Abnormal Norman 24: Compromised
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Be Norman
Rooftops with Brad
 
>"Norman, you can't seriously believe that Nolan's kidnapped Lyra. The guy's rich enough not to hold anyone ransom!"
"Brad, it's not a matter of money. I think Nolan's on to me, being a super-hero."
>"So some fanboy wants to know Noir-Man's secret identity. It's not like Nolan's that insane to hold someone hostage."
"What? It didn't strike how weird it was when he decided to try and hire me when we've only met for 10 seconds?"
>"W-well, now that I'm not seeing $$$ signs now...yeah...well sort of. Anyway, why do you think Lyra was even kidnapped by Nolan? She could have lost her phone, or her mother picked it up..."
"Look, in the factory, I told Lyra I'd buy her a month's worth of comics for her to use her powers to sneak inside the factory. She hasn't called since."
>"Look man, all I'm saying is that we shouldn't doubt Nolan too much."
"Brad, take off your Scrooge goggles and follow me to the factory. We're breaking in!"
>"Dude, isn't that illegal? We're becomming what we're fighting!"
"First off, don't pull that Batman shit on me. Second, vigilantism is already frowned upon by the law. We're technically fugitives."
>"Alright, alright!"
"Right, let's go."
 
>You and Brad run through the rooftops once more, going in the direction of Nolan's company.
 
>God, I hope she's alright.
 
>Thoughts cloud your mind. Who is Nolan? Why the sudden interest in me? Is he a student or some undercover cop like my dad?
>Ever since this hero thing started, everyone's social life has been in ruins.
>Lyra's giving her best friend the cold shoulder, Vinyl's in the hospital and Aryan Beauty thinks I'm hiding a secret with Purple, Rainbro and Flutters.
>You ponder to yourself if this is your fault, or Brad's, or even the stupid artifacts.
>These artifacts are a constant. One way or another, they will either end up in the wrong hands, or have some poor fool suffer with them.
 
>Why am I thinking all of this? Guilt for putting Lyra in a mess you have yet to see? Argh.
>"Bro, I just have one question."
"What?"
>"Are you and Lyra really dating?"
"Brad, for Faust's sake, is this really an important question?"
>"Look, bro. I've watched more than 23 romantic tragedy movies. If something were to happen to the woman you love, you'd lose your mind!"
"Brad, I barely give a damn about starting a relationship with Lyra. She's a cunt to be with!"
>"Sorry, Norm. Just that, when we were at that old abandoned apartment back at the start of our heroing, your personality changes for a few seconds when you're angry as fuck!"
"Brad, I got my powers under control. Trust me."
>"Alright. Remember bro, I got your back anyday."
>Ahh Brad. He may be a douche with the excitement of a child and the tounge of a tempter, but he's like your brother from a different mother.
 
Near the factory, rooftops
"What in name of-"
>"Whoa, there are security guards everywhere!"
>You look on the factory. The place looks like a prison yard from your perspective.
>Watchtowers, guards with german sheperds and flash lights, barbwired walls.
>Lauren, for a clothing factory, they put in alot of effort to secure the living shit out of it.
>"I guess the stealth option is out, huh?"
 
>You walk out of your spot, holding your chin and devising a plan.
>"Don't you think it's a bit risky to infiltrate the building? I mean, we don't even know if Lyra's in there!"
"Brad, think of it this way; if Lyra's dead, you can have her artifact and live with her curse until the end of your days."
>It didn't feel good encouraging Brad like that, but the smug look on his face means he's changed his mind.
>"So, do we go in a blaze of glory, or go Sam Fisher on this thing?"
>You jump down the building. Brad looks down from the rooftops.
>You grab the nearest car you could find, and throw it to the skies.
>"WHOA!"
>Climbing up, Brad questions your actions.
>"Norman, what the hell was that?"
>You smirk.
"Our ticket in."
>The vehicle falls from the sky and all the way to the compound of the factory.
>The guards inside are shaken, causing panic.
>"Great, now how do we get in?"
"You're getting in. Let me worry about that."
 
>"Wait, ho-WHOA!"
>You grab Brad's whole body, and like a dart, you shoot him through the window.
 
>"WHOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH"
 
>*CRASH*
 
>Alright, now that Brad's the distraction on the inside, time to move in.
 
 
Be Brad
Inside the factory
 
>HOLY SHIT, THAT WAS BRADICAL!
>FOR 1.50 SECONDS, I FELT LIKE SUPER-MAN!
>Alright, calm down, Brad. The mission here is to find Lyra.
 
>"I heard something upstairs!"
>Ahh, looks like the guards are coming up.
>Time to test out my makeshift Brad-Hook!
>You take out a blue hook attatched to a rope.
>You throw it up but it doesn't land anywhere. It lands back at your head.
"Ooof!"
>Alright, plan B: Grab a fire extinquisher and whack these guys.
 
>"BARK BARK!"
"Oh shit, dogs!"
>RUN, BRAD RUN!
>"RUFF! "
>[Biting Noises]
"OH SWEET MERCY, MY BUM!!!!"
>You run around in circles while a german sheperd locks his jaws on your posterior.
>A guard takes up his m-16 and points it at your back.
>"I ORDER YOU TO HALT!"
>Before you could answer, Norman throws another guard through the window, hitting both the dog on your butt.
"YEEAOOOCH!"
>My glorious cheeks are bloodied and showing...and my cape got ripped.
>Maybe I should *oww* think of a new costume design.
>...
>Nah. I'll wait till I get my own powers.
 
>You walk down the stairs. Everyone else is too busy with dealing with Norman.
>The lack of gunfire indicates that Norman's taking the stealth route.
>Good for him! Now to find Lyra.
>As you look around, you notice a wall opening on it's own.
>Out goes a person. White hair, piercing on the lip, tall but not buff.
>Damn, that is the hottest henchman I've ever seen.
>From the shadows, she emerges. Carrrying an SMG, she points it at you with an angry expression.
>Oh wait, it's not a dude! Thank god.
>...
>Oh wait you're still in trouble.
 
*BOOM*
 
>An explosion from outside distracts the woman.
>Your moment of chance appears!
>You grab the M-16 from the unconscious guard and you try to knock her out with it.
>SHe reacts quickly and grabs the  gun you hold.
>You struggle for the gun, kicking her knee.
>"Ahk, you dweeb!"
>She grabs your head and tries to choke you to submission.
>Her arm height matches her chest. Your head resting on her breasts.
 
>Aww yiss
 
>Four more guards come from the wall to try and secure the place.
>[spoiler]B[/spoiler]rest time is over.
>You grab a makeshift smoke bomb from your pocket.
>The smoke bomb was made from a fragile glass container filled with pepper, as seen in the cape books you read.
>You throw it at the woman's eyes.
>"AAARGH, MY EYES!"
 
>You kick your way from her grasp and went for the M-16 once more.
>The four guards points the guns at you.
>Before they can shoot, a jeep bursts through the huge doors of the factory
>*BEEP BEEP*
>"AAAAHHHHH" The guards scream.
>The woman dodges out of the way as Norman's jeep crashes through the guards.
>Norman steps out of the vehicle, coughing and shit.
>You give him the thumbs up of brotitude.
 
Be Norman
Nolan's Factory
 
>Good grief, I can't believe I survived all that.
>Damage sustained? One bullet got lucky and hit me in the shoulder.
>Arrgh.
"Commander Underwear, found anything yet?" you cringingly asked
>Brad points to the wall with the hole.
>"They all came from there." he said.
>You look to your side to see one of the henchmen, a woman.
>YOu grab her by her shirt and proceed to interrogate her.
"Alright, WHAT'S BEYOND THAT WALL?"
>"Go in and find out."
>As expected, she refuses to cooperate.
>"Noir-Man, we could use her as a hostage if they're waiting for us there."
>Hmm, it's not exactly right, but you're left with no choice.
>You turn her around and proceeded to go down the secret room, holding Gilda in front of you.
>Brad follows behind you.
>"Come on, aren't you two man enough to face whatever's down there alone?"
>Her taunting doesn't penetrate you. Saftey comes first. THis isn't a comic book where the plot armor saves you from everything.
 
>You enter the secret room, 30 guys aiming their gun at you and your human shield.
>All of them wearing a Saint's Bro jacket.
>Faust, how are we going to get through this?
>Then from the background, Nolan shows up.
>"Hmm, Noir-Man, yes?
>You look at him and asked
"Where's the girl?"
 
>He opens a door, and invites you in.
>"Let's talk business, shall we?"
>You're out of options. It's either stay here and get shot or go with Nolan.
>You go inside. Brad follows.
>Amy closes and locks the door.
>Nolan switches the lights on.
 
"Oh my god."
 
>Lyra sits by the chair, legs filled with bitemarks and her eyes white.
>"You can take the mask of, Norman. I know it's you." said Nolan
>You take off your mask and come close to Lyra, whom is paralyzed from fear, shaking due to her blindness.
"Lyra, it's going to be fine. It's me, Norman."
>N-Norman... I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.
"No, I'm sorry. I put you in this mess."
>Brad questions Nolan.
>"What is all this?"
>"Lyra's been very...informative. I suppose there's no reason in hiding my motives.
>He then looks at you. You angrily look back.
>"I'm sure you know about my friend, Vinyl Scratch. Poor dear, stuck in a coma."
>He shows signs of sadness.
>"For days, I've been searching for how it happenned and how to cure it. Octavia was barely helping."
>Sounds like Octavia hasn't been mentioning how it's partially her fault Vinyl got into this mess.
>"I've studied, watched footage from all across the city. Partially deducing that you, Norman, are Noir-Man."
"What does that have to do with Vinyl."
>"It doesn't. It has something to do with Commander Underwear, then you.
>"Huh?"
>"When Vinyl reverted back to human form, you took her something from her neck.
>"Y-yeah. Vinyl's necklace."
>"So Lyra was telling the truth."
"Let me guess, you're planning on curing Vinyl using the necklace,and then study how to control it and once that's done, you'll use it for your own purposes.
>"Now, now, Norman. That's a pretty large accusation."
"Nolan, you tortured a girl!"
>"All for the benefit of curing Vinyl by finding the root of her problem. Speaking of which, I'm going to have to ask for it back."
"If you think we're going to give a powerful artifact at the hands of some goon working for  the Saint's Bro..."
>"Norman, I OWN the Saint's Bro."
"N-no way. You.."
>"Too young? Maybe, but my father taught me how to run a business at an early age, and then passed on the leadership to me at my 18th birthday.
"Well, it doesn't change a thing. I'm not giving you the necklace."
>"Well, this isn't up for whether or not you'd decline my offer..."
 
 
>Nolan opens the television from behind him. It shows one of his gang members holding a camera with a rifle pointed at Lyra's house far away.
"No..."
>"And don't get me started on your house as well."
>He switches the channel, showing your house.
 
"You son of a bitch."
>"Too much for a rookie wannabe superhero?"
 
 
>You stay quiet.
>"Very well then. Let's talk business..."
 
End of Chapter 24