situation. You can either search for and destroy all of the missiles, or you can defeat all the Malta operatives in the area and take out their Titans. Whatever you do, you're going to have to do it fast.

Mission Objective(s)

The sea breeze blows across your face, temporarily taking you away from the deadly business at hand.

Stop Malta anti-aircraft attack - 2:00:00
- 10 missiles to find

You stopped Malta in time and saved the passenger liner. You also found some orders with interesting implications.

Enemies

Secret Orders

You found these secret orders while trying to stop the Malta Group from shooting down a passenger jet. The orders aren't from the Malta Group, however, but are from another organization, called the Knights of Malta. They explain to the operative how he was to usurp control of a cell of Malta agents and conduct this attack without knowledge of his bosses within the Malta Group. It also lists when and where he was supposed to meet with his superior in the Knights of Malta after the mission.

Arrest airplane attack commander

Unnecessary solicitation:

Those orders seem to point you to the right place to go. Look for the person responsible for the attack on that jet there.

Mission Objective(s)

The creaking ceiling of this old warehouse indicates its state of disrepair.

Arrest airplane attack commander
- Find information

You defeated Knight Red 0-1 and found a laptop full of encrypted information.

Enemies

Notable NPCs

Knight Red 0-1 (Gunslinger)

NPC Text

Random Malta Operative: "It's Character! Inform Knight Red 0-1!"

Knight Red 0-1: "You'll get no answers from me, Character!"

Enigmatic encrypted files

The contents of this laptop have been well encrypted and protected.

Take laptop to Indigo

Mission Objective(s)

Take laptop to Indigo

Briefing

Crimson told me you were coming, Character. Let me take a look at that laptop.
Clever, but nothing I can't handle. Give me a second. Oh, while I'm working, Crimson asked me to research a group called the 'Knights of Malta.' Turns out that our Malta Group weren't the first ones to use the Island of Malta as a base. The Knights of Malta were supposedly a splinter group from the Knights Templar, which is another secret society. The Knights of Malta split off from the Templars over a question of what the group's purpose was. That was like in the 1600's. The Knights of Malta wanted to use their secret society to influence the rulers of Europe. Set themselves up as rulers from behind the scenes, that kind of thing. The Knights of Malta faded into history without having a big impact, and the Templars were declared heretics by the church and destroyed.
Got it!
Whoah! Crimson's gonna blow his top! This laptop has part of an organization chart and a mission timeline. These Knights of Malta guys have agents spread throughout Malta! It makes me so mad. Hmm, a lot of these guys are sleeper agents, long term covert infiltrators. They'd have to have been in place for decades. According to their timeline, they're planning on a big wake up, and soon. With their agents in place, they could take over the Malta Group and get their own private covert army! Unless we can stop them.
According to this, they're waiting for the go signal. Your presence at the airplane attack seems to have disrupted their time table, but as long as the signal isn't sent, their agents will wait for a while. I'm sending you to take down the operative in charge of sending the activate signal, code-named Knight Blue 1-0. Defeat him and his people, and maybe we can avert this for awhile.

Defeat Knight Blue 1-0

Mission Objective(s)

You push the implications of battling conspiracies within conspiracies to the back of your mind. Right now, you have a job to do.

Defeat Knight Blue 1-0

You defeated Knight Blue 1-0!

Enemies

Notable NPCs

Knight Blue 1-0 (Gunslinger)

NPC Text

Knight Blue 1-0: "Why must this city's heroes interfere in everything!"

Debriefing

First thing: Good work. Those sleeper agents won't make a move until they get their go signals. The last thing the world needs is for one group of secret society megalomaniacs to come under the sway of another. Indigo and I will keep an eye on the situation. The list of infiltrators you found on that laptop isn't complete, so this might come back to haunt us.

Which brings up a point of concern. Indigo has a theory that Neil Macintosh, the MI6 spook who put together the original meeting on the Island of Malta that would form the Malta Group, was actually a part of the Knights of Malta. The possibility that leads to is that there have always been an unseen hand behind the scenes, guiding the creation and policies of the Malta Group. That, or it was meant to work that way and got out of their hands. Hence the heavy-handed tactic that set all of this off.

Speaking of which, though I'm not under any obligation to tell you this, I figure you've earned it. I found out who the Knights of Malta were trying to kill by shooting down that plane. Turns out it was someone Indigo has been trying to prove is one of the leaders of the Malta Group's 'new guard.' I have no doubt that he was the target of the attack. The worst part is, that guy wasn't even on the plane. He canceled his flight at the last minute. I've told you before, these people are remorseless, Character. They were will to kill all of those innocents just for one man, and that was only part of their larger plan. Don't forget that those are the kind of people we are fighting.

Cause trouble for deserving villains

Defeat all Knives in caves

I have an operation for you that involves doing some very mean things to some very mean people. I won't be able to explain much of the reason why to you, but it is for a good reason. So, if you feel up to causing a lot of trouble for people who deserve it, let me know.

I knew you'd be interested. Okay, first off, you'll need these. They're masks, the kind that the Carnival of Shadows wears. These ones are broken, so they really aren't dangerous in themselves. Now that you have those, I am going to give you a location where the Knives of Artemis are getting together before an attack. I want you to defeat all of them there. Every last one. Then, leave a bunch of these masks around, and take several of those swords the Knives of Artemis use. After that, there's a second location where the Carnival of Shadows are scoping to set up some kind of event. Defeat all of them there and, you guessed it, leave some swords behind. Indigo should have the next part ready for you after that, so you'll need to meet with her.

Cracked masks

These white porcelain masks are the type normally worn by the members of the Carnival of Shadows. They've been cracked and broken in battle, and now possess none of their former powers.

Mission Objective(s)

The occasional sound of a weapon being cleaned or readied echoes through the caverns.

Defeat all Knives in caves

You defeated all of the Knives of Artemis in the caves, took several of their signature blades, and left the cracked masks behind.

Enemies

Artemis blades

These are the kind of blades normally used by the Knives of Artemis. You captured these blade in battle on Crimson's request.

Defeat all carnies in warehouse

Mission Objective(s)

This broken-down old warehouse seems like a strange place to hold any kind of function, but then, the Carnival of Shadows are strange people.

Defeat all carnies in warehouse

After defeating all members of the Carnival of Shadows on the scene, you left several Artemis blades around, as per Crimson's instructions.

Enemies

Carnival of Shadows

NPC Text:

Attendant: "Ah-hah-hah-ha!"
Mercenary: "Tell us why you attacked our sisters!"
Mercenary: "Stay out of this, Character!"

Meet with Indigo

Mission Objective(s)

Meet with Indigo

Briefing

The Knives of Artemis and the Carnival of Shadows have started fighting each other, thanks to your work. Those two groups don't have the friendliest relationship in the first place so it should take them a while to calm down and figure out that neither of them started this. That should give us enough time for you to accomplish the whole goal of this operation.
With the Knives distracted, this is the first, best, and probably only opportunity to get a dangerous little something out of their possession. It's a series of file, codes actually, long numerical codes. The Knives got hold of them while on an operation for Malta in the Balkans, and they got a bit lost in the shuffle. With things disorganized, they could be taken from the Knives' without them ever realizing what they really are. Of course, I can't tell you what they're codes for, or what they could be used to, but it's important that neither the Knives nor their employers in Malta realize that they ever even had them.
I know where the codes are kept. Get them, and you can ignore as much as you can of what's going on between the Carnival and the Knives.
Well, I suppose you could spend some time feeling very satisfied, but you should keep your mind on the goal.

Recover the codes

Mission Objective(s)

The women's screams you hear are not of terror, but of fury.

Recover the codes
- Find the codes

Enemies

Carnival of Shadows

Notable NPCs

Sister Asheena (Hand of Artemis)

NPC Text:

Mercenary: "We'll cut you freaks up!"
Iron Strongman: "Just 'cause I'm pretty doesn't mean I'm not dangerous!"
Mercenary: "So, Character, do you want some too?"

Harlequin Fencer: "This ends now."
Blade of Artemis: "We'll show you stuck-up pretentious harlots the meaning of pain!"
Illusionist: "Oooh, tempting."

Attendant: "You do not stand a chance"
Mercenary: "Maybe not, if you knew how to fight!"
Attendant: "This ends now."

Sister Asheena: "You can't be working for the carnies, Character. What are you here for? Tell me!"

Enigmatic Codes

These codes consist of pages upon pages of long numbers, printed by an old dot-matrix printer on paper bearing what looks like a watermark and letterhead in Russian. The seal on the letterhead is that of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

Debriefing

I'll take those codes from you, Character. Thank you. Congratulations. You've just averted the biggest nuclear terrorist threat the world has ever seen. Those codes? Russian launch codes. Neither the Knives, nor Malta, nor even the Russians knew this copy survived, hidden in a vault for all of these years. Most of the Russian nukes have been decommissioned, now, but if these had worked on one in ten, well, let's just say that there would have been a lot more people applying at GIFT, or what was left of it. With the Knives and the Carnival fighting, it's unlikely that they'll miss one box of random numbers, meaning I can get it to the right people safely. So you see, it all went according to plan.

Extract the Circle of Thorns informant

Briefing

One of our informants needs help, Character. He's been discovered, and stands a good chance of being captured and killed by Malta Group agents. Normally you'd expect me to mention some crazy complication at this point, and you are correct in this assumption. You see, this particular informant is a member of the Circle of Thorns. Even so, he still needs protection from the Malta Group. Can I count on you to extract him?

The informant's name is Dyaomesk, and he's been very helpful in keeping tabs on certain Malta Group operation. The back story on this one gets a little strange. Indigo will give you some of it, she's the one who located and recruited him in the first place. Your first step will be to meet with her in person so she can brief you properly.

Meet with Indigo

Mission Objective(s)

Meet with Indigo

Briefing

I'm sure Crimson told you the bare basics and nothing more, Character, so I'll give you a bit more background. The informant is a member of the Circle of Thorns called Dyaomesk. He claims to be some kind of ancient sorcerer-ghost, but a lot of people claim to be a lot of things, and I've only ever seen him walking around in a body. Ghost or not, the danger he's in is real. After I discovered him, Dyaomesk and I worked out a little arrangement where he provides information to me, and in exchange I make sure our mutual 'friends' never find him. Unfortunately, it looks like they were able to locate him despite my efforts. Operatives have infiltrated Oranbega, the Circle's underground city, and are trying to catch Dyaomesk. I need you to get him out of harm's way.

Protect Dyaomesk

Mission Objective(s)

The oppressive weight of the ancient ruins of Oranbega is somehow thrown off-balance by the harsh smell of cordite and C4.

Protect Dyaomesk
- Find Dyaomesk

You arrived in Oranbega only to find that Dyaomesk had already escaped the Malta Group's agents.

Enemies

Notable NPCs

Heretic Green Epsilon (Malta Gunslinger)
Circle Mystic (Captive)

NPC Text

Before combat:

Random Malta Operative 1: "You know, I feel like I'm being watched down here."
Random Malta Operative 2: "This place is creepy enough without you saying that all the time."

Heretic Green Epsilon: "What do you mean we can't find him? Peel off the robes till we know we got him!"

Combat start:

Random Malta Operative 1: "Great. I prefer a stand-up fight!"

Heretic Green Epsilon: "So, Character, are you ready to die?"

Upon rescue:

Circle mystic: "I am not the one you seek, but I will tell you of him."

Dyaomesk has fled

The surviving Circle sorcerer you saved from the Malta Group attack in Oranbega told you:
'I am not the one called Dyaomesk, for he has fled this place in his foolish panic. He sought protection from these outsiders with other outsiders. This lack of faith in the power of the Circle betrays a traitorous cowardice, and in one we once trusted to work our will in the world above. He is shunned by us, and forbidden this place until the world of mankind has perished. He has chosen his protectors, and shall profit or perish by that choice.'
'You may go safely from our halls. I can see that you work with those Dyaomesk made his deals with, and we shall honor them.'

Ambush!

After exiting this mission, you be ambushed by Malta Operatives.

Meet with Indigo

Briefing

It looks like Dyaomesk saw the attack coming and had already escaped before you even got there. Dyaomesk has always been kind of skittish, I suspect that he didn't quite trust you. Now, he has no choice. It seems that the Knives of Artemis were doing the clean-up work for our 'friends', and they've got him cornered in an old section of a graveyard. This could the be last chance to get him out of danger. You've got to get him before the Knives of Artemis can.

Save Dyaomesk

Mission Objective(s)

Somehow, you're not surprised to find out a fleeing Circle Sorcerer would seek safety in a graveyard.

Save Dyaomesk
- Find Dyaomesk

Missing completion text

Enemies