PBEM - RDU: The Mavericks - Example & Discussion

[RDU Neil]

Seeing as a number of folks seem to play/run PBEM games... some almost exclusively... I thought I'd try something. I have a long running Champions game (18 years now) that is mostly FtF, but has had a variety of sub-campaigns that ran on e-mail when players were far apart. One of the best campaigns spun out of a FtF game... a team of renegade heroes in New York called the Mavericks.

I've also had people from other games, who have read some of the online stuff I ran and commented that it was "a really different style" than they were used to.

So, just because 1) I think I'd enjoy reliving the past, 2) others here seem to enjoy reading campaigns, and 3) I'd be interested in feedback on style of PBEM games... I'm going to post them here, in order... story unfolding as they go.

Warning: This campaign lasted for two years, with multiple posts every week. If interest dries up, I may stop posting, but seeing how it's already written, I'm going to put up posts pretty quickly. Comment as you will. I'm looking forward to hearing what all of you think.

My general format was to post a GM Descriptive... then wait to get one reply from each player... then post a GM Descriptive including their actions... each player replies... continue... Some posts are short... others quite long. Description and detail fluctuates... as do the number of players.

I was thinking of cutting out the "OOC" commentary, but feel that is part of the whole picture, and will leave it in.

There is a ton of background that I'm not going to bother to explain... most of the story should unfold as it goes. It begins as a summation of a FtF game we didn't get the chance to finish.

Players - PCs:

Matt - Dragon Mist, mystic teleporting ninja with nasty sword.
Storn - Crusader, young cybernetic, ex-VIPER type who has taken over the legendary mantle of the retired hero.

My first post was...

>>>With a bone crunching thud, Crusader's knee slams Fury's head back, and he collapses in a heap. There is a brief moment of silence, before Dragon Mist quietly says, "Based on my years of experience, I suggest that we get the hell out of here, right now." Bending over him, the ninja begins to lift the scarred Russian fighter up, then stops saying, "Damn, he's heavy. Too dense for me to 'port with to the roof. Can you carry him?"
Crusader, you are at the window, opening it up for a quick escape. Outside the city sounds echo of cars, buses, sirens and people, all making their way. There are no sounds from the hallway, and the small hallway behind the bookcase is silent and empty, but there are at least four other guards that you haven't taken out, yet. You're not sure where the two heavily armed guards and the scarred man came from, either. They hadn't been seen before.<<<

You guys interested in continuing this on-line? I wouldn't mind, so let me know.

[RDU Neil]

Post 2:

From Storn/Crusader:

"Agreed. Lets get to the roof with all haste." and with that start
moving as fast as I can, bounding up stairs. If I have to, I will go through
a window, suspecting that Fury is tough enough to take it. Then use my jump
jets to get to the roof.
Once on the roof, I will scan neighboring roofs for snipers, air activity
etc. Then ask DragonMist; "If you T-Port, give me a heads up so I can
follow." and then "where to now?"

From Matt/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist: "Crusader, I've been in this bussiness long enough to know
that
we've blown this operation. The target knows we are here, and will be able
to puzzle together who we are once we leave. I say we scoot and look at
those photos you took or finish this job by cleaning out the trash."

------

From GM:

>>>You both make it to the roof quickly, with no one else in your way. You do see people poking their heads out of upper office or apartment doors, but they pull back as they see you flash past. Smells of alcohol and heavy cooking come from some of the rooms, and you wonder if illegals are being kept here, since it is an office building, not a residence. Downstairs shouts had begun to echo, as other guards made their way up, but you quickly out distance them.
Fifteen seconds later, you are two buildings over, hidden in shadows, swallowed by the city. There were no overt security attacks as you left, but a quick scan behind you shows at least three guards have made it to the roof, and are quickly checking it out, all heavily armed, w/flak jackets, and one with night vision goggles. They seem to have no idea where you've gone.
Slumped against a brick wall where you dumped him, the scarred man, who weighs a lot more than a man his size should, grunts and begins to stir.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 3

From Matt/Dragon Mist:

From the shadows,before the scarred man can regain conscousness, Dragon Mist
will say to Crusader: "You wouldn't happen to speak Russian would you,
comrade? I'll bet good money he's not going to speak any english at all."

Ducking under a search light, DM'll say:
"When he comes to, I'll find out if he speaks english. If he does then I'll
ask a few questions, but I don't do the torture scene. So if he gets frisky,
turn him out like a light. If he doesn't speak english, then we knock him
cold again and take him to your Russian pal.Yuri. Wasn't it? Remember, if he
even flinches, take him down."

With that, Dragon Mist will roll to face the scarred man with katana drawn,
and wait for him to wake.

From Storn/Crusader:

"No. I don't speak Russian.", I reply. "But you are correct in the
assumption that Yuri does."
"I wasn't taught interrogation techniques either. But I have
witnessed it a few times." I shudder thinking back to the ol' viper days.
"I'll try and fake it."

------

From GM:


>>> As Dragon Mist crouches in front of Fury, Crusader's sensors sweep the groggy form. The thermal readings a tell tale, to someone who knows what to look for. Larger cool spots on the head and chest, where it should be very warm, indicate subdermal armor. Heavy stuff, too. Flaring heat at the joints and flex areas. Striated pulses of heat that travel in a near linear fashion. It all points to a cybernetic organism. Sophisticated, no obvious external adapters. Combat chassis. Yep, the cut on his head, where your armored knee took him, reveals little blood, but something dark and metal under the flap of skin. Yuri pops on the radio, "Downloading the telemetry now. He is not anything I've seen before. No VIPER project I knew of created this man, I can tell you that from just a look."
At that point, Fury's head rolls to a stop, and his eye's snap open. He stares down the blade extended in front of him, the mystic green glow emanating from it, and coloring his pallor ghastly. The craggy scar over his left eye twitches, as he grins that same rictus smile you'd seen before. "Das ist ein schoenes Messer," he says. A chuckle comes across your radio's from Yuri. "That isn't Russian, my friends."<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 4

From S/Crusader:

Nope. Sounds german to me. And I have no clue to what he just said. I
look over to DragonMist and shrug, turn back to the cybered German. "Ok,
Panzerfaust, do you speak any English?" I ask.

From M/Dragon Mist:

"... And it cut through dermal armor too. Here's the deal. Don't move,
signal your allies, and answer in english. You just might get through this
in one piece."
Pausing for effect Dragon Mist changes his stance, one more open to
immediate attack.
" Now assuming you understand me; Why do you think we are here?"

------

From GM:

>>> Fury looks at you quizzically, and continues smiling. "Spreken zie deutsch! Ser gut. I am just saying that is a beautiful knife," he translates for Crusader, pauses, then, "You are this Dragon person, nein?" His accent is clearly German, and he seems truly at ease, not threatened in the least. "So vas are you going to do. Beating and cutting me more? Maybe kill me? Maybe you turn me over to police?" He grins wickedly again. "I promise not ask them to arrest you, ok?" He seems totally disinterested in the conversation. His arms rest on his knees, his back to the wall, feet flat. You both recognize it as a good defensive position. Not easy to attack from, but if you were to start beating on him, he could cover up and fend off. Nonchalantly, he raises his left arm and looks down at the cut. "A new scar. Heh. Not easy to come by, now." His attention seems to wander, and he stretches his neck with a very audible crack, and almost yawns.
Around the city continues on, undisturbed. No one seems to be coming after you.<<<

(Cool, Matt. Took me second to realize that you understood German. I had to ask Tedd for that one.)

[RDU Neil]

Post 5

From S/Crusader:

(storn note: I'm switching out of first person, for some reason its
clumsy) Crusader doesn't say a thing, just rotates side to side, very slowly
at the hips. He is scanning the vicinity constantly, looking for the law or
for pursuit. Viper agents don't' get to be good viper agents unless they are
paranoid. John (Crusader) was a good viper agent.
Just inside the helmet, just into the throat mike, so Fury cannot hear.
"Yuri? Can you make a match of this guy to any criminal record that we might
have access to? First place to try is the post office or FBI, but I think he
might be new to the country. So he might not flip up a flag. Then the next
best bet is Interpol and UNTIL."
Then I will raise Wild Heart (If I can, due to range); again speaking
only into interior mikes, "Wild Heart? This is Crusader. We've captured a
combat chassis cyborg at suspects house. It was not a clean capture with any
evidence, except he attacked DragonMist upon sight. What do we do with him?
I'm new at this, y'know. Sa-- the old crusader had such a cache with the
cops, he could make this work. These NYC cops might mistake me for a bad
guy.", Crusader says ruefully.

From M/Dragon Mist:

" Good little boy. Now, what is your concern w/ Bulgo? A man like that
doesn't hire muscle like you unless he expects some big guns; What's going
down?"

------

From GM:

>>> As Crusader does his radio work, Fury and Dragon Mist engage in a staring match. The cold, steel gray eyes of the cyborg let it be known that he has suffered far worse tortures than this mild questioning. He seems quite bored, actually, and he stares like a dead man. Both are unmoving, but where Dragon Mist is steel coiled, poise and silence, Fury is merely a carefully positioned corpse. Finally, he shrugs and says, "My name is Fury. Brian Fury. Yes, I was hired by Bolgo. This is New York. Strange things happen. You are evidence of this. I am security for him. That is all. What he is doing is his business. I do not care. I am not paid to care."
Looking over at Crusader, he says. "You. Armored man. I do not know you, but you hit very hard. Would you care to fight again, sometime?" He looks at Dragon Mist. "Or you? I admit I am outmatched against both of you at once, but I enjoyed the challenge." He begins to stand up, not suddenly, but with simple nonchalance. "Now, are you going to let me go? I have done nothing wrong. You attacked my men, and I merely acted, as they say, in self defense. Kill me or let me go." There is a flatness to his voice that makes you think he truly doesn't care whether you kill him, or not.
Crusader, you are listening to three different conversations at once. Yuri has confirmed that he is checking out Fury's id, but it will take time. Wild Heart comes on, and as you fill her in she says, "Well, I don't think the cops would just bust you, especially with Dragon Mist there. Masterson has the word out that you are around. Still, this Fury guy may be right. He hasn't broken any laws that I can figure, and do you two really want to try explaining to the police what you were doing there?" She pauses, "If I was there, I'd just let him know how close to the line he is, and make sure he understands that if he crosses it, you will break him. WE will break him. This is the Maverick's town, and he should remember that."<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 6

From S/Crusader:

<< Looking over at Crusader, he says. "You. Armored man. I do
not know you, but you hit very hard. Would you care to fight again,
sometime?" >>

"um... (like Crusader is a bit distracted)... not particulary.
But I'm Crusader."

She pauses, "If I was there, I'd just let him know how close to the line he is, and make surehe understands that if he crosses it, you will break him. WE will
break him. This is the Maverick's town, and he should remember that."<<

'Hmmm. Good point Wild. I will make sure he at least hears the point.
He seems pretty fatalistic." Crusader replies, then turns on his
helmet's speakers; "Listen up Fury. Your employer is NO where near the
level. You are guilty by association, pure and simple. Now, we are going to
let you go with a warning. Stay away from Bolgo. If you don't, you will be
caught again. And this time you WILL face prosecution."

Crusader looks to see if any of this is making an impact. "I understand that you don't fear pain or death. But Stronghold surgeons would love to take you apart and still keep you living. Catch my meaning?"


------

From GM:

Fury shrugs, and nods at Crusader's comments. "We always live with
the consequences of our choices... nicht wahr?" Then he looks a Dragon Mist again, "You will be letting me go, as well, then? Or shall we... how do
you say... duke it out?"

Your move, D.M<<<.

------

From M/Dragon Mist:

" Did you hear Crusader? The ball's in your court now, so think carefully
about what you want to say. Brian."

------

From GM:

>>>Fury just shrugs, and raises his hands, saying, "I'm not trying to start anything. If you let me go, I'm going. Perhaps we will meet again," he says, and smiles ruefully. "That would be... interesting." he finishes, then takes a couple of steps away from you, and with a mighty spring. Leaps across the street to the opposite building. He disappears into the shadows, a second later.
The two of you are standing in the darkness as the city thrums around you. A cold wind blows. Smells like snow.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 7

From S/Crusader:

"Well, that was frustrating." Crusader says to Dragonmist.

(Neil, I'm not sure if you want to keep this going... if you do, how do you
want to proceed? Do want DM & Cru to come up with the next plan? Matt, I
suggest we stick around Brugo's building, hiding, and see what shakes out of
the tree.)

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist says: "Let's go back to the base and take a look at those
pictures you took, Crusader. I never was good at this hostage thing." And
then into his communicator: "I don't want to hear it Wildheart. . ."

Ever so quietly, Dragon Mist disappears into the cold night, grumbling
under his breath.

------

That ended the current issue... so I began the next with the following...

From GM:

>>>The time is February, 1999.
Dragon Mist and Crusader move quickly through the night. After days of patrolling together, it has become second nature to spring, leap, arc, roll, cover, and again, each of you moving to watch the other's back as you quickly cross the city. Pursuit would be nearly impossible, especially after Dragon Mist teleports both of you into dark alley ways that allow virtually fool proof double backs. By the time you reach the docks on the Hudson River, you are alone. The wind is much colder here, as you step down to the empty dock conveniently shadowed by shattered lights and the old walls of a burnt out warehouse.
Anchored there is a small, nondescript, matte black power boat with a muted engine and black canvas tarpaulin cover. Two or three of these are anchored at various points along the Manhattan shoreline, for quick access across the river to the HQ. Within moments, you are skating across the oily waters, hunched against the spray. Barges move slowly around you, and three tugs head north toward the larger docks. South of you, the lights of a ferry casts scattered images on the water, and you can spot late night commuters in the upstairs compartment sheltered from the cold on their way to wherever.
The New Jersey shore comes up quickly, and Dragon Mist deftly steers the small boat into what looks like an impassable mass of pylons, an unused shipping crane platform, and old sea walls that mask the water entrance to the Mavericks HQ. The boat is slowed at the last moment, heading toward a dark concrete wall, then drifts through a thick curtain of dead black canvas strips that covers the dock entrance. For a moment everything is truly black, and then you are home.
The Maverick's warehouse has changed a lot since it was first occupied. The original partitions and cots crammed in a corner, dirty concrete floors and cracked walls are gone. Fully half the building is set off by a sturdy, new interior wall, with arched doorways that lead into small, but comfortable living quarters, complete with full facilities and even a hot tub. The cheap folding tables covered in cobbled together computer equipment has been replaced by a state of the art, glass partitioned, sound proof, environmentally controlled data center, with multiple file servers and PC tasker units. An unwalled corner, opposite the computer room, is covered in heavily scored and scuffed Kevlar reinforced padding on the walls, floor and ceiling. Martial Arts practice weapons are racked nearby, and a full weight set sits opposite that. Warm lights fill the place, and baffles hanging from the ceiling effectively eliminate the hollow sounds and echoes normal in such a large, open area. Past all of this, in an area set aside for a garage, sits a large, somewhat dingy Winnebago. It is wide open, with the facing exterior wall actually folded outward, revealing the inner living space, and a compact technical workshop that looks very complete. Parked beside this is a low slung, crotch rocket, Honda racing bike with a custom paint job. The remnants of Christmas decorations are still scattered about.
As your boat coasts up to bump against the low dock, you step out into the warm interior, and quickly tie off the lines. The air is filled with the spicy aroma of fresh chili and hot cider. Inside the tech booth, Wildheart looks up and waves, her attention obviously on a conversation over her headset. A heavy set, dark bearded man in a flannel shirt pokes his head out of the back of the Winnebago, and calls across the large room. "Hello John! Mr. Dragon Mist. Good to see you back. I will be out in a moment. Young Mr. Darkeye is needing for me to finish tuning the fuel injector on his motor scooter. Ms. Wildheart has the information I downloaded from your raid!" He shuffles around a bit, then "Oh, and have some chili! Texas style, it is called. Very good! Warm you up on a cold night. The rest of the team should be coming soon."<<<

Storn, can you please forward this to Ilan, as I don't have his e-mail address at work. I thought I did but, not here, only at home. See if he wants to join in, and this could be the start of an online Mavericks adventure.

[RDU Neil]

I sent the following to a player to get him caught up on the game, so he could reintroduce his team member.


Quick summary. The Mavericks have become very established. The team now consists of Wildheart (female brick, my character) as leader, Dragon Mist (teleporting ninja w/nasty magic sword, Matt's character), Crusader II (Storn's character, young guy taking over the mantle of Crusader in New York), Arcsilver (you), MIRV Alpha (armored NPC character), and Darkeye (energy blasting NPC character). Kid Fantastic slipped into a coma a year ago, after some world wide psychic cataclysm, and has never come out, so he is inactive. The team has a very close working relationship with NYPD, and are quite the New York favorites in general. Their activities have centered mostly around crime fighting, rather than supervillaing bashing, though paranormal types are around, there simply haven't been any huge threats since Genocide was taken down over a year ago. The city has continued to thrive despite all the weird developments elsewhere on the globe. Being New York, the general feeling is, "Whateva. It ain't happenin' heah, it means squat!" Gotta love New Yorkers.
Any questions, please let me know. Please respond to the post below. Arcsilver is on his way to the HQ after patrolling his regular beat in the financial section of Manhattan. The only current case is something that Dragon Mist and Crusader are working on, dealing with a possibly massive drug shipment coming into the city. Other than that, it's pretty quiet... for now.


Ilan, player of Arcsilver, speedster/flier/electrical guy, replied:

Let me know
if some of my disads have changed. I had a nice kind of love interest
going with a black female DA (I think) but i don't know what her name was
(Storn?). I had been sending her anon. flowers, but i don't know if
anything has become of it...

Did you want me to describe my entrance into the base? Or were you going
to post it as you did w/Storn and Matt?

From S/Crusader:

"Hi Yuri, no chili for me, but cider sounds damn good." Crusader remarks
as he walks across the room, his cape folding up into a storage compartment
high on his shoulders with an eerie quickness. He snags a mug and pours some
warm cider.
"Hey, Wild. Anything interesting on Bulgo?", Crusader inquires at Wild
Heart's shoulder. "We certainly didn't come out of tonight's situation
looking golden or anything. But hopefully, something might get picked up by
my helmet cameras." Pops the helmet visor back, cups the cider in both hands
(even though, his gloved hands are perfectly warm) and sips.

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist storms into the headquarters with no hint of the stealth and
subtlety of his namesake. "I can't believe what a botch that was, I mean me
torturing someone? Cmon, I should have known. At least we got something w/
that camera of yours Crusader; didn't we?"

Thats pretty much it for now, again, sorry for the silence and welcome
aboard Ilan.

Attached is an old bmp of Dragon Mist... Storn put him in a supplement he did art for. It was always fun to see RDU characters appearing in 4th Ed materials when Storn got to do the art! :)

[RDU Neil]

Post 8

From GM:

>Ilan,
Go ahead and post Arcsilver's entrance into the base, but remember
it is a SECRET base, so describe how he gets in without being a huge
electric flare saying, "Maverick's HQ! Right here!"

Oh, and the relationship with the ADA should be REAL interesting.
Thanks for reminding me.

------

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver lands in a small park in industrial New Jersey, late at night.
After waiting impatiently tejn minutes or so, he quickly finds the
cloths that he has hidden under a rock, and puts them on, lowering the
hood of the electric blue speed skating outfit that serves as his
costume. Removing the large, tinted goggles, he walks non-chalantly out
of the park, glancing over his shoulder now and again to make sure that
no one has seen his departure. After a ten minute walk, Nick Streep
quietly ducks into the shadows, of the large building that serves as the
base for the Mavericks.

He enters with a grin, saying "hey everyone - all's quiet out there on
my watch." Then, turning to address the two who have just returned
"Hey! Kung Fu! What about you guys?"

Nick helps himself to some chile (assuming that the same offer is made),
and sits, eating a fidgeting on the arm of a chair, listenning to
whatever the two men have to say about their night. He is a fidgety man,
and is constantly in motion. Often when he is eating like this he will
almost stand, settle, and then almost stand again.


-Ilan

PS. I hope that this works for a first post. It sounds like Storn and
Matt are in the middle of something, and I am just assuming that
Arcsilver doesn't know what it is. Also, I am just guessing that my
entrance to the base would work without calling attention to myself. I
assume that the place isn't in a heavily populated area, or that there
aren't groups of people who would see his entrance.

------

From GM:

Yes, the HQ is in an industrial warehouse area, a run down section of it, lost among hundreds of other such buildings, many much bigger. There are always trucks and shipping containers in the area, but pedestrians are minimal, especially at night. Easy to get around in secret, as long as you aren't sending up a flare.

>>>As you begin to warm yourselves, Wildheart steps out of the soundproofed tactical booth, pulling off her headset, and moving to a center table that acts as your meeting place. In her hands are sheaf of print outs. Looking over her shoulder, Crusader, you see that they are reproductions of the financial books you copied at Bulgo's. She then spreads them out across the table, so that anyone can see them. "Take a look, and see if you can tell me anything, guys." She pivots then, her polished combat boots squeaking on the smooth floor, and heads to the kitchen. "I'm hungry, myself, and I can't make heads or tales of those books. Darkeye's the only one with any finance experience, so I telefaxed them to his car. He's patrolling Midtown right now." She stops to scoop some chili, and then says, "MIRV should be conferencing in from his patrol over Queens, so why don't you two fill us in, first hand, where we stand. What are you grumbling about, anyway, DM?"
Yuri comes over from the Winnebago, cleaning his hands with dry soap, and wiping them on a towel. "I will take over the comm, yes?" he looks at Wildheart. "John, I am trying to get the file on this Bryan Fury from Interpol, but they are being stubborn. Very classified, it seems." Then he enters the tactical booth and shuts the door, putting on the headset, and carefully adjusting his large stomach as he sits down. He gives you all an enthusiastic thumbs up, and then starts typing away at the computer.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 9

From S/Crusader:

Crusader takes a look at the books, trying to remember what accounting is
supposed to exhume. (The big C has a whopping Bureaucratic of 8-!!! whee!
<g>). Is there any thing bizarre? A strange expense? Perhaps monies going
to a shipping company? What would a real estate & banking baron need to pay
out to shipping co? If we could get the company that might be involved in
the smuggling, it would narrow down a tremendous number of ships and
warehouses.

Crusader/John looks up from the invoice/account books and regards
DragonMist, "DM, I don't think that the mission was a total bust. It might
make them scared, they might hire more muscle like Fury, making them easier
to track. Paranormals, as much as they try to hide their identities, do
stand out more than normal folk.", another sip of cider, "and they simply
might make a stupid mistake."
Acknowledging Arcsilver's entrance; "Hey, Arc, we just had some fun in
Brooklyn, trying to hunt down this enormous drug shipment. Your night sounds
a lot more restful than ours."

After DragonMist says his piece; John will say; "I think we should get
back to Brooklyn and see what our stirring of the hornet's nest has done. Or
get MIRV to swing buy the area, staying way up in the sky and using his
spyeyes to see what is up." Looks to Wild Heart to see what call she would
like to make.

--storn
"this is fun to get back into this stuff."

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist pulls the half mask away from his face and with a resigned sigh
he says, "Never mind Wild Heart. I guess I'm worrying too much." "At least
Nick didn't have any problems." With that Dragon Mist stretches neck to one
side and sits down to look at the copied books, knowing full well that he
doesn't understand any of it.

------

From GM:

>>>All of you pour over the printouts, some faster than others. Arcsilver flips through them in three seconds while hopping from foot to foot, then puts them back with a look in his eye that says, "BORING!" But Harvey might know something about this.
About the only thing that Crusader can pull out of this is that a great deal of money is exchanging hands. Hundreds of debits and credits in the tens of thousands of dollars. Many notations are in Russian, with Yuri's obvious hand scribbled translations, but they are simply names, which Yuri also notes are likely aliases. It's likely in some kind of code.
On the table, the speaker phone crackles, and MIRV's voice comes through, saying, "I've got the forms on my HUDs, and I'm not getting much more out of them than you all. It's dead quiet over here, so I can swing over Brooklyn, no problem." In the background, you can hear the muffled sound of his boot-jets, the pitch changing as he adjusts his vector. "I'm in the "blue suit" though, not my stealth gear. It'll be pretty obvious if I do a fly by. Not a problem though, so what's your call?"
Wildheart looks at you all, and says, "I've got no problem with making our presence felt in an obvious way. We patrol Brooklyn as much as anywhere else, so do it, MIRV." She raises her eyebrows, and takes a quick sip of cider. "Unless you guys think we should stay stealthy. You've been there. Your call on that one."<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 10

From S/Crusader:

> >
"Perhaps your contact would have some new info. But I'm going in armor. I've got a past that needs protecting," Crusader says to Arcsilver, very ruefully.
"Can you get us a meet in a place that isn't going to attract a lot of attention?" Crusader asks, "Perhaps underneath the Brooklyn bridge,
Manhattan side. It seems to be pretty quiet at night and we can keep you FBIguy in the shadows, so his job isn't on the line talking to us Mavericks."
"And Arc? What is his name again? Steppy? Is that your nickname or is
that his real name?

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver respondeth...


"Alright, then," Arcsilver replies cheerfully, pulling up the tight
spandex hood of his electric blue bodysuit. "We'll go dressed up."

"Good idea, let me get him on the horn."

"No, Seppy is his real name, alright, but that isn't my FBI guy.
Seppy Verdugo is a low-life who owes me, and sometimes has some good information for me. If there is a big drug shipment coming in, I think that he is our best bet, I just wanted Harvey (my FBI guy) to look over the finance stuff). Why don't we all meet with Seppy tonight, and I will bring up the finances with Harvey tomorrow over lunch. We were supposed to meet and catch up this week anyway."

Arcsilver picks up a secure line (I assume that we have aline that cannot be easily traced?), and dials a few numbers, asking for Seppy each time. If he finally succeeds, he will be heard saying the following...
"Hey Seppy, Its me. Yeah, you know who. Listen, I need a meeting
with you to go over some stuff. Thats right, tonight. Meet me underneath
the Brooklyn Bridge, on the Manhattan side. Alright, see you then."
Looking up at the two men, "Alright, superfriends, lets get a move on."

-Ilan/Arcsilver

PS. Neil and Matt - let me know if I am jumping too far ahead, either
for responses, or for reactions from NPCs. Don't mean to jump the gun,
just excited to be playing Arcsilver again.

From M/Dragon Mist:

I got lost in that shuffle there. I didn't post last night due to overtime
at the firm, but I think I missed a post from Neil somewhere. . . No big
deal though.

Dragon Mist dons his mask again and says, "Good idea Arcsilver, I need to
check my contacts too." With that he then gets on a connected line to
contact Lt. Masterson of New York's finest. (Neil do we need to do this as
an aside?)
After the phone call, he then joins the rest of the group.

Lame response I know, but I'm just trying to catch up to everyone.

-----

From GM:

>>>Within minutes, you are moving out. All three of you reboard the black speedboat, and take it back out onto the night river. Heavy snow flakes fall around you, and they glitter in the lights from Manhattan. The snow is thick and wet, the kind that will likely dissolve with the morning sun, but for now, it is layering a blanket of quiet on the metropolis. The sky is brightened by the reflected light, so much so that it is almost like dawn already. It lends a surreal glow to the city, which reminds Dragon Mist of his brief time in the spirit world. All of your senses are heightened, charged in the cold air, straining to pick out sounds through the silencing snow fall as you dock the boat, and cover it.
Then you are in the city, crossing the buildings, riding the air. Arcsilver blazes forth, a human lightning bolt, lancing between buildings with bright flashes and loud crackling. Riding silently behind this ostentatious display, flexi-cape catching the updrafts, comes Crusader. His dark form a flitting shadow seen only faintly in the afterglow of Arcsilver's passing. Alongside this, silent and unseen, is Dragon Mist. A feint green smoke appearing rooftop after rooftop is the only trail, as he grips his sword and walks the ghost ways that shift him through our world. Below, many late night pedestrians look up and even some of the most hardened New Yorkers smile. Their heroes are with them, moving across the sky. Beings of power in the greatest city on earth, on a magical, snowy night. A perfect moment that they will tell the story of, again and again.
Then you are through to the other side. The Brooklyn Bridge spans off into the night before you. Traffic is light, but slow in the snowfall, as the city keeps moving, truly never stopping, never sleeping. In sync, the three of you drop towards the East River. Joining the falling snow, then outpacing it quickly as you fall, the rush of wind in your ears. Faster than the eye can easily follow, you drop past the motorists to land in the shadows behind a concrete traffic wall. Your boots crunch down on snow encrusted gravel, and then there is stillness. A quick fifty yard jog along the river bank will reach the underside of the Brooklyn Bridge. No one is about. You are past any normal foot access to this area. The only signs of life are a small group of cardboard shanties up the bank in the opposite direction. New York defined in that moment. A simple drop from the glistening heights, to the dregs of the gutter. You move on.
Keeping it quiet, you run quickly toward the bridge, and fade into the darkness, Arcsilver keeping his powers low to run with you. Once under the bridge, you realize you are probably early. No one is about, but then Seppy doesn't move as fast as the three of you. Silence again, the only sound is the steady thrum of traffic on the tarmac overhead. Breath frosts through Dragon Mist's cowl, steam escapes from vents in Crusaders armor, tiny sparks dart between Arcsilver's hands, and snow falls in curtains to either side of you.<<<

Add anything you want, and then I'll continue. Matt, why don't you write the call to Masterson, as if on your cell phone, under the bridge.

[RDU Neil]

Post 11

From GM:

Note: Since we have four people in this, and to avoid confusion, here is my suggestion. I'm posting from work, so likely it will be a Monday through Friday game. I will send one e-mail each day, and expect to get one post back from each of you before I send the next installment. Always reply to everyone, 'cause I want everybody to have the full story. If you REALLY want to keep something private, send a separate post, but still send a full post to each person. I'll sum them up and include it all in the following segment. Make sense? Each of us reads three posts, and writes one, each day, Monday through Friday, if possible. (Even if you have nothing to add, just send a post saying so.)
Thanks.

Now, onward.

>>>Minutes pass. Dragon Mists murmurs into his cell connection, obviously talking to the Maverick's police liaison, Lt. John Masterson. (He's been promoted from Sgt.) He seems to be setting up a meeting. Over the headset, Masterson replies to you, Dragon Mist, "Not a problem. I've got some paperwork, and I can do it at the Waffle House (your usual meeting place) as easy as here. You coming alone, or with partners?" After you reply, he says, "Great. Gotta get going. Have a few calls to make before I can leave. Be careful out there," and he signs off.
Crusader stands quietly in the shadows, his cape folded behind him. A cold wind swirls occasionally, beneath the bridge, but he doesn't seem to notice... a stoic, distant, dark metal form.
Arcsilver, never one to accept the snail's pace at which the rest of the world seems to move, fails miserably at standing still and changes position at least once every fifteen seconds. First he leans, then he stands, then squats, then sits on a concrete block, then stands and leans again. Unselfconsciously shifting, fidgeting, and humming a tune that changes from song to song with every line, Arcsilver is a poster child for Rittilin, in a strange counterpoint to his silent, somber comrades.
After only ten or fifteen minutes, "...about friggin' TIME!" thinks Arcsilver, there is a scuff of cloth on concrete, then a crunch and grunt of someone dropping down from the overpass. Loose rocks tumble down, as a figure scrambles into view, awkward and heavy. He is wearing a black leather overcoat, belted sloppily around a heavy stomach. A leather golf cap sits askew his head. His face is a thick, mustached Italian face, with a dark shadow of two day old stubble. Thick black hair pushes out from the hat.
"Jesus H. Christ," the man mutters with a thick New York Italian accent. "Meet under the bridge, he says. Whatta crock. You're such a muthafucker, some times, y'know that Arcs? Can't we do dis at Paezano's fa once. Warm, quiet, good food..." he stumbles again, and catches himself, then lifts his foot to look at his shoe. "Aw SHIT! 'Ese are hundred dolla loafas. Ruint!" He steps forward, then shielding his eyes, and nearly runs right into Crusader before he sees him. "Fuck!" he yells, startled. He steps backwards and almost falls. "Gimme a fuckin' heart attack, why don'tcha? Shit!" He gasps and clutches his chest theatrically, and looks over at Arcsilver. "Geez o'Pete... wheeze... whaddya want... Arcs? Your friends scare me to fuckin' death, and I ain't gonna be much use." He straightens his hat and tries to look tough, but glances nervously in Crusader's direction. "So give already..."<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 12

From I/Arcsilver

Arcsilver smiles and speaks:
> "Alright, Seppy. Thanks for coming. Relax, now, your with the good
guys! Now, we've heard something about a large drug shipment coming in,
possibly by boat. I know you keep clean of that kind of thing, but i
know that some of your friends don't. Any news?"

-Ilan/Arcsilver

PS. Storn (when your back online) and Matt jump in here if you want
because I'm not entirely sure even what were looking for...

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist has decided to remain in the shadows for the time being, Ninja
love dramatic entrances. He will wait until he hears what Seppy has to
offer, then "cut in".

------

From GM:

>>>Seppy seems to have no idea that Dragon Mist is even there. He keeps flicking his eyes from Arcsilver to Crusader, and back. Then he puffs himself up and starts to talk, blustering a bit to gain confidence. "Ahh. The Big Shipment. You wanna know what everybuddy wants t'know... y'know? Ain't nothin' else onna street but bullshit about th' shipment to end all. Shit. Some guys keep saying they are gonna air drop it right into Time's Square wit' Black Helicopters. Too damn funny. Anything like that is gotta come by boat, like y'said. Easy to hide big quantities, and plenty of people on the take to cover it up." Seppy puts his thumbs in his belt and hoists is pants up, then tries to look thoughtful by smoothing his mustache and propping himself against the wall.
"The thing is, I been hearin' about this for over a month now, and that's just weird. Usually you hear about this stuff a day or two before it hits th' street. Whoeva is bringin' it in keeps it quiet, y'know. Bad for business to advertise too much. Stupid. Now, this situation is all wrong. I dunno what's up with that." He looks at you, Arcsilver, to see if you have anything to add, then continues. "But it gets even more strange, I gotta tell ya. Around the same time as this story hit the street, the regular supplies started dryin' up. We're talking smack here. Horse like this is in serious demand. Like blow in the eighties, but even bigger. There weren't no word that Five-O made a big bust. No word that there was no dry spell in the Golden Triangle, just a quickly increasin' lack of the shit on the street. It's got people real jumpy right now. The goin' price is triple the normal value. I think half the talk is just junkie wish fulfillment, y'know?"
Again, Seppy stops, looks down and seems to think hard while squeezing his lower lip between his fingers. He looks up then, sniffs hard and wipes his nose on his sleeve. "Y'know what? I just thought a sumpin' else. There ain't been no whacks goin' on. I mean, you remember a few years back when the Colombians first started gettin' nailed. Coke dried up, and all the dealers and shit went after each other like dogs, tryin' to corner the business. There ain't nothin' like this. Nobody seems to be panickin' except the junkies and the trendoid college pukes. I mean, Smilin' Sam ain't smiled once, that I heard."
Dragon Mist, you know what this means. Smilin' Sam is a reputed fixer in the China Town area. Never been busted, but supposedly sets up, or has a piece of many of the independent shady deals in the five boroughs. He is a dour old Chinese man, who allegedly only smiles when he gets to set up a hit on someone. Thought to be a real sadistic old guy, but can never be connected to any illegal activity.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 13

From M/Dragon Mist:

From behind Seppy, the shadows seem to unfold, shifting silently into a different formation. A whisper echoes underneath the bridge. "What do you
know of the russian mafia?"


Things seem to be adding up the way Dragon Mist had thought, about a month ago. This still doesn't explain the motive, though one could guess.

------

From GM:

>>>Dragon Mist's words hit Seppy like a bullet. He jerks, then freezes, his eyes getting wide as he very slowly turns his head, looking for the source. "H... h... h.. who the fuck... ?" he says, unable to see Dragon Mist clearly. There is a noticeable moment of silence as he stands there, mouth open, hemmed in by three extremely dangerous men. Then he drags the back of his hand across his mouth, summons his courage, and turns to face the shadowy presence of Dragon Mist. "You must be that ninja guy, huh? Christ!" He pauses again, mouth working but nothing coming out. Then, "Uh... the uh... Russkies, huh? Uh... I don' know much, but they're a fuckin' bunch of evil bastards. Stone cold psychos, y'know. Even those Vietnamese killer punks don't fuck with the Russians. You think they got somethin' t'do with this shipment?" He glances about for a reaction. "The slants and the Russkies don't usually mix, man. Hell, nobody wants to mix with the Russians. Like I said, they are..." he fades out, and looks thoughtful for a moment. "Wait a sec... wait a sec... nobody but Sam, that is. The fucker will work with anybuddy who's got the cash. I've known him to fix some deals for those muthas. Yeah, I'd say that Smilin' Sam is your man."<<<

[RDU Neil]

Crusader & Wildheart


Never had a picture of Arcsilver.

[RDU Neil]

Post 14

From M/Dragon Mist:

"Do you mean Smiling Sam? Interesting. Seppy, you've just done a very good thing. I would like to speak to my team mates now. Alone. Thank you."
After the dismissal, Dragon Mist turns to Arcsilver and says,"I think we
need to bring you up to speed on our investigation." He then smiles an
ironic smile under his mask,"Do you like waffles?"

Dragon Mist will then arrange a plain clothes meeting w/ Masterson, like
before, only more urgently. The voice mail plays: "Tonight at the usual
place. I'll have friends."

From I/Arcsilver:

Assuming that Seppy doesn't have anything more to say, Arcsilver will
thank him and give him a friendly pat on the back before turning to leave
with the other two. As they are walking to the other side of the bridge,
Arcsilver will speak thusly:

"Well, DM? You promised some more info before the waffles. What's
going on?"

-Ilan/Arcsilver


From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist responds to Arcsilver in hushed tones.
"We have tracked all this mess to Yakov Bulgo, a heavy weight for the
Russian Mafia. There seems to be a pact going on w/ the Russian and the
Vietnamese crime syndicates here in New York. Crusader and I scoped his
place out and found his financial book and a paranormal combat level cyborg.
He's loaded for bear but we aren't sure why. The rumor was that the mother
load of all drug shipments would be coming into town, soon. But that rumor
hit town a little over a month ago, and still no shipment. And everybody's
supplies have dried up w/ no blowback. No increased violence on the street,
no organized maneuvering.
My guess is that there is no shipment. It's a cover up for something else,
but I don't know what. Yet. If there is no shipment, then why is everyone
behaving themselves? I think that's where Smilin' Sam comes in.
They could also be shipping it in little shipments so that everyone looking
for the big mother load, didn't find the small stuff. But I don't think
that's likely. If that were the case, there wold be more action on the
street.
I have arranged a meeting w/ my contact, Lt. Masterson,(Plain clothes for
us, sorry.) to see if we can get some info on Smilin' Sam. I'm also going to
inform him about what we found at Bulgo's.

From S/Crusader:

Crusader nods sagely at DragonmIst's monoluge. Pops his
faceplate, and speaks as if he is very unsure of himself; "I think that someone extremely powerful is organizing the entire underworld of NYC under their one umbrella.
Across ethnic lines, across the entire width of the NY scene. My bet
is that it is someone who is a paranormal or has a lot of paranormal
support.
Especially Psis. But the lack of conflict among factions is telling
and puzzling at the same time."


From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver replies as the trio (presumably) make their way back to the
base to change for their meeting with masterson.

"So what it sounds like is that this Yakov guy and 'smiling Phil' or
whatever his name is are in it together, but we don't know what they're
up to. So, unless Masterson has some real info for us or my FBI guy can
somehow open some doors, what is our next step? Can we try to tail these
guys? I'm not the best at following people around, but you guys might be
better, no?
What what the state of yakov's place when you left it? I am sometimes
able to see the electromagnetic residues that people leave behind. The
trail is probably cold now, but it has been less than a day, maybe we
should make a stop their just to see if I can pick anything up.

------

From GM:

>>>The three of you are standing on the eastern most support tower on the Brooklyn Bridge. It took only seconds for you to make your way up here, after Seppy scrambled away. The snow swirls about as the city lays spread out before you. Sodium lights cast an orange haze along the bridge span below you. As you discuss your next plan of action, your radio's crackle, and MIRV Alpha's voice comes across. "..csilver or Dragon Mist. Come in. This is MIRV. Team 2... Crusader, Arcsilver or Dragon Mist, please respond."
After your hasty chorus of "Roger MIRV, this is Crusader," then, "Dragon Mist, here," and, "HOWDY DO, MIRV OLD BUDDY!" from Arcsilver, he continues. "What exactly did you do, over here, guys? I've just completed my third circuit of Brooklyn, and there is definitely something up. The whole area from New Little Saigon to the Russian sector is much more busy than usual. No violence or anything, but a lot of people on the street. Rooftops have a man, or two sometimes, bundled up against the cold, almost like they are standing guard. A couple of them show weapons under a thermal scan, but nothing illegal, and they aren't taking any action. They are definitely watching me, though. The police are here, too. Just patrolling, but I've seen four separate squad cars in a very small area." He pauses, and you hear his jets kick in with a basso thrum through the radio. "Sorry about that. Had to adjust my thrust. Wind is really kicking up at this altitude. Anyway, I'm thinking I should drop down and talk to the cops. See what's up. I don't want to mess your plans, though. Should I leave it alone, or check it out?"<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 15

From M/Dragon Mist:

"Crusader, You don't know how much I have been unwilling to admit that possiblity, but I agree that that scenario is most likely." Dragon Mist then
replies to Mirv Alpha, "Don't go in just yet Mirv, you WILL need back-up if
you stir up something. Give us a chance to get a meet in w/ Masterson, then
we will re-group from there. Let's get this over with."

-----

From GM:

>>>You move quickly across town, this time toward Soho. A swift and biting wind kicks up, a northern wind that seems to find a way to bite through even insulated personal armored suits, but it carries Crusader on his glider wings at a rapid pace. Almost enough to keep pace with Arcsilver, as he carries Dragon Mist below him. The living lightning bolt seems to be trying to dodge snowflakes as his zips along, with all his rapid turns and jolting stops.
Coming down on the lower buildings of Soho, you land on the top of an old high school, the thickening snow deadening the sound of your landing. Pointing down the block, Dragon Mist indicates the bright yellow neon of the local Waffle House, where he has arranged to meet Lt. Masterson. It is late enough that only a few people are on the streets here, as you scan the area, and all but a few of the store fronts are closed for the night.
With a simple raising of his sheathed blade, as if in salute, there is a quiet shimmer of green, flecks upon flakes, and Dragon Mist is no longer standing there. Instead, there stands a handsome, almost Nordic blonde man with serious dark eyes, dressed in a black winter coat, dark wool pants, and black leather gloves. "Going in quietly." he says, and heads for the ladder down the side. The mist from a vent seems to curly around him like something alive, as he naturally fades into the hazy shadows of the rooftop. Even in civvies, his movement is utterly silent and unobtrusive "Come if you want. I shouldn't be long, either way," and then he is over the edge, in one quick movement, sliding to the slushy alley way below.<<<

Since Storn is still incommunicado, I'll figure Crusader to stay outside, but Arcsilver could certainly join Dragon Mist on the way. Matt, I took a couple of liberties, based on what you talked about this weekend. By the way, Does DM have instant change? I could swear he does, but don't have the character available. If not, "HE DOES NOW!" heh!

[RDU Neil]

Post 16

From M/Dragon Mist:

He Dragon Mist does have instant change, so you don't have to worry.
When he reaches the 'house, Dragon Mist will go on in and sit at a
table/booth. He will then order tea, coffee's too potent, and wait for
Masterson to arrive.

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver, without instant change, is left out in the cold (literally
and figuratively). He will watch as DM leaves, and then rub his arms,
bouncing from foot to foot. After a minute, he will complain towards
Crusader "Man...I thought we were going to get waffles! (a few moments) I
hope he gets us something to go..."

-----

From GM:

Well, we've had some serious bumps and starts with trying to keep this adventure going, but now that Storn is back on-line, I'm going to try to continue as long as you guys respond.

>>>Dragon Mist steps into the garish interior of the diner, and shakes the snow off in the greasy warmth. The smell of deep fried everything is overwhelming, but kind of pleasant on such a cold night. There are only a few hearty souls hunched over the counter sipping coffee and chatting with Mikey, the main cook. He sees DM, and waves a spatula in his direction. Sliding into a booth, he picks up a worn copy of USA Today and Hero Weekly from a table. Then DM quickly settles into the familiar waiting frame of mind developed over years as a detective. Most of the job is simply waiting for something to happen, keeping comfortable, while preparing to act. As a waitress brings tea, DM finds comfort in the old habits, and begins thumbing through the papers. Various stories, but the big headlines deal with the recent UN vote to make Sanctuary, (formally Destruga Island Sanctuary) an autonomous nation state. Of course, there is much comment on the resulting nuclear assault on the island by the Russians that was repulsed by the Vanguard. Following that the main focus is on the U.S. protests developing against these developments. Congress is again at Clinton's throat, and both houses are pushing for revival of the long standing, but oft' defeated, Paranormal Registration Act. Scarily, the articles indicate that this time, there is a very good chance that it could be passed.
Outside, on the roof, in the snow, Arcsilver bops around trying to stay warm, and talks out loud to himself, listing all the different food he hopes that Dragon Mist will order for him. Silently, Crusader stands to the side, with his cape out, but folded around him, and silently lets snow pile on his shoulders. The flakes are coming down heavier, and quickly covering everything. It would be a rare peaceful moment, if it wasn't for Arcsilver's constant chatter.
After fifteen minutes, Dragon Mist feels something is wrong. Masterson has not arrived, yet, and while the weather may have slowed him down, he would have called. As with Wildheart, Masterson has developed a solid professional relationship with Dragon Mist over the past year. Something just doesn't feel right. Masterson would have called... if he could.
At that moment, on the roof, Arcsilver pauses and Crusader tilts his head to watch as a lone car turns up the street. Traffic is extremely light by this point, with only some delivery trucks and a cab or so in the last quarter hour. The long, black sedan that turns slowly up the street immediately seems sinister. As it begins to crunch to a stop in front of the Waffle House, you are on heightened alert.<<<

Note: Arcs and Crusader are more than a full move from the Waffle House and the car. About two full moves, actually, as there is no place close to the front of the building that would provide cover like you have at your current spot.

[RDU Neil]

Post 17 (Note as we move toward possible combat, that game terms spring up more... but at the same time, I know I wanted to really strive toward descriptive action as much as possible.)

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver, looking over the side of the building, will unconsciously
activate his flight, hovering just an inch off of the ground (his full
phase activation has taught him to do this when in doubt. If nothing
happens for another phase or so (I have a SPD of 8), I will let some
electrical energy charge the force field generators in my suit. If
something does happen, I will ignore the force field in favor of leaping
into action.

as he looks an does this he will segway directly from his previous
monologue: "...and I want a waffle, too, with- (seeing the car) Hello,
what's this guy up to? (then, into his radio) Hey Kung Fu, looks like a
car is casing the place, watch yourself."

When you say that the car is 2 or so moves away, how many inches are we
talking about? I think I move faster than Crusader, but I'm not sure. I
fly at 30", but have some ranged attacks that work at normal range mods.

By the way, are we using the optional rules for high velocity DCV? If
so, I can go 120"/round with a DCV of 11.

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist is always one to obey his instincts. Upon realization of
potential threat, Dragon Mist will get up, stretch, (peeking out the
window as he does) and head for the bathroom. If he is lucky, the
bathroom will be empty, providing him time to "change clothes". If he is
unlucky, he will have to wait until the can is unoccupied. Once in the
bathroom he will try to contact Crusader and Arcsilver. He will teleport
outside the building (I am assuming that the rest rooms are in back)
then stealth up towards the front.

From S/Crusader:

"Arc.", Crusader interrupts pointedly, "probable trouble." Casts a
finger out towards the black sedan. "Get ready. And keep a lookout for
DragonMist. With his powers, we have no idea where he can get to." <note:
Crusader is talking thru his radio, if DM gets his headset on in time, he
might catch the last refrain> Crusader will start to move towards the car
among the roof tops. He is not interested in speed, but stealth. He will
scan the car, switching thru the various devices (UV, IR, Telescopic x4,
Enhanced PER (all) +1 (total PER: 13-). He is not taping yet. It still
might be nothing. But Crusader seriously doubts that.

-----

From GM: (Note that this may have been the first time I tried running my initiative system on a PBEM game...)

>>> You all begin moving within seconds of each other. Inside the
restaurant, Dragon Mist slides out of the booth, and moves casually toward
the bathrooms. Over his shoulder, he sees the dark sedan pull up in front.
As he moves through towards the john, he watches for a second, to see if
anything is happening. There is no immediate action, so he slides inside.
It is empty. There are only four other people in the whole restaurant.
Outside, Crusader moves along the roofs. His strides are long, but even
and steady, his eyes staying on the car. Effortlessly, his foot hits the
edge of roof and pushes off. He leaps across the small alley where DM
descended, and lands on the opposite, lower roof without breaking stride.
Then he has to stop, to stay in the shadows. Anything further would put him
in front of a lighted billboard. He could go behind it, but he'd lose LOS
with the car. Inside his helmet readouts stream on his HUD, but the scan is
inconclusive. Heavy snowfall dissipates heat, and all he can read is the
warmth of the engine. Windows are tinted and fully raised. He can get the
license plate, if he wishes.
As Crusader drops to a crouch and scans. Arcsilver is powering up. He
raises off the ground, and sparks start to jump up his arms and torso. He
estimates the distance to the car, and figures it just outside of normal
range for a single move (Sorry, I forgot he moved at 30", it's only slightly
more than that to the car.)
Inside the bathroom, Dragon Mist shifts into costume. It's just a
small closet of a room, so either he must teleport out, or walk right by the
counter. As his radio comes alive, he hears Crusader's hushed tones,
"...rked with no movement. Recent model Lexus, tinted windows... Wait!
Doors opening..."
At that moment the doors do open. All four at the same time, and
three men and a woman step out of each of them. Winter weight field jackets, ski masks, and HK 53 submachine guns at ready, with underslung grenade launchers. The driver side is facing Crusader and diagonal to Arcsilver. The man and the woman on that side, are obviously covering the street and rooftops, though they don't seem to know exactly where you are. The other two, coming out directly toward the front of the Waffle House, are moving to an obvious firing position.

They all move in a precise, controlled, well-trained fashion.<<<

Initiative! Arcsilver has two actions, and Crusader and Dragon Mist one.
Order of combat is...
Arcsilver, Dragon Mist, Crusader, bad guys, then Arcsilvers second action.
Let's see how this works with three of us.

[RDU Neil]

Post 18

From I/Arcsilver:

This is getting exciting! Neil, I assume that the optional rules for
noncom. movement are not in effect, but let me know if I am wrong.

In his first action, Arcsilver will take a half move (15") straight
towards the group, and stop in mid air, striking a pose with hand
outstretched in "stop" position. he will try a Presence attack
(3d6+whatever), and say "lay down your weapons!"
The intention with this move (expecting of course that my measly Pre
will do nothing) is to draw their fire for this round, so I want to place
myself so that the weapons will be discharged into the air rather than at
buildings, etc. i will use my second phase to dodge if they shoot at me,
and if they do not, I will try to zap the woman (or whoever is looking at
me) with a 3d6 Flash. If I am hit, I have 14pd worth of FF going for me.

In my second phase, assuming that I am still around and that there are
still bad guys with guns, I am going to try to line as many up with a 30"
move by. I have 3 levels with turn mode, and I will be using my extra
HA, which I think gives me about 14 1/2 dice per target.

As a final note, I have an Enraged if i see cruel acts, so if any of
these people opens up the SMG into the window of the diner (hitting
innocents), then I will probably yell something like "YOU BASTARD" and
lay a full juice move through on that person alone.

From S/Crusader:

>> He can get the license plate, if he wishes. <<

He wishes it so. Start recording.

Crusader will whisper over his comm: "Arc, I'm going airborne, don't
come close to me. I don't want to be lit up. I'm attempting to get some
altitude and come down on the roof of the sedan. DragonMist, give location
if not compromised."
Arc will move before Crusader, so crusader will try to take an angle
slightly away from the sedan and arc and leap as high as he can (superleap)
into the night air. Cape snaps out, jumpjets assist, cybermuscles flex and
spring. Once gliding, he can always bank a bit. He is doing this as
steathily as possible. (Neil, I expect that I'm moving at 1/2 and it might
take me several phases to get into position. But I want to retain the
element of surprise).
While Crusader is up in the air, he will take the opportunity to scan the
horizon for any airbourne support ('cause that is the way Viper would have
done it). He keys his comm to Yuri and Mavericks HQ; "4 gunmen, automatic
weapons at Wafflehouse at blah, blah address. Highly trained. Arcsilver is
confronting. Do not need backup at this point. Crusader out."

--storn "cool."

-----

From GM: (Note, I'm making rulings off the top of my head, without book reference, so I'm sure I got somethings wrong from time to time, but that rarely seems to matter in PBEM.)

Note: Matt/Dragon Mist seems delayed in getting out of the bathroom, I'll just do the first round of action outside, since his character wouldn't have any effect right away.
Second, Ilan, as to non-com DCV rules, we can certainly use them, but your base 11 is higher, and the number of rounds and distance traveled to accelerate up to non-com would take you nearly a half a kilometer away before you were up to speed. I doubt it would come into play in an urban battle unless you were being attacked as you traveled across the city.
Third, new house rule on KAs is that there is no random stun multiplier. It is always X3 for the multiplier, which makes guns more reasonable. We've play tested this one for a while, and it really works. Helps heroes know exactly how bullet proof they are, and takes away the chance of a thug easily stunning a superhero based on a lucky multiplier roll.

>>>With a loud "ThzzzAACK!" Arcsilver blasts off the roof and across the street to stop as suddenly as he started, hovering in the snow blown air in a haze of electrical sparks. The two gunsels on the driver's side turn their weapons toward him as he Holds up a hand and shouts, "Lay down your weapons!"
Crusader uses this diversion to his benefit, and launches silently into the air, unseen by those below. With practiced ease, he uses the swirling wind and his silenced jump jets to maneuver himself over the vehicle, positioned for a fast downward strike.
The two agents heading toward the building, hesitate for only a brief second, then one yells at the other, "Clean it!" and points toward the interior of the restaurant. At the same time, he turns and brings his weapon up toward Arcsilver, yelling, "Fire on Target. Open fire." The other two comply instantly, and the air erupts with hot lead! As they begin blazing away at him, Arcsilver realizes that these soldiers were prepped to expect him, and weren't phased by his appearance.
They fire in vain, though. All three open up, and the two men seem to be really good, but Arcsilver rides the electromagnetic waves, and rolls and darts beneath the fulsilade. The rounds mostly fly off into the night, but some stitch holes across the upper floors of a brownstone five story office building, shattering a window.
Behind all of this fire, the fourth man, opens the door, and rolls inside the Waffle House.<<<

Next series of Actions, Dragon Mist resolves his first, then he actually goes again, immediately (two actions this round), then Arcsilver, then Crusader, (both of them also have two actions. Crimminey you guys are FAST!)
Let's wait for Matt to respond before continuing this too far.

[RDU Neil]

Post 19

From S/Crusader:


If Crusader makes his PER roll of the 4th man going into the Waffle
House, He will announce: "DM! One hostile in the restaurant! How many
civilians were in there!"?!?"
As soon as Crusader gets over the sedan and he thinks he can survive the
impact, he will fold his cape/jump jets and drop like a rock. "Arc! I'm
coming down! Don't fire towards the sedan!"
Wants to cave the roof in and make a lot of noise! Hopefully scaring
the shit out of our assailants. (2nd action) Slide across and handstand off
the reminants of the roof and double kick nearest goon (fast strike)

From M/Dragon Mist:


Dragon Mist replies to Crusader, "Yeah, I saw them. I'm heading out the back
right now, I'll flank the side opposite of your position. Mist out."
He then teleports outside of the restaurant, into the shadows, if he is lucky
and doesn't sense any immediate danger

Dragon Mist: Once outside, will use what ever shadows he can to reach the thug headed for the front door( 1/2 move?) he then (if close enough) will strike the thug's weapon, all 3 levels in offense.
<<<

From I/Arcsilver:

For his second action, arcsilver will pump all of his levels (3) into
his turn mode, and try to move-by one all three of the goons who are
firing at him. If he can't get three, then two will do, preferably the
two furthest from Crusader.

-----

From GM: (Note, here I began dividing my GM posts into parts for each PC. I wanted players to read all the posts, but to be as clear as possible what their character knew, saw, enountered.)

>>>Dragon Mist: Easily slipped out of the bathroom and snuck down the hall toward the back door emergency exit. He was just about to slip outside, when the shit hit the fan. The nape of his neck tingles, right before the cook, Mikey, yells, "Holy Shit! Them guys got serious guns!" Then the staccato sounds of automatic gunfire resound from the front of the building. As Dragon Mist turns back towards the panicked shouts of the patrons and the scream of the waitress, Crusader's call comes through. He quick ports outside, then again, toward the front of the building, appearing in the small walkway between buildings, not quite to the front door. In front of him, the small view of the street shows the electric glow of Arcsilver, the strobe of muzzle flashes, and there is suddenly a heavy "WHUMP!" and the sound of pulverized safety glass spraying over metal.

Crusader: Bombs away, and you drop. Legs tucked and ready to roll, your cape wraps about you and you plummet into the roof of the Lexus. There is a loud "Whump!" as you hit, and the roof crumples, but it doesn't collapse completely. Must be armored. Still, the front and rear window torque and the shatter/crumble as only safety glass can, as their frames are twisted out of shape. The male gunman behind the driver's side jerks, and ducks away, yelling in surprise. The woman simply jumps a bit and turns toward you, her eyes wide, but quickly narrowing with anger (made her Ego roll!). The seeming leader, other side of car, sidewalk in front of the shop, steps back with an audible, "Fuck me!" but is quickly trying to ready his weapon and bring it to bear on you. Then there is a bright flash of lighting, and a weird flicker of green as Dragon Mist appears, then vanishes again in the chaos.

Arcsilver: (You used your second action to dodge, last time. This is new round, first action.) As Crusader hits the car, his action sets up the two soldiers closest to you like bowling pins. The woman has some cover from the car door, but her back is now to you. Even better, the man beside her has moved out into the open street when he jumped in surprise. Go. Time seems to stand still when you move this fast. You dance between snowflakes, then, when you are right behind the woman, your left fist slams into her back, hard. Then you are already next to the second man, who is just straightening up to orient himself, and you ram your right arm into his stomach. You keep moving past, twisting up and over, lining yourself up to blast back along the sidewalk, before either of them has hit the ground.

Dragon Mist: Almost simultaneously with Arcsilver, you half 'port to the front sidewalk, just behind the lead gunman. His back is to you, and he clearly has no idea you are there. His eyes are on Crusader, who crouches, poised to strike, on the crumpled roof of a the black sedan. Your spine chills, of sudden, drawing your attention away from this, though, and back inside the diner. There, you see the gunman Crusader spoke of, leveling his weapon at the two patrons, the waitress & Mikey. Crusader clearly has this guy, so you waste no time and immediately half 'port again, your green mist lost in the blazing light of Arcsilver's attack. You appear directly behind the gunner inside. He is waving the patrons behind the counter. "Move it, or die, assholes! NOW!" he growls, but seems to be concentrating more on the rear of the place, glancing toward the bathrooms, looking for something.

Crusader: Arcsilver blazes past you, and both gunmen on your left go down. The woman's head is slammed into the car frame and she bounces backward, blood streaming from her face, to crumple in the snow. The man caves under a devastating body blow, and is lifted up, into the air about fifteen feet, before flipping over and falling in a heap to the ground with a satisfying thud. You've never worked with Arcsilver before, but this guy must be more serious than he acts, 'cause he clearly almost killed those two.
All this is racing through your head, as your body goes in a different direction, instinctively, your hands plant on the buckled roof, and both your legs shoot out as you vault the other way toward the leader. Your feet scissor, as you double kick him. One heel takes him in the clavicle, and the other steel toe cracks the rib cage. He's wearing body armor, but he still goes down. Collapsing backward against the building to fall at your feet as you land on the walk, conscious, but stunned. Over him, through the front window, you see Dragon Mist and the last man.

Dragon Mist: He whirls. Reflection, the surprised look of the people in front of him, a slight sound, something told him something was behind him. Going low and away from you, he fires a heavy burst. There are no suppressers on these weapons, and in the closed environment of the small restaurant, it is amazingly loud. You are also amazingly fast, and though the bullets rip closely, your legs spring you up, and just out of the way, and all that is hit is a dirty old Formica table, which splinters and flips over with a crash.
Your blade flashes as you land, stepping into almost a western style fencing stance. With a twist of your wrist, and a subtle lunge, you literally slash through top of the SMG, cutting through the breach and trigger mechanisms, and stopping your blade just short of taking off his hand at the wrist. For a brief moment, there is quiet as the man stares in abject shock at his destroyed weapon. The plink of metal shards hitting the vinyl floor at his feet as his gun begins to come apart only serves to further his surprise. Under his breath he mutters, "No fucking way..."<<<

Arcsilver, you still have a second action, but all the outside agents are down.
Next round initiative: Arcsilver 1st action, Dragon Mist, Crusader, bad guys, Arcsilver second action.

Man this is a lot of writing, trying to keep a clear picture. Sorry about switching from third person to second. It is just more natural to write in second, but let me know if you don't know which "you" I'm talking about.

[RDU Neil]

Post 20

From S/Crusader:

Crusader
Crusader will take a look around (PER roll) to see if more are coming,
than will bend over the guy he took down, disarm him and hold him close, wake him up if he has to and say very slowly, very quietly and very carefully;
"Where is Masterson?"
note: none of this make sense if my target attempts combat. In which
case, I'll backhand the bloke.

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will take a half-phase to make sure that all of the shooting
has passed, and that all visible agents are down, and (assuming that they
are) he will use his second half phase to fly straight to the part of the
building that was caught in the gun fire, looking in the windows and
trying urgently to see if the rooms are inhabited, and if any innocents
were hurt.
He will then get on the radio, and inform Wildheart of what happenned, requesting ambulance and a medical team for any innocents and the bad
guys.
Someone let me know if this is not the the team usually handles things, and I will retract anything that I would know as a result of being
familiar with our procedure.

From M/Dragon Mist:

Don't worry about switching perspective, I can follow it easily and I think that you are doing a great job w/ this online style.

Dragon Mist replies to the gunsel, "Way.", and with a malicious gleam in his
eyes he pulls the sword free and points it towards the gunsel's neck. "Give me
an excuse and I will cut you." he says with the utmost conviction in his voice.
H will then finish disarming the gunsel and take him outside, to be questioned.
Dragon Mist assumes that Crusader and Arcsilver have everything under control.
Should the gunsel resist, DM will respond by using a pommel strike (Fast strike)
to his temple.

-----

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: You twist and turn in the air, looking about for hostiles, but see none standing. Crusader is manhandling the last conscious attacker, who is clearly no threat now. Seeing nothing threatening, you zip over to the building that was sprayed with gunfire, and stick your head in a shattered window. It is an office, luckily, and deserted at this time of night. Some poor person has shattered glass and blowing snow all over their work area, but no one was hurt. You start to look around to see if any other bullets may have hit something, when the world explodes in a sledgehammer of agony!

Dragon Mist: With your blade at his throat, the soldier gently lays the pieces of his weapon on the ground and puts his hands behind his head. You lift him to his feet, and he doesn't resist. Behind you Mikey and the others stare over the counter, looking furtively at you. The waitress slowly begins to smile, saying, "Damn, honey! That was impressive!" She chews hard on her gum, and begins to straighten her hair, giving you the once over, as a sudden "KABLAM!" echoes from outside. The glass front to the diner rattles in it's frame, as you turn. It sounded sort of like a small sonic boom.

Crusader: Smoothly you kick away the HK, into the snow, pick the man up by his collar, as you glance around the street. Only movement is Arcsilver, blasting past you to scan the building across the street. No other assailants are visible. You pull the man close to your visor, and growl, "Where is Masterson?" while noticing, over his shoulder, that Dragon Mist is taking care of the last man, inside. Your captive rolls his head groggily, and groaning, slurs, "...'s taken care of. Took 'im out, a'ready... uhhh"
Then "GHHHHAAAA!!!" as Arcsilver cries out, followed almost immediately by a heavy, loud "KABLAM!" that echoes down the street from the north. You jerk your head back, and see Arcs spinning and flailing in a shower of sparks and fall to the street with a wet thud!

Arcsilver: Something just slammed into your side like a sledge hammer! The world is ripped away in a blaze of pain. You gray out for a second (Con stunned), then find yourself tumbling and falling in a haze, toward the snowy street below. The snowy ground rushes up in hurry. Crunch!
(Hit for 12 Body/ 48 Stun, which, does 30 Stun after defenses, and one Body 'cause of more than 20 St. taken in one shot. Second action automatically used to recover from being Con stunned, then you hit the ground. Forcefield is down, unfortunately, when you hit, but the damage is only 5 Body/18 Stun, meaning 1B/14S on impact.)<<<

New initiative: Arcsilver (has to recover) then Crusader (first actions), Dragon Mist, Badguys, Arcs then Crusader (second actions)

[RDU Neil]

Post 21

From I/Arcsilver:

"Holycow!" Mumbles Arcsilver, groggily shaking his head. At the first
opportunity, he will activate his force field and crawl as best as he can
behind the nearest car or truck, the bigger the better.

The thing is, I'm not sure what phase he gets to act in. He was Con
stunned, which makes him loose an action, but after taking 34 Stun he is
also at zero Stun, which makes him woozy (out). So, he has to recover
from being stunned, and then take a phase for one recovery, and then limp
his sorry ass behind cover!

From M/Dragon Mist: (Note, I really like how Matt gave options for his character based on what he might have seen or not... makes the online flow work much better.)

If Dragon Mist was able to see Arcsilver skid to a halt on the pavement:

He teleports with the thug (X2 Mass multiplier and X2 range{30"}) to
Arcsilver. He will say "Now's your chance to redeem yourself " to the thug and
push him away a little bit. The idea is to get a few other targets in the area
to create a little cover for Arcsilver, this may give him the chance to
recover.Dragon Mist will hold the next 1/2 of his move if he gets there in only
a 1/2 move. He will probably have to use a full move for this. If by some
bizarre chance Dragon Mist survives that phase, then he'll pick up Arcsilver and
'port to cover on his next phase. I haven't kept up with the distances but the
rest room, or roof where we started, may work.

If Dragon Mist wasn't able to see Arcsilver do a concrete face plant:

"Everybody down!" He will yell to the diner populace then "No not you, I need
you to draw fire." to the thug as he drags him outside. If he has LOS w/
Crusader he will say "Where's Arcsilver?" to him as he comes thru the door. If
not then into his intercom he says: everybody regroup back at the sedan.
Pronto." The whole time keeping the thug in front of him and an eye out for
trouble.

From S/Crusader:

wow. cool stuff. And I second Matt, I think I have a good idea of what is
going on.

Crusader
>>Then "GHHHHAAAA!!!" as Arcsilver cries out, followed almost immediately
by a heavy, loud "KABLAM!" that echoes down the street from the north. You
jerk your head back, and see Arcs spinning and flailing in a shower of
sparks and fall to the street with a wet thud! <<

"Damn!" Crusader mutters and ducks at the sound of the explosion. He
throws the thug he had (Hard!, want to do damage!) against a wall, the sedan,
something hard and convienient. Crusader is pissed by the implication that
Masterson is snuffed.
Now, did that explosion sound like a missile or mortar round? Rooftops
will be scanned, vehicle mounts on the ground. and a quick jerk of head and
sensors to assess Arc, as Crusader holds a 1/2 action to dodge or dive for
cover.
>>If he has LOS w/
Crusader he will say "Where's Arcsilver?"<<
"North end of the block. He was hit hard and is trying to crawl to cover
under that truck." points "I'm scanning and looking for whoever was
behind that ordinance!" Switch frequency; "MIRV, we might be under an
airbourne threat, missile or grenade load. Back-up would be appreciate it".
Back to DragonMist; "I'm going to try to get up to a roof. I think you
might be better for pulling Arc from under that truck." Crusader, not being
sure that Arc's comm survived the blast, triggers his helmet speakers and
yells: "ARC! UNDER A TRUCK IS NOT A GOOD PLACE TO HIDE DURING
BOMBARDMENT!!! TOO EASY A TARGET!!"
Assuming that there sniper is staying well hid, Crusader will move
towards a building in shadow and try to go up fire escapes, superleap to
window ledges or whatever to try to get to a shadowed roof top. This is will
be a full bore movement, hoping to draw fire, but sticking to shadows trying
to make it difficult. No looking around til up on the roof. I understand
this could take several phases... and of course the plan would change if an
enemy is actually spotted.

------

From GM:

Note: Arcsilver had a second action last round, which was blown recovering from being stunned. Then, at zero stun, he has to use his first action new round to recover up into the positive, then, if all goes well, his second action will be turn on force field, and crawl to safety. DM, you did not have a direct LOS on Arcsilver. Now... onward...

>>>Arcsilver: "Holy Cow!" you gasp, sucking air through lungs that feel like they've collapsed. The cold air pierces your head, as you clutch your side in pain, wincing at the massive welt growing there. Your left arm feels wrenched from the fall, and your face is bitter cold from the snow covering it. (Recovery.)

Crusader: Your arm thrusts out like a steel bar, half shove/half palm heel strike, sending the gunman slamming back into the wall with a crunch. He collapses face down on the sidewalk, as you are whirling, scanning the area, trying to figure out what exactly is happening. There is no contrail from a missile, and it was an impact concussion, not really an explosion. The shower of sparks was from Arcsilver, not an explosive. Clearly, though, whatever it was, came from the north, down the street passing your position, to hit Arcsilver. Looking that direction, you realize there are a multitude of possible firing positions.
Then Dragon Mist slams through the front door of the diner, pushing a very disoriented gunman in front of him. "Where's Arcsilver," he barks, looking about with deadly focus.

Dragon Mist: Yelling for the people to get down, you grab the gunman's collar and run him toward the door. Using him as a ram, you slam him into the push bar, shoving the door open. He grunts and stumbles as you make it to the street. Crusader is standing there, a thug at his feet, looking up the street. "Where's Arcsilver?" you yell.
The soldier spins at that moment, rotating in an upward knife hand to your wrist. Popping the hand holding him up and open, he stumbles free, only to look about in a growing panic, as he is right between both you & Crusader.

At nearly the same moment, the rear window of a snow covered, parked car less than ten feet away, implodes with a "Whump!" and then the front end, including practically the entire engine block of the compact Chevette, explodes outward in a hail of metal as the hood ruptures from enormous impact pressure. Snow sprays everywhere as a second, similar "KABLAM" echoes down the street. This time you (and Crusader as well) recognize that this is some kind of high powered rifle... VERY high powered, firing from the north, on high.

Arcsilver: "Zzzack!" your force field raises again, as you are vaguely aware that back across the street the front of the diner seems to be under fire. Your mind is thinking only, "Got to get cover!" as you drag yourself, to the gutter and roll between two parked cars. You are still groggy, feel weak, and realize you won't be able to keep your field up for long, like this. (After rec. you are at 7 Stun and 7 End, then spending 3 End for Force Field and half move drag/crawl.)

Crusader: You are standing in a perfect kill zone. Ignoring the agent, who seems to be the least of the problems, you flinch at the exploding car, and scuttle (half move) north toward shadow. All the while you are looking north, you point backward, yelling to Dragon Mist, ""Other end of the block. He was hit hard and is trying to crawl to cover" "I'm scanning and looking for whoever was behind that ordinance!" At that moment, you barely catch a red glimmer from WAY up the street, and though you didn't get a lock, you're pretty sure it's an infrared targeting laser. Switching frequency, "MIRV, we might be under an airborne threat. Back-up would be appreciated!!"<<<

New Round, actions: Crusader (first action), Arcsilver (only one action this time), Dragon Mist, bad guys, Crusader (second action) Storn, do you want to change any actions, or continue moving up the street to the roof and find the sniper?

Whee! This is fun!

[RDU Neil]

Post 22

From I/Arcsilver:

"Uhh...hold on, guys, I'm coming to help...just give me...minute..."
Arcsilver gasps, as he hides behind the car, gasping for breath. He will
try to crane his head around, looking up the block for a perception roll,
and take a recovery if he can (I forget if one can try to preceive while
resting...). If he can't, he will try the perception roll, and then take
a recovery on the following turn, and that will keep his force field up.
As he looks up the block, he will be concentrating on trying to see the
electro-magnetic signature of a large caliber round going off (if,
indeed, these have signatures). If not, he will be looking for any life
at all, for possible targets. Whatever he sees (if anything, he will
relate to the team by yelling, assuming that his radio went dead in the
fall.

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist teleports across the street, then fades into the shadows. He is
looking down the street for Arcsilver, at the same time he is trying to avoid
the sights of that big gun.

From S/Crusader:

Crusader/ Storn
>>You are standing in a perfect kill zone.<<
Then lets not have more of that. I will move east or west towards the
most shadow and cover and still try to make it up a building so I'm on a
roof. I do not want to move towards the sniper. I'm not dodging, I'm hoping
he needs to sight a scope, I'm just running and leaping as fast as I can,
trying to make the most distance that I can. (which for crusader is fairly
significant!)
While moving, I will snap into the comm: "Sniper at 12:30 (assuming 12
is north and I'm facing him,and he is slightly to the side), rooftop. Has
IR scope!"
I'm not sure if Crusader knows where DragonMist is, but he has patroled
with DM enough to know that DM can be almost anywhere. "DM, I'm going to the
roof at "x" (X being either 9 o'clock or 3 o'clock) . If you can see him and
reach him, t-port, but let me know if you move. Both of you, keep alert..
there might be more!"

Neil, I'm not sure how many actions this all consumes... so I will leave
it there.

Just for the record; Ilan, this: >>As he looks up the block, he will be
concentrating on trying to see the electro-magnetic signature of a large
caliber round going off (if,
indeed, these have signatures).<<<
is a really cool use attempt of a power! Kudos on imagination!

-----

From GM:

>>> Crusader: As you are on the left side of the street, facing north, you
juke right, as if to spring out across the street, then your legs shove you
left (9 o'clock) against the store front, behind a small, foot and a half
jutting wall that offers the closest cover. Immediately (second half move),
you leap upwards, grabbing a second floor window sill, and vaulting upwards.
The layered snow on brick makes it difficult to maintain a solid grip, but
you make the first lunge upward, jets firing in synchronization, yelling your
orders as you go.

Arcsilver: Craning your neck out from behind the car, you drop your
forcefield, and take a deep breath while looking up the street. Your chest
feels like a knife is shoved in your side, but your head starts to clear as
your vision shifts frequency. All the normal colors and shading go
photo-negative, and then a new spectrum asserts itself. You blink and frown,
then, trying to make sense of what you are seeing. The typical psychedelic
melange of colors you are used to is there, with a beautiful iridescent
curtain of blue, the snow, giving a sense of weight and density. What
puzzles you, though, is the bizarre orangish striping along the street.
You've never seen anything like it. It's almost like twenty small comets
have blazed down the street leaving a thick, slowly diffusing trail behind
them. It's not the bullet signatures. They haven't fired more than a couple
times, and you can see quickly fading heat trails of the first few bullets.
Their hyper sonic flight left micro vortices that look like tunnels through
the air and snow. You might be able to follow them, but again, it's the
strange striping that is prevalent. (You can recover and make a perception
roll, as long as you weren't stunned or unconscious, in my rules.)

Dragon Mist: You clench your sword pommel, and shift your body in the
smallest way, to the left. To others, you simply disappear, in a silent
swirl of iridescent green, but to you, there is clearly a sense of movement.
Things shift past you, or you past them. Twisting sibilant things that seem
to try to speak to you in some vague way... then you are across the street.
A concrete wall of a front stone stairwell covers you from possible fire, and
shades you from light. Only the most observant would have any idea where you are. A quick glance south shows you Arcsilver, wriggling in the snow behind a car. You can see where he hit, and crawled, and to your relief, there is no blood. Seems his force field held when he was hit.
Across the street, the last conscious thug finds himself alone on the
sidewalk, and immediately capitalizes on his situation by ducking and running
south, away from the diner, his footsteps crunching in the snow. He doesn't
look back, moving like man who knows what it's like to be under fire.
Back across the street, as Crusader jets and scrabbles up the side of the
building, the jutting cornice he is scaling, explodes in a vertical shower of
concrete and dust, just below him. Once again, the loud heavy sonic boom of
the rifle shot, follows a half a second behind the trans-sonic round.

Crusader: You gasp a curse as the wall detonates beneath you, and throw
yourself to the roof. With a spring off a ledge and an assist from your
jets, you pop up and roll over the cement border of the roof, coming to a
crouch. You have perfect cover here, as the next building north is two
stories higher, but your LOS on the rifle is also blocked. You do realize,
now, in your brief moment of breathing room, that a number of car alarms have begun to go off, triggered by the multiple concussions. At least one
building south of you seems to have had it's fire alarm set off. Voices of
residents, up and down the street, are starting to echo out with, "What the
hell is..." "Keep it fuggin' down out th..." and "I'ma callin' the polize,
ifa you don' stoppa with the noise!"<<<

New initiatives: Arcsilver, Dragon Mist, Crusader, Bad guys, Arcsilver,
Dragon Mist

[RDU Neil]

Post 23

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will remain where he is, taking more time to recover (I make
this my third recovery since being greased, minus 2 for my force field -
puts me at 19 End and 21 Stun?). I think that I was looking up the
street when the sniper fired again, did I get a bead on him with my
electromag vision? If so, he will do his best to call out his location,
either on the radio if it still works (if I have heard DM and Crusader
over it) or by painfully yelling. Either way, Arcsilver will also
say/call out

"I have a weird signature going on in the streets here! I can't make it
out, but it's covering the street with trails! Watch yourselves!"

-Ilan/Arcsilver

PS. Why did my Force Field shut down? I think that I had enough juice
to make it go (2 End per)? If it did have to go down, I will activate it
on Arc's next round.

From M/Dragon Mist:

If Arcsilver is within a 1/2 move of him, Dragon Mist will stealth over to Arcsilver, check his wounds. i.e. can he move or does he need to be immobilized?
Dragon Mist's next action will be to teleport, both of them, back to the safety
of the cover he found previously.
I realize that this is about 2 phases.

From S/Crusader:


<<<"I have a weird signature going on in the streets here! I can't make it
out, but it's covering the street with trails! Watch yourselves!">>>

Crusader
"What do you mean?", I ask with concern. "That sounds very strange!"

>>you pop up and roll over the cement border of the roof, coming to a crouch.
You have perfect cover here, as the next building north is two stories
higher, but your LOS on the rifle is also blocked. <<

On my action, I make a "snap-Perception" 1/2 action. All I'm really
concerned with is if there is another rooftop/building close enough to leap
to (don''t want to glide) towards the sniper.
After the snap Perception, I roll to the side, using the low wall as
cover and come back to a crouch lower than the wall and staying out of the
sniper's LOS.

"DM? Do you have IR or UV capability? Can you see these trails?" I ask,
half wondering if Arcsivler has taken too hard of a hit.

-----

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: Breathe in, breathe out. Breath in, breathe out. You are beginning to feel much better. Lying in the snow, the cold in sharpening your senses as you begin to slowly push yourself up, still scanning down the street. You did see the last bullet come in, and matching it's trajectory with the others, now faded from view, you have a good idea of the firing position. Problem is, it's at least a quarter mile away, most likely more. You could fly back along the trail, but tracking that would make you a perfect target. Thinking then, of the others, you shout out your warning, having lost your radio on the fall.
Then there is a barely audible displacement of air, and a deep red shimmer that blankets your tracking sense, and Dragon Mist is there, crouched, looking concerned.

Dragon Mist: Exhale. Still watching Arcsilver, who seems to be sitting up a little, through the fog of your breath. He must be alright, as you here him shout out a warning about "...weird signatures..." and "...trails..." covering the street.
Then shift. A simple step, more mental image than physical movement, and you are behind the car, dropping to a deep knee bend next to your friend. He is raising up, obviously favoring his left side, but whole and conscious if wet and snowy. He has lost his radio. He turns to you in surprise, and you are taken aback a little yourself. His eyes, normaly gray and filled with a child like humor, are a strange, sparkling web of lightning streaks that form almost a circuit layer of energy over the surface. Not something you've ever seen before, and you wonder if maybe he wasn't more injured than he first seemed.
Then Crusader's voice fills your ears.

Crusader: Quick now. You roll back toward the street, and extend your head just enough to take a mental snapshot of the northern area. Damn the snow, you think as you roll back. It absorbs and dissipates heat signatures, and obscures. Night vision makes the immediate area as clear as daylight, but doesn't seem to pick up any weird energy. One thing, though. About 400 yards away, there is a building on a cross street that is at least seven stories higher than the rest of this block. Plenty of ledges, and excellent sniper advantage positions. You can't see the shooter, but now you have a good idea of his general location.
The gun fires again, this time, a panel van on the right side of the street, just in front of DM and Arcsilver's position, explodes like a popped balloon, with a spray of twisted sheet metal and glass. The car you are hiding behind lurches, and both of you have to steady yourself as the round continues through the van to impact the street just in front, shaking the entire surface. This time, the report is easily ignored, as the concussive boom rattles over you.<<<

Arcs and DM have an action a piece, but likely modified, based on their interaction. Then, new round, Initiatives are...Arcsilver (first of two again), Dragon Mist and Crusader (one action each), Bad guys, Arcsilver again.
Note: Ilan, with this many actions, you have a lot of possibilities.

[RDU Neil]

Post 24

From M/Dragon Mist:

Realizing that Arcsilver is healthy enough to survive a teleport, even with those funky eyes, Dragon Mist will teleport Arcsilver to safety as soon as
possible. He will also whisper into his comm, "Crusader this is Dragon Mist. I
have Arcsilver and an getting him to safety. He says that the shooter is 1/4
mile north of our current position. Give me a chance to get Arcsilver
stabilized, and we can work on a diversion for this creep so that M.I.R.V. can
take him out."
From S/Crusader:

Actually, it is the exact opposite. IR and UV both work better during
snowfall. Heat shows up easier, flakes wouldn't even show up, snow creates
more low back ground light. But I understand for the sake of the story.

I will explode of the roof in a flurry of jumpjets and cybernetic muscle
towards the next rooftop in my goal of reaching the seven floor plus refuge
of the sniper. I understand that cover will be scarce due to the sniper's
height, if I can make the leap in a 1/2 move, then consider the other 1/2
dodging.

>>"Crusader this is Dragon Mist. I

have Arcsilver and an getting him to safety. He says that the shooter is 1/4

mile north of our current position. Give me a chance to get Arcsilver

stabilized, and we can work on a diversion for this creep so that M.I.R.V. can

take him out."<<

"Roger that" I confirm, "I have the shooter spoted. I am moving towards
him, but will be in the line of fire for some time. MIRV, where are you?"

From I/Arcsilver:


Well, if DM is driving, then Arcsilver will relax for his first action
phase, and take another recovery (I make this 26 End now, 29 Stun). He
will then hastily arise, and say to DM "thanks for the trip, buddy, I'm
alright now, though. I'm going to try to distract him, I don't think he
can hit me now that I know where he is. Can you and Crusader get close
if i distract him?"

If DM agrees to this plan, Arcsilver will take off and activate his
force field (1 full phase). He will fly upwards but mostly towards the
position of the gunman. he will travel 15" only, bobbing and weaving
(half move and dodge). He wants to be visible, and seeing as how he
glows, this shouldn't be hard. He will continue this until the sniper
fires again, and then Arc will let loose with his NND energy blast at the
location (as far as he can guess) of the sniper. I realize that there is
no chance of hitting, this is only meant to draw the sniper's fire and
distract him from whatever DM and Crusader are doing (or MIRV, I guess).
Arcsilver will continue then to fly1/2 move and dodge, slowly moving
towards his location, but leaving plenty of time for DM and Crusader to
get there. In this flight pattern, Arc will once again try to be above
the rooftops, so that wild shots don't hit buildings.

Ilan/Arcsilver
PS. Neil, I know that soliloquy takes no time usually, but we are making
plans, so i leave it up to you to figure out how much time all of this
takes, if indeed Storn and Matt want to go for it this way.

-----

From GM:

Also, as to Enhanced Senses in weird environments. My rulings for now... IR does not work at all, underwater, but UV would. In cold weather, IR will clearly pick up heat sources more significantly, but, and maybe I'm wrong, but I can't imagine that it "sees through" heavy snow, mists, fog. I'm just not sure on that one. Range is still a factor, and heavy snow, fog or rain will obscure anything but "n-ray" type vision. IR can NOT see a heat shape through a wall unless it is incredibly intense. To have that ability, would be "n-ray." Also, having a general idea ("Somewhere on a building) is not the same as spotting the target. Just like using binoculars, they only help when you know where to look. You need wide angle to spot where to look, then telescopic to focus in and get details. Now onward...

>>>Dragon Mist: Arcsilver seems to relax, breathing deeply, and lets you take the lead. You glance up to make sure your return spot is clear while radioing your intentions to Crusader. Then you grab Arcsilver's arm, receiving a small static shock while doing it, and 'port. The transition is smooth, and you are back behind the cover of the stairwell.

Arcsilver: Teleporting is not what you thought. When Dragon Mist takes your arm, for a split second, you find yourself "somewhere else." A rush, a lurch that makes you queasy, dark shadowy shapes around you, then, you are leaning up against a cold concrete wall, nearly fifteen meters from where you were. You blink and orient yourself, quickly feeling much better.
Then (first action, new round), shrugging yourself upright, you tell DM your plan, and activate your force field, starting to hover off the ground. Then you blast up into the air, with a loud crack, clearly evident to anyone who might be watching. Being obvious is something you pride yourself in.

Dragon Mist: Arcsilver didn't stick around to let you check him out. He seems to be back up and running... or flying in this case. As you watch his glowing form head away, you are left with a choice, follow his plan, or ...? (You still have an unused action, here.)

Crusader: You spring up the wall, tucking and rolling on the higher roof. Staying out of the dim pools of light cast from a slightly taller building across the street, you begin to dash northwards, watching the far skyscraper for a muzzle flash, or anything to indicate where the shooter might be positioned. Your calls to MIRV echo in your ears, and you are really beginning to wonder what happened to him, when Wildheart's voice cuts in (DM you hear this too)... "...s is Wildheart. Confirm reception. I'm monitoring your situation. Darkeye and I are way too far out to help, but were on our way. I've tried ordering MIRV to your position, but he is not responding. Please confirm reception. Dragon Mist? Crusader? Arcs, you ok?"

Arcsilver: (By the way, I didn't realize that your tracking sense cost END. Technically, you couldn't have been using that while you Recovered, either, but forget that. Going forward, though, I'll remember. Also, I'm assuming you aren't using it while flying, as that would put you at a 0 DCV. Not a good idea when playing decoy.) You continue to blast forward and up, heading toward the building in the north, stealing yourself for any incoming fire. For the moment, though, nothing happens, and as you swing up above the immediate buildings, you catch a brief glimpse, to your left, of the shadowy figure of Crusader dashing across a roof top. You realize that while both your partners move fast, it will take them some time to get to the northern building. Nearly a full minute, somewhat less, but clearly gives you a good while to play target.<<<

DM still has an action, then. Next round: Dragon Mist (first), Crusader (first), Arcsilver (only), bad guys, Dragon Mist (second), Crusader (second).
(I can simply take this and move it along if you are all going to try to head for the north tower/building. If so, let me know. Thanks.)

[RDU Neil]

Post 25

From M/Dragon Mist:

After taking a recovery, Dragon Mist will say to Arcsilver, "Are you sure you're up to storming the castle? Last I heard from you was ramblings about colors in the street."

Assuming Arcsilver gives a positive response, then he will reply with, "Alright,
let's get Crusader in on this. Crusader", he will say into his mic, "I have
Arcsilver and he's willing, and able, to lead a diversion. Follow his lead on
his mark." Dragon Mist will then look at Arcsilver and say "Ready when you are."

Dragon Mist has already gotten a sense of the position of the shooter, so he
will head north, when Arcsilver starts his diversion, in the shadows. His plan
is to intersperse the stealthy hide in shadows technique w/ that of teleporting.

BTW- Sorry for not giving you another action, I didn't see that Dragon Mist
didn't have another. I haven't had a chance to read the article yet.

From I/Arcsilver:

"you bet, baby, you can't keep me down!"

Last I heard from you was ramblings about
>colors in
>the street."

"Yeah, we'll talk about that later..." Arcsilver responds. "Right now,
let's get that ratbag!"

"Alright, let's get Crusader in on this. Crusader", he will say into his mic, "I
have Arcsilver and he's willing, and able, to lead a diversion. Follow his
lead on his mark." Dragon Mist will then look at Arcsilver and say "Ready when
you are."

Arcsilver takes a phase to activate his flight and FF, and the takes to
the air, moving upwards and towards the enemy position, 1/2 moveand
dodging as he goes. As he flies upward, he will yell a bit to let
Crusader know what he is doing, and to get the attention of the shooter.
Arcsilver thinks tha he is faster than this shooter, so he will both
dodge, and throw the occasional EB in h9isdirection to make sure and get
his attention (he will 12move and attack immediately after the shooter
fires, and then dodge again on his next action.

From S/Crusader:

Crusader/Storn
>>"...s is Wildheart. Confirm reception. I'm
monitoring your situation. Darkeye and I are way too far out to help, but
were on our way. I've tried ordering MIRV to your position, but he is not
responding. Please confirm reception. Dragon Mist? Crusader? Arcs, you
ok?"<<<
"Roger, Wild. This is Crusader *ooopph* (heavy breath, jumping over
rooftop airconditioning unit), Arc was hit but has responded verbally and
rejoined the fight. Sniper on tall roof, we have been taking fire. Heavy
caliber rifle. Moving to intercept (heehee). No word on MIRV. Crusader
out." I spit out as I dodge the various rooftop obstacles.
I will continue to move forward, not dodging, but moving in sweeping
arcs, trying to make the shooter reset his scope (hopefully). Take advantage
of cover when it presents itself. But continue to press on. If it is
helpful to the situation, go non-combat running and superleaping. Using
acrobatics to help DCV.
"Mist? I'm heading on towards the sniper's perch, but it is a far way
off..." and if I see Arcsilver leap into the sky, sparks blazing, wave at him
and yell; "all right, every grunt's friend... AIR SUPPORT!"

-----

From GM:

>>>All of you begin closing in, from various angles and by various methods. Arcsilver makes a stop-start electrical zigzag through the sky, always moving forward and up. His crackling form makes an obvious, if difficult target to draw a bead on.

Crusader: Your training with Dragon Mist begins to pay off. Leaping and running, you quickly find a strong, comfortable rhythm even though you are moving across difficult, uneven, and often precarious rooftop terrain. The building to the north becomes more and more visible, a slate gray, many windowed obelisk with only slightly tiered upper levels. At the decreasing range, your IR begins picking out hot spots along it ledges and surfaces. Many are clearly vents or poorly insulated window, but a few are amorphous and could be a positioned sniper. Nothing clearly shows a shooter, from this vantage point. You could scan with telescopic, but that is difficult while running. (Major minuses).

Dragon Mist: Once on a rooftop, your movement is as easy as walking. Sighting ahead of you, each step is a t-port. As if you were wearing the mythical Seven League Boots, you move from rooftop to rooftop, effortlessly stepping in and out of the shadows. Your only tension is from your mind, reaching out, trying to sense where the threat is coming from, but for the moment, there is no real awareness of danger.

For more than ten seconds, there is no firing, though each of you expect it any moment. In your radios (sans Arcsilver) you hear Wildheart's concerned voice, as she continues to try to raise MIRV. Then she switches to the police ban, trying to get a sit-rep of the Brooklyn situation. When the gun finally does erupt, it is almost a relief as the anticipation is gone, replaced only by action.

Crusader: You are just approaching the end of the row of buildings when the gun fires. Your IR picks up minute flashes, but only does so by tracking back the faintly shimmering IR targeting laser as it tries to zero in on Arcsilver. It must have one hell of a suppresser, but you have it's position nailed. Ninth floor, far right side, just off a small ledge.
Ahead of you is a major thoroughfare, which ends the street you have been following. A leap and glide will carry you across, but it is a long, difficult climb from that point, if you go up the front face.

Arcsilver: The gun comes alive, and this time, it isn't sniping. A sudden and continuous, "THOOM!... THOOM!... THOOM!..." shocks your senses, and hot death blasts around you. One round passes so closely that you feel the air pressure change of it's passage. Aware now, you zip so erratically from side to side, that the sniper clearly has no bead on you. You aren't hurt. Problem is, your still not sure where the gun is, exactly, as you see no distinctive flash. (Sorry, bad PER roll.) Below and to your left, though, you see Crusader come leaping up and he is pointing somewhere toward the building at the end of the street.

Dragon Mist: You step to the last building just as the gun begins to fire, your Danger Sense blazing. Though not precise, you instinctively know from where the threat is emanating. Looking up and through the heavy flakes, you catch a brief glimpse of an orange white flash, quickly followed by the booming report of the rifle. Below you, pedestrians are jumping and scrambling for cover, looking up and around for the source. Many seem to have come outside in the last few moments, trying to figure out what the previous concussions were. Seeing Arcsilver, quite a few point and shout, some even cheering. His electrical light makes the snow look like gold as it falls.<<<

Actions: Arcsilver (first, you are full stun minus 2 for body taken, and 17 END), Crusader (only), then Dragon Mist (only.) Arcs then has second move.

[RDU Neil]

Post 26

From I/Arcsilver:

As long as the shooter is firing at Arcsilver, and not trying to hit the
ground troops, Arcsilver is happy. Arcsilver's main objective now will
be to keep the fire away from any possible civilians, and approach at
roughly the same rate as Crusader and Dragonmist (or a little slower with
my Spd reduced). Now that I am sure i have his attention, I will not
fire any more EBs, saving my Endurance.

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist, having gotten as close to a bead as he ever will, will try
teleporting to the air in front of the gunman, (I know. This might hurt.) then
look past him to get a visual of the room (Instead of swiping at him.) and
finish by teleporting behind him.

At least that's what Dragon Mist want's to do, though I don't think that will
work due to the amount of actions that would take and the speed at which he
would hit the ground.

So Dragon Mist will teleport in front of the gun man and get a visual of the
room, then breakfall. That's probably too many actions too, but this guys got to be kept busy.

He can then teleport behind the guy without fear of teleporting blind; which,
if he's not a smear in the pavement, he will try next time.

From S/Crusader:

Crusader/ storn
>>Leaping and
running, you quickly find a strong, comfortable rhythm<<
Rhythm is the last thing I want <g>. When approaching an emplacement of
superior firepower, sniper or machine gun, quick, uneven bursts, unusual
changes in heading is how you stay alive. I suspect that the sniper is using
a .50 cal Barret sniper rifle, a rifle more than capable of punching thru my
armor and cybernetics with ease. Rhythm can be figured by the shooter. But
I understand the gist.

>> Ahead of you is a major thoroughfare, which ends the street you have
been following. A leap and glide will carry you across, but it is a long,
difficult climb from that point, if you go up the front face.<<<

Then I will make a leap for the corner (probably left hand side, away
from the shooter) on to the street. This puts me at street level, up close
to the building(like back pressed against). I turn on my outside speakers
and urge; "All of you get under cover, that sniper is gunning for Mavericks!
But I don't know for how long!" to the gawking pedestrians.
I will then start to superleap (to a ledge and then superleap again to
the next one... or better yet, the fire escape) and climb up the left face of
the building, where the sniper cannot possibly see me. As I do so; "'Mist!
I'm at street level of the sniper's building, he is on the Ninth floor, right
hand side of the building facing us. I"m moving to the roof to cut off
retreat!"

note; I've probably described more than one phase of action.

>>Dragon Mist, having gotten as close to a bead as he ever will, will try
teleporting to the air in front of the gunman, (I know. This might hurt.) then
look past him to get a visual of the room (Instead of swiping at him.) and
finish by teleporting behind him.<<

Matt, that's brilliant, don't know if it will work!?! But it is a really
neat idea!

-----

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: Doing the electric boogaloo version of "Nyah! Nyah! You can't hit me!" you dance on lightning, creating a dazzling spectacle in the sky, all the while moving up and somewhat closer to the shooting position. "THOOM! THOOM! THOOM!" the gun continues to fire a steady salvo at you, but doesn't even come close to hitting you. At the angle you maintain, the rounds are firing up and away from Manhattan. With their velocity and trajectory, they'll most likely land in Trenton.

Crusader: Low, fast and hard, you streak like a bullet yourself, crossing the street, and landing tight against the left/west side of the tower, opposite the firing point. A couple of pedestrians crouched nearby, start and jump and your appearance, with "Holy sh...!" and "Damn! Look at that! Whoooeeee!" As you shout for them to get under cover, they nod and begin ducking past you. One even tries to clap his hand on your shoulder, yelling, "Damn straight! Man! Kick his ass! Whoooee!" They stop to watch from about thirty feet away, under a store front awning. The few other people on the street also begin to heed your warning, ducking back into doorways, or moving away as fast as they can in the deepening snow. You then start giving your spotting directions over the radio.

Dragon Mist: With cool appraisal, you judge the distance to the rifle position, assess Crusaders directions, then port. Pushing just past your comfortable range, you instantly appear in front, but just to the right (you aren't that crazy) of the muzzle flashes. In the split second before you fall you see the meter long barrel of a military style tank-killer gun. The huge bore is surrounded by a trapezoidal flash suppresser, and it is braced, under a matte black drape, on an elaborate tripod that seems to have shock absorbers built into them. It is sitting on a meter wide access ledge that wraps around, externally, this ninth story of the building like a terrace. There is clearly space to the side and behind the emplacement to land. Last but not least, as you start to fall, you realize that there is nobody behind the gun. Then the world begins sliding past, and the ground rushes up.

Arcsilver: As you dance closer to the gun, laughing at the bullets passing you by, you suddenly see Dragon Mist appear in mid air, in a puff of green. He seems to be concentrating on the gun, which you can now see only as a barrel jutting out from blackness. Then he starts to fall, without seeming alarm, toward the pavement below. (I'm leaving you with the choice to continue dodging, or dive after DM. You might get hit, but by heading down to catch him, you will quickly move out of the rifle's firing arc. Your decision.)<<<

Actions: Arcsilver's second, then new round, with Crusader (first), Arcsilver (only one), Dragon Mist (only), then Crusader's second move.

[RDU Neil]

Post 27

From I/Arcsilver:

Not knowing DM's plan, and having done the job of momentarily drawing fire, Arcsilver will pour on the speed, and try to catch DM before he
disappears (all levels on Turn Mode). Arcsilver will be prepared,
however, to pull up if DM disappears, an attempt a move-by on the barrel
of the gun. After that, I think it will e time for a rest...

From M/Dragon Mist:

**The electric boogaloo? Man I thought I had successfully gotten that thing out of my head after what, 16 years?**

Dragon Mist will attempt to break fall, (ouchie!) hoping that the roll might
absorb some of the impact. He will then teleport to the ledge beside the gun.

From S/Crusader:

Crusader/Storn
I will just repeat what I said from my previous post: I will then start
to superleap (to a ledge and then superleap again to the next one... or
better yet, the fire escape) and climb up the left face of the building,
where the sniper cannot possibly see me.
I'm hoping to cut off the retreat of the sniper, having no idea that it
is automated. But then again, maybe a transciever, or a remote controller
might be spotted from up there... so I feel even with no info, my plan isn't
necessarily a bad one.

-----

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: You dive. A loud "crack" and you cut down then to the side, arms extended to scoop as you rocket toward Dragon Mist, and the stone wall of the building. "Whoof!" and you have him, your arms around his torso, and your legs whipping around as you rechannel the electro-magnetic waves you ride, fighting your momentum, and swinging out, just enough. "ZZZZAAAAAMMM!!!" you turn and instead of plowing into the building, you are skating along it's surface, parallel to the ground, less than a foot away from the wall. Windows flicker past, and you are reminded of just how fast you can go, when you want to.

Crusader: Leap, grab, jet, twist, you scamper of the side of the building. Cold, sheer granite face is not easy to climb, even with your enhanced abilities. You wonder if Dmitri might be able to modify your suit to give you better grasping ability. Climbing claws? Retractable suction cups? It's strange the things that run through your head at times like th...
"What was that?" Just as you are about to continue upwards, you turn. Something caught your attention, behind you.

Arcsilver: "Going up!" you say, and turn again. With Dragon Mist in your arms, you head straight up, back toward the gun, which you suddenly realized has gone silent in the last couple of seconds. Unfortunately, you won't be able to reach the ninth floor level right away (movement is halved when heading up, against gravity). You make some pithy remark as you strain upwards, but then Dragon Mist turns, and with a brief nod of thanks, vanishes from your arms.

Dragon Mist: When falling, you had just enough time to think "This is going to hurt" when there is a liquid flash of light, an impact in your ribs, and you are flashing past the surface of the building, going sideways in Arcsilver's arms. You are used to things moving quickly, but this guy is something else all together. Even before you can say anything, he is arcing upward again, carrying you both back toward the gun. Whether for lack of ammunition or targets, the weapon is silent. "All in all," you think, "a perfect situation to take advantage of." Then you nod to Arcsilver, and 'port.
You teleport just below and to the side of the gun emplacement (half move), and allow your momentum from Arcsilver's flight to carry you upwards another few meters, until you are just above the ninth floor ledge. As that momentum drains, you wait for the perfect moment, just before you fall, that weightless nanosecond when you hang motionless relative to your surroundings, then 'port again. With less impact than stepping off a stair, you land in the gathering snow, just behind the gun. It whirs on a quiet motor, jerking the barrel (now facing away from you) up and down as if in confusion. Most likely it had tried to track you as you came into view, only to lose it's target immediately. Now it sits, vulnerable and impotent, at your whim. Strangely, though, it looks like there is a small note attached to the complex control box beside the tri-pod.

Crusader: Behind you, on the roof of a small building a half a block down. A man stands there. In a faint pool of light, just enough for him to be visible, a powerful figure in a dark coat. You get the impression that he has stepped out into that light, just to see if you'd notice him. Your IR seems to be absorbed by his clothes. He doesn't stand out against the cool background. UV and telescopic only show you a dark figure, with, yes, that's a mask of some sort, but somehow the play of light around him keeps details hidden. Then, you swear, if only for a moment, he gives you a grin. Far away, the gun has fallen silent, and in that cold night a chill runs up your spine, that has nothing to do with the weather.<<<

Next actions: Crusader, still has 1/2 move left, then next round, Crusader (first), Dragon Mist (first), Arcsilver (only one!), Crusader (second), DM (second).

[Storn]

dang... makes me want to do an PBeM game again!

[OddHat]

Agreed, this is good stuff.

[Speedball]

As someone who joined the game some time later, it's great to see what came before, since I don't think I ever really got filled in on how the whole PBEM got started.

Now, Neil--you know that if you ever get an urge to start up again instead of just reliving past glory--I'm around and Speedball's just waiting for a chance.

[RDU Neil]

As someone who joined the game some time later, it's great to see what came before, since I don't think I ever really got filled in on how the whole PBEM got started.

Now, Neil--you know that if you ever get an urge to start up again instead of just reliving past glory--I'm around and Speedball's just waiting for a chance.

Posting what has already been written is so much easier than trying to run a new one. If I didn't have FtF game to manage... maybe I could... but I've found I can't do both. I do plan on posting the ENTIRE Mavericks saga... so Speedball will get his appearance.

[RDU Neil]

Post 28

From S/Crusader:

I will stare at the dark figure, let the snow fall softly past, I'm sure I'm backlit by moon, NYC apartment lights.. whatever. But this doesn't quite seem the time for combat. So being a target is not the concern it usually is.
"Arc, Mist, I think I've spotted the person behind all of this. He is 1/2 block at "xx" I'm going over to see if he wants to talk. Mist? I'm not sure if Arc's comm is working, if you see him, flag him down and send him as back-up.
And with that I will launch into the air, gliding, jumping to an area that is far enough away from the man, that he hopefully won''t feel spooked and take off. I'm not sure how big the rooftop he is on is, but I want to land at the edge. So if feces hits fan, I can do a backwards somersault off the roof and get out of range attacks.
If I land on the roof and no hostile action is initiated, I will trigger the outside helmet speakers, faceplate opaque, so my eyes cannot be seen; "What is this about?" I ask the dark, masked figure.

-----

(Apologizing... as I went through my archives, I realized I'm missing a post... between the last one and this. It was a wrap up post as I ended the "issue" and gave the heroes a shadowy glimpse of their new adversary... the Warlord. He taunted Crusader with "The game has begun!" speech.
I realized the post was made right around New Years, 2000... so I'm blaming the loss of the e-mail on Y2K! Anyway... continuing... note how real life/holidays were almost the death of this game...)

-----

From GM:

Note: If any of you spent your EXP, just let me know. Since I haven't heard from any of you in a couple weeks, I'll just start the story up again, and see if there is any response.

>>> A minute or two pass. Slowly the three of you adjust from the combat adrenaline high, and search the area. It quickly becomes apparent that whoever was here, is gone.

Dragon Mist: On the building access ledge, you find foot prints in the snow behind the gun you have disabled. They lead back to a cold, pressed steel maintenance hatch that is unlocked. A quick glance inside shows some tracked snow in a crawl space that looks like it leads to a janitors/maintenance closet. Whoever was here has left, but you notice one thing. The footsteps only lead away from the gun, in the snow. This means that the person had to be up here, waiting, for some time, since it began snowing just as you left the HQ. This gun had to have been installed much earlier, as well. It does not look easily portable.

Arcsilver: You've gotten your wind back, and breathing easier, skating on the air up and around the building. You see Dragon Mist and then, on the opposite side, a building away, Crusader. A small crowd is gathering below watching you, and a NYPD patrol car is pulling up. Without your radio though, you aren't sure what is going on elsewhere. There doesn't seem to be any visible threat. The snow still falls heavily about you, swirling more and more as the wind continues to kick up. It feels like a storm could be coming.

Crusader: The Warlord, or whoever he was, just seems to have disappeared. Your quick search does find footprints in the snow, where he stepped out into the light, but there is no evidence of his leaving. He seems to have been standing there, and then gone. The rest of the roof is empty, and scanning the surrounding areas with IR and UV doesn't show up any hostiles. Arcsilver buzzes over head and Dragon Mist tersely checks in and reports his findings . Flashing red & blues from the street below are reflected and refracted by the falling snow, looking like a cheap fireworks display.

(Any thing you all might want to do, please insert here...)

Crusader and Dragon Mist, your radio's crackle. Hissing static and punctuated with choppy blurts of sound, you make out the following... "...sss..m tr...cckk...hhhsss... ntrfe.... cckk... amn it!... hhccksss... s is MIR... at is ha... hsskcc..." Then Wildheart's voice cuts in. "Dragon Mist? Anyone? Are you picking that up? I'm getting a broken transmission on this channel? Who is broadcasting?"<<<

Hope ya'll had a good New Year's Eve.

[RDU Neil]

Post 29

From S/Crusader:

"Uh ... guys? I think we might have a real problem"; Crusader says
slowly over the comm, waving over to Arcsilver with a "come to me" motion.
When Arcsilver gets into hearing range; "I think the mastermind behind all
of this calls himself 'the Warlord'. He just disappeared and he's got the
ability to jam IR, UV and God knows what else."

>>Crusader and Dragon Mist, your radio's crackle. Hissing static and
punctuated with choppy blurts of sound, you make out the following...
"...sss..m tr...cckk...hhhsss... ntrfe.... cckk... amn it!... hhccksss... s
is MIR... at is ha... hsskcc..." Then Wildheart's voice cuts in.
"Dragon Mist? Anyone? Are you picking that up? I'm getting a broken
transmission on this channel? Who is broadcasting?"<<<<<

"Heart? This is Crusader." a bit breathlessly; "I indeed received
that transmission. I believe it is MIRV!!! Yuri? Are you monitoring? MIRV
might be in trouble! Can you triangulate from our position and yours to get
a fix on where the transmission is coming from?"

From M/Dragon Mist:

In an echo of radio transmission, Dragon Mist reply's to Wild Heart's
questions w/ much the same information as Crusader (Man, talk about stereo).
Dragon Mist teleports to the cluster of Mavericks on the street and says "I bet
that is indeed MIRV and I'll bet that we're gonna have to book to his last
quadrants too, or at least try to triangulate his position. This Warlord seems
to want the Mavericks out of his way."

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver, making sure that the danger is over, and that none of the
stray rounds hit any bystanders, will fly quickly to where Crusader
stands, and say: "Well, that could have turned out worse! <<cough>>
What's going on here?"

Then, hearing what Crusader and DM have to say, Arcsilver will wait for
word to come over the radio, for instructions on their next move. While
he waits, Arcsilver will casually attempt to scan the area with his
electromagnetic tracking sense, to see if he can pick up any residual.

-Ilan

PS. Will a headset from a cop or SWAT guy work w/ the mavericks radio?,
Also Neil, I'm sending another E-mail for meta issues.

-----

From GM:

>>>Two more patrol cars are pulling up below, and the officers on the scene are closing off the street and starting crowd control. Everyone looks up, shielding their eyes from the snow and point as Arcsilver and then Dragon Mist convene with Crusader.

Arcsilver leans in toward Crusader, as if trying to overhear his radio conversation, then turns around, his eyes beginning to glow with an electrical charge. Concentrating to try to properly tune his radio frequency, Crusader continues to try to sort out the multiple voices over the comm as Dragon Mist appears suddenly. The voices rise to a veritable babble, as police calls start to cross, in an attempt to contact the Mavericks as well. Throughout it, Dragon Mist and Crusader pick out...
"...s Darkeye. I'm heading across the bridge. ETA ten minutes... Yah, yah! This is Yuri. I'm scanning. Police are saying their own people are out of contact in Brooklyn..." Wild Heart cuts in with, "Convene in Soho, Darkeye. I'm heading to... huff... Brooklyn... huff... Shit! Snow is slippery... Hufff! I'm going by rooftop, and can't... huff... see any disturbance from... huff.... here." The sounds of her muffled landings as she leaps across the skyline accompany her transmission.

Mixed among all of this is the broken broadcast of what sounds like MIRV Alpha. No full sentences come across though, and he doesn't seem to reply to your calls. Then, suddenly, the screech of intense feedback screams across the airwaves.

Arcsilver: You concentrate, and the world shifts. The solid world seems to dissolve into blended color and hue. Looking toward the spot where the Warlord stood, you see nothing. Through the glitter of translucent snow, you blink and concentrate, and come to the conclusion that there is no residual pattern at all. Crusader was right, sort of. This guy doesn't jam IR and UV, he most likely suppresses any e-m output at all. There isn't the slightest e-m trace left that anyone was ever standing there, though you can pick up the Crusader's trail easily, where he had searched the roof. In fact...
...you glance at Crusader. His trail is a lot stronger than it should be, and... WHOA! Looking at Crusader right in front of you, he literally glows. His normal suited features are covered in a bright orange, splotchy glow. You glance quickly back down the street you flew over, and yes, those weird orange trails are still there. A little more faint, but still strong, and whatever they are, the same thing seems... almost spray painted... all over Crusader. Looking at yourself and Dragon Mist, you don't see the same thing. Then both DM and Crusader wince and grab their heads, as if attacked. Dragon Mist comes away with his radio in his hand, hissing a curse, and you catch the tinny screech of feedback from the small ear piece.

Dragon Mist & Crusader: Damn! That was loud. Crusader's audio buffer kick in, and keep his ears from bleeding, but the awful sound seems to rattle around his helmet. Then, as quickly as it came, it is gone, replaced by the voice of MIRV. "...an you hear me? Is the broadcast coming through? Please respond. This is MIRV Alpha on Maverick's broadcast channel, please respond... Man... if they burned my systems completely I'm going to be so pissed... Again... This is MIRV Alpha. Is anyone receiving this transmission?"<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 30

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist replies to the clamor over the radio, "MIRV! This is Dragon Mist
what's going on?" Off radio he motions to Crusader, then says, "Crusader, try
getting in touch with Wildheart. I'm in contact with MIRV. Good to see you're
alive, both of you by the way. . ."

From S/Crusader:

"I think the whole city is being jammed!"; Crusader replies tersely;
"Wild indicated that the police were having trouble too! Wild? Are you
there? Can you break through the interference? Yuri? Can you read me? Is
this interference localized here in the city? Or are we dealing with
something like sunspots, worldwide?"

>>"...an you hear me? Is the broadcast coming through?
Please respond. This is MIRV Alpha on Maverick's broadcast channel, please
respond... Man... if they burned my systems completely I'm going to be so
pissed... Again... This is MIRV Alpha. Is anyone receiving this
transmission?"<<

"Yes, this is Crusader, I'm with Arcsilver and Dragonmist. , we are
receiving you. Arc's comm was trashed in a fight, but both Mist and myself
have comms up. Do you have any idea what is going on? Over."

While waiting for a reply and because Crusader can talk and do something
else at the same time <g>, Crusader jerks his thumb towards the original
goons who attacked the diner; "I think someone should go tell the cops what
these dorks did. I'll handle that." Then sadly shakes his head, stoops his
shoulders and continues: "They should also know that one of their own is
missing.'
Crusader will then walk towards the incoming cop cars, pausing to pick up
the gunmen, whoever is still around from the initial assault.

From I/Arcsilver:

Sorry to have not responded earlier. I was waiting for Matt, as
Arcsilver doesn't know what is going on on the radio. He will stick
close to Crusader, hovering nearby as he speaks to the police, helping o
gather the bad guys, etc., and wait for word on what is happenning. He
will say to DM just as he is leaving the roof-top with Crusader: "Let me
know as soon as you get a location on MIRV, I'll go first and recon the
area...

------

From GM:

>>>The snowy street is a flurry of activity. Dragon Mist stands upon the edge of the low building, surveying, and trying to organize the radio chatter. Crusader and Arcsilver drop to the street below, where the police are cordoning off the area and holding back the crowd. The ranking Sergeant takes your brief sit-rep, and then barks out a few orders. "Posko and Davis! I want you with, uhm, Crusader here. He says there are armed guys at the Waffle House two blocks down. Klavitch, get inside the Fitch building here," he waves at the office tower where the gun was set up, "and get security to seal it off. Probably too late, but we gotta close down the crime scene!" He turns back to Arcsilver, "You say there is a big gun on a ledge up there?" A funny smile comes across his face. "Hey! Joseppi!" he yells. A young Italian cop turns from where he is stringing up the ubiquitous yellow "Do Not Cross" tape across the intersection. "Got an assignment for ya, rookie!" Back to Arcsilver he says, "This kid can't shut up about you super guys. It's funny. He's probably pissin' himself already, being this close to ya. Do me a favor here, and play along, would ya?" Then he turns back to Joseppi as he comes running up. He can't be more than 20, with a round baby face with a scraggly attempt at a mustache faintly showing. The Sergeant yells. "I need you to secure a special area, kid." He turns toward Arcsilver, saying, "The electric guy here is gonna fly you up to that building there." He reaches into the patrol car, then, and comes out with a battered camera case. "You go up there and secure the scene. Take pictures, and make sure nobody touches anything until the lab guys can get here." Joseppi turns toward Arcsilver with a fevered look in his eye, half fear, half awe, and stammers, "Y... y... ye... yes, sir!" The sergeant hands Arcsilver a walkie-talkie, "Since you broke yours..." he says, and then sticks his finger in Joseppi's face, growling, "And don't fuckin' fall off. If you do, and live, I'll finish the job myself."
The radio chatter continues, with Dragon Mist trying to secure a separate channel for MIRV, and all the Mavericks. As Crusader heads off down the street (remember it was a good four hundred yards back to the diner) and Arcsilver gets ready to fly the rookie, MIRV's voice comes across, much stronger now. "OK, I'm fully on channel here. I'm going to head up about ten stories high, and try to spot you, Wild Heart. The rest of you relax. I'm not under attack... I don't think. Something is up, though. My systems started to fluctuate a couple of minutes ago. Like a power drain. Knocked out my radio and sensors. It wasn't just me, though. Lights flickered, and some bulbs blew in the area. I was talking to a police officer, and his car stalled out, radio went dead. General electrical system crash in a forty meter radius. Then it started to fade. Weird. Some of the chatter on the radio now sounds like this happened in a few places around here. I can see a spot up the street where it looks like a sign blew, and some cars got into a fender bender. I'd almost say it was like an EMP pulse, except it lasted a while and then went away, rather than just a single area wide zap! Stay on your toes, but don't come running, yet. I'm cool for now."
To the west, a black, customized Dodge Shadow suddenly growls around the corner, and guns it toward the police line. Over the radio, Darkeye suddenly says, "OK! I'm here. After all the action is over... AGAIN!" The car slides to a stop before a patrol officer guarding the line, and the driver's door pops open. Darkeye steps out, adjusting his black visor, and pulling on his operations jacket over his costume. He slams the door, and seals the car with a electronic signal, then ducks under the police line while waving to the crowd. "Hey, partner," he says, jogging toward Arcsilver. "Anything I can do?"<<

Note: We are out of combat, now. Let me know any specific conversations or issues you want to raise, and I'll move it along next post. Have a good weekend!

[RDU Neil]

Post 31

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will give his movie-star smile at the young cop, but then hold
up his index finger, excusing himself with a "one second..."

He will then chase after Crusader and ask him for a moment. "Listen,
during the fight I saw some weird electromagnetic signatures throughout
the street - you thought I was seeing things from the hit. Well I just
looked again, and their still here, but you are registering very high
with whatever is on the street. Whatever the energy is on the street, it
is surrounding your armor like orange spray paint. I'm going to fly this
greenhorn up to the gun, and then continue up for a birdseye of the city,
and try to see more of what is happening. Can you run a diagnostic or
something? I wouldn't do any serious gliding until we can figure this
out more, though. I'll contact you on channel seven of this cop radio if
I can see anything."

Assuming that Crusader answers in the affirmative, Arcsilver will come up behind Joseppe the greenhorn, and quickly grab him around the waist,
saying "going up!" He won't hit top speed in the climb, but he will go
fast enough to make the cop a little dizzy. After depositing him safely
inside the room at the top of the building with the gun, he will continue
on upwards, flying straight up and switching over to E-M Vision, trying
to track the source of the weird disturbance.

From S/Crusader:

I guess I'm interested in if an interrogation, either by me or the cops
is going to lead to any useful information... and if there is anyone to
interrogate. What is the status of the attack goons? How many did we net?
How many got away? What is the Mavericks procedure via the police in getting
info out of suspects? I'm not talking torture, but do they have to be booked
immediately? Do we have to follow the suspects to a holding cell, where then
we can interrogate them?
Some of these questions might have come up off camera, and if so, then
the answers will certainly influence Crusader's next few actions.

>>OK, I'm fully on channel here. I'm going to
head up about ten stories high, and try to spot you, Wild Heart. The rest
of you relax. I'm not under attack... I don't think.<<

"Good to know MIRV, thanks for checking in."

>>I'd almost say it was
like an EMP pulse, except it lasted a while, and then went away, rather than
just a single area wide zap!<<

"Weird. Yuri, did you copy that? Lets run a computer search through our
databases on if anything like this has happen before, anywhere else. I'm
curious to know if that was a byproduct of another paranormal or if was some
kind device that caused it and if it has happen before."

From M/Dragon Mist:

Seeing as how the characters are out of combat, and no longer acting on a
turn based agenda, this is what Dragon Mist can be assumed as doing.

He will continue to co-ordinate with MIRV Alpha in a conversation as
follows:
"Copy that MIRV. We're in the midst of clean up here, and it looks like we will
be awhile. Darkeye just arrived. We're going to spend some time w/ the police
here, it looks like Masterson is missing and we need more clues on this Warlord
character. Let us know if you and Wildheart come up w/ anything more regarding
this disturbance."

Ideally, I would like for DM to teleport to one of the conscious goons
before the police get to him and then interrogate him in addition to
coordinating the chatter, but I don't think that that's likely to happen so I
won't type any dialogue. If it is, Neil, I'm sure that you can guess what DM
might be thinking.

------

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: You heave the rookie cop under the arms, and jet upwards. He is stiff and shaking in your hands, but doesn't cry out. He wobbles a bit as you set him down on the ledge. "Oh, man..." he gasps, and turns around the say something more, but you blast off again, toward the night sky. Reorienting yourself, you hover above the tableau below, and begin scanning.
"Ah ha!" you say, as it becomes clear from this angle. The traces of bright orange form a rough pattern from up here, like a web of contrails down the street. Many of them converge on the spot just outside the diner, where the agents attacked. At the end of each of the trails, on walls, or street lamps or cars, there is a clear 'splotch' of orange, where the spray impacted. The trajectories themselves all lead back to two specific spots, on two rooftops. The image that comes to mind is one of long range spray paint that shot out from these two spots, to cover the street, and at one point, "painted" Crusader, most likely when he was fighting outside the diner. Spray paint that is invisible, except at very high frequencies...

Crusader: You stop for a moment, to consult with Arcsilver, then take the few cops assigned to you, and jog back toward the diner. After barely 15 yards, you realize they are gasping and panting as they are sprinting at top speed, just to keep up with your casual stride.
As to handling the bad guys, you know that Wild Heart has said, "When the cops arrive, let them handle it. They are the true authority, and can keep things fair and legal. Saves us the head aches." This is your first time actually having to work with the cops directly, though, so you aren't exactly sure. You ask, "Officer? When we get back there... can I question one of these guys?"
Gasping and talking at the same time, the older of the two replies, "Hell. ahuh... You can ask 'em... ahuh asp!... anything you want,....hhhhkkk... but I doubt they'll talk. Gasp! Huuuhh... They always lawyer up or... ahuh, ahuh... smart off." He grins a bit, then, adding, "I can't let you smack 'em around though,... huuuhh... as much as we'd all... hhehhh... enjoy it."
Up ahead though, as you approach the diner, it seems that someone has beaten you to it. Dragon Mist crouches over an injured agent, who lies propped against the car they arrived in. A crowd stands quite a bit back, somewhat subdued. The chef from the diner is closest, but only stands over a pile of weapons that seem to have been confiscated from the fallen gunsels. He greets your arrival with a look of relief on his face.

Dragon Mist: The initial scene was quickly under control, so as you radioed back to MIRV, you concentrated, and then shifted, long distance. Two more jumps and you appeared silently in front of the diner. Two of the agents were still down; the two hit by Arcsilver. A third, the one taken down by Crusader, was conscious, but quietly sitting by the car, with the diner chef standing a bit away holding a pistol on the guy. They all start a bit at your appearance, then the chef starts talking, "Hey, yeah. You're back... Awright. We got this guy and..." One look from you, and he shuts up. The gun drops and he puts it in a pile of collected weapons. He steps back, mumbling. The rest of the crowd goes quiet. Wasting no motion, you drop to a crouch in front of the soldier, and lean in close. "One chance," you whisper. "Tell me everything you know. Now." It is a quiet moment, no flash, no bang, no blood, but the man blanches, and his mouth opens a bit, then closes, then opens, closes... then he speaks.
"Don't know a lot. Been following Masterson. Assigned to by the boss. Then yesterday, he starts saying, "They've finally noticed," and he put us on alert. We were just supposed to mess with you. He had to know you would clean our fucking clocks. I don't know why. A second team was supposed to take out Masterson. They radioed that it was done, and we moved in. That's it. I guess he figured that big gun would take you out, but I didn't know shit about that. Guess his sniper didn't pan out. Guess the whole thing was a wash."
At that moment, behind you, Crusader slides up, followed by two panting cops.<<<

[Savinien]

It looks very clean compared the PBeMs I've been involved in. A lot of that seems due to good players and a knowlegeable GM. I haven't read it all but certainly plan to in the future.

Thanks for sharing!

[RDU Neil]

Post 32

From M/Dragon Mist:

Before looking up to acknowledge Crusader's presence, Dragon Mist asks one more
question, "Where was the hit on Masterson?" His reason for asking this question
is two fold, the off- hand chance of actually getting the correct info and so
that the police hear about Masterson. This may insure that the Mavericks will be able to get a little more "quality time" w/ him once they find out one of their own has been targeted.

From S/Crusader:

Crusader nods his approval at the question as he comes up to DM's
location. He whispers in his comm to Dragonmist so only he can hear it;
"ask if he has any names of the crew in the 2nd team. Hopefully they had to
train together to pull this off."

<guys, I might have missed this one in my first reading, just noticed it>\

>>He will then chase after Crusader and ask him for a moment. "Listen,
during the fight I saw some weird electromagnetic signatures throughout
the street - you thought I was seeing things from the hit. Well I just
looked again, and their still here, but you are registering very high
with whatever is on the street. Whatever the energy is on the street, it
is surrounding your armor like orange spray paint. I'm going to fly this
greenhorn up to the gun, and then continue up for a birdseye of the city,
and try to see more of what is happening. Can you run a diagnostic or
something? I wouldn't do any serious gliding until we can figure this
out more, though. I'll contact you on channel seven of this cop radio if
I can see anything."<<

"Now that is truly strange. Can you still see this energy signature? Or
is it gone? Good idea on the diagnostic. But I think it might wait until
Yuri gets his hands on it. Don't want to ruin any clues and the suit seems
to be working fine at the moment."
"Hey, Darkeye" switching topics, "we need a spare comm for Arcsilver and
do you have any idea of what is going on?"

From I/Arcsilver:

"Yes, the signature is still there, all over the street and all over
you. I'll have more info in a minute (takes off)."

Once in the air, Arcsilver will fly over to the rooftops whence the
weird spray/projectiles originated. He will try to scan the area, using
his E-M tracking sense (although I assume if I saw nothing before, then I
see nothing now). He will then fly down to the others, and take Crusader
aside as DM is questioning the goon (assuming that there is time).

"Well, the orange contrails are definitely projectiles, seems like you
were hit with one of many, all fired from either that rooftop, or that
one (gestures subtly with his head). We might ask some forensics guys to
have a poke around up there, just in case."

-----

From GM:

>>>Time passes. Things happen.
Dragon Mist intimidates the gunman who reveals only that the hit on Masterson was supposed to take place on his way to the diner. He didn't know the details. He only knew exactly what he needed to do his part of the job.
The cops immediately get on the horn, and try to track Masterson down. For the moment, no one is sure where he is, though he did sign out his Unmarked right about the time he would have been leaving to meet Dragon Mist.
Darkeye doesn't know much about what is happening other than he was patrolling Queens and headed this way when he heard the action going down. He quickly steps in with the police, and in an easy, friendly manner, gets an assurance that the Mavericks will get some time to properly question these guys if you want it. As things begin to settle down, it is clear that there is a big difference between how Maverick's like Arcsilver and Darkeye are accepted by the cops and civilians, as compared to Dragon Mist and Crusader. The bystanders who have braved the snow to mill around and point, clearly shy away from Dragon Mist, when he is visible. Crusader, though, they seem to be intently interested in, as well as puzzled. The cops seem to watch Crusader sidelong as well, especially when they hear his name. It seems folks aren't sure what to make of this NEW Crusader.

Arcsilver: You buzz over the area, and now, with time to really look, you pick out a lot more details. Residual body image, as well as some indistinct foot prints, show that there was obviously a man, or men, on the buildings, where the "paint trails" begin. It looks like they emitted the stuff somehow, then headed off the building, down fire escapes. They seem to be long gone. As you look, the orange trails in the air continue to fade, but the spots on the street that were "painted" still show up like beacons even through the snow and altitude. Crusader is obvious amongst the crowds even from on high, because of the splotches on his armor.

Over the radio, you hear that MIRV and Wild Heart have met up and are talking with the cops in Brooklyn. They are pinpointing upwards of ten different spots that had power fluctuations. Obviously something was planned, as the four patrol cars in the area were all hit the same way, within minutes of each other. No other action seems to have taken place, though.

Crusader: Yuri calls as you stand aside from the clean up. You are watching as news vans pull up. They've been delayed by the weather, but the crews bustle out in parkas and snow pants pullingl out the cameras and equipment. The sudden glare of news spotlights spear through the crowds of people. "Crusader, my boy. I've been looking into all the commotion. I am being afraid there are problems. I am not being sure, but the power problems MIRV spoke of may be something I have been seeing before. Some weapon from a... previous employer, you know? I am trying to find my notes on this thing, but I thought you should know my fears. Now what is this about spray paint?"

Dragon Mist: As the media arrived you quickly faded into the shadows, only to reappear on a rooftop above the fray. Something is prickling the back of your mind. The situation here is clearly over but something is still wrong. This was a well planned, well financed military like mission, yet it didn't seem to have any point. Something else, not evident, happened here, but you are not sure what.
Then (at the risk of being cliched) you feel like you are being watched. Snow continues to drift down around you, as you stand stock still, and let your perceptions reach out. Your sword shifts slightly in your hand, as if alive. The spirit of the dragon in the blade is troubled as well. Something is not right. Something is a threat, but in the end, it is faint and far away right now. Still, you are alert.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 33

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will land and find Crusader (this will take the place of my
last), telling him what he found, but speaking in a lower tone so that no
one else can hear.

"Listen, Kung Fu, whatever you were hit by, its still with you, and was
definitely fired by people on those roofs (nods with his head). I can
see where some of the tracers missed and hit telephone poles, and they're
still painted as well. I don't know what it is, but it stinks. We might
want to see what it is before you go back to the base. I don't know, but
my feeling is that the gunmen were a distraction so that whoever could
hit you with that stuff. Could it be some kind of tracking device, do
you think?"

From M/Dragon Mist:

From the rooftop Dragon Mist responds to Crusader. "Sorry Crusader, it's getting a little crowded for me here. Though I think we can get some info of their com-links once we can interrogate them." Dragon Mist will continue to brood atop the rooftops, trying to decide if this was a diversion or preliminary test.

From S/Crusader:

>>"Sorry Crusader, it's
getting a little crowded for me here. Though I think we can get some info of
their com-links once we can interrogate them."<<

"Roger that 'Mist, it is definitely feeling like its time to step back
into the shadows."

>>"Listen, Kung Fu, whatever you were hit by, its still with you, and was
definitely fired by people on those roofs (nods with his head). I can
see where some of the tracers missed and hit telephone poles, and their
still painted as well. I don't know what it is, but it stinks. We might
want to see what it is before you go back to the base. I don't know, but
my feeling is that the gunmen were a distraction so that whoever could
hit you with that stuff. Could it be some kind of tracking device, do
you think?"<<

Crusader smiles at 'kung fu', although no one can see through the
faceplate of his helmet. Continues on with his line of thought to
DragonMist, while nodding to acknowledge Arc's explanation; "Although
stepping back into the shadows might be tough for me, according to Arc, I'm
still marked with EM spraypaint."
Turns to Arc, "I agree with you, Arc, I don't think returning to base
with this stuff is a good idea, but is there any way you can use your
electronic manipulation to shunt it away? I could take the armor off, power
it down before doing so."
Crusader then pauses and then by way of explanation: "Arc, I've got
cybernetic jacks to allow the armor to fit to my body. Not many, but enough
so I don't want to be in the armor when you juice it. But the armor does have military grade protection against electronics. Powered down it should be alright. Is that an OK assumption Yuri?" <note: Crusader does not have any vulnerability to electronic attacks, drains etc.>

"Shall we go and convene on another rooftop, let Darkeye deal with the
cops?"

<< Crusader, my boy. I've
been looking into all the commotion. I am being afraid there are problems.
I am not being sure, but the power problems MIRV spoke of may be something I
have been seeing before. Some weapon from a... previous employer, you know?
I am trying to find my notes on this thing, but I thought you should know my
fears. Now what is this about spray paint?" >>

Sorry guys, but I wanted to reply to this and forgot to.

"As soon as we get Arc a comm, we will let him explain to you directly.
Keep searching for your notes. As far as my understanding, this 'spray
paint' is a EM signature of sorts, Arc says he can see it all over. And it
was fired like a projectile from a rooftop, almost like a tracer bullet from
a machine gun. I'm painted in it all over. ARc is concerned that it might
have some tracing capability and I shouldn't return to base until we know
more."

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver responds:
"Yeah, let's try that. I don't have that good of control on that aspect
of my powers. In the past I have only been able to make a car stall out,
or a flashlight fail, but let's give it a shot."

Arcsilver will take off dramatically, flying straight upwards, hopefully
taking any attention away from Crusader for a moment so he can be sneaky
if he wants to. Arc will then swing around, and try to land on the
agreed-upon building somewhat less obviously than his take-off. Once
there, he will wait for Crusader to shed his armor, and then try to use
his Suppress on it, shifting into E-M vision to see if it worked.
because he has to concentrate to use his E-M vision, he will say just
before he starts "you keep an eye out, Crusader, I'm going to be out of
it for a while."


------

From GM:

>>> Arcsilver: Darkeye gets a new headset out of the trunk of his car for you, and you return the walkie talkie to the police. There are more media around, and cameras follow your every move. The snowy street is chewed to slush by the feet and tires of the growing crowd. General questions about the situation come your way and Darkeye fields most of them with a practiced media savvy, whispering to you, "I can handle these guys. You go help find out what's going on. I should warn you, though. I overheard one of the police detectives talking to HQ. ADA Sally Ann Robinson is supposedly on her way." Even through his mask, you can tell he's grinning ear to ear. "I hear you were sweet on her, at one point, right?" He jabs your shoulder with a friendly punch. "She never responded to all those flowers you sent, did she? Heh, heh." He laughs quietly, and shakes his head as he turns back to the press.

Crusader: As you debate how to handle the colored spray issue, Yuri chimes in with a hurried, "Bozehmoi! Please. No EMP! Pajolcta! It might be fine, but it might destroy the armor. Ahh! That would be very, very bad. Before you try that. Why not try your power on a car or wall, that was also sprayed? Mr. Arcsilver? Could you do that? It is a much safer test." You recognize Yuri's panicked concern when it comes to anything involving the armor. He is rather overprotective of the suit at times.
Yuri continues, with, "I agree, though, that this paint sounds like a tracking method. There have been similar types of signal paint in use for years, but never to be unseen by the naked eye. Very fancy!"

Dragon Mist: As you wait for the other two to join you on a secluded roof, a police helicopter arrives on the scene, and you back into the shadows so as not to be spotted. You are scanning for word on Masterson, when a call comes from Police Dispatch, saying, "Responding to location request for Lt. John Masterson. Be advised that ambulance 471 attached to St. Mercy's hospital has a possible positive ID on Lt. Masterson. Their man was pulled from automobile wreckage on Lexington and 55th. His vehicle had been in an accident with a City garbage truck... again at Lexington and 55th. The victim is critical, and enroute to St. Mercy's hospital. Code 934 in effect, at St. Mercy's hospital. Officers enroute as backup. All NYPD Officers be advised that a Level 2 advisory is in effect, under Section 5592.3 of the New York Penal Code. That is a Level 2 advisory, in effect until further notice." The voice breaks then, from it's formal tone, and says, "Watch your backs, ladies and gentlemen. Eyes wide, officers."
Below you it is obvious, as the call is relayed to the police on the scene, that it has a sobering effect on all the cops. The smiles and the bullshit fade. Shotguns are pulled from dash stands, and the media line is pushed back farther. A palpable tension runs through the crowd.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 34

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver, hearing Yuri's broadcast on his new comm, will find an area
that was hit by the spray that is as far as possible from the crowd, and
then try a suppress on it.

Following this, he will move to the appointed rooftop tapping into a
police dispatch band as he does. He will say "This is Arcsilver of the
Mavericks, do you boys mind leaving that Dumptruck where it is until I
can have a look at it?" He will then tell Crusader his findings re the
painted lamp post. Without waiting for reply, he will continue to say "I
think we might take this up again later, as long as your suit is working
well, Crusader. If I can get to the site of that accident, I might be
able to follow the signature of the dump-truck's engine back to wherever
it come from. Might be a goose-chase, but worth a try. What do you say,
feel like being orange for a while? Then, as an aside "that will get me
outta here before Robinson shows up too. i think she HATES me..."

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist will stay in the shadows for the time being, waiting for Arcsilver
and Crusader to finish their business. Dragon Mist will make a casual inspection
of Crusader's armor for magic just to keep all of the bases covered.

From S/Crusader:

In response to Yuri's protective diatribe, Crusader will nod to
Arcsilver; "Now that is a decent idea. See if you can wipe away the stuff
on a telephone poll or building."

To everyone in comm/ ear shot; "What is a Level 2 Advisory?" and if the
Arc and Dragonmist both move out then Crusader will move out with them. <How far are we from Lex & 55? Which will be fairly deserted at this time of
night>

-----

From GM:

>>>Crusader: Over the comm-link, MIRV's voice answers your question about the police report. "Hey, Crusader. I'm looking up that Level 2 thing, right now," he pauses. "Hmmm. Seems like it refers to proper response to possible terrorist action. Specifically, Level 2 Advisory is when police may be the specific target of terrorist action. Guess they are taking this attack or accident with Masterson pretty seriously."
"Speaking of whom," cuts in Wild Heart's voice, "MIRV and I are going to head to St. Mercy's. Whatever happened over here, well, we aren't finding a thing. I'm concerned about John, though. I'm hoping we aren't needed, but can't be too careful. Meet up with us there when you're free. Wild Heart, out."
You listen, as below you, Arcsilver approaches the wall of a building, staring intently at it, and then begins waving his hands over the surface.

Arcsilver: The wall in front of you has a large spot where the "invisible" paint tagged it. Concentrating, you view the orange glow, then reach out, and brushing your hands over the wall, you emit hundreds of scratch thin electrical arcs, that almost seem to brush the glow away, like a scrub. You play this over it for a second or two, then stop. Concentrating again, you are at first dismayed to see that the orange glow is still there, but then, comparing to a nearby lamp post, you easily discern that the wall spot is much, much dimmer.
Quickly, you run your power over the spot again, while from behind, you hear reporters commenting and calling out to you, "Arcsilver? What are you doing? Why are you electrifying that wall? Arcsilver?" After the second scrubbing, you view the spot, and are relieved to see that it's almost gone. Seems to work, after all.
You are about to call Crusader and let him know how it worked, when Darkeye's voice comes across the comm-link. "Hey, loverboy. Robinson just pulled up. Heh, heh..."

Dragon Mist: You glance at Crusader as he stands talking on the radio and raise your sword in scabbard. Concentrating, you squeeze the braided wrap on the scabbard and a barely visible mist of green wraps your vision. Staring at Crusader, nothing stands out. His form is flat and gray, like most of the world. Outside of China Town and Central Park, this city is mostly mundane... dead. Part of you is depressed by that at a very deep level... but out of the corner of your eye, dancing in the snow blown updrafts of a heating vent, are two small figures. Whisps of almost human form, with sharp faces, and wide eyes. Spirits... air sprites, playing in the wind. For a moment, you smile, then... they are gone when you try to look directly at them.
Below you, behind the lines of gawkers and media, a black Izuzu Rodeo pulls up with NY County Civil Service plates and City Hall parking stickers in the window. A young man in suit and trench coat gets out of the driver side, and then Sally Ann Robinson steps out opposite him. A thirtyish, African American woman, Sally Ann is trim and severe, in a dark business suit with briefcase. Even at this late hour, she looks like she only just started work, and her assistant and a police officer begin leading her through the lines of people. A quick glance shows Arcsilver to be only forty meters from where she is approaching.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 35

From I/Arcsilver

Arcsilver will approach Crusader, but not land, saying (as in my pevious
post) "Looks like I can fix that, Crusader, but as long as the suit is
working, I want to get over to 55th and Lex and see if I can get a
signature off of that arbage truck before they haul it away. Are you
game for that?" Then, aside, "it will also get me away from Robinson
before I say something stupid!"

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist replies to Arcsilver, "Well there's definitely nothing magical
about this phenomena, that much is clear. We probably will find more info by
cross referencing w/ the Lex area. Though we should make it quick, the Warlord
could be on the move anywhere and we still don't have much to go on."
Then with a vicious smile he says, "And you wouldn't want to stay here to do
any more research would you Arcsilver?"

From S/Crusader:

>Specifically, Level 2 Advisory is when police
may be the specific target of terrorist action. Guess they are taking this
attack or accident with Masterson pretty seriously."<<

"hmmm." Crusader responds; "that doesn't sound very good. Ok, we will
be sure to be on our toes."

<< Are you
game for that?" Then, aside, "it will also get me away from Robinson
before I say something stupid!" >>

>>Dragon Mist replies to Arcsilver, "Well there's definitely nothing magical
about this phenomena, that much is clear. We probably will find more info by
cross referencing w/ the Lex area. Though we should make it quick, the Warlord
could be on the move anywhere and we still don't have much to go on."
Then with a vicious smile he says, "And you wouldn't want to stay here to
do
any more research would you Arcsilver?"<<

"I like the idea of taking a look at the dumptruck that hit Masterson's
vehicle, maybe one or both have been electronically marked like myself."
Crusader responding to his teammates. "Why don't we head over there, since
we don't have much to go on?"... Crusader looks to DragonMist for approval of
Arc's plan. DragonMist is senior member and his say has the most pull with
Crusader.

From I/Arcsilver:

Assuming that DM approves the plan, Arcsilver will say "I'm going to
scout ahead, and see if i can't get them to leave the scene as-is for
us." Then, if no objections, he will swoop down (he never stopped
flying) fairly close (25 feet off the ground) and fly over the crowd of
people, waving as he arcs upwards and towards 55th and Lex. He will try
to hit top speed on his way (I'm not sure where we are now), but either
way he wants to get their FAST.

-----

From GM:

Note: Please excuse my ignorance of Manhattan. You are somewhere in Soho, but I just threw out the 55th and Lex address. You guys aren't more than ten minutes from there even if that isn't correct in real life. I don't have my Manhattan map with me.

>>>After your hurried discussion the three of you set out. Arcsilver blasts off over the crowd, inciting a satisfying chorus of "Oooh!" and "Whooaa!!" and "Arcsilver I want to have your baby!" from the crowd. Camera's follow him and fingers point, and the distraction allows Crusader and Dragon Mist to quickly disappear.

Crusader: On a last glance, as you leap, you see ADA Robinson, push herself through the police line. She hurriedly glances at Arcsilver's passing and only shakes her head, as if to say, "Whatever." Then quickly she begins to scan the crime scene area. Her face goes dark and her mouth grim as she stalks toward Darkeye. At the last second she glances across the rooftops. With a strangely accurate eye she seems to narrow in on your retreating position, and you feel her gaze upon you as you pass over a rooftop out of sight. Disconcerting, in a way. She couldn't have actually seen you... could she? Whatever the case, you didn't like the feel of her gaze upon your back.

Arcsilver: You accelerate and are gone. In seconds you are up and away from the city streets and orienting on Lexington. Traveling at these speeds, you quickly outdistance your partners and split the sky with your lightning path. After a few zig zags and loop de loops for the fun of it, you zip out over Lexington, and shoot straight for 55th. Flying between the buildings, the flash of your passing is reflected in the windows on each side of you and anyone watching would have the impression of multiple thunderbolts blasting down the street. Ahead of you the intersection is cordoned off and three patrol cars are managing the relatively light traffic around the accident sight. From your advantage it is pretty obvious what happened. A totaled Ford Taurus is crammed up onto the sidewalk. It had been heading south on Lexington when it was broadsided by a top loading dump truck which came off of 55th. The dump truck is still in the street, blocking a good part of the intersection. The Taurus is a crumpled mass of metal half connected to the front grill of the truck. The entire driver's side is smashed in, nearly cutting the car in half. The fact that Masterson survived this collision at all is a miracle.

Dragon Mist and Crusader arrive minutes later. Arcsilver, you quickly begin scanning the area to see if you can follow the truck. While further traffic has blurred and covered the trail, you fly up the road a bit, and find that you can follow the truck pretty well. It is a tiring and slow process but the heavy snow fall has limited traffic and left pretty clear signs of e-m emissions for you to follow. It could lead you quite far away though. It is clear that the truck was waiting around the corner on a side street for a good while before it drove out into Masterson's car.

The officer's on the scene are edgy and cautious as Dragon Mist and Crusader appear. Standing in the heavy snow, they watch silently as you both drop to the ground. For a moment no one moves, and they merely watch you, then a female cop, stocky build with brown hair pulled back, nods at you and walks over clapping her hands together and blowing on them to keep warm. Her boots crunch in snow, and flakes cover her shoulders and hat. She's obviously been out here a while. As Arcsilver's form darts and hums above you, she steps up to Dragon Mist, and says, "What can I do for you, sir?"<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 36

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist looks at the officer, and replies, "Officer, Me and my fellow
Mavericks would like to ask you a few questions regarding this accident, and
recent happenings. We are concerned about Lieutenant Masterson, and would like
to help get those responsible.

From I/Arcsilver:

As soon as he finds the trail, Arcsilver will start to follow it,
speaking into his new radio as he goes. "I'm going to follow this trail,
guys. it looks like thsi truck waiteds around the corner for masterson
instead of following him, which means that the bad guys knew the way and
the time that he was coming. We might recommend that the police question
the cop who signed out his unmarked, if we don't wan't to investigate
ourselves. I am going to fly as high as I can, and I will be in contact
if I find anything. Sound good?"

Assuming that neither of the two object to this plan, Arcsilver will
climb, flying as high as possible while still seeing the trail. He will
follow it as far as he can, but will not enter any buildings.

From S/Crusader:

Actually, I don't mind her gaze, it might be disconcerting, but because
of Sam, I have too much respect for her. She has as much of an emotional
investment in the name Crusader as I do.
I might not agree with her stance on paranormals, but I can understand
her drive. I also have an inkling of what this life has cost both her and
Sam and costs myself.

<< A totaled Ford Taurus is crammed up onto the sidewalk. It
had been heading south on Lexington, when it was broadsided by a top loading
dump truck which came off of 55th. >>


While Dragonmist has to deal with the officer; I will comm Arcsilver;
"Hey Arc, does any of this scene have that EM painting?"

-----

From GM:

>>>Dragon Mist & Crusader: The police officer nods and then, looking back at the mangled wreck, pulls out a notebook and flips it open. Scanning the pages for a second she looks back up at Dragon Mist saying, "Yeah... I've got orders to cooperate with you guys." She glances up at the fading light of Arcsilver's trail as he flies off toward the East. "Where's your buddy going, anyway? If you guys know something, we'd appreciate reciprocal information." Finding the page she wants she pushes her hat back a little, and exhaling a plume of breath into the night air, she begins reading. "Way we've got it figured... Masterson left PHQ at approx. 12:40. At approx. 12:55 he passed through this intersectio, and was broadsided by that New York Sanitation Department refuse hauling vehicle you see over there. Ambulance was called within two minutes of crash by one Saied Mahuna Ribka, a Yellow Taxi Cab driver who witnessed the accident. He's cooperating fully and should be making an official statement at the precinct house as we speak. Mr. Ribka indicates that immediately after the crash, a man jumped out of the truck cab and ran north on Lexington. Police and ambulance arrived on the scene seventeen minutes later. Lt. Masterson was unconscious and severely injure, and was rushed to St. Mercy hospital. The driver of the dump truck, one Martel Roosevelt, a NYSD employee, was found unconsciou, behind the wheel of the truck. He had sustained injuries to the face and neck, seemingly from the accidentl, and reeked of alcohol. Upon questioning him he appeared intoxicated, slurred speech, etc. He was also taken to St. Mercy's. Roosevelt has a record of DWI, and even had his license suspended three years ago though he's been driving for the last 19 months without incident." The officer finishes and flips her notebook closed, glancing at both of you. "That's all I got right now. We're just securing the scene until it can be fully worked. I guess whatever you guys were doing in Soho is holding things up." Blowing on her hands again she says, "So, it's almost two thirty in the morning. I'm freezing my butt off, and word is that this was a hit on Masterson who is known to be tight with you Mavericks. Now, I'm going to get some coffee. You want some? I'm sure we got enough." She looks Dragon Mist up and down and makes a clucking sound with her tongue. "Damn, sir. You got to be freezing in those tights."

(There isn't much more to find, at this point. If you try to track where the unknown man ran to, it's difficult to follow, though it looks like a car or truck picked him up a couple blocks north. Continually falling snow mixed with continuing traffic masks any more than that. Also, there is no "orange paint" signature anywhere around and Arcsilver would easily note and tell you that.)

Arcsilver: You follow the trail of the truck around a number of blocks. Only about a half mile away as the crow flies, but much farther in the circuitous route you track. You find an anomaly. The rest of the track seemed to be the kind of places that a dump truck would go, but just as you think you've lost the trail you realize that the truck must have been inside a building. An office building, the Warwick Towers, has a basement parking garage that looks sealed up for the night. The last remnants of the trucks trail lead out of there. It is not the kind of place a dump truck like this would normally go on a route. Especially a night time pick up.
You drop to the ground and the entrance/exit ramp, and peer through the security gate that closes off the access. Dim security lights are all that you can see. Though you clearly feel that the truck came out of here, it is evident that no one else has been around here for the past couple of hours. It is quiet and deserted.<<<

Note: For now, this night is over. There are at least five specific leads you can follow, but nothing immediate. You guys might have an idea I've overlooked, but I don't want to drag this out, if we don't need to. If you want to eventually reconvene at Mavericks HQ, that's cool, and we'll assume that Arcsilver "cleaned" Crusader's armor. It takes about fifteen minutes to do it thoroughly and gently, so as not to fry any armor systems, but it gets done.

[RDU Neil]

Post 37

From M/Dragon Mist:

<< Dragon Mist will inform the officer that Arcsilver is merely trying to
track the
truck, and that they would contact the police should they turn anything up
and
that he is indeed very cold in his tights and would like very much to get
home.
"Wildheart, we're wrapping things up out here and will meet you back at hq."
Provided Crusader and Arcsilver are ready of course. >>

From S/Crusader:

Assuming that Arc lets us know about Warwick Towers... Crusader is not
quite sure what to do with that; telling the police isn't his first
instinct. He will want to check it out himself. But he will ask 'Mist;
"Should we tell the police that the dump truck came from Warwick Towers? I
wouldn't mind skulking around there myself without police presence." <note:
conversation will take place out of earshot of our cranky policewoman.> "Or
we give the info to the cops and let them serve up a warrant, while we give
them a bit of back-up. Warwick Towers would be the kind of front," flips up
faceplate, winks at 'Mist; "my former employers would love!"
2nd assumption: The night is around 2 in the morning, if Masterson was
hit around 12:55. That gives plenty of nighttime for this capped Crusader to
work in. Of course, this would require powering down the armor and getting
it cleaned up before I try any B&E.

So, depending on what we decide, I'm not sure the night is over. But
Neil, if you want to say that Warwick Towers was simply a meeting place for
the real wannabe assassin (the guy eyewitnesses saw running away from the
dumptruck), I can call it a night.

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will radio the information about Warwick tower back to the
boys, and then say "so, fellas, what do you want to do? I think that we
might get further if we follow this ourselves, before the police get
involved. It looks like everything is locked up pretty good tonight,
and I am tired!" Of course, you guys know that I am great at all that
sneaking around stuff that you do!"

-----

From GM: Note... this might be the first time I every used a "cut scene" where I give the players information that their characters would NOT have... just to allow for some "audience drama" of a sort. Players seemed to dig it, and I use it semi-regularly these days. Even in FtF games.

>>>Over the radio, Wild Heart's voice cuts in. "Hey guys, I've been monitoring the conversation. I'm at St. Mercy's, in the waiting room. They've got heavy security here and Masterson is in surgery right now." Her voice catches a bit. Quietly she says, "It doesn't look good. He's really messed up. I'm sending MIRV home, but I'm going to stay." Briefly you hear her covering the mic and speaking to someone at the hospital, then she is back, saying, "As to Warwick Towers, if it's the place I'm thinking of, it's big. Sixty some floors, and half a block wide. Not something I recommend tackling right now. We'll reconvene tomorrow morning at nine. Get some rest, and I'll see you then. Obviously we are up against something more serious than drug dealers, so let's not go off half cocked. I'll see you in the morning, and we'll move out from there."
Scene fades with Dragon Mist and Crusader standing off to the side of the accident scene, then split screen with Arcsilver standing back from the base of Warwick Towers, craning his neck upward and mouthing numbers, "...twenty two, twenty three, twenty four..."

Cut Scene:
Cut to darkened room, windowless, illuminated only by lights from computers screens and electric diodes. Dark clad, faceless figures move quietly but with purpose monitoring electronic systems with highly trained competency. One figure separates from the others and approaches a pitch black corner. He stops with military attention at the edge of the darkness saying simply, "Report, sir." The darkness seems to unfold then, with just enough form to indicate a figure... tall, powerful, male. The voice is flat and polite. "Thank you, Sergeant." A black hand takes a small electronic pad, and turns it on. The figure consults it and seems to nod. "So, they were able to detect the tagging effect. Interesting. Arcsilver did this? Do we know how?" A negative answer from the Sgt. receives only a nod from the figure, who taps the pad twice then returns it to the man. "Put Intel on that, priority. Inform the necessary parties that Project Guiding Light is essentially defunct, but pass on this new target information. Assign minimal surveillance, as usual, but we can assume that this will not bear the intended results. We have someone on Masterson, correct?" An affirming nod. "Thank you, Sgt. That is all."
Through all of this the Warlord's voice was calm... with little inflection. Now, for a moment, a touch of pleasure enters his tone. Quietly, to himself, he says, "So this won't be as easy as I first thought. Good. These Mavericks may prove a challenge after all."

Fade to black.<<<

Note: Obviously, this last bit is not info your characters would have, but it seemed like a necessary "comic book" scene. I'll pick up the story next day. Drop a line if you have anything you'd like to add.

[RDU Neil]

Post 38

From S/Crusader:

Crusader's vote is: Tell the police, they would be interested in knowing
where the truck came from. And they might track it down on their own anyhow.
Like who is the dispatcher of that dump truck service? What is its usual
route? All of that can be gotten from the license plate and operating
license.
Or is it a "clean" truck? With no paperwork, false business name... etc.

The other thing is, we can call it in. Arc doesn't have to appear in
person. Could be an anonymous tip, or what *I* prefer, it comes from the
Mavericks as "Here is a helpful tip". We should be able to find out who is
in charge of the Masterson investigation and get in contact with them.

But I am curious to see if the Warwick Towers was a regular, scheduled
stop or not.

I have nothing to add except I'm curious to see if the police serve up a
warrant to search the basement garage/trash pick-up point during the night.

It would be part of the criminal investigation.
But if a warrant is not issued, then perhaps the Warlord has gotten to a
couple of judges. Again, modi operands that Crusader would be thoroughly
schooled in, given his prior employers.


-----

From GM:

As to police search of garage/basement area...
1) are you telling the police about this?
2) if you do, Dragon Mist would understand that Arcsilver would have to make
an official statement as witness, in order to corroborate the warrant
request. Would Arcsilver want to do this?

We can make this part of the morning discussion, as waiting a few hours to
tell the cops shouldn't change anything. Just something to think about.

-----

From M/Draon Mist:

I'm not sure how to go about this one. It seems it would be a good idea to
hold on to this tidbit (the truck) until Crusader gets to the bottom of it,
though I don't think it should be divulged to the police as an official tip from
the Mavericks. We should steer clear of any unwanted attention.
This also brings up the question of established legalities of working w/
super heroes. Have realistic procedures been placed for para normals? I have
been away from this campaign so long, that I barely remember any work on the
legalities of masks and cops working together.
Dragon Mist's concern for the evening the safety of Masterson. He feels
somewhat responsible for his current state of health and wants to make sure that
Masterson survives the night. i.e. no assassination attempts. He doesn't think
that Arcsilver cooperating would be a good idea just yet and that their are too
many loose strings to tie up.
Shall we pick it up in the morning? Maybe assume that Crusader investigated
the truck, Dragon Mist watched over Masterson and Arcsilver did whatever?

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will vote for calling it a night. He wouldn't mind talking
with the rest of the team before telling the cops about the truck,
especially if the guy who signed out the unmarked is in with the bad guys
(maybe that's how they knew what car he would be driving and when...).
He would also like to go back to the base and let someone with some real
first aid experience look at his ribcage, even though he should be fine,
as he heals very quickly (regen. 1 body per whatever we are using). All
this being said, he wouldn't mind looking in on old gramps as well. It
seems like the bad guys are trying to find out where we live, what are
personal lives are.

Ilan

PS. I didn't do this in straight dialogue because it seems like we fell
out of it. If we want to play this out verbally (well, sort of...) then
I am game.

-----

From GM: Note, I wrote this description to set a tone, giving a sense of the personal to the PCs. I did this intending to encourage the players to be descriptive in their posts. I think one of the best aspects of PBEM is the ability to really describe settings, set atmosphere and provide dialogue that helps define characters in ways that don't happen FtF.

>>>Next morning. The weather outside is gray and cold. Low clouds and some steady flurries keep the city locked in winter. 8:22 a.m. in the warehouse HQ, Darkeye pads out of his room across the silent common area lit only by light from snow covered skylights flips a switch on the coffee maker, then steps into the computer booth. A distant thump echoe, and the heating system kicks on. Vents in the floor begin to circulate warm air. It's morning.

Crusader: 8:25 a.m. You wake quickl, as your wrist watch vibrates. Your room is small, and neat but undecorated. No pictures on the wall or bureau. A unique kit of what looks like fine surgical tools and a variety of astringents and jells in small jars sits neatly on an end table. Brushing back the covers, you briefly touch and inspect the small sockets in your skin. Two just below your deltoids on each arm, one on each side of your hips, two more low on the small of your back on each side of your spine. There are four more, two on each side, just below your collar bone, left and right. Soap and water is good for most of you, but you've become used to the daily antiseptic gel and non-catalytic lubricant application. Easy as brushing your teeth... but occasionally, you think, it would be nice to take your shirt off in public.

Arcsilver: 8:44 a.m. Blurry eyed, you roll off the old flower print couch, almost knocking over the mugs on the coffee table. Across from you, snoring away in his ancient lazy boy, sits Grandpappy Silver (as he likes to be called). His hands are folded across the old leather photo album containing his war photos. When you'd arrived a few short hours before, he was still awake, drinking Irish coffee, and looking at the pictures. The two of you stayed up as he regaled you with detailed stories of the battle of Anzio. At 74 he's still sharp as a tack and knows it. He kept you up until five before you both passed out, but you were glad to 'yuk it up' with him and there doesn't seem to be any sign of threat. After grabbing your stuff you pat him on the shoulder and head out of his apartment with a quiet "See ya 'round, Gramps," and head off to the meeting.

Dragon Mist: 8:45 You awake with a calm opening of your eyes, alerted by the simple sound of a candle flame extinguishing. Each night, before you sleep, you poor a small measure of oil into a lamp. When the oil is exhausted, the wick goes out, and you wake. As you sit up from you futo, it occurs to you that you can't quite remember when you began that particular ritual, or when you threw away your regular alarm clock. It seems like you've always done it that way. Then you think about it no more, as you stretch and stand before a stone basin. The water inside steams slightly, heated by the small coals that burn beneath it. You wash quickly with a simple rag and water, then dress from a simple cherry wood dresser, all the clothes in basic black. Stepping past a window you watch the East River below you for a moment, then kneel before a small Buddhist shrine. You light two incense sticks. Holding your sword in one hand, you touch the sticks left, then right, then center of the bronze Buddha, and murmur a quiet prayer. Minutes pass as the prayer becomes a chant, and all other sights and sounds are erased. Behind you the window shimmers and fades. There is a black rush of forms, many whispers. You shift time and space...
Your eyes open in the darkness. Before you the small embers of the incense sticks illuminate a different shrine. A smaller, jade Buddha smiles up at you. There are no windows or natural light and the small room is bare, but for the shrine and the tatami mat on which you kneel. Setting the incense down, you stand and exit the room, stepping out into Mavericks HQ.
Crusader stands across the main room. Dressed in civvies, he is talking with Darkeye who is wearing silk pajamas, drinking coffee, with really bad 'bed head.' They are discussing the police reports that Darkeye needs to finish, and Crusader is describing his encounter with the Warlord. MIRV walks past you, half dressed in his Slicksuit, also with coffee. Without stopping, he says, "One of these days you're going to have to have us over to your place, wherever it is. I know you didn't spend the night here, 'cause I checked in on you five minutes ago and nobody was home." He continues on, not waiting for a reply, to join Yuri at the table. The old Russian is shoveling away a giant bowl of oatmeal and the two quickly become engaged in a discussion about enhanced electronic signaling relays.

Arcsilver slips in a side door then, stomping snow off of his boots, and looking desperately at the coffee machine. Wild Heart, looking like she hasn't slept at all, also sits at the table, subdued, almost sullen. Her normally vibrant appearance is pale and her ready smile is gone. She twirls a butter knife in her hand absent mindedly, and as you watch, she casually twists it around her index finger like you would a pipe cleaner. When she notices what she's done she sits up, swearing under her breath, and tries to straighten the mangled piece of silverware without success. Sheepishly, she crumples the knife into a ball, and tosses it into the garbage with a solid "whunk."

9:00 a.m. "Ok, lets get this meeting going," says Wild Heart.<<<

We'll say that much of the discussion below is part of the morning discussion, once you get together. As to legal status of superheroes, it really depends on the group. The Sentinels of Justice, in Columbus, are fully deputized officers of the law, in conjunction with city and state agencies. Very different group dynamic from the Mavericks, which have always played it shadowy and mysterious. There is no license or charter. The state of NY doesn't recognize the Mavs as a legal entity, but a really solid, if informal relationship has been worked out with NYPD. Situations like this are always a test so it really is up to debate.

[RDU Neil]

Darkfire and MIRV Alpha

[RDU Neil]

Post 39 (Well, I think like only 3 people are reading this stuff (and one was a player in the game, so he doesn't count :) ) but I'm getting a kick out of revisting the story, so I'm going to keep posting.)

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist will wait until a topic has been advanced in the meeting, he really
hates to go first in these discussions.

From S/Crusader:

Crusader will come to the table, look at her, look at the mangled
silverware in the garbage. Look back to Wild. "Something bothering you
beyond normal? I apologize if I'm speaking out of turn... I'm sure Masterson
will pull through. He sounds like he is a tough one."

>>The state of NY doesn't recognize them as a legal entity, but a really
solid, if informal relationship has been worked out with NYPD. Situations
like this, are always a test, so it really is up to debate, exactly what you
do. <<

Once the meeting comes to a beginning, after any comments by Wildheart,
Crusader will chime in; "Do we have any idea who this Warlord guy is? I've
never heard of him, although he seems to like gamesmenship."

On the topic of relationship with the NYPD; Crusader will ask WildHeart;
"What do you want to do with information we have and the cops do not? My
vote is give as much as we can to the cops. They will feel better and that
they are doing something positive for one of their own. 2nd, they will
hopefully serve a warrant for a search of Warwick Towers." Crusader
pauses... "I would like to coordinate with that police search... not by going
in ourselves. I can always do B&E later. But we can watch all the angles;
sky, underground, street level and see if the police search flushes out any
unusual persons or activity."
"Yuri, can we get maps of the sewer and train systems near Warwick
Towers?" Crusader asks. "And 'Eye, do we know who owns Warwick Towers?"

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver responds...
> Once the meeting comes to a beginning, after any comments by
>Wildheart,
>Crusader will chime in; "Do we have any idea who this Warlord guy is?
> I've
>never heard of him, although he seems to like gamesmenship."

"I agree only in the sense that the guy must be some kind of NUTjob..."

> On the topic of relationship with the NYPD; Crusader will ask
>WildHeart;
>"What do you want to do with information we have and the cops do not?
>My
>vote is give as much as we can to the cops. They will feel better and
>that
>they are doing something positive for one of their own. 2nd, they
>will
>hopefully serve a warrant for a search of Warwick Towers." Crusader
>pauses... "I would like to coordinate with that police search... not
>by going
>in ourselves. I can always do B&E later. But we can watch all the
>angles;
>sky, underground, street level and see if the police search flushes
>out any
>unusual persons or activity."

"Well, you guys know me, I am up for anything, but what if those cops
screw it up? I don't have anything against them, but a little look-see
by you guys with some air support from me an' MIRV and anyone else who
wants to join in might be just the ticket..."

From S/Crusader:

"That is what I'm proposing." Crusader responds; "But I think we should
remain hidden. I feel that Warlord believes he is far superior to the
police. Therefore, if we aren't around, than he might make a move that he
knows the police will miss... but hopefully, we won't.'"
Crusader grimaces; "Assuming there is a connection between WARwick and
WARlord... but from my brief encounter, he definitely has the hubris for such
a word-play."

From M/Dragon Mist:

"Beautiful deduction Crusader, I personally don't see any reason why we
shouldn't co-operate w/ the police. That is after we have checked it out
ourselves first. By letting them in too soon, we risk losing potentially
crucial evidence to a slow and cumbersome organization. One that the
Warlord is, who ever he is, able to run rings around. I think that we
should make the initial recon ourselves to establish that the cops can
handle it, then turn it over to them and see what they can come up
with."

-----

From GM:

>>> When Crusader approached her Wild Heart had merely shrugged and said, "John just looked really bad. They seriously messed him up and only because he was our friend and contact. At least that's what I'm assuming. I can't take that lightly." As you discuss your options over coffee and breakfast Wild Heart sits back and lets the ideas get tossed around, obviously listening, but not joining in right away.
Rummaging through some print outs, Darkeye pulls out a couple and jumps in with, "This Warlord guy. Got a little something from the Paradigm database as well as Stronghold public records, and the PRIMUS wanted list. Seems there was a bad guy... or a PCE (Paranormal Criminal Element) as PRIMUS puts it... from over ten years ago calling himself the Warlord. Back in late '87, he and another guy called Lash assaulted the Columbus, Ohio Police HQ. They were stopped by Coil and that alien who went on to become an ambassador. This was before the Sentinels of Justice were even formed." Looking up, and shrugging, he finishes with "According to this, both were convicted on multiple charges, including assault & battery, assault with intent, etc. Each of them were paroled after six years served. Nothing else. It'll take time to get more, but I've already got the calls in."
MIRV then steps in with, "After talking with Yuri about the weird power drains I experienced, he says it is further evidence that Crusader might be right about a VIPER connection." Nodding at Yuri, MIRV goes back to finishing a diagnostic on his slick suit, pulling the dark blue mesh body suit closed, and checking all the connections for his armor. Yuri quickly gulps down his oatmeal, then wipes his mouth and beard clean before standing in his oddly formal way, to address you all.
"It is really not definitive," he says, "But the energy parameters of the flux event, as far as I can tell, are very similar to a VIPER weapon "WV 760," or "The Wave Gun." Looking at Crusader, he says, "This is being an EMP weapon that they were developing. A, as you say, counter measure to mechanized offense, like vehicles, powered armor, or..." he pauses, and looks crestfallen, "...cyborgs. I must tell you, if this is the case my friend, " again, acknowledging Crusader, "You are very much vulnerable to such as this."

The conversation continues, with Darkeye saying that we can certainly hold off on giving the cops the Warwick lead, for a day or so, but that call is not his to make. He can certainly keep you guys up to date on the police investigation, as they will be looking into the truck and sanitation service. "The sticking point will be getting info from IAD, since they'll be looking into this and don't usually cooperate with anyone outside their office." Then he heads off to take a shower, since he is still scheduled for a press conference appearance that afternoon, in Queens.
As the discussions seems to be leading toward a "Mavericks first" investigation of Warwick, Wild Heart leans in then, saying, "All right. Before we take any action, let's clarify a few things. 1) Are we assuming this Warlord thing is tied to the drug shipment investigation, or not? 2) If so, then it seems there are other leads we need to address as well. Yakov Bulgo, still. This Smiling Sam character? What about that? 3) Do we still want to question the perps you took down? Two are hospitalized, of the three in custody." She looks around the table, saying, "Give me your suggestions on our exact next steps, and I'll make the call on where we go." She looks right at Arcsilver then, saying, "I still think you need to make your Fed connection. Especially if this is VIPER."<<<

Back to you guys. By the way, would you mind sending me the secret IDs of all your characters. And let me know who you would have revealed your IDs to, in the group and out. Thanks.

[RDU Neil]

Post 40

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist's secret ID is: Robert Mc Gowan. The original members of the
Mavericks i.e. Wildheart knew his ID, Masterson knows who Dragon Mist really
is. I guess that the rest of the team, seeing as how they are all standing
around in their skivies, knows what he looks like, but don't know his ID.

Dragon Mist will address Wildheart by saying that, "I don't think that
these past events can be unconnected, they are too intermingled. Wheater the
Bulgo deal is an elaborate ruse to get at the police, or us I don't know. I do
think that if I hadn't called in Masterson to help investigate this Bulgo drug
war, he would not be in traction right now. And for the life of me, I have no
clue how Smilin' Sam works into this. Unless the Warlord is recruiting a lot of
underground muscle that is."

From S/Crusader:

>>>calling himself the Warlord. Back in late
'87, <<<

"Does anyone have any contacts with Sentinels or Ohio Penitentiary? I
sure would like see a Warlord psyche file."

>>> "You are very much vulnerable to
such as this.<<<

"I understand." Crusader nods, but not looking very worried (Player is a
bit concerned, but Crusader is not)"But I didn't have any noticeable loss of
abilities. And I was trained for this eventuality. Hence, my rigorous
regimen of martial arts."

>> As the discussions seems to be leading toward a "Mavericks first"
investigation of Warwick <<<

Crusader is looking a bit annoyed: "I'm against Mavericks First
investigation. Let the police go in, while we watch and see what gets
stirred up." Crusader looks at Wild Heart; "If you expect the police to let
us question the perps in custody, then we need to offer them something in
return. Like the dump truck that hit Masterson came from the basement of
Warwick Towers. I hate to be blunt, but you need some Quid Pro Quo.
Especially since you are missing your police liaison."
"Most likely, the police will only get a warrant for the basement, not
the whole tower. But hopefully it will distract the Warlord, make him move
some resources around, keep his attention off of us. Its what he would
suspect, LET HIM, give him what he wants for now. Let him think he's got us
figured out."
"THEN, if nothing turns up, we go in. As far as I know, this is not a
time sensitive issue. Like the supposed drug shipment is."

>>Wild Heart leans in then, saying, "All right.
Before we take any action, let's clarify a few things. 1) Are we assuming
this Warlord thing is tied to the drug shipment investigation, or not? <<

>>Dragon Mist will address Wildheart by saying that, "I don't think that
these past events can be unconnected, they are too intermingled. Wheater the
Bulgo deal is."
<<

1) "Mist has seemed to hit it on the nose." Crusader than pauses: "But if
the drug shipment is real, we cannot be distracted from stopping that. I
have a feeling that Warwick Towers and the Warlord are not going anywhere.
And if the Warlord is playing 3 card monte; with the drug shipment being one
card, the assualt on Masterson is the 2nd card, the 3rd card is probably
getting rid of us. Which means he will come to us. Better we fight in the
alleys and rooftops then stepping into his parlor."
"Unfortunately, I'm not convinced the drug shipment IS real."


Crusader is John Spencer. Unfortunately, he can't prove that to anyone..
he doesn't have a record of any sort, including driver's license. The cost
of living in L.A. before it was destroyed.
All the Mavericks would know that crusader's name is John.

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver's real name is Nick Streep. He works for a small
not-for-profit office that does fund-raising for various human-rights
causes. He is lucky in this job, because Schmelcher Weinstein, his
overworked boss, is very lax about Nick's hours, and knows that he comes
in at odd times during the evenning and night to do fund-raising
over-seas. Pam Washington, his other superviser at the office (its
called the Center for Human Rights), is not as understanding, and thinks
that there is something very strange about Nick Streep. Not least among
these weirdnesses, she thinks, is a huge crush on the DA Sally Robinson,
who is occasionally featured on the small black and white television that
the Center keeps on an overcrowded desk.

Arcsilver is fidgety. every once in a while taking a quick breath like
he is going to say something, and then stopping. When there is a pause,
he will blurt:

"So what are we DOING?" I'll call my FBI guy, but I'm kinda worried
about him now. I'm for letting the police go in, but the question is,
who do we tell on the police force, as we don't have a contact until our
guy gets better, and we think that some of the cops might be in on it?
This whole thing makes me antsy! What if they find out about our other
contacts, or families? I want to do something about it now, I just don't
know what?"

------

From GM


>>>"Ok, ok," says Wild Heart, standing up and holding out her hands. "Let's calm down, folks." Looking at Arcsilver, she says, "Nick, we are doing something. We're making a plan. As frustrating as it is, there isn't anybody to go and punch right now. We need to be smart. Here's what I'd like to do..."

Cut scene to various shots of Maverick's heading out to different parts of the city as Meagan's voice over describes their assignments...

Shot: Arcsilver hovering over an office rooftop, talking with an official looking man in a dark suit and London Fog winter weight trench coat. He wears dark glasses, and takes notes. Voice over caption: "Arcs, get your fibee contact in the loop and ask him about the Warlord, VIPER activity, and weapons trafficking. That Barrett .50 cal. had to come from somewhere, and they aren't common. Then, if you need to make arrangements for your family or friends to go to ground, do it. Use the emergency fund for any expenses. Head to Warwick Towers as soon as you are free."

Shot: Hidden side street, behind a dumpster, Dragon Mist menacing a Chinese youth in gang colors..... fade to back room of an herbalist shop, Dragon Mist confronting a local Tong elder as body guard lies in crumpled heap at DM's feet... fade to shadowy rooftop, where barely visible Dragon Mist eavesdrops on Tong thugs taking a smoke break on the street below, outside a Chinese restaurant. Voice over caption: "Dragon Mist, no time for subtlety. This Smiling Sam is from your end of town. See what you can dig up. On him, Yakov Bulgo, any hired muscle, whatever. Press all the buttons, and see what comes up."

Shot: MIRV, gleaming silver and blue, jets down to a landing on the front steps of a large brownstone in Queens. Darkeye stands there in costume, as reporters and fans ask questions and compete for attention. Voice over caption: "MIRV, you will accompany Darkeye on the press conference. Be public, be friendly, be casual but be alert. Something might happen, but if not, I want whoever might be watching to see us 'business as usual.' If they ask about last nights events it's "authorities still investigation, we'll let you know when we know... blah, blah, blah. Don't make a big deal about it."

Scene cuts back to dispersing team members as Meagan finishes with, "Ok, folks. Remember to use scrambled channels but stay in touch." Looking up, she sees Crusader's expression of "What about me?" and smiles. "You're with me. Suit up John and let's go to Police HQ. We've still got some friends there even without Masterson. We'll give 'em our info and question the captives from last night. Then you can accompany the police to Warwick, if and when they get a warrant. Most likely they'll simply have to investigate without a warrant at least at first. Happens all the time. They just ask to be let in. Most people will let them look around. If they don't then we have even more to suspect. I want you to cover the cops though, like you suggested. Arcs will back you up once he's done. I'm going to have to try my own contacts while you're there." She stretches then, reaching her long arms up in the air, and hitching her back. Yawning, she smiles again, as she seems to brush off her funky mood. "Any questions?"<<<

Note: Any suggestions on what you do as you work your assignments, please let me know. I'll move forward tomorrow.

[RDU Neil]

Post 41

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist will follow any leads he might have gotten from the streets of China
town etc. until those go dry; he won't be suprised when they do. He would like
to pay Bulgo's place a visit again to see what might pop up again, then back to
the hospital to check on Masterson.

-----

From GM:

>>> The day turns out to be a working day. While tensions from the night before continue to linger, hours begin to pass and nothing overt happens. In Queens, there is a larger police presence than normal, but the press conference is uneventful and positive with the sun breaking through the clouds briefly to provide a perfect photo-op. The Project Lifeline Counseling Center gets off to a good start, with minimal protest.

Arcsilver: Your discussion with Agent Wells is inconclusive. He has no knowledge of the Warlord but says he can check on weapons trafficking with the ATF. He is concerned about the involvement of Russian Mafia, letting on that his office has a few open operations. He cautions you about rushing in on the Russian's because it might interfere with a case. "Be careful who you blast, ok Nick? You don't want to hit our guys... if you know what I mean." It is when you mention VIPER, that he becomes troubled. Pulling his coat closer around him, he steps in toward you, grumbling and muttering. "VIPER? How could we have missed them? I would swear they have almost no active operations in New York." Looking at you sternly he continues, "Understand, Nick... VIPER is going through some serious internal struggles right now. The Bureau is concentrating a lot of efforts on tracking and controlling this. We don't want open paramilitary warfare to break out. In many parts of the country, and New York specifically, we are pretty damn sure they aren't active. If you come across evidence to prove otherwise, let me know. Things are volatile right now with the damn snakes. If you are going to stir them up, we'd really appreciate being in the loop ahead of time."

Crusader: Openly walking into a police station in full gear is a rather uncomfortable position to find yourself. Your training always stressed moving fast, hitting hard, and getting out, because it exploited the main weakness of the police... response time. Metropolitan police forces are spread thin, and primarily concerned with public safety. But give them time, allow them to be alert and ready, especially if they can scramble a full SWAT, or worse, a CAT team, and you'd be in serious trouble. If nothing else indicates how much your life has changed, the fact that you called them ahead of time to let the police know you'd be stopping by certainly is a new experience.
At first you stand stiffly beside Wild Heart, feeling caught in the gaze of dozens of cops but Meagan's casual demeanor and the friendly ways of one Lt. Pomerantz quickly relax you. There are a lot of people watching you but not with hostility. Instead, you find merely curiosity and questions as Pomerantz leads you and Wild Heart to the high security area where they are holding the men you captured. When the three of you are alone for the moment, the Lt. turns to you with his own question. In his forties, he's a solid man, just beginning to paunch, and his face tells of years on the street. Without malice, he says, "I hope you don't mind, but I was wondering... Word from the brass is that you aren't the original Crusader and seeing you up close, even under that armor, I'm sure you aren't. What I'd like to know is... how is he? Rumor has it he hand picked you to take over and for that you've got a lot of slack with us... but me and a lot of other cops owe their lives to the man whose colors you are wearing. We wanted to know if he's ok. If you see him, let him know we're here for him. Anything he needs, we're there. The Mrs. still wants to cook him dinner, y'know." Pomerantz pauses for a moment, as if to say more, then leads you into the security wing.

Dragon Mist: You stand in a darkened pawn shop. The racks and cases of used goods are locked. No one is about. Just through a beaded curtain, you peer through the back room and confirm what your sources have told you. Smilin' Sam is on the move. A small office shows hastily removed files and an emptied roll top desk. You can't be more than a few hours behind him but he's been warned that you are looking for him. The place is deserted. The winter sun is low outside, even for early afternoon, and you find clear markings of a van or truck in the snow out the rear exit. The next twelve hours will be telling. Either you will be able to flush him out, or he will go to ground and be even harder to find. Stepping outside, you pull the door shut behind you and then shift, then shift again, coming to stand on the ledge of a building, fifty feet above where you started. The city streets spread out before you. The warren that is China Town beckons. Grimly you smile. The hunt is still on. Then a hint of green, and you are gone.

Arcsilver: (What in particular did you want to do with your grandfather, if anything? Insert that before the next little bit.) Blasting across the city, you arrive at Warwick Towers early as you tend to do. The snails pace at which the rest of the world seems to move is often aggravating, but it gives you time to get a bit to eat. Down the block from the Towers is Himanos Greek Eatery. You drop in, shocking (not literally) the late afternoon patrons in the greasy spoon. Ten minutes later, for the price of a half dozen autographs and some hastily shot Polaroids of you, the staff and Mrs. Himanos herself, you fly off with two large gyros, a coke, and a bag of fries which you hover in the air and scarf down while watching the building. Approximately twenty five minutes later an NYPD patrol car pulls up in front of the parking garage entrance.

Crusader: The questioning session is long and relatively unfruitful. All three soldiers, and that is what they are, it seems, operated on NTK. They had no direct contact with the Warlord, but that name was used, once, as the person who hired them. Two of them are European nationals, with one being American. They are mercenaries who claim to be independent contractors, until it is discovered that all three, including the woman, have the same tattoo. A rolling, black thunderhead over crashing waves, with black lightning striking through it, in a perfect circle. This turns out to be the mark of a large, international mercenary band, originally out of the Pacific Rim, called the Black Cloud Organization. Unfortunately that only underscores their professionalism, mostly likely verifying the fact that they have no real knowledge of the big picture. It is frustrating, but the Warlord obviously knows his business. As evening comes on, you leave to accompany a couple of detectives to Warwick Towers. Wild Heart leaves to check her own sources, but stays in radio contact.<<<

Note: Anything anybody wants to add. I'll do more, later.

-----

From S/Crusader:

<< the fact that you
called them ahead of time to let the police know you'd be stopping by... >>

No kidding! <g>.

>>Word from the brass is that you aren't the original
Crusader, and seeing you up close, even under that armor, I'm sure you
aren't. What I'd like to know, is, how is he? Rumor has it he hand picked
you to take over, and for that you've got a lot of slack with us, but me and
a lot of other cops owe their lives to the man whose colors you are wearing,
and well, we wanted to know if he's ok. If you see him, let him know we're
here for him. Anything he needs, we're there.<<

Crusader chuckles; "No, I'm not the original. The Original is healing up
from a fracas we were in together against some bad guys. He did pick me,
although at times, I'm not sure why. Pretty big shoes to fill, y'know? And
when he gets in contact with me, I will be sure to mention that this precinct
is sending their best. Thank you."

>>This turns out to be
the mark of a large, international mercenary band, originally out of the
Pacific Rim, called the Black Cloud Organization.<<

What does Crusader/John know of these guys? He spent time for Viper in
the Orient. Seems like the possibility of rubbing elbows or rubbing faces
might have come up. If I have a tidbit, I would share with the cops because
I want to secure their trust and the fact that I might be useful.

>>As evening comes on, you leave to accompany
a couple of detectives to Warwick Towers.<<

Crusader mentions: "I don't want to go in with you, but I would like to
listen. Can I have your frequency? I will be close by in case some
paranormal threat materializes, but I want to be outside to see what shakes
out when you guys start nosing around."
Then I would ask the two detectives if they want Arcsilver to go in with
them. "Perhaps he can draw so much attention that you can spot a clue or
two. " ; into the comm: "Arc, would you be willing?"
If all agree to the plan, Crusader wants to be hidden on a rooftop
opposite the front entrance (note: Many NYC buildings only have one
entrance on street level, the other entrance would be the parking garage, but
that is where the detectives are going to be, so I'm not worried about
covering that. Let me know if Warwick is different.) Crusader has
Telescopic, so he can watch the front entrance with pretty good detail, as
well as being able to track, say: a limo, a cab etc. In case anyone
suspicious tries to get away.

I will then roof-top to roof-top over to the Warwick Towers and watch the
cops back. Find myself a nice urban "blind" and go to work.

[RDU Neil]

Post 42

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver responds to Crusader: "Yeah, sure...I don't mind. I am
currently positioned above the building, trying to watch all sides. Give
me a second..."

Assuming that the cops don't object to my presence (if they do I'll
maintain a position on the other side of the building from crusader),
Arcsilver will fly down, landing gently beside the building as the cops
get out. He will follow them in, anfd take no direct action besides
smiling in a friendly way, and looking around casually for anything
amiss.

-----

From GM:

>>>Crusader: Your only previous experience with the Black Cloud organization was helping to clean up after a full squad of VIPER agents was taken out by the BC. They tend to use primarily conventional weaponry, but are very well disciplined and most of their ranks have considerable military training. VIPER tends to recruit from the criminal ranks, rather than military, which often leads to less than great agents, at least at the grunt level. You are surprised to hear of them acting in the U.S., though. That is not common at all.

Arcsilver & Crusader: Unfortunately, you don't find much. The two of you coordinate with the police. Two plain clothes detectives join the uniformed officers as Arcsilver drops down to join them, and Crusader takes his position. There is only one large people entrance on the west side, and therefore easy to cover.
The police and Arcsilver are let in to the garage by the security guard, who seems eager to cooperate, and summons the building manager. Crusader scans and photographs those coming and going, but no one seems unduly suspicious. Inside, the garage is two levels below ground, and a quick inspections shows nothing untoward. Scanning with his special sight, Arcsilver finds the typical jumble of electromagnetic signatures like any crowded area, and nothing peculiar.
Responding to the police questions, the building manager does confirm that there should be no reason for a garbage truck to come inside the complex. Trash pickup takes place outside, and was done at the regular time, two days ago. Security camera video is reviewed, and it does show the truck arriving, then leaving later, seemingly with automatic access to the gate. No clear shots of driver or passenger are available, but the police take the tape as evidence.
Warwick Towers is huge, and would truly take days to search in detail As the evening stretches out it becomes obvious that there is nothing overt here, and that any investigation will take a long time. Arcsilver is absolutely bored to tears, and Crusader has spotted nothing of interest. It isn't a complete bust, but it doesn't pan out the way you thought.

Dragon Mist: You continue pressing into the night, hitting bars and clubs and dark smoky restaurants, trying to flush Smilin' Sam out into the open. Your leads bring you to Jerry Tang, a shady business man with connections to the Dark Harbor Tong. Short and round, Jerry wears a cheap brown suit, and chain smokes cheap cigarettes behind a cheap second hand desk in an even cheaper office over a produce wearhouse. Puffing nervously, he collects himself after being frightened by your sudden materialization. "You are gwailo," he says, finally. "They don't say that. Very strange. You must be very good." He nods to himself, collecting his thoughts, then, gesturing through the cigarette smoke, says, "If you look for Sam, then try Emerald Inn. It off of Houston and 123rd St." Jerry smiles, showing yellowed teeth. Smoke drifts out his nostrils like curling worms. "You take him out, I'm happy. He is dangerous man, and no good for businness." Poking himself in the chest, he says, "Jerry never hurt nobody, but Sam... he crazy. I be glad when he is gone." He stops then, waiting for you to say something, the smile slowly fading from his face. He is just about to say something more, when you leave. A shunt, a port, a soft hiss and green, and the feint smell of burning incense.
Across the street, on the roof of a low building, you reappear, glad to be away from the foul smell of cheap smoke. Breathing deep, you stop, suddenly, as your sword tingles in your palm, and the hairs on the back of your neck stand up. Behind you, to the left slightly, in the shadow of the large air conditioning unit. Someone is there.<<<

Storn and Ilan... anything your guys would be doing during the down time, while this happens?

[RDU Neil]

Post 43

From S/Crusader:

"Arc, I'm at a loss on how to proceed next." Crusader will state as they
leave the cops behind after a long, frustrating day. "I could sneak into
Warwick Towers, but the sheer size of it wouldn't make a search easy. I
could go straight for the penthouses on the theory that Warlord is a
grandstanding sort of fellow and might like the view. But I have an idea on
how to do some detective work."
Click the comm and call into Mav HQ; "Hey, Yuri, can you look up
Warlord's civilian id from his incarceration documents? Then see if that
name comes up attached to the Warwick Towers in any form, board of trustees,
owner, architect, etc."

As for beyond that, I'm stumped. Crusader would check in with the rest
of the Mavs and let them know that Arc and he are available for any tasks,
that the police investigation of the garage is over (for now, at least).

From M/Dragon Mist:

Sorry for not replying last night, I had a late night at the opera. No really I
did. Can't you believe me?

Dragon Mist has always been the direct sort of operative in these situations,
which means he would 'port behind the guy and disarm him. He would that is if
he knew the guys exact position. Since he doesn't, he will turn (holding his
phase/segment/action) and address his follower saying, "You might as well come
out now." This will give him a chance to see exact positioning of his potential
opponent. He is ready to abort to a dodge.

-----

From GM:

>>>Crusader: You call into Yuri, and relay your request. He begins searching, telling you that, at this point he has only managed to get the public record of Warlord incarceration. None of the confidential files, still waiting on authorization, but they have his true identity as Arthur "Arty" Reeves. It seems he had no criminal record from before he pulled the Warlord stunt, back in Columbus, and nothing since. His original hometown was Austin, Texas, where his parole has been maintained. "I have call into Austin," says Yuri. "I am trying to reach the... eh... Parole Officer. One Lydia Wright. Maybe to be able to find this Mr. Reeves. I let you know." With that, you are left with little do, as night begins to fall.

Arcsilver: ??

Dragon Mist: You stare intently into the shadow as a person begins to materialize. Clothed in black, with traditional wrapped face mask, the lithe figure of a woman shifts into the dim, ambient light. No sound from her footsteps reaches you. She shifts, and her right arm comes into view, bare from the shoulder, but with a familiar black demon tattoo twisting down to her hand. You relax, but just slightly, as her face turns toward you, and you look into the deep almond eyes of Grey Spirit.
Former assassin, former hero, she battled beside you as you fought for the Dragon Master against his arch rival, the silk-style master Blood. Since then, she has been the right hand of the Dragon Master, the only man who could teach her to control the demon etched into her skin and soul. You rarely see her though her presence is felt throughout China Town. A Japanese ninja, she is an outsider who runs the Grey Shadows gang now, and keeps the Tongs in line. Some say she hass the power to purge the Tongs and end corruption of the Japanese Yakuza, uniting all the Asian enclaves of the city. Others say she devours men's souls on nightly basis. The truth is probably somewhere in between.
Now you see the hint of a smile in her eyes, and she bows slightly. Stepping close she holds her hands out, empty, as if to show no threat, and catches your eyes with a hard, beautiful stare. "You are a busy man today," she says in a soft, firm voice. Though still two feet away you are vitally aware of her presence. A hint of lilac scent comes on a breeze. "I hate to interfere with your business, but it is unfortunately necessary." She shifts into a casual stance, arms loose at her sides... almost coy. It is clear she has changed. There is no more of the bridled anger, the brittle tension that used to emanate from her. She is confident now. Centered. You find it strangely... compelling. She again catches your eyes in her gaze and continues, "I must ask you to desist in your search for Samo Yong Ban. The one you call, Smilin' Sam. Your search for him is causing," she pauses, "...difficulties. Is there some way I could dissuade you from this pursuit?"<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 44

From S/Crusader:

"That leads me to the next question, is there a Reeves associated with
Warwick Towers at all?", I ask Darkeye (the financial wiz, by comm, if
necessary) and Yuri (who can at least check public records). "Patch Lydia
Wright to me when you get her." I mention to Yuri.

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist relaxes a bit. Smiling under his mask he keeps his initial gaijin
response to himself, thinking that there is a lot she could do to dissuade him,
and replies to Grey Spirit: "This business of mine has a lot hanging in the
balance, not finding him would cause. . . more difficulties. Though I would
greatly regret crossing a comrade in arms, I need to ask him many questions
regarding current affairs. Perhaps you would be willing to help me put an end to
the difficulties I may be causing by bringing him to me. You lnow I shed very
little blood."

-----

From GM: Note that here I was still encouraging more input/descriptive elements from the players. Also understand that many offline conversations were going on over the phone or in person that would see light in the game.

Note: Still haven't received anything from Ilan, but we can go ahead at this point. I would like to suggest that all of you feel free to expound upon scenes or events that are personal to your character. If Ilan wants Arcsilver to visit his grandfather, then go ahead and describe the scene, write some dialogue, whatever. I may not use all of it, but it gives you a chance to expand your character. I've obviously added my own ideas about what your characters are like, and can continue that. Matt mentioned once that he thought it would be interesting for Dragon Mist to explore his more mystical side, so I've been hinting at that. Whatever interests you have about your character or the world, let me know. Write your own "off camera" scene, especially when there is down time, or give me ideas about what you'd like me to write. I definitely want you to feel you have a chance to flesh out your characters.
Anyway, onward...

>>>Crusader & Arcsilver: As you converse with Yuri, and head out from Warwick towers, a call comes in from Wild Heart. "Hey fellas. This is a conference call. If you don't have anything immediately hot in front of you, I suggest we just maintain our regular rotating patrols, relax a little, and keep our ears and eyes open. Let's keep up our presence. Press when we find a button, but don't wear yourselves out hunting down every obscure possibility. I'm at Laguardia, right now. I'm here to pick up Tanya. She was on a shoot in Florida when she heard about John, so I'm going to help her out as best I can. I'm also concerned she might be targeted as well. Arcsilver did you take care of your personal business?

You discuss some more, when Darkeye jumps in, saying, "Hey, my search just pulled up something. I've got a friend in real estate, so I thought I'd run Warwick Towers through her. She just let me know that nearly ten years ago, during the recession, Warwick Towers was one of the many prime sights up for sale. She remembers it, because potential buyers were caught up is legal work as a Federal RICO investigation was taking place with the former owners. She doesn't have anything official, and I can't find anything in public records, but my friend says the rumors were not about Mafia, but instead about our little friends in tacky green jumpsuits." He waits for your replies, then says, "Oh, but there is no connection between Arthur Reeves and Warwick Towers that I can find. Sorry."

Dragon Mist: At your statement, Grey Spirit continues to smile, "Neither your prowess, nor your restraint are being questioned," she says. She leans almost imperceptibly closer, tilting her head in a strikingly soft and feminine way, she says quite seriously, "Any who did so would answer to me." For an instant, all is silent, as she merely looks up into your eyes. Then she steps back, breaking the moment, turning away from you with hands behind her back, she returns to the business at hand. "It would not be acceptable for me to bring Samo to you," she says over her shoulder, stepping lightly away from you. She stops and turns again, right hand on hip, she reaches up and slips her face wrap down, revealing her perfect cheeks and small, delicate mouth. A more wry grin spreads across her face in a very enticing way, and she almost laughs, saying, "But there are no grounds for his refusal to answer any question I put to him. Tell me what you need to know and I will find the answers for you."<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 45

From S/Crusader:

<< I'm here to pick up
Tanya. >>

Crusader turns to nearest (by comm or proximity) oldest member of the
Mavs, "who's Tanya?" {And Neil, Storn is blanking on this one as well.}

>>If you don't have anything immediately hot in front of
you, I suggest we just maintain our regular rotating patrols, relax a
little, and keep our ears and eyes open.<< AND >>She doesn't have anything
official, and I can't find
anything in public records, but my friend says the rumors were not about
Mafia, but instead about our little friends in tacky green jumpsuits." He
waits for you replies, then says, "Oh, but there is no connection between
Arthur Reeves and Warwick Towers that I can find. Sorry."<<

Hmmm. {Neil, is Crusader supposed to be out on patrol now? I don't have
a clue about if this scheduled or not. Or if he is even official Maverick
personnel yet.}
Also, Crusader has 3 non-specified contacts. I want to use one now.

Althea McAlister, African-American female, Viper, weapons procurement
division. She, like me, was Los Angles Nest. Like me, she was out of town
when the hammer came town. In fact, she was in NYC. Didn't know her well in
LA, but in the recent few weeks, we've spoken. Spotted her coming out of a
Knicks game at the Garden.
Althea is reluctant to join any of the other Nests due to the strange
disruptions and infighting, so she is biding her time, waiting to see who
comes out on top.
Althea's old job was to buy 2nd hand weapons for Viper and to sell Viper
weapons to those Viper wanted to favor. Right now, she is working for the
Port Authority under an assumed identity (Althea Morning). She handles
arranging freight on Brooklyn shipping docks.
She is aware that Intercept armor is Crusader and that I'm the one in it.
I couldn't hide my 6'4" height and her expertise is Viper weapons systems.
But right now, neither of us can afford to piss the other off.

So, I want to contact her and see what she knows of Warwick Towers. If
it is all right with the GM, (and Dragonmist & Wildheart) I would go down to
her office near Wall Street in my civvies and see if she is interested in
lunch.

>>A more wry grin spreads across her face
in a very enticing way, and she almost laughs, saying, "But, there are no
grounds for his refusal to answer any question I put to him. Tell me what
you need to know, and I will find the answers for you."<<< <<

{just a player comment: cool twist! didn't see that coming!}

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist lets his guard down, leans against the wall and pulls at his half
mask. Returning the wry grin w/ a smirk, he says to Grey Spirit: "Then I pity
those who might question my prowess and restraint. Thank you." He pauses for
effect. "I don't know how much you can get from Samo, but whatever you can
get, I need. I have no doubt that you can be very. . . persuasive. Please find
out about Samo's involvement w/ the Russian Mafia, Yakov Bulgo and how they
all tie into a character known as the Warlord. I think that Samo plays the
part as middle man between the two factions, but I need to hear it from him."
One more pause. "If you could find this out for me, I would be in your debt."

>>I'm not sure if that's such a good idea, but let's see what happens. . .<<

------

From GM:

Note: Still not getting any game posts from Ilan. I don't think Storn or Matt has received any either. I'm just going to continue, and Ilan, jump in whenever you get a chance. Hope you are still receiving these e-mails.

>>>Crusader: In response to you query "Tanya?" Wild Heart responds, "Oh, yes, you wouldn't have met her. Tanya Rodriguez, my old roomie. She and our friend Masterson have been an item ever since they were kidnapped by some enemies of ours. Back when we first met John, and he saved Mind Shadow from the Devil's Noches. I'll tell you the story sometime. Anyway, she's obviously upset, and I want to be there to help her." With that she signs off.
At this point, the day is ended, and the Maverick's are spread about the city. MIRV Alpha reports in as he is heading back to base after aerial patrol of the Hoboken area. Darkeye had taken the afternoon off, and is starting an evening patrol of Queens, in his car. Wild Heart is at Laguardia, and Arcsilver has headed home, for now. Dragon Mist hasn't checked in, but that seems typical of him. None of the others seem particularly worried. You stand on a rooftop in lower Manhattan somewhat out of sorts. The team seems to be assuming you know what to do, and no one is giving you orders. You've patrolled a number of times over the past few months, but only with Dragon Mist. Now, as you watch the street below, you realize the next move is up to you. Steam curls from the vents and sewers below you, and the city hums with light and energy. Solo patrol, maybe try to look up Althea, though you dread getting that close to VIPER again. Maybe just take a little time off and eat some dinner. Whatever the choice, it is yours to make.

Dragon Mist: As you explain your questions to Grey Spirit, she nods knowingly, but her face becomes a bit more grim when you mention the Russian's. When you mention the Warlord, she looks quizzical, biting her lower lip in a rather attractive way as she thinks for a moment. She steps past you then, her body not quite brushing against yours. Her clean scent, lilac and sharp hint of incense, fills your mind. She stops at the edge of the building, and casually watches the street below. Her loose scarf blows slightly in a gust of wind. "So you believe Samo is connected to the Russians?" She turns, confirming, "Currently?" Her face is clearly angry, and her eyes are hard. "If that is true, I may hand him over to you after all." Then quietly, she adds,"...one piece at a time."
She pivots, smiling slightly once again, and begins wrapping her mask/scarf back around her face. "I will get your answers within the next day or so. I take no debt from you, as I am more indebted to you for agreeing to my request." She steps backward then toward the side of the building. You begin to offer your cell phone number, but she shakes her head, instead tossing you a small package. Unrolling the paper, a small incense burner falls into your hand. "Simply light this. At night." From the burner comes a strong tang... her scent... magnified. "If I am available, I will find you." She reaches out then, her hand folding yours around the burner. She speaks close to your face, her eyes searching yours. "For you alone," she whispers.
Then she steps back to the edge of the building, and looking over her shoulder, she says, "I am intrigued that the Warlord approached you as well. Perhaps we shall discuss his offer. It is intriguing... no?" Then she drops over the side. You jump to the edge, looking for her, sudden questions on your lips, but she has vanished. Gone... but not entirely... her scent fills the air around you.

-----

Three days pass. (Anything of a personal note that you might wish to fill in here, please do so.) Information comes in about Arthur Reeves, but it only leads to more questions. His parole officer claims he is and has been, still in Austin. In fact, she saw him only last week. His psyche file from his prison stay is remarkable in what it doesn't show. Reeves seems to be a person a little too confident, stable, and non-aggressive (not passive, but non-aggressive) for a costumed criminal. No signs of pathology other than strong self control. No antipathy, no cockiness, maybe slight arrogance. All in all the shrink testified that he found him an intelligent and likable person. The big, glaring omission is that Reeves never indicated in the slightest, his reason for attacking the police as the Warlord in the first place.
Masterson is off the critical list, but still in a coma. Wild Heart has spent most of her time at the hospital, or with Tanya. MIRV, Darkeye and Arcsilver seem to have a comfortable rhythm of maintaining visible patrols in various parts of the city. Dragon Mist lights his incense burner at night and waits patiently, but Grey Spirit does not come, though the small block of incense never burns away, either. Crusader attempts to contact Althea McAlester, but she does not answer the number given. When checking at the Port Authority, he finds that she's "...taken a leave to see her mother... in Pittsburgh, I think."
Things are quiet, and the three of you find yourselves at the HQ, late afternoon. The others are away, including Yuri, who has gone to an electronics trade show. Quietly meditating while monitoring the computers and phones, Dragon Mist cracks one eye open, and glances at a screen that has just started flashing. Tapping "Enter" he brings up a report screen, automatically downloading a police response that triggered the alarm. Code 666, Harlem, block of 96th. The Onyx Gym, four to five metahuman attackers, property damage, fire, civilian casualties. Officer on the scene is non responsive. Reference, known paranormal gym owner and operator, Onyx, on the scene, but status unknown. CAT Squad scrambled."<<<

[Cardinal]

Post 39 (Well, I think like only 3 people are reading this stuff (and one was a player in the game, so he doesn't count :) ) but I'm getting a kick out of revisting the story, so I'm going to keep posting.)

From GM:

Don't fret, others are reading as well. I, for one, have nothing to add to the fine RPing from your game.

Please carry on!!!

[RDU Neil]

Post 46

From GM: Note that I was just providing some background information that the players should have. Some of them would know all this, I just wanted to be sure we were all on the same page.

Just some notes about the Mavericks, and information characters would have...

Wild Heart: Team leader, anglo female mutant, super strong and resistant to injury. Native New Yorker, former bouncer and singer at CBGB. Real name is Megan Moore. All members would know this, though she keeps it secret in general. Easy going, but totally committed to the Mavericks. She practically lives out of the HQ and trains hard, having assumed the leadership reluctantly when taken under the wing of the original Crusader. Under his tutelage, she became a devastating fighter, and a solid leader. She enjoys patrolling on foot, rubbing elbows with the everyday person, and is really committed to helping people, not just stopping crime.

MIRV Alpha: Real name Sean O'Malley, which is known to all team members. Second man to wear a MIRV suit, which is a modular battlesuit that can provide a variety of offensive, defensive and information gathering equipment. Sean is ex-regular army, and hand picked to field test the next generation MIRV suits, and so was placed with the Mavericks some years back. He is the oldest member of the team, intelligent, calm, collected, with solid technical/electronics expertise. Despite his Irish roots, he is as Midwest American as can be, showing no ethnic or family ties to New York.

Darkeye: (former Storn PC, now NPC) Real name is Richard Cross, and all team members know this. A young white guy with considerable personal fortunes, he also has the ability to emit unknown "black energies" from his eyes with great destructive force. He is a gregarious and fun, really enjoying socializing and the limelight. He has become very well known in the past few years, because he will always stay for the press, and is very telegenic, even in his full body suit costume. In fact, local papers and tabloids run lots of stories, like "Darkeye Really Tom Hanks!" and his Internet fan club receives hundreds of date and marriage requests from teenage girls and grown women alike. Rich really gets a kick out of these, and reads the funnier ones out loud at meetings. He has his mother's business prowess as well, and increases his considerable trust fund with sound investing. Much of the extra spending money that the team uses is from Darkeye, and anyone willing to take him up on his investment offers would probably have a hell of a portfolio.

Paradigm Inc.: An influential R&D company out of Minnesota, Paradigm Inc. is a subsidiary of Armbruster industries, specifically working on man/machine integration like cybernetics and power suit applications. Funding for the Mavericks base, and monthly stipends for each member, ($35,000 annual total) comes from Paradigm. They helped establish the team in New York, when it was kicked out of Philadelphia in the early '90s. Sean O'Malley is a full time employee of Paradigm. Wild Heart has an official working relationship with them, which amounts to her complaining every once in while about weekly reports that she files. Other than that, there has been no influence or even regular contact from or by Paradigm, on the group.

Other New York paranormals: You've met Grey Spirit, and will soon meet Onyx, a public paranormal (strong, tough, carries a "magical" baseball bat of black crystal) who runs a popular gym in Harlem. He is a popular figure in the African American community, and is well known outside it for his community work. He is the self proclaimed protector of Harlem, and makes no bones about breaking the bones of drug dealers, gang bangers, or any violent criminals he finds "on his turf." Though he's made plenty of enemies, not being very political in his comments about Mayor Juliani's policies or the NYPD, he has helped clean up Harlem immensely, and the area is prospering.
Spanish Harlem had it's own street protector for a while, a "blind" martial artist calling himself Justice, but it has been over a year since he's been heard from.
A male mutant with enhanced strength, speed and animal senses works as a park ranger in Central Park, which has become his territory. Publicly, no one knows who this mysterious Ranger (as he calls himself) is, but the Mavericks have met and worked with him in the past. He's pretty much a recluse, though.
There is a very public segment of the population, very small, but very visible, of other paranormals, mostly mutants, who have abilities on a limited scale, but don't use them in combat situations. Harvey Kremcheck is a local personality as a NY Sewer Dept. worker who can cause his hands to glow. He used this ability to help track down some people lost in the sewers. Malvial Lincoln is a popular musician and music producer, who has limited control over sound waves, and has used it to create a whole new hip hop, club music scene they call "Textured." Fat Boy Slim has moved from England to NYC, and is releasing an album with him soon. There are others, which will be revealed over time, but the main thing is, other than your basic bigot and/or disgruntled type, New York loves folks like this. They love the Mavericks. They love Onyx in a controversial way. They love rumors of a wolfman in Central Park. Anything big and impressive that can make the most jaded New Yorker take notice is a good thing.

Hope this helps fill in some gaps, and I'll post later.

[RDU Neil]

Post 47

From I/Arcsilver:

Hi guys, sorry to be silent for a while, my students have their first
paper due, and are sending me all kinds of E-anxst. My mother-in-law is
also here, and so I have had a hard time getting to the computer (she is
staying in the office). I will be more responsive, though...

Arcsilver, after the Warwick Towers bust, went to see his grampa again,
worried about his safety. He Grampa, however, is continually annoyed at
how much time Nicj is staying over their, refused to let him in, so Nick
went to work. On lunch break, he sent another bouquet of blue bonnets to
Sally Robinson, signing the usual

"From Zippy"

He always thinks of including a poem with these, but all of his attempts
have the same meter as "I once met a man...", so he resists the urge.

Arcsilver's patrols will take him around where MIRV had been (in
Brooklyn, was it?), and he will spend a lot of time high, observing major
parts of the city with EM vision, looking for the same kind of signature.

Arcsilver is patroling when the call comes from Darkeye (assuming that
the call does come, if not let me know and I will revise). He punches up
the speed, and responds over the comm to the whole group.

"I'm going to the scene, I plan to monitor the situation and relay the
info until you guys get their, unless there is danger to the police or
bystanders."

Unless someone comes over the comm saying otherwise, Arcsilver will hit
high gear towards the coordinants, coming in high and scanning with EM
vision as soon as he gets within sight.

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist rolls out of his sitting position and quickly alerts the rest of
the team. " Crusader, Arcsilver we've got paranormal activity at Onyx's gym.
Remember Onyx? Big guy w/ the bat? It sounds like he's got some company."
Dragon Mist then puts out the incense, preying that Onyx isn't the reason for
Grey Spirits latency. He then 'ports tp meet the rea of the team.

From S/Crusader:

Hmmm. I think we should tell the patrol officer that a paranormal named
Warlord has shown up in the NYC scene. There is no direct indication that
Reeves and Warlord are one and the same. But the strong self control would
fit the psych profile of the Warlord WE met.

Neil, where is Crusader at this moment? How soon can I be to the crime
area?

>>" Crusader, Arcsilver we've got paranormal activity at Onyx's gym.
Remember Onyx? Big guy w/ the bat? It sounds like he's got some company."<<

>>"I'm going to the scene, I plan to monitor the situation and relay the
info until you guys get their, unless there is danger to the police or
bystanders."<<

"Roger that Mist, I'm at {fill in the blank, Neil}, I'm sure Arc will get
there first. Keep in contact Arc!"

--storn
Whoops guys, I just re-read Neil's post.
I have a correction: The message said 4 to 5 ultranormal operatives
involved. Crusader would then say to Arc instead: "Arc, be careful, you
might have 5 powered hostiles. I'm on my way at top speed!"

Curious: What other Mavericks respond to the call, it is completely
justified that some are busy or no where near the scene. NYC is huge after
all, and it allows you to keep the NPC count down a bit.

-----

From GM:

All right! Ilan's back. Any time you guys get busy, let me know. If you don't post for a few days, no problem, I just thought we were experiencing technical difficulties.

Note: My last post indicated that all three of you were at the HQ when the call came in, though I was obviously not clear on that. It doesn't really matter, though... so onward...

>>>Arcsilver: As you streak across the skyline, you think past the last couple of days. Looking for a similar energy "paint" signature, you found two, both old and faint. Even the area that had been covered, near the Waffle House, is fading quickly. The other two were sprays on rooftops, one on side of the Empire State Building, and the second on an apartment building on Park Avenue. Nothing of interest was apparent at either location. Other than that, the city seemed normal.
You bank up and over an old cathedral, and turn north, heading toward Harlem. Crusader's warning comes over you communicator. Before you can reply, you see flashes of light about a half mile away, and then a deep red explosion of light, followed seconds later by an echoing "FFWWAAAAAAMMMM!!" as the concussive sound of the eruption reaches you. You see buildings close to the scene shake, and a few windows shatter. Below you people turn toward the sound in astonishment, and as you flash past, they point and shout.
Your speed brings you close to the area quickly and as you begin to pull up to take in the whole scene, black clouds of smoke begin rolling up from the street below, 96th Street. Heavy, thick clouds, acrid with burning fuel. You see people running on the street and not a few lying unmoving, as if caught in the explosion. The smoke is coming from a demolished bus stuck in the stalled traffic, which seemed to have caught fire after being caved in the middle by a large impact. Dust and falling glass are everywhere. There is a large brownstone building with "Gym Onyx" over the large double door entrance. The glass windows on all floors are shattered and there is a large, gaping hole through a lower wall, seeming smashed inward from the sidewalk outside. There are no obvious paranormals in sight.

Dragon Mist: You spring out of the computer monitor booth as Crusader comes out of the kitchenette, snapping his helmet in place. As you move, you hit the "All Call" button. Nodding toward you, Crusader relays his warning to Arcsilver, and then looks around saying, "Who else is responding? Arcsilver's on his own, out there!" You pause, thinking that it is a long way to Harlem from here. As Crusader heads toward the docked outboard, you realize there is a shorter way. It means revealing your private hideaway to Crusader, and it runs a risk of taking someone else down the longer, darker path you have created between here and there, but it would take many minutes off the travel time. Is it a risk you are willing to take?

Crusader: You run to the boat, stepping in while picturing in your head, "Harlem, Harlem... north of the Park... Crap! That's a long way away." You turn, looking at Dragon Mist, who has paused in the center of the floor. He seems to be contemplating something as he looks from you, to the living quarters, and back again. For some reason he has stopped rushing.<<<

Matt,
Just to let you know, I've allowed that Dragon Mist has created a kind of "path" between his quarters in the HQ, and his quarters overlooking the East River. It's his private path, and technically he doesn't have this as a Power, but you can attempt to take Crusader with you. Base it on the ritual I described in the post a few posts back, about how you transported to HQ in the morning. Just write your response in the public post, as to whether you choose to go this way, or not.

Any questions, let me know (And we can work on making this a real POWER if you want to expand his abilities in this area, later.)

[RDU Neil]

Grey Spirit (Old picture Storn sketched one evening. She's actually another old PC of Storn's (he's got a lot) that I've used as an NPC for some time. Kind of a group fave! I may have to see if Storn wants to draw an updated picture of her... she's gone through some minor changes over the years.)

[zornwil]

Thanks for posting this, RDU Neil, I'll subscribe (by this note) and probably catch up later.

[RDU Neil]

Post 48

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will relay the information over the comm, and then try a fly
by on that window. I want to take just a quick glance inside as I pass,
so that no one would be able to take too much of a shot at me unless they
were braced and ready for me. I will power up before I go in (FF up),
and use my full movement to make the fly-by.

From S/Crusader:

Not understanding the hesitancy of DragonMist, Crusader will ask: "Are
you coming?"

From M/Dragon Mist:

With grim conviction on his face, Dragon Mist looks Crusader directly in the
eyes and asks" We are entering a battle zone, one in which Arcsilver may
already be a casualty, I can get us there faster than this boat but you must be
prepared. It is a dark path which we will take."

From S/Crusader:

John thinks about this for a second), shrugs, replies
uncertainly; "O-kay?!? This mystic stuff gets my stomach going, but
Momma Spenser didn't raise a coward." and then you can tell he is psyching
himself up and with more confidence; "Let's GO! At least it won't be
boring!"

-----

From GM:


>>>Crusader: Exhaling and forcing a smile, you follow Dragon Mist as he leads you back toward the personal quarters. He pushes open the door to his room and steps inside. You follow, feeling a strange knot in your stomach, as you try to relax yourself by thinking, "This can't be any worse than leaping off a thirty story building and hoping for a stiff breeze to hold me up... can it?" You find yourself without much time for internal debate. Inside the nearly bare room. Dragon Mist kneels before a small shrine. He picks up two incense sticks which seem to light automatically in his hand. A sharp, but pleasant smell fills the air as he taps them on both of your shoulders, then his own, then draws an intricate shape in the faint smoke over the alter. Turning toward you, his eyes flash a bright emerald as you have never seen before. He places a hand on your shoulder and says, "Step forward with me, and do NOT break contact." Then, he pulls you slightly toward him and...

...you are somewhere else. Somewhere vast and dark yet you instinctively hunch over. You do not seem to move, but air... is it air?... seems full of... something. Slick, fast, palpable darkness. Worst of all is the whispering. As if you weren't in armor... As if your helmet didn't exist... the shapes in the air whisper and call right into your ears and over your skin, hissing syllables that you can almost understand, but not quite... At that same moment, you try to turn, to look at Dragon Mist, only to find the hand on your shoulder is not a hand at all, but a phosphorescent green claw and reptilian leg that traces upwards to the ghostly emerald body of a serpentine dragon. The dragon streams along beside you and it's face begins to turn toward you. A flickering of bright silver comes from it's mouth. It's tongue. A sword. It turns to look you directly in the eyes with fearsome slitted orbs, looking...

...looking out at the East River. A hazy sunlight filtering through aged, smeared glass and Long Island stretching off into the far distance. No sense of movement, no sudden stop. You simply are standing miles from where you began, with only the smallest of steps taken.

Dragon Mist: They were bold. Perhaps angry. The spirits were pressing in on you much more than ever before this time. Still, Crusader seems unharmed. Nodding in satisfaction, you clap him on the shoulder, then spring upward, clearing ten feet easily, to reach a hanging rope. "This way," you say, as you shimmy upward onto a landing, and press open a concealed door. After only the slightest hesitation, Crusader follows. The two of you exit on to the roof. "This way," you say again, and begin heading slightly north and west, toward Harlem. It is some blocks away still, but a tenth the distance it would have been from the Jersey shore.
As you run, you catch the briefest flash of bright yellow low along the rooftops many blocks ahead of you. Then a brief flash of red emanates upward, most likely from your destination. As you run forward, smoke begins to billow into the sky.

(Obviously, the above happened as Arcsilver was flying into Harlem. Now...)

Arcsilver: Your force field sparks to life and people below you turn and squint through the smoke, coughing and shielding their eyes as you fly into the street. You zip towards the gym, coming in at the third floor level. The windows have shattered up here, and after you pass through the smoke you can see that of the five rooms three are empty, and two have men leaning out of them, yelling at each other, and pointing down toward the gaping hole in the side of the building at street level. One is an old black man in a bathrobe, looking shocked and disoriented. The other is a heavily muscled Hispanic youth, awkwardly trying to both lean out the window and stay balanced on some crutches.

He points down at the demolished bus. Now that you've come across the street, you can look back to see a pair of legs, large and gray and blocky, sticking out of the crumpled sheet metal and glass. As you watch, the legs seem to crumbled and collapse into chunks of what looks like dirt or hardened clay. "Madre Dios," says the Hispanic man, as he watches, and you see him instinctively cross himself.
The two men see you now, but you begin to dive down to take your quick look through the smashed wall. You realize that flashing past won't give you the best view, but no need to make yourself an easy target. With lightning jogs, you zap downward and blur past the whole, just as a loud, angry voice reaches you from it, "...od damnit, woman! I did not request your assistance! You sullied my victory!" You look, for a brief moment, and see a snapshot of...
A tall man with long blonde hair, in an archaic robe, holding some kind of big wooden stick, stands shouting at much shorter, Asian woman. She stands straight before him, in a strange, dark green metallic jumpsuit. She has mature, striking features. Her long hair is in a ponytail and is streaked with gray. Something small and silver is in her right hand. Around them are the devastated remains of a weight lifting gym, with benches and free weights strewn about. A couple bodies lie in the center aisle, one of them a very large black man, face down. You see two more figures, another woman and another man, farther back in the room, and then you are past. Both the blonde man and the Asian woman were snapping their heads to look at you as you flew by.
You stop and turn at the edge of the building. A rich, feminine voice with a strong Japanese accent, comes out of the gaping hole. "Enough! Arcsilver is here! The others of these Mavericks can not be far behind! We are done here! Let us leave!"
At the same time, your comm crackles and Darkeye's voice comes across. "I'm on my way, compadres! Only a few blocks away, and closing fast. You won't be alone for long, Arcs! Not getting any response from Wild Heart or MIRV, though! I think ol' MIRV is in Philadelphia with Yuri. It's just us! Where are the big bads, anyway??"
There is a brief moment of quiet, then. What do you do?<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 49

From I/Arcsilver

Well, this is going to get me into trouble, I think...but should be fun!

Arcsilver will swing around (all levels on turn mode and relaying what
he saw over the Comm.), and hover just outside the hole in the doorway,
striking a pose and ready to dodge (a half-move, saving the second
half-phase for a dodge, if the revamped system allows for this). If
possible, he would like to be slightly off-center, so that he is obscured
from the two in the back of the room, and even partly abscured from the
woman with the shiny thing in her hand (that she might throw!). He has a
KS logged super heroes and villains at 11-, and he will try to place the
blond guy as he makes a Presence attack on him - 3d6+? (well, I can hope,
can't I?)

"Too late, Scooter. The Mavericks are HERE! Now, why don't you make it
easy and put down those weapons..."

Arcsilver is fully expecting to draw fire for this, but is hoping to
escape with the help of his dodge and positioning. The attempt is to
take attention away from the downed figures inside, so that they will
escape further harm until help arrives. I guess having regeneration
makes one a little cocky...

From S/Crusader:

Crusader's response might surprise. He is shaking, when they step out
into reality. Not with fear. But with anger. Of course, Dragonmist might
not understand the difference between the two emotions through an opaque
faceplate.
John Spenser just doesn't understand what just happened. His fight or
flight kicked into Fight very strong. Sword tongue'd dragons threatening him
and other spaces makes him feel small, afraid. How John felt before he ran
away from home, before he learned how to fight back.

>>As you run, you catch the briefest flash of bright yellow low along the
rooftops many blocks ahead of you. Then a brief flash of red seems to
emanate upward, most likely from your destination. As you run forward,
smoke begins to billow into the sky.<<

What is Arcsilver's energy signature, blue? Can we assume that this
isn't Arc?

There is a brief moment of quiet, then. What do you do?<<<

Nothing to do except pour on the speed and get to the crime scene. I
will want to get to the rooftops of the brown stones of Harlem and proceed on that altitude. Crusader is feeling grim, and doesn't say anything. The
small part of his rational mind is; "why break radio silence and let the
enemy know that *I'm* coming?"

--storn "yikes, that little interdimensional trip sure had an effect on poor
ol' Crusader. "

------

From GM:

Note: I'm going to post, even though Matt hasn't replied, because Ilan has a
few actions before Crusader and Dragon Mist get there. Also, if Arcsilver
is blue, no one told me. I was assuming yellow/white lightning effects,
though his costume is blue. Anyway, the streak before the reddish explosion
WAS Arcsilver arriving on the scene... the explosion was NOT Arcsilver.

>>>As Crusader and Dragon Mist sprint and leap across the rooftops, the
following unfolds at Onyx' gym...

Arcsilver: You position yourself off center of the large hole, and call out.
You hear movement inside, the clang of a heavy free weight hitting the
ground, then a female grunt and a female voice, not the Asian woman,
saying harshly, "Oh yeah! Oh yeah! This is it! Finally gonna get my turn!"
and then she laughs. Footsteps approach the hole and the tall blonde man
steps right into your full view. You see now that he is heavily muscled,
with an intricate wooden club with a black gem on the top. He is a wearing a
crown of some sorts. That and his cape have ornamentation that reminds you of Aztech or Inca or one of those old South American peoples. He seems to be staring in surprise at you. He asks, puzzlement in his voice, "Do you really expect us to surrender?" He has a faint British accent.

He turns his head then and looks back into the gym, calling over
his shoulder, "This skinny glowing fart is what we were told to worry about?
Please... spare me!" He turns back to you, grinning wickedly. "I'll smash him in half, and use his head as a football," and he begins to step through the hole toward you.<<<

(Ilan, you have an action and then we'll initiatize. Your presence attack
worked, but in a strange way... he isn't hesitating because he's taken aback... instead he's sort of leaving himself open, out of overconfidence and amazement at your audacity. Your move.)

[RDU Neil]

Post 50

From M/Dragon Mist:

Sorry for the silence, I took some time off for Valentine's and had a last
minute crisis w/ my publishing gig. I am back however and don't plan on any more
interuptions.

Dragon Mist remains silent, leaving Crusader to his own thoughts. He will us a
combination of teleportation and running to get in range of the conflict and,
like Crusader, will get a rooftop view of the scene. All of this will be done w/
the stealthiest of skill of course.

From I/Arcsilver:

As the tall Blond guy is turning back towards him, Arcsilver will shoot
forwards, curving around slightly in an arc (!) to pick up speed, and
execute a move-by on him, hopefully so that the knockback puts him back
into the building (maybe I'll hit one of those other baddies coming
out?). He will then continue his move into the air, and curve around to
monitor the opening. He would like to end up around 8"-10" from the
hole/building. As he is arcing around to face the door again (getting
ready to dodge), he will activate the comm "Arcsilver engaging, don't be
too late, guys!" Then he will reiterate what he said previously, "We
have 4 identified enemies spotted so far, could be more. Tall blond guys
or the short Asian woman look to be the leaders, I am working on the
blond. A number of casualties inside the building, including at least
two on the second level. Casualties outside as well, I don't have a
count. Have the Ambulances stop around the corner to the south, I will
evac some of the wounded if possible. Arcsilver out!"

-Ilan/Arcsilver

PS./Meta Notes: I have it figured that Arc will do 14 1/2 damage with
this move-by,
1/2 Str = 1 1/2d6
HA = 7d6
Velocity (assuming he can make full velocity) = 6d6

He will take 1/3 of this, but has +8 PD only vs this kind of damage. He
has three applicable levels, he will put two into OCV (making an 11), and
one into turn mode.

The above is just to help, if things figure differently because of
something that I am forgetting, that is fine.

From S/Crusader:

Crusader is still on the move, I assume. Nothing to respond to yet.

-----

From GM:

Note: I bought a map of Manhattan, and it cuts off just north of Central Park. Harlem, and Spanish Harlem, and all the upper tip of the island aren't shown in detail. Is this common? Are those parts not considered "Manhattan?" I was very surprised. I did learn enough to know that 96th street doesn't run through Harlem, it's further south. So Onyx's gym is actually on 116th, which looks like a major road through both Harlem and East Harlem. No biggee, but I thought I'd be accurate. Now, to the action...

>>>Arcsilver: With a burst of energy and a dash of aerial acrobatics, you fly in a sideways parabola, arcing back toward the large blonde man, whom you have not been able to place as a known paranormal. He continues to boast as he steps out on to the sidewalk. "I'm known as Maul, little man, and that is exactly what I'm gonna do to y..." his eyes go wide as he sees you suddenly speeding towards him, with your fists extended, electricity crackling around them.
ZZWWWAAAMMM!! You fists connect squarely with his jaw. Strangely, he didn't seem to dodge. In fact, at the last second, he sort of leaned in toward your blow. Several things happen at once, though your blow snaps his head back, Maul doesn't move at all. Pain lances through your hand and on up to your shoulder, as you ricochet off of him, up and out over the street. Twisting to regain your balance, you look back to see him grimacing in pain, wiping blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, and staring with growing malice in your general direction. (Since knock back didn't send him anywhere, I had Arcsilver take 2/3 damage, instead of 1/3. That came to 36 Stun, so you took 10 after defenses.) Behind him, you view of the interior is obscured, but there is clearly no other person close to Maul at this point in time.

Crusader & Dragon Mist: You have reached 116th, and have begun tearing across the rooftops on the south side, heading west toward Harlem. Below you the traffic is jammed, with no way a normal vehicle could get through it. People are out, all over the street, looking west. Some blocks down the street, you can see the wrecked shape of a city bus with black smoke pouring out of it. Onyx's Gym is on the north side of the street. Though you can't make out any details at this range, it looks damaged from the front. There is a glowing bluish/whitish yellow figure, most likely Arcsilver, zipping around in front of the building. He is obscured by the smoke, but you see him flash down at sidewalk level and impact with a second figure on the sidewalk. There is a bright flash of light and Arcsilver seems to be thrown up and away, back into the center of the street (though still in the air). The figure on the sidewalk is still standing. The echoing sounds of "ZZWWAAAMMM!!" rolls up the street.
Though you are both still some distance away you realize, Crusader, that you could make up time by jetting and gliding from this point, rather than staying on the rooftops. It might mean being a bit more visible, flying in daylight hours, but it would be much faster. You both have maintained radio silence up until now, but listening in, you hear, "Damn! Traffic is all backed up!" It's Darkeye's voice, sounding peeved. "I'm leaving the car a couple blocks away and hoofing it! Hang on, Arcs!"<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 51

From S/Crusader:

Spanish Harlem is East of 5th ave and does run down to 96th st. 116th
st. is a major one as is 125th. For both Harlem and Spanish Harlem. Harlem
is really 5th Ave to the West until you reach Columbia Ave. It goes up a
little past 125th.
As for north part of Manhatten, it is mostly residential and isn't on
very many maps. But the northern tip I think is around 214th st, so it goes
quite a bit north past where the map shows.

>>Though you are both still some distance away, you realize, Crusader,
that you could make up time by being jetting and gliding from this point,
rather than staying on the rooftops.<<

Athough my training dictates the stealth mode, a team-mate is in trouble.
I will take to the air, but still not announce myself. Hopefully, I can get
the sun behind me and I can try a different stealth mode. If ranged attacks
come out, assume that I will dodge while trying to close the distance. If a
ton of firepower comes out, Crusader will drop to the street or roof like a
rock, knowing approximately how far he can fall and absorb.

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist will continue on said path, keeping silent.

From I/Arcsilver

Arcsilver shake his open hands to shrug off the hurt, and arc upwards,
turning after a half move and saying "Yoohoo!" to Maul. If he is looking
at me, or when he does look, Arcsilver will launch a tendril of searing
white light past his face, trying to blind him (assuming that his is able
to get this close enough to his face). As he is doing this, he will key
the comm an say "Arcsilver here, the blond's name is "Maul," Yuri, can
anyone at base who might get us some info on him or his group ASAFP?
He's a bruiser, but I'm alright for now, going to keep them busy if I
can!"

Not sure how many actions I have or when the bad guys are going to move,
but whether or not the Flash works, I plan on trying to zap him with my
NND EB next round (bring that lightning around so that it contacts with
his head). I will forgoe this for out-in-out dodging if more of the
baddies appear on the scene, however, and only attack if it looks like I
will have two actions together.

-Ilan

Meta-note: That's a 3d6 Flash that activates on a 15-.

-----

From GM:

Initiative Actions: Arcsilver (1st action), Dragon Mist, Crusader, Arcsilver (2nd action)

>>>Arcsilver: Maul begins stepping toward you, the club in his hand swinging back and across his body in a confident, practiced, style. Your arms outstretch, and lightning flares brightly toward Maul. Unfortunately, he instinctively flinches, looking away, the glare washes over him, and he keeps moving toward you, seemingly unfazed. (Sorry, really bad attack roll, so you missed.)
"Crapola!" you think, and then you see another man, to your left down the street some, step out from behind a stalled van. A handsome looking black man dressed in deep black robes, and holding a wooden staff. Strange runes run down the front of his vestments. "Double crapola!" you say out loud, as he raises the staff, and it begins to glow.

Dragon Mist: Step, shift, appear. You have continued up the rooftops, gaining a clearer and clearer view of the area below. You see the man in the black robe as he steps out of the stalled mass of cars, and raises his staff. Unfortunately, you are some distance from the area still. At least four full jumps, at your present pace. (or 2 non-combat). Strangely, though, you feel you sword twitch, slightly. Not in a familiar, warning way, but different. A tension flows from it, as if the dragon spirit within is alerted to something... alerted, but not alarmed.

Crusader: As you launch and adjust your glide, you see the events described above unfold. Having announced your arrival, the only response you hear is Darkeye, saying, "Yeah! I knew you guys had to be around here somewhere. I'm sprinting East on 116th now, and I think I can see you from here, Crusader. We've got these chumps surrounded!" You realize though, that below you, Arcsilver is the one surrounded and in immediate danger. You streamline yourself and start heading in, and it seems that neither of the foes below is aware of your approach. Quickly calculating your trajectory, you realize you can just reach the dark robed man in the next couple of seconds, but probably not before he attacks, and there isn't much room to pull out if you do. The man is standing in the midst of the snarled traffic. (Game terms, you did a full move as you are seeing the situation above, then, next action, you are a full move dive, from behind, from the robed guy, but it'll be really hard to pull out, and you could hit the pavement or the surrounding cars.)

Arcsilver: The robed man gestures with his staff, and speaks some words aloud in a language you don't understand. A tire from the demolished bus, lying on the street, twitches, and then rolls upright, before shooting into the air directly at you. At almost the same time, Maul rotates his body sideways, and increase the spin on his club, then lunges, arcing his arm up and over and hurling the club at you at incredible speed.
You twist, and arch your back, spinning in the air, attempting to avoid the missiles being hurled at you...

... and succeed. Maul's cudgel sizzles past you, the stone on top of it crackling with black energy. The bus tire sales over your head in a clean miss, thumping down on to the hood of an old Buick stalled thirty feet to your right. Then there is a shattering, "KARRAACK!" as Maul's club smashes into the upper floor of the building directly behind you. Masonry and glass shower down on the sidewalk, as the people below scream and run. There is a second, "Whoosh" of air, as something flies past you, back towards Maul, who stands with his arm outstretched, hand open. His club streaks back to him, returning to his grasp as if by a will of it's own. He grins, and starts to say something, when, his knees buckle and a hand reaches from behind him, through the hole in the wall, and pulls him back inside. You see, half blocked from view, the Asian woman in metallic gray outfit, and hear her say something... most likely in Japanese. She is clearly angry. She then says, in accented English, "Enough, Maul, control yourself. We are not here to endanger more innocents." She turns then, toward you, and her pale skin is highlighted by eyes of chrome, without pupils or iris. "Let them come to us, if they wish a fight," she finishes, coldly. Then, with amazingly quick steps, she turns and leaps back into the gym, out of sight.<<<

Next actions: Arcsilver, Crusader, Dragon Mist (no second actions)

[RDU Neil]

Post 52

From I/Arcsilver:

Not aware of The Maverick incoming (Crusader), Arcsilver will turn
quickly in the air, and try to blind the guy with the magic stick with a
white hot tendril of lightning. While doing this, he will speak over the
comm.

We've got a paranormal with some kind of weapon just east of my position
(west, whatever), 'just launched a tire at me! All the rest seem to be
inside, but I think they might be open to talk if we can speak with the
Asian woman. Let's take out the stick-man, then regroup before we enter,
we might do this without danger to the civies. Darkeye, how far are you
out?"

-Ilan/Arcsilver

PS. Neil, I have been taking advantage of Champion's unlimited soliloquy
option, but let me know if I am getting a little too wordy in the middle
of a fight.

From M/Dragon Mist:

Stay on target, stay on target. . .
Dragon Mist at this point will say into his comm, " I've got the guy in the
bathrobe sighted, I'm zeroing in."

From S/Crusader:

This is what I will attempt: Firing my jump jets and altitude
adjustments, I will angle towards Dark Man. At the last moment, I will auto
fold the cape, streaking past Dark Man and landing right next to him on the
asphalt in a crouch. As I go by, I will stick my right arm out (aiming for
his left side, if his back is to me) aiming for the his left shoulder
{Passing Strike 9d6+v/5}. The intention, if knockback, is to drive him to
his knees or to the ground. (although K.B. is rare with a martial strike!)
Regardless of a hit or miss, I should be among snarled cars, providing
plenty of cover if ranged attacks start get slung about. Break my radio
silence; "Crusader on the scene, engaging Dark Man, runed costume, with
staff!"

{Darkeye: "Ruined costume? Who hit him?" :)}

-----

From GM:

>>>Several things happen at once, all of them centered on the man in the black robes.

Arcsilver: Yelling into your comm you turn and send out another flare of light, directly into the cowled face of the wizard looking guy. He seems to only smile in the glare, and suprisingly, the light and energy you cast at him simply stops about three feet in front of him as if absorbed, not deflected. In the light of your blast, you can faintly see a shimmering outline of some kind of sphere or field. "I am Rune!" he calls out. "Did you think I would be unprepared for you??" he continues, with a smug tone, clearly grinning at your consternation.
Then a dark, swiftly plunging figure, plummets out of the air, slamming into him from behind and sending him to the ground, hard.

Crusader: Arcsilver provides the perfect distraction. As you glide into your attack run, he blasts at the robed man, seemingly to no effect but it keeps his attention completely away from you. Your line is true and you race through the air, cars blurring past. Your fist goes out as you flash past him and strikes him solidly from behind amid the shoulder blades. Your target gasps in pain, and loudly curses as he goes down to the ground in a jangle of necklaces and charms he is wearing on and under his sigiled robe. At the same time, your glider wings flare, pulling you up and swinging your legs forward in rapid deceleration. You land cleanly, crouched between an abandoned SUV and the trashed bus.

Dragon Mist: You stand for a moment concentrating, watching as Crusader swoops down upon the villain like a hawk to prey. Just as he closes on his target you begin to step, and as he clearly impacts the man you close your eyes and grip your sword. Shift. A longer one this time. Almost a full step. The spirits rush along with you as if they want to come along. There is a strange energy in the spirit world...
...and then you are stepping on to the roof of a medium sized moving van, much closer to your destination and now closer to street level. From your vantage, you can see the sprawled but moving form of the bad guy Crusader hit, as well as Arcsilver flying in the air. Crusader himself is out of your line of sight. There are many people out on the sidewalks and standing in the stalled traffic. Almost all of them hesitating between trying to get a better look at the action and running for their lives. One young man, standing nearby on the roof of his Chevy pickup, yells out, "Damn! Did you see that hit! Parcel should sign that dude! The Jets could use 'im!" In your hand your sword twitches again, this time stronger, and almost seems to pull towards the gym ahead of you.
At that point, up ahead, you see four or five large muscular black men in shorts and sweats and tank tops. They are hustling an older man in a bath robe along, and two of them are carrying another whose leg is in a cast and holding crutches. All of them running quickly away from the building where the badguys are holed up.

Arcsilver & Crusader: You can clearly see these guys as the jog out and start to pass beneath or near you. The old man and the man with the cast were the guys upstairs when you first arrived, Arcsilver. The others look like body builders, two having Onyx' Gym t-shirts on. None are dressed for the cold weather out here.
Then, over your comms comes, "I can see you, Arcsilver. Was that Crusader dropping in? I'm almost there!" There is a scuffling sound and some static, then, "Aww, screw it!" followed by a thumping and clumping sound. Looking down the street both of you see a figure... it sort of looks like Darkeye, but is white and black rather than his normal black on black outfit. The figure has clambered up on the stalled cars and is thumping his way over the the roofs and hoods in your direction. He is still about a block away.<<<

Next actions: Arcsilver (1st), Dragon Mist, Crusader, Arcsilver (2nd)

[RDU Neil]

Post 53

From I/Arcsilver:

>> Then a dark, swiftly plunging figure, plummets out of the
>air,
>> slamming into him from behind, and sending him to the ground, hard.

Arcsilver will say "whoops! weren't prepared for that, were you?"
Then, taking advantage of the situation, he will execute a full-force
move-by on him just as he is getting up. His attempt is to arc around,
hitting him and end close to where he started, over the main opening in
the Gym. If, when he gets over there, the man is out (which it didn't
sound like in your post,) he will grab the staff, and end there. During
this move he will once again speak quickly into his comm: "Dragonmist,
we have four bad guys inside the building who are looking to
escape, ask those people how many exits there are to this place!"

For the next move, he will either fly back to the opening (if he grabbed
the staff), or will fly upwards in a circle, and take a full pase
surveying the area/examining the building. He is looking for any more
super-baddies hidden outside, and for any sign of the group inside
breaking out. Towards the end of his move. he will start circling down
again, so that he doesn't end up more than 18-20" from the front of the
building.

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist will teleport to the group of men, getting their attention, he will
ask: "Do any of you need assistance?"

From S/Crusader:

...ask those people how many exits there are to this place!" >>

Upon hearing this, (and if Arc engages Rune), Crusader will whirl and
scan the dark interior of Onyx gym with his helmet sensors. If Arc gets
interrupted, Crusader will kick or leverage the staff out of Rune's hands
{Takeaway maneuver}.

If Arc does engage Rune, Crusader will start to move towards the Gym, but
in a diagonal for a corner, in order to a) jump over the building to the
back or b) run down the alleyway to the back. Note: I'm not expecting or
wanting to go to the back of the building yet, just put myself in position to
do so later down the line. I also want to LOS thru the hole in the gym a bit
more oblique. (Crusader does not have Overconfidence, in fact, he's pretty
cautious! <g>)

------

From GM: Note, this was where the costume for Darkeye was presented to the players (I posted it earlier.)

>>>Arcsilver: Rune, on his hands and knees, is groaning, and starting to shake himself up as you shoot yourself up and around in a loop, coming in behind him. As you do this, you see Dragon Mist appear suddenly, right next to the running group of men from the gym. They all jump and swear in surprise at his sudden appearance. Also, Crusader is moving, a low, quick run toward the gym, heading for a corner of the building while staring intently at the hole in the wall.
Rune seems unaware of you, as you zoom up on him. Shaking his head, he is trying to prop himself up with his staff. Arms outstretched, you prepare to slam him back down to the ground. Then, at the last second, as he turns wide eyed at the rocketing sound of your approach, you feel like you hit something. Roughly two meters from him, about the same distance where your Flash attack seemed to dissipate, you feel like you pass through a heavy curtain. Like diving into an on coming wave in the ocean, you feel smothered by some invisible force. In the brief nano-second before impact, you feel your energy ebb, your force field start to die, and your field thrust drop.
It's not enough to stop you, though. Even though your electrical energy drops, your momentum carries through just fine. Rune has time to utter, a quick, "Bloody hell..." before you careen into him. With a bone crunching impact you hit him square on... and it hurts... both of you. You hit, and your force field is barely a flicker. You are barely able to pull up and keep from slamming into the ground. (Your FF was reduced to 1 pt., but your gauntlets helped. You took half of the attack, which came to 25, with only 13 PD total, so you take 12 Stun. You flight is halved... for the moment.)

Dragon Mist: You appear just to side of the group of body builders, who start in surprise, yelling, "Fuckin' bitch!" "Watch it!" and "DAMN!" One guy instinctively sets himself aggressively between you and the others, as if shielding them. His hands are in fists and he looks angry but scared at the same time. Fear is even more evident when he registers you completely, sword in hand, standing before him. Then you ask, "Do any of you need assistance?" and he hesitates, looking at you as if unsure what to make of the whole situation. At the same time, there is a loud ZAAAMM!!! KKKRRUNCCH!! of bodies impacting behind you, and you turn to see Arcsilver pulling out of his loop, wobbling slightly, and the tumbling body of Rune skidding toward you on the wet pavement. All the guys flinch at the impact. The man in front of you yells, "Sonnuva... !" and jumps back, holding his hands out, palm forward as if to say "Stay back," but actually saying, "Uh... no man... we're cool... fuckin' freezin' in fact, but... uh... no beef with you..." and continues backing away. (It would be the scary ninja team member, least known by the public, who tries to help the bystanders. Heh! I find that funny!)

Crusader: As Arcsilver maneuvers himself to attack the dazed Rune, you move low and quickly toward the building. The interior gym is not dark, but there is limited visibility LOS from the hole in the wall. You keep your eyes fixed on the interior though as you run at an angle to the building, and being ground level (as opposed to up in the air like Arcsilver was) you get a good look at most of the inside. A large open area, black and white vinyl tile surface with numerous free weight benches and racks of plates, as well as a number of Icarian weight machines along the walls. The benches in the center of the room look as if they've been tossed about, and you see a large black man lying in the center, face down. Another man, in sweats, kneels woozily over him his left arm hanging as if dislocated or broken, and he seems to be trying to wake the other guy. As you pass on to the corner of the building, effectively eliminating any view of the hole, you don't see any other figures in the room but they could easily be hiding just out of sight. You are looking East as you press against the south face and see a figure jump down off of a taxi cab on 116th, and run toward the Eastern face of the gym on the corner street. A white, skin tight costume with a black, swirling fire motif on it... the figure waves and makes a hand signal indicating he is moving to cover that side of the building. Costume aside, it looks, moves, and then over the radio, sounds like Darkeye. "I've got the east side, Crusader. No movement out here, but there is another entrance!" From your view, you did see an alcove on the east side that would possibly lead out onto the cross street, since the gym sets on the corner of 116th. "What's the sit-rep inside?" he asks as he disappears from sight around the corner from you.

Arcsilver: You pull up out of your dive and suddenly your power kicks in again. With a rush, you twist and turn, your FF flaring bright and that brief sense of lethargy gone. Turning you see Rune in a heap on the ground, his wooden staff lying next to him. He seems still for now. Surveying the area in front, you see Crusader pressed up against the wall on the South East corner of the gym (the corner closest to the hole), and you see a figure in white and black running TOWARD the Western face (hole is on the southern face) and he clearly moves like Darkeye, but the costume is different. (see attached picture) Dragon Mist stands below you also watching the front, but not moving.

Note: I did provide a simple map to help the players better visualize the scene.

[RDU Neil]

Post 54

From I/Arcsilver:

I think that Arcsilver still has an action this round (unless he is
stunned). He will, at the first opportunity, swing around and land near
Rune, changing to walking when he feels the energy drain (I would still
like to keep flight active if possible, just not be using it actively -
not sure if I can do this or not). He pick up the staff, and devest sthe
unconscious man of the most obvious and ornate pieces of jewelry. If he
starts to stir, some rapid-fire punches should put him back down again.
While he is doing this, he will take some recoveries, and speak into the
comm:

Darkeye is that you? Wave if you're a good guy, because I thought you
were playing for the other team! I'm trying to <<umph>> disarm this Rune
guy <<gimme that>>, but I don't know what any of this is. What's the
plan here? I think that they might want to talk if they haven't fled
yet!"

After a couple of recoveries, (or sooner if the team needs him),
Arcsilver will fly again, depositing the stuff on the nearest rooftop.


-Ilan/Arcsilver

PS. Is there are protocall here for who takes command when Wildheart is
indisposed? I don't suppose we need one, it just seems as if we need a
plan, and Arcsilver is a bit new to start calling any kind of shots.

PPS. Great art on Darkfire/Darkeye!


From M/Dragon Mist:

Sighing to himself and saying that he should have known better, Dragon Mist
will teleport next to Arcsilver and trade positions. "Tag. You're it so to
speak. I think that you will get more out of those guys than I will at this
moment. This guy exudes magic which seems to be a theme for me." Having said
that, Dragon Mist spends the rest of his action standing over Rune watching for
signs of mischief and signals Dark Eye and Crusader to proceed w/ caution.[QUOTE]

From S/Crusader:
[QUOTE] "Darkeye?" Crusader responds; "Sit-rep unknown inside. I think you
should maintain position outside in case I flush anyone out."
"DragonMist, Arc, I'm going in. Darkeye has got the far side. 'Mist, if
you get the chance, I would appreciate back-up, proceeding to the hole."

Crusader, while relaying all that transmission, will sidle up the wall of
the gym towards the breach. Once near, he will kick into high gear
(Acrobatics) and bounce off the edge of the hole away from him and move at an
angle to put him INTO the gym itself and go into a crouch, expecting to be
defensive at the slightest provocation.
If nothing immediately happens, he will click on outside speakers; and
ask dislocated shoulder guy; "I'm Crusader of the Mavericks. I'm here to
help. how is he?", referring to the guy face down. Followed by; "Help is
on the way. Do you know which way the paranormals went?"

-----

From GM:

Notes: The Mavs don't have a serious hierarchy, other than Wild Heart as leader. When she's not around, it usually falls to the most senior member, which is Dragon Mist or MIRV. DM is the surly, silent type, and usually operates alone, so he doesn't often bark commands. It's pretty much up in the air, right now.

Actions this round: Darkeye, Arcsilver, Crusader, Dragon Mist, Darkeye (believe it or not)...

Darkeye: He calls over the radio with a... "It's me, guys, but I've got some new threads!" Then, a little more subdued, he says, "...and... uh... I might be changing my name... 'cause... well..." long pause, then, "Do you guys think the name Darkeye is stupid? Be honest." Also, "Oh... and I've got the West side (I said East last time by mistake) covered. Moving the crowds away. No action so far, and I can't see through the doors."

Arcsilver: (Your last action had been to fly up and look around, as you stated, as an option from your last post so you are on to the next round.) You are stepping toward the unconscious form of Rune, waiting to see if the suppression field is still around him, when he starts to move. Actually, you see that he isn't moving but instead his robe is moving in a very weird way, as if alive, wrapping around Rune like a cocoon. Dragon Mist is also darting toward the body at the same time, but the robe collapses suddenly and sinks to the ground as an empty pile of cloth. There is clearly no field affecting you and Rune's large wooden staff lies at your feet, remaining after whatever just happened. You pick it up and heft it, finding a beautifully carved oaken staff with numerous sigils and runes cut into it,polished to a fine sheen. It doesn't seem to be glowing at this point.

Crusader: You make it up to the building without incident, hearing Darkeye saying that he's covering the other exit. Deftly you move inside, scanning and waiting for ambush, but see only the two men in the center of the room. When you call out to the man kneeling over the other, larger man, he turns dazed, trying to focus on you. "Who th..." he stutters, wincing at the slightest movement. "He's breathin' but they really worked him over. 'At Fabio mutha fucka kept hittin' him when he was down!" He gasps, and you can clearly see that his arm is probably broken in multiple places. He has got to be in a lot of pain. "Took his bat, man. Took it and then did a quick fade." He starts looking around then, sort of panicked in his pain. "Shit, just went didi... gone..." and he struggles to rise to his feet.

Dragon Mist: You moved to Rune just as he vanished. A lump of black cloth, suddenly looking faded and worn, is at your feet. You poke it with your sword, feeling very Darth Vaderish for a moment, but there is nothing there. Arcsilver has Rune's staff in hand, looking at it curiously. Even without trying to actively sense it, you can tell that there is a certain power imbued in the wood. You get no sense of danger from it though. Only the interior of the building seems to emanate a threat right now, a very active threat.

Darkeye: "Ok, I'm up to the doors, and I'm not hearing anything. People here say nobody came out this way, so they are likely inside. Should I be coming through?" In the distance, sirens sound.<<<

Note: We are off combat, at least for the next set of actions, so each person gets one recovery, and can do something else since there doesn't seem to be any bad guy around... for the moment.

[RDU Neil]

Post 65

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist is quite tense. These are situations for a leader,
someone with charisma, someone who knows and can appreciate a group dynamic. He knows he isn't cut out for the job, the group needs Wildheart. But he also realizes that the group doesn't have time. This is the curse of being a senior member.
God I hate this. The Paranormals might still be around, waiting in ambush,
and that Rune character will definately be back for his staff.

He looks at Arcsilver and says: "Arcsilver, do you mind if I look
at that?
It doesn't seem dangerous right now but you never can tell with a
fetish. I was also hoping that you could get some info on what happened here from the civilian perspective. They don't seem to like me. I'll try to coordinate Darkeye and Crusader.

"Dragon Mist to Crusader. We have the perimeter secure and Arc is
getting info from the group we saw running out of the gym. I'm sending Darkeye in for you as back up until Arc and I catch up. . . What's a sitrep?"

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will wait for a moment, watching DM do the vader thing with
the schmata, and then, with a smile, he will toss him the staff, and say
"all yours, buddy." He will then fly over the building, getting some
altitude and examine the building with EM vision as he is going, just to
see if anything shows up. As he is flying, he will say "this is
Arcsilver heading towards the north side, its your call, Crusader, you
want some company in there?"

If he responds in the affirmative, Arcsilver will head in through any
entrance he can find on the north side of the building, or pour on the
speed in his recon and come around to the front again.

-Ilan/Arcsilver

Hi guys, just read Matt's message. My post still stands, but Arcsilver
will swing around and intercept the group moving away from the gym after
doing a scan. He will greet the group with a large, friendly smile as he
lands just in front of them (I make some noise, so I don't think I will
be in danger of surprising them. He will speak to the older man who he
saw looking out the window when he arrived.

"Hello there! We're here to help, but you can help us by going
everything that just happened, but start with the most recent stuff. Did
you see anyone but the two injured men as you left just now? Did you
hear anything?"

From S/Crusader:

<< "Do you
guys think the name Darkeye is stupid? Be honest." >>

Crusader replies a short: "yes"

>>>"Took his bat, man.
Took it and the did a quick fade." He starts looking around then, sort of
panicked in his pain. "Shit, just went didi... gone..." and he struggles to
rise to his feet.
<<<<

"I will call for police and ambulance, although I'm sure they are on the
way." as a way to reassure the gentleman. "You should get your arm checked
immediately." Then switching to private Mavericks frequency; "Hey Guys, I
think this Onyx lying face down in the gym. One of his patrons mentioned
that they took his bat. Do I recall correctly that Onyx bat was supposedly
magic?"
As Crusader is radioing that in, he will look around and see which way
Maul and his compatriots could have gone. Are there stairs up or down?
Anything open? Anything gently swaying, papers struined? Note: Crusader
does have Shadowing 11- (If that is applicable at all). Crusader is being
cautious, moving slowly (i.e. 1/2 move, holding a 1/2 move to dodge, block,
dive for cover)

------

From GM:

Note: My original post didn't go through, so here I am, typing it again. MAN, that pisses me off! Hope I remember everything I wrote.

>>>Arcsilver: You fly up for a quick look see and then, responding to Dragon Mist's orders, you swoop back down to where the group of weight lifters has gathered across the street behind the bus. Other bystanders are crowding in around them but everyone stares up wide eyed as you land. They seem a bit stunned, but people obviously recognize you... more wonder than fear on their faces. When you ask your questions they all start talking at once... "I's upstairs, son... didn't see much..." "There was four of 'em..." "big blonde dude kept smacking Onyx when he was down, man!" "...some cold Nazi fucker with a scar on his face..." "I was just trying to keep from getting killed..." "...this freakey piece in black leathers..." "Asian kung fu babe seemed to be in charge..." "Not kung fu... karate! Don't you know shit?"
Suddenly, the sounds of blaster fire and warning shouts from Crusader and Darkeye come over the comm.

Dragon Mist: (good job steppin' up Matt, thanks) Darkeye responds to your orders with, "You're the boss, man. I'm going in... but could you call me DarkFIRE from now on?" He mumbles a follow up, "My agent thought Darkeye was stupid, too." There is the sound of a swinging door open, and then he whispers, "I'm in. Looks clear from here. Oh, and sitrep means "Situation Report." Just silly military talk I heard in a movie."
All the while, you've been walking toward the gym, positioning yourself for a half jump (half move t-port) inside if you need to. You can hear Crusader talking to someone... probably one of the injured. Then there is movement and an obviously injured young man in sweats appears in the hole, trying to step outside. He is gritting his teeth, and mumbling as he stumbles out saying, "...gotta get Onyx. Get 'im out. You gotta get him out." Then, behind him there are shouts and the sound of energy bolts and a loud battle cry, followed immediately by the distinctive, hissing, SSSHHHHRRAAACCCKK!" of Darkeye's...Darkfire's... energy blast.

Crusader: The injured young man shuffles toward you and you guide him past, toward the entrance. He feebly pushes you toward the man on the floor saying, "Get Onyx, man. Get him out." Then keeps going. Across the room, Darkfire comes through the alcove from the west entrance and he gives you a thumbs up and then shrugs a "Where are they?" kind of shrug.

You are cautiously stepping forward, looking for anything menacing, coming closer to Onyx on the ground. You can clearly see blood matting the back of his head, running down on to his back. In the back of the room you see stairs that lead up, and there are likely stairs going down just past them but you don't have LOS on them. Then...
...you see it. A slight shimmer in the air... center rear of the room... figures materializing... you move instinctively. Twisting and diving... you are staring at a strong, older, silver eyed Asian woman holding a silver object out toward you like a gun. A bright green beam of energy lances outward JUST missing you as you dodge. Behind her other figures move, including one man leaping right toward you that is clearly that cyborg, Brian Fury. A cold smile is reflected on his face.

On the other side of the room, the large blonde man with cape and crown leaps toward Darkfire who jerks backward in surprise. Maul has two clubs, one in each hand, and is bringing them down as Darkfire's face erupts in blackness... a thick burning blackness slamming into Maul...
...but it doesn't stop him. His momentum carries through the blast bellowing a pained war cry, and then brings a club down hard across Darkfire's chest.<<<

Next initiatives: Arcsilver (1st), Dragon Mist (1st), Crusader, Darkfire, Arcilver (2nd), Dragon Mist (2nd)

Hope I didn't forget anything in the quick rewrite.

[RDU Neil]

Post 66

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist barks into the comm. "Dragon Mist to Crusader. It sounds as if
you've been engaged. No need to reply. Do your best to keep them busy, I'll
try to evacuate Onyx. Dragon Mist to Darkfire. Co-ordinate w/ Crusader. Dragon
Mist to Arcsilver. Sorry to interupt, but we are out gunned, and need your
speed in there, try to co-ordinate w/ Crusader. I'm going after Onyx."

Looking at Rune's staff in his hands, he grumbles as if having made a very
hard decsion, and chops it in half w/ his sword. Dragon Mist then moves for
the
opening in the wall to see if he can port into Onyx's location undetected.

His 2nd move depends on the outcome of the first, but will generally be
to tport in and grab Onyx, tport out. Though that is the intention, he will hold
his second move until more info is discerned.

>>If this is too wordy or too many actions, I understand.<<

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will start the full phase to take off (activate flight).
While doing this, he will speak in a professional yet stern voice to the
crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, it seems that the situation is still
dangerous, please proceed around the corner, and wait for the police.
Thank you!"

When he is finished speaking (and activating his flight), he will swing
around towards the hole, but (assuming he has the movement), on a
trajectory that will give him a target for a move-by when he enters. If
this is not possible, he will merely enter the hole as close to the roof
as possible, staying high so that he can see what the situation is. If
he has a chance, he will try the move-by on the asian woman, one level in
OCV, two in turn mode so that he can buzz about the room.

-Ilan/Arcsilver

From S/Crusader: (Note the meta-game discussion on how to best handle on-line combat.)

<< Dragon Mist to Crusader. It sounds as if
you've been engaged. No need to reply. >>

"Roger that!" Crusader replies as he dodges the silvery blast from the
asian woman. Crusader will then explode (hopefully surprising his opponents)
in a flurry of action away from the Asian, over the various gym debris and
apparatus. And will try to leap and twirl off of a weight bench past Bryan
Fury, snapping his leg to hopefully catch Fury in the head {Passing Strike
9d6+V/5, with maybe an acrobatic roll if you think its necessary, keep 2 HtH
levels on Defence, 1 on the attack (Cru has 5 pt HtH levels))
"Hey Fury. Should have left town."
Crusader is not really expecting this attack to work, but more as a way
to get some separation from Asian chick.

off-topic

Neil, I'm not sure how you want to rule this, but I wouldn't mind knowing
when the bad guys act as well. In FtF game, we know if a Bad Guy has
initiatized higher than us or has two actions. I know that you might want to
keep some B.G.s off-camera and we shouldn't know their initializations, but
ones that are plain on the battlefield? I kinda need to know if I should go
more defensive, or take advantage and go full offensive. My last post might
get me really, really boned if several of them have 2 actions.

-----

From GM:

Note: (I will post all the active combatants, in order of action, when they
are engaged with a PC, but not if they are unseen or removed from where a PC
could be aware of them. This means that a villain, in combat, but invisible
and untracked, will not have their action sequence posted.)

>>>Asian Woman: Standing stoicly in the errupting chaos, the grey metal and
chrome woman watches for a moment as Crusader springs to meet Bryan Fury.
Then, with inhuman grace she pirouettes and slides sideways so that she can
view the entire room, her back now to the south west corner. The strange
silver pistol in her hand never wavers as it tracks Crusader across the room.

Arcsilver: You bite your lip, feeling the seconds burn past as you begin to
reignite your flight field. Your commands to the crowd make them duck, and a few head for cover. Most simply crouch down, still trying to get a good
view of the action. Looking back towards the gym, you see Dragon Mist
standing just in front of the hole in the wal, ready to spring and shouting
commands. Though you can sense movement and see flashes of light inside,
there is no clear target in your LOS. Your body trembles with anticipation,
silently cursing your power up time.

Dragon Mist: You shout your orders as you shake your head, and with a flick
or your wrist you bring your sword down and through the stout oaken staff.
There is a flash of green light, almost in the form of a serpentine maw that
seems to bite down on the wood, snapping it. The two halves clatter to the
ground with a dead, clunking sound.
Inside the gym come the smack of flesh and metal and the grunts of hand
to hand combat... and then a triumphant below that is not from a teammate.

Crusader: As you spring, you see the Asian woman move. Fast. REALLY
fast... as if her movements were caught on film, and edited so that she
seemed to merely jump from her initial spot across the room. Your eyes
register a delayed perception though, that she did actually move through the
space in between. Her form is like a dancer and her moves almost seem
choreographed as she clearly gets a better tactical position in the room.
Then you are on Fury... pushing off a weight bench, you torque your body
around to bring the heel of your boot across his head as you pass in the air.
He adjusts his body at the last moment, bringing up his arm to deflect
your leg over his head, and you spin past. He pivots to face you as you land
in a three point spread, low and taught. "Yes, perhaps leaving would have
been best," he says with a small grin, "but I did so want to face you again.
Now with friends! So I thought, "Why not?"" Though he is partially between
you and the Asian woman now, there are still two more enemy at your back,
and you realize you are caught in the midst of all of badguys. The fourth,
heretofor unseen foe steps closer at that moment, putting you between
Fury and herself. A female, white, around five' five'', brown leather body
suit, armored boots and gloves, brown hair and simplistic war paint. Her
face is familiar and for the briefest moment, you think, "Wild Heart?" but
she is a good deal shorter. A feral snarl escapes her petite mouth and she
says, with a slight Queens accent, "So, Brian baby... you want me to hold him
down so you can kick him some?" She shuffles toward you in a loose
fighter's stance.
Behind her, Maul lifts the limp form of Darkfire up by his costume, and
bellows in triumph. "The whelp with the eye beams fell with one blow! We
shall earn an easy bonus, today!" and he flings Darkfire against the wall
with a bone crunching impact. Ice hardens in your gut for a brief moment...

... and then the cavalry arrives.

Arcsilver: All your pent up energy comes flaring out and you blast toward
the building. You can see no immediate target, so you move into the room just below the ceiling, passing over Dragon Mist who vanishes beneath you. You slow and turn slightly, facing the crowd inside, seeing Crusader in
front of you flanked by a tall, Aryan type with white blonde hair
and steely eyes in commando gear. On the other side of him is a
young woman who clearly resembles Wild Heart in dress and face, though
younger, and with a vicious grimace and blood lust in her eyes as she sees
you. The Asian woman is across the room, to your left, calmly surveying the
scene, and Maul is opposite her to your right looking happy to see you. Maul swings his club and a black, crystaline baseball bat in his thick hands.

Then Dragon Mist appears, with Crusader, in the center of the room.

Dragon Mist: As you feel Arcsilver blasting over and past you, you step up
to the hole in the wall and look inside. You see Crusader spin off of Fury,
and then find himself between the cyborg and an aggressive looking young
woman that can only be Wild Heart's sister. (Martina Munroe, who calls
herself, Nails... as in "Tough as...!" A runaway, thought lost to her sister
until a year or so ago, when Megan had tracked her down in Europe. Nails was in with some seriously bad people... like Mentalla and Dr. Destroyer level bad... but Megan brought her home.) Last you heard, she was in Stronghold's
new Bridgewater facility. It seems she's out now.

You move, a quick shift, and you are in the center of the room. Your
back is to Crusader and you stand over Onyx' unconscious form. Arcsilver's
energy lights up the room, and your sword stance puts you equidistant between the Asian woman and Maul. Anger seeps through your cool, as you see Darkfire's unconscious?/dead? body splayed on the floor behind the strong man. Then your sword quivers in your hand, pulling noticably toward the
Asian woman. You see that she is staring intently, not at you but at the
sword, and she says in Japanese, "So, it is true. I have finally found it."

Her voice is reverent.<<<

Ok. Outnumbered, four to three. Close quarters combat. This will be
painful... for somebody. (Boy, these mass combats are complex. So much
writing for each little bit of action. Fun, though...)

Next actions: Asian woman (1st), Crusader (1st), Nails, Arcsilver, Fury,
Maul, Dragon Mist, Asian woman (2nd), Crusader (2nd)

[Speedball]

RDU Neil: "(Boy, these mass combats are complex. So much writing for each little bit of action. Fun, though...)"

I can only imagine what a pain it is to have to take on the burden of describing these scenes. Combat is always chaotic, but to have to interpret everyone's posts (I wrote this, but I *meant* that) and then create a scene that everyone's going to feel good about can only be more confusing. Still, from this episode's emails--which I never saw--and from later RDU PBEMs that I was fortunate enough to have a hand in, everything got balanced out nicely. I think the key is finding the right group to play with--players dedicated enough to write detailed posts, but relaxed enough about gameplay to accept when a GM makes modifications based on what he believes is the spirit of a post or character.

Obviously, in a FtF game, there's a lot more meta-game and OOC discussion that resolves a lot of the confusion and amibguity, so I think that people who last in PBEM games must be interested in process-oriented playing rather than goal-oriented playing. Lots of character development and description, but it can take weeks for anything "important" to happen. I can imagine getting frustrated with that eventually, but I've yet to hit that wall. I suppose with poor writing I'd get there a lot faster...

Anyway--thanks for posting, Neil. I'm really digging this.

[RDU Neil]

Post 67 (Great insight, Geoff. The fact of the matter is, PBEM works if the players are into the process of the game more than focused on achieving a goal or outcome. Applies to FtF as well, but the distinction is not as great.)

From S/Crusader:

<< "Wild Heart?" but she is a good deal shorter. A feral snarl escapes her
petite mouth, and she says, with a slight Queens accent, "So, Brian baby...
you want me to hold him down so you can kick him some?" And she shuffles
toward you in a loose fighter's stance. >>

Storn: "Great! Nailed again Where is Vector when you really need him <g>
Oh, yeah, Mars."

Crusader (since I've got first action of the PCs and I'm the first to
reply) says to DragonMist and Arc over the comms; "I'm going for the
gunwoman. Arc, blind, stun the short woman! 'Mist, ice Fury!" Declaring
Dodge regardless of who is acting for my first action. Dance among,
over, through everyone using my acrobatics to get close to Asian Gun Lady.
I will use my HtH levels towards my Dodge (DCV =16 +Acrobatics bonus) if
anyone is taking a swing at me. Of course, vs Asian Gun range attacks, my
DCV = 13 + Acrobatics bonus.
If I'm still standing (2nd action), snap my hands (as if doing a double
palm strike) towards Asian Gunner's chest, but draw them back at the last
moment, locking her wrists and twisting the gun into my hands (Takeaway),
gambling, put my levels into the OCV of the Takeaway.
What kind of strange silver gun is it anyways? Crusader does have Small
Arms Fam. He has seen energy weapons often in his stint with the
you-know-who.

From I/Arcsilver:

In response to Crusader's commands, Arcsilver will, when he gets a
chance, swoop (1/2 move) down and up through the room, trying if
possible to bring attention to himself and away from Crusader. To aid in
this effort he will make a presence attack on as many of the people
initially trying to attack him. This would include Nails, Fury, and
Blondie except I know that some of them will move before I do. Seeing
Darkfire's downed body, he will fight back the anger, and force himself
to sound flippant and light-hearted. To the Blond guy:

"You again? Back for more, eh?" And then to as many as he can verbally
engage, "Looks like you brought some friends, though! Hey, you look like
Wildheart but more scrawny!"

If it works, and it looks as if more than one of these guys is going to
come after me (if I get their attention/make them angry), I will use my
second half-phase to dodge. If not (if they ignore me), I will attempt a
flash on Nails.

-Ilan/Arcsilver

My Presence Attack is a wopping 3d6+

-----

From GM:

Note: (Matt's modem connection is down, but instead of delaying, I'm going to move ahead. Dragon Mist has only one action, and limited options, so I'm going to move for him. Hope you don't mind Matt, but it's simple enough... hit somebody!)

>>>Crusader: You stutter step, turn, and launch yourself into a backwards dive roll over Dragon Mist's shoulder. Without looking, he is stepping back and down, allowing you room to move and intercepting Fury and Nails as they close in. You land, rolling to your feet and spinning low to face the Asian woman. (picture Cutie Suzuki in sleek metallic gray body suit with chrome eyes and gray streaks through her long hair.) Her gun is a small, smooth, chrome thing with a thin, needle barrel. You've never seen anything like it. "I apologize," she says in a strong, calm voice. "I only do what I must." The small gun in her hand fires, and though you twist to avoid it the bright green beam strikes you in the side. Strangely there is no impact, rather it feels as if your body is enveloped in ice... seizing and numbing your muscles. Your teeth clench involuntarily and you bite your cheek and tongue, tasting blood. The room sways around you. (You take 20 stun, flat, so 1 body as well, no defense.)

Arcsilver: (Note: The ceiling is only about ten feet high. You are basically within hand to hand range unless across the room. This room is not conducive to your type of combat.) The combatants below you shift rapidly. As you start to taunt the enemy you see Crusader take a blast, his knees buckling. Fury looks disgruntled that Crusader won't fight him and tries to move past Dragon Mist, who engages him with a clash of metal. The young woman seems to be looking at Dragon Mist and Crusader with a "Whose head do I pound?" type of smile... and then your comments register with her. She looks up at you with a black scowl, and launches herself at your throat! "You prick!" she screams, hands clawing. You swing away from her and she misses you, slamming her hands into the ceiling and then dropping to the floor. Her mouth runs a blue streak of invective directed at you the whole while.

Then, out of the corner of your eye, you see Maul hurl his cudgel at you. You are still moving and you bend yourself in a further backwards arc allowing the obsidian tipped club to fly past you and ricochet off the ceiling. Then it stops before flashing back to Maul's hand. He is striding into the center of the fray as he does this, yelling, "I'll spit him for you, girl! Then you can have your fun!" He grins lecherously at Nails, and continues, "Then you'll owe me some of those favors you've been showing to the machine man, eh?"

Dragon Mist: Saying nothing, you step back, sensing Fury coming up on your left as Crusader goes over your head. There are screams and impacts from behind you as Arcsilver does what he does best... getting under the bad guy's skin. You shift your feet into a solid horse stance, reverse your sword in descending arc... thrusting back, straight under your arm. Fury seems to be trying to move past you but seeing your attack, he turns his body at the last second palm striking your elbow with his right hand, stopping your thrust just before it impales him. He grins, "So, perhaps you will fight me, eh ninja? Your friend is rather reluctant, I've noticed."

Crusader: Doubled up against the pain, you gasp and blink, clearing your head. The Asian woman steps around you, out of your sight, as you try to regain your breath. Maul is off to your right, but seemingly heading for someone else. Taking a deep breath, you turn back to the fight. (i.e. recover from being CON stunned.) You see the Asian woman fire at Arcsilver, the beam striking him squarely in the chest. Her attention is split, as she seems to be concentrating more on watching Dragon Mist and Fury.

Arcsilver: You see the blast coming at the last second but can't maneuver away in time. It hits you dead on... and sort of feels kind of cold. A chill runs through you and your head swims a bit, but you've definitely taken worse. Your force field seemed to disrupt it some. (20 stun, minus 14, you took 6, that's it, no KB or anything.)<<<

Initiatives: Arcsilver (1st), Crusader (1st), Nails (1st), Dragon Mist, Asian woman, Fury, Maul, Arcsilver (2nd), Crusader (2nd), Nails (2nd)

[RDU Neil]

Post 68

From I/Arcsilver:

Action #1
Arcsilver will ignore the asian lady, and concentrate on keeping these
two busy (and evening the odds for the moment!). He uses a full half
move, all levels on turn mode and dodging the whole way, to draw the two
of them towards the hole in the wall. I think I have plenty of movement
for this, so he will be zipping in and out and around, trying to keep
their attention focused on him while he periodically turns and faces them
in a flying boxing stance - much exaggerated. He speaks to Maul first
(just after his comment), flying close (but hopefully not too close) to
Nails.
"Looks like you'll have to do more than that, huh, Maul? Don't make me have to hit you again!" Then, to Nails, "Come on, half-pint? Is that all
you got? Who's your daddy?"

Arcsilver will, if possible, continue this throughout the round,
postponing his second action until after both of them have gone and gone
twice. If this works, and he has not been knocked into the wall, he will
use that held action to throw a suppress on that Asian woman's gun,
preparing to continue the same dodging routine next round, drawing them
away from the rest of the fight.

-Ilan/Arcsilver

PS, I make my DCV 14, and my suppress, should it go off with a 14-
activation, will be 6d6.

From M/Dragon Mist:

Matt's modem connection is up now, thanks to the friendly neighborhood
cable guy. Apparently some piece of the cable box outside went kablooy and he
needed to install a new part. Not my fault, honest!

Dragon Mist sighs and thinks to himself, I don't have time for this. He
then will teleport directly behind Fury, just to the left. Let's end this now
he thinks to himself and takes advantage of the fact that Fury's legs are made
of steel. With all levels in OCV, Dragon Mist will attempt to hamstring Fury's
left leg with his armor piercing katana. This action is intended to quickly
incapacitate.

From S/Crusader:

It is my assumption that Asian Gun moved a bit away from me. This isn't
the best combat move ever, but it is using the environment and makes sense in
the context of the combat. So I'm not expecting much...
Crusader will bend down, pick up a bench that weight lifters use for
chest presses and whip it at Asian Gun. So the seat flies across at her and
hits her with the flat. I would assume she would have to jump for cover as
oppose to dodge. I also assume that bench is an unwieldy, unbalanced object.
I will retain my 2nd action to Dodge, block, dive for cover... whichever
seems the most appropriate. Pull my 2nd action if an attack comes my way.

--storn
p.s. Very cool combat guys

-----

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: You start zipping about like ball lightning on speed, non-stop verbal taunts lashing out at your enemies. Maul grins and seems to enjoy the abuse... even guffaws at your comments toward Nails. She, on the other hand, is almost frothing at the mouth. For a moment you see a flurry of action as Crusader reengages the fray with the Asian woman, Fury and Dragon Mist, but then Nails is again on your tail. She springs, swinging for your head with death in her eyes and connects with your shoulder instead. She careens off your force field but the impact carries through a bit and knocks you along the ceiling... actually closer to the hole in the wall. Nails spills along the ground, but is immediately scrambling to her feet. (26 Stun, so 8 gets through, two inch. KB)

Crusader: The Asian woman has her back to you. Doesn't seem to be paying much attention in fact. Bad move on her part. You grab the bench and heaving with your legs, lift and throw it at her back. She is between you and the Fury/Dragon Mist battle. Those two seem locked for a second, then Fury's eyes widen, as he sees the bench heading for the woman. "Z! Behind you, woman!" he shouts, and she whirls, low and defensive... it isn't enough.

The bench, tumbling erratically, catches her square in the stomach with one of the solid metal legs. It slams her to the ground and she's cries out in pain, skidding across the floor into another full weight bench. (34 stun/9 body on 8 dice, geez...)

Dragon Mist: The timing is perfect. You watched as the Asian woman stepped toward you, and almost smiled as Crusader heaved the bench at her from behind. You then felt Fury relax his pressure when he yelled his warning, and used the distraction to your benefit. Clench... shift... return... now Fury's back is in front of you, and you slash in his nano-second hesitation after your disappearance. He is good though, recovering almost immediately. Planting his left leg, he is moving into a back side kick as you bring your sword in a perfect uppercut along his left hamstring. There is a still moment... a perfection of man and blade... as you slice through and up.

Such a stroke would have cut a normal man in half, but Fury almost seems to be untouched. His body continues to rotate around, his kicking form true...

...but there is blood, and maybe oil, on your blade and a spark pops from his thigh. His leg buckles at the last moment and his kick goes wide and high as he falls to the ground unable to support his weight. "Scheiss!" he gasps, more in surprise than anything else, and he hits the ground! (Your stroke was 14 body, 7 AP, with 42 Stun. It actually wasn't enough to Con stun him (though it hurt the hell out of him) but he missed his kick attack, and the KB was just enough to knock him down, so... Cool Ass Move!)

Arcsilver: There is a flare and flash of green energy and it illuminates Maul taking huge strides across the room, trying to keep up with you and Nails. He is laughing and swinging his clubs like he is entertained by watching your fight. "Are you sure you don't need a real man's help, girl?" he scoffs, relishing the trash talking and ignoring the battle behind him. He is keeping a close eye on you and Nails, though. You have effectively pulled both villains away from the other fight, almost to the street, but Nails is in process of grabbing a chromed curling bar from a rack to use as a weapon, and she clearly still wants your blood. "My sister has you licking her boots and you make fun of ME....?!?!" she screams.
(Metagame issue: Ilan, if you hold your second action, waiting for Nails to go, then you will no longer be dodging when she attacks, unless you use your second action to do so. You won't be dodging, you'll be holding. I won't finish this round until you let me know... a) hold and hope she doesn't hit, then attack... b) use action to dodge further away... c) attack before she can attack.... d) something else I haven't suggested. Just let me know.)

Crusader: The Asian woman... Z, as Fury called her... didn't lose her gun. The large blonde guy with the clubs jogs past her chasing Arcsilver, and she levels and fires at you with grim determination from her sprawled spot on the floor. This time though, you have distance and are prepared. You kick right and then turn sideways offering the narrowest target. The green beam streaks past you playing against a concrete column behind you with no effect whatsoever. You shift and slide into in a combat stance, stopping in a position nearly standing over Fury. He is on the ground with Dragon Mist on his other side. Blood and silicon lubricant pool around him. He looks a bit consternated, frowning and saying, "I am not having good luck..."<<<

Coming up: Arcsilver & Nails finish their second actions. Then: Z (1st), Arcsilver (1st), Crusader (1st), Nails (1st), Maul, Dragon Mist (sorry Matt), Fury (he's even MORE sorry), Z (2nd) Arcs (2nd), Crusader (2nd), Nails (2nd)

[Speedball]

Gotta say that this last round of combat was fantastic. Great descriptions and mix of game mechanics and special effects. wow.

[RDU Neil]

Post 69

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist has now aclimatedto the rythmn of this fray. Keeping his eye out
for incoming attacks, he then 'ports to Z and strikes her pistol. Again all
levels into OCV.
This translates into holding his action to abort if need be, before his phase,
then he will teleport to the right side of Z and slice that gun!

From I/Arcsilver

Thanks for holding, Neil, I was under a wrong perception ( guess it has
been a while since I played the Hero system - I am ashamed. In this
case, I will continue to dodge, trying to keep their interest, and not
get my lilly ass creamed.

After another zig-zaggy half-move, in the new round I should be able to
half-move dodging twice so that I can play at least around the opening of
the door. I want to draw them outside, but slow enough so that they
think they are driving me back (or Nails does, and Maul wants to watch).

"Ouch, half-pint!" He says to Nails, rubbing his shoulder as he jukes
and jives, "that hurt a little bit!" then, to Maul, "Hey Molly! Are you
the one licking _her_ heals?"

For his second action (assuming that he hasn't been greased), Arcsilver
will use the open area of the street to draw them even further away from
the building, across the street. He will try to be aware of where Maul's
club will hit if he throws it (ie remain slightly elevated so that it
would miss some of the buildings. If he can, he would like to preserve
his own LOS through the hole so that he can see what is happening inside.
As a note, what Arcsilver wants as an option is a possible surprise
move-by on one of the combatants inside, so he would ultimately like to
be about 20-25" from the actual fight, but still be able to see inside.
If the lay of the land doesn't permit this, then that is fine.

From S/Crusader:

<< Thanks for holding, Neil, I was under a wrong perception ( guess it has
been a while since I played the Hero system - I am ashamed. >>

Don't be ashamed pal o' mine. It is a bit different with the new speed
system. And the gods of gaming knows that Hero system is layered with hidden
complexities. But it does seem to cover just about any combat situation you
want to throw at it!

Back to task at hand:

>>ou shift and slide into in a combat stance, stopping in a position
nearly
standing over Fury. He is on the ground,<<

Glance at Dragonmist, throw him a thumbs up as if to say; "I've got this
one".

>>He looks a bit
consternated, frowning and saying, "I am not having good luck... "<<<
<<
Turn to Fury and simply say "No." And drop on his ugly head with my knee.
{Fast Strike, all levels to OCV (=12), I assume that even if he pulls an
action to Dodge or Block, he will be penalized for being on the ground ...
especially with his style of fighting <g>}
If he isn't put down by 'Mist and my attack, my 2nd action might be to
continue to press the attack on Fury (just another Fast Strike, you can
decide how its done due to the situation at the time).
If Fury is stunned, or out, Crusader will hold his 2nd action, either
Dodge or Block if an attack comes his way. If no attack comes his way, then
take a Recovery and see where we stand then. Do want to do one quick bit
of dialogue though.
(2nd action) Crusader thru the comm: "Arc? I'm almost freed up. Which
of your targets do you want me to engage?" In an effort to keep the team
work going!

--storn
p.s.: "Ilan, Matt, this is one of the coolest team efforts I've seen in a
long time. Tons of misdirection, switching dance partners, cool visuals,
great use of movement powers. Straight out of the heyday of good team comics like Teen Titans and X-men. Where fights seem to last longer than 3 panels and teamwork was stressed.
Thanks. And kudos to our GM as well, without you, there would be nothing to
react against! <g>"

-----

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: You skate backwards on the air, zig zagging and continuing to barrage the insults. You are just outside the hole in the wal, as Nails comes at you, swinging the curling bar. It's a mad swipe and misses by a couple inches as you pull back farther. She lands just below you on the sidewalk outside. A quick look around shows that some people had begun to close in to get a look when your sudden reappearance sends them scurrying back for cover. A gasp goes up from the crowd as they catch full sight of you and Nails in combat.

(Next round)

Arcsilver: Now outside, you estimate can move about eight to ten meters at ground level from the hole before there are cars, wrecked busses and the crowds in the way. There is little chance of keeping a direct LOS on the combat inside from any distance, and if you go up in altitude you will lose any view whatsoever. (The hole in the wall is two meters across and no more than three meters high. It's not like half the wall is gone.) Nails, relentless as ever, leaps up and swings the weight bar overhead trying to bring it, and you, down into the ground. You dodge, going low and trying to keep at least some kind of view of Maul and the interior. You dodge with a wink and the makeshift club clangs down into the concrete sidewalk, sending up a spray of dust and stone chips. The impact vibrates the whole street and Nails screams with inarticulate rage. Maul, though, doesn't seem to be coming outside.

Crusader: You hammer into Fury. You raise your arms as if to punch, then drop on him, extending your knee into his chest. He does little to defend and you connect solidly. Fury grunts and grimaces, slammed down on to the floor. At that moment Dragon Mist vanishes from your view. Then you notice that the cyborg is actually grinning up at you. With satisfaction, he says, "Yes. We get to fight!" and he launches a thrust kick with his right leg, bracing against the floor with his arms.
"Sunnovabitch is tough!" you think, as you step back and throw your arms up, deflecting the kick to the side. Fury uses the momentum to spin to his feet, or rather, foot. He pivots on his right foot only, wincing as he favors his left off the ground. You choke back the "I'm almost freed up" call, realizing that Fury isn't as out of it as you thought. (That was your action, fast strike hit, his action 0 phase breakfall kick, your second action block.)

Dragon Mist: As Crusader engages Fury you look up to see Z, standing up from the floor and staring right at you. She is raising the small silver gun in your direction. You step and raise your sword for a two handed cross body stroke... and just as you begin the downward slash... you jump. The blade begins to fall in one place only to vanish and reappear, descending at a perfect angle to take the gun out. Unbelievably she is prepared! Reversing her slight step forward she thrusts her forearm sideways in an attempt to deflect the blow. The result is mixed. Your stroke was strong, and powered through her forearm to forearm block, but Z just manages to pull the gun away... and the blade flashes past... cutting only air. (She missed the block attempt, but your attack on the focus missed by 1.) You both instinctively push off each other and as you adjust your stance to face her, her leg snaps up... the tow of her boot kicking sharply into your wrists. The impact is sudden and hard and it drives your sword up and out of your hands. It goes nearly straight up in fact, the blade sinking in and sticking in the ceiling with barely a sound. (her second move, disarm)

Arcsilver: Nails is just below you and Maul is still inside, just past the hole in the wall. You see his large body shift and he scoops his arm and underhands his mallet up at you. "You dance well, lightning bug," he yells with a smile, "But I only need to hit you once!" The club rockets toward you...
... and misses again, flying up and past into the sky, returning in a flash to where Maul steps out on the sidewalk to catch it. The crowd roars.
Nails attacks. As you dodged Maul's fling you saw her standing below, breathing deep and glaring at you intently... then she leaps, this time rotating with the angled steel bar, driving it toward you, end first at your mid section. Luckily she doesn't come close, turning past you with a loud, "DAMNIT!! HOLD STILL!" to land behind you a bit. Her frustration is evident.
You have successfully pulled both of your foes out onto the sidewalk and street, but now they flank you. Neither is noticeably winded, and you can't help but feel a little tired. (been spending END for your force field, flight half move and 1 for the dodge, it adds up.)

Initiative: Arcsilver (1st), Z (1st), Crusader, Dragon Mist, Nails, Fury, Maul, Arcsilver (2nd), Z (2nd)

[RDU Neil]

Post 70

From S/Crusader:

I believe I have intiative on Fury because of the block, regardless of
intiative. Using his blocked leg as a brace, I slide my own leg up close to
my body and than pivot, thrust and reverse along the line of his sidekick.
And hopefully drive my foot into Fury's stomach area. Maybe something isn't
armored. Putting all my levels into OCV. Fast Strike again.

From M/Dragon Mist:

k. I guess the big question from me is, how high up is the ceiling and does
Dragon Mist have to burn an action to determine the ceilings height?

Dragon Mist will be trying to discern this while he does nothing else this
round but DODGE.

If the cows should ever come home and Dragon Mist gets a second action in the
same phase, He will try to flash Z and then go for his sword.

From I/Arcsilver:

I am having a great time with this, guys! Thanks for the great posts
and brainwork (Neil). I was enjoying the old-style team work that this
seems reminiscent of too, Storn. I think we should somehow work with
that idea.

Arcsilver, just about out of steam (my tally says around 11 End. left!),
will use his first action to move as far away as possible from the two,
to a nearby rooftop. Ideally, this would be a building of at least three
floors (but not more than 8 or so), that is about 25" or so away from the
fighting (in a straight line). He will reduce his Force Field to a
minimum for the round, and spend the next round recovering. As he flies
away, he will smile at Nails and Maul, and say "this is kind of boring,
don't you think?"
Once on the roof, hovering in place, panting hard, he will gesture for
the two to follow him, a la Jacki Chan. Hopefully he is out of effective
range for Maul, and it will take a couple of rounds for them to close,
during which time Arc can recover some End and Stn (I have him at around
12 Stun!)

-----

From GM:

Note: ( just let you all know that I'm enjoying this immensely as well. The things you guys come up with take this fight in directions I never thought of going. Just really cool. Thanks.)

Now...

>>>Arcsilver: Taking a deep breath you wave and blast away from Maul and Nails, crossing the road in a blink of an eye to land on the roof of a deli with a three story walk up above it. People in the crowd are watching you, as are Nails and Maul, both of whom pause in surprise as you seem to casually blow them off. The crowd murmurs, and people point. A couple bystanders yell, "Hey! Where's he going?"
Confused looks begin to form on faces, when Maul suddenly yells, "Ok then!" and you and everyone else, turns to see him scooping up Nails by the back of her uniform. She had been taking a couple of tentative steps toward you, as if unsure what was happening, and now looks REALLY surprised as she is hoisted in the air. Then Maul spins around like an Olympic discuss thrower, with Nails swinging at the end of his outstretched arm. "Have at him, girl!!" he bellows, as he steps and releases, throwing her in an immense parabola toward your resting spot.
Below, the crowd is silent. Arcsilver, you stand somewhat flabbergasted with your hands on knees, breathing hard and watching as Nails sails up and over your head. Every face in the crowd below rotates in unison as they watch Nails toss and tumble in an ungainly manner through the air. You roll your eyes to keep her in sight as she flies over you, screaming obscenities all the way until she comes down behind you at the far end of the roof. At the last moment she seems to try to control her fall, tucking and flipping... and almost makes it! Coming down on her feet the momentum is just too great, and she keeps stumbling backwards, her feet kicking out from under her before she slams down on her butt, almost going over the other edge of the roof.
She sits there, in the sludge and puddles, looking suddenly forlorn and pitiful. Her face clearly indicates that she doesn't quite believe what just happened. (And neither do I... really. You got your action and your recovery, Arcs. Maul is still across the street and away, but Nails is on the roof within your half move.)

Crusader: Rotate, plant, kick, you drive your leg like a piston into Fury's gut, but he turns, bringing his right arm down in a forearm block, knocking your leg away and exposing your back to his fists for a moment, and he yells, "Yes! Yes! A good kick! A good fight!!" And he moves in. (Strike by you, block by him, setting up first attack next round.)

Dragon Mist: There is a nano-second pause as both of you stare at your sword suspended only a foot and a half over your head. You instinctively begin to drop into a defensive stance as Z starts to move, only to see her spring up to grasp the hilt and pull it back down. There is a surprising flash of light as she grabs and drops down with it. It is clearly vibrating and twisting... unto a living thing... in her hand. Surprise and concern are suddenly clear in her heretofore stoic face. (Note: You declared a dodge, but in this case, you clearly see that she is not immediately attacking you, so I'm going to hold, giving you a chance to re-declare your action. Z still has a second action as well.)<<<

Dragon Mist, Z (2nd), then new Initiative: Z (1st), Dragon Mist (1st, no fudging but this time Crusader got the short end), Arcsilver (1st), Maul, Nails, Fury, Crusader, Z (2nd), Dragon Mist (2nd), Arcsilver (2nd)

[RDU Neil]

Post 71

From M/Dragon Mist:

With a look of extreme desperation in his eyes, Dragon Mist screams Never
again! He deftly grabs the pommel of his sword w/ his right hand and the top of
the hilt w/ his left. He then twists his sword counter clock-wise,weakening Z's
single handed grip. (Take away. All levels in OCV)
Once the sword has traveled in a complete circle it will be in his hands. He
stands there, arms out streched, sword in front, saying:"This Dragon is not
meant for you."
His next move depends on Z.

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will gesture towards where Maul is, and smile warmly, making
sincere eye contact with Nails. Then, in a friendly tone, he will say
"look, sorry about those things I said, I was trying to save my
teammates. You can't tell me that you like that guy Maul. What do you
say you and me take that asshole out, and then if you want to fight me we
can go at it? Deal?" This will be a Presence attack, 3d6+? While
speaking (if possible), Arcsilver will be leaning on his knees again,
taking another recovery for his first action. If she comes at him for
her action, he will pull to dodge and say "Oh well, worth a try!"

From S/Crusader:

Crusader: Grits his teeth, annoyed at how tough Fury is. He will simply
spin back into an almost Mui Thai stance, arms raised up, so he exposes his
stomach ever so slightly. Of course, he will try to block any attack, low
attack with an interrupting leg, high attacks with one or both arms. (pull
action to block/parry).

>>Dragon Mist screams Never
again! / This Dragon is not meant for you."<<

Peanut gallery: Great reaction Matt! That makes so much sense for
'Mist. Love "this dragon is not meant for you." Cool stuff guys.

-----

From GM:

Note: Quick post here, to get Matt caught up with the actions of everyone else.

>>>Dragon Mist: Your desperate action pays off. Z is caught between struggling with the sword and trying to knock your hands away, and she is unable to do both. As your hands wrap around the hilt your sword seems to respond, almost jumping from her grip into yours. Z tries to hammer your wrists with her gun hand but you just use the momentum as you spin around, coming back in ready stance to face her. "This dragon is not for you!" you growl, and this seems to stun her. She steps back, uncertainty on her face for the first time. Stuttering in Japanese she says, "...But...bu... But it ... it must be! Without it...w...we are lost..."
Then her face hardens, and she steps back again, raising the energy pistol level with your head, saying, "It must be mine, and you must show me how to wield it! I mean you no dishonor, but it is my duty!" (Your action - take away, her second action - lost, her first action - cover you!)<<<

Ok, now, Matt, you declare for the rest of this round,

[RDU Neil]

Post 72

From M/Dragon Mist:

Cool. Thanks.
(First Action) Dragon Mist smiles grimly and says in fluent Japanese, "You
have
failed. But that is not dishonorable in itself, it's the repetition of that
failure which brings you dishonor. Do you really wish this to continue?" With
that he will teleport to Fury's right side and take out his other support
leg.(Second action) Keeping his levels in DCV, Dragon Mist will get chatty,
concentrating on Z's movements. "Crusader, we need to get Arcsilver back here.
Try to get him to lead the others back so they don't hurt the crowd. It'll be
a great chance for an ambush." He then immediately 'ports back to Z's right
hand side facing her so that they are perpindicular to each other. ( I have
made the assumption that she is right handed. If she is left handed, then he
will 'port to her left hand side.) Holding his last half move, and almost out
of breath from the strain of teleporting, he points the tip of his sword in
front of her face and says, "What will it be?" The held 1/2 move will be
either a. dodge or b. take down, levels in DCV. And if this actually goes off
as planned, Dragon Mist will breathe a heavy sigh of relief.
Note: Neil I am pushing the limit on actions during the phases to show Dragon
Mist's desire to finish this as quickly as possible, not to pull a Todd and
min/max. Dragon Mist is very concerned about the well being of Onyx, and
wants
that bat back. I hope that I am not pushing the limit and understand if not
all
of these actions go off.

------

From GM:

Note: (Matt's post was to catch up to Ilan's and Storn's already declared
actions. So, as Arcsilver is requesting Nails assistance in beating up Maul,
and Crusader is blocking Fury, that is when Dragon Mist tries to double back
on Fury, etc. I'm leaving out Storn's response to Matt, because it's too far
down the line, and I'm sure the actions coming will change how Crusader
responds.)

So...

>>>Dragon Mist: Your words bite, obviously striking
home with your foe and again she pauses, looking uncertain. In that instance, you shift, returning next to Fury as he is shuffling to attack Crusader. You slash low, aiming for his hamstring, but this time he is ready. As you bring your sword around Fury sidesteps into you, jamming your arms with his side and hip, effectively blocking your strike. "Not a second time," he says, coldly looking angry. Louder, he yells, "Z! You said this one would be your concern! Do your duty, and get him off of me!" (Half move attack, Fury
blocked.)

Arcsilver: As Nails climbs to her feet you stand, still breathing deeply,
and gasp out your entreaty. She stops... looking at you... hefting the curling
bar, in her hand. Anger and resentment play across her face, but she takes no immediate action. For a second, you look into each other's eyes, then her brow goes up, and she looks past you.

Turning, you see Maul. As you spoke, he had tensed, crouched and then
taken a running leap flexing his enormously strong legs and sending himself
hurtling up toward your rooftop. "Here I come!" he yells. Behind you, Nails
snorts derisively. "Why don't I just let the two of you slug it out. Then
I'll break the head of whoever is left standing!" (Your recovery, and hers,
Maul takes full phase, extra time to leap.)

Crusader: You had pulled back, preparing for Fury's attack, when Dragon Mist
had suddenly reappeared behind your opponent trying to take him out. Though Fury was able to block his attack, it has given you a brief opening. You step, muy tai style, from defensive position into a low round house, driving your boot toward Fury's middle. He tries to throw an arm in the way but can't quite manage it, and you hit home. He grunts in pain and the impact knocks him slightly away from Dragon Mist. Stumbling a bit, he snaps, "You always need a friend to defeat me! I think I will actually enjoy breaking you!" Then a green flash pops behind him, and you see Dragon Mist
struck by Z's blaster. (Crusader didn't need to block, so I had him attack.
Hope that's ok w/you, Storn.)

Dragon Mist: You were about to call out to Crusader and have him get
Arcsilver, when a numbing green light envelopes you. Your extremeties
tingle, and you sway for a moment but don't go down (17 Stun, flat). Z
calls to you from behind. "I must honor my commitments. Failing in the
attempt is less shameful than failing to try. Now give me the sword or I
will take it from you!" Turning, you see Z still leveling her pistol at
you, stern and serious. You manage to shout, "Crusader! Get Arcsilver back
in here!" but he is still fighting Fury and you aren't sure he'll get a
chance. You are tensing to 'port as she fires again. You abandon your
shifting and instinctively duck and roll. The beam sings over your head.
(Z fires, you abort to dodge.)

Arcsilver: Maul comes leaping in, landing hard and driving one
leg through the roof. He ends up off balance, but chuckling and
smiling. "How was the ride, tough girl?" he calls to Nails. She bares a
feral smile. "You'll get yours, dickhead," she retorts, the curling bar
spins like a baton to smack into her open palm. You breathe deep, and
guage your next actions. (Recover, again.) Then, there is a wash of
vibration, and the distinctive sound of an approaching helicopter.<<<

Next initiatives: Oh man, are the villains HOSED! Arcsilver (1st), Dragon
Mist (1st), Crusader (1st), Z , Fury, Nails, Maul, Arcsilver (2nd), Dragon
Mist (2nd), Crusader (2nd)

[RDU Neil]

Post 73

From I/Arcsilver: (Note the in game discussion on Hand Attacks, which have always been a problem.)

Maul says:
"Here I come!" he yells. Behind
>you, Nails
>snorts derisively. "Why don't I just let the two of you slug it out.
>Then
>I'll break the head of whoever is left standing!"

Arcsilver smiles at her, nodding in agreement through his heavy
breathing. "Deal." Then he will take off (pumping the force field back
up to max), arcing around in a wide curve so that his move-by hits Maul
(or tries to) upward and away from the building (back the way that he
came. He'll save one level for OCV (12) and put two into turn mode, so
that he can hit him just like he wants to. Ultimately Arc will want to
end up about 20" away from wherever he ends up, so that he is at long
range for that stick, but can still make another move by on his second
action. Arc will be trying to keep track of two things besides Maul's
attacks: 1) where the crowd is, and whether his movements will be putting
them in danger, and 2) where little Nails is, and whether she is going to
clean his clock from behind.

For the second action. he will do the same thing again, trying to knock
him back towards the gym. If Arc has taken too much damage in the first
run (I have Arc at 33 stun after the three recoveries), then he will not
attempt the move-by, but instead will his him with an NND lightening
bolt. As he is doing this, he will switch to all bands on his radio, and
say "incoming helicopter, identify yourself!" If this takes an action,
then he will just stay on his own band, and say "heads up, guys, we have
a helicopter incoming. Will try to ID."

-Ilan/Arcsilver

PS/Meta: Neil, I have Arc now at 24 END after taking 2 recoveries and
keeping the flight at 0 and the force field at minimum. Let me know if
this is not correct. Also, I made the same mistake on the reduced END
mod for Arc's Hand Attack, so that he should actually be paying zero for
the HA. This would put his END at only 1 or 2 for his strength. Is this
OK, or is this too much or a reversal in his END needs for the game?

Metameta: As a side note (don't worry about this if you don't have
time), I'm not sure why HA would be brought up to 5 pts. Isn't the same
as having STR, with a lim. "Only used for punch?" Which should be worth
1/2 to -1, no?

From S/Crusader:

>>"incoming helicopter, identify yourself!" <<

Tagging is internal comm, he will broadcast only to Mavericks: "I hope
its reinforcements for us and not the bad guys!"

2nd action: hold for defense purposes unless offensive opportunity
presents itself that makes sense. Like Fury blocks as his action, then the
Crusader can continue to press the attack.

<< Then a green flash errupts from behind him, and you see Dragon Mist
struck by Z's blaster. (Crusader didn't need to block, so I had him attack.
Hope that's ok w/you, Storn.) >>

Nope, that's fine.

Crusader will key off of Dragon Mist, because I'm not sure what he will
do. In order to keep the teamwork going, Crusader will momentarily hesitate
and then go after the target that 'Mist ignores. If 'Mist presses the attack
on Fury, then Crusader will do a Passing sTrike on Z. If 'Mist t-ports to Z,
then Crusader will press the attack on Fury, hammering him with quick,
punches (all adding up to one Fast Strike).
Note: Crusader will be absolutely silent. He is doing this on purpose,
hoping to piss off Fury and make him commit a mistake. Fury seems to like
the tete a tete.


From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist will spend his first move stiking at Fury with two levels in DCV, I
believe that puts him at 12OCV and 11DCV. The strike is intended to take out the
other leg, but at this point in the game, he just wants Fury out so he won't
declare a called shot. The second move depends on Fury. If Fury took it and is
down, and DM is still standing, he will 1/2 move away from Fury and cast his
dispel at Z. If Fury is still standing, DM will take advantage and slice that leg
again.

------

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: Note (You are standing on the north edge of a roof, across the street from the gym. Maul has landed past you, halfway across the roof, further from the gym and the crowd in the street. Nails is even further to the southern side, beyond Maul. He is between the two of you. You do not have enough movement to get more than 8" past Maul after swinging around.) Lightning flares and you shoot back into the air, swinging wide and back around, to come at Maul from the south. He is turning to watch you, awkwardly tearing his leg out of the hole it made in the roof. As you come in like a missile he seems unconcerned, grinning with huge white teeth. He leans in as you strike and a brief thought runs through your head, "Didn't I do this before?" and then WHAM! your knuckles hit his chest.
A visible shock wave strobes outward from the impact and your hand goes numb for a second (take 6 stun after defenses) as you bounce off his steel hard pecs and careen up and past him. Your trajectory was deflected again, because, also once again, he didn't move an inch. You twist in the air to look behind you and see him wrench his leg out of the roof and turn, his arms smoothly arcing around and hurling his club right up your trail. You pull your legs back in just enough time, and again the club zings past you.
It is at that moment that you see Nails. As you had attacked, she had begun moving forward with powerful strides and begun closing the distance. Then, about even with Maul's position she stopped, snapping her arm forward and flung the chromed bar in a spinning arc right at you. Caught between turning for your next attack and avoiding Maul's club, you can't avoid her throw. (She rolled a 5!) The silvery steel slams into your face at full extension of it's spin. A perfect shot on the bridge of your nose. Even through your force field the pain is intense, and at the moment of impact you feel something pop in your nose as you spin through the air. A small stream of blood spurts from your face. (She did 30 stun/8 body vs. HALF your defense. Found weakness a number of turns ago, just hadn't hit you yet. that means 21 stun gets through, so you take 1 body from the stun. 3" KB puts you just over the edge of the roof.)

Dragon Mist: You stand 1 meter from Fury, side by side but facing in opposite directions. You face Z to the north, and he is facing Crusader to the south. You sidestep, spin, and strikelow at Fury. In that instant, Crusader becomes a blur, leaping over the both of you, at Z. Fury, changing directions and trying to back kick where Crusader will land instead steps right into your blade. It slides through his chest with only the slightest resistance, stopping only as the pommel rests against him. Time is frozen, as his weight sags on you blade. Face to face with you he breathes a clean, antiseptic gasp. In a quiet tone, he says, "It does not hurt..." and then his eyes roll up and he collapses, sliding off your blade.

('efffin bloody hell! 18 Body, 10 AP, you'd already sliced him once. Only had 7 stun left as is. dropped like a rock!)

Crusader: When Dragon Mist moves, you leap. Seeing him going for Fury, you dive up and over, twisting into a forward aerial somersault at Z. As you roll over you snap your leg out at her head. She is too fast though, sliding to the side and your kick goes past her. Behind you, there is a wet "schunk" sound and a gasp. You turn and see Fury falling back, sliding off the blood red blade of Dragon Mist. It was a perfect killing blow through the heart. Z, seemingly unfazed by your attack, stays steady and fires at Dragon Mist. (passing strike, missed, her attack)

Arcsilver: Your world is a haze of pain and blood, and worse you feel your powers cutting out as you try to focus. The building and streets swirl around and you feel yourself falling as gravity gets it's spiteful hands on you. Dimly you are aware of the rumbling appearance of a large helicopter, and an amplified voice calling out. (Rec. from CON stunning, FF and Flight both go out. You will hit next round... it just depends on your initiative about whether you get your FF back up in time.)

Dragon Mist: Fury slides to the ground as you draw your sword back, but you don't have time to savor the moment. Out of the corner of your eye you see that Z is still there... and she is firing at you. As the energy bursts you continue your draw motion, keeping your feet in a classic horse stance but bending your torso over backwards and the beam passes over you cleanly. (second action dodge, she misses)

Crusader: Z curses under her breath as she misses her shot at Dragon Mist. You absorb the shock of your leap then steel and sinew torque, driving you back at her. Your armored hand comes around in a back fist for her. Even concentrating on Dragon Mist she nearly slides out of the way, but you extend your lunge just enough to clip her clavicle. She grunts at the blow, and you slide into your combat stance facing her, only half a meter between you.

Then, all three of you hear, outside, the heavy chop of a large helicopter, and an amplified voice call out, "This is the police! Official NYPD C.A.T. Squad! All combatants stand down, or we will initiate the use of force!"

Cut scene: Dark room. Darker figure... sits in front of a series of monitors. Camera view pans around his shrouded shoulders to show multi-faceted views of the battle on the screens both inside and outside the gym. From three or four angles he watches as Brian Fury goes down with a sword through his heart. The figure reacts, tipping his head slightly and saying, "Impressive."
Then, the two rooftop level, external views, jerk and go out. The scenes of Maul and Nails watching Arcsilver plummet groundward vanish. The screens break into static snow. The Warlord looks up at a sudden flurry of activity behind the operations booth, and an immediate report is given in a calm, cool voice from a young man standing over the other operatives. "Tagger 1 is not responding, and his signal has cut off from the source. He's down." The Warlord merely nods again and says, "Their backup has arrived. Send the recall." Then he calmly continues watching the events unfold. <<<

Well THAT was a brutal round! DAMN!

Next initiatives: Z (1st), Nails (1st), Arcsilver (I'm so sorry, Ilan), Maul, Dragon Mist, Crusader, Z (2nd), Nails (2nd)

[Speedball]

I know I'm begging to have this happen by just writing this email, but don't leave us hanging over the weekend! I gotta know what's in the chopper!

[RDU Neil]

Post 74 (Geoff, it's in the post above... the chopper is the cops.)

From S/Crusader:

<< You turn, and see Fury, falling back,
sliding off the blood red blade of Dragon Mist, a seemingly perfect killing
blow through the heart. Z, seemingly unfazed by your attack, stays steady
and fires at Dragon Mist. (passing strike, missed, her attack) >>

"NO! NOT ON MY WATCH!!!"; Crusader yells.

>>she nearly slides out of the way, but you
extend your lunge just enough to clip her clavicle. She grunts at the blow,
and you slide into your combat stance, only half a meter between you.
<<

After the blow lands, Crusader yells at Z; "This ends now! Your
teammate is hurt! I'm trained for medical emergencies! Let me try and save
his life!" and Crusader turns his back on her in his next action (next
rounds 1st action). (ooo, this is probably a really, really bad idea. But
Crusader does have a code vs. killing) And rush to Fury's side. Crusader
does have Paramedic on 12-, and he does have just and inkling of his own
cybernetic systems.

Assuming that Crusader doesn't get gun down. If he gets hit, but isn't
con stunned or k.o'd due to lack of stun (he's got 18 left), he will continue
on the same course. Hoping that Z will either stop out of respect for
Crusader sheer tenacity (or stupidity, don't care) or 'Mist will take her
down.

"Yuri! YURI come in! I've got a cyborg down, code red emergency. I
NEED YOUR HELP!", as Crusader has tries to stabalize Fury. Note: From the
description, Crusader would think that was a true killing blow. So this is
not the tactical move to make. But Crusader has too much blood on his hands.
And Fury and Crusader are cut from a very similar cloth.

--storn

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist will hold his phase, dodging if need be. On his phase( Assuming
that he didn't have to dodge) Dragon Mist will address Z, still holding, he
says: "This is getting ridiculous. You've tried, now stand down." Knowing full
well that this won't stall her, Dragon Mist will 1/2 move and engage. (Fast
strike, levels in OCV)

From I/Arcsilver:

I'm afraid that it is worse than just being Con stunned, according to my
notes, this last shot also put me at -4 Stun, so I am going to hit the
ground already unconscious! I hope that I live, but what a way to go out
if I don't! I await the outcome with baited breath...

-Ilan/Arcsilver

PS. Ooooh, that Nails is a bad one...

------

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: (I may have missed something, but I calculate Arcs at 7 stun... 34 -10 (first move by) -10 (hitting Rune with suppressed FF), +7 +7, -8 (Nails hits) +7 +7, -6 (second MVBY on Maul) -21 (Nails hits) = 7 I'm going with this, and it's better than taking more damage when already unconscious.)

A rush of air, a falling sensation, and your senses snap clear. You are tumbling... pavement... cars below... faces of the crowd looking up in shock... ground rushing up. Instinctively you pull your arms around your head and twist your body and try to kick your force field back on. There is the familiar tickle of energy pulsing out and...
... SMACK!!! You hit. Shoulder and side carom off the rear fender of a parked car, jerking your lower body down into the sidewalk with a bone snapping KKRUUNCH!! White lighting pain explodes from your hip... and you mercifully rush to oblivion.

(Ow. 40 Stun/11 Body, that's 36 Stun & 7 + 1 body after defenses. Being conscious, you don't take double stun, but you are at -29 Stun & 1 body. I say again... ow.)

Dragon Mist: You tense, watching Z as Crusader scrambles past you to Fury's side. Her pistol twitches, leveled at you but she is also watching Crusader and frowning. Her face is pinched and troubled. Then she looks up as if listening to something you can't hear. Outside you do hear, "I repeat... this is the NYPD! Stand down now and surrender your weapons! You...WHOA!!" The announcement cuts off suddenly and there is the roar of helicopter engines suddenly straining as if in a hard bank! Screams and shouts come from the crowd outside. Z... as if responding to some command... lowers her gun. You bark your words at her, still expecting an offensive move. "This will continue, later..." she starts to say but sees you tensing to attack and shifts defensively, bringing the gun up again. You leap, too late realizing that she may actually have been stopping, your fist lashes out. She snarls and meets you wrist to wrist, stopping your strike. Arms forming an "X' as you press against each other... your sword wavers threateningly above her while at the same time you feel her gun barrel pressed against your stomach.

Crusader: You cry out to Z and turn, leaping back to Fury and skidding to his side on your knees. Blood is flowing from beneath him in a red and black swirl. Ignoring the stand off behind you, you try for a cursory diagnosis but the wound is so small. It will take a much closer look. (You have to go out of combat to do paramedics, so we'll see if you get to it.) You yell over the Comm for Yuri, forgetting for a moment that he is in Philadelphia, out of range and unable to respond.

Dragon Mist: Z speaks very quietly. "This is over... for now. We will meet again, and if you find some honor, perhaps it will save your life." And then she pulls the gun back and slides it into an invisible pocket in her suit. At the same time she pushes away from you and palms a small bluish packet from another invisible seam and holds it out to you. "Give this to your friend. Perhaps it will help keep the cyborg alive." The packet has an internal luminescence... shimmering like azure mercury. Outside there are more screams and shouts, including someone barking military orders, but everything is nearly overwhelmed by the heavy beat and engine whine of the helicopter as it passes over the building you are in.<<<

Next round: Crusader (1st, but if you continue Paramedics, it doesn't matter), Dragon Mist (1st), Z, Crusader (2nd, if at all), Dragon Mist (2nd) (What is happening outside, is now out of perception of any PC)

[RDU Neil]

Post 75

From S/Crusader:

Then I will do paramedics. Using all of my helmet's sensors, shuck my gloves and
get down to stabilizing the S.O.B. If it is really his heart there might
not be anything for me to do.... if he is bleeding into his lungs, then bubbles
should be forming in the wound. Heart massage may be necessary if the heart is stopped. Who knows if the bastard had a pulse to begin with.
But slowing the bleeding down until medical help arrives is also
necessary. That reminds me, switch to NYPD frequency; "NYPD? This is
Maverick: Crusader, inside of ONYX gym. We have 3 down, 1 in critical
condition. The other two have unknown status, but they are both ours. We
NEED emergency medical help IMMEDIATELY!"

"'Mist. Check Dark Fire-Eye and Onyx. Then go see what is going on
outside and get us some help. Let her go for now," flinging a bloody hand
towards the departing Z, then getting back down to business, accepting the
blue packet and trying to figure out what it is {Freon to slow down
cybernetic and body functions?}

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist scowls at Z as she exits. This was a big waste of time and another
trap sprung by the Mavericks with pyrhic results. He moves to check on Onyx and
Darkfire, to see if they too need Crusader's attention. "Crusader. That blow
wasn't intended to kill. You know me better than that. Fix Fury if you can, but
try to remember that Onyx and Darkfire here need your attention as well. You
co-ordinate with that CAT squad, while I go after Arcs." He then looks out the
hole in the wall, cautiously, to see what's going on outside. "Dragon Mist to
Arcsilver, give me your location, I'm on my way. . . "

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver: Ouchie...Arcsilver no like!

Ilan

PS. Just a reminder that Arc has a 1-body Regeneration that works half
of the time he recovers (11-)

From S/Crusader:

>>This was a big waste of time and another
trap sprung by the Mavericks with pyrric results<<<

Too true. But isn't it always that way with the Mavericks?

<< "Crusader. That blow
wasn't intended to kill. You know me better than that. Fix Fury if you can,
but
try to remember that Onyx and Darkfire here need your attention as well. You
co-ordinate with that CAT squad, while I go after Arcs. >>

Crusader waves a bloody hand absentmindly, "oh, I know 'Mist. I'm not
blaming you at all. Its combat with the bad guys and its deadly. I've just
caused too much death to stomach it anymore. And if I can save this
asshole...."
Crusader continues after a moment; "I will check on Onyx and Darkfire as
soon as help arrives or I can stabilize Fury. I'm worried about both too."
And then looks up at Dragon Mist as Mist goes to the wall and says;
"Funny, I haven't heard Arc's chatter over the comm for awhile. Great. Now
I'm worried about yet another teammate."

------

From GM:

Note: Since nobody rushed outside to join the fracas, turn order doesn't matter. The conscious PCs are out of combat.)

>>>Crusader: With a clack, your gauntlets drop to the floor, and you immediately rip Fury's shirt off. His chest is pock-marked with bullet scars and crisscrossed with old knife marks. You find the wound, an inch and a half cut, so clean it almost folds back together. Blood bubbles, very slightly, up through it though, and you probe, feeling steel hard casement just under the epidermal and negligible fat layers. Normally, you'd open the wound to check for internal damage but you realize you have nothing to cut subdermal armor with. What normally saves him from harm may just be the death of Fury.

Then Dragon Mist drops the strange blue packet in your hand. It looks like a luminescent blob of blue mercury that somehow allows you to pick it up. As Z walks out the door she turns and says, "Just place it in the wound. It will either know what to do... or not. Nano-meds, designed for my systems. Perhaps they will work on Fury... archaic model that he is." Then she is gone.
As Dragon Mist grumbles angrily, you talk at him while placing the packet on the cut. Then with a "can't hurt at this point" shrug, you press it into the wound with a bloody finger. It wobbles and starts to squirt away for a second... then, as if alive, it crawls into the cut and disappears. Fury is still, chest barely rising with thin, ragged breaths... then he jerks, spasms slightly, and goes stiff.
At that moment, you become aware that there is commotion and the sounds of blaster fire coming from outside.

Dragon Mist: As you watch Z leave, you bend down to check on Onyx who is lying at your feet. You can barely feel his pulse through his dense skin, but he is breathing. The back of his head is ugly; looking like it took a hard hit or two. His hair and neck are matted with blood.
From a distance, there comes a rattling concussive noise and the crowd audibly gasps. You hear the helicopter veer away, allowing you to hear the authoritative commands of police, ordering folks about. One man is shouting, "No target! No target! Jeezus she's fast!" You glance between the hole to the outside, and then back toward Darkfire, lying in a heap. With a quick t-port you are by his side. He isn't bleeding, but his shoulder is clearly dislocated and his left arm looks fractured. Collar bone is cracked, ribs feel tender, and he twitches slightly under the pressure of your fingers. You sit back and breathe for a second (recover), glad to know he is still alive.
Then outside you hear two more quick concussive impacts, a loud cry from the crowd, and then a much closer crashing sound and the building shakes. In your limited view of the street, you see pieces of a smashed automobile 'splang' into the street and a fully armored C.A.T. squad member runs past, blaster rifle to his shoulder. He opens fire at something/someone out of your LOS. You hear other weapons fire as well, including a couple shotgun blasts.

Crusader: You sit back and take a breath (recover), wondering what is going to happen to Fury. You switch your audio over to the police band and receive a cacophony of voices, shouting, and static bursts from noises that overwhelm the mics. "This is Fire Team one! He's down and we're engaging..." "...et those people back, damnit! Where's our supp..." "...o! Go! Go!... Can you see her?" "...swinging around for a second pass. This is Hawkeye one, I have no visuals on escaping perps. They've dropped belo..." Then Wild Heart's voice cuts in. "Keep pouring it on, guys! I brought him down, you keep him there. Now get your medics to Arcsilver, would you! He looks really bad!"
At that moment, you call out, "NYPD? This is Maverick - Crusader, inside of Onyx gym! We have 3 down, 1 in critical condition! The other two are unknown status, but they are both ours. We
NEED emergency medical help IMMEDIATELY!"
Wild Heart responds, "Crusader! Good to hear from you! Arcsilver is down, but..." A huge fusillade of blaster and gunfire cuts through the call. A below of pain that sounds like Maul echoes out, and the two of you can see flashes of gunfire through the hole in the wall. There is a great deal of dust and debris kicked up. Wild Heart yells, "Shit! He's still up! Yahhhh!! You bastard!" and then her comm cuts out, and there is a huge "KAAWWOOOHHMM!!" that rattles the building and your teeth. Bits of plaster and dirt sift down from the ceiling, and the view through the hole is obscured with pluming dust.<<<

No initiatives needed, at this point. Just what you are doing.

[Cardinal]

I just want to let you know that I have been enjoying following along. Unfortunately, I seem to have become addicted. Please post more.... soon. I need my fix.

[RDU Neil]

Post 76

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist looks at Crusader and says, "It's not over yet. Sounds like Maul is
still around which gives me a chance to get Onyx's bat, pull Arcsilver out of
the fray and try to make up for falling for what must be the oldest trick in
the book of villains. His bat should restore much of Onyx's lost health."
Dragon Mist turns and runs through the hole.

From S/Crusader:

"Roger that." Pause, "All Mavericks, all police, Crusader here. I am
holding position inside Onyx gym until help arrives. Need paranormal
restraints for cyborg, delta class, just in case Fury reactivates. Crusader
out."
After applying the patch, Crusader will check Onyx quickly (although I
expect just unconsciousness, not life-threatening situation). Then he will
meld into the shadows and await. Why? 1) The villains might try to
retrieve Fury. 2) the packet that Z gave us might work too good and Fury
might get up again. Stranger things have happened in this universe.

-storn

Neil, could you post your Alpha, Beta, Delta classification of
paranormals again?

------

From GM:

>>>Dragon Mist: Moving quickly to the hole you peer out through the dust and debris, looking east to where the commotion was. People are running through the dust and across the street you see two C.A.T. members behind a car, one covering the area and the other waving people back while kneeling over a figure that might just be Arcsilver. A couple of the body builder guys are also kneeling there and seem to be helping the medic. A gust of wind blows the screening dust up and away and you see a short row of demolished vehicles, along the northern side of the street about thirty feet away. Four C.A.T. team members are covering the center area of the mess... what looks like an impact crater. There is a sudden wrenching of metal and a female figure stumbles backward out of the mess, hauling the tattered form of Maul with her. Wild Heart, shaking her head and cursing the motor oil dripping all over her, dumps his limp body flat on the pavement. Maul's cape and clothing are in tatters with blaster burns and buckshot tears all over. She steps back and points at the mess and says, "Hey boys. Taser his ass a few more times, would you? I don't want to see him getting up any time soon!" Looking carefully, you don't see either his club or Onyx's bat anywhere in the open. There doesn't seem to be any active threat at the moment and the police helicopter, a modified Blackhawk, swings back over the area, sending small whirlwinds dancing through the crowd. No one notices you at all.

Crusader: As Dragon Mist leaves you make your call, and get a "Roger that! Medics coming through the crowd now. Stronghold operations... this is NYPD Charlie Alpha Tango. Sgt. Gerlach relaying request for paranormal restraints. Class Four Delta. Cybernetics. We also need Class Five Beta rated restraints and tranques. Reference Code Name: Maul!" There is return chatter from incoming Stronghold agents, confirming and giving a six minute ETA.
Picking up your gauntlets you step back, surveying the area. Carnage everywhere and a strange, ionized smell in the air. You move into a defensible position, watching for any threat. As you pull your gauntlets back on you stop for a moment, reflecting on the sticky, drying blood on your hands. Surgeon or assassin. Healer or killer. It seems there is no escaping it.
Your gloves click back into place just as you hear a groan from Darkfire. Looking over you see him rolling over, and the pain makes him cough and moan. Then the west side doors slam open and you hear the scuff of hard boots and masked breathing... then the stereo echo of both live words and radio transmission come through. "Entering building. No sign of movement. One costume down in LOS. Tentative ID Darkeye. Moving into room now." Then a fully armored C.A.T. member slides into view to your left, out of the foyer, in combat sweep position. A tri-barrelled blaster carbine readied. He is followed by a uniformed police officer in a heavy flak vest and holding a .44 Magnum revolver in a two handed combat stance. Two flak vested and helmeted paramedics come behind them, and seeing no immediate threat, they push past into the room to kneel by Darkfire. You are just out of sight to their right and no one sees you at this moment. The police make no move to check Fury or Onyx, but merely watch the sight and cover the paramedics and downed bodies. Fury hasn't moved.

Arcsilver: Your eyes snap open as stabbing pain shoots through your hip. You are looking up at two of the body builders who had run from building earlier. One is looking down with interest, holding a metal canister that is attached to the plastic breath mask over your mouth. A second one who is kneeling over you with a stethoscope to your neck and is looking at his watch then looks at you and says, "Whoa. He's awake. Hey, m'man! Back to the world. Can you hear me?" You nod, and he smiles, "You are definitely a tough sunnovabitch, grinning like a fool after falling off a buildin'!" You see now that a uniformed paramedic is kneeling over your legs and gingerly touching them. You wince as he hits a tender spot, but it is nothing like the pain that woke you up. The body builder keeps talking. "Looks like your hip is fractured, so don't try to move. We gonna take care of you. Any trouble breathing." You gasp a negative, and he waves four fingers in front of your eyes, "How many fingers?" He moves them back and forth. "You're tracking fine. How many?" You shift your body, involuntarily leaning up a bit as your head clears, and a new stab of pain takes your breath away causing you to fall back and almost gray out. You breathe deep, trying to fight back the nausea, when a strange grinding sensation comes from your hip, and you become partly numb all over. "Holy shit!" gasps the medic, yanking his hands back from where he was checking your injuries. He is gaping down at you in astonishment... and some horror. "His bones just fucking moved!" he yells. The two body builders just stare at him incredulously.<<<

Note: Attached Paranomal Classifications .doc. Just something I came up with to give a sense of how the world would attempt to classify and categorize all the weird stuff that some people can do. Just a "flavor" kind of thing. Examples would be, Wild Heart, somewhat experienced Brick character, would be a Class Five Gamma. Crusader, a relatively new cyborg martial artist, would be a Class 4.2 Delta. Dragon Mist, due more to the nature and complexity of his powers than raw power, would be a Class 3.2 Sub 9 Gamma. Arcsilver, electrical blaster type, would be a Class 7 Delta (almost a Gamma).

[RDU Neil]

Post 77

From I/Arcsilver:

>Can you hear me?"

Momentarily taking his face away from the mask, Arc smiles weakly and
rasps "hey guys...did anyone get the number of that imperial star
destroyer?"

>The body builder keeps talking. "Looks
>like
>your hip is fractured, so don't try to move."

Again, taking his face away for a moment, he manages to joke "I thought
this kind of thing only happened to my grampa..."


Arcsilver waves the mask away again, leaning up on his elbow. He grits
his teeth through the pain, and tries to act like he isn't bothereed by
it. He speaks to the Medic:

Don't worry, friend, they're supposed to do that. The electricity in my
body heightens some of my bodily functions. If you want to help, (takes
a break, breaths, tries to block out the pain and resume a pleasant
tone), just keep my leg straight and splint the hip with your hands. My
body knows where to put everything, but if I heal out of wack, I'll be
walking like Cornelius from Planet of the Apes (smiles at his own joke,
nodding to the boddy builders). Do me a favor though, buddy, don't cut
my suit open, because it costs a lot to replace! If you need me out of
it (grits his teeth for a second), let me know and I will take it off
(smiles again, accepting the mask so that they won't see his grimaces as
the hip heals itself)."

If the medic needs to see the leg, as opposed to the skin-tight suit,
Arc will unzip the main body suit, and allow them to pull it down,
leaving on the hood and the blue ice-skating glasses. Underneath his
suit, Arc wears Scooby-do briefs and a bright red athletic cup.

From S/Crusader:

On NYPD frequency; "Easy fellas, I'm a good guy." and step out of the
shadows with my hands up on my helmet. "I'm Crusader of the Mavericks. May
I check on my teammate, Darkfire?" I ask the two cops with the heavy
armaments, who are surveying the scene.

Assuming that is ok, I will kneel down by Darkfire. "Now that was pretty
stupid running in here like that, wasn't it?" I say, chuckling to Darkfire.
"But I do like the new look."
To the Paramedics I say: "I tried my best with Fury. I'm not sure if I
did any good. Fury's teammate left a packet of what she called nano-meds to
put on his wound. I guess she saw me trying to save his life. I'm not sure
what it did and I wouldn't treat him until restraints were on him. He
wouldn't hesitate in snapping someone's neck if he awoke."
"I wouldn't mind", turning to the cops, "if that bastard was dissembled.
He is a killer. Its in his eyes."

Switching on the comm to Maverick's frequency; "This is Crusader. Wild
Heart? Darkfire is alive, but hurt. Probably need hospitalization. How do
you want to handle? Over. "

I assume that Nails got away. That we are probably going to spend a few
boring hours going over our testimonies etc. But I assume I will wander out
into sunlight and join the others.

--storn

p.s. good post neil.

------

From GM:

>>>Dragon Mist: Ignoring the general chaos of the moment, you t-port out to where Maul is lying on the sidewalk. The cops have three tasers attached to him, waiting to zap him if he begins to wake up, but he seems completely out of it. The cops are startled at your appearance, but Wild Heart smiles through the grease and oil splatter, calling out, "Hey! 'Mist! You're ok!" A medic hands her a towel, and she begins to wipe the grime off, waving off his concern with, "Bullets bounce off my forehead, y'know? I'm fine. Thanks for the towel, though." You turn away and begin poking through the wreckage of the cars, searching where Maul had impacted. Kicking over a side panel you suddenly smile uncharacteristically. Lying there is an obsidian bat. You pick it up, feeling a sense of relief that it wasn't lost. Perfectly balanced, it almost hums in your hand as its power is evident to your refined senses. Without a word, you teleport back to the gym.

Arcsilver: The body builder, who introduces himself as DeVaughn, turns out to be an RN and physical therapist. He helps you unzip your uniform as the paramedic splints your leg. Seeing your under garments, DeVaughn laughs saying, "Who d'ya think you are, man? Coolio?!?" The paramedic just mutters in amazement and you gasp in pain as your bones continue to knit together. As you joke through the pain, Wild Heart walks over to you. More police and fire fighters, medics and some media are showing up now. The crowd is still large and they surge forward now and then, trying to get a look. Across the street, Crusader steps out of the hole in the wall just as a few rays of sunlight poke through the overcast skies.
Wild Heart is shrugging out of her jacket and shaking it out, but it's torn in places and looks covered in grease. "Oh well," she says, "I go through a few dozen a year. What's one more?" She smiles at you, seeing you awake, and starts to say something but stops when she notices your unclothed condition. A weird look passes over her face and her nose wrinkles as she grimaces. "Damn, Arcs! That is something I did NOT need to see!" she snaps. Recovering with a shake of her head she says, "You going to be all right? I know you heal fast." She kneels down next to you, nodding to the paramedic and DeVaughn. "Just tell me one thing. I don't think I want to hear this, but..." she hesitates, anger seems to put steel into her words. "Was it my sister?" she asks, her face becoming grim.

Crusader: Despite your warning, as you step out of the shadows, the police wheel and level their weapons at you. Then the patrol cop with the magnum seems to recognize you. He puts up his gun and straightens, looking relieved. "Hey, yeah." he says, "I saw you at the precinct house a couple of days ago." He waves to the C.A.T. squad member. "He's all right," he cautions and when you ask to look at Darkfire, he waves you over. One medic goes to check on Onyx, as the other keeps Darkfire still and checks him for internal injuries. "He's got fractured ribs, collar bone and possibly his elbow. We need to get him x-rayed as soon as possible, but he should be all right," he relates
You then stand up to walk out as Dragon Mist appears next to Onyx. He is holding a glistening black bat that looks like it is made out of some kind of stone or crystal. Kneeling down, he ignores the questions of the paramedic and lifts Onyx's arm, opening his hand and putting the bat into it. He forces the hand closed, his own looking small compared to Onyx's huge mitts. Then he rests the arm back on the ground and steps back. There is no immediate reaction, and the paramedic goes back to checking his head wound with a puzzled look. You step past them and out the hole, not having much to do right now. Outside rays of sunlight poke through the clouds, and the light glints off your face plate. Across the way, you see Wild Heart squatting by a group of people surrounding someone on the ground. The occasional electrical spark that shoots up gives you a good idea who else is there. Down the street you see two police spraying Foamlock (tm) all over Maul's inert body. A fast acting foam spray that hardens in under a minute to near granite solidity, it lasts for about 8 hours before becoming brittle and crumbling. An efficient, temporary paranormal restraint, it has become standard in most police departments over the last couple of years. Back in the day, your VIPER superiors used to claim that VIPER R&D created it. Rumors were that the legit sale to police and military services world wide were, ironically, a major source of funding for the group. You look around, and take a deep breath. Fight's over.<<<

Note: Add anything you want, but this scene is over, and I figure we can jump ahead a number of hours to a meeting back at the base. Let me know if that works for you guys, and I'll do that next.

Cool fight, dudes. Definitely interesting and as always, unexpected outcomes.

[RDU Neil]

Post 78

From S/Crusader:

Gotta love Arc's choice of undergarments! Way to take it all the way
Ilan!

<< Lying there is a
black, obsidian bat. You pick it up, feeling a sense of relief that it
wasn't lost. Perfectly balanced, it almost hums in your hand, it's power
evident to your refined senses. Without a word, you teleport back to the
gym. >>

Score one for the good guys!

>>Across the street, Crusader steps out of the hole in the wall just as
a few rays of sunlight poke through the overcast skies. <<

And gives a thumbs up to Wild Heart and Dragon Mist. Another battle
survived and with Maul in custody, Onyx's bat in our hands, I think we can
feel that this was a small victory.

>>>>..as the other keeps Darkfire still, and checks
him for internal injuries. "He's got fractured ribs, collar bone, and
possibly his elbow. We need to get him x-rayed as soon as possible, but he
should be all right," he relates <<<

"Excellent news, all things considering." I reply, clapping him on the
shoulder as if to say 'good job'.

>>Note: Add anything you want, but this scene is over, and I figure we can
jump ahead a number of hours to a meeting back at the base. Let me know if
that works for you guys, and I'll do that next.

Cool fight, dudes. Definitely interesting and as always, unexpected
outcomes.
<<<

Works for me, but you never had Wild Heart reply to my questions about
medical procedures for Darkfire. I assume that he goes to the hospital,
keeps his mask on, and that Darkfire can come up with the money (He does have
Rich Perk after all) to pay for it all.
Also and maybe more important; what about Fury? You never said if he
lived, died, if police have him in restraints or not.

From M/Dragon Mist:

Just fine w/ me.

From I/Arcsilver

Arcsilver will glanceover at Wildheart, losing most of his joking
expression, and say "Yes, it was. Let's talk about it later. I am angry
at your gene pool." He will then give her a slight smile, and return to
looking at his leg and talking with the medics and DeVaughn.

Assuming that he is able to rest there for the 15-20 minutes it takes to
be completely healed, Arcsilver will accept help to a standing position,
and then stand up dramatically, arms raised, and pose for the crowd,
wearing nothing but boxers, tight blue hood, and blue racing glasses.
Assuming that there is still a crowd interested, he will then say "thanks
for your concern, ladies and gentlemen, I am alright, thanks to the help
of these fine gentlemen! (He gestures towards De Vaughn and the Medic).
Now, if you will excuse me, I will rejoin my team." With that, he will
gather his uniform, and fly into the gym, meeting whoever is still there,
and putting on his uniform.

I am ready for the meeting at the base if everyone else is.

------

From GM:

Note: It's a long one, sorry...

>>>The four of you spend a few hours helping to wrap up the crime scene, making statements, and watching the agents from Stronghold do their thing. Arriving within minutes of the end of the fight, the gray/black Osprey 2000 JA VTOL lands, disgorging six power-suited specialists. Moving efficiently in their modular armor, they haul numerous pieces of esoteric equipment over to Maul and Fury.
The medic checking out Fury stands back with a "No rush guys. There's no pulse, no respiration, no heartbeat. DOA as far as I can tell." The agents go to work anyway, one of them coolly stating, "I've seen some of these guys in a lot worse shape than this come up swinging. Were beyond human standards here." His partner, having hooked a scanner of some type to his suit, is passing a yellow light down Fury's body. "Roger that, Jerry. I've got electrical activity, strong, throughout his body. His sub-derm is hurting the resolution, but we've got active internal systems. We better jack him up."
The first agent nods, and the two of them piece together a portable Torso-rack, and Crusader...you wince... recognizing it. You and your group called it the crucifier... a cross shaped rack that locks the neck, wrists and ankles, while a web of electrodes regulate energy flows throughout the cybernetic body. You spent plenty of time half conscious on a similar piece of machinery when VIPER would do major work on your body. They aren't pleasant memories.
Maul is kept in the Foamlock and simply injected with a thermos size syringe of sedatives. It takes a couple minutes because they have to use such a fine, sharp needle to penetrate his skin and the fluid takes forever to be injected through it. Then he is wheeled on board the plane on a heavy duty gurney.

While Arcsilver keeps the crowd in stitches and Wild Heart confers with the Stronghold field leader (a Dept. Of Justice type in suit and London Fog trench coat), Crusader and Dragon Mist assist the paramedics in getting Darkfire and Onyx into ambulances. With certain emphasis, Dragon Mist makes sure that Onyx' bat is kept with him. The big man seems to be breathing fine, and the bleeding has stopped, but he hasn't regained consciousness. Crusader, you confer with the police officer that recognized you... Larry Darden. He's a gregarious type, and seems eager to help, assuring you that both men will have security, and that Darkfire will be treated anonymously. "Hell," he says, "I'm going to take all kinds of grief when I get home and my daughter grills me on this. She's a big fan. Has his posters all over her room." He laughs. "I'd hate to break her heart if it turns out he's butt ugly under that mask!"
As the ambulances pull away, you feel confident they will be taken care of. Then... revealed by the ambulances departure, you see the C.A.T. squad member that had been with Darden in the gym, standing across the street staring at you. His rifle is at port and his goggles pulled back. His eyes burn with suspicion. You are looking right at him, and even though your face plate is darkened, you feel like he meets your eyes. His mouth is set in a grim line. After an intractable moment he turns and joins his fellows, grabbing a draw line dangling from the hovering Blackhawk. As the team is speed winched back up into the copter, you catch his name badge just before it rotates out of sight. "Watson"

Later, you've all gathered back at the base. Yuri and Sean (MIRV) have returned from Philli, and there is a lot of chatter about the fight. As you eat sandwiches and soup, you watch the TV. They are covering the battle and it's aftermath. The most popular clip is a shot of Arcsilver in his undies, showing off for the crowd. There is also Darkfire being wheeled into an ambulance. In response to shouted questions he raises a hand in a wave and says, "Same guy, new name! Stay tuned! To all my fans... don't worry! I'm good!" and he gives a thumbs up to the camera.
"Such a pair of... how do you say... hams?" says Yuri with a big grin. The humor is contagious to everyone but Dragon Mist, then Wild Heart starts to talk. "Ok, let's do this. It was a close thing today, and we need to get right with it. Nearly all of us walked away and Darkfire will be fine, but things are obviously getting hot. You did good out there, " she says, looking directly at Dragon Mist, Arcsilver and Crusader, "but I think we can be better."
After a second, she says, "Before we analyze our performance though, here's what I know. Maul is a bruiser from South America where he's been active for a time... even working with Professor Muerte a few years ago. This is his first foray into the states and he's looking at paying for that with hard time. Fury has a lot of his information classified beyond our access, but he's some kind of ex-German secret agent type. Other than that, Stronghold had some cybernetic specialist being flown in to figure out if he was going to live or not. Personally I hope he does... bastard though he may be. We don't need any unnecessary blood on our hands, but I've already got lawyers working on dealing with the situation if he dies. It's out of our hands, for now."
She sighs then, shoulders slump, and she looks tired all of a sudden. "Then there's Nails. Crusader, you weren't around when she first, uh... showed up... but the fact is, she's my sister. I'm not going to go into the whole deal, but I've got people checking on how the hell she got out of Stronghold. She was incarcerated at the Bridgewater facility in Jersey. There has been no breakout there, so what the hell is going on...?... I don't know." She pinches the bridge of her nose and continues, "The bottom line is, she's a dangerous little psychopath, and we're going to have to take her down. I'll do it myself, if I can, but one way or another she has to be stopped." Her voice gets tight, and she looks away, obviously struggling. "If you have to face her, I'd appreciate you trying not to kill her... but..." she stops again, "...if it comes down to you or her, or she's threatening bystanders..." she looks back, eyes shining but strong, "... do what you have to. She's made her choices, now she's got to deal with the results."
There is an uncomfortable silence for a moment. Megan shuffles her papers and takes a drink of coffee. After a bit, "Anyway, all three of them are known guns for hire. This 'Z' woman, and this "Rune" dude. We've got nothing on them. No priors anywhere... no references. Whatever kind of mojo Rune might have been using, I've got some questions out to some folks I met in England. Getting info out of there is tough enough, so we'll see what we can find out. As to Z, well, all descriptions sounds like she's got access to some serious tech. Really advanced, cutting edge, even compared to the kind of stuff we have access to."
Sean swears quietly from across the table, interrupting with a, "Wish I'd been there. She has me intrigued."
"I'm sure we'll get another crack at her." Looking at Dragon Mist she says, "She seemed to like you, Robert. What's up with that, eh?" She smiles again, then looks around the table. "Anybody got anything to add at this point?"<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 79

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist keeps quiet for now.

From I/Arcsilver:

Before the group launches a discussion of tactics, etc., Arc will stop
eating his "Hungry Man" frozen dinner to say "hey Crusader, it seemed
like you knew that Fury guy. No?"

-Ilan/Arcsilver

PS. Sorry if this is something that Arc would know. If so, please just
disregard this.

From S/Crusader:

<< You and your group
called it the crucifier >>

Not pleasant memories at all.

>> you see the C.A.T. squad
member that had been with Darden...you
catch his name badge, just before it rotates out of sight. "Watson."<<<

Hmmm. Might be Viper or ex-viper. And I might have just been made.

>>If you have to face her, I'd appreciate you trying not to kill her...
but..." she stops again, "...if it comes down to you or her, or she's
threatening bystanders..." she looks back, eyes shining but strong, "do what
you have to. She's made her choices, now she's got to deal with the
results."<<<

After the uncomfortable pause, John (Crusader) looks around at the other
teammates.
Then I nod; "We understand Megan."

>>"She seemed to like you, Robert. What's up with that, eh?" She
smiles again, then looks around the table. "Anybody got anything to add at
this point? Before I continue and all..."<<

When Robert/DragonMist doesn't seem to respond, I pipe up; "I heard a
bit of what she said in all the chaos. She was intrigued by the sword.
Something about needing it." I squint my eyes, rub my stubble; "As I recall;
'Mist said something about the Dragon wasn't meant for her. Or something
close to that."

>>Arc will stop
eating his "Hungry Man" frozen dinner to say "hey Crusader, it seemed
like you knew that Fury guy. No?" <<

"'Mist and I tusseled with Fury recently over this supposed drug
shipment. I don't really know him." I pause; "While I don't like him, I
can identify with him being cybernetic and all. I just couldn't let him die
after the hostilities ended."

Interject at some point: John starts pacing near the table; "As some of
you know, I am ex-Viper. Like the original Crusader. And like him, I'm
trying to make amends. Viper made the suit, made the cyber connections that
allow the suit to work. They used Yuri's daughter to make him work for them."
I pause and sigh; "The reason I'm telling you this, is because I really
want to be part of this team. I really like it here. But today, I think I
was made. A C.A.T. squad guy named "Watson" had a strange reaction. He
might have recognized me."
I look at Megan, "If this gets out, that I was Viper, it might really
hurt the Mavericks. Maybe I should leave the team?" {Storn doesn't want
Crusader to leave, but this is the way Crusader would think}

After a bit. "Yuri, I think we should look into if anyone named Watson
was at L.A. Nest. Long shot, I know."

--storn
Fun Stuff. Neil, you might want to tell Ilan what the CAT squad is and what
the acronym stands for. I can't remember.

------

From GM:

Note: (Busy, busy, busy! Tough to find time to post. Sorry about that. This'll be short. Oh, and C.A.T. stands for Combat Assault and Tactical squad. Advanced SWAT guys, trained and equipped to deal with paranormals. Don't underestimate a team of these guys, but one on one they don't come close to a superhero or villain.)

>>>MIRV, dressed in civvies and sipping a Killian's looks up and Crusader's comments, and says, "It would really bother me if a VIPER agent made the cut on a police C.A.T. squad, but it could be possible. You mentioned that the armor was a unique style, for VIPER. Maybe he picked up on this? These guys are well trained, with lots of experience in many cases. In any case, if something comes up over this, we'll deal with it, but I think I speak for everybody when I say, "Forget about leaving." Sean looks serious again, and his voice carries an emotion that is noticeable from such a normally quiet man. "We don't run away from things, and we don't hang our own out to dry. The original Crusader bought you a tryout, but you've proved yourself, and we'll stand by you. Let's just focus on the badguys. That's who we really have to worry about."

Megan nods, chewing through a mouthful of pastrami on rye. "What he said," she says after a big gulp pointing her sandwich at MIRV. Taking a sip of coffee she looks over and says, "We can't get all hinky, doubting ourselves and such." Kicking back into her chair, she throws her feet up on the table, then, her heavy combat boots landing with a loud KLUNK! "So let's review what happened, and you guys give me some feedback."
Outside you hear the muffled sound of rain on the roof. Yuri stands up and shuffles over to the stove to stir the soup. MIRV pulls out a palm pilot, and sits back, sipping his beer and taking notes. Megan says, "For my part, I feel I should explain that I purposefully kept radio silence as I accompanied the police to the scene. I was following the combat as best I could over the com, but I'm sure I missed some things. My concern was justified, in that I arrived to find some agent type with a sophisticated video surveillance rig, watching the fight from a few rooftops over. After the last couple of days, it's become evident that someone... this Warlord character, probably... is watching us... analyzing us... and playing with us. He's got resources, and I wouldn't be surprised if he's monitoring our regular channels. He tagged Crusader with some kind of tracking paint, most likely so that we'd lead him back here, and he may try that again." She looks around, making sure she has your attention, then continues.
"The agent isn't talking, but the cops have him, and are tracing his equipment and trying to find out who he is. Some of the witnesses claim that Maul and my sister both made comments about being "sent" to deliver a message to Onyx. They were obviously expecting us. Something is going on."
She points at Arcsilver, just as he's started to chug his can of Jolt. "Yo Nicky," she says in a perfect Brooklyn accent. "Mind informin' the rest a'us why you decided to engage wit' d'enemy before ya backup arrived?" She takes another big bite of her sandwich and grins through it at Arcsilver.<<<

Each of you can post, in character, your own analysis of the combat. I think it will help characters as well as players make the next battle more interesting, and maybe even tactically sound. Some great things happened, and some not so great, so let us all know what you think.

[RDU Neil]

Post 80

From I/Arcsilver

Arcsilver responds to Wildheart, happy to be the first one to talk.
After quickly finishing his Jolt Cola, he will start with "OK! I engaged
because I thought that the baddies were hitting Onyx when he was down,
and I saw that there were other civilians inside who needed to get out.
I was trying to distract them, and, if possible, scatter them a bit
because I knew that Cannon-ball and kung-fu over here were incoming.
Wanted to whip out some Sun Tsu style whip ass, and divide them. Have
you guys ever read that book? Its great, man, and my copy is like, as
thick as a magazine. Very quick read. Anyway, I thought that plan
wroked pretty well, and the Rune joker took the brunt of it.
I thought the point when we screwed the pooch was when we all arrived,
and no one took charge right away. I said that I thought that we could
talk to the jump-suit-woman, but I don't know if anyone heard me. At any
rate, we went in basically one at a time, and paid for it with darkeye
getting cleaned. I don't know everything about that boy, but it seems
like he should be a ways from the fight, providing fire-support.
Anyways (Arc goes on rapid-fire, speaking quickly and excitedly), when
the crap hit the AC I had my juice turned off, and Kung-Fu was checking
out Rune's crutch. We were divided. After this, however, I think that
we pulled it together. Once we got inside, we were still outnumbered,
but I was able to keep two of there guys busy, evening up the fight
inside. I was hoping that you two (points to Dragon Mist and Crusader)
would be able to take out the gunslinger and that other guy and then come
out and help me. I was hoping that one of you would get take one of them
by surprise, as I had them pointed away from the rest of the fight.
Now I'm not gonna say that I wasn't a bit tired, but i had them pretty
well distracted, mostly because your sister (to Wildheart) is easy to
piss off, and Maul is about as smart as a hydrant. The problem was, I
couldn't help but think that Nails was a good guy, somewhere in there. I
made a deal with her, and she double-crossed me and then broke my hip.
Still, when everything is said and done, my plan must have worked pretty
well because Kung-Fu jacked up Fury, the gunslinger ran off, and Maul got
pounded. Whattayou guys think?

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist sighs, then relates what happened from his perspective. " I got a call regarding paranormal activity at Onyx's gym while on my watch. I relayed that call to the rest of the team and went to assist. Crusader and I got there in time to help Arcsilver mop up some mage type called Rune. I tried to assess the scene, though the locals weren't very helpful. Then things started to fall apart. I realized we were in a situation where strong leadership and tactics were needed and I was senior team member, which meant I had to work fast to come up with some material; I'm ninja, my tactics rarely include a group. I was able to rely on our past teamwork though and we managed to pull out of a nasty ambush. Arcsilver kept the heavy hitters busy while Crusader and I tried to take on Z and Fury while protecting Onyx and Darkfire." At that Dragon Mist looks up with a look of concern on his face and asks, "He not going to spell it Darkfyre is he?" With that he shakes his head and continues. " The big problem was my ordering the team into the gym, I should have realized it was a trap and waited for backup. My concrn was for Onyx, not necessarily the team. I guess the only thing that really saved us was that we really stuck to the duck and move tactic; a good one to use when out numbered."

From S/Crusader:

Since I'm the last (PC) to speak on the subject; "I think it went pretty
well. I wasn't as efficient at defeating Fury as I should have been and
whatever Z was packing sure put me in my place. But I didn't go down. The
fight inside the gym was very chaotic and it could have turned out much
worse."

{Neal, I'm appropriating Yuri for a second}
Yuri cuts in; "Yah, I'm not sure what kind of stun device the woman's
pistol was. But I'm working on a concave, electro-static braced shield
device for John's armor. It should help with that sort of thing in the
future."
Yuri continues: " John requested this as a way to carry on the
Crusader- how do you say it- legislation. The Crusader shield is a powerful
symbol. I hope to make it functional as well."
I cut back with "legacy, Yuri, not legislation"
Yuri doesn't even notice; "Unfortunately, I must apologize, it won't be
ready quite yet. But I'm working on it, I'm thinking it will be ready soon."
{i.e. Storn doesn't have the xp yet}

I look at DragonMist; "I'm glad that 'Mist and I seemed to cotton onto
the fact that we could play tagteam with our dance partners. It seemed to
keep them off-guard and is what I think really opened Fury up to the final
put down."
I shake my head; "But Darkfire should have approached the hole in the
building at an oblique angle, and since his eyes seem to be the cannon, just
exposed his head. This would allow him to use his powers and snipe, or back
out of sight, like when Maul came for him. It would also have provided cover
against Maul's penchant for throwing his big stick, or Z's energy weapon."
"Arc, 'Mist and myself can all function as pointman. Get in, get out,
get the lay of the land or get shot. In which case, we know that the enemy
is there. Darkfire should not be involved in that role. His role would be
as a picket defense, sniper."
I look over at Arc; "I think what you did to lead off those two nimrods
was brilliant. If we can get you to coordinate with Darkfire in the future,
lead idiots like that into an ambush set by Darkfire... then this fight might
have been a complete victory."

"Although, I think Z is very, very good. She isn't going to get taken
easily."

--storn

-----

From GM:

Note: (In Darkfire's defense, there are a couple things that seem to have been forgotten (which is easy to have happen when a battle takes weeks to complete online). One, Darkfire was ordered in from the side street to back up Crusader who was going in through the hole in the wall. They came in from opposite sides to cover the interior. Two, both Crusader and Darkfire took a half phase to scan the room before moving in and saw that it appeared empty, aside from Onyx and the injured civilian. The villains were cloaked/invisible, which is how they appeared so suddenly right on top of Crusader and Darkfire. That was a key point that nobody seems to have noted, though only Crusader witnessed it first hand.
Also, what's with misspelling my name, Storn? :) Neal is the bastardized/Anglicised version. NEIL is the original Gaelic, and it means "Champion." Why do you think I play this game all the time? Anyway...)

>>>You all toss around ideas and comments about the battle, and Wild Heart nods and takes notes. At one point, MIRV cuts in with, "I've been thinking about Darkeye... I mean fire, whatever... and that issue. The fact is, he'll always be at some disadvantage in a closed area. Same with Arcsilver and myself to a degree. In such situations, we need to have him follow the armor. It's a basic military tactic. The tank goes in first, knocking down the walls and drawing fire, and the infantry riflemen come up behind, using the tank for cover and picking their targets." He nods to Megan, saying, "Obviously the ideal situation is for Darkfire to follow in behind Wild, here, but there are ti..."
Sean is suddenly cut off, as Megan sits forward quickly and slaps the table, spluttering, "Are you calling me a TANK!" She looks enraged, her face reddening. MIRV's jaw is slack and he blinks a few times, his eyes darting back and forth with a "How do I get out of this one?" look. Then Wild Heart grins a nasty little grin, and says, "Well I guess we know who gets monitor duty for the next month." A second of silence passes. Then with a toss of her hair, she politely sits down, and primly crosses her legs. In a soft, affected voice, she says, "I apologize for interrupting. Please continue," and begins to act like she's buffing her nails.

Once the conversation picks up again, there are more shared ideas about tactical responses (insert further player comments here.) After a couple of hours, and some hastily demonstrated, "So, Arcsilver flies in like so... and I come in from this direction..." type of scenarios. Wild Heart breaks off the meeting, with a last bit. "On top of all these ideas, I think we should establish a field rank order, simply to eliminate a stalled situation due to no one stepping up when needed. When I'm not around, Dragon Mist is first default leader." She looks at Robert, who looks disgusted at the situation. "You've got the skills, and you have the experience. I have no doubts in the matter. You can do it." She turns back to the rest of the group, she sets out the rest of the plan. "MIRV is next in line, and at times even at full strength, we may default to your 'eye in the sky' position for tactical direction. You can often see things the rest of us can't. After that, it goes by seniority, just as default. Arcs, you move so fast that sometimes you leave the rest of us behind. You've got to watch that. Do recon, but try not to engage without backup unless absolutely necessary." She turns to Crusader. "John, in my opinion, you've got the training to do this better than any of us except maybe MIRV here, and his position is more specialized. Before we go there though, I think you need more time figuring out how the team works and moves. Learn the lay of the land, and get used to what to expect from New York itself. That's where you are truly the FNG, and you have to know that stuff before you call the shots." Finishing, Megan looks around the room, and says, "Anything else before we go?"<<<

[RDU Neil]

Nails... found old pic by Storn and scanned it.

[RDU Neil]

Post 81

From S/Crusaser: (Note how Storn/Crusader misinterpreted what I intended to be happy banter between Wild Heart and MIRV as serious and nasty. Shows how e-mail can be dangerously misinterpreted... luckily this was just minor, but it clearly translated into how Storn perceived the entire dialogue... taking very negatively what I intended to be a positive comment.)

Crusader is taken aback by this. This is behavior he expects from a
Viper Team leader with an agenda. Not Wildheart. "Hey, 'Heart! What is
that about!", I challenge. "MIRV wasn't attacking you. He was talking about
tactics. Why should he get punished with monitor duty? I know that you are
stressed about your sister, but don't take it out on Sean."

>> That's where you are truly
the FNG, and you have to know that stuff before you call the shots."<<

storn: What is FNG (fucking no good?)

Crusader; He will be again startled by this idea of him being a
tactical leader. But he will just look a bit blank and confused.

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver nods in assent to most of what is being said, and then shakes
his head as he finishes his second Jolt Cola in response to Wildheart's
request for last comments.

-----

From GM:

Note: Just a quick addition, since it isn't that important.
>
>>>Wild Heart and MIRV both look startled a Crusader's shouting. They
seemed
as shocked by your outburst, as you were by Wild Heart's. Megan looks
at
you, then at MIRV, and they exchange a look. Then, fighting back a
smile,
Wild Heart says, "Uhm... it was a joke, John." You look at MIRV and
he
nods, sheepishly. "Yeah," he agrees. "A pretty old one too, but I
guess you
haven't been around for it, before."
Wild Heart finishes with, "Sean over there acts like a quiet,
conservative type, always so polite, but he really thinks he's a funny
guy.
He likes to make comments on my weight, seeing as I'm a bit more
dense," she
smiles sweetly at MIRV, "than most people. It's a running theme
hing, and
his tank analogy was just a new twist. Very cute, Sean." He smiles
back in
a "you make it so easy" kind of way.
She gets the conversation back on track with, "Sorry to make you
think I
wigged out." She then seems to shrug it off, and MIRV seems utterly
non-plussed, and the conversation continues.<<<

-----

From S/Crusader:

I wasn't shouting, i was sticking up for sean. Bit of a difference. She
is the one who's face "reddened" and "pounded the table". Upon reading that,
I took it as she was mad.

From I/Arcsilver:


After everyone has had their say, Arcsilver will glance around the table
and then ask: "So what do we do now? Do we have any leads to follow?
What happened with that guy in Texas, or wherever that went by the name
"Overlord once?"

------

From GM:

Note: (I don't have time for much of a post today, but here's a little summation, that should bring things up to a point where we can try something new.)

>>>Wild Heart looks at Arcsilver, and nods. "Good question. We need to determine a course of action that is efficient and proactive, but doesn't leave us exhausted and unable to respond. My biggest concern is that this Warlord has enough resources to keep us constantly reacting and never getting anywhere. To that end, we need to find out the following...
1) Who is this guy in Texas, and does he have any relationship to this current Warlord? Arcs. Since you brought this up, what do you say to a trip to the Longhorn State? You and MIRV together, go down there, find this PO Lydia Wright and find out about Arty Reeves. Question the man himself if you can. Up for it?" Sean turns to you with an excited look, one that you only see him get when it involves something technical. He leans in saying, "I hope you want to go 'cause I have access to a prototype, long range, modular, flying wing, and I'd love to test it with your energy capabilities. It'll be a kick. I guarantee!"

After Arcsilver replies, she turns to Dragon Mist.

"2) Mist, you have some outstanding information coming to you about this drug shipment, and perhaps some information from Grey Spirit. Correct? See if you can track her down, and keep pressing that angle. That's your priority, and it's solo work, so you should enjoy it."

Finally she turns to Crusader.

"3) I think you may be correct to push this VIPER angle, and instead of being concerned about your past connections, I'd like you to exploit them. You mentioned some woman that you ran across here in New York. See if you can find her. I'd also like to know if you'd be willing to go to a meeting with me. My contacts in Paradigm were researching your VIPER angle and supposedly made contact with some current VIPER agents. They asked for you specifically. Another female agent, to be precise... something about a "...second chance to assist each other." Any idea what that's about? Interested? I'm wary, but the folks setting up this meeting are completely trustworthy, otherwise I'd be totally against it."

After you all answer and questions are covered. The meeting adjourns.<<<

Note: (Since it's possible to "split up" in an on-line game in ways not possible in FtF games, I thought we'd try this. Each of you going out on separate missions, while not absolutely concurrent, at least cover the same couple of days. Hopefully it will work, but it's easy enough to bring you all back together if it doesn't. Some group-solo action. Please post anything you'd like to do, leading up to the individual stories and then I'll go from there.)

[RDU Neil]

Post 82

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist agrees to the prospect of working w/ Grey Spirit a little too
easily. The fact that she has had some questionable dealings in the past never
arises. He divulges the information he had received from the past meeting w/
Grey Spirit and excuses himself from the meeting. He has some inscense to
attend. . .

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver looks at MIRV for a moment, smiling. You want to race me?
Alright, Michilin boy, but they way to catch me is not strapping more
metal to your butt! (To Wildheart) Yeah, I'll go to Texas. I hear they
have good BBQ there anyway. We'll check in every once in a while.
MIRVy, I'm ready to go when you are, how long will it take to bolt on
this new thing?

(answer)

Alright, then. I'm going to check on gramps, and put in an appearance at
work. I'll be back in (answer), and then we'll take off...

After the meeting is over, Arcsilver will go back to his Grampa's house,
and spend a few hours with him. Make him some pancakes, watch some WWF,
and hear some war stories. He leaves some extra money on the table, and
explains that he has to go out of town for some independant fund-raising.

He will then go to his work, and gather some work to do at home, when he
gets back from Texas. Hids recent absences have not gone unnoticed, but
for what they pay him, his superiors can't argue too much.

Arcsilver will then return to HQ, ready to leave when MIRV is.

From S/Crusader:

Crusader/John replies slowly; " I will see what I can do about getting
in touch with my old comrade." pause "but I didn't have much luck last time
I went looking for her. She might be out of the country."
"As for the meet..."; John wrinkles his brow, thinking hard; "the only
female agent that I ran up against lately was a woman codenamed: Cyberblade.
But I wasn't aware that she was Viper. She is exactly what she sounds like;
swords and cybernetics. Fast too!"
John gets up from the table, looks at Megan. "Let me know when Paradigm
wants to make the meet. I will be there. In the meantime, I better see if I
can track down loose ends on this other woman. Yuri? Can you help me do a
little computer search?"

John wants to see if Althea McAlister purchased a plane ticket in her
name. Probably not. But she might have complete confidence in her cover or
she got sloppy.
If that doesn't pan out, which I really don't expect it to. But start
out simple, Sam always said. Then John will go down to her job in civvies
and see if he can coax some info out of her co-workers. Like; "I dropped by
to take her to lunch/dinner/drinks" kinda thing. "when do you expect her
back?"
John dresses in nice slacks, leather jacket, dress shirt and tie.

-----

From GM:

Note: I don't have time to post today, as I'm leaving, and Storn's e-mail just showed up. Maybe I'll get on at home, tonight. By the way, it wasn't Cyberblade, Storn. You are mis-remembering. It was another fast, tough woman, but with a gun, and no obvious cybernetics... but is definitely related to CB. Also, there was a very specific encounter with a VIPER agent, female, back when you were Intercept. It occurred at the time you first met the original Crusader. If you don't remember, let me know, and I'll refresh it further.

[RDU Neil]

Post 83

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: As you leave with MIRV, he claps you on the back laughing, and saying, "Oh, I don't want to race you... though that could be fun... Point is, I want to use you like a fuel cell, my friend. I actually think you'll enjoy it, though. I'll call you tomorrow, and let you know when and where to meet."
You head out, spending the night with your grandfather. He's off his war stories, and on to talking about Roberta Weinschwab and her Bridge playing girl friends. He has an old copy of Hoyles out and makes you refresh him on the bidding rules and the like. He seems to have a plan to crash their card game at the park, next time he's on his way back from the grocery. "I've been doing my reconnaissance," he says with a conspiratorial wink. "They play every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at the park between noon and four. Roberta always wears this lavender silk scarf and looks right smart. Sometimes though one of her friends is away, and they just chat. That'll be my chance." He reaches into his sweater, and pulls out a deck. "I've got my cards and I'll know just enough to be a good partner, but not so much that the ladies can't help me out." He grins and cackles. "It's foolproof. Can't miss."
When you tell him that you will be gone for few days, he just nods, nonchalantly... but...
...when you leave the next morning, bags packed, you hear him say something that makes you stop. As you are pulling the door shut, you hear him call out with a mouth full of toast, "Hi! Ho! Silver!"

You get a half day of work in while collecting your road work and waiting for MIRV to call. When he does, he asks that you meet him in Jersey at a private air field. It takes less than fifteen minutes for you to fly south and find the place. It's an old industrial plant with a small airfield for private planes. No one is about except for a couple folks working outside the one small hanger. It is a sparse and gray place. You recognize Sean as you land, and he wave's you over. He has some baggy over-alls on and is working on a small engine. He takes you inside the hanger, and with a proud father smile, waves at a sleek, chrome device that looks a lot like a hang glider made out of steel and fiberglass.
"Pretty cool, eh?" he says as he walks you around it, explaining a lot of lift ratios and aerodynamic feedback concepts that go right over your head. It does look pretty slick though. Finally he notices your blank look at the technical jargon and simply says, "It's a jet wing, without the jets. I hook in here," he points to a harness and body molded area under the wing, "and provide lift off and maneuvering thrust as well as piloting. You..." and he leads you around so you can see the top of the wing, "will lay up here." There is a body molded, padded position for you to lie belly down, atop the wing and a wind shield type cockpit. "I can get this thing up to a few hundred miles per hour, but my estimates are with your power coupled in..." he indicates places for your hands and feet that look like large plugs "I bet we can break Mach 1, if not higher." He grins like a kid at Christmas.
(Note: Arcs I calculate at 362 mph top speed, so this would at least double that, if not more. Think of it as "Faster Than Sound flight, usable by others, focus, bulky" Just a fun gadget use of powers and technology.)

Crusader: You spend the evening after the meeting working with Yuri on the balance and design of your new shield though it isn't quite ready, yet. He has to finish with the aerodynamics and rotating couplings, so you can maneuver and glide with it. The two of you also put a computer trace on Althea McAlester, to see if you can find out where she is. After a couple hours, and no hits, you leave it to run and prepare to hit the sack.
The warehouse is empty and Yuri calls out from the kitchen, where he is making himself tea. "John, my friend. Are you sure you wish to meet with VIPER again? This is probably that young woman... Dana was her name, I think... who you met with after the computer job you did. She offered you further work with VIPER at the time, and you turned it down. Then those VIPER air-cavalry came after you both... It gave believabe to her words that VIPER was in the midst of fighting itself. Civil War. Could we be in the middles of that? Is this Warlord an old Nest Leader? I am being concerned about that."

The next day, you head down to Althea's work place in Brooklyn. It's busy at the port authority, with many people in and out and waiting for appointments. Having been there before, you head for the records department where she works. You find yourself in a small, brown paneled little room with an open counter between you and numerous office workers and stacks of ledgers, paper work and sorters. There is a grumpy old guy at the counter who looks really annoyed when you ask for Althea. "You don't have no paperwork for us?" He looks confused, then surly. "This ain't no social club, and Althea ain't here, anyways." You try to politely ask again, and he just walks away from you. As you pause, trying to figure out what to say, you notice a young woman at a desk behind the counter. She is staring at you and obviously seemed to have been listening to the conversation. When she sees that you've noticed her, she blushes, and looks away, and clumsily tries to act like she was typing. She's mid-twenties, with frizzy, brown hair. Pale and a bit sad looking, she is slightly over weight and very nervous.

Dragon Mist: Back home that night in your loft, you light the incense and meditate... stretching and working out the kinks and tension from the day's battle. Unfortunately... nothing happens. Much later, you douse the flame and prepare to sleep. Just as you are drifting off you are awakened with a start. For a moment you sense a presence in the room... but just for a moment. Remaining still and searching with your ears, sword close at hand, you feel nothing else. A quick check of the rooms assures you that you are alone. You go back to bed, but it is some time before you sleep.
The next days is quiet. You run some basic errands and make some calls. Though you've long since been inactive with Pinkertons you have some old contacts there, and you keep up with them. They think you simply came into some money and quit the game, amiably chatting with you about various cases. One mention does catch your attention, though. Your friend Marcelle doesn't know a lot about it, but it seem that Pinkertons has some client looking into illegal weapons dealings, and some of the real gun nuts are consulting. You press for more but he isn't involved in the case, saying that one Erin Black is the agent primary. You've never heard of her. As you are about to hang up, Marcelle cuts back with, "Oh, oh... yeah. Hold on. I've got something for you. It came a couple of weeks ago, and this is the first time I'd heard from you. It's a letter. From Quebec. Return address says, S. McGowan. Woman's handwriting. Isn't that Sarah... your sister?"<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 84

From S/Crusader:

<< "John, my friend. Are you sure you wish to meet with
VIPER again? ... I am being
concerned about that." >>

"It worries me too, Yuri." twisting the shield around, "still isn't quite
right. But we need intel in the worst way. If there is a civil war going
on between nests, how long before that spills out here in NY? And if there
isn't, we still need info on Warlord."
We keep fiddling with the shield. I look up and say; "Besides, if it is
a trap, I will have Wild Heart with me. And we then question the ambushers."

>>you notice a young woman at a desk, <<

I walk up to the counter. "Excuse me." I ask; "you wouldn't happen to
know when Althea is coming back. I don't want to be a pain, but we did have
the most wonderful lunch awhile back. She said she would get back in touch.
She hasn't, and I'm getting worried." Put on a crestfallen look; "If she
wants to blow me off, I wish she would tell me to my face."
{we'll try for the sympathy ploy}

From I/Arcsilver:

>>>>I want to use you like a fuel cell, my friend. <<<

"Fuel cell, eh? Well, just don't stick me with anything."

>He reaches into his
>sweater,
>and pulls out a deck. "I've got my cards, and I'll know just enough
>to be a
>good partner, but not take over the game." He grins and cackles.
>"It's
>foolproof. Can't miss."

Nick smiles affectionately at his grampa's antics.

you hear him call out, with a mouth full of toast, "Hi! Ho!
>Silver!"

!!!!

>>> I bet we can break Mach 1, if not higher."

Arcsilver is impressed. "That's pretty fast! Will there be drinks and an
in-flight movie? If you wear a stewardess' outfit, I promise I'll
behave myself!"

Arcsilver is ready to leave, so whenever sean is finished putting the
final touches on the thing, he will strap himself in and get the thing on
the road.

Ilan/Arcsilver

Sorry to take so long to reply, guys. We had a fairly large Con here
this weekend, and I ran two games (Harnmaster ropleplaying and
Battlelust, the miniatures game from the Harn people. A fun time was had
by all etc., but it took some time!

-----

From GM: (Funny how this is just flowing along in reprints... but as you'll note, it was five days of nothing when we were trying to run this originally. PBEM can be quite frustrating that way.)

Note: Haven't heard from Matt or Ilan (whoops, make that just Matt. Ilan's reply popped in just now) in five days or so. Guess you didn't feel there was enough to respond to, so I'll try to continue. The time off was ok for me. My cat died last week, and I've been bummed out. So, here goes nothing...

>>>Arcsilver: You've always flown under your own power, but this trip is completely different. Like riding a big sled, you find yourself rocketing along at greater speeds than you'd ever achieved on your own. The lift of the wing, and the power coil induction allows you to use less energy to achieve higher speeds, and maintain it for longer. While you could never maneuver the wing through buildings or the like, at cruising altitude it is a dream. The high tensile strength of the nearly solid wing design allows for serious high-g turns, barrel rolls, and blazing loop de loops.
When you break the sound barrier, somewhere over western Pennsylvania, it's better than anything. From that point, it's less than two hours to Austin, exhilarating all the way.

You touch down at a small airfield to the north of the city. A small crowd awaits you, about twenty to thirty people. Most look like mechanics and aviators who must have heard you were coming. "I had to file an FAA flight plan," says MIRV by way of explanation. Used to crowds, you stand an wave and they come across the tarmac. Flexing your autograph signing hand, you prepare to press the flesh when all of them just run around and past you, surrounding MIRV and his flying machine instead. As a bunch of sky jockeys, they seem much more interested in the flying wing than you. Only one little girl stops, standing in front of you and looking up, a lollipop in her mouth. Her father, one of the mechanics, calls over, "Hey, Darla. Don't botha the fella. C'mon ova' heah!" As she starts to follow him, she pulls the sucker out of her mouth and staring you right in the eye says, "Ya'll dress funny." Then she runs over and takes her dad's hand.
MIRV waves his hand over the crowd, and your radio kicks in with, "I'll finish up here. I've got to stow the Wing. I thought that we were going to meet a sheriff or some local law officer, but I don't see anybody. Why don't you try to find someone, unless you know your way around Texas. I sure don't."

Crusader: The woman looks back to you, still blushing, and stammers, "Oh, uh..." she pauses, "You and Althea, huh?" She bites her lip, and fumbles about her desk for a moment. Then she looks around and leans toward you, saying, "No offense, but I'm surprised she didn't tell you to your face. She certainly doesn't seem to have a problem telling folks off around here." She looks around again, as if Althea is suddenly going to spring out and pounce. "I didn't think you were her type, either. Anyway, she's supposedly on some last minute vacation, but I know she called Ernie," she gestures toward where the rude guy walked off, "just this morning. She's back in town, I think, 'cause Ernie was trying to get her to come back to work. She might be at home, now. I don't know why she isn't coming in to work, but Ernie was grousing about her being scared or something, which is weird, 'cause I wouldn't think Althea would spook easy."
As you start to leave, she stands up from her desk, and leans over the counter, beckoning you back. "Look. If you're a cop or something, you can tell me. I know she's into something. She's always getting calls here and stuff. Ernie only puts up with it 'cause she puts in whatever hours he wants." She blushes and looks you in the eye. "I'd be happy to answer any other questions."

Dragon Mist: ?? (Let me know what you might do, Matt, and I'll go from there.)

[RDU Neil]

Post 85

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will smile and nod at MIRV, a star among his people.
"Alright, but you don't get too wiild with these Aerospace guys while I'm
gone," he will say into the radio, "I hear they're a wild bunch!"

Arcsilver will then walk into whatever building they have on the main
concourse and will see if any law enforcement are waiting for him. If
not, he will use a pay phone to call the Austin police department, and
say something like the following (go ahead and edit so that the convo is
two way if you want to, Neil):

"Hiya, this is Arcsilver of the New York-based paranormal law
enforcement group The Mavericks. I am hear looking up a lead, and just
wanted to touch base with you guys so you know what is going on. You can
check my status with Herb Wasserman at the 34th precinct, at this
number..."

-Ilan Mitchell-Smith/Arcsilver

Good graphic depiction of the accent, Neil. Of course living down here,
the one thing that I can't get used to is going to Baskin Robins for some
Ass-Cream!

From S/Crusader:

<< "Look. If you're a cop or something, >>

"Something." I reply slowly. "I really can't talk about it." {Playing
up the man of mystery angle<g>}. "Would you do me a favor? I understand you
don't know me from Adam, and I wouldn't think of asking you for her phone
number. But what I can ask is that you call her {scribble out on a piece of
paper my cell phone number, hand it to her. Cell phone courtesy of
Darkfire.} and give her mine. Tell her that John does need to speak to her
ASAP. Can you do that?"

Neil, you never gave me an itinerary on when Wild Heart wants the meet
with Viper/Paradigm to happen. I got the impression that it wasn't up to me.
I just said yes to the meet. So I'm not sure how much time I have to work
on my own angles.

If I've got time, I will wander down to Chinatown, waiting for my phone
to ring from the one of the two women (Meggan and Althea) who have me on a
string <g>. Maybe I can find something going on in Chinatown by being an
obvious Gwai Lo. Elicit a response. Maybe I can spot some strange trucking
practices, or obvious gang turf, something related to this supposed drug
shipment.
But in all probability, it is a way to kill time until I get the call.
Note: I'm still in civvies, black leather jacket, nice khakis, tie and
dress shirt. Of course, I'm 6'4" stands out a bit too.

-----

From GM:

Note: I don't know if Matt is even receiving. So I'll just keep going. Jump in whenever you get the chance, Matt.

>>>Arcsilver: A dry wind cuts through the concourse as you wait on the phone. It may be late February, but this is Texas and it's a far cry from Manhattan. You are in a small building attached to the tower, and with most of the folks out on the runway checking out MIRV, you are alone with an older Mexican man, who is behind the snack counter. He just smiles at you, and goes back to doing his crossword puzzle.
Eventually, you get through. "Sgt. Willis T. Brooster (pronounced Broostah) heah? What can I do f'ya?" After you introduce yourself, he laughs. "I c'n tell bah yo accent, ya is who y'all say ya is. But you sayin' that Jimmy ain't out theah to greet cha? Huh? How 'bout that. I sent the boy out a coupla hours ago. He was goin' ta stop by that P.O.'s house you'd called about. What's her name? Lydia Wraght? Maybe he got held up. Lemme ring him for y'all, and see what's goin' on."
Sgt. Brooster puts you back on hold, and you stand there tapping your foot to the ubiquitous strains of Shaniah Twain. It takes less that thirty seconds of her banal pop country for you to realize that is she wasn't such a hottie, she'd have no career. Her music is bad. You almost welcome the cliched drawl of the sgt., when he comes back on line. "Mistah Ahhksilvah? I found Jimmy, fo' ya. Seems he's run inta a spot a trouble. This Lydia Wraght has come up missin' and he's been askin' around her apahtment complex. You want I should give you the ahdress? I figah you fellas c'n fahnd the place with a bit a direction?"
You scribble down some notes, as you are north of the city, near Round Rock, and he sends you down Rt. 35 to Highway 1, and over to a suburb called West Lake Hills. "Look foah the Desaht Mesa apahtments. Jimmy Montero will meet ya theah. Braght young kid. He'll fill ya in. Take caeah, now, ya heah?"

Crusader: The young woman blushes even more as she takes your number. Biting her lower lip, she nods, and says, "I can call her. I mean, we aren't close or anything, but I can do that..." she looks up at you again, "... John." She holds out her hand, then, saying, "I'm Becky." Then she hurries back to her desk, and you head out with a thank you.
Not knowing when Wild Heart may call you (she left it open as sometime today or tomorrow), you decide to hit the streets of China Town, get some lunch, and see what you can see. It's cold, but the sun has broken through the clouds for the first time in days. The sidewalks are crowded as the city moves along. Walking through the crowds, you are struck by the different perspective. You've spent most of your time in New York high above the people, leaping from rooftop to rooftop and gliding through the air. It's been rare for you to have time to simply walk and see the city from a normal point of view. Sights and sounds and multiple languages and accents flow around you. It's noisy, busy, and alive.
Once in China Town, the feeling of the streets changes but remains busy. Though in the minority now, there are plenty of non-Chinese around during the day. Though not as familiar with this China Town as you were with the west coast, you know there are places you could go that would really make you stand out. Those bars or shops with no English signs. The warehouses and back courtyards off the tourist track. You wander back that way, finding a busy side street with tons of produce and live chickens being hustled about. Trucks beeping their way through dozens of people hauling and pushing, hawking and selling and trading. Nearly of them Chinese. Here people notice you though it might be your clean clothes and tie more than anything. Most just look and go right back to work. Others do stare after you though, and after about ten minutes time you realize you've picked up a tail. A couple of young Chinese kids. Tough looking, in black leather and sunglasses. They aren't being too subtle as they watch you, following about forty feet back. You come to the end of the street and realize you can turn right and head back to the main tourist drag, or you can turn left and head further back into the warehouse area.
At your hip your phone buzzes, as behind you the two teens break from the crowd and start to approach you.

Dragon Mist: ??<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 86

From I/Arcsilver

Arcsilver thanks the SGT, and hangs up the phone, keying his radio as he
walks quickly over to refreshment stand. "MIRV, time to go to work. The
PO that we were coming to see is missing, and I have directions. 9Tthen, to
the Mexican man) lemme get a Snickers, some Twizzlers, a Mars bar, and a
pack...no, two packs of Mentos, those things are good. Throw in one of
those funny looking things, too. MIRV? You want some pop rocks?"

Arcsilver will come out, finishing some of his snack, and give MIRV some
quick food as well. He will want to hit pretty high speeds during the
trip to the apartment complex, and when he gets there, he will accelerate
and do a once over, looking for a cop-looking guy. If he finds him, he
will land and introduce himself and MIRV with a smile, asking to be shown
her (?) apartment.

-Ilan/Arcsilver

From S/Crusader:

At your hip, your phone buzzes, as behind you, the two teens break from
the crowd and start to approach you. >>

Hoping to look like any young architect/business turk/lawyer, I will
snatch the phone from the inside pocket of my leather jacket, flip it open
and announce somewhat loudly; "John." (playing up the loud American).
Adjust my tie with the other hand, flick off a spec from my pants.
All the while, keeping an eye on the two teen lookouts but trying to look
very casual and disinterested {Crusader does have Shadowing on 11-, if that
skill would be applicable to the sitrep}
As for where I'm going? No where, I'm parking myself right here at least
until the phone call is done or I get my ass handed to me by two Chinese
teens who've studied Kung Fu since they were 2! <g>.

-----

From GM:

Note: (Matt sent me an e-mail saying he's swamped, and can't respond for a couple of weeks. That's actually manageable with the team split up like this. I also may be bringing in a fourth player, but I'll work him in to the story somehow, if it works out at all.)

>>>Arcsilver: Back over the comm, MIRV replies with, "Poprocks? No thank you. Grab me an orange juice and some peanuts, though." You do so, and the man behind the counter wraps everything up in a bag for you. As you hustle back out to the tarmac, you see MIRV talking with a couple of the mechanics. He seems to be gesturing toward the hanger where he wheeled the flying wing, then shaking their hands he turns and jogs towards you. His boots give off muffled "klungph" sounds as they hit the pavement.
"Give me those directions, would you?" He takes his food in one hand, and as you recite the directions, his other hand seems to twitch, like phantom typing, and he says, "Ok, great. Got it logged on my GPS. I'm going to be a couple more minutes, but if you want to head out ahead of me, I'll catch up. Radio's should be in range, so call me if something is up, but I'll be right behind you. Just have to sign some papers."
You nod, in a hurry to get going. So popping a few mints you give Sean a "Mentos thumbs-up!" and blast into the sky. You easily orient south on Rt. 35 and blast your way toward the sprawling city of Austin. After a few miles, you cut much more westerly, and head toward the lakes on the west of the city, stopping to check for Highway 1. Though you have to circle around the area for a minute or so, your speed allows you to cover such distance so quickly that within six minutes you pass over Desert Mesa Apartments, and turn back to take another pass. It is a small, u-shaped building, three stories high. Terra-cotta roofing and adobe walls, the center area has a pool and some shade palms. Apartments open up on to balconies around the interior of the "u" Each apartment actually looks to be a decent size. A quiet, middle income place to live. There is an Austin City Police Department patrol car in the parkway, and as you cruise back you see an officer and a man in a baggy white cotton shirt and chinos come out of the manager's office. They both look up into the sky, shading their eyes from the sun and when they spot you, the man in white points, looking excited.
As you descend, you comm beeps, and MIRV says, "Ok, I'm on my way. ETA approximately ten minutes. Did you find the place?"

Crusader: Trying to look oblivious and unconcerned, you flip open your phone. There is silence after you announce yourself, so you say it again, "This is John?" Turning, you see the two youths slow their walk, and continue to approach. They step around a bunch of vegetable crates and are moving obliquely to your position now. They are still clearly watching you.
Then a voice crackles through, sounding like a bad connection. "Youssks on a damnssk...ell phone, aren't you. Shit. Nowsssk, sssjkkk,...ave five minutes to getsssk o a land line and call me back. After ssstat I'm gone. 202-555-7672. ssGot thatss?? sss02-555-76ssch." The phone clicks off. It sounded like Althea, but you haven't spoken to her much, and whoever it was sounded very nervous and or angry.
Smiling and nodding into the now dead phone, you try to look like you are still talking to someone, as you continue to watch the area. Talking to each other the gang members, which they certainly look like at this point, start to take steps toward you. The taller of the two sidesteps to your right, beginning to circle you, as the shorter one calls out. "Hey man! C'n I help you with somethin'?" His English is New York born and bred. Out of the dozens of people in the street hauling and yelling, and running around, no one seems to take notice of what is happening... yet.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Note: For those of you following this thread, I'm posting a tie-in thread here (http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27216) that is a solo adventure of a new character and player that will eventually tie in with this story.

Post 87 (Note: Unfortunately, it seems I lost another small post here... but it should be pretty clear that little happened other than Arcs introducing himself to the Austin cop... and a bit of banter with the gang members and John/crusader.)

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will engage Montero in friendly conversation during the walk,
and while they are walking through the apartment, but will pasue
momentarily in each room to scan with the EM vision. He will check for a
phone machine, and play the last message (even if not blinking he will
try this). He will also *69 the phone, and (if appropriate) ask for the
secret ID of the guy we're looking for (sorry, I forgot his name).
Failing in any of these things, he will greet MIRV and fill him in,
waving to the crowd as he does so. If the manager is still around, he
will try to find out what kind of car she drove, and where her spot was
(if she had one). The idea would be to get a sense of the EM scent of
that type of car (from another of similar make and model), and try to
follow it from her space. If she was on relatively unused roads, this
might work, but i want to know what MIRV thinks about the whole thing.

From S/Crusader:

<< "What you doin' around here,
man? What you lookin' for?" The taller one, steps closer, no more than six
feet away, and puts his left hand inside his coat pocket. A stiff grin is
affixed to his face. Four minutes, 25 seconds left.<<< >>

"I'm looking for a payphone." I snap with some indignation and anger (I'm
not really angry, just acting); "What? Did you little juvvies go and break
all the ones in the neighborhood."
At this point, lets see what a little 'back in their face' works out.
Hopefully, they will either back off or start the dance.
If tallboy pulls any kind of weapon, I will snap low to the ground,
sprint forward and sweep up with my arm, using all of my speed and take him
to a meeting with a concrete sidewalk. {Takedown, 7d6 outside of armor}

-----

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: You scan the rooms, but get only hazy fields, as you'd put it at more than a day since anyone was in here besides Montero and yourself. (You pick up Montero's signature clearly from when he was looking around before you arrived.) When you hit the answering machine button, there is no message, but Montero jots some notes down, saying, "This is getting to the point where I need to probably call in a detective. They can check the LUDs for her number. I've also got a call in to Ms. Wright's supervisor, just to make sure she didn't get some last minute assignment, though I can't imagine what it might be." *69 only gets you a sales person for the local Austin newspaper.

MIRV knocks on the door, and waves from outside after you direct him to the apartment. "I'll wait out here," he says. "Don't want to bang around in there if it turns out to be a crime scene." In his full armor, MIRV Alpha is much more bulky and cumbersome in close quarters. There are about a dozen or so people from the complex out in the courtyard, a few of them snapping pictures. The manager waves you down, standing next to a young woman with a small child on her hip. He introduces her to you at the bottom of the stairs. "Mrs. Angelos. She saw Ms. Wraght leave heah the otha naght. Tell 'em Juanita." Young, cute, and really nervous about talking to you, Juanita stares up at you and MIRV with wide brown eyes. "Si, si. I saw her." She adjusts and points, toward the main office and the parking lot. "I was doing laundry. Came out and see the senora with her suitcase. She's nice lady. Waved to me. I don't think any problem. She seem fine to me." A couple more questions put this late in the evening, two nights ago. Based on your scans, it verifies that Lydia Wright hasn't been in her apartment since then. She left in her '95 Jeep Cherokee, and hasn't come back. Such a trail is too old for you to track, effectively.
MIRV says, "I've got the address of this Arthur "Arty" Reeves, guy. We can look him up, without Ms. Wright, if you want. I have a feeling that trying to track her down will take a while, and the police are more suited to it than us. I've got the time, but I don't know if we'll be much help. What do you want to do?"

Crusader: Both boys start at your sudden switch in demeanor, the smaller of the two frowning and looking angry. The larger teen just grins wider, and gives a high pitched giggle while continuing to step toward you. His hands are still in his pockets and he is tall, but he doesn't seem to be noticing that you are taller and much broader than he. The shorter one stops, though. Suddenly eyeing you up and down. He's definitely the brains of the two, though that may not be saying much. He's just opening his mouth to speak when the guy hauling the crates of iced fish comes barreling through the center of your little group, his back to you, shouting something in Chinese which is probably, "Coming through!" or "Watch it!" He cuts you off from the smaller one, and the taller, geeky one stops to watch him, sneering and grinning at the same time. You can clearly move away down the alley and back toward the street if you want to use the moment.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 88

From S/Crusader:

<< You can clearly move away down
the alley, and back toward the street, if you want to use the moment.<<< >>

Absolutly, I will break into a run and try to lose the two teenie thugs
in a crowd. Then find a phone fast! Punch in the number that Althea gave me.

-----

From GM:

Note: (Since it doesn't really matter what order we go in, I'll just jump ahead with Storn's post, until Ilan has a chance to reply.)

>>>Crusader: With a quick juke you turn and head away from the two gang bangers, getting a good twenty feet away in the second or so that they are distracted by the delivery man. Both shout, seeing you taking off and the little one instinctively gives chase for a couple seconds. Your long strides quickly out distance him though, making it to the other end of the access street, coming out on Pearl St. and into the tourist and shopping crowd. A quick glance back shows the young punk has already stopped and he just watches you step away into the people with a frustrated look on his face.
You ease into the flow, and head toward a line of taxis down the block. A number of restaurants around provide a number of chances for a pay phone, and ducking into a larger noodle shop you grab one, just ahead of an older Chinese woman who glares at you angrily and swears at you in Cantonese.
Dialing, you hastily punch in the number you have been chanting under your breath the whole time. As it rings, you glance at your watch, hoping that you are reading it correctly. Still have 17 seconds left. Fifth ring, and the line picks up.
"Hello." You identify yourself and Althea's voice, tense, almost afraid, says, "Don't say anything more. Meet me where we first ran into each other. Four o'clock. More than five minutes late and I'm gone. Never go to my work again." She pauses, and then in a distant, small voice she says, "If this is a set up... I guarantee you'll die with me." And she hangs up.
Glancing at your watch again, you see it's 1:18 p.m. Plenty of time to get to the Garden. Still, you have to wonder what it is that is making Althea so paranoid.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 89 Note: The game was hanging by a thread at this point, as players just stopped posting... but it was still breathing... barely...

From S/Crusader:

you have to wonder what it is that is making
Althea so paranoid.<<< >>

With our backgrounds, its a wonder she ain't more paranoid! <g> I will
try and get to the Garden a quick as possible, take the subway, not a cab.
Trust me, during the day, a subway is quicker for that distance. Also, gives
me plenty of opportunity to check my six and see if I have a tail or not.
If I can get there a bit early, then I will scope the place out for any
unwarranted guests. I don't think Althea is going for the set-up, but who
knows what 3rd parties are involved here.

--storn

<< Real quick. Do you have your armor with you, and if so, how do you carry
it, change, etc.? >>

No. I don't have my armor with me. Here is where the OIF factor comes
in to play.
Now, I'm not exactly a push over outside of the armor, still have a 6
speed, 25 STR, 23 DEX. But my movement, sensor powers are totally gone. As
are my defenses. Which now become 10 PD, 10 ED.

-----

From GM:

Note: (Well, Ilan & Matt both seemed to have dropped off the face of the earth. I'll try this one more time, to see if I get any response. Other than that, Storn, let me know if you want to continue this on your own?)

>>>Arcsilver: With little information to go on,and the police better equipped to track down vehicle registrations, possible travel arrangements, etc., there is not much left to do at the apartment of Lydia Wright. Officer Montero has a call into the station to see if he can get some detectives on the scene. When MIRV suggests that perhaps you should visit Arthur Reeves on your own, Montero steps over. "I believe our itinerary for this afternoon was to accompany you to Mr. Reeves' home. Unfortunately, I will be tied up here, so if you visit, it will be on your own, without police authority. Or, you can wait an hour or so, and I can meet you there. It is about a thirty minute drive from here. Obviously you gentlemen would get there much faster."
MIRV looks at you saying, "I think we should just go. We can knock on the door and politely ask. Might even work better without the police. Something is obviously going on since it looks like Ms. Wright took off not long after we started investigating the Reeves connection. This Arthur guy may know something. Want to head out, Arcs?"

Crusader: It doesn't take you long to reach a subway, and start heading to Madison Square. The train is full, and you watch the many faces, but nobody seems to be paying much attention to you. You switch trains once and everything goes smoothly. You do notice a clear police presence in the subway terminals, though. The normally bored cops look a little more vigilant, and they stick in pairs as they walk their beats. Clearly they are reacting to the heightened activity of the past few days.
Making it to the Garden in plenty of time, you scout out the area but see nothing out of the ordinary. There are people out and about and crews setting up for a concert the next night, but there are no crowds of thousands as when an event is taking place. In-between the Garment District and Chelsea, folks flow around the Garden on their daily business. You grab a seat on a stone bench, and watch pedestrians crossing and walking and getting hot-dogs from any of a number of vendors. The sun breaks in and out of clouds and it isn't too bad a day for early March.
Exactly at 4:00 p.m. you see Althea walk out of the doorway from inside the Garden, exactly where you originally ran into her. She must have entered from another side of the building and walked through. She wears a long, business conservative overcoat and carries a bag from Bergdorf's. Her hair is a short, tight weave, close to the scalp. She looks like a fashionable, thirtyish, African American business woman. She glances around and quickly spots you, her face stern and pinched. She strides at an angle to you as you get up to meet her. A dozen steps and you fall in together, walking east. Before you can say anything she says, "Look. I don't know what game you are playing but whatever you are pulling on the Mavericks, I want no part of it." She begins walking faster, obviously angry and somewhat scared. "I can't believe you did this to me. I'm R&D... strictly. I don't do field work, and I'm not keen on having my head broken in by a pissed off superhero." She looks at you then, disgust on her face. "You actually had me fooled. I really thought you were trying to get out of it." She shakes her head, as if resigned. "Should have known," she mumbles then, "So anyway, what do you want?"<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 90

From I/Arcsilver:

Hey guys! I was just about to send a message wondering if the game was
still on. I thought I had posted last! Sorry, it has been hectic with
the end of the semester and teaching etc., but I am still definitely
on-board.

Arcsilver nods back to MIRV, and says "yeah, let's check it out." Then,
to the officer, "go ahead and head over when you get a chance, or we will
contact you through the station. Thanks for all of your help. Once away
from the crowd (either walking or flying), Arcsilver will suggest that
one person should knock on the door while the other stays somewhat
hidden, as backup. Arcsilver will also suggest that he might be the best
one to initially knock...

From S/Crusader:

Neil, I would love to continue this. Its been awhile, so if there is a real
pertinent piece of info that I should pass on to Althea, jog my memory.

<< She looks at you then, disgust on her face.
"You actually had me fooled. I really thought you were trying to get out of
it." She shakes her head, as if resigned. "Should have known," she
mumbles, then, "So anyway, what do you want?"< >>

"Althea, I can understand your anger." I reply slowly, not really
understanding it at all. John Spencer was never trained by Viper to deal
well with emotional issues. He was trained by Viper to shut off emotions.
"But this is important to me. I've killed for our former employee. LA
was the wake-up call. Time for me to try to do some good. The other Nests
would always be suspicious of us outsiders anyhow. The Mavericks seemed like
a good fit for me."

Pressing on, trying to win her interest if not her trust:
"The Mavericks keep coming up against a shadowy guy called the Warlord.
He hasn't shown himself, but has sent forces after us and a guy in Spanish
Harlem named Onyx. Rumors are that he is behind some enormous smack
shipment, which has yet to materialize. And he has used an electronic
"tracking" paint that might be out of the big V's catalog."
"A couple of other sources have reported possible big V connections. I
was wondering what you have heard? And if you know anything about this
electronic paint tech?"

I shake my head, obviously concerned; "Althea, I'm not trying to put you
at undue risk here. We L.A. types need each other. But if this Warlord is
creating a new nest or is in cahoots with Philly or some other nest, I need
to know about it."

-----

From GM:

Note: (Ok, so we're going to try and keep this going. I may have to write shorter posts to be able to keep up everyday, but we'll see. There may be TWO new people joining the game, but I'm not sure how it will work. I'll keep you informed, but the Mavericks may have some allies, soon.)

>>>Arcsilver: "Roger that," says MIRV, as you take off into the air. "We need to continue to the far western suburbs, but once there, I can easily hang back, and watch the area. You are Mr. Glib, so I'm fine with you doing the talking. Just try to slow it down so Reeves can understand you, ok?"
Your flight takes about ten minutes of joking and watching the scenery. "Sure isn't Manhattan," says MIRV, watching the brown, dry country side and low buildings pass beneath you. Then MIRV pulls up a bit, and you circle around as he scans an area of rolling hills along a river bank. It's a little more green here, and the homes look large and very expensive. Many have pools and often small horse ranches behind them. "There," says MIRV, pointing out a large, new house with pool and small orchard behind it. "Looks like ex-con Artie Reeves is doing well for himself. GPS identifies that house as his." You squint down, seeing three or four people out at the pool and a three cars in front of a separate four car garage. There is a spacious drive leading up from the road, and a low stone wall enclosing a large part of the front yard.
"I know what you're thinking, Arcs," says MIRV. "You'd love to land by the pool and startle all those folks but that might get you charged with trespassing. I'd use the front door if I was you." Even through his helmet, you can tell Sean's is giving you a "Let's play this smart... please?" look.

Crusader: At first Althea looks at you incredulously. "Do some good...???" she murmurs, like she can hardly believe her ears. "You act like VIPER was a big family, man?" she cuts in at some point. "It was a job. A criminal job. It may have paid well, but we don't "need each other." Jesus, what kinds of sap is that? I just need you to leave me the hell alone."
As you continue to try to convince her, she continues to be resistant, and angry. "Oh, cut the bull, she says. You don't need to play me any longer. I told you, I'm in on it now, whether I like it or not. I know it's your assignment to infiltrate the Mavericks, but I'm only in this to give support, and then I'm out. The man himself has contacted me, so you don't have to keep lying." She pauses and mutters away from you, "Shoulda figured Style would live through that holocaust." Then she turns back, sputtering, " Just tell me what you want, and I'll do what I can." She stops, facing you, putting the ball back in your court but notices the look on your face when you realize something much worse is going on than you thought. "What?" she says shortly. "Why do I think I'm not going to like what you are about to tell me?"<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 91

From S/Crusader:

Neil, I don't remember what happen to Style after L.A. I think we might
have crossed paths, but Crusader/Intercept has been played so infrequently, I
can't remember the details.

"I have nothing to say."; I cover quickly; "I'm just shocked that Style
is back in business. And that his peers allowed it to happen." hinting at
Nest politics and their machivellian precepts.
"But I do need any information you have on Warlord and this tracking
e-paint..."

From I/Arcsilver:

As Arcilver descends, he will ask MIRV for any suggestions on questions
to ask. After receiving any ideas that MIRV might have, he will land in
front of the house, and ring the doorbell, taking a few steps back so
that he is not threatening to anyone who answers the door, and can be
seen in his full constumed glory. He will ask whoever answers the door
if he can speak with Arthur Reeves. He uses a friendly, polite tone with
lots of smiles, and will not hesitate to introduce himself as "Arcsilver
of the Mavericks citizen protection group from New York."

------

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: MIRV says, "I'd always go for polite, but direct. Ask Mr. Reeves if he'd be willing to discuss his past criminal activities, and jail term. See what he says? Appeal to the idea that he has paid his debt, and he's now a law abiding citizen. That's assuming he is one. I just wouldn't reveal too much about this new Warlord, just that the name has come up again. Other than that, play it by ear. You got a way of talking to people. Just use it. Keep your radio channel open, though. I'll be on Mute Monitor, so you won't hear me, but I'll follow your side of the conversation at least."
With that, you head down, landing near the front steps. You are impressed by the house. A tasteful use of wood, stucco and stone, the lawn is well kept and irrigated. Stone flower beds with desert flowers and cactus are carefully maintained. Ringing the doorbell you check out the cars in the parkway... a black Lexus covered in road dust, a BMW 575, and an old Fiat. About thirty seconds pass and you are about to ring again, when an older Mexican gentleman in gardening clothes peeks around a thistle hedge off to the right. He looks wide eyed at you, clutching a small garden spade to his chest. You wave and smile but just as you start to say something, the front door opens.
You turn to find yourself greeted by tanned, buxom breasts. For the longest second, you fail to register anything else and then the rest of the picture comes into view. A very beautiful woman in a blue string bikini top, with blonde hair (tastefully dyed) darkened by being wet, swept over one shoulder. A towel is tied around her supple waste, more than emphasizing her midriff and curving hips. You jerk your eyes up to her face to see dark blue, stunningly deep eyes... wide with surprise, looking back at you. Supple cheek bones and perfect lips emphasize a model quality face and for a moment you forget yourself.
"May ah help you," she says, hesitantly, turning that grating Texas drawl into a lovely lilt. You choke out your prepared greeting in a mouth suddenly gone dry, "Yes, uh... citizen of the Mavericks... group from... protecting... New York. Heh." You reach out a sweaty palmed hand, "I'm Arcsilver." She graciously takes your hand in a firm, but feminine grip. "Is... uh... Mr. Reeves home?" you ask, your voice almost cracking like an adolescent.
She smiles then and your insides turn to jelly. "Wha of course he is," she says. "Please t'meet you Mistuh Ahksilvuh. Mah name is Ann-Jolie." Her composure has returned, and she steps back gesturing you in. "Please make yo'self comfotable, whahl Ah get Ahtie for ya." She smiles again, dazzling and sincere, and lightly touches your arm as she turns to leave. If you weren't already electrically charged that touch would have been enough. You watch her walk away, each step causing a perfect shake of her perfect hips until she steps through a door, and is gone.

Crusader: Althea pauses for a second or two, thinking about your words, then says, slowly, "So... you say you are NOT working with Style... but he says you are..." she thinks a second more, "... and maybe it wasn't Style... not really... but it sure sounded like him... and he knew me..." Another couple of seconds. "Fuck." She looks directly at you. "I think I actually believe you aren't working with him. Which makes this whole thing a hell of lot more dangerous than I thought. Shit." She continues to consider a few things, then suddenly shakes her head and looks at you, all business again.
"Ok. Look. Marker paint is thirty years old. Security and cops use base forms of it as radioactive residue in those blue paint bombs they put in bank money or ransom drop offs. The high tech stuff you are talking about isn't real paint, but an electro-magnetic charge field that ionizes a layer of molecules on an item, and can be tracked... depending on the initial charge... from mobile hand held tracers to..." she points up, "... satellite tracking. It's good stuff, but wasn't VIPER developed. Government Spec-Ops used it first, but rumor has it that the Champion, Defender, was key in the design." She goes off track for a moment, "Now that guy's stuff I'd love to get my hands on..." Then "Anyway, it's expensive and requires some heavy resources to properly utilize. If you have a way of scanning for it... do it regularly. You'll never know if you've been painted, otherwise."
"This Warlord guy... now I've only heard the name a couple times. Arms shipments only. Haven't heard anything about any drugs but then I don't hang with junkies. Look to the Veronteses. They've got the market on guns in this town and might have some information." She thinks some more, as if weighing what to say to you, then...
"Look, John..." her voice softens for a moment, "I think I understand what you mean about LA being a second chance... but this is Style we're talking about. The man called me, put money in my account, and gave me an assignment like I was freelancing for him all over again. Didn't bother asking shit. He's pulling me back in... and he knows about you... well, something about you." She stops, "He didn't use your name, though... but he knows the suit, like I knew the suit..." More thoughts. "I don't know what Style and this Warlord have to do with each other. Maybe nothing. All I know is that New York was supposed to be a Free Zone. No VIPER action. Legit stuff only. This is Killinger's turf, and has been for years. If Style is making a move here, that could bring a war that I thought we were far away from. You've got more worries than this Warlord. Watch your back." And with that, she turns to walk away.

[RDU Neil]

Post 92

From S/Crusader:

"He didn't use your name, though... but he knows the suit, like I knew the
suit..." >>

"Not surprising.", I state.

"OK Althea. Take care of yourself. I wouldn't trust Style. And if you
need my help, contact me. I owe you big time." I reply as I walk backwards.
Then take a long look around as I casually stroll through the crowds.
Looking for a tail.
Flip open the phone, call the Mavericks HQ or Wild Heart's direct line
(if I have the number for that, if I don't then HQ should have someone around
who can give me the general whereabouts of Meggan}

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will stand off to the side of the room, and casually scan the
room if he can take his eyes away from the receding woman. When Reeves
shows up, he will offer the same, nice greeting and handshake.

-----

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: You calm your breathing and relax after Ann-Jolie leaves the room. In the moment of clarity you really begin to think about the effect she had on you. You've seen plenty of beautiful women in your time, but there was something about her that was beyond that. There was an intensity to her physical presence, and a vitality to her beauty that was wholly uncommon. You literally find yourself short of breath, just thinking about her. Trying to distract yourself, you look around.
There is a sitting room to one side and a wide entry way ahead of you. Furnishing are modern versions of traditional pieces. The whole effect is very tasteful and classical. There doesn't seem to be a hint of cowboy hats or steers' horns over the mantle. It certainly doesn't meet the Texas stereotype, and briefly you catch strains of music, Coletrane it sounds like, coming from somewhere deeper in the house.
Then Arthur Reeves walks in. Again, you are startled. You'd seen an old picture of him. A mugshot
from his earlier arrest showing a handsome, square jawed man, but nothing special. This is the same man, but changed. When he steps into the room, you take an involuntary step back, and blink. Still tall, well built and square jawed, this Artie Reeves has more than that. Your eyes are drawn to him, the way he walks. Old clichés pop into your head about "his presence filled the room" because that's exactly how it feels.
"Mr. Arcsilver," he says, in a controlled, but captivating voice. No hint of an accent. Artie steps up to you with hand extended. He is dressed casually in a cotton button down and chinos. "My sister tells me you've come all the way from New York." When you shake, his grip is firm, warm and dry. Smiling comfortably and somewhat disarmingly he asks, "I have to admit it has been some time since I've seen a bonafide super hero. What can I do for you, sir?

Crusader: You move quickly away from the scene constantly looking out for a tail. Ten steps, you flip open your phone and punch the number for Wild Heart. Just as it begins to ring you spot him. Forty yards away, a tourist type in casual jeans and sports coat. Overcoat over his arm and camera around neck, map and NY Times under one arm. He looks exactly like he should. Nothing gives him away. Nothing, except you spent six months in training learning every move he's making. How to look without looking, carry items while keeping hands free, moving purposefully while appearing aimless. You could never explain it to anyone else, but you just KNOW, in your gut, he's VIPER.
He must have followed Althea, because he wasn't around before. Odds are he has your picture. You grit your teeth, focusing on that camera. After a few more steps he stops, turning to the side and lines up a picture of the Garden. As he snaps it the ringing in your phone cuts off with a "Hello?" in Megan's voice.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 93

From S/Crusader:

Damn. Well, two can play that game. Turn a corner, line up a large
picture window on the other side of the street to keep tabs on the guy in the
reflection.
"Megan, its John. We need to talk about some matters. Soon. But right
now, I'm trying to follow up on a lead. Can you join me? I'm near Madison
Square Garden. Stay in civvies. Call when you get close to the Garden and
we can coordinate from there."
Neil, what I want to do is turn the tables on the tail. First make him
lose my trail. Not hard to do in a place like NYC. Second, tail him back
either to 1) We find the next fish, or 2) I've closed and physically near
enough to do something about the camera.
"So Megan, keep the cell phone close. I'm not sure how long I will be
here. But I will phone my movements if I move."

From I/Arcsilver:

"Hello, Mr. Reeves, please forgive this intrusion, I hope I'm not
bothering you. I would like to ask you some questions, however, about
some of your history, if you have the time. It seems that the name
"Warlord" has come up again, and I was hoping to pick your brain about
what this might mean..."

Arcsilver will be as friendly as possible, and will try to imagine Arty
in his underwear, so that he isn't too affected by the guy's Presence.
If he has a chance, he will shift momentarily to EM vision and scan the
room (I think senses are invis., no? If not, I won't). He will also
absent mindedly make sure that the radio is on, so that MIRVy is hearing
his end of the conversation.

-----

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: Reeves' smile turns down almost immediately when you mention the Warlord. He looks defensive for a brief second, then he looks away his mind obviously racing. Finally he looks back at you again and smiles, this time though, there is a hint of sadness. Nodding to his own thoughts he says, "My first instincts were to protest that I have no involvement with this Warlord... and I would like to say that isn't true... but I can't." He looks around the rooms and up into the vaulted ceiling of the foyer, then back at you. "I'm just afraid of what this will mean," he finally says, quietly.
Gesturing back into the house, Reeves asks, "Would you like a drink while we speak? Coffee, tea, juice, or carbonated beverage of your choice?" He pauses and makes a friendly face, "I don't know if it's appropriate to offer alcohol, but I have a fully stocked bar if you wish to avail yourself." With that he leads you back through a small hallway and into a large, beautiful kitchen. Flagstone floors and a large wood fired oven are the centerpieces, fully equipped and handsomely designed.
Reeves pours and hands you the drink of your choice, then leads you to a sitting area looking out a large bay window toward the pool. The orchard is just beyond. The two of you lean back in stained wicker divans, and he starts to talk. "The most direct way to start would be to say that I am not, nor was I ever, the Warlord. Nor do I know the true identity of the man who wore... and perhaps still wears, that mask. I have met him... and I owe everything I have to him. He is the single greatest person I have ever met." He pauses. "I also hoped I would never hear of him again."

He turns and looks directly at you, a gravity in his tone that emanates from his whole being. "I mean this as no threat to you, but if you have made an enemy of this man, then you are alive to talk with me only at his sufferance. To believe otherwise is a fools notion."

Crusader: Megan replies quickly, "I'm about an hour outside the city. If you want me to come in quietly that will take time, but if it's an emergency I can be more overt and make it a lot faster. What do you need?"

As you speak to Megan, you slip into your own surveillance techniques, trying to watch the watcher without him knowing. He meanders a bit, stopping at a hot-dog vendor to grab a Coney and a Coke, then finds himself a public bench to sit down with his meal. As soon as he's seated, you make your move back across the street, using a stop in traffic to get into a position where he can't go anywhere without you seeing him. He's good at this, you notice. When he makes a casual glance around the area he makes no reaction to your movement, or that you've closed proximity with him. Instead he pulls out a small device from his coat pocket and flips it open. A Palm Pilot of some kind... and perhaps more. It's been some time since you've seen VIPER's current issue equipment. You do see that with a quick flick of his wrist he does something to the camera around his neck and attaches it to the Palm Pilot through a small cord.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 94

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver responds, taking the occasional gulp from a Jolt cola, or
whatever the nearest thing is...

"I understand that this might be a bit much - me showing up and asking
all of these questions and everything... but I would sure appreciate it
if you could tell me the whole story from the beginning. You say that
you have been involved with the Warlord, and that you never went by that
name, even though you served time for crimes committed by him?"

Throughout his discussion, Arcsilver will try to repeat as much of what
Arty says as possible, so that MIRV can tell what is happening, and maybe
even record it, if he has the ability to do so.

-Ilan/Arcsilver

From S/Crusader:

he does something to the camera around his neck,
and attaches it to the Palm Pilot.<<<<<

"Gotta go!"
I will jog up to him, from his blind side and run into him
pretending I'm flaging a cab. "TAXI!" I will yell, and basically, full body
slam as hard as I can, convientiently slapping his palm pilot out into the
street.
"Whoops! I'm sorry, let me get that for you." I should be able to keep
my balance due to the fact I'm 6'4" and filled with alloy. I will reach for
the palm pilot, but 'accidently' kick even further into the street, hopefully
under a by-passing car. "OH MY GOD! I"M SO SORRY!"

And we will see where that gets me.

-----

From GM:

Note: (Storn, I misread your post at first, and thought you were trying to kick the GUY under a moving car, not the Palm Pilot. I was thinking, "Jeeze! Harsh!" until I reread it. Pretty funny.)

>>>Arcsilver: Reeves nods, taking a sip of his iced tea, and shrugs. "The story is relatively simple. At it's most basic, I was simply hired to go to prison for the Warlord. I know it sounds strange, but I had few options at the time, and a six year stretch for assault was a small cost for a substantial reward. I was not always as..." he pauses, "... competent as I am now." He looks around the house. "The benefits have been considerable. Until now, with your arrival, the choice was clearly a good one. The wealth I have been able to obtain is only the smallest measure of my payment." He affixes you with the same deep blue eyes as his sister. "I am much more than I was then."
He then proceeds to tell how the switch was made, during a private consultation with lawyers. He had been shocked to see that the Warlord looked exactly like him, and even had matching finger prints. Obviously it had a been a plan made well in advance of his capture. The connections this Warlord must have had to pull this off indicate immense resources.
Half way through one of your repetitions for MIRV, Arty looks at you quizzically, then smiles saying, "Might I ask who you are reporting to, via your radio?"

Crusader: You move quickly, trying to close the distance between you and the tail. You are still twenty some yards away, so you move at a good pace, but without breaking into a full run. Ten feet from him, he glances up again, looking around for you, as he taps out some instructions on the Pilot. Not seeing you at first he twists around, catching sight of you just as you close. His eyes register surprise as you twist, holding up your hand and yelling, "TAXI!"
"Hey, watch whe...!" he begins to shout, as you barrel into him. He is hunching and twisting away from you, trying to protect his equipment, but your elbow catches him square in the back.
"Aaagghhh!" he coughs, and goes off the bench, to his knees, sprawling hard. His camera and Palm Pilot go flying, as well as his newspaper and Coke. You spring over him, trying to look awkward and surprised, while not falling down. Beneath your legs, the man smacks his face... hard... against the concrete. Blood spurts, and he lies there limply. Across the sidewalk, the crowds move back in surprise and shock, and you see the Palm Pilot skid to a stop against a business man's shoe.
Stumbling a little, as if in surprise, you swing around, going for the Palm Pilot, ""OH MY GOD! I'M SO SORRY!" you shout, as you skid punt it out into the middle of Seventh Avenue. There it smacks into the side of a passing cab, and careens under an old Buick LeSabre where it is smashed into pieces by the tires. You turn around, a sick look on your face, to see the crowd staring at you, and a couple leaning over the unmoving tail. On man looks at you, incredulously, saying, "Judas H. Priest? What th' hell did you do?"<<<

Full body slam. 35 Str. Cyborg. vs. normal taken by surprise. Ow.

[Speedball]

Between Neil misreading Storn's post and what actually happened to the SOB, I got a good chuckle out of this post.
I hope Viper has good medical insurance.

[RDU Neil]

Post 95

From S/Crusader:

"Jeeze! Harsh!" until I reread it. Pretty funny.) >>

Ok, that made me laugh out loud! Nope, trying to kick the Palm Pilot.
But after prelim reading of the post, I might as well have. Guess I should
have specified a shove or takeaway... And it is 25 STR outside of the armor,
not 35.

>> saying, "Judas H. Priest? What th' hell
did you do?<<

I slowly flip out my cell phone as I survey the poor guy. Then move
quickly up to him. "Oh hell, he must have hit his head. I'm so sorry.
Don't touch him. I'm an off-duty paramedic." (hoping my viper paramedic
training looks the same to John Q. Public). I will start to check for pulse,
neck trauma, while I quickly key in 911 into my phone, and tuck between
shoulder and neck to free up both hands. {ie. use Paramedic of 12-}
"911? I have a person down suffering from possible neck and head injury.
Location is the north corner of 35th street and 7th ave." and then hang up,
mutter to a passerby. "Shit. I just wanted a taxi. Not to kill anyone. He
isn't even a quarterback or wide receiver during a game." Look at the
bystander. "...defensive end, UCLA. Not that it exists anymore." (I'm not sure
what college/University is in the LA area, but John would, having lived there.)

Future Note, slightly off-topic: This whole scene actually gives me a couple
of ideas for the future. I think John needs to get to know NYC better if he
is going to fit into Sam/Crusader One's shoes. It would probably be a good
idea to have a bit of life outside of the Mavericks too.
Paramedic, working the night shift, could be a great way to get to know
the city, make contacts and get an idea of the pulse of the city. Could make
it part-time, just a couple nights a week. Goes along with the idea of being
a life preserver, instead of assassin of old.
It would take some time to implement. The way I see it, John needs to
get some KS under his belt (i.e. go to school), also, tough to go back to
college when you don't exist on paper. So an ironclad identity has to be
made. But between Dragonmist and Yuri that shouldn't be to hard.
So, during downtime, assume John is studying medical texts and stuff to
pass the GED or whatever tests he is going to have to pass to get into a
paramedic program.

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver responds, light hearted. "I'm just keeping my people informed,
that's all. You see we didn't know quite what to expect, so we took some
precautions. I have to say that this is turning out to be more pleasant
than I thought it was going to be. The thing is, why are you telling me
all this? Have you told the police? Your parolle officer (look
especially for his reaction on this), and what exactly did the Warlord
give to you? Again, sorry for all of the questions, and can i have
another coke?"

-Arcsilver/Ilan

-----

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: Reeves smiles at your rapid fire questions, and immediately gets up to pour you another Coke. "I'm glad you find it pleasant. Life can be very unpleasant at times, and I see no reason to make it any more so than necessary." Reeves comes back around the kitchen counter and hands you a refilled glass. The phone rings, suddenly, and he turns toward it, puzzled. From somewhere upstairs comes Ann-Jolie's voice, saying, "Ahl get it, Ahthuh. Don't y'all wahrry." The ringing stops almost immediately.
Turning back, Reeves shrugs, then stands and looks out at the pool deck. "I'm telling you this, because it makes no sense to deny it. I'm hoping that you will simply take the information, and go. I have no further connection with the Warlord, and your difficulties with him... well... I hope to have no further part in this." He shrugs again, "Honesty usually serves me well, and I see no reason to lie." He smiles a bit, "I certainly haven't spoken to my parole officer, nor the police. They would probably try to charge me with something. Thinking back, I didn't even have to lie during the switch with the Warlord. No one ever asked me if I was the man they thought I was. We simply pleaded out the case, No Contest actually, and I did my time."
"As to what the Warlord gave me," he gazes about the beautiful house and out into the yard. "I'd have to say... opportunity. A sufficient nest egg, protection for my sister... and training..." Reeves looks back at you. "Training in how to live better, maximize my potential..." he taps his head, "...how to think critically, quickly... how to see the world."
Just as you begin to find yourself at an Anthony Robbins seminar, your ear-piece buzzes, and MIRV's voice comes in with, "I don't know what he told you about his P.O., but I was scanning the house while you chatted, and I just spotted a dead ringer for our missing Lydia Wright glancing out of an upstairs window."

Crusader: You kneel down over the sprawled man, and check his vitals. People around you start giving you a good New York hard time. "A paramedic, and you just creamed that guy... Christ!" That kind of thing.
A quick check of your victim shows him not to be hurt badly. He is stirring, as you look him over, but his nose is broken, there is a scrape on his forehead, and he may have a mild concussion. Phoning in the injury, the folks around you either start moving on, or chatting amongst themselves. As you joke about your fictional college past, a number of people look at you with renewed interest. "UCLA? Wow. Are you a survivor? Were you there when it went down? My sister in law lost most of the family in the quake. My cousin's gastroenterologist has never found out whether or not his brother's wife is even alive..." and a different flurry of questions and comments abounds.
"Ohh... god damb. By dose..." groans the man on the ground as he becomes conscious. A man in a suit kneels down across from you, looking at the man in concern, he takes his hand, saying, "Sir, I hope you are not seriously injured, but in light of this event..." and he presses a business card into the agents hand, "...if you wish to seek legal recourse in regards to the assault I just personally witnessed, please call me. This is my card. I'm an associate with Wolfram & Hart; a very prestigious firm." With that, he looks at you, smiles pleasantly, and stands up to leave.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 96

From S/Crusader:

Geez Neil, awfully blatant swipe!

"Here is your camera." Assuming that it is not a digital camera, I
already flipped open the little door with my thumb to expose the film. If it
is a digital camera, I'm screwed, maybe swipe near my body with the greatest
amount of cybernetics and hope that the magnetic forces might screw with the
disk.
"I'm really sorry." And just fix the associate of W&H with a stare. Then
walk into the crowd and try to lose myself from this rotten situation.

From I/Arcsilver:


Arcsilver, trying to act nonchalant, will ask "I'm sorry, did you mean
that you didn't tell your parole officer about this, or that you haven't
spoken with her. It seems that she has been unavailable for some
time..."

-----

From GM:

Note: (The W&H reference was just a little pop-culture joke. Didn't mean to confuse things. It isn't a plot point, don't worry.)

>>>Arcsilver: Reeves seems non-plussed when he answers your question. "Ms. Wright? I've never had reason to bring this up. She's been quite polite and professional with me. We met as scheduled last week, but she did call to cancel our meeting this week. As I'm gainfully employed, ties to the community and all that, I think I can go down in her books as a success." He looks at you with mild concern. "You say that you can't reach her? I'm assuming you've tried her work at the Corrections office." He gets up, and gestures to a different part of the house. "I have her number at my desk. Would you like me to try and call her?"
You watch him carefully. The man may be phenomenal actor, but he seems to be trying to be genuinely helpful.
Back outside, toward the pool, you hear a squeal of delight from one of the women as a clean cut looking man splashes her as he jumps up out of the water. Laughing, he grabs a towel and begins drying himself off and walking toward the door... "I'll find him. Don't worry. He's probably just working, again," the man calls back to the two women still swimming. He continues to approach the back door, about twenty feet away now, rubbing his hair dry with the towel.

Crusader: The camera is definitely digital, and your grimace inwardly as you pretend to dust off the casing on your pants before handing it back to the man on the ground. He clutches it, looking at you with worried eyes, then struggles to get up, shoving the lawyer back. "Ged away from me..." he says, groaning at the same time. "Bod of you!" You step back as he gets to a seated position. He has no weapons on him, that you can tell, but he is clearly ignoring the lawyer and fixing you with stare.
Turning quickly, you begin to move away as some of the crowd calls out, but most just stand back. The lawyer tries to say something, but the injured man just brushes him off. In no time you find yourself thirty yards away, with no one following you. It galls you that the man likely has your picture, but you are pretty certain he had no microphone/sound sensing equipment, so he didn't get your conversation. Also, standard procedure would make it likely that the guy had no idea who you were. Just assigned to follow Althea, and photograph whomever she met with.
Two minutes pass, and you are a long block away. What's your next move?<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 97

From S/Crusader:

<< Two minutes pass, and you are a long block away. What's your next
move?<<< >>

Get out of there. Nothing more I can do now without really, really
causing a scene. Whoever he works for now knows that I will be on my guard.
Be even more paranoid than I was before, I will slip into the flow of
pedestrians, heading towards the Empire state building (34th & 5th Ave).
Soon as I get 10 minutes away, call Wild heart and let her know where I am.

From I/Arcsilver:

Sorry for the delay again, Neil. I am very busy, but not so much that I
can't respond. I just keep thinking that I have responded when I
haven't. Again, sorry, it is the end of the semester - my last semester
of course work, as a matter of fact, so I am under some stress. I will
make sure to respond in the future, however.

>We met as scheduled last week, but she did
>call
>to cancel our meeting this week.

"Oh, I see," Arc says in a friendly tone, trying to sound nanchalante,
making conversation while getting information. "So you haven't seen her
either, then?"

I think I can go down in her books as a
>success."

"Well, it sure seems as though you are doing well. What is it that you
do now?

>
>Would you like me to try and call her?"

Yeah, sure, that would be great, Arty! Thanks, go ahead and try to get
ahold of her, that is if you think that she is in the office..."

>
>now, rubbing his hair dry with the towel.

Arc will become interested in something across the room, and cock his head to the side, saying "hey! You have one of those thingies that they're
always talking about..." He will move towards whatever thing he picked
out, looking at it. He is still at ease, but with the half-truths that
Arty is perpetrating and the approach of the other guy, Arc wants a
little space between himself and old Arty. Just to keep MIRV clued in,
Arc will distractedly look at the approaching guy, and say "I think this
guy wants your attention..."

-----

From GM:

Note: (No problem, Ilan. Just let us know if things get crazy. Hope the end of semester is over quickly. Good luck on all that.)

>>>Arcsilver: Arty starts to move away, nodding and saying, "I have her pager number as well," referring to Lydia Wright. As you point out the man coming toward the back, Arty stops and glances back, saying, "Oh, that's just my business partner, Franklin. He's wondering why I left them pool side." He smiles at you, "I'm sure he'll be quite surprised to see a genuine metahuman such as yourself in my sun room. Don't let him talk your ear off." With that, he heads down a hall. You step away from the glass doors, and back toward the kitchen wrap counter, eyeing both men suspiciously.
Franklin pulls the towel off of his head as he reaches for the door knob, shakes more water off of himself, then pulls open the door, and sticks his head inside. He squints, trying to adjust to the darker interior. "Hey Arty!" he calls out. "You need help with anything, or are you just being nice and leaving those two pretty ladies to me!? You know I'm always second fiddle to you... you stud!" He pushes himself farther inside, trying not to drip all over, when he spots you.
"Holy... !" he shouts, jumping, startled, half backing out the door again. "Whoa! uh... Who are you?" Franklin asks, instinctively covering himself with the towel. He looks you up and down, puzzled, as if trying to figure out who the geek in the bike tights is. "I'm Franklin," he says, smiling, and stepping inside. He holds out his hand to you, approaches, trying to be easy, "Uh... you startled me there, friend. Are you a... messenger, or something." Suddenly he looks eager, "Did we get that Malaysia delivery. Wasn't supposed to be until tomorrow, but if they signed everything soo..."
Behind you, out of sight of Franklin, you hear a buzzing sound that you instinctively recognize as a beeper on quiet mode. Glancing back, through the kitchen and into a side dining room, you see Lydia Wright standing there, a pistol leveled at your head, looking surprised, and glancing down at the pager attached to her waistband.

Crusader: You quickly make it out of the area, heading with the flow, further west on 34th St. Long blocks later, you are
passing the Jacob Javits Convention Center. Popping the phone you, call Wild Heart, who picks up in two rings. After you give her the quick run down, she asks, "Do you still need me to come in? It'll take a while. By the way, I've got a time for a meeting with your old associates. Breakfast, tomorrow, the Schurz Park Cafe. Fancy place. Do you own a suit?"

[RDU Neil]

Post 98

From S/Crusader:

Arc? Donchya just hate it when they point guns at you for no apparent
reason? <g> Have fun!

>>she asks, "Do you still need me to come in? It'll take a while. By
the way, I've got a time for a meeting with your old associates. Breakfast,
tomorrow, the Schurz Park Cafe. Fancy place. Do you own a suit?"<<

"No,"; I reply, "lost the tail when I had to run him over like a Mac
truck."

"I guess I'll spend the rest of the afternoon looking for a good suit,
got any suggestions on where to go?" I ask. {I "m sure that Megan, being a
native of NY, can list about 5 places to go and get a good suit.}

Neil, I will assume that time passes, John gets a suit. Does a bit of
an early patrol that evening around the Village and that we just go to the
meeting at breakfast. Assuming that you have nothing nefarious planned in
mind.


From I/Arcsilver:

Hard to tell what the situation is here, whether she seems bent on
shooting Arcy, or whether she was just covering him, or whether Arc is
able to distinguish. As long as the gun was pointing at his head, and
she said nothing, Arcsilver will err on the side of caution, and (while
she is looking down, hopefully), move sideways (behind a big TV or
something) for 1/2phase, and power up his force field while doing so (1/2
phase). While moving he will yell "Holymoly! Don't shoot!" If
possible, after he has taken cover and powered up, he will whisper into
his mic. "Lydia is here with a gun pointed at me, don't enter, MIRV, but
I need you next to the door, enter on "GO," and fire to stun."

I know this is a lot, so if Arc doesn't get to say the last bit, I
understand. Also, I don't remember ever having seen a picture of Lydia
Wright, except in her apartment, is that right?

-----

From GM:

Note: (Hopefully we'll have all four players on the same posts, by the end of the week. Matt's still out of it, but Bill and Geoff are going strong. We'll see what happens...)

>>>Arcsilver: Stepping back out of the way, you may be wondering exactly what Ms. Wright is up to, but you are pretty sure that leveling a gun at you is not correct police procedure. As you dodge into the kitchen and behind the refrigerator, your energy field starts sparking around you. Franklin stands wide eyed in the split second as Lydia Wright suddenly swings around the corner, gun aiming for you. A frightened, but determined look shows in her eyes, as she pulls the trigger, just before you call to MIRV.
"BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!"
She fires, but you are too fast, the bullets smack into the tile over the sink and one shatters the plate glass just above. Franklin dives for cover, "Jesus!" out of sight to the floor of the sun room. Through your head phone comes MIRV's voice, "Arcsilver! Report! What's going on? I heard gun shots!"

Initiative: Arcsilver (1st), badguys, Arcsilver (2nd)

Crusader: The rest of the evening is spent, getting a cab across town, and doing some shopping. Wild Heart sends you to the ritzy Upper East Side, to a men's clothing store, where she knows a sales person. It takes a few hours, but you get outfitted for a beautiful Bill Blass, charcoal grey (almost black) suit, dress shirt, tie and shoes. Even after the discount the man gives you... "Any friend of Megan's is a friend of mine," he says... you still can't believe how expensive it is. Back at the HQ later that evening you are mildly relieved when Megan says, "We'll call it a business expense." She looks you up and down, nodding in approval. "You clean up well, John," she comments with a smile. "Try not to break too many hearts, tomorrow, ok?"

After that, it's a late evening patrol, responding to a police report from the night before. "Hit the Harlem area, would you?" asked Wild Heart. "There was a witness report of a big flying guy with dreadlocks, supposedly at Onyx' place last night. Place was still unoccupied from the battle, and this guy was reported flying in an upstairs window, but nothing else was found. Lots of crackpot reports come in, but this one hits a little close to home. Can't hurt to keep an eye out."
"Don't stay out too late, though. We've got an early morning."<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 99

From I/Arcsilver:

"Whoops!" Arcsilver says as easily sidesteps the bullets, "Can we talk
about this?!"

For the first action, Arcsilver will approach her at an angle, setting
himself up so that his back is in a corner, if possible. He will then
try to slap the gun out of her hand, but as he isn't trained for this
kind of thing, he will rely on his speed. He doesn't intend to hurt her
very much, just cause knockback on that gun (not sure how this works,
been a long time for me and the Hero system). He will use his autofire
attack, targeting her hand/gun,and will use no strength open hand
slapping), so that all shots that hit will be 7d6). During this, if
possible, he will say over the comm "I need you in here, MIRV, come
around by the pool!"

If she still has her gun for Arc's second action, he will try to grab
her gun arm and hold on to it. If she doesn't, and she is still
fighting, he will try to arc his lightening by her face and blind her,
saying "come on, sister! let's be friends..."

-Ilan/Arcsilver

PS. Ignore my last post, and also i wouldn't mind being CC'd on the
stuff you are doing with the new guys, unless you are setting up for a
surprise...

From S/Crusader:

Can't hurt to keep an eye out."
"Don't stay out too late, though. We've got an early morning."<<<

"Good idea." I reply to Megan. "I think it would do some good to pick up
the slack for Onyx."
And I will endevor to do just that.

-----

From GM: Note how WEEKS were going to pass before we could get back to this game... always a problem with PBEM, because it takes so long to get anything to happen.)

Note: (Probably last post for a couple of weeks, as I'm off on vacation. We'll jump back in, if you are interested, with four players, when I return.)

>>>Arcsilver: "Roger that!" comes through from MIRV, as you jump in toward Lydia. She has a stunned look, and gasps, "So fast... !" Your hands blur, going for the gun with a charged field around them. (Note: You can do a Disarm maneuver, using STR, or you can use the HtH Attack to damage, targeting the gun, not Lydia. HtH attacks don't add to Disarm maneuvers. I'm assuming the latter, since it gives you a better chance of knocking the gun away, and won't do damage to Lydia, since you aren't hitting her, you are hitting the gun.)
Zak! Zak! Zak! You smack the gun out of her hand and juggle it into the air and across the room in less than a second. Lydia's hand jerks back as if shocked, and she steps back, amazed and afraid as you wink and say, "C'mon sister... let's be friends!"
Across the sun room, back down the hall from where he had gone, Arthur Reeves, suddenly runs back into the room, with a commanding, "What the hell is going o..." and he stops short. Obvious surprise on his face, he looks from you to Lydia and back, then says, "Officer Wright?? I just..." he glances behind him in some confusion, then back, "... paged you... but... you are..." He clearly seems disoriented. "How did you... " Then he composes himself, as Franklin pops up his head from behind a divan, "Would somebody please explain what is going on here? I see bullet holes in my kitchen! Is anyone hurt!?"
Outside, you hear the familiar sound of MIRV's incoming boot jets. Faint, but growing nearer quickly. Then...
"Oh, no one is huht... yet... brotha deah," comes the languid voice of Ann-Jolie, echoing out of thin air. Suddenly a blaze of red energy erupts from seeming nowhere, just past Franklin as he is standing up, from somewhere in the center of the sunroom. You never have a chance to move as the energy beam came out of nowhere and burns through your force field. There is no impact sensation, just an agonizing burning as you swear you feel your flesh peeling away. (9 Body, 36 Stun, Double AP, so you take 4 Body, 27 Stun (so +1 more body) You begin to crumple. As you gray out from the pain (Con stunned), you see Lydia jump back in surprise, and Artie stare in shock as the lithe form of his sister materializes out of thin air in the middle of the sun room. Ann-Jolie is no longer in a bathing suit, but is instead wrapped in tight black leather and Kevlar from the neck down, with a shimmering field around her, and high tech gear strapped on. She is holding a large black energy pistol with a wisp of smoke coming from the barrel. A dangerous smile is on her lips, as her hair falls around her shoulders. Then the scene disappears behind the kitchen counter as you slump to the floor. (Your second action will be to recover from being Con Stunned, then on to new initiatives.)

Crusader: You haven't been in Harlem long, when the call comes in. Perched on a rooftop on 116th, you have watched Onyx' building, and the activity on the street below, orienting yourself to this part of town. Not your usual stomping grounds, so you are scanning the rooftops and establishing how to move around with the most stealth and efficiency. Your radio breaks your concentration, as Yuri's voice comes across. "Crusader. Important transmission just being received. Scanner has picked up polize call from your Harlem area. West side, I am believing. Much west of your current position. On 111th. Reports of persons with metahuman powers attacking a house. Possible... what do they say... crack house? You should be checking it out, please."
Inside your helmet, your HUDs pop up with a map of the surrounding area, indicating an address about five blocks from where you are. One of the last enclaves of real poverty and drugs on that side of Harlem. For the most part this area has been cleaned up, but not everywhere. "Caller is to be saying gunshots are happening. Explosions as well. To be caution, please."<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 100

This is the post where all the threads come together. The Speedball (http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27346) and Impetus (http://www.herogames.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27216) threads end as individual runs, and we continue as part of the same, full thread. (Don't worry, it was a bit confusing for the players at the time, too! :) )

From S/Crusader:

"Caller is to be
saying gunshots are happening. Explosions as well. To be caution,
please."<<< >>

"Roger that Maverick Control. On my way." To hell with stealth, I will
move as fast as I can, trying to close the distance and get into a position
to save lives.
"Maverick Control? Any word on what kind of metahuman powers are being
used? Classification?"

If Yuri doesn't come in with anything substantial, I will switch to
police band and listen in for 30 seconds while I close with the area. If it
sounds like police are arriving or on the scene, I will announce over the
radio my presence as soon as I'm there.

I want to come along rooftops. 111th street area is mostly 4 to 5 story
brownstone buildings with a lot of 3 stories thrown into the mix. However,
as I recall, there are the occasional 50 story highrise (now slum) around, so
if you wanted arena to be significantly taller, it certainly could be.

Also, there are two major parks to get to fairly quickly for the fleeing
paranormal. The north end of central park is only a block south and it is
covered with a lot of scrubbrush and small trees at that end. Morningside
park is also nearby which actually climbs a hill up to Columbia University.
The hill is fairly steep. On the lower elevation are basketball courts which
(when i was around) were in bad shape, but people still played on them
anyways. Morningside park always felt much more dangerous than Central to me.

From I/Arcsilver: Note, Ilan is right that his character takes a beating, he was relatively under-defensed for his abilities, which was hard to moderat when combats take WEEKS to unfold online.

Man, Arcsilver gets beatings like a red-headed stepchild!

On Arc's next action, he will reactivate his force field, and then try
a) to flash the freaky sister if she doesn't seem to have anything
covering her eyes, or b) try to target her gun with a 6d6 electrical
suppress, hoping that it has some kind of electrical components. While
doing this, he will say into the comm "Some kind of ambush...cough...take
out the chick in the leather..."

-Ilan.Arcsilver

PS. Have agood vacation, Neil, I'll wait for your response when you
return.

From G/Speedball:

"motherFUCKER! That hurts! Ohh, you're going to wish you hadn't done
that."
With tha. Speedball pivots and runs ful blast towards the goon with the
auto-rifle. He's going to lose his front teeth and a kneecap. He won't
look pretty and I'm hoping to be able to spot him in the future by his limp.
I'll use both actions taking this guy down even though I may wind up
getting shot again by his two friends. On the other hand, they may just
panic (is there such a thing a an unselfconcious presence attack? Like
morale in D&D?)

Sorry for the delay. Hope the two of you had nice experiences in the cold
and warm water, respectively. London was a blast. Bill--they have absynthe
there. No, I didn't try it.

From B/Impetus:

Impetus waves contemptuously again, this time picking up filth from
whatever's behind them and hitting them from whatever direction they're NOT
looking in. He's also carefully watching Speedball to see what his reaction
is, and if it looks fatal he's going to have to step in.

Geoff, I'm sorely disappointed. What happened to the young rebel I used to
know?

-----

From GM:

Note: (Howdy guys! I'm back from down unda' and suffering from a bit of a heat ailment. As I try to stop itching, I
thought I'd post from home, and see if you all want to start up the Mavericks
game again. All four players on the same posts, now. Characters meet up in
this one, except for Ilan/Arcsilver, who has his own problems in Austin to
take care of. It may be a bit confusing at first, but just let it play out,
and it should all make sense. Hope this works, and good to be posting to you
all again.)

>>>Speedball: In rage and pain, you burst up from the ground, scamper over a
table and lunge toward the gunmen, at the same time you are realizing that
the guy with the automatic rifle is already on the ground with a whole bunch
of glass and shrapnel in his back. Still pissed though, you lay into one of
the two remaining gunmen, both of whom have stopped firing and are just
staring at the big glowing guy who stands with a contemptuous sneer on his
face and pulsating energy around his outstretched hand.

Almost before the punk can register you coming for him, you are dribbling your cueball off his forehead, and he falls, blood spurting from his face.

Arcsilver: Sucking it up, you pour energy back into your protective field
and stand up. You'd fallen in the kitchen behind the counters, cutting off
your view to the sunroom, though Lydia Wright is still in front of you
looking afraid and backing away. As you look up over the counter to try to
find your attacker you see Franklin standing between you and her, half turned away from you and staring open mouthed at Ann-Jolie in her combat gear.
As you step sideways to get a shot off and number of things happen almost
simultaneously. You gasp, "Ambush!" over the comm as Lydia cries out, "He's
still alive!" Ann-Jolie tries to get a bead on you as Franklin twists around
between the two of you stunned and shocked. Artie, looking suddenly angry,
shouts, "No!" and dives toward his sister with his arms outstretched. You raise your hand, two fingers outstretched, and send a blinding arc at
Ann-Jolie's eyes.
FWASH! White hot light goes off in the leather clad assassin's eyes and
she jerks her head back with a cry. Artie, with strenght and grace, vaults the divan and tries to grab her arm, but can't get a grip because of the energy field around her. Arm rocked sideways, her trigger finger convulses and a second sizzling energy beam stabs outward.

Off target by about a foot, the bolt punches through Franklin's chest like wind through sawdust.

Lydia screams and you flinch as two thirds of Franklin's chest
disintigrate in a spray of heat and steaming blood not three feet from your head. The sick stench of burnt flesh fills your nostrils as Franklin collapses in slow motion... his eyes catch yours, filled with surprise as he drops... then the light goes out in them before he hits the floor.

Impetus: The fast guy is up... REALLY fast, and in the blink of an eye one
of the two remaining gunmen is down. He stands over him, a bloody cueball
spinning in his hand, and a look of rage, pain and desperation on his face as
he looks at the last enemy and also glances around the room, as if searching
for something.
With an easy twist of your hand you scoop up some loose boards in an
energy field and fling them at the gang banger who is too busy trying to
figure out what is happening to even see them. The pieces hit him hard in
the chest and legs, knocking him back across the room to lie in a heap. The
speedster doesn't even notice and you notice him looking away, across the room at some desks farther in. An involuntary whimper seems to escape him, and he murmurs, "Oh mommy!" But you can't quite see what he's looking at.

Crusader: Throwing caution to the wind you make it across the six blocks in
no time. Yuri has no further information because he just intercepted the
911 call from someone in the area. You are there long before any police have
a chance to respond. The only thing on the police band is a report of the
call. You are minutes ahead of any police response.
You land on top of a roof across the street from the address. It is a
bad neighborhood, with most shops borded up and most brownstones and
apartments looking rundown or deserted. A condemned thirty story high rise
is just off to your left, but you are looking down on a concrete bunker of a
building with a small group of individuals standing outside it. The front
door, up some steps from the street, is standing open... as is a second, armored door, just inside the foyer. A gang member lies on his back, clutching his head on the stoop, and you can see from your vantage, more bodies lying on the floor inside. Dust pours out of the door into the night, lit from behind by
interior lights. The building itself is four stories, but all the upstairs
windows are borded shut with heavy plywood. It's a little urban fortress
that was breached, right up the middle.
There are no obvious gun shots or explosions at the moment, but you hear
shouts and noises from deeper inside the house.

Speedball: Spinning about in hopped up anger you see it! Finally!
Ignoring the last punk you spot two briefcases, one standing open on a desk
behind all the crack making aparatus. White bundles in the case.
You just know it's not coke, but instead a huge supply of your precious
stuff. Your mouth waters at the sight, as behind you the punk goes suddenly
flying across the room in tumble of wood and splinters.
In the blink of an eye you are standing over the stuff, ignoring the
pain in you back, ignoring Impetus, and ignoring any thing else. Jesus Mary
and Joseph! There are kilos of the stuff! This could set you up for a LONG,
LONG time. And that's just the one case! Longingly, you look down at the
second.<<<

Arcsilver still has a second action, as does Ann-Jolie then the next round of
initiatives is...
Speedball (1st), Arcsilver (1st), Impetus (1st), Ann-Jolie, Crusader,
Artie Reeves, Speedball (2nd), Arcsilver (2nd), Impetus (2nd)

[RDU Neil]

Post 101

From B/Impetus:

Impetus: Since nobody's left standing, I turn around to see what the hell
the downed punk is staring at. Assuming it's the treasure trove d'drugs
that is mentioned in Geoff's timeline, and that Speedball is still staring
at it eagerly (although I AM assuming I can't quite make out the expression
on his face from here), Impetus will simply take a recovery and say:

"Shit. Dass a lot of drugs there. Go call the police and I'll guard here
in case there's another attack here, or one a'those crack monkies upstairs
tries to steal it; some mofo threw a damn hand grenade at me and God knows
what else they got going. I don't think you could duck a grenade, man, and
you already hurt. Plus, you move way faster than me."

Should be interesting to note the reaction.

From G/Speedball:

Speedball, standing over what he's come for, is the happiest man alive.
Before Impetus can say anything (sorry Bill, I'm not giving you the chance
to speak) Speedball closes the open case, picks them both up, turns to
Impetus and says: "give this (the unopened briefcase, which speedball tosses

to Impetus)to the cops when they arrive. I've got to get this other stuff
to a lab. I'll be in touch as soon as possible." (Persuasion roll, please
Neil) Without waiting for a reply, Speedball blows out of the building at
top speed, trying his best to put some distance between him and the
building, which is about to be overrun with cops and god knows what else.
When I get to a downtown train station I'll go civilian and head for home
with my sweet, sweet cargo.

welcome back Neil. And yes, Bill, Im aware that I'm a weenie. thanks.
-G

From B/Impetus:

Not a weenie; it's what I expected and it's in character. However:

Impetus then shrugs, looks around, and opens the briefcase to see what's
inside. Assuming it's drugs, he then walks out to hand the briefcase to the
cops when they show up; if they haven't, then he'll cheerfully call them AND
an ambulance, since the kid needs to be looked at. Assuming we're out of
combat mode, Impetus will also describe the thin, sickly-looking youth he
caught a glimpse of and explain that there was at least one other briefcase
(and possibly more) full of whatever's in here... and that the guy took it
to "a lab". If they don't know who he is and he doesn't work for them, then
I am assuming that whoever this punk is, he's with some rival gang and was
using me to get to the drugs.

Next time we meet it WILL be interesting. And persuasion roll or no, by
getting it to a lab you've convinced me you don't work for the police. And
those who don't work for the cops, in Impetus' mind, tend to work for the
other side. You would have done a lot better to tell me you needed some for
yourself.

From I/Arcsilver:

For the end of this round, Arcsilver will make a half-move to stand on
the other side from Lydia (distracting her from the normals, if
possible), and will use his second 1/2 to try to hit the gun with a
suppress, arcing out lightening to try to hit the mechanism on the gun.
If this does not work, he will try again on the next round. Either way,
he will approach her in his next round and try to punch her autofire
(full strength), and will use the final round, if he has one, to flash
her again. he will maintain whatever suppress he manages to get on that
gun.

Ilan/Arcsilver

Hey to the new players, nice to have you on board! And good to be
playing this again -- I was getting the shakes from the withdrawal!

From S/Crusader:

>>A gang member lies on his back, clutching his head on the stoop, and you
can see from you vantage, more bodies lying on the ground inside.<<

I drop down like an avenging bat out of hell, right in front of the
shaken gang member. Grab him by his flannel shirt and yank his head towards

me (but not lifting his body off the ground, he might have a head injury <g>

I just want to scare him into some info) "WHAT IS GOING ON HOMEBOY!?!?" I
amplify through my external speaker, letting the face plate still be opaque.
While I'm Q&Aing, I will take a scan of the building, the doorway and
area of dust with each sensor bundle I have.


--storn
Welcome back Neil, Hi to Bill and Geoff, welcome to this online madness.

-----

From GM:

Note: (God do I have jet lag. I'm up at 3:30 this morning, after going to
sleep at 8:00 last night. Work was hell yesterday. Sorry for the late post.)

>>>Arcsilver: (Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm a bit confused by the
description of your actions.) You sidestep all the way into the kitchen,
keeping as much distance from Lydia as you can, and send a disrupting charge
of energy at Ann-Jolie's lethal gun. Artie is futilely trying to grapple
with her, yelling, "Damn you, sister! You've just killed Franklin!" Your
bolt strikes home, and and there is a clear "fzzzzzzrrrrsss" and the small
lights on the side of the gun dim. Artie jumps back from the crackle of
electricity. Ann-Jolie cries out... and then she simply blinks out of sight.
Gone, as if she hand never been there.

Speedball: In a blur of motion you snap closed the case, lift and toss the
second briefcase, and give your heartfelt speech to Impetus. Sprinting past
him before he can even reply, you zip back through the basement, and tear up
the stairs. With one hand you catch the top of the railing and spin yourself
around to face the front door, but jerk to halt for a second, as you see a
large armored person, midnight matte black, crouched over the punk laid out on
the front stoop. The figure looks up at you through a mirrored
opaque faceplate.

Arcsilver: Your suppress field drops, having no target all of a sudden.
Not hesitating, you vault over the kitchen counter into the sun room trying
to regain a bead on the lethal woman.
Instinctively you feel that she didn't vanish from the room, but simply from
sight, and you look for any signs...
... there, a sudden bump and shuffle of one of the rittan chairs and you
skate forward swinging widely with multiple punches...

...and are rewarded with a connecting blow that seems to glance off her
repelling field of energy but gets you a feminine grunt of surprise and the
rittan chair tumbles backwards. Outside, you hear the distinct roar of
MIRV's bootjets as he lands at the front door.

Impetus: You snap the briefcase open, then shut again. Another king's
ransom in drugs inside... not crack or coke though... most likely heroin. It
clearly seems out of place in this lab, especially because smack has been
really rare on the streets these days. News reports have talked about
Methadone clinics having a huge increase in patients, as junkies haven't
been able to get their fixes.
You move back through the building, glaring at the semi-conscious and
bleeding punks. The place is a devastated wreck, full of trashed tables, and
bullet riddled walls. You get some mild satisfaction from the carnage as
you start to head upstairs.

Crusader: Having dropped down and bellowed your question, the dazed and
bleeding punk looks at you in fear. But before he can answer, you see a
sudden commotion inside the building as another punk, this one in a NYU
hooded sweatshirt and baggy pants, suddenly appears farther inside past and through the long hallway that extends inward
from the front door. He is carrying a nice briefcase and seems really
jittery. You are immediately wary, because he came up and around the stairs
FAST! REALLY FAST! You almost didn't see him move.
From your position though, you clearly have the only visible exit covered.
Suddenly, from the stairs above the punk there is the loud chatter of
gunfire, and bullets begin tearing down around him.

Speedball: A sudden hail of bullets from above sends you darting forward
again right toward the menacing figure in armor and strange looking black
cape. He fills the doorway ahead of you as you move out of the line of fire
from upstairs. You find yourself suddenly feeling desperate, and your desire
to get the hell out of there drives you forward. Your mind races with
feelings of "ohshitI'veneverdonethisthroughapersonbefore!!!" as you sprint,
concentrate, vibrate...
...and run right through dark figure like a ghost, as he tries to shift
into a defensive stance to meet your attack!
You are then out in the street through the onlookers...

... breath ragged and heart thumping, you begin speeding away.

Arcsilver: As you move trying to keep your sense of where your invisible
opponent has gone, you see Lydia Wright turn and
run. Artie Reeves springs backward, defensively, then stops... gaping down at
the body of Franklin... and looks really shaken and pale.
Something strikes you in the gut, a hard blow accompanied by the
hiss of martial kiaup. You go down on your butt from the force of the blow,
but your field stops most of the impact (26 Stun, 8 Body 1 inch KB believe it
or not).
As you roll back and scramble to your feet there is a sudden, loud
"KRUNCH!" and you glimpse back toward the front of the house the main door smashing open as MIRV kicks it in and comes striding forward. You spring forward, where you think Ann-Jolie is and lash out again, but this time you hit only air.

Impetus: Again, from above, bullets rain down on you. Two hit your
field and bounce off with no effect, and you look upward into the chaos to
see at least five more punks just blazing away from the upstairs bannisters.
They are careless and sloppy. One of the guys firing from the third floor
almost takes out one of his buddies on the second floor landing with his wild
firing. You begin to float upwards then, closing toward the punks and realizing the fight isnt' quite over yet.
Out of the corner of your eye, as you raise to the first floor level, you
see a dark figure standing in the front entranceway. He is clearly in a combat
stance, seeming a little disoriented and glancing back out into the street as
well as back toward you. He has a strange, articulated caped, and black
combat armor. He looks dangerous.<<<

Next initiatives: Arcsilver (1st), Speedball (1st), Crusader (1st),
Ann-Jolie (1st), Impetus, punks, Arcsilver (2nd), Speedball (2nd), Crusader
(2nd), Ann-Jolie (2nd). (I will say that the double actions when others only
have one presents difficult logistics in an online game. Sorry if things
seem confusing.)

[RDU Neil]

Post 102

From S/Crusader:

<< ...and run right through dark figure like a ghost... >>

"Holy Shit!" as the ghost punk flows through me. I will spin and ignore
the small arms fire (my armor can absorb most of that below military grade
stuff) and will scan the young guy, do a superleap (if I have to, noncombat
is fine, I have no idea that Impetus is in the building and the punks seem to
be shooting at the speedster) over him, whereas my head goes vertical towards
the ground at the apex of the leap. This way getting a scan for as long as
possible.

I will tentatively state my 2nd action, I'm expecting to be run right
past or through again. I cannot pursue an unknown paranormal when there is a
gunfight going on. I will use my 2nd action to get back to the gangster
stronghold.

EXTRA:
<< ...and run right through dark figure like a ghost... >>

Since the below is happening in my helmet, and I didn't want to influence
Geoff overly much, but it might have impact on later events/ situations.

While scanning, I will hit RECORD as well.
over him, whereas my head goes vertical towards the ground at the apex of the
leap. This way keeping my recording on him the total time. I'm really
trying to get a shot of his face.
"Mavericks HQ?!?, definite paranormal, Speedster classification. He is
heading east {or whatever direction} on 111th street. Notify any airborne
police units in area for surveillance."

From B/Impetus:

Impetus swiftly whips the suitcase behind his thickly-muscled back to
protect it from the gunfire -- the last thing we need is a bunch of airborne
heroin powder spraying about the room -- and looks up at the punks firing.
He almost feels sorry for them. Almost.

Then he looks up, cocks his head as if he's calculating something, then
unleashes a blast tinged with an eerie purple light at the second floor.

(Neil, I'm aiming at the floor beneath the punks -- no number was given, so
I'm assuming there's at least two -- and purposely trying to blast the floor
out from under them so they fall to the ground. It's a spread blast of
11d6, but should be sufficient for my needs, particularly if I move in close
enough to shoot up from underneath.)

Any discussions from Crusader will be met with a brief "Hang on a sec", and
then we'll talk on the second action.

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver, gasping a bit, yells to MIRV "She's invisible, can you see
her at all?" He then yells to Artie "get out of here, you saw what she
did by accident!" Then, into the comm, to the Austin PD (if I can get
their band) "This is Arcsilver of the Mavericks, we are under fire at
(insert address here), and require immediate medical service for civilian
bystander! Wait at the end of the block until a sign that it is safe!"
As this is a lot to do, Arcsilver will use this action to zig zag across
the room, so that he is standing near the glass doorway (1/2 move and
dodge).
For his second action, he will try to attack, with an autoire punching
sequance if possible. If there is no sign of her, then he will spread
his NND energy blast as much as possible, and sweep the room with the
tendrils of energy, searching for where an impact might be apparent.

From G/Speedball:

Without another thought about Crusader, Impetus, or the remaining goons,
Speedball is around the closest corner and blocks away before Crusader
reaches the apex of his leap. There is only one thing on Speedball's mind
right now and its in the briefcase he's carrying. Later, sitting on the
subway on his trip home, he reflects that perhaps this wasn't the wisest
course of action. Yeah, he needed junk, but the people he just left behind
look like they could either cause him trouble or help him out. It might not
be a bad idea to check in with them and explain himself...when the time is
right. Until then, he's got to get to his lab. They're the good guys,
right? They're BOUND to understand.

<note: nobody's seen my face--I wear a simple black mask...just so you know>

-----

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: As you dodge across the room, MIRV's voice comes across with a "Roger that! Scanning now!" as you see him move in towards you, heavy blaster rifle at port, and metal boots clunking on the tile and wood. He makes it to the door into the sunroom, directly across from where you stand by the glass doorway, and steps in, swinging right and left, looking for a target. His visor gleams red in his silver and blue helmet. "Not picking up anything! Shit! What kind of refraction field is at work here?" Then, "Christ!" when he sees Franklin's body, and "Freeze fella!" to Artie Reeves.
To your left, now, back by the kitchen counter/bar, Artie still stands over Franklin, his shock turning to a simmering anger, evident on his face. He keeps his hands out and open, unthreatening, but closes his eyes and tilts his head as if listening for something.
At that moment all three of you hear footsteps back through the kitchen into a dining room area behind Artie, but it may be Lydia Wright because that is where she came from and where she ran when Franklin was shot. There is no immediate sign of Ann-Jolie.

Speedball: In seconds, you are gone. At your speed and in the dark, there is nothing to stop you as you tear down the street. Behind you you sense movement up into the air, but you leave everyone behind so whatever it was is lost as well.

Crusader: In the split second it takes you to turn and leap the ghosting/vibrating punk is practically at the end of the block. Fast. As fast as Arcsilver, if not more-so and he doesn't leave a tell tale glow behind. You focus and zoom, trying to scan details as the figure leaves you behind, you radio in what you can see. He does kick up a swirl of dust and debris. He didn't hold the vibrating/ghosting bit for very long... just enough to get past you and into the clear.
Behind you there is a suddenl loud "KKRACK, CRUNCH!!" and the whole building shakes. There are shouts from inside as well as on the street, and the gunfire from inside stops for a moment.

Impetus: The structure is old, worn, and not cared for. Three or four rounds strike your field as you look for the best shot, but you don't feel them. You gesture, your energy pours out right under three of the punks just above you. The ceiling erupts in plaster dust and wood fragments as a four meter chunk of the upstairs floor buckles and then just collapses downward, carrying the three down with it in a heap of rubble.
The crash is tremendous, reverberating throughout the house, and you wonder for a second if it will bring down the more than you intended. Dust is everywhere obscuring any sights beyond a meter or so, but you clearly see the punk who lands at your feet with a thud and crunch and clutching his shoulder in pain. Shouts come from above... but the gunfire ceases.

Arcsilver: In desperation, you gesture for MIRV to stand back and then send crackling lighting splaying around the room. Hundreds of tiny, jagged streams of electricity leap from your hands to crackle through the air. Ozone fills the room, and Artie Reeves gasps, then fear turns to interest as he watches the tiny bolts leave no burns on the walls or furniture. Unfortunately, no invisible bodies are struck or outlined either. You clearly feel that Ann-Jolie is no longer in the room.
Artie speaks, suddenly pointing out the only remaining doorway not covered. You are in front of the glass patio door. MIRV covers the front entrance way and Artie was in front of the left exit to the dining room. He is pointing back across to the right. "She must have gone through there," he says, almost to himself. His other fist is clenched and he seems to be getting even more angry. "She had no right," he suddenly growls through clenched teeth, and starts to move across the room shouting, "SISTER!!"

Speedball: Putting on a burst of speed you leave the combat zone behind, tearing through the streets looking for your subway stop. People gasp and spin as you run by, but you are gone faster than they can react. You clutch the case to your chest and disappear into the night. (You are out of combat. There is nothing to stop you, so at this point you can easily make it to a subway stop many blocks away. Bear with me as this plays out back at the crack house.)

Crusader: Shifting, adjusting, you roll and glide back toward the crack house just a cloud of plaster dust belches from the front door. Landing just to the side of the door you look inside, barely able to make out the figure of a large, hugely built black man with dreads and a black coat, glowing a quiet purple color and floating in the air. The back stairs and landing seem to have collapsed around him and rubble has been joined by multiple sprawled forms of gang bangers. The gunfire is silent. Whoever he is may have taken them all out. (You still have a half move to close in or say something if you want.)<<<

Next initiatives: Arcsilver (1st), Crusader (1st), Impetus, MIRV, Ann-Jolie, punks, Artie Reeves, Arcsilver (2nd), Crusader (2nd)

[RDU Neil]

Post 103

From S/Crusader:

<< barely able to make out the
figure of a large, hugely built black man with dreads and a black coat,
glowing a quiet purple color, floating in the air. >>

"Oboy, Mavericks HQ? We have another Para. Big black man, glowing
purple." I report over the radio. Then switch to outside speakers; "I'm
Crusader of the Mavericks, who are you? What is going on? And now that
you've brought the house down, are you going to help me get the people inside
out?"

Observers (Impetus) will see Crusader take a martial art stance. What is
unusual is that his considerable bulk and battle suit (Crusader stands 6'4")
is surprisingly fluid and supple. Crusader's foot digs the street for
traction, but no sound is emitted (special patented Viper synthorubber
technology! <g>). No squeaks are given out has the armor flexes into the
pose. Most unusual. The articulated cape folds up into a backpack like
device, each "arm" moving quickly and quietly.

From B/Impetus:

"I'm
Crusader of the Mavericks, who are you? What is going on? And now that
you've brought the house down, are you going to help me get the people
inside
out?"))))

Impetus turns around, revealing a gleaming suitcase -- exactly like the guy
who blitzed past you. He looks at you, his black trenchcoat still rippling
in the wind and dust generated by the wall collapse, his jet-black skin
glowing under the nimbus of purple. His muscles look rock-hard, and he
doesn't really seem to be concerned about your martial arts stance; you get
the distinct feeling that he's used to blows glancing off of his skin, and
as that occurs to you, you notice the gunpowder skids of bullets that have
punched straight through his trenchcoat.

He cocks an eyebrow and says quietly, "They may be gang members... but
nobody deserves to die.

"I'm assuming that you got radio communication in that suit of yours if you
yellin' at me through speakers, so make y'sef useful and call an ambulance.
I accidentally hit some punk a little too hard and I'm worried about his
status right now. Check to see if the police are coming, too, since
somebody be flowthruin' some MAJOR horse here." He pats the suitcase
meaningfully, and thinks a bit, as if remembering something. "Oh. And
since you probably have better relations with the cops than I do, check to
see if they got a superhuman operative who's real skinny, real fast, and
runs off with a suitcase full of heroin to take to some bullshit 'lab'; I
think I just got smoked by some mad gang operative who was moving in on
these suckers' territory."

He walks over to the rubble and starts moving the larger chunks away gently,
looking for any trapped gangbangers and carefully extracting them -- but not
nearly as gently as he got the rocks off of them. "I'm Impetus. And if
you're who I think you are, I been lookin' for you."

From I/Arcsilver:

>fast as Arcsilver, if not more
>

HEY!

Arcsilver will once again speak into the com to MIRV saying "keep an
eye on Artie, MIRV, and watch my back... I'll take the lead!" Arcsilver
will then activate flight, which takes a full phase to do, using the
flight to get near the door. On his second action he will open the door
and enter the next room trying to fly behind something right away.
Because of my flight start up, Artie might beat me through the door. If
this is the case, I will follow him in, doing a half-move and a dodge.

-----

From GM:

Note: (Got no reply from Geoff, but it's not necessary right now, so onward...)

>>>Arcsilver: The doorway is an open one, nothing to open. Artie dashes across the room as you activate your flight field and yell to MIRV. "Gotcha!" he acknowledges, "Pulling back to cover the front room!" You realize that it may be possible for Ann-Jolie to circle through the west wing of the house, coming back out at the front. As you move across the room and glance behind Artie, you realize that there are dozens of possible exits from this house. Plenty of spots for an ambush as well. Taking another shot from that gun is not a something you want to go through.

Crusader: You wait briefly as Impetus begins to pull debris away from the bangers, looking to see if there is any further hostiles in the area. Nothing moves but a couple of groaning figures on the floor. One guy closer to you looks really hurt, but it must have happened before you got here,because he wasn't one of those brought down with the floor. There are shell casings all over, and a couple of pistols and a shotgun as well. As you step further in toward Impetus, you hear a crunch and thump through a closed door to your left. Then a voice curses under their breath.

Impetus: You pull the punks from the rubble easily. Only one of them seems hurt badly... the one who dislocated his shoulder. Dust covers you from head to toe, but you are used to this kind of work. Glancing upward you hear footsteps and some muttered talking as whoever was up there seems to be skipping up to the fourth floor. You can't see anyone directly, though. When you yell at the punk in your hands he just looks scared and a little confused, saying, "Impetus! Man, whateva! I don' know why you lookin' fo me, but jus' don' bus' mah head, man!"

Arcsilver: Artie has rushed ahead of you through a short hallway into a den/office type of room. There is an open door to a toilet off the hall and a small cubbard of towels and such. No one appears to be in the bathroom, or the den, but Artie is looking about intently and then he says, "Annie. Listen to me. You don't have to do this! We have everything we could want. There is no need to be involved anymore!"
Suddenly over the radio and echoing through the house you hear the yelp of a surprised female voice and MIRV saying, "Freeze, lady! Arcs! I've got Lydia Wright here! Drop the gun, ma'am, it won't do you any good against me! Drop it! That's right..."
You skate closer, then press up against the wall trying to maintain cover from any possible attack. You can see the den has another exit, this one heading back toward the front of the house as you suspected. Ann-Jolie's voice suddenly echoes from that direction and Artie whirls toward it. "Ahl that YOU maght want, brotha deah... but Ah wahnt SO much moah!" There is a sudden flare of energy and you catch a brief glimmer of refracted light as an energy blast like the first one explodes from the door to impact a couple feet over your head disintegrating a meter long gash in the woodwork and wall. "Stahtin' with the untahmly demahs of these meddlin' do goodahs!"

Your brief perception of the shot was that she was still invisible,and just poked the gun around the corner and fired but you aren't sure. You can't see exactly where that exit leads from your position, but she must be right around that corner, you think.

Crusader & Impetus: You guys are out of combat for the moment. Carry on your conversation, and let me know what other actions you take.

Speedball: You hit the train station slowing down on a dark street to saunter down the stairs like any old hanger on. You are sweating profusely under your sweatshirt as you surreptitiously pull off your mask and hood and jump the first train south. Keeping the silver case close, you hang onto a pole rather than sit down and watch the other passengers and the terminal carefully as the train pulls out. Taking a deep breath you wince at the pain in your back. Reaching behind you and under your sweatshirt, you dig with your finger at the vest underneath. You can't quite get it, but you feel a thick metal lump pressed into your back and something warm and sticky. Pulling your hand out you see blood on your fingers, though the bullet couldn't have penetrated very deeply.
Calming down a bit, you assess your energy levels. The whole attack on the house was over quickly, but you spent a good deal of juice vibrating around the place as well as getting there and away. You still feel like you've got some speed to go but nothing long term. It'll take a while to process more of your strange brew as well, but with what you have in the case, you can keep it flowing for a good long time. <<<

Initiative: Arcsilver (1st), Ann-Jolie (1st), Artie, Arcs (2nd), Ann-Jolie (2nd) Nobody else needs to initiatise.

[RDU Neil]

Post 104

From S/Crusader:

Pick up the guns, stick pistols in hip compartments, sling shotgun or
simply carry it. If Impetus looks at this; "For evidence, and I don't want a
new firefight breaking out." The pistols look kinda silly cause the hip
compartments aren't big enough to close over the weapons.
When the voice curses, just simply walk over and kick the door in. Scan
with IR. {I'm thinking it is someone under rubble, so count me surprised if
combat resumes}.

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver, ducking behind the nearest piece of furniture, will yell into
his com "Holy Hotdogs!" MIRV, I can't see her at all, and she's got all
of the advantage in here. Get that woman out of here and to safety, I'm
flying above the house for a birdseye view!"

Assuming that MIRV is up for this, Arcsilver will fly out of the open
door and straight up as far as he can get (20+ inches?). For his second
action he will shift to EM vision, and scan the whole area around the
house. I don't think that this will be able to see through anything, but
if she leaves through any door, I am hoping that that gun emits a strong
enough EM signature so that I can track it, even if it is just a trail.
While doing this, he will speak again to MIRV: "Artie is still in the
house, as is the other guy who needs mediecal ASAP. Evac him if you
can, and I will keep watch for the woman."

-Ilan/Arcsilver

PS. I think that MIRV outranks Arcsilver in terms of seniority, and I
feel a little wierd about giving orders, yet its what the situation calls
for, and as a player I don't want to rely on leadership from an NPC. I
don't mind being seen as a little hyper and bossy, but let me know if
this presents any serious breeches in Maverisks etiquette.

From G/Speedball:

...clutching (the only word to describe the deasthgrip he has on it) the
case, Speedball makes the long walk back to his hovel of an apartment. The
blocks stretch out, like in a dream, making the trip seem to last even
longer and he begins to sag visibly from the effort. Tired, bleeding, and
feeling somewhat guilty, he ponders his first outing into the world of
superherodom.
The world has seen better premiers, he decides.
Upon reaching his apartment, he peels of the dirty, smelly joke of a costume
he made for himself. He needs a new tailor. Going into the bathroom, a
dank place the likes of which could only be found on the Lower East Side of
this city or in some third-world wreck, he turns to the mirror and tries to
figure out how he's going to get the goddamn bullet out of his back. Is this
what life is going to be like now? When he left the circus it wasn't this
he had in mind. He was going to make something of himself. Wel, maybe these
two he met up can help him out. He wasn't sure about the second guy, but
the big black sonovabitch seemed to have his shit WIRED. He did see bullets
bouncing off the guy...right? Looking back in the mirror, Speedball thinks
"...hmmm...maybe he can teach *me* how to do that..."

From B/Impetus:

"For evidence, and I don't want a
new firefight breaking out." The pistols look kinda silly cause the hip
compartments aren't big enough to close over the weapons. )))

"Yeah," he says with rueful amusement. "They could get themself real hurt,
they keep shootin'. Still gettin' used to this strength. You call the
amb'lance yet? I hurt that guy worse than I wanted."

Then I turn to the punk. "YOU, however, I ain't hurt enough yet. Tell me
everything you know about who hit Onyx. The brother's hurt, and someone set
the motherfucka up; SOMEBODY here knows somethin' because you got more H
here than I seen in a long while, and I ain't leavin' until I find out. I
think mah man Crusader here feels the same way."

If combat breaks out again, Impetus is not only surprised but will probably
have to make an INT check to realize it. He's really not expecting any
resistance left now.

-----

From GM:

Note: (Great post, Geoff. Not that everyone needs to do those kind of things all the time, but I like 'em occasionally, as a good way for you give hints to your characters motivations by describing their personal moments. Cool stuff, IMO.)

>>>Arcsilver: (Don't worry about the "rank" issue. The Maverick's are pretty loose, and if one member has the sit-rep to make a necessary call, then do it. If someone else thinks the call is wrong or misinformed, they'll let you know. This isn't the military operation, though occasionally it gets serious enough to warrant that kind of thinking.)
"Copy that, Arcs," comes MIRV's voice, calm as always. "Time to go, Ms. Wright," he continues and you hear his heavy boots clomping around and Lydia's panicked voice calling out, "What are you doing?? Put me dowOWWnnn!!"
You kick backwards then, flying into the sunroom again and then rolling, thrusting, and fist forwards, bursting through the big window out and over the pool in a glittering shower of glass! The two women out on the pool deck, are huddled on a lounge chair, towels and arms around each other, looking lost. They scream and fall backwards as you blast out and over them.
Arcing upwards you twist back to a facing looking at the house as you slow down and begin concentrating. Shifting your perceptions up the electro-magnetic spectrum, the world turns negative colors and shifts into the psychedelic view of normally invisible wavelengths. Below you you see the figure of MIRV as a strange green shifted blob, carrying Lydia across the front lawn, away from the line of fire. You spot the gardener from earlier, huddled in some bushes out by the low wall surrounding the front lawn. There are the two women in back... Hmmmm... no other signs of anything. Damn... could she be THAT invisible?
You hover, holding your position, scanning... five... six... seven seconds... then suddenly there is a strange FLASH! of some kind... the energy signature coming right through the roof of the house. Strange ripple effect in your vision. You've never seen anything like it.

Crusader: You kick open the door into a disgustingly dirty room with ratty mattresses and garbage on the floor. Crack vials crunch under your boots, and it's dimly lit from a single bulb in the ceiling. Standing in the corner fiddling with a cell phone is another gang banger. Red baseball cap on backward, naked to the waste in low hanging jeans. Lean muscled body. An old Ingram sub-machine gun is hanging over his shoulder, but he doesn't go for it as you slam into the room. Instead he jumps in surprise, turning to look at you in fear, but keeping the phone to his ear.
"Shit! I's them!" he says, into the phone. "Like you say! 'ey came! Big n***a mus' be a new one!" He grits his teeth then and just lets the Ingram slide to the floor, listening and watching to see what you will do.

Impetus: All the shaking in the world doesn't work to get the punk to admit something he doesn't know. "Don' know nuthin' 'bout no setup, man. Straight up. Heard th' mutha got taken down by supa freaks like yo, man. No way we did shit to tha' hardass mutha." When you ask about the heroin, though. He looks away. A hard shake brings him back to you, and then he splutters, "Talk to Red Cap, man. He 'as doin' 'at deal. Red Cap, man. I don' know wha' wassup wit'at deal. I'm bein' straight. Don' know anythin' else."

Speedball: Pulling off the flak vest is one of the most painful things you've done. It is penetrated in the back and stuck to your skin where the bullet hit. It's like peeling a Band-Aid off when you accidentally put the sticky part on the open cut. With a sickening "shhlllrrpp" and a half choked cry of pain, it falls to the floor in a bloody heap. Queasily you probe the wound, trying to turn and see your back in the mirror. It is a half inch tear that burns like a motherfucker, but you are heartened to find no bullet. Bending over gingerly, you look at the vest on the floor and find a bloody wad of fiber, skin and deformed lead. Pulling off the vest pulled out the bullet, which hadn't gone deeply at all. You need stitches and the bruising is already stiffening you up in a big way, but outside of infection possibilities, it isn't as bad as you thought. In fact, you might be able to hit a clinic and convince a Dr. that you fell on a fence or something. You might not have to tell them it's a bullet wound.
Then your thoughts turn to the stuff. It sits on your ratty bed, calling to you. You quickly run through the necessary ingredients and steps, realizing it's a good ten hour process to cook up your concoction. Slow heat seems to make the chemicals bond. High heat breaks down the Tac III inhibitor, making it a worthless soup. You still cringe, thinking about the batch you lost like that. Splashing some water on your face you debate... do the stuff or see a Dr.? Stuff or Dr.? At least the craving is muted right now. It'll be back full strength, soon. But for now, you are at least in control.
(By the way, if you going to the lab, describe where it is, how you know about it, who might work there, how you get in, etc.)<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 105

From I/Arcsilver:

"MIRV, can you go back in and get the guy with the chest wound? I can't
see her, but i am going to get around to the side. Use that heat-seeing
thingy you have, it may work!"

Arcsilver will take a half action to zoom to a place where he thinks he
might be able to see through a window (triangulating on that last blast),
and then dodge for the second half phase. On his next action, he is
going to take the full round once again with his tracking vision, to see
if he can at least see a trail that indicates the direction that she
went.

-Ilan

From G/Speedball:

owie owie owie!

The shit's going to have to wait. Hiding it under a pile of clothes that've
never been washed, Speedball heads out to get some medical attention at the
hospital on 1st ave and 8th street. Luckily it isnt a long walk and if he's
lucky the docs won't give him too hard a time about getting into a methadone
program.

(n.b. I've actually been to the emergency room here--the staff is good and I
didn't have to wait more than 15 minutes---and I didn't have a bleeding
wound!)

Thinking about the long process involved in cooking up his stuff, Speedball
thinks about the bar below, the Ludlow. Despite the owner not liking him
everyone else seems not to mind his comings and goings so long as he pays
for his occasional drinks and doesn't ask anyone for money. The place is a
holdover from old New York, when nobody cared what it was you did as long as
you didn't do it to them. Nondescript from the outside, the bar is rowdy
when it starts swinging around midnight and it certainly attracts its share
of oddballs. 'Heh,' thinks Speedball--'like I'm one to talk.'

In the late night hours the music gets loud as people stop talking and start
dancing. Its perfect for what he needs because as the night wears on the
bouncers pay less attention to regulars from the days like him than they do
to the faces they don't know and who they suspect will cause trouble.

It was about 6 months ago that Speedball first walked into the bar and about
another month after that that he discovered a forgotten room upstairs. It
was small and he could tell it had originally been part of the apartment
that took up the rest of the floor, but it had been bricked off for some
reason. Maybe it had something to do with the message that had been etched
into the wall that read "God bless Harriet Tubmann and the Underground
Railroad." He didn't know what the Hell that was all about. The room wan't
underground and the subway was blocks away. It had struck Speedball that
perhaps mind-altering substances had been around for a long time.

Coming outof his reverie, Speedball realized he was at the hospital--we
walked a little too fast when he wasn't paying attention and he hoped that
nobody had noticed. The last thing he needed was to attract the wrong kind
of attention when he was already near the end of his rope. Reminded, he
thought up a quick cover story for hte wound: He had simply tripped while
searching a vacant lot for recyclable bottles and had landed on a piece of
metal. The doctors at city hospitals tended to be a lot like the people
from the Ludlow--they didn't ask too many questions as long as they didin't
sense you were trying to scam them. and he wasn't looking for pain killers
today. All he needed to do was avoid the hyper-helpful social workers and
med students and get back to his bunsen burners above the Ludlow. He looked
at his shitty little watch and estimated that in 12 hours time he'd have
enough stuff to keep him going for a Hell of a long time.

From S/Crusader:

"Ah... I might be able to shed a bit of light on the Onyx thing. Not
much mind you." holding up a hesitant finger. "Excuse me while I check out
this room:" <kick>

>>"Shit! I's them!" he says, into the phone. "Like you say! 'ey came!
Big n***a mus' be a new one!" He seems to grit his teeth then, and just
lets the Ingram slide to the floor, listening, and watching to see what you
will do.
<<

I move as fast as I can, which should be pretty damn fast, turn up the
volume receptors on my hearing units and snatch the phone from Red Cap. "Who
is this!?!" I say forcefully as I can. Waving a finger at Red cap in a "no,
no" motion. "And why were you predicting our arrival?"
{I assume that the bastard will just hang up and that it is probably that
annoying Warlord viper scumbag, scrotumlipped, New Jersey waste of space,
doodie-head! Can you tell that he has annoyed Crusader yet <g>}

-----

From GM:

Note: (No reply from Bill, so I'm going to just post around him for a moment. Also, will try to get Matt back online this week, w/Dragon Mist. Five players will be tough for me to handle, but it could be really cool. We'll see how it goes.)

>>>Arcsilver: "Hold on a second, Arcs," comes MIRV's voice, then, "Now you just sit here, lady, and don't try to run. Don't make things worse than they already are." Back to you, he says, "On a private line, now." Quietly, and a bit sadly, he says, "Arcs... I can go get the body... but that guy is dead. I've seen enough bodies to know... unfortunately. Just concentrate on containing the house, and seeing if we can bring down his killer. I've got the front, but who knows where she could have gone."
With that grim news, you drop back down, gliding to the right to get a focus on the interior through the east wall. It only takes you a second to figure out where you were, where Artie last was, and where Ann-Jolie fired at you. Scanning with your unique vision you read something very strange. What looks like a whirlpool, or at least the hazy, fading afterimage of a whirlpool seems to be floating and dispersing in the room. It sparkles in a weird color you have a difficult time describing. Beyond that you see a figure... probably Artie, slumped on a chair. From your point of view, there is nobody else around.

Crusader: Red Cap jerks back trying to sneer, trying to look tough, but obviously intimidated by your menacing armored bulk. There is a moment's silence from the phone and you are starting to think the other party has just hung up, when a deep, strong voice comes across saying, "This would be the new Crusader, I presume. You voice modulator has a distinctive vibrato that I remember from our first meeting." Another pause. Red Cap shrinks from your wagging finger. "I will be brief. I am the Warlord, and anticipating my enemies is what I do best. Your arrival there was inevitable, though it seems you brought some unanticipated allies. My congratulations on that. Continue to surprise me, and you may just earn a place in the new order. Anything else you wish to ask?... though I make no promises to answer. I will give you the truth if it suits me to answer at all. What would you know?"

Speedball: A nurse practitioner checks you out when you check in, stating that it's not as bad as it looks but a Dr.' should be with you soon. She asks for your medical history, how the accident happened and if you've had a Tetanus shot within the last three years. No stranger to needles you realize you are going to be getting a different injection this night, and hope it doesn't make you sick tomorrow.
The waiting room is somewhat crowded but not too bad, and you only sit for less than ten minutes, when you are called back to a surgery room. The nurse cleans up your back and asks you again how you got the wound, perhaps a little bit suspicious. She's an woman in her forties, reddish hair, and a wry smile. She doesn't press too hard, though she does frown at the track marks on your arm. At least they seem to be older, less fresh, and you haven't blown your veins to shit... yet. With the new concoction you don't shoot up nearly as much and have actually taken to eating semi-regularly. She asks you the basic questions about treatment programs, etc., but doesn't push to hard. "I haven't seen you around here before," she says, looking at your chart. Then at you, "That's a good thing. I hope I don't see more of you, eh?" she says with a "More incidents will get you a full introduction to the substance abuse counselors and maybe the cops" look. She walks out before you can reply saying, "The Dr. will be with you in a minute." You are left with your scrawny body shivering a bit in the flimsy hospital gown.
Your back begins to itch... a lot.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 106

From I/Arcsilver:

"Oh no..." Arcsilver mumbles into the radio,"I think we may have another
casualty, MIRV. I am on the east (?) side of the house, entering through
a bedroom window to try to help Artie. I could use your backup, can you
fly high on that side and look for any signs of her?"

Assuming that MIRV is up for this, Arcsilver will wait a second for MIRV
to get into position, and then blast into the room with a half move,
grabbing the slumped figure with the rest of the action. ASAP, then, he
will come out the way he came in, flying max distance before he lands and
examines Artie to look for injuries. If, by any chance, Artie is fine,
and doesn't seem to be wounded, Arc will dodge for that second 1/2 phase,
and look around the room, trying to doscover anything that might be a
clue to where she is or was.

From S/Crusader:

"Always nice to be recognized. I've got a few questions.", John pauses
to sort of catalog them in his mind and start the 2nd charge of his eidetic
memory, recording device;
Keeps his voice very businesslike and matter of fact. "First, what new
order are you envisioning?" Let him answer, "Hmmm. Why has your name been
linked with an up to now, invisible heroin shipment?" Let him answer.
"And what is your connection to Viper?"

If Impetus is still around, Crusader will wave him over and give him "I
will be with you in a sec." hand signal. Let the faceplate go transparent
and mouth "sorry" to Impetus.

-----

From GM:

Note: (Bill's really busy right now, so I'm going to post around him a little more. Matt, your stuff is at the bottom. Geoff, bear with me for a post. I'll get to you soon.)

>>>Arcsilver: "I've got your back, Arcs. Man! We've got to nail this psycho! She's piling up bodies left and right!" There is more emotion in MIRV's voice than usual. He is in fact starting to sound angry. In the distance you hear his boot jets kick in.
You go through the window a little slower this time, trying not spray glass all over Artie. You are immediately relieved to see that he looks unharmed. The crash of your entry causes him to jump and then cover his face, though he doesn't move from the chair. Seeing him alive and well you skid to the side, back to the wall, looking about trying to see if you can spot Ann-Jolie. Nothing stirs, except Artie looking at you and then at the broken window. Dismay on his face. He picks up a piece of shattered glass that landed on his lap, and shaking his head ruefully drops it on the floor. Watching your desperate glances he says, "She's gone, Mr. Arcsilver." He shakes his head again. "She's gone, my friend is dead, my life is likely about to go straight into the toilet, and I'm covered in shattered glass. Just great."
Artie's normally strong countenance looks as shattered as his window. You tentatively look around, still expecting Ann-Jolie to appear, but no attack is coming. MIRV blasts over the house, calling in for a sit-rep, but nothing else stirs. Then suddenly, Artie begins slamming his fist down on the arm of the chair he is in, yelling, "Damn her! Damn her! DAMN HER!" Glass flies, and on the third hit you see blood spatter where he has cut himself pounding the glass with the fleshy edge of his hand. He doesn't seem to notice.

Crusader: Impetus just shrugs and watches you on the phone, though his attention is caught by the gang member behind you. Impetus smiles at Red Cap in a malicious way as you wait for any replies.
The Warlord comes back on with a bit of a smile in his voice. "Good questions, my friend. In and of themselves they let me know what it is you know. I will answer them as succinctly as possible. One, I envision nothing. The new order is coming, and I only aim to be a part of it. The dam has been unleashed. The societal controls of the last century are falling away. Some may see it as Armageddon. It is simply evolution. The power shifts..." he pauses, then chuckles, saying, "...PARADIGMS change. People like you and me, Crusader... we are the new order. You are my enemy only because you seek to perpetuate the status quo. As such you must be swept away with the old order. It is nothing personal."
"As to the drugs, well, I must say... What shipment? Supply and demand, my friend. Supply and demand. Just think of it as consolidation of product and distribution. Drugs are base and ugly... but they do create a nice cash flow."
He laughs at the mention of VIPER. Not a deriding laugh, but truly amused. "I would think you would have just as many interesting answers to that questions as I, would you not? Perhaps you might share your own connections with me? Let me just say that VIPER is a dinosaur. Extinct... but hasn't realized it. It has some valuable bones though, and I would not let such resources go to waste. Its own internal struggles are hastening its end, but there are those who just don't know when they are beaten. Some think to challenge me for this city. I will deal with them summarily. You and your teammates are much more worthy foes. I'd much rather give you my full attention." He pauses. "Anything else?"

DRAGON MIST: The last few days have gone from bad to worse. Happy to be cut loose on your own, you had planned to spend your time seeking out Grey Spirit to see if the two of you might join together in pursuing the forces at work. The thought of her has not been far from you at all, but things have not worked out as you planned.
It began with the letter from your sister. Picking it up from your friend at Pinkerton's, you find yourself loathe to open it. It is unsettling as you realize just how distant and changed you've become since you came into possession of the sword. You and your sister used to be close, calling at least once a week with a regular get together in Toronto. Now you realize it's been months since you returned a call, and you hadn't even thought about it. So many things from your old life seem to have just been laid aside. This letter has only served to open up areas you hadn't realized you'd closed off. The rest of that day was disorienting and unproductive. You attempted to get a hold of agent Black... Erica Black... who may have some information on illegal arms deals. Perhaps a lead into the sniper rifle set up. Unfortunately she never responded to your messages. That night was just as uneventful. It was frustrating to find no new information, and Grey Spirit never responded to the candle. You begin to wonder if the damn thing works.
Taking time the next day to run some computer checks from the base, you spend most of the time compiling lists of known gun runners with possible connections to costumed supervillains or even VIPER. You fume over not getting the call back from Black as you figure you are just covering ground already searched by her or others. She never does call and you take hours eliminating names from the list as either dead, incarcerated, or otherwise accounted for. Your night time patrol of China Town is again a bust though you simply use it as an excuse to stretch your legs and get your blood pumping.
You return home in the early morning to your East River loft. You are just coming in through the roof when you sense someone is there. No one knows of this place... no one but Crusader. If he decided to barge... no... it isn't him. It feels different.
Stealthily you move into a position above the main room, looking down from the high ceiling through a jumble of support struts and dusty wooden beams. No movement but there is a smell... something sharp and unsettling...

...damn. It's blood. There, reflected in the moonlight from the window, a small pool, black in this light... and a trail, into your bedroom.
You drop silently to the floor unsheathing your sword without a sound and prepare to move through the door when there is a scuff and a gasp and the door opens. A figure comes through, familiar, staggering...
...and Grey Spirit collapses toward you her beautiful features pale and drained. She falls into your arms light as a feather, her arm holding her stomach. Blood seeps around her hand. Looking at you desperately, she gasps, "Poison!... can't heal... tried to stop them... too many..." she looks at you imploringly... "please... forgive my failure..." her other arm falls forward.
There is something in her hand.
"They have her..." she says..."they have her." You see then that she clutches the now blood stained unopened letter from your sister.<<<

[OddHat]

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to RDU Neil again.

Still enjoying this thread. It's making me think about the quality of storytelling in my own online campaign.

[RDU Neil]

Post 107

From S/Crusader:

"Anything else?" >>

Realizing that I probably am giving more away than I'm learning and in
the vain hope of upsetting his happy little apple cart and trying to be just
a bit unpredictable, I hang up. No word. Nothing. Just click the receiver
(or whatever turns off this cell phone). I think *I gotta get hip to his
game and quick! The unpredictable move is always risky in hand to hand, but
it can also keep the opponent off guard*
Switching back into just helmet comm, I walk towards the open door to the
outside (to get slightly better reception). Letting Impetus watch the
gangsta. Also by turning my back on both of them, I am letting Impetus know
that I trust him for the moment.
"Wildheart? Yuri? I have a partial recording of the Warlord. What do
we have in the terms of voice analysis. 'Heart? If Yuri doesn't have any of
it, would any of your NYPD contacts allow the borrowing of a tech and some
equipment?"

I hold onto the phone just in case Warlord calls back. I will answer it
with "That's nice." to whatever he lays down and then counter with the
statement; "What kind on New World Order do you expect to evolve when its
built on drug money? Sounds more like Third World Order."

--storn "fun, fun, fun. This guy better not get too big for his britches,
or the REAL new world order will come and put the smack down on his henie. A
certain Bullheaded character comes to mind.. hee hee <g>."

From B/Impetus:

Impetus simply walks over and says, "So if the guy knew we wuz comin', you
tellin' me he just lets us walk in an' take two suitcases full of heroin?
This'a setup, man! Nobody thinks like that. And howzat help us find out
why'd he put the hit on Onyx?"

And, since nobody's actually done anything insofar as he can tell, and he
doesn't hear anything, he picks up the phone, dials 9-1-1 -- you notice that
he's actually having trouble not smashing the phone to pieces, and he cracks
the plastic on the first "9" -- and barks, "Some asshole's hurt! GET
SOMEONE HERE!" and hangs up.

From M/Dragon Mist:

After a long pause in which he composes himself, (Even Ninja need to do this
once in a while.) Dragon Mist says with a most determined look, " You could
never fail me." He takes the letter from her hand and eases Greyspirit onto the
floor. "Don't move, the first thing we need to do is take care of that stomach
of yours." Tucking the letter in his belt, he 'ports to the bathroom, grabs
the necessary items, then 'ports back. He does his best to bind her wound. "Why
hasn't your demon healed you? Is it a poison which is magical in nature or do I
need to get you to a hospital pronto?" While asking this he is preparing to
detect magic w/ his sword.

From S/Crusader:

Since Bill and I are having a conversation, I thought I would sneak this in
before the next step or in between phone calls, cops/ paramedics show up or
what have you.

>>And howzat help us find out
why'd he put the hit on Onyx?"<<<

Crusader answers; "I didn't say I have a lot of info, just some."
pauses, "Impetus, is it? We are dealing with a man who calls himself
Warlord. He has pulling strings all over the city. I think he has moved
into a power vacuum that Viper vacated. Warlord is believed to put the hit
on Onyx with a bunch of supernastises that he cobbled together."
Crusader nods to Impetus's confiscated Horse, "I think that a couple of
suitcase of Horse is a drop in the bucket when we are talking about Warlord's
resources. He's got Viper so scared that they want to talk with Wild Heart.
And she has hunted them for years!" {Crusader doesn't mention that the
Philly group wants to meet with him too, Impetus is too much of an unknown at the moment.}

{Matt, nice post! Love the fact you remember the demon and its ability
to heal. That's too cool! Welcome back to the online Maverick madness!}

From B/Impetus:

You see the look on Impetus' angry face -- he LOOKS like a gangbanger at
times like this -- go through several iterations. There's that hesitation,
unsureness as you see him not wanting to doubt you, but a tinge of confusion
as he tries to get his mind around the concept that two suitcases full of
heroin would be small potatoes to anybody. His lips twitch as he looks down
at the suitcase, counting up street value in his mind. Then he shakes it
off, considers something else and says:

"Awri'," he says guardedly, "Mebbe two suitcases of dis shit is jack to a
guy like the Warlord -- I heard of him. 'At still dunnin make sense,
tho' -- you got a guy like that an' he KNOWS you comin', he either moves it,
he sets you up... or he got some otha reason fo' you to BE here. You
tellin' me he went through alla dis so you and he could have a nice little
CHAT? I doan buy it, man, I ain' buyin' it. If he so smart, he ain't just
throwin' shit away on superhumans, man." He turns to Red Cap and cracks his
knuckles; under the colossal pressure of his turbocharged muscles, it sounds
like .22 shots going off. "So whad he tellya ta do when the muscle GOT
here, jerky?"

(Incidentally, Storn, if Crusader has any knowledge skills about street
gangs, especially street gang slang, make a roll.)

When he gets an answer, or assuming he gets one at all, he turns back to
Crusader. "Leavin' the Warlord out of it, we still got some new playa live
and on TV here -- some hyperfast junky-lookin' sonuvabitch who stole one'a
da cases here for his" -- he snorts derisively -- "his lab. Cha -- if he
doan work for blue boys, an' I think he'sa stay aroun' if that happen, he
workin' for some other rival gang. We gotta track this mufuh down to get
that case full o'heroin back befor' it end up in the veins of a bunch of
strung-out junkies. Suitcase like dat'll KILL people, fit gets out on tha
street."

He pauses a second, then says: "And it WAS the 'Lord who set up Onyx, huh?
So what was mah boy doin' that was so important to the Warlord? I know
fuckface had Onyx's gym bugged an' all with detcord and a lectronix, but it
seems a lot of people are scurryin' 'round lookin' to see what happened...."

From S/Crusader:

or he got some otha reason fo' you to BE here. >>

"Agreed." I reply. "I certainly don't like it."

>>(Incidentally, Storn, if Crusader has any knowledge skills about street
gangs, especially street gang slang, make a roll.)<<

I have KS: Viper on 11-, maybe Neil will allow a roll for around 8-, but
I'm from the west coast originally and traveled in the Far East. And
bizarrely, kinda had a sheltered, barracks life in my former organization.
Not that Impetus would know that.

>>And it WAS the 'Lord who set up Onyx, huh?
So what was mah boy doin' that was so important to the Warlord? I know
fuckface had Onyx's gym bugged an' all with detcord and a lectronix, but it
seems a lot of people are scurryin' 'round lookin' to see what happened...."
<<

"My teammate, Dragonmist, thinks that Onyx's famed bat might be the key."
Crusader says offhandedly, "but I'm not sure. We recovered the bat during
the fiasco at the gym." {I think we recovered it-- asking for editor's notes
here <g> or am I misremembering?}

Neil, Crusader is waiting for the cops and medics like a dutiful Maverick
(under Wildheart's lead) should.

From B/Impetus:

Player to GM: Onyx's famed bat? What the heck do I know about it?

Impetus waits for the cops with Crusader, but looks distinctly at unease
while doing so: He paces in irritation, his footsteps literally cracking
the floor as his forcefield occasionally drops -- you notice that he still
acts like he's walking even when he's flying, which is kind of a strange
quirk for someone who so obviously doesn't need to walk -- and eventually
thrusts the suitcase into your hands roughly, saying, "Here. They gonna
believe you, anyway. I doan wanna bother with dat shit."

------

From GM:

Note: (Well, I had the response all typed out, waiting for Matt, and then Bill and Storn's extra bits superseded what I had written, so I had to retype everything. Also, Ilan hasn't posted, hence the delay in getting back to you. Hope this makes sense, going forward.)

>>>Speedball: Your time at the hospital is short and uncomfortable. The Dr. shows up after twenty minutes harried and tired. You overheard something about a stabbing and "bleeding out" so when he looks at your wound, he shrugs and says, "Good to see something not so serious." He sews you up, quickly and efficiently, then leaves with a quick tetanus shot, a pat on the back and a "Be careful where scrounge, sir. Tetanus is the least thing you have to worry about catching if you get stuck with another sharp piece of trash." Then he's out the door.
You scramble back out through the emergency room and hit the street, glad to be away from there. The night is chill but you don't notice, thinking of nothing but getting back to your hidden room and cooking up some stuff. It's quite late when you reach the bar, but the place is in full swing and you push through the crowd unnoticed. Skipping up the back stairs, you are almost out of sight when a voice calls out, "Hey, Joe. How's it hangin, man?" You cringe, hesitating before turning in response to the nasal whine. Standing below you, beer in hand and large stomach pressing through his polyester shirt, is Annoying Charlie. That's his name. Not just Charlie or Chuck... but always, Annoying Charlie. Everyone calls him that, right to his face, and he never blinks. You grasp for something to say, anything that will get rid of him, but your speed fails you and he hauls his bulk up the stairs, waving you back. His thick jowls shake into a smile as he says, "C'mon down, buddy. I'll buy you a drink. Party's rockin'! Let's have some fun!"

Crusader: The phone doesn't ring again, and while you are on the radio calling into Yuri, Impetus comes out, grabs it out of your hand and calls 911. He hangs up immediately, giving it back to you and stomps back in toward Red Cap. You are looking at the cracked plastic of the phone and wondering if Emergency Services has a clue where "here" is since Impetus hung up so fast... as Yuri responds. "We most certainly can send the recording to voice analysis. That is not being a problem. I am to be assuming that the situation is clear, there? The police should be arriving soon. A CAT Unit is coming, because of paranormal being involved. Wild Heart has called from hospital, and will be back soon. Are you be needing assistance?" His heavy Russian accent is broken by the sounds of chewing. "Mmmm. I have hot fresh bread for you when you return. Very good." In the distance you hear the warbling sirens of the police approaching. The crowd has grown to maybe thirty people on the street by now. It's not a well populated neighborhood. Most have moved across the street and are watching, huddled in small groups.

(Insert Crusader/Impetus conversation here.)

Impetus: Stomping back in to face Red Cap, you let him know you are still expecting a response to you question. Cringing away from you he stammers, "We's 'posed t' sell th' smack already. Deal gots put off, y'know." You continue to glare, expecting more. Outside you hear the police pull up with screeching tires. This sets off a new ruckus both on the street and in the house. Footsteps pound around upstairs and the punks coming around in the hall wake up to the sirens in a panic.
Red Cap looks around, desperate for a way out... but there is none. "Shit. Look. Th'man di'n't predic' yo bein' hea tonight or nuthin'. He jus' said th' Mav'ricks be lookin for the shit, and they'd probably fin' us, y'know. Tol' us to call if it happin', thas all." Then he looks angry, and glares back, trying to look tough. "You goin' t' bus' my ass or what? You jus' do wha you gotta. All I'm sayin' is, th' Warlord is got it all covehd... all I'm sayin'. He put th' hamma down on Onyx, he can do th' same t' yo ass. Don' caeah whas yo power is. He gonna cap yo ass, hard, n***a!"

Dragon Mist: Returning with cold water and towels, you try to make Grey Spirit as comfortable as possible. Beads of sweat run down her smooth cheeks and forehead. She is half delirious with pain, gritting her teeth against waves of agony that burn through her. When you peel back her tunic a rancid smell of old death escapes from the wide wound. A serrated blade of some kind. The skin is torn and won't fold closed. Something dark seems to pulse in the blood that wells up from inside her.
You desperately pour cold water into her mouth but she doesn't seem to notice. Bubbles of blood mix with the water on her lips. Wiping blood with your hand, you raise it to your nose trying to smell any toxins or acids. The stench of corruption is deep and your sword twitches. Dangerous. You know instinctively not to get the blood into your system. But is it the poison she mentioned... or the demon inside her that is the threat.
Grey Spirit is unresponsive to your questions now. You realize she was hanging on until you arrived and now she is failing, and quickly. It is unlikely that conventional medicines will save her. Something else is going on here.
You stand then, holding the sword horizontal over her twitching form. Green, sparkling mist flows out of the blade, coursing up your arm and falling lightly over her. It is a peaceful, emerald rain... that ERUPTS when it touches her body. The light mist is torn by sudden forces emanating from her, and shapes to form in the magic haze. A large, dark, hulking figure of menace and blackness. Long taloned fingers and burning red eyes. It rises up, like it is attacking but it is not coming for you. It is struggling with other shapes. The green mist reveals what look like serpents crawling all over the beast, writhing and biting him with evil, yellow fangs. His claws and teeth tear at the snakes, crushing and flaying them but they seem to be slowly overwhelming him.

Arcsilver: No response from Ilan, so I'll just hold here.

Impetus & Crusader: Two cruisers and a SWAT van pull up. The police bustle out, but seeing Crusader waiting patiently by the front door they don't storm the place automatically. There are two CAT squad agents with the SWAT members, hard vests over their flak suits with large blaster rifles at port. SWAT moves up as the patrolmen start controlling the street and moving the onlookers back. The Lt. in charge approaches Crusader. "Responding to reports of gunfire and possible meta disturbance. Mind filling me in?" You begin giving him the lowdown as the assault cops move in and Impetus steps up to the front door returning from dealing with Red Cap. The cops raise their weapons, and the lead SWAT guy yells, "FREEZE! POLICE!" From the van, the two CAT squadies start moving forward at a fast clip, dropping their visors into position. Their blasters make an audible whine as they initiate the power charges in them.<<<

Let me know if I've forgotten something you've mentioned or needed to know. Multiple posts from five players gets REALLY confusing.

[Chromatic]

Encore! Encore! Please post more Neil. Excellent read, and seeing the results of your initiative system has me intrigued to the point of attempting to use it in my upcoming game.

[aylwin13]

I have to second that request, Neil. You really left me hanging with that last post. Reading this was my vicarious gaming fix. :D It was also giving me a lot of ideas on how to run a game.

[RDU Neil]

Wow! Ok... uh, thanks guys. I stopped because it was hard to tell if anyone was really reading the stuff. While not difficult, it does take time to edit and cut and past the posts into the boards... but if folks are enjoying it, I'll try to continue.

Look for more tomorrow. Gotta sleep now.

[greymankle]

Awesome Write up Neil, I'm still at the Gym Fight but I have to head out. (pg. 5) Definately a better run PBEM game thenI have every been involved in. But D&D doesn't lend itself to non-FtF well.

One question, Was Fury always Eric's Character? or did he go from NPC to PC? I'll read the rest soon.

[aylwin13]

Wow! Ok... uh, thanks guys. I stopped because it was hard to tell if anyone was really reading the stuff. While not difficult, it does take time to edit and cut and past the posts into the boards... but if folks are enjoying it, I'll try to continue.

Look for more tomorrow. Gotta sleep now.

Sorry I wasn't making any noise to let you know I was still out here. I was just stunned by how awesome your game (and story) were. :winkgrin:
I'd kill to be in a game of that quality (even a PBEM). I'll try to breathe louder so that you know I'm here. Hope you got a good night's sleep. :)

[RDU Neil]

Awesome Write up Neil, I'm still at the Gym Fight but I have to head out. (pg. 5) Definately a better run PBEM game thenI have every been involved in. But D&D doesn't lend itself to non-FtF well.

One question, Was Fury always Eric's Character? or did he go from NPC to PC? I'll read the rest soon.

Fury was an NPC first... appeared here, in this game first... and then later, Eric took him on as a PC... and did a great job with him, I might add.

More later.

[RDU Neil]

Post 108 (Ok... after a long hiatus, I'll try to get the story back up and running.)

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will keep looking around the room, staying aware of what Artie
is doing. he will speak to MIRV, saying "I think that she is gone,
Mirvy, but I don't know how. I think that I have things under control
here, can you round up Wright? See why she took a couple of shots at me.
I will deal with Artie. We need some police and an ambulance here as
well, does Austin have a paranormal unit, we could use a sweep of the
house, although maybe you can do that."

Then, to Artie,

"OK, Artie, it seems that there is more to your story than you intially
suggested... You seem like a pretty good guy, and I think you would want
to stop her from hurting more people. You are also going to have to go
with the police when they get here, and if they find your sister, they
are going to try to kill her. The best bet for her safe capture is for
you to tell me everything you know, because the Mavericks don't kill
people."

Arcsilver will then let him speak for as long as he wants to, and will
prompt him with questions if need be. He wants to know where AJ got her
abilities and how she powers them, what the connection is with the
Warlord, where she might be going, and what he overall agenda is (ie she
has powers and gadgets, what does she use them for, and why might she
have attacked).

-Ilan

----------

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: MIRV responds with, "Affirmative. Calling Austin PD now. I'll get them on the case and see if they have a CAT squad. Don't think there's been much metahuman activity in this town." As you turn to speak with Artie, you hear MIRV landing again, out front. Distant sounds of him arguing with someone, probably Lydia, come through the broken window.
Artie seems to barely hear you as you speak to him. He stares into the distance, as if in deep thought. Absent mindedly, he looks at his bleeding hand, and picks a piece of glass from the lacerated flesh with barely a wince of pain. There is a moment of silence after you finish, and you wave your hands in front of his face, with a ,"Yo, Artie. You with me?"
Finally he looks at you with pained and angry eyes. "Ivrel..." he says. Then again, "She called herself Ivrel." He stands up again, suddenly all business, "She appeared again, right after you flew outside. That big black gun pointed right at my head. The look in her eyes was... wild... dangerous. It's how she looks when she is dancing... or when she brokered a difficult deal." He turns from you, talking out loud, but as much to himself, as to inform you. "Then she dropped her accent, her natural born lilt she'd had all her life, like it had all been an act. "Goodbye Arthur," she said, and I thought she was going to kill me, but then she said, "I hope to see you again, big brother." Then she spoke into a radio, I think, saying, "Agent Ivrel, requesting immediate retrieval. Tesseract signal is operative. Ivrel out." She smiled at me then, and just as I was about to speak, the air seemed to just fold her up, twist her into a point, and swallow her completely. She didn't just blink out, like before. She... went somewhere else."
He continues after a moment. "The police will never find her. She is much to careful and prepossessed for that. She has a large amount of funds at her disposal, and obviously has support and resources. That equipment... I'd never seen it before," he pauses again, thinking. "It is so advanced. There are very few places she could have had access to such..." Suddenly he turns to you, saying, "No... I'm not going with the police. They will be a no help. I am going with you!"<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 109 - (A little aside that came from Geoff... Speedball's player. Having a great writer like Geoff toss bits out like this really helped create a deeper sense of character all the way around.)

From G/Speedball:

More character development for Speedball. Don't bother to read if you aren't interested, since this is unlikely to play out in game terms. Just
me being a little self-indulgent on a study-break. It isn't exactly 4-color comic style...Things always seemed so much simpler between Peter Parker and
Gwen Stacy.

Think of this piece as being in <<flashback mode.>>

He rolled over again and sighed loudly enough to make her stop snoring and
half-turn, asking if he was alright.
"Fine," he assured her. "Go back to sleep." He paused long enough for her
to do so and continued "Go back to sleep, lie there and be beautiful." She
didn't hear him say this, though it would have done her good to hear it and
he knew that. Trying to find a way to resolve himself to sleep, he focused
on her breathing instead of her body, as he had been. The breathing came
regularly, like waves on the beach in the town he was from-and to which he'd

return, and moved his head down a bit so that it rested against her upper
back. His ear, cool from the early Spring air in the bedroom, pressed
lightly against the warm hollow between her shoulder blades. He listened
more carefully to her now than before and felt himself taken in by its slow
rhythm. Just above where his chin drew away from her middle back was where
her green printed nightgown-he hated the word nightie and refused to use it,

strangely, began its horizontal cross-section of her spine.
It was, when he saw it on her, the most beautiful piece of clothing he had
ever seen. He had seen it in the bathroom minutes earlier handing loosely
on a hook and thought nothing of it. This beautiful piece of silk or rayon
owed more to her than she to it though she would never know this and he
would never bother to tell her. Undeniably, she would be the favored party
in any comparison, but this would also remain unsaid. Instead, hours after
he first saw her wearing the thing as she walkied towards him, he tried to
decide whether she wore it for him or not. He was already in her bed,
hoping for something just like this without knowing in advance how
persistent the image would be.
It wasn't this image, though, that years later he would try to recall. He
never had to try-it was just there, unwelcome. Instead he tried to remember

the sound of her snoring. It was the only thing about her that came to mind

when he tried to think bad thoughts about her-and he tried often. He did
this to understand why it was that despite all her beauty he couldn't feel
more strongly about her. He tried, briefly, and failed. It would have
occurred to him, if he had cared to delve that far, that he had simply not
tried hard enough. He had failed to give himself the chance to appreciate
anything but her beauty, even when he knew that her beauty wouldn't fade
with age and that there wasn't any reason to rush away. Her beauty wasn't
that way like it was with the women he knew or glanced at in the city. He
failed almost willfully and with certainty because in many ways he was just
wanted to keep watching and finally he was too tired to stay awake.
Junkies, let alone junkies who happen to be superheroes, don't get many
chances to sleep for more than a few hours at a time. But Joe, knowing as he

did that he was sitting on several months' worth of his strange brew, slept
just fine in a warm, comforting haze of forgetfulness.

----------

From GM:

Geoff,
Cool stuff. Do you want me to give "her" a name, or do you have one?
Do you have points for a DNPC for "her" should she ever, ahem... cough... show up again?

Nothing four color about RDU, really. This kind of thing falls right into
line.

Great stuff... thanks.

--------

From G/Speedball:

I don't have any points for a DNPC, no. I wasn't really much thinking about how it would figure into a future scenario, though obviously you're welcome to use it however you'd like. Let's call her Molly.

[RDU Neil]

Post 110 - And now back to our regularly scheduled story...

From S/Crusader:

Are you be needing
assistance?" <<<

"Why is 'Heart at the Hospital? And yes, Yuri, it is clear here. Send
the CATs, the medics, and especially vice, drugs are on the scene."

>>>You begin giving him the lowdown, as the assault cops move
in and Impetus steps up to the front door, returning from dealing with Red
Cap. The cops raise there weapons, and the lead SWAT guy yells, "FREEZE!
POLICE!" From the van, the two CAT squadies start moving forward at a fast
clip, dropping their visors. Their blasters make an audible whine as
initiate the power charges in them.<<<<<<

"MEN IN BLUE!! I CAN VOUCH FOR HIM!" at full blast loudspeaker (which is
the same as a person yelling since I don't have change environment or however
you would buy a megaphone). Waving my hands and moving towards Impetus with
my back turned to him, facing the cops.
"He helped me out. In fact, the entire gig was pretty much handled by
him. I just came in for a little clean-up at the end. Put down your
weapons." Hoping that Impetus doesn't make the situation worse. Hoping the
police and perhaps, press, are convinced that Impetus is more interesting to
have a dialogue with instead of donnybrook.

From B/Impetus:

Impetus leans over casually and plucks Cap's cap off his head, then tears
the heavy fabric in two with no more effort than you'd tear a piece of
toilet paper -- less, even. He then grabs Cap by the gold chains around his
neck and lifts him up in the air, taking obvious care not to strangle him.
If Crusader tries to stop him, he just lifts up a thick finger and raises an
eyebrow as if to say, "I KNOW what I'm doing".

"You tellin ME whose goan cap MAH ass, n***a? I think you bes' be watchin'
yaw OAN ass, ya sellout cracka... 'cuz if the Warlord gives up kilos a'DIS,
you think he give a shit about CHALL?

He sneers. " 'Warlord got it covad'. Know what DAT means? Means you die
one day when he thinks y'all ain' givin' no more, and then you stay dayed
f'EVAH. You'sa dumbest-ass n***a I EVA seen -- 'cuz you ain't movin' up in
life, Warlord ain' lettin' you go nowhere, and you spen' the rest a'yo
waste-ass, ass-lickin' toady-little life playin' 'Yes, massa! No, massa!'
to some asshole's plans." He spits on the floor. "You a disgrace to the
thousans a'REAL hard-ass n***as who died to set YOUR pathetic ass free."

"So tellaya what; I be watchin' for you, and I be askin' round the city. I
ain' goan KILL ya... but cho' betta believe that whateva apartments you own
gonna mysteriously get wrecked, whateva fancy cars you drive a'gonna get hit
by some big-ass objects, and whateva beautiful women you dokin' goan get
scared RIGHT quick. Because you just made ME yo'personal guardian devil."

And he looks at Red Cap's face for a good long moment, obviously taking
relish as he memorizes the features. Then he drops him.

"Aw you COULD drop out," he says, obviously starting to lose interest. "Get
outta da'game. But yo'wanna stay wit'da man, go right ahead. 'Cuz I'm just
as happy smashin' YO shit as I am watchin' yo' go straight. Get ch'sef back
in the trade all y'all want.... but'chu ain' living like no high roller when
Impetus is in town. Dig?"

And waits for a response. At the first sign of anger or more threats, he
turns away and walks out of the room as if he's totally lost interest.

(((>>>You begin giving him the lowdown, as the assault cops move
in and Impetus steps up to the front door, returning from dealing with Red
Cap. The cops raise there weapons, and the lead SWAT guy yells, "FREEZE!
POLICE!" From the van, the two CAT squadies start moving forward at a fast
clip, dropping their visors. Their blasters make an audible whine as
initiate the power charges in them.<<<<<<)))

Impetus raises his eyebrows and looks at Crusader wearily, as if to say, "I
get this all the time..." and shrugs almost imperceptibly. He raises his
hands, slowly enough to be nonthreatening but not TOO slowly, so they are
palm-up in the air -- where he can't target them -- and drops the field.
He's still hovering in mid-air, though, and he certainly doesn't look
scared.

(((("He helped me out. In fact, the entire gig was pretty much handled by
him. I just came in for a little clean-up at the end. Put down your
weapons." Hoping that Impetus doesn't make the situation worse. Hoping the
police and perhaps, press, are convinced that Impetus is more interesting to
have a dialogue with instead of donnybrook.))))

"True what he says," replies Impetus sardonically, the cords in his dark
brown neck swelling as he shouts. Crusader, you notice that suddenly the
gang slang disappears, to be replaced with a much more neutral voice. "An'
what we got here is a situation here, because we foun' ONE suitcase a'heroin
here... but some superspeeder ran it off to analyze in his, and I quote,
'lab'. Any skinny, superfast caucasians workin' for The Man here?"

"Oh, and there's a kid in there who's hurt." He gestures back with his
head. "I already called for the ambulance, so if one of y'all could go help
him right now I'd 'preciate it. I'll step away from the door if y'all don't
trust me yet."

The Ferrett

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will pause for a moment, and then say "wanna run that by me
again, Artie? Just what do you have planned?"

-Ilan

From G/Speedball:

<<Damn you, Carver--is this what I get for not paying points for a secret
hideout?>>

"Hey, A.C. Yeah, I'll take that drink. Long day." I'll take the drink,
and suffer through the conversation. My cover story, as with the doctor, is
that I tripped backward andfell onto something sharp. That should cover me
with A.C. and if he's likely to spread the story around, it'll help if he
backs me up. I'll use pursuasion and streetwise in coombination to
embellish the story as need it ("yeah, you know the abandoned lot over on
Avenue A and 4th? That's where I was. Thought I saw a pile of returnables
that some crackhead forgot about. All I found was a coil of wire between my
feet and a piece of rebar that practically gave me a new asshole halfway up
my back.") All the while, Speedball is picking up little objects,
matchbooks, crumpled bar napkins, etc. and juggling them, compulsively. He
can't stop and is one of the reasons the barstaff keep him around--he's an
amusement like a jukebox. And sometimes pretty girls come talk to him.
They go away afterwards, after all--who's going to give their number to a
junkie, but at least he feels like a real person every so often.
After drinking A.C.'s beer, I'll make my excuses and head for the bathroom.
From there, up the stairs going desolid if I have to to sneak through the
walls. I have a few days left of my strange brew, but I'm not going to risk
depleting it when I've got access to all that shit just a few feet away...

From M/Dragon Mist:

Realizing that this is indeed a magical threat, Dragon Mist forgets the trip to
the hospital, for the moment. Thinking that Greyspirit needs this demon to
survive he puts his energy into focusing his dispel on the snakes. Only one for
starters, to see if it's possible to distinguish between the two seemingly evil
sources of magic at work within her body, Then he will work his way up to more
of the snakes.
( This maybe the time to discuss his 5 points in luck and those unspent
experience points. . . ;)

From S/Crusader:

<< If Crusader tries to stop him, he just lifts up a thick finger and raises
an
eyebrow as if to say, "I KNOW what I'm doing". >>

Crusader will just wave his hands like "I totally understand it's your
show".

>>"An'
what we got here is a situation here, because we foun' ONE suitcase a'heroin
here... but some superspeeder ran it off to analyze in his, and I quote,
'lab'. Any skinny, superfast caucasians workin' for The Man here?"
<<

"Um, maybe its that Velocity guy from Buffalo." Crusader offers and then
shrugs his shoulders. "dunno."
If weapons get lowered and I assume that police start taking statements
and doing the whole police thing, I will try to get a chance to tap Impetus
on the shoulder and say; "I would really enjoy talking to you in a bit. Are
you free for a bit more discussion? We could just get to some rooftop and
put our heads together on this Warlord situation."

-----------

From GM: (Yes, there was a note of panic in my voice at this point. :) )

Note: (Oh Holy Cow! This gets more and more daunting, as we get so many players. Gonna be a morass when everyone is together and the conversations fly. Hope I can keep things clear.)

>>>Impetus & Crusader: There is a tense couple of seconds as you try to sort things out. The SWAT guys definitely look nervous, and the CAT squadies look mean... but the Lieutenant steps in quickly and backs them off, letting Impetus come out of the house and down the steps. The cops flow inside as the Lt. looks you both up and down. To Impetus he says, "I think I've heard about you. Some reports have crossed my desk. They're vague, but they mentioned someone fitting your description, doing..." he gestures at the building, "...this kind of work. No name, but they've got you pegged as outside muscle moving in on the drug racquets. Now you're saying you are working with the Mavericks. Care to explain yourself?" He gestures at Crusader. "This guy I've at least seen before. I need a good reason not to run you downtown, but I don't need any hassle with a guy who looks like he can walk through a fire fight unscathed... and just did." He looks at both of you, "Give me something to work with here, fellas." Behind him, one of the CAT officers begins speaking, almost inaudibly, into his radio.
While you talk with the Lieutenant both CAT officers watch intently though one seems to be carrying on a continuous conversation with someone else over the radio. Any attempt to scan frequencies and eavesdrop on the chatter comes up empty. They are either on a coded frequency or tight beam transmission. Their gear is new, top of the line, so they could be using microwave burst.
Asked to wait for while the two of you get a chance to talk away from the police, but the CATs don't let you out of their sight. (You can converse without being overheard.) The cold wind blows around you as the Lt. helps to supervise the round up of all the gang members. Paddy wagons arrive and fifteen young men and half a dozen whacked out crack-whores are hauled away. Nine kids leave on stretchers, one with full neck and back brace, oxygen mask, etc., a second on his stomach, with bloody swathes across his back. There are numerous broken noses, jaws and collar bones. Remarkably, no one is dead.

A couple of hours pass, and you both answer questions from a Special Crimes detective who arrives later. Detective Monroe is a surprisingly happy kind of guy, fortyish African American with salt & pepper hair wearing an old brown leather coat that smells strongly of cigarettes and Stetson cologne. He takes your statement with a smile, and seems almost amused by any descriptions of the use of paranormal powers. The two Cat squaddies leave, grumbling. Over their shoulder one says, "Damn straight this is why we need the PRA, and now!" The other just nods, and they're gone.

Arcsilver: Artie suddenly fixes you with his eyes and you are again taken back by the force of the man's presence. He seems to swell, and become stronger, determined... almost inspirational. "The situation is actually quite simple," he says as you try to shake off the effect he has. "I fulfilled my part of the bargain with the Warlord, and then I got out. That was the deal. I can't imagine where else Ann-Jolie would get the equipment she had, so I can only assume that he has come back into my life... and that was not in the contract."
At that moment, MIRV comes back into the house. You see him down the short hall, clomping back into the sun room with Lydia Wright who looks a wreck. Face streaked with tears and mascara... she looks awful. MIRV has her handcuffed and sits her on the divan. She goes pale and shaking when she sees Franklin's body on the floor. MIRV comes in with a quiet, "Police are on their way, Arcs." He looks at Artie and you see him visibly taken aback.
Artie turns his smile on both of you saying, "Please, gentlemen. I promise I will cooperate with the police as best I can. I swear to you that I had no inkling of what my sister was up to... but I have to find her. You can use your influence to at least keep them from holding me in Austin. I can help you find this Warlord if you'll take me with you. I used to work for the man... I WAS him for six years. Give me this chance... please."
You bite back an immediate, "Sure, Artie... no problem," realizing that you really want to help this guy. He's incredibly persuasive... and he might actually be of some help. MIRV comes over the radio, quietly, "Jeeze. What do you think, Arcs. This could be our big break, here. We have to salvage something from this cockup. Let's talk to the cops."

Dragon Mist: You turn, feet shifting into a stance, arms moving through a subtle, arcane pattern as you turn your sword over and down. A whisper of ancient syllables crosses your lips and the nearly invisible runes on the blade suddenly flare bright green tracing a pattern in the dark. The flash of the light makes the hazy demon images faint and faded but you swear that the black evil shape and all eyes of the snakes suddenly turn toward you.
Reversing the pommel in your hands you drop into a horse stance and drive the sword down through the swirling shapes, as if about to impale the twitching form of Grey Spirit on the floor. Then, with perfect control, you stop the tip mere millimeters above her sternum, just above her center, focused on her chi... and the green light is unleashed.
Like fire it burns into her and her body convulses with the energy pouring through her. Her eyes and mouth snap open and green light pours out of them like she is burning from within. Her skin changes. Her black tattoo seems to writhe and lash like a living thing down her bare arms and stomach. Of the faded images, the snakes seem to scurry away, their ghostly forms bursting into flames.
There is no sound... but an acrid, foul smell permeates the air.

Suddenly the light goes out and Grey Sprit's form collapses to the floor. It had risen just slightly off the ground as you unleashed the energy. Your eyes adjust quickly to the sudden dark, and you bend over her, checking for a pulse. You immediately think you see color in her cheeks but it is difficult to tell in the limited moonlight. You start to look at her stomach... when her body suddenly twitches again and her arms shoot upwards and out and her beautiful face contorts into an distorted mask! A voice barely recognizable as human speech grates forth from her open, but unmoving mouth.

"You want her... do you not?" it asks. An evil chuckle erupts... "I thank you for the power. I would not have wished to lose this vessel... but you can not have her." Obscenely, her hands rub down her body in a sick pantomime of a sexual tease. The voice growls once more. "This body is MINE, warrior! Look for your pleasures elsewhere."
And then Grey Spirit collapses to the floor again, quiet as death.<<<

Sorry, got to run. Speedball post this evening, I hope. Christ I'm busy at work these days.

[RDU Neil]

Post 111

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver furrows his brow, annoyed that he has to mke these decisions.
He likes zipping around and spouting wise-ass remarks much more than
making decisions with people dying and everything. "Hmmm..." he offers,
looking down at Artie. "It seems like the decision really belongs to the
woman who is in your living room, handcuffed to the fireplace. What do
you say, Artie, any idea why your paroll officer came out of your attic
and tried to shoot me?"

After his response, Arcsilver will say "and what are you going to tell
her and the cops, eh? Are you going to tell them the whole thing about
the switch?"

After his response, he will say "Let me go and talk to Ms. Wright, and
see what she thinks. MIRV, can you stay and keep Arthur company?" As he
leaves, he grabs a sheet or a blanket or something to drape over the
corpse as he enters the room.

Appraoching slowly, he will speak in a gentle voice: Ms. Wright? Hi, I
am called Arcsilver and I am a civilian law enforcement assistant from
New York city. Its nice to meet you without having to dodge your bullets
(smile)! Can I get you a soda or something before the police get here
(do so if she would like). Can you tell me what you were doing in
Arthur's attic, and why you shot at me without identifying yourself? I
came down here to speak with you about the Warlord, and to investigate
Arthur's relationship to him. I think that we are on the same side, and
I think that we can help each other, but it is important that we speak a
little bit about Arthur before the police get here, because he might be
able to help us capture that crazy woman if he can come with us."

-Ilan/Arcsilver

From B/Impetus:

Impetus gently folds his arms. "Well, I d'no that I'd zacly say that I wuz
WORKIN' with the Mavericks -- tho' I ain't opposed to the idea -- but
Crusader and I showed up here at 'bout the same time with the same idea:
Int'cept a massive shipment a'junk and keep it outta the veins of a buncha
dumb junkies. I jes' got here first, is all.

"As f'explainin' myself, is there a better way f'gangbangas to discredit the
man they most afraid of than tellin' you that I'm workin' for a rival?
Propaganda ain't the sole domain'a Communists, ya know. Guy who worked for
a rival gang, well, he wouldn'ta stuck around to see what showed up after
the dust fell -- and Crusader'll tell you that I WAITED for you folk to show
up so mebbe you guys can track down the other suitcase which ran outta here.
Guy like dat wouldn'ta called the amb'lance to make sure that an enemy
'banger he hit too hard din' die, neither. And he sure as hell wouldn'ta
handed over a suitcase worth maybe a hundred thou street value to the police
jes' to make a damn point."

All the while, his voice never raises a notch, and he stares the officer
straight in the eye. He's just making points, and his deep voice never
wavers.

"So you want sumpin to work with? I'm here. It ain't comfortable, and
neither you nor I are really confident that yo'guns here could stop me if I
really wanted to leave. But I ain't. Thassit."

If the cop says something about clever gang members might do this, Impetus
says calmly: "Could be. All I can do is show you ova time, is all. But
NYPD has a rep on this street, too... and I hope you guys can show me that
you can cut a brother a chance once inna while." And with that, he just
meets the guy's stare, waiting to see what develops.

(((Paddy wagons
arrive, and fifteen young men, and half a dozen whacked out coke whores are
hauled away. )))

Even if he's in mid-interrogation, Impetus walks over and looks at the coke
whores. For the first time, an expression of real sadness seems to cross
his face... and he has to shake it off before he can turn back to the cops.
"Fuckin' junkies," he mutters under his breath, but it's not angry -- just
very, very bitter.

(Neil, if you did what I thought you did, reveal it now.)

((((He takes your statement with a smile, and
seems almost amused by any descriptions of the use of paranormal powers.))))

Actually, Impetus doesn't do that at all. He'll mention that he pushed down
the door and they immediately started to fire on him before he used his
powers, without drawing any attention at all to the fact that the door might
have stopped a mid-sized tank. The rest will be completely factual... but
when he gets to the Warlord, Impetus will pause casually for a moment and
ask whether Crusader remembers who the kid was talking to on the cell phone.
He's perfectly willing to take whatever lead Crusader gives from there.

((("Damn straight this is why we need the PRA, and now!" The
other just nods, and they're gone.)))

Turns to Crusader: "PRA?"

((("I would really enjoy talking to you in a bit. Are
you free for a bit more discussion? We could just get to some rooftop and
put our heads together on this Warlord situation."))))

"Sure. I been tryina email you guys, but yo' official website apparently
ain' up to speed. Whateva you got to figga out why Onyx was so important to
the Warlord's plans helps me, man." He thinks a minute. "Tho' it prolly
ain' a good idea for a guy like me to be hangin' out on rooftops, now that I
think about it."

If asked why, he'll reply: " 'Cuz if I fall, I'm leavin' a hole the size of
Brooklyn in the flaw." And he'll lower his forcefield for the first time,
settling onto the pavement with a slight *crunch*; a web of cracks spreads
out in the rotting asphalt underneath him.

The Ferrett

From M/Dragon Mist:

"That's a score we will settle latter, demon. For now you owe me a favor, one I
intend you keep by telling me what just happened." After replacing
Greyspirit's bandages, Dragon Mist picks her up and places her on the bed,
confident that the sword will warn him of any latent danger in the room.

From S/Crusader:

"True.", Crusader chimes.

(((The rest will be completely factual... but
when he gets to the Warlord, Impetus will pause casually for a moment and
ask whether Crusader remembers who the kid was talking to on the cell phone.
He's perfectly willing to take whatever lead Crusader gives from there.)))

"I recognized the voice, Lt. Monroe" turning to address the officer and
jump in where Impetus gave me the lead. "He is a shadowy gameplayer who calls
himself Warlord. We've talked once before and its hard to forget his voice.
Warlord has assumed "credit" for the attack on Onyx as well as an ambush on
the Mavericks as some kind of sick test."
"Warlord was on the phone with the perp. A mention by the perp led me to
believe that the Warlord was on the phone. Something to the effect of "Yes,
they are here, just like you predicted". So, I grabbed the phone and spoke
to the Warlord. Warlord responded with a bit of posturing and posing. Not
much substantial came out of the conversation, except he admitted to using
the drugs for cash supply."
Crusader pauses; "I have the Warlord conversation on digital record. It
will have to be downloaded at a Maverick computer facility. I have already
asked Wild Heart to pass a copy along to the police. Should we send it to
you, Lt, directly?"

((((("Damn straight this is why we need the PRA, and now!" The
other just nods, and they're gone.)))

Turns to Crusader: "PRA?")))

Crusader shrugs his armored shoulders; "Not sure, my guess from their
tone... Paranormal Registration Act? I think its been bandied about in
Congress a bit."

(("Sure. I been tryina email you guys, but yo' official website apparently
ain' up to speed. Whateva you got to figga out why Onyx was so important to
the Warlord's plans helps me, man." He thinks a minute. "Tho' it prolly
ain' a good idea for a guy like me to be hangin' out on rooftops, now that I
think about it.")))

Crusader smiles behind his faceplate, knowing full well that with Yuri on
the job, the website is more than up to speed. But also knowing full well
just how busy the site and the team has been.
"Well, we've all been real busy. Two of our members who help read the
thousands of posts is in Georgia or Alabama at the moment. {Storn knows its
Austin, but Crusader forgot}. 'Heart, 'Mist and myself have been patrolling
ourselves ragged trying to get the slightest hint of this reported heroin
shipment. Today is the first we've come across anything more substantial
than rumor."

(((If asked why, he'll reply: " 'Cuz if I fall, I'm leavin' a hole the size
of
Brooklyn in the flaw." And he'll lower his forcefield for the first time,
settling onto the pavement with a slight *crunch*; a web of cracks spreads
out in the rotting asphalt underneath him.))))

Crusader gives a small chuckle; "I understand a bit about that problem.
I'm not a lightweight myself. There is a very wooded area of Central Park
just a block or two away, that should give us enough privacy to have a
conversation without disturbing the natives of New York..."

----------

From GM:

Note: (Trying to bring the story lines to a convergence here, so bear with me if I seem to be shoe horning things for a couple of posts.)

>>>Speedball: Your eyes crack open, and for a second you are somewhere else. Instead of a dirty hole in the wall with acrid smelling chemicals simmering in the corner, you are almost seeing the small trailer and the soft bed you shared. Instinctively you reach for her, and a murmured, "Molly?" escapes your lips. But instead of warm skin and soft silk your fingers claw into a sticky carpet stain and your head slides off a smelly old couch cushion to bump on the floor.
A groan escapes you as the real world crashes back in. You try to sit up and shake off the dregs of an uncharacteristically heavy sleep. Your nose wrinkles at your own body odor and your back aches beyond almost anything you've ever experienced before. Only the thought that you have to check your batch keeps you moving, dragging your self up...
... as a voice in the room suddenly says, "No wonder she left you. Geez. What a bum you are."

Your eyes snap all the way open as you come full awake in a rush of adrenaline. The first thing you see is the closed, locked door of the room. "How'd somebody get in h... ?" you are thinking as you turn and look... finding yourself staring at a ghost. Shimmering a silver white, an apparition of a young man... punkish hair cut, ratty jacket, jeans, combat boots and... a Metallica T-shirt?... floats just between you and the table of chemicals. He is half turned away, staring at the heated brew. As you gasp for something to say you notice that the image wavers a little, going hazy and disappearing for moments. Then the guy's face turns back to you with a New York sneer on his face. When he speaks you catch a hint of a Brooklyn accent. "Good thing I can't smell anything. Don't know what would be worse, that shit... or you." His eyes are clear and burn with a condescending intelligence that you automatically dislike.
"So..." he says as his form wavers a bit more. He looks at himself, seemingly concerned for a moment. "Damn. This isn't easy. Now..." looking back at you he says, "I was looking for some friends of mine but ended up here, instead. Care to tell me who you are 'cause I can't imagine why I'd wake up after all this time just to find some scuzzy junkie."

Arcsilver: In response to your question Artie glances toward the sun room, thinks for a moment, then shrugs. "My dealings with Ms. Wright were limited to weekly phone calls and monthly meetings. She was friendly, but..." he looks at you, perplexed, "... I had no idea she was here... and as to why she shot at you... well it seems highly irrational at best." He thinks for a moment more. "My sister and she did have lunch together... once... that I know of..." his voice trails off. "I will have no problem telling the police everything I can about what has happened. I don't know of what "switch" you are talking about but I hope that my full cooperation with the authorities will help you convince them to let me return with you to New York. I really do want, and need, to help find the Warlord and hopefully stop my sister from getting herself killed."
After you leave Artie you move through the sun room trying to be calm and unthreatening as you cover the body with a sheet and smile at Lydia. She watches you the entire time, a look like a hunted animal on her face. As you speak to her she looks you right in the eye, nodding at your words. Her face changes from stunned to hopeful as you mention, "...we are on the same side..." to sudden rage... red, faced, angry and venomous, when you mention the, "...crazy lady."
"YOU'LL NEVER CATCH HER, YOU FREAKY BASTARD!!!! SHE'S SO MUCH MORE THAN YOU!!! SHE IS DEADLY AND SUPERIOR!! SHE ALMOST KILLED YOU ONCE! IF YOU GO AFTER HER, SHE'LL DO IT AGAIN!" And she starts to laugh maniacally... a sick cackle that quickly turns to sobs and gasping, "She'll come for me. I know she will. She'll get me out of this..." She looks up at you, tears streaming, and snot nosed. "...choke... I'm... sob... her friend."
Outside, you hear distant sirens approaching.

Dragon Mist: There is no response from the demon, or from Grey Spirit. Her body is limp and unconscious in your arms, but as you lay her in the bed you are encouraged by the look of her stomach wound. Already noticeably narrower and the bleeding has stopped. Her body twitches slightly... small muscle spasms... but otherwise she is still. Pulling off her bloody tunic, you see that the intricate demon tattoo is all across her back, shoulders, arms, and even onto her chest. At the moment it is inanimate and you get no sense of immediate threat from it. As you cover her up with blankets you are startled to notice how slender and fragile she looks. A true look of innocence on her sleeping face. A whole new level to her beauty that you find disturbing to your cold, hardened attitude. Everything about this woman makes you feel confused and uncertain... but at the same time more alive and aware than you've ever felt in the past.
Minutes pass into hours unnoticed as you sit to the side, half in the shadow and half in the reflected moonlight from the window. You watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathes.

Crusader & Impetus: The Detective from Special Crimes finishes taking your statement with one last try of, "Any chance of getting your legal names, gentlemen?" At your negative answer, he just shrugs then looks at Crusader, saying, "I'd like to keep things at the friendly level we've got going here. I know we can reach you if we have to. Can I trust you to work something out with Mr. Impetus here so we can get a hold of him?" He looks at Impetus. "I'm assuming you don't have a hotline number or anything?" he asks with a smile. Then back to Crusader he says, "I just wanted to pass along my thanks to your boss, y'know. I don't know what she did, but bringing Masterson out of his coma was just short of a miracle. Whatever it was, it shows that you Mavericks stand by us cops... and we'll stand by you." Again to Impetus he says, hitching his thumb at Crusader, "Learn from these guys if you want to do the crime busting thing in the Apple. Make friends. It's easier on all of us. Now I gotta go converse with Lt. Monroe. You two be good," and he saunters off into the crowd of cops, news media that has arrived... and spectators. "Oh, and we'll check on this speedster guy. Might be that Velocity fella, but haven't heard from him in a couple 'a years. We'll let you know if we find anything. He sure don't work for us."
With that, there is no one left keeping you there and you could move off. The media, seeing you unattended, starts swarming around the police line, trying to get closer, shouting various questions. Bright lights and cameras light up the night.
(Basically, you can get away, or you can choose to meet the press. Just wondering what you might do.)<<<

Note: (Please remind me if I've forgotten to address something you mentioned. Bill, send me a private e-mail about what you think I did, 'cause I don't know what you are talking about.)

[greymankle]

Finally ... finished... reading. Story... so... long. Awaiting further developments.

This whole thing just gives more credit to the book. RDU: A histoy. It would be an AWESOME source book. but I know not all of your games have cool write-ups like this. Heck just converting this story into a comic book (or prolly a mini-series) would be sweet. Just need to find an artist familar with the characters. hmmm... Where can we find one...? I think James can draw :D Darn real world comminments. Maybe you can get a stipend from the boards to convert it? I bet it would sell, D&D has comic books and those suck something awful, but they still sell.

I really think the PBEM style adds to the communal storytelling more. Since everyone can have as much time to say what they want without stepping on toes or stealing "face-time." Players can get very descriptive and take some more license then they would be able to in a regular game. Plus it saves Neil a ton of time. No need for a campagin write-up just check your in box.

Anyway Keep 'em coming. You make my vacation a little sunnier with each post. ;)

[aylwin13]

This whole thing just gives more credit to the book. RDU: A histoy. It would be an AWESOME source book. but I know not all of your games have cool write-ups like this. Heck just converting this story into a comic book (or prolly a mini-series) would be sweet.

This would be a fantastic idea. I know that I'd buy a copy. Maybe even a couple.


Just need to find an artist familar with the characters. hmmm... Where can we find one...? I think James can draw :D Darn real world comminments.

I think that a certain Mr. Cook knows a bit about these characters. I wonder if he could find a minute or three to work on something like this. :D


Neil, I'm definitely enjoying the posts. Keep 'em coming (when you've got a second or two).

[RDU Neil]

Post 112

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist won't push his luck w/ the demon, he's happy enough to see that it's doing it's job by keeping her alive. While waiting, he will open the
unopened letter. Maybe if he had only read it the first time. . .

From G/Speedball:

"ListentomeyouMOTHERFUCKER!" Speedball spurts out as he runs towards the apparition in his private room. (I am, assuming, Neil, that a grab to the neck will get me nohwere) Skidding and slammng up aginst the opposite wall, Joe, glares at the ghost, wondering what it's business here might be.
"Listen to me, you fucker: I've got enough goddamned ghosts running around
my life without you making things more difficult. Fuck off."
Thinking back, momentarily, Joe says "wait. Molly. What do you know about
her? How did you....? Christ I'm so sick of being strung out on this smack.
Alright--straight up: I don't know who you are. I don't know where you come
from or who these friends are that you're talking about but...shit, anyone
who likes Metallica can't be all bad. Black album?"
He pauses, not waiting for an answer....not even sure he's not dreaming:
"Fuck. Just tell me what the hell you're here for. For all I know, you're
Harriet Tubman's personal valet telling me to bring her carriage 'round
front (see last issue, faithful readers) For all I know, you're the angel
of death come to collect my worthless, piece of shit soul to take to Hell.
Christ: if that's the case, get if GODDAMN OVER WITH, BUT STOP FUCKING WITH ME!!!!"
Slumping against the wall, Joe tires from this outburst and from the ordeal
in general. He is beat and open to hearing the Ghost's story now. "Tell me.
Just fucking tell me what it is I'm here to do."
His hands cradling his head now, he cups his ears. "I'm sorry for
everything I've done. So sorry...." And as he speaks the words, he means them.
The moment afterwards, though, his first thought is of the brew cooking acros the room and what it'll feel like when the shit hits his veins coming from the first pop of the day.

-God, I love writing for this character-

From I/Arcsilver:

"Whoaa, mama!" Arcsilver says surprised, backing up a bit at her
ranting. "Looks like someone's elevator stopped going to the top floor!
Well, the police will be here soon, and I think they will want to know
everything about your friendship."

Arcsilver will then give it another try with her: "You know, Lydia, if
the police find your friend, they will try to kill her, but that isn't
what I or my friends do. If you know anything about where she might be or
how to contact her, I'm the one for you to tell."

Wait for response

After this, Arcsilver will head out the front door, making sure that her
handcuffs are good and sturdy. He will wait in the front yard with his
had raised in greeting when the police arrive, and he will look for the
police officer with whom he had the conversation at Lydia's house. He
will try to talk to the officer with whom he spoke on the phone, as he
knows the full story up to that point (sorry, don't remember the name of
the initial guy). He will tell him everything, even the conversation
with Artie, and then describe the fight. He will finish with "I don't
know if you have a Psych. department here, but Ms. Wright seems to have
some brainwashing, and don't think that she is quite there, if you know
what I mean." He will then add "I understand that you will have some
questions for Artie, but he hasn't done anything illegal, and I think
that he could help us and the NYPD find the Warlord and his sister in New
York. Any chance of letting us have him for a while after you are done?
I will keep you up to date with any info on his sister..."

-Ilan

PS. I am quickening the pace on this just a bit, in the interest of
bringning everyone together. If this is too brief, Neil, let's take it
slower, and I will roleplay out the whole convo.

From B/Impetus:

((("I'm assuming you don't have a hotline number or anything?" )))

Impetus smirks. "Not quite, but I got this." And he gives his email
address, which if Crusader has any computer knowledge (I assume he does)
will be a public account, on the same level as hotmail or yahoo! mail.

((( With that, there is no one left keeping you there, and you could move
off. The media, seeing you left unattended, starts swarming around the
police line, trying to get closer, shouting various questions. Bright
lights and cameras light of the night.))))

Impetus turns to Crusader. "I ain't sure what cho' take on publissty is,
but I got frens an'enemies I'd ratha not have see me. Wanna explain fo'me,
an we meet at that area in CP in an owa?"

Assuming that Crusader says yes or suggests alternative options as to
meeting places, there's a blur, a soft explosion that radiates out at
ankle-level for about fifty feet in all directions -- and faster than just
about anyone you've seen go, Impetus is a distant dot on the horizon. (Note
to Storn: NC Superleap of 440". If he's not the fastest, he's close.)

When Impetus meets up with Crusader, he'll say:

"Look, less be honest; I'm new at this supahero game, and I wuz hittin' up
the local areas tryina find some more info on dis 'Warlord' dude. I know he
wuz respons'ble for settin' up Onyx, who ah respected -- mah main goal'za
get ridda the gangs that're turnin'ese neighborhoods into crack dens 'n'
murda pits, and Onyx wuz doin'a helluva job givin' people otha options. I
respec' that. An' anyone who redlightsa guy like dat's hurtin' MAH area.

"But sounz like thay's more than just some rollin' goin' on here -- what da
hellzis Warlord dude up to, anyway? An' what the hell was he so worried
'bout Onyx for, 'f he's happy to watch two suitcases full dope walk out
widdout payback? What'sa ANGLE here? You got any clues, give, man.

"Look; basic'ly, you already seen what the cops thinka me; I'm a straight up
n***a who ain't afraida 'em, an' they know I could take 'em down if I
wanted. But I DON'T. They tryina do what *I* am, they jus' doan know the
neighborhood the way *I* do, man!" He paces angrily, his feet sinking deep
into the ground; he pulls them out almost absent-mindedly. "They may be
racist at times, but they at least TRYIN', which is more than mosada people
who I see near me do."

He runs a hand over his forehead. This is evidently not something he wants
to say -- and he sighs. "What I'm sayin is, cops think I'm beef fo' the
oppasition, an' I need some hep gettin' my rep as someone who's straight
down widdem -- 'cuz othawise, I could end up wit' my eye dee sposed, and
then I wind up with dead relatives. I got men AFTA me, man. Cop trouble, I
DOAN need.

"So you prolly doan trus' me entirely yet, and dass cool -- I yain' proved
mahsef yet -- but you need backup somewhere, you think you got info or a gig
I could hep with, you gimme a call. You back me on mah rep, I back you when
you need the muscle, an' we help each otha out. Work fa you?" And he
extended a hand.

The Ferrett

From S/Crusader:

"I prefer to avoid the press myself. And Mavericks policy is a bit vague
and changes from member to member. Like MIRV? He will talk to anyone, at
length, til another teammate pulls him away. Darkfire is even worse,
although he is better at it. Sure, meet you in a bit." I finish and walk
towards the press when Impetus's superleap takes effect.
"Damn... and I thought that this white man could jump!" I will reflect
to myself.

To the press: "Hi folks, I'm Crusader for those of you who don't know.
Yes, I knew the original Crusader and I have his blessing. NO, I have no
proof for you on that subject, you just have to take my word for it. That is
more to protect the Original than myself."
"As to what went down today, I responded to paranormal activity in a gang
shootout at this location. Upon arriving at the scene, 1 para escaped
with a suitcase reputed to hold heroin. This para has a "speedster"
classification. The other para, who you've just witness leaving, is
code-named Impetus. He gave every effort to HELP the police and myself.
That is all I have to say at the moment. Contact Darkfire in the next couple
of days, he will give you a much better breakdown based upon my report."

With that and a few "no more comments", I will book out of there!

When I catch up with Impetus in the park.

((("But sounz like thay's more than just some rollin' goin' on here -- what da
hellzis Warlord dude up to, anyway? An' what the hell was he so worried
'bout Onyx for, 'f he's happy to watch two suitcases full dope walk out
widdout payback? What'sa ANGLE here? You got any clues, give, man.)))

I reply slowly and with some thought; "Since we are being honest, we
aren't sure what Warlord is up to. And I'm not sure about the Onyx attack,
UNLESS..." the thought has just occured to Crusader (and Storn).
"unless Warlord is REALLY seeking to consolidate the drug trade he has
and to expand into Harlem/Spanish Harlem drug trade. Then he would need Onyx
out of the way. Because any paranormal drug enforcers were bound to attract
Onyx's attention and bring the hammer down. But, in my mind, the only way to
take over such a vast, disparate, factionalized territory would be through
some P-muscle. And Warlord has put his team together already."

(((Look; basic'ly, you already seen what the cops thinka me; I'm a straight up
n***a who ain't afraida 'em, an' they know I could take 'em down if I
wanted. But I DON'T. They tryina do what *I* am, they jus' doan know the
neighborhood the way *I* do, man!" He paces angrily, his feet sinking deep
into the ground; he pulls them out almost absent-mindedly. "They may be
racist at times, but they at least TRYIN', which is more than mosada people
who I see near me do.")))

"I understand as much as a West Coast white boy from the wrong side of
the law can. Which is probably not much. But I can certainly respect what
you are trying to do." I tentatively offer.
"There are crooked cops. But I know for sure that a few aren't. The
Maverick's liason officer, John Masterson, was recently put in the hospital
because he was as straight as they come."

((( got men AFTA me, man. Cop trouble, I DOAN need.)))

"I can relate!" I let bubble out, "hey, what men?"

((You back me on mah rep, I back you when
you need the muscle, an' we help each otha out. Work fa you?" And he
extended a hand.))

"Absolutely." shake his hand, "I did try to give you a nice shine at the
quickie press thing. Gave the press your code-name, hope you don't mind. If
they have a handle, then you aren't quite as mysterious. But if you really
want to get your reputation clean and with public respect, we've got to set
up a meeting with our Darkfire. He is the master of spin. He's a white,
rich boy, but his heart is in the right place and he would be more than happy
to help you through that wacky world of media & press."

"How do you feel about meeting some of my other team mates? We can do it
on neutral ground. I know that Wild Heart would really like to meet you."

--storn

From B/Impetus:

Impetus thinks about this for a second, then dismisses it. "S'unlikely.
Warlord had Onyx bugged in at leas' one place in his gym, and I suspec' we
look around his house we might fin'at thay's some otha burned-out holes
where useta be buggin' 'quipment. (I got a sample a'da wirin', you
wannit -- wuz burned with detcawd, and there ain' much lefta it.) If
Warlord had Onyx spied on, why'd he be concerned about his 'tenshun? He
could just dance 'roun Onyx 'cuz he knew where the brotha gonna be at, who
he wuz gonna put tha smackdown on! And faw 'nutha thing, if he had a team
set faw his muscle, I think our incursion woulda been the testin' grouns.
How else you gonna see if paranormal beef works than puttin' it up agains'
the bes' competition, and Warlord already seems like he thinks YOU good....
doesn' add up faw me, man."

(((( "I understand as much as a West Coast white boy from the wrong side
of
the law can. Which is probably not much. But I can certainly respect what
you are trying to do." I tentatively offer. ))))

"Doan gemme wrong, Crusader. I ain' racist. I doan care whetha you white,
black, yella, tan, or green -- long's you workin' for the light side, I'se
colorblind." He pauses for a moment. "Wrong side of the law? You ain'
always been doin' the hero thang?"

(((( "There are crooked cops. But I know for sure that a few aren't. The
Maverick's liason officer, John Masterson, was recently put in the hospital
because he was as straight as they come."))))

"Yeah, I heard that. You got the dude outof a COMA?"

(((( "I can relate!" I let bubble out, "hey, what men?"))))

"Gang muscle, mos'ly," he says. "See, I useda be a steel-eyed 'banga, but I
wouldn't KILL nobody... and I wasn't a real memba 'til I atchly took someone
down. I refused, man. Quit the scene. But they kep' comin' after me,
tryin' to beat the crap outta me until I joined or ran the fuck away... and
I didn't neither. I worked out 'til I could take 'em." He chuckles. "Den
sumpin' else happened. I can sure as fuck take 'em NOW.

"But I got frens who'd get capped fo'sure, f'the gangs knew who I really
wuz. Not to mention I like mah life I got widdout insane homeys tearin' up
mah apartment every two days. So I gotta keep it low."

(((( "Absolutely." shake his hand, "I did try to give you a nice shine at
the
quickie press thing. Gave the press your code-name, hope you don't
ind. ))))

"Thass what it's there for," he says with pride. "Thanks faw hangin' wit'
me when the cops came. Woulda been a lot worse widdoutcha."

(((("He is the master of spin."))))

His eyes suddenly glaze out for a second, as if he was thinking, "SPIN
doctor?", then realizing that it is a concept which could apply to him right
now.

(((("How do you feel about meeting some of my other team mates? We can do
it
on neutral ground. I know that Wild Heart would really like to meet
you."))))

He breaks out in laughter. "Heh. Oh man, I'll do it, but you doan wanna
see the table afta we get done arm-wrestlin'. I seen her in action, once.
She's a REAL pitcha."

The Ferrett

----------

From GM:

Note: (Good God, Eric may be joining us on line! If I don't have an aneurysm trying to keep up with you guys, we'll have a sixth player. Welcome to lurk the game, Eric. We can work out who you'll play over the next couple of days.)

>>>Arcsilver: (Actually thanks for pushing things along. Works just fine. Watch as I keep doing it.) The first cops to arrive are local suburban cops who are shocked at what they find and completely out of their depth. You can tell they've never had first hand experience with a paranormal and they are freaked out. When Austin City SWAT and Special Crimes detectives show up the locals are happy to turn things over to them and handle simple crowd control. Officer Montoya arrives with the city cops, and though he is just a patrol officer, he works side by side with them having been your first contact when you came in.
You spend the rest of the day immersed the boring, slow moving, police details you usually leave to Darkfire or MIRV when you are home in New York. Your glib tongue is kind of a put off to the cops at first, but by the end of the grind they are smiling and laughing with you. MIRV's professionalism doesn't hurt either and the hassle is minimal.
Lydia is a wreck, sliding from near catatonia to hissing rage and back as you try to help the police question her. MIRV and Artie had helped the two women from the pool and all of you were questioned separately. Montoya informs you that Artie seems to be cooperating fully, but everyone has questions about Ann-Jolie since she was a well known socialite with no criminal record. The death of Franklin Barnes and the fact that Lydia was a bent cop, and perhaps a bit crazy, complicates things immensely. The investigation goes well into the night.
You spend the night in Austin, and the next day you and MIRV are asked to appear before a judge to petition to allow Arthur Reeves to return to New York with you. He isn't charged with anything but is an ex-felon and a witness to a murder, so the formality is necessary. It only takes an hour or so. The only interesting thing comes at the end when the judge is allowing Artie's departure from the state. "Theah is a condishun foah Mistuh Ahksilvah, from the Assistant District Attourneh's office in New Yawk City. Upon yoah retuhn to New Yawk, you ah requested to meet with A.D. Sally Anne Rahbinson within twenty foah 'owas (hours). Please thank Ms. Rahbinson foah all huh cuhtusy in this mattah, will ya son? She seems lahk a fahn attuhney, and was quaht helpful. Seemed eagah to meet you, I shuhd say. That is ahl."
Within a couple more hours MIRV has modified his flying wing to carry a third passanger and secured a high altitude flight suit and oxygen mask from the airport. Artie seems intrigued and not the least bit dismayed to travel on the hyperwing, and with a last good bye, keep in touch, to Montero you are off.
(Obviously feel free to add in anything else you might want to do before you leave. Otherwise, you'll make it back to New York by late evening.)

Speedball: As much as a ghost can look surprised the apparition does so. It's eyes blink as it shimmers and loses some focus, but then he is looking at you, clearly not expecting what you just did. "Ok... ok... ok," he says. "Now THAT was something. You moved..." he seems to glance around but every move of his 'body' seems to dissipate the image somewhat, "... way too fast for normal." He smiles. "You're one of us!" he says happily, then suddenly frowns. "Wait. You're a paranormal, junkie lunatic, from the sounds of it. Could you be the threat that woke me? Jeeze. I mean to look at you..." His words are flippant but you see a sudden edge to his eyes and a grim turn to his mouth. Suddenly those eyes flare and light goes on inside your head. His voice echoes inside your skull. "Let's see just who the hell you are, friend... hmmmm... Joe... Joe Delesandro. Ok... SPEEDBALL? Shit man, that's a little obvious, don't you think. And you are just hungry for the junk, aren't you... damn... it's like there's almost no room for anything else in there..." Suddenly his voice softens, and the light in your head dims to a warmer, more comfortable level. "Man... I had no idea it was so bad. So twisted up inside. Good intentions going to shit... You get your POWER from it?" The light goes out, his voice goes away inside. Coolness, like a breeze floods your brain. The ghost is out of you now, looking at you, pity on his face. "Sorry dude. You ain't the one. Don't know why I ended up here, except your dream. That Molly woman. It was so strong... like it created a whole world. I thought that was what was calling me..."
Then suddenly the figure goes stiff. Ripples of white energy seem to ring the ghost, face is suddenly scared, eyes wide. "Fuck! In my room! How the hell... Shit! Why can't I see him... Damn, at least a half dozen of them... Some kind of shielding... WHY CAN'T I SEE?!?!?" The image flickers violently, vanishing for a moment, then reappearing... voice in your head again. "Joe... please... get... Mavericks. Tell... them... Kid... is... in... trouble. Tell... them... threat... greater... than... they... think... FIND ME!" The last words a painful shout in your head... and a name... Kid. Kid Fantastic.

Dragon Mist: The letter is simple and blunt, like your sister. "Robert, Ok, I'm giving you one last chance. You've dropped out of sight, but I know you are in New York. I'm going to be in the city for (x dates). That's three weeks, brother. I expect you to look me up. I'll be staying with Tracey... you remember her, my old roommate from college. She has a place on the Upper East side, married some Wall Street money man. (address and number given) I'll be there the whole time when we aren't doing the tourist thing. CALL ME! I'm worried about you, and I miss you. I don't like how you've just disappeared. I'm not going to let you get away with it, either. Hope you are ok, and just being an asshole by ignoring me. Hate to think you were in any real trouble.
See you soon, big brother.

Love Sarah.

Two weeks. Two weeks she's been in the city and you never knew it. Her words are as they always were, affectionate but no-nonsense. You can hear her voice clearly. Suddenly all those missing emotions from the past few years come welling up. Family, friends... where had they gone? Mixed with them are the new feelings toward the beautiful, deadly woman lying injured in your bed. Your hands start shaking as the emotions kick in a physical reaction, a shudder... a release of tension you never knew existed. At the back of you mind you become aware of something else. A cold, dark, hissing of your intellect, your cunning, your drive and your dispassionate lethality. All those things that have been you completely for the past months. It cuts through the emotions like cold ice. "You are a warrior," it says. "You are ninja. Leave this behind. It is weakness and folly. The only true comfort comes from cold steel in your hand and the skill and will to use it."

Behind you your pager buzzes just as the sun peaks above the horizon. From Yuri. Mavericks meeting as soon as you can make it to the base.

Impetus & Crusader: The two of you stand in the dark of Morningside park as you converse. The place is relatively empty at this time of night, though you see an illegal can fire burning at the base of the hill leading up to the hospital above. A few of the homeless gather around, trying to stay warm on a cold night.
Just as you continue to try to figure out just what this Warlord might be up to a call comes in over Crusader's radio. "Crusader, this is Wild Heart. You out there? Just saw you on the news bulletin. Everything ok?" With an "excuse me" to Impetus you answer her call, giving her location and who you are with.
"Impetus, huh? Look like a serious power house, just from the brief camera shots of him. Seems on the up and up with you, that's good enough for me. I've got some news myself. One, if you haven't heard, Masterson is out of danger. I'll fill you in on the details, but I've been busy for the last couple of days trying call in some markers and it worked out. Also, MIRV and Arcsilver returned earlier this evening. They had a run in with someone down in Austin. We've got a meeting scheduled for early this morning and we'll all get the low down. After that, I've changed the agenda for our meeting with your old friends in green. As the whole team is back, I want to meet them 'en mass'. There's more going on than just this Warlord and I don't want to be scrambling on multiple fronts if we can help it."
She pauses for anything you want to add, then, "So this Impetus guy wants to help us out, and there is a new paranormal villain out there stealing drugs... hmmm. Ok. If Impetus is agreeable, we'll hold our team meeting somewhere neutral, and you bring him along. Things work out, he can come along to the VIPER meet. You've got a few hours now, so get some sleep or whatever, meet tomorrow morning at the south side of the Hudson Park Pond. Should be pretty empty at that time of morning this time of year. I'll bring the rest of the team."
"Oh, and good work tonight. You handled the press well, and they're usually twice as bad as the super villains. See you in a few hours." And she signs off.

[RDU Neil]

Post 113

From G/Speedball:

Hey Eric--good to "see" you again.

Speedball, gathering up a few needed items, heads out of the room to his
apartment where he needs to gather his costume (bloodied as it is), shoot
up, and figure out how the heck he's going to find these Mavericks and warn
them that Kid Marvellous (or whatever it was he called himself) needs their
help. Honestly, Speedball isn't sure that the kid's not geting what he
deserves--"I mean, why was he poking around in my head in the first place?"
Resolving himself to try a little harder at the Hero game, though, Speedball
heads for a public phone to call the police and dials 911. He asks for
someone who can put him in touch with the Mavericks, that he has information
"crucial to the survival of Kid ummm...Fantastic, I think he called
himself." If the police are no help in locating the Mavericks ("Don't you
guys have a 'Mavericks' light on top of the empire State Building, like in
Batman?), then Speedball will just have to try the less attractive option of
locating a cybercafe (they're all over the lower east side, but I don't know
how late they stay open or, for that matter, what time it is) and tooling
around on the net, trying to find a website where I can send an email that
reads:

"I have important information about the survival of Kid Fantastic. He said
you are all in grave danger too. Meet me ASAP at playground on the corner
of 1st and 1st. --Speedball

ps. get a phone listing. geez."


As he sets out to meet with the Mavericks in either case, Speedball looks
forward to giving to giving Kid Fantastic a piece of his mind after he's
finished saving his ass and rolls around some insults in his head.
"Kid Fascistic"
"Kid InMyHead"
"Kid NoneOfYourBusinessWhatIDoWithMyLife..."

From S/Crusader:

"Because Onyx does leave his gym." Crusader points out; "and all the
listening devices in the world are not going to give you heads up on when
Onyx does his patrol thing." {GM clarification if needed: Onyx is known for
his turf being Harlem. And that he does patrol... correct?}

((("Wrong side of the law? You ain'
always been doin' the hero thang?")))

Pop my helmet faceplate back, so Impetus can see my face. This is a
gesture of trust, unusual for Crusader. "Nope. I ran away from an affluent
home in the burbs of Seattle. Ran right into the Big Green aka Viper. They
took me in, gave me a home and purpose, taught me how to kill, grafted into
me bio-cybernetics and concocted Silverdyne drug programs and made me the man
I am today. I've been trying to make up for my sins ever since."

((("So this Impetus guy
wants to help us out, and there a new paranormal villain out there stealing
drugs... hmmm. Ok. If he's agreeable, we'll hold our team meeting
somewhere neutral, and you bring him along. Things work out, he can come
along to the VIPER meet. You've got a few hours now, so get some sleep or
whatever, meet tomorrow morning at the south side of the Hudson Park Pond.
Should be pretty empty at that time of morning in this time of year. I'll
bring the rest of the team.")))

I relate the place (Hudson Park) to Impetus and add; "After the
Maverick's Love Fest, we are going to meet a faction of the Big Green. They
might have info on Warlord. Interested?"

From B/Impetus:

THREE NOTES HERE:

1) Hi, Eric! Man, I missed you playing. Good to see you again, dude!

2) I am now Officially Amused, because I finally am playing things from the
same perspective where Storn was when *I* first came in; I have a really
damn good idea of what's going on, but I have to remain officially clueless
because Impetus is a newbie. I never realized how much Thermal had picked
up in all of his adventures, et al....

3) If you want a quick idea of what Impetus looks like, he's got the basic
muscle structure of the Hulk when Dale Keown was drawing him, and the basic
features of Holocaust, albeit without the flames shooting out of his eyes.

(((("Because Onyx does leave his gym." Crusader points out; "and all the
listening devices in the world are not going to give you heads up on when
Onyx does his patrol thing."))))

"True," he says offhandedly, but you can tell he's not really convinced.

(((("Nope. I ran away from an affluent
home in the burbs of Seattle. Ran right into the Big Green aka Viper. They
took me in, gave me a home and purpose, taught me how to kill, grafted into
me bio-cybernetics and concocted Silverdyne drug programs and made me the
man
I am today. I've been trying to make up for my sins ever since."))))

Impetus winces. "Wow. Viper, huh? I ain' neva had to deal widdem, but I
hear they real badass; you musta been some piecea work to break free a'those
muthas, man. I got nothin' but respec' for a guy who can walk away from
alla dat."

(((( I relate the place (Hudson Park) to Impetus and add; "After the
Maverick's Love Fest, we are going to meet a faction of the Big Green. They
might have info on Warlord. Interested?"))))

"Oh yeah," he says, grinning. "Hey, ain' every day I get to meet people who
make the front cover a'tha Post, know what I'm sayin? Whateva you need, I
got it. See ya there, homes." And assuming everything's set, he shakes
hands and kicks off again.

Impetus lands in an alleyway and rips off the fake dreads he's wearing,
revealing a bullet-shaped skull. He looks at the leather jacket he wore
tonight to the gig -- totally wasted. He's gonna have to find cheaper
dusters somewhere, because he only makes about $34,000 a year and he can't
afford to blow through an expensive jacket a week like he's been doing.
It's back to the Salvation Army; man, he hates those fucking places, they're
for bums and rich white kids, but he's gonna have to do it.

For just a brief second, he misses the gang life; yeah, he was scum, but
man, he NEVER had to worry about cash when he was rollin'.

But it's a brief twinge, and then he thinks about Red Cap and what a
fucked-up lifestyle Cap was leading, and he's okay again.

He digs in the trash, nose wrinkling, and pulls out a grungy white T-shirt
and a pair of jeans a plastic bag he'd hid there earlier tonight. With a
sigh, he tosses the jacket, punctured and slashed, into the trash. He
probably could wear it tonight, but even if he isn't banging anymore,
well -- a guy's gotta make an impression. He's not checkin' in with
Wildheart with some piece of crap, now...

He walks up the stairs to his apartment complex, tiptoeing gingerly so he
doesn't thunder through the whole house, and hovers down to the basement
apartment he lives in. It's pretty much a bachelor's place -- functional,
but not pretty. He floats over to the fridge, pulls out a Miller Hi-Life,
and sits down on his steel-reinforced couch with a smile.

He's gotta sleep, but he can wait a half an hour first. Impetus turns on
the TV, watches the news, sees a flash of him leaping off... and for the
first time in months, he feels good. He stopped some junkies from killing
themselves tonight, got respect from Crusader, made some headway about maybe
joining up with the Mavericks... the perennial, low-grade anger Impetus
usually feels has temporarily evaporated, replaced with a sense of comfort.

Weezie, we movin' on up.

Impetus cracks a second beer and smiles.

The Ferrett

From I/Arcsilver:

The only thing that I would add to the narrative is that Arc would
contact Mavericks HQ and let someone know what had happened, but MIRV
probably took care of that. Arc will make sure to say a fond farewell to
Montero, suggesting that he let him know if anything else should happen
that he thinks is related, and then we will set out.

Before the trip, Arc will ask if Artie has a preference for hotels in
New York City, and if he has none, He will set him up in a fair to
midland place mid-town, as i don't know what his finaces are like. Arc
will then contact Wildheart or whomever is at the base, telling her/him
where he is leaving Artie, and asking if Wildheart might pull a string
and get a cop to hang around the door if she thinks it is necessary.
"Take a shower and get some rest, Artie, I will come back tomorrow in the
late morning/early afternoon and we will go and see The ADA." Arcsilver
will say, as he deposits Artie safely in the room. As he leaves with
MIRV, he will ask "geez, MIRV, do you think that we are supposed to keep
an eye on this guy the whole time? Doesn't seem like he really wants to
get away from us..."

The Arc will head with MIRV to the base, making fun of how slow he flies
without the wing.

-Ilan/Arcsilver

From S/Crusader:

<< Impetus winces. "Wow. Viper, huh? I ain' neva had to deal widdem, but I
hear they real badass; you musta been some piecea work to break free a'those
muthas, man. I got nothin' but respec' for a guy who can walk away from
alla dat." >>

"Got a bit of luck from a high. When the creator of this suit and I
busted out, it coincided with LA going into the Big Drink. My base of
operations and my records were at the LA Nest. But there are plenty of
Snakes on the look out for me still. So I'm not sure how much of a piece of
work I am."

After leaving Impetus, Crusader heads home. To the dilapitated warehouse
known only to a few as the Mavericks HQ. He strips off the armor once and
puts in the special alcove built into the Winnebago that Yuri designed. Any
other Mavericks are met with a quiet but pleasent "hello." Crusader/John
needs some time to himself.
The coversation with Impetus brought up some precarious memories. As he
slips into work out trunks, John looks at the silvery, blue plastisteel
sockets in his thighs, calves, shoulders, back and biceps. Small, 3/4"
diameter portrusions that allow the Intercept armor to attach right to the
body and to transmit neurological info to the suit.
Still, John is thankful. Many Viper applicants washed out of the
Intercept program. Rejection of the plastisteel sockets, allergic reaction
to the Silverdyne drug programs... John was lucky. His body accepted all of
these invasive procedures with remarkable adaptability. Viper MedTechs were
amazed at how soon John started training after the battery of operations.
After which, John starts a kata designed to make his 6'4" frame as
flexible as possible. 'The plastisteel won't wear out, but the muscles and
tendons have to be kept in shape.', he thinks wryly.
Then John gets some sleep on his cot, behind the cheap Akia folding
partitions that mark his room from the rest of the HQ. His sleep is deep and
dreamless.

--storn

-----------

From GM:

Note: (One post for everyone. Matt hasn't responded yet, so I'll keep this short. Thanks for reminding me about Holocaust, Bill. Makes me want to go back and read all my Blood Syndicate comics. Damn those were good.)

>>> Arcsilver and MIRV had the easiest evening, so are up early. MIRV checks in with Wild Heart, and heads out before anyone else. "I guess they're releasing Darkfire, and I have to go pick the boy up," he says by way of explanation. To Yuri, Arcsilver and Crusader, who all stayed at the HQ the night before, Wild Heart appears chipper; her mood much improved from the days before. Arcsilver makes a quick check in with the hotel, and Artie says he's fine. "Money is not a problem, so don't worry about me. I'll be waiting when it's time to meet with the A.D.A." After that, it is quick breakfast and heading out.
You each make your way to the meeting in the morning. Hudson Park is on the Jersey side of the Hudson River, north of Weehawken (where the Mavericks' base is hidden in old, run down docksides) by two miles or so. It is a large park, nearly as wide Central Park, but only a quarter as long. There is a large pond in the middle. Early on a cold March morning, the place is deserted. Light frost covers the grass and leaves, and a low fog surrounds the pond. The sky is cloudy and dark gray. The sun cuts through on the horizon, but is soon lost in the haze.
If anyone was out that morning, they'd have been witness to an impressive sight. A blaze of white and blue lightning flashes across the sky, heralding the Mavericks' arrival. Arcsilver, zips around the lake with a crackle and whoosh, stirring the fog, before he lands with a flourish. Wild Heart arrives next. Her lithe form drops in a parabolic arc, the ground shakes with a mild THUMP! as she lands. She smoothes back her dark hair, and adjust her leather jacket as she turns to look back. Just behind her, swooping down like black bird of prey, armor glinting even in the dispersed light, comes Crusader. Only the rush of wind in his glider cape ushers him down to a silent, poised landing. The three say nothing. The still of the morning powerful enough to keep even Arcsilver from talking, for the moment.
Less than a minute later, the low jet roar of MIRV's boot jets comes from the East. An aerial shining knight, his blue and silver is a beacon over the trees. The jets rise in octaves as he adjust his flight, legs swinging under him to act as retros, lowering him to the ground in a billow of wind and leaves. In his arms is the striking black and white figure of Darkfire, his arm, shoulder and chest still bandaged. He steps to the ground, solid and easy. He does a mock bow with his good arm extended, and steps away from MIRV. The group is still silent, a gathering of power.
(Visual: Misty pond in the background, five impressive figures posed like an album cover in calm, but powerful stances, with frosted breath and bare trees. Camera angle rotates, slowly, viewing from west, showing the five's seemingly rural location imposed with the impressive New York skyline behind them. freeze frame.)

A short time later, Impetus arrives. plummeting from the sky like a meteor, his massive form impacts with a jarring WHOOMM!! Strange ripples of violet energy radiate like rings in a pool from the landing point, flattening grass in a twenty foot circle. Straightening up, his considerable bulk and height are evident. He looks about the five heroes surrounding him with a grim smile. Darkfire speaks the first words of the day... an understated, "Damn. He's big."
Wild Heart steps forward then, hand extended. "Glad you could make... Impetus is it? I'm Wild Heart, in case you didn't know. Saw you on the news, but you are even more impressive in person. You certainly looked like you did well, last night. Crusader gives you a big thumbs up, too." She gestures to the others. "You know Crusader. This is MIRV..." shiny, chrome and blue armored figure steps forward to shake your hand. A large energy cannon is across his back. "The skinny, glowing guy is Arcsilver." (Splice in Arc's comments here.) Finally pointing to the last figure, muscular body in skin tight white costume with stylized black flame pattern on it, "That's Darkfire, looking a little worse for wear." (He's the one bandaged up, arm, chest and shoulder.) "At least he's here, though," she grumbles, looking around. Then back to Impetus. "Our sixth hasn't shown or responded. I want to give him a couple more minutes, before we start. You mind telling us anything about yourself. That was an impressive display of power. Care to tell us the story behind 'em. Crusader said you mentioned something about "something happened to you." I'd love to hear it." Her smile is a brilliant white in a tanned (even in winter) smooth skinned face. You notice that her blue "mask" is painted on makeup. Her dark hair is thick and lustrous. Black leather jacket over deep blue spandex with red striping, black combat boots. Over six feet two, she can almost look Impetus in the eye, and though her hand is smaller, she has a grip as steel hard as his.

(Converse as a group, while you await Dragon Mist. Matt, hope everything is cool with you, and will await your post.)<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 114 (Keeping this in the same thread but this is an insert, where I was running a short bit to bring Eric's character into the game... like I did with Impetus and Speedball.)

From GM: Introducing Cowboy (from another campaign... Storn ran a brief, alt-Earth near future cyberpunk supers game, and Eric wanted to keep using the character he created there.)

Here's a little introductory adventure to get Cowboy going. I'll keep copying you on the Mavericks posts as well, so when the two combine you'll have some idea about what is going on.

>>>It's the lower levels of Manhattan where you feel most at home. Despite all the rapid changes in your life, recently, you still aren't all that comfortable with the flash and glitz of the spotlight. The HQ is nice. Real comfortable. Great food. But the fancy hotels, high rise meetings with the muckity mucks... being friendly with the COPS. None of that seems real. And that's not even touching all this MAGIC crap that's been coming down...
Old paper and scattered drinking bulbs skitter past your feet in the low sub-breeze. Your black coat kicks up high behind you, and you snag the brim of your hat with your fingers to keep it from blowing off. There's always a wind down here, on the old streets, at the base of the immense spires above you. Convection currents are harsh, and few pedestrians use these streets any more. Skywalk One, fifty feet up. That's where the action is. Down here you have to fight the wash of the big trucks, road trains and personal commuter cars. Old storefronts are often boarded up, and those that are open are seedy bars, low rent law offices, and sweat shop fronts. It's the grime in the toes of the big city...
... but it feels like home.
The New Centurions have made a pledge to patrol. To be seen. Places like this is where you like to show up. Bronze... can't get used to calling him Bronze Star, even after all this time... he likes to take Upper Manhattan and the Jersey side of the river. Lower buildings. Lot's of leaping and running and shaking hands with the folks on the street. Breakbeat's got his club scene and flying around making that screeching sound he calls music. Silhouette has her classy air car, and keeps the Upper East side snobs happy. Avatar can fly almost anywhere, and now there's that big walking chunk of asphalt, Coal, who bops around Long Island a lot, since there's more open dirt and stuff for him to move through. The Bronx though... and places like the substreets... those are yours. Here the shadows hold grifters and thugs, street walkers and junkies... all the fun people you grew up with. When you walk down here, people step lightly out of the way, 'cause they know you're no uptown geek slumming. Your rep is strong down here, and you like it that way.
Turning off the main drag, you step into Alley 4. It used to be sunny courtyard lined with expensive boutiques but now the superstructures cast long shadows over the little park. The shops have become various produce stalls, vendors of cheap plastic flowers, and fronts for less savory businesses. Here there are plenty of people... deal makers and rummage sale hounds. It's a lively bustle of humanity and you stride into like you own it. People turn, half of them shying away into the shadows, and the other half looking at you like your were a holo star. They all part before you like a wave.
You move through the crowd, listening to the murmurs and nodding to those who look your way. Halfway through the alleyway the crowds closing behind you are suddenly disturbed. The tone of voices change with some alarm, and you turn. Twenty feet back, the source hidden by the people between, there is a deep red/pink glow that wasn't there before. It is getting wider and brighter. Then, there is a sudden scream coming from somewhere near the light.<<<

What do you do?

[RDU Neil]

Post 115 - Mavericks Impetus meeting cont'd


(Splice in Arc's comments here.)

Arcsilver takes a few unnaturally quick steps up and takes Impetus' hand
before he can lower it from the previous shake. "Hey there, big guy,
what's shakin'" arc will say, and then cringe and hold his hand in mock
pain when Impetus lets go, saying "ooh oooh" as if the shake was too much
for his skinny wrist (smiling). Arcsilver's grip is not firm at all, and
Impetus is struck by how small his hand and arm are.

Arcsilver is thin and tallish, with slightly pale caucasion skin, and a
big toothy smile. He wears a bright blue speed skating outfit, complete
with the groovy glasses, and his hands and wrists are wrapped in boxer's
tape, but the sheek dark blue tape that has become available only since
affluent middle aged people started to "boxercize."

From S/Crusader:

Crusader is quiet. He lets everyone make their greetings first. After
all, he doesn't have to introduce himself. And he is a mite bit embarressed
about how much he revealed to a total stranger.
When everyone is done, Crusader will say with a heartfelt, sincere;
"Good to see you made it."

Press On, Oh Noble GM!
--storn

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist dials the number to the HQ before he realizes having done so.
"Yuri. I got your page. I'm going to need some help before the meeting. . ."
With that he relates that Greyspirit is wounded, his safe house has been
compromised and his sister is in danger. "Greyspirit will recover, she just
needs a safe place to lay low a little while and I will need help transporting
her to base. Can you meet me with the van?"

------------

From GM:

Note: (Well, I haven't received anything from Bill so I'm going to push this along, just so it doesn't stall too much. Hope folks can jump back in when they have a chance. Bill, you ok? I noticed you haven't posted on Star City in the past couple of weeks, either. Hope everything's ok.)

>>>For a few minutes conversation is strained and uncomfortable. Impetus is strangely quiet, perhaps feeling a bit surrounded by the five Mavericks. Arcsilver's jokes fall flat, and even Darkfire can't seem to break the ice. "Great to meet you," he says, as Impetus turns to him. "Welcome to the gang!" He is clearly smiling through his face mask, but Impetus seems to grow a little colder, and even Crusader gets a little stony in his silence. "What?" says Darkfire, looking around, bewildered. "What'd I say?"

Speedball: With a blur of fingers you rattle off your e-mail to the Mavericks, and kick back in your chair hitting the enter button. Spinning in the chair, your brain whirls, trying to figure out what else you could do. You are feeling GOOD right now. You have plenty of energy and the brew TOTALLY destroys any cravings. Your senses are sharp and everything is just... good. In the back of your head, you still fear the come down, but right now, you're on a roll.
Then you slam your chair to stop almost knocking into the person next to you, as you notice a strange window pop up on the screen in front of you. Black window with gold border. Gold font, in some kind of calligraphy. "Hello, Speedball," it says. "Please wait for a response."
"DAMN!" you think. That was FAST.

Wild Heart steps back up to Impetus, shaking her head ruefully, and is just about to speak when her watch, as well as MIRV's and Crusader's helmet and the headsets on Arcsilver and Darkfire, all buzz. As everyone keys their radios on, she smiles and says, "Hold on, Impetus. Gotta take a call." Then into her watch she says, "This is Wild Heart, and gang." Yuri's voice comes across, and Wild Heart keeps her wrist out so Impetus can catch his words. "Ah. Sorry to being a bother," he says. "Something of very interesting on the computer just appeared. I was doing searches as Crusader's report indicated that the Impetus fellow had a message for us. I have found that one, am apologizing for it being too late... but something else just appeared. I am seeing a instant messaging window of unknown origin. It says, "Relaying message from Speedball. Urgent." Attached is being a forwarded message from a hotmail account. It says there is great danger, and involves someone named Kid Fantastic (see Geoff's last post). Very strange." There is a buzzing in the background of the call and Yuri says, "A moment please," and clicks off. Within moments he is back. "Am patching through Dragon Mist. Conferencing on channel 2. He is saying he has much problems. Someone has attacked his sister!"

There is a sudden hubbub of people trying to talk. Wild Heart takes a deep breath, trying to focus. "It's never easy," she mutters. "It should be easy, but it never is." (Apologies to John Crichton)<<<

End the latest issue. Arcsilver, Crusader, Impetus, Speedball take 3 EXP. Dragon Mist, you get one, since it was more of a cameo appearance this issue.
Everybody throw in there own two cents, ifn' you want, as we start the next issue trying to figure out what to do next!

[RDU Neil]

Post 116 - Cowboy

From E/Cowboy:

"Never a dull moment..." Cowboy draws his two
pistols, a glint in his eye. "God, I love being
me..." With that, he moves towards where he thinks
the noise is coming from.

If this takes him into the light, he will leap inside,
rolling up into a crouch. If there is a wall of some
kind, he will continue rolling until he can prop his
back against the wall, and point his guns in both
directions. Quick glances to either side.

If no targets present themselves, he will cautiously
move towards the screams, pistols raised in front of
him.

-----------

From GM:

>>>As you move back toward the light you are met by the surging crowd, trying to move away from it. People begin to panic as they are caught between you and your guns and the macabre, evil looking light growing in intensity.
Rather than being trampled, you flex the silicon tendons in your left leg and deftly leap up and over the crowd, landing six meters closer to the light your back up against a food stand. The proprietor is scrambling behind you, to close up his deep fryers and turn off the sterno flames. "Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap..." he keeps saying, over and over, ignoring you all the while.
Your attention is focused on what seems to be a growing ball of light. Blood red luminescence reflects off your dark glasses as you grit your teeth. Hackles on the back of your neck are rising and you get a queasy feeling in your stomach. It's very similar to when you fought that giant demon thing that stomped all over you, or at that freaky pyramid in Egypt. "Feh... magic," you think.
Then you see the source of the scream. Around the other side of the ball of light, a young woman is on the ground being dragged into the ball by a slimy, black tentacle that wraps up the length of her body and is choking out her scream. It begins to start to suffocate her by covering her mouth and nose. You can see no body/source for the tentacle but its slimy length is exposed in a number of places.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 117 - Maverics w/Impetus

From B/Impetus:

((((He looks about the five heroes
surrounding him with a grim smile. Darkfire speaks the first words of the
day... an understated, "Damn. He's big."))))

There is in fact a moment of VERY uncomfortable silence, while Impetus
stands sizing each of you impassively, his face as ice cold as any gangster
you've ever seen... but then he tilts his head, as if in approval, and
grins. "So you da Mavericks, hanh?" he says. "I seen ya'll in the Post,
but you folks look different in person."

(((("Glad you could
make... Impetus is it? I'm Wild Heart, in case you didn't know. Saw you on
the news, but you are even more impressive in person. ))))

Impetus takes her hand and shakes it firmly, but in that moment he's quite
obviously eyeing Wildheart's charms, finding a spare second or two to smile
even more appreciatively. It's not a particularly lewd look, but there is
an offer implicit in his eyes... if she chooses to take it. (NOTE: If
Wildheart is publicly involved with anyone in the Mavericks -- Impetus reads
the Post cover to back every morning on the subway -- then this incident
doesn't happen, although he still takes a moment to check her out.)

"Pleaseda meetcha," he says. "It's a real honor, Wildheart. I read a lot
aboutcha, but I'm new to this supahero biz, man -- never thought I'd run
inta you this soon." He pauses for a moment, then says: "Aw any of y'all,
atchly. You guys done a lotta good work here in NYC and I got mad respect
for all a'yall fo' whatchoo do."

(((( Arcsilver takes a few unnaturally quick steps up and takes Impetus'
hand
before he can lower it from the previous shake. "Hey there, big guy,
what's shakin'" arc will say, and then cringe and hold his hand in mock
pain when Impetus lets go, saying "ooh oooh" as if the shake was too much
for his skinny wrist (smiling). Arcsilver's grip is not firm at all, and
Impetus is struck by how small his hand and arm are.))))

Impetus glowers down at Arcsilver, and for a heart-stopping second you think
there's going to be real trouble as his eyes furrow. After a half-second,
though, he gets the joke... and laughs thunderously, one of those total body
laughs where your chest heaves.

"Hey, man!" he says, turning to the rest of you in mock surprise. "Nobody
tol' me I'd be fightin' with Brian Boitano!"

(((("That's Darkfire, looking a little worse for wear." (He's the one
bandaged up, arm, chest and shoulder.) ))))

"What in hell happen ta you, man?"

((((Crusader said you mentioned
something about "something happened to you." I'd love to hear it." ))))

Impetus winces, as if in pain, then looks at Wildheart... you can almost see
the, "Should I or shouldn't I?" running through his mind here. Then he
steps aside bashfully, and says, "Ah tell it, but it ain' much of a story.
I was rummagin' through the basement a'some building that was gonna be
condemned, an' there was this psycho guy 'sperimentin' on three homeless
guys. He was doin'... well, I seen a lot a'dead homes in my time as a
'banger, but he... he fuckin' turn 'em inside OUT, f'God's sake. They wuz
screamin', and ah tried t'run, but nex' thing I know I was trapped in this
violet field -- look like this," he says, and flares his forcefield
briefly -- "and then I passed out. When I came to, I could do the stuff I
did. Doan' know what tha guy wannit... not sure I WANNA know, either, but
'f I find him I'm gonna do mah bes' to make sure he pays faw those bums he
kilt." He shakes his head. "Or DIDN'T kill."

((( When everyone is done, Crusader will say with a heartfelt, sincere;
"Good to see you made it.")))

Impetus glides up and holds out a hand meant for Crusader alone. "Wouldn'a
missed it, man. Wouldn'a missed it."

From G/Speedball:

Speedball is amazed at how well organized the Mavericks organization seems to
be. At the same time, however, he resents sitting in this cybercafe when it
would be so much easier if they could all meet face to face. He continues
to wonder, as he waits, how much he can trust these people. "Yeah, they're
the good guys....but how're the going to react to me if they know I'm a
junky?"
At the first sign of a response from the Mavs, he will suggest that he meet
up with them in the city ASAP.
As he sits, waiting, he takes three quarters out of his pocket and begins
tossing them into the air with his left hand, absentmindedly. The other
computer users smile at first, then continue to look on, seeing the glazed
look in Joe's eyes, as if he were a child watching TV and cuking his thumb.

(You can take this as my post unless the answer that comes from the Mavs
requires more detail, in which case I'll repost and try and keep things
moving)

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will not add anything to the confusing discussion, but will
try to follow it, and will anxiously activate his flight.

-Ilan

From S/Crusader:

(((Impetus glides up and holds out a hand meant for Crusader alone. "Wouldn'a
missed it, man. Wouldn'a missed it.")))

Crusader will take Impetus's hand and shake it with respect. Turn to the
rest; "Well, Wild Heart, you've called us all here. I've heard just a few
words of this Kid Fantastic but don't know much about him. "Speedball"
might be the wacko that Impetus and I faced. So... what's next."

To Impetus with this bit of filler, "Kid Fantastic was one of the
Mavericks briefly, before my time."

----------

From GM:

>>>"OK, ok, ok!" says Wild Heart in a loud voice, trying to regain control. "Before this gets out of hand... quickly, Dragon Mist, are you under attack... No?, ok... your current sitrep is what? You have a wounded Grey Spirit? And you sister may be in danger? All right. Hold for a second."
Turning back to everyone she says, "Saddle up. I want to go at this as a group... right away if possible." Looking at Impetus, she says, "Hey, hunk. You want to come with us? I'd like to keep up this conversation on the run." Assuming an affirmative answer, she says, "Great. Arcs, scout ahead toward Upper East side but DO NO, repeat DO NOT engage, we'll be right behind you. MIRV carry Darkfire. Crusader, you're with him." Again to Impetus, "Get me across the river with that geo-leaping of yours and I'll be fine after that." Then she steps into his arms in an utterly casual way... her body lean and very hard. She smiles, "Watch the hands, buddy. I don't know you that well... yet," and gives a wink.
As the group takes off she makes a last call, back to base. "Yuri. This Speedball character. Tell him we'll try to meet him where he indicated. Anybody who knows about Kid Fantastic we have to meet. Most people have never heard of him. He kept a low profile before he went down." Then back to Impetus who has been gathering a deepening field of energy beneath his feet while he waited, she says, "Ok. Let's goooooOOOOOOOO!" as he releases the field momentarily negating the effects of gravity so that they both rocket upwards and back toward Manhattan.

Speedball: A minute passes as you stare at the screen, juggling changes and tapping your feet to the strange rhythms in your head. Suddenly a second black window covers the first and again the golden calligraphy spills across it. "Thank you for waiting, Speedball," it says. "Attached is a message from the Mavericks." You start to click on the attachment file when further script appears. "If you wish to accomplish your goals more efficiently, I would direct you to the Upper East side. (Address follows.) You will find the people you are looking for, there." Then the black box signs off with the simple signature of "Gabriel" then disappears leaving the screen as it should normally look.
Opening the attachment shows a regular e-mail reply to your post stating that the Mavericks will do what they can to meet you at the 1st and 1st playground that afternoon.

Dragon Mist: You stand looking over Grey Spirit as she sleeps. While you are trying to decide whether to move her or let her simply sleep, your radio buzzes again. Wild Heart's voice comes across, "DM. We're on the move. You said your sister was staying on the Upper East side. We'll be there in a couple of minutes. Do you still need a pick up, or will you join us there? What is the potential threat? Do we go in loud and fast or quiet and fast?" The sound of air rushing past her radio blurs and swishes her words.<<<

Ok, the main group has a couple of minutes while they cross the city, so if you want to say things as you go, please say them now. Strategies and such are appreciated. The Mavericks are pretty lose. If someone has an idea, just say it. Wild Heart's always open to new plans. Speedball, Dragon Mist... let me know what you guys decide to do.

[greymankle]

Just making sure you know people are reading this. :D

Hey Neil, were you running a FtF game during all of this? I gather you do most of your replies from work but even then that had to be a TON of work. Scary.

-Peace

[RDU Neil]

Just making sure you know people are reading this. :D

Hey Neil, were you running a FtF game during all of this? I gather you do most of your replies from work but even then that had to be a TON of work. Scary.

-Peace

Hey... glad to hear from you. Back behind the wire for a while?

As to this game... the worst part was coordinating the timelines between the PBEM and FtF games. It took MONTHS... if not YEARS to game out all the stuff I'm posting here... but it is really the equivalent of about six FtF sessions (about six issues of The Mavericks). That is crazy slow... and trying to coordinate with all the fast moving games going on in other parts of the RDU. ACK! Major head ache. Probably one of the main reasons I stopped. PBEM is just too slow to be part of RDU.

I love the format, though. When every player gets to be so involved... and the dramatic action unfolds in detail... well, it really has an impact only the best FtF games can approach.

Just too, damn SLOW! :ugly:

[greymankle]

Just too, damn SLOW!

Well it would seem to me you need to find an area of RDU that exists outside the normal timeline and/or far enough detached where they would not intertwine. cough JAPAN cough cough But you may not want to open that particular present through E-mail. Chi blasting Kung-fu craziness is really fun FtF.

[RDU Neil]

Post 118 - Cowboy again

From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy stands, raising his pistols up in front of him
as he does so. "OUTTA THE WAY, PEOPLE! HERO COMIN'
THROUGH!" he yells to the crowd.

He strides slowly forewards, saying, "No lady's gonna
get dragged off on MY watch..." and looks the tentacle
over, looking for a weak spot. Then he starts
shooting. The bullets rip out of the gun as fast as
he can pull the trigger.

Having no fear whatsoever, he will stride right up to
the woman, at the edge of the ball of light.

----------

From GM:

"BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM!! The thunder of your guns drowns out the screams and cries for a second, and you are rewarded with the satisfying sight of the tentacle shredding under multiple impacts. Goblets of flesh and blood spray the walkway as the remainder of the thrashing limb retreats into the light. The struggling woman gasps as the twitching length still wrapped around her goes limp, freeing her mouth. She lets out a slow moan of horror, feebly pushing at the constricting flesh. You see her skin is marred... slightly burned... where the tentacle touched it. The stench is sickening and you focus on breathing through your mouth.
Cautiously you move up to her, thinking to help her out, but training your guns on the glowing sphere, you look for more threats.
Your com suddenly chirps, and Silhouette's voice comes across sharply saying, "This is Sil, I'm on hover trans over 121st and Skywalk 2." (This is three miles and many many blocks north of your position.) "I've got a strange disturbance below. Weird light show seems to be causing a ruckus. I'm checking it out. NYPD patrol also in sight and descending. Out."
The woman at your feet thrashes feebly, her face pale. She's likely going into shock.

Out of the corner of your eye shifts in the light catch your attention. Though difficult to see, you think you make out shapes... darker shadows... deep in the light.

[RDU Neil]

Post 119 - Cowboy again

From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy triggers the com. "As always, good ta hear yer
voice, Sil. I got a weird glowin' light here at
(nearest cross streets). Some tentacle thing tried ta
grab a woman off the street 'n pull her in. I shot it
ta shit, though. I think... I can just make out some
more of 'em through the ball of light."

He squints, looking over the top of his shades.
"Dunno what the hell they are, but they stink ta High
Hell! I need an ambulance here fer the woman, she
looks burnt, think she's goin' inta shock."

If he sees any more tentacles come out, or if the
shapes resolve themselves more, he will start shooting
into the ball of light, standing between it and the
woman. "Come on, you bastards," he mutters, "give me
a target..."

----------

From GM:

While watching the vague shadows intently, you listen to the comm chatter which suddenly becomes filled with voices. Bronze comes on with, "Similar sitrep here in Jersey in the middle of Broadway! Working with police to clear away onlookers from the signing. I told them it's a bad idea for me to do publicity stunts like this!!" Then Avatar and Coal cut across, both talking about a large glowing sphere over the HQ. "That little bug guy is running around like a total spas," comes Avatar's voice. "I'm getting bad vibes on this one. It's definitely a magical attack."
Just then a shadow coalesces in the light, moving toward you growing larger and more distinctive. Guns leveled, you see a familiar shape begin to emerge from the light. Thick limbed, with spines and barbs protruding at all angles from the skin, you immediately recognize one of the hulking demon things that the team faced in South Carolina... when that Techmage dude stole that mecha.
Your guns blaze immediately and four out of five shots slam into the creature from less than ten feet away but the slugs ping and zing off the body and the creature merely stop and growls at you. It clearly tenses to attack. Yep, they are just as tough as you remember. You also remember that two of these bastards put Bronze in the hospital.

[RDU Neil]

Post 120 - And still Cowboy

From E/Cowboy:

"Damn, not _these_ guys again..." Cowboy takes a step
back, and sizes up the demon thing (going for Find
Weakness). After (hopefully) finding that weakspot,
he plugs it with 2 AP shots.

Over the com he says, "I got one of those demon things
we fought out in the boonies a while ago, comin' outta
the ball of light. Just as tough now as they were
then."

If it goes down, he will look harder into the light
ball, trying to see if there is one of those mage
demons like in SC.

----------

From GM:

(Geez. The rolls for Cowboy were UNBELIEVABLE.)

>>>With a wicked snarl, the creature focuses on you. It's inhuman muscles bunch and knot and it's twisted limbs flex. Before it can leap though, you casually raise your pistol to it's head, and with a sneer fire twice. K-Blam! K-Blam! The gun kicks in your hand, but you compensate perfectly. Two .44 caliber slugs impact, one in each eye, within nano seconds of each other. The wave front pressure of both bullets liquefies the eyeballs as well as half of the gray matter in the creatures skull before impact actually occurs. When they find the back of the skull, the creatures bones resist penetration and bullets begin to ricochet within it's head. The demon's head snaps back from impact and the churning, pressurized fluid that had been it's frontal lobe has nowhere to go but back out the eye sockets. Twin geysers of thick black gore gush upwards as the creatures knees buckle and it collapses. It's growl turning to gurgle as it dies.

(Game notes: Found Weakness with a 9, hit with both bullets, doing 12 Body and 14 Body AP, which negated any and all resistant defenses. The beast took 26 Body and 78 Stun, which adds three more body to the total. Whoa. You have now fired Five shots from the gun without the variable advantage, and seven shots from the gun with it.)

"Well, that was easy..." you think... looking deeper into the light. Your Gargoyle's run a data feed inside them, automatically trying to compensate for the glare as microprocessors try to clarify and enhance the shadowy images you can barely make out. Suddenly the glowing light shifts, drastically expanding in luminescence and size... like a small sun going nova. Despite your glasses you are blinded as all images of the crowd and bazaar are wiped away and you are swallowed by the light.

(You are still standing on something firm, and have a second action. No obvious targets, though. Just bright light.)

[RDU Neil]

Post 121 - Back to the Mavericks

From G/Speedball:

More than a little confused, Speedball ponders the conflicting messages. He can either wait to meet them at the park or he can go to the address on the Upper East and meet them there now, as Gabriel suggested. Assuming that Gabriel is one of the Mavericks who happened to be listening in on the email exchange, then what's the problem? Seems like there isn't much of a choice...

stashing the quarters he was absently flipping with his left hand, Speedball
pushes back his chair so that it nearly skates into the coffee table in back
of him. With this, he's clearly worn out his welcome at the cafe, and so
turns to go.
He makes for the 4-5 train to get him close enough to the address. When
exiting the train on the upper east side he will find a quiet spot to slip
into his "costume," still sticky with blood and sweat from the other day.
It is hardly worth washing it anymore and he wonders whether Mavericks draw
a salary...

(Neil, it should take about 15 minutes to get there, depending on where on
the Upper East the address is)

Approaching the building, Speedball expects no trouble from the Mavericks,
but is on the look out for cops or thugs. Being a junky just naturally
means doing so.

(Note: I'm not even sure I'd have seen pictures of the
Mavericks--Neil, can you rule on whether or not I even know them by sight?)

From I/Arcsilver

>Arcs, scout ahead toward Upper East side, but DO NO, repeat DO NOT engage, we'll be right behind you. -

"Gotcha, sis..." Arcsilver says, the last syllable being lost as he
rockets away. At 120" noncombat (or getting there with acceleration, I
think that the Upper East Side will approach pretty fast, and as he
approaches, he will key the radio, asking "I'm appraoching the area, is
there an address we are looking for?"

From B/Impetus:

((("Speedball"
might be the wacko that Impetus and I faced. So... what's next."))))

"Yeah," Impetus interjects. "Specially 'f it turns out that this guy IS tha
one who stole tha junk, ah think we betta agree what we doin' BEFO' we get
there. We take him down? Talk firs, THEN take him down? Y'all ain' jes
gonna let a guy like dat go 'cause he's helpin' you... are you? 'Cause I
ain't sanctionin' that."

(((She smiles, "Watch the hands,
buddy. I don't know you that well... yet," and gives a wink.))))

Impetus just nods. "We gonna hafta work on that, then." He leaps.

Any conversation on the way will hopefully be about what to do IF Speedball
is the guy, which Impetus is pretty sure that it is. After all, as has
already been stated, "Speedball" is a pretty damn obvious name. (Sorry,
Geoff.)

If there's time, Impetus simply says, "Far as strategy goes, jes' point me
at someone who's reas'nably slow who I can hit. I take care'ada rest."

The Ferrett

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist speaks quickly into the channel, "Dragon Mist to Wild Heart. I can meet you all there soon as Greyspirit gets taken back to base, though it sounds as if everyone is in transit. Is still Yuri available? I think that van of his has a better chance of making it here than I do of getting her to base, then myself up east."
Assuming the conversation is over, Dragon Mist tries to occupy his time by
wrapping Grey Spirit in a few blankets. It is during this that Dragon Mist
realizes for the first time that the whole nature of his relationship with
this woman has been based on waiting.

From S/Crusader:

Crusader will comm to Mirv, ironic, since their heads are inches apart.

"When we get to the site, you can let me go and I will glide in. We will
make less of a target that way."

((("Specially 'f it turns out that this guy IS tha
one who stole tha junk, ah think we betta agree what we doin' BEFO' we get
there. We take him down? Talk firs, THEN take him down? Y'all ain' jes
gonna let a guy like dat go 'cause he's helpin' you... are you? 'Cause I
ain't sanctionin' that.")))

"I disagree Impetus. I'm always for talking before head pounding.
Actually, I'm always for information gathering before head pounding. But
sometimes direct communication accomplishes that. " Crusader slowly says,
speaking at highest volume that his helmet allows to compensate for the
wind.
"Some leeway may be coming to this Speedball if he truly has info on
what is going on with the Kid. Mavericks have to stick together. If Kid is
in trouble... well, we are all in trouble."

"Wildheart, you still haven't told us what you did for Masterson."


>>>It is during this that Dragon Mist
realizes for the first time that the whole nature of his relationship with
this woman has been based on waiting.<<<

Great line Matt.

----------

From GM:

Note: (I agree. Great line Matt.)

>>>Dragon Mist: Yuri cuts back on the line. "I am not being sure where
you are, but it will be a minimum of twenty minutes for me to get to Manhattan. Even longer maybe."
You realize he is correct, and that the rest of the team will be at the place in a couple of minutes, tops. Just then, Grey Spirit stirs in your bed, and you turn, seeing her eyes crack open. Black pearls swimming in pain and confusion.
"Dragon?" she says sleepily, then forces herself more awake. "You...
were speaking of me. Please, do not delay on... my account." She looks
around, and a hint of a smile crosses her face. "I will be... safe here.
Go." One hand weakly sticks out of the covers, shaking at you. "Go. But
be careful. They were... Nahoda clan. They were the minions of Sendako
Y'ull."

Arcsilver: You arrive on the scene quite a distance ahead of everyone else,
as usual. Wild Heart had given you a specific Address on the 90's block,
just off Park Ave. (Note: I have no real experience in this area, so I'm
imagining something similar to the incredible apartment building in Devil's
Advocate, though not right on the park.) It is a ritzy row of apartments,
and you blast past and back twice, before spotting the specific address.
It's a four story, large apartment building. Expensive. There has to be at
least a dozen apartments in it, and you call back for the number. Cars move
along the street,but there are only a couple of early morning joggers on
the sidewalk. One of them trips and falls in surprise as you zip by.
Otherwise, all is peaceful.

Once on the Manhattan side of the river, it's easy for each Maverick
and Impetus to move under their own power. Wild Heart slides out of Impetus'
arms and begins leaping from rooftop to rooftop with smaller, more regular
jumps than Impetus' prodigious leaps. Crusader can easily leap and glide
as he will and MIRV maintains a steady cover flight over both, carrying
Darkfire. Arcsilver left you all in the dust a while ago. In response to
Crusader's question, Wild Heart replies. "Huff. Oh, yeah. Never got a
chance to say... huff... anything. Huff. We'll it's just that I called in
a ... huff... marker from an old friend. Huff. Don't let it get around,
but... huff... Lifeline owes the Mavericks... huff... big time!
You all make good time, crossing Central Park in less than 30 seconds,
as Wild Heart gives Arcs the Apt. #. "That's #4, Arcs, but don't go in.
Just circle and watch the area. Too much is going on here, and I want to
stop being led around by the nose. If this is the Warlord, it could be
another setup like at Onyx' gym. Be cool!"

Speedball: Just as you are hopping on the train you overhear a radio
broadcast from the radio of a homie hanging out against a wall. A local
rap station cuts in with, "Yo, check this out! We jus' got the news tha'
the Mavericks have been sighted movin' across the city. They's over th'
park now and closin' in on the Upper Eas' Side. Fo' all of you followin'
current events, the new man callin' himself Impetus is supposedly movin'
right along with 'em. Stick with WRAP, for further scoops!"
You realize that they are already on location, but you are still almost
fifteen minutes from the place, if not more. You know you could make it
there much faster by using your powers but it might drain the juice
considerably. You've got a second or two to decide before the 4-5 train's
doors close.

The team can see Arcsilver from a distance, and begins to form up. Wild
Heart calls out, "Ok. MIRV, take Darkfire right up with Arcs. Crusader,
circle around and come in by roof top from the East. We'll give you time to
get there. Impetus... you're with me. We'll go to street level on Park Ave.,
and walk up 91st heading east. Dragon Mist what's your ETA?" (Matt,
if you left Grey Spirit you could make it there at almost the same time as
the team. If you waited for the van you'd still be at home. Up to
you.)

[RDU Neil]

Post 121

From G/Speedball:

"Well, I guess risk is part of the job."
Speedball begins running up Lexington, pulling his hood on as he accelerates
past normal running speed. He'll be moving at the fastest possible NC speed
allowable for street level. "This is why people shouldn't own Masserati's in
the city" he thinks, as he flips over a cab who runs a light in front of
him... He calculates the distance at a little over 4 miles and figures he
should be there in only a couple of minutes.

From I/Arcsilver:

Looking around the area, scanning for anything as soon as he arrives,
Arcsilver will speak distractedly back into the comm to Wildheart. "Be
Cool? I'm the coolest. Icesilver, That's me." After taking a phase to
make a full Preception check, Arc will relax and hover over the area,
scanning with his EM tracking scent. He is looking for any familiar
signatures, but mainly he is thinking about the energy gun that the Asian
woman was using against the Mavericks at Onyx's gym.

Upon MIRV and Darkfire's arrival, he will put a little distance between
himself and them, so that they have good visual and possibly reactive
covergae of the area.

From B/Impetus: (Note how he does respond, even if he feels there is nothing to say... very important in keeping the game flowing.)

I just follow her lead for the time being. Not much to do here.

The Ferrett

From M/Dragon Mist:

>>>Great line Matt. Note: (I agree. Great line Matt.)<<<

Thanks. I thought you two would get a kick out of that one.

>>> Don't let it get around,but... huff... Lifeline owes the Maverick's...
huff... big time!<<<

He certainly does! I was going to ask you about that, Neil.

Dragon Mist frowns at the words Nahoda Clan and Y'ull, old rivals meant to stay in his past, not cause trouble for him in the present. He immediately loses
years of training and conditioning by launching into an internal dialogue.
Isn't it obvious? -he thinks to himself in response to his immediate question
of, why now?- Nahoda clan picked the time when I am most distracted, too inward to see it coming. This must have been all too easy for them. At that
realization, he comes out of it. "Greyspirit. Yuri is a man who works with the
Mavericks. He will be here shortly to pick you up and take you back to our
base. You don't have to stay there for long, I just want to provide a safe
haven for you while you heal. I will be there as soon as I can." With that, he
leaves.


>>>Dragon Mist, what's your ETA?"<<<

"Dragon Mist to Wild Heart. I'm going in now, leaving Greyspirit for a pick up
from Yuri. I will arrive within minutes. If some of the faster guys are there
already, tell them to wait. We're dealing with the Nahoda Clan and they have a hostage."


From S/Crusader:

(( Crusader, circle around and come in by roof top from the East. We'll give you time to get there.))))

"Roger." and with that, "Release me, MIRV."
Crusader's cape, which had been folded up in a backpack contraption,
unfurls with startling speed, snaping as individual struts, mechanically take
position. Impulse jets that are whisper quiet start firing individually and
in small groups, allowing for amazing gliding control.

((((Dragon Mist to Wild Heart. I'm going in now, leaving Greyspirit for a
pick up from Yuri. I will arrive within minutes. If some of the faster guys are there already, tell them to wait. We're dealing with the Nahoda Clan, and they have a hostage."))))

"'Mist? This is Crusader. What can you tell us about the Nahoda Clan?"
{which probably has to be answered by Neil, and also, since Crusader has had
operational experience in the Pacific Rim, does Crusader recognize the name
or have any info to contribute?}

----------

From GM:

>>>The group fans out as directed, taking up positions.

Arcsilver: From on high you have the best view, watching the area from your shifted perspective, looking for any tell tale energy signatures. Below you, MIRV's outline is a fluctuating glow, and Darkfire in his arms, flickers with a weird, shifting darkness that is unlike any other signature you've ever seen. Crusader flits by, his EM output muted and faint except for the flares of the tiny attitude jets on his cape. On the street itself, vehicle traffic looks normal and you catch sight of Wild Heart and Impetus pacing steadily up the sidewalk. While Heart's EM sig is nominal, Impetus is a whole different story. You can see the force field around him clearly and it is having a strange effect on the EM field. Waves seem to literally bend around him. Not away from him, but the field actually seems to bend energy TOWARD it so that everything around him seems to bend inward. The only other time you've seen anything actually BEND the higher EM spectrum has been around massive power sources like generators at hydro electric dams. This is similar, but different enough to be noticeable.

Dragon Mist: You appear in the shadow of a gray, leafless tree growing in the tiny courtyard, across the street from the address in question. Forty feet away, Wild Heart and a large black man with dreads and a trench coat are approaching the front steps. Just before you 'ported the last two times, you saw Crusader drop down onto a roof half a block east. Arcsilver, MIRV and DARKFIRE hover high over head. Wild Heart's voice comes over the comm.
"Ok, you heard Mist. This could be a hostage situation so let's control the grounds first and wait for him to show up. MIRV, drop Darkfire in the back. Dark... don't let anyone get away. MIRV, I want you on the roof checking for any exits up there. Arcs stay up high. Crusader, move in closer from your position on the East and tell me if you can get an LOS, since I think the apartment we are looking for is on that side. Impetus, please watch the front, Southwest corner. I'm going to check the front door." You see her start cautiously up the front steps.

Impetus: These guys seem to have their shit together. They move quickly and efficiently... with confidence. Not cocky though, except maybe Darkfire. When Wild Heart gives her orders, you are surprised at her tone of voice. Not demanding, not strident, just a "Let's get the job done" matter-of-factness. When she tells you where to watch it is without question of your abilities or intentions. She seems to have taken you at your word. You said you wanted to help, so she's putting you to work. No other questions... no sign of doubt.

Crusader: Keeping low, you silently lope closer to the target building, coming up against a low, ornamental wall, to look across at the apartment house. Triggering your sensor system, you begin scanning the windows facing you, trying to figure out which apartment is which. Trying to spot any threats. On the fourth floor you can clearly see a number of empty rooms as if there is no tenant in place there. Third floor has curtains and windows with flower boxes in them, as does the second. You can clearly see a young man in a bathrobe sitting at a small table drinking coffee and reading the paper in a third floor window. You immediately notice that every window facing you on the second floor has the curtains closed, shutting out any chance of visual. First floor, again, looks occupied, but it is difficult to get LOS from your upper angle. You see Wild Heart starting up the steps at the front and that is when you notice something else. One of the second floor windows is broken. The lower pane of glass has been busted, and you can see the curtain move in the slight breeze.
Then, from behind you, back down at street level, there is a familiar rushing wind sound.

Speedball: You find that letting loose with your speed in public is really fun. As you flash up Third Ave and then cut over to Park, you find your mood swinging up like a good buzz as move through traffic like it's standing still. (It actually is in many places, but... you know what I mean.) Stirring up a small cyclone behind you the buildings and people streak by. You find that normally languid heroin perceptions actually seem to allow you to keep track of everything. A paradoxical "slow" view of the world is actually a somewhat sped up perception. You laugh involuntarily at the shocked looks on people's faces as you blaze by, and feel a kind of giddy anticipation in meeting the Mavericks.
Wild Heart's a babe from all the photo's you've seen. Tall, dark haired, great bod, with a kind of rock 'n' roll look with the black leather jackets. MIRV is like some super space man. Darkeye is kind of an unknown, and Arcsilver is just crazy. He could be as fast, or faster than you, and he FLIES. Pure electricity, man.
Then you swing onto 92nd and are blazing down the street when you realize that you just passed by that big black dude... Impetus... from last night... and Wild Heart as well! You screech to a halt about a hundred yards past their positions.

Dragon Mist, Wild Heart and Impetus all see the sudden blur of a man running really fast past them, heading east. Arcsilver, you easily track a fast moving ripple through your multi-colored landscape as it zips around a corner off of Park and blazes past the apartment building before slowing drastically. The man stops down the block as mini-cyclones of dust and debris scatter in his wake and quickly dissipate behind him. MIRV's voice comes over all radios, "Whoa. Everyone see that? I've got a clear target. Huh! If this is that Speedball guy he looks like nothing more than a street kid... except that his sneakers are smoking. What's the call? Impetus? Crusader? Positive ID? Same character as last night?"<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 122

From G/Speedball:

The smell of melted rubber irritating his nose, Speedball sneezes,
shattering any kind of cool image he'd hoped exude. "More clothing I can't
afford to replace," he thinks. Nervous about meeting "real" heroes, he
takes out a couple of his cue balls and begins juggling them with his left
hand. With his right, he waves nervously to the closest Maverick in a sort
of sheepish "what's up?" salute. As far as Speedball knows, this could be
their meeting place. He has absolutely no guile about him presently, is not
aware that there is a hostage situation or that the Mavericks may consider
him a threat. He will be taken completely by surprise if anyone takes
hostile action.
When the first Maverick is within range, he'll stick his hand out like a
little kid and introduce himself as "Speedball. Some guy named Kid Fantastic
popped into my place last night and said I should warn you. It was the
damndest thing--an' I tell ya, someone oughtta teach that guy that it ain't
polite to scare the crap out of someone like that." He says all of this as
forthrightly as one can while wearing a mask and waits to see how the
Mavericks react.

From I/Arcsilver:

I don't know the order of actions here, so feel free to alter this to
fit the situation, Neil.

As soon as Arcsilver sees the fast moving abject, he will respond to
MIRV "Right, I've got him, 'Heart, this could be an ambush, I'm going to
try to keep this guy busy from where I am..."

Arc will zip closer to the kid when he stops, hoping to maintain a
visual on the area, and also be able to react with a ranged attack if the
need should arise.

Speedball is...
>Nervous about meeting "real" heroes,
>he takes out a couple of his cue balls and begins juggling them with his
>left hand.

When the objects come out, Arcsilver will speak quickly into the comm, while zipping forward and allowing the lightning to arc from his open
hand, striking right in front of the stranger (Flash attack). He will
then speak in as commanding a tone as possible without being too loud (he
doesn't want to alert those inside) "identify yourself...and drop
those... balls?"

-Ilan/Arcsilver

From B/Impetus:

Arcsilver: As you fly by and Wild Heart rattles off a command to him, you see part of the bending suddenly flex and curve into a cone-shaped radius, flowing out from his body and around it, towards the ground. (Neil:
Impetus just shifted his power to Missile Deflect and is holding it ready
for whatever attacks -- as he will have in reserve whenever he thinks
there's combat approaching.)

Speedball: Needless to say from previous posts, Impetus looks mildly
pissed... but isn't moving. He's standing there with his arms crossed.

(((Impetus? Crusader? Positive ID? Same character as last night?"<<<)))

Impetus leans in, reasonably sure that the gray blur that just flashed by
him was the guy, then catches the faint reddish-brown streak at around
chest-level as the blur slows and begins to turn. "S'him. He still wounded
from las' night, I think. I ain't goin' for him -- yet -- but ah know he
can punch pretty damn hard. He pretty tough... fo' a dealer."

The Ferrett

From S/Crusader:

MIRV released me with some height, I assume. I had no intention of
going to the ground. If I'm forced to, I would go to a rooftop higher than
the 4 story apartment bldg. Which, in that neighborhood should be a snap!
Can I assume the "ornamental wall" is from an opposing building? It just
isn't quite clear.

"2nd floor has a busted window, all east windows on the 2nd floor have
drawn curtains. Permission to move to the 3rd floor, let myself in and move
to 2nd floor. Must acknowledge that 2nd floor curtains might be a ruse to
draw us in."

Hearing the chatter, I know that DragonMist has joined the team.
"Request DragonMist wait and then t-ports to open door on 3rd floor that I
will provide." Note: Crusader doesn't think twice about breaking and
entering a potentially totally innocent 3rd floor apartment.

Upon hearing the chatter over comm about Speedball, Crusader will just
ignore it except for "Affirmative, that's Speedball" (Cru can't hear Impetus
cause I don't think Impetus has a Mav's comm yet). His teammates have it in
hand and potential hostages are involved. Keep the focus on where it matters
most and await the move in orders.

p.s. Neil, I don't have lockpicking on my character. Forget the shield for
now, Lockpicking is a skill that Crusader/ Intercept was trained for in good
ol' viper days and I should have it. 3 xp will get the shield anyhow, just
one more adventure.

--storn

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist moves to Wild Heart, "I guess this Speedball character is your other topic of business, we should keep him from distracting us." Turning he looks toward Impetus. (Assuming that Impetus has never seen Dragon Mist before, he sees a blond man clad in a dark green stylized ninja uniform. His mask covers only his lower face, leaving his smokey, emerald eyes the only focal point.)

"You must be Impetus. I'm Dragon Mist, I've been busy with so much of
my own business lately, I don't know if you're a new member or just along for
the ride, but it's good to have another among us. Sorry if I seem brisk, but my
sister may be up there."

>>>"Request DragonMist wait and then t-ports to open door on 3rd floor that I
will provide." <<<

"Roger that Crusader. I need to see this door first though."
Looking back to Wild Heart, " I can take care of this for the moment if you
want to get the business with this kid squared away."

----------

From GM: (Note that I really needed to be more explicit in my description of the area, as this is pretty complicated, and no maps or minis for online.)

Note: (I'll try for better description of area. Reality may not match, but can't do anything about that. The apartment building that you are surrounding is an old, fancy building in a row of older, fancier, ornamental EXPENSIVE apartment buildings. It's on 92nd street, just off of Park Ave. There are small plots of grass and a few trees, and most of the buildings are four to six stories. The larger apartments are on other blocks. For Crusader, he needed to drop to the roof of the building next door to be able to look down into the relatively narrow (six meters) between the buildings. The ornamental wall is just good cover for him on the building cornice. Hope this helps. Positions of everyone else are Wild Heart and Dragon Mist on front steps, Impetus on front walk about thirty feet away. MIRV on the roof (across from Crusader), Darkfire in back, out of sight, and Speedball and Arcsilver up the street about a block further from Park Ave.)

>>>Speedball: As you turn and wave back down the block toward Wild Heart there is a sudden blaze of energy in front of you as Arcsilver appears from above. Eyes wide, you start to stick out your hand and introduce yourself when a lightning bolt just explodes from Arcsilver's hands and without warning your eyes go white hot and you can't see a thing. The cue balls you were juggling spin away as you reel and clutch your eyes. You barely hear Arcsilver commanding you to drop your balls and identify yourself.

Arcsilver: The kid jerks as the flash hits his eyes and he slaps both hands over his eyes, cue balls spak and pokking into the street. Up close the guy looks like a street person. The NYU sweatshirt is grimy and his pants are dirty. Shoes are worn almost to nothing. His hands are bony and pale, and "sniff, sniff" he doesn't smell like he's showered in a few days either. Over your comm, you hear Wild Heart swear, "Oh, shit! That's was subtle, Arcs!! Did you take him out? Now just back off a little. I'm coming over there."

Dragon Mist: Wild Heart stares up the street with a "Why me?" look on her face, then turns to you. "Go ahead, do your thing." Over the comm, she says, "Crusader, move in, all possible stealth, though with the ruckus out here, I don't know what good it will do. Impetus comes with me, if you don't mind. You've met this speedfreak before. MIRV, Darkfire, you cover the building and backup Mist and Crusader if they need it." Then she steps up the street.
You then leap up to the front door to check it out. It's a heavy, beautiful Oak door, with a wrought iron screen door in front of it. Peering through the cut glass window, you can see it opens into a small, but decorated foyer that opens up past where you can see. Likely the foyer and center area is the public part of the building, with stairs and/or an elevator leading to the upstairs apartments.

Crusader: From your vantage point you can cross the gap between buildings in a flat second. The third floor is clearly occupied, as the man in the bathrobe is now leaning over toward the window and trying to get a glimpse of the street after a sudden crack and flash of energy comes from that direction. As stated before, the fourth floor looks empty for all appearances. (You mentioned a "door" before. There are no doors on this side of the building. Just windows that look pretty easy to get through for someone like you.)

Impetus: For a moment it looks like that skinny Arcsilver dude just fried Speedball. The flash of lightning he tossed lit up the whole street, but then you saw that Speedy was still standing but now clutching his face and making "Ack!" noises. Wild Heart looks harried as she asks you to come with her, then turns and heads up the street. The intense looking kung fu character just moves away, quiet as death. Despite his greeting, something about him makes you feel cold. It isn't pleasant, realizing you just met the one Maverick nobody knows much about. The one some say is a stone killer. No pictures, no press conferences, no kissing babies for that mutha. And that pig sticker is just EVIL looking.<<<

Kind of, sort of, a combat situation so events are moving at a micro level. Sorry about that. Let me know what you all do next.

[RDU Neil]

Post 123 - Has a single flash attack ever been this much fun?

From G/Speedball:

"CHRIST! what th'...! I. CAN'T. SEE! What the Hell was THAT for!?"

Speedball is confused. He isn't mad yet, but mostly because he's completely
surprised: he's just been attacked by a member of the team who invited him
here, as far as he knows. Speedball spends the next couple of minutes
recovering from the run up here and the blinding flash. He'll answer
whatever questions they ask, but will issue mostly answers to the effect of"
yeah, thanks for asking, but I'm FUCKING BLIND!"

"Can't you jokers tell the good guys from the bad guys?"

From S/Crusader:

sorry about the confusion, I thought the windows had those sliding glass
doors.

Crusader says over the comm: "Correction, 4th floor is more clear. 3rd
floor is occupied. 'Mist, I will open 4th floor window for your t-port"
And with that launch across towards the forth floor and try to catch the
window guard bars. Crusader is pretty confident of being able to do that.
Once there, Crusader will use one arm to hold on. Quick little bursts from
the altitude jets to make it easier.
Then, Crusader while activating the lockpicking toolkit from his right
bracer, will give a quick scan of for alarms etc. Cycle through the various
helmet visual systems for aid. {Security Systems at 13-, Lockpicking at
14-}. Note I''m expecting at least some kind of alarm.
Then he will proceed to disarm or bypass and alarms and to pick the lock,
cut the glass, or whatever will allow him easiest, quietest access to the
forth floor.

If he succeeds in all of this (and I'm not expecting this all to happen
quickly), he will then move into the room, folding up the cape. He will then
turn and trigger; "All clear, come on over 'Mist" while he moves through the
apartment, every sense strained for the slightest contact with the enemy.

If contact is made with the hostage takers while up on the wall, I'm not
sure what I'll have Crusader do. Will need more data at that point.

--storn

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will zip back a few feet and repeat, "identify yourself!" and
then say quickly into the comm to Wildheart "what the hell is going on!?
Do you know this guy!? If this is "Speedball", Crusader said he was some
freak that he and Impetus faced (see last issue...). I fired near him to
flash him because he was armed with something, let's be careful with this
guy..."

Geoff wrote:
>"Can't you jokers tell the good guys from the bad guys?"<

Not by smell, I guess...;-)

From G/Speedball:

"Speedball! My name is Speedball, for God's sake!"

From B/Impetus:

Impetus steels himself briefly, realizing that his old gang instincts are
rising to the fore; something about this ninja guy just triggers that "facedown"
mode in him, and he can sense his power surging to the fore, ready to fight
if this guy so much as blinks. He fights it down, but in the ninja guy he
can feel a lot of the same instincts that he's seen in the gang guys he used
to have to thrash almost daily -- but there's nothing he can put his finger
on. Guy's being civil, after all.

He nods, cautiously, and says, "Glad ta help, Mist. I unnastan' sistas in
trouble."

Impetus then leaps forward (just a regular leap, which should be more than
enough to get him there, except that he uses his Flight to cushion the
impact so he doesn't break through into the sewers) and lands in front of
Speedball with a booming, window-jarring thud that echoes through the
alleyways here.

"So THASS yo'name. What kinda good guys settin' up a lab fo' thirty poundsa
heroin, 'Ball? What kinda good guys be DEALIN' shit like that? You betta
have some info to help out dis Fantastic dude, aw dey's gonna be some badass shit happenin'."

It is only after this that he realizes that maybe Wildheart had a plan
here -- but WTF. He's always gone his own way until now, and they ain't
made him no member yet.... he'll take a look back at where he came from,
just to doublecheck that nobody's sneaking up there.

The Ferrett

From G/Speedball:

I'm going on the assumption that the Mavericks have begun forming around Speedball and tossing out questions to him, so I'll go ahead and answer them all. the real-life conversations would be a lot more disjointed, but you get the idea...

"Christ, I can't even SEE you and you're accusing me of being a dealer?
Man, those guys are scum. I ain't no dealer. I took the horse, yeah. But
I can promise you that that shit'll *never* see the light of day of the arm
of another junky."

pause...

"Now would somebody make it so I can see who the heck I'm talking to? I'm
getting a little nervous here..."

From B/Impetus:

Heavy scorn in the voice. "Then where da fuckit GO, man? You jes' took it
away to burn the sonuvabitch? Aino friggin lab'at needs a SUITCASE fulla
dat poison to work, so whadappena it?" Pause, realizing the audience may in
fact wish to talk. "F'you say you a good guy, give us sumpina work with
here. What da hell you need with twenty poundza junk? Othawise you could
jes' be leading everyone here inno a trap."

The Ferrett

From M/Dragon Mist:

"Roger Crusader." Dragon Mist the melts into the darkness to the side of the building, waiting for Crusader's entry.

From G/Speedball:

"I won't be leading *anyone* in or out of anything until I can see again,
that's f'r sure. Arcsilver, was it? I hardly even saw him before he
friggin' zapped me. (nice move, though, by the way)"
tired of stumbling around, Speedball will sit down where he is, hoping that
someone will tell him if he's in the middle of the street and a truck
comes...
"look, I can't tell you why I need the junk yet. Kid Fantastic will vouch
for me when we find him. And that's what I'm here for--I mean, the guy
shows up at my place, gets all in my head, and tells me to find you. You
think a guy who can read my mind is going to send me after you if I'm going
to lead y'all into a trap?"
sighing, "I guess you guys don't trust me. Fine, I come from people who
don't trust easy myself. If you don't want my help, ok, but I get the
feeling that Kid Fantastic was in a world of shit when he told me to help
you all find him. He said something about a bunch of guys and not being
able to see...lots of danger, of course."
Pause...
"So if you don't want my help, ok. I guess I'll try and find this Kid
Fantastic guy on my own, since I said I would. But could somebody get me a
frigging guide dog first?"
(Neil, a persuasion role for any NPCs in the area might be just the trick
right now)

From I/Arcsilver: (Note Ilan picking up on the fact that e-mails were flyin' back and forth, and I didn't have a chance to react. Sometimes this is fine (and in this case, hilarious) and other times it causes muy confusion.)

As a side note, I think that we should tend to stick to one post from
everyone at a time, as Wildheart might have something to say about all of
this and about the convo taking place. With that in mind, Neil, insert
this after Wildheart's reaction, if necessary, I just wanted to jump into
this because it is neat!

Arcsilver, floating just above Speedball, looks in confusion from face
to face, realizing that he knows nothing about what had happened with
Speedball the first time. As the conversation progresses, he will mumble
"wait, you know this guy too?" to Impetus, not really intending him to
hear, just trying to figure it out.

After the last bit about Kid Fantastic, Arc will interrupt if possible,
and say "you'll be able to see again in a couple seconds, but tell us who
told you that we would be here. No one knew about our coming, not even
Kid Fantastic, I think. This smells like a trap, Wildheart, like
something the Warlord would set up. Even if Odorboy here isn't involved,
we might be waiting for an ambush."

Arcsilver will await orders, paying more attention to the entry of DM
and Crusader

-Ilan

From B/Impetus: (Metagame discussion here, but a good one.)

(((( As a side note, I think that we should tend to stick to one post from
everyone at a time, as Wildheart might have something to say about all of
this and about the convo taking place. With that in mind, Neil, insert
this after Wildheart's reaction, if necessary, I just wanted to jump into
this because it is neat!))))

Actually, I thought about that... then decided that everything would happen
so fast and furious from there that Wildheart would have to scramble to
catch up -- and things ARE going slightly out of control at this point, what
with Arcsilver blinding Speedball and then Impetus jumping in. I figured we
could at least sneak in a R-T weekend's worth of conversation before
Wildheart stepped in.

As for Impetus next reaction, he'll stand off and now wait for Wildheart --
after all, he knows everyone really wants this guy for Fantastic's info, and
will see what they do.

From G/Speedball:

"'Smells like a trap.' 'Odorboy.' Yeah, that's funny, twinkletoes. I'm
actually kind of glad you blinded me since I can't see that costume. Are
you trying to advertise your religion with that spandex?" Speedball is
obviously used to using humor to deflect criticsm about himself, and he does
so readily. "As for who told me about you guys being here, it was someone
named Gabriel. I figured he was one of you guys, since he got in touch with
me while I was IM-ing with you. Wait...you're telling me that I've been set
up and we're all sitting here, in the middle of the street, and I'm f*cking
BLIND?!?" Still unaware of why the Mavericks are here, Speedball continues,
"howabout we maybe go inside this little headquarters of yours, wherever it
is. I'm not the kind of guy who likes to get shot twice in one week."

----------

From GM:

Note: (Funny stuff, definitely, at odds with the life threatening situation at hand, but that's typical Champs.)

>>>Crusader: Ignoring the chaos out on the street, you quickly maneuver to the fourth floor window across from you, perching on the two inch sill with ease. Just above you, back over the roof line, you see MIRV, standing on the raised middle of the building. He nods in your direction, and his voice comes quietly through the com. "No active security system within sensor range. You should be good to go." Your quick visual inspection confirms his diagnosis. With a simple shim you pop the latch and slide the window up. Four floors up, empty apartment. Security is clearly lax.
Rolling inside, you look around a very beautiful, empty apartment. Hardwood floors and marble parquet floors in the kitchen. Fireplace, and cherry wood doorways. Place must go for a mint, but it's empty now. Quietly you relay your entry position while scouting for the front door and any possible danger. There is no threat and you move unimpeded.

Dragon Mist: (see separate post)

Everybody Else: Wild Heart arrives barely a second behind Impetus but it's too late to stop him from laying into Speedball. "Now w..." she begins, but Impetus just rages. "Ok, th..." but Speedball counters. "He..." Arcsilver joins in. "Rrrrr..." she growls, but the conversation is out of control.
Speedball, the glare in your eyes is diffusing into random pops of light and color. Blinking, you start to make out shapes and background, focusing on the large bulk of Impetus as an exasperated female voice cuts in with, "Ok, BACK off! Everyone."
Impetus, Wild Heart puts a hand on your shoulder as you step back, saying, "I'll take that as a positive ID. Thanks, but don't hurt him, yet."
Arcsilver, she looks up, "Now I know why I don't send you on the covert missions. Probably smart to put the breaks on this guy," she indicates Speedball, "But remember we've got a hostage situation going on."
"Now..." she turns back to Speedball. Holding out her hand, she offers you a shake and lift off the ground. "I'm Wild Heart, if you didn't know. I'm not sure what you are talking about, but there is no 'Gabriel' aligned with the Mavericks and we are in a potentially dangerous situation here. I am wondering what you know about Kid Fantastic because last I knew he was breathing through a tube and in no shape to do much of anything, let alone visit you. Things are clearly getting out of hand in a hurry, so I want you to sit tight for now. Tell Arcs everything, in detail, about Kid Fantastic while you are at it."
"Arcsilver, you watch this Speedball guy... and play nice. Both of you remain low profile for the moment," and with that, she pulls the group off the street, onto the sidewalk and begins moving back toward the house.

Crusader: You've scouted the entire apartment by this point, and have multiple ways in and out of the building, including out into the fancy, carpeted upper hallways that look all the way down to the center foyer. Hardwood banisters and circular stairs down to the ground floor, small end tables, nice lamps, small paintings on every level. The building is quiet with only a few creaks of someone moving coming from the third floor beneath you. There are matching apartments on the opposite side of the building as well. (Four on each side, one on top of the other.)<<<

[Speedball]

I love re-reading this stuff. Thanks for posting, Neil.

I'd be psyched to get out your way for a FtF game some time this summer if folks can gather. It's time to pull Speedy out of the mothballs.

[RDU Neil]

Post 124 - More Cowboy

From E/Cowboy:

Yeouch!!! That was some roll! Cripes!

Cowboy's first instinct is to become a moving target.
Since he is having trouble seeing, he will spin and
crouch to lower his profile. Triggering the com
again, he says "Whoa, the light got me..." Assuming
he hears a hiss, he continues, "Hello? Anybody there?
C'mon guys, quit screwin' around. Answer me...
Damnit..."

He blinks to clear his eyes, then glances around to
get his bearings.

----------

From GM:

>>>You spin, down and around, pistols out, coat flaring behind you in John Woo slow-mo. Calling into your radio brings the expected result. Hiss of static only. As you blink and squint, your eyes adjust to the immediate glare, and you can focus on your Gargoyle readouts again. The first thing you notice is that the built in range finder has gone off the scale. Normally it is a small, ever changing number indicating the meters between you and the object in focus. Now it is simply a line of 9s blinking a steady red, showing that there is nothing for it to range off of.
Then through the tinted plastic you see three more shadows moving toward you. Two begin to coalesce into the spikey-barbed demons and the third is smaller with a twisting mass of tentacles for a mouth.<<<


-------

From E/Cowboy:

"Shiiiiiiiiiiiii..." Cowboy mutters, starting a roll
backwards to put a little more distance between
himself and the oncoming attackers. When he comes up
level, he sizes up the first oncoming baddie (find
weakness), then shoots twice (ap rounds). Each time
he comes up level he repeats, until he hits a wall
behind him, kills them all, runs out of bullets, or
they jump on him.

He also makes a quick glance up and around, to see if
he can spot some higher ground.

----------

From GM:

>>>You are faster than the creatures. You are faster than most anything else you've ever encountered, and that at least keeps you out of their immediate reach. Leveling your pistol at the first one, you aim for the eyes... and fire, only to get a loud "click" on the second pull of the trigger. The single round does hit, though, just above the eye, taking a big chunk of flesh out of the creatures forehead, but it doesn't drop him. Howling in pain, it stands and flexes it's weirdly positioned arms and lets out a blood curdling howl. The second one springs for your throat.
Only your enhanced agility saves you. The clawed hands stab outward, as you jerk backward. The claws miss, but one of the spikes on it's forearm just hits your coat, cutting a groove in the Kevlar weave, and trailing a sticky, viscous fluid.
Continuing to spin away, you plant the hand with the empty gun on the ground, and half cartwheel, while bringing up the second pistol, and firing into the creatures face. You didn't have time to properly aim these shots (half move acrobatics away instead of find weakness) and the two slugs go low (the gun w/advantage is empty, so no AP), impacting in the demon's upper chest. The creatures staggers, but doesn't go down. Out of the corner of your eye, you see the small, robed thing waving it's arms in a way that looks like it is gathering the light like strands of cotton.
Glancing around, you see only the flat, featureless, infinite distance of white/orange light.<<<

Gotta remember your bullet counts, buddy.

------

From E/Cowboy:

Hrm. I thought I had reloaded after entering the
light.

Cowboy grits his teeth, and places his legs up on the
creature's chest. Popping the clip out, he slaps in
another. He will then blow his next action to dodge
the soon to be coming attack.

--------

From GM:

Note: (I looked for you to say that you reloaded, specifically after I mentioned you were running out of bullets, but you didn't say anything. Sorry. Maybe you just thought it, but forgot to write it down.)

>>>With a slap you holster one pistol and palm a full clip while you put your boot on the creature's chest and shove backward. As you pop the empty and shove the new clip home, the two demons both scramble after you... their long arms knuckle dragging as they lope to either side and then claw at you. Using the momentum of your kick your feet go up and over your head in a back flip. Your coat snaps out like a cape and your head goes directly under your body and around.
Both creatures seem to be working in tandem now, clearly with some skill but your flip takes you just out of their reach. Barbed limbs swing high and low but you land -"tak, tak" your boots hitting the ground- half a meter past their grasp. Your head and arms come up together into a perfect shooting stance, your now loaded pistol braced in two hands, pointing at one of the demons. (You have one empty pistol in holster and are holding full pistol, with advantages.)<<<

Initiative: Unbelievably, THEM, then you.

So... >>>Fearlessly both continue to charge you, their growls sounding something like a possible language... call and response. Their razor claws swing for your guts.<<< (I'm assuming you'll dodge, but that's up to you.)

[RDU Neil]

Post 125 - Here are two e-mails I sent privately to the players, so they could insert information into the game as they chose. Didn't do this a lot. I prefer that players also act as audience for 99% of the story, even if it is something that their character would not know... but occassionaly, I do this to give control of information over to a player as how they use such info (or not) can drive the game in interesting ways.

From GM to I/Arcsilver:

History of Kid Fantastic, as you know it. He and you joined around the same time, but he was always a moody, strange, reclusive kid. His mental powers were quirky, and he didn't enjoy the limelight like you do. He worked, quietly with the Mavericks for some time, and was happy not to have the press know much about him. Had a real, street punk attitude at times, but seemed to be wrestling with inner demons, trying to do the right thing.
Then there was a huge cataclysm in China, which set off a number a chain reactions around the world. LA went into the drink, New Zealand grew a third island, earthquakes, tidal waves on every coast. St. Louis almost totally destroyed as the fault line under the Mississippi surged. A lesser known event that corresponded to these worldwide geological problems caused psionic types, "sensitives", around the world, to suffer weird seizures and often loss of their powers. Kid Fantastic was found choking on his tongue and completely unresponsive. He never recovered. He's been in a private hospital in a coma ever since.

Feel free to share as much of this as you want with Speedball or anyone else. You are the only PC who would know. (Wild Heart, MIRV, Darkfire all know, but they are NPCs)
(Note that the above filled Ilan in on some major world developments that occured in other FtF games that he was not part of.)

From GM to M/Dragon Mist:

In the few moments of quiet you have waiting for Crusader to give you the go ahead, you reflect on the Nahoda Clan.

You thought this was behind you. When the sword became yours they were not happy, especially Sendako Y'ull. Not happy but their honor seemed to keep them from taking any action. You saved Y'ull's life so he had a debt to you. Something must have changed. If they are active as enemies now, they have an advantage. They know who you are.

The Nahoda Clan is a very old clan with a powerful presence in the states. You were investigating their connections to some Yakuza in Toronto when you gained the sword. It is a clan artifact, but in the many years since you came into possession of it, you haven't heard from them at all. They clearly have a reason to come after you. Using your sister wouldn't be out of the question for a Ninja clan. Not at all.

Share whatever of this information you want to. You are the only one who would know anything about them.

Also, why are you waiting for Crusader? You could easily have 'ported inside, after looking through the window.

[RDU Neil]

Post 126 - Cowboy

From E/Cowboy:

Yoiks! Too slow!


Cowboy will most definitly dodge those incoming
swipes. This time, a backflip, landing again in a
half-crouch, left arm up and bent to serve as a
platform, pistol braced across the arm.

Assuming they don't tag me, an AP shot at the wounded one.

--------

From GM:

>>>Continuing to roll backwards, you try to put some distance between you and the creatures claws. They move well together and though your speed makes them seem like lumbering hulks they continue to press forward, seemingly unafraid of your guns.
The two move in swooping patterns, their arms straining the rake you with their claws but they can't quite get a hold of you. One takes a ragged tear out of the hem of your coat and growls in frustration because there is no blood. As you come out of your backwards somersault you land with gun raised, braced, and aiming. The demon with the gaping head wound is leaping high, as if to come down with a double handed smash as it's partner comes in low.<<<

Initiative: You, Them, but no second action.

You fire, a split second before the creature rains blows down on you "K-BLAM!! K-BLAM!!" but the thing has lowered it's head, and the bullets find the hard bone of it's cranium instead of it's eyes. Still, the impact seems to cave in it's already weakened skull and it collapse in an explosion of blood to land twitching at your feet.

You only have half a second to savor your victory though, as the last beast crushes into you with it's spiked shoulders. The impact is tremendous, (54 Stun, 16 Body, normal damage). Spikes punch right through your armored coat to "thunk" into your subdermal plating. Your breath rushes out of you and your chest explodes with pain. (OUCH! I think that puts you at Zero stun, 9 Body in one shot) Crushed beneath the creature's weight you are barely conscious of your pistol slipping from your grasp.<<<

New initiatives: You, them, still no second actions

>>>Lungs burning, you suck air back into them your head still ringing and your vision blurred from the pain (recovered from being Con stunned, but still at zero stun) Unable to resist, you feel yourself lifted from the ground by your lapels and the creature pulls you face to face with it. Fetid breath washes over you as it reaches up with it's clawed hand for your throat. You feel the slightest prick of something sharp against your skin and a sudden numbness washes over you and you descend into black. (Take 20 Stun, and 1 Body for the stun. That's negative 20, I believe.)<<<


------

From E/Cowboy:

Gggghhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaa! D'OH!


Cowboy's action: Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

-------

From GM:

>>>You awake on fire! At least that's what it feels like. Everything burns like a blow torch running up and down your every nerve ending. You choke back a scream, spittle between your teeth, and crack open your eyes to look up into the hideous face of the robed demon thing. It's maw of tentacles a disgusting, writhing mass above you. It's limbs sweep and move above you in an obscene pattern, and it's claws seem to scratch small rips in the glowing nimbus surrounding you.
Twitching from the pain, barely able to control your limbs, your fingers nevertheless instinctively claw for your pistols... and come up empty. Muscles spasming you try to look around, awful sounds being wrenched from your throat as the burning rolls up and down your body. A cry of dismay escapes you as you spy the last barbed demon. It stands some feet away, one of your pistols stuck in it's sash and the other clutched like a trophy in it's ungainly paw. It grins at you, leering at your pain. Then it hangs the pistol, dangling it, taunting you, from it's hand.
Every part of you wants to lunge for the gun, but wracked by the pain you can barely snarl an impotent curse in the creature's direction...
... and then the pain gets worse.

The world goes white hot, and you hear distant, ugly screams that you only dimly recognize as coming from your own throat. Nothing exists but the pain, worse than anything you've ever felt, even when you went through cyber-rejection after the first, fucked up surgery.

You pass out.

A whispering wakes you again. A strange, sibilant voice that seems to cut through the agony, cooling your body slightly, from the hot pain. Whispering, repetitious, a chant in an unknown language... an inhuman language, spoken by an inhuman throat. Suddenly, so suddenly a whimper of release comes from your throat, the burning pain diminishes. A bluish light washes through the orangish haze you have existed in for what seems like forever. Your eyes open, to the bizarrely welcome sight of Adept. That bug like guy that joined the team some weeks back, claiming to be a Dimensional Protector or some such. Normally he annoys the hell out of you, but right now he is a most welcome sight.<<<

-------

From E/Cowboy:

"Aaaaaaaaawww... ffffuck... A-adept. That's you,
right?"

He tries to sit up, only causing more pain. "OOoooooh
god... I hurt... man, that was fucked up." He
collapses on the bed, closing his eyes.

After a few moments of ragged breathing, his eyes
blink open, and his hands flash to his holsters,
searching for his guns. Then his head turns, looking
at the room. "Where the hell am I?"

-------

From GM:

>>>You collapse, but not on a bed. You body slams back onto hard, uneven ground, with a crunch. Expecting a softer landing, you briefly get the wind knocked out of you again, while trying to focus on what is happening around you.
Yes, Adept is here, but you are still in the strange "light" of the enemy. On either side of the blue glow emanating from Adept, you now see the ugly demon types still standing there. "Christ!" you think, "It's not over."
Adept's weird clicking/whispering language is suddenly in your head, shifting into the bizarre Brooklyn accented English he adopted. "Only 'dis one chance. 'Dey's tryna erase youse. Wipes you outta da space/time continuum likes youse neva was!"
His gnarled and bony "hand" reaches out to you. "Ain't got mucha chance, Cowboy. Take m'hand or we're both t'ru!"
There is a finality to his tone that is inexcapable. A cold fear creeps up your spine unlike anything you've ever felt before. Something is simply wrong here, a churning in your guts, and you wonder if Adept's solution is any better than the fate the other Demon's have for you.
You fingers play in empty holsters, and further panic starts to grip you. You still don't have your guns.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 127 - The Mavericks

From I/Arcsilver:

>>> Arcsilver, she looks up, "Now I know why I don't send you on the
covert missions. Probably smart to put the breaks on this guy," she
indicates Speedball, "But remember we've got a hostage situation going on."<<<

Arcsilver, having been busy with Artie for most of the time that he has
been back, hasn't heard the whole story about Speedball (at least, this
is how I read it) and only knows that Crusader said that he and Impy
went up against him. He is, therefore, confused, and the concern shows
on his face as he responds to Wildheart.

>>>"Arcsilver, you watch this Speedball guy, and play nice. Both of you
remain low profile for the moment," <<<

"OK," he responds, "but for Speedball to arrive this quickly after we
heard the news, I still think it sounds like a trap. Be careful,
sister."

Then he breaks the serious tone that he had, and cocks his head towards
Speedball, zipping around so that he can look at the building and at him
in one glance.

"Let's just start at the beginning there, sport. How did you hear about
Kid Fantastic, and how did you come here?"

-Ilan/Arcsilver

PS. Time to start earning those 15 points I got which I call "Psych.
Lim. professional rivalry with any other fast characters"!

From G/Speedball:

After Heart leaves, Speedball wil resume his conversation with Arcs and blink a lot in an effort to get his eyesight back to normal.
"So about this Fantastic guy...he wasn't really there--it was more like a
projection, or something. He said that I'd 'brought him back,' which would
make sense if he's in a coma. But he did say that you guys were in a lot of
danger. If you combine that with someone wanting me here at the same time
as you guys, that *definitely* smells like a trap."
hmmm...
"So we're just going to sit here? I mean, do you get fired or something if
you go in anyway...just to make sure there isn't some kind of bomb? Or is
there some way one of you guys can tell from outside if there's a bomb in
there?"

From S/Crusader:

I will put myself in intercept position (I acknowledge the irony), as I report; "4th floor clear for t-port 'Mist. Over." and am wondering why he
hasn't followed in.
I assume to be moving to intercept position via the stairs. Watch,
listen, move with caution and go down the stairs towards the 3rd floor.
If I'm clear of any threat on the 3rd (like the occupant isn't watching
the stairs), I will move cautiously towards the 2nd... LOOKING specifically
for tripwires, laser trip wires, etc... all the arsenal of the Ninja. I
might not know who the clan is, but I recognize a Japanese Ninja clan name
when I hear it. And this was part of my training.
If I'm starting to the 2nd floor, I will whisper that through my comm,
letting the rest of the Mavericks know where I am. "Crusader here, moving to
2nd floor via staircase, over."

--storn

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver eyes Speedball suspiciously. "Yeah, that sounds like the Kid.
Was he a little bit rude? He doesn't go in for exactly the same kind of
heroing that the rest of us (looks at the dirty old clothing etc. of
Speedball), well, some of us do."

He said that I'd 'brought him back,' which
>would make sense if he's in a coma. But he did say that you guys were in a
>lot of danger. If you combine that with someone wanting me here at the same timeas you guys, that *definitely* smells like a trap."

"I think so too, Scooter," Arcsilver says, beginning to believe him,
"Keep your eyes open." Then, after a few moments of looking at the
building, "say there, has your speed ever been measured in MPH?"

>"So we're just going to sit here? I mean, do you get fired or
>something if you go in anyway...

Arcsilver, watching the building, says as an aside "we work together
because we are a team. And because no one wants to piss off Wildheart.
Now help me look out for trouble."

-Ilan/Arcsilver

From M/Dragon Mist:

When Crusader gets across, Dragon Mist will 'port up beside him, (Which ever side is available) sword drawn and in a low crouch.

From B/Impetus:

I'm a little confused about the layout here, but assuming that I'm part of
"the group", I'll get back into my assigned position. Otherwise, I'll need
clarification.

The Ferrett

---------

From GM:

Note: (Further description to avoid some confusion, or add to it, whichever. Apt. building in question sits on 92nd, facing south. Darkfire is at back-North side, covering. MIRV on roof. Team had approached from West (through Central Park) Crusader circled around to come in from East side windows. Speedball, came from west, went past bldg. stopped about a block further east on 92nd, where he was joined by Wild Heart, Impetus and Arcsilver. Speedball and Arcs are still about a block away, while Heart and Impetus have headed back to front of bldg. Dragon Mist has just 'ported up to window opened by Crusader on fourth floor, east side of bldg. Crusader is on fourth floor, center of bldg., heading down the open balcony/stairways.)

>>>Crusader: The interior common foyer and balconies are empty of people. You can easily run or just drop down to third floor. Old solid wood construction and carpeting make stealth a piece of cake. Scans on IR or checks for any booby traps reveal nothing. The only sound is a faint strain of classical music... Beethoven's 6th, Pastoral, coming from the First Floor West apartment. You head down to the second floor without event.

Dragon Mist: Effortlessly you appear in the open window looking into the fourth floor apartment. Empty, as reported by Crusader. Over your com. you hear his voice say, "Crusader here, moving to 2nd floor via staircase, over." From you position you can see that the front door of the apartment is ajar. He must have gone through there and down. With a quick port you are across the apartment and peering out. No obvious movement. Easy access foyer-ground floor open all the way up to the fourth. Nice chandelier hanging from the ceiling casting subdued light all the way down. Just as you begin to move out, your sword twitches in your hand. Below you. Definitely a threat, but indistinct at this moment. Not immediate.

Impetus: As you and Wild Heart make it back to the building she gestures to the second floor. The front windows on the East side 2nd floor are closed, with curtains. She glances to the east face, and points out the broken window that Crusader had previously noted. "Since you've got that floaty ability of yours, I think you should stand just outside and to the side of that window. If there is someone inside, they might try a getaway through there. If not, it's easy access for you? Any problem? I'll take the front door." With that, she leaps up the steps, checking through the window to see what she can see. You can easily take up position next to the broken window, doing your best to stay quiet, but you hear nothing from inside. Up close, you can see the curtains are fine linen. There is a venetian blind, too, but it is almost all the way up.

Arcsilver and Speedball: Eyeing each other, you both stand or hover on the street, quiet for the moment. Waiting to see if anything happens. There is little to do but trade quips for the moment.

Crusader: You cautiously reach the second floor. The stairs let you out just ten feet from the ornate, solid oak door to the apartment. Ultra slow, ultra cautious, you approach but see nothing out of the ordinary. (To make matters simple...) You know that Dragon Mist is upstairs now, on the balcony two floors above you. Then you notice something just as Wild Heart's voice comes quietly over the com. "If possible give me a description of interior, you guys. Either of you find anything? We're in position to come in hard if you need it."
Your attention for the moment though, is drawn to a small, etched symbol on the door knob. Burnished brass, etched with black, it almost looks like it belongs there except everything else in this building has been Colonial in style. This small, Japanese kanji is not in keeping with that sensibility.<<<

Not much for everyone else to do, right now, but conversation is possible, over the radio.

[RDU Neil]

Post 128

From M/Dragon Mist: (Note our running joke about zero phase soliloquies... which don't exist in our game)

While moving as silently as possible (From the description, it sounds like stealth will be a breeze) DM will signal Wild Heart with the appopriate
description of the interior. Of course he will be keeping his voice as low as
possible. He will continue down stairs trying to keep focused on the direction
of the tingle. "Dragon Mist to Crusader, you may want to slow it down a bit.
The Nahoda clan are honorable, but not above ambushing a solitary warrior. They also have ways of foiling your sensors." (And in the spirit of the 4th edition Champs rules, Dragon Mist then reads Strong's Exhaustive Concordance as a zero phase action.)

From B/Impetus:

(((Any problem? I'll take
the front door."))))

"Can do," he says, "But ayain' got no radio, Heart. You wanna give me
strategy outside, you gonna hafta yell. An' ah assume that tha name'ada
game is immoblizashun, not destruction."

Assuming she agrees and continues with her further plan, he lays a brief
hand on her shoulder as she starts to turn. "By the way," he says
seriously, though slightly pained, "When ah fly, there ain' nothin', an ah
quote, 'floaty' about me, okay? I got a rep to maintain here."

With that, he'll check the window for any sort of bugs or detonation
material, gently lift up the window, look to all sides to make sure nobody
obvious is looking at him... and step outside. When he does, he'll wave at
Arcsilver to let him know where he is.

The Ferrett
Writer, Webslinger, Wit

From G/Speedball:

Speedball continues his bull session with Arcs. Looking at the building, he mentions as a casual aside: "oh, yeah. the speed thing. I took a bus ride out to Kansas once, just to see what I could do on the open road, you know?
Away from all this traffic? Well, I don't really know just how fast I was
going, but I remember hearing a boom like the one from that movie, the Right
Stuff, so I think I must've broken the speedbarrier. 'Course, you won't see
me run like that in the city--try making a 90 degree turn from 1st Ave onto
1st Street and my guess is I'd wind up a red stain on the side of Boca
Chica." Still looking at the building, Speedball continues, "Hey listen: if
things go like I think they will and we need to get in there in a hurry, do
you think you could pick me up, and fly me at the window Impetus is hovering
near so I could go through it real fast and scare the crap out of whoever we
wind up kicking the crap out of in there? I've got a trick I'd like to
try." (Neil and Ilan, what I have in mind is a variation of what the X-Men
used to call the fastball special--Arcs essentially throws Speedball at the
wall or window at high speed, Speedball phases through, surprising everyone
on the other side and entering battle)

From S/Crusader:

"Crusader here. I'm on the 2nd floor, ten feet from apartment door." spoken somewhat softly, but not all that concerned because of the helmet. I turn and wave DragonMist to join me with a hand signal. "'Mist is with me. Wait a minute..." just noticing the kanji. "There is some chinese or
japanese writing on the door knob." Crusader doesn't have any language
skills, so isn't quite sure... even though we know that the rumored opponent
is a japanese clan.
Side note: Use 4x telescopic, start recording the kanji for a second,
then pull back to normal sight, but keep the recording going in case the
action happens. {each charge lasts 5 min}

"'Mist, come take a look at this." And I will point out the door knob.
"Wild Heart, Crusader here, we are holding position, awaiting further orders.
Over."

----------

From GM:

>>>Dragon Mist: You silently drop down next to Crusader, looking to where he is indicating. You see a small Japanese kanji etched in the door knob. At the same time you translate it to simply mean "Fire" your sword kicks in your hand, sending warning vibrations up your arm, much stronger than before. Not just the door, but beyond it. In fact, deep in the back of your head you suddenly are aware of the actual hiss of the dragon inside the sword. Something has it VERY concerned.

Crusader: Wild Heart responds, "We have the building covered. Make entry whenever you can. From your description, I can be right behind you in two seconds, and Impetus may be coming through that broken window you noticed. Be prepared, as we'll come in on your signal."
While listening to her, you scan the door with IR and pick up nothing unusual. Maybe a basic security system on the inside, but no special wiring on this side or inside the door. Neither of you have touched the door physically, at this point.

Impetus: Something stirs beyond the curtain. You aren't sure what but the movement of the curtains is off, not following the light breeze. Maybe it was the shifting of the building, something you are attuned to as a construction and demolitions professional. No details, but something just changed inside. (helluva perception roll)

Speedball: Arcsilver continues to intently watch the building as you chatter and ask him questions. Both hands in your hooded sweatshirt, you shuffle your juggling balls instinctively, and suddenly stop. "Hey!" There should be four of them in there but there are only three. Turning and looking around, you realize you must have missed one when you dropped them in the street. As you glance about you don't see the ball anywhere... could be under any one of the cars parked on the street... but at that moment you do register a movement on the otherwise quiet, early morning street. A shape or shadow, just a little bit further down the block, between a black Cadilac Caterra and silver BMW. Something... you aren't quite sure.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 129

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist puts his hand on Crusader's shoulder. "The kanji reads in Japanese as: Hi , which translates in english as fire. I don't know what your sensors read, but I know this to be a trap. A trap built with magic would be my guess.
I might be able to disarm it but we should find another way into the apartment. Any outside windows? We've found where they are at least. Given the obviousness of the trap I guess they wanted to keep our attention." Having said that Dragon Mist will try to detect the presence of anything magical, then try to dispell if there is indeed magic.

From G/Speedball:

"Company" Speedball says out of the side of his mouth, taking the balls out of his pocket and tensing for a fight. "follow me...if you don't think
it'll get you into trouble with Wildheart."
With that, Speedball blows down the street towards the shape he saw,
assuming it hostile. He's been waiting around too long, doesn't like
sitting around, and is a little annoyed at everyone assuming he's a dirtbag.
Assuming its a half move or less for him, I'll go ahead and perform a move
through on the poor sap who's trying to steal my cue ball (insert joke about
my balls here, please*). I'll abort to a missile deflect if anyone throws
anything at me or a block if they try and pull a hand-to-hand attack.

*You know, Neil, you could've given us all sort of jokes by calling these
guys the Hand, like in Marvel...

From S/Crusader:

Crusader backs up a step or two. "Is there anything you can do?"
Crusader asks, not realizing that DragonMist can sense and deal with magical
threats. "I mean, like you said, it is somewhat obvious to someone who reads
Japanese. It could be an alarm instead of a trap. Be careful."

"WildHeart? Crusader here, we've run into a possible trap. DragonMist
is attempting to deal with it now."

{Matt, please describe what 'Mist's "detect" and "dispell" might look
like. I don't think Crusader has ever seen you do this. And as a reader,
I'm curious to see what your take on those powers are}

Taking the back-up position, Crusader will start marking the various
places an ambush could come from, including looking for {player note: I
can't believe I'm saying this} SECRET DOORS! Flipping through various
sensor options and just a plain, hard intense look for details. Scraps on
the floor, a picture off kilter, a wood panel that doesn't quite fit right...
something along those lines.
{Hey, Crusader was trained by Viper, if any orginization believes in
secret doors, it's Mean Green.}

--storn

From I/Arcsilver:

"Hmm..." Arcsilver says nonchalantly, still looking towards the house and thinking "holy cow! I never came close to that fast, did I?" (PS. I
honsetly don't know how fast that is for Champs, I have a noncom of 240",
does that come close, or have I ever broken anything that made a boom?).

> Still looking at the building, Speedball continues, "Hey
>listen: if
>things go like I think they will and we need to get in there in a
>hurry, do
>you think you could pick me up, and fly me at the window Impetus is
>hovering
>near so I could go through it real fast and scare the crap out of
>whoever we
>wind up kicking the crap out of in there? I've got a trick I'd like
>to
>try."

Arcsilver glances at him, not sure what he is talking about, never
having seen or heard of Speedball's phasing ability. "Let's just hold
the reigns there, cowboy. I'm still not sure that you are a good guy
yet..."
(This actually sounds very cool, but it will have to wait at least a
little while).


>>With that, Speedball blows down the street towards the shape he saw,
assuming it hostile. <<

"Damn," Arcsilver says, as he rockets off after Speedball, staying high and keeping the move to a 1/2, so that he can try to attack whatever
enemy or unknown there might be. As he is moving, he will say "Speedball
is moving towards you, Wildheart, but i'm on him, and I think he is on
our side. Look out for a surprise attack, I can't see anything!"

He will maintain a fairly high altitude, so that he is out of range from
HTH from the ground, and if he sees anything that looks like it came out
of a Michael Dudikoff movie, he will make a full force move-by on it if
in range, or else try another flash, sending tendrils of white-hot
lightening onto the street. Asuming he does see something, he will
announce over the comm "We've got action on the street, recommend that
everyone stay where they and are until we assess the threat, we might be
surrounded and we need to cover our backs!"

-Ilan

From B/Impetus:

glide over (NOT float! NOT float!), crane my neck around to and take a closer look inside to see what happened. If I see something, I'll wait for the description and then act -- otherwise, I'll open the window and go
inside to see what happened.

Say, Wild Heart didn't give me a radio or anything, did she?

From E/Cowboy: (First time Cowboy's posts moved along with the rest of the Mavericks)

This is probably one of the first times that he has
ever really felt fear. Normally, he is afraid of
nothing. Jumping off a building, leaping onto a
moving vehicle, nothing. But this... not having his
pistols.... this is terrible. Mayhap his guns are
what keeps him from feeling the fear. Whatever, he is
sweating.

"I... I need my guns... Aw, shit, aint no time, is
there?" He blinks, and wets his lips as Adept shakes
its head. He looks at the hand offered him, "Damnit!"
he swears, and grips the chitinis hand.

----------

From GM:

Note: (Crikey! Six players. Eric, your posts are now part of the group whole. Hope this works and we don't find folks getting left out of the action too often.)

>>>Speedball: With a jaunt and a step you are gone, heading further East on 92nd AWAY from the surrounded apartment building. In half a second you are sixty feet down and slowing to turn and look between the cars you noted before. Behind you, you hear the shockwave of Arcsilver taking off in pursuit.
There is nothing between the cars. You skid to a stop just past the Caddy, looking about for any signs of someone. You could have sworn you saw... something...

Arcsilver: (Note, Speedball is running away from Wild Heart's position, not toward it, just a minor correction. Note also, your natural top speed is, at the upper limit without pushing, around the speed of sound but not quite. See separate post.)
Taking off after Speedball you move at an upwards angle, blasting in behind him around thirty feet over his head. He doesn't go far, skidding to a stop alongside some of the parked cars, looking about. You see nothing there but both sides of the street are lined with expensive sedans and SUVs. There are no persons standing next to or around the cars, except Speedball. Coming up the street, though, are a few vehicles, one a taxi, that look like normal street traffic.

Impetus: (Nope, she had no extra radio, sorry.) You floa... er... glide just in front of the window, trying to peer inside. The curtain covers everything though, and is too thick to see through. You'd have to physically open the curtain by hand if you wanted to see inside. Nothing moves or disturbs the curtain again. So you reach out and brush the curtain aside...

Dragon Mist: Wild Heart's voice is calm in your ear. "Do your thing Mist, but be warned that Arcsilver is playing tag with this new Speedball character out here, so we may be facing threats on two fronts."

Holding your sword at arms length, vertically, point down, edge toward the door, you make a simple pass across the plane of the doorknob and a faint green mist, like barely florescent spray, flows from the blade. It fades almost immediately, but in the moment that you looked through it at the door, you saw the "Hi" symbol flare bright green and a more muted flare from the door itself. It is clearly enchanted, probably warded.

Crusader: You see the faint green mist that trails from the sword blade, but not the green flaring. In fact the green mist is so subtle, you almost don't catch it as it fades so quickly. You are also studying surrounding walls and doorways but nothing looks out of place. Nothing moves or shifts, but then... just as Dragon Mist begins to twist his sword in a kata like pattern, you think you hear a strangled cry from inside. A cry of pain...

Dragon Mist: Determined to extinguish the enchantment you begin to rotate your blade in "The Cutting Pattern" releasing it's energies to disrupt the ward on the door which now appears to you as a small, green, burning flame on the door knob. You have only just begun the pattern, when you tense, same time as Crusader does, hearing a cry of pain somewhere deeper inside the apartment.

Impetus: The blade comes out of nowhere. The dark room beyond the curtain gave you no hint of the coming attack. You gasp in pain as you look down at the three feet of steel sticking out of your chest. In the strange crystal clarity of shock, you notice intricate, beautiful oriental runes carved on the blade. They seem to glow a deep, bloody red color, and your energy field seems to simply part around the blade, offering no protection what so ever. Then the blade retracts, trailing a bright red stream of blood and a red haze fills your head and you begin to fall. (12 Body, 36 Stun, vs. no defenses whatsoever. Ow.)

Cowboy: Grasping the cool, ridged, chitinous hand, you suddenly feel like your guts are being pulled inside out. The blue light from Adept seems to stretch, torn and whispy, as the white orange hell-light from the tentacled demons tears at it. Your perceptions suddenly leap outside your body and you have the strange, detached view of yourself, one hand grasping Adept's claw and your body stretching from there as if being sucked into a vortex. Near your feat, that robed, cthulian beast, hell light flaring from it's tentacles. Your body twists and bends, distorted out of any sustainable form, almost like a computer simulation of a body falling past the event horizon of a black hole and being stretched to infinity. Strangely, you feel no pain, though it looks hideously unpleasant. There is only disorientation and queasiness.
Adept's words are again in your head, simultaneously clicking and whispering, with the ungainly Brooklyn English he uses. "Too far. Th' bastids' gots theuh hooks too deep. You'se almost been completely erased. We'uh so far outta da space/time continuum... they'se sacrificin' themselves ta wipe youse out..." In your vaguely hallucinatory state, you almost laugh at the comical, bug like creature speaking to you like the neighborhood bookie. "Only one chance," he continues, and pulls some strange beads from the odd garb he wears all the time. "Gotta try'n go home... an' take you wit me."
His insect like claws close on the beads with a snap, crushing them. An explosion of deep blue and violet light erupts, forming a second vortex. This sudden confrontation of forces tosses both of you about violently, and two things happen. Behind you, a screech of rage and vile threats in an alien tongue erupt from the mindslayer shaped demon as the new vortex wrenches you from it's grasp. Unfortunately the force also tears your hand from Adept's. For a second he looks you in the eye, vainly trying to grab you again. His voice comes across with a sorrowful, "Ah... shit," and then you are torn away from him by the force of the tornado like swirl of energy around you.

It could be seconds, hours, days, centuries... you aren't sure. The horrible, howling maelstrom around you obliterates any other sensation, including the passage of time. Images flash past you, people, places, not all of them recognizable as human or even terrestrial. Then, for a moment, you see everything... EVERYTHING... the totality of all reality... all realities... you see infinity through an infinite number eyes. You exist everywhere, at all times, the perfect weave of creation laid out before you... and an infinite number of you in all parts of it. Pure. Absolute. Godlike...

...then the concrete rushes up to greet you like a hover truck at full throttle, and you slam into the ground with bone crunching SMACK!!

Your black Stetson settles lightly on the ground next to you.<<<

Initiatives: except for Cowboy... Speedball (1st), Arcsilver (1st), Crusader (1st), Impetus, Wild Heart, MIRV, Dragon Mist, Darkfire, Speedball (2nd), Arcsilver (2nd), Crusader (2nd).

[RDU Neil]

Post 130

From G/Speedball:

<<Neil--I'm assuming that I haven't seen Impetus get stabbed or noticed that he's falling. If my assumption's wrong, then let me know and I'll repost, since I'll want to react differently>>

"I saw something," Speedball mutters to himself. "I know I saw something
sneaking around here!" He yells, loud enough for Arcs to hear. He looks up
at Arcs above him and yells "can you see anyone from up here? We're being
followed...or watched, or something." With that, I'll look around both for
whatever it was I saw and my missing cueball. I'm also making sure I keep an
eye for approaching street traffic.

Unless something obviously engaging happens, I'll be spending both actions
just sort of looking around, puzzled.

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will continue to trail Speedball, taking a half action to try
a perception roll. If he sees anything, he will attack with a move-by on
his second round, alerting the group as he does so. If he sees nothing,
he will take the full second action to scan using his EM tracking sense,
again alerting the team as to what he finds.

From S/Crusader:

<< A cry of pain... >>

"Awww Hell!" Crusader says "C'mon, 'Mist! Do your thing!" {I checked
my psych lims, nothing triggered horribly, I'm very cognizant that it is
'Mist's sister in there, so I don't want to blast in there immediately. He
knows the situation better than I do. So I will hesitate/hold one action}

"'Heart, someone is hurt inside. I'm going in!"

I'm giving DragonMist one action to finish whatever the hell he is doing
and then I'm going to leap over him, curl my body into a ball and smash the
door down, hopefully landing a bit inside. I assume that is going to be my
2nd action. Assume Perception roll and acting defensive (block/dodge
whatever works better for you).

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist will finish the dispell, then try to open the door, it Crusader doesn't beat him to it.

From B/Impetus:

Okay -- this is assuming I GET an action, since I'd normally be CON stunned
from this. And don't I get my 9 PD against this, or is there some ruley
thing I don't know about yet?

IF I'M DOWN: The scream of pain is, and I quote, "God-DAMN!" Then I
initiatize for the next round as I fall to the street....

IF I'M UP: The scream of pain is followed by a large, furious,
"MothaFUCKA!" as Impetus, clutching his gashed stomach, unleashes a widely
spread blast at the building to basically shred open the wall. He's furious
at this point and wants to make sure whatever asshole did this doesn't have
anyplace to hide. However, he's not going to blow all the way through it
(there could be hostages here), or shred anything TOO large that would cause
an Oklahoma-style building collapse. However, make note that "thought" is
not a large concern at this point. Pain, bleeding, and revenge are.

From M/Dragon Mist:

With the most grim face Crusader has probably ever seen from the recalcitrant ninja, Dragon Mist looks at Crusader and says, "Look. The Nahoda Clan only want me so they can get to this sword. It's the clan's mystic heirloom, and they aren't too happy with the idea of of it being bonded to a gaijin. They will only kill my sister if I'm not the one who comes through that door first.
Please let me enter. No matter what happens, I need you to be the one who makes a bee-line for her and gets her to safety." Having said this Dragon Mist
continues with his dispel, praying that what he just said was correct; that the
Nahoda Clan hasn't changed too much. Assuming the dispel works, DM will kick in the door ready to abort to a dodge if need be.

From S/Crusader:

Crusader
Won't even hesitate... "I understand." he replies to Dragon Mist
(Crusader doesn't really understand mystic swords and all that... but he
understands the importance of 'mist's message). "I've got your back."

{note to GM: Crusader will hold all actions until something happens to
respond to. If this means blowing actions, thats ok. If an attack comes
Crusader's away, just assume block or dodge, whichever is the most logical}

----------

From GM:

Note: (Just to let you all in on current events... Storn waxed our entire adventuring party last night. It was a great fight, noble deaths versus and implacable enemy, but damn... ALL OF US DIED. I haven't lost an entire fantasy party since High School AD&D Keep on the Borderlands!. Be thankful you guys are super heroes. It's a lot harder to kill supers... though Impetus took a nasty one there...)

>>>Speedball: Not realizing what is going on back at the apartment building, you shout up to Arcsilver, and begin darting around looking for... whatever it was. You realize you are quite a bit farther up the street from where you dropped your cueballs, so it's unlikely to have rolled this far, but you drop to your knees, to glance under the cars, looking for it... just as a sharp jab emanates from the front of your ankle, just above the foot. You look to see a small black thing... a dart?... sticking out of your ankle, and at the same time, you notice your foot is beginning to go numb. Looking back up, you think you see a dark shifting in the shadows underneath the Cadillac. (take 13 Stun after vulnerability).

Arcsilver: Looking down, you circle in tightly over Speedball, as he dashes around looking everywhere for his mysterious "something." You see him crouch down to look under the cars, when he suddenly jerks and clutches at his ankle then has to catch himself with his hands. He is staring in a frantic way under the big black Cadillac in front of him. You can still see nothing out of the ordinary, but you are clearly blocked from anything UNDER the cars.

Crusader: Tensing, holding back, you nod to Dragon Mist's words, though it feels against your best judgment to let him go through the door first. Beside you he makes intricate movements with his sword, the blade trailing that faint green spray of light at every cut. For the first time you see an actual effect, as well, as green, ghostly flame suddenly burns on the knob like a candle wick then extinguishes just a quickly with an audible hiss. A tension leaves the air then, a strange tightness on the back of your skull that you didn't really notice before, but is clear in it's absence.
Then there is a harsh cry, male and a heavy GRUUNCH! and the building shakes slightly from impact.

Impetus: (Yes, you were CON stunned.) You hit the brick lined walkway below you with heavy crunch, but hardly feel the impact. In some ways it clears your head for a moment, the sudden stop clearing your head from the haze of pain. (i.e. recover from being CON stunned). You look down at your hand plastered over your chest and deep red blood runs warmly through your fingers. The numbness of shock is wearing off and the sickening pain of a deep wound begins to assert itself.
Just to your left you see Wild Heart's head suddenly pop around the corner from the front of the building. "What's going... Oh crap!" and she vaults over the stone wall, easily leaping the twenty five feet to your side.
Over the Maverick's radios comes Heart's voice. "Impetus is down, serious bleeding. MIRV get down here with the medkit! Everyone else report in, now! Dragon Mist? Crusader? Are you inside yet?"

Dragon Mist: The dispel is easy. The blade seems to read the magical strands holding the power in the door and cuts each one with ease. A flare of green flame signals the controlled release of the pent up magics and your sword trembles, anticipation and a sense of arrogance flooding through it as it easily bests the ward. Just then you feel the building shake slightly, from a heavy impact and think you hear a deep voice cursing in pain. You lower the sword, falling back in a stance to collect yourself for entry.
Wild Heart's voice (as above) cuts through on the radio.

Crusader: (Just to speed things up and to combine Both Matt's and Storn's posts since Crusader has two actions still.) It's going down quickly and you are still outside. Dragon Mist is recovering from... whatever he just did... and fine... you won't go through the door, but you can open it...
CRASH!! Turning sideways, you kick, heel extended in armored boot, impacting the door just above the knob. Wood splinters. Aged oak no match for your cybernetically enhanced muscles. The door flies open, slamming backward into a wall, revealing a short entrance way of tile with a small end table and coat rack. The room immediately opens up to the right, while a hallway extends straight back into what looks like a dining room. From your angle, still outside the door, you can't see much of the initial, big living room and there is no one in sight back into the dining room.
Outside, MIRV's jets flare, and his voice rogers Wild Heart's orders. Darkfire comes across the com with "Rear courtyard and exit covered. Nobody here. Should I move in?"

Dragon Mist: Your sword suddenly leaps in your hand, a violent jerk, sending burning sensation up your arm. BIG DANGER INSIDE!!!!<<<

Real Quickly: Speedball, Arcsilver and Crusader have 2nd actions. You guys post first, then we'll move on.

[RDU Neil]

Post 131

From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy lays, blinking and gasping, trying to get his
bearings, since he is totally confused as to what the
hell just happened to him.

----------

From GM:

>>>Cowboy: Aching from head to toe, Cowboy tries to sit up... his body crying out in pain at each movement. Looking around you are surprised to see faintly familiar surroundings. Trees, some thin grass, slushy puddles. That... that looks like the lake in Central Park... Twisting around you see that, yes, you are in the park... only... something isn't right... like... something is missing...
Strange "clop, clopping" coming up behind you makes you turn... your head throbbing and your vision blurring for a moment, and obviously you aren't seeing straight... 'cause that looks like a horse! Adjusting your Gargoyle's you focus in on a weird throwback, instinctively putting your hat on while you watch. Approaching you is a Horseback Cop. He's wearing a real old style uniform, with those funny hats they used to wear. Your eyes go immediately to his side arm and you chuckle. This guy must be in some historical parade or something... that's an old Beretta 92F. Actual cased ammunition. Collector's piece, really. Kinda cool.
The man costumed like a policeman reigns his horse in just in front of you. "Hey buddy," he says, "You ok or are you tryin' to sleep off a drunk out here. You could freeze, y'know..." his voice trails off, as he looks you up and down, seeing your holsters, empty though they are, and the clips on your gun belt. "SIR! Please raise your hands, and turn face down! NOW! Sir!" His right hand drops to his pistol butt.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 132

From S/Crusader:

After I kick the door down.
"We have made entry!" To Wildheart's inquiry.

To Darkfire's question of coming in or not: "NO! Remember what
happened
at Onyx's Gym. Keep your distance, pick targets at range. Do not engage
inside!"

Look at DragonMist; "After you!" with a wave of my hand and a thumbs
up. "Lets find your sister." {Blow 2nd action}

From G/Speedball:

"OW! What th' Hell? You're throwing darts at me?" Speedball hops on the car's hood and gets the dart out, reasonably sure its got poinson of some
kind on it. "Arcs, there's some punk-ass ninja below this car and he just
shot me with something. My foot's numb. Get him out from under there, will
you?" Speedball will then wait to see which side of the car Arcs goes to
and then maneuver to the opposite end, waiting to see fried ninja flying out
that way. He's ready to pounce on him when he does, assuming I haven't
blacked out yet.

From I/Arcsilver:

For the second action, Arcsilver will use his flight to land feet
first as hard as he can without hurting himself too much on the hood of the
car, hoping to violently bounce the thing. I know that this is a job for
a Brick, but what the hell. I know that this won't hurt the attacker too
much, but it might force him to come out, and my move through is pretty
butch in knockback, I think. I see this as a Move Through, but only
using about 1/2 of my juice (I don't want to hit so hard that I am going
to break something...)

As he does this, he will key the radio and say "we are under fire
here, but i can't see anyone! Recommend that we make our stand where you are, 'Heart!"

Then, to Speedball "how bad are you hurt? Can you run?"

From B/Impetus:

"NO." Impetus' voice is weak, but there's a steel lining running through
it. "I ain' down yet, 'heart. Call the medics fa aftawads... 'cuz I ain't
the only one who gonn' need 'em." And despite the fact that he's got a
bleeding gash in his chest you could insert a couple of fingers into and not
touch flesh, a vicious slashing that might have sliced a lesser man in
two... he starts to pull himself up out of the hole he's in. "I'm fightin'
wit'chall. You think these punks gonna take ME down like dat?"

Man, I HATE it when my characters don't realize what they're vulnerable
to....

----------

From GM:

>>>Speedball: You pull the dart out with only a minor bit of pain, and clearly see that it fronts a hollow needle. What and how much was injected into you is unclear, but your foot remains numb for the moment. As you look up to see where Arcsilver is going to go, you are surprised to see him coming straight down at you, feet first, a crackle of energy lighting up your face.
For a split second, you think he's going to crash right into you... but he
doesn't. He lands just to the side, with a loud "K-WHAM!!" the caves in the
hood of the Cadillac. His knees bend to absorb the impact, and little static
electricity charges run all over the car. The impact sends you bouncing,
trying to not roll off, while annoying static shocks zap your hands. (no
damage, just effect.)

Arcsilver: (Brilliant move, Ilan, by the way. I never saw it coming... and
neither did the ninja under the car. Oooff.) You land harder than you
intended. In your haste, you forgot about downward acceleration, so though
you didn't thrust with full force, you flew faster than you initially
intended. The hood buckles completely, and the car smacks downward with a
loud WHAM!! KRUNK!! A satisfying "AAGGH!!" comes from under the car as it
rebounds up on it's shocks. You are left crouching on the hood looking at
Speedball who is conscious but holding his foot and trying not to slide off
the car.

Crusader: Darkfire responds with a reluctant, "Yeah... ok..." to your
command, as you clearly hear MIRVs bootjets coming through the apartment from the broken window outside, as he drops down to Impetus and Wild Heart.<<<

Next Initiative: Arcsilver (1st), Speedball (1st), Wild Heart (1st),
Crusader, MIRV, Darkfire, Dragon Mist, Impetus, Arcsilver (2nd), Speedball
(2nd), Wild Heart (2nd)

PS (Bill, I'm going to assume that your post is your "Recovering From Being
CON Stunned post, already done.)

[RDU Neil]

Post 133

From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy adjusts his glasses, and grins, even though
each movement screams pain. "Hey, chill, Badge. Its
me, ya know, Cowboy? Of the New Centurians?
Protectors of New York, and all that, remember?"

He blinks some more, noticing the skyline, which is
somewhat different from what he remembers. "Hey...
where the hell am I? This _is_ Central Park, right?"

----------

From GM:

>>>Cowboy: The skyline... yeah, that's it... IT'S NOT THERE. The
Mega-Towers are missing. I mean, you can actually SEE the Empire State
Building!!! There is little air traffic as well... and those look like...
whoa... antique helicopters it looks like.

Puzzled and beginning to get a sick feeling in your stomach, you start to stand up when the sound of metal scraping leather snaps you back to the here and now as the police officer draws his pistol. He shouts again for you to lay down on the ground, face down.
His young face looks sweaty and scared as he tries to draw a bead on
you and handle the horse at the same time.
Behind him, coming around some trees, half on the walking path, and half
on the grass, an old style dark green sedan with tinted windows is driving
rapidly toward you. It's a good three hundred meters away, at this point.<<<

Initiative: The car, you, the cop.

[greymankle]

Just more Praise. It really seems easier to have a seperated party in an E-mail situation than FtF. I have to remember to harp on Storn for his "I can't believe I'm looking for secret Doors" comment.

Keep 'em coming.

[aylwin13]

Great stuff, as usual, Neil. Very entertaining. I'm usually a visual person, but I can actually follow the action from you and the players' descriptions.

Only one minor gripe: this is TOO SLOW!! Just kidding. You made this comment to greymankle a while ago about PBEM being slow, and I can see what you mean. Even now when you're just editing and posting it, it takes some time. I'll be patient though. The story has been well worth the wait. :thumbup:

[RDU Neil]

Post 134

From I/Arcsilver:

Still waiting for a response from Wildheart on what to do, Arcsilver
will take the next action to fly up and around in a super tight
semicircle (all levels in turn), so that he is hovering just at sidewalk
level, looking under the car (on the sidewalk side , which is opposite
from the side that Speedball is on, in my mind. he wants to end up about
4" from the car, so that he is out of range of any HTH attacks unless the
guy wants to crawl out and come after him. He will use the second
half-phase to zap whomever he can see with a jolt of electricity (NND).
If he cannot see anyone, he will do one of two things. I can't remember
if you can spread a fixed slot. If so, then he will spread his electric
charge (NND) under the car to try to get a location on the assailant. If
he cannot spread, then he will take the full round to try to see
something, and relay whatever he finds to Speedball so that he can act on
it.

If there is any opportunity, Arcsilver really wants to make a full-force
move-by on this Ninjawhatever, and will do this in his second action if
possible. If not, he will try to make an NND attack, and if there is no
target for this, he will fly straigh up for 15", and take 1/2 action to
dodge.

-Ilan/Arcsilver

PS. Neil, assuming that I do have all of those points that we talked
about, and you don't mind me defining the EM vision thing in two ways
(one tracking scent, one EM vision), I will be using EM vision at this
point, which should only give me rough outlines or blobs on a human
level, but maybe something to go on.

From G/Speedball:

"Man, I thought you were coming for ME." looking at the car, he continues
"I sure hope the guy who owns this car has insurance..."
Speedball will try and massage out the numbness while looking around for
other threats. I need to assess whether or not my foot is so numb that I
can't run. If that's the case, I'll tell Arcs to leave me here to recover
and I'll take care of what's left of this ninja pancake. If i don't get the
sense that I'll be out of the fight, I'll take the first action as a
recovery and hop off the car on the second, turning insubstantial while I
look under the car to see just how flat our ninja friend is.

From M/Dragon Mist:

With a nod to Crusader, Dragon Mist half moves (He does not teleport.) low, just inside, and to the left of the doorway; avoiding the silhouette caused by one standing in a doorway. He holds the rest of his phase.

From S/Crusader:

Following 'Mist's lead, Crusader waits a beat, moves behind 'Mist and to the right of the doorway, crouched and 1 arm covering torso, 1 arm high, crooked, hand covering side of head with open palm. {1/2 move in, hold 1/2 move for defence}.
If no attack, take a 1/2 action PER roll

----------

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: Up over and down in the blink of an eye. You are just across the street, next to the cars lining the road and looking back at the Cadillac. From the east, approaching cars see you flash out into the road and there is a sudden screeching of tires as the cab in front slams on the breaks. (They are still fifty feet from you at this point.) There is a continued screech and then a distinctive CRUNCH! as a the car behind the cab doesn't stop in time.
Focusing on the underside of the Cadillac, though, you can't make out any specific shape, but let loose with a spray of tiny lightning bolts that sizzle over the tires and side panels and shoot under the car itself. It is difficult to see if you hit anyone under there but you think you see the shape of a man get lit up.

Speedball: Rubbing and flexing your foot you realize you can still move it, but it doesn't seem to be feeling any better (i.e., the recovery didn't seem to help). It's not getting worse, though... HEY!! Suddenly the car is lit up by glaring electrical light, as you look over wide eyed at Arcsilver who is currently blasting dozens of little lightning bolts in your general direction. You barely notice the car accident occurring up the street. Again, lots of static charges run through the car and sting your legs and butt as you sit there. You feel your nose hairs suddenly stand on end.

Impetus: "Shit, tough guy!" says Wild Heart. "You are oozing BADLY! I really don't think you should move!" Wash from MIRV's boot jets blows dust around you both, and he settles a couple feet away. A small metal case detaches from his belt packs and opens automatically, revealing gauze, tape, and even a small medical staple gun for fast suturing. With a twist, he shifts the heavy metal gauntlet up his wrist, allowing him more manual flexibility. He bends over the wound, pressing on either side, wiping some blood away with gauze and murmuring clinically, "Hmmmm. Your epidermis is dense, very resilient, like Wild Heart. Whatever cut you is sharper and stronger than surgical steel."
Wild Heart stands over you, concern evident on her face. Over the Maverick's com she reports. "All Mavericks, extreme caution. Someone inside the apartment just cut Impetus with something that might even penetrate my skin! Don't underestimate anyone you find in there, Crusader... Dragon Mist... you read me??"

Crusader & Dragon Mist: You both go through the door one and then the other, silent and fast. Dragon Mist has his back to the left hand wall, and Crusader, sliding right, goes a step farther into the living room as it opens in that direction. Sound comes from the outside of the building but the interior of the apartment is ominously quiet.
The hallway straight ahead of you, deeper into the apartment,remains empty but both of your attention are immediately attracted to the figures farther inside the living room. It is lit only by the pale light that makes it past the curtains drawn over the front windows. A furniture set of two divans and a couch circle a fine wooden coffee table. Draped across the coffee table, face down,is a young blonde woman, unconscious or worse, her hair spilled over her face and down her back. Standing over her is an Asian, (apanese?)man in a nice, dark suit. He looks like a business man. Slightly pale and fleshy. Not imposing at all, except for his eyes, which are black and cold and non-plussed at your entrance.
The man does not attack or even seem to have a weapon, but merelyestures to a small tatami mat laid out closer to you. A small white bundle of intricately folded cloth lies on top of it. He speaks in quiet but audible tones, in a clipped Japanese. (see separate post, Matt.)

Arcsilver: The guy under the car is still moving! As you see Speedball hop off the car, favoring his injured foot, a male figure suddenly slides to the rear of the car, to your right, rolling out from under the car, looking a bit worse for wear. No mask or classic ninja outfit, this is merely a young Japanese man in faded blue jeans, black running shoes and a dark green Dartmouth sweatshirt. His face is dirty and bleeding from his nose and there are small scorch marks on his clothes, which seem to be smoking a little. His eyes are wide in fear as he sidesteps out into the road watching you, but also glancing back toward Speedball. He definitely looks like he's opting to run away if he gets the chance.
You smile and blast toward him like the living lightning you are. He moves, deftly and without hesitation, moving his body sideways in an elegant dodge... and doesn't have a chance. Your fist impacts him square in the chin, twisting his head sideways with a loud and vicious CRACK! His jaw clearly separates from his skull and pulverizes under you blow. The sheer force of the electrical impact causes one eye to simply burst. Blood and flesh spray everywhere as he plows backwards through the windshield of a Mercedes Benz parked just behind the caddy. Glass and metal spray all over the sidewalk and the vehicle car alarm starts squalling. (Note: 14.5 d6 is very lethal vs. normals and even trained agent types... you might want to watch that in the future.)

Speedball: You are glad you are desolid. The ninja guy doesn't look like a ninja from any Chuck Norris movie you've ever seen as ehe rolleed out from under the car, away from. Vibrating to avoid any possible attack, you are standing five feet from him when Arcsilver hits him. The impact is so fast and so hard, you barely see it and you are used to things moving fast. Blood, bone, spit and then shards of glass and a windshield wiper fly around and through you as the guy goes head (what was left of it) first through the front windshield of the heretofore really nice Benz behind the Caddy.

Wild Heart: With a last look at Impetus struggling to brush off MIRV's ministrations, she simply speaks quietly into the com, "Dragon Mist, Crusader, coming in." And then with easy grace, leaps up and through the broken window, dive rolling up into the interior of the apartment. There is a grunt and clang heard by Impetus and MIRV outside and that echoes back to Dragon Mist and Crusader from deeper in the apartment. Then Wild Heart is heard to say, in a tight, almost taunting voice, "Uh-uh. Missed me!"<<<

Next initiatives: Speedball (1st), Dragon Mist (1st), MIRV (1st), Ninja in suit, Darkfire, stabbing ninja, Crusader, Impetus (recovering), Wild Heart, Speedball (2nd), Dragon Mist (2nd), MIRV (2nd)

[RDU Neil]

Post 135

From E/Cowboy:

"Hey, hey, hey! Put yer piece away, Esse. I ain't
armed..." Cowboy says this while looking over the
cop's shoulder at the oncoming car.

"Uh... aint it illegal ta drive in the park?" he says,
pointing over the cop's shoulder at the oncoming car

When the cop turns his head, Cowboy will leap foreward
and attempt to grab the gun out of his hands.

--------

From GM:

>>>As the sedan revs it's engine and accelerates, the mounted cop looks back, only for a second, but it is all the time you need. Coming off the ground like a coiled spring you leap the twelve feet between you without effort. The police officer looks back in surprise as your hand closes on the automatic pistol, clamping down on the slide and pushing the gun backwards into his palm and then simply lifting up with a twist. The gun comes free. "Jesus Christ!" the cop yells, and the horse shies from you and the cop struggles to regain control. He is instinctively hunching away from you, expecting you to open fire.
The car continues to approach, though not accelerating more it is approaching quickly. There are no markings of any kind on it.<<<

Initiatives: Cowboy (1st), Car, cop, Cowboy (2nd)

--------

From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy grins, thinking, "Shit... this MUST be a
rookie." He then takes his hat off, and swats the
horse on the back, yelling, "HEEEEEYAAAAAAAAA! Get
along lil doggie!" and then takes up a firing stance,
aiming at the driver's side of the windshield. (PRE
attack on horse, PER roll on the car)

--------

From GM:

>>>The horse rears for a second, and jumps away, the cop swearing all the time. It doesn't bolt though, being a well trained animal. You ignore the cop as he fights to turn the horse back around and grabs his radio and begins to call in the situation. You simply step forward, slapping your hat on with your left hand and spinning the pistol on the finger of your right, until you snap it up into a two handed grip and sighting down toward the oncoming car.
Immediately the car breaks, bending forward on it's suspension and slowing considerably. It doesn't go out of control at all, and continues to approach. You see the driver's window come down half way and a hand come out, gloved but empty. It's held open, palm first, fingers together, shaking slightly from side to side. Sort of a "Wait, Don't shoot!" gesture but you keep the gun leveled in place.
To your left, you hear the cop yell something into his radio, like, "YES, I said he took my gun! I never saw him move!! I swear!! Get me some fuckin' backup! I've got an incoming unmarked car as well !!"
The car has slowed to no more than five miles an hour but is still moving forward. Your Gargoyle glasses focus and scan the dark windows. IR slides off, but that's common. Unfortunately there is a mirrored element to the tinting and your light enhancement just emphasizes the reflection. Focusing on the upraised hand you see something glinting from the edge of the glove. A bit of metal near the wrist... a watch... a patch of... cybernetics! That's chrome plating molding into flesh there. You used to think about getting some flashy stuff like that yourself at one point. Whoever the driver is, he's been enhanced.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 136 - So, C-- was Champsguy. Huh... who knew? In fact... who cared? But since that controversy has overshadowed what could have a been a good discussion, I thought I'd come back and post here.

From GM:

To M/DragonMist:
When the Japanese man speaks, his words are flat and simple. Gesturing at
the tatami mat and white bundle, he says, "This can end now. Set aside the
sword... if you can... take the knife and spill your own blood. All others
will be safe, and the sword will return to it's rightful owners. Do it
now."

----------

From B/Impetus:

((((PS (Bill, I'm going to assume that your post is your "Recovering From Being CON Stunned post, already done.))))

You got it. Next, I take a recovery, waving off any help with a, "Just
gimme a sec, man, I jes' need ta get my breath back."

The Ferrett

From G/Speedball:

"Man, that's going to leave a mark!"
Speedball looks around to make sure there isn't anyone else approaching,
with a special eye to the car accident (reinforcement ninjas?). If there is
no immediate danger, then he glides over to Arcs and chucks him on the
shoulder "Nice one...but, where's everyone else? I'm surprised you didn't
have a bigger audience." An onlooker will notice that he never actually
looks at Arcsilver, but keeps glancing around nervously--his speed is his
only defense and he's a little spooked that his foot is numb.
I will hold my second action until I know what's going on with Arcs (Neil,
he wasn't on the initiative list, though maybe you know that).

I need to amend my post anyway. I want to search the headless ninja for my
pool ball and anything else of interest, especially more of those darts,
just in case I need to find a cure for whatever it was he stuck me with.

From I/Arcsilver:

"Damnit!" Arcsilver yells (before Speedball comes over). Then, to
himself "I thought that guy would be tougher..." When Speedball
approaches, Arcsilver will key his radio to the NYPD and advise them of
the situation, saying that "an ambulance is needed right away!"

He will then key the radio for the team, saying "the threat here seems neutralized, please advise, MIRV." He says this assuming that he can
hear over the radio that 'Heart is in the middle of a fight, and that MIRV
is taking care of Impetus' wounds.

That's a lot to do, so he will spend the rest of his actions zipping
straight up a few inches, and saying "Speedball, go around to the front
of the building, but delay entry until I shout at you, OK?"

-Ilan/Arcsilver

A couple of notes:

First, I specified that I was curving around on the sidewalk side so that
I would not be in the middle of the street. Its fine that this didn't
work out, but I was aware of traffic and I didn't want to end up causing
an accident...

Also, I thought that the guy under the car was a super, which is why I
wanted to make the fast takedown on him. I think it will work well for
roleplaying the Arc probably killed this guy, but in the future feel free
to change my sequence of actions to pull punches if it becomes evident
that I am going to hit someone who might not be able to take it and live
(if I see that the guy is wearing street cloths and is already pretty
jacked up). If I want to hit a normal that hard (like the woman who was
spraying the street with gunfire at the diner) then I will try to make
that clear.

As far as my character goes, thanks very much for reworking him, I would
like to drop all limitations from the detect Em signatures.

From B/Impetus:

((((He bends over the wound, pressing on either side, wiping some
blood away with gauze, and murmuring clinically, "Hmmmm. Your epidermis is
dense, very resilient, like Wild Heart. Whatever cut you is sharper and
stronger than surgical steel."))))

Impetus reluctantly accepts the help, saying, "I dunno, man -- I had more
wicked blades bounce offa me than dis, but usely I can sorta... PUSH away at
the las' second. But this blade, man... everythin' I had just slid right
off the fucka. Like air aroun' a win' tunnel, man." He shakes his head
ruefully, trying to get the spots out of his eyes. "I dunno what dey got,
but ah hope all y'all are more resistant to it dan me, 'cuz that guy's
accrate as all fuckin' hell. He wants ta hitcha, he goan hitcha. I jes'
gotta hiddim firs'."

Then he pauses. "Say, you a docta anyway, or you jus' like stitchin' people
up?"

Neil: I take another recovery.

The Ferrett

From S/Crusader:

Crusader will just have to be patient for the minute. He will simply
back 'Mist's play.
To the radio chatter, outside speakers off; "All Mavericks, 'Mist and I
have found a hostage and a japanese man engaging 'Mist in conversation. Deal
with your opponents as needed, but hold all positions. Crusader over."
Crusader doesn't really know that Arc and Speed are halfway to Toledo at
this point. {sorry, Ilan} Crusader wasn't really paying attention to Arc's
chatter with Speedball and Speedball doesn't have a radio comm.

Taking advantage of this lull, Crusader will slowly scan the room with
all built in sensors and common sense. Where would an ambush be likely from?
Are there acoustic tile in the ceiling, creating a false ceiling? How many
doors, windows into this room besides the one we came in?
Scan the woman, does UV, IR, Telescopic pick up anything in terms of her
living (breathing)? Is her hair real? Or is it a wig on a decoy (person,
not dummy). Ninjas are the masters of disguise, after all. Are her hands in
plain sight? Or are they hidden, possibly hiding a Tanto or a Ninja-to?

-storn

From M/DragonMist:

Dragon Mist responds to the man in English. "You want me to commit seppuku? A man I have never met wants me to take my own life? You obviously don't know how this works; do you? The sword and I are bonded, it won't let me take my own life even if I wanted." While speaking to the man, Dragon Mist lowers himself onto the mat, eyes locked, into a seiza position. After untying the sheath from his back, He then lays the sheathed sword on the floor in front of him, bladed edge toward the man. All of this is done in one fluid motion. (Neil: The ninja would know that a sword, even sheathed, facing blade first is a challenge.) He then stares at the man with his hands resting on his thighs. "I don't even know if that's my sister."(Hold half phase)

The idea behind this move is that even if this guy is a legitimate Nahoda Clan
Chunin, (Maybe even the new Jonin!) he probably won't know that DM can teleport without the sword. DM's banking on this fact. He will use the sword as a distraction, (But won't give it to him) then teleport behind the guy and do a take down as hard and fast as possible. He's also counting on Crusader to move the woman (maybe not his sister?) out of harms way. None of this will happen if this guy is threatening the target in any way.

-------

From GM:

Note: (We are a little off there, as well. I'll try to clarify for each character.)

>>>Speedball: (First action)Zipping around like a limping maniac, you are all over the street, clapping Arcs on the back, scanning the auto accident (which seems like a minor fender bender, and nobody has even had time to get out of their cars yet), and then running back to the guy imbedded in the windshield. A cursory pat down, trying not to look too closely at his mangled face, finds a thin metal straw strapped to his forearm. A small packet of three more darts similar to the one you pulled out of your ankle are also strapped there.
As you shake your toes... thinking maybe some feeling is coming back... you aren't quite sure... the injured man groans feebly through a pulverized mouth. Little bloody bubbles froth on his tattered lips.

Dragon Mist: (First action) Your words and implicit challenge bring a slight shift to the man's face and hardening of the countenance, but a flash of respect to the eyes. He seems to be totally focusing on you, not looking at Crusader at all. "I understand more than you think," he replies in barely accented English. "You have had the sword for too long. You are correct, it will not let you harm yourself... with it." He gestures at the folded bundle of cloth again. "The blade I referred to is one I have provided for you." Looking down, you can see there is something in the bundle. A quick touch of the top leaf makes the whole thing unfold, revealing an intricately carved handle to a sheathed long knife... a long bladed tanto.
(Note, as discussed off line, DM can NOT t-port without the sword, but a similar action can be taken if you go that route)

Impetus: (Note, last round was the recovery from CON stunned, this one is the actual recovery. You were getting ahead of the game a bit.) MIRV pulls out an antiseptic spray and douses the wound with a cooling white foam. "I've got extensive paramedic training, but I'm not technically a Dr. Hope my lack of credentials doesn't bother you too much." Then he mumbles something about, "Don't think the suture gun is going to penetrate your skin..." as you suck in a deep, somewhat painful breath and begin to stand up. Just then the building shakes from an impact just on the other side of the wall and you hear Wild Heart ki-ap followed by the clunk of metal... a sword?... hitting the floor.

Crusader: Looking around the room you do a precision scan as Dragon Mist faces off with the little business man across the room. The building shakes from the sound of battle further inside as you radio out to the group.
On your HUDs the room takes on a surreal and colorful look, but the information it gives you is critical. First, the woman on the table does seem to be alive. Body heat is normal and you can see a slight rise and fall of the chest. One hand swings free and looks to be a feminine, Caucasian hand. Hair looks real. The man behind her shows as normal as well, and you detect no weapons in evidence but something small enough, or kept close to body temperature wouldn't show up.
This doesn't go for the guy hiding off to the side of the business man. There is a second hallway there, leading back into the apartment to your left, the bad guy's right. Heat signature reveals someone poised just out of sight in that hallway, most likely pressed up against the wall, back to you, but in position to step out only a couple of meters from Dragon Mist. Nothing else shows as threatening and the only other place someone could be hiding in the room is behind the heavy couch close to the front windows. This is behind the bad guy. Someone could be behind that and it would block their heat signature.

Arcsilver: You key over to the police channel, give your identification number, and confirm the call for an ambulance. MIRV's voice cuts in as you report to him..."...ill think you should just lay there, Impetus... ARCS? Wild Heart is engaging a hostile and Dragon Mist and Crusader are inside facing off with someone as well. Do what you have to do to keep any one coming at us from outside, would you?"

You then call to Speedball as you blast into the air. Looking over at him, he seems to be robbing the body of the guy you just creamed. Back by the accident, a woman cab driver gets out of the car, looking very stunned and unsure what to do. You can see the eyes of the man driving the car that ran into her back end, and he is just staring at you in awe. They both seem shocked by what is happening.

Speedball: (2nd action) The guy's chest rattles, and he twitches a bit as you hear Arcsilver yell for you to cover the front of the building. You have a choice about what to do, as there is no evident threat around but Arcs clearly can't see what is going on with this injured guy. (You still need to declare what you do for this action, before next initiative below)

Dragon Mist: Moment frozen, as you decide what to do. The man is not evidently threatening the woman... who you think, more and more, is NOT your sister... but the move is nevertheless risky. Will Crusader know to back you up? Will he react like you think he will? Is there some threat you aren't seeing? What will you do? (as w/Speedball, you still have to declare for this action, before initiative below)<<<

Matt I need a specific "Yes, I go for the t-port takedown, or something else. You have a full action. Geoff, you have a full action as Speedball, do what Arcs asks... or something else.)

Note: (This two actions vs. one action can be tricky. Don't know how to get around it. All I ask from you guys is to be very specific about "1st action, I do this... 2nd action, I do that, unless X, Y or Z happens, in which case I'll..." complicated, but probably the only way to do it that wouldn't necessitate separate posts for each individual round.)

Initiative: Arcsilver (1st), Speedball (1st), Dragon Mist (1st), Crusader (1st), Impetus (1st), Wild Heart, MIRV, Darkfire, Ninja Chunin, ninjas, Arcsilver (2nd), Speedball (2nd), Dragon mist (2nd), Crusader (2nd), Impetus (2nd) (Yes, I friggin rolled nothing but fives and sixes for all you guys. GEEZ. My pokey ninjas are just HOSED. Thank goodness for held actions.)

[RDU Neil]

Post 137 - heh... posting Cowboy's stuff is much easier and faster.

From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy will cover the car, ready to shoot at a
moment's notice. He moves over to the left, so that
the car won't be aiming at the cop if it follows him.

------

From GM:

Cowboy steps to the side, as the car approaches. The police officer pulls his horse to opposite you, radio still at his mouth, but silent, watching to see what happens. The car slows appreciably, then stops, roughly thirty feet away. The driver's side door opens, and a man eases out, both hands up, gloved but empty. He has dark hair, cut short. White male, perhaps in his forties. Dark, piercing eyes, and stern, commanding looks with a classic square jaw and sharp nose. He is dressed in a nice suit, under a dark green, almost black trench coat. He slowly spreads his arms so you can see an empty shoulder holster under one arm. "I'm just reaching for some identification, ok?" he asks you, and slowly reveals an inside pocket of his coat, and with two fingers, pulls out a small slip case, and flips it open.
Your Gargoyle's focus in on an old style, flat photo ID, with the distinct blue letters FBI across the back. The picture matches the face, and shows the name Special Agent Chet Carlysle.
"I would very much like to speak with you, sir. We understand you may be... quite confused about the situation you find yourself in. If nothing else, I would like to ease the tension here with the local law enforcement!" He looks to the police officer. "Officer, I'm with the Federal Bureau of Investigation. I'd appreciate your cooperation and assistance in moderating the situation, which we must take under federal jurisdiction at this time."
The cop really looks confused, muttering, "Well I'll be damned..." then speaks into his radio, saying, "Dispatch? I've got Fibbies here, claiming jurisdiction. Would you get some brass on the horn, and fast!"

--------

From E/Cowboy:

"Shit! Feds? I ain't never done nothin' ta warrent
Feds, man... 'Sides, weren't that covered when I
joined the New Centurions?"

Cowboy looks from the Fed to the cop, quick glances
just enough to give him an idea where they are. He
licks his lips quickly, and keeps the pistol aimed at
the Federal agent. (cover, shoot if a gun appears)

"Somebody better start 'splanin' just what the hell's
goin' on here... where the fuck did all the buildin's
go?"

----------

From GM:

Agent Carlyle nods calmly at your statement, saying, "I would like to explain that, but I'd prefer not to do it at gun point. You are not being put under arrest. Mitigating circumstances for the assault on the officer, I guarantee we'll cover that. I just don't want any violence." The man steps slightly away from the car, making an inviting gesture. "Would you come with us? Willingly? I think my partner and I," he nods to the car, "can help to clear things up, at least a little." Scanning the car through the open door gives a brief angle of another occupant. This one a woman, though she seems to have a hood over her face.
"Please, set the gun down, and let's talk." Carlisle has stepped away from the car a bit, though his hands are still out, supplicating, empty and trying to be unthreatening. The mounted cop is silent, for the moment, just watching.

-------

From E/Cowboy:

"Aw, hell..." Cowboy's eyes dart from the fed, to the
woman in the car, to the cop, back to the fed. Rinse,
repeat. Sweat pops out on his brow as he thinks,
"Okay... one in his chest, then three to the mystery
woman, then one at the cop... fuck! What the hell am
I thinkin'?!"

"Dammit..." he says, and spins the pistol. The clip
pops out. He tosses the gun to the cop, keeping the
clip. "Uh, sorry 'bout that officer... instincts, ya
know?"

"'Aight, Fedman, I'll come with ya." He moves towards
the car, looking in at the woman to get her details
better.

-------

From GM:

Note: (Loved Cowboy's internal dialogue. I thought he was going to start pluggin' people.)

The pistol thuds into the ground in front of the horse and cop. The officer starts to make a feeble protest, but Carlisle cuts him off, saying, "Officer, this is an FBI matter now. Please file your report as normal, and thank you for your cooperation." As he says this, he opens and holds the rear driver's side door for you.
As you step up and start to slide inside your attention is focused on the woman sitting in the back seat. She doesn't look like any Fed you've ever seen. She sits stiffly, wrapped in a heavy, bluish, deep purple cloak, with a heavy hood over her head. Her face is obscured though you catch a flash of something like white porcelain covering much of her face. A mask? For some reason your Gargoyles don't enhance the light enough and are unable to focus on anything. A small tuft of reddish blonde hair extends out into the gray light.
The door shuts behind you as you sit down and Carlisle slides into the front seat. The car is a mint condition, petrol era luxury sedan. Leather interior, wood grain on the dash. There is no evident SmartDrive hookup and the old steering wheel and gas/break pedals are all functional. Why the Feds would be driving such a classic and flaunting their Petrol Rights like this is beyond you, but it's a nice ride. Reminds you of the old vids you've watched.
"I'm glad you didn't fight us," says the woman suddenly, as the car bumps over the grass while reversing and pulling away. "Your disorientation is palpable. I understand what you are going through." Her voice is soft, with a bit of a rasp to it but unthreatening. "Being a castaway is not easy. The fact that you weren't lost forever leads me to believe something brought you here... for a reason." The folds of her cloak move and her arm comes out, sheathed past the elbow in a long, deep purple glove like that worn with a fine dress. In the palm of her hand is a small crystalline ball. "If I may...?" she asks, and the crystal ball begins to glow, then rises off her hand a couple of inches and begins spinning, throwing rainbow strobes of light through the interior of the car.

[greymankle]

hmmm, a couple of posts ago you mentioned bringing Cowboy in with the rest of the group. As far as mass E-mails are concerned. From the reading though it looks like Eric/Cowboy was still far from the action. Any reason you brought him in early? Trying to save time when he is in. No "What did I miss" type questions later on. Or something else.

Still a great read though. I like the description and the back and forth when Cowboy is realizing things are wrong. Each one is rationalized. The horseback cop is a historical parade. etc. Very cool.

The showdown between DM and the un-named suit guy brought back some memories. About trying to talk/act your way out of a VERY sucky situation. Damien never had to deal with that. :)

Good stuff keep it up. Out of curiosity, how far along would you say this story is? Halfway? farther? Best guess.

[RDU Neil]

hmmm, a couple of posts ago you mentioned bringing Cowboy in with the rest of the group. As far as mass E-mails are concerned. From the reading though it looks like Eric/Cowboy was still far from the action. Any reason you brought him in early? Trying to save time when he is in. No "What did I miss" type questions later on. Or something else.

Still a great read though. I like the description and the back and forth when Cowboy is realizing things are wrong. Each one is rationalized. The horseback cop is a historical parade. etc. Very cool.

The showdown between DM and the un-named suit guy brought back some memories. About trying to talk/act your way out of a VERY sucky situation. Damien never had to deal with that. :)

Good stuff keep it up. Out of curiosity, how far along would you say this story is? Halfway? farther? Best guess.

Gut check on the number of e-mails still in the folder... about 1/3 the way through. This current plot... then a couple follow up stories.

Yeah... Cowboy is still not with the full group... but he's close by. It was a bit of the old contrive-o-meter going to 11 to bring him in... but it works out. Or at least it's fun, anyway! More later.

[RDU Neil]

Post 138

From G/Speedball:

Hey, if you're going to go into the Ninja business you have to expect to get hurt...

first action (the one from last time): I'll follow Arcs' suggestion/order
and go around the building and keep a look out.

first "new" action: Speedball will be on the lookout for foot traffic
dressed in a similar manner for our dying ninja friend and/or acting
suspiciously. I will abort to a block/dodge/missile block as needed. I will
not engage anyone first, but I will hold actions to act defensively as
needed.

Second: more of the same. I figure I'm pretty much on guard duty. I'm
something loud happens, I'll know about it. Otherwise, I'm out of the loop,
I guess.

From I/Arcsilver:

Without waiting for a response from Speedball (although I guess i will
have seen what he chooses to do...) Arcsilver will make a slow (for him)
move towards and around the top of the building, scanning with his EM all
the way. He is expecting to see EM blobs for Impetus, MIRV, Darkboy, and
Speedball, and will take note of any others. If he sees any, he will try
to identify with normal vision.

For the second action, if he sees something, and is able to identify it
as a threat (and not some Jewish Bubbie hiding for her life), he will try
to Flash it after making a half move to set up for a move by. If he sees
nothing, he will take his second action to continue to the move and the
scan, hopefully completing the circle around the building and making
visual contact with Wildheart. he will speak into the comm while doing
this: "Gotcha, MIRVy, I'm on it. Speedball is skulking around there, but
I think he's on our side. 'Heart, Crusader, let me know what floor
you're on if you want some help, that Speedball and I are a second away!"

-Ilan/Arcsilver

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist's 2nd action from last phase:
In response to the Chunin's remarks, Dragon Mist rolls his eyes and with a look
of exasperation on his face, he grabs his sword and does a backward roll into a
ready stance.
"You are too obvious genin, I do not deal with terrorists. You'll have to take
this sword from me if you truly want it."

(This action is designed to taunt the chunin into action; to draw him out.)

1st action of the new phase:
Dragon Mist will half move (teleport if need be but he is wary of magical wards
which might hamper his sword's abilities; he won't use them if he can help it.)
to the Chunin's right side and use his flash attack.

(I am assuming that DM entered the room to sit on the mat and that he has
gotten within a half move away, and that the woman is more to the left of the
chunin. The flash attack is intended as a bluff. DM's entrance, and approaching angle, is intended to look like a strike. His levels are in OCV.)

2nd action of the new phase:
Continuing around to the back of the chunin, (Half move) thus forcing him to
change his facing, Dragon Mist will then execute a fast strike on the chunin
with his levels again in OCV . This being the second action, he will be ready
to abort it to a dodge if the first fails.

(DM does not expect the flash to work, he just wants the chunin to blow an
action. The continued move behind the chunin is an attempt to get the chunin
away from the woman, who DM thinks is probably another ninja, and position him between DM and Crusader.)

From S/Crusader:

>>>This doesn't go for the guy hiding off to the side of the business man.
There is a second hallway there, leading back into the apartment, to your
left, the bad guy's right. Heat signature reveals someone poised just out
of sight in that hallway,<<<

"Mist, there is one hostile in hallway. Make your move, I've got him."
I will whisper into Mist's com., flexing slightly, moving hands, shifting
feet ever so subltly, getting the best traction I can. Looking all imposing
and shit. Not that they will be impressed.
{When Ninja hits fan, I will either roll around 'Mist, or leap over him
to engage the hostile. {Fast Strike, all levels in OCV} In my 2nd action, I
might continue to press the attack, but I want to put my back against
something (like the wall right before the hallway) so I can take a quick look
towards the couch. Go for a long fist kung fu punch, use my size.)

From Arc: >> 'Heart, Crusader, let me know what floor
you're on if you want some help, that Speedball and I are a second away!"<<

If I have time: "Hold off, Arc, things are tense here. Sudden entrance
might tip things their way. Location, 2nd floor. Over."

------

From GM:

Note: ( Bill hasn't yet sent anything, though. I'm going to go ahead with this post, doing as much as I can. Sorry about the delay.)

>>>Speedball: You head off, back down 92nd, hobbling a bit, but starting to imagine you can feel your toes again. As you zip up to the front of the apartment building, you see the big guy, Impetus, standing up along the side of the building, with MIRV. MIRV's shiny armor is spattered with blood, and Impetus is clutching his stomach, deep red staining the front of his costume and oozing through his fingers. The look on his face is one of anger and pain. Just last night you'd seen this guy walk through walls and ignore bullets with a awesome casualness. Now he looks hurt... bad... and that's kinda scary. For a moment you don't notice that your foot is feeling much better. (Get five stun back.)

Dragon Mist: You roll up backwards, sword in hand. The Chunin's face goes even more stone like if possible, and he subtly shuffles his feet. He speaks quietly in Japanese and glances briefly at the prone form below him, then, with a small shake of his head, locks eyes with you.
At that moment, there is a flash of silver, and the attacker that Crusader warned you about steps out, sport coat and slacks, with a ninja-to in a two handed stance.

Arcsilver: (1st) As you push off into the air you see that, surprisingly, Speedball has actually done what you asked though he's running kind of funny, limping a bit. As you pass over the apartment building, you shift your visual perception trying to zero in on any strange EM signatures. Speedball, MIRV, Impetus (whose field seems weakened for the moment) and Darkfire all show up. There are no strong signatures from inside the house, but it would take a energy discharge or a field like yours or Impetus' to show through a buildings walls. Scanning wider, you pick up some signatures of people in windows or on the street, but as far as you can tell from your vantage point, everything seems clear.

Speedball: (1st) Hey, yeah! Foots feeling much better. Though you are starting to feel a slight pain from where the dart hit you, the numbness has lessened. Looking around you still don't spot your other cue ball, but it could be under any car around here or fallen into a sewer. As you look up at the front of the building you see a man in a bathrobe look out of a third floor window, a phone in one hand as if dialing, and a worried look on his face. You see him spot you, zipping around the sidewalk and his eyes go wide. He fumbles dialing the phone, while trying to keep his eyes on your fast moving form.

Dragon Mist: (1st) While the room is large for an apartment, it is still close quarters as far as combat is concerned. Before the new attacker can blink, you squeeze the hilt of the sword and shift... a whisper of darkness... and appear just as intended to the side of the chunin, palm outstretched, and with a flick of your finger flinging a rice paper packet of dust at the chunin's eyes.
The man was already in motion, his leg snapping out toward you as if he knew exactly where you'd be, but at the last second he notices your attack and he uses the momentum of his kick to shift his body lower and away so that the dust shell flies past to erupt harmlessly against the wall. The chunin ends up in a low stance, one leg up on the couch behind him rotated away from you. He may have avoided the flash powder, but he has now put himself on the defensive against you, and has moved away from the woman.

Crusader: The ninja stepped out from the hallway before you could reach him, but your leap easily carries you the ten feet past where Dragon Mist had stood and into a extended long fist strike at the genin's face. Though he had been distracted for a second by the disappearance of Dragon Mist, he immediately responds to your attack with a perfect high block, rotating his sword up to catch your wrist on the flat of the blade and the guard the creates a solid KLANK sound against your armor.

Impetus: (1st) You breathe deep, focusing past the pain as you face back up toward the second floor. (Another recovery, total of 2 now, after recovering from CON stun.) On the other side of the wall, the building shakes again and you see movement by the window now open and without a curtain. The wall actually buckles outward a bit and dust plumes sideways from it. Wild Heart's voice comes out the window with a taunting, "Nighty night, little man."
MIRV then swings into action, his boot jets igniting and he leaves you be with a rueful shake of his head. As you blast off into the air about eight feet high, he folds the medkit back into his belt as the large energy rifle in his other hand powers up. Over the com, he says, "Impetus is up, but walking wounded. I'm covering east side above him, right outside your position, Wild. You having fun in there, boss?"
Heavy sarcasm comes over the line from Darkfire... "Hellloooo! I'm BOORRREDD! Send some ninjas back my way, would you?"

Arcsilver: (2nd) Seeing nothing, you curve back toward MIRV's position, rogering his comments as you go. Crusader's line comes across, a quick bitten line, obviously in the middle of a fight, asking you to hold off for the moment. You spend the next couple of seconds lining up a quick entrance on the second floor, same side as Impetus and MIRV, but more toward the back of the building. From that point, you can see Darkfire standing outside the rear, his back to a wall, cautiously watching exits. He gives you a brief salute, but despite his comments, he's obviously holding his position properly. Your radio clicks in with further request for a situation report from the police, who are responding to your call for an ambulance. Three cars in the nearby area are reporting in.

Speedball: (2nd) Waiting out front, you zip up and down the sidewalk, looking up both sides of the building, seeing MIRV, the wounded Impetus and now Arcsilver lining up on the East side, but nobody on the west side. That area is a smaller, barely two meter wide walkway between buildings. Trash cans line the walk farther back and you note that there is a smaller, side entrance. Probably a servants door from before this place was renovated into apartments. It looks shut and locked, but you can't really tell from here. Nothing moves on the west, though there are more people down the street now, a small gathering of pedestrians looking your way.

Dragon Mist: (2nd) You side step easily, moving behind the couch, and are mildly surprised to find no one there. Though your dust bomb missed, you still have the advantage with the Chunin still in defensive crouch, leaning back too far to make an effective counter attack. You stab forward, blade thrusting straight for the Chunin's chest, pressing your attack. He flows backward, fluidly avoiding the flashing blade (which is truly flashing green at the moment) but you succeed in moving him away from the woman who remains lying still on the coffee table. You now stand with a couch between you, about six feet from the woman who is directly in front of you now and about ten feet from Crusader and his foe.

Crusader: (2nd) Driving the swordsman back, you see Dragon Mist move unimpeded behind the couch and no hidden attacker appears. Keeping your back to the side wall, you snap a kick out at the ninja who is rotating his sword defensively in front of him. This time you connect. Though he tried to stop you the sword bangs ineffectually against your armored knee, as your plasteel boot rams him in the solar plexus (another fast strike). You feel some solid resistance to your kick but you also feel some ribs give out and the man goes FLYING backward, up and over a nice end table to smash into an antique china hutch, sending glassware crashing down with him.
Just then, three more figures come leaping out of the small hallway to your left (where the other ninja had been hiding), and all of them are clearly going for Dragon Mist. Behind you, a sound catches your attention and you briefly glimpse more figures coming up from the main hallway that had appeared empty twenty seconds before.<<<

Impetus still has a second action, then...
Speedball (1st), Crusader (1st), MIRV (1st), Arcsilver, Chunin, Wild Heart, ninjas, Dragon Mist, Impetus, Speedball (2nd), Crusader (2nd), MIRV (2nd)

[greymankle]

Woo hoo. Mass ninja beat down!

[RDU Neil]

Post 139 - Cowboy stuff

From E/Cowboy:

"Wow, man... nice wheels! Where'd the Feds get the
creds for a classic ride like this?" Cowboy gets
comfortable in the back seat, sprawling out a bit (not
used to riding in a car of this size). His eyes dart
around the inside, taking it all in.

When the woman raises her arm, he focuses on it, his
smile slowly draining from his face. When the ball of
light appears, he says, "Fuck! I knew it! Can't
trust the damn feds!" and lunges for the door handle.
He will try and open it that way, and if it is locked,
he will then try and smash the window with his fist
and dive out the opening.


When Cowboy gets the opportunity to go out the
door/window, he will go through the opening on his
back, grabbing the roof and swinging out onto the roof
of the sedan.

------

From GM:

You grab for the door, scrambling for the latch and palm healing the door, but the latch moves freely, disconnected from the lock, and your palm smacks the door hard, but it remains shut. Reeling back, you form your hand into a fist, but before you can smash the window you hear the woman's voice, inside your head. It is the same voice, but softer, without the raspiness.
"Calm, please," she says. "We mean no harm." Immediately the urgency drains from you, her words open and utterly truthful. There is no doubt in your mind that they intend you no harm. Your desire to struggle and run fades. "This is merely a precaution. Temporal Displacement can have all kinds of destabilizing results. You may be infected with a Paradox Virus and we can't let that spread. This will cleanse you of any such instabilities and allow you, and us, to fully understand what happened to you."

And as she says it Cowboy... understands. Clarity crackles from the light and just 'clicks' into place.

This is not your time. This is not your place. On a level where words and images are insufficient you knows that in order to save him, Adept did something dangerous. The demons were trying to eradicate you. Not just kill you, but erase you from existence completely... as if you never were. To do this they pulled you outside the space/time continuum. Adept followed. He stopped them, but you were so far outside so far away... almost discorporate... broken from existence. His last act was a desperate one. He activated a dimensional summoning. Something intended to open a gate back to his world. This disruption allowed him to "shove" you back into reality through a tear in time. Unfortunately, he couldn't be very precise. He simply sent you where he could. Here... Earth, New York... but the PAST! Maybe as much as a half a century... and maybe... and this is the most disturbing... not to the past you know. A different past, a different Earth. And you begin to grasp the infinity you witnessed briefly on your journey. Infinite worlds (or nearly so). Infinite possibilities, each with their own reality, and you simply skipped across these, like a roulette ball, spinning and tossing about until coming to rest... randomly... here.

Still calm... though this surprises you in light of what you just learned... you realize something else as well. This woman and this man, are NOT Federal Agents.

-----

From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy slumps back against the seat, closing his eyes.
"Goddamn magic shit! I hate that crap..." He shakes
his head.

He frowns a bit when he realizes that these guys
aren't feds. "So who the hell are yous guys? Chica,
who you workin' for? Huh?" His eyes flash from the
back of one head to the other, his fists clenching
slightly into fists despite the calmness spreading
through him.

-----

From GM:

When you ask who they are, the driver turns his head back, in surprise, asking, "How did you... ? I mean, we were going to tell you, but..."

The woman cuts him off.
"It was the truth of the moment. It simply made clear the most current events. Suspicions he may not have even been aware of were merely confirmed... pure insight." As she says this, the small crystal ball slows in it's spinning, the light fading from it's various facets and it settles into her palm. "It was the nature of the spell... to clarify and reveal... though in only a limited fashion..." Her voice fades, and she looks out the window as the car pulls out onto... yes... whatever Earth this is, it is still Park Avenue... though you never spent much time here. This is the old, ritzy area. Silhouettes' area. Or... it will be... maybe... in another future... Your head starts to hurt.

"I apologize for the deception," says the man. "My name is not Chet Carlisle... and I'm sure the real Agent Carlisle will be quite upset to learn I used his identity. The deception was for the police, not you. To get you away from the scene."
The car slows as traffic gets heavier. You look out the windows to see dozens of these old vehicles and classic yellow cabs. The only thing familiar are the old diesel trucks which still get some use in your era, but everything else is disconcertingly old fashion.
"My name is Killinger," says the driver. "I represent a group that... well, it's complicated... but the fact is you have come to us at a time of great change. Your presence here may just be a symptom of the times, or may mean something of much greater import. It is just good fortune that Ms. King could sense your impending arrival. She is..." he stops, as if looking for the words.
Ms. King finishes for him. "Let us just say I'm sensitive to passages like the one you made." Her voice is even more rough, than before. You sense, at some level, that she is in great pain. "As for who I work for..." she turns back to you, and though it is difficult to see any real detail of her features you get the sense she is smiling. "I work for myself, and I'm seeking allies. I hope you might be one."

-----

From E/Cowboy:

"Hang on... hang on... give me a sec... I gotta sort
this shit out." With that, he falls silent for a
moment.

(in his head)

"Think about it, Cowboy... aint no cops here lookin'
fer me, ain't no King Voodoo, ain't no gangs... I can
work with this..."

(out loud)

"Okay. You're lookin' fer allies, so start talkin'.
I ain't promisin' nothin', but you talk a good talk,
we'll see what happens."

Cowboy is still ready to smash through the window at
the first sign of trouble, however.

------

From GM:

You see Killinger look you over in the rear view mirror, and then his eyes glance at the woman. "Well?" he asks, and you see her nod.
"He is more than capable." She looks at you. "Dangerous in fact," and for a second you have a better view of her face, a soft, pale skin more than half covered on her right hand side by an ivory or ceramic mask. Almost featureless... smooth and white... elegantly carved. There is no opening for her eye on that side either, though her left eye is sharp and blue.
Then the shadows return to her face, and she looks away.
Killinger says, "Excellent. May I ask what you like to be called? Your clothing is clearly western, stylized, and made for combat. Your accent is clearly Brooklyn (or was it the Bronx? I can't remember which). Do you have a name?"

[RDU Neil]

Post 140 - Mavs

From G/Speedball:

There still isn't much for Speedball to do and he can't figure out whether
that's a good thing or not. He's not exactly looking to get shot again, but
on the other hand, he hasn't done much but get blinded and hit in the foot
with a dart.

That said, 1st Action: Speedball will stand at the near corner of the
building watching the doorway in the alley for anyone coming or going. He
will assume that anyone who does so is a hostile and approach them (with
caution) demanding that they "Freeze--in the name of the, ah, Mavericks...I
guess." After saying that he will take up a defensive stance. If nothing of
the kind happens, he will take recovery.

2nd action: same as above, and additionally trying to figure out whether
this pain in his foot is going to mean another trip to the hospital.

(Neil, does the loos of that cueball mean my missil deflect will not work
for the time being, or will the other three do the trick?)

From M/Dragon Mist:

The ninja all go before DM? DODGE would be the action of choice!

From B/Impetus:

Sorry, I got confused -- I thought that I was one behind already, so I
purposely didn't post to catch up. Now I'm not only caught up, but I was
behind. Huh? Never mind.

Anyway, Superleap through the window where I saw Wildheart go into, and
follow, leaving a spattering trail of blood over the pavement behind me.

From S/Crusader:

"All Mavericks! Situation bad on 2nd floor! Respond ASAP! Multiple
opponents with swords."
Spin away from the hallway and try to pick off two (out of three) who are
going for DragonMist by leaping, using acrobatics over furniture, handstand
on the couch and sissor kick (Fast Strike) for a target each. All levels to
OCV, including, hopefully, level from Acrobatics.
2nd Action: drop off of said furniture, take defensive action... block
or dodge, using the furniture to my best advantage (i.e. lifting end table
for a block, spinning around couch)

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will respond to Crusader by yelling to Speedball "SECOND FLOOR
NOW, SPEEDBALL!" I know that Arc can't see him, but the building didn't
sound so big that Arc couldn't yell around it. Arc will then make a
half-move in through a window, and towards any evidence of a fight. If
he sees anyone who looks unfriendly, he will try to catch them with a
move by in the second 1/2 phase (I am looking for 10 dice of damage), or
he will unleash a tendril of lightening (NND) if the bad guy isn't close
enough.

-Ilan "sad because he only got one action..."

-------

From GM:

Note: (Ok On with the fight. Complicated... complicated... complicated...)

Speedball: (and I'll modify yours slightly to speed things up.) Trembling with anticipation, you hop from foot to foot, definitely feeling better about the numbness in your left. It is lessening and feeling is returning (get back 2 more stun) but you are thinking it was good that you pulled it out so quickly. If any more toxin had got into your blood stream, you'd have been down, and maybe dead. Images of a simple grave saying, "Speedball: We have no idea who he really was." flash through your head. You are thinking that would have been a bad way to start the superhero career.
Then you hear a voice... Arcsilver... calling your name? Something about the second floor, but he's on the other side of the building and you aren't sure what he said (not so hot perception roll).
Then there are two crashes as the building shakes from a large impact on the other side of the building.

Crusader: (Assuming Sweep maneuver, since you didn't specify, but said you were trying to take out two at once.) The room gets crowded... quickly. As at least two more rush up behind you, you roll into a handstand, boots lashing out at two of the three in front of you who are going for Dragon Mist. Your boots strike home, catching one solidly in the small of the back and the other in the shoulder. The first is bent over backwards, collapsing on the couch he was about the leap, his sword tumbling from his grasp. The second is spun away and falling to the floor. Though his attack is stopped and he looks a little dazed, his sword is still in his hands.
Just past these two you see Dragon Mist twist backwards, his sword flashing in a defensive pattern, trying to avoid the third attacker and keep the older, leader ninja at bay.
Back inside the apartment there is a crash and a heavy impact that shakes the whole building.

Arcsilver: Heading for the nearest window you don't even wait to see if Speedball heard you. Forearms over your eyes you smash through in a shower of glass. The curtain wraps around, blocking your sight for the moment, but then is slides off your force field in a showers of bright static shocks. Inside is what looks like a Master Bedroom... large bed, dresser drawers, big walk in closet with a private bath of the side. Very nice, classic contemporary furnishings, clothes on a chair in one corner, bed unmade, but empty for the moment. The door out is shut but in the distance you hear the crash and clang of... well... a big sword fight going on.
Then the building shakes from a heavy impact, much closer to you on your side of the building.

Dragon Mist: As the building crashes and rocks, you spin backward, twisting your body in an aerial side roll, while twirling your sword in an elaborate swirl in front of the Chunin. Two of the ninjas attacking you never make it as they go sprawling from Crusaders blows, but the third breaks through, leaping over the couch and coming down on you with a vicious downward slash. The blade misses by inches, thunking into the hardwood floor. You see that as the blade descended it began to glow a noticeable red, and as it flashed past you caught sight of old blood runes, each glowing red, on the length of the blade. They wield bonded swords. Able to focus their Chi through the blade, they can make their weapons stronger... sharper. True masters of these kind of swords can even create much more deadly and incredible effects of energy manipulation.
These are not common Genin. The Nahoda have sent some specialists.
Surprisingly, the Chunin merely stands defensively, arms tense in front of him, and a fierce look of concentration on his face though he is evidently still aware of you, and what is happening.

Impetus: With casual ease you spring up in front of MIRV and through the broken window. Your large frame is bigger than the space of the window and your massive shoulders smash into the brick work, tearing through like straw to land inside. Bricks and mortar dust sprays everywhere, and you see you've come into the kitchen. Stopping your feet before they actually hit the floor (which would likely send you right through it) you see Wild Heart just to your left with a young, Asian man pressed up against the wall, both arms pinned with her hands. Her head snaps forward just slightly, her forehead connecting with his nose, and there is an audible CRUNCH! as it breaks. His head lolls to the side as he goes unconscious. Between you and him, you see his sword lying on the floor. The top three inches are covered in blood. The blade is no longer glowing. In no way does it look special or different.
Towards the interior of the building there is the clamor of battle.

Speedball: (modified) ACTION!! Figuring it must be something important you tear back around the front of the building to the east side, where you see MIRV hovering in the air, a large energy rifle covering a gaping hole in the second floor where a window used to be. Impetus and Arcsilver are nowhere to be seen.
Figuring that's where you need to be, you sprint back to the front steps, speeding toward the heavy wooden door, you vibrate at the last second and pass through to the interior of the building. Inside it's a cool dark foyer that opens into the center of the building. Black and white marble floor, wooden banisters following richly carpeted stairs up four floors. A single apartment on each side of each floor. It smells of rarefied air... except for the sounds of combat coming from the open door on the second floor, east side.

Crusader: Behind you two more ninja attack, and you are their target this time. Both wear dark, but normal street clothes. Both wield ninjato that glow red in the dim light of the room. As they descend on you, blades cut for your head and chest... and nearly making it. (Glad you were dodging, or you might have been shishkabob). As you lean backwards, you kick a small end table forward, into the shins of the first oncoming swordsman, stopping his forward momentum... just. The blade slashes downward with the high pitched ZZIIING! of metal on metal, leaving the smallest of grooves in your chest plate. The second man's blade flashes past your eyes, only an inch from your faceplate. (Rolled a 4!! and a 6!!! and they STILL missed. geez.)

MIRV's voice comes over the com's at that point, with... "All Maverick's converging, but for myself and Darkeye. We are covering the outside. That Speedball character just headed in through the front door of the building! Watch out for him!"<<<

Next Initiatives: Crusader (1st), Chunin (1st), Speedball, Arcsilver, Dragon Mist, Wild Heart, Impetus, ninja, Crusader (2nd), Chunin (2nd)

I rolled a 1 for Speedball, and a 2 for Arcsilver. That has NEVER happened before.

[RDU Neil]

Post 142

From G/Speedball:

Speedball will zip up to the second floor, following his ears. When he gets to the room(s) where everything's going down, he'll take a second to assess the situation and figure out where he can do the most good without getting skewered.

From I/Arcsilver:

One action again? is it something I said? Do I smell? Its a sad
state of affairs, I'll say that!

Arcsilver will continue the move, and move towards the sound of the
sword fight (he is assuming that any loud crunches will be coming from
our two bruisers). He will half move to the door, and then open it.

-Ilan

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist holds his action, eyeing the chunin. If the chunin launches into an attack on his phase, DM will block w/ levels in DCV. If the
chunin does not act before DM's phase, DM will strike the genin with the
scabbard of his sword, levels in OCV.

From S/Crusader:

Spinning backwards and away momentarily, I gesture to the Chunin and Dragonmist and declare; "All of you, leave Dragonmist alone. Their duel is for them alone."
Then gesture to all the ninja; "I promise I can keep your attention."
{who the hell knows if they understand english} ( I also assume that this is
a pause in the combat, not the loss of entire action)
Then, windmill and launch into an attack on one of the two who just
attacked me. Scooping up a large chair one handed and use a thrust punch
with it. {note: Its still a Fast Attack, I'm not expecting any bonuses,
just cool sfx and perhaps a little awe from my opponents}

2nd Action? Dodge/block whichever seems most prudent... with this many
opponents, I assume Dodge is the better defensive action.

From B/Impetus:

"C'mon up, 'heart -- Crusader needs help, I'm there." And he'll float up the stairs, opening the door cautiously to the sounds of battle. If there's
any kind of situation where he can Spread his blast he will do so --
otherwise he'll simply try to Armcrush the nearest dangerous-looking guy
unless he gets some sort of signal from Mist or Crusader not to.

------

From GM:

Note: (One thing to keep in mind, is that while this is a large apartment, it is still extremely close quarters for a superhero battle. The idea of all you guys piling into this place's living room is pretty funny. Lots of collateral damage on this one, as one wrong step from some of you can bring a wall down or worse. Hah! I love it.)

>>>Crusader: As you yell out at the two ninja you are halfway into your spiel when you can tell they aren't listening at all. The two on you continue to advance as you scoop up a Victorian straight backed chair and bring it up hard into the closest attacker. He is fast and sees it coming, slamming the pommel against a leg of the chair to stop it's rise and almost succeeds, but the extra reach of the chair legs stabs past his guard and rams into his solar plexus like a spear. It drives in, past the light body armor under his shirt, about an inch into his chest and he goes flying back across the room.
The second ninja, using the timing of your attack, leaps past your side, reversing his blade in killing thrust for Dragon Mist. There is no doubt that their objective is to take out DM, no matter what the cost. Just past the leaping ninja, you see the leader shift his stance and thrust his arms into knife hand forms aggressively directed at Dragon Mist.

Speedball: In the blink of an eye (half move), you are up the stairs and to the open doorway, stopping short as the body of an different Asian man slams into the wall just in front of you, clutching his solar plexus and collapsing to the ground in a heap. Just past him in a hallway extending back into the apartment, another dark clothed man in a suit looks at his fallen comrade and then seeing you, turns and begins to raise a slim, black gun of some kind toward you.
To your right as the apartment opens up inside, you see the chaos of battle... from your angle only able to see the black armored guy... Crusader you think... from last night, fighting a couple of guys with swords.
The man with the gun fires and you slide left, moving two feet faster than most people can follow. (dodge) The gun makes a strange, "STH THT THT THT..." sound and there is a flash of something tearing through the space where you were just standing. Behind you the fine wooden railing suddenly splinters in two places as it is struck by whatever was just fired at you.

Arcsilver: You come to the door, open it and see no one in the hall at first. Then toward the front of the building, toward sounds of combat, you see Impetus come striding through a doorway into a dining room, heading toward the battle. Two steps behind him is Wild Heart and she is clutching a deadly, blood covered sword in her hand. Neither notice you.
You can easily catch up to them, but as you start to zip up to them, you hear a muffled, "HRRRMM!!! FFMMMFTH!" and a muted thump from behind the door across the hall. (Just let me know if you open it or continue towards the battle, and then your next moves.)

Dragon Mist: Your sword is humming. Every nerve and sense is heightened, as another ninja leaps past Crusader, almost madly flinging himself at you. The Chunin and the first genin continue to close in as well. The Chunin has slipped into a more aggressive combat stance, but the immediate threat comes from the genin.
Step behind, thrust, you spin your sword with one hand, and scabbard with the other and then thrust with the scabbard at the first genin (Fast strike, all levels in defense). He was in the process of turning for a low cut at your legs when the solid end of the scabbard catches him in the chest. He grunts in pain, spinning and dropping on his side, his sword loose in his hands.
The second genin, stabs downward at you, fierce determination on his face, and his sword glowing red.
To no avail. His thrust misses left, and the sword buries itself a good foot and a half into the floor as you step away with a sword spinning flourish.

Then the Chunin moves, hands darting forward with perfect technique, gripping your wrist and sword hand, in an expert bind, turning your wrist back on itself... not to disarm, but in a control maneuver, locking your sword arm at a twisted angle. (Weapon bind). Face to face with you, he growls formal Japanese at you, nodding his head in a perfunctory bow of respect.

Impetus: You stride through the air trailing mortar dust behind you. The hallway turns sharply into a large dining room, which you see has a couple hallways leading off of it, one clearly toward the front room. As you move that way you hear Wild Heart right behind you, though she bends to scoop up the dropped sword as she does so.
Just as you enter the hallway, you see it is occupied with a lean Japanese man in a dark suit, who is turning to look at your approach and you see has a slim gun in one hand. At his feet is a barely moving man in street clothes, Japanese... or at least Asian, as well, clutching his stomach. As you raise your hand, coalescing your energy about your fist, the man with the gun gets an angry look on his face, and dives forward very quickly, rolling out into the open hallway and to the side of the door, just as you release. Your purple energy splays outward, wrapping the woodwork and the small endtable in it's grip, collapsing on the table, knocking it over as the pressure wraps it up. The small lamp and doily on top of the table suspended in your energy field as the whole thing is caught in a bubble.
Wild Heart pulls up short behind you with a "Whoa there. You're blocking me, friend... and you are so big I can't see past you!"

Crusader: Having dropped your only immediate attacker you turn back toward Dragon Mist, though you see a weird purple flash from back toward the front door and see what you assume to be another ninja diving away from this flash, out of sight out the door.
Dragon Mist has dropped one of his guys, and another is in the process of pulling his sword out of the floor, but the leader is locked with Dragon Mist, grappling, and locking DM's sword arm in place. Also, you see that one of the two guys you scissor kicked is standing back up, looking a little dazed, but sword in hand, and looking back and forth between you and DM. As you look at the leader for the moment, you swear that it looks like his arms and hands are beginning to glow the same deep red as the ninja's swords. (You have a half phase left, and are in striking distance of two of the genin, if you want, or you could half move past these guys to the leader and try something.)<<<

Crusaders second half move, then...
Next initiatives: Arcsilver (1st), Gun ninja (1st), Impetus (1st), Speedball, Chunin, Crusader, Wild Heart, Dragon Mist, ninjas, Arcsilver (2nd), Gun ninja (2nd), Impetus (2nd)

[RDU Neil]

Post 143

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will cock his head to the side and regard the door whence the "thump" came. his first action will be to zip above and to the side of
it, and open it quickly, ready to abort to dodge (if he can do this). If
anything starts attacking him, he will dodge for the second action with a
"whooooa!" Hard tpo give a second action without knowing what's in
there, if you want to, neil, since this is separate from the other
battle, go ahead and post the contents of the room and I will get the
second action back to you "toot sweet", as they say ;-)

-------

From GM: Note the fact that multiple days are passing between posts, but I tried to keep some interest going as I could.

Hey all,
Storn and Matt are out of the loop, doing the Origins Con thing, so can't post. Still missing Matt's post from Wednesday, hence the delay. I'll be gone for the next two days, as well. One little bit for Arcsilver, to bring him up to speed, and then Monday, or Sunday night, should do the next post.

Arcsilver: Staying out of direct line of sight, you fling the bedroom door open, glancing inside but keeping yourself as a limited target as possible. Inside is what looks like a secondary bedroom, but the details are lost to the tableau in front of you. On the bed is sprawled a man, tied and bound but conscious. He's wearing only a T-shirt and boxer shorts... white guy with thinning hair, probably in his mid thirties. He is staring bug eyed at a huge and imposing figure towering over him. The figure wears silver, Japanese stylized armor, with a horrific skeletal mask and helmet that flattens out in a disk shape over his head. He is leaning over the man with a glowing sword of pure red energy in his hand. As the door springs open, the silvery warrior turns toward you.
The skeletal leer on his armored mask is very unnerving as he barks some threatening sounding Japanese words at you.

------

From G/Speedball:

Wow...another round with only 1 action? What's a speedster to do?

half move to the collapsed ninja (so that I am between the collapsed one and
the one with the gun) and then go desolid. My intent is that if the other
ninja fires at me, he will inadvertantly take out his pal. Slim chance, I
know, but I'm holding my offensive actions till I get a two-action phase.
--the sissy

From S/Crusader:

2nd 1/2 move: Drop to squat and repeat the scissor kick, but this time
only at dazed and confused (ninja mentioned above) and only at ankle level
(takedown: I'm not trying to kill this guy, but I want him down). All
levels to OCV.

Next Action in New Round: If I can't get to the guy trying to and probably
already recovering his sword, then I find something heavy like a glass
ashtray, a serving platter (I have a die of luck), remanants of the broken
chair and throw hard at him.
If I can reach him through all the chaos, I will use a Fast Strike,
again, all levels to OCV. Double palm strike, shoulder, solar plexus.

From B/Impetus:

"Sorry, 'Heart. Check up on dat injured guy -- I take the guy in the hall."
And with that, Impetus steps forward into the hall, slightly leery of an
ambush, looking for the guy with the gun again. Assuming he sees him, he's
going to say, "You damn STRAIGHT to dodge me, motha!" and fire again, unless there's something else going on; if there's an ambush, he's going to call
Wildheart in; if there's nobody there, he'll take a half-phase to look
around (including vents on the ceiling and whatnot) and then go in the most
likely direction, yelling out where he's going to Wildheart.

From I/Arcsilver:

Not sure of a couple of things here, so here are my assumpions...

-I think that opening the door was the first of two actions, so I think
that I have one action left.

-It sounded like the Samurai guy was threatening (covering) the guy on
the bed, and not he was about to kill him (ie he wasn't cocked back with
the pig-sticker ready to chop), which means that even Arcsilver probably
wouldn't be able to get to him without him slicing.

-As far as Arc can tell, there is no other people in this room.

let me know if any of things seems not to be the case, but in all of the
confusion of the battle, I am going to act on this anyway. I guess the
only caveat to this is that if it did seem apparent that he interrupted a
killing, and that there might be time to save the bound guy, Arc will use
his second action to try a roughly 14 dice move through on this guy,
trying to take both of them out of a window.

Arcsilver will use his second action to move just inside the door and
glance about quickly to see if there is anyone else in here. As he does
this, he will raise his hands, palms forwards in a non-threatening
jesture, saying very slowly "take it easy now... no need for that... what
is it I can give you so that you don't kill that man?" If at all
possible, he wants to align himself and the Samurai with a window.
Arcsilver will hold any further actions, postponing for the moment when
(if) that sword comes away from the guy's neck. As soon as it does, he
will use his action for the move through mentioned above, trying to take
both of them out of a window if there is one.

Sorry for so many options, just don't want more blood on Arc's hands!!

------

From GM:

>>>Matt still seems incommunicado, (probably because we blew up his computer this weekend trying to get it to run Unreal Tournament) so I'm going to try to progress without him. Unfortunately, starting this Friday, I'll be gone for a week, so the game will lag again. This e-mail stuff can really come to a screaming halt at times. Sorry about that.

>>>Crusader: (last 1/2 from last turn) Still reeling from the first shot he took from you, the ninja is caught flatfooted by your takedown. Your kicks catch him in the knees and put him over backward. As he goes down, his sword catches the curtain over the front window and slashes it open, dragging half of it off the wall. Gray light pours into the room, giving the dark chaos of combat a washed out sheen.

Arcsilver: (First action) The silver samurai guy is not going for the kill on the bound man. As you skate inside the door trying to line up a window, the death mask follows you, his red energy blade coming smoothly away from the man to be leveled at your chest. Again he growls at you in deep, harsh Japanese, and as he does so, the blade of his sword changes color from red to green. In many ways the thing looks like a light saber except that it clearly has a sharp point and edge like a katana or ninjato. As you face off for a second he then raises the blade into a straight/vertical , edge forward two handed grip, while standing up in a stiff, formal stance. He poses like this directly in front of you.

Impetus: Stepping over the person collapsed at your feet, your stride carries you past the living room and out of the apartment. Tracking the man with the gun you see him continue to scramble to your left, while at the same time you almost run smack into the Speedball guy as he comes around from your right, heading inside. Your massive bulk wins that little encounter and you brush past Speedball, eyeing the man with the gun. You are just in time to see him do an intricate spinning leap off the second floor balcony, dropping to the tiled floor in the ground floor foyer below. Somehow he turns his body in such a way that the gun is continuously pointed at you as he leaps and he fires at you as he falls.
Muffled "THPT THP THPT!" and then a spattering of metal bits impacts all along your torso. You are grateful to see that your force field has returned to repelling dangerous object, as the metal shards cascade around you in a harmless flurry.

Speedball: Though you were planning on darting inside, a sudden flash of purple heralded the eruption of the man with he gun from the doorway before you could react. Then, just as you began to dart inside you almost run smack into the imposing chest of Impetus who is striding out, filling the doorway and balcony with his bulk. You duck behind his massive form as the gunman does an intricate double twisting back flip and unloads more of those strange flachettes. Impetus provides an excellent source of cover as you slide inside the doorway. Pingtpingtpingtping!! sounding off his chest as the slivers spray.
Then you almost plow into Wild Heart. Coming into the entry way hall, you and Heart almost smack heads, a competition you are sure you would lose, over the groaning body of the man on the floor. She looks surprised for a second, then gives a wicked smile, her dark eyes flashing, and says, "Gettin' a little crowded in here, eh' Speedy?" Then she winks and steps fully into the living room.

Crusader: It is only a matter of a quick break fall, and a large step forward, to take the last, standing ninja (aside from the boss) out. While he is in the process of sliding his sword out of the ground, you hit him like a fury. Just as he comes up, sword in hand, your double palm heel hits him high in the shoulder as well as in the floating ribs of his left side. With a strangled yell, he collapse forward, flying off his feet, directly into the plate glass of the now exposed front window. His right shoulder hits it squarely, followed by his head, and the pane shatters as he goes through it. Large chunks of shining splintered glass fly everywhere as he spins out the broken window and drops almost straight down to the low bushes below.

Dragon Mist: Grappled with the Chunin, you feel your Chi energy rise, involuntarily drawn by the sword. Ignoring the sudden crash and spray of glass all around you, the Chunin's own arms glow brighter red, warring with your green. He continues to mutter, either to himself or to you, in Japanese. Both of you are locked together, your sword flaring in between you. Back across the room you see Wild Heart stride into the living room, stepping towards you as if to come in behind the Chunin. You also sense Crusader right behind you, glass shards pinging off his armor as he stands over the defeated bodies of the rest of the ninja.

Arcsilver: With the sword moved away from the victim, you have a clear target, especially the way the silvered guy is standing. Energy flares, and you bolt toward him, trying to take him out the window.
At that moment the death faced ninja spins. Almost like an ice skater, he just rotates on his center axis, sword still straight up in front of him, and he somehow drops below your attack. In the blink of an eye as you crossed the room, he dropped into a spinning, cross-legged position, blade still sticking up... and disappears. Just as you go plowing out of the second story window you glance back in surprise to see him reappear behind your original entry point in the hallway. He spins up out of his seated position to stand at the ready, sword in hand.
Then you are out the window, glass, curtain and blind tangled in pieces around you. Below you, Darkfire looks up from his position at the rear of the building, gaping at your crashing exit.

Impetus: Yelling to Wild Heart that you are going after the escaping guy with the gun, you step up and over the railing into the air above the central entrance way. At the same time, the gunman silently kicks backwards, sliding effortlessly across the smooth, tiled floor toward the front door. As he does so, he extends one hand, palm outward, and a fine white mist plumes, as if directly from his palm. As you are preparing another Arm Crusher, the mist and smoke envelopes you in a cloying sweetness, and blocks all sight of your target. Immediately your throat and nose begin to tingle, and your eyes cloud. Around you, tiny vortices and eddies of dust and mist spin out in every direction as your force field tries to repel the thick cloud, but much of it finds it's way through (Take 7 Stun... for now. You could try and throw a blind Arm Crusher if you want, but otherwise you have no target...)<<<

Impetus: sort of a 1/2 action left, if you want it, then...
Speedball (1st), Dragon Mist (1st), Impetus (1st), Chunin, ninjas, Arcsilver, silver ninja, gun ninja, Crusader, Wild Heart, Speedball (2nd), Dragon Mist (2nd), Impetus (2nd)

Weird initiatives... Impetus continues to race along, and even the common ninja (most unconscious or recovering) go faster than Arcsilver or Crusader.


Crusaders second half move, then...
Next initiatives: Arcsilver (1st), Gun ninja (1st), Impetus (1st), Speedball, Chunin, Crusader, Wild Heart, Dragon Mist, ninjas, Arcsilver (2nd), Gun ninja (2nd), Impetus (2nd)

Note: This was early in our use of initiative over the SPD chart. We later ruled that if you were stunned or unconscious, your initiative was just your SPD. You didn't get a d6 to roll. This prevented the above situation, where unconscious ninjas were acting before conscious players. It's a good rule as well, because it makes CON stunning dangerous, because almost everybody else will get to act before the stunned character (in most cases) and they will be caught a 1/2 DCV.

[RDU Neil]

Post 144 - Cowboy

From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy grins a little bit at the woman's words.
"Dangerous... yeah, thats me. Fastest gun in New York
City." His accent is East Brooklyn, with a bit of
spanish mixed in.

"I go by Cowboy. Ain't got no other name, not any
more."

He glances out the window, pulling the brim of his
Stetson down a bit. He's still a bit confused by the
scenery. Not nearly as much graffiti and street
trash. "You still aint told me what you want me for.
I ain't promisin' nothin' till I hear what you want.
And what's in it fer me."


(I don't believe Cowboy has Secret ID.)

-------

From GM:

>>>The woman speaks while looking away from you, still staring out the window as the car creeps along Park Ave. "The long term goals are difficult to explain, but they entail a strengthening of the barriers between worlds... between universes. Events like the one that brought you here are highly disruptive to reality. Certain forces seek to bring about greater chaos by piercing the structures that hold your universe together. We need everyone who is capable to fight against these forces."

At this point Killinger cuts in, "Unfortunately there are numerous other more mundane, but nonetheless dangerous issues at hand. One of which is a current attack on New York by an old rival of mine. Right now we're on the way to meet a group of more potential allies. I don't suppose you've heard of the Mavericks, have you?" He glances back for your response. "Bit of a sticky situation there. I hope you don't mind coming along for the ride. I have a feeling that they are your kind of people."

------

From GM:

"Heh. Thats funny lady. Highly disruptive to
reality. You don't know the half of it."

"Mavericks, huh? (I don't think they were in his
universe, Neil, at least, not that I remember.) No,
can't says I ever heard of 'em. Nice name, though.
Sound like a nice, reckless buncha guys, which yeah,
would make 'em my kinda people. Tell ya what. I'll
come along fer the ride, an' check out this little
situation yer people got themselves inta." Then he
frowns.

"Slight problem, though. I'm a uh, gunslinger, and in
case you didn't notice, I seem to be without any iron.
You don't happen to have any pieces on ya?
Preferably something large caliber? Say, a 50 cal, or
maybe a 15 mm?"

--------

From GM:

At your request, the woman just shakes her head in amusement. Killinger chuckles as well. "Gunslinger, eh? So, you're an outlaw where you come from? Or..." he pauses, "Maybe your world is a little less harsh on dealing with private citizens who carry guns?" He continues, "Let me just caution you. While plenty of people own and carry them in this world there are a lot of laws restricting their use. Casual gunplay will bring the authorities down on you in force. Killing folks in any manner is rather frowned upon as well."
"That being said..." You see Killinger reach for the glove box and flip it open. Inside is a gun rack with two automatics in place. He pulls one out, and with a practiced reverse, hands it back to you. "Don't have anything larger, but that's a Beretta Model 8045, Cougar 8000 series. .45 Caliber, only 8 rounds in a clip. Those are Black Talon rounds, though. Hard armor will stop them, but the impact is impressive." Then he mutters, "Of course, depending on who you shoot, don't be surprised if the other guy doesn't even notice..."
As you take the classic piece he grabs an extra clip and hands it to you. "It's clean, only been test fired." Killinger catches your eyes in the mirror. "Be careful, please. I'm giving you that as a sign of trust. I'd appreciate you not shooting anyone that doesn't really, REALLY deserve it."
Just then Killinger tips his head to the side as if listening to something, and then his jaw moves as if he is talking but he makes no sound.

[RDU Neil]

Post 145 - Here is where all the players are now on the same series of posts.

From GM: (Originally sent only to Dragon Mist)

What the Chunin is growling at you in Japanese... something like, "The sword is the key. The Dragon must be released. If you will not sacrifice yourself, then you must die so the sword can be offered to another."

-------

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver spins, halting in the air and swearing to himself "where the
hell did that silvery guy..." Then spotting him, he will key into the
comm "hey guys, keep your eyes peeled, very big sumarai-looking guy in
the hallway where 'heart came from. He teleports like Dragonmist! I'm
going to save a hostage, can anyone engage this guy? Darkeye, blast him
through the window if you can see him!"

For his action, Arcsilver will zip right inside the window, so that his
back is to the wall, and zap a flash at the Silver Samurai, saying "take
some of that, you shiny bastard!"

From Speedball:

"Yeah, Heart. Too close for *my* comfort." With that, Speedball blows out of the room at top speed, turning intangible as he does so. His intention is to chase down the ninja with the gun, turning substantial just before he reaches him, trying to knock him down the stairs if he's still on them or into the closest wall with a move-by if he's down the stairs by the time I
get to him. Either way, I'm hoping for a disarm.
If the gun is still in the ninja's hand and Speedy isn't dead from getting a
hole blown in his chest, for the second action Speedball half moves behind
the ninja and takes another swing at him with cueballs in hand.

From B/Impetus:

Rest of the action, go towards the door in the last direction I noted. "You
(cough) ain' hidin' forever, John Woo! I saw Face-Off!"

Action for the next turn consists of seeing what happens when the smoke
clears.

From S/Crusader: NOte how he points out a posting mistake I made. Not good to screw up like that. Bad GM... BAD!

I am very confused why there are 2 sets of initiative here. Could I have some clarification?
Probably doesn't matter for the declaration of my actions though... so on
2nd hand I will let you worry about it.

Back across the room, you see Wild Heart stride into the living room,
stepping towards you, as if to come in behind the Chunin. You also sense
Crusader right behind you, shards pinging off his armor as he stands over the
defeated bodies of the rest of the ninja.<<

"'Heart, it's Dragon Mist's duel. We can't interfere."; I will call out
to Meggan as I whirl around looking for the next threat. If there is no
immediate threat, take the swords away from the (2?) downed ninjas.
If I have time, snap one sword with my foot and keep the other, might
come in handy (I do have WE: swords). If not, I will need some description
of the situation so I can make my next move with a bit of thought.

From M/Dragon Mist:

"Oh, deal with it already!" Dragon Mist growls in response to the
Chunin."This doesn't end until I get my sister back."
Dragon Mist will try to gut the Chunin with a fast strike, levels in OCV,
for his first phase.
His second phase will be held, waiting on the Chunin and his lackeys. The
held phase will be aborted to either a block or dodge (levels in DCV)
depending on the circumstances. If for some weird reason, DM is not attacked
by the time his second phase is available, he will attack the Chunin again
with a fast strike. Levels in OCV.

DM is aware that this guy is good enough to go unscathed for a couple of
rounds, meaning he's fast enough to continue avoiding DM's strikes. DM plans
to keep the chunin off-balance so that he can take the upper hand.
Eventually. Although he looks to be going for the kill, he knows that the
chunin is needed alive and will change his second attack if the first (by
some twist of fate) actually hits and does a lot of damage.

The third action, second turn, will be held too.

From E/Cowboy:

"Private Citizens what don't carry guns're somethin'
of an anomaly where I'm from. Hell, little ol' ladies
on the subway're probably more dangerous than most of
the 'bangers."

"But don't you worry yer little head about it. I
don't kill nobody what don't deserves it. An' takin'
down guys what don't feel bullets is my specialty.
Back home there be lotsa supes hangin' 'round, helps
ta be able ta takes 'em out."

Cowboy spins the guns in his hands, holsters the left
piece then sights down the right. "Nice antiques,
though..."

When the driver cocks his head, listening and
"talking" to himself, Cowboy scans the road ahead.
He'll look up out the side window, looking for
trouble.

------

From GM: At least I admit my mistake...

Note: (Yep, I screwed up. I keep the old Initiative list for reference, when writing the post. Then I usually delete it when I add the new initiatization. Forgot to delete the old, so it was confusing. Sorry. Also, Cowboy/Eric's posts are now part of the group, as you should all be together soon.)

>>>Speedball: Trying to get away from the crowded scene you head back out the door, your vibrational frequency escalating until you are practically phasing through the molecules around you. It's a good thing too, as you immediately run out, through the banister, and into a thick milky cloud of gas. Intangible as you are you don't inhale any of the gas, but it blocks your sight as you drop to the floor below. Still moving, you find yourself half in - half out of the marble floor, unable to see clearly... but the spot where you think the front door should be seems brighter and you move that direction. The ninja with the gun is nowhere in sight, but then not much is visible.
You come out of the cloud almost immediately and run right through Impetus. He is right at the front door, dust covered, bleeding, and spitting the white smoke out his nostrils as you pass through him and out into the street. Glancing around for an enemy it is only because you turn back to look at Impetus that you see him. The guy with the gun, just to the side of the front door, heading west, moving low and out of sight of Impetus. You immediately turn and head for him.

Dragon Mist: With one arm clutched and bound by the Chunin, your other is free, and you use that one to strike. Knuckles taught, you focus your Chi through your hand until your fingers seem to drip the green mist, and then you strike full out, fore and middle knuckles impacting square in the Chunin's nose smashing it to a bloody pulp. His head snaps backward with a crack, and for a moment you think he will release you, but his grip remains tightly locked on your sword arm.

Impetus: Coughing from the smoke (take 6 more stun) you move out of the cloud to the front door just as Speedball suddenly runs right THROUGH you. Strange ripples hum through your force field for a brief moment and you see him skid to a stop in the street outside. The front door is clearly open, and though you don't see the man with the gun, you do see Speedball suddenly turn and run back toward you but off to your right. You move outside a step, looking that direction and catch a very quick glimpse of the gunman as he tries to duck around the corner of the building to the small walkway on the west side.

Arcsilver: As you blast back inside, your shouts make Darkfire look up, and he says, "Can't see anything from this angle!" as he backs up to get a view through the broken window a floor above him. Ahead of you, just down the hallway, you see the silvered ninja starting to run in toward the center of the apartment and you unleash your energy at him. Ball lighting rolls toward him as he jumps away like his boots have springs in them. His solid form moves surprisingly quickly and the flashing burst of energy erupts behind him.
Cursing at the missed shot you do notice, when glancing at the terrified form of the hostage all tied up on the bed, that there is another pair of feet sticking out from behind the bed, against the opposite wall. Men's shoes, dark leather, casual, as if someone were lying on the floor back there.

Crusader: As you circle Dragon Mist and the ninja leader, you look around at the fallen ninjas. There were six. One is now out the window, and three more look completely down for the count. One nearby, that Dragon Mist hit, is moving a little bit, as is the one you put into the hutch... neither are up again, yet. Wild Heart nods at your warning about DM just as Arcsilver's call comes out about a new villain. There is a flash of light and a thump-crash of somebody moving or falling as well as the sounds of Arcsilver flying. All of this comes from back inside the apartment. Wild Heart shifts sideways so she can watch the main entry way and Dragon Mist's fight, and she nods at you toward the secondary exit hallway which is near your position. "Cover that," she says, then to Dragon Mist, "Finish him quickly, DM. Or I'll take him out myself."

As you take position to watch for possible attack, you scoop up one of the fallen swords. Nice blade, good balance. (You can keep it or break it, your choice.)

Speedball: (2nd action) As quick as the ninja with the gun is he simply isn't prepared for your speed. He clearly sees you coming, dropping into a defensive stance (or trying to) but you are on him faster than he can react. As you zip by him your hand flashes out, cue ball in your grip, and smacks hard against the gun in his outstretched hand. To your delight the gun goes flying out of his hand, smacking against the adjacent building wall with a hard plastic sound, rather than metal. His eyes go wide in surprise as you flash a mocking smile that he probably doesn't catch anyway. Floating up behind you a shadow crosses you, and you see Impetus, looking as surly as ever, bearing down on both of you.

Dragon Mist: The Chunin's grip becomes like a thing of iron, and though his hands glow a reddish hue, a cold starts to seep into you from them numbing your forearm. (lose 12 stun) Though he is bleeding steadily from his nose. He doesn't falter, and a low, guttural sound comes from him. Keeping your chi focused, you pull your hand into a hammer fist and bring it around again, in side strike against his temple. Though the blow is strong and his head again reels from the impact, you find he is still gripping you tightly and you realize that you must break his grip... or release the sword which would free your hand... or continue to beat him until he can take no more.

Impetus: Speedball just took out the guys gun. Faster than you could blink, as you moved after the man, he came back and smacked the strange piece out in a really deft move. The gunman actually seems surprised to the point that he is just standing there for the moment blinking, watching his gun clatter to the ground. (I'm assuming you'll blast him or something, but I thought I'd leave that action up to you.)

Cowboy: You tense, instinctively looking for trouble, noticing nothing outside that looks threatening, but even the hooded woman picks up on it. "Killinger? What is it?" she asks.
Killinger's jaw moves for a second more and then he hits the turn signal, and looks back, both at you and at the traffic. "Just found out why the traffic is so heavy. Our friends are very nearby and in the middle of a fight. Should have known that meeting with them wouldn't be easy." He immediately swings into a open lane, causing a series of honks and angry shouts. Making a big u-turn, he changes direction, getting into the south bound lane of Park Ave., and guns the engine. "I'm going to get us off this road and maybe we'll move in on foot. They are a block north of us and a few block east, on 92nd." He continues to drive, swinging between a few slow moving cars, and then makes a dangerous turn onto 90th, heading east. At the first street, Lexington, he goes through the light and you see it is one way South, and he swears "Gotta hit Third Avenue to go north! Hang on!" and the car screams through traffic like a maniac. Though you aren't one to feel fear that often, you do think, "This is why they invented flying cars, damnit!" as he almost plows into the back of an ancient News Truck stopping in front of a kiosk.<<<

Initiatives: Impetus has 1/2 action left, then...
Speedball (1st), Cowboy (1st), Dragon Mist (1st),silver Ninja (1st), Gun ninja (1st, if still standing), Chunin (1st), Wild Heart (1st),Impetus (1st, GEEZ!), Arcsilver (I know, I know, only one action,sorry), Crusader, ninjas, Speedball (2nd), Cowboy (2nd), Dragon Mist (2nd), silver Ninja (2nd), Gun ninja (2nd, maybe), Chunin (2nd, maybe), W. H. (2nd), Impetus (2nd)

[RDU Neil]

Post 146

From G/Speedball:

Assuming for the moment that Impetus doesn't tear our gunless ninja friend's head off, Speedball will continue using a half move/strike from behind
option to keep him off balance for both his fist and second actions,
concentrating on keeping him off-balance enough so that he can't recover his
pistol. (Mostly I'm hoping that Impetus doesn't take me out when he
incinerates the ninja.)
If Impetus takes him out, I'll run back upstairs to try and identify anyone
left for me to tangle with or find Wildheart to get orders from (with a mock
salute)

From M/Dragon Mist:

First Action:
Dragon Mist,while in the clutches of the Chunin, smiles underneath his
half mask and teleports out of the Chunin's grip. From behind the
Chunin, DM will then fast draw his blade.(Levels in DCV)

Second Action:
He will then do a fast strike with his blade. (Levels in OCV)

From I/Arcsilver

Arcsilver, while trying to keep an eye out over his shoulder, will pull
the gag out of the first man's mouth for the first 1/2action, and then
pull the bed back for the second, trying to expose whoever is lying
there. As he does this he will cheerfully say "Hi there, I'm rescuing
you, just relax and everything will be fine," then, into his comm, more
serious, "MIRV I've got two hostages here for pick up at the south (or
whichever) window, can you give me a hand?"

-Ilan "Who do I have to screw to get a second action?" and Arcsilver

From E/Cowboy:

Neil, am I to assume that the streets of this New York
are the same as the ones Cowboy is from? Or at least,
close enough?

"Hey, Killinger. You tell me what address they is at,
I can probably make it there faster on foot than in
this antique gas guzzler. Unlock my damn door an' let
me out. You tell your buds I'm acomin', so they don't
smack me down."

His first action will be taken with this conversation.
If Killinger then gives him the location and opens
the door, Cowboy will take off in that direction,
running. He'll jump over obstacles, and take whatever
shortcuts he can to get there. This assumes, of
course, that this NYC is laid out the same as his NYC.
If the streets seem radically different, then he will
not utter the above phrase, rather, he will fidget in
his seat, bouncing his leg in time with his rapid
heartbeat. Damn those jacked up nerves...

From S/Crusader:

Crusader will nod his consent to Wild Heart and head with due speed
towards the noise and commotion near Arcsilver. Ninjato held in reverse
grip, blade held against forearm and trails back.
"Arc, I'm on the way! Give me a report on what your opposition is!"
"Darkfire? Do you see anything?"

Note: Neil, I know who Arc's assailant is, but Crusader does not. I'm
not sure how you are defining the silver samurai ninja... but if he has armor
similar in design to Crusader's (although differing in style), I would be
sure to comment on it... that is if I catch up to the bloke. If not, then my
comment would be moot.

From B/Impetus:

That is correct. Taking the wreckage of the car that Arcsilver smashed,
Impetus scoops a bunch of broken glass and rust flakes from the ground --
and slams it into the guy. Assuming that Joe Jamook here is thoroughly
down, he'll turn to Speedball with a baleful glare and say, "Crusader needs
ya, man -- go help!"

IF I take the guy down then I jump back into the house
through the hole I created earlier (if I'm on the wrong side, I leap across
the building, then jump in -- this apartment's taken a bit too much
structural damage), then go looking for more action, preferably with
Wildheart (since she can protect me if the field lapses again). Armcrush if
it's a single guy, or spread the blast if it's a room full of ninjas (even
if there's PCs in there, since I assume they all have sufficient defenses).
If I run into the Dragonmist fight, I WILL intervene unless someone says
otherwise. If I run into someone who's hurt, I'll drop everything to help
them if all the other immediate threats are nullified.

If the guy's still standing after I smash him, well, then I'll have to do it
again until he's dropped. Now that he's out in the open, I can spread and
not worry too much about collateral damage if I aim down.

-------

From GM:

Speedball: It comes out of nowhere. As you spin around to face the disarmed gunman a shadow falls across both of you. You see Impetus floating toward you, but he isn't casting the shadow. Instead you see what looks like the front end of a car hurtling down toward your position. It glows a faint purple and you see Impetus, hand raised, also glowing that same color. Just as the mangled metal hits you realize that it is the bumper, grill and hood from the car that Arcsilver smashed... until a second ago it was a block up the street. The ninja looks up just in time to see it hit.
With a resounding crash he crumples under the debris, making no cry. You dance out of the way of the flying pieces of metal and skip past Impetus running back inside before the sound of the crash has stopped ringing. Little chunks of debris skitter and ping around you as you go.

Cowboy: (Note: The streets do look similar, laid out in a grid and numbered. In fact, many of these expensive town houses are still around in your time. The rich didn't allow the super-towers to be built over their homes.) Killinger responds, talking to you as he cuts into oncoming traffic and floors it. "I appreciate your enthusiasm but we are almost there. These Mavericks are... unfortunately, not really my friends. In fact they have every reason to think of me as an enemy. I was to meet with them today and try to put that behind us as I really believe we need to work together, but right now..." he chuckles, "...if I called Wild Heart and told her you were coming she'd likely have you taken out as quickly as possible." You door chunks and you see the lock released. "You are not a prisoner. You can go, if you like but as I said..." and at this point the car cuts a hard left onto 92nd and Killinger immediately slows down, "We're almost there."
Up ahead you see cars stopped in the street and a gathering of people looking and pointing at an old, ornate apartment building. A couple cars nearby are smashed up, and the body of a man lies half in, half out of the windshield of one of them. In front of the apartment building you see a large, dreadlocked, black man, floating in midair. At the same time, an armored figure, all silver and blue, flies out over the street carrying a large plasma rifle. For the first time, you recognize something quite familiar. It looks like the cops have arrived on the scene, as this guy is obviously a SWAT member.

Dragon Mist: (1st & 2nd actions) With a smile you grip the sword, and shift... through the flashing darkness... you hear the Dragon hiss... and then you are behind the Chunin, out of his grasp, your sword in hand. You reverse your grip and raise the sword on high for a downward slash then strike just as your opponent whirls. He was anticipating your position and he throws his hands up, trying to block and just manages to smack the flat of the blade as it descends, moving it to the side. Almost immediately you shift your center of balance, halting the downward stroke and coming back across his body with a side slash. Before you can connect though, the Chunin strikes... his right leg and right fist punching out in unison in a compact hammering at your face and stomach while rotating his body away from the incoming blade. (Defensive strike, following his block) He hits a glancing blow to your head and the impact of his leg is absorbed mostly by your armor (take 8 stun after defenses).
Then your blade strikes home. Even though he was turning away from the attack it wasn't fast enough. You practically cut him in half, cutting up under his floating ribs, through his right lung, to stop at his spine. His body spasms and he chokes on blood as it wells up through his serrated lung. One of his hands involuntarily clutches at your tunic as he begins to collapse to the ground.

Impetus: The ninja went down in a sprawl under a satisfactory hammering. Turning around you see MIRV fly out from the other side of the building, waving away some gawkers who seem to have begun approaching the area. Far in the distance you think you hear sirens, but MIRV's bootjets are drowning out most other noises. As you spring back to the other side of the building, still holding your side to keep your intestines from spilling out, you see a strange sight. A dark green sedan, having pulled up down the street behind the wrecked cars and the small traffic jam created by the taxi fender-bender, you see doors open and two men get out, very purposefully. One looks like a cop... in suit and jacket... maybe a fed in that suit... but the other guy is dressed like... well... a cowboy. He is wearing a black Stetson and long coat. He is rangy and tall. Though he is practically sixty meters away at this point, it looks like he is wearing a heavy gun belt... perhaps two. The man starts to stride forward... a cocky strut... scanning the area from behind solid black sunglasses.

Arcsilver: When you pull the gag from the man's mouth he spits and exhales, his body shaking from fear and pain. He tries to splutter something at you but only drags in deep breaths while nodding slightly at your cheery comments. When you step to the side of the bed and look down, you don't find what you expected. Lying there, very unconscious, is a young Asian man. There is a sword at his side and a strange red slash, more burn than cut, across his face. A moments exam shows him to be alive but completely out of it. From his position on the floor it looks like he fell here after being struck down from the side. Over your radio you hear Crusader calling out for your position, saying he is moving to you.

Crusader: Darkeye comes back with, "Nothing out here but shattered glass all over me from Arcsilver's little trip through the window. I've got no visuals on anybody but an old lady from the building behind staring at me like I'm some kind of hooligan."

(Cut Scene, Darkeye waving at the old lady in the window, saying in a high pitched voice, "Hellooo! I'm a good guy!! Please step back from the window!!")

You listen to this as you move down the short hallway and come into family room type area. Large TV, comfortable sofa set, bookshelves. Nothing seems disturbed here, and there is no one else in the room. You move to your left, to the open doorway that looks to lead into a kitchen and where there is a large, gaping hole in the wall where a window used to be. Dust and chunks of masonry litter the floor and a very unconscious ninja lies nearby the gaping hole, his nose broken. Through the kitchen you can see an open doorway into what looks like a dining room. It is that room that has a hallway leading back to the front door as you realize you are circling through the entire apartment. You see no silver samurai person anywhere.
Then you hear Wild Heart's voice as she shouts, "Damn! Hold it there... SHIT! He's fast!" There is a loud "THRENCH!" sound and then, "DM watch it, he got past me!" (You can run back the way you came, or try to continue circling. Going back the way you came may be faster since it sounds like something is going on again in the front room.)

Speedball: You come zipping back into the house, up the stairs to Wild Heart, just in time to see the following. Her back it to you as she looks back in toward the dining room. She is facing a very nasty looking, silver armored, skull faced adversary with a glowing green sword. The armor has an old, samurai sort of styling but is clearly made of very different kind of stuff. Wild Heart has a sword in her hand and holds it out, trying to stop the man. But as he approaches her, he goes into a dive roll under her sword, tucking his body into a ball and then springing off his hands, past her, his feet shooting out. Wild Heart turns, swinging with the flat of the blade as if to swat him out of the air but doesn't come close. Instead she caves in a large crease in the wall where the sword buries itself. She calls out a warning as the silver guy springs off the ceiling (his feet hitting, legs contracting then extending) to shoot past you and into the living room area. He lands in a perfect combat stance, slightly bouncing at the knees, in between you, Wild Heart and Dragon Mist across the room. He can clearly see you all, but seems much more intent on Dragon Mist who is standing behind an overturned couch with a bloody body at his feet. (You have a 1/2 action left, if you wish to attack or do something else.)

Cowboy: You step out of the car just as Killinger gets out as well. The street is actually relatively quiet for the mess that's obviously going on. The cop from the armored squad is obviously trying to control the crowd scene, and seems to ignore the big glowing guy who just leapt fifty feet as if it was nothing. Scanning the street you begin walking up toward the scene but don't see anyone else except civilians, most of whom are looking away from you for now. Your hands are twitchy, looking for a threat. A cold wind blows down the street and your coat billows behind you. To your right, Killinger stands the same way. You realize after only a half dozen steps, that he was moving in perfect sync with you, and you with him. He is watching the south side of the street, you the north. Instinctive, well trained. Like working with Pel, you sense that he's immediately got your back and is no stranger to violence.
As you reach the front of the building the flying cop turns and sees you, raising his hand and saying, "Please, gentlemen, stand back. This is a Mavericks situation and could be highly dangerous..." his voice trailing off as he notices that you are armed.

Impetus: To your right is the hole in the wall where you initially went into the building. As you contemplate heading back inside you watch the two men from the car approach. They move cautiously but smoothly, striding up the street like they own it. The cowboy looks like he's daring anyone to make a move, and the suit just looks like a hard man. Something about them exudes a dangerous quality but neither of them take an aggressive action as MIRV confronts them though the whole group is tense. (You can continue inside, if you want, before your next action, or you can take it out here.)<<<

Next initiative: Silver ninja (1st), Speedball (1st), Arcsilver (1st), Crusader (1st), Cowboy, Dragon Mist, Impetus, Killinger, Wild Heart, MIRV, Silver ninja (2nd), Speedball (2nd), Arcsilver (2nd), Crusader (2nd)

[RDU Neil]

Post 147


From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy grins upon seeing the SWAT cop around. "Hey,
guess things tain't so diffrent after all. Ya gots
the same SWAT cops here."

He raises his hands to the SWAT cop (MIRV), showing
that he has no weapons in hand (although there are the
two pistols at his side), and says, "Hey, chill,
Off'cer, we's here ta help." However, his eyes are
scanning around for a threat, and he holds himself
ready to dive for some cover (half action PER roll
using IR, hold half action for a dodge).

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will grab the unconscious guy and throw him over his whoulder,
grabbing the sword with the other hand. He will wink at the man on the
bed, saying "be right back for you, don't go anywhere." He will then fly
out of the window, careful not to cut the guy up on broken glass, and fly
down to where darkeye is, tossing him the sword as he approaches. "Here
ya go, Eyeball," he says while setting the guy gently down "the blade
says 'the Mavericks had a battle with Ninjas, and all I got was this
stupid sword.'"

I think that this sound like a phase and a half, assuming that Darkeye
is within 15", so Arcsilver will take the last 1/2 to zip back into the
room (I'm going to do the same with the bound guy when I get a chance),
keying the com to the emergency channel as he does so "This is Arcsilver
of the Mavericks, a man needs EMT attention on the south side of the
building, make contact with Maverick codenamed Darkeye!"

From G/Speedball:

With his half-phase action held from last time, Speedball will position
himself so that Silver will need to choose between watching him or
Wildheart. If the sense is that this is impossible or if the room
configurations just don't allow it, then Speedball will simply take the half
phase to get ready to block any potential incoming attacks.
If Silver engages Heart, Speedball will do his best to strike from behind,
using his speed to constantly keep in back of his opponent as much as
possible. If Silver moves to engage DM, then I will try to use his momentum
and add it to a move-by, hopefully knocking him off balance or into a wall
(if I happen to get a great roll). I don't know anything about "personal
combat" morays, so unless someone specifically drags me away from this guy,
I won't understand if DM asks me not to engage.

From S/Crusader:

>>(You can run back the way you came, or
try to continue circling. Going back the way you came may be faster, since
it sounds like something is going on again in the front room.)<<<

Circle. I want to try to cut off his retreat and it sounds like he got
past 'Heart.
"All Mavs, this is Crusader. I'm trying to flank the unknown silver
guy." I will report as I make my move.
Note: I'm not moving with speed, but caution (holding a 1/2 move), which
is still considerably faster than most. Keeping a kung fu long form combat
stance of arms out wide to take on an attacker from any direction.

>>>This is Arcsilver
of the Mavericks, a man needs EMT attention on the south side of the
building, make contact with Maverick codenamed Darkeye!"
<<<

{Since this used to be my character, I'm commandeering his voice for a
nano}
"Correction! Its DarkFIRE! Dammit." Darkeye snaps exasperately.

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist will lower the bleeding chunin to the floor. "I don't
understand chunin, why ambush me now? What have you done with my
sister?" Note: DM doesn't think that this guy is the real leader of the
group. Any good fighter from the Nahoda clan would know about his combat
teleport trick. Assuming that there is no action from the watching
crowd, Dragon Mist will report to Wild Heart. "This guys looking pretty
bad, can we get MIRV in here to help?" If he has a pack of angry ninja
around him, Dragon Mist will go defensive.

------

From GM:

Note: (To try and get us back on track, I'm going to go ahead and post. Bill may be on vacation, as I know he was planning on being in California at some point this week. Been gone, and getting back to work has been hectic. Sorry about the delay. Real life intrudes and all that.)

>>>Outside: Cowboy, Impetus, MIRV and Killinger: Killinger glances at Cowboy, curiosity on his face, and says, "Uhm... this is MIRV. He's a member of the Mavericks. The folks I told you about. He's not a police officer, though he does work their side of the tracks." MIRV cuts in with, "And you are... sir?" his attention still on both of you, and the large energy cannon still fully primed.
"I'm Killinger." Cowboy, you notice that MIRV visibly tenses at the name, his energy cannon twitching to center on Killinger's chest almost immediately. "I had a meeting planned with your boss," he continues, non-plussed. "Things seem to have gone awry for both of us this grey morning, so I thought we might be of assistance. Is Wild Heart available?"
From the side of the building, Impetus strides over. A huge man... bigger than your old friend Pel, Cowboy... his hand is pressed to his side, and blood covers his stomach and legs. He glows a faint purplish color, and his face is hard and angry. As he arrives, it is suddenly clear that he is walking on air... floating a good six inches off the ground or so, further emphasizing his height and size. With a tight, challenging tone, he says to Cowboy and Killinger, "We's gotta pro'lem hear?"

Inside: Crusader, Dragon Mist, Speedball, Wild Heart: The silver ninja/samurai stops in the center of the decimated living room, shifting into a defensive stance, and looking about before focusing on Dragon Mist. The chunin, his life running out on the floor, collapses to his knees, sliding off the blade. His head lols backward, and his face is a grinning rictus, blood bubbling between his smiling teeth. He seems to try and choke out some last words, but fails as the life goes out of his eyes. For a brief second there is a slight burning sensation in the palm of Dragon Mist's hand, where he grips the sword's pommel, and the blade seems to jump of it's own accord, almost as if repelled from the dead man.
A couple of the ninjas are stirring, but are making no offensive actions what so ever, as Speedball zips into position so that the silver ninja is surrounded on three points. Dragon Mist is at the south end of the room, standing framed against the shattered front window. On the table in front of him, the unconsciuos woman has not moved during the whole fight. Speedball is against the west wall (the front wall of the apartment, on the other side is the balcony in the center foyer), and Wild Heart is on the north end, standing in the front hallway. She yanks the sword out of the wall, causing a further cascade of plaster dust and debris.
Crusader, pads up behind Wild Heart. As he had circled around, he came back up through the dining room, back to the front hall, and easily slides back into the living room. The sounds of Arcsilver flying around in the back of the apartment echo through the room, and those with coms can hear his banter with Darkfire. Just as Wild Heart opens her mouth to say something, the silver guy points his sword at Dragon Mist, and growls in very heavily accented English. "I am... Yoshimitsu!" He is clearly staring at the dead Chunin, as he shakes his head in a very small way. "The Nahoda will not stop. They have sacrificed all personal honor for their Jonin and the clan. Until the last one is dead... they will hunt you." His sword lowers slightly, less threatening. You notice that his stance subtly shifted as Crusader entered the room, and somehow it is very clear he is aware of all of you.

Arcsilver: You blast in and out of the room, stopping just long enough to wise off to Darkfire. He laughs sarcastically, but immediately checks out the unconscious guy you brought him. Back in the room, you pick up the bound man, and make your com. call to the whole group. As you start to fly out, the man's hair stands up on end (that darn static charge you generate) and he blubbers a bit, before gasping out, "MY WIFE! Where is Misty?? You've got to find my wife!! PLEASE!!"<<<

Not really on phases right now. Everyone has held moves, and if anyone wants to take a combat action, go right ahead. We'll initiatize next time if necessary.

Gotta run. Short and sweet, today. If I forgot something you were expecting me to address, please remind me.

[RDU Neil]

Post 148

From G/Speedball:

"That's all very interesting, dude, but are you going to drop that
pig-sticker, or are we going to have to beat on you the way we did on your
friends?"

Speedball is trying to figure out a way to disarm this guy...other than
that, he's just waiting to see what happens.

From I/Arcsilver:

"Take it easy now, sir." Arcsilver replies as he lands next to Darfire
and drops the man off. Then as he is lifting off again, he will flash a
smile, and say "don't worry, Arcsilver's on the job!"

He will zip up and around the building, so that he has a line of sight
through a window on the silver samurai. Then, very softly through the
comm, he will say "Wildheart, this is Arc looking for something to do,
but I have an attack planned on the samurai on your command. 'guy I
rescued asked me to look for his wife, any civies in there we could
evac?"

Arcsilver will wait outside the window, a good 8" away so as not to
attract the attention of the Samurai if possible. He will hold a phase,
and await further orders.

-Ilan/Arcsilver

PS.
>the silver guy points his sword at Dragon Mist, and growls
>in very heavily accented English. "I am... Yoshimitsu!"

Shit, like that dude from Tekken? he has the same powers, huh? I used
to kick all kinds of ass with that twirling fool!

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist steps over to the woman on the table and looks for vital
signs, anything to identify her as his sister or a fraud waiting to
ambush him. If he is not bushwhacked, he turns to face Yoshimitsu, with
all the questions just asked of Wildheart forgotten. "Yoshimitsu san,
are you of the Nahoda? Do we need to continue this mindless bloodshed?

From S/Crusader:

This is Dragonmist and Yoshimitsu show. I"m just an observer. But I am still curious if the Yoshimitsu armor is cybernetically grafted like mine
(and will do the usual scan up and down my various sensors to get a read, and I don't think 5 minutes has quite passes since I started recording. If it is
getting close, I will switch to the other CD-ROM writer and continue
recording).

From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy turns to face the new figure, totally
nonplussed that this guy outmasses him by at least a
factor of 4. And floating. "Naw, G, ain't got no
prob here. You heard the man, we's here ta help. We
gots a 'pointment with WildHeart. You anna tin can
here", and he nods his head over at MIRV, "gonna let
us through?"

(darn those pesky psych lims!)

From B/Impetus:

" 'scuse me, cowboy, but Wildheart's beatin'a crap outta a coupla ninjas ri'now, and ah doan think she gen'ly takes appointments durin' ass-stompins.
In case y'aint noticed, 'zabit ovva crisis sitch ri'now. Hostages? Unless
y'all can help," he flicks a quick glance at MIRV, then bites back the start
of a comment, "I think you jes' better wait here."

-------

From GM:

>>>Outside: Cowboy, Impetus, w/Killinger, MIRV: (Heh, got this great image of this skinny, white urban cowboy facing off with this huge, black super gang banger in the middle of 92nd Street. Too cool.)
MIRV is quick to speak saying, "I agree with Impetus here. I think it's best if we wait here, for the moment. I want to make sure there are no outside threats, and try to keep the civilians away. The police will be here soon..." at which point Killinger cuts in.
"Yes, the police will be here soon, and I'd rather not involve myself with them right now. It would merely complicate and confuse an already tenuous situation."
At this point Arcsilver suddenly comes flying around the building from the back, coming to a hover in front of the smashed front window on the second floor. His crackling electricity lights up the street in winks and flashes.
MIRV comes back immediately with "You realize, Mr. Killinger, that I have no reason to trust you and every reason to hand you over to the authorities. I don't know your soldier here, " he gestures at Cowboy, "but you are a VERY wanted man and your history with the Mavericks is not a good one. I'd appreciate it if you took no action to make me regret not taking you down right..." MIRV's voice trails off. Cowboy and Impetus both look up from their stare down to see him looking back past the group, down the street. "Oh my god..." he gasps. "It can't be."
Everyone turns then to see a tall woman in a voluminous robe of deep purple, striding up the street. A leather body suit of a somewhat lighter violet color peeks out from the cascading cloak. Her face is hidden under a heavy hood. Killinger mutters, "Damnit! What is she doing?" To Cowboy, it's just the chick from the car. Impetus though... is seeing a legend. *

Inside: Dragon Mist, Crusader, Speedball, Arcsilver w/Wild Heart: Brushing back the hair of the woman at his feet, Dragon Mist reveals her to be a late twenties Caucasian female, quite unconscious. It is not his sister, though she looks a little familiar. Yoshimitsu barely glances at Speedball's words, continuing to speak directly to Dragon Mist, he says, "You surround yourself with powerful allies but their impudence can not help you." Behind him, Wild Heart murmurs, "Hey... I resemble that remark," but she makes no move to interfere or cut him off.
"I have not come here to fight you," continues Yoshimitsu. He gestures to the body of the Chunin. "I had hoped to stop this before it came to such an end. He was an honorable man who knew his death was assured in challenging you. You felt the burn when he died. His spirit now wrestles with the Dragon in the blade. He has given up his final rest in a vain attempt to take back the blade. All of these..." he points his sword at the sprawled ninjas, "...would do the same, if given the chance."
At that point Arcsilver comes across the front window, lightning flaring off of him as the com broadcasts his position and asks about any hostages. (Behind you, Arcs, you can clearly see MIRV and Impetus in sort of a stand off with two men in trench coats. One looks like a Fed and the other is in a black Stetson, cowboy boots, black leather pants with dual gunbelts.) Wild Heart makes a "Back off" gesture through the window toward Arcsilver, and over the com says, "No attack Arcs! Hold off. We have a young woman in here, looks alive but unconscious. Stay ready, but don't take any action unless we're attacked."
Crusader scans Yoshimitsu as he talks noting that the armor is like nothing you've ever seen. The design is very traditional in some senses, but the demon helmet and the shiny, almost silver crystalline armor is not metal, ceramic, plastic or anything readily identifiable. There is a sense of age to the armor, as you see old style leather straps and finely woven red silk patterns as well as old scoring from past battles. No evidence of cybernetics, but there is a very low level energy signature in the infrared band from the armor.
Yoshimitsu is saying to Dragon Mist, "I am of no clan... and of every clan. I am beyond clans. My history is unimportant, though." He looks at your sword continuing with, "You may or may not know the history of your blade, but you must know it is bonded to you. The longer you wield it, the more powerful you, and it, grow. The dragon can not be mastered by anyone else without your death. That alone makes you a target. But there is another reason the Nahoda... and others... feel they MUST take control of the blade. They believe your sword is a key. A key to open..." He stops. His head jerks up, looking past Dragon Mist toward the front street. In Japanese he growls, "What is happening. There is sudden great power..."
Over the com comes MIRVs voice in hushed and tense tones. "All Mavericks, this is MIRV. I have a new player on the field. A woman... emitting power levels that are spiking off the charts. The thing is... she looks just like Solitaire... only she isn't dead."

* (For Impetus and MIRV, the woman walking towards them should be thought of as the Wonder Woman of the RDU. Whether characters paid attention to superhero stuff or not, everyone would know who this was in this world. Think Wonder Woman or Scarlet Witch from the Avengers. Well known, big time female superheroine. This looks like Solitaire... of the old Champions... who was very publicly killed a number of years ago in battle AGAINST the Mavericks of that time. Big funeral, lots of press, and it almost destroyed the Mavericks. They were kicked out of Philadelphia and came to New York. Now... suddenly... here she is...)

[RDU Neil]

Post 149

From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy turns his head to glare at Killinger over the
top of his sunglasses. "Hey, you said you was
friend's with these guys, now you say they don't like
you? Whats the word, man?" He seems to be completely
ignoring the woman on the street.

If it comes time for initiatives, Cowboy will leap to
the side, preferably behind cover (half move). His
guns will be drawn, and he will target ... um... MIRV
(he has the most obvious weaponry). Find Weakness,
and cover MIRV.

From B/Impetus:

Impetus will simply stare for a moment, his brow furrowing, and just before
MIRV radios, he says, "Izzat who ah think it is?"

As for everything else, he'll wait for MIRV's move. After all, he's not an
official member of the Mavericks yet, and he's not going to step on toes
now. Not that he'll be averse to stepping on toes if he thinks things are
going awry, but this is a situation where he's going to let them screw
things up first.

If she says anything to Impetus, however, he'll reply with a vaguely-tetchy,
"Ain'choo s'pozeda be dead?"

From G/Speedball:

After listening to some of the chatter and looking quickly at some of the
pale faces, Speedball chimes in, "uh, guys? I don't really care if Mary
Magdalene is outside. *IN*side we've got a guy wih a big freaking sword to
think about. Now just what're we going to do with this guy?"

That said, Speedball shifts from foot to foot, unaccustomed to the inaction
and waiting to get an upclose look at Solitaire...or pound Silver.

From I/Arcsilver:


Arcsilver replies to Wildheart "be carefull with that guy, 'Heart, I
stopped him from killing one of the civies, I think. I'm going high for
Recon..."


With That, Arcsilver will zip straight up 15", and detect straight down
for any unusual signatures on the EM spectrum.

From S/Crusader:

Crusader ignores what is going on outside and probably verbally jumps in
front of 'Mist. (sorry Matt) Not understanding the japanese, he did
recognize that Yoshimitsu had something important to say.
"Never mind what is happening outside. We have more than enough personal to look into it.", Crusader growls; "Key to Open What?"

Crusader uncoils his cape slowly, showing just how much control he has
over it. Partly for trying to get a reaction from Yoshimitsu, partly in case
things outside really do get hairy and Crusader will need some altitude.

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist sheaths the sword, doesn't even turn to look out the window.
Looking sternly at Yoshimitsu, to gain his attention, he growls back at
Yoshimitsu in Japanese: "All of this doesn't matter if I can't find my
sister. You seem to know a lot of what the Nahoda are doing, do you know
what they have done with her? Do they even have her?"
DM is obviously holding his phase, somewhat perturbed at the intrusion
of new players on the field.

------

From GM:

>>>Inside: Dragon Mist, Crusader, Speedball w/Wild Heart: Sun breaks through the clouds for a moment, sending a washed out glare into the living room. Dragon Mist stands silhouetted by the light as Arcsilver disappears up and away outside. Yoshimitsu's armor sparkles, throwing rainbow reflections about the room for the moment, a strange counterpoint to Crusader's dark form as they face off.
Yoshimitsu looks back from the window and nods briefly to Crusader, then bows a little lower to Dragon Mist. "My apologies. I permitted myself to become distracted." To Crusader he says, "It is rumored, and many believe these rumors to be true, that the dragon sword is key to opening Nippon... to freeing it from the jade prison surrounding it. The Nahoda believe it, saying that the World Mage himself has stated this." He shrugs in a strangely casual way, "I do not know what is true, but they are willing to sacrifice the lives and honor of their clan for the possibility."
Directly to Dragon Mist, he says, "To this end, the Jonin Sendako Y'ull has made desperate decisions. He has your sister. Of this I am sure. Where, I do not know, but he will bargain with her. Her life for yours... and the sword. I am ashamed I could not stop them before this came about."
Wild Heart steps across the messy floor, dust and broken furniture crunching under her boots. She rests a hand on Speedball's shoulder, or tries to as he keeps hopping about, saying to him, "Cool. Be cool. Things are getting crazy. Don't want to fight if we don't have to." She steps around the three warriors, glancing out the window. Her eyes go a little wide and she says..."Damn. That really does look like her." Turning back to the room, she says, "I have one question, Yoshimitsu-san. Did you attempt to harm the other hostage? If so why? You claim to be fighting against these Nahoda?"
Yoshimitsu says, "Your flying friend came upon me as I was attempting to cut his bonds. I believe you will find the hostage's guard unconscious in the room where I left him."

Then a bright, violet glow fills the room.

Outside: Cowboy, Impetus, w/Killinger, MIRV and ??Solitaire??: The small crowd on the street gasps and points as the woman who looks like Solitaire approaches. Killinger lets out a heavy sigh looking sideways at Cowboy, saying, "No, I told you they had reason to distrust me and that we were meeting to negotiate. I don't believe I ever used the word 'friends.'" The woman sweeps up the street to the group, and as Killinger opens his mouth, she waves her hand in a casual dismissal. Her voice is rough and rasping when she speaks. "Enough. We are wasting time. Divination reveals we are in the midst of a cascade reaction. We must all leave... now."
As Arcsilver flies upward he views the world in shifting energy patterns, seeing a great deal of perturbations in the spectrum fields. Impetus still stands out as a warp in the fields. Space literally seems to bend around him. Even stranger is the woman approaching. Around her it is hard to focus. Things seem to jump and shift, out of sync, patterns disrupted. It hurts your eyes to look for too long as they try to focus on something that seems to change upon being viewed. Arcsilver almost immediately gets a headache, and feels nauseous until he looks away.
Back on the ground, as Impetus speaks the woman turns toward him, revealing her face... almost. Unlike any known images of Solitaire this woman wears a mask. A finely cut, artfully curved ivory mask, somewhat reminiscent of the Phantom of the Opera, the mask covers the right half of her face, leaving the left eye, cheek and her full mouth revealed. Gold tracery lines the mask and there is an intricate gold inlay over her right eye in the shape of an undefined symbol. Her right eye is completely covered by the mask.
With a slight smile of interest she looks Impetus up and down, and then says, "Pater Graves." Clearly Latin. "You didn't tell me there was such as this available," she says to Killinger. Then, she turns quickly to Cowboy saying, "Please, no violence. We haven't much time, and it is important that we do not continue this current cycle," and then she raises her arms. Her raspy voice gets stronger her mouth twisting around words that don't sound human, and bright violet light flares from her hands as her fingers twist in elaborate patterns. A shimmering cloud envelopes the group in the street and immediately begins to expand twisting upward toward Arcsilver in the air, and pluming into the living room where the rest of the team surrounds Yoshimitsu.
For Killinger, Impetus, Cowboy and MIRV, there is an immediate sensation of a breeze building into a wind. Killinger turns to the woman, asking, "Is this really necessary? Is such a display called for?" but she ignores him, her hands still moving and her mouth still uttering the strange syllables.
Up in the living room the cloud of light surrounds Wild Heart, Speedball, Dragon Mist, and Crusader. The same sense of breeze begins to build and all of sudden the room around them all begins to fade... including Yoshimitsu and the ninjas. As if from a distance Yoshimitsu can be heard to say, "This is not intended for me." Then, even more faintly, he looks directly at Dragon Mist, saying, "I will search for your sister... but you face a difficult decision ahead."

The glowing cloud closes in.<<<

Let me know if anyone tries anything to disrupt, run from, fight the glowing cloud or any reactions you have. Thanks.

[RDU Neil]

Post 150

From I/Arcsilver:

No, thank you, no glowing cloud for Arcsilver, he will zip up at angles,
trying to stay out of the cloud, but no full out retreat, so that he can
remain active if he is needed. He will immediately see if he has time to
zip over and pick up Darkfire to keep him out as well, and if he does
have time for this, he will give it a try. Over the comm...

"HOLYCOW!!! Whatthehellisgoing on... This is Arc, I'm staying away
from this cloud, gonna try to pick up Darkeye, let em know what's
happening, 'Heart!"

From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy glances from Killinger, to Impetus, to the
cloaked lady, to MIRV, and back to Killinger.

"All right, thats it. I'm sittin' this one out. You
guys figure out what the hell's goin' on, an' let me
know."

With that, he casually sits down on the curb, puts one
elbow on his knee and his chin into that palm. He
keeps his eyes on the lady, watching her light show.
His other hand is near one of his pistols, but not
touching it... yet.

He is still ready to dive to the side should anyone
attack him (holding for dodge).

From G/Speedball:

"uh, no offense, 'Heart, but d'you mind not clamping down on my shoulder?
your strength combined with my speed mean there's a good chance it'll
dislocate....but I get what you mean, anyway."
when the disruption occurs, Speedball will go desollid, but look at 'Heart
for instructions, finally getting the message that she's the one in charge
here.

From B/Impetus:

Impetus watches MIRV, looks nervous... and, assuming that he doesn't see
anyone engulfed by it making any sort of positive signs that it's all right,
leaps out of the way at the last moment. "What th'hell y'DOIN', lady?
SPLAIN y'sef!" Landing with a resounding THOOM a while away, he says, "We
supaheroes, dammit! Ya jes' don't throw glit'ry stuff at us widdout sayin'
what it DOES, fa Godsake!"

I'm off to L.A. Everybody say "Happy Birthday" to Neil, folks...

The Ferrett

From S/Crusader:

Fight what and how? Glowing clouds and disappearing rooms is so far beyond John Spencer's (Crusader) ken. For my action, I stand dumbfounded with my jaw open... although no one can see that through my helmet.
Hopefully, everyone will think "gee, what a stoic guy, standing like a rock."
When reality this is what's going through my head, "uhhhhhhh?!?!"

From M/Dragon Mist:

DM tries to be as stoic as his cybernetic friend. . .

-------

From GM:

Inside the living room Crusader, Dragon Mist and Wild Heart tensed and waited as the cloud enveloped them. The split second delay from Speedball as he looked to Wild Heart was all that mattered. Even in his vibrational state he realizes he can still feel this "breeze" kicked up by the pinkish mist, which is a very odd sensation. In a second, all details fade, and only the four heroes stand alone in a formless mist.

Outside, Impetus finds his powers failing him, again. Just as he starts to leap away, the mist slightly envelopes him and his muscles go weak. A dismal, nauseous sensation runs through his body and instead of springing away, he sinks to the ground, the weight of his body seeming too much to carry. Then he, MIRV, the cowboy, Killinger, and the woman who may or may not be Solitaire, are alone.... the world washed away. Killinger looks about somewhat suspiciously then says to the woman, "You didn't have to do this. Why such extreme measures?"
The woman just brings her arms around in a sweeping arc, hands clasping and fingers entwining in an intricate pattern. "Soon, I will explain... but it was necessary. Of that I'm sure." Then she goes quiet and the only sound is the faint rustle of clothing and Impetus' heavy breathing as he feels his power start to return.

Arcsilver: You move... a blaze of light... there, then gone. Away from the cloud, to the rear of the building dropping quickly toward a startled Darkfire below you. "What's going o... AAHH" he yelps as you grab him, and blast away again. Fifty meters in a second, north over 93rd street block now. You turn. "What the hell, buddy?" asks Darkfire. "Some kind of bomb?" You both look back where you came from everything still for the moment. "Did you see some kind of purple glow for a second there?" asks Darkfire, "Or was I imagining it. I don't see anything now."
A quick flight back up and over the original apartment building shows that the pink cloud is gone... and so are the rest of the team. Though the street is a mess and at least one ninja is sprawled outside the broken front window,, MIRV, Impetus, the cowboy, the other man and that woman are gone. Dropping down to second story level, Darkfire drops to the ground and you look inside the living room. A few bodies are sprawled across the demolished interior, but no Wild Heart, no Crusader, no Dragon Mist. No silver samurai guy either, that you can see.
A siren sounds as the first police cruiser comes from the east, pulling slowly past the wrecked cars and approaching cautiously. Darkfire looks up at you, and says, "Ok, buddy. YOU get to explain this mess, 'cause I was stuck in the back the whole time."

Interlude: Camera angle pans up and away showing the chaos, then alters to a digital image of the same scene. Angle pulls back farther showing the screen on which the image is shown as part of a bank of monitors in a dark, shadowy control room. From a chair in front of the monitor, a young woman with crisp, short hair and a military bearing turns and speaks toward the large shadowy figure behind her. "Only one camera was able to be positioned in time, sir. That image was not a transmission error. The glow was an energy signature at the scene. No power readings were able to be taken, though it appears to have been a large scale teleportation. Very powerful. Only target designates Arcsilver and Darkfire appear to remain."
The figure nods. "Thank you. Continue monitoring the situation and contact our field agents to do the same. No overt action should be taken, but I should be alerted at the first reappearance of any of the Mavericks, Killinger, the Solitaire woman, or those other three... the Tak user, this Impetus, or the cowboy. Circulate descriptions of all of them. Overlap shifts so there is no missed coverage." At the woman's "yessir" he turns and moves away, a dark cape trailing behind him. A door hisses open as he strides toward and through it, allowing faint red light into the operations room, then it closes just as quietly behind him.
Outside in the hallway, red highlights glimmer on the Warlord's armored form, though he moves silently despite his bulk. As he nears the end of the short hallway a figure steps out of a dark doorway and joins him. A lithesome, female figure in black leather. Dark auburn hair spills across her shoulders as she reaches out and lays a hand lightly on the Warlord's chest. "Theyah ahl awaitin' foah yuh, suh," she drawls and a sensuous smile plays across her face as she traces her fingers on his armor. The Warlord responds with obvious pleasure in his voice. "Thank you Ann-Jolie. For assembling them... and for affecting that lovely lilt." He reaches out with a armored hand and lightly traces the curve of her cheek. She stares up into his armored mask, biting her lower lip in a girlish smile of promise. Then she says, "Yes, but I'm Ivrel, now,"... the accent completely gone. "At least in front of the others." She moves to open the door for him, grinning again and quietly saying, "But latah dahling... when weah aloahn..."
They both step into a conference room, bearing straight, no smiles... all business. Around the table that dominates the area stands an eclectic and very dangerous group of people. On the immediate right stands Z, in her green shimmering body suit, gray streaked hair pulled back tightly. Her face is strong and silent, though her eyes flash with an anger as she looks across the table.
Opposite her, staring back with level contempt, is an Japanese man in traditional dress. Maybe fifty, he is lean and strong, his black silk kimono patterned with an elaborate green dragon motif. Beside him, ignoring these two, but watching the Warlord from behind dark glasses, is a handsome African-American man dressed in Lloyd's of London business wear. He nods, acknowledging the Warlord's entrance.
Next to him, actually seated, is a heavy set, older white man, slightly paunched, but hard looking. Behind him stands a huge Cossack with massive shoulders and arms in a muscle shirt and black pants; he has a heavy red beard cut at precise angles. Neither says a word.
A slight built Korean man in a black military uniform stands next to Z. He says nothing, staying at attention, but his eyes watch everyone else.
Finally, there is a young woman, Mediterranean, perhaps Italian, in a subtle but expensive gray business suit and skirt. Her black hair is straight down her back, allowing for her strong, dark features to shine. She smiles politely at the Warlord and anyone who looks her way. She has an air of sophistication and wisdom is in her eyes, incongruous with her youth.
"Thank you all for coming," says the Warlord in a powerful baritone. "I have some interesting new developments to share with you." He leans forward, his armored bulk resting on his palms on the table. The others all seem to lean in with him, instinctively pulled to him as his presence dwarfs them all. "Not to worry. It is nothing that immediately impedes the consolidation. The plan proceeds apace. New York will be ours and from there... we will all see our individual dreams come true."

Camera pans back, fade to black.<<<

End latest issue of the Mavericks. Each player character gets three EXP. This will probably be the last post for this week, as I'm swamped at work... but who knows. I'll definitely be gone Thursday through next Sunday. Questions? Ideas on how you want to spend the points? Let me know.

[Chromatic]

Thanks again for continuing to post these Neil. The interplay of GM intervention and game meta-mechanics with player actions and role-play is extremely well done.

As I've said before, your initiative system has great intrigue, and I will be trying something similar in the Pbem I'm finalizing soon, and maybe even try it out in the kids game I run.

I look forward to reading what happened with the Mavericks.....

[RDU Neil]

Mavericks? Huh? Oh... they just disappeared... never heard from again.

The end.



















Ok... ok... I'm KIDDING! Call off the hitman. :winkgrin:

[RDU Neil]

Post 151

From GM:

Note: (Ok, start of new issue. Trying to set up a scene where some Q&A can go on... before getting back to the action, so...)

>>>Arcsilver, New York: For several hours, you and Darkfire have been left with the clean up of the latest Maverick's event... and this one was messy.

Two dead, four badly injured, ritzy apartment building damaged, hostages rescued (Paul and Tracey Thurman), but the woman is still catatonic... and the rest of the team hasn't returned. Neither you nor Darkfire were ever sure how many attackers there were but the seven total, dead or captured, seems low. The silver guy... Yoshimitsu you think they were calling him... is nowhere around. Witnesses say that the big black guy, Impetus, threw half a car at some guy in the west side alley, but when they peel the wreckage back there is no body there. Obviously there was more than one who escaped.

You spend most of your day going over events, trying to help the investigators, and giving your account of how you killed a man. There is a weird moment of stillness as they zip up the body bag after peeling the guy out of the wreckage of the car. You couldn't help but over hear a paramedic say that the man probably died by suffocating on his own blood, since his face and neck were so badly smashed he couldn't breath properly.

After a while... you aren't sure how long... a small knot of people break through the lines and you recognize all of them. Approaching you is ADA Sally Anne Robinson with her secretary... you think his name is Moeller. With her is Arthur Reeves dressed in an impeccable deep grey suit, sharp and pressed. Coming along behind, held up as he stops and greets various fellow officers, is Lt. John Masterson... looking a helluva lot better than when he went into the hospital some days ago. You realize then that you were supposed to have met with Sally Anne and Artie over an hour ago. As she approaches, a whisper comes through your com from Darkfire who says, "You're on your own with her, pal." Then he jogs over calling out to Masterson a happy greeting... shaking his hand and clapping him on the back.

------

Everybody else, somewhere else.

The worst part about the pink cloud is that it is timeless and formless. Nothing seems to change or move... and it is utterly silent. Not even the sound of breathing or internal heart beats can be heard... and what may be only an instant seems to stretch to infinity...

... and then the sun comes out. Bright... hot... casting dappled shadows through a brilliant green canopy... glaring white reflections of sun on sand... and crystal blue waters shining... cool wind...

Cowboy: You had been sitting on the pavement and suddenly you find yourself sitting in warm, salty water, soaking your heavy pants and coat... almost running over your guns as you startle... surprised by the wet spray of small waves.

Impetus: You had started to spring backward only to find your strength leaving you... and you end up finishing that step into a foot of water... your flight momentarily negated you splash downward into the surf and your immense weight sinking you thigh deep in the soft sand of the shallows as the beautiful sun drenched scenery shines around you. Next to you, Killinger stands in a foot of water himself... his elegant suit pants and shoes now drenched and his over coat dragging in the water. He looks down, then back at the woman in purple also standing with you in the water... your relative positions to each other unchanged from when you left.

She turns her head, looking about and says, "Ahhh... I'm glad this place is actually here..." She turns to look at you. "I feared it would not be..." then her eyes (well the one eye you can see) roll back in her head and she falls backwards into Killinger's arms.

Crusader: Palm trees. Right in front of you... like RIGHT in front of you. Your faceplate almost pressed right up against the trunk. You step back and your foot sinks in soft white sand. The sound of surf washing on a beach comes from the side and your faceplate polarizes automatically to correct from the glare of the sun. Internal fans cut in keeping air circulating in your armor as your faceplate HUD suddenly reads 89 degrees F. To your right, just where she had been before, stands Wild Heart looking about as startled and confused as you feel. DM and that Speedball character are also there.

Dragon Mist: Same scene... same strange change of scenery... but this is something you have experienced before if not on this scale. As you look around seeing the other team members down by the beach, you realize that enormous power was just used here. Such a shift is far beyond anything you've ever considered... perhaps thousands of miles around the surface of the earth... if you are still on the earth. Still, your sword is quiet and everyone looks ok... if a little wet.

Speedball: A BIRD JUST FLEW RIGHT THROUGH YOU!!! Big and white with a yellow crest and black beak. Like some kind of wild parrot thing! And you suddenly stop vibrating... feeling your worn out shoe sink into soft sand that is actually cool, being in the shade. Blinding white hot sand is around you, but cool spray from the nearby surf feels good on your face. You look around in wonder, thinking, "If this is a drug induced hallucination... it's REALLY good."<<<

Y'all can react from there... and then we'll continue.

[RDU Neil]

Post 152

From S/Crusader:

Seeing Wild Heart startled snaps Crusader to. While the whole T-port
thing had him paralyzed, seeing other teammates startled makes Crusader
re-act quickly.
"MAVERICKS! FORM CIRCLE ON WILD HEART NOW!" Crusader barks out, using his loudspeakers at full. He is trying to snap everyone out of their
reveries and into some defensible sensiblity (not that it matters, Dragon
Mist's sword is cool, but Cru doesn't know that).

The second thing is to acccomplish who is a Maverick and who is not,
because John/Crusader is vaguely aware that there are others... (like Cowboy, Killenger, the maybe Solitaire.).

{Storn is curious to see how Speedball (Geoff) reacts to this. <g>}

From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy hits the water, and nearly falls over. "Aw,
crap!" Before the water can get to his side holsters,
he twists to one side, then back, all the while
straightening up.

He glares over at Killinger, and takes a few wading
steps towards him. "What the fuck was that?!"

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver is a little stunned, both because of the disappearance of his
team, and because this is the first time that he has taken a life, at
least as far as he knows. He is doing his best to help the police in the
aftermath of what happened, and remembers about the meeting suddenly when
he sees the two coming towards him. "Aww...crimeny..." he says, turning
around quickly to try to slick down the front of his hair (hair sticks
out of the top of the head mask). His attempts with the spit-covered
hand are in vain, however, and the hair stands up, full attention. He
turns back, biting his lip nervously. he speaks rapidly, nervous and
trying to make a good impression.

"Uh...hello, Ms. Robinson. Um...sorry I missed the meeting, I guess you
heard what happened? Can we meet now, or later today?" How about
tonight - you know, for a meeting - not for anything else - I mean, if
you were hungry, we could eat, but definitely a business meeting.
Anytime today or tomorrow or the next day or...I'm going to stop talking
now."

From G/Speedball:

Joe <Speedball> starts laughing. Slowly the laugh builds into a crescendo of guffaws that you rarely hear from sane people--he laughs as a man who simply doesn't find anything funny--until the one great joke of his life gets played, and its on him: "I was killed by a fucking pink cloud."

He stops laughing, and collapses into the sand. "never seen real sand
before. Never even been to a beach. I guess it figures that when I died
I'd go somewhere I've never been, since my life's been such a shit-hole. The
sand...man, that's some WHITE sand. I guess I've only ever seen dirt
before...not real sand. Jesus..."

Crusader's booming announcement wakes Joe from his reverie. He hadn't
noticed that anyone else was here. He runs over to the others, "Man, they
got you all too? What ever that pink cloud was, it must've been some toxic
shit-I don't even remember having time to choke."

From B/Impetus:

Impetus whirls on Killinger, shouting angrily, "Wh'tha FUCK happen heah, ya dumb mothafucka? I din' ask to be goin' goddamn SURFIN'! You betta 'splain whudda hell Sol'tar jes' did, an' WHAH, o'....."

And interestingly enough, if he hears Crusader's command (it's unclear if he would), he will stand to. T'cha, like he has any experience with this.

-----

From GM: (note, I must have lost Dragon Mist's post, because I reference him shouting, but have no post indicating that... hmmmm...)

New York, Arcsilver: Sally Anne Robinson is an impressive woman. Strong in face and frame, her hair is dark and tightly curled, pulled back to cascade down her back in tight ringlets. Her dark eyes set off her deep brown complexion, and she stand tall and attractive in a severe woman's business suit. She smiles, just slightly, at Arcsilver's ramblings... and it illuminates the "all business" exterior, making Arc's remember just why he went broke sending her all those flowers during the holidays.
"Well, perhaps we can be more specific in our conversation... but no reason to stop talking." She looks around the crime scene with a practiced eye, but her face has a bit of sadness to it. Shaking her head just slightly, she says, "I understand you've been very cooperative with the police, and I do appreciate that. I would like to speak with you about another matter, though." She gestures at Artie, saying, "Mr. Reeves here was quite gracious in explaining the situation down in Texas from his point of view. He says that the Maverick's are looking for someone named the Warlord who is supposedly operating in New York."

Nodding at John, she says, "Lt. Masterson here says that that name has come up in connection with criminally active gangs, and perhaps connected to various organized crime families, though mostly rumor."

As she speaks, ADA Robinson walks slowly away from the building, but not out of the police cordon, giving your small group a little room. "If you don't mind, could you please fill me in on where your own investigation stands as to this Warlord... and what, if any, connection to this..." she waves her hand at the apartment building, "... there might be."

-----

Island, Everyone Else: (Note, I forgot MIRV in my descriptions last time... but he's there. Sorry.)

Crusader: You move to Wild Heart who nods at you, turning and looking out at the shore and the figures in the water there. You hear Dragon Mist yell out to the man holding what looks like the unconscious form of one your greatest enemies... or that was how she was always presented to you when you were in VIPER. When she was killed... or was she?... there were some serious parties in the ranks... even more so when the rest of the Champions disappeared over the Bermuda Triangle, never to return. You never met or fought the Champs, but that REALLY looks like Solitaire.

You do note that this place really does seem deserted other than your group. No one else in sight... no buildings. Rocky coves. Makes you think of the South Pacific. You did travel through there a few times.

Dragon Mist & Impetus: Killinger looks back and forth between the two of you, then flexes and heaves the draped form of the robed woman into the cradle of his arms, and begins walking up out of the surf toward Dragon Mist, Crusader and Wild Heart. He cranes his neck in a "this way" motion to Impetus. Out loud to both of you he says, "While I agree we need to discuss what has happened... I'd prefer to do so out of the water if you don't mind." He steps up to the dry sand, walking toward a broad trunked palm tree, where he lays her down gently. He looks past Dragon Mist to Wild Heart and says, "I don't think either of us planned on meeting here, but we did plan to meet. Are you still comfortable with that?"

Cowboy: You watch as Killinger walks away... and Impetus, with a heaving, sucking sound, slowly levitates himself out of the wet sand. MIRV hovers in the air next to you not saying anything, but your gaze is drawn to the beautiful scenery of rocky cliffs dropping down to white sand beaches. Emerald green palms waving in the wind. The sun is somewhere around late afternoon as far as you can tell... but the whole place looks like a holo-vid set. Outside of that weird trip to Egypt, you've never been out of the urban sprawl. Well, there was that freaky trip to South Carolina, or wherever... and that was all magic stuff, too... but this place is unbelievable. The kind of place Silhouette would vacation. Damn... there are even wild birds all around. That is definitely not something you see much. Freakin' BIG birds, too.

Speedball: Wild Heart is about to reply to Killinger when you zip over with your wild death fantasy. Her mouth open she stops... turns to you... looks at you quizzically... starts to say something and stops again... laughs and turns back to Killinger. "Ok..." with a chuckle still in her voice, "... assuming that we are not dead... I want to first know where we are before we start any lengthy discus..." MIRV's machine amplified voice interrupts her, calling out. "GPS puts us in the South Pacific. A thousand or so miles southwest of Hawaii. Some unnamed dot of an island... as far as I can tell. Few hundred miles east is the speck called Hirbati. That's about the closest I can see to anything remotely civilized. I'd tap into satellite video feeds but I'm too far from any of my relay stations, sorry." A small antennae with a tiny dish has popped up on his back-pack, rotating back and forth, as if tracking a signal.
Wild Heart and Killinger look at each other, then both glance over at the quiet form sleeping against the tree. "Damn," mutters Wild Heart with an impressed tone.

The group as a whole relaxes a bit as a couple minutes pass and nothing threatening occurs. Everyone has gathered a little closer, and most are watching Killinger to see what he'll say or do. Immediately he shrugs out of his overcoat, loosens his tie and kicks off his ruined loafers. Then he pulls off his socks. His hard face cracks a smile as he runs his toes through the sand, then he looks at you all staring at him and says, "What? I can't at least get comfortable?" and shrugs. Looking again at the unconscious form and speaking to Impetus directly as well as everyone else, he says, "That woman is not Solitaire. Though I thought so, too at first. In fact, I thought she'd come after me... orthat maybe Mordred was back... but she's something else altogether." He looks at the whole group in turn, continuing with, "I didn't expect her to act so rashly. She's been rather quiet and reticent to act in the short time I've known her. We'll have to wait for her to wake up to answer why she brought us here." He looks up... squinting into the sun... and pulls his suit jacket off. "I suggest we discuss the New York situation... since we don't have much else to do. I'd really like to hear what you all know about what's going on... so I can figure out how I can help you."<<<

Note: (I wouldn't mind if each character tries to emphasize what they think is going on, so I can sort through the inevitable confusion, which is to be expected at this point. Then I can hopefully write some dialogue that clarifies some points. Speak in character as to what your character thinks is going on. Ask questions, etc.)

[RDU Neil]

Post 153

From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy thrashes through the water, spraying it
everywhere. For once, his movements are not fluid and
graceful. Finally, he makes it back to shore.

"What's going on?!?! WHAT'S GOING ON??! I don't know
WHAT the fuck is going on!" He takes his hat off,
throwing it to the ground. He has shortish, spiky
hair under the hat, and wears a pair of very dark
sunglass. Oakley's or Gargoyles, hard to tell.

He wears a full length black leather duster, fairly
thick. He is also wearing a vest of some kind of
thick material. Black pants tucked into mid shin
combat boots. At his sides are two holsters, with
large pistols in them. It looks like the guns are not
designed for the holsters, seem a bit loose.

"All I know, one moment I'm fightin' some kinda demon
fuck, then POOF! I wake up in the damn park! Then,
this schmuck," he gestures towards Killinger, "and the
chick show up. He convinced me ta come along and help
his friends, who don't even seem ta like him! Now
we're in the South Fuckin' Pacific! Great!!!"

He then stoops down, picking up his hat and brushing
it against his thigh in one fluid motion, then stalks
over to sit under a nearby palm tree.

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist doesn't really know what to think. Though quite familiar
with teleportation, and the physical, mental, and emotional displacement
which follows, he's not quite ready to accept his current situation. The
whole evening needs to be recounted, debriefed and examined. There are
hints and clues which need to be uncovered before they are lost to
memory, before the trail to his sister runs cold.
"Why don't we each start from the top? We obviously need to recap
everything before we get too deep into this. My blood feud with the
Nahoda Ninja clan seemed to have started it but that doesn't really
explain the presence of this Speedball guy; Cowboy; Killinger and his
friend. Nor does it explain why this Solitaire look alike is using
powers that match a super named Portal, my replacement from my days back
in the Jam."

From S/Crusader:

Neil, I need a couple of clarifications. I know that I should make the Solitaire connection, but I'm not sure if Crusader/John Spencer would know
what Killenger looks like. No one has said his name yet... I think.... and
I'm not sure if Wild Heart said that we were meeting with the guy. I
certainly know the name and will react accordingly.

2nd, how public was the "Mordred" thing. I know that every American
probably remembers Solitaire getting killed by Mavericks/Big Guy, but was
Mordred ever mentioned. Mordred moniker was crafted by Vector cause we had no idea what to call the demonic dude. Although Demonic Dude (come to think of it) would have been really funny and insulting.

If the "Mordred" name never really made it into the press, the obvious
question comes from Crusader, who quietly asks; "Who's Mordred?"

>>"I suggest we discuss the New York situation... since we don't have much else to do. I'd really like to hear what you all know about what's going on... so I can figure out how I can help you.<<<

I look around, then specifically at Dragon Mist. I wish I could pop my
face-plate... but I'm not sure I can trust these 3 unknowns (Killenger,
Cowboy and Faux Solitaire (Zirconian Solitaire?)). So Drgon Mist might not
even see my eyes.

I step forward; "I think we got wind of this Warlord situation when we
heard of a massive NYC bound shipment of sma.. heroin."
I throw a thumb at Dragon Mist; "'Mist and I tusseled with a paranormal
cyborg who was working for the Russian mob while trying to track this
supposed shipment down. As far as our contacts know, this shipment has not
arrived on our shores yet."

I pause, then continue; "This same cyborg was in a strike force that
ambushed us at Onyx's Harlem Gymn. Several paras were in that little
grouping. During that battle the Warlord name came up. In the aftermath,
Arcsilver and MIRV went to Texas to interview a man who used to be known as the Warlord who was arrested several years ago. MIRV can add more to that. MIRV?"

Then I will turn to Impetus to acknowledge his substantial contribution;
"Then Speedball and Impetus were involved in perhaps a part of that heroin
shipment. Speedball ran off with a case of it while Impetus and I
interrogated a flunkie who again mentioned the Warlord had predicted our
involvement. Speedball, would you mind explaining why you ran off with a
suitcase of smack?"

After a Speedball response; "Which brings us to think that Warlord has a
psychological need to play games. To not only be a Napoleon of the
underground but a need to show it."

{I've got more questions and statements, but I'll stop there}

From B/Impetus:

Impetus stares at Killinger, positively seething. His aura crackles in a
way that seems like it might, quite literally, explode. "Ain' zackly an
ansa f'me, y'know. You da one who brought her, AN' hathead, over t'us
t'make dese guys some kinda offer, and suddenly we wind up in da GOT-DAMN
SOUT' PACIFIC? Sumvus got WORK t'mara! Mah cell phone doan 'zackly range
to the fuckin' Easter Iands, and frankly, ah doubt my boss goan 'cept 'Oh,
ah cain' come in 'cuz mah ass is now a fifteen-hour flight away from Enn Why
Cee thanks to some frickin' sparkly shit!... as a fuckin' scuse!

"YOU brought her here. YOU da one respon'sble for us sunnly bein' yanked
all the way to South Pacific, an' ah fo'one would like to know why. You got
some job fo' us heah? FINE! FRICKIN' ASK US! LET US GET OUR SHIT TOGETHER FIRST!

"An' if she ain' Sol'taire, then bah God why din' you check DAT first,
either? Who d'hell ARE you?"

And with that, he waits for an answer.

As for his mental state, he's severely pissed and irritated. He does have a
day job, he's already injured enough that he's worried about blowing his
secret ID when he gets into work -- he was sort of deciding to use the
"hernia" excuse as to why he's suddenly packing bandages and support -- and
now he's not even sure when he's going to be able to call in, let alone get
home. His responsibilities as a superhero are strictly part-time, nobody's
asked him to be a Maverick (yet), and although he's fearless about fighting,
he's also pretty sure that this is some stupid side-trip and not an actual
mission. Who ever heard of fighting crime out in Polynesia? (And it's too
bad I know the timeline, because now I don't get to use the "Or we vote you
off the damn island" line. Survivor hasn't happened yet.)

From G/Speedball:

Speedball looks at Crusader for a moment and everyone gets the feeling he's trying to figure out just how to respond to the question about the junk. A moment later, rolling up his sleeves, he says "well, I guess this question was bound to come up sooner or later and I guess that since we're far enough away from prying eyes and ears, I might as well give you the skinny."

He pauses briefly, taking a deep breath and continues "look: (extending his
forearms to reveal old scars that are pretty identifiable as having come
from needles.) I was a junky for a long time. I shot more smack through
these holes than was in both of those suitcases combined. The fact is that
I'm not addicted to heroin anymore. Not since I got injected with the
fucked-up shit that gave me these powers. That sounds great, but now I'm
addicted to something totally different and I need heroin as one of the
ingredients in order to make it." Turning to Impetus, he continues "you
don't like gangs. I don't either. But the simple fact is that I need what
was in that suitcase to live. I don't get it--I die. Its as simple as
that. And I figure that if I steal it, its better than if I buy it, which
will just give them the money to buy guns to kill people with."

"So," turning back to the rest of the group, Speedball takes another deep
breath and concludes "I know you don't have as good a reason to trust me as
I have to trust you. So here's your reason: (lifting up his mask) My real
name is Joe Dellasandro. I live in the Lower East Side. Any of you want to
come over and see that I'm not living on stolen drug money, that's fine by
me. But in the end, if you tell me I've got to give up what I took, I'm
going to die. I'd like to make a difference. I'd like to use these
freaky-ass powers to try and make something of an otherwise useless life. I
think I can learn a lot from the people in this group and maybe I can help
you all out in return. Kid Fantastic seemed to think so too."

(Neil, an appropriate speech for a persuasion role, or is this too big a
group?)

From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy barks out a shot "HAH! Shit, white boy like you
livin' on the Lower East Side? Ain't no way you
livin' high on no smack money..."

From G/Speedball:

...and in an instant, Speedball is on him, grabbing his shirt by the lapels.
"you I don't know. You I don't care about. I don't even think I've ever
seen your fucking face before."
He lets go and backs up a step, still glaring from jaundiced eyes, "And I
don't know about how you grew up, but where I'm from, making fun of the poor kid in town was the best way to show you don't have no class."

(nb. this is Speedball's reaction, *not* Geoff's)

From E/Cowboy:

Okay, actually, what would probably happen would be
Speedball would jump towards him, start to grab his
lapels and then be eating the barrel of 2 .45 caliber
pistols. Cowboy will fast draw, his movements fast
enough to make them hard to see. Possibly as fast as
Speedball's.

Also, from his accent, he sounds like he might be from
the Lower East Side himself. Slight hispanic,
definitly New York streets (Sorry, Geoff, should have
described that previously).

"Chill the fuck out, Esse, 'fore I ventilate your face
s'more." His voice doesn't waver, very calm and steady.

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver is smiling shyly, looking down at his feet.

>"If
>you
>don't mind, could you please fill me in on where your own
>investigation
>stands, as to this Warlord... and what, if any, connection to this..."
>she
>waves her hand at the apartment building, "... there might be."

"Well, Ms. Robinson, my investigation hasn't led to much at all. I only
got back from Texas last night, and didn't have much of a chance to do
much before...well...(gestures towards the building and the mess) this.
In fact, I didn't have much time to speak to my own teamates before we
got the call about a hostage situation, and attack aimed specifically at
us, I think. We came directly here, and in the middle of the fight
everyone disappeared.
I think that the fight at Onyx's Gym had something to do with the
Warlord, but I'm not sure, and we haven't had any leads on the monkeys
who we fought there. Arties sister seems to be somehow involved with the
REAL warlord, but the only thing that I know about her is that she has
some deadly high-tech gaedgets, and that she put some kind of
brain-washing whammy on Artie's parrol officer. Does that answer some of
your questions? say, do you want to talk over lunch? We can Artie off
at his hotel..."

-Ilan and Arcsilver

-----

From GM:

Note: (I LOVE YOU GUYS. Your reactions make my job so EASY. Conflict, conflict, conflict... I just love it!)

>>>New York, Arcsilver: ADA Robinson starts to shake her head, with a slightly widening smile on her face as Artie says... "I've explained my connection with the Warlord to Ms. Robinson, and I should add that as I've thought more and more about this, I believe my sister, who called herself Ivrel for some reason, is working for him." He looks ashamed for a moment, sad even, and continues, "He took care of her when I was awa, and I believe she became enamored of him. Perhaps I should have seen this earlier but I had no reason to suspect anything."

He looks at both of you. "He trained her like he trained me. He had many more years to do so in fact. I never realized the extent of it until I saw her in action... and even then I found it hard to believe."

Sally Anne looks at him, all serious now, saying, "As I asked you before... I would like you to answer some detailed questions about this but you have to realize... Your sister is now wanted for murder. If she is in my city, I want to handle this. Texas wants to send the Rangers after her... and the only thing holding them off is the fact that we have no real evidence she is actually here. We'll have to move fast if possible, or this will get even more complicated than it is. The FBI are already sniffing around."

She turns back to you Arcsilver, and says, "I think a late lunch, early dinner might be in order." She turns to her aide, Moeller, saying, "Please take Mr. Reeves back to the office and get his statement as we discussed. Inform Lt. Masterson that we will be at..." she looks at you, "Do you like Chinese, Mr. Arcsilver?" and assuming you say yes, she says "... Emperor's House, my usual table. Have him join us there in an hour." Then she turns to lead you back to her car. (Note, if there is a real, dark and quiet, really good Chinese restaurant that any of you know about in New York, insert it instead of the place above.)

-----

Island, Everybody else:

To everyone else the following scene looks like a sudden blur, happening before any of you know what is going on. Most of you are focused on Impetus and Killinger after the big man's explosive tirade... then sand sprays everywhere as Speedball goes into action.

Cowboy: It happens faster than you've ever seen before. In your experience you've only seen one guy move like this, and he was a whacked out cyborg who ended up blowing himself up. Now suddenly this scrawny punk has you by the lapels before you can pull your gun...

... REALLY fast...

... but no combat sense. Almost as soon as he grabs you he is letting you go... shoving off and babbling something... and then your guns are in his face. The big bores of the twin .45's pressed stare him in the eyes which go wide. ""Chill the fuck out, Esse, 'fore I ventilate your face s'more." You say, dead calm.

Speedball: You don't see him move either. So focused on yelling at him... you are suddenly staring down two very large guns... the cold metal just touching your cheek bones. You blink... realizing this guy is a bit more than he seems... but looking into his lean, weathered face... you also recognize him.

Not the man himself... not WHO he is... but WHAT he is. You lived around these types all your life. The lean, hard kids with cold eyes and short tempers that sit on stoops and hang out on street corners... flash each other gang signals and look for trouble wherever they can. Hell, you might have been one of them if your candy of choice had been amphetamines rather than smack. For a still moment you are frozen in recognition, realizing this guy knew just how to push your buttons... because he comes from the same place you do.

Dragon Mist, Crusader: You two are standing free and unencumbered, only a couple of meters (half move easily) from this altercation. Sand is scattered around you, still falling from Speedball's sudden action... and you clearly see the appearance of the guns. Wild Heart was just stepping toward Impetus and Killinger when this happened and is turning back with an "Oh shit..." coming out of her mouth. MIRV is still some distance back, on the open beach, scanning the heavens.

Impetus: Killinger reacted silently but immediately to your outburst. His face went from congenial to hard. His eyes flash, not taken aback, not shocked or off balance, but immediately angry and staring you down... and not doing too bad a job of it. You are big... you are scary and mean looking... almost nobody... even before your powers... had the balls to face off with you. The gangs would jump you with five or more guys, never facing you alone... guys with attitude would shut the hell up and get back to work when you walked by... but this guy... he doesn't even flinch.

Nearby, something is going on... but the two of you are locked in this silent confrontation. Killinger breaks it with the quiet words, "Your rage is misplaced... and unnecessary. You are injured and in pain and maybe partially in shock. Do not make things worse by continuing this outburst." His words are spoken low, but crystal clear and there is a deadly promise in the phrasing. You do see that he is wearing a shoulder holster with some kind of pistol in it but he doesn't move for the gun, or move at all other than to shift his stance slightly and keep his eyes locked with yours.<<<

God I love this stuff. HAH!

Initiatives: Speedball (1st), Cowboy (1st), Killinger (1st), Dragon Mist (1st), Crusader (1st), Wild Heart, Impetus, MIRV, Speedball (2nd), Cowboy (2nd), Killinger (2nd), Dragon Mist (2nd), Crusader (2nd)

[greymankle]

ahh I love players. "My guy is faster, no MY guy is faster" grrrrr.

I forget if I had mentioned it before, but Bill's written accent is great. I have to read it out loud. Definately puts flavor in his character with every sentence. Not to mention the difference between Real Life Bill and Impetus. True roleplaying. :cheers:

[RDU Neil]

Post 154

From B/Impetus:

Hee! This is what happens when you throw a bunch of street trash in one
group!

Impetus takes one step closer, arms still at his side, amplifying the
square-off -- not quite in combat position, but in that area which lets you
know he's ready when you are.

"Look, trenchcoat," he says, his voice suddenly having gone from screaming
mad to freezer temperature, "You wanna fuckin' face up? We go. I ain'
afraida no Em Eye Bee. But y'know, SOME people might consida the fac' that
I ain' the only one heah who ain' fonda you, from what AH can see. AN' that
fuckin' yankin' people outta NYC is the kinda thing that gets whole GANGSA
people at they backs... Drop the got-damn at' and start squawkin' about what
the fuck you were TRYINA do by bringin' one mothafucka wid guns and yo'self
to this little party. Because YOUda one who hasta 'splain hisself... not
me."

Oh, yeah. Game actions.

So if and when Killinger tries to vote me off of the island, I'll have my
Missile Deflect ready. (For the record, if I don't specify what it's at,
you can assume that my multipower is always set at Missile Deflect.) I'm
not swinging first, though. I don't NEED to.

The Ferrett

From S/Crusader:

Crusader shrugs and is very impressed (with Speedball's admission). He has a checkered past. He can't be throwing stones in that glass house. However, he doesn't say anything, waiting for Wild Heart to respond to Speedball's impassioned speech. Although, Crusader does think *geez, what a bum rap. Gotta be a way that someone in our field can help this guy."

From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy will take a few steps back from Speedball, just
enough to put him out of immediate striking range, and
keeping the guns trained on Speedie's cheekbones
(cover, not aiming for a specific location). If he is
attacked, he will not hesitate to shoot.

"That's right, Zippie, you don't know me an' I don't
know you. So let's not start this conversation off
with bloodshed, 'k?"

I will hold the second action, abort to a dodge if and
when the others attempt to blow me off the beach =).

From I/Arcsilver:

Arcsilver brightens, smiling t0o himself at the thought of dinner alone
with Sally.

>Inform Lt. Masterson that we will be at..." she looks at you, "Do you
>like
>Chinese, Mr. Arcsilver?"

"Oh yeah!" he replies, thinking that this couldn't be any better...

>Emperor's
>House, my usual table. Have him join us there in an hour."

Arcsilver frowns, the momentary euphoria slipping easily away.

> Then she
>turns
>to lead you back to her car.

"Umm, Ms. Robinson? I think I might like to change, can I meet you
there?"

Assuming that she agrees, Arcsilver will rocket up and south, zipping
ASAP (which is pretty fast, by all accounts) towards his apartment, where
he will make a discreet entrance through the roof, and change into many
outfits, finally deciding on one that seems casual enough, but doesn't
make him look too lanky. he will complete the outfit with some
sunglasses, and then go out and treat himself to a cab-ride to the
restaurant, pausing momentarily in the bathroom to rinse three times with
Scope.

From M/Dragon Mist:

DM takes a few steps toward Wild Heart to cover her in case something happens. He will wait until it becomes imperative to act. He's been
around too many of these things to get involved right away, especially
when he doesn't even know sides.

From G/Speedball:

1st action: There is a soft whine as Speedball goes desolid. He doesn't
move, though. "Oh, I know you. You're one of those guys who can't settle
anything unless they've got a gun. The thing is, though--you can't hurt me
with those, so put 'em away. I shouldn't have shoved you, I'll cop to
that..but a word of advice--make sure you're faster than the other guy if
you're going to do anything like that agin."

2nd action: Speedball takes out his cue balls and starts juggling. He then
goes solid, ready with missile deflect in case Cowboy decides to open fire
anyway. "So, Wildheart--what do you think about what I had to say?"

From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy grins, a cold glint in his eye. "Heh, yeah,
you knows me an' I knows you. You the kinda guy what
can't do nothin' less you wasted on smack. What you
put in your veins don't matta ta me, 'less you sellin'
it." The guns do a quick twirl, faster than Doc
Holiday in Tombstone, then go back into the holsters.

"I'm sure we both gots our reasons why we does what we
does." He sticks his hand out. "Name's Cowboy." (if
the hand is not taken, he shrugs and lowers the arm).
Now that his attention isn't so focused on Speedball,
he notices what is going on with Impetus and
Killinger.

"Yo, Floaty! Back off the MiB, man, he don't mean no
harm."

------

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: In a flash you are changed, cleaned up and heading to an early dinner reeking of Aqua Velva. You get there early and have the bathroom all to yourself. One mini-bottle of Scope later you head back out to see Sally Anne coming in through the front door, alone. The manager greets her warmly and they chat for a second in what you assume in Mandarin or Cantonese. ADA Robinson is a bit halting in her dialogue but clearly fluent. You watch her for a moment, her body language is very controlled but not stiff or cold. A professional, respectful demeanor and strong, expressive face. She looks up as the manager begins leading her to a table and she glances around the room. Her eyes flicker past you as she seems to look at everyone. The place is a truly cosmopolitan restaurant with every race and color represented. Then her eyes snap back to you, a quick flick up and down. She pauses, not sitting down though the manager is pulling our her chair for her. She seems to be waiting...

Everybody else: As Cowboy and Speedball push off of each other, Wild Heart steps back toward them, gathering Crusader and Dragon Mist on either side of her. As Cowboy holsters his pistols and extends his hand, she calls out, "Hey! Jesse James!" loud enough for everyone to hear. Speedball turns, asking her what she thinks, but she ignores him for the moment saying. "I'll only say this once, Cowboy. Don't ever pull guns on someone in my group again or you will find yourself in a world of hurt you only THINK you can handle!" Her voice is level, but hard. She holds Cowboy's eyes for just a second... then looks over at Speedball.

"As for you... get cool... get calm... stop freaking out... or we'll encourage the guy to shoot you." She seems more exasperated now than angry. "As for your story... well... I have no clue what to do about that. I've known a few people who would get wasted and think they had super powers... but you're saying it actually works for you? I figure that's the least of our concerns right now. Step out of line again, though..." she shakes her head, "... or keep acting in a way that shows you can't handle the abilities you have... make us think you are more of a threat than a help... and all bets are off. You got that?"

Barely waiting for an answer, she turns back toward Killinger and Impetus, as Cowboy yells at Impetus. Over the Maverick's come, she says, almost subvocally so no one else can hear, "Crusader, DM, MIRV. Keep an eye on that Cowboy guy. He pulls his guns without a damn good reason, take him down." Then she strides over toward the face off.

While the other conversation was going on Killinger continued to stand eye to eye with Impetus, saying, "Let me try to be clear..." his voice is measured and the enunciation is perfect. "My companion there, " he gestures to the sleeping body of the non-Solitaire woman, "had a meeting scheduled with the Mavericks. I'm not sure where you come in... I've only recently received any kind of report on you. Cowboy is tied in with what Ms. King wished to speak about. That is a matter for her. I'm only an intermediary in that matter. My need to meet with the Maverick's is much more pressing, and you seem to have become embroiled in all this... this Warlord person and his actions in New York."
He pauses for a moment, carefully pulling off the thin, black leather driving gloves he was wearing. Crusader, who is watching everyone intently, sees this and suddenly knows EXACTLY who this guy is. As the glove of the right hand comes off it reveals an intricately crafted, fully articulated, surgical steel cybernetic hand. It moves just like a normal hand, though it is clearly an artificial appendage and not a fancy glove. He makes no threatening move but simply slips the gloves into the pockets of his jacket folded over his arm, never moving his eyes from Impetus glare.

Killinger finishes with, "Now while I understand that it can be unnerving to find yourself transported around the globe... the reason for which I do not know, I'm sorry... I would suggest you reign in your anger and try to accept it and move forward. If you are going to play in the big leagues you'll find that these thing tend to happen. Getting angry does not help."

Then for the first time his eyes drop, looking down at Impetus' chest. "You should know that you are bleeding again. That must be a seriously nasty wound for someone of your obvious mass. Can I take a look at that?"<<<

Initiatives: Speedball (1st), Cowboy (1st), Killinger (1st), Dragon Mist (1st), Crusader (1st), Wild Heart, Impetus, MIRV, Speedball (2nd), Cowboy (2nd), Killinger (2nd), Dragon Mist (2nd), Crusader (2nd)

[RDU Neil]

Post 155

From S/Crusader:

< Crusader, watching everyone intently, sees
this, and suddenly knows EXACTLY who this guy is. As the glove of the right
comes off, it reveals an intricate crafted, fully articulated, surgical
steel cybernetic hand. It moves just like a normal hand, though it clearly
is an artificial appendage, and not a fancy glove. >>

Crusader just sucks his breath in. Probably the only person who would
notice through all that armor would be Dragonmist, cause DragonMist would be the only one who has been around Crusader enough to get a sense of Cru's body posture.
Emotions well up and confusion reigns. But not much happens outwardly
now that impending fisticuffs has been delayed (for now).

--storn

From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy raises his hands in a kind of "Hey, look at me,
I'm backin' off" gesture. "'Ats cool, Chica, I ain't
gonna shoot nobody 'less they gives me reason. Speedy
here," and he jerks his head to Speedball, "gots
cajones, jumpin' me. Fastest guns in NYC."

He jerks his head over at Killinger again, seeing the
cybernetic hand. "Hey, Kill, thats sweet! I didn't
know you was 'Jacked!"

Actions: Um, holding for dodge?

From G/Speedball:

Although tempted to see if he can fake out Cowboy's handshake, Speedball
accepts it. Cowboy might be surprised by how firm a grip Speedball
has--he's not trying to impress, but he's obviously not been as impaired by
the drug use the way one might expect. When no one else is looking, Joe
sticks his tongue out at Cowboy, retracting it at super speed when ever
anyone else turns his way...
I think we can take us out of combat rounds now.
And then, deferentially to WildHeart, "Umm...yeah, 'heart--sorry. Its just
that I get a little pissy around people who get down on me for being dirt
poor. Won't happen again."

From E/Cowboy:

Speedball would note that Cowboy's grip is also very
strong. Like much stronger than his appearance should
supply. Far, far stronger.

From B/Impetus:

There is a moment where Impetus looks at Killinger... then nods as if
something has finally met with his approval. "Ah do know I'm bleedin' --
anutha reason I'm jacked up s'cuz all this salt wata hurts like a mofo.
F'you can do anythin', go for it."

Assuming that Killinger touches or manipulates Impetus' wounds at all,
anyone watching will note an almost Herculean ability to shrug off pain;
standing in water with a still-bleeding gashlike chest wound WITH salt water
in it, he's carrying on a conversation as if nothing else was happening.
(Although anyone looking real close at his eyes will notice a twinge there.)

"Glad we doan have to face off... but you still ain' answered alla mah
questions. So you ain' entirely responsible fo'dis, but who IS the Cowboy
over there, an' why'd you want him to meet up with d'Mavricks? F'you work
for this Sol'taire imtashun, why din' you know dat she ain' her? Widdan arm
like dat, I assume you got SOME kinda supapowa, but what kinda funcshun you
servin', anyhow?

"An' mebbe travellin' to Anarctica an' back inna day is no'mal fo' YOU, but
I'm bettin it's STILL da kinda thing you should be 'splainin' to everyone,
no matta how supa you get."

And he'll turn around and say casually, "Somethin' happen over there wit'da
Cowboy? I wuz busy."

The Ferrett

From G/Speedball:

To Impetus, Speedball says "nothing happened with the gunslinger that you need to worry about right now, I guess." Then, turning to Killinger he says in his best Cuban accent "But Lucy, you got some 'splaining to do!"

From M/Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist is still holding his actions.

------

From GM:

Note: (Ilan must be busy playing daddy, so I'll go ahead without him on this one. I should also note that as I attempt to start explaining the plot through Killinger, you need to understand that many of these complications are in fact PC driven.
-There never would have been the faux Solitaire, if Cowboy hadn't joined the game.
- There never would have been VIPER involvement if Crusader hadn't brought it up.
- The initial heroin issue was just a McGuffin to get the plot rolling, until Speedball and Impetus joined the game.

It's funny how quickly things get out of control when more and more characters join and all of them need something interesting to do. So, if you are confused... I accept some of the blame... but not all of it. You asked for this!! ;) )

>>>Killinger unfolds a small black packet out of his sport coat, and pops it open to reveal a specialized med kit of some kind. Talking as he begins to probe Impetus' wound, he says, "Ok. Let me give you some background on my involvement with the Warlord issue. That is the major matter at hand. The issues that come with Ms. King over there are potentially more threatening but not in the immediate future. I hope that she can explain her motives and needs herself, when she wakes up."

He pulls a fine sheet of some kind of transparent gauze from the case and then says to Impetus, "This may hurt for a moment," and proceeds to pinch the gaping wound shut with his cybernetic hand. Impetus realizes it must have some level of augmented strength to manipulate his dense epidermis and muscle tissue. With the cut closed, he gently spreads the gauze sheet over the wound. It nearly vanishes from sight as it adheres to the rippling surface of Impetus' stomach muscles. Releasing his grip, the wound stays closed though he cautions, "Developed that patch for a friend of mine who had a similar physiology to you. That is a Teflon polymer weave with a tensile strength of 2000 p.s.i., but don't go flexing to much. It might still slip the adhesive. Has all the typical antibacterial ointments permeated into it as well. If it isn't ripped off, it should hold as well as sutures on a normal physiology... allowing your body to heal and scar."

He steps back and looks around the group as he continues, "I should explain to those of you who don't know me that my name is Killinger, and I am one of the few remaining VIPER leaders in the country. It's a long and complicated story, but it boils down to this. I control the Northeast VIPER operations and have spent most of the last decade building up a power base in order to turn VIPER legitimate. At least as much of it as I can. VIPER is quite splintered and has always suffered from internal strife. Right now we are practically at full civil war levels. Whatever the outcome, the organization will never be the same." He pauses to let you all absorb this information, then continues.

"To my end I have been negotiating with some of my traditional enemies, including the people who help fund the Mavericks... that being the group known as Paradigm. Through them I have worked with Wild Heart here to schedule a meeting with the Mavericks, primarily to try and get past some old enmities, and second to maybe build some bridges between us. I don't expect immediate trust, but I think that Wild Heart will vouch that her people have at least established enough of my bonafides for them to green light this meeting."

He looks around, at each person, making eye contact, and says, "Shall I continue, or do I need to start worrying about getting my head handed to me?"<<<

To be continued...

[Chromatic]

It's been almost a month. I know there's more.

Here's a poke and a bump to coerce you Neil.
:)

[greymankle]

It's been almost a month. I know there's more.

Here's a poke and a bump to coerce you Neil.
:)
hehe this is funny. I Just sent Neil an E-mail trying to get him back on track.
Apparently he his missing a post. The second half of Killinger spelling everything out for the Mavericks. No one else has it, so he is trying to reconstruct it. It was five years ago. He dosen't want to skip such a key post.

Hopefully we'll get a response soon.

[RDU Neil]

Note: So... our long term gaming group has completely fallen apart. Four of the seven have moved (or are moving) to the far sides of the country... another has kind of dropped out of gaming... making a group of 7 only about two at this point. With that fact, I've considered starting up PBeM games again, and in doing so thought I'd get in the mood by going back and continuing to post the Mavericks' adventures I never finished posting. Don't know if anyone is interested, but hey... it is only time. I may have a lot more if I have no regular game anymore.

GM Note: I never did find the missing post that caused me to stop last time. Unfortunate, but I'll just jump back in. The basics are that...
1) Killinger admits he is from VIPER but wants to help the Mavericks. He is engaged in a struggle to wrest the resources of VIPER from criminal hands and use it as a major force for r&d and general tech development in a legal way.
2) Paradigm is an organization of "positive world change" that connects political and business leaders with metahuman powers for the advancement of humanity. Killinger wants to join this group instead of fighting it.
3) Killinger knows who the Warlord is... an ex-VIPER nest leader called "Style" who has made a power move since he lost his original base when LA was destroyed in the great upheaval of '97.
4)Killinger is offering info and support against the Warlord in exchange for future support from the Mavericks.

Oh... and Arcsilver, who didn't get hauled along on the big t-port trip... he's having dinner with ADA Sally Anne Robinson, who he has a crush on, but she is not exactly keen on him or the Mavericks in general. She has told him about the pressure on her to come down on metahuman activity, especially when there are deaths involved.

-----
Post 156

From E/Cowboy

Cowboy blinks a few times, and his eyes dart from side to side. "Uh... okay, now I'm totally lost. I have NO idea what yer talkin' about." He nods his head over to the side, at a nearby palm tree. "I'm just gonna sit down, and uh, just let you guys sort this out. Once you guys gotta handle on it, let me know."
With that, he sits down, holding his hat between his hands.


From S/Crusader

<< I would love to
meet him, and though it is late, and does nothing to ease his loss, I offer my condolences at the death of his daughter. Needless death like that is exactly what I'm trying to turn VIPER away from." >>

"I... I'll... let him know."; Crusader replies, totally unsure on how to react.

>>>"An old rival of mine, an extremely competent and dangerous tactician
and leader..." and at this he points at Crusader, "... and if I'm not mistaken, he's your old boss."<<< <<<

"STYLE!?!?", Crusader shouts; "HIM?"

Crusader squats down, elbows on thighs as if he needs the ground to center his balance, to eliminate some of his height, to slink away... but he can't.
"It makes a twisted sense. I didn't know him very well... he was far above me when I was in the LA Nest. But he is truly a formidable foe."

"But I never understood why NYC was a Viper Free Zone?" Crusader asks Killenger. {storn understands, but Crusader as an ex-viper wouldn't really understand the restraint.}
"But if Style is Warlord and Warlord is in NY, then drugs are certainly his M.O.... as well as working with street gangs. He also has a deep interest in legal drugs, above board pharmecuticals."

From I/Arcsilver

"Geez," says Nick, putting down his coke and looking down. Bringing up the deaths takes some of the nervous energy out of his actions, and he looks down, thinking about how to respond while quietly tapping his finger. "Well, I guess there are a couple of reasons, Ms Robinson. I certainly didn't mean to kill anyone, but it doesn't seem like murder to me. I was defending myself and someone else from a guy who attacked us with deadly, poisoned weapons for no reason at all. I didn't know he died, and I feel terrible about it. I do." Nick puases for a moment, shaking his head. Then he starts talking again, full of passion. "The thing is, I was attacked not too long ago, also for no reason, and I didn't react strongly enough. Someone died then, too. Only that time it wasn't some assassin lying in wait for a victim, it was just a poor schmuck who got in the way. I saw the look on that guy's face when he checked out. I don't know if I can explain it, there was pain and shock and surprise, and behind all of it was the awareness that all of his plans and savings and timeshares were completely wiped away by this one, careless act. If I had acted differently then, I might have been able to save that guy."
"I guess I don't see us as vigilantes. We act within the law, and never punish the people we stop. We are concerned citizens who feel that a certain responsibility comes with the abilities that we have been given.
We act in the defense of others, or ourselves, but we aren't murderers.
I guess that is what I have to say about what we do and how I feel about the death of that assassin, but I don't want to talk you out of anything.
Do you think that I murdered that guy? Do you think i planned his death, or lost control and killed him because i was pissed off? Do you think it was intentional? If you think those things, then I think you SHOULD arrest me, or at least hold me until you have investigated. I have total respect for you and for what you do, and you just have to say the word and I am in your custody." He will look at her seriously, waiting for her response, and then, never breaking his gaze at her, will finish his coke with a loud, unintentional slurp.

-Ilan and nick

-----

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver, New York: Your words hang in the air for a moment. It seems that ADA Robinson didn't even hear you, as she didn't nod or change her intent gaze at all. Then she looks down, her head nodding a bit, and you see her chew the inside of her mouth in a habitual action that is clearly unconscious. "You are right," she says, finally. "You aren't vigilantes in the extreme sense. You don't take the law into your own hands... but you can't deny that your actions often bend or break the law, from public disturbance at the most minor, to breaking and entering and assault with intent. These are things that happen quite a bit, and recently have had some very ugly outcomes. It's a problem my office has to deal with every day."
At this point, she puts her elbows on the table, and clasps her fingers, looking over her hands directly into your eyes. Her tone of voice is steady, strong, like she is delivering a closing argument... or perhaps an opening one. "The Mavericks, and people like you around the world, have a great deal of raw, personal power. For eighty years or so, our society has wrestled with how to coexist with those people who are outside it's normal constraints." She holds up her hand to stop any immediate interruption, "Let me continue. I'm not saying that due to your beliefs and experiences, that you don't try to find a place in society, and that you don't benefit from it... but you don't NEED it... and the average person knows this... instinctively."
She takes a sip of water, "Society develops over time because it fulfills the basic needs of it's constituent members. It provides a level of security, shelter, available food, efficient transportation, work opportunities, etc.,... things that simply aren't available to an individual alone in the world. A person with your abilities, or Wild Heart's, or anything similar, doesn't NEED these things like the rest of us do. You do not need protection from the common man... you do not need roads or public transportation. I have no idea if the weather affects you." She gestures at the steaming dimsum platters that are set in front of you, saying, "You obviously eat, but I've known paranormals that didn't have to."
She watches you start to scarf your food for a second, then says, "You are here... as you so eloquently stated, "have total respect for" me and what I do. Well what I do is represent society and I'm here to tell you that many of them are scared of you and many of them fear you, and despite the positive press and the admiration many show, many others press constantly for society... me... to stop you. Hold you in check."
Her hands come down and she leans in closer. "I want to help you stop this Warlord. He needs to be stopped and I think the Maverick's will be instrumental in making this happen... but there is less and less room for error. You've got to do it cleanly... and avoid the death's of anyone else if at all possible. Otherwise I'm going to be put in a position where I have no choice but to come after you, whether I think you intend to do wrong or not."

Everybody else, The Island: Killinger nods with Crusader's comments, saying, "Yes... Style. This is all circumstantial mind you, and put together quickly, but it all seems to fit..."
At which point MIRV steps in, saying, "Maybe. But this Warlord seems to have been operating as far back as '87. I have enough background on VIPER to know that Style ran the LA nest from 1990 through the Great Quake of '97. I'm assuming the nest went under with the rest of LA, but could he have been this Warlord all along? Seems kind of strange."
Wild Heart says, to MIRV, "You and Arcsilver found out that the man who was in prison for seven years was not actually the Warlord but this Arthur Reeves guy, paid off to do the real Warlord's time for him. That shows planning way in advance, but would leave this Style guy free and clear to operate, perhaps right within VIPER, without anyone knowing he had an outside agenda."
Killinger jumps in, "Or perhaps he didn't have an agenda outside of what he was doing for VIPER. He started in the late eighties as an agent, and rose in the ranks. Perhaps he saw the ability to accomplish in VIPER what he couldn't as the Warlord. Then... when the whole thing came crashing down around his head, pardon the pun, he had to start all over again. Where better than by recruiting disenfranchised VIPER agents, accessing old VIPER equipment and moving into a highly lucrative area where VIPER can't actually mount any resistance. Hence, he brings back his old identity. He obviously kept contacts and resources available and has been moving in on New York quietly for the past year and half. The similarities to how he managed the LA nest are too great to be coincidence." He looks around.
"What do you all think?"<<<

I still have more, but thanks for your patience.

[Speedball]

"I've considered starting up PBeM games again"

yesyesyesyesyesyesyes!

[RDU Neil]

Post 157

From G/Speedball:

"Well, I'm no straga...sdrage...(carefully enunciated) strat-a-gist, but I've been run off from a town or two when I was working the carny gig.
Seems like we just gotta do the same thing to this Warlord guy. So," and with this, Speedball sits down next to Cowboy, "I guess the $64,000 question is how do we make better for the Warlord to leave the Big Apple than stay put?"

After a pause for breath, Speedball continues--looking right at Killenger "but all that don't mean that while we're doing our best to get rid of him, we're gonna to let anyone else get away with anythin'."

From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy spins his hat in his hands, between his knees.
"Hell, that's easy. Ya just harrass all his troops in small skirmishes, shoot the crap outta 'em every time ya sees 'em." He drops his hat suddenly, his hands forming 2 guns before the hat hits the ground. He points them right at Killinger. "BANG BANG!"

He scoops his hat up, and places it smoothly onto his head, one fluid, graceful movement. His fingers slide along the brim, pulling it down juuuuuuuuuuust right.
"Ya make it too expensive fer him ta operate in the Apple, he'll get the idea an mosey on..."

Then his grin fades, and his face hardens, becoming that cold mask you all saw when he pulled his guns on Speedball. "And if that don't work, ya just shoot him alot."

From F/Impetus:

Impetus snorts. "Yeah, DAT works -- You Ess Ay been doin' that for years to clamp down onna drug trade, and ah see DAT workin' out real well. What planet you from, Cowboy?

"Ah seen the guy at work, an' he's willin' to throw away two suitcases fulla H jes' to TALK to Crusada, here. Thass serious flash, man, and if he can give up fify pounza street-pure drugs just so he can Ma Bell somebody he wants to keep an EYE on, then bustin' his undalins ain' goan do nothin'.
All skirmishin' goan do is annoy people who'll jes' start to take it puhsnally, an' DAT might make him even stronga.

"What y'gotta do if you wanna take him down is FIND him, which might be d'tricky part. Pickin' at the fringes doan work if da threat's big enough -- we gotta work towads finnin' sumbudy whoz pissed off enough that he's gonna talk. So we can strike atta CORE, not fuckin' aroun' wid' da middlemen. An' if YOU real serious about this, Killinger, you oughtta be able to use someadem VIPER resources to track down a blabbamout'.

"As f'Killinger? Fuck it. 'Enemy'a mah enemy's mah fren'.' If he can help us, we join fawces faw as long as it takes to take down dis guy. Afta dat, we see if he's trus'worthy. But I wouldn' bet the farm on his reliability yet -- no offense. You got a rep, smoky."

The Ferrett

From E/Cowboy:

"Heh... Not this one, Hombre..."

------

From GM:

Note: (I like the conversational feeling of these posts, so I'm just going to jump in with some quick comments from the NPC gallery, and you can keep debating strategy...)

>>>Wild Heart looks at Impetus and then Killinger saying, "Point to Impetus. We need some hard info. One of the reasons I agreed to this meet was that I was told you had some help for us. Now while the identity of the Warlord is a solid lead, I'm hoping you've got something more for us." As she speaks, she shrugs out of her leather coat to stand in the sunshine in her dark blue and red spandex body suit. "Too hot for the calf skin," she says and tromps over to a nearby tree to hang her coat on the trunk, all the while looking at Killinger who is busy fishing something out of his shirt pocket.
Pulling a computer mini-disk out he holds it up, a small gold metallic disk in a clear plastic case. "I think this is what you will need. I've only been working on this a short while, but this should help. I don't know where Style, or the Warlord is exactly, but I do have a list of many of his possible locations. This is a list of all the decommissioned VIPER supply dumps, operation nodes and safe houses. Style could have put his hands on this same information and it seems he has. That garbage truck that ran over your friend Masterson. You traced it back to a garage under the Warwick Towers. That used to be a drop and rendezvous spot back in the '80s for VIPER operations. He used it for the same thing it seems."
He pauses, thinking for a moment, "I'm not sure how the Nahoda clan figures into this... if they even do. You've got to have more enemies than just the Warlord, right? The paras that you fought, who ambushed Onyx... that's new too but it's not unlike VIPER to hire super mercenaries. That's old school VIPER but makes sense if he figures his main opposition is your team." He shrugs slightly then looks at everyone, saying, "I don't have all the answers and I don't want to dictate your strategy to you, but the targets on there are hopefully helpful and perhaps they can lead you directly to the man himself."<<<


I had this all written before Matt's post, so let's assume that Dragon Mist's comments come AFTER Killinger's points. Works well there. See next post.

[RDU Neil]

Post 158

From M/Dragonmist:

"A-hem. Gentlemen." Dragon Mist, looking uncomfortable as he usually
does when addressing a group, raises his arms in an attempt to get
everyone's attention." And lady." A nod to include his boss. "Before we
get caught up into villain hunting tactics, we still need to see the
whole picture. We've already tried both of what Cowboy and Impetus say,
to no avail. And I'm still in the dark about this whole Crusader/ Ma
bell thing that Impetus was talking about. And that still doesn't
explain Cowboys presence and why Solitaire ported us to this place; or
where Solitaire and Cowboy came from. What does that have to do with the
Warlord? What about Arcsilver and Darkfyre? I hope they're at home and
well, but we need to consider that maybe they did get teleported with us
and landed on the wrong side of the island. Has anyone tried to look for
them? I want to get the Warlord as badly as you all do, but we can't
afford to be blinded by one simple scheme." With that Dragon Mist steps
back and lowers his arms as if to say, I'm done talking now, and looks
to Wild Heart for back up.

From G/Speedball:

"Well, normally I'm not much for relying on the cops, but if we've got this
list of supply dumps that's too big for us to handle quickly, shouldn't we
hand over that list to someone who's got the manpower to cover the whole
thing fast enough to keep the warlord away from what's on it?" Speedball
scratches his head and continues "but you must've thought ah that already,
Killenger....Say--why don't we get the cops or someone to whittle down the
list to the point at which we know where the Warlord's guys will show up?
Then we get the best of both worlds--we keep the stuff on the list away from
him AND we take out some of his troops. Maybe after we do that, he'll be
forced into making a mistake and when he does, we take him out."

From S/Crusader:

"Agreed." Crusader quietly backs up 'Mist. "Perhaps that is a job for Speedfreak...BALL <sorry>", waves an apology to Speedball.

>>Say--why don't we get the cops or someone to whittle down the
list to the point at which we know where the Warlord's guys will show up? <<<

"I have a couple of concerns there, Speed." Crusader chimes in.
"One, Warlord, if following Viper procedures, has informants within the
police department... especially the C.A.T. teams. He will know when they are
moving out to check out something on that large scale."
"Two, if C.A.T. teams are NOT used, then plainsclothes, regular blue are
going up against Viper trained paramilitary or worse, Paranormal mercs."
"Three, to be sure of thorough search and seizure, the amount of sites is
going to end up being a huge legal bureacratic logistic logjam. And D.A.
Robinson ain't exactly on our side of the blacktop court."

Crusader pauses. "I think we have to operate with extreme secrecy... so
StyleLord has a harder time predicting our moves. I'm not against bringing
in some help on this, perhaps some Federal liason with Primus or the FBI
would be prudent. Does anyone know of any contacts there?
I do think the NYPD needs to be involved and informed. I just don't want
too many leaks happening."

"Here is my target wishlist. One, lets blunt StyleLord's Paranormal
recruitment/ force. I think we should draw them out and pound them into a
jail cell. Two, 'Mist and I, being the stealth squad, should infiltrate
Warwick Towers and see what we can find. It won't be legal, it won't stand
up in a court of law... but it will illicit a response. Meanwhile, some of
the team {storn suggests the NPCs} can be on standby to pull our fat out of
the fire. The remainder can break into small groups and start busting into
these supply dumps."

--storn "whew.. that was a lot of verbage for Crusader"

From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy grins at Wildheart, and Speedball would hear him whistle quietly, muttering, "Sweet momma..."

He clears his throat, looking down at the sand between his feet. "I don't rightly know where I fits inta this. I don't know nothin' of what yer talkin' 'bout, none of these names mean squat ta me."

"Guess I better 'splain myself a bit. M'name's Cowboy. I grew up watchin' vintage tellie, superold westerns an shit. Ya know, Eastwood and The Duke.
Somethin' about those classic actors just, I dunno, seemed just right. 'Bout 10 years ago I, uh, ... ran away from home, an lived onna streets. I was 10."
His voice cracks just a bit, and this seems hard for him to say. You all also think that he might be hidding something.

"Now, the streets," and he looks at Speedball and Impetus, "are a dangerous place. 'Specially fer a lost 10 year old, witha head fulla heroes an shit.
But, uh, my, uh, home life, ya know, like really fucked me up an' shit. So I turned to the gangs.
Seems I had a knack fer guns. But that weren't enough. There were like, cyborgs and superguys flyin'
'round. Guys that move like greased shit. So I went with it. Hooked up with a mean motherfucker, namea King Voodoo. He got me wired for speed. Made me his main hitman. Didn't bother me much. By then, I didn't care about anythin', 'cept bein' the fastest, and the best. I really weren't part of the world no more, know what I mean?"

He shrugs, and toys with his hat again. "Then in, what was it... 2025 or so, the Propietor War broke out, an a whole shitloada Supers bought it. Like most of 'em. Whole fuckin' world changed, man. I guess I changed with it. Slowly, those westerns came back to me, and brought me back inta the world again. I saw that what I were doin' weren't right. So I broke away from Voodoo."

He smiles again, and looks up at everyone. "That's when I met Pel. He was an old soldier, I think he was genetically engineered to be like, perfect, or some shit. He was squarin' off against a buncha 'Gangers, and I didn't like the odds. So I evened 'em up, and we took 'em down. I guess Pel liked me, cause he let me stick with him. We started up a Security/Private Dick business, which eventually caught the eye of the City. They hired us on as the New Centurions, since the last ones got wiped out inna war."

"We fought a buncha demons an shit in South Carolina, or some other bumkin place, out inna country. First time I ever been outta the City. Fucked up, man. We took 'em down, but I guess they were hungry fer some more. They hunted us down, an' split us up. Tried ta like, erases us from history, or some shit like that.
I dunno, didn't make no sense to me neither. But anyway, this bug guy we were teamed with got me outta there, but ended up sendin' me to this place, Where I ran inta Killinger and the lady."

"He said he had some friends that he needed ta meet with, and that they might need my help. So here I is."

From F/Impetus:

"Well, where da hell AH you from, E.T.?"

(((And I'm still in the dark about this whole Crusader/ Ma bell thing that Impetus was talking about. )))

"Da phone, homey. Ev'dence suggests that mebbe the only reason the 'Lawd leaked the locashunada crackhouse was t'talk to Crusader f'a few seccuns...
which may val'date d'VIPA tie-in, now that I think 'bout it. He din' know 'bout me or Speedy."

(((( "I have a couple of concerns there, Speed." Crusader chimes in.
"One, Warlord, if following Viper procedures, has informants within the police department... especially the C.A.T. teams. He will know when they are moving out to check out something on that large scale."
"Two, if C.A.T. teams are NOT used, then plainsclothes, regular blue are going up against Viper trained paramilitary or worse, Paranormal mercs."
"Three, to be sure of thorough search and seizure, the amount of sites is going to end up being a huge legal bureacratic logistic logjam. And D.A.
Robinson ain't exactly on our side of the blacktop court."))))

Impetus jerks a meaty thumb back and Crusader and nods. "Crusada's right as usual. 'Sides, Warlord's strength is prolly strongest in the hood, wheah da cops are both the leas' pow-ful an' da mos' likely t'be on d'take. At leas'
the ONE loot I saw workin' faw him thought dat the 'Lord was his meal ticket. Even if' you wen' in on a small scale an' could igno' da powa diff'rence 'tween the cops an' VIPA, chances a' you'd never get it t'work anyway. Why d'you think da gangs still dere? 'Cause the cops COULDN'T take 'em down if dey wannet? Doan fool y'sef."

((("The remainder can break into small groups and start busting into these supply dumps.")))

"Prolem is, as stated, dat he's eviden'ly got money t'burn, man. Hit twoa'da dumps and he'll start changin' everythin' aroun', and then we've los' the elmenta s'prize. Eitha we hit everythin' at once in one coord'nated attack, o' we try t'find his Aitch Queue. S'MAH vote. 'Suumin'
I have one."

((("Now, the streets," and he looks at Speedball and Impetus, "are a dangerous place. 'Specially fer a lost 10 year old, witha head fulla heroes an shit.
But, uh, my, uh, home life, ya know, like really fucked me up an' shit. So I turned to the gangs. )))

Impetus sort of rolls his eyes as if to say, "Yeah, yeah, I heard this before".... but when you mention the gangs, he tenses up visibly. Almost angrily. And he doesn't really even start to relax until you mention your pullaway from Voodoo. But even then....

((("He said he had some friends that he needed ta meet with, and that they might need my help. So here I
is.")))

"Well, lemme tell you sumpin'," Impetus says brusquely, and suddenly you know him almost as well as you did Speedball in that moment -- in Impetus you see a lot of that low-level street cunning you saw in King Voodoo, backed with the continual belief that whatever he's doing at the time is right. He's the kind of guy who not only smacked down anyone who sussed him, but actively sought out fights to take down enemies, and then broke bones to make sure they didn't walk. He was a gang leader, and a damn good one. But evidently he's not the leader here, which sort of vaguely surprises you -- why would a guy like this work UNDER someone?

"Ah doanno what kinda 'security agency' y'all ran, but ah know you. You still all inta killin' an shit, an' I suspec' you far easier pullin' dem triggas dan talkin'. Ri? Rite.

"But if you AH from somewheah diff'ren, den I gonna tell you how it is HERE -- in dis world. Killin' here gets you picked up by da cops, gets your ass thrown in jail, and finds you tracked down by a buncha OTHA badass jacked-up hardcores, an' we still gots a hundred parano'mals for every onea you. You gotta lay off dem irons, Tex, because yo' reliance onnem is gonna be yo'downfall if you ain' able to start backin' off."

There's the briefest of pauses.

"Trust me, ah know. It ain' worth it. Not here. There's still enuf good lef' here that you doan needem."

The Ferrett

From E/Cowboy:

"Then things here ain't so different as from where I comes from. Killin' people there still lands your ass inna world o' shit. But I ain't never killed nobody what don't need it. Killin' innocents aint my gig. I only hits people what kills others, be they gun toters er drug pushers. King Voodoo wanted me ta start doin'
some random hits, normal peoples an shit. That's when I got the fuck outta Dodge."

"You want me ta lay off the irons? How bout you lay off the floaty shit? No? See, it ain't that easy ta give 'em up. I been usin' 'em fer so long, they's like a parta me. An extention of myself."

He looks down again at the sand under him. "But, I'm workin' on not killin'. Pel an' my other friends, they been workin' on me. Instincts're hard ta beat, but I'm workin' on it.

From F/Impetus:

"F'one thing, Tex, I only had m'damn powas f'bouta monthan' a half now, so it'd be pretty damn easy fa me to give 'em up. But ah know all 'bout instinx -- ah'm workin' on 'em m'self, evry day. It ain' easy makin' the switch f'm a gangbanga to a hero, but iss sumpin' ya gotta do -- o'die.
'Cuz all killin' does here is lead to revenge, anger, an' eventually death.

"If yo' frens were keepin' an eye on you, mebbe you need someone here 'til you can get back. You need a place t'crash when we get back to Enn Why Cee, you got my crib as an option, you wannit."

The Ferrett

From G/Speedball:

Speedball looks around with a big grin on his face and says "Is this when we all get together for a group hug?"

From F/Impetus:

Impetus immediately whirls around -- he's fast for such a big guy, though not nearly as fast as you -- and gives you that flatly-challenging, super-gangbanger's stare, the one that tells you that he can flat-out destroy you any damn day he feels like it... and whether you agree or not, his sheer conviction is unnerving. His aura starts flaring out again subconsciously as his hard eyes drill right into yours.

"Not yet, 'freak. 'Cuz I'm gonna be hones' widyou, too -- I doan trus' you any mo' dan I do Mista Vipa here, an' in some ways I trus' HIM more dan YOU.
Ah KNOW junkies. Ah useda deal widdem every day. An' da one thing ah know 'bout junkies is dat dey can be yo' fren, dey can hang widya, dey can b'come blood brothas t'you an' swear loyalty f'weeks on end... but if dey s'ply gets low, dey'll sell yo' ass into slavery for two bucks wortha crack.
Hophead's only as loyal assis options. YOU ain' NO kinda hero 'til you geddof da junk, 'cuz if it comes downta choosin' a teammate o' choosin' a shot, you gonna choose the shot. Ain'chu? Look me straight in the eye an'
tell me you ain't.

"Dat said, bein'a junkie's bettern' bein'a rival gangbanga. At leas' I know where all dat shit is goin'. Ah think. You get addicted befo' o'afta you started wigglin'?"

The Ferrett

From G/Speedball:

Still sitting, looking *way* up at Impetus with the smile still on his face, Speedball says "ok, John Shaft. You don't need to tell me again that you don't <trus' no junkies>. I get the message. You were talking to our shady friend over there while I was explaining myself to everyone else, so I'll
recap: Yeah, I'm a junkie--and that's horse, not crack (It is EXTREMELY RARE to find heroin addicts robbing stores or shooting people like crackheads and Impetus should know that), and I've made some bad decisions. But the things is that I got these powers from some special mixture of junk and now if I stop taking it, I'm a dead man. But hey--if you want me to stop shooting up, then I guess I should just fucking DIE to earn your respect."

And with this, Joe gets up, brushing off the sand he's been playing with until now and continues "So that's why I stole the suitcase. Everyone else seems content for the moment that its the truth, since otherwise I wouldn't have bothered to show up trying to help Kid Fantastic. I might not be able to take you out, but I could've made it pretty damn hard for you to find me...let alone catch me."

And then sitting back down, thinking better of trying to look Impetus in the face, "But look--I think the only way you're ginna start trusting me is if you see me in action, busting heads. So (and with this he turns to Heart) I'd like to sign up with my buddy Impetus here for whatever assignments you wind up doling out." Turning back to Impetus he smiles, "Howd'ja like them apples, John Shaft?"

From F/Impetus:

Impetus bursts into laughter at the thought. "How fa you gonna go to impress ME, huh?"

((("But look--I think the only way you're ginna start trusting me is if you see me in action, busting heads. So (and with this he turns to Heart) I'd like to sign up with my buddy Impetus here for whatever assignments you wind up doling out." Turning back to Impetus he smiles, "Howd'ja like them apples, John Shaft?")))

"You willin' t'prove y'self, I'ma willin' to lissen. Like ah said, I ain'
exactly got a spotless his'try m'sef. But bustin' heads ain' gonna be the way to impress me, 'Ball -- ah can do that betta'n you any day. What's gonna impress me s'if you can be hones' enuf in the futcha to get pas' the smack. You jes' like any otha junkie. You can be cha'ming, you can be fren'ly, you can do some good shit when you tanked up -- all I sayin' is that if yo' reg'la supply starts runnin' low, you might stab any one of us in th'back to keep it up. Even MO' so, now that ah know yo' life's dependent on the shit."

He turns to Wildheart. "Go ahead, 'heart, team us up -- it be jes' like in all dem cop movies, where we hate each otha to begin wit' an' win' up bes'
buddies in the end!" he holds up two hands, his fingers forming a square, and peers through it like a director staring through a camera. His voice deepens even more and becomes oddly white, like James Earl Jones. "One was a junkie. The other, an ex-dealer. Can these two men learn to bust heads together without driving each other crazy?" And he laughs some more.

The Ferrett

------

From GM:

Note: (Hey all, I'm finally back from vacation. I really enjoyed Bill and Eric and Geoff's little repartee in character. Sorry for the delay of this game. I realize a lot of you are busy with life, as am I, but I'm going to try to keep this game going if even just one of you is still interested. If you are too busy or just not interested anymore, let me know. No problem and no hard feelings... the length of time it takes to tell a story in an online game can really detract from it's momentum. All I ask is that you let me know if you can't respond, or choose not to, so I don't wait too long. Take it easy and all that. Ilan, you especially have a difficult time right now. Let me know if Arcsilver needs some time off, as I haven't seen a post from you in a while.)

>>>As the interpersonal issues rage it is obvious that Killinger is very interested in what everyone has to say. He makes no sign of impatience and in fact looks intently from person to person as they speak, nodding slightly at times, and looks particularly interested when Speedball talks about getting his power from a chemical concoction. At one point he looks like he wants to ask a question but stops himself.
Wild Heart listens with a half amused look on her face and jumps in at the pause, saying, "Well I'm glad to see you hard guys are able to get past the posturing and actually have a sense of humor about your situations. I may just take you up on the suggestion and have you watch each other's backs, along with one of my people, IF you are interested in a longer term association with the Mavericks."
She then turns back to Dragon Mist, "But DM is right. Speedball. Would you mind scouting around the island and see if there is any sign of anyone else at all, specifically Arcsilver or our team mate Darkfire. I've got nothing on the radio so I doubt it, but it can't hurt. MIRV, do aerial recon if you would, just in case. Keep trying to get some long range communication. We might be stuck here for a while if Miss Not-Solitaire-But-Really-REALLY-Looks-Like-Her doesn't wake up and get us back."

Assuming the two take off she looks back at the rest of the group saying, "Ok, back to the Warlord issue for the few minutes they'll be gone. Depending on the exact information on that disk of Killinger's I'm willing to take some shots at an organized assault on Warlord targets. If we are going up against ex-VIPER cutting them off from resources is key. I don't agree, DM, that we've already done that. We've been poking around and it has stirred things up, but we haven't known what we were looking for until now. Hard targets could make us much more effective at drawing out the big baddies."
Turning to Impetus she says, "I don't know that I agree the Warlord has money to burn. While he did get hit for a major drug drop, he may have simply used the situation to taunt, get information, whatever. If this guy is the tactical leader that Killinger and Crusader seem to think he is then adaptability and never showing his hand, even when it's getting burned, is going to be second nature. Appearing to be in control even when you aren't is the key to good leadership..." she looks at Crusader knowingly..."An old friend taught me that."
Killinger speaks then, saying, "I hope that information is timely enough to provide you with good targets. Again, I'm coming late to this party. If the Warlord IS Style then he did a good job of keeping a low profile for a long time, which is a different MO for the man. If the old dog has learned new tricks that makes him even more dangerous... but he was a showy type back in LA. (Crusader would know that Style was a smooth, press the flesh, charming kind of operator. He liked for his name to carry weight in the LA underworld. Very LA.) "I can only imagine that his drug contacts and the manipulation of the heroin trade are his money making businesses. A means to an end. What that end is...? I don't know, but it's got to involve him being on top of the heap when it's all over. Ambitious doesn't even begin to describe Style."
Looking at Crusader he says, "As to the VIPER free zone, it's simple economics. I spent many years investing and legitimizing VIPER's resources in NYC. Illegal VIPER activities can only harm what I've tried to build and are completely counter productive in any case. It's my success story, if you will, and Style would know that. He knows I can't martial resources against him without potentially destroying what I've built. That's why I need to work with you, the Mavericks, and assist you in going up against him. Information gathering... now that I can do. Actively attacking the Warlord and whoever he's working with... well, that's not something I want... nor would I think you or the authorities would either." He looks around to gauge any more reactions... questions...<<<

Pause for any reactions, if you have any. Continue again tomorrow. Remind me if you characters asked questions, made suggestions I didn't address, as it has been over a week, and I might have forgotten something.

[RDU Neil]

Post 159

From G/Speedball:

"Will do, 'Heart. Back in a minute." With that, Speedball shoots off, inadvertantly showering the group with the sand from the beach. As he runs, looking for Arcs' shiny costume and anything else of note, he ponders whether he should occaisionally let his mind work before his mouth--telling a high-ranking VIPER agent--even if he claims he's gone legit, who you are, where you live, and how you got your powers...well, that just wasn't the smartest thing he's ever done. "Mental note to self--keep secret identity SECRET." Trying to forget the trouble he may've just caused for himself, Joe takes out the pool balls and continues to juggle compulsively.


From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy looks at Impetus, then at Speedball (before he tears outta there), and shrugs. "I've worked with worse." He then looks to WildHeart, and says, "If yall'll take me, I don't mind workin' with ya, least till I can find a way home."

He will then lean back, and fan his face with his hat.
"Man is it muggy!" Despite the heat and humidty, and the fact that he is sweating like a pig, he still does not take off his very heavy looking leather duster.

-Eric Hurst

From S/Crusader:

Crusader looks at Wild Heart, Dragon Mist; shrugs his shoulders..."sounds reasonable to me....:
"Where do we go from here?" asking the whole group.

--storn


From I/Arcsilver (In New York)

In response to the below, Arcsilver stops for a second, and sets down his cup, furrowing his brow: "hold on now. I see what you are saying, and agree with you, but i just need to back up the Bus here for a second.
Who do you mean by 'you people?' You make it sound as if we are some kind of club or something. I don't have ANYTHING in common with this overlord character, and if we look closely, I think that you would see that I don't have anything in common with a lot of the people who you are lumping together in the same category. I know that a lot of people might make this mistake, its not like were all one family, we don't all register as the same on some "freak chart." People are different, and to suggest that everyone in some artificial category doesn't need society to exist, well I just don't see that. I DO need to eat, and I need a place to sleep that is safe and warm, and I need social security when I get old, and I need my grandfather to ride the bus and get his veterans check. I need to wear clothing and go to movies and everything else that our society has to offer. OK, I can take most people in a fight, but isn't that true of any boxer?"
"And while we are on this topic, did you know that the Government trained me? Yup, taught me to use my powers the way that I do. If it wasn't for a bunch of suits coming and taking me from my FAMILY when I was three, i would have just been a track star, and the only responsibility I would have would be to go out with all of the girlfriends I would have! How does that figure into your categories, huh? I wouldn't even be in this situation if it wasn't for the men in black trying to turn me into some kind of freaked-out weapon!"

Arcsilver pauses for second, allowing a response if she has one...

------

From GM:


Note: (Just going to go with what I have on, and try to keep things flowing...)

>>>The Island: Speedball's trip around the island is uneventful but beautiful. Not more than a mile in diameter, it is empty of human habitation though full of birds and lizards. From various points around the beaches he can see other small islands, one not more than a half a mile away, also small and looking uninhabited. Above him, hovering in the center of the island, MIRV scans the area relaying the same information.
As Speedball runs up, his cue balls spinning in a dizzying circle almost too fast to watch, Wild Heart says, "Ok, we've got some targets and I think we need to investigate them as soon as we evaluate them." MIRV lands, boot jets kicking sand in all directions, and she takes the disk from Killinger and hands it to him. "I'm assuming you can access this. Take a read and see what it says. Turning back to the group she says, "Ok, that leaves a couple of other questions we need answered, so let me know where you all stand. First, it sounds like we've got potentially three new members or at least some new partners. I've always expected this kind of thing to come up even more than it has, so unless any of the current members have a problem, I propose we work with these folks for the time being and decide exactly what we feel is best after we've got some more experience together." She waits for any comments, then...
"There are also some issues unresolved that may or may not have anything to do with the Warlord. The first is the kidnapping of Dragon Mist's sister and the Nahoda clan. We can't just table that issue. It needs to be addressed but I don't think it should be DM alone. With a larger roster we can tackle more than one issue at once. We'll have one team on that as soon as we get back. Crusader with DM probably, and maybe..." she looks over at Cowboy, "... Mr. Wild Wild West." She looks to DM for a reaction.
"The second issue is the Kid Fantastic problem. My gut says this is more of the Warlord playing games and hitting us in our weak spots. Me and Speedy here will check that out together... though if you'd rather be with Impetus than me..." she smiles at Speedball with a mock batting of her eyelashes.
"That leaves MIRV, Impetus, and Arcs and Darkeye... uh Darkfire... to start checking out these sights on the lists. That's also a good team to have available for anything else that might come up." She looks at Crusader saying, "I know you suggested a stealth recon of the sights but I think you'd be more helpful in saving a possible hostage with DM. We may not need stealth to raid some supply dumps which may or may not have anything in them." She glances around with a "What do you think?" look on her face.

New York, Arcsilver: ADA Robinson's eyes light up as you speak your piece. A hungry alertness comes into her eyes, and you realize she loves debates or arguments like this. As you finish, she nods, smiling now. "I'm glad to see you've actually have thought about these issues. Too many people don't examine their lives with any objectivity or even passion. Human or superhuman, they just skate along. You may play the fool, but it's good to see there is more to you than the cute but geeky front you show the world." She pauses to take a sip of her water.
"As to your arguments, I could say that all of your points are reasons you have chosen to be a part of society, but don't show that you NEED it... not for transportation or protection at least. We could go on all night with that, and it doesn't get us closer to what I'm trying to explain to you. The fact is that I'm under pressure from persons that have already made up their mind to dislike and fear you and all that you represent, whether you see yourself as part of that "you" or not. Part of me feels their fears are warranted, but part of me is appalled by the controls suggested... the limitations of freedom."
Sally Anne looks away, a bitterness suddenly in her eyes... "And I know how lives can be changed... destroyed even... by the meddling of governments and those trying to control individuals for a single idea of the greater good. I didn't know about your government connections..." she looks back at you, "But perhaps I should. That could bring an element of oversight that I can use... not so much to control you or the Mavericks but to apply some structure that could keep those that want more draconian measures taken... at bay." She looks intently at you now, questioning, "Would you put me in contact with your people? Is that something you can do?"<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 160

From G/Speedball:

As Speedball skids to a stop, creating a foot-deep trench in the sand, he exclaims "Jesus! That was disgusting!" He whips off his hood and starts walking towards the water. Turning back to the group as he walks, he yells "I'v egot dead bugs all over me! I feel like a windsheild! Say what you want about New York City, but at least the bugs have the decency to stay on the ground."

He swishes his mask around in the water and takes a moment to ring it out as he walks back towards the group, arriving just in time to hear 'Heart's suggestion concerning the new members and just nods in agreement. When she suggests that the two of them check out the Kid Fantastic situation he just looks at her, smiles, and says "'Heart, that's the closest thing I've had to a date in months. No offense, Imps, but I gotta follow orders..."

From E/Cowboy:

"Nahoda clan, huh? Whuzzat, some kinda ninja thing?"
Cowboy smiles as he says this, obviously amused by the thought (as if it were totally outrageous). "'Ats cool, I'm down with takin' out kidnappers. 'Bout the only thing worse'n drug pusher's kidnappers."

-Eric Hurst

From M/Dragon Mist:

In response to Crusader DM says, "Where we go is back home if we can get this doppleganger conscious. Then I guess we go to work on the Warlord case, but I do have a "case" which is unresolved for me and I have to follow up." Dragon Mist moves toward Solitaire caustiously, to check her vital signs. Looking at Killinger he asks, "Do you know how long it's going to take for her to come out of this torpor?" DM has enough respect for irony that he's not certain that she's alive, and will try to ascertain whether she is breathing.

From M/Dragon Mist:

I just got the Wildheart post after I replied to the Killinger/ Crusader speech, sorry if DM sounds like he's a few frames off. (I guess teleporting does cause a side affect.)

Checking on Solitaire, DM looks at Wildheart, after she makes her suggestion of seeing to the Nahoda affair, with approval. "I think Crusader would be most helpful in this case, and though I can't vouch for Cowboy, he looks like he can hold his own." DM looks at Cowboy. "You said that you have experience with enforcing for organized crime, the Nahoda ninja clan has stooped to that level. Your help is welcome."
Turning back to WH, DM says, "I will also need the help of Greyspirit.
She should be able to give me a location to start with."

(Sorry for all the comas, I'm in the middle of a C.J. Cherryh novel; I guess she's infected me.)

From F/Impetus:

"Only thing is, y'gotta give meh mo' time. I ain' doin' this stuff full time, y'know. Doan jes' spec' to call me on the Batphone an' have me jump in at a moment's notice f'everythin'."

(((("When she
suggests that the two of them check out the Kid Fantastic situation he just looks at her, smiles, and says "'Heart, that's the closest thing I've had to a date in months. No offense, Imps, but I gotta follow orders..."))))

Impetus just cocks an eyebrow at the "closest date in months" comment, as if he could not imagine such a thing, then waves it off.

(((""That leaves MIRV, Impetus, and Arcs and Darkey... uh Darkfire... to start checking out these sights on the lists."))))

Impetus raises a hand. "'Scuse me, I b'leeve AH am the darkey here."

"Bot mo 'seriously, are we goan hit 'em all at once? Like ah said, you hit jes' one or two an' our game is up -- I doubt a guy like dat has all his eggs in one basket, and we start hittin' two o'three an' he may know where ah info's comin' from. Reconnaisance isn' a bad idea f'those things, eitha -- check out a couple in stealth, see which ones are d'mos' packed, an' hit th' top three in a single day or two b'fo he can reack."

The Ferrett

From S/Crusader:

>>"I'v egot dead bugs all over me! I feel like a windsheild! Say what
>>you
want about New York City, but at least the bugs have the decency to stay on the ground."
<<

"hah."; Crusader chuckles; "maybe you should get a helmet with a visor...
like those bike sprinters have... you know? The ones that taper in the back?
I'm sure Darkfire's image consultants could come up with all kinds of logos..."

>>In response to Crusader DM says, "Where we go is back home if we can
>>get
this doppleganger conscious. Then I guess we go to work on the Warlord case, but I do have a "case" which is unresolved for me and I have to follow up."<<

"I assume by case, you mean your sister?" Crusader asks for clarification; "'Heart is giving us the green light to find her. You know I'll back you up to...well..the..um... hilt."

<< She looks at
Crusader, saying, "I know you suggested a stealth recon of the sights, but I think you'd be more helpful in saving a possible hostage with DM. We may not need stealth to raid some supply dumps which may or may not have
anything in them." She glances around with a "What do you think?" look on
her face. >>

"I agree as long as we have a location to look for 'Mists sister.", Crusader replies slowly; "I don't have clue to where she is, maybe if we can find the armored ninja guy again if we get back to NYC..... we can shake him down for more info. He might be willing to come to us if we stay in the open. Rooftops, that kind of thing."

>>>"Bot mo 'seriously, are we goan hit 'em all at once? Like ah said,
>>>you hit
jes' one or two an' our game is up -- I doubt a guy like dat has all his eggs in one basket, and we start hittin' two o'three an' he may know where ah info's comin' from. Reconnaisance isn' a bad idea f'those things, eitha -- check out a couple in stealth, see which ones are d'mos' packed, an' hit th' top three in a single day or two b'fo he can reack."
<<<

"I think that the Warlord situation is going to be around for some time."
Crusader remarks to Impetus; "I know. I know. I'm going against what I said earlier, but 'Heart convinced me that priority is 'Mist's sister due to its time sensitive nature."
"Besides" jerk a thumb to Dragonmist; "we want 'Mist to be focused, not worrying about his sister when we do tackle Warlord." Flip back the visor to give DMist a smile to let him know that the words contain sympathy, not scorn.
"We've got the man & Woman power for the first time, I think we can afford to split up the team temporarily. As soon as 'Mist, Cowguy and I find his sister, we will be in your backpocket, backing you y'all up."

Turns to Cowboy; "'Mist and I will be watching you on this little expedition. I don't like killing... but I understand that combat does get dangerous, lives get threatened. Just try to keep it to a minimum. And if you betray us... you'll never see 'Mist coming... you'll just be whistling...
through a hole in your throat. I won't even be able to stop him."
(Casting Dragon Mist as "bad cop"... sorry Matt... its just too much fun!)

--storn

From G/Speedball:

"Well, to tell the truth, after Arcs blinded me it made me think at least about getting a decent pair of sunglasses. Maybe you could attach a set of windshield wipers--you know, like those ones on the Mercedes headlights....But seriously, when we get a chance, I wanna talk with you (looking at Crusader) or MIRV about this idea I have: I think (at this point, Joe begins juggling again, throwing the balls in circle so blindingly fast that you can't see them individually) that if I get come new cueballs--made'a something harder and shinier, I could make a sorta shield when I juggle. I seen a kid try and throw a knife through the propeller of a stunt plane once when it was gettin' ready for take off. Damn kid's knife just bounced off and flew right into his own foot!" Just as quickly as the balls were flying through the air, they stop, resting in Speedy's still hands. "With some practice, I'm bettin' I could even figure out how to aim th' bounce."

(Neil, see separate post)

From E/Cowboy:

Cowboy barks out another laugh, just one syllable.
"HAH! Yer serious, aintcha? Ninjas! Man, what they won't think of next..." He just shakes his head...

... and jerks it up at the mention of Greyspirit.
"Yeah, dat's cool! She'll help. Damn, that girl is fast. Took my pistol right outta my hands once, 'fore I even blinked."

He nods at Crusader's warning about being watched. "I unnahstand, and hell, I don' blame ya. If'n a new gun came ta me, I'd watch him like a hawk. An' I'll do ma best not ta cap nobody. Hell, with these irons," and he motions to the guns on his sides (not putting his hands on them, or even near them, just motioning), "I dunno if'n I's gonna be that good. They ain't my normal 'smokesticks', just some borrowed ones from Killinger. Mine got taken from me by the demon things what tried ta kill me earlier."

He grins again, looking at Crusader. "'Sides, I don't even know who th' hell ta betray ya to. You'se're th' only dudes I knows here..."

------

From GM:

Note: (Very quick reply today. Have really enjoyed all your posts. Watching your characters develop through interaction is a lot of fun for me. As to response time, I'm going to try to post something, every day, unless it's absolutely critical to wait for someone else's post before continuing. If it's a combat scene, then it is usually critical that everyone give there actions, but discussions and the like can skip those who are delayed or busy. I usually write the day's post at the end of my work day, four o'clock eastern time.)

>>>The Island: Everyone's discussion continues revolving around plans of action. Killinger listens, but doesn't add anything saying, "Not my place to tell you guys how to operate, though Impetus' suggestion of hitting multiple targets within a short period of time or coordinating them to happen simultaneously is a tried and true tactic. I think you'll find that some of the information I've provided you contains evidence that could get an official police warrant. You could use their resources to amplify yours not just leaving them to go it alone, which I agree is a very risky idea."
Walking over to where Dragon Mist is standing over the pseudo-Solitaire he looks down. "She calls herself The Masque, by the way. I looked up references to that name and found that there was a mystery man from the thirties, a supposed mystic conjurer who went by that name. He hasn't been heard of in over fifty years as far as I can tell."
Dragon Mist finds a steady pulse on the woman... her breathing even and regular. She seems to simply be asleep. Just as he starts to stand up from bending over he sees her eyes snap open. She smiles and says, "Oh... one thing you absolutely must do when battling this Warlord..." She sits up then, looking about as everyone notices she's awake. "You must survive. I will be needing warriors such as yourself... if I'm to save your world as I was sent here to do."<<<

Reactions? More tomorrow.

[aylwin13]

Dude, The Mavericks are back! Excellent! :thumbup:

I was doing a search the other day for something, when I saw the title for this thread. I thought to myself, "man, I wish Neil was still posting his Mavericks installments." Lo, and behold, what do I find when I sign on to the forums tonight? More posts. WOOT!

I just wanted to thank you, Neil, for taking the time to share this with us. I can't speak for anyone else, but I will continue to read this thread as long as you want to post to it.

[RDU Neil]

Thanks Aylwin. Glad someone is enjoying this.

-----
Post 161

From Impetus:

(((I think you'll find that
some of the information I've provided you contains evidence that could get an official police warrant. You could use there resources to amplify yours, not just leaving them to go it alone, which I agree is a very risky
idea.")))

"Ah d'no," says Impetus, mulling it over. He turns to Wildheart. "Whut AH suggest is ta hit two o'three big ones an' one o'two cops thatchoo trus' -- but get press s'port in there so everyone can see whass goin' on an' so dat th'police HAFTA move againstem. Make a show outta it, say dat issa raid again' some new dealer, an' put the pressure on this guy from ALL fronts.
If th'press are backin' you, then the cops HAVE to move, an' da maya's gonna assign d'right resources to the job as opposed t'jes' stickin' a buncha beat cops on duty so they can all get capped. Doan wan' no cops to get hurt now, do we?" he says, and smiles. The smile is unnervingly ambiguous. "Plus, Warlord's been movin' covertly, so shinin' some light on him might not be a bad idea."

"Mist, if you got someone needs rescuin', then dat's prime biz. We take cara ah oan, here. Nobody should hit the Warlawd until ever'budy got they shit t'getha, an' THEN we all strike." He waves a hand magnanimously.
"F'example, we COULD all go runnin' off f'some mag action, but ah f'one would like t'wait until this healed up a bit..." He points to his bleeding midsection, then shakes his head. "SHIT, that was weird. Ain' nothin' ever sliced through like dat befo', an' I had Uzis and Glocks emptied at me...
why a sword, f'God's sake? Anyway, f'another thing, I admit I ain' had much 'sperience in supajackin', but all ah DO rememba is dat ever'time Shaggy split up from Velma, oneuvem always got clocked. I ain' much on splittin'
forces, 'specially when we doan know what we up against."

From Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist hides his initial smile; barely. (That was funny!) "Thanks Impetus. You will learn that in the right hands a well honed sword can be far more leathal than any gun, although I think that the one that got you had some mystic enhancements, like mine but not as much. If thats the case, then I really need to take these ninja out."

>> "You must survive. I will be needing warriors such as yourself... if
>> I'm
to save your world as I was sent here to do."<<<

Dragon Mist stands there listening, eyebrow raised at the save the world comment, waiting to speak until she finishes.

From Cowboy:

quick retraction of part of my last post: Cowboy made no mention of Greyspirit. I was mistaken, there was a character where he was from named GreyTiger. So just ignore that little bit from him. Oops. =)

"Hell, I don't mind splittin' up," Cowboy says, flashing his grin(tm) again. "We can cause more damage that way. 'Sides, we's big boys, an can handle it. Sounds t'me like this kidnappin' thing would be done better with a smaller group. The three of us,"
and he motions to Crusader and DragonMist, "can prolly slip in, get the girl, an' get out a helluva lot easier'n the whole group."

"I mean, hell, how tough could these ninjas be, anyway?"

From Crusader:

<< "Oh... one
thing you absolutely must do when battling this Warlord..." She sits up
then, looking about as everyone notices she's awake. "You must survive. I
will be needing warriors such as yourself... if I'm to save your world as I was sent here to do."<<< >>

"What was that?!?" Crusader asks; "Where the hell are you from? And that goes for the Cowboy too?" amending his thought in midsentence.

From Cowboy:

He then throws up his hands at Crusader, "I already told you where I came from! Weren't you listenin'?!
Sheesh. I'm from an alternate Earth, an' judgin' by what I see, the future. Some weird assed demon things tried ta erase me from the world, an' I ended up bein'
sucked inta this world."

From Speedball:

"Isn't that why we're all here--To save the world? Well, let's get on with it. I'm itchin' for action. Or maybe I just need to do some laundry."

-----

From GM:

>>>The Masque stands up, assisted by Killinger, and shakes her purple robe off of her shoulders, letting it drape over her right arm. She waves it slightly to get the sand off of it then looks at Crusader, responding to his question with, "Cowboy's specific circumstances not withstanding, his appearance here is simply a symptom of the disrupted continuum that now exists in this universe. I am here as a direct cause of these aberrations... and because your world has two specific qualities. One, the potential resources to combat the instigator of this crisis are available... (she very clearly looks at Dragon Mist and then at Impetus even longer, as if assessing him) "... and two," her voice rasping a little heavier now, "The one person who could have organized the necessary forces is unfortunately dead. Therefore, I was sent in her place."
Masque looks away toward the ocean, her reddish blonde hair, now uncovered, spilling over her shoulders and blowing across her masked face in the wind. "You would think I would be used to my own death by now. I've seen it far too many times..." Her voice fades away and she seems to lose notice of you all.
Killinger steps in after a second when Masque doesn't continue. "Ms. King approached me only a few weeks ago, seeking my assistance in her endeavor. I don't think this initially involved your group specifically, but when I was to meet with you she asked to come along." Looking over at Cowboy, "Your appearance was a surprise to me as Elaine only directed me to find you twenty minutes before you showed up. I do trust her on this though," and he turns back to Masque, "but I must ask the most immediate question, Elaine. Why exactly did you bring all of us to this island?" He looks around, then back again, "Nice as it is it was abrupt and, well, confusing to all of us here, I think."
There is a moment's pause and just when it seems that she didn't hear him the woman turns back from the ocean saying, "I brought you all here to escape what I perceived to be a cascade reaction... a chain of events that, if not broken early, often become too strong to escape. I hope my actions have given you all a chance to side step the direction of events and reassert your own destinies. As to why this place..." again she looks around, "... I simply prefer it. On most of the Earth's I've visited it has been here. Unspoiled, peaceful... a small refuge. I simply brought us to this, the first place I thought of. The significance is personal, only for me I would think."
When she again lapses into silence Wild Heart steps up, "Uhm... ok, look. I won't claim to have followed everything you just said, but this cascade thing seems to imply that it is caused by something or someone. As if it had a purpose or intent to act on us. That I don't get."
Masque nods, saying, "Yes, it is a probability construct; a measurable manifestation of quantified thought and..." she looks around at the skeptical and puzzled faces, pauses... then, "Look at it this way. Cause and effect is the basic rule of existence in all realities that we can fathom. Without going into "first cause" discussions action/reaction is a given. I know that chaos mechanics are moderately well developed on your world... the whole "butterfly flaps it's wings in China" thing? Sensitive to initial conditions?" She looks around for understanding.
"Imagine that basic relationship taken to extreme heights of manipulation. It is what intelligent, conscious beings are capable of on many levels. We act based on experience knowing that certain actions will create certain responses. Cascade Reactions are immensely complex chain reactions of events that shape reality and outcome. They spring from one of two sources, as far as I know. One, mystical adepts of Chaos magic or probability magic can shape events to take on a life of their own. I don't have any reason to believe that anyone on this world has that power. The other is more subtle and happens all the time to varying degree. It's simply strategy. If x then y, if y then z. A true, master strategist manipulates events, setting in motion a series of actions that may seem unconnected, but in truth each event compounds upon the previous, leading toward a specified outcome. It is a subtle, and fragile structure, but most often succeeds because those caught in it are unaware they are being manipulated. That is what I sensed was happening in New York. If it was the Warlord's manipulations, then you all face a truly dangerous enemy." She looks at all of you, and smiles, somewhat wickedly, "...and a good test of whether you'll be of any use to me."

Arcsilver, New York: The two of you eat in silence for a few minutes. Both of you obviously thinking about what the other has said. ADA Robinson looks to you for a response to her last request, finally saying, "Perhaps you have to check with your contacts as to what you can reveal, and that I understand. Lt. Masterson has some information which he will be bringing that it would be helpful to have some secure resources with the Feds to double check. You'd be surprised how difficult inter-agency cooperation can be."
You are about to answer, when her cell phone buzzes. "Excuse me," she says and flips the compact device open, turning her head slightly to speak. Around you the restaurant buzzes with conversations and people bustle around, eating, serving, and moving in and out of the store front entrance. You are facing the front of the restaurant, able to look outside the front windows, past Sally Anne's profile. The street is busy, with pedestrians and cars, but you notice that honking has increased, and folks on the sidewalk seem to stop and bump into each other as if surprised.<<<

[greymankle]

WOW you can re-post E-mail stuff fast. I guess it's a lot of cut and paste.

Anyway, .... SWEET! Glad to see this thread up and running. Keep it coming.
Heh, if you do start another PBEM I shudder to think of the amount of players beating down your door to play PC's. :D

-Joe

[Speedball]

Heh, if you do start another PBEM I shudder to think of the amount of players beating down your door to play PC's. :D

-Joe

And allllllll of them are gonna have to get through me to take my spot! :D

I do have a suggestion in case the pbem thing does get going again--I've been part of a couple of games on Herocrentral and they seem to go well. No chance of lost emails robbing posterity, good interactive features, etc. Dont know if you've had a chance to check it out, Neil, but I think it's a top-notch site.

[RDU Neil]

Post 162

From Speedball:

"If I understand what Ms. Masque here just said...and I'm not sure I
did...then shouldn't we try and do the unexpected? I know we're sort of
trapped into doing certain things--we can't let people run around New York
killing people, we can't let someone burn the city to the ground, but if its
going to stop some huge-ass disaster to let a couple of people jaywalk, then
that's ok by me." Speedball shrugs, unaccustomed to doing this much
thinking in such a short amount of time. "Maybe I'm out of my head. I
really don't know. But if the Warlord expects us to try and keep these
weapons away from him then aren't we doing him some sort of favor by doing
just that?" Speedball lets out a loud, impatient sigh and sits down
abruptly. "Jeez. Too much thinkin'. I'm not all that good at it, I know,
and all this shit's making me dizzy. Ms. Masque, how can we figger out
whether Warlord is behind this or not? That might help us decide what to do
next....Besides saving the world, obviously."

From Crusader:

<< That is what I sensed was happening in New York. If it was
the Warlord's manipulations, then you all face a truly dangerous enemy."
She looks at all of you, and smiles, somewhat wickedly, "and a good test of
whether you'll be of any use to me." >>

"If you can percieve these cascades... and DragonMist is obviously
important to your plans, is it dangerous to proceed with invesitigating
'Mist's sister's kidnapping?" Crusader asks; "or is that part of the plan to
avoid these pitfalls of destiny?"

"Because I think we are getting to a place where it's time to quote a
country tune... 'a lot less words, and a lot more action.' " Crusader wryly
exclaims. "I want to get back to NYC. Can you manage that,... Masque?"

{Hmmm.... clones of Solitaire/ Elaine King...Storn knows it... but my PC
doesn't.
Neil, feel free to set Crusader up to get us on our way. I feel like we need
to get the ball rolling on some of the plans of action we've all discussed.
And Crusader is worried that every minute delayed, the colder the trail gets.}

From Speedball:

"ok...but I'm STILL itchin' for action. If this conversation isn't going to
change what we're going to do in the next day or so, I think we oughtta get
moving and take care of business."

geoff-speedball


From Arcsilver:

Nick will get her attention, and then mouth "BATHROOM" to her as he
slides out of the seat, putting a pottsticker in his mouth and taking a
second for the road. regardless of where the bathroom is, he will walk
towards the front, and look out. He is always a bit cautious, but will
try not to appear so. If it is nothing, he will ask a waiter where the
bathroom is, and head that way (a pun!).

-Ilan and nick

-----

From GM:

Note: (Going to go ahead, since I haven't heard from everyone. Jump in if you have something...)

>>>The Island: To Crusader, Masque answers his question with a shrug. "It may be dangerous to pursue this kidnapping... and it is certainly dangerous NOT to do so. I do not know the details of your conflict but I do not doubt that this abduction was planned to further this current scheme." Nodding to Speedball, she says, "This impetuous young man has the right idea. Being unpredictable, acting outside your normal routines, can disrupt any strategy no matter how complex. As I said, Cascade Reactions are fragile, especially when exposed. It isn't without risks though. The real question is, what are you all prepared to sacrifice to defeat this scheme?" Elaine King, The Masque, looks directly at Wild Heart when she says this.

Wild Heart in turn looks at Dragon Mist, saying, "I can't tell you not to go after your sister, Mist. You have to decide. If you do, I think we should stick to the plan and let Crusader and Cowboy back you up. If not..." she looks at the rest of the group. "I say we take these new target sights, analyze them, and as Impetus said hit 'em hard and fast and see if we can stay ahead of this Style/Warlord character."
"Your plans are your own," says King, turning to walk toward the interior of the island. "I need to rest a bit longer, and recoup my strength. I can take us back in about an hour." She continues moving back among the palm trees, walking inland until she is out of sight.

Killinger and MIRV have their heads together off to the side of the group, and MIRV looks up saying, "I have an uplink established to a satellite. Coordinates care of Killinger here. It seems there was some time displacement as well. While it seemed instantaneous to us all it is actually some ten hours after we disappeared in New York. Accounting for time zones of course. I'll put a call in to HQ. Anyone else want to make a call?"


Arcsilver, New York: Just as the waiter points back to the very obvious "RESTROOMS" sign about fifteen feet away you see the crowd part and a hustle of bodies pushing through the pedestrians. You see seven men in plain clothes, drawing pistols and compact automatic weapons... but they aren't coming toward you. Instead they are converging on a car double parked just out front of the restaurant. You immediately have a sense of deja vu as it is a dark, four door sedan very similar to the one that held the four agents you fought outside the Waffle House a number of nights ago. The men and two women you see converging on the car are shouting, "POLICE! WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED! Come out with your hands up and empty!" Other police start popping up as well now, trying to move the crowds away. People every where are ducking and crying out in surprise." Across the street, striding toward the car with two uniformed SWAT members, you see Lt. Masterson. Badge on a lanyard hanging from his neck, and a police issues 12 gauge at port. He is shouting something you can't quite hear at the other cops and focusing on the car.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 163

From Dragon Mist:

DM looks at Wild Heart. "There is no decision to make. I have to follow
the leads to my sister. I will take Crusader, and Cowboy as originally
offered to work with Greyspirit, if she is available."

To Mirv's information, DM looks at Masque and says: "Can't you send us
back to the time right before we left? It would help to keep my lead
warm. And while you're at it, why don't we just go back to the time when
the Yahoda clan was about to strike." No matter how off the cuff it may
sound, DM looks at her for an honest answer. With such a time delay,
even adjusting for time zone, DM is starting to think that the long
distance teleport which she sent them through, may not have been an
actual teleport.

From Speedball:

"An hour, huh? Well, then unless you've got something for me to do, 'Heart,
I'm taking me a swim."
Unless Wildheart comes up with something for Joe to do, he'll strip down to
his shorts and run down to the beach. You all get the feeling that its been
a long time since he's had a vacation.

From Crusader:

< "An hour, huh? Well, then unless you've got something for me to do,
'Heart,
I'm taking me a swim." >>

Crusader watches Speed wistfully, remembering a lost childhood near the
Pacific coastline of Washington State.
"Aw hell...." Armor latches start popping (from the inside), until
Crusader seems to be shedding his armored skin. "Hey, Speed! Wait for me!"
Piles up the armor neatly on the beach and flies across the sand down to the
water.

To the others, Crusader is tall, 6'4", and cut. Light brown hair, close
cropped. But the main feature is that there are little silvery ports,
designed to integrate the armor plating grafted into his muscles. The look
like circular I.O. ports, but are anywhere from an inch to a 1/2 inch in
diameter.
They do not protrude past the muscle tissue, in fact the skin seems to
grow right up to them.

From Speedball:

"Hey Cru--you jump in this water and you'd better have some rustoleum handy
or yer not gonna be able to get back inta yer suit."

From Cowboy:

Cowboy blinks at Masque as she explains the reality
thing, then shakes his head to clear it. "Lady, I
ain't got no friggin' clue what the hell you just
said. But, as long as you unnerstand it..."

He then takes off his boots, rolls up his pant legs to
the knees and heads over to the water. At the edge,
he looks around, then looks at each person, then
sighs, and shrugs out of the coat. Dropping it on the
dry sand, he then walks out into the water, till it
reaches his knees.

Under the coat, he looks a little on the scrawny side.
However, now that the bulk of the jacket is no longer
hiding him, it looks like he has VERY well defined
muscles. They even look kind of hard and angular.
His forearms look most strange, with what looks like a
rigid plate embedded under his skin.

"Hey, Crusader, c'mere fer a sec." If Crusader
approaches him, he motions for him to turn. "I wanna
check out that 'ware ya got." He looks the ports
over, and goes, "Huh. Never seen the like. What is
it, some kinda new Hitachi, or EisenWare? Hell, that
looks kinda like some sorta crystal. What's yer
interface, Sabishi or NeuroCal? I got the NeuroFiber,
myself. Really cranks up the reaction time."

He tightens his right hand into a fist, and jerks it
up to the side really fast. "Stainless JointMods for
an added bit o' speed!"


From Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will wait near the door, holding a phase to activate flight
(if holding a phase still works in this system). As he is moving closer
to the door to watch, he will stop the host as he passes, and say "would
you ask my dinner guest (points to Robinson) to join me over here?
Thanks.

He will just continue to watch, as it seems like the police have things
well in hand. He is curious, though, as Masterson was supposed to me us
here (correct me if I am wrong).

-Ilan and Nick

-----

From GM:


Note: (Sorry about the delay. It's been getting tough to maintain this game, regularly. I'll try to do better as we go. Unfortunately, there's not much for everyone to be doing right now.)

>>>The Island: There is a relaxed atmosphere for twenty minutes or so. Speedball tears around in the water, and Crusader and Cowboy exchange cybernetic/tech lingo while the waves lap around their ankles. Wild Heart chats with MIRV and Killinger before she kicks back herself and stretches out on the sand to get some sun. "Enjoy it while we can," she says before shutting her eyes and relaxing in the heat.
Dragon Mist, a little perturbed that The Masque didn't answer him when he questioned her about the possible time travel, is left to his own devices, noticing after a few minutes that Impetus is gone from the beach. Large imprints from his gravitational field lead back into the island interior.

Arcsivler, New York: Turning to ask the host to alert ADA Robinson you see her approaching you, briefcase in hand, speaking into her phone and looking intently out of the front window. A uniformed police officer comes into the restaurant saying, "Please, everyone, back away from the window. This is official police business and we are concerned for you safety!" Being New Yorkers most people don't listen to him, but instead start pressing forward to see what is happening. Outside, more police have appeared trying to clear the street of bystanders. At least eight heavily armed cops, including Masterson, are surrounding the car, shotguns, pistols, and a couple of HK 52 submachine guns focused on the sedan interior. Masterson shouts for the persons inside to throw out their weapons and come out of the car with their hands empty and raised in the air. The others maneuver to maintain clear lines of fire as well as making sure they aren't going to hit each other if they have to shoot.
Everyone twitches and there is a slight gasp from onlookers as the car doors pop. The cops tense, straining, as black gloved hands reach out of the four doors. The driver position lets drop a Glock 17 automatic handgun, and the persons coming out from the rear doors are extending, butt first, black matte assault rifles, bullpup style, possibly modified Steyr AUGs. The front passenger seat shows a pair of female hands in cutoff gloves with no weapons.
Slowly, four people emerge from the car, hands raised. They are all wearing casual street clothes and jackets. The driver is Asian, the two men in back Caucasian. They all have a hard, possibly military look to them. The woman is in a simple wind breaker and jeans, brown hair pulled back in a short pony tail and wearing sunglasses. She has no weapon, but when she turns to look around...
... you recognize her, Arcsilver. That little wench who cracked you open with a curling bar. Wild Heart's psycho little sister. Out of her leather costume, but it's clearly her. Nails. (Yes, you have a held action.)<<<

[RDU Neil]

This was initially sent just to Ferrett as a set of side posts for his character. As the player, he could choose to have it then sent to all the other players so they could read it. I wanted to minimize this kind of thing as I think all players should be the audience for all play, as engaged in other character's stories as much as their own, but sometimes it is liberating to keep it personal. I honestly can't remember if this was ever sent to the other players or not. This is fun for me, because I've forgotten a lot of the details I get to reread now.

-----

Post 164

From GM:

Note: (Wanted to do this off-line, to give you the choice about whether or not to post this for everyone.)

>>>Impetus: After The Masque walks away and Speedball and Crusader begin gallivanting in the surf, the others each step off to their own actions. You are left alone for the moment, wishing you could get home as soon as possible, when a quiet voice comes to you. "Impetus you call yourself," says the soft female voice. You turn, looking around, but see no one and realize the voice is inside your head. "I would speak with you privately if you don't mind. You are a rarity and I suspect you have little knowledge of what you are." The voice is at first unfamiliar but then you realize it is the faux Solitaire, The Masque, Elaine King, without the raspy hoarseness of her damaged vocal chords. "If you wouldn't mind speaking with me, please just follow my footsteps into the dunes. Such telepathic contact doesn't allow me to rest as I should."
A quick glance around shows that no one else seems aware of her voice and no one is really watching you. Wild Heart is talking with MIRV and Killinger. Cowboy is sitting under a tree with his hat over his eyes and Dragon Mist is watching Crusader and Speedball in the water.<<<

From Impetus:

Privately.

He'll go, checking to see if anyone looks at him (especially Speedball),
then will wander off into the woods. If anyone should ask, he'll say he's
off to "do some business in th' woods" and he'll be right back.

He'll meet her with crossed arms and an arched eyebrow and a, "You brought
me out here, but if you got any info on what th'hell I am, then mebbe it's
worth it. Speak."

From GM:

>>>Impetus: You walk away with only the most casual glances from anyone. Moving over the sand your "footsteps" make interesting forms as your field pushes the loose grains away in swirling, circular patterns. Coming through the trees you see Elaine King sitting on a well worn rock in a small clearing. The palms sway around her as she sits in a lotus position, her cloak folded under her as a cushion. Her arms are bare and pale, her face turned up to the sun. Her smooth, porcelain mask lies in her lap, and as you approach you can see that the part of her face that it normally covers is disfigured with what looks like a series of claw marks. They have left livid scar tissue down the right side of her face. Her right eye, normally covered by the mask with no eye hole there, is a milky, unseeing orb.
Turning to look at you as you come into view, her mask floats up out of her lap to settle gently in place, but you are able to get a clear view of the carnage before it is covered. "Not pretty is it?" she rasps, without any obvious embarrassment. At your abrupt comment she simply nods, adjusts her position and then looks at you, scrutinizing you. Her eyes flash... literally, with a deep purple light, and you can feel her, again literally, peering into you. As tough as you try to be there is something very disturbing about this... creating a very unfamiliar feeling of vulnerability.

Then she stops, smiles... the spell, if that's what it was, broken. Reaching into her robe she pulls out a small, multi-faceted ball, rolls it on her fingers and palm and says, "You are newly born, I see. Thus still quite vulnerable..." she gestures at your wound. "Dragon Mist was correct. The blade that cut you was enchanted. Such things inherently disrupt the natural order. They inherently disrupt YOU as you are now part of that natural order. Be wary of such magics," and she snaps her fingers.
There is a tiny purple spark and suddenly your field vanishes. You drop an inch to the ground, feet sinking in the soft sand the cool breeze and warm sun suddenly sharper and unfiltered by your force field. "Magics like mine, as you see, can eliminate your powers, or bypass them." Almost immediately, you feel your energy begin to power up again... seemingly unchanged, but simply shut off for that brief second.
"Now I know what I'm doing, so it would be very unlikely to meet someone in this continuum that could effectively shut you down like that, but don't be over confident. Magic is still relatively rare here, but it poses a clear threat to you."
She stands up coming over to you, her footsteps seem a little unsteady and she puts her hand on your arm for support. Standing close to you, she seems diminutive as you tower over her, but she seems unfazed by your presence. Looking up into your face she says, "You probably don't know it, but..." and she reaches up and lightly touches your forehead with her finger, "...you've got a miniature black hole in your head." She smiles again, suddenly looking much younger, livelier, and prettier. "Pretty cool, eh?"<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 165

From Dragon Mist:

Marveling at his effect on women, Dragon Mist raises his eyebrows in an "Whoa"
expression and sighs. He then teleports the short distance to WH, where she's
sun bathing, and says: "Wild Heart, I know that we really don't have much
choice in the matter, but you seem awfully relaxed right now. Do you know
something I don't? Because I'm not quite comfortable with this masque
character and she's obviously not telling us everything."

From Crusader:

Not much for Crusader to do, except squeeze sand between his toes....
Viper life was like this, a lot of waiting around, followed by moments of
sheer terror.

--storn

From Cowboy:

Having cooled his feet off, Cowboy moves back to sit
under a tree in some shade again, stopping to get his
coat, boots, and hat. He relaxes against the tree for
a bit, then puts his hat back on and walks over to sit
near WildHeart.

When there is a pause in the conversation between
DragonMist and WildHeart, he says, "So, chica, whats a
nice lookin' girl like you doin' hangin' out wit'
these guys?"

From Speedball:

Speedball, having been swimming for something like three days, drowns.
ok, just kidding. But it does seem like a while since we've busted any
heads.

After swimming for a little while, Speedball will walk up the beach to where
'Heart and the others are sitting and flop down on the sand still wet, but
unmindful of the sand that will stick to him. "Ok, 'Heart, since you wanted
to work with me when we get back to NYC, can I assume you've got some sort of plan to get the job done when we go looking for the Kid?"

Hope you all had a good weekend. I graded tests. Two out of 30 kids wil be
passing this one. *sigh*


From Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will do a double take, muttering "holy hip-breakers, batman!"
He will then turn and walk right up to Robinson, stopping so close that
his mouth is right next to her ear (so that no one hears what hesays).
Quickly and clearly, he will whisper this: woman in the wind-breaker
outside is suped up - she can do what Wildheart can, and last time she
was part of a team. Let me know if you need me. You smell good."

He will then step away from her, putting on his sunglasses and allowing her to question him further or head outside. If she does the latter, he
will follow her outside and find an out-of-the-way place to stand. If he
gets the chance, he will palm his Mavericks radio, and bring it to his
mouth, saying "Hey 'fire, you out there? I'm on the corner of (insert
here), and am watching the police arrest Nails and some other goons.
Could use help, but come quiet, 'cause I think our presence might disrupt
things. Arcsilver out."

Should any violence erupt, Nick will take advantage of the confusion to activate flight, but will hover as quietly as possible out of the way,
until it seems like an officer's life is in danger.

-----

From GM:

>>>Island: Wild Heart replies to Dragon Mist without opening her eyes. "Killinger and MIRV have communicated with some folks that might be able to reach us in about six hours, if Miss Masque can't get us off the island, like she said. I realize you are worried about your sister. I am too, and I didn't even know you HAD a sister." At this her eyes open, and she gives him a questioning look. "It's just that we are a long way from home, and there isn't much I can do at this very moment. If there was anything I learned from Crusader... the original Crusader... it was to take the peaceful moments when they come, because they are few and far between. If Masque can't get us back in the next hour, then we'll get worried."

As Cowboy drops down, he asks, "So, chica, what's a nice lookin' girl like you doin' hangin' out wit' these guys?" Wild Heart looks at him with amusement, saying, "Y'know Cowboy. Not a day goes by that I don't ask myself the same thing."

When Speedball flops down in the small ring she looks about with even a greater degree of wryness, shakes her head and then says, "We have got to get more women on this team. Huffhh." To Speedball directly, she says, "The Kid was being kept in a private hospital, very exclusive. They owed us some favors. I checked up on him from time to time but even another psi who tried to work with him didn't seem able to reach his inner mind. Total catatonia resulting from some event a few years ago. Tied in with China nuking itself and... so I've heard... the death of Mentalla. Whatever it was, it shut him off like a light. Now you are saying he appeared to you. That makes me think we need to check him out and I'd like you along, since you say you saw him. The hospital is in a private building on FDR Island."
More minutes pass in that weird tension between action and relaxation. After fifty minutes, Wild Heart asks everyone to get ready and Crusader suits up again. A few minutes after that, The Masque and Impetus come walking out of the interior talking quietly. They finish their conversation out of earshot and approach the group. Impetus has a somewhat introspective look to his normally harsh demeanor. "Thank you for your patience," says Masque. "I hope you found some peace here, though the abruptness of the journey may have spoiled it for you."
Masque spreads her arms and a faint pink aura emanates from under her heavy cloak which billows outward slowly. Looking at Dragon Mist she says, almost as an after thought, "Time travel as you describe is not impossible. Cowboy is proof of that. It is simply highly disruptive and counter to what I'm doing here. Traveling to the future is easy. We all do it with every heartbeat. I simply sped the process up for us. Breaking the Reaction Cascade works best if you distance yourself... take time off as it were. Yes it was a risk... but necessary, I feel. Going to the past is another issue all together. I doubt I could do it and it would cause even worse upheavals in the stream. I'm sorry."
Then, with that said, her arms spring outward, hands splayed, and the pink glow becomes brighter and brighter, surrounding all of you and drowning out the sun and sand and ocean.

Arcsilver, New York: ADA Robinson listens intently as you whisper into her ear, nodding, and looking intently at Nails. She seems just about to say something into the phone, when you finish with "You smell good." (LOL at that line, by the way.)
She starts, and almost drops the phone, eyes wide, looking at you in utter surprise.

You aren't sticking around, though. The police officer saw you with Sally Anne and doesn't move to stop you as you go outside. You are easily able to blend with the crowd moving a few meters to the side. You sub-vocalize to Darkfire, over the radio and get a, "Roger that. I'm twenty minutes away, though. Heading out now." Just as he clicks off, you realize that he won't make it. The following happens almost simultaneously...
The police have moved in, kicked the dropped weapons away and are busy patting down the three men and Nails. She has a familiar wry grin on her face, normally seen around the breakfast table at HQ but with a touch of malice not seen in her sister. Just as the cops are starting to pull arms back and slap on the cuffs, you see Masterson straighten up, look startled, listening to his ear radio. You realize that he has just been relayed the info on Nails, probably from Sally Anne. He is just beginning to shout something when Sally Anne steps out of the restaurant with the uniformed cop, and into the view of Nails.
Nails grin turns truly evil, and she shrugs... hard. The cop with his hands on her arms goes flying back with a yelp, into the officer behind him. Instinctively you flare you flight energy and electricity sparks out of your feet along the sidewalk. Several bystanders jump at the sight, but Nails doesn't seem to notice, her attention on Sally Anne and snarling, "So you're the big bad momma, huh? Don't look like anything special to me. I'll pop you like a zit!" and she looks ready to spring.

Initiative: Arcsilver, Nails, cops, thugs, Arcsilver (2nd)

Note: (Howdy all. Busy weekend, and busier work days. I'm going to try to get the beached group going again this week. Sorry about the delay, but Arcs is going alone for the moment. Hope you all are doing well.)

[RDU Neil]

Post 166

From Impetus:

((("Not pretty, is it?" she rasps, without
any obvious embarrassment.)))

"No," he says. "But ah seen worse."

He listens to her, looking with mild astonishment at his force field going
away like that, then hiw brow furrows. "But if ah'm a part o'natcha, then
why doan mah powers alluz work on command? Ah can't fire predict'bly;
sometimes it jes' cuts out. Dat cause'a some stray floatin' Magic, or is
dat cuz'a some otha' reason you ain' told me about? An' why DID you bring
us out heah, anyways?

He thinks for a moment more, then his face softens. "An is..." he
hesitates, which is unusual for him. "An' is there some way y'all can give
me dat cut-off magic in a ball o'a necklace o' somethin', so ah can turn it
off when ah want insteada bein' two tons alla time?"


From GM:

Elaine responds, "While your power may be natural forces the manipulation of them is a skill you have to learn, no matter how integrated your physical form becomes through use. It's a matter of practice and time, plus, I would think that your physical form is transforming... becoming capable of withstanding the stress of channeling such forces."
As she talks her head bows, letting her hair spill around her face. Slowly she rotates her neck, stretching. "As to your mass gain, that is partly essential to your body's ability to cope with your powers. You are stronger and tougher and your localized gravitational field has been increased. It my be possible to create a charm that would negate your energies but it would take some time to construct, and I'd imagine the long term effects would be... well... complete implosion. You and a big chunk of reality around you." She smiles, a bit drawn and tired, "I wouldn't recommend it. That black hole in your head may be only a Planck length in diameter, but without your energy field counteracting and controlling it's nearly infinite gravitational field..." she looks a little queasy. "Ugh. I wouldn't want to watch you get swallowed up. Right now you are maintaining a quantum level event horizon around that hole. I wouldn't be too eager to do anything that would let it possibly expand."
Suddenly she looks directly into your eyes and you see real compassion there, a softness and level of caring you aren't used to. Her hand is hot on your bare bicep. "I truly hope you can survive and master your abilities. With you, I think I might actually succeed here. It would be nice to get to know the man behind those powers." There is a great amount of pain and a sense of age and exhaustion in what is an other wise young and beautiful woman (sans the scars).

From Impetus:

((((She smiles, a bit drawn and tired, "I wouldn't
recommend it. That black hole in your head may be only a Planck
length in
diameter, but without your energy field counteracting and
controlling it's
nearly infinite gravitational field..." ))))

Impetus wonders what kind of planks SHE'S seen -- the ones on the
construction site are usually five or six feet long -- but hey, who knows
when it comes to gravity? It's probably a very squeezed plank.

((((("I truly hope you can survive and master you abilities.
With you, I think I might actually succeed, here. It would be nice
to get
to know the man behind those powers." There is a great amount of
pain, and
a sense of age and exhaustion in what is an other wise young and
beautiful
woman (sans the scars).<<<))))))

He cocks his head and looks at her, not moving away from the hand on his
rocklike bicep. His expression deepens for a moment, staring straight into
her eye, as he evidently makes some kind of decision about Elaine.

"Take the mask off," he says.

It is a command, but an oddly soft one for Impetus; not the half-brutal
tones he uses while talking to everyone else, but spoken with a quiet
reassurance, and an implicit guarantee that he won't hurt her in any way.
There is just something that he needs to see, if she wants him to know her.
It's a gesture of trust on both parts that he's asking for.

Assuming that she does (if not, then things spin a bit differently), he'll
look at the clawmarks, gazing deep into them -- not out of freakish
curiosity, but simply to see how bad they are, maybe get some idea of what
happened. There is compassion in his eyes -- faint distant compassion, but
the beginnings of some understanding.

And then, with her mask off, he'll look into her eye and look at what he
sees there. Is it fear? Bravery? Simple wondering?

Whatever the look, that's what determines what happens next. Reply soon,
and I'll respond today. We DO have literally a half-hour to talk, according
to your timeline.

When Impetus gets back, he does two things:

1) He gets Crusader and Wild Heart to one side, then asks for a piece of
paper and a pen. Assuming he can find it, he writes down his pager number
and hands it to them. "Doan han' dis t'anyone else, if y'please," he says.
"Ah got people who'd love to three-oh-seven me, an' it wouldn't be too hard
t'find out who ah am from dis numba. I trus' you, so doan blow it in
return. An' SPECIALLY doan give it t' Killinger, awri? You page me, I come
as quick as ah can, but until y'all can put me on some kinda sal'ry, I gots
t''keep mah day job. If it's sumpin where it's worth quittin' fo' -- like,
someone's life is in danga an ain' nobody else gotcha back -- you put a
double-eight in fronta it."

2) He looks at Cowboy, assuming nothing else has happened that I've missed.
If it's the right time of the evening, Impetus looks at Cowboy and says,
"You seem like d'type. Feel like goan f'a beer t'nite befo' we head backta
mah crib?"

From GM:

>>>After a moment looking up at you Elaine simply reaches up, no fancy levitation, and takes her mask off. Four, evil looking, perpendicular scars trace from her lower right forehead, just above the right eye, down through the eye, across the cheek to the jaw bone. You've seen plenty of knife wounds and any one of these looks like what a hard slash from a very sharp blade would make. Whatever did this must have had razor sharp claws, or it was some kind of four bladed weapon. One cut took her right eye, leaving only a white, sightless orb. All of the cuts must have cut to the bone.
Her reaction isn't apparent at first... she is still, face placid... then a small smile creeps into the corners of her mouth, not mocking but somewhat pleased. You suddenly feel her hand trace down your bicep to chest and then your stomach. Her fingers lightly trace your patched wound. "There is an intimacy to revealing your scars. My first love taught me that. Few people realize it... and fewer still act on it." Then her hand comes up, tracing one vivid line down her cheek. "These are the least of mine." Her eyes turn away then, not afraid, but again, distant and sad.<<<

From Impetus:

"Where ah come from, we never had a choice."

After a moment of staring into her eye, assessing what he sees there, he
continues. The words seem to stumble out of his lips, unusual in a man who
speaks with such surety.

"Either you showed nothing, or you showed every'thin..." he continues,
looking a bit distant and isolated himself, "An' there was nothin'
in-between. Enemies or frens, shootin' or drinkin'... you had no choice.
An' sometimes, t'do the right thing, you wound up makin' some choices that
ripped yo' life in half."

He takes her hand in his, gently, drawing her attention back to him. "But
you know that, don't you?"


From GM:

>>>Masque simply nods at your words, and then says, "What keeps me up at night is thinking about all the enemies I ended up drinking with... and all the friends I've killed. Dying for a cause is easy..." her face becomes hard for moment. As hard as any stone cold banger... the light in her eye gone... flat... unnerving. " The question is always who are you willing to sacrifice to it?"
She holds your eyes like that for a moment, then the ice breaks and her light and sadness and humanity come back. Frustration adds even more hoarseness to her rough voice. "I'm just sick of the death. And there will be more. It is not easy..." she brushes her hand against your arm..."to constantly meet those who will likely not survive." She shakes her head, looking down. "I am most afraid of becoming used to it."
She leans in, then. Her head suddenly resting against your chest. A warm, intimate contact. "Thank you," she whispers.<<<

From Impetus:

Impetus puts his arm around her shoulder, holding her close for a moment.
He looks off into the sunset, eyes flinty and remote, thinking for a moment.


"I know what you did," he says flatly -- but before she can respond, he
says, "I done it too. Long as you worried about it, you doan get used to
it."

He looks down at her, his face a mixture of judgement and tenderness. "Ah
ain' never had to make th' choice to kill or not, 'cause I always foun' a
way to avoid it. But ah know what you go through. Smaller scale, mebbe,
but I los' mah sister to it, I los' all mah frens, and next thing ah know
the macks who called me 'blood' are tryina kill me. It ain' easy.

"But you do what you can. 'Cause you know what's right. An' you do," he
says with calm surety, pinning her with his gaze -- almost daring her to
deny it. "Question is, do you have the strength t'keep yo' humanity AN'
your cause alive?"

He listens to her answer patiently, then -- whether it's denial or agreement
or confusion -- he leans down and gently kisses her on her forehead. "Put
yo' mask back on," he says. "Time to go back. But same offer I made to
Cowboy, I make t'you -- 'cept he sleeps on the couch. You c'n stays
anywhere you want. Fo' as long as you need. Even if it's only f'a little
while. Y'unnerstan?"

From GM:

As you walk back, Elaine says, "I have others to find... and some research to do. I may be gone for some time, but I will come back, and take you up on that."
Just as you come into the clearing, she whispers to you, "Perhaps... in the future... if we succeed... the two of us can return to this island." She looks at the crowd waiting at the beach, and says, "JUST the two of us..."

And soon after that, you are gone.

[RDU Neil]

Post 167

From Cowboy:

Cowboy groans slightly, and shakes his head. "Man,
what th' hell IS this, my day fer travellin'?
Keeeee-ripes, man..."

From Speedball:

Hopping on one foot and sending sand flying, Speedball puts his crappy old
running shoes on over his socks, already wet and sandy from the beach. "Ok,
let's get the carny rolling. 'Heart, I'm more than happy to check out this
hospital with ya. I hope the Kid's still there. From what I saw I wouldn't
be surprised if he'd disappeared...or worse. But wouldn't the hospital have
called you or something if his condition had changed? Course, I can only
say I saw some guy who *called himself* Kid Fantastic. Never met the guy
b'fore, so I can't say its true. Does it sound like something he'd do?
Well, I guess it doesn't matter, since we need to check it out anyway."

From Crusader:

Crusader has big concerns. LIke slapping cybernetic gear and then living
with the sand under his armor.
Definitely need a shower.

From Dragon Mist:

Due to all that's going on currently, Dragon Mist does the troubled ninja routine and broods. He's not even aware of the fact that he's striking a pose.


From Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will take advantage of Nail's failing to see him, and streak
through the street (2 levels in turn mode, one in OCV), attempting an
10d6 move-by on her (hopefully, this will be a surprise attack). Just
after he hits her, he will say "hey scooter! Guess who?"

I assume that I am no more than 10" away from Nails and crew, and my
intention is to end up 16-18" away, at an altitude and direction that
will focus their/her attack away from the crowds. Just after he has hit
her (or missed!), he will switch to a police band, shaking a hurt fist
and saying quietly "I'll try to distract her as long as I can, Masterson,
can you get Robinson out? I don't know how long I can hold her at
bay..."

-Ilan

PS FYI, Neil, I assume that the radio is small enough to go in Arc's
pocket, but he would have left the suit and the high quality boxing wraps
at home. As a result, he does not have any force field (the suit focuses
his EM emissions into a hard shell), nor does he have that extra PD vs
move-by/through (ouchee!!).

-----

From GM:

Note: (This is just for Ilan to respond to, but for you all to enjoy. We'll see how quickly this fight goes since I didn't realize that Arcsilver is basically defenseless. Ick. Could be messy.)

>>>Arcsilver: Nails never sees you coming. So focused on going for Sally is she, combined with your speed, that your fist impacts her jaw as her feet have just left the pavement. Her head spins sideways and her body lurches from it's normal trajectory as she splays wildly, slamming into a newspaper box on the street side with a loud crash.
Your hand hurts like hell as you zip past and turn. Looking back, you see the cops wheeling, the crowd crying out and surging away in a spreading circle from the impact sight. Though you call to Masterson, he doesn't respond and you see him shouting and yelling to his fellow officers, doing a dive side roll over the black sedan, shotgun held perpendicular to his body, coming toward Nails.
One of the agents, the driver, uses the sudden distraction and whirls on the officer behind him taking him across the jaw with a vicious elbow strike.
Nails stands, up. Looking up at you she glares a happy, twisted grin yelling, "Oh yeah! It's super skinny dude! Comin' back for more punishment! Glad you ain't wearing that stupid spandex. I was gettin' sick watching your bony ass!" She jumps up on a parked delivery van, coming toward you.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 168

From Arcsilver:

> Nails stands, up.<

Arcsilver's thought bubble: "uh oh..."

>Looking up at you, she glares a happy, twisted grin
>at you, yelling, "Oh yeah! It's super skinny dude! Comin' back for
>more
>punishment! Glad you ain't wearing that stupid spandex. I was gettin'
>sick watching your bony ass!" And she jumps up on a parked delivery
>van, coming toward you.<<<

Arcsilver will wait until she is as close as possible (finishes her move), and then execute another move-by, but this time on the agent who just decked a cop, I'm looking for 8d6 out of this one. He will continue the move in an arc upwards, so that he will end above Nails. He will finish his round with a PRE attack: "Big talk, half-pint. You think you can keep up with me now that there isn't anyone to give you a toss (see 2 issues ago)?"

Arc has danced this dance before, and hopefully has some idea of how far she can jump. He is trying to play this as safely as possible, and stay out of her reach.

-Ilan and Arcsilver

From GM:

>>>Using your amazing speed to your advantage, you flash around the battle field faster than most people can follow. The police are just turning toward the escaping agent who has taken barely two steps from where he'd been standing when he's mowed down by your blazing fist and strong garlic breath from the Chinese food. You hammer him in the ribs and feel the thickness of body armor under his jacket. He goes down hard though, on his butt, surprise and shock on his face as the air rushes from his lungs.
Then you are up and over the battle scene yelling down at Nails. You see the police officer from inside the restaurant pulling Sally Anne back inside, away from the battle scene. Masterson and the rest of the cops are now trying to orient on where Nails has gone. Below you she smiles that wicked grin. "Ooooh. Pick on the norms, Arcy. That's always fun, ain't it? They make such fun squishing noises when you hit them don't they?" Her grin turns even more wicked, "I heard you iced a guy this morning. No high quite like that is there?!"<<<

Initiative: Arcsilver (1st), Nails, Cops, badguys, Arcsilver (2nd)

From Arcsilver:

She said:

>"Ooooh. Pick on the norms, Arcy. That's always fun, ain't it. They
>make such fun squishing noises when you hit them, don't they." Her
>grin turns even more wicked, "I heard you iced a guy this morning. No
>high quite like that, is there?!"<<<

Arcsilver grits his teeth for a split second, fighting back an anger that he is unaccustomed to. He then zips an and around Nails and out again, trying to lead her away from the crowd and the police (and Sally!). He still wants to stay out of HTH range, and will use his second 1/2 phase (moving only 15") to try to unleash a tendril of lightening near her face, momentarliy blinding her. While zipping around, just out of reach, Arcsilver will reply: "I don't know, half-pint, you were a little squishy yourself. Maybe time to jazzericise, no?" For his second, he will attempt another move-by, using his full 30" so that he can come around her and still end up out of her reach moving in the same direction. I'm looking for 11d6 out of the attack, will all levels in OCV (makes that OCV14 I think).

Neil, you never let me know how much damage I took from that first move-by. That's fine, but just let me know if he is in danger of knocking himself out with one of these moves. If it seems likely, Arc will do something else.

-Ilan

From GM:

Note: (Whoops, sorry. Arcs took 7 stun after his 4 PD from that move-by.)

>>>Arcsilver: As you speed down and around Nails' position you see her rotating on the balls of her feet, tensing her legs, lining herself up for a leap at you. Before she can spring though, your hand outstretches and unleashes arcing flashes of light right at her. Instinctively she bobs down, thinking she is avoiding an impact blast and instead finds herself staring directly into the white hot intensity of your arc lightning.
"AHHH F*%K!" she screams, stepping backward with surprise and sudden flash blindness. One hand slaps to her eyes and she nearly steps off the top of the delivery van on which she is standing. She seems totally disoriented and unstable as you gleefully turn and line up for a return strike. At that moment you suddenly hear Masterson yell, "FIRE!" followed by the Boom! of a shotgun and the crisp "Kpok! Kpok! Kpok!" of an assault rifle.
Nails jerks and twitches as Masterson and a fellow officer with an HK-94AR light her up from below. Her wind breaker shreds as lead shot and 5.56mm rounds tear into her. Scarily she doesn't go down, though she's hit multiple times. It only seem to enrage her as she yells out, "I'm gonna tear your f*#%ing balls off and make you f*#%ing eat them you f*#%ing pissboys!" and whirls unsteadily in their general direction... leaving her back to you in a wide open target.
Freeze frame, three panel split. First panel showing Arcsilver's fists in close perspective, zooming towards Nails standing on the delivery van. Second panel, same fists, closer now, and Nails' rantings over the tops of the cops heads suddenly cuts of in mid "^!)*# @ #$ $#*^#..." Third Panel, fists right behind Nails and her head cocks backward, eyes still blinking from the flash, small type in her word balloon saying, "Oh shi..."
WHAM!! You impact solidly into her back with both hands, slamming her forward and down off the van. She looks like a normal woman... but as you've felt in the past, hitting her is like punching a truck. Your right wrist buckles and you hear a "pop" upon impact. Pain shoots up your arm. (You take 9 stun and 1 body after defense.)
Nails flies forward and down, through the air a good ten meters, and smashes into one of those goofy three wheeled garbage scooters that putt-putt around the city streets, stinking to high heaven. It goes over with a crash, glass and garbage strewing onto the sidewalk. Bystanders shriek and pile backwards into each other... and you see Nails, pushing herself up out of the mess, a smear of garbage all over her clothes. Somehow over that cacophony, you somehow hear her growl, "Oh you f#*%er, you are SO dead!"<<<

Note: (God I LOVE the chaos of a good paranormal battle. HEE HEE!)

From Arcsilver:

<< Nails said:

>you
>somehow hear her growl, "Oh you f#*%er, you are SO dead!"<<<

Arcsilver, zipping to a safe distance about 10" away, will say "that may be, Scooter, but you're covered in trash." he will then extend one hand, and release tendrils of electricity at Nails, trying to direct as much of the charge at her as possible (4d6 NND). If he hits with this, he will follow up with "take some of that! Who's your daddy?" As he is expending the last of this electricity, he will say into his comm (still set to the police band) "Masterson! I don't know how long I can keep her busy! I'm soft without my suit, and if she hits me, I'm done for! Get Robinson out of here and bring in some big guns!"

-Ilan and one as-of-yet-lucky Arcsilver

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: Pressing you advantage you unleash your multiple static charges in a spray of thin, silvery bolts. Nails, just pushing herself up from the garbage, does a spastic dance as the electricity shoots through her.
Still blinded she shouts stuttering curses in the wrong direction, as her hair stands straight up on end.
Then your bolts cut off and there is a moment of stillness as she wavers, knees buckling, whisps of smoke pouring from her clothes. She drops to her knees, arms limp at her side, her mouth opens and some sparks "spack!"
out as she tries to cry, "You f#$*er..."
And a second fulsilade of gun fire from Masterson and the second officer, slam into her. Masterson double taps her with two shotgun blasts to the head and chest, as the SWAT man walks rounds right up her torso. It is brutal and final, slamming Nails to the ground. Most anyone else would be smoking red paste after such inflicted punishment, but as she lays in the garbage, most of her clothes blown off, she looks relatively uninjured aside from scorch marks and some bruises. She lies still, but her chest rises and falls with steady breathing.
"Christ on a crutch!" says Masterson, as the police begin closing in around her, ten guns pointed down, the enemy agents down and being cuffed and covered by five others.
You massage your wrist, already the pain is leaving it as you can feel the energy surge through it, reshaping the torn tendons. Below you, Sally Anne looks up from the doorway, as do many of the bystanders, looking
at you. She makes a small gesture, tracing her finger around her eyes (outlining a mask maybe?), and shaking her head with a negative, pointing at you.<<<

Note: (Oh man. That flash just HOSED Nails. She was going to be blind for five actions, was essentially a zero DCV to any ranged attacks, was getting hammered on all fronts. That last zap attack took her to Zero stun and then Masterson's and the SWAT guy's shots put her out. Most of the bullets were doing none or minimal damage, but Masterson's last shot did something like 64 Stun. Since she was a zero, whatever got through was doubled. UGH. La La Land!)

From Arcsilver:

Arcsilver feels for his sunglasses, and then slowly smiles at any members of the crowd who are looking up at him (which I assume is most of the people). He then zips up, so that he is hovering above the crowd, and (assuming that no one is hurt and no immediate emergencies are apparent, he will say, with a smile: Well, never let it be said that a Maverick would let his identity get in the way of lending a hand when he could! Now I hope that you will all keep my little secret!" With that, he rockets off, waving as he goes. He will hang out in the clouds for a little while, until it is clear that Nails is subdued, and then head back towards his apartment to change into the suit and not take it off for a long while. As he is going, he will radio again to Masterson (Why doesn't anyone ever answer Arcsilver's incessant radio chatter?): Sorry to take off, Masterson, but I've got family to protect and I can't afford the camera's getting a picture of me. I'm going to hold above your position until Nails is under wraps or until Darkfire has reached your position, which should be in about 20 minutes, just call if she starts to come around. And tell Ms. Robinson that she owes me a dinner!"

Assuming that she doesn't come back around, Arcsilver will zip back to his apartment, calling Darkfire to tell him what happoened and ask him to help out where he can and get the skinny on what they were doing there (was it a hit on Robinson? On me?).

Once changed and at the base, Arcsilver will sleep with his radio on, waiting for any sign of the group. Assuming that he hears Wildheart's call, he will repond "hey, Wildheart, good to hear your voice! Where ARE you? Do you need any help?"


From GM:

Note: (Last quick one for Ilan alone, which should hook him back up with the group.)

>>>Arcsilver: You receive a lot of whoops and yells, all very positive and supportive actually, from the crowd of bystanders as you fly off. Soaring upward, you watch as the police swarm over Nails unconscious form. From the back of an unmarked car,you see an officer pull an emergency meta-suppression kit, which basically amounts to heavy steel manacles with a leverage bar that holds hands and arms locked in a position behind the back so that it is difficult to get any leverage and bring enhanced strength to bear. This is supplemented by an industrial strength hypo of what amounts to a sophisticated elephant tranquilizer. "The Dose" as it is called, along with the restraints, are a controversial police tool with many civil rights types arguing that they are unconstitutional, but nearly all police departments use them because paranormals are too active and problematic not to.
Nails is quickly dosed, restrained, and wrapped in blankets. Masterson responds to your call saying, "Glad you were here, Arcs. We owe you one on this. These guys have been following ADA Robinson around for a few weeks now and we've been planning this sting to nab them. We know they are monitoring our department, so it's been slow going. Your impromptu lunch with Robinson gave us the chance to jump these guys with you around in case they had paranormal help." He pauses, then, "Uh, you seemed to know this woman, and I have to admit she looks a hell of a lot like Wild Heart. Freaked me out for a moment. Care to fill me in, or does Darkfire know what's up?"

After your answer you see that Darkfire is only a couple minutes away, and will tag along with the cops in making sure Nails gets properly incarcerated. They have local Stronghold agents, and a few meta-lockdown cells where she can be held. You head back home and then to headquarters.
The rest of the day is long and boring, with you and Yuri getting nowhere in trying to track down where your compatriots might be. There is a lot of buzz about their disappearance coupled with the alleged RE-appearance of Solitaire... or someone who looks like her. Unfortunately, there are no answers that day. Finally, late that night, you and Yuri crash. He in the Winnebago, and you in your room. After an exhausting day, you turn off like a switch...
... and slowly blink into consciousness, realizing you've heard something. Your clock flashes 5:23 a.m., the next morning. You hear it again... clump, clump... and realize it is the familiar sound of MIRV walking around the warehouse HQ in his armor. You are just swinging up and out of bed, when your comm goes off, and Wild Heart makes her call saying she is on FDR Island.<<<

Note: (That should put Arcsilver right back in the time line with everyone else. Any questions, please let me know.)

[RDU Neil]

Post 169 (This was consecutive with the last part of the Arcsilver battle... as noted by Ilan's comments.)

From GM:

Note: (Well, Arcsilver survived the fight, so I can at least go ahead with the Mavericks return to New York. Exactly where Arcs is during the following, I'm not sure, but he'll catch up quickly I have no doubt. Sorry for the long delay, work has been hellish and it's been difficult to find time to continue.)

>>> The hazy pink light fades as another jaunt across the world ends, somewhat anti-climactically. Immediately each of you realize that the group is not together any longer, but in a quickly lost sense of connectivity each of you hear The Masque's voice, soft and without the rasp, saying, "Be unpredictable. Be unmerciful. Be prepared to sacrifice. The one who loses most, most often wins."

And then you are home.

Impetus: You are standing in your living room. The wall clock shows five twenty-two... you guess a.m., not p.m. You've lost a day at least, and...
... there is somebody right behind you. Spinning to look you hear the soft jangle of what can only be spurs, and you see Cowboy standing by your couch, looking around the room over the tops of his dark glasses. The crunch of sand is audible under his boots as he shifts his stance to give you an appraising look. His eyes are alert but you notice that there are circles under them, and his beard scruff is getting patchy and haggard looking.

Cowboy: The room is stuffy, clearly without air-conditioning. Old, plain furniture sits in the dark. A faded couch faces what you can only guess to be an ancient flat-vid... hell is that screen convex???... television. A truly antique laptop... has to be a good twenty centimeters wide, with an actual screen, rather than holographic projection capabilities... sits on a desk. It is so retro that you feel, not for the first time, like you've stepped into an old movie. Impetus is in front of you and turns to see you there. His face is still weathered, hard and angry looking, but has a gray cast to it. Dried blood still coats his stomach and legs. Outside you hear distant cars honking and voices of what are likely pedestrians on the street, though you can't see outside because of closed curtains. You aren't sure what time it is, what day it is, or even exactly where you are and you begin to feel really exhausted, like it's been a week without sleep... and as far as you know, it just might have been.

Crusader: You are in your room at headquarters. Simple and clean, your bed made and everything looking as you left it. The digital clock flashes 5:22 a.m.; the date is the next morning. Though you feel like you've only been awake for a few hours, clearly nearly twenty four hours have passed.
Your inner thigh is chaffing as well. Didn't quite get all the sand out of the armor before you put it back on. Quickly you look out into the open rooms and the place seems empty, until you hear Yuri's distinctive snoring coming from the mobile home in the garage area. Then there is a shuffle, and a clank, and the door to MIRV's room opens up and he steps out, rifle humming, looking at you, saying, "Are we all here? You ok?"
Just then, your armor's com-unit beeps, and Wild Heart's voice comes across. (see below.)

Dragon Mist: Home. Your loft. The faint light of a soon to be rising sun comes through the large, grimy window facing out over the East River. You instinctively put the time at a little after five in the morning... which makes it nearly twenty four hours later... a day since the battle with the ninja. A full day since your sister was taken.
Movement, unheard, unseen, simply sensed from the bedroom. No threat. The door slides open soundlessly, Grey Spirit stands there, unmasked, in simple black cotton tank and underwear, barefoot on the cold floor. Her distinctive Oni tattoo runs down her arms and shoulders. Her right hand holds a tanto knife, your own weapon from beside your bed, poised along her forearm, but casual and relaxed. Her dark eyes are luminous, if tired looking.
"I'm pleased you have returned," she says quietly, with a slight bow of the head. Her face relaxes, showing even more of it's inherent beauty and striking smoothness. "I had no doubt you would come back, but to see that you are unharmed is gratifying." She steps into the room, closer to you, non-plussed by her near nakedness. She bows more formally, extending the blade pommel first, and says, "I wish to thank you for saving my unworthy life. How may I assist you?"
Your comm unit beeps. (see below)

Speedball: You are outside. It's cold. I mean, it was just really, really warm, and you were still dripping saltwater into your sneakers and trying to sneak a look at Wild Heart's butt as she bent over to pick up her jacket... and now it's friggin' freezing, your juice feels like it's at low ebb, and your balls are trying to climb into your stomach to get warm! Gray, early morning light has replaced the bright sunshine. You are in a small courtyard, old trees and grass and some benches, a couple sets of lawn furniture, all of it looking cold and abandoned. There is frost on the grass. The courtyard opens out of a beautiful old house, brick and white wood work, three stories high. Soft lights come from some of the downstairs windows.
Looking up, you can see the Manhattan skyline which, after a quick estimate, puts you somewhere in Queens... except that Queens doesn't usually have nice places like this. Not that you've ever seen.
Wild Heart's voice makes you turn and look as she says, "Where the hell are we, Speedy?? Oh, wait..." She laughs, looking at you, and shrugging into her jacket. "Damn. That Solita... er, Masque, or whatever she calls herself... is good." She notices your confusion. "She sent us to that hospital I mentioned. On FDR Island," she explains. She starts heading for a patio door, lifting up her headset out of her coat pocket and triggering it.
"Wild Heart to all Mavericks. Any Mavericks receiving, please respond. I'm on FDR Island, with Speedball. No threats... doing fine. Except Speedy looks like a drowned rat. Anyone out there? You guys ok?"<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 170

From Cowboy:

Cowboy groans softly, and puts a hand to his face. At
the same time, he slumps, and his butt hits the sofa.

"Oooooh, man... shit. I don't think my jacked nerves
like bein' tossed about like that..."

He rubs his eyes under his sunglasses, and then slaps
his cheeks a few times. "I'm up, I'm up. Yo, nice
pad, man. Way retro. Where the fuck we at, Esse?"

(Since I never mentioned it while on the island, I am
assuming, Neil, that Cowboy never got his radio set to
pick up the Maverick's broadcasts. D'oh.)

From Speedball:

"wwwwelll ffffffUCK, its cold! She couldn't have put us inSIDE?"
Speedball looks around, a little nervous and a lot cold. "umm, I know I
should've thought about this while we were on this island, but I could use a
bathroom and a, uh...(looking down at his shoes) couple'a towels."
When given the chance, Speedball will go into a bathroom, grab a towel (or
some papertowels, if he has to) and quickly dry off as much as possible).
He will also use the ampule that he keeps in his inside pocket, quickly
locating the vein on his right underarm and shooting the strangebrew. He
will then flush the toilet, tossing the ampule in when the water begins
flushing.
when finished he'll walk out, adjusting his track pants and should look
visibly refreshed, though still cold. "Ok, 'Heart. Let's get cracking, find
a nurse and check out the Kid's room."

From Impetus:

(((Cowboy groans softly, and puts a hand to his face. At
the same time, he slumps, and his butt hits the sofa.))))

And smacks into a solid steel girder, lying underneath a half-inch of VERY
compressed fabric.

((((He rubs his eyes under his sunglasses, and then slaps
his cheeks a few times. "I'm up, I'm up. Yo, nice
pad, man. Way retro. Where the fuck we at, Esse?"))))

"Ain' retro," he says wearily, grabbing a roll of bandages off of the coffee
table in the living room. "You futro." Impetus hasn't noticed your
discomfort; Cowboy notes the fact that a bunch of bandages and hydrogen
peroxide has been left next to the table, as well as a now-warm Miller that
HAD been laid in a bucket of ice, now lukewarm slush. He begins to wind a
set of fresh bandages around his wound. "Dis's all current within three
years or so. Wish I had the money to get a better PC, though. Thass a
frickin' three-eighty-six."

You probably have no idea what he's talking about, but the idea's pretty
clear from his voice: It's a piece of crap.

"Right now you on the upper side'a the Bronx, on Bainbridge Avenue.*
Assuming th'lanscape ain't changed too much in the futcha, we about two
blocks up from Holy Nativity Church, within walkin' distance of the Bronx
River Parkway, though I wouldn't advise it unless you want a dustup. Gangs
roun' here are pretty tight." He walks into the kitchen. "You want a beer?
You look like a beer man."

Irregardless of the answer, he definitely walks out with a frosty one in HIS
hand.

"I'd suggest we both go out f'a beer or sumpin, but you look as tired as I
feel. Here's the deal, Cowboy; you get the couch, 'cuz you doan' want the
bed -- I welded it together outta solid steel so it could support my weight
when I'm sleepin. Half the couch is like that too, but you put y'legs on
the metal part and you should be awright.

"I'ma call in sick to work tomorrow and kiss some SERIOUS ass to not get
fired -- but don't worry, issa union job. I don't care WHAT kinda future
you got in Enn Why Cee, th' las' thing lef's gonna be cockroaches and
unions, and I ain' sure the roaches ain't gonna form unions by th' time
everything's done. We both get some doze, then t'morra we get up, I take
you aroun' town and you tell me what's changed, and hopefully we get some
kinda buzz from Wildheart. She got my pager. I told her to get me.

"By th' way, my real name's Shek -- whass yours?"

From Cowboy:

"Steel, huh? Hell, I slept on worse," Cowboy says,
giving a few experimental bounces till he finds a more
comfortable spot on the sofa.

"Hell yeah, I'll take a beer!" He gladly takes the
offered bottle (can, whatever). His movements seem a
little more jerky than before, not as fast and smooth.
Also, his hands are shaking a bit, which causes him
to curse under his breath.

"Damn... hate it when I get this worn out. My nerves
start actin' overtime an' shit. Bronx, huh? That
puts us in th' bad parta Hell." He rests his head on
the back of the sofa, breathing quietly for a few
moments, the beer bottle sitting in his lap.

"Heh, Unions. Shit, yeah, I know Unions. They's just
like gangs, only more money. Can't take a shit
without a Union card."

When Impetus asks for his real name, Cowboy looks a
bit uncomfortable. "Cowboy. That's th' only name I
gone by inna loooong time. Only one that fits
anymore."

From Impetus:

(((("Damn... hate it when I get this worn out. My nerves
start actin' overtime an' shit. Bronx, huh? That
puts us in th' bad parta Hell." ))))

"Basic'ly. Ah ain' rich, though, so ah can't afford t'move anywhere else."

((("Heh, Unions. Shit, yeah, I know Unions. They's just
like gangs, only more money. Can't take a shit
without a Union card.")))

"Sure makes f'a decent livin' when y'work for 'em," he says, raising a beer
in silent toast to the power of unions.

(((("When Impetus asks for his real name, Cowboy looks a
bit uncomfortable. "Cowboy. That's th' only name I
gone by inna loooong time. Only one that fits
anymore.")))))

Impetus raises his hands in a "no prob" gesture. "Shek wasn't the name I'z
born wid either. You go by Cowboy, you Cowboy t'me. At leas' y'dress the
part, man." He finishes the beer, then stands up, walks over to that
flatscreen thing, and says, "I'm gonna assume you can read enough t'work the
buttons on this thing. You wake up early, try channel 37; that's See Enn
Enn, a news station. Oughtta get you a little in touch wid yo' hist'ry.
And with that said, I'm goin' ta bed. Night, Cowboy. Sleep well, man."

And Impetus, chest still throbbing so badly he has to take about twenty
aspirin for it to calm down to a dull roar, falls into a deep and dreamless
sleep.

From Dragon Mist:

A few moments of shock pass while DM assimilates all of what both Grey Spirit and Wild Heart have just said. Then, with an apologetic look, he holds his hand up to Grey Spirit to pause her, turns, and says into his comm link, "Dragon Mist here. I'm in my loft and fine. Yuri can pick you up. I'll call in tomorrow.". With that DM turns off his communicator, and looks back at Grey Spirit.
After removing his half mask he takes the offered tanto and sheaths it. "I am glad you made such a fast recovery, the last time I saw you, you weren't doing so well. As for assisting me, well they still have my sister and I need your help finding her. In case you didn't notice, the clan's taken to new traditions, a new set of rules. Now we need to retrace our steps and. . . " He stops talking, looking at her for a few quiet seconds, realizing that he never stops being the ninja, and then says: "Don't ever say that you're unworthy." With that DM turns out the lights.

(Sorry for the schmaltz)

From Arcsilver:

To Masterson... "Well, glad to help, but next time give me a clue! I was lucky not to
get cleaned out there - I didn't have any of my equipment, and it could
have been a lot uglier..."

"Uh, you seemed to
>know this woman, and I have to admit she looks a hell of a lot like
>Wild Heart. Freaked me out for a moment. Care to fill me in, or does
>Darkfire know what's up?"

"What? Like Wildheart? Come on, Masterson, are smoking the evidence?
Wildheart is way hotter. I tussled with her when we were ambushed at
Onyx's gym. Remember that? She broke my hip with a curling bar."

>You are just swinging up and out of bed,
>when your comm goes off, and Wild Heart makes her call saying she is on
>FDR Island.<<<

"Hey 'heart! Good to hear your voice, I'm on the way!" Unless she tells
him otherwise, he will zip out there, wanting to make sure that the group
is OK, and to hear what happened. He also wants some alone time with
'Heart to give her the skinny on her sister.

-Ilan and Arcsilver

From Crusader:

<< "Wild Heart to all Mavericks. Any Maverick's receiving, please respond.
I'm on FDR Island, with Speedball. No threats... doing fine? Except Speedy
looks like a drowned rat. Anyone out there? You guys ok?"<<< >>

Cue the com; "Crusader here. I'm at HQ with MIRV and a sleeping Yuri.
Alls well on our end."
Take a shower! Then rest. Clean the armor. Then I want to check in
with DragonMist, possibly late afternoon.

--storn

-----

From GM:

Note: (Cowboy and Impetus (and likely Crusader) will be sleeping through the following, and Dragon Mist otherwise occupied, but it shouldn't take too long... respond as you feel appropriate.)

Arcsilver & Crusader: Just as Crusader signs off and thinks about hitting the hay, Arcsilver bustles out of his room, adjusting his uniform, and calling to Wild Heart. MIRV looks over, calling out, "Hey, Arcs. Everything ok?" He pops his face plate, looking about, tired, strained, but looking relieved to be on familiar ground. Crusader heads for his room, and with a quick "Hi guys! Bye Guys!" Arcsilver zips out the access hatch which runs through a blind alley, letting him out many blocks away from the HQ. He zips up to a thousand feet, heading across Manhattan, literally like a flash.

Speedball: You zip ahead of Wild Heart (as she takes the replies) through the patio door, into what looks like a group dining area. Four or five round tables covered in white cloth in an otherwise empty room. You immediately run out an open door, into a carpeted dimly lit hallway, and then into a small, well adorned lavatory marked MEN. It takes a couple minutes for you to relieve yourself, dry off a little, and give yourself the jolt of stuff. You realize that swimming really burned up the juice faster than running, but it had been a blast to skim along the waves like that and almost catch darting fish with your bare hands. Exhausting, but exhilarating... but you could tell you were running on fumes until right about now. A quick glance at the mirror, slick back the hair, and you pop open the door. You are just about to call out, when a steel vise clamps around your mouth and jaw.
Wild Heart whispers in your ear, "Quiet. Don't go running off again. Something isn't right here. I can't find anyone, in the office, kitchen or front desk. It's really quiet... like NO human movement at all. Stay with me, and stay quiet!" And then she releases your mouth and gestures you to follow her, heading toward two oaken swinging doors marked "The Roosevelt Ward."
Whispering into her comm, she says, "Arcsilver, this is Wild Heart. If you are headed this way, go to ground. Don't come barging in, or draw attention to yourself, we might have a situation here."

[RDU Neil]

Post 171

From Speedball:

Speedball stays quiet and stays behind 'Heart, just like she said. Taking out his juggling balls, he's ready to abort to a missile deflect or to whack the first ninja that pokes his hear around a corner.
At the next opportune moment, he'll whisper to Wildheart "uhh...you want I
should take a quick look around? I can run through these walls pretty fast
to figure out where the heck everyone is." Pausing for a second, he
continues "I saw this movie once called Hard Boiled. The bad guys had a
secret base in basement of this hospital with all kinds of crazy shit.
Think maybe that's what's going on here? Or a hostage situation.
Definitely a hostage situation." Wildheart, if she stopped and thought about
it, might expect the next words out of Joe's mouth to be "I'm a very good
driver."
Speedball, while happy to make suggestions, will stop talking at the first
evil look from 'Heart. He will also immediately comply with any orders she
gives.

From Arcsilver:

Sorry to backtrack like this, hope it doesn't screw things up too much.

Seeing MIRV in the HQ with Crusader, Arcsilver will stop and talk with
them, asking "geez, guys! Where the hell WERE you? We were sure worried
here?" When Wildheart tells me to come in on the ground, he will key the
comm, saying "I'm still at base with Crusader and MIRV, Wildheart, but it
sounds like something is going on. Do you need backup or a lift off the
island?"

From Crusader:

Crusader will be stripping off his armor. "We were sent to some tropical
island by the Solitaire wanna-be. Her code is Masque. Massive T-Port
Y'know, the misty energy stuff?"

Armor gets a quick solvent wash.

"She just wanted to talk things over beyond prying ears. She had
Killinger with her, head of the Philly Viper Nest." Crusader continues;
"Seems Killinger is not fond of this Warlord. Who might be the Nest Leader
of L.A., codenamed: Style."

Crusader steps into the shower in corner, washing himself down. Raises
his voice to talk over the spray.

"I think everyone made it home." {after hearing Wild Heart's query}.
"We've decided that Dragon Mist and myself are going to look into his
sister's disappearence while the rest of you are going to put the screws to
Warlord."

Drying himself off, turns on the heat air drying unit for the armor.

"We have a new player in town, a guy named Cowboy. Cybered. Was with Killinger, but I'm not sure if he has made the transit back. And that pretty much brings us up to speed."
Not knowing about Nails and dinner, Crusader remarks; "How about you?
Bet it was pretty mundane and boring compared to our last 24."

{If crusader hears 'Heart thru his comm, helmet on table. Or thru the
communications bank in the warehouse which shouldn't be too far away. Or if
Arc mentions it.. Cru will move to communications bank and comm quietly back;
"'Heart? Do you need back-up, Arc is with MIRV and me at HQ."
IF not, just ignore.}

-----

From GM:

Arcsilver & Crusader: Wild Heart comes back just as Crusader is beginning to clean out his armor, saying, "Ok, stay tuned, but don't bother heading out. We should be able to handle anything, but if you don't hear from me in five minutes send in the cavalry. Wild Heart out." And with that, the comm goes silent.

Speedball: You hear Wild Heart whisper the above into her mike, then she looks back at you, nods and moves forward. Low and smooth she pushes open the heavy doors into the Roosevelt Ward and steps inside. You come in right behind her and find yourself in a dimly lit corridor, wide and spacious, that would look like a hospital corridor if it was shorter, more comfortable, and done up in expensive woods, carpeting and natural lighting, rather than glaring fluorescent bulbs, and sterile institutional walls. Well tended ferns line the hallways and the nurses station is a beautiful cherry wood desk with a computer on top. It is eerily silent. No one is about... but after a few steps, Wild Heart stops, and picks up a Styrofoam cup from the desk.
She sniffs it then says, "Coffee, filmed over, and cold." At that point you notice a half eaten danish on a napkin at the other side of the computer and looking even farther over the desk you see a sheaf of papers spilled on the floor. Other than that you see no sign of any struggle or reason for things being vacated like this.
Pointing farther down the corridor Wild Heart moves on and you follow, watching the doors along the hallway. None are open, and nothing moves.
Then two things happen... both of you hear a muffled, "Hello... cough! cough! Hello? Is someone there?" from a ward room just across from you (Rm 103). At the same time, literal chills run down your spine. You see it happen to Wild Heart as well, as you both give an involuntary shiver. Seemingly a cold, chilling breeze suddenly blows down the corridor from the rear of the building where you were headed. Wild Heart points at you and then the room where the sound came, while she turns, silently watching the corridor as if looking for the source of the cold breeze.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 172

From Speedball:

"Man, I got a baaad feeling about this."
Turning insubstantial long enough to run through the wall next to the door
of room 103 and assess the situation, Speedball investigates. He is feeling
paranoid, but realizes that chances are good that the voice came from a
civilian.
If it is a normal and doesn't seem to pose a threat, Speedball will make
sure s/he's ok and try and get some sort of idea where the staff disappeared
to, questioning the individual very quickly and very quietly.
If there's a threat, Speedy hopes that being insubstantial will buy him
enough time to respond appropriately and warn 'Heart.

-----

From GM:

Speedball: You phase through wall, stomach tight, wondering what you'll find...
... and are relieved to see simply an old man in a large, comfortable looking hospital bed, looking at you wide eyed. His skin is thin and translucent, and he seems to have trouble moving his arms. You then notice that the large bed is very deep, and looks like there is some kind of tub as the bottom. The man is lying, comfortably, half in, half out of this. A low whirring sound comes from the basin where his legs must lie, but he is covered in blankets, and you can't see anything.
Fearfully, he stammers, "Wh-wh-who a-ar-are you?" Feebly clutching at his sheets. There is a slightly foul smell in here, which you realize is stale sweat, and probably human waste.
"Where's Nurse Rhindani? Where's the doctor? I haven't seen anyone in hours!!" he starts to sound a little hysterical. "What are you? Are you a ghost?" he limply laughs, liver spotted hands clearly shaking.
You are just starting to try and calm him down, becoming solid and apologizing for startling him. The sound of your voice, normal and easy, starts to calm him when suddenly that cold chill runs back down your spine. You instinctively turn back toward the closed door to the hallway... and hear Wild Heart say, "What th... Kid? Is that you? Kid?!?!" and then there is a sound like a howling wind that drowns out her voice and the sudden panicked cries of the old man.<<<

From Speedball:

"Sir, my name is Speedball and I'm with the Mavericks and we're the good
guys. We're going to make sure everything's ok. Stay here and stay quiet
until someone comes to get you. It shouldn't be long."

With that, Speedball does an about face and zips out of the room, ready to
help 'Heart with what ever the heck is out there.

From GM:

>>>Speedball: You run back out into the hallway, only to run smack into a howling, hard, biting wind, that nearly stops you in your tracks. You are confused for a second, thinking that somehow you accidentally stopped vibrating and became solid, but then you quickly realize that the strange tingle of the buffeting wind is the fact that whatever this force is... you look around and notice that no papers or cartons or any loose items are flying about... is somehow affecting you in your phased form.
Wild Heart is nowhere to be seen. You squint down the hall, disoriented by feeling like you are staring into a wind but the ferns and items of the hallway are unmoving and undisturbed. There are four more doorways on either side of the hall, likely more hospital rooms, but at the very end you see an open door, light shining out of it, that you know wasn't open before.<<<

From Speedball:

"Damn...Why didn't I get one of those radios?" Recognizing that being
insubstantial isn't doing him any good, Speedy will go solid. He'll gun up
as much speed as possible to run towards the open door. If the wind
prevents further movement in that direction, he'll turn 90 degrees towards
the closest external wall and try and go around on the outside (I'm assuming
we're still on the first floor here, Neil--if not let me know and I'll
repost). The object of going outside is to avoid the wind and still make
progress towards the source of the wind (and where I am assuming Wildheart
will have gone).

"I STILL have a bad feeling about this. Ninjas, mind-freaks. whatever
happened to the thugs with guns? I liked them."

From GM:

Note: (Just to clarify... the current scene really is only for Geoff/Speedball, and while I hope you guys are interested, your characters just aren't involved, right now. Only two minutes or so have passed since the return to New York. Crusader isn't even done cleaning his armor, Cowboy and Impetus are just dozing off, and even if Arcsilver started to fly across Manhattan, the scene would likely be over before he got there. Again, sorry for the delay, but I want to finish up this scene with Speedball, before we go with the whole group.)

>>>Speedball: You turn solid... and everything suddenly reverses. In a gut wrenching heave the "wind" blowing at you, is suddenly sucking away from you, dragging you headlong down the hallway especially since you were already trying to push in that direction. Almost anyone else would find the tumbling speed impossible to deal with, but you are different. You are used to moving at these speeds and with your superhuman reflexes you touch your feet down, maneuver with the pull and dodge into the doorway. Anyone else would probably have been slammed against the wall or door jam, and you notice, in a nano-second of perception, that a chunk of the jam has been smashed away probably where Wild Heart hit it coming through... then...

White Light. Stillness. No movement. No wind.

Nothing. No objects, no bed or chairs or medical equipment. No Wild Heart or anyone else. Empty white...

...then a smell, crisp, clean, warm... clean sheets with the heady odor on top of it of light perfume and pure female...

A voice... half asleep... soft... familiar...

"mmmhhh... Joe? What?... Joe? Is that you?"

Rustle of sheets, the feeling of a body next to you, rolling over... you feel your eyes open...

Dark eyes peering out from dark, mussed hair, sleepy but surprised, and growing more so.

Molly.

[RDU Neil]

Post 173

From Arcsilver:

Sorry for the delayed reply, Arcsilver will wait for the call, ready to fly out there, but relaxed and talking with Crusader as he suits down, getting the details of the trip. He will then relay what happened with Nails, explaining everything more or less as it happened, except that in his mind the date was "going really well."

-Ilan

From GM:

Heh.

-----

Note: Think I missed one post from Geoff in between here, but not much... just his description of Speedball's startling. Molly says something like Kid Fantastic brought her here.

From GM:

Note: (Whoops, meant to leave this last post as the end of the current issue. Kind of a cliff hanger ending that I hope will lead right into the next piece of the story. Everyone gets 3 EXP for their characters. Let me know if there are any big changes planned. Consider Geoff and Ilan's posts as the first of the new issue. Again, sorry, I meant to put this at the bottom of my last post (see below) but forgot.)


<< Speedball: You jump up from the bed, legs partly tangled in the sheets, feet sinking into the overly soft mattress almost making you stumble and fall. Molly pulls back from you, her eyes wide coming even more awake and a little scared. She puts her head up against the wooden headboard, pulling her feet and knees up a bit... just like she would always do when excited, or laughing, or scared... on the couch watching a horror film, or trying to get you to pay attention when she told you the latest lame joke she found incomprehensibly funny. You stop. It's so real. The late morning sun coming through those old shades... yep, still coated in dust because neither of you would ever clean them... damn! There's that old bare patch of worn carpet that you tried to hide with the cheap dresser... you'd forgotten all about that, and the stupid fight you'd had with Molly because it seemed to symbolize everything you felt was wrong with your life. How the hell did the Kid make you remember that???
"I didn't think you were going to show up," says Molly, quietly. You look at her as she sits there, tucking the sheets around her. "This isn't a dream, is it Joe?" she says in the calm way she got when she was trying to control herself, not get "all weepy" as she would say.
"Where are we?" she says again, even more quietly. "Why did he bring me here?"

Cut scene: Maverick's HQ. Arcsilver, MIRV and a half dressed Crusader look at the clock, noticing the five minutes has just passed since Wild Heart called. You all start to move, to make a call, armor up, get ready to head out... when the com goes off. MIRV picks up, putting it on speaker broadcast. "Wild? This is MIRV? Everything all right?"
It isn't Wild Heart's voice that comes back. Instead, another female voice... older, abrupt... almost abrasive... says, "This isn't Wild Heart, and no..."

Second cut scene: Top angle shot over the hospital room, interior view.
Hospital bed empty except for a glowing rainbow fluctuating sphere. Around the bed, floating inches off the floor, straight and rigid as if standing at attention are a dozen people. Most look like nurses, doctors, medical techinicians, a patient and maybe a janitor. Wild Heart and Speedball are there as well. Standing in the doorway in a charcoal gray, long woolen coat, is a woman, fiftyish, with severely cut salt and pepper hair. Stylish, black gloves and boots, the coat open to reveal a conservative gray business suit. She holds a small radio/cell phone unit in one hand, saying into, "...no, everything is not alright, but I'm going to see if I can fix that."

[RDU Neil]

Post 174

From Speedball:

"Molly. Listen to me very carefully: both of us are in a lot of danger. I don't know how you got here--or even if this is really you, but I *can* tell you that we aren't where we seem to be. We're in a hospital and I think we're really fucked. I need for you to be very calm and do everything I tell you to. Now, I think a friend of mine named Kid Fantastic brought you here--probably to help. I need you to explain exactly what happened."
Speedball actually has no frigging clue what's going on. This isn't what he signed on for; he figured there'd be some punching, some kicking, maybe goons with guns or swords. this is out of his league. He needs help.

From Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will hesitate for only a moment, looking for some hint of recognition from Crusader or MIRV. Seeing that they don't recognize the voice either, he will mutter "I'm in the air, will relate recon when I arrive." With that, he is on his way, top speed, but will circle when he arrives.

From Crusader:

Crusader will nod to Arc; "Go. But be extremely careful. Call us when you get there. MIRV and I will follow if necessary."

With that Crusader will hurry up his prep of the armor.

-----

From GM:

Arcsilver: You blast out of the HQ, down the sheltered alleyway, and out over the river in less than twelve seconds. MIRV seems to be trying to reestablish contact with the woman on the other end of the radio, but she either isn't answering or is off line. Going full speed, you head over Manhattan.

Speedball: Molly reflects your confusion, obviously scared and not sure what is going on. You try to rush around the room, to the window... the old door with the cheap, busted lower panel... and though you can move you don't move any faster than a normal human. There is no sense of energy inside you, no juice... but no hunger either, no craving. You stop, pausing to try and understand this feeling... this normality that you can't even remember feeling in real life. Then you feel Molly's hand on your arm.

Burning warm and familiar and you are caught in between wanting to fall into her completely and wanting to pull away and run, and run, and run, and never look back.

"Joe? Joe!" she grabs your arm, taking the decision away from you, turning you toward her... so close, her scent overwhelming, you look into those familiar brown eyes... noticing for the first time some differences. Little crows feet in the corners, her lips a little chapped, her face a little thinner... god the details are so real... you wonder what you look like to her...
And then she puts her arms around you, pulling you close, "This is so weird... so weird," she says, over and over, holding you close. And then, totally incongruously, she says, "Verdi Square on 74th."

She pushes you back to look into your eyes, "This Kid. He told me something. Verdi Square on 74th. What does that mean?" Then her eyes start to mist, and she touches your cheek, saying, "Is this real Joe? I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

Arcsilver: In under two minutes you are flying down toward the East River, homing in on FDR Island. Coming in on the southern tip, you start flying north along it's length trying to remember where that damn place was. You only visited once... it was really boring just watching the Kid sleep... and now you can't quite.... Whoa!
You see a row of larger, brick and wood estates... yeah, yeah... that looks right... you fly up higher, circling, trying to figure out which one is the right one... they all look the same... and... is that Harvey?

Below you a silver sedan, parked in front of one of the buildings, opens up and, yes, Agent Harvey Wells steps out looking up at you He is on his cell phone and waves to you to come down. As you start to drop you get your bearings, and recognize that he is parked outside the hospital you were looking for. It's still very early in the morning and no one is around. The front gate in a low stone wall is open and up on the front porch you can see another fibee in suit and dark glasses standing at the open front door. As you land Harvey says, "Well Nick, why aren't I surprised to see you here?"<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 175

From Speedball:

Does Verdi Square and 74th mean anything to Speedball? Does his streetwise tell him anything about the neighborhood and what usually goes on there?

Assuming I don't get any additional info, this is my post. I'll resubmit if needed when I get your answer.

"Molly...Its wonderful to see you again and...I didn't think it would ever happen either." He gives her slightly chapped lips a long, slow kiss.
"Tell me what this kid looked like. Where were you when he found you? What was the last thing you remember?"
Joe has become convinced that this isn't the real world. Its some kind of dream...or attack. Molly isn't real--and neither is anything that happens here. But the address might come in handy.
"Why did the Kid tell you about that address, Molly? Its very important.
It might make all the difference in the world."

From Arcsilver:

>> As you land, Harvey says, "Well Nick, why aren't I
>surprised to
>see you here?"<<<

As Arcsilver is landing, he will radio back to the team "Hay, that's my FBI guy, Harvey! He'sgoing into our building, I'm going to drop down and see what he's up to."

Then, to Harvey. "Something weird is happening, Harv. What are YOU doing here? Who and what is inside?"

-----

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: As you ask your question, Harvey looks at you then glances up at the house and his partner waiting by the door and then back to you. A heavy sigh comes out of him and then he starts talking as he walks with you, slowly, toward the building. "Kind of a long story, Nick, but... well... First, we've got a specialist inside. One of our own who has a lot of experience in the psychic arena... and with the Mavericks. She picked up something yesterday, after your group disappeared, and we've been trying to track it down. Don't ask me to explain... it's some psychic, psionic, whatever thing. Anyway, we tracked it here just a few minutes ago... and well, like I said, I shouldn't be surprised to find out that you guys are somehow involved."
The two of you go up the front steps and reach the door and Wells asks his partner whether or not there has been any word. "Sorry, Harvey. Still nothing. She told us not to go in, y'know." The dark haired, young agent, Medson or something like that you remember, smiles and says, "I really don't want to get on her bad side." Harvey nods in response, saying, "Yeah. I don't think I believe her when she says she's lost all her powers. After what she's been through, I think she just wanted to retire... and who wouldn't?"
At that point, Harvey looks back at you, and notices the confused look on your face, saying, "You never met her, did you? Your predecessor?" He jerks his thumb toward the private hospital. "That's who's in there. Special Agent Morse. You know... the infamous Mindshadow?"

Speedball: Verdi Square and 74th is on the west side of Manhattan. Broadway and Amsterdam is it's southwest corner. (Note: Looks to me like part of the Theatre District, or at least right next to it. Correct me if I'm wrong, you NY City specialists.) Speedball doesn't know anything about it, unless he takes in a lot of off Broadway shows.

Molly mumbles through the kiss, "...must be dreaming... dreaming..." but responds, passionately... and in this surreal place time seems to stop...

Then you break and focus, and realize that something has to be done. Molly thinks for a second, then says, "I don't know where I was... I really thought I was dreaming... this Kid came to me... in the kitchen... I was making a chicken sandwich and couldn't find the bread... and... that HAD to be a dream... my refrigerator isn't black..." She shakes her head. "Anyway, anyway, this Kid was just there, all of a sudden... and I didn't feel threatened by him... even though he looked kind of rough... like an old school punk rocker..." she laughs. "He just said some things... saying he was sorry but I was the safest place... and then..." She looks directly at you, "He told me to go back to bed, but not to forget to tell Joe, 'Verdi Square and 74th' He repeated that. A few times. Then he was just gone."
She looks at you to see if this makes any sense on your end, adding, "I think he was in pain... really, hurting... I'm not sure why... like maybe he was sick or something."
Then suddenly the room gets very cold. Both of you shiver... neither dressed in much... and the ambient light dims. Looking around, you see a strange, smoke like substance, dark... inky blackness... seeping under the bedroom door from whatever is outside this place.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 176

From Speedball:

"Yeah, that sounds like the Kid. He sent you to tell me where he is because he's in trouble. He knew I'd trust you. But listen: we've got to get out of this now because I don't like the looks of the stuff that's coming under that door. I want you to try your hardest to wake up now. Think about the fact that you're probably already late for work. You need to go to the bathroom. Anything. Just wake up. And, in advance: I'm sorry." With that, he winds up and slaps her across the face. Not hard enough to knock her down, but just enough to scare her. If it doesn't work...well, he's got some 'splainin' to do.

-----

From GM:

Note: (I'm going to go ahead, though Arcsilver is there, he wouldn't be able to do much at this point. )

>>>Speedball: Molly disappears. With tight gutted guilt, your hand smacked across her face, her eyes widened in shock and surprise... and then she's gone. No sudden fade nor any sound or movement. Just there one second, empty air the next. Your hand still tingles from the impact, and the scent and taste of her... so familiar, but thought long behind you... still lingers.
And the room starts to dissolve. Looking around the walls and floor and bed and dresser... the old gray socks on the thread bare carpet all start to waver, to fade... but the chill and cold increases. The inky blackness coming under the door now pours through it as it disappears. The blackness is still solid though, impenetrable in it's darkness, a living, writhing ball. It begins to coalesce into a form, still undulating with no hard edges, but quickly forming a somewhat humanoid shape... actually more like a disembodied cloak or something, pure black, floating there.
Suddenly a voice comes out of it. Female... old... powerful... "What have you done, boy?" For a moment you get the hint of a body under the floating cloak shape... the voice clearly emanating from the hooded specter. "Damn. You broke her out! That took some real stones, kid... and she should thank you. Unfortunately it means I can't be easy on you." And the cloak lashes out. For a second you get an idea of what it must be like for the poor shmoes you take on when you're juiced because it's SO fast you barely register the striking tendril of black before it imbeds itself in your forehead like a knife through butter...

... and you scream, agony, the worst pain you've ever felt... your hands clutch your forehead, instinctively fearing to find a gaping hole through your skull as your head snaps back... "KLUNK!" Hard, painful, something behind you... oh crap, now it hurts all OVER your head...
... you realize you are lying down... hard... cold surface... antiseptic smell... pain lessening... someone speaking to you... you blink through your hands... warm yellow light... warm, strong hands on you... "Hey Speedy!"... female voice... whoa, pain really going away now... except the back of the head... that hurts... "Speedball? Joe? You hear me?"... really strong arms suddenly lift you up... smell of leather and sweat and salt and a hint of perfume... you crack your fingers open more, looking up into the smiling face of Wild Heart. She is stepping through... the hospital... you're back... you lean up, looking into the room as you leave, WHOA!, empty bed... glowing sphere of energy floating just above it... a dozen people held in a floating halo around the bed... and a woman, older, in conservative, business skirt and jacket, her hands on the sphere, her face tilted up... eyes full of that same black, inky, darkness.
Wild Heart looks at you again, saying, "Wild ride, eh, Speedy. You ok to stand up?" In the distance, back toward the front of the building, you think you hear voices, male, talking as they approach.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 177

From Speedball:

Speedball is all business and looks like he could keep ice from melting in his mouth. "I'm fine. Wildheart-when this is over you're going to explain to me *real* slow and *real* simple what the fuck just happened here. But right now we have to get to Verdi Square and 74th and I mean NOW. I'm pretty sure that Kid Fantastic is there and he's in trouble. Big trouble--like the kind you don't get rid of without help. Call in the troops and let's get moving."
Hopping off the table, looking sideways at the other people in the room and hitching his thumb towards them he continues "I assume that since you haven't already bounced these people off the walls, they're here to help."
If 'Heart tries to calm Speedball down or seems to equivocate about taking off immediately, he will cut in at the first passably polite moment, adding "'Heart, this is the second time that the Kid has gotten into my head. I *know* he's a dead man if we don't show--and soon. I don't think either of us want his blood on our hands ('no matter what kind of manipulative fuck he is,' he murmurs). I know we're supposed to try and be unpredictable, but...this isn't the time for strategy. Sometimes you just have to take a hit for the team. Well, shit--look who I'm talking to--you know that."

-----

From GM:

>>>Speedball: Wild Heart gets real serious, real fast, letting you finish you comments. She actually looks like she wants to cut you off, but your sudden hard edge gets her attention. As you finish, behind you, you see three men walking slowly into the long hallway where you are standing. One is Arcsilver, and he's chatting it up with another, older guy with dirty blonde hair in a conservative cut, wearing a plain, dark suit. The third is another MIB, younger, with dark glasses, and is on a cell phone.
"Ok, look," says Wild Heart, "Obviously something happened to you in there that didn't happen to me, but Roberta said you were the primary target of the Kid's little mindbomb so I'm going to take your word on that. Arcsilver!" she yells, waving him over. Behind her there is a flare of energy from the hospital room. Wild Heart glances then back to the two of you.
"Arcs. Go with Speedball here and check out Verdi Square on..." she pauses, thinking, "West 74th, if I'm not mistaken, not just 74th. Over by Broadway. He'll explain on the way. I'll see if I can have anyone else from the team meet you there. Something's happened to Kid Fantastic and we have reason to believe he's being held there, or something. You guys go ahead. I'd just hold you up." She looks back at the glowing room again, "I want to make sure my old friend is ok, in there." She gives both of you a light push which is like a normal person's shove, saying, "Now go!"

Crusader: Five minutes after the first call, you are talking to a barely awake Yuri, as another call comes in and MIRV picks it up. "You're ok?" he asks, then "Good, good. Mindshadow? Really? Ok... ok... Verdi Square... on W. 74th... got it... and.... wait a sec, hold on Wild." You notice MIRV do the cockeyed stance that he gets whenever he is scanning something on his internal HUDs, and then he says, "Killinger's list. One of the addresses he gave us. It's 151 W. 74th St., which puts it right in the center of the block you are talking about. Database says it's a theater... stage theater. The Red Aisle Theater, to be exact." Longer pause, then, "I'm ready to go. I'll see if Crusader can join me." Then MIRV looks to you, half in half out of your armor as you were re-donning it.
At that moment, Yuri suddenly comes to life, and muttering in Russian he lurches back into his work area in the garaged winnebago, grabbing a large black object from under the bench. He jogs back, pulling an oiled rag along a sleek black armored shield with a stylized star on it. "I am being finished, John! Molybdenum alloy with exotic plastic fibers. Extremely light, but most brittle. This will reduce and displace the impact but because of it's thin structure, you should be being prepared for it to become broken with use. I have molded many replacements, if this is to be happening. Please to buckle it on, eh?"<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 178

From Crusader:

I will put on my helmet and trigger my comm, pick up Wild Heart's comm frequency (which I have, I was just talking to her). "'Heart, I would like to bow out of this one and find DragonMist. Do you feel like you need me on this one? Speedball, Arc, MIRV and yourself is a pretty strong strike force."
To Yuri; "Wow, Yuri, great job! I like the "C" on the front. So will Darkfire, although he will probably insist on a 'tm' symbol near it."

If I get the ok to stay out of this mission, I will first call Dragon Mist on the phone, then if I don't get anything I will try Maverick frequencies... he might already be out and about...

Neil, if this throws a weird monkey wrench in your plans, I can certainly scramble to Verdi square. But I feel that DMist's sister is priority and that was my mission assignment upon discussion at the island.
One that John Spencer has real emotional stake because it is Dragon Mist...
who is a friend, not just a team mate.
Note: I have no way of contacting Cowboy. I have no idea that he is with Impetus. I'm not even sure if I have a way of contacting Impetus, can't remember. But I do have an ambivilent feeling towards having Cowboy assigned to this mission (sorry Eric, has nothing to do with you <g>!), he is just a total unknown for Mist and myself.

From Speedball:

(Neil--a NYC note--nobody ever specifies West or East when you give a cross street. Its not needed)

"OK, Arcs, let's go. We've gotta save the Kid's life...so I can kill him myself. Race y..."

And with that, he's gone in a blur

Note: This was an interesting point in the game... logistically. To keep players involved when their characters were NOT together might require some "time fluctuation" in the game. I figured online could probably handle this, but wanted to get everyone's opinion, plut make sure we were on the same page about timing and events in game. Very easy to have miscommunication.

From GM:

>>>Crusader: Wild Heart comes back quickly, with, "Do what you need to.
>>>I'm not sure what we'll find at this theater. MIRV and Arcs and
>>>Speedy should be ok, and I'll back 'em up. Your call... there are a
>>>lot of different priorities right now."<<<

Note: (Just a quick fill in, to make sure everyone is on the same page...
1. It has only been 20 minutes since the return from the island. Crusader never even got into the shower, let alone rested and everything else. Speedball's actions are really pushing the original time line, here.
2. Wild Heart was given a number to call Impetus, but again... he and Cowboy are just starting their sleep over, and it's true that no one knows that Cowboy is with him. It should be noted that Wild Heart's decision to put Cowboy with Dragon Mist and Crusader was more of a "someone needs to keep watch on this hotheaded gunman, and putting him to work with you guys is the best we can do... and he might be useful." So, yes, it's not the best idea, but there might be just as much risk in letting him run off on his own, which Wild Heart isn't comfortable doing.
3. Dragon Mist specifically stated that he was turning off his communicator, and that he would be unavailable for some time. We won't go into detail about exactly what he's doing, but it does involve the half dressed Grey Spirit. Crusader is the one person who knows where D.M.'s place is, and could head over there... but the "Search For The Sister Plan" initially was to rest for part of the day, and start in the afternoon.
4. I'm happy to have different characters doing things at different times, but that will absolutely limit player interaction, and might make things even more confusing.

Just please consider these things before deciding on a course of action. I'll go with whatever decisions you guys make.

-----

Also... Geoff sent this e-mail unsolicited. Using the game as an outlet for some creative writing exercises. This kind of stuff is cool and provides depth of character often missing in FtF games.


Guys,

Nothing at all in the story below makes it required reading. Just got to writing on a train back from CT and thought I'd share. Enjoy if at all possible. Mostly its just character background for Neil to work in if he wants.
best,
Geoff
_____

It is the early fall of 1990 and Joe Dellasandro has brought home his fourth consecutive failing grade of the young school year. It needs a signiture, this red 'F,' to signal some minor lesson learned in place of the subject matter--some responsibility taken. Joe demurs, knowing that the lesson he will learn is just when to duck the swing and the shiny blue topaz set into his father's high school ring. The ring has always een a point of pride to Joe's father. The first in his family history to graduate, in better days Joe senior promised to give his young son the ring should he graduate himself.
Joe thought about the many times his father had recited the promise. But puberty left Joe thin and without his father's linebacker physique, bringing a gradual halt to the the tales of glory on the grid-iron (never just a football field, since it was to Joe Sr. a kind of holy anvil on which souls were shaped). Still, Big Joe held on to the idea that little Joe might be a running back or receiver. Neither has the respectability of a hard-working lineman, but it was still football and Big Joe, the Lord knew, was used to being thankful for small favors.
This reduced dream had intially borne fruit. His son was fairly fast and it seemed he could catch anything in the air. The problem was what he did once he got hold of it. From early on the boy had a strange fixation on the circus--particularly juggling. For the boy juggling became a nervous habit.
Joe Sr. rejectted his son's equation of jugging with the older man's habit of biting his fingernails which were consistently gnawed down into bloody deformities. The varsity coach who tolerated the young boy's anticsboth because of Little Joe's talent and because Big Joe has played for him nearly 20 years before, had lost his patience when Joe had been blindsided while showboating, resulting in a fumble. He had called the the Dellasandro house before leaving the fieldhouse and told his former linebacker that his son had been cut for the season because he had just cost the school the game.
Joe jr. arrived home near midnight thanks to a long busride back to town and the failure of any of his former teammates to give him a ride from the school parking lot. Early fall in Northern Arkansas is not cold, but it can be damp and Joe, having no desire to feel either the weather or his aching pride, bought a bottle of the cheapest bourbon he could find from a clerk who knew the boy wasn't even close to 21.
Neither the younger nor the older was in a talking mood whenthe flimsy screen door screeched open. Both were drunk. The door hadn't even slammed shut when the topaz cut into the boy's eyebrow and sent him, already unsteady from drink, twirling down at the cheap table which splintered when he hit it. Working himself into a lather by pacing over the prone body of his son with the ball peen hammer he used in his occaisional construction work, he slurred words that began at angry and quickly worked their way towards menacing. Deciding he'd said his uncomprehensible piece to the now semi-conscious poor excuse for a son below him, Big Joe knelt on the boy's right forearm, gripped the hand at the wrist and brought the hammer down on fingers that would never fumble a football again. The force of the blows, even as innacurate as they were, made a puddle of the younger man's hand and after a dozen or so simply exhausted the old drunk.
This was the end of what Joe later called the "good old days."
When Joe got back from the county hospital a week later with a huge bottle of painkillers and, the hand in a cast that would remain there for months, his father accused the boy of 'faking it for attention.'
Almost a year later now, Joe puts his his test with its big red 'F' on the mail pile. His father will find it eventually, but by then Joe jr. will be long gone. He has decided to light out for the circus even though every time he thinks about it in those terms he rolls his eyes at how ridiculous it sounds. Thankfully he won't have to exaplain it to anyone else--there isn't anyone in town worth exaplining it to. Running upstairs to grab the bag of clothes and stolen painkillers he packed the night before, he turns and without a last look around, he nearly rips the screen door off the hinges in his hurry to start walking to the county fair grounds.

[RDU Neil]

Post 179

From E/Cowboy:

And since I completely forgot about it, and I think
that Cowboy would have too, he never synched his own
raido up with the Maverick's, so there is no way to
contact him at the moment, aside from, as Neil said,
through Impetus, which, as Neil also pointed out, no
one knows Cowboy is with Impetus.

So, Cowboy snores on, blissfully unaware. As usual. =)

From I/Arcsilver:

Sorry to take so long to respond -

When Arcsilver arrived, he would have been friendly and polite, but
would have insisted that he be admitted to the place, "mindpuddle or
not..." Assuming that this occured without any problems, he would have
been chatty and friendly, if in a bit of a hurry as he walked through the
hospital, looking for Wildheart. Seeing her and Speedball, he says "hey
guys, everything Alri-" interrupted by Wildheart.

In response to Speedball's:
>"OK, Arcs, let's go. We've gotta save the Kid's life...so I can kill
>him
>myself. Race y..."

Arcsilver will take off, saying "a race, huh? Mr. Turtle?" He will
then hit his top speed, trying to fly right alongside Speedball. He has
30"x4 noncom=120", and will push on the straightaways, using all three
levels of turn mode to stick with him. If he IS able to match his speed
and maneuvering, he will strike various poses (head wresting on hand,
flying on back with hands behind head, etc.) and give a yawn, saying
"when did you want to start RACING?"

If he cannot keep up with him (no idea what Speedy's speed is), then he
will go high, and try to beat him as the crow flies, gaining the
advantage of not having to follow streets.

As they get close to the detination, Arc will pull up, and circle the
area, scouting the area from the air quickly before they attempt
anything. After this, he will land and (assuming this was not possible
in transit) he will ask what the mission is).

From F/Impetus:

Mostly true. I did say that I would take Cowboy in and that he could crash at my apartment, and a bit of guessing could indicate that maybe he was t-ported back with me -- and Impetus did leave his pager on, which both Crusader and Wild Heart have access to. However, whether anyone would take the time to really think about it might be a different matter.

The Ferrett

-----

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver & Speedball: Speedball is halfway to the bridge, when Arcsilver gets up to speed. More maneuverable and with slightly better reaction time, Speedball is able to dodge and wind up the narrow streets toward Manhattan but Arcsilver is right on his tail. On the first straight-away, it is no contest. Arcsilver has the pure thrust and velocity... and with unrepentant glee, he lets Speedball know it. It isn't pretty.

Once across the East River and into Manhattan, Arcsilver has to go higher to avoid traffic and avoid causing too much of a disturbance with his blazing passage. Speedball stirs up some serious wind, and maybe lands a dent or two in the hoods of a few cars as he literally skips over the traffic, but Arcsilver is waiting, presumably with a smart ass remark, when Speedball pulls up a dozen seconds later.

74th is the northern border of Verdi Square. The square itself is a number of small theaters, restaurants, and apartments, all from renovated warehouses. It's New York's mix of grimy glitz. The location of some of the larger, upper floor apartments is likely to cost some serious money, while the street level is much more wide ranging, from grungy greasy spoons to fine dining, pawn shops to elegant theaters. The Red Aisle is nothing fancy, but not a hole either. It's maybe a two thousand seat place with a clean, but faded facade and nice Marquee. It is shoehorned between The Plugged Nickel pawnshop, and a Korean grocery. Mayby not surprisingly, the sign out front says Closed For Renovations. The marquee has a "Coming Soon..." sign of a play neither of you have ever heard of.

It is still early and all the businesses are closed, except for a 24 hour mini-mart at the far west end of the block. There are cars on the streets and a few pedestrians. All of them stop or slow to watch as Arcsilver lands. (From above there were only the flat, cramped rooftops with large air conditioning units marking the theater's roof. Nothing looked out of place... and even scanning with Arcs' super vision doesn't show anything obviously out of the ordinary.)
Over the radio, MIRV's call comes in with, "I'm two minutes out. Arcs? What's the situation?"<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 180

From Speedball:

"Here's what I think: you and I go in right now--hit them as fast as we can
and look for the Kid. By the time MIRV and Wildheart get here, they should
be able to pick off anyone we can't handle ourselves. That sound ok, Arcs?"
If Arcs gives assent, Speedball will head straight for the closed doors,
turn intangible, and go right through them. First priority is locating the
Kid. He will avoid anyone who looks tougher than goon-level unless that
person stops Speedy from getting to the Kid. He knows that there may be
some heavy hitters in there--this is a rescue mission, not a brawl.
If Arcs doesn't agree, Speedball will say "OK, I admit I'm not much for
plans. But we've got to get in there fast and get the Kid out--that's why
Wildheart sent us. What's your plan?"

From Arcsilver:

As Speedball arrives, Arcsilver is in the middle of a street-dog from a
local vendor. Swallowing, he says "sorry for the misunderstanding! I
thought we were in a _hurry..._"

>"Here's what I think: you and I go in right now--hit them as fast as
>we can
>and look for the Kid. By the time MIRV and Wildheart get here, they
>should
>be able to pick off anyone we can't handle ourselves. That sound ok,
>Arcs?"


Arcsilver holds up his hands, furrowing his brow. "Waitwait, what?
Who'se in there, and what are we doing here? Wildheart just said to go
with you. What's going on?"

After the explanation, Arcsilver will see reason for the urgency.
"Gotcha, brother. Neither of us is what I might call a "heavy hitter,"
but I can keep a couple of guys busy at once, and my field can keep the
bullets off me. I'm going in the front, and I'll engage as many of them
as I can find. You find another way in, and try the evac. How does that
sound?"

(I can't remember if Arc has seen Speedball go desolid, but this would be the plan either way).

If Speedball agrees, Arcsilver will crank up the force-field, wait a
second, and then do a move-through on the front door of this place (doing
however many dice will do the job and not kill him...) As he does this
he speaks into the his com. "Arcsilver and Speedball engaging in rescue
operation, sorry we couldn't wait for you, guys. Come when you can!"

From Speedball:

"That sounds fine, Arcs. Give me a three second head start to get me through the door before you knock it down." With that, Joe runs at full
speed toward the theater. Once through the door, actions are as planned out in my last email.

-----

From GM:

>>>Speedball: You zip inside. Ghosting through the tinted glass door, to find yourself in an empty foyer opening out into a dusty theater lobby. You slow down immediately as it is somewhat dark and difficult to see. Phantom shapes rear up which you realize are old white sheets covering the concession stand and lobby furniture. The coat room stands closed. The ticket booth boarded up. A ladder sits in the middle of the room, extending up into the ceiling panels which have been removed and stacked on the floor. Old electrical wiring dangles from the ceiling. A pair of sawhorses and some lumber block further progress, but you phase through them, to take a glimpse into the interior of the theater. Suddenly there is an enormous crash and the room fills with the blue white glow of Arcsilver, as he careens in behind you. Though difficult to see, not being lit from within, you get a sense of a big empty space, no movement and only dim exit signs for illumination. The theater itself seems to be empty.

Arcsilver: Speedball runs right through the door without damaging it at all. Your entrance is much more dramatic but you find only the same, empty, under construction area that he did. No agents appear with guns blazing, no high tech defense systems. Just sawdust and that old, moldy smell that theaters can get when the seats have gone too long collecting moisture, grime, sweat and all the other things that build up over the years. Aside from the rattle of splintered wood on the ground and the constant sparking of your propulsion field, it is quiet. Up ahead, Speedball heads deeper into the theater itself and out of your view. To your left are bathrooms and to your right the stairs labeled "Balcony."

Speedball: You rush down the main isle, past rows and rows of empty seats. At the front you stop before the small orchestra pit and glance back, up toward the balcony, which is also empty. A scaffolding hangs from one wall, where it looks like either a new paint job is going up or an old one is being stripped. The stage is hidden behind an old style, thick red velvet curtain. It stirs slightly as the wind from your accelerated movement hits it. Your eyes adjust slightly to the dark but you don't see anything else. It looks like what it purports to be; a theater under renovation. A quick guess says that there are definitely rooms behind the stage and maybe on the right side of the building... yes... there is a door labeled Staff Only over there, just off the side of the stage.<<<

[RDU Neil]

First Note: An apology. While our group doesn't mind the use of in character swearing and vulgarity, I realize that these boards are public. What I did NOT realize was that the auto-censor was no longer functional on the boards. I never really went and read the posts after posting... at least not so much that I noticed the "F-word" appearing in all its glory. Sorry about that. I'll edit that before posting in the future. WHOOPS....:o

Second Note: As I reread these posts, I do wince at my mistakes as GM. In this case, I posted a short series of "PCs run around trying to find stuff and nothing happens" posts... something that I intended to set a solid scene inside the theater and make the players go "Hmmmm... what are we missing?" and brainstorm up solutions. This happens all the time in FtF games, though too much of it is antithetical to dramatic story telling. In and online game, a very little can easily be too much. I realize now, looking back, I should have kept things out of combat and just described the theater as they run through it... then left Arcs and Speedball with, "You don't see anything obviously wrong. Think about what you might have missed or what you might try differently and give me some various actions you'd attempt." Instead I left the players twiddling their thumbs and feeling like, "C'mon already... gimme something to work with here!" In a FtF game, that moment might have lasted a short minute. In a PBeM game, this was DAYS. Bad, bad, BAD GM... :( :thumbdown

Oh well, live and learn.

-----

Post 181

From Speedball:

I'll check for secret doors. My elvish abilities give me a 1 in 6 chance...
oh, wrong game. sorry.

Speedball waves Arcs towards the Staff Room while he heads for the rooms
behind the stage, again at top combat speed and ready to try a deflect when
necessary.

From Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will fly over to the staff room, and open the door, hiding
behind the door frame and glancing in quickly. If anything come at him
he will attempt to dodge. If this turns up nothing, he will find
Speedball and say "this is creeping me out, let's stick together and
watch eachother's back until we know what we are doing here."

-Ilan

-----

From GM:

Arcsilver: You pull open the staff door, glancing inside, and seeing only a wide hallway that obviously doubles as a maintenance closet, with big push brooms and mops and buckets lining the way. It extends to your left, and you can see that it turns, likely going behind the stage. Two doors down the hall to your right are closed. One says "Cast Rooms" and the other "Office." You are just turning around to speak to Speedball when you see him vanish through the big curtains over the stage which rock in the wake of his passage.

Speedball: You flash back into the stage exits, quickly noting it is empty with only some old stage lights lowered to the floor. No sets, no costumes, no props. To your right there is an EXIT labeled doorway. To your left is a larger empty room most likely used for cast and crew during a production, but mostly empty but for a couple folding chairs and coiled ropes and pulleys. A thin layer of dust is over most of it. Ducking back behind the back of the stage you do find a damp corridor and a labeled emergency exit. From your position in the building you are sure this opens up on the central Verdi Square. It is wired as a Fire Exit though, so opening it might set off an alarm. Finding nothing, you shoot over to the right exit into a long wide hallway, and looking right see Arcsilver at the doors at the far end.

Arcsilver: Trying to move quickly you push open the "Cast Rooms" door, and see a lounge with two more doors off of it. One marked Men, the other Women. It is dark, barely illuminated from your energy field and smells of sweat and old talcum powder. An old refrigerator hums in a small kitchenette, but everything else is still and quiet. Suddenly behind you, Speedball appears muttering something about "tapping the floor with a ten foot pole..." and "...always listen at doors before you open them... don't you know anything?"<<<

-----

From Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will shift to EM vision, looking straight up and trying to see
where the electricity in the building is heading, if there is any. I
assume that most of the areas we have been in are not electrically lit at
the moment, as the place is shut down. While glancing around for wiring,
etc., he will say "Well, Fastball, I don't know where you got your info,
but this place sure seems clean. Did you check the rest of the place
with that funky phasing thing?"

From Speedball:

"I'lltaketheofficeyoutakethebathrooms.
Andfindouthowlongtilleveryoneelesegetshere!"

Speedball zips off to the office area, hoping that he finds something to
make this all worth while. He's going to feel like a big jerk, otherwise.

-----

From GM:

Note: (It's only been a few seconds since you guys ran inside. You move so fast that you can search this place (which I think is about a 500 seat theater, not a 2000 like I said previously) in no time flat. MIRV's still on his way.)

Speedball: You leave Arcsilver standing staring around the darkened rooms, and shift through the office doors. Into a pitch black room. No lights, no windows, stuffy air. You are just about to go solid and go for the light switch when you realize you have no way of knowing whether you are in open space, air only, or perhaps your foot or hand, or god forbid you head, is partially inside an object. You can't see a damn thing...

Arcsilver: You shift your perceptions, and scan the room and hallway. The dark turns a hazy purple, highlighted by bright lines punctuated by brighter nodes representing electrical lines and outlets, bulbs, etc. You look around. Yeah... yeah... normal... refrigerator and toaster over, radio "boom box", outlets, fluorescent lights, elevator, recessed lighting, space heater,... wait... elevator?
You look again. Switching between the normal, visible spectrum, and the far ranges of the EM field. In the first you are looking at a scuffed and dirty wall with an old bulletin board on it, and in the second you see the outlines of a small light weight elevator, powered and running, behind a wall that doesn't seem to have any doors in it. It is directly across the room from you in the lounge. To your left are the doors to the men's and women's dressing rooms.

Speedball: You cautiously back out of the room into the hallway, where Arcsilver is still standing, staring into the lounge. You go solid and try to open the Office door manually... and it clicks open. You push the door open, and let the dim light of hallway show you a small administrative office with a dinged up old desk, two rows of filling cabinets and a stained, old Mr. Coffee. Some old posters line the walls, including one for the "Pirates of Pensance" but nothing looks out of the ordinary.<<<

[zornwil]

(snipped)

Second Note: As I reread these posts, I do wince at my mistakes as GM. In this case, I posted a short series of "PCs run around trying to find stuff and nothing happens" posts... something that I intended to set a solid scene inside the theater and make the players go "Hmmmm... what are we missing?" and brainstorm up solutions. This happens all the time in FtF games, though too much of it is antithetical to dramatic story telling. In and online game, a very little can easily be too much. I realize now, looking back, I should have kept things out of combat and just described the theater as they run through it... then left Arcs and Speedball with, "You don't see anything obviously wrong. Think about what you might have missed or what you might try differently and give me some various actions you'd attempt." Instead I left the players twiddling their thumbs and feeling like, "C'mon already... gimme something to work with here!" In a FtF game, that moment might have lasted a short minute. In a PBeM game, this was DAYS. Bad, bad, BAD GM... :( :thumbdown

Oh well, live and learn.



This might break the flow here too much, and if so please feel free to move to another thread, but it's always interesting to me hearing and sharing things one wishes one had done differently, so if you have others, especially upon such a long and in-depth campaign, please do share. You shouldn't beat yourself up about it, of course, but those lessons learned are interesting, especially this one, to me, since it is particularly relevant as you say to PBEM GMing, something that I probably wouldn't have thought of for much the same reasons (it works okay in F2F, not a real issue, doesn't become apparent in PBEM until days have already gone by).

Thanks for keeping these up!

[RDU Neil]

Actually, I was hoping these threads would spark more of the "Why did you do things like that?" questions and comments on the style, logistics and play dynamics of the game. I'm glad folks enjoy the story, but I was hoping to get some "actual play" discussions ongoing. (Actually, when I first started posting I did get a few more comments like that from folks. Just not since I restarted the posts.)

Note: Actually, in this post, Ilan did exactly what I was hoping he'd have Arcsilver do... only I recognize it took way too long in PBeM format to get to this point. Again... in FtF, this would have been a 30 second no-brainer scenario. In PBeM I drug it out too much. It is a tough line to walk in terms of getting good narrative and description and detail vs. logistical speed and game momentum.

-----

Post 182

From Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will speak loud enough for Speedball (not sure if this is a yell, or could be just speaking) "Hey Speedbox, you check out the bathrooms, I gotta see about something..."

He will then zip over to the wall, and rip down the poster on the wall, trying to find an entrance to the elevator. If he fails to see any secret doors or openings, he will fly around and try to find the other side of the shaft, and look for a way in all around.

From Speedball:

Speedball pauses for a moment with a raised eyebrow, trying to figure out what Arcs is up to, then shrugs and heads for the bathrooms. He mumbles, "sure. leave the sh!^^ters to me...figures." Assuming he finds nothing out of the ordinary, he'll return to where he last saw Arcs and wait for him to return and share info.

-----

From GM:

>>>Arcsilver: You pull down the bulletin board and it hits the ground with a clatter. Speedball zips off, grumbling under his breath, as you scan the wall. There is no way to go around this wall. It is a flat, plain, cinder block painted a dingy white as far as you can tell in the dim light. You shift back to your EM vision... getting the outline of the power cables, the switch box on top of the elevator... there is no way you could be getting this detail, no matter how faint, if this wall was really as thick as cinder block. You peer more closely... there! A crack with a faint heat signature... that's where the door is... now... how to open it...
The rooms behind you explodes in a splinter of wood and the flailing shape of a sprawling figure...!

Speedball: You run into the Women's room first. Always wanted to scam a women's dressing room... but it's a bust. (no pun intended.) Dusty and empty there is a row of four light tables for makeup, three empty clothing racks, some torn vinyl chairs, a shower stall and two toilets. A real disappointment with only the stale smell of old talc to give any sense of previous life. You skip through the drywall separating this from the Men's room... expecting and finding a similar dark and dingy room... until one of the shadows unfurls and grabs hold of your throat in a movement so sudden and unexpected you find yourself gasping at the viselike pressure ... doubly shocked because you are still phasing! Nothing should be able to hold you!
The shadow takes form, black, metallic, massive. Deep violet sparks dance along the ebony gauntlet that holds you. A powerful voice growls from the depths of the shadow saying, "So you are the positive response Tac user. Interesting. It seems a shame to waste such a rare experimental success... but you are too much of a wild card at the moment. Unfortunate... for you," and the mailed hand flares a brighter violet and you feel your speed drain... your body solidify... and you are shoved backward through the door in a violence of splinters and pain. (take 36 stun, 10 body... minus defenses means you take 25 Stun and 1 body from the stun damage and you are Con stunned. This was the badguy's surprise action, plus his first action during the first combat round.)

Initiative: the badguy already went his first action... so then Speed ball (1st), Arcsilver (1st), badguy (2nd), Speedball (2nd), Arcsilver (2nd).

Speedball's 1st action has to be "recover from being Con stunned" but after that, it's wide open.

-----

From Arcsilver:

> The rooms behind you explodes in a splinter of wood, and the
>flailing shape of a sprawling figure...!

For the first action Arcsilver will instinctively dodge and look around, trying to see exactly what has happened. While doing this he will key his com, saying "someone just smacked Speedbag, people! As soon as you can get here..." His next action will be to try to run interferance for Speedball. If there is any target near to him, Arcsilver will try a multiple move-by, putting levels in turning, and trying to end up back where he started (I'm looking for 8d6 on these unless I can see that this guy is armored, in which case something more like 11d6).

If there are a lot of enemies, or none that he can see, he will zip in through wherever Speedball came out, and travel 15", zig-zaging the whole way (trying to take the attention off of the 'Ball).


-Ilan

PS. sorry for all the play with the name, just earning those points I got for "rivalry with any other fast characters..."

From GM:

Note: (Real quick addition, since I haven't heard from Geoff today...)

>>>Arcsilver (1st action): You dance sideways, as Speedball dumps to the ground with a crack and a groan. Splinters from the cheap press board door spin and 'spack!' around the room and dust plumes outward. You call into the radio your hasty report and then notice that Speedball is hurt but not out. He groans again, moving slightly and clutching his throat on the ground.
Just as you are about to move to look into the dressing room from which Speedy was so hastily expelled you see a large shape, bulky and shadowy... and very menacing... slide silently out of the door. It's presence seems to fill the room, and you get the hint of black armor, heavily cloaked with a dark cape, but it's hard to make out. Even with your EM vision you don't get a clear outline, instead only traces of ionization around his left arm, and otherwise only a strange shimmer in the normal background radiation shows he is there. Deep violet spots glow where his eyes should be. A voice, stunning in it's command and tenor rumbles, "Arcsilver. Just the two of you, I see. This should be... interesting." The form seems to shift, becoming slightly more solid looking, and clearly in a relaxed, but prepared stance.<<<

Ok, that leaves Arcs second action... and Speedball's... REC from Con stun done, but now only has 10 stun.

Attached is a pic of the Warlord... first time he is seen.

[zornwil]

Actually, I was hoping these threads would spark more of the "Why did you do things like that?" questions and comments on the style, logistics and play dynamics of the game. I'm glad folks enjoy the story, but I was hoping to get some "actual play" discussions ongoing. (Actually, when I first started posting I did get a few more comments like that from folks. Just not since I restarted the posts.)

I'll try to come back to it with that eye, thanks.

[RDU Neil]

Post 183

From Speedball:

Neil,
I'd relpied to your email yesterday. Apologies if something went wrong and
you didn't get it.
Essentially what I said was this:
1st action: "ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow"

2nd Action: if I'm up and there're enough space, Speedy, coughing, calls out
to Arcs "We don't have to beat him, we just need to find the Kid! Any idea
where he might be?" Hoping that Arcs then points out the door, Speedball
says, "can you keep him busy long enough for me to get to the Kid and get
him out of there?"
If he assents, Speedball will go desolid and run through the door with the
expres idea of getting in and out as fast as possible and without getting
the shit kicked out of him.
If Arcs seems nervous about being left alone, Speedball will try and move
around to the figure's back and try to attack from that angle.

From Arcsilver:

>"Arcsilver. Just
the two of you, I see. This should be... interesting."

Arcsilver, still hovering in a combat pose, will unleash an array of
blinding-white lightning so that it arcs in front of this guy's face, and
say "'interesting?!' Not unless you think you think its 'interesting'
having my foot in your a$$!" And then into the com, under the sound of
the attack "how about an ETA, guys? This mother looks big and mean..."


-----

From GM:

Note: (Below is Geoff's response. It never came through on either my work, or my home e-mail. It doesn't look like you got it either, Ilan. I'm going to go ahead, and chock it up to the chaos of combat...)

Arcsilver: You blast away at the figure, faintly aware of the kid on the floor gasping something about, "...don't... find the Kid... where?" You are too busy watching your lightning illuminate the dark armor of this figure... as he strides right through your blast, blue white light glinting off a menacing and high tech faceplate that gives no hint to the person beneath it. Then the figure raises his hand saying, "Nice light show. Very pretty. But lets keep this just between us, shall we?" and there is a sudden high pitched whine through your ear piece ended by a loud "pop" and the smell of burning plastic. Your headset sags hot and emanating stinky smoke around your face.

Speedball: Arcsilver doesn't seem to hear you, blasting at the big guy and not seeming to have much effect. You see red sparks, different color than Arcs' normal hue, pop around his ear and his com go up in smoke. All the black figure did was raise his hand. Shaking your head and trying to focus, you slide around to your feet trying to get behind or to the side of the big guy. In doing so you try to get a good look at the enemy, blinking because either you're still shaking off the knock to the head or you really need glasses, because it is just not working. While you get hints of his menacing armor, and the occasional sense of a heavy cape... he is mostly shadow, nebulous, flowing with the dark shadows of this dimly lit room. You think you might have a shot at him... but it's really weird... hard to pin down exactly where he is...<<<

Initiatives: Speedball has half action if he wants to try an attack, then... next round...
Speedball (1st), Arcsilver (1st), badguy (1st), Speedball (2nd), Arcsilver (2nd), badguy (2nd)

From Speedball:

"Arcs--We're just here to get the Kid! Any ideas where he is? We don't
need to beat this guy--Wildheart and MIRV'll kick the crap out of him when
they get here...and second now."
Is going to take a recovery as his first action. If Arcs tells Speedy where
the concealed door is, he'll say "can you keep him busy for a minute?" and
assuming consent, take off to find the Kid at top speed and remaining
insubstantial until he considers it safe not to be. If he still gets no
indication that the door is there or if Arcs doesn't want to be left alone
with this guy (understandable), for his second action Speedball will attempt
a moveby from behind, which will leave him as far away from this guy as
possible.

From Arcsilver:

Arcsilver will yell to Speedball "roger that, turtleboy! Check the
secret panel behind the poster!" (he will gesture towards where he was.
For his action, Arcsilver will go as fast as he can, using all levels in
turn mode, and fly in around the shadowy form, dodging the whole way. He
will want to end his move in another direction than the secret
whatever-is-it and Speedball.

From Speedball:

With a quick nod and a look that says 'good luck,' Speedball is off to find
the Kid as fast as he can.

-----

From GM:

>>>Clarification of the setting since we're dealing with speedsters and fliers. This is a relatively small, interior room. You're lucky if it's 5" across at it's widest. You aren't out in the open theater but in the cast lounge/lunchroom. Flying around will be difficult, and you'll never be that far away from the enemy.

Speedball: You burst across the room, your path cris-crossing Arcsilver's as he blasts toward the enemy. In the split second it takes for you to move, you see only a blank wall where Arcs pointed. You hear a crash from an impact behind you as you take a breath, hope, and phase through the wall.
You pull up short, immediately, finding yourself not in a room... but an elevator. It is lit by small lights ringing the top and bottom. Warm clean air very different from the room outside. In fact... it's very quiet, sealed off, insulated. Definitely no Kid in here, though.

Arcsilver: As you blast around the dark shape, you grit your teeth realizing you aren't in your element. Too tight, too cramped... and he's big! Seems to fill the room, while at the same time it's very difficult to draw a bead on him. He seems to blend with the shadows... shifting away whenever you try to focus on him. Shifting away... without seeming to actually move.
Then he does move... fast. His black bulk lunges... there is the audible sound of his boot scraping linoleum tiles and the ripple of his cape... and he grabs you. He actually grabs you! Tight, by the neck. You thought you were skipping cleanly to the side of him and then his massive gauntlet is around your throat. Your electrical energy sparks off of the black, obsidian metal. And "CRUNCH" he has you pinned to the wall. (no damage, just a hold).
"Very brave... facing me alone," the enemy rumbles. "Foolish... but then that is your modus operandi, isn't it? Playing the fool?" Suddenly purple/violet sparks of energy flash along the gauntlet and arm... illuminating it somewhat, though even this close, the man's visage is hidden in clinging shadow. You feel a numbing tingle run through you and suddenly, your deflection field diminishes... his gauntlet hums and you feel your energy draining into the man's armor... and his grip tightening around your throat.

Speedball: You hastily shove your phased head through the opposite side of the elevator and only sense dense, closed in, wall and machinery. You pull back realizing that the only way to go is down. You see a small panel opposite the door. A key pad, and six unmarked buttons below that. Who knows what it takes to make this box move. (What do you do... second half action.)

Arcsilver: Though pinned by the throat, your arms and legs are free. Your force field is quickly dimming... leaving you more and more at the mercy of this bruiser... but he hasn't really injured you yet. (You have a full action.)
The enemy speaks again. "So you came here looking for Kid Fantastic? Interesting. Killinger must have shared quite a bit of information with you... but how did you know to look in this place specifically for my headquarters?" The rumbling basso has a casual, conversational tone to it... incongruous with the death grip around your throat.<<<

I'll wait for Arcsilver's and Speedball's second actions before I continue.

[RDU Neil]

Post 184

From Speedball:

Speedball looks under the elevator for the emergency access ladder that is found in most elevator shafts. If there isn't one, Speedball makes a
desperate move. Phasing through the floor, he attempts to use his
contortionist and acrobatics skills in such a way that he moves down the
elevator shaft in a reasonably controlled fashion. If he slips, he will
attempt to grab something to stop himself from falling too far. If he can't
stop himself from falling, he will simply turn insubstantial before hitting
the floor and then hope he can run up to ground level before he runs out of
air.
Once he gets to the bottom floor (assuming he isn't dead!), he'll phase out
of the elevator shaft and start poking around. Any thugs he encounters will
find Speedball in a foul mood.

This should be interesting...

From Arcsilver:

Arcsilver, flailing at the grip of this monster, will attempt a smile
and choke out "is it too late to talk about this? Your not mad about
that 'foot in the ass' comment, are you?"

He will then try to hit him as many times in the gut as possible, all
levels in punch. That's OCV 14, 8 1/2 dice autofire.

-Ilan "ouch! my trachea!"

-----

From GM:

>>>Speedball: Concentrating, you phase downward. This is not something you've ever had to do before and it is very strange. Moving vertically doesn't seem to be as easy as typical horizontal motion, as if you are still somewhat affected by the gravitational forces, even when phased. Still, you stick your head beneath the elevator into the open shaft below... and find it dark... no real light. Blinking, you try to adjust your eyes...

Arcsilver: You gasp out your joke to no affect on your adversary, and then go for the more physically persuasive measure. Your hands lash out in blistering attack. Multiple punches and kicks slamming into the solid black of your opponents mid-section.

Only one seems to land solidly and he barely grunts at that. The others seems to glance of the angles of what feels like armor and your kick seems to get caught in his billowing cape. (By the way, you only have an 11 OCV with punches and the like... your levels for flying maneuvers only.)
His hand tightens around your neck and he threatens, "I am the Warlord. Your powers are nothing to me. If you wish to live even a moment longer, tell me how you came looking in this theater specifically for Kid Fantastic!"

Speedball: Dimly you think you see the outline of an access ladder just a couple feet away, and you struggle to turn your body toward it, reaching out. Moving through the air, even while phased, is very hard without any momentum. But you think you've reached far enough...
... you turn solid and begin dropping even faster than you were before, your hand grasping for a perch. You fall about a foot... just enough for your stomach to lurch and twist, when your palm smacks a metal rung and your fingers close around it. Momentum carries your body in a swing into the side of the shaft, where you smack your knee hard and your shoulder wrenches a bit, aggravating the bullet wound. (take 2 stun.) You are on a ladder though and can start downward at pace.<<<

Initiative: Warlord (1st), Speedball, Arcsilver, Warlord (2nd) (uhmm... sorry guys... this is looking grim)


From Speedball:

As before, I'll head downward as quickly as possible. When I see a door
(there should be a crack of light) I'll poke my head through to check it
out. If I see nothing, I'll go down to the next level. If nothing is
immediately apparent by the time I get to the bottom, I'll make a more
detailed investigation, floor by floor.

(Sorry to have left you, Arcs!)

From Arcsilver:

Arcsilver's mix of ADD and the ability to regenerate make it very hard
for him to admit defeat, even when he should...

>His hand tightens around your neck, and he threatens, "I am the
>Warlord. Your powers are nothing to me. If you wish to live even a moment
>longer, tell me how you came looking in this theater specifically, for Kid
>Fantastic!"


"NGGGKK...Kid...Fantastic?" Arcsilver says, trying to look surprised as
he grabs the overlord's armored hand. "Don't...know what you're
talking...about. Hckk...I came here to see "Cats."

With that, he will attempt a last-ditch, hail Mary maneuver. Thinking
that these powers are coming from the armor and that the energy for the
powers might be transmitted electronically (even if they begin as
something else), he will use his suppress to try to inhibit the flow of
power into that part of the armor. He is specifically trying to stop the
drain but the super grip would be nice as well.

-Ilan

-----

From GM:

Note: (Ok, Ilan. You've been spouting some funny stuff, lately, but the "Cats" line was the best so far. I've been cracking up all day over that one.)

>>>Speedball: Scampering down the ladder you almost pass the first elevator door before you realize it. Quickly you vibrate up to speed, and shove your head through the metal... to see nothing. It's pitch black. You get the sense of room opening up a bit... but can't see a thing. No light at all. Pulling out, you clutch the ladder again, then head down, because the next floor down (there were six buttons, remember) clearly has light illuminating an outline around the sliding door. Coming down to it, you can hear muffled sounds of movement, and warm air comes through the cracks as well. Voices, distorted by the thickness of the walls and door can be faintly heard.

Arcsilver: It may be the last thing you ever do... but you think you got him. For a moment the Warlord hesitates. A twitch of his heavy helmet and an involuntary spasm... and was that a chuckle?? a suppressed guffaw?? You may never know... because you use the nano-second hesitation to grasp his thick armored forearm and in a huge flash of blue white light, send ripples of charges into his armor.

The drain ebbs. The Warlord stares at you and your hands. His grip doesn't falter. "Controlled electromagnetic pulse? Fascinating. I had no idea you had such control." His voice has a clear note of being impressed. Then the purple sparks flare around his gauntlet and you feel the power start to drain out of you again... though less so as if you're suppression field was fighting it. The Warlord says, "You could be a serious threat... if I let you live long enough to actually develop. That won't be the case... unfortunately for you." And his grip tightens around your weakening force field, which sputters and dims.<<<

Next initiatives: Arcsilver (1st), Warlord (1st), Speedball (1st), Arcsilver (2nd), Warlord (2nd), Speedball (2nd)

[zornwil]

RDU N. - have you had players ever troubled with the lack of mechanical feedback? Just curious, and curious how you handled it. Just for example, Speedball's player mentions that he will use acrobatics and contortionist skills, and there's no real feedback as to how those were applied. BTW, I"m not suggesting you should do that at all. But I am curious if you've had issues with it? I have seen a few players who just can't stand not knowing those precise details - it seems to somehow add to their experiencing the world, even though that might seem contradictory in that the mechanical explanation is so grounded in system and not immersive game-world terms, but that's the way I've seen it. Similarly, of course, someone from a more purely gamist approach might balk, I would imagine.

[RDU Neil]

RDU N. - have you had players ever troubled with the lack of mechanical feedback? Just curious, and curious how you handled it. Just for example, Speedball's player mentions that he will use acrobatics and contortionist skills, and there's no real feedback as to how those were applied. BTW, I"m not suggesting you should do that at all. But I am curious if you've had issues with it? I have seen a few players who just can't stand not knowing those precise details - it seems to somehow add to their experiencing the world, even though that might seem contradictory in that the mechanical explanation is so grounded in system and not immersive game-world terms, but that's the way I've seen it. Similarly, of course, someone from a more purely gamist approach might balk, I would imagine.


I can't say troubled... or really any complaints in that area. Maybe a few clarifications on this...
1) I have had some ask if I "fudge the dice" in some areas, or if I do roll everything. I do roll all combat rolls (to hit and damage) manually and if the player declares a specific "I want to try maneuver X using Skill Y," I will also roll it.
2) Note that everyone in this group except Ilan had played FtF games together, sometimes for YEARS. A certain style and level of trust had built up, I think. This allowed for more narrative style and voice without constant reference to mechanics.
3) Much of these games stemmed from original blue booking of FtF games, so this was a natural progression of out ongoing game more than a new concept.
3) The limiting of mechanic reference is part of my FtF GM style as well. I tend to have three areas of dice use.
a) If they just have a skill, good enough. No roll necessary.
b) They need to roll a certain skill, but "Just don't Roll an 18" is the guideline. This means that the PC should have a scant chance of failure, but in the rare case it does fail it will have dramatic impact.
c) The standard skill check... tends to be in pressure situations where time or level of success is important... chance of failure is important... and pass or fail has dramatic impact.

In a PBeM... you lose the FtF excitement of "Ok... roll for it!" where the play group all turns their attention to one player to see if the dice like him that night. That dynamic simply doesn't exist online and thus I consciously avoid that. PBeM is a different kind of game. I don't think one should expect the same dynamics as FtF... but there is a great deal of other value that gets to shine in PBeM we don't see in FtF. Great character dialogue that doesn't happen as much in FtF. The ability to write deep description and create atmosphere that can be lost in a room full of guys chomping Doritos. Exploration of romance and soul searching that would be uncomfortable, campy or just down right boring at the table. Best of all, a natural sense of players with some Director Stance ability to set scenes, create atmospher, drive plot and theme... because PBeM brings each voice to a more or less equal level. No strong personality keeps another person quiet. Every character/player gets a say every series of posts. The players themselves close the gap with the GM in terms of influence... at least I feel that as GM.

I don't expect the play experience of PBeM to be at all like FtF. I wouldn't want it to be. Heavily gamist players might not like this. It isn't about using the rules to win... it is about cooperation to bring a story to life with the written word. The rpg itself is merely a framework for that story.

I would even say that some players in the group have indicated this and other online games were the highlight of their play experience, compared to FtF games. It fit their style of play BETTER than FtF.

[RDU Neil]

Post 185

From Speedball:

1st action: Pulling the same trick as before, Speedball pushes his head just
far enough through the door to see through (that must look really weird from
the other side). He's trying to get an idea of how many people there are,
how well armed, etc. If anyone sees Speedball do this, he will immediately
attempt a move-by to knock them unconscious before they can raise an alarm.
If nobody sees him Speedball will look around for an opportunity for someone
to question about the whereabouts of KF. He has no problem with making it
painful or scary for anyone who does not cooperate (vibrating his hand and,
with a menacing whisper, "do you have any idea what a hand that can do this
could do to your brain?"--yeah, I know Joe can't affect solid, but a thug
wouldn't...)

2nd action: full speed combat if necessary. Otherwise, I'll need some idea
of the floorplan and who's around before I let you know what he does.

From Arcsilver:

Neil, just as a note, I assume that I took some damage from the squeeze
last round (gack!), but I don't know how much... How bad am I being
hurt?

>The Warlord says, "You could be a serious threat... if I
>let you live long enough to actually develop. That won't be the case...
>unfortunately for you." And his grip tightens around your weakening
>force field, which sputters and dims.<<<

"Gkkkkk...hnk...."

Arcsilver, in a desperation move, will elbow the wall behind him
(against which he is pinned) as many times as he can, as close to his
neck (the point where this guy is applying the pressure. I'm not sure
about the mechanics (maybe spreading the autofire attack?), but he wants
to weaken the general area all around his head and neck. He will push
his Str, so each attack (up to 5) will be 8 1/2d6+? The wall seemed
flimsy when Speedball came through it before, maybe he can get away if he
breaks a hole in it. Hopefully, he will be pushed through the weakened
wall and the hold will be lost. if this doesn't work, Arcsilver will try
to make a move through on the weakened area on the next round, and if
this guy holds on, Arc will try to go holding him. Of course, if Arc's
neck is broken before he has the chance, it is a mute point...

-Ilan

-----

From GM:

Note: (No damage to Arcsilver, yet. He's just being held, by his force field, which is dimming. The Warlord hasn't tried to crush through it... yet.)

Arcsilver: All glibness lost you become a blur of motion... shoving yourself backwards into the old drywall. Both elbows hammer backwards in a rapid fire pounding which shakes the entire room. You can tell your Force Field is at half strength or worse because you feel the impact much more than normal... but the wall crumbles. Plaster dust goes every where as you kick back, falling through the shards and scraping through the two-by-four framing.
The Warlord... caught by surprise... loses his grip as most of the pressure was simply pinning you to the wall. You hit the ground on your butt... his dark looming shape (see attached picture) standing over you.

Speedball: You press your face through the door and have to blink your eyes at the sudden glare. A lit hallway... some movement... two or three men down the way. You focus, and see two men in heavy green, flak vests, (no insignia) commando pants and boots with heavy weapons slung. They are looking backward toward a man walking toward them. African American, handsome, well tailored suit, dark glasses, small diamond earrings in each ear, short, neat hair. Well built, he looks like a hip business man, male model or sports star.
He stops... tilting his glasses forward to look, a bit puzzled, right at you. "What the...?" he starts to say, hand raising to point... when you move... coming through the wall in a blur. Since both of the guards have their backs to you... you decide to try something new... and hit all of them on a single pass. (Multiple move by for game terms)
With a cueball in each hand you smack the guards hard. Though their vests are armored, the force of your blows sends them slamming into opposite walls leaving a clear path to Mr. GQ. You actually hit the second one so hard that you jam your shoulder a bit from the impact (2 stun after defenses... really!) At the last nano-second, you notice the well dressed guy hasn't even tried to dodge... looks basically unfazed by your rush... and just calmly pushes his glasses back up on his nose as you slam into him.

WHAM! He doesn't even move. Pain lashes through your hand and arm and chest. You gray out... only to come back into hazy consciousness a split second later, as you hit the floor. (At this point, you are at -3 Stun, since you never got a chance to recover after the Warlord originally hit you.) Looking down at you, completely unmussed... not having moved at all... the black man continues to look a little puzzled, straightens his tie unnecessarily, and says in a cultured tenor, "And just who, may I ask, are you?"
(Speedball's second action will be an automatic recovery, up to 4 stun, and 4 END)

Arcsilver: The Warlord comes through the wall, after you. His bulk smashes even more of the drywall away in a strange shower of dust and darkness. He looms over you, gauntleted hand clenching with audible cracks into a massive fist. "You are resourceful... but that will only make this more painful for you,"... and he is on you. Fast... sleek... despite his bulk... the fist hits like a cannon shot to the face. Though your protective field is still up... it is weakened and your nose gives way in a bloody spray, head slamming back into the floor. The hallway you are now in swims in a sanguine haze. (you take 27 stun after defenses, resulting in 1 Body damage as well, and you are Con Stunned.)

For a moment... you shake off the haze... focus... try to move away as you see his fist piston up and then down again... then blackness... and oblivion.<<<

Uhm... ouch. Arcs is out of the fight (-25 Stun at this point, and has taken 3 body) Speedball is hurting, but has a chance. Initiative: Speedball (1st), studly black guy, Speedball (2nd) But remember... his END is as low as his Stun right now... but wait... he does have an END reserve... so he can do speedy stuff, it's just his STR feeling weak right now.

All praise to Storn for doing a superb job on the Warlord description I gave him.

[zornwil]

I can't say troubled... or really any complaints in that area. Maybe a few clarifications on this...
1) I have had some ask if I "fudge the dice" in some areas, or if I do roll everything. I do roll all combat rolls (to hit and damage) manually and if the player declares a specific "I want to try maneuver X using Skill Y," I will also roll it.
2) Note that everyone in this group except Ilan had played FtF games together, sometimes for YEARS. A certain style and level of trust had built up, I think. This allowed for more narrative style and voice without constant reference to mechanics.
3) Much of these games stemmed from original blue booking of FtF games, so this was a natural progression of out ongoing game more than a new concept.
3) The limiting of mechanic reference is part of my FtF GM style as well. I tend to have three areas of dice use.
a) If they just have a skill, good enough. No roll necessary.
b) They need to roll a certain skill, but "Just don't Roll an 18" is the guideline. This means that the PC should have a scant chance of failure, but in the rare case it does fail it will have dramatic impact.
c) The standard skill check... tends to be in pressure situations where time or level of success is important... chance of failure is important... and pass or fail has dramatic impact.

In a PBeM... you lose the FtF excitement of "Ok... roll for it!" where the play group all turns their attention to one player to see if the dice like him that night. That dynamic simply doesn't exist online and thus I consciously avoid that. PBeM is a different kind of game. I don't think one should expect the same dynamics as FtF... but there is a great deal of other value that gets to shine in PBeM we don't see in FtF. Great character dialogue that doesn't happen as much in FtF. The ability to write deep description and create atmosphere that can be lost in a room full of guys chomping Doritos. Exploration of romance and soul searching that would be uncomfortable, campy or just down right boring at the table. Best of all, a natural sense of players with some Director Stance ability to set scenes, create atmospher, drive plot and theme... because PBeM brings each voice to a more or less equal level. No strong personality keeps another person quiet. Every character/player gets a say every series of posts. The players themselves close the gap with the GM in terms of influence... at least I feel that as GM.

I don't expect the play experience of PBeM to be at all like FtF. I wouldn't want it to be. Heavily gamist players might not like this. It isn't about using the rules to win... it is about cooperation to bring a story to life with the written word. The rpg itself is merely a framework for that story.

I would even say that some players in the group have indicated this and other online games were the highlight of their play experience, compared to FtF games. It fit their style of play BETTER than FtF.
Thanks. We've done PBEM as a supplement to our F2F sessions, more in short bursts after a session left a bunch to be considered or especially where the F2F sessions are at the point of building to a major crisis and there just isn't time F2F to go through all the complexities. In many respects, I know what you mean. We also tend to use a more mixed approach to skills, with some similar aspects in terms of whether it's something that just should happen or really needs a skills check; I think I probably check skills a little more often but when it's something that one would certainly accomplish over time in some fashion, I color according to the results rather than pass/fail, with most things being assumed as able to happen if appropriate and the degree of success or failure influencing my narration back rather than driving actual success or failure. Our group also has played a lot of F2F so we also just fall into a certain style easily and have high trust regarding the way things go.

That being said, to fill a gap while trying to do different other games F2F, I tried PBP but it pretty much failed when trying to conduct any detailed combat, as responses were just too slow or coming to a grinding halt and therefore no excitement could be sustained. It was for a number of reasons, good and bad. So I would want to retool detailed combat if we did it PBEM or PBP again, thus interested in reading your methods and results. Someone suggested doing something along the lines of octaNe's simple conflict resolution system, but not sure if that's as straightforward as it seems in relating HERO abilities back to that system, even though the heavy abstraction of octaNe does at least make it worth considering.

[RDU Neil]

Post 186

From Speedball:

"This is getting ridiculous," Speedball thinks, as he takes his manditory
round of recovery. "I liked it better when everyone I hit fell over."
Using his acrobatics to somersault backwards and away from the studly brick
wall he just smashed into, Speedball gets into position to run the fuck
away. "Me? Oh, I'm the copy repairman. Where's your Xerox room?
Nevermind. I'll find it myself."

He will run in a direction opposite the elevator shaft. His desires, in
order of importance are: 1)don't get killed or captured 2)make studly brick
wall guy even more confused than he is and 3) check out the rest of the
floor for Kid Fantastic. Speedball will run through walls high speed and
will not stop unless he finds the Kid. If the Kid does not appear to be on
this floor, Speedball will simply drop down to the next floor (I'm assuming
here, Neil, such a maneuver can be done without danger of knocking himself
out. If this isn't the case, Speedball will try and find a broom closet or
empty room to take a round's recovery)

"that's it: I gotta get me a radio. This is Bullshi--."

-----

From GM:

Speedball: Things are running through your head as you roll up from the ground. Though you feel the juice flowing you know you are burning it at a rapid pace right now... and you feel woozy enough that a stiff wind could take you out right now. Still you chatter at the suit as you zip around him and he is trying to watch you, while reaching into his jacket with one hand... but you are a great deal faster than he is and move down the hallway before he can do a thing. It comes to you that when you hit that guy it was like hitting a smooth wall. Not like you actually touched him or his clothes... but ran into some smooth field smoothly wrapped around him. Can't see anything though. Not like Arcsilver or Impetus who both glow quite a bit.
You are down the hallway in a shot... and realize it isn't that long. There are four doors, two on each side, and the hallway ends in another elevator. This one is a large, double wide, warehouse elevator type of thing. It's doors are mesh cages and the opening behind them is empty except for the cable.
You blast into the left hand rooms and find two large offices, one neatly kept, stylish, with low lighting, leather couch, book case, TV, computer, etc. It is empty, as is the other which is messy, fluorescent lights, shared by at least three people, empty coffee cups, paperwork, PCs, etc.
Then you zip back out, across the hall and into the other rooms... which turn out to be simply one big room. Bunks, eight of them. There are three guys in here. They are hustling into uniforms and gear. They turn, surprised by your entrance.
Just then, a voice comes over a PA system; the same cultured tenor from before. "This is GQ. We have an intruder. Paranormal speedster. Prepare for level four controls." A beeping begins just as you start to drop through the floor, before the agents can respond in any way.

You sink into the earth, heavy scent of soil and minerals, blackness, and the oppressive sense of being completely enclosed. You've only dropped six or seven feet, but there is clearly no room directly below where you were.

You can't breath until you find open air again.<<<

From Speedball:

Not wanting to risk burial just yet, Speedball runs at a 45 degree angle (or as sharp an angle as he can manage). Once he re-emrges and can breath, he will head for the elevator shaft, once a couple of feet in front of the
front elevator, he'll drop through the floor again.

"beginning to feel like I'm in a video game here. Where the Hell is the
calvalry?"

-----

From GM:

Note: (I'm giving Speedball the benefit of the doubt when it comes to 45 degree angle to what? Would help to be a bit more specific.)

Speedball: You turn in the direction that you think would match the hallway above, and run/swim through the rock and earth... trying not to think of all the worms and stuff you are moving through at this point. The whole ordeal last barely three seconds... but that gives you plenty of time to begin imagining the nightmare result of you losing your breath and becoming corporeal inside solid rock...

... and then you are out... stepping into the air of a hallway, rocky and unfinished, unlike above, it reminds you more of a mine shaft than a corridor.

You drop to the ground, breathing deeply, glancing both ways in the shaft, but you see no one. The steady beeping you heard above continues, as you start to run in the direction of the small elevator. Just as you reach that spot (it's the only exit/entrance into the corridor that you can see.) The beeping changes to an automated voice that says, "Pulse 1" and then a high pitched tone blasts through the corridors, spiking into your ears, even though you are intangible.

Your face grinds in the dirty floor. You shake your head realizing you grayed out from the pain. You are solid again, right in front of the elevator, head ringing, and unable to hear anything else at all.<<<

(Boy this moves along a lot faster when I don't have to wait for six people to post.)

[RDU Neil]

Post 187

From Speedball:

(Neil, as a point of clarification: I am now on the 3rd level down from the street? There were six buttons on the elevator, as I recall and I'm trying to figure out how many more levels there are below)

Speedball will move into the elevator shaft slowly, again climbing onto the ladder. He will take two rounds' recovery, assuming nothing happens that necessitates a response, and then will start looking around on the next level down. He's also hoping that these guys weren't thinking too hard when they installed these pulse emitters--in the elevator is obvious. In the shaft itself is less-so.


-----

From GM:

Speedball: Weak as a kitten, you concentrate and phase through the elevator doors. Turning to clutch at the ladder as you start to fall, turning solid, and trying to catch your breath. Your ears are ringing and you feel wobbly. Time slows as you rest... seconds dragging on as they do for you when you aren't using the juice. Through the wall, you hear the faint... "Beep, beep, beep..." and then, "Pulse 2." And you cringe...
.... and a sonic shock reverberates through the walls but doesn't hurt. You were right. The Elevator shaft doesn't seem to have be wired for sound. You sigh with relief, try to shake off the fatigue and start to climb downwards. Your guess seems right. There were six buttons and you've checked out 3 floors... that leaves three... no 2 floors left. One of those buttons had to be for the top floor where you first entered. (At this point you are at 13 Stun/ 10 END after a recovery and then holding on and climbing.)

Moving at normal speed to conserve energy, you reach the next elevator access door, just as you hear a muffled sound of a voice, different, lower... more menacing. "Primary Base Access has been compromised. Further hostiles approaching. Prepare for full lock down and complete sterilization. Level 6 controls now activated." And the beeping changes to a klaxon.

Also, above you the elevator suddenly kicks in, and begins descending, rather rapidly, toward your position. There is no crack of light coming through this elevator door.<<<


From Speedball:

"Sterilization? *that* doesn't sound inviting." Speedball climbs down one more level to check the floor below. If the elevator looks like its getting too close for comfort, I'll speed up, but otherwise I'll take it at normal speed. If there's light coming through the door, I'll run through it, hoping that someone isn't waiting for me with something that'll be able to affect by insubstantial state. (I assume that the END you quoted was not my reserve--if I'm wrong let me know, since I'll have to play this differently). I will not be engaging hostiles if at all possible. I'd rather just keep them of balance until the heavy hitters arrive. (But do let me know if they fire slug-type weapons, since I might want to try a missle deflect to scare them).

eek. I scared!

-----

From GM:

Note: (Well, I guess I gave Speedball every chance in the book to run away... but instead, he only gets himself in deeper... literally.)

>>>Speedball: As you begin to clamber down the ladder, the klaxon continues to roll and the elevator lowers quickly. You reach the bottom of the shaft as the elevator is just two floors above you and descending. There is a hint of light coming through this final doorway, and you juice up and phase through the door. Behind you, you hear two things... a high pressure hissing suddenly fills the elevator shaft... and a rapid series of "CHUNG! CHUNG! CHUNG!" that sounds like heavy metal plates or hatches slamming into place echoes from above.
Inside the door, you find yourself in another rough hewn hallway, lit by a string of bulbs. It is wider than the one above, and cooler. There are some unmarked crates... a few of which look like empty rifle crates... stacked along the wall. No one is in sight, but you do hear a heavy clank of metal farther down the hall, and some voices calling out.
Just as you start to move down the hall to check it out, you hear the elevator reach the ground, and the doors "shack!" open. You catch sight of a large, ominous form in the small car... and darkness seems to spill outward, damping the lights in the hall.<<<

From Speedball:

"OK, I'm not going to do anyone any good captured or dead. Time to haul a$$ out of here," Speedball says to nobody in particular. His low voice shakes, but from fear or exhaustion?
Speedball will run back towards the elevator. Instead of running through the armored form (for fear that it's this character who can affect his desolid state--did I ever catch his name?), Speedball will get up a deep breath and bow around through the rock wall, hoping it will offer protection (and maybe concealment?), reemerging in the elevator shaft for what he hopes will be a very fast scurry to the top. He realizes (I think) that there are now metal plates in place between floors so he knows he will have to phase though them to get to the surface.

Hoping luck is with him....

-----

From GM:

Well now... will Speedball make it... or not? And no, you haven't caught the big guy's name, yet.

>>>Speedball: Summoning up the last of your strength, you turn back toward the armored form as it steps out of the elevator. You immediately see, dangling from one massive gauntlet, the limp form of Arcsilver. He is possibly unconscious, maybe even dead. His face is a ugly smear of blood.
You run, directly at the villain, shifting into your vibrational phase state. He sees you and drops Arcsilver unceremoniously on the floor, as well as a small cutting blade, nearly invisible in his other massive hand, with which he seemed to be cutting away Arcs' uniform. His armor flares a sparking, purple energy, as he steps into a stance for your attack...
... and you deep breath... and side step into the wall, keeping your momentum as best you can. Dark, cold, oppressive. You literally feel like you are swimming through the earth, up and around, pulling against the formless mass...
...to come zipping out into the air, about twenty feet above the elevator, in the shaft. The low light there is clear as day after the pitch black of solid rock. In the brief moment that you float, before you start to drop, you orient to the ladder... turn solid, and grab hold. (Good thing your DEX is so high. You keep making multiple DEX rolls that even Dragon Mist would have a tough time hitting all the time.)
Scampering up the ladder, three things hit your senses. One, there is a distinctive burning smell... unfamiliar chemical, and very unpleasant. Two, the hissing you heard before is louder, echoing through the shaft. Three, your ears hurt... like you've suddenly dived to the bottom of the deep end of the pool like you haven't done since you were a kid, and the pressure is sharp and could grow painful if it gets any greater. You keep climbing, faster than any normal person, but much slower than running.
Just then you reach the first steel hatch. Trying to time things correctly, you push upwards off the ladder, phasing just as you do so, and leap upwards, through the bulkhead. It is at least half a foot thick, and you come out the other side, flailing, trying to "swim" upwards enough to become solid and grab the next rungs. You make it, barely, just a voice booms out over a PA system. It is the same, dark, foreboding voice of the enemy in the black armor.
"To the speedster trying to effect his escape. This is the Warlord. You have less than twelve seconds." His voice takes on a slight mocking sound, "Are you fast enough? Is your Tak serum holding out? I do hope you survive... as I don't know anyone else who has successfully assimilated the drug like you seem to have. Come back and visit, won't you?"

You are still climbing. Though the mention of your Tak usage takes you by surprise, it doesn't slow you down. You phase through the next bulkhead, wondering exactly what this guy has to do with the junk you take.

This hissing is louder, the smell acidic and noxious, you gag... getting a headache almost immediately. Move... move... move. As you ghost through the next hatch, you have to wonder if you are accurately keeping track of the seconds... 'cause time is weird when you are "sped up" like this...
...and it's the top of the shaft. You step through the elevator doors, and find yourself back in the dingy actors lounge of the theater.

The entire place explodes in a flash and roar of dust and rock and immense force.


Cut scene: East side of New York, from the air. About two hundred meters off the ground. Image drops downward, buildings a streets becoming clearer in the early morning air. View shifts to show MIRV Alpha, arcing downward. His boot jets flare in the gray light, the silver and blue of his armor gleaming. Below him, coming up fast, is Verdi Square and the Red Aisle Theater. His radio crackles, as he reports... "This is MIRV. I'm on location. Dropping to street level. No immediate sign of Arcs or the junky... I'll"
There is a muffled BOOM, and the entire building, as well as those next to it... shake. Glass shatters from windows all around. Thick plumes of dust suddenly explode out the front of the theater, and through now broken upstairs windows. The building turns in on itself, roof collapsing, walls all falling inwards, and in three seconds, a perfectly controlled demolition brings the entire theater down in a massive cloud.
Just above it all. The silvered form of the armored Maverick hovers in the expanding haze of dust and debris. After a moment, his voice catching his stunned demeanor, he radios again.

"This is MIRV."

"We have a problem."<<<

[RDU Neil]

Note: There was a ton of OOC discussion I remember around the following. I jumped ahead in time 8 hours, and made indications that the collapse of a large building would be an impediment. A couple felt like "Hey, we're supers! What's a building?" but no PCs really had any AE or other powers that could easily and quickly dig or remove rubble. (The lack of or use of AE powers in my campaign is a side issue that is kind of interesting, but too long to discuss here.) The other thing was just convincing players that skipping eight hours was not hosing the PCs... it was just moving past 8 hours of non-dramatic stuff so we could get all the PCs back into action. That kind of "Hey... what are you doing?" moment in FtF is often easily discussed in two minutes and then a move on. I think this took days and some heated posts to get everyone on board.

-----

From GM:

Eight hours after the collapse of the Red Aisle Theater.

The area on 74th has been blocked off. Fire trucks, police cars, city operations vehicles, and even some back-hoes encircle the sunken pile of rubble that once was a theater. Buildings and cars all around are coated in thick dust. Gray, gritty water runs into the sewers from the dust covered streets. Onlookers are pushed back a few hundred yards. Police, firemen, engineers and construction workers bustle around. In the center of the confusion stands a circle of figures that everyone else seems to avoid.

The team has gathered at the scene. Crusader, Dragon Mist, Darkfire and MIRV stand over Wild Heart. Their clean, striking uniforms and armor a sharp contrast to her filthy, dust caked form. She is barely recognizable, covered from head to toe in gray plaster fines, mud, and dirt. She is slumped, staring at the rubble pile in defeat.
Around them stand the new additions, none quite sure where they fit in this dynamic. Impetus... massive, dark and imposing, next to Cowboy, a contrast, slight but feral... both in dark trench coats blowing in the wind. To the side, by herself, is the slim and elegant Grey Spirit, her beautiful face set stoically as she watches the surrounding area more than the group.

"We don't know they're dead," says MIRV. "Not for sure. There was obviously something beneath the theater... the way the debris collapsed so deeply into the ground. Who knows what is down there?"

Impetus scans the demolition with a practiced eye. A perfect job, that's for sure. Surrounding structures aren't even touched. Powerful demolitions, too. Pulverized the building. No big chunks except for the roof. Everything else broken down to the brick size and smaller. No wonder Wild Heart couldn't dig through it. It would have been like trying to dig through rock soup. Nothing big to lift out, nothing to brace yourself against, no leverage. Someone heavy enough could sink in that stuff like quicksand. Hearing what MIRV says, well, anyone living through that mess is a serious long shot. Anything below ground level would have to be seriously reinforced or it would be a total collapse... all the way down. Very thorough.

Cowboy's eyes are on Grey Tiger... er Spirit. Damn. It's her. Looks a helluva lot like her... younger, that's for sure. Different outfit. I mean, Grey Tiger was good looking... all noble and wise and shit. This Grey Spirit is a real babe, but she's got that same attitude... same way she carries herself... same lightness of step... poise they call it. His hands tingle as he watches her. Can't help thinkin' "Wonder if little girl Grey is as fast as the old lady version." Casual glance from her... is she sayin' "Go ahead. Try me."
Damn.

From the police line, Lt. Masterson steps under the tape while talking with a paramedic. He nods and thanks the man, then breaks from him to step across the dirty street towards the group of heroes. He glances coolly at Impetus and Cowboy. Gives a subtle bow of the head to Grey Spirit who smiles and bows slightly in return. Then he steps up to the main group.
"All right, here's where we stand. I've put the call in to Baltimore. Trying to get a hold of Victrix, there. She's one of the few paras I know of that have a power to sift through the rubble safely, quickly and thoroughly. If she's not busy, I'm sure she'll help. She's got some history with the group, after all." He thumbs through a worn notebook, then continues.

"I spoke with Roberta. Uh... I mean Agent Morse," he laughs a little. "She's still the same pleasant personality she always was," he mutters with obvious irony. "I guess she's ok, but still wasted from dealing with something she calls a mind bomb that was left by Kid Fantastic. She says she needs to talk to someone named Speedball." He looks down, saying quietly, "I'm guessing he's the guy you think was lost in there," he points at the collapsed building, "with Arcsilver, right?" Wild Heart says nothing but MIRV confirms this.

After a pause, Masterson says, "I'm sorry we don't have any better news. We've got some professionals with heavy equipment coming in, but that will take time. I guess the only good news is that collateral damage was minimal... and we haven't found any bodies, yet. Had people check the neighborhood and did find one lady with a mild coronary, surprised by the blast. A couple of people had cuts from breaking glass. Nothing serious. Hell, might have even saved a life, actually. We found this junkie punker in the foyer of that clothes shop," he points across the street to a costume and apparel shop whose front windows obviously shattered in the blast. "Guy was really strung out, all twitching and choking. Must have taken some bad smack. If we hadn't been looking for victims he'd have probably died there. Lucky for him, eh?"<<<

Responses please. More tomorrow.


The following was sent individually to M/Dragon Mist:


Hey Matt,
Just giving you some information that Dragon Mist would have received from Grey Spirit. How you present it to the group is up to you. Also, on a metagame note, if you are too busy to respond, that's cool, but please let me know. I'm planning on sending DM, Crusader and Grey Spirit off to do their own thing and want to make sure you'll be available to post. I don't want to pile stuff on you if you don't have the time to get into it.
Hope everything else is going well. Here's the information...

>>>The after glow of a very intense and passionate morning is followed by the deepest most relaxed sleep you've known for some time. You wake to the subtle smells of tea, and strange sense of serenity. "It's been a long time," you think.
Grey Spirit, or Kaori Kimiyoshi as she revealed to you, eases gracefully down next to you, handing you a cup of tea as you turn over. She sits, cupped in the curve of your stomach and legs, folding into a lotus position as you drink your tea. Her jet black hair reflects a elegant blue in the dim afternoon sunlight coming through the window. The tattoo on her bare back looks softer, less demonic in this light, but it is a reminder of the darkness that she carries.
Minutes pass and neither of you speak. It's not an uncomfortable silence, but a peaceful, quiet connection. No need for words... almost meditative... but effortless. Time becomes meaningless and you lose yourself in the nearness of her, the heat, a transfer of energy back and forth, a natural flow. It is some time before the spell is broken, and for that time there is more peace in your life than you can ever remember.
Eventually though, she speaks and the reality of the world realigns, coming into focus. She is looking directly into your face, now. Deep black eyes full of so much emotion... but controlled and subdued right now. "As much as I wish otherwise, I think I must shatter this moment with harsh facts. I believe I may know where your sister is being held, or at least the best lead for the moment." Her hand traces down your bare chest, electric and hot and calming and comforting, all at the same time. "You are rested now, and I am greatly healed. I would ask you for the chance to redeem myself, and accompany you to rescue her... or..." her face becomes more somber, very serious, "...if necessary, to avenge her."
"On Sutton Place. Just north of the United Nations building. Sendako Y'ull has a house which the Nahoda clan has taken for their own. I found this out during my searches of the past weeks." She arises then, unfolding from the futon with easy grace. Naked in the cold air but unfazed by it, she picks up a black silk robe from the floor, slipping into it with an unconscious grace that makes you ache. "You need to understand," she continues. "This Warlord approached me... some many weeks ago. I believe he also approached Onyx in the same manner. He has a plan... complex in detail but simple in nature. He wishes to control New York City... what he calls the Capital Of The World. He believes the paradigm shift in world power has come into a new age. He believes that it is time for people of real power... paranormal, metahuman, mystical or technological... whatever it is that sets one apart from the masses... he believes those people have a right and destiny to rule. That world stability will only result if the strong are in charge, to provide a bulwark against the other "powers" in the world." She turns to you, elegant in simple silks, brushing the hair out of her eyes. "He wished me to be a lieutenant. He wants the Tong that I control. He wants me as a road to the Yakuza as well. He probably wanted Onyx for his power and influence as well. I believe Onyx refused him and he was... made into an object lesson."
Kaori then picks up your sword, and kneels down before you. "I never gave him a direct answer, but he must know my refusal, now. He obviously has made a deal with the Nahoda instead of me. He most likely offered you as part of the bargain." With both hands, she extends the sheathed sword to you and bows her head saying, "I humbly suggest that we end this, now and forever. I can lead you to the Nahoda where either we rescue or avenge your sister, and eliminate this threat to you and the people of this city for good." Her voice is firm, unwavering, and her lethal intent is unmistakable.<<<

Anything you want to add before we jump to the scene of the collapsed building?

[zornwil]

I don't want to take this on a tangent you don't want, RDU N., but can you just briefly state whether the lack of AE is just a happenstance or was it (regardless of whether by player consensus or GM fiat) a chosen mandate?

[zornwil]

Heh, I had a PC who joined a big conspiracy like this after they fought it a long time and got to the top to find some of the world's elite supers behind it.

[RDU Neil]

Note: The lack of AE powers isn't mandated at all. They exist, just tend not to be used by PCs a lot. I think it is a combination of play style/reinforcement and game world considerations that make them less that valuable for players to pay for. Concept and point limitations play in as well. It's complex.

Anyway...
-----

Post 189

From Impetus:

(((The team has gathered at the scene. Crusader, Dragon Mist,
Darkfire and
MIRV stand over Wild Heart. Their clean, striking uniforms and
armor a
sharp contrast to her filthy, dust caked form. She is barely
recognizable,
covered from head to toe in gray plaster fines, mud, and dirt. She
is
slumped, staring at the rubble pile in defeat.)))

Impetus puts a hand on her shoulder. "They set dis place so you couldn't do
it," he says quietly, if possible so the inspector can't hear. "They knew
'bout parano'mals, and they knew that muscle you o'me need huge beams left
ova to pull sh-t outta the hole. And they set the det'nashuns perf'cly so
all th'beams an' solid walls'd snap like twigs." He pauses. "They did this
'cuz it wuz th' only way to stop you... and it ain' yo' fault. Doan let it
getcha down."

(((("Guy was really strung out, all twitching and choking. Must have taken some bad smack. If we hadn't been looking for victims, he'd have probably died there. Lucky for him, eh?"<<<))))

Impetus steps forward quickly. "Lucky as all shit. Lissen, if you can tell
me wheah he is, can ah talk to him f'a sec? Ah deal wif junkies a lot, an'
who knows? Him sittin' there all evenin', too strung out to move... he
mighta seen somethin' along th' way." Assuming that he gets the opportunity
to talk to Speedball, Impetus will quietly whisper, "Where you want us
t'take you man, an' how? Your call. You got the eye dee, jes' the same as
ah do."

From Cowboy:

Cowboy nods at Impetus' words to Wildheart.
"Daaaayumn... definitly a Pro-fessional. But why? I
mean, 'less it was jus' some wacked out bomb freak,
why blow up a theatre? What's so damn important here,
anyway?"

And this time, Cowboy makes sure to set his radio on
the Maverick's frequency.

From Crusader:

Crusader looks around and then specifically at Impetus; "Look, we
aren't exactly weaklings here. I can lift a motorcycle over my head. I
wager that Impetus can lift a hell lot more than that. If we had some
engineers giving us guidance of what to move, what to buttress... we could
get quite a bit accomplished before heavy equipment shows. Or Victrix. What
do y'all think?"

Storn is a little unclear about where speedball is...

From Impetus:

Impetus looks around skeptically, scratching his head in that sort of
doubting willingness you see in construction workers and programmers
everywhere when their boss asks for something just on the verge of
impossible. "I s'pose it's possible, but I have a lot of experience with
buildins in mah otha lifestyle, an' dis wuz done by a pro. It ain' sheer
fawce, it's lev'rage an' efficiency. You c'n lif a motorcycle ova yo' head,
but this'd atchly a betta bet f'Speedball or Arcsilver -- 'cuz it ain'
liftin' big things but lotsa smaller things. They engineered it
specifically FOR dat.

"Ah'm willin'ta bring in the experts, an' I ain' sayin' iss a no hope, but I
AM sayin' ah think iss gonna take time, an' even then we might shift things
inside fo'the survivas. I'd prefer someone who can pass through this stuff,
o'see through it f' the bes' route, if ya ask me."

((((And this time, Cowboy makes sure to set his radio on
the Maverick's frequency.))))

Impetus looks over. "You know, I gots t'GET me one a'those things," he says
to Cowboy.

From Speedball:

When any or all of the Mavericks approach Speedball, he musters what little
coherence he can, and spits out "th-th-they knew wwwwe were ccccoming.
H-h-h-e's still ah-ah-ahllllive!" Grabbing at the lapels (or whatever the
costume's equivalent might be), "F-f-f-ind him! He's down there--and
i-i-t's my fa-fa-fa-fault!" Collapsing, he blacks out.
When he wakes a few moments later in jumble of tremors and near-epileptic
jerks. "I-i-i-i nnnnnneed the ta-ta-tac. Get me to...my junk." And again,
he collapses into a shaking blob of flesh. If aroused, he will be as clear
as he can about where he should be taken.

Neil--this is all assuming I'm as badly off as I think I am. If not, let me
know and I'll repost. thanks.

-----

From GM:

>>>As the group quickly becomes aware of the implication that Speedball might be alive, and not buried in the collapsed building, everyone begins to move. As Masterson is a bit confused by Impetus' request, he says, "Well, I think he's being taken to St. Luke's... probably." And then Wild Heart is in his face, saying, "Where is he now? Still enroute?" And Masterson, looking confused, says, "Hell, I think they just left..." and he steps to the side, looking past the crowd. You all turn, and see an ambulance slowly pulling through the crowd, it's lights just starting up, it's siren still silent. "I think that's him..." and then Wild Heart and MIRV start to move, as well as Impetus, and anyone else who follows. "Hey!" shouts Masterson, left behind and ignored... "What's the big deal with this guy?"

Left behind as well are Dragon Mist and Grey Spirit. In the brief confusion, she lays her hand on DM's shoulder, and says quietly, "I think you should tell Wild Heart what we know. This may be a great opportunity. If the Warlord is distracted by these current actions, we should use the time to strike at his Nahoda allies as soon as we can."

It takes only a few seconds to delay the ambulance's departure. When the puzzled paramedic opens the rear door, he is confronted by the muddy countenance of a desperate Wild Heart, and the permanently angry glare of Impetus. He almost pees himself as the two gesture him aside, and move into the vehicle. There they find Speedball... Joe... strapped down to a gurney, looking horribly pale and wasted, shaking uncontrollably, teeth chattering.

(Insert Impetus and Speedball's brief exchange, here. See below)

After a jumble of words, Wild Heart asks, "Who's alive? Arcsilver? Was he under the building? Who was it? Speedball! Give me something to work with."

And Impetus adds, " 'n whea do we fin' yo sh-t, anyways?"<<<

[RDU Neil]

In this post we begin to see the confusion and argument over the scenario spill into game speak. Happens in FtF, but worse in PBeM where it is very difficult to break OOC and says, "Ok, I (the player) am confused here. Let's clarify some stuff because I'm getting bugged." This was actually a pretty nasty argument offline.

Post 190

From Impetus:

Nothing much to add here, except that if Speedball gives any indication
where it is, Impetus will attempt to grab Speedball out of the van, saying
quietly to Wildheart, "You tell 'em what you need to -- with Arcs and Speedy
down, I think I'm the faster here, and ah can cover air" -- and, barring any
major arguments or incidents, he'll Superleap, with Speedy in arms, to
wherever Speedball's apartment is.

Of course, other things may happen in the meantime, or other characters may
object. But Impetus is going on the assumption that speed is more important
than cover right now.

From Speedball:


"yeah. Arrrcs is down there. We split up and...th' w-w-w-WARloard got him
whu-while I was lllooking f-f-for the Kid. Christ! It hurts! Am I
buh-bleeding any-anywhere?"

Joe will try and explain the address and location of his strange brew to any
one of the Mavericks who will listen if they promise to bring it to him. If
not, he will make every effort to go himself, no matter how much they try to
restrain him.

"Thu-they were ready f'r us. At least two supers and a....abunch 'a thugs
in a a a base un-under th' theater. Ne-next time we wait for th'
cav-cavalry."

Full on withdrawal has set in. If Joe hasn't begun already, he is vomiting,
sweating, smells horrible. Only someone trained in medicine or who's taken
care of a junky or drunk before would want to get anywhere near him.

From Cowboy:

Cowboy finds the least dirty place to lean against
(like maybe a light post near the ambulance?) and does
that slouch that says "I'm a bad a$$ and you better
not f--k with me, but I'm just chillin' so back off!",
and waits for the commotion at the ambulance to settle down.

From Crusader:

Crusader looks around at all the confusion and shakes his head. He
looks to Wild Heart, who seems a bit out of it. He can't understand
Impetus's reluctance to help... Why is everyone worried over one skanked-up
addict when there could be dozens trapped?

"HEY PEOPLE!" he shouts over the Mav's comm and as loud as he can;
"GET YOUR HEADS OUT OF YOUR A---S!!!"

As soon as he has the Mavericks attention. "Look, we have collapsed
building, perhaps Arcsilver is in it. Perhaps not. The likelihood of OTHERS
being trapped in the rubble is extremely high. Every g--d-mn, f--king second
here counts."
"This is Manhatten.... waiting for heavy equipment could be 30 mins
away. Waiting for Victrix and Tachyon from Baltimore could be 2 hours away."
Crusader taps Wild Heart; "You've got more strength than a Daewoo
crane, combine with mobility. MIRV and Impetus are not only strong, they can hover. Hell!" Thumbs at Cowboy; "Even Stetson here is augemented.
Dragonmist will be able to access pockets...Dangerous? sure. But we didn't
sign up for this to peacefully die in bed."
"Masterson, I know that NYPD has access to firemen, engineers & bomb
experts. Especialy after the World Trade Center. I understand that this is
a crime scene. But you know that every minute that passes it becomes harder
for those who are trapped to hold on. Get your best people here to direct us
and we will help them clear rubble and search."
"We will do as much as we can until even more help arrives. Then we
will continue to help." Looks around; "Does anyone have a problem with that?"

p.s. Crusader, for all of his dark avenging knight look, has really
grown up (re: indoctrinated) in a team atmosphere. When faced with a big
task, ya got to start somewhere.

-----

From GM:

Note: (Still haven't heard from Matt at all. He may not have checked his e-mail. Before I post, anyway, I want to clear some things up. 1) In the first post, it states that this is "8 hours" after the collapse of the building. 2) There are engineers and firemen around, and they have been digging for hours with shovels and the like, but not getting anywhere. 3) I described Wild Heart as caked in dirt and mud, indicating that she had been digging in the mess for quite a while before anyone else showed up, but to no avail. 4) Impetus/Bill read the situation correctly, in saying that this is not a matter of strength and power, but in the ability to move tons of dirt and tiny rubble en masse. There are no big pieces to move. The blast pulverized the building, so that it is one big rock pit. A sink hole of dust, mud and small rocks. Only some kind of (in game terms) area affect or earth moving ability will have any effect (big crane, back hoe, area effect TK, tunneling).

Without spelling it out utterly, I tried to indicate that this was at the end of a day, as the rest of the team gathered, where efforts had been made, and frustrated, at getting anywhere in the dig. The powers that the Mavs bring to bear just don't have any easy answer to this. That's why Wild Heart seems "out of it." She is upset because all her strength was for nothing in that mess. Sorry. I thought I was being pretty obvious with this, but obviously it wasn't clear.

Now I'll wait and see if Matt posts, before going ahead.

[RDU Neil]

Post 191

From Dragon Mist:

Sorry all, I have gotten out of the habit of checking my mail. . .
Seeing as how things have been jammed up a bit, I have tried to cobble together a semblance of continuity for the past few posts. This is what DM perceives as having recently happened.


>>"I think you should tell Wild Heart what we know. This may be a great
opportunity. If the Warlord is distracted by these current actions, we should
use the time to strike at his Nahoda allies as soon as we can."<<

Dragon Mist looks down suddenly at Greyspirit, as if having just broken a daze.
"Of course, Wild Heart needs to know and we should act. Turning in the
direction of the ambulance, Dragon Mist hears Crusader's broadcast, then stops.

. . . "We will do as much as we can until even more help arrives. Then we will
continue to help." Looks around; "Does anyone have a problem with that?"

"No I don't Crusader, but I may need your help on something else that is
related to this. If you will follow me, I will let you in on some information
you should hear. Please." (Assuming Crusader is following) Dragon Mist then
walks over to the ambulance where Wild Heart can be seen making public servants think twice about the need for Depends under garments.

"I'm afraid it's not over yet Wild Heart. Greyspirit has found some critical information regarding the Warlord. Put bluntly, he's got an agenda which stops just short of world domination. The attack on Onyx wasn't just a trap for the Mavericks, it was to send a message. A message showing what happens to those who try to resist the Warlord and his recruitment drives.

Although he was unable to get Onyx, he has been able to get the Nahoda Clan. " Dragon Mist pauses for effect then continues, "Greyspirit and I will are leaving to rescue or avenge my sister, I would like to bring Crusader with us, like as discussed earlier."


From Cowboy:

Cowboy keeps his head down, but his eyes raise to
Dragonmist. "Your sister? Chico, I think we gots
more problems than missing sisters. You just said
yerself, man. This Warlord hombre just toasted a
freakin' buildin', possibly takin' out one of your
own, our own, teamates, and you wanna rush off for yer
damn sister? Git yer priorities straight, man."

He straightens, and walks over to the group with that
careful swagger. "Ain't no way this Warlord kilt
hisself when the buildin' went up, so either he's
still down there, or there's another exit around here
somewheres. Lets get some info on construction in the
area fer the last few years, see what's been done
here. Maybe we can find a patern er sumpin'. Anybody
know any good jackers? Get them started on the data
search, while we search the streets."

He turns his gaze to Crusader, "I know ya wanna dig
out Arcsilver, but we gotta leave that to the Pros.
We ain't right for that kinda work."

-----

From GM:

Note: (Cool. No problem, Matt. I figured it was a case of not knowing about the game starting up again. It's been a while. This is a quick post to continue this discussion amongst the characters.)

>>>Wild Heart turns from Speedball, but before she can speak Grey Spirit suddenly steps up, right in Cowboy's face, her eyes flashing angrily. "I do not know who you are, but I know you speak out of turn and out of ignorance. The Nahoda are the tools and allies of the Warlord. They were brought into his fold, most likely when it became clear that I would not join with him as he proposed. A strike against them serves as both a strike against the Warlord, AND saving an innocent hostage. It may be doubly effective if the group can attack on two or more fronts, as I was told was the initial design."
Her voice is strong and uncompromising... and maybe a little condescending.

Wild Heart moves quickly. "Ok! Hold it! I've seen this little scene before and were not taking it any further. Cowboy, do NOT move! Grey Spirit, please step back. Everyone is entitled to their opinions here." To Dragon Mist, she says, "Now I'm assuming you have a solid lead... a hard target for these Nahoda? If so, then do what you have to do. If you want Crusader, you've got him..." she turns toward Crusader, "...unless you object. I think staying here to dig would be a waste of your abilities and wouldn't accomplish much, but I'm not in the mood to argue. I think we should stick with the original plan, and hit the Nahoda and maybe one or two other targets on Killinger's list as soon as we can. Whatever the decision, I want people paired up or in threes, because I don't want any one going solo and walking into another trap, again."

She leans back in the van, then saying to Impetus and Speedball. "Listen, Joe!" in a harsh whisper. "I'm taking the chance that getting you some of whatever drug it is you need is going to do you more good than a hospital, so I'm sending you with Impetus. He'll get you to your stuff." To Impetus, she clamps a hard hand on his shoulder saying, "Keep him alive. Do what you need to. If you have to take him to a hospital, make sure you get a METE trained doctor or specialist. I doubt conventional medicine will help him much." Lastly she turns to MIRV. "You go with them. You're the only one who can keep up and I want you guys in force, if needed."
MIRV just nods as his boot jets flair under him pushing him up slightly, then he looks at Impetus as he pulls the stretcher with Speedball on it, out of the ambulance. "Ready when you are," he says as Impetus hefts the folding gurney effortlessly. Everyone ignores the meek protestations of the paramedic standing to the side.

Turning back, she looks to Cowboy and says, "The last part... about tunnels underneath. That makes sense... especially since Impetus and the engineers say that this blow obviously collapsed lower into the ground than it should have. The engineers don't have any lower levels on their official drawings... but if the Warlord was there himself, then there was probably a get away tunnel or something. You are with me... Darkfire, you too. There are people I know in the Underground who should be able to get us under this mess, indirectly. Maybe we can put some pressure on whatever evacuation process the Warlord might have been doing. Everyone keep in radio contact, or at least let us all know if you are running silent. Any questions?"<<<

Add anything that you want, before we head off.

[RDU Neil]

Post 192

From Impetus:

Impetus raises his hand. "Yeah," he says. "Befo' we go any further widdis,
anyone mahn givin' me mah own damn radio so ah can keep in touch wit'chall?"


As he prepares to leap, he waves off the paramedic -- "Ah TOLD you ah GOT
it, man!" he says, not unkindly -- Impetus mutters sotto voce to Speedball,
his voice actually reflecting... concern? Strange. Yeah, it's actual
worry.

"We get you to yo'stuff, man," he says, fixing his steely gaze at the
landscape, trying to calculate his jump points from here. "Doan worry; ah
gotcher back." He nods, looks at MIRV. "Try an' keep up," he says. "Ah
know she wants us to keep together, but the boy here is in a heapa trouble.
Ah goin' full out'."

And with that, he jumps, making sure that MIRV doesn't disappear completely
from view behind him...

From Cowboy:

And it's a good thing that WildHeart said something to
Cowboy, cause he started to set his jaw and was
obviously about to respond to Greyspirit. However, he
just clenches his jaw and nods to Wild Heart.

"Alright, I got your back. Let's go meet these
friends a' yours."

From Crusader:

"Sounds good to me. Do we have a location to start yet?" Crusader
asks and then later as an aside; "Nice to see you Spirit."

From Speedball:

Nothing to ad for the moment. Maybe a little drool.

From Dragon Mist:

Dragon Mist totally ignores Cowboy's remarks, as if he wasn't there.
DM doesn't have to prove anything to anyone, especially to Cowboy, and the last thing he wants to do is get in a pissing match with someone who isn't even a part of this. DM then says: "Fine. I'll take Crusader and Greyspirit and keep my com on as long as possible. Watch your back Wild Heart." in response to Wild Heart's speech. As Impetus flies off, DM says to no one in particular: "Why can't we have Yuri take a com link to him? He definitely deserves one."
DM then turns and walks off with Crusader and Greyspirit. "OK, Crusader,
Greyspirit has the location we need to . . ."

Neil,
I wasn't sure how you wanted to run this, so I stopped at the etceteras. With Impetus, Speedball and Mirv separated from Wild Heart, Cowboy and Darkfire, (And the Ninjas off on their own gig.) should we keep posting the same?

From Crusader:

Crusader will just back up DM, whatever he needs. As far as Yuri
goes... I think he is already cued into my comm anyway... but we can wake the
happy russian up if need be.
So I'm just along for the ride at the mo... not much to add.

-----

From GM:

Note: (To Matt's question, I've always felt it's best for the PLAYERS to know as much of what is going on as possible... even if their characters don't. Only if it's crucial to keep something secret, or it's very personal to a character, do I post things separately from the group. Online games allow for a bit more of the "player as audience as well as player" concept. It enables things like my "cut scenes" where I describe things that the characters would never know, but that help set tone and feel for the players. I think most of you enjoy reading what the other guys are doing, even if it doesn't directly involve you at that moment. It also keeps the tendency toward confusion from getting totally out of hand. I trust you all to act within the "knowledge" of your character, as opposed to the knowledge of the player.
If you all want to keep things totally separate, I can do that, but I don't feel it works as well. My posts will continue to be for everyone, though not all the information is for every character.)

>>>Impetus/Speedball/MIRV: Moving quickly, the three of you jet and jump across Manhattan. Though Impetus' leaps greatly out-accelerates MIRV, the up and down "bounding" makes it easy for the armored Maverick to maintain pace.
As you cross the southern edge of Central Park, you see MIRV signal you (Impetus) down and he flies down to meet you at the descent of one of your leaps. The brownish green grass is flattened into a smooth sphere from the gravitational repulsion field of your landing. Then it is scorched brown and black by MIRV's jet thrust, as he comes down holding out his hand, saying, "Put this on. Wrap it around your throat and clip to your color. It's a voice activated mike and the com transmits through this earpiece." He quickly helps you adjust it while Speedball moans, and suddenly begins to do the dry-heaves in an obviously painful, wracking manner.
You both immediately spring back into action, and MIRV mutters through the radio, "You say you've dealt with OD cases before? You really think this guy's going to make it? I've seen gunshot victims who look better. You sure we shouldn't take him to a hospital?" He's got a straight forward, caring but no nonsense tone. He is obviously doubtful about the current destination. (Bill, you can pay for the radio easily with unspent EXP. (2 pts.) Geoff, where exactly are you directing Impetus. The lab/stash above the bar, I assume, but I thought you might put it into words.)

Cowboy/Wild Heart/Darkfire: In the moments after Impetus takes off with Speedball, Wild Heart gets caught up in a heated conversation with a confused Masterson, trying to explain what just happened. You (Cowboy) turn away, looking back toward the rest of the group... and find that Crusader, Dragon Mist and Grey Spirit have all gone. You glance around... vanished in fact. You could have sworn they were there just a second ago...
"I hate when they do that, don't you?" ... and Darkfire comes up beside you. He extends his hand his fancy costume (see picture) under a uniquely cut black waste jacket. "I'm Darkfire. Nice to meet you." His left arm, you see, is braced with a light sling. "I just caught a couple comments about where you came from but it sounds pretty wild. When we got a moment, we should grab a beer, catch a Knicks game and exchange origin stories. You up for that?" His tone is light, but sincere; strangely friendly and casual for an otherwise uptight group of people. "So we're going into the tunnels. Don't know if you've ever been down there... I've only been once... but it's a whole 'nother city down there. Some seriously huge tunnels in places, lots of abandoned train tunnels, old wash out lines, etc. Little shanty towns all over the place, as well. I guess a lot of the mutant underground is connected down there, Project: Lifeline. A lot of homeless. They should be able to guide us where we need to go."

Crusader/Dragon Mist/Grey Spirit: In the shadows of a nearby rooftop the three of you quickly convene. Evening is falling around you making your unseen departure all the easier. Crusader, Grey Spirit finally responds to your greeting, saying, "I am glad you are with us. Sendako Y'ull will undoubtedly be well protected in his stronghold... a house on Sutton Place, not a mile north of the United Nations. I believe it is an old Embassy, but I don't know for sure. Still, between the three of us, we should be able to eliminate the Nahoda threat, once and for all." She bows to you, her voice steely, and a note of finality in her use of the word "eliminate."
(Matt, go ahead and post whatever you want to as the three of you head off into the night. You too, of course, Storn.)<<<

Any quick additions from anyone else, before I continue?

[RDU Neil]

Heh... after a brief metagame discussion on posting, this was the very next thing I sent out. :rolleyes:

Post 193

From GM:

Note: (This being one of those things that I think only your two characters should know... and how you decide to share the information with the rest of the team is up to you.)

>>>As the three of you begin to stealth across the rooftops, you start and stop at various places, assessing the area and making for the shadows. At one stop, Grey Spirit folds herself into a small pool of black as Crusader scans the street before you cross. In the distance you hear a police siren, nothing alarming, just typical city background noise but Grey Spirit stiffens. Dragon Mist notices as he watches your six looking for anyone who might be trailing you. (Unlikely occurrence, but SOP.)
Before you begin moving again Grey Spirit says, "It occurs to me that this Warlord... and his plan to take New York (Matt, I'm assuming you will have DM explain the situation to Crusader in more detail... or do you want me to have Grey Spirit do it?)... while it clearly has him collecting and connecting the underworld in his control..." she pauses listening as the siren fades in the distance, "I would not be surprised if he has gained some control over the city officials. The police, the Mayor's office... I do no know for sure... but I would recommend being cautious around even such proven allies as Lt. Masterson." She says this calmly, coolly... with a darkness to her. She is only visible by the fine haze of her breath in the cold air.<<<

There was no immediate response, so I went on...

-----

From Impetus:

Impetus mutters a quick thanks for the radio hookup. "Now I know when y'all need backup."

He looks at Speedball doubtfully himself. "Ah ain' sure if he gonna make
it, but ah DO know that he needs da juice to get through da day. He ain' a
supahero who happens to be a junkie -- he's a junkie who jes' happens t'be a
supahero. He gets his powas from dis sh-t." He shakes his head ruefully.
"We bring him to a ward, dey goan give him 'doan and his heart gonna give
out. F--ker's addicted to tha bone, man. We gotta get him to to the dope,
o'we lose him an' any chance of scopin' Arcsilva."

From Cowboy:

Cowboy shakes the extended hand of Darkfire. "Yeah,
nice ta meetcha." He tips his hat back a bit as he
listens to what Darkfire says about the underground.
"Uh, yeah, yeah I think I can manage. Where I come
from? Ain't nobody go down unnerground much, 'less
they gots lotssa firepower. There's sh-t livin' down
there that would eat Impetus for a light snack."

He takes his hat off, and smooths back his hair, and
replaces the hat. "You describin' my world, Esse. I
think I'll fit right in," he says, that feral and
slightly crazed grin reappearing...

From Speedball:

Looking at MIRV, Speedball wipes the spit away from his mouth. "uh'll make it. Ju-just need the stuff. 'm not OD'd. this is th'...." he winces as another round of cramps set in "withdrawal."

"Guys...when we get to th' vacant lot (across from the bar;Speedball is giving directions--its in the Lower East Side, for those who want to put it on the NYC map in their heads)...lemme just go in wi' Imps. He-he-he'll blend in better."

This seems to exhaust Speedball, and he once again goes into a series of small seizures and fits.

(Neil, the pacing of this is up to you--I'm happy enough to cruise through getting the stuff and my eventual recovery from withdrawal. I don't want to hog the spotlight...)

-----

From GM:

Note: (Awaiting Matt's post, so I'm going ahead with the other two groups, as they are separate, right now...)

>>>Impetus/Speedball/MIRV: "Glad to see you are lucid, and I'll take your advice on this, but..." and MIRV looks Impetus up and down, seeing his seven foot tall, inhumanly massive frame topped by dreadlocks, perpetual scowl, and surrounded by a faintly glowing purple field... "any bar where this guy will blend in, I really want to see."
Impetus lands in the abandoned lot with a powerful "thrum" sending litter and dirt scattering in a circle. MIRV cruises past over head, curving his flight patter slightly. "I'll stay up here, circle widely, and keep an eye on things. Yell if you need me."
Striding across the street you see passerby's turning their heads, having looked up as MIRV went over they are still drawn to the massive form carrying the childlike body, cradled in his arms.
You (Impetus) push into the bar, barely passing through the frame. It is early evening and the place is mostly empty. A seedy, stinky joint with only a half dozen barfly's hunkered over their drinks and only two of them even look up at your entrance. Those that do, along with the bartender, clearly startle with surprise. "Keee-riissst!" hisses one drunk, bug eyed, as you stride through the air past him. Speedball points feebly to the back stairs. You are just starting up them when the bartender, a young man with longish, dirty blonde hair says, very hesitantly, "Uh... hey... can... uh, I help you with somethin'?" He cranes his neck trying to see who you are carrying. "What's... uh... going on here?" Then he sees the twitching form in your arms and he squints and says, "Ah, sh-t. Is that Joe? Shit. Joe???" louder, calling out to him. He has a sudden half irritated, half concerned look on his face.
You stride on up the stairs, ignoring his further questions and Joe indicates an unmarked door, one of four simple rooms off the upstairs hallway. It is locked but not that strong. A hefty shrug would take it off it's hinges. Joe flails helplessly for his pockets, but seems to be without a key, and a desperation comes into his shaking limbs.

Cowboy/Wild Heart/Darkfire: Wild Heart comes walking by and gathers the two of you up. She is talking on a cell phone, active, alert, the bleakness in her eyes replaced by steely determination. She's still covered, head to foot, in drying mud and dirt. "Yes... yes, exactly..." she is saying. Then, "I appreciate that... yes. Thank you. We'll be as discreet as possible. North East corner, 75th and Amsterdam. That's just a block away. We'll be there in seconds. Who will... oh... can't miss him, eh? Gotcha. Thanks again." She claps the phone shut and absently turns and tosses it back to Masterson who dives to catch it before it hits the street. "You heard that I assume. Let's go. Just up and around the corner here," and she takes off.
Her strides are long but you (Cowboy) have no problem matching the quick pace. Darkfire has to jog outright to keep up. As you pass a row of cars, Darkfire points a device at a stylized old time hot rod, black and silver gray, with tinted windows. It beeps and the windows go opaque, and tire locks audibly knock into place. "Sh-t... a mint, thirty year old Shadow," you think, before catching yourself and realizing it is probably brand new. Still, an old gas guzzler like that, jacked up in it's own way... Pretty fun. Darkfire sees you looking, and noticeably smiles through his face mask. "She's my baby," he says. "The Darkfire mobile... (TM)!"

The three of you continue around the corner, heading through a crowd that surprisingly parts easily for you. Wild Heart, looking a little more wild than usual, seems to keep the gawkers from pressing too close. Twenty seconds later you stop on the busy intersection of Amsterdam and 75th, looking around. Some drivers slow to look your way and pedestrians stop and stare, but no one stands out. No one until a distinctive squeaking and the gasp of a passerby makes you turn around to find a large man carrying a metal pole, dressed in piecemeal clothing, including a worn sweat shirt with the letters M.D.C. stenciled across it. Not that you notice any of this at first, because all of your eyes are on the biggest rat you have ever seen. At least two feet long, black, with bright intelligent eyes, sitting on the man's broad shoulders. It squeaks again, tilting it's head, looking at each one of you. The man growls, "Well... ain't you guys gonna say hello back, 'n be polite 'n all?"<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 194

From Crusader:

Isn't that suspiciously close to where the Mavericks, the Troubleshooters
and Viper had their little tete a tete a while back when Striker got zapped
and temporarily lost his powers?.... Not that Crusader is necessarily
remembers or even knows that bit of information. Although if Neil/GM deems
it "could" happen and it was nearby... it would be easy enough for
Crusader/John Spencer to have heard about it through the Viper underground
gossip and rumor mill.
But sometimes Coincidence is coincidence. That is just a really cool
part of Manhatten though. I remember it fondly.

>>>Sendako Y'ull <<
>>&quot;It occurs to me that, this Warlord... and his plan to take New York
(Matt, I'm assuming you will have DM explain the situation to Crusader in
more detail... or do you want me to have Grey Spirit do it?)...
<<<
"Yeah, I'm operating a bit in the dark here guys... care to fill me in?
Who is this Sendako Y'ull person?"

From Storn: Since I'm not sure quite what the plan is, who we are
hitting "re: eliminating", I'm going to have to take a bit of a back seat.
Should I know who Sendako is?.. cause the player is totally blanking... not
surprising due to the amount of illustrations I've been doing.
At the very least, Crusader will acknowledge Grey; "I think being very
careful, staying in the shadows is a prudent course of action. Although,
Grey, I have enough death on my hands. I would prefer avoiding taking life.
The situation we go into is dangerous. I understand that sometimes there is
no other way... but I am not a ninja, I am not an assassin... not anymore."
"Busting heads? now that is an entirely different matter. You can
count on me to subdue any foe that we face."

At some point, bouncing across (OK, slinking..) rooftops, I will pull
aside 'Mist... "Wow... that is some lady. You sure got your hands full. I
think I'm a bit jealous."


From Dragon Mist:

Don't get me wrong, I like the way you've been running it too. I was just noticing how many different emails we get each day and the amount of time it must take you to sort through all of that.


After they have put a few buildings between them and their starting point, DM will stop at a protected roof and explain matters to Crusader. "I'm sorry for not debriefing you on the last incident, but even with the time on the island and a nights rest, I feel as if we've been at this whole thing constantly for months. The battle fought in the apartment building was a ploy to get at me and my sword, I'm not sure if you have realized it yet but the sword's alive, and will only accept a worthy owner. That's what has caused a lot of my current problems. This sword was the Nahoda clan heirloom which was passed from worthy successor to worthy successor until it came to me, an unworthy gaigin in the eyes of the nahoda, but worthy by the sword's judgement. The very fact that the sword chose someone outside of the clan, shows the moral decay of the once proud Nahoda. This slight on the clan has not been avanged yet, though there have been other attepmts, none have been this bloody and honorless. They have truely changed. That is why I'm not suprised at Greyspirit's news about the Warlord."
"The place we are going to is the house of Sendaku Yull, the supposed leader of the Nahoda clan. At least he was the last I knew of him, in Japan. We are going there for answers about my sister and evidence of the Warlord's dealings. I almost hope that he wasn't behind this latest attempt, he was always an honorable opponent, not the type to hide behind hostages. There will be no "eliminating" of people, just threats." DM stops to let that all sink in. He looks at Crusader's visor, trying to gage how the information has impacted him. He then looks at Greyspirit almost as if asking permission, then continues. "It seems that the Warlord approached Greyspirit in an offer to join him. When he got tired of waiting for her answer, he went to the Nahoda. They obviously obviously like the idea of being lap dogs. The Nahoda attacked her, almost slaying her while she was protecting my sister. Greyspirit knows where they are holding her, Sendaku Yull's house. The rest I think you know." After another pause DM will finish by saying, "Greyspirit can fill us in on the reat of the details." Having said that, DM merely waits for a response, hiding behind the protection which his half mask affords him, trying to keep an even face while he wrestles with the sudden realization that this may in fact be another setup.


From Impetus:

(((("any bar where this guy
will blend in, I really want to see.")))

"Hey," Impetus shrugs. "That's New York for ya."

((((Impetus lands in the abandoned lot with a powerful "thrum"
sending litter and dirt scattering in a circle. ))))

...and turns off his forcefield, so if he's still almost seven feet tall,
dreadlocked, obscenely muscled and scowling, at least he's not glowing
purple.

((((You stride on up the stairs, ignoring his further questions, and
Joe indicates an unmarked door, one of a four simple rooms off the
upstairs hallway. It is locked, but not that strong. A hefty shrug would
take it off it's hinges. Joe flails helplessly for his pockets, but seems
to be without a key, and a desperation comes into his shaking limbs.))))

(NOTE: This next section requires some assumptions, namely about Joe and his
likely reactions. Geoff, it's your character, so if you disagree....)

Impetus takes a look at the door, looks at Joe, then thrusts his palm
outwards, bursting the door straight off its hinges and about five feet into
the middle of the room. If anyone was around and in the shape to notice,
Impetus would look vaguely embarassed; he still REALLY doesn't know his
strength yet. He walks in, not in the least fazed by the condition of Joe's
apartment, then sets Joe down gently and puts the door back, crookedly, on
the hinges.

He watches dispassionately as Joe scrabbles to his supply in the bathroom,
torn by two conflicting urges; his immense distaste for drug use, but his
concern about Joe possibly dying without it. As he watches Joe prepare, he
realizes something critical: Joe is so far gone into withdrawal that he
really can't do this himself, and he's seen junkies shred veins open with
needles in shaking hands, then damn near bleeding to death in the process.
Acting quickly, he sets something heavy in front of the door, then walks
over, grabs the stuff out of Joe's hands with a gruff, "You gun' cutcho sef'
up you keep at dis. Hold on, I'll take care of it" -- and expertly prepares
the works for Joe, even tying the rubber tube around Joe's arms.


From Speedball:

"pu' me dow-dow-down. I'm'n try t'get th-through." Impetus can see that though shaky on his feet, Speedball is nevertheless trying to cut through the haze and concentrate. Summoning what willpower he can to try and phase through the door. If successful, he practically falls through it and says fom the other side "one sec." If not, Speedball collapses completely and mutters "just buh-break the fucking lock. Try an' be quiet, th-though."

Either way, he is using the last of his mental reserves to get to the TAC. He looks stronger, but Impetus would sense that this isn't real strength--its desperation. Once inside the room, whether Impetus is with him or not, Joe heads straight for the stuff--crawling if he has to, and will completely ignore the rest of the world until he's fixed up (and with several ampules stashed around his person, he intends to stay that way).

If Impetus is on the other side of the door, a few silent seconds go by--maybe 30. Just when he's considering what to do if the junky drops dead, Joe comes back through the door, no longer shaky, no longer drooling. He still smells, he still has blood all over his face, but whatever happened on the other side of that door, it worked. "Listen," Speedball says, "I know this isn't what you signed up for and I'm sorry for that. I owe you...my whole f--king life. I don't know if you rasta-dudes drink, but if you do, I'll buy you a beer when this is all over" Pausing, remembering the enormity of the situation "Let's go find Arcs and that son-of-a-b--ch Warlord. I'm gonna kill him."

With that, Speedball walks past Impetus back down the stairs. He goes over to the pool table and whether people are playing or not, he lifts four balls and begins juggling them. "Stella's got her groove back, guys." Turning to the bartender, he says "Stan--don't sweat it. This guy--I just had to get something for him. Everything's cool. I'll be back in a while. Sorry about the pool balls, but a guy's gotta make a living." And with that, they get out of the bar.

Neil--let me know what my condition is post-injection, if you would. We've never discussed whether my transformation would be almost immediate (as I'm envisioning it would) or whether it takes a minute or two for me to perk up.


-----

From GM:

Note: (This will cover Matt/Storn and Bill/Geoff. I'll wait to see if Eric responds, before going forward with Cowboy's bit.)

>>>Crusader/Dragon Mist/Grey Spirit: Nodding at Dragon Mist's comments, Grey Spirit says, "Yes, the Warlord has been collecting allies amongst the various power bases in the city. When you first came to me about the possibility of Samo working with the Russians, it gave me a clue as to what the Warlord might have in mind. I spent those days searching my contacts, and questioning Samo. I don't have all the details but but clearly the Russians, the Nahoda, various street gangs, and possibly one of the Families, is working with him. He has recruited many of the criminal elements, but his specialists have been hired from the Black Cloud organization. I know of them by reputation in the East... Pacific Rim specifically. I think you fought some of them (see Mavericks Issue #36, A Winter's Night)."
When the discussion turns to the issue of lethality, Grey Spirit frowns. "I understand that killing should not be taken lightly... but the Nahoda have proven themselves utterly ruthless. They should not be underestimated, nor allowed a chance to strike back." She looks sternly at both of you, "I do not believe them to be corrupt. Neither of you are of a clan. To serve a master is the purpose of the clan and to do so honorably requires complete devotion. It is not their place to question their lord. Right or wrong is not an issue." Her eyes break away then, and her voice trails off. She watches the sun sink below the skyline and a sadness creeps into her voice. "It is simply... the way," she says quietly.

Impetus/Speedball/MIRV: (combining both Bill and Geoff's posts as best I can.) Speedball struggles out of Impetus' arms in front of the door. His legs waver and he stands only by resting one hand on the door to hold himself up. Concentrating he tries to summon the buzz from the center of his being, feeling the hum rise through him, gasping in the pain it wracks through his body, he steps into the door...
Impetus sees Joe simply start to shudder, knees knock, hand slips off the door, and his head smacks against the wood and he falls forward, yellowish spit hanging from his lips. With a "f--k this" attitude, Impetus scoops the frail body back up and palm heels the door inward, sending it crashing into a table filled with dingy "cooking" materials. A couple beakers smash to the floor, and Joe groans at the destruction. It is clear that Joe doesn't (Impetus surely hopes not) live here. This is just a room... a personal drug lab with a bathroom. No other sign of habitation is visible. (Correct Geoff? You said Joe lived somewhere else, and kept his stash, here, if I remember correctly.)
The rest plays out in a pathetic and desperate scene as Impetus, both repulsed and determined, helps Joe inject an ampoule of a translucent, bright yellow drug into his veins. It's a sick, intimate moment as Speedball moans, face turning from painful rictus to a healthy, ecstatic flush. He rolls out of Impetus' arms into a fetal position and then stretches, transforming like a caterpillar into a butterfly... though still a dirt and vomit covered butterfly. Impetus literally sees Joe's arms, hands, face and neck grow significantly ruddy and, if not plump, much less emaciated. In twenty seconds, Speedball goes from death warmed over to simply skinny, while slight whimpers of almost sexual pleasure escape from his mouth.
Then he is up... in a flash, on his feet... a blur around the room. When he stops at the broken, propped door he is tucking a black, reinforced case into his back pocket. The extra ampoules from the table are gone. Speedball's eyes are on fire... eager and ready to go.
Speedball says, "I know this isn't what you signed up for and I'm sorry for that. I owe you...my whole f--king life. I don't know if you rasta-dudes drink, but if you do, I'll buy you a beer when this is all over" Pausing, remembering the enormity of the situation "Let's go find Arcs and that son-of-a-b--ch Warlord. I'm gonna kill him."
With that, Speedball walks past Impetus back down the stairs. He goes over to the pool table and whether people are playing or not, he lifts four balls and begins juggling them. "Stella's got her groove back, guys." Turning to the bartender, he says "Stan--don't sweat it. This guy--I just had to get something for him. Everything's cool. I'll be back in a while. Sorry about the pool balls, but a guy's gotta make a living." And with that, they get out of the bar.

MIRV meets you guys across the street, landing and saying, "My god! I don't believe it. What the hell did you take?" It's hard to register surprise on a man in full power armor, but MIRV is clearly so as he looks at Speedball.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 195

From Cowboy:

Cowboy doesn't really blink at the sight of a 2 foot
rat. That's just par for the course where he grew
up... =)

He does, however, put his hands on his pistols as he
comes to a sliding halt after running. He looks at
Wild Heart and grins. "Yeah, can't miss 'im.

(sorry about the delay. I was snowed in at home
today, and have been shoveling the driveway among
other things. Fun fun fun!)

From Crusader:

Crusader doesn't say anything, but does pull back his head a bit. His body language says that he IS impressed and that this info IS making an impression on him.

>>&quot;Greyspirit can fill us in on the reat of the details.&quot; Having
said that, DM merely waits for a response, hiding behind the protection
which his half mask affords him, trying to keep an even face while he
wrestles with the sudden realization that this may in fact be another setup.
<<<

Crusader simply shrugs his armored shoulders after the longest speech
from DragonMist on record <g> (just kidding matt) and responds; "lets go get
your sister."

>>>Her eyes break away, then, and her voice
trails off. She watches the sun sink below the skyline, and a sadness
creeps into her voice. &quot;It is simply... the way,&quot; she says quietly.
<<<

Crusader will just be quiet for a respectful amount of time... letting
DragonMist address Grey's discomfort.
After awhile (assuming we are on the move to Yull's place); "Grey, we
haven't worked together, but when we get there,...uh...I've got sensors in
this here helmet that help greatly in finding pressure pads, alarms, laser
tripwires... that kind of thing. And I've been trained to overcome low tech
devices of a similar nature... but the Ninja clans are said to be masters of
the art. Any advice or help you can give me would be greatly appreciated..."
Crusader's very gaijin attempt to say...lets poke and prod defenses
first...

From Impetus:

"Hold up a sec, Speeds," Impetus says, holding up a palm. "You got a broken door here, smashed works, an' basically an entire lab here. Yo' frens' good enough to trus' wid dat kinna ev'dence? An' if dey is, you really wan' leave dat kahna shit behin' fo'anyone to cop 'em onna drug chage?

Hell -- you wan' otha people on dis shit if some otha junkie comes 'long an'decides he got a free s'ply here? Clean up." He gestures at the broken glass and spilled fluids inside the room. "Ah got th'door." And he strides downstairs, asks for a screwdriver and some nails -- which oughtta be
interesting -- and if he gets them, he comes upstairs and nails the door
shut with his hands.

After it's all done, he says quietly, "It's muslim. And ah drink beer. Not
here, though."

((((With that, Speedball walks past Impetus back down the stairs. He goes
over to the pool table and whether people are playing or not, he lifts four balls
and begins juggling them. "Stella's got her groove back, guys." Turning to
the bartender, he says "Stan--don't sweat it. This guy--I just had to get
something for him. Everything's cool. I'll be back in a while. Sorry
about the pool balls, but a guy's gotta make a living." And with that, they
get out of the bar.))))

Impetus merely sweeps out with vague contempt, not really wanting to know
anyone here. Everyone feels sorry for the hophead, and he never really
understood why...

((((MIRV meets you guys across the street, landing, and saying, "My
god! I don't believe it. What the hell did you take?" It's hard to
register surprise in full power armor, but MIRV is clearly that, looking at
Speedball.<<<))))

Whatever the response from Speedball, Impetus fumbles about at the
radio for a second, clearly unfamiliar with technology and looking for some
on switch -- before he finally remembers that it's voice activated. He taps
it like the Star Trek communicator and says, "Um... Wildheart, we got Speedy
an'.. an' he's back up. Where you wan' us ta meet ya? Over."

From Dragon Mist:

DM is quiet too. For once he really doesn't have anything to say, perhaps it really is better to say nothing sometimes. The chill of the night reminds Dragon Mist of their present situation though, and he responds to Crusader's query, "We will definitely have to do some reconnaissance." Then looking at Greyspirit, "Where should we start?"

From Speedball:

(note: Speedball doesn't live in the bar--you were right, Neil)

Backing up just a bit, Speedball would have followed Imp's advice and secured his mini-lab before leaving. The flush of the TAC had him a bit addled.

Assuming Wildheart give the three of us some direction concerning where we should meet up with the others, Speedball, slipping on his mask, turns to MIRV and says "that's what this stuff does to people--or me, at least. The Warlord has something to do with its production, or at least knows about it, and I want to stop him before he can try and hook anyone else. the last thing this city needs is a bunch of people running around at super speed, committing crimes to support their drug habit." Turning to Impetus, he contines "I'm serious about what I said about owing you my life. I'm trying to play my life as straight as I can, trying to figure out a way to get clean and still help others at the same time." And to them both, "Now let's meet up with the others so we can go kick some a$$. Can I hitch another ride, Imps? It'll save my energy for when I really need it."

From Impetus:

He shakes his head. " 'preciate it, Speeds, but jes' show me. No 'fense, but I heard too many junkies tellin' me ev'rythin' dey gun do and den dey doan do it. You wanna stay clean, I hep you. And I gotcher back."

((((And to them both, "Now let's
meet up with the others so we can go kick some ass. Can I hitch another ride, Imps? It'll save my energy for when I really need it."))))

"No prob. But on'd way, y'betta tell us ever'thin dat went down IN DETAIL, so we know what we dealin' wit. All we know right know izzat you wen' in and'building collapse. Who wuz down there? Who beat the hell outta ya?"

I know we're getting ahead of everything here, Neil -- I know you're meetinged out today -- but assuming that Wildheart doesn't give us specific orders, I'll take him to the building site so he can phase through the rubble and look for Arcsilver.

From Speedball:

"OK guys, here's the deal: Arcs and I got to the theater and could find anything--at least until the Warlord guy comes out of nowhere and breaks my face--even when I'm supposed to be untouchable. Since we figured that Wildheart and the cavalry was just a minute behind, I left Arcs to keep the Warlord busy while I went to trty and find the Kid. See, Arcs had found this elevator, and I went down to check it out, figuring that I could handle any goons I came across if I couldn't go around em. Well, I got down pretty far, poked my head around, but still no sign of the Kid. I tell ya--if they had him there, they had him hid pretty well."
Joe pauses, and thinks, "say...how well do you guys know this guy Kid Fantastic, anyway? Could he have tried to lead us into a trap?" He shakes off the thought and continues "anyway, I get three, four floors down and get spotted by this well-dressed guy and a couple of guards. I take out the two guards, but run into some...wall this guy threw up around him. That and the shot from the Warlord pretty much totalled me, so I decided to take a quick spin around the rest of the building to help out Arcs. I dropped down another level, and they start gassing the whole place--least that's what I think. About that time I'm on what I *think* is the bottom floor and I see the Warlord with Arcsilver--totally shredded. They mentioned something about "complete containment and I figured I wasn't going to do anyone good catured or..dead, so I got out of there. The last thing I remember is climbing up a ladder in the elevator shaft. Guess I must've made it."
Sheepishly, he concldes "so that's why its my fault that Arcs is down there.
I figure from what I heard that the Warlord didn't kill Arcsilver--why drag him all the way downstairs when it'd be easier to just leave him there to blown up? So I guess that's it."

-----

From GM:

Note: (Ok, I walked out on my meeting, saying, "Sorry boss, but I've got a group of superheroes heading off to a possible cataclysmic confrontation with a major supervillain, and I just can't be bothered with all this trivial work stuff." So, here I am, posting anyway.

Anybody know of any job openings for an out of work HR specialist?)

>>>Crusader/Dragon Mist/Grey Spirit: Your way across town may not be as swift as Impetus and MIRV, but while every eye in the area is on them, no one sees the three of you pass. Darkness falls in the late winter evening, as you reach Sutton Place. It is a wide, busy street, small, bare trees lining the way. Expensive brownstones around large, elegantly styled Embassy buildings with even more expensive sedans parked in front. As you survey the street, Grey Spirit points south saying, "I have been here before. Outside the Argentinean embassy, some years ago. Battling VIPER Force One alongside the Trouble-Shooters." There is a tone of satisfaction in her voice, as she says, "It was a good fight." Then she points across the street, and slightly north.
"There is the building occupied by the Nahoda," indicating a modern style building with a good deal of glass in front and some obviously transplanted, tall trees. "It was initially going to be the Finnish Embassy, I believe, but was purchased by a Japanese business." (see Bitmap below for picture of the front of the building.) "As it is standard practice for Yakuza and the clans loyal to them to have a legitimate front out of which to run their operations, I would not be surprised if there are innocent business people working there. As it is evening, perhaps many will leave soon but I do not know." The building is four stories high, with a flat roof, banisters, many stairs, shadows, balconies and big glass windows. Even from your position across the street you can see people in the second floor, working at desks like any regular business. There is a small, open fountain, empty this time of year, flowing under the main walkway up to the front doors. (You guys feel free to take whatever the image suggests to you as part of your plan.) "How do you wish to stage this attack?" asks Grey Spirit, looking at Dragon Mist.

Cowboy/Wild Heart/Darkfire: "Uh... hello. I'm Wild Heart," she says, and holds out her hand. The man slaps a big grubby hand into hers, uncaring of the mud and grime all over her. The rat squeaks and chatters, and you (Cowboy) swear it waves at her. "Like the look," the man says to Wild Heart, and then turns away from you all, ignoring you other two, and steps over toward a heavy metal sheet in the sidewalk. A key slides out of one of a number of grimy pockets, slips into the control box against the side of the building, and clicks a motor over. He holds the key turned as the metal sheet splits open and a street delivery elevator rises up to ground level. "Hop on folks," he says and the rat scurries down his shoulder to sit in the middle of the flat elevator platform, sitting perched on it's rump, looking unnervingly like a eager little kid.
You all step onto the platform as Darkfire chuckles,"Gotta love this job. Weird Sh-t 101, everyday." The man joins you, turning the key and releasing it. He sidles uncomfortably close to you on the small platform, a faint but unpleasant aroma coming from him. A few seconds later the elevator begins to lower into the street. At that point, all your coms beep and Impetus' voice growls through. (See Bill's post as to his call to Wild Heart)
MIRV's voice cuts in with, "Seriously, Wild. Speedball looks to be up and running, as hard to believe as that may be. Still banged up some, but no where near at death's door. Do you want us to join up with you? We're beginning to head back now."

Impetus/Speedball/MIRV: Wild Heart's voice comes back through almost immediately. "MIRV? I'm going to trust your judgment on this one. If you think Speedy's up to the task then make your way back to the blast sight. We're heading under ground," a hiss of static breaks her up for a second, "and it sounds like we may lose contact... hsss..cckk...east at any...ccckk...istance. Sounds li... dball's...hss cckk...ption has the tunnels runni...ccckk... ty deep. We'll try to come in from... low. Back us up... ssssttt... om above. Wild Heart out..ssst."

And the bounding and flying resumes, back across the city. MIRV comments, "Sounds like the complex went pretty deep. Am I reading you right on that, Speedball?" Assuming your affirmative, he asks for estimation of depth, number of floors, and the like. "Do you think you could do what Impetus suggests? How long can you vibrate into a phase state? Can you take one or both of us with you when you do that? The literature is limited on that specific meta-ability, often conflicting in it's descriptions of mass transfer, carrying capacity, etc. You're the one who can walk through walls. You tell me. Can you phase through a hundred plus tons of pulverized rubble and concrete?"

Cowboy: You've seen these elevators before. They're used to deliver shipments to businesses, taking them right to the basements. This one, though, goes much lower. Having reached the basement level the platform stops, but the smelly man reaches out and sticks the key into recessed panel, turns it and hits a red button. The old concrete shaft is dimly lit by recessed bare bulbs but your Gargoyles (tm) keep everything sharp and clear. The platform kicks in again, shuddering a bit, and begins to crank it's way much lower into the ground. Wild Heart tries a few more radio calls... all of which you and Darkfire clearly receive, but there is no answer from Impetus or MIRV. "Bedrock is blocking the signal, at least at long range. Should be able to use these down here, but let's not go off half cocked. Really easy to get lost in these tunnels, so stick with... uh... our guide..."
"Name's MDC," he says, pointing at the sweatshirt, "or Metro." Then he mumbles something you catch that sounds like "Friggin' idiots can't even read... jeez."
"Ok, stick with MDC, here," says Wild Heart. "We shouldn't have to go too far as we're only a block or so away." Then you are distracted by a snuffling behind your ear and a sudden weight on your shoulder.
Turning, you look directly into the strangely intelligent eyes of the immense rodent as it chatters at you, tilting it's head back and forth. Then it reaches up with it's front paws and strokes the brim of your Stetson. MDC says, "She says you ain't from around hear. That you gotta weird smell," as if translating. "She likes your hat, though."<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 196

From Impetus:

As they land at the site (skipping ahead) and Speedball tells his story,
Impetus furrows his brow as he lets Speedball down. "Do me a fava," he
says. "Befo' you go through th'brick, try 'n' phase through me. I got a
thought." And he'll hold out his arm and look at Speedball expectantly. .

(((I dropped down
another level, and they start gassing the whole place--least that's what I
think.)))

"Aight," says Impetus. "Befo' you go down there, we got any gas masks
aroun' here?" He looks around. "I know that small oxygen tanks are
standard-issue at demolition sites*, so dey might be one o' two aroun' here.
I ain' got no defense agains' bein' gassed, an' neitha do you -- MIRV? I
'sume you are -- got anything f'us? An' you got anotha commun'cator
f'Speedy, here?"


* -- This is true. The things you learn from freelance work.

From Cowboy:

Cowboy jumps a little bit as the rat lands on his shoulder, it having
somehow snuck up on him. "Hey, whoa, hey, jeeze, watch it there..." He
studies the rat at close range. "I got a weird smell? Heh, thats funny.
Yeah, I guess you could say I ain't from around here, but N'York's my home"

From Crusader:

Crusader; "I suggest we get to high ground" points to a nearby
rooftop "and check out the Nahoda roof. Even if we could come in through the
bottom, like the parking garage underneath, we would have to go past a lot of
innocents to get to the Nahoda themselves.... assuming Nahoda likes a degree
of comfort and the top floors are theirs. I guess they could prefer the
basement floors...but I doubt it."

He pauses and then continues; "Or the more risky plan is to split up.
We each take a seperate entrance in. It would be easy for Mist to t-port
into a room, I could take the roof...Grey, what would you prefer? I feel
that this is risky, because we would be split from each other, but it might
be worth the reward... the reward being that it will keep Nahoda off balance
as they try to react to our incursion... they might try and move Mist's
sister and if we are spread out, the chances of intercepting that move might
be greater. What do you two think?"

"In any case, I think we should give the day workers a bit of time to
clear out. I want to see if Yuri can track down some info on the target
building.
" Switching over to Mavericks HQ comlink; "Hey Yuri, wake up! Would
you do me a huge favor? See what you can find out about the Finnish Embassy
(on blah and blah street) that was sold to a Japanese corp. See if you can
find any info that might help us with a snatch and grab of Mist's sister....
electronic fuse box locations, who made their alarm systems,
floorplans...anything that you think could help."

Neil, here is crusader, he isn't much changed from the last time, but
he does have a pt of CON. That is a combat stat, so I thought you should
have him.

From Speedball:

"Well, I've never tried to phase with anything as big as a person before. I
probably could, but it'd burn me out pretty fast. I don't think we'd make
it all the way down to whatever open spaces there are down there...if there
are any at all. The other thing is that I'd have to hold my breath the
whole way down there and it'd be...messy if I got stuck. Plus, I wouldn't
be able to see a goddamn thing--Hate to say it, but I don't think its a
smart idea."
Responding with a shrug to Impetus' request for Speedy to phase through him,
he vibrates to speed and swings his arm through the larger man. Assuming
nothing cataclysmic happens (that'd be funny, considering what he's just
been through to be killed or maimed by this little experiment), Joe returns
to the task at hand."
Unless I'm wrong, the whole thing went down 5 floors--at least the elevator
went down that far. The last floor wasn't finished--there were lights
strung up and crates of what I think were weapons. I didn't have time to
look around as much as I'd've liked."
Shifting uncomfortably from one foot to the other, Joe continues..."so, um,
where is everyone? What's the plan? I caught your side of the conversation
with 'Heart, but where'd she go? Can we catch up with them?"

(Neil--I don't have the points to pay for a radio, so I'll just have to keep
myself in the dark)

From Dragon Mist:

"That's just it, we don't attack. Yet. Let's find a way into the building
undetected. By the time we actually find one, most of the innocents should be
out of the building. We don't need anymore hostages or casualties. Crusader, how close do you need to be to that building before you can scan for unseen defenses? (Storn: It would be really cool if Crusader could scan a whole building from a distance!) Greyspirit, you wouldn't just happen to know of a convenient "back door" would you?"

From Crusader:

Crusader replys: "my helmet has telescopic capability. But it is
really my training should point out where likely security devices should be."

Crusader has telescopic x4, UV, IR, +1 Per and Security Systems of
13-... Assuming I get to a reasonable perch to scan the roof I will take
extra time and be very thourough.

-----

From GM:

>>>Crusader/Dragon Mist/Grey Spirit:
Cut scene: Bearded, and heavy set, Yuri Duregov sits ensconced in a heavy swivel chair, headset on, his bifocals reflecting the light of a half dozen computer screens. Inside the Mavericks communications room, Shostakovich plays quietly in the background as numerous voices echo in thin, tinny reverberations from radio speakers. The sound of his fingers rattling across the keyboards and his booming voice drowns out the rest of the noise.

Return to Crusader, Dragon Mist, and Grey Spirit, atop the dark rooftops over looking Sutton Place. Yuri's voice comes through strongly. "Ya, my friend. I am looking for what is to be found... but no quick searches were successful. I will see if I can access any City databases, but that may be taking some time. I will to be calling you back as soon as I can. Wild Heart, Darkfire, and this Cowboy person have gone off line. Am attempting to boost transmitter signals for them as well. Signing off now." End Cut Scene.

You watch the building for a minute or two in silence. Crusader, scanning the rooftops of the target building can easily see numerous rooftop entry points. The roof is a series of terraced decks (see attached bitmap for general concept). Three full floors are below the terraced roof apartments. From a distance IR shows numerous hot spots... vents, pipes... and cameras. There are clearly security cameras dotted all along the front entrance way, the over hanging roof, and on various corners of the decks and patios. Observation from closer in, either directly above (flying) or an adjacent building would give you more detail. While most buildings are very close to each other, there is a bit more open space, urban landscape with some trees, separating the target building from it's neighbors on either side.
As you all watch, Grey Spirit quietly says, "I believe I prefer a three prong attack. We are all effective infiltrators and if one of us is discovered, it will not expose the other two." Looking at the dark shape of Dragon Mist in the shadows she says, "Whichever one of us finds your sister can possibly effect an escape more easily that way... if she is still alive. If she is not..." she pauses, "I look to you for how to proceed. It will be your vengeance we enact."

Cowboy/Darkfire/Wild Heart: You descend quite a ways, at least five stories if not more. MDC hums and mumbles to himself or to his rat. Wild Heart tries, unsuccessfully to wipe mud and grime off her clothes. Shaking dust out of her matted hair she mutters, "Bertrand is never going to let me live this one down." Darkfire, in an exaggerated whisper to Cowboy, says "Her hairdresser. You know how a superhero will have an arch-nemesis in the comic books? Well, Bertrand is hers." Heart just glares at him and flicks a bit of dried mud at him that "spacks" his jacket with a noticeable impact. "Very funny," she mutters.
The elevator hits bottom. It grinds to a halt in a damp, wide concrete tube. Smooth walls of bare gray slabs curve only a foot or so above Wild Heart, who is at least six foot two. MDC heads off without another word, his rat scampering after him. There is only one direction to go, which you judge to be perpendicular to the direction you need to trave to get back under the theater. After twenty meters or so of tunnels lit by the ubiquitous bare bulbs on an insulated wire, the path opens out into a damp and dripping three story chamber. Your tunnel exits onto a catwalk at the middle level. Water streams lightly from a grate in the center of the ceiling, pouring down to a run off tunnel at the bottom. Tunnels head off in all directions from both your level and the floor above. MDC nimbly scrambles up an iron ladder to the level above, heading toward a tunnel that seems it might be heading in the right direction. "Some o' the folks livin' in this area say there was some construction in that Verdi Square part of the tunnels, but that was over a year ago. The access was sealed up right quick. Never was no problem to the folks, so they didn't think anything about it. Construction gets down this far in a variety of places every year. That's all I know." He says this while leading you into narrower, darker tunnels winding in directions that make no sense. He pulls a heavy duty flashlight out of his baggy coat and follows the scuttling of his furry companion who runs ahead like a dog on a walk in a park.

Impetus/Speedball/MIRV: You overhear MIRV chattering to someone named Yuri, trying to get a boosted radio signal to Wild Heart. While he is talking, Speedball shrugs and tries to zip his arm through Impetus. He becomes a blurred, humming version of himself and swings at the massive, trunk like forearm of Impetus, sheathed in its violet energy... and bounces off.
"Ow!" is the involuntary cry from Speedball... like whacking your shin against a table leg, more pain of not expecting the impact rather than any real damage. There was also a clear "thrum" of the vibrational pitch of Speedball's vibrating form, changing down an octave at least. (Geoff see separate post.)
After that you can get some oxygen gear from the construction and emergency crews with MIRV negotiating. "They are still concerned with further collapses if we go pounding in there," says MIRV, "but they'll allow you to search, Speedball. Can you vibrate and breathe with the mask and tank?"
A quick test shows that, while it's a little bulky, Speedball can manage to use the mask to phase and breathe... and can carry a flashlight as well. Unfortunately, that's about the maximum mass he can carry with him. Anything more, and the vibrational consistency can't be maintained and the object becomes solid and drops right through him. Doing another person would be right out of the question. (You need more EXP, basically, Usable against others advantage, Geoff.) During these minutes of experimentation, no one is able to get contact through to Wild Heart.<<<

-----

Here is an aside e-mail to Geoff just to clarify rules:

FYI The rules state that Desolidification has (to paraphrase) one weakness, defined by the character. One situation/special effect that the power won't work against. It makes sense to me that a vibrationally based power would have a difficult time vs. gravitational stasis like powers, which Impetus uses. Therefore, that is why Speedy bounced off his Force Field. If the field hadn't be up, Impetus' simple massive density would NOT have stopped you.

Also, so you understand the game rules a little better... it isn't that the Warlord has gravity powers as well (why he could touch you). He actually has the power advantage "affects desolid" which allows him to effect any desolid character with that one power. Different game mechanic. Different effect.

[RDU Neil]

Note: As Arcsilver had been captured, Ilan and I were having offline conversations about his fate. Ilan had been proposing a new character because of the Speedball factor, I actually loved the rivalry between the two. We talked a lot before this next post, but both agreed we were ok with it. IMO it turned into one of the coolest plot and character drivers ever... but it was a very difficult moment in the game. We'd had a big break for the holidays and this was the first post in a couple weeks...

-----

Post 197

From GM:

Warning: Extremely long with graphic imagery...


Montage of Wild Heart, Cowboy and Darkfire following MDC through the twisting sewers... while above them, Speedball suits up to start exploring the explosion with Impetus and MIRV... across town Crusader, Dragon Mist and Grey Spirit move like shadows across the rooftops, mapping out their assault on the Nahoda building...

CUT SCENE: Meanwhile... A hotel room, overlooking Times Square. Arthur Reeves sits at a desk in a double room, staring into the screen of a laptop computer. Hard copies from an attached printer are sorted neatly on the desk and he writes, shorthand, on a legal pad on his lap. A TV in the other room is on, low volume, news of the bombing and the sightings of the Mavericks can be faintly heard.
Reeves looks thoughtful, glancing at what he has written, then the screen, then looking into the distance. He sips coffee, quiet and warm. (Camera pans up on him, moving slowly closer to his seated form from the outer room.) Outside, the muffled sounds of traffic can be heard... and a dark shadow falls across Artie where he sits.

Arthur moves. Without looking he kicks himself backward, planting his right leg while his left continues to swing around taking his chair and shoving it hard at whatever cast the shadow.
CRACK... the wooden back snaps! A large piece flying off of it, as Arthur continues to pivot, into a fighting stance... but his face turns quickly from grim readiness to shock... (camera pans back, wide angle revealing...)

Reeves stares into the faceless mask of the Warlord, black and menacing, huge in the small confines of the hotel room. "I see you have remembered some of what I taught you, Artie," rumbles the villain's modulate voice.
"Are you... ?" begins Reeves, then his surprise turns to anger and he moves again, snapping a forward kick, feint to a roundhouse, also a feint, spinning into a wheel kick that scatters papers across the desk as it comes up and across the Warlord's helm. "Where is my sister?" shouts Artie, and then "Aaa sh-t!" as his foot cracks across the armored visage, a blow that would have broken bones in a normal man, barely moving the Warlord's head.
"Where she wants to be, Artie," replies the Warlord, and his massive arm swings out. A sweeping backhand that take Reeves across his handsome, tan face and sends him flying across the room to slam into the outer wall and tumble to the ground. "She made her choice, and so have you Artie..."

Reeves glares at the advancing bulk in anger, shaking the dazed look from his face and wiping blood from his nose and lips. "...but you aren't as soft as Ann-Jolie said you had become." The Warlord stops. "I'm glad. I would hate to think everything I'd given you had been lost."

Arthur rolls. Sideways, toward the double bed, he moves up still rolling, across the bed on his stomach... his hand sliding under a pillow... twisting onto his back, pillows flying... a large black handgun in his grasp.
The Warlord is there. Fast. So fast. His bulk no hindrance. As the pistol comes around, the massive black, shadowy form is suddenly over Reeves, a large gauntleted hand grabbing the pistol, twisting it away. There is an audible "snap" and Reeves cries out in pain.
The pistol sits in the palm of the armored hand as Reeves grabs his injured hand. His right index finger is hanging at an obscene angle. "Resourceful, Artie. How you got a gun on such short notice..." the Warlord pops the clip, and looks at the rounds, "... with AP rounds no less. I am proud of you."
Arthur doesn't have a chance to move this time. The Warlords strikes again... closed fist... ramming into Reeve's gut with a thick, crunching sound. Arthur spasms into a fetal position, a pained gurgle escapes that turns into a cough... blood and phlegm spitting from his lips.

"End of the game, Artie," says the Warlord, and calmly reaches out, violet sparks forming around his left gauntlet. "F--k you Ckkkkaaaaa!" Artie manages to gasp as the electricity leaps into him causing him to jerk and twist. Teeth clamp down in uncontrolled muscle spasms. Arthur's eyes bug out, sparks jumping out of them... his tongue juts out suddenly, breaking his own teeth in the process... a sickening burning smell erupts... the liquid in his eyes reach the boiling point in less than three seconds, bursting in a foul spray...

The Warlord turns from the steaming corpse on the bed, and quickly looks about. Ultra advanced sensors scan the surrounding area on multiple frequencies and pick up no alarms. Satisfied, he simple says "Area clear. Bring the package." Then he begins looking through the scattered papers. A minute passes, the Warlord silently ignoring the awful carnage next to him as he flips through the legal pad that Arthur had been writing on. His head nods, and his voice has a sense of satisfaction to it. "Excellent work, Artie. You had it figure out, didn't you." He turns then, and offers a slight, formal bow to the corpse. "You died well, Arthur."

A few seconds later, the door to the hotel opens and two men in simple cover alls come in carrying a large box between them. They shut the door behind them and set it on the floor, then nod a salute to the Warlord. "Thank you," he acknowledges. "Unbox tje package and remove the container as you leave. Continue monitoring the security system and relay any discrepancies. Then report to R4 for further instructions." The men say nothing but quickly open the box, it's contents folding out to reveal a black body bag with a body in it. They fold the box down to slats and leave, quietly closing the door behind them.

The Warlord slides the legal pad into a slot in his cape, then bends over and unzips the body bag, pulling it roughly free from the form inside. He folds the bag into his cape as well, leaving the body of Arcsilver lying on the floor. The costume uis torn, but the man is alive, his chest rising and falling with shallow breaths.

It only takes a few seconds for the Warlord to adjust the scene, then he stops, looking at the pistol lying on the bed. His voice has a smile in it as he picks up the gun then picks up Arcsilver in the other hand, holding his limp body at the end of the bed. "Thank you again, Artie. You've made this so much more interesting." Then he positions the pistol in Artie's dead hand, points it directly at Arcsilver's chest, and clenches down. The pistol goes off with a loud "KABLAM!" and the .45 Caliber round punches through Arcsilver's torso, exiting out the back in a spray of blood. Arc's eyes open for a brief moment, shock cutting through a drugged haze, then his mouth opens and goes slack and the Warlord let's his bleeding body fall backwards to the floor.

Taking only a second to review his handiwork, the Warlord steps back and then speaks a command into his comm, "Priority One. Retrieval initiation on my mark. Mark." Reality folds, like a pinch in the very air, folding him into nothingness, only his low, rumbling voice echoing over the death he leaves behind.

"Time to kill the rest," he says, and then he is gone, as if he never was.<<<


End Interlude

[RDU Neil]

Post 198

From Cowboy:

Cowboy makes a little "heh" sound at Darkfire, "Well, I think you look
mighty fine decked out in mud, Wild Heart. 'S a good look fer you..."

As the elevator reaches the bottom, Cowboy flexes his fingers and puts his
hands on his pistols. "Damn... never been this far down b'fore. Hope you
don't got th' same kinda sh-t livin' down here as in my time. I gots a
limit of ammo..." He draws his guns as he heads into the dimness after MDC.

From Impetus:

Impetus looks at his arm with a combination of mild astonishment, pleasure
at being proved right, and wonder at how this whole thing works. "S'what I
thot," he says, completely ignoring Speedball as Joe rubs his stinging nose,
"Y'can't woosh through a fawce field, which is what Warlawd had ta have.
F'ah wanted to, ah could hitcha widdis up, an' I bet thass what he did...
which leads me to wonda whether he's parta'd same sper'ment dat created ME.
Now try it again wid mah field down..." He looks at Speedball, the mild
injury finally registering. "You okay?"

((((During these minutes of experimentation, no one is able to get contact through to Wild Heart.<<<)))

During this he turns to MIRV. "So while he's mistin' through da
rock, you think we should go meet up wid' 'Heart and have Joe meet us down
there? We can't get through here, and I sincerely doubt he's gonna find any
survivas."

From Dragon Mist:

"I originally wanted to cause a distraction while you two snuck in the back
door, but I can't risk my sister's life. I can no longer guarantee that the
Nahoda won't take her life in this situation. In the past, I'd just barge in
the front door and get into a shouting match with Yull, but now it's
different. The Nahoda may no longer be led by Yull." DM trails off.
"Okay, we go in separate, but onto the same floor. That being the top floor.
I'll teleport onto the very top and work my way in from there. I can divert
whatever exterior cameras from there so that you two can get onboard. I have a feeling that they'll have her on the top floor, just like Crusader said. Keep radios muted. If one of us is discovered, cause as much racket as possible so the other two have an easier time of it. When one of us finds her, get out.

We don't need to wade thru a building full of ninja to prove a point. When
she's safe we can discuss revenge. Rendezvous on this roof in 1 hour. If
things get too hot, we meet back at HQ." DM draws his sword and looks around with an "any questions?" look on his face.

Neil, I am assuming that the distance between buildings can be covered by one of DM's teleports. DM will also try a detect on the area he's about to
teleport onto, he's also counting on his danger sense.

From Speedball:

"yeah, yeah. I'm fine. It didn't hurt me, just surprised me. I don't know if its the same problem with the Warlord or not. He didn't look like he had any forcefield or nothin'--the bastard just punched me. I'm guessing I'm
gonna be pretty worthless against that guy in a one on one fight, though..."
Speedball stares into the rubble that used to be the building, trying to
figure out distances, angles, and just where he'd start looking. "Well, I'm
happy to give it a shot, but th' thing is--I'm not gonna be able to do much
once I get down there--even if I *do* find some tunnel. I think we can all
agree my last experiment in going it alone didn't do anyone any good. It
might be better for the three of us to go together so if there *is a fight*,
we're a real threat."
He turns to the other two, saying "so I'm happy to do what ever you guys
think--I'm no whaddayacallit, tactician....Well, whatever, but taking these
(and with that, he shoulders the breathing mask and the flashlight) helps
expand my options."
He looks to MIRV and to Impetus for some sort of order.

From Impetus:

"Far as ah'm conc'ned, we ain' goin' down widya, but ya checkin'
t'see if there's anythin' lef' down there -- survivas, clues, ev'dence,
anythin' else dat we can use. Do a six-twenny an' see if y'all can peep
anythin' -- we doan THINK Arcsilva's there, but'cha neva know -- an' you
gonna save all a'dese people a lotta time if dey can jus' start clearin' out
widdout worryin' about collapsin' people unda. After that, we oughtta go to
'Heart and catch her back. Soun' right t'you, MIRV, or you got otha plans?"

From Crusader:

"Hmmm.... plenty of cover. " (Nice photo Neil, I just wanted to
remind you that I was looking for security stuff...no go on that? Nothing to
see?)

>>any questions?&quot; look on his face<<

Crusader gives the thumbs up to DragonMist. "Good plan", looks to
Grey Spirit and nods, just a "we are all in this together" kinda nod.
As soon as DM makes his 'port, Crusader will fire his jump jets to get
some height and then glide over. A lazy, wide spiral to give him some time
to read the situation out and pick out the best landing spot. This is not a
dash over as quick as one can...

I assume Grey Spirit has her own way of egress... she is going to look
a little silly stuck on that roof <g>. And Crusader is going to look even
stupider coming around and picking her up.... like "oh, yeah... fergot the
NPC"

-----

From GM:

>>>Crusader/Dragon Mist/Grey Spirit: Having moved to the best vantage points around the target building, the three of you launch into action. With a nod to Grey Spirit, DM turns to the rooftop, focuses, and disappears in the green mist of his namesake. Crusader springs upward on nearly silent muscles and jets, as Grey Spirit steps up onto the roof edge, and prepares to leap.

Dragon Mist: You reappear on the ledge corner, right behind one of the cameras that Crusader indicated. Out of its visual range you scan the deck, feeling your sword hilt pulse as you consider the various paths through the cameras. You are on the upper deck level and realize most of the cameras here point inward, watching the decks themselves rather than scanning down. Above you, sensing rather than seeing, you feel Crusader circling, invisible in the night sky. Ten seconds, twenty, thirty, you check all the scan zones of this tight visual field, all the while judging the rotation of one camera just above a sliding doorway; the only entrance into the building on this upper floor. It is just past an open-air bar, empty and closed in these winter days.
Then you give the camera in front of you the smallest of nudges, a slight misalignment giving you the barest of paths to the door, wave the signal to your compatriots, and move. Three long silent strides as the rotation moves away and you are to the door. No warning from the sword and you can just make out a clear area. You 'port through the glass. Bedroom. This upper floor seems to be a big penthouse suite with a small bathroom and kitchenette. Winding staircase in the center. It is empty. The sliding doors are locked behind you.

Crusader: Seeing DM move you drop... a diving hawk, landing in his original position. You start to follow his path toward the sliding doors. Instinctively, you look around, glancing down and on the level beneath you, on the raised deck portion of the patio. You see a thin line of light shoot out, as if a curtain parted. Lights from inside, movement evidenced in the flickering shadows... then Grey Spirit is beside you. Perched delicately on the ledge alongside she looks into your faceplate, eyes signaling that she has noticed the movement below as well. She whispers, "I have them," and silently slinks backward, over the edge.

Cowboy: The three of you are quiet as you head into darker tunnels. Your Gargoyles amplify the limited light perfectly and you notice that Darkfire has no problem seeing either. Wild Heart grumbles a bit, but follows the flashlight beam from MDC. The tunnel narrows... one last turn... and then the four of you (plus the rat) are staring at a blank wall. Brick and concrete. The light beam plays across it.
"Through there," says MDC, hooking his thumb at the wall. "I guess they bricked off this access when they did their construction. Might mean they gots other access... but I don't know about it. I could do some lookin' but that could take a while. If yer in a hurry," he hooks his thumb again at the wall, "Then it's through there." He holds out his arm and the rat scampers up and to his shoulders. He turns and starts to head out. The rat chatters at all three of you and seems to wave.
"I'll waits for ya out here. Maybe an hour. Eat some dinner 'n stuff." Then he is around the bend and gone.
Wild Heart and Darkfire stare at the wall, then look at each other. "Tight beam about five foot high?" asks Darkfire? "Yes," replies Wild Heart, tapping the wall. "Right there. Give me something to hold on to. I don't want to just start whaling away and bring the roof down." She looks at the arching concrete tube, then at you. "You might want to step back, Cowboy. Debris could start flying around down here." You back up to the end of the hallway, step around the bend and watch. You see Darkfire just stand for a moment, Wild Heart stepping behind him, then he leans forward... as if staring hard... and then... you almost miss it. A black streak... a "SSSHHRAK" echoes... but no flash, no illumination at all. Dust poofs from the wall and tiny bits of brick and mortal tictack all around. You hear Darkfire say, "At least a foot thick. Almost didn't get all the way through... and... eh... it's pitch black in there. Can't make anything out."
Wild Heart moves up, putting her hands into the eight inch hole, saying, "Ok, my turn... now it gets messy..." and she pulls, tearing three or four bricks out of the wall in multiple pieces, doubling the size of the hole. You step back involuntarily, at the spray of dust and debris...
... and that's when you see it. Something... movement. Up above you. In the dark of the ceiling. Your Gargoyles automatically focusing and upping the illumination, and the dark object unfolds... multiple appendages springing from it's center mass, growing larger than man size... like a large insect or spider.

Impetus/Speedball/MIRV:
In your experimentation, you do find out one last little trick before Speedy heads under ground. When he tries to phase through Impetus without his force field, it works just fine. He goes through Impetus' dense structure just like any substance, sending a weird, vibration throughout him.

Speedball: Equipped with mask, tank, flashlight and a walkie talkie, you head out for some speed diving through the ground. After a couple of trials to get your bearings, you head down. A crowd of nearly fifty rescue workers, cops, firemen, and construction workers surround the area, watching. Instinctively, you take a deep breath and go.

It's dark... wet, earthy... no light... solid... impenetrable to your eyes... claustrophobic doesn't even begin to describe it. You gasp into your breather, panicking at first, not comfortable with the breathing, fearing a loss of concentration and therefore a loss of vibrational stability... can't help wondering if would hurt to have your molecules explode all over, or would it be so fast that you wouldn't' feel anything... JEEZUS gotta stop thinking about that stuff... move, swim/run/crawl move... down, right... toward the elevator shaft. It had those metal plates... maybe it didn't collapse... maybe... maybe... nothing... damnit... should be here... where is here... crap I could have gone half way to the river by now... should go up... get the hell out of here... sh-t... going to die down here... going to...
....oh... there it is.
You come out, suddenly floating in mid air, starting to drop. Flashlight plays madly around the walls... yep... it's the shaft. There's the ladder.... you drag your hand down the wall, slowing your descent, and pop back solid, standing on a thick, steel plate that covers the shaft... third story down you think. You breathe deeply, getting back into control. Calming down. Dirt, dust, but the walls held out, at least at these levels. No explosive charges in the elevator shaft, it seems.

Impetus: You and MIRV watch as Speedball heads down. The kid seemed a little anxious before he left, but... well, he's down there now. As you stand there, MIRV is fiddling with something that looks like a reinforced circuit board from his armor. Little tools built into his gauntlets, including a tiny soldering gun let him work some circuits, and reconfigure the thing. "Giving it a wider wavelength reception," he says offhandedly to your curious looks. Thirty, forty seconds goes by and a cop walks up to you. He's a brother, looks tired, in a suit, not a uniform... looks familiar. "Oh yeah," you think. "This is Masterson. The Mavericks' man on the force. Seen his picture in the paper. Thought he was in the hospital, though, or something." He looks at you, and at MIRV, saying, "I'm Lt. Masterson. You were asking where Wild Heart might have gone? I have an officer report that they headed underground. On some delivery elevator over on the corner of 75th. You're Impetus, right?" he holds out his hand, "We haven't met, but I've been hearing about you. What's your story?"<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 199

From Impetus:

Impetus shrugs. He doesn't know anything about technology.

(((He looks at you, and at MIRV, saying,
"I'm Lt. Masterson. You were asking where Wild Heart might have
gone? I have an officer report that they headed underground. On some
delivery elevator over on the corner of 75th. You're Impetus, right?" he
holds out his hand, "We haven't met, but I've been hearing about you. What's
your story?"<<<)))

Impetus stiffens at Masterson's approach, then extends his hand cautiously
after glancing apprehensively at MIRV. "Jus' tryina' help out," he says.
"Ah'm tryina' track down the guy who took down Onyx, an' figgad while ah'm
doin' it ah might as well hang with En Why Cee's finest supaheroes. Dey do
good work. Whaddaboud you? Wun' you inna hospital or sumpin?" And, after
hearing Masterson's answer, says suspiciously: "An' what you been hearin'
'bout me?"

NOTE TO NEIL: Impetus really has no clue as to how much the cops are
supposed to know about the Warlord, so he's trying to be neutral about it
and take cues from MIRV, which makes him sound even more secretive than he
really is. Plus, he really doesn't trust the police much anyway....

From Cowboy:

Cowboy raises his arms and spins to the left in one
fluid movement, his twin pistols flashing in the glow
of the flashlight. With perfect instincts, he lines
up the shots, and says, "Incomin'! From above!" and
fires *BLAMBLAM!!!* extremely loud in the tight
tunnel.

(find weakness, 2 shots, oh Mr. GM)

From Crusader:

Crusader will just nod is affirmation. And then look for a way in.
He will check the seals of said window, door etc for alarms, traps etc.
Crusader will take a seperate path than DM, splitting up and going a
slightly different route... understanding that at least at the moment... grey is one floor below... DM and I are on the top floor.
What to do next kind of depends on what happens and what Cru comes
across... feel free to have him do whatever is reasonable. Crusader will be
cautious and quiet. He will try to bypass confrontation unless discovered
and then he will raise a considerable ruckuss.

From Speedball:

"Rescue crew, this is your man on the inside, over." Speedball had no idea
whether the walkie talkie has the ability to transmit to anyone topwide, but
he will try and relay the info that 1) he saw no bodies on his way down and
2) the elevator shaft is reasonably intact three stories down.
"Wildheart, can you read me?" If he gets a response, he will ask for orders
after giving a short summary of where he is. He is conscious that others
could be listening in and will try and not to give too much info away.
Assuming, however, that Speedball is on his own for the moment, he will
explore the shaft down to the last level and check out the tunnel on that
level where he last saw Arcs and the Warlord. He will avoid confrontation
if possible, retreating to the surface to notify the others if there is any
indication that the Warlord or his men are still there.
When Speedball decides to leave, regardless of the reason, he will try and
head straight up to give the folks topside an idea of where the shaft is
located.

From Dragon Mist:

Uncertain about the presence of security systems on the sliding door, DM will leave them closed. Assuming that the room is unoccupied, He will keep low and stealthy, cross the room to the door and leave. If the room is occupied, his reaction will depend on whether he's been noticed. He's looking for evidence of the Nahoda clan or magic in general. Unless otherwise stated, he's being as quiet as possible and avoiding contact with anyone he senses.

-----

From GM:

>>>Dragon Mist: You move away from the door, looking about the single large room that is this top floor. Like a hotel suite, it has a large bed, couch and tv, table and chairs, a small kitchenette, and a bathroom to the side.
It is empty, but light comes up from a spiral staircase in the center. You
don't quite hear anything, but there is the sense of someone, perhaps more
than one, on the floor below. As you step toward the stairs, your sword
thrums. Not a jagged pulse of immediate danger, but clearly a threat from
below... and all around. Though you sense no overt magics... you realize
that someone could have easily prepared this place for your arrival... a
passive augery of sorts. You concentrate... feeling nothing in
particular but a growing dread. Sensible paranoia seems to say that
your enemies are alerted to your presence.

Crusader: You move to the side, around the low wall, staying out of view of
the cameras. Unfortunately, there is no easy access to this upper floor
besides the balcony doors. It is not a large floor or a large room. The floor
below is larger, with two or three rooms easily, and the floors below that
growing increasing larger. A modern pyramid of sorts. This looks like a
guest suite or living quarters on top, with more business suites and offices
likely below. There is no one about and you hear nothing of Grey Spirit
after she dropped below.
Then a flash of silver... moonlight catching... a spinning glint you have
seen before... the armored swordsman... Yoshimitsu he called himself... from
the home where DM's sister was taken. Now, here on the roof. Just above
you, on the top of the building. Not hiding; clearly appearing in front of
you as if growing out of the air in a spin... stopping, facing you directly.
His sword is drawn, glowing red... it was green before... wasn't it? He
lowers the sword to point at you, saying in accented English, "I cannot let
you enter the building. Do not force me to stop you." (You have a half
phase action and he doesn't seem to be making any more aggressive action...
at least for the moment.)

Impetus: Masterson replies, putting his hand in your massive mitt, "You've
had a busy couple of days... and anyone suddenly running with the Mavericks, tossing cars about... well, you're going to get talked about. I'm not here to pull any "five-o" attitude on, my friend. Wild Heart vouched for your assistance and that gives you a helluva lot of leeway with me. You are..." and he's cut off, as MIRV holds up his hand, suddenly, saying, "I've got
Speedball... hey... Speedball. This is MIRV, I've got your transmission,
though it is faint. What? Are you in contact with Wild Heart? No? Ok,
don't worry. Unlikely if there is too much solid ground, pipes, and who
knows what between you. Yeah... come on up. If you've got a clear shaft, we need to know where." He walks as he talks, moving in the general direction of the west side of the demolished theater.

Speedball: Having the elevator shaft as a directional lead, you head upward, moving throuh bulkheads until you find yourself is solid earth. You duck back down. Hanging from the ladder, getting used to phasing in and out and moving in air as well as earth. Then, with an instinctively held breath, you swim upward, climbing in a strange way, through the rock... coming out in only a couple seconds into the open air and sudden lights of the cars and
emergency crews about.

MIRV is only ten feet away. You are just to the
west of the demolished part of the building. The elevator shaft obviously
was just outside the foundation, which contained the rooms below ground.
You see Impetus walking over, along with another man, obviously a cop even though he's in a suit. The cop is looking at you as you pull of the oxygen mask to direct MIRV and the crews toward the open shaft. With a puzzled look, he points at you and says to Impetus, "Isn't that the junkie guy you took off with? That was this Speedboy character?" He shakes his head, pulling out his notepad and mumbles to himself, "I gotta get a new scorecard. The players just keep changing on me."

Cowboy: Pulling your guns you slide back into an relaxed shooting position,
aiming upwards. Your gargoyles light up the target with infrared pickups,
ranging the large bulk and highlighting the details of the giant bug shape.
Your first thoughts in the second that you track it is, "It's a
Sec-Spider!" Advanced AI security drones... gives you the creeps kinda, the
way they move on eight legs... but this gotta be some kind of old military
model, 'cause it's really heavily armored and its multiple optics are
really outta date..." Then you are shooting, aiming for the only vulnerable
spots you can see the optics. "BLAM! BLAM!" and the kick of the guns is
solid and comforting in your hands. You get a moment's satisfaction from a
shattered swivel lense as your other shot spangs off off steel plating, and then the whole thing drops... not dead, but pouncing onto the ground. Its body is springing, swaying, bobbing as multiple red electric eyes and thin red laser beams... targeting beams... spring out from the thorax of the beast. The lasers spin around the room like a crazy disco ball. Three or four of the beams swivel toward you, painting your chest with dancing red dots.
Behind the beast, across it from you, you hear Wild Heart shouting
and see some movement. At the same time you become aware... from behind
you... back the way you came... the way MDC went... there is shouting as
well and then the clear report of small arms fires chattering away. (You
have initiative on the robot spider and a second action)<<<

Ilan, you should have received a separate post from me. If you didn't,
please let me know.

[RDU Neil]

Post 200

From Dragon Mist:

I'm curious about this "passive augury" so DM will look for any runes
like the one placed on the door handle back at the apartment. If he can sense it, he might be able to dispel it. He will creep to the top of the stairs as
well, just to get a good look at the landing (for teleporting ) to see if by
chance any ninja are staring back up at him.

From Speedball:

Ignoring the cop for a moment, Speedball directs his attention to Imps and MIRV. "Guys, I didn't see a soul down there, but it does look like the tunnels could be intact. Since I can't take you guys with me, I think we
should try and figure out which way 'Heart went and try and catch up to her.
I just don't think its a good idea to keep split up when we're dealing
with this bastard--he's too well prepared."
Looking at Masterson's notebook, Joe continues "I'd...uhh..'preciate it if
that little incident with me puking my guts out didn't make it into the
papers. Its tougher to scare the bad guys when they're laughing..."
Turning back to Impetus and MIRV, "so...are we gonna go or what?"

From Crusader:

Pop up to where he is (he isn't hovering is he... but on a higher
elevation?) Sidling up closer, dropping into a defensive stance, (within 1/2
move, but outside of a quick swipe of Yoshimitsu's katanna). Stick out the
right arm and motion Yoshimtsu to come to me. Left/shield arm back, but
covering left side. (multi is in armor slot, not missile deflect).
"I believe you are honorable. But if I don't enter, my honor gets
tarnished. I have to pass you. You will have to stop me. Ninja & samurai
are but game pieces to our daimyos. Let us start the dance.".... not that
I'm really all that hung up on honor stuff... but I had to put it in terms
that Yoshimitsu would get.

Assuming that I get initiative, I will not wait for him to dictate
terms. I will enter into a passing strike (but only take a +1 to OCV, +2 to
DCV). The move is a cybered speed sideways shuffle ending in a bull rush to
get inside of the katanna's arc and a palm strike to the chest. But covering
head with shield anticipating simultaneous reposte (hence the extra DCV).
If he gets initiative, block with shield (levels to OCV to block),
stepping to his right. If I get second action, slide shield up his arm,
almost mirroring his original attack, into his head (Fast Strike, all levels
to OCV).
No second action vs. his 2nd action, assume to attempt blocking again.

Remember, if his attack gets past the shield's armor (almost
impossible NOT to...) it is ablative and the activation for the ENTIRE multi
goes down. Laser katanna beats magnetic reinforced shield every time. <g>.

From Cowboy:

"Well sh-t. Guess in my time they don't make 'em like they used to," Cowboy says, gritting his teeth and grinning. "Lets see just how well they DO make 'em..." and lines up another couple of shots (Armour Piercing, this time).
Taking a half-move backwards, he lets loose another extremely loud
*BLAMBLAM* echoing through the tunnels.

His second action will be to continue backing up slightly (half moves) and
pumping it full of lead (AP all the way, baby!). He will rely on his own
natural affinity for avoiding bullets (+3 dcv vs ranged) to keep him from
being hit. Hopefully. (darn those Psych Lims!)

-----

From GM:

(Well, Bill hasn't responded. He may be on vacation... so I'll post this, minus Speedball and Impetus' actions. I can get away with this for a little while, since everyone is separated.)

>>>Cowboy: You kick backward, switching your aim from the optics to the multiple articulated joints of the robots... firing... BLAM! BLAM! PING! SPEEOW!! Your rounds spark off the curved steel, having no visible effect at all. The giant spider thing raises up slightly, stepping forward... a tentative, slow step compared to the speed of the drones you have seen in your time... but nearly a dozen targeting lasers track to your chest and you hear the audible whine of an energy weapon powering up.
It happens all at once, as you instinctively slide sideways trying to get out of the target zone you are still scanning the robot... and realize that its underbelly is its weak spot. It was hanging upside down when you first fired, dropping and twisting to land on its feet. The way the ball joints converge around the base, your realize it can't have heavy armor under there or it couldn't move at all...
... then the beast jerks. The targeting lasers slide off of you, spinning a crisscross web of light in all directions. There is a sound of something hard hitting metal and a groan of bending steel. The beast is suddenly lifted up in the air. "Oh no you don't you ugly sucker!" shouts Wild Heart and you see her behind the creature, a leg in each hand, bending and jerking the robot back and over her head...
The green light flares. Half a dozen beams... argon lasers you immediately recognize... lance outward in crazy, slicing directions from the sec-spider, blasting into the walls and ceilings of the old sewer. Rock and concrete explode in front of you, obscuring the struggle with Wild Heart. Stone shrapnel flies about, thwacking off your coat (No damage) but dust envelopes you as well.
Still behind you, you hear more gunfire and some indistinct shouting.

Initiative: Cowboy has a second action, then a single action next turn.

Crusader: Facing off on the upper most rooftop you sense a wave a satisfaction from Yoshimitsu as he drops into a Kenjutsu stance. Though his skull mask is unmoving it almost seems to smile as he says, "Honor at it's best, is always conflicted. It dictates what we must attempt... not if we will succeed. Shame is in the failure to even try. Your honor bid that you must aid your friend. My honor requires that he must face his destiny without you. The witnesses demand it."

Attack. Taking a slight advantage as he speaks (i.e. you got initiative) you close. For a moment it is a like a classic samurai duel, warriors passing each other, your palm creasing his chest as he drops his blade in a simple downward slash. Sparks fly! You move past him, feeling the impact on your shield arm from his sword but the shield deflects it (DCV, not Armor), and you reverse stance as he drops into an extended crouch, sword low and held along an outstretched leg. "Excellent..." he says quietly.
(Your strike was basically a miss as well, special effect rolling it off his armor... he did a defensive strike.)
Initiative: Yoshimitsu, Crusader

Dragon Mist: In silence, you peer down into the floor below seeing only carpeting and the edge of a table... then your sword pulses and there is a scuffling and a clear sound of fist on flesh. Shadows of violent movement and then suddenly a tumbling body rolls into view. A Nahoda genin holding his throat, choking for breath. Out of sight you hear the hiss of breath intake... Grey Spirit... and the "shiingg" of a blade being drawn.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 201

From Cowboy:

Cowboy blinks as he sees Wild Heart lift the massive spider over her head.
"Daaaaaamn... La chica es muy fuerte..." he mumbles, forgetting for a second that the radio can pick him up. "Uh, hey, Wild Heart, its belly is less armoured. You got this thing in hand?"

If her answer is positive, he will head towards the sounds of gunfire and check out what is going on behind him (half-move run, then PER check for second action). Hopefully a half move will get him to a corner that he can peek around to see. Targets with guns are assumed to be baddies since none of the good guys brought any (except for him). If there is more than one target, he will shoot at 2 of them (once each) for his initiative action, otherwise the single target gets both barrels. (+1 stun mult.)

If she answers negative, he will try and see through the obscuring dust (glasses do have IR vision, I believe) and target the belly of the beast if possible for second action. Initiative action will be to squeeze the triggers (assuming he can see the spider), AP rounds. If he can't see the robot, he will hold his action.

Whew! Did that all make sense? =)

From Impetus:

Impetus looks vaguely embarassed. "Thass him, although ah'd be grateful if you don't shout dat about," he says. "Some secret ah dees a'easier than othas t'work with."

((((Turning back to Impetus and MIRV, "so...are we gonna go or what?"))))

Assuming no immediate response from MIRV, Impetus says, "Ah'd ratha take some tahm an' try t'find some way down inta the access shaft, but Speedy's right -- look what happened th'las' time we split up. Lord knows what's hap'nin down there, 'specially since we doan have radio contact. Ah say we head out."

-----

From GM:

Note: (Sorry to hear about your foot, Bill. You'll have to call your first batch, Bill's Bloody Beer, or something. Can't be worse than Gull's first couple tries. Don't roll an 18 on your Brewing roll. This post just covers Bill and Geoff, and Eric... since all of them have posted. Again, I can do this only as long as the characters are separated from each other.)

>>>Impetus & Speedball: MIRV nods at your suggestions, saying, "Just a sec, just a sec," as he works to reinstall the circuit board he was working on. He then turns to Masterson saying, "We're going to follow Wild Heart. Use the B-66 radio band if you want to try to reach us. I've got a enhanced receiver, so it may work." He gestures toward the place where Speedball appeared. "We could probably blast our way down through there, into the open shaft... but that's your call. It could cause more of a mess, especially if those bulkheads that Speedball described are as thick as they sound. We need to hurry, and I think using a known open access is a better bet. We'll likely catch up to Wild and Darkfire and Cowboy before anything important has happened anyway."

Cowboy: You skip backward as Wild Heart thrashes with the sec-spider over her head. You see one of the sporadically flashing beams cut across her leg, and she yelps, then curses at the beast saying, "Oh NOW you've done it. That actually hurt piece of shi-t tin can!!" And she heaves the creature over backwards. It's legs flailing, tracing red beams in a crazy lightshow of dust and lasers. As you hit the corner to see what's happening back in the entrance, you hear Wild Heart over the comm saying, "Blast this sucker in the guts, Darkeye! Cowboy says it's got a weak spot!!" There is a loud crash of metal on stone and the rest is obscured in dust and cacophonic sound. Turning fully away, you dash for the sounds of gunfire.

Speedball/Impetus/MIRV: The three of you make your way quickly to the corner where Wild Heart had found the elevator. Speedball arrives first to see a uniformed police officer standing over the steel grate elevator cover, talking with bystanders and trying to keep them back. Everyone jumps at the wind blast of his sudden, skidding stop... and half of 'em scream in mild panic at the seconds later arrival of Impetus. His huge form hurtles out of the sky like a meteor, seemingly ready to hit the ground like a bomb, only to slow to a stop in an impossible deceleration... his energy field expanding outward in a wave of low force that ripples through everyone's legs.
The cop looks shocked and his hand goes for the butt of his pistol when MIRV swoops into view in a familiar wash of boot jets. "Stand down officer. These men are with me. This is authorized Mavericks' business. Thank you for securing the entranceway." He lands between the crowd and the two new metahumans. Both Impetus and Speedball see a clear change of perspective on the faces of the crowd. Fear giving way to wonder and excitement. A few cheers go up and cries of "I told you I saw Wild Heart!" The officer merely looks relieved and nods a hesitant apology to the heroes. "I don't think the elevator ever came back up," says the officer as you gather around the metal covering. "The thing went way far down. It's clearly in violation of regulations... heh..." he says... a lame joke. MIRV simply looks at Impetus saying, "I'm assuming you can open that up without tearing up the sidewalk. If so, we'll head down under our own power. I can carry Speedball, and possibly you... maybe."

Cowboy: As you move back up the tunnel, you see a couple running figures dash across the opening and out of view amid the comforting (to you) sound of a good old fashioned fire fight. You pick up the shouts... something like, "He's down! Jesus! He almost took Lim's head off! Get the rat! Shoot him again! He's obviously a meta!"
Then one of them steps in front of the tunnel mouth, not ten feet from you. Dressed in black fatigues, flack vest, helmet, mask... the full gear... if somewhat outdated by your standards. He is clutching a vintage HK-52, 5.56 submachine gun (though short assault rifle is a better name) There are no markings or insignia on his uniform that you notice as you sight down your twin barrels, leveling them at his chest. He is looking to the side at the action just out of your view.
He's obviously good enough to realize his mistake because just before you fire, he turns toward you, recognizing his exposed position. A second's exposure is all, but it is too much. "Oh fu..." is all he gets out, just as your guns roar. The .45 caliber slugs slam square into his combat vest, kicking him backward like he's hit by a truck. He completely clears a low metal railing behind him, pitching head over heals to the wet floor below.

Initiative: Cowboy (first), gunmen (all out of sight just around the corners of the mouth of the tunnel at the moment), Cowboy (2nd)

[RDU Neil]

Post 202

From Dragon Mist:

DM will teleport to the bottom of the stairs, look at the scene from a new angle. His second action depends on what he sees from the landing, though stopping the owner of the blade he heard may be first on his list.

From Impetus:

And it doesn't help at all when Impetus, in an instinctive reaction, immediately starts to raise his arm as well in defense. Except things rarely look defensive when it comes to Impetus. He'll look at MIRV with an apologetic shrug afterwards, though.

(((("I'm assuming you can open that up without tearing
up the sidewalk. If so, we'll head down under our own power. I can carry Speedball, and possibly you... maybe.")))

Impetus goes up and carefully prys open the doors, looking down into the blank darkness of shaft. "Gimme a lift here before we go down; I weigh a LOT. I s'pose if it's necessary ah can shinny down th'cable, but thass not my favorite option here. If ah could see th'floor I'd leap down and cushion it, but ah might misjudge and cause th' whole thing t'collapse." In either case, Impetus gets down to the action as soon as possible.

From Cowboy:

"Booyah! Goodnight, buddy!" Cowboy mutters, then sprints up to the entrance of the tunnel. Just before he clears the opening, he tumbles foreward into a roll, and lets the railing stop him. His guns come up again, tracking for another target. 2 shots (+1 stun mult) at the most important target (i.e., the guy about to hit Metro, or the guy with the flame thrower, or whatever).

If there are no targets at this time make a PER roll to determine where they are for the remainder of his first action.

If targets were available above, then the second action will be to push up off the floor, angling so that he hits with his back to one of the walls.
Tracking a second target, and blasting it with 2 more shots (again, +1 Stun mult.).

Neil, I am assuming that these guns have the same amount of ammo as before,
4 clips of 8 shots? This last action should bring me to 5 shots from each gun.

From GM:

>>>Dragon Mist: Shift. Normally an almost effortless bit of concentration followed by a brief step... This time something goes wrong. For a moment, you are where you intended. You step through the realms of mists, to appear on the cream carpeting. In a flash you see a man, most likely a genin in street clothes, facing off against Grey Spirit. He has a sword out thrusting toward her, but she is flowing backward, accepting his momentum, letting the sword pass her torso and grasping his arm at wrist and elbow...
... then you are gone, pulled back into the mists... into the dragon's realm. Now you see it. The wards were here... not in the building itself, but in the area of the mists that intersect with the reality of the building. A subtle trap... meant to take you when you opened a path from inside the building. Effective, cunning, and a trap only someone intimate with the dragon's realm could create.
And then he is there. Sendako Y'ull stands before you... or maybe you have arrived at his place.

Yes... your feet trod the earth now. He simply redirected you to here... wherever here is. Dark, empty... hard wood floor stained a deep brown, almost black... indirect lighting whose source is not readily apparent.
Still, the enemy is before you. Formally dressed in green and gold silks, with a resplendent dragon embroidered upon them. He stands, head bowed, a prayer on his lips. "In honor of your spirit, Tosaka-san. Your sacrifice has made this possible. Your honor is sustained forever."
Then his head snaps upward... dark eyes flashing death toward you, his robes falling open just enough to reveal the hilt of a katana. "Welcome, usurper," he says with quiet menace.

Impetus/Speedball/MIRV: Actually, Impetus can see almost all the way down. The elevator runs on cables that lie in slots along two sides opposite each other, a dual pulley system rather than a typical elevator center cable. It is lit, dimly, all the way down... six or seven stories down, with recessed bulbs every ten feet on both sides. It's not a black pit, but the floor is obscured simply by distance and perspective.
Speedball climbs on board MIRV. Directed to hold on to the large power pack on the back, he finds hand holds molded into the armor. It's obvious the designer thought of just such an occasion. "Just keep your hands away from the rifle, ok?" he says, flipping a switch that locks the large energy blaster he normally carries into place against his side. Then both hands clamp under Impetus' arms, and he lifts... boot jets flaring.
"Christ almighty!" gasps MIRV as the trio hesitantly lifts off the ground. "You are one heavy son of a b-tch," he continues. (Cut scene: Inside shot of MIRV's helmet. Holographic readouts reflect in Sean's face, and he smiles a wry, strained grin.) "You're maxing my capacity, my friend, but I've got you. I would suggest a salad diet though. Sheesh."
Descending... It actually isn't far, but is somewhat disorienting. MIRV guides his flight, thrusting with his bootjets like a moon lander coming down on the Sea of Tranquillity. In the tight confines of the elevator shaft it creates massive updrafts that buffet all of you, despite your mass. Speedball finds himself clutching the handles hard. Then you are down. The elevator is still resting on the bottom. A single wide tunnel leads away. No one is around as the dust from the backwash settles. There is an audible CLACK and a low hum as MIRV pulls his rifle. "Ok, gentlemen, let's move. Speedball, don't run too far ahead."

Cowboy: The next guy barely registers you before he goes down. As you slide out in the open you raise your guns to see a group of five agent types, all similarly dressed as the first guy you took out. You have to take the closest because at barely eight feet away he blocks the shot on the others. He dies in pain. One bullet hits his vest like a sledgehammer but the second catches him in the hollow under the arm, tearing a gaping bloody trail through his chest cavity before exiting the other side in a gory spray. Lifeless before he hits the ground, he is knocked back into his comrades who scatter, surprised but well trained, and now reacting to your threat.
One drops to his knees directly in front of you, yelling something that sounds Asian. Chinese... or maybe Korean. He raises his HK, firing at nearly point blank range. The two guys behind him move away, swinging into a covering pattern and trying to avoid getting hit by their sprawling dead buddy. The fourth drops and rolls to the opposite side of the path as the kneeling agent and brings a shotgun to bear. He chambers off multiple rounds in a rapid pumping, street cleaning style.
You dance a deadly ballet. Kicking off from the wall you are SO fast, that both agents find themselves firing where you were. The one with the shotgun tries to compensate and you actually feel some pellets graze your coat, but he's not close enough. Then your back comes up against the wall, returned to the side of the path where the tunnel entrance is. There is a quiet moment of utter stillness as you stare down the barrels of your pistols at the shotgun agent, his eyes dilate in a nano-second of fear... "KBLAM! KBLAM!" One in the chest and the other in the throat. The second one hits his steel gorcet of his armor but the impact comes close to literally tearing his head from his shoulders. He flies back in a limp heap, skidding along the wall as he goes and gun flying from his hands.<<<

(Geeze! We've got the friggin' Matrix going on down in the sewers. Still awaiting Storn's post, but he said he was busy painting up a storm (heh, heh) today. By the way, Eric. Cowboy has one round left in each gun.)

[RDU Neil]

Post 203

From Impetus:

(((("You're maxing my capacity, my
friend, but I've got you. I would suggest a salad diet though. Sheesh."
)))

"Hey, alla the bodybuildin' magazines say ya gotta go bulk if you wanna make
the big leagues," Impetus replies.

((((Descending. It actually isn't far, but is somewhat disorienting. MIRV
guides his flight, thrusting with his bootjets like a moon lander coming
down on the Sea of Tranquillity. In the tight confines of the elevator
shaft, it creates massive updrafts that buffet all of you, despite your
mass. Speedball, finds himself clutching the molded handles hard. Then you
are down. The elevator is still resting on the bottom. A single wide
tunnel leads away. No one is around as the dust from the backwash settles.
There is an audible CLACK and a low hum, as MIRV pulls his rifle. "Ok,
gentlemen, let's move. Speedball, don't run too far ahead."<<<

His forcefield flaring into the weak light, turning the shadows into
wavering violet pulses -- like shadows cast underneath seawater -- Impetus
floats to the fore. "Ah'll take lead until you can contact Wildheart," he
says assuredly to MIRV as he begins to move forward with a low hum. "If we
get struck by anythin' from surprise, ah bet ah can prolly take a hit from
nowhere better'n eithera you two. MIRV, ah assume you got plennya high-tech scannas in there, so you check tha shadows an' our sixes. Speedball, if
anything hits me, yo' job is ta take that sucka out befo' dey can fire
again. Ah'm expectin' heavy traps an' ambushes -- an' until ah hear from
'Heart ah'm assumin' they still there. Agreed?"

From Speedball:

"OK, I'll hang back and let you take the first shot, Imps." Speedball will walk (unaccustomed as he is to doing so) right behind Impetus, ready to go through him to nail whomever is dumb enough to attack. He has two pool
balls out and in his hands, ready for action.
"MIRV, when we get a minute, I wanna talk to you about replacing these
(indicating the pool balls) with something a bit more durable...and
reflective. I got me the notion that if I spin these fast enough, I might
have myself a trick that could stop just about anything."

From Crusader:

I appreciate knowing that the special effect result... thanks Neil.

Crusader will whirl, coming low in a kung fu swirling "dragon whips
tail" stance, and then as the inevitable attack is launched against him, push
up and over Yoshimitsu, cybered muscles leaping high, twisting into a pike
position and rotate body to come down on feet behind youshimitsu. {A fancy
dodge/leap, using acrobatics, all levels (3) into DCV}

From Cowboy:

Cowboy's face has gone somewhat slack, no real emotion showing now that he is doing business. Push off from the wall, moving past the closest agent and firing a shot into him (+1 stun mult). Second shot into one of the covering agents, ending up pointing his pistols at the final guy.

If he has a second action, he will pop the clips out of the guns, right in
front of this guy's face, and reload, all the while staring at him with the
expressionless face.

-----

From GM:

(Minus Matt's post, this covers Cowboy, Crusader, Impetus & Speedball)

>>>Crusader: As you drop low preparing to spring, you know you've read the situation correctly. Yoshimitsu is continuing to press the attack, spinning in for a twisting slash at the torso level... but you are prepared, already moving, springing easily up and over the incoming attack coming down behind the swordsman for a perfect two point landing. You notice three things of importance as you do so. First, Yoshimitsu is clearly fighting conservatively. He is attacking, but not over extending himself, staying contained, and balanced, in a position to defend if need be. (i.e., he is continuing to use Defensive Strikes) Second, his sword is green again. As he cut at you, it shifted from red to green throughout the slash and remained that color as he rotates to you new position.
Third... the two of you are suddenly surrounded. Below you (as you are both still on the upper roof) figures are appear out of nowhere, standing on the deck below. At least seven of them. Most are wearing variations of traditional Ninja garb. Similar, but distinct in style. One's outfit is a muted gray with full mask and hood. Another's is a midnight blue, with silver ornamentation and no mask or hood. A Third is a modern, sleek black body suit... like a diver's wetsuit with full cowl revealing only the eyes and bridge of the nose. None carry obvious weapons and all are standing quietly, encircling the entire roof.
Initiative: Crusader (1st), Yoshimitsu, Crusader (2nd) Other guys are unknown as they don't seem to be immediately involved in your fight.

Impetus/Speedball/MIRV: MIRV takes up the rear with a simple "Roger that," and it is clear in the way he moves, covering your backs and sides in a smooth motion, that this guy has some experience in small group ground action. As you reach the end of the first tunnel you see that the place opens up into a multi story run-off. Catwalks above, tunnels continuing in many directions.
"Ok... not good" says MIRV, looking around. "Let me call Wild Heart. If she can receive us, maybe she can give us directions."
The room is empty of anyone else. The sound of streaming water and drips ringing on metal echo about. Speedball does a quick zip up and around the room, looking down at least five, basically dry tunnels, but nothing indicates which way to go.
It is Impetus that hears the gun shots. Seconds are passing while MIRV is trying to call to Wild Heart when he notices a strange, echoing syncopation to the dripping water. Distant "pok, pok, tatatatata, woom, woom" kind of thing. He knows what it is almost instinctively, but trying to tell where it's coming from is not easy. Behind him, MIRV seems to be having no luck in reaching Wild Heart.

Cowboy: You close on the remaining three agents in two strides of your long, springing legs. The Asian agent is the first you pass and as he tries to sweep his weapon toward you, you put a slug into his vest at point blank range. He slams into the railing with a choking cry of pain and fear and your pistol's slide locks open, revealing an empty chamber. At nearly the same time, almost without looking, you fire at the covering man behind him. It catches him squarely in the chest as well, sending he stumbling backward and onto his butt, dropping the AR-15 he was trying to sight on you.
The last man fires madly at you. In a classic combat stance, two handed grip on a .40 S&W Automatic, he fires multiple shots at your back screaming, "AHHHH... Godd--n you sunnofab-tch... BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM!!"
Only one round comes close, nicking the brim of your hat as you spin away from his falling partners out of his arc of fire, to stand square in front of him with your empty pistols in rest position. The butts of your guns are pointing at him. He stares into your dark glasses, seeing only his own terrified face as you pop both clips with a contemptuous flick. The empties bounce off his chest and helmet, as he mutters... "Wha... can't have missed... only five feet away..." In a single deft move you jerk your arms down and across, pulling an extra clip for each gun out of fastsnaps on your belt. The clips are palmed in such a way that they extend in reverse fashion from the bottom of your palm so that a quick slam of the pistol butts together inserts the fresh clips up into place. As you thumb the releases, dropping the slides back into place and chambering new rounds, you see the agent hasn't even moved and his gun is still pointing to the side where he initially fired. His eyes are simply watching your guns in dread fascination.
"F--k me," he mutters.
Cowboy: Your initiative, thugs (a couple might be still breathing), your second initiative.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 204

From Impetus:

Impetus lashes out behind himself impatiently, bringing everyone to an abrupt stop. (Well, maybe Speedball might walk through him by mistake or
something.) "MIRV," he whispers harshly. "Ah hear gunshots. Through th'water. C'n you focus in on where it's comin' from? Speedy, YOU hear it?"

Rest of the action is spent, naturally, listening, unless someone can say definitively where it's coming from, in which case he'll start heading towards it at max speed.

Eric, hellacool action with Cowboy. Really.

From Cowboy:

Erf... here it comes down to an EGO roll...

If Cowboy makes the roll, he doesn't shoot. With the audible SNAP of the guns chambering the next rounds.
"Drop it, real slow," he says, walking slowly around the agent. He puts his foot on the agent's back, pushing slightly foreward. "Now you. Drop." (PRE
attack)

If he fails the EGO roll... then 2 shots right in the chest, then spin the guns back into the holsters.

Either way, his second action is:

Over the radio he says, "Heart, I got the gunfire taken care of. You guys done playin' with the Sec-Spider?"

He takes a quick glance around, trying to find Metro.
"Yo, Metro! You around here? Anybody?"

From Speedball:

Unless MIRV has some way of figuring out which way the gunfire is coming from, Speedball will say "hold on a sec--I'll see if its coming from this one" and zip a hundred feet down one of the passages, stop, and make a perception check to see if its any louder that way. He'll repeat this as necessary or unless someone has another idea--or until the gunfire stops.

From Dragon Mist:

DM will go defensive and smolder. (Neil: I'm curious what color DM's sword is right now, the whole red/green thing's been bothering me.) DM says" So you have to rely on tricks to gain what isn't rightfully yours? And you thinks that's honorable? It's no wonder you fell in with the Warlord so easily. He's not much different than you." (Neil: I'm cloudy on my history. What's the status on Japan nowadays in the RDU? I know that they were "partitioned" for a while. If Yull is in town, he'd either have to have a way thru the partition or there's no partition to worry about anymore.)

From Crusader:

Crusader looks up (very briefly) and acknowledges the ninja spectators with a nod.... secretly grateful that they are sitting this one out for the moment.
Then Crusader snaps his gaze back to Yoshimitsu, and launches in a most un-kungfu sidekick...all karate...straight lines to the midsection.
(Assuming block or miss) And he is going to let the foot hang up for a micro second longer...actually raise it to Yoshimitsu head level to set up the next move, bring the crook of the knee down, wrapping around both Yosh's arms, reach out with hands and twist the sword away.
Or the other way to read it: First action: Fast Strike (+3 to OCV).
2nd action: Takeaway (+3 OCV)... I understand that this leave Crusader open to attack... but hey, it seemed like just cool visuals, had to go with it.

-----

From GM:

>>>Crusader: As you thrust out into your kick, you see that Yoshimitsu has noticed the new arrivals as well and his tactics completely change. Instead of slashing at you he continues in a spinning motion, folding his sword blade up along his left forearm, dropping into a classing horse stance. His right leg is forward, with right arm in a palm heal block that barely catches your kick at the last moment, deflecting it away. You use the momentum to keep your leg extended and slide a bit past him, trying to bring your leg down around his sword arm that is behind him now.
He senses what you are doing at the last moment and makes a "Hah!" sound that is part surprise and part laughter. He only barely gets his arm out of the way... shoving his shoulder against you just enough to make you only knock his arm sideways rather than wrap it and disarm. (Block and barely block again.)
"You fight fearlessly!" he says aloud... and there is a definite sound of pleasure in his voice... as he suddenly drops into a lotus position behind you, and begins spinning in an unbelievable way only to then vanish and reappear... across the roof from you, spinning up into a defensive position, palm heal of left hand forward and sword now in right hand, classic position arcing from behind him, over his head pointing at you. "I regret to inform you that there is no further need for this battle. The wielder of the Dragon's Fang is beyond us now. His fate is his own." Then he adds, "But if you wish to continue... I would welcome it." His voice is low and formal... no cockiness... just confident and intrigued.
Initiative Crusader (1st), Yoshimitsu (used it after Block to half move away prepare), Crusader (2nd), Yoshimitsu (2nd)

Cowboy: His gun is going slack in his fingers as you lower your barrels toward his chest. Interestingly, the fear goes out of his eyes, replaced by a strange calmness as he seems to accept the inevitable...
... then you surprise him. Cuffing him to the side, you get behind him and put him on the ground face down. He is compliant and quiet, making no fuss... relieved but shocked at still being alive... and maybe a bit disappointed.
As you call into the radio, you hear further crashes and smashes going on up the corridor where Wild Heart and Darkfire are battling the sec-spider. A loud, "SSSZZZAAAMM" sound, like an energy weapon of some kind, roars out of the tunnel mouth followed by a gust of hot, burning wind and dust. There is no response... but you suddenly get a call coming in from a male voice... saying, "Wild Heart! This is MIRV. Wild Heart respond. Darkfire? We are in the tunnel system, but we don't know where to go... what? gunfire? Impetus on alert. Speedball, be careful running the tunnels. Do not engage, and DON'T GET LOST!"
Around you are multiple bodies. The last two guys you shot are clearly still alive... hurt, but the armor stopped the single slug from penetrating. Two are dead or nearly so... and you can't quite see the one you blasted over the rail. Lying among all of these guys is MDC (as I stated last time, I thought) in a pool of blood, unmoving. His rat is nowhere to be seen.
Initiative: There are no immediately active enemies, but I'm assuming you are prepared for a possible threat at this point.

Speedball: MIRV waves you on as you try to pick out sounds of gunfire. You think it was one of the upper tunnels but you can't hear anything right now. Then a weird, echoing vibration comes out around you... an explosion maybe... and you do a half run up to the one corridor it seemed to come from.
Maybe forty yards down it banks left and there are two paths, one heading down, one staying level. You stop here and listen. The level path looks more likely, but who knows. Tentatively, you take a few steps up that way... shining your flashlight that way...
... and that's when you see it. It's huge... bigger than any you've seen before... thick black fur shining... red eyes and the sharpest teeth you've ever seen... running right toward you in a vile animal scuttle. And you can tell it sees you... it's heading right for you... four feet long if it's an inch!! BIGGEST FRIGGIN' RAT YOU HAVE EVER SEEN.

Impetus: Speedball zips up a corridor... but you can't hear any further gunfire in the echoing chamber. MIRV is still calling to Wild Heart and you float up in the air a bit, rotating to make sure you can see all the various tunnel entrances. For the moment, there is nothing much for you to do but wait.

Dragon Mist: It is definitely Sendako Y'ull, and yes, you did believe him trapped behind the jade wall that surrounds Japan. Either he has found a way through that supposedly impenetrable barrier, or it occurs to you... he was never trapped there in the first place. He may not have been in Japan at the time.
Your sword flashes its regular greenish silver... reacting to the obvious magic of this place... but typical of such a threatening situation. (Just for special effects clarification... Yoshimitsu's blades look like pure energy in the shape of a blade. Like a light saber that curves like a katana. Your blade is steel that is conducting mystical energies through it. Very different.)
In response to your taunts, Y'ull sneers saying, "Do not talk to me of honor. You are a clanless gaijin... a dilettante who has usurped a sacred sword. An heirloom that has been in the care of the Nahoda for centuries. The fact that the Dragon's Fang chose you..." he falters slightly them, pained look on his face before continuing... "that fact alone nearly destroyed our clan. Our honor was gone with the sword. No one would contract with us. We were spurned even by the Sawakiri-gumi. Some families began to refuse their children for training." He shakes his head... sadness evident beneath his anger. Then he glares at you, hatred... and real disdain in his face. "I could not understand... Why had this happened? We betrayed no trust. We were true, and our honor unblemished. Why would the sword choose such an unworthy bearer?"
He sneers again, voice dripping with contempt. "Now I know... and the irony does not escape me. It chose you BECAUSE you were unworthy!" (Still not in combat, so any action is before initiative for you, Matt.)<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 205

From Crusader:

Just for clarification: is Yoshimitsu on the rooftops near the silent seven?
Or across from them? Does it look like they are seperate bystanders? Or
allies....
Because it will affect what I will do next... although almost in all
cases I'm not pursuing combat.

-----

From GM:

Yoshimitsu is still on the upper roof with you... just on the other side of it. The silent seven are on the deck level below you, the deck encircling the entire upper level. (Think of a being on a cube on top of a bigger cube though that is a big simplification.) The others seem only to be spectators... but now that you think about it... they might not be watching your fight all that closely. Those whose eyes you can see, have a distant, faraway look to them.

-----

From Speedball:

"Sweet Mary Mother'a God!" Speedball actually stumbles backwards at high speed, the very characature of a cartoon hero faced with a surprise and only avoiding a fall on his butt due to a ridiculously high dex (I'm assuming).
After half a moment (and probably 50 feet) he composes himself somewhat, at least enough so that he runs away from the rat facing the proper direction.
When he emerges to where MIRV and Imps are he yells "guys, there is one FREAKY-big rat coming down the tunnel. MIRV--you said not to engage, not like I was gonna touch that thing anyways. I swear I never seen anything like that and I was in th' friggin' CIRCUS!"
Speedball waits the moments it takes the rat to follow him down the tunnel slightly nervous that the whole thing was a hallucination left over from his withdrawal, thinking to himself "I can'ta' made that up...could I?"
He will be ready to dodge or deflect anything that comes hurtling out of the tunnel.

From Impetus:

Impetus merely looks at Speedball skeptically, wondering whether the drugs are having some odd interactions. "Come on, Speedball," he says, floating into the tunnel dispassionately to take care of this "problem," "Get cho' ac'together. How we gonna keep owah image as hardcore supaheroes if we -- HOLY SH-T!"

And, after a brief pause, in a calmer and more appreciative voice:

"Okay, that's one big f--kin' rat, I gotta give it dat. But I ain't on godd-mn mouse patrol."

From Cowboy:

Cowboy keeps his foot on the downed agent's back, mostly just to feel him when he tries to move. "Hey, uh, MIRV, this is Cowboy. We gotta bit of a situation here, so hurry up! Uh, if you are down in the elevator shaft, then head this way," and proceeds to give them the directions on how to get to where he is. At least, how he THINKS to get here.

(I don't remember the description of Metro, but I might have just missed it in the fray. =)

"We got a man down, not one of ours, but a guide, so bring yer repair kit."
He will then take his foot off the agent, and move over to Metro. He does keep one pistol trained on the agent however, in case he recovers his nerve. "Looks pretty badly shot up, still breathin' tho, I think."

From Crusader:

Crusader answers to Yoshimitsu's invitation to continue..."I will decline. If what you say is true and we have no reason to fight.... let us say that I don't like fighting without a reason or cause."
"Besides" Crusader jerks a thumb towards the Silent Seven, "They intrigue me."

"But, Yoshimitsu...if you would like to fight again under more peaceful circumstances... I would be more than happy to strip armor off and have at it with shinai. The thrill of competition without the consequences of death. I think we have both seen enough death... we don't need to seek more." Crusader says, turning back to Yoshimitsu.

Then Crusader turns, pops and flares out the cape for effect and drops down onto the porch/roof that the Silent Seven are on. Standing tall after the slight impact of the landing, swirling his cape around with gentle air jets, Crusader asks: "What is your purpose here?"

From Dragon Mist:

With a look of exasperation on his face DM merely shakes his head in disbelief, then snaps out of it. The time for reasoning is long past. "If you really think that why don't you ask the Ryuuko Shikon yourself?" DM raises the Dragon's Fang to shoulder height, pointing at Y'ull while relaxing into a cat stance, left foot forward and right arm free. DM waits. . .

-----

From GM:

>>>Dragon Mist: "We have already asked the Dragon," replies Y'ull, shifting into a back stance, both hands falling to the hilt of his blade. "When you slew Tosaka only yesterday, he performed one final service to the clan. His soul wrestled with the old dragon... he asked the question "Why?" and wrested an answer from the ancient one..." SSSSSSHHHHHIIIINNGGG!! With a single graceful move, Y'ull draws his blade... a magnificent blade, obviously forged centuries ago. An evil smile crosses his face... a look of satisfaction. "The old one has grown complacent over the ages. Though captive within the blade, he has made his cage his kingdom. He knows the end is coming... he knows his destiny and seeks to escape it." Sendako Y'ull settles into a deep "L" stance, katana in a side guard position. "He has bonded with you, because he believes you will save him... that one without honor will not have the will to bend him to his fate." Y'ull smiles, confidently. "The Nohoda have the will. For the sake of all Nippon, we will have Ryuuko Shikon again... and then release the dragon within."
(You are facing Sendako Y'ull in a classic duel. Until one of you decides on acting, it is not a matter of initiative. You both are in defensive positions at this time. Your move... if you choose to act.)

Crusader: There are two of the surrounding seven close to you when you land. A third is just around the bend of the deck, and the others are now out of sight behind the building you were fighting upon. The one in front of you is in full, black ninja garb. This close, you see that there is subtle stitching on it in a deep red color. Looking into his eyes you see they are unfocused... looking through you at something you can't see. A quick glance at the other one (this one in the tight black, sleek, modern outfit) you notice the same thing.
"They are not here for you," says Yoshimitsu from above. He casually looks down at you, knee up on edge of the roof, hands resting on it. His sword is no longer in evidence. "They are the witnesses. They will watch to see how the fate of your friend plays out. The seven free clans... representatives of those not trapped behind the jade." He points toward the ninja in black with red stitching. "Ebukawa" To the modern ninja, "Aruki" The ninja in blue and silver, "Kajirami" Others you can't see from your position, he gestures in general, saying, "Tsurimatsuo. Yajimoto. Nekko..." he pauses, nodding clearly toward a direction where you remember the ninja in light gray to be standing, "... and the Nohoda themselves." Then he places his hand on his chest, and bows formally to you, saying, "I am Yoshimitsu. I walk between clans. Without a clan, loyal to all clans and belonging to none."
Then both of your attentions are drawn to the front of the building at street level. There is a screeching of tires as a large black van pulls up out front. Sliding doors bust open and nearly a dozen men in rough street clothes and armed with automatic weapons and masked with balaclavas, pour out. They are pointing and heading in your direction, up the front path toward the main doors seven floors below you.
Then Yoshimitsu is beside you... not threatening, but looking down at the oncoming thugs with you. "It seems our work is not done," he says then looks at you with that eerie death's head mask, saying, "I would be honored to fight by your side, Crusader-san."

Cowboy: As you try to give directions, you get back a lot of shouting and exclamatory comments... and something about a big rat. MIRV is trying to repeat your directions back... but you really aren't sure if you gave them the correct ones. You weren't really paying attention before (Bronze used to give you a lot of crap about that in the past... er... future... er... whatever.) You keep the badguys covered, trying to make yourself clear, but the radio chatter is static filled and crazy...
... and then Wild Heart steps out of the tunnel mouth ahead of you. A fresh layer of dust covers the mud and grime already on her. A big nasty burn across her right thigh and another burn hole through her tattered leather jacket evidence of her latest battle. She smiles at you, holding out a broken radio headset... and then she sees the bodies. Her eyes go wide, looking at you, then the carnage lying around you... and she looks at you again, saying in horror, "Please don't tell me these are the police."

Speedball/Impetus: It is one big rat. That is for sure. It stands on it's hind legs at the mouth of the tunnel, looking back and forth between the three of you while MIRV shouts into the radio, and for the two of you to be quiet, and Cowboy gives some very confusing directions that just CAN'T be right. And then the rat starts talking.
Well, not really talking, but it really seems like it. Chittering is more like it. Rapid fire, but modulated... you'd swear it's trying to say something. It's front paws wave at you, seeming to gesture in a "This way," kind of thing. Even from a distance there is an air of intelligence about the animal. The three of you glance at each other in a "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?" kind of look, while the large rodent seems to get exasperated and literally balls it's paws into fists, and rests them on it's sides, like where it's hips would be if it had some, and squeaks a big loud, single "CHEEE!!" Then turns, and begins heading back up the tunnel.<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 206

From Cowboy:

Cowboy blinks a few times at Wild Heart. "Uh... police? What the hell would they be doin' down here?" With that, he looks down at one of the agents, and checks for any identifying marks. "They were shootin' Metro up, so I figured they wasn't on our side, ya know? Hang on... MIRV! Impetus!
YO! SHUT IT!! Rat you say? Follow it! It'll bring ya here. I'll 'splain later, just get here fast!"

From Crusader:

"It is my honor too.... but lets try to keep the death to a minimum.
I don't think you want the authorities... and we aren't sure iwho they are.
They could be the authorities... but I'm guessing it is Warlord trying to remove an ally who could be a rival." Crusader is all too aware of the tensions the underworld holds.
With that he will jump above the silent seven watchers, flip and come plummetting down among the gunmen below. (I'm not sure how many actions that is going to take).
Using the (hopefully) element of surprise, Crusader will try to sweep 2 of the men by using a kick to each... or by closelining 2 who are near each other as he comes down. He will pull 2 dice from his STR. Not sure how armored these guys are yet.

From Speedball:


"What's that Lassie? Timmy's stuck in a well? OK girl--show me where!"
With a shrug, Speedball turns to the other two and says "well, I guess I don't look that good either, *I'm* on the right side of the fight."
Speedball with keep up with the rat, assuming its gotta know what's going on.

From Impetus:

Impetus will float balefully behind the rat as it leads him to Cowboy, but anyone close to him will hear him muttering, "Follow the yellow brick rat...
follow the yellow brick rat...."

Once they get there and he sees the dead bodies hanging about, notes Cowboy holding his pistols on the remaining villains, and swears. "D-MMIT, Cowboy!" He sighs. "I know you slingin' iron'n' all, but you gotta learn t'be less red-eye,man -- seven-sixin' everyone ain't th'way t'go. Thass gonna come back t'bitecha in the a$$ one day...."

From Dragon Mist:

DM will bring his right hand forward to grab the hilt and shift his weight to mirror that of Yull's. He will then lower his sword from eye level to his right hip, so that the sword is pointing behind him, toward the floor. From this position he states, "You are welcome to try and take the Ryuuko Shikon from me." From there it will be a waiting game. DM wants to make sure that Y'ull is the first to attack, so he merely waits, with his levels in DCV, until Y'ull get impatient.

-----

From GM:

>>>Dragon Mist: Time stretches away. You fall into an utter calm, focused but not strained, eyes on the center mass of your opponent. Do not watch the eyes. The eyes of a master always lie. Watch the body.
He is as still as you are. It is quiet. The faintest whisper of your breathing is like a lion's roar. Behind your own eyes the battle plays out a hundred times, a hundred different ways. Strike, counter stroke, block, reverse... a thousand possible combinations. Both of you running through every possibility, preparing for each eventuality... awaiting the others attack
(Camera shot: Panning camera, rotating around the two of you, showing each angle, each direction. Your bodies still as statues, eyes bright and focused, blade tips, one upward, one down, neither wavers a millimeter. Darkness all around, only your two figures visible.)
Stillness. Patience. The first to attack is likely the one to die. Find your center. Wait a lifetime if need be. Still. Patient.
(I'd say, "Make an Ego Roll," if this were FtF.)

Crusader: As you leap up for your attack run you see Yoshimitsu crouch on the battlements edge... and then fade from sight. Gone... like a ghost... but your IR scanner picks him up. Still there, preparing to spring... his armor obviously bends the visible light waves around him... completely... not just in shadows... then he leaps as well.
You drop like a bird of prey swooping down upon unsuspecting vermin. These guys are definitely not cops. At least not on any kind of legitimate business. They don't move in precision. Just big men in ski masks with big guns. As you arc into an attack run you see no real armor. Maybe a light vest under sweatshirts on a couple of them, but nothing more. This looks like a bunch of guys going to knock off a 7-11, except that there are a lot of them... and as you near them... you hear one call to another in a language that can only be Russian.

Cowboy: Wild Heart moves past you looking at the downed men, "Jeeze, they really look like cops... but you are right. No markings." Then seeing MDC, she kneels over to check him out. You tie the hands of the agent under your boot heal and he simply lies there without fighting. The other two you only shot once each are coming around, but open their eyes to see you pointing a gun at each of them and quietly hold up their hands, wincing while they do so. Over the railing, you see the first guy you shot, dead on the ground below face down in about two inches of water. Three dead, three still kicking. Sh-t. You went easy on them. What's all the fuss about?
Then there is a splashing and stomping as MDC's rodent friend comes scurrying out of a tunnel followed by Speedball, Impetus and MIRV.

Impetus: As you chide Cowboy, MIRV moves past you quickly to where Wild Heart is kneeling over a bulky looking guy in old clothes, looks kinda like a hobo, who has clearly been shot up badly. The big rat is nuzzling the guys face as MIRV pulls out his medkit, saying, "D-mn. He's been hit at least four times. Surprised he's still breathing. Help me cut this heavy clothing off!" And he and Wild Heart get to work.

Speedball: Seems like the rat knew what it was up to. Having brought you to the carnage scene, it is back with some old homeless looking guy who MIRV is trying to save. There are three dead men and three similarly dressed live agents under Cowboy's control. Spent shells litter the walk way, and gleam in the shallow water. The air smells like cordite... a haze of gun smoke hanging about. Cowboy stands like a mini-death god, his heal on the back of one agents neck, keeping him down, two big pistols in his hands.
Pistols which he turns suddenly toward a different tunnel opening, then puts them up as Darkfire comes in to view with a "Whoa! Don't shoot!" His white and black uniform covered in dust, he points back up the way he came, saying, "I kicked down the rest of that wall. The tunnel continues on past that, most likely back to the theater location. I don't see anybody else up that way, but..." he gestures at the dead and captured agents, "...where did these guys come from.
Everyone looks around, seeing at least four other passageways out of here that are not accounted for.

Crusader: You strike with complete surprise. Arms out, you take two of the thugs in the back as they are halfway up the walkway. You hammer down on them as you land (you have superleap, but not gliding, I noticed... when did that change?) Dropping close to the rear of the group with only one man behind you. The two drop like stones, smashed to the pavement in bone cracking heaps. The rest of the group flinches and jerks and looks around at your sudden, violent appearance, shouting clipped curses in Russian and trying to turn their weapons on you. Out of the corner of your face plate, you see Yoshimitsu land... invisible to the thugs... and your IR image of him palm heal strikes one man in the back of the neck who goes down silently and unnoticed by the other agents who are focused on you. One of the thugs, seemingly the leader, points at you, shouting orders in Russian that are unmistakably something like "Kill him!" There are five men between him and you and one still behind you.<<<
Initiative: Yoshimitsu (1st), Thug leader, Crusader, thugs, Yoshimitsu (2nd)<<<

[RDU Neil]

Post 207

From Dragon Mist:

DM will continue the face off. If he fails an ego roll, then let me know before you post because I already know what he'll do if that happens. If he mkes an ego roll, then he will simply wait. Yu'll did challenge him after all.

-----

From GM:

He made the ego roll for now... but I wanted to give you a chance to decide if you wanted to act at all. Sorry, forgot to put in the fact that he made the Ego roll, so no rash actions... yet.

-----

From Impetus:

A lot of what I'll do at this point is reactive, depending on what other
characters do, but what the heck.

Impetus walks up to the two other agents and frisks them roughly, expertly,
looking for any ID, specialized weaponry, open and bleeding wounds that
require medical attention (I assume they took hits to their armor), or
anything else of vague interest. "Now," he says with a dreadful
friendliness, "Ah suspec' you betta tell us wheah y'all came from. Ah doan
really like d'idea of runnin' aroun' loose in tunnels like this -- an' I
might not kill ya, but ah got otha ways a'talkin'.." And after he's frisked
them, he'll gesture at them, palm up; loose papers skitter across the floor
and dust swirls towards them both as out of nowhere a deep violet glow
engulfs them. They yelp briefly as their arms drop heavily to their sides,
their legs slam into each other, and their entire bodies contort as they're
pulled into an extremely uncomfortable-looking ball.

If either of them have bullet wounds that require attention, he'll mention
it to Darkfire and Wildheart.

(Note to Neil: Armcrusher, obviously. I think it works for this purpose,
right?)

From Crusader:

No gliding? uhh... it wasn't supposed to change. But I don't have it on my sheet either. It must have been eliminated by accident. That sucks. I will rework the character and get him back to you.
>>
Initiative: Yoshimitsu (1st), Thug leader, Crusader, thugs,
Yoshimitsu (2nd)<<<
<<<

Shield is still armor. Putting faith in armor and speed, Crusader
will whirl on the one behind, ignoring the ones between him and Yoshimitsu.
Thrusting off towards the target, Crusader will keep low and slide into the
man (Takedown). 1 level to OCV, 2 levels to DCV (albeit only in HtH)

From Cowboy:

"Yeah, d--mit! I knew they wasn't cops. They didn't identify themselves fer one thing. 'Sides, what self-respectin' cop would run aroun' in thisflimsy shi-t," Cowboy says, fingering the flak jackets. "I mean, really.
This stuff's just glorified tissue paper, man. I'da hurt 'em worse just
sneezin' at 'em." He twirls his pistols casually as he talks then lets
them slip back into the holsters now that things have quieted down some.
However, he does continually scan about the tunnels, looking and listening
for more agents.

From Speedball:

Looking at MDC, Speedball is just happy he's not the smelliest guy on Team Maverick any more.
"Good to see y'all. You want I should take a quick peek down those tunnels,
'Heart?" If she says yes, Speedball will run about a hundred feet down the
first tunnel he comes to, stop, and make a perception check. Same goes for
the others, in what ever order makes sense. If Wild Heart declines,
Speedball will await further instructions.

-----

From GM:

>>>Speedball: In response to your question, Wild Heart holds up a bloody finger and says to MIRV, "You got him? He looks bad... but this guy may be a meta. Those bullets should have torn through him." MIRV nods over Metro, saying, "Yeah... likely he'll live. Heartbeats strong, and penetration is not what it should have been. Go ahead."
Wild Heart turns then, wiping blood off her hands on a torn piece of Metro's coat. "No one goes alone. Speedball, you're with me and Darkeye... fire... whatever. Let's see where that tunnel leads." To the rest of the group she says, "You guys hold here until you hear from us. Watch out for more security..." she shakes her head,"and watch out for big robot spiders... I kid you not. D--n things pack some serious lasers and are tough unless you hit their undersides. Hopefully the Warlord couldn't afford too many of the things." And with that she gestures back toward the tunnel mouth.

Cowboy: You watch as Impetus pulls his hoodoo and starts questioning the agents you left alive. His strange energies seem to wrap the guys right up, pinning them to the ground. His menacing looks don't hurt either as he looms over them.
Before the first agent can even answer... his eyes betray him. You see them dart toward one of the tunnel entrances when asked where he came from. Then he tries to blubber out something but you aren't listening... instead automatically scanning the indicated path, looking for more attackers. There is nothin immediately evident, but you position yourself with a clear LOS on that tunnel, your back to Impetus since he's probably a pretty good bullet stop if something actually comes out the way you all originally did.
Wild Heart, Darkfire and Speedball step past you heading back toward the place where they broke through the wall and battled the sec-spider.

Impetus: Though the agents are obviously in pain the bullets did not penetrate, though they may have cracked ribs. The "arm-crusher" field you put around them doesn't make 'em feel any better. Choking on the pain they try to respond to your questioning, one of them clearly giving away their approach tunnel, which Cowboy quickly covers. As Wild Heart, Darkfire and Speedball head away one of the captives gasps out, "You're walking into a trap... gasp... you know? This whole area has been wired. There are dozens of guys out there... hhheehh... more heavily armed that us. Hhuh... huh... paras like you... the Warlord himself. You're all... cough... going to die down here... no matter what you do..." His fear is obviously driving bravado... but there is a certainty to his voice.

Crusader: As you sweep backward toward the single agent the five in front of you surge toward you, raising guns and trying to get a bead on you. Beyond them and their leader, you see the heat blob that is Yoshimitsu grab another agent from behind, bending him backward over his knee and then coming down on his face with an hammer strike that drives him to the pavement with a wet SMACK.
Then the back of your shoulder rams your target... a swiftly (but not swiftly enough) backpedaling thug. It catches him in his chest while your leg sticks behind him. His breath whooshes out of him as he goes over backward onto the walk. The sound of his gun clattering into the low, empty fountain beside you is drowned by the cacophonic fusillade of bullets that erupts at you from the onrushing enemies.
Bullets hail into and around you. Your shield in front of you is riddled with lead. (FOUR ACTUAL HITS!) Two of the rounds punch through the shield, one hitting your armor with enough force for you to feel. Third round bounces off the shield, and a fourth hits your armor directly. All but one ricochet off your armor with no effect (2 whole Stun is all you take. Great "to hit" rolls, but lousy damage. Now 11- activation on the shield.) The guy on the ground takes at least one slug in his thigh from the barrage and he makes a half conscious cry of pain.
Seeing you still standing, the bulky leader of the group bellows something incomprehensible to you and begins to push toward you. Other than that, Yohsimitsu and most everything else is lost in fire and thunder.

Dragon Mist: Moments stretch in the face off. Neither of you blink. Neither moves. Silence is broken only by the sound of your heart beating in your ears...
... until Y'ull makes one simple statement. "The longer you wait, the more likely your sister will die, usurper." A small, twitch of his lip is his only other movement.

GM says: "Make another Ego Roll." GM rolls it for you. Ok, you do make it... just. Any reaction? You are still in control.)<<<

[RDU Neil]

Note: I remember at this point, despite being the big climax scene, we were struggling to get anything posted. Still, we played on.

Post 208:

Cowboy:

Cowboy does, in fact keep his eyes on that tunnel,
stepping behind Imps slightly. Into the mic he
whispers as quietly as he can (but hopefully loud
enough for Wild Heart's group to hear), "Wild, if you
can hear me, they came outta the (insert location of
tunnel here) tunnel. This place is crawlin' with
baddies an' the Warlord's down here somewheres."

From Dragon Mist:

DM straightens and relaxes. Assuming this action doesn't get him killed, he
then looks at Yu'll and says, "There. You had your chance to take the Ryuuko
Shikon, and pissed it down your leg. (Yes he does say pissed.) You challenged
me Yu'll. Little did I know it was to a staring match with a little boy who
claims I took his toy from him." He will actually turn his back to Yu'll
implying that he is walking away in disgust. He's really waiting for Yu'll's
attack. When it comes (DM will default to this maneuver at any point during
his dialogue) DM will lower his center and perform a feinted leg sweep to swing
himself into position so that he is facing Yu'll, then perform a fast strike in
an upward swing, his left hand on the back of his blade for support, as he
stands into a forward facing "L" stance. Levels in OCV.

God I hope this works. . .

From Crusader:

Whirling on the remaining bad guys,standing tall and straight.
Menacing. activate the spines in my cloak to pop out and furl, altitude jets
slowly pushing to and fro.
"You've lost. Quit now."

nah... since Matt is being bold, me too. I will just stand there and
take the fusilade (keep DCV at its normal level, not making myself O DCV.) I
can maybe justify full DCV by Cape swirling around and making the actual
center of the target harder to see.
So I'll keep on with the presence attack.

From Speedball:

Speedball is happy to follow Wildheart's lead, but is a little concerned
that remaining in cramped quarters, nearly at a standstill makes him almost
useless--and very veulnerable.
"'Heart--seems to me like we're fighting just the way this Warlord wants us
too. Isn't there any way we can surprise him? Leastwise, maybe we oughta
think ahead of time what we can do against the Warlord and this other
guy--GQ, the one with the force field."
Kicking small piece of rubble from the knocked down wall, he continues "I
mean, I'm new to this whole thing and aside from taking out the guys with
guns, I'm not sure how much good I'm gonna be otherwise, unless we come up with a plan that has me running away real quick."

-----

From GM:

(Ok, after more than a week's delay, I'm going to try to pull this together again... we're getting to the do or die part... figuratively or literally, I'm not sure. Bare with me as I try to reset the scene...)

>>>Speedball: Wild Heart listens to you as you head up tunnel. It's darker here than in the hall where Cowboy blew all those guys away, but Darkfire leads the way. It appears he can see just fine.
As you finish Wild Heart says, "Speeds... I'd love to surprise this guy... and part of me is hoping we can do this, here and now. I'm going with my gut on this one, partly out of desperation to find Arcsilver (if she only knew) and partly because I'm not sure what else we can do. We were planning on hitting his shops and that's what we're doing. He's got a lot of resources..." and gestures to a large mess of wires and steel that looks like a huge spider animatronic that's been gutted and burnt, lying in the rubble of a destroyed brick wall. In the faint light it looks horrific. "... but we're taking what he throws at us, so far... and we may just have to tear him down one brick at a time. Trying to find the bricks is a major part of our problem."
"Hsst!" comes from Darkfire in front of you, waving you both down. "Up ahead..." he gestures through the demolished brick wall into the unsealed tunnel. "It's not clear, but I can see small... devices I guess. Perhaps some kind of defensive system... I don't know. They give off a very low light I can just see. One every ten feet or so, spread around the tunnel... some on the ceiling, some on the floor... the walls. They go as far as I can see."
Wild Heart squints into the darkness, the shrugs, looks at you and says, "Want to play bait?"

Cowboy: It's quiet for the moment. The only noise is the sound of MIRV's armor scraping on the concrete as he moves over MDC's bleeding form. You continue to stare up the tunnel mouth, dropping into that cold, stillness where all your senses come alive... waiting for the moment to explode into action. A small draft blows the back of your coat up from behind... quiet still... the low hum that Impetus gives off at all times is minor but constant back ground noise. Your Gargoyles feed silent data readouts on distance, ambient heat sources, movement, light levels... nothing out there... but your hackles are rising. You've been in a place like this before... too many places, too many times. You can taste the adrenaline on your tongue. The enemy is out there, just out of sight. You KNOW it. Your nerves sing with anticipation... waiting... waiting... itching to jump... sight smell taste touch... all heightened... D-MN it feels good...

Impetus: The agents don't seem to know much after their boisterous threats, and they crumpled in the grip of you field. They know only that there are at least a dozen more soldiers down here. Where? They aren't sure. They were a security patrol assigned to hold this position. These guys definitely have a military bearing. They aren't Mafia hoods or gang bangers.
But someone is coming for you. That is clear. It's that moment on the street when the old folks lock their doors and shut their windows. When the sidewalks empty and that lone, black lowrider glides past in the distance. Every shadow holds a punk ready to jack you up. Every sound is a bullet coming for your head. You thought you were past this, but old instincts die hard.

It's coming. HE'S coming.

Something inside you shifts... like a pulse in your internal energy. A twist in the gravitational warp around you...

... from over there...

You turn your head not knowing exactly what you are feeling, but knowing it's important. Another tunnel. Off to your left. A tug... a shift... not where the agents came from... but someone is there. You're sure of it.

Crusader: You stand unmoved in the hail of bullets, yelling over the gun blasts at the approaching thugs. Of the five coming toward you, one hasn't fired at all and seems to be watching you, eyes wide and white through the holes in his mask. He continues to hesitate, scared and unsure. Another man stops firing, surprise on his face as the big boss behind him shoves past in a feral lunge for your throat. Hugely muscled arms strain under the black sweatshirt, and he bellows something in Russian as he smashes through your guard to grab your arm and chest, tackling you to the ground. It was a sudden, swift attack. A dive right through the hail of bullets. You even see a round bounce off the man's shoulder as he is taking you down.
Sparks fly from your shoulder epaulet as he falls on you, grinding you into the sidewalk with massive strength (flying tackle... 37 Stun/10 body, so you take 12 stun). You grit your teeth against the pain as he laughs a choked "HAH!" in your face... but at least he is shielding you from the remaining gunfire (which ends quickly).
Initiative: Crusader has half move left (is not held by the guy, but under the guy on the ground.)
Then, unbelievably: Thugs, badguy leader, Crusader (sorry Storn.)

Dragon Mist: You turn away from Y'ull, spurning him... an act of humiliation. Looking into the black void beyond the small space occupied by the two of you, you realize that there is only two ways someone will leave this place. Victorious... or dead.
"You cannot walk away! You gaijin always think you can just leave it behind. Tradition, family, honor... it means nothing to you! I'm almost surprised you actually came for you sister! Part of me believed you would just abandon her as well! Turn and face me!"

If it weren't for the sword... you'd never have seen the attack coming. His voice never seemed to get any closer. It didn't change in pitch or amplitude. No sound gave him away. Only the last second burning flare from the pommel... a tiny twitch of your head... survival instinct from numerous death fights in the past...

Down... rotate... sweep around... Y'ull IS ABOVE YOU! His leap carrying across four meters and just above your head. His katana is over his head coming down in a perfect strike meant to carve you in half. Because of your rotation inward, toward him, Y'ull has to compensate... pulling back on his strike to avoid over shooting you. But because Y'ull is above you, you have to compensate as well, your upward slash having to extend much farther into an upward thrust or lose any real force...

His sword takes you in your left shoulder. An beautiful blade. It cuts through your soft armor like simple cloth. It slices through bone and sinew just as easily. It buries itself six inches down into your chest... and for a nano second you are transfixed by this gleaming steel suddenly grown through your body... then hot red blood and blazing agony explode around and through you...


Darkness... pain... open your eyes... wet, sticky, warm but cooling... blood on your face... your face lying in a pool of blood... shift... PAIN... keep eyes open... focus... get past it... exhale... blood bubbles on your lips... a sick heaviness in your left lung... focus... tonjon breathing... center... calm...

movement just beyond your sight

You sit up... the pain is intense... but adrenaline is better... you can't move your left arm... Part of you feels all kinds of things wrong in the left half of your body. Y'ull stands just away from you... in the shadows...his back to you. You are SOAKED in blood.

Y'ull's sword lies on the ground between you, the blood is thick on and under it.

Your sword is nowhere to be seen.

Y'ull turns toward you. The strange light gives a glimpse of green steel in his hands. "It seems," he says with a sick smile... and you see blood covers his cream and green robes as well... "That I have retaken the sword at last." And he steps forward in triumph...

...and stumbles. The sword is in his hands... but is also buried in his guts. It is lodged in a lethal upward angle. In a horrific expulsion, his bowels and intestines pour through the rent in his lower torso, spilling out in a gory, steaming mess. His feet slip in the wet and he falls in a grotesque mockery of a puppet with its strings cut. Face down, hard on the bloody surface. There is a last, quick tearing sound as the impact with the ground shoves your sword completely through his back, upward through the back of his kimono... a gleaming spike erupting from the dead meat on the floor.

Y'ull's face angles toward you only inches from your feet. His eyes are open... staring at you. A faint breath bubbles from his mouth.

(Matt... in game terms... your characters is F--KED UP! But at least you aren't dead. You TOOK, 11 Body... and 33 stun. So 12 body total. You are at zero if I have the correct stats for you. If you are interested Yu'll took 15 Body and 45 stun, for a total of 17 body... Jesus wept.)

[greymankle]

Wow. Never has such a cool HtH fight happened so quickly. As a fan of the close in fights, I have to commend this for excellent imagery. :cheers:

Well done Matt and Neil.