The skyline of Paragon City was rather beautiful around midday, especially in the Steel Canyon region, the skyscrapers scratching the sky and impressing even the most detached of passing citizens.

The only downside to living in such a rich, beautiful city was the sort of attention it attracted.

The ground rumbled for mere moments before six well-armed battle robots burst from the Earth, and one bright red dot was hanging on to the largest one.

Experiment 2.0 had been in a tense battle for the past few minutes, but the first sign of it was this climax as he held on to the Assault Bot for dear life. His jet boots had been deactivated and he'd been forced to stab an organic spike into the midsection of the drone to stay in the air.

Every few seconds, jets of steam would shoot from the jet shafts and he would hold his breath in anticipation of the bright blue flame. After several seconds, it finally activated fully, and he released from the robot.

Dropping for a moment, a sharp pain in his back send him flying toward a wall- A melee-bot had gotten a hit in on him. The second melee-bot waited for him in front of the building he was angled toward, and he grinned, planning ahead in mere seconds. He flipped around, slamming his feet into the robot. Once they reached the wall, he flared the jet boots to full power, hooking his feet into the skeleton. A few seconds later, he catapulted away from the wall, leaving a scorched, melted robotic chassis stuck to the wall. His burst sent him toward the offending close-combat robot, and he raised his arms to be vertically parallel to each other.

The paneled armour slid back, allowing two rows of spikes to eject from his arms. He impaled the 'bot, then released, dropping down to the next three robotic minions.

These were ranged enemies, firing balls of scorching energy toward him. Spinning wildly, he avoided getting hit by any of the strong bursts, cutting one in half. It exploded seconds later.

Shifting back into a stable position, he boosted back up to the remaining two drones. One was rather quick, boosting to its right to avoid him. The other drone dashed backward, firing an energy grenade at the hero. Experiment gasped, having to throw himself to one side to avoid being disintegrated. Throwing a spike at the grenade-firing robot was enough to destroy it. The other zipped by him on an upward course back toward the Assault Bot.

The hero fired a grappling hook toward it from his PDA-wrist. The almost invincible wire wrapped around the metal leg, and sent him flying toward the small enemy. Two quick cuts later and the 'bot was in three pieces.

"One left," he muttered, applying power to his jets to send him shooting toward the large heap of steel. Ejecting yet another organic, poison-laden spine from his arm, Experiment threw the weaponized bone attached to a similarly organic line from his arm to the large 'bot. It scraped off the leg, not strong enough to penetrate the metal armour, but wrapped around it instead. He caught up this way easily, but then began the trouble.

The Assault Bot immediately flipped around, head-over-heels, and Experiment snapped by, and a major case of whiplash later, was disconnected from his grapple-spike.

He straightened himself, facing the large battle robot. The head shifted, a television screen replacing it. Dr. Shimmer appeared, gritting his teeth. "Let it GO, Experiment! Just give up!"

2.0 smirked, rushing toward the intimidating hostile and swung himself horizontally. His armoured legs collided with the screen, the jets sending his legs all the way around, thus sending the robot downward. Hard.

It righted itself, firing beams of energy at the agile hero. A few quick dashes from right to left kept him alive.

"Why would I do that, Shimmy? You're just so CUTE when you're angr--"

That moments hesitation allowed the large Assault Bot to arm two shoulder-packs worth of missiles and aim them directly at the brightly armoured hero.

"What was that?" Shimmer said, grinning madly, "What were you going to say?"

Experiment hovered in the air for a few moments, glancing at the missile packs, then chuckled nervously and shrugged. "Y'know, it seems to have slipped my mind."

Shimmer laughed, then pushed a button on his end. The 'bot leaned back to prepare to fire. "Well then, maybe this shall jog your memory."

****************************************

The missiles were fast, granted, but Experiment 2.0 had years of practice flying between the skyscrapers and assorted buildings of Steel Canyon. He wasn't scared about them catching HIM so much as he was them hitting some buildings.

As soon as the missiles had fired, the hero had been off, ducking and diving between the towering buildings of his city, trying desperately to keep the missiles from striking any of the innocent-filled buildings. Throwing spikes back when he had the chance affected the missiles' numbers in a minor way, but he knew he'd have to pull off an energy-based field to get rid of them all. For that he had to duck behind a certain building in the East side of this part of the city.

Crey Industries was known for their technological and scientific experiments, but few knew of the more seedy experiments they had committed, on people and otherwise.

Experiment 2.0 was the result of one of these, but that was for a later date.

For now, the hero approached an established lab owned by Crey Industries, and circled it quickly, ducking in and out of gaps of the hi-tech building. The missiles followed him closely, the speed of them barely faster than the acrobatic man in red armour. Suddenly, Experiment pulled a tight turn into the window of one of the large labs. The missiles followed tightly, apparently masterfully avoiding every piece of metal and stone on the way in.

Experiment sapped energy from the various machines and computers filling the lab. Yelps and screams by the scientists were toned out as his armour began pulsing with energy.

Emerging from another row of windows, Experiment twisted into the sky, spinning quickly.

Righting himself, he checked back- No explosions. He sighed, allowing himself a small amount of humor. "...Works in most movies..."

Suddenly, he spun to face the deadly weaponry. He flung his hands to the sides, and a large field of burning energy came between him and the explosives. He then leaned back, and thrust forward, sending the wave toward the missile wall. As the first made contact, the field stretched around, gripping every projectile. The explosion caused the field to shimmer, then it dissipated, leaving a fairly tired super hero sitting in the air, looking at where several missiles had previously been.

He then looked into the sky, barely able to make out the Assault Bot far in the sky. Lowering his goggles over his eyes, he magnified the view, and the steel behemoth was already gone.

"Damn..."

The PDA on his left wrist began beeping an alert, and he sighed, bringing it up to eye level. "Robbery at Portal Corp... Hero's work is never done, I guess."

He jet off, flying toward the ferry to Peregrine island, which held the esteemed Portal Corporation building.

****************************************

The place was a mess, pools of wiring, flashes from broken light fixtures, scorched walls, all other manner of destructive signs. It was something quite frightening.

Experiment 2.0 shifted broken doors off their hinges with relative ease, freeing some of the terrified scientists. He asked each one what happened, and they tried to explain- Someone in an orange and red outfit had apparently broken into the building, throwing fire from their hands. They burned everything flammable, then herded the scientists into all the rooms and melted the doors shut. That explained why it took effort to remove them, he supposed.

They guessed he was heading for the only active portal in the building in the North wing.

The hero headed in, and lo and behold, a man in orange and red tights stood with his arms crossed, grinning madly. Or, at least, he LOOKED like he was grinning.

His face looked more melted than the doors and wires back in the hallways. He was scarred, his skin practically slipping off of him. Experiment was amazed he wasn't screaming in pain.

Then, he spoke. "Heya, 2.0! I'm Pyro-Technis, nice to meetcha!"

"You're very..." Experiment searched for a word, "...Jovial. What are you doing here?"

Pyro smiled, before slapping a button on a control panel next to him. The portal began to shift and rumble, causing Experiment to eject spikes from his arms and prepare for the worst.

"Just bringing some friends in to play!" the madman shouted gleefully, then he lowered his face, grinning demoniacally. "You want to 'play,' don't you?"

The blue ball that was the portal opened up, releasing the esteemed and feared Soul Drainer. He stepped forward, placing his fists on his hips, and laughed. "YOU are the 'mighty' Experiment 2.0? I should have known you'd be a dorky wannabe."

Experiment scoffed, approaching slowly. "And you are?"

The red and black suited villain bowed his head, speaking in a crisp Californian accent. "I am Soul Drainer, Master of Technology and Science. And I am here to 'requisition' one of these portals, but also to give you a little gift."

"Gift?" Experiment asked, his instinctual tenseness becoming obvious.

"I call him Experiment Mark Two-Point-Four."

As if on cue, a huge lumbering white and red robot stepped from the portal, and Experiment practically leaped backward.

The former Experiment 4.0 had been altered and advanced beyond a mere assassin-bot now. It was a death machine. Soul Drainer chuckled almost light-heartedly behind his helmet. "You know each other?"

2.0 wasted no time, jetting forward toward the huge mechanical monstrosity. A sudden pulse of energy, however, sent him careening into a banister and then face planting on the ground. He groaned in pain, before picking himself up slightly. "...Oww..."

Soul Drainer smirked underneath the red and black armour, before motioning for Pyro-Technis to enter the portal. The madman did as he was told, slightly depressed he didn't get to watch the battle.

Once he was gone, Soul Drainer approached Experiment 2.0. "So, do you like my toy? The version I watched you face on television was a joke compared to what [i]I[/i] have done with it!"

"What..." Experiment coughed, raising onto one knee, "What HAVE you done..."

"Glad you asked- I've altered not only the obvious physical shell of the 'bot, but also added some minor aggressive additions- That energy field attack being only one of the many you will soon face."

"You're not leaving?"

Soul Drainer glanced at the hero, who now looked quite frightened. They looked at each other for a moment before the red and black villain began laughing hysterically. He then walked behind the huge behemoth, and chuckled again.

"Oh, you funny heroes. Enjoy."

A bright light, and Experiment was sent flying back into a tight hallway, gasping in pain as a painful heat met his skin through his armour. He stood immediately, preparing his spikes, and gritting his teeth. "This... MIGHT be a problem..."