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- After you defeated him, the Bane Spider called 'Zapan' told you:
'Nothing can stop us. We were in such pain for so long, but when Hugo awoke, he began to unchain us. A few at first, but every new one freed will make us stronger. The Fortunatas hunt us, the Tarantula Queens seek to snare our renegade free thoughts before they can spread, but with Hugo, we cannot be stopped!'
- You found this letter on the body of the Bane Spider named Hugo. It's written in a shaky hand, and several lines have been crossed out and re-written. It reads:
'My love,
- I'm sorry I fled. But it was all so much at once. The first time I've felt my mind soar freely in years, and your face, fully grown and so beautiful, and still in the background the war-like din from all the minds of the other Bane Spiders. I want to come back to you. I missed you so much, Gally, and I didn't even know it. Every day was an empty agony, and I didn't know why. I know that Mr. Manticore can help me, and I thank him for giving me back the me that loved you and still loves you so much. But I can't turn my back on them, Gally. I can't turn my back on all of my brother-selves.
All the others are just like I was. They're still trapped, still have their minds caged and turned in on themselves, still in an agony they don't even understand. And I can help them. I've got to help them.
I love you, Gally Ido. I love you more than life itself. And I will come back to you, come back with you to Paragon City just like we always dreamed. But first, I have to do this. I have to try and save the others, just like you saved me.
I love you, Gally. And I'll be with you again soon.
Hugo.'
- -A'
The 'A' is probably Amelee. But who is 'S'?
- You found this old photograph clasped in the claw of the Arachnoid leader. The picture shows what looks like a poor family in the interior of Haven House during the holidays. Despite their obvious poverty, they all seem quite happy, and the children are hugging Westin Phipps' leg. On the back, it says:
'Mr. Phipps was so kind. He even promised to find me a job. This is the first day of a new life for my family!'
- Dr. Nova's unhinged ranting still echoes through your thoughts:
'It was only a matter of time until something like this would happen. Recluse was ingenious. He's had Arachnos gathering psychic children for years, and built two great forces, each army part of his strategy to fully control the forces that destroy all conquerors. The Fortunatas are his front line troops in a war against fate itself, and the Bane Spiders the shock soldiers in a war on human free will. The children, their powers are remade. The girls have their sight adjusted into the future, but the boys, their powers are forced inward. They mind-control themselves, then link themselves to the other Bane Spiders. They are a vast network of self oppression, designed to enforce its own loyalty. But what happens when a key is turned in a lock, and these barriers are unmade? What sort of beast might then arise as the fire of personal transformation leapt from mind to mind?'
- You've found pages of half-finished homework. There are math sections, a few pages of spelling, and a complete 3 paragraph book report. It looks like one of the Freaks was in the middle of working on it when you attacked. It even has the class he was taking written on it, along with the name of his teacher: Miss Francine Primm.
- You'll get all the details later, once you've proven you can deliver on your part. We're ready to strike the blow, but I must re-iterate that we demand proof you can support us and extract us once it's over. We may be sick of what Arachnos has become, but we won't be played for fools.
- You found a set of school books tucked in a backpack carried by the Freakshow Tank 'T33ch@h'Z p3t'. Inside his binder, there's a list of his classes, his homework, and what days and times he's supposed to attend something called 'Miss Francine's Primm's Secondary School'.
The one really puzzling thing, though, is how could T33ch@h'Z p3t have had such good handwriting? He didn't even have hands! It boggles the mind.
- This crate contains all kinds of school supplies. Books, paper, calculators, even some laptops. As you grab some of the valuable items, you notice that everything here is from the Paragon City Public School District.
- This heart-shaped locket contains two pictures and a note. The pictures show two teenagers, a boy who looks like a younger version of 'The Quest', and a girl. The note reads:
'I wish I'd been brave enough to escape with you. Now they're going to turn me into a monster. I'm so afraid, Jimmy. You've got to help me!
Trish'
Looks like her help is never going to show up now, thanks to you.
- You found this information on one of the computers in the Arachnos Rebel's base. The main part of the file in encrypted, but the unencrypted part of it appears to be a personnel dossier on Weaver-1, Arachnos' master technologist. A short note accompanies the file:
'S -
- You found a rough draft of Agent Gally Ido's report to her superiors on her when you defeated her. The details of the whole operation are pretty mundane, and pan out about how you'd figured.
The plan was to test out the theory that the Bane Spiders could be subverted, and it was an area she'd been studying for a while, no doubt with Hugo in mind. She'd heard about Dr. Nova's new technique, and had used his device on Hugo after she'd found him. The rest of the report is her apology for letting this all get too personal, and possibly endangering Longbow's other operations. But the most important thing is who this was addressed to: Manticore, the crimson bowman of the Freedom Phalanx.
In fact, it looks like this project was one of several he's had going. There's a mention in the report about your capture of Miss Francine the Freakshow teacher and her subsequent fate, and about your part in the end of the Arachnos rebels. You're mentioned by name several times. The best thing, though, is that there's a note on the report, reminding her to send her report to Manticore's current location, hidden in a cargo ship at sea.
- After you rescued her, Fortunata Millia told you:
'I've learned a lot about these rebels. Most of them joined Marshal Blitz's rebellion for foolish ideals. Some hoped to reform Arachnos, others to settle their conscience. When Blitz proved no better, they started listening to spies from Longbow. Right now they're trying to exchange information for armaments to put up some sort of fight. Longbow's asking about information on Weaver-1 in exchange, but I don't know why. These Rebels are barely a threat as a military force, but if Longbow learned all that they know about Weaver-1, it could be very harmful indeed.
For their part, Longbow seems more interested in getting as many Rebels as they can out of the isles. How typically heroic to be concerned with the lives of pawns.
- This disk contains a good deal of data on the work Weaver-1 has done for Arachnos. Lots of technical details, though much of it is encrypted. The Rebels didn't trust Swan and Longbow too much.
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