Wilhelm - “Ian, an emergency summons from Ascension Point is requesting your presence immediately, the nature of the situation was was not given but it reads as Priority One”

The very last thing Ian wanted to do was to deal with any kind of Exemplar business, much less direct contact after returning from their ranks only days ago, yet when duty called he once again felt driven to answer what was normally reserved for the gravest of threats. In a flash of a thousand black and broken shards his image folded in on itself as space-time bent to his will, transporting him to the space between realities where the Exemplars had called home since their inception. Appearing directly in the center of Ascension Hall, Ian noticed in a matter of moments that something was very out of place, not only was every other member already present and seated, they all carried a variation of the same concerned look with their eyes focused squarely upon him. It did not take a genius to realize that the reason for the assembly being called was Ian himself.

Andromeda slowly stood from her assigned place and took a moment to compose herself before speaking, they had known each other more than long enough for Ian to see that she was barely holding it together. Hands held in front of herself with a body language that suggested a resignation and shame as to what was to come next. The simple act of forcing her mouth to open and allow the words to escape her lips took every ounce of her considerable composure.

Andromeda - “Ian.....God I don't know if I can even say this...”

Turning his body to face her directly he gave her a slight nod as if to reassure her that he was already expecting to not find whatever the purpose of this meeting was to be to his liking or anywhere close to in his favor. Before she even uttered a single sound he knew not only was he in front of a figurative firing squad, but there are those among them who actually had the gall to put her front and center, forcing her to pull the proverbial trigger.

Andromeda - “There has been a vote..and the decision made to recall you from your role as monitor of AR-0202 and reassigned to Ascension Point effective immediately for an internal review. Ian...I know you only bent the rules when you felt it was absolutely necessary....I really do.....but there are those here who.......feel you have outright broken them with your mentoring of the Catalyst Ellie Knightfall and Nicole Murdock...in violation of Article 3. There is more but....I didn't ask for this Ian....”

Ian watched her nearly fold back into her chair, almost sickened and unable to finish what was by then nothing but the fine print. Part of him deep down always knew this very moment was more than just an insignificant possibility, yet never once had he allowed the specter of censure to come to the surface and bias his decisions over the years. Never had a decision been made for his own benefit, and while mistakes were all but unavoidable for a person in his position, to have a ruling of this magnitude laid against him without a word in his defense was as hardline of a stance seen since during the war.

Ian - “I'm well aware of the rules considering I helped draft most of them long before the majority of you ever got here. I am also well aware that the article you are invoking had been created for very good reasons...during wartime. Yet to interpret them in this way, in this kangaroo court manner, is downright insulting. Only a few of you have ever placed on a long-term monitor assignment and not a god damn single one of you for anywhere near as long as I have endured. Because of you I do not even have a home to return to anymore, remember the one you failed to protect...the one you didn't even allow me the chance to save. You want to play politics, fine, lets play politics.”

Engaging his targeting system, Ian reached out with a single arm and fired a tightly controlled stream of concussive energy, the focused beam more than overkill for its intended purpose. The impact utterly destroyed his assigned seat into a small cloud of vapor and dust, the very sudden nature of the discarged weapon being more than enough to send the nearby attendees scattering in what more than one may have feared to be an armed retaliation to ther ruling.

Ian - “I am hereby invoking Article 42, as a refugee of a reality lost during an Exemplar campaign I have the right to choose a new home reality within which I have the same rights as a natural citizen in order to establish a new life, as such I designate AR-0202 as so. In addition I hereby resign my status as an Exemplar, and therefore am no longer bound by any rules or mandates forced upon said membership.”

Without even waiting for a single word in response the bitter armored figure faded away once again by the same manner that brought him here. Left behind were the assembled Exemplars who began to discuss in hushed tones what had actually transpired. The motion which had the intended effect of forcing a wayward son back home, had actually opened the door for him to return to his adopted home, only this time he was no longer bound or limited in any manner. They had unwittingly unleashed him upon a world that had no concept of what had ever been in their midst.

Ascension Point Database

Callsign: Armistice

Real Name: Dr. Ian Alexander Pierce

Primary Specialty: Science Directorate

Secondary Specialty: Military Intelligence

Tertiary Specialty: Medical Officer

Primary Combat Specialty: Mass Destruction

Secondary Combat Specialty: Heavy Assault

Tertiary Combat Specialty: Assassination

Status: Inactive – Voluntary Retirement