Proto-Rikti

The moment I'd been waiting for with Will finally came. Well, one of them, anyway.

Even though Fyre tried to tell him very early on about the connection between the Lost and the Rikti, he was in complete denial over it. He used poorly-founded arguments, stupid little details, and ultimately just blind denial to keep from having to acknowledge that she was right. No, not because it was Fyre. Statesman or Recluse could've come to him and told him every detail in person, and he would've mustered the exact same amount of resistance to the idea. Possibly more with Recluse.

To recap, back when Cpt. William Piett was Cpt. Bill Peterson of the PCPD SWAT, he lived in Baumton ("Boomtown"). He had a wife, two kids, a dog, and a whole lot of friends and relatives, all living in the same area. In early 2002, he was working a lot, away from his family and friends, trying to help clean up the street crime that plagued Paragon City. Except for a few of his co-workers that he was chummy with, everyone he loved and cared about died in the Rikti invasion. He hates the Rikti as the aliens that took his life away. To a far lesser (and strictly subconscious) extent, he hates the heroes of Paragon for not saving his family as well as blaming them for why he wasn't there to protect his family. He and some of his co-workers, each with their own reasons, left Paragon City. They are the mercenaries.

So why the denial about the Lost? Will could deal with an alien invasion force trying to wipe out humanity. He deals with it badly, but it's... acceptable, I think is the best word for it. Finding out that the invasion force is a group of mutated humans? That most of this second invasion is made up of humans from our own world? It's not so easy to deal with the idea that one of the gangs that lives on the unmarked graves of his friends and family is basically trying to hook up with the people that razed Baumton in the first place.

In any case, at level 30, "Lost" missions become "Rikti" missions. So as you do "Lost" missions at level 28-30, increasing numbers of the mobs will be true Rikti instead of the mutated Lost. We had our first one of those last night. Will's been building up to this because, as Fyre pointed out, the Pariahs are pretty much short Rikti with hoods. He's been trying, consciously and unconsciously to ignore what they meant. Then we rounded a corner and found Rikti Infantry and Drones. It was a shock, and part of his brain shut down. He started babbling.

In the next room, there was a Rifleman, more Infantry, and a Communications Officer. Will lost it. He started shouting and running from room to room, gunning down or pummeling every Lost and Rikti he could find, acting recklessly (and thanks to Fyre and the pets, not getting in any danger) and finally the mercs had to tackle him and pin him to the ground to make him stop. Lt. Sinatra (the commando) talked to Fyre. She didn't say very much, but it seemed clear she understood to an extent what Will was going through. Even later, while Will was still partly off in his own little mental world, she still seemed concerned.

What comes next for Will vs. the Rikti? No idea. Just gonna play it by ear. :)