Mission:Troubled Times - Part Six: Recompense

This entire mission can be played only through Flashback and only with all four souvenirs from this arc.

Part Six: Recompense

Editor's Note:

You receive this mission if you chose to devise a plan with Marcus to trick Dr. Stribbling.

Briefing

Excellent! Is the mutant on the way here?

• About that...

What did you just say? Sorry, my connection must be bad down here in my lab...

The call disconnects. Did he just hang up on you?

Mission Objective(s)

• Call the doctor again (and trick him)

Dr. Stribbling

Briefing

Hello, Character? Ah, excellent. This connection is much better. Unfortunately, underground labs tend to act as Faraday cages! Anyway, about the mutant...

• It was great! He should be in your lab now.

Excellent! Ah, yes... I have him here now. Excellent work! Prime condition, barely a scratch on him. Wonderful work, Character. I'll have to run some tests, obviously, to make sure there are no internal injuries...

But I think I'll be able to start experimenting very soon! Then, hopefully, one day soon you'll hear about how Dr. Chris Stribbling was able to help make Paragon City... no, the entire world a safer place by preventing dangerous villains from using their super powers. And you helped make sure it happened, Character. I'll make sure everyone knows that.

• Great! See you around, doctor.

Um... Yes, I am... uh, sure we perhaps will, some time down the road. But for now, I must be getting to my work. No rest for the wicked and all that.

He hangs up. Now to wait for the signal from Marcus.

• (Now to wait for the signal)

The signal from Marcus soon comes through, pinging the location of Dr. Stribblings new lab. It's located in a complex at Jannissey Heights, not too far from here.

• Time to finish this.

It has been a long, twisting road to get here. You traveled back in time again and again, refusing to give up on bringing Dr. Stribbling to justice and saving Marcus from the path of villainy... Or worse. But now you are only a few steps away from defying fate, Ouroboros's wishes be damned.

• (Leave)

Unnecessary Solicitation

Marcus is waiting for you to come to the lab so that you can take down his father.

Mission Objective(s)

As you enter Dr. Stribbling's new lab, you suddenly have an overwhelming sense that something is wrong.

• Take down Dr. Stribbling
  • Defeat Fallen from Grace!
  • Defeat Blast Furnace!
    • Defeat Flambeaux!
    • Defeat Grym!
      • Find Dr. Stribbling

Dr. Stribbling has been... dealt with.

Enemies

Time Echoes

Rogue Isles Villains

Paragon Heroes

Rogues Gallery

Shining Stars

Notable NPCs

• Fallen from Grace (Boss)
• Blast Furnace (Boss)
• Flambeaux (Boss)
• Grym (Boss)
• Marcus Stribbling (Archvillain, Ally)
• Dr. Stribbling? (NPC Analyst)

 

Fallen from Grace

Blast Furnace

Shining Stars

The final room

Marcus Stribbling: Hello, doctor... Father.

Fallen from Grace Dialogue

Before Combat: Can the meddlers truly bring my redemption?
Combat Start: Character! You will be the pathway to my salvation!
50% Health: You won't deny me my place among the promised!
Teleports Away: Tch... I'm not enough to stand against you today!

Blast Furnace Dialogue

Before Combat: Working with the temporal echoes of people you've known and fought beside before is... weird.
Combat Start: The path you walk threatens the future, Character!
50% Health: Maybe that salesman was selling snakeoil when he said this'd be an easy task...
Teleports Away: I can't stop you... Well, it can't hurt to go back in time and try again!

Flambeaux and Grym Dialogue

Before Combat:
Flambeaux: I'll get my face in all the papers for this!
Grym: Are you the Flambeaux from my past, present, or future?
Combat Start:
Flambeaux: Hahaha, time to burn you to the ground, Character!
Grym: Eyes up, hothead, we've got Character incoming!
50% Health:
Flambeaux: Ow, you jerk! Watch the face!
Grym: This fight is as tough as any trial I've faced!
Teleports Away:
Flambeaux: Pfft, I'm not being paid enough for this... Or, like, at all.
Grym: I cannot match you this time! Perhaps next!

Marcus Stribbling

Briefing

Marcus turns away from staring at the immobile man to look at you.

Don't worry. I've figured everything out.

• What happened?

It went exactly as planned. I pretended to be in stasis. Then I released myself from it. I confronted my father and I fixed everything.

He glances back to the frozen man.

• Fixed?

Yes. I was going to kill my father. That's what I thought I wanted. Even after all these cycles... I was ready to kill him.

But when I came for him, he was terrified. I could see in his eyes that he didn't see me as a person, even, but a monster. What I was going to do was just prove him right. Prove that I was the monster he had been afraid of and... I just felt sorry for him. The man who had spent years torturing me and I felt sorry for him!

Some monster I am, huh?

This has all been a terrible tragedy and I don't want it to play out again. I can't go back in time to change things... At least, not with my powers the way they are now. But I can reverse time on a small scale.

So that's what I did. I turned back time for my dad, to before I killed my brother. It doesn't erase what I did, but it does erase him remembering it. So maybe we can start over. He won't hate me and I can prove I'm not dangerous. Then we can work together to make things right. It'll be a happy ending.

• Can you "make things right"?

He sighs.

I don't know. And the way Ouroboros was trying to stop you... Maybe I won't even be allowed to. But I'm going to try and I won't give up until I get my little brother back and erase all the pain once and for all.

• He might not hate you now, but once he learns what happened...

Maybe. And if that happens, well... I'll let him go. He won't have the years of research to continue and my powers are so strong now. He won't be able to catch me. So I'll just go it alone, try to make it right.

• I understand. I hope you can do it.

Thank you, Character. I knew you'd understand after all you've been through to save me. You really are a true hero at heart. Thank you. I won't forget everything you've done for me. Maybe we'll see each other again someday!

He starts to turn away from you.

• Wait!

Marcus and his father suddenly disappear before you can even finish the words. It seems he froze time and left. He's probably already far away.

• (Leave)

• Goodbye, Marcus.

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• The deal was we'd kill him. I intend to stick to that deal!

Marcus frowns as you lay out your intent to finish off his father.

I'm disappointed to hear that. I'm not going to let my father die, Character. I'd hoped you'd understand. I just want to make things right.

• Do you really think you can "make things right"?

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• He's going to hate you once he learns the truth!

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• Alright, I can't stop you. I hope you can do it, at least.

Thank you, Character. I'm glad you were able to understand me. I won't forget everything you've done for me. Maybe we'll see each other again someday!

He starts to turn away from you.

• Wait!

+++ Missing Information +++

• Goodbye, Marcus.

+++ Missing Information +++

• No! He deserves true justice, not absolution!

Marcus sighs.

I hope one day you'll reconsider. Bye, Character.

Suddenly, Marcus and his father are gone as if they were never there.

• Damn time control!

• (Leave)

• This man is your father?

Yes. He's looking pretty spry, isn't he? Well, aside from being frozen in time.

I've fixed everything.

• Fixed?

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

• Is that your father?

This selection loops to another branch of this conversation which is already documented.

Badge

Completing this mission awards the Loop Hero badge.

Loop Hero

After much trial and tribulation, you were able to use Ouroboros to put an end to the Stribbling family drama. By your own count, you must have gone around at least 5 times... but the real number could be well into the thousands.

Debriefing

Marcus and Dr. Stribbling are both gone. You have changed both of their fates, hopefully for the better. What of Ouroboros's warnings, that this will lead to tragedy? Can they be trusted? Will they keep trying to undo this event or has time been indelibly altered? Perhaps it is only for the future you to know. Or maybe not. Time travel can be weird.