Ultimate Teen Titans Spotlight [IC]

[ThiagoMartell]

The night in Metropolis was warm. The concrete seemed to radiate heat and stone felt warm to touch even after the sun was gone. It had been a very hot day. Nothing suspicious about a warm night. Or was it?

Lois Lane seemed oblivious to the world around here. She had gotten coffee at Starbucks (a big cup of black, no sugar), tripped twice and almost spilled it all over herself. Her phone had rang four times for about a minute each time but she didn't seem to notice. Miss Lane had something in her mind, that much was a given.

She went straight by the Daily Planet building. Then she got into an appartment building. The woman sure enjoyed walking. Most people would have taken a cab.
Tailing her was trickier inside the building, but with his shapeshifting abilities, there was very few Plastic Boy couldn't do. The elevator could be a problem, but she took the stairs. It seemed to be a lucky day for Plas.

As Lois Lane threw her stuff over the old coffee-stained white couch, Plas noticed movement in the balcony. Maybe he wasn't the only one tailing Lois Lane.

[smuchmuch]

I'm going to get my ass handed to me by Big blue for spying on his girlfriend, ain't I ?
Oh well it's a forming experience for a young superhero.

Maybe you should call this thread 'solo adventures' or 'side adventures' so you can use it for ohers when they go on their own solo things too (I assume Pls won't tbe the only one to do that and it's probaly better not to multiply thread too much for Clarity's sake ?

Currently shapeshifted:
2D form But I'm not buying it.

Few things didn't seem to fit.
the way she dodged that shard. It's one way to be alert and suspect somethign but here she clearly knew it was coming. Someone tipped her off or was she part of it ?
And the place, right in his own building where it sent a wrong message no matter how you loked at it, rather than a public place with a crowd to give credibility to the whole thing ?
From what Plas read on his employer, Luthor may not be a man of much morals but he was smart and he had buisness sense. If it was really a PR stunt he could have done something better than that boneheaded atempt.

Nope, seemed to be more about the whole thing and Lane was lying or wrong.

At the moment, in the wake of the inteview, it had seemed a good idea to follow her. It was unlikely someone would try somethign else against her (though that would clear some things right up) but maybe someone was keeping tabs on her or she'd try to contact someone. She semed pretty interested in Venom already, Maybe a read in her notebook to know what she already knew.

But so far, all he'd learn was the woman taste in coffee (South american blend. Connection with drug cartel ?.. nah. trying to stay awake maybe ? lack of attention: sleep deprivation ? Earlier threats ?.*) and love for walking (Can't blame her. Cabs are all taped. that's why the drivers all try to make you talk. But who do they send the info too ?... Also good place for an ambush if your life is threatened.). She was troubled, too, but after an attempt on her life it seemd natural anough, even if it did contrast with her attitude when it happened.
Maybe he'd ought to give up and join his fellow titans. If he was getting their number right by now, they'd probably be out in town, finding them would be easy as long as wilcard was tagging along, just follow the trail of nervous policemen and bemused passerbys. He'd give it thirty minutes more before concluding it was a colossal waste of ti...


Plas noticed movement in the balcony. Maybe he wasn't the only one tailing Lois Lane.

Ah.

Plas gets out from under a sideboard (Lane seems really out of it), and while the owner of the place is looking in another direction, stick himself over a wall and slithers along near the large condo window up to a place where he can see better outside without being seen.

*OOC: I'm trying to make Plas reasoning a mix between completly crazy ucontrolled conections and actual valid reasoning. hope it doesn't come as too cheesy.

[ThiagoMartell]

OOC: Man, sorry I missed this. I thought I had subscribed to this thread but I didn't O.o

Plas looks around in the balcony. He smells a faint whiff of sulfur. There is no one there. He hears the sound of water running - Lane must be in the shower.

[smuchmuch]

OOC: S'alright.
-------------

Smell of sulfur. What could it be ? Burning ? Chemicals ? Gas ? Supernatural ?* Bad eggs ? Okay that last one being rtaher unlikely, that can't be a good sign.

Plas enlarge his ears, eyes and nostril slightly and stay still for ten, twenty seconds or so, scanning the room and waiting for another glimpse of movement in the air.


*(being as as much of an atheist as you can be in a world where greek gods create superheroes out of clay without falling into complete denial, supernatural or demon does cross his mind but doesn't stick as the most obvious possibility)
---------------------------------

Since I'm not to sure what the situation here, for now I'm going to make short posts with short little actions and react tot the situation rather than big ones

If you feel I'm falling to far behind the others pacing wise, you tell me.

I'm not sure how lane's apaprtement is structured. In superman TAS I remember it was some kind of large penthouse thing, so if it's anything like that, it means there's less cover to go around for anyone that would be sneaking around.

---------------------------------
Shapeshifting 4 rank in supersenses (4pp): Enhanced vison, enhanced hearing and enhanced smell.
(note they aren't supersenses (wich Plas probaly wouldn't be able to do since his shapeshift is just body elasticity, just enhancing a bit the one existing)

I suppsose a notice (+11) roll may be in order ? Taking 10 if I can.
(Just.In.Case [roll0])


Plas will also take a quick look from the balcony up and down on the building facade, looking for any kind of repel line, hooks or even silouhete flying away in the night (hey this is metropolis after all; if there's any city where it'd make sense), while passing his finger on the floor to see if there's any kind of trail on the floor that might explain the smell before mvoing next.

[ThiagoMartell]

Plas tunes his senses and concentrates on the specific input he needs to detect. After a few seconds, he finds a lingering trail of sulfur smell going from the blacony he is standing now to the one beside him.

[smuchmuch]

OOC:
After a few seconds, he finds a lingering trail of sulfur smell going from the blacony he is standing now to the one beside him.

er sorry, maybe it's my english that isn't so good here but I'm not sure I fully understand this sentence. Does this mean there are two balconies ?

edit: wait I think I get it, it means someone flew/leaped or oved in some way from Lois Lane's blacony to the next apartement's balcony. is that right ?

Plas nods to himself while thinking about his next course of action.

Before moving after the mysterious intruder he decides to take a short look in Lane's stuff while she's taking a shower. If she has a notebook or a recoirder he'll listen to the lasts minutes or looka the last few pages before putting it back like he found it.

Then he moves back out and carrefully extend a foot on the next balcony, folling the trail.

extension six, means I should be able to step from tot the other wihtou problems ?

[ThiagoMartell]

er sorry, maybe it's my english that isn't so good here but i'm not sure I fully understand this sentence. Does this mean there are two balconies ?

edit: wait I think i get it, it means someone flew/leaped or oved in some way from Lois Lane's blacony tot he next one to the the next apartement balcony. is that right ?
Yeah, that's it, sorry for not making it clear.

Plas quickly looks over Lane's belongings and finds a notebook. Lane's handwritting is as horrendous as her organization skills, so he can't make out much of what's in there. He can't find her recorder - maybe she took it along to the bathroom.
Once Plas steps to the other balcony, a bunch of pidgeons fly away from there. Something in the back of Plas' mind tells him that there is something wrong.
Suddenly, from above a blur falls on him. Something hot and sharps runs through his chest and he quickly notices the pair of bloodshot red eyes looking straight at him. Plas manages to create some distance and he finally sees it - a big, muscular man, like the ones they met in LexCorp earlier. His head was shaved, the eyes were unnaturally red, his only cloathing was a billowing trenchcoat. His arms were scaly and red from the elbow down, ending in three-fingered long claws. Below the waist, he had goat legs and brown fur. He smelled of sulfur and made no noise whatsoever.

[smuchmuch]

So pain and heat from the jab but no damage ? Does it look like it would have hurt/killed a more normal person ?

Plas staggers a bit, a hand over his chest, his face seems to deforms slighy in what you'd have to guess as a smirk of pain. Actualy, while plas is exagerating a bit to make his opponent underestimate him, it's not entirely entirely faked. Heat is one of the few things that can cause some serious serious discomfort and durable inconveneince.

He takes a look at his attacker .That's not an effect of venom, here. ...the hell ? litteraly apparently. If there's supernatural involved in this...

"Don't suppose you'd feel like talking about this ?" Yeah probably not going to cut it "You don't wont to alert her with fighting noise right ?" Plas try to get the man talking while considering his options if goatlegs is (likely) more in a'smash' than talk it out mood.


-Bluff [roll0] To make it look like it hurt more than it did.
-knowlege (streetwise) [roll1] To see if those demon looking traits ring any bells (somehow I doubt it but you never know.)
-Want me to roll diplomacy ? (+5)

[ThiagoMartell]

OOC: Sorry, forgot to say that - you're bruised.

The thing in front of Plas snarls and chuckles, as if it's trying to speak, but simply can't. Flames spew from his mouth, harmlessly.

"What is going on here?"

Lois Lane appears on her balcony. With a roar, the creature jumps from the balcony to the streets below.

[smuchmuch]

"Oh no you don't !"
Plas throw himself out of the balcony, hopefully before Lane got a good look at him in this poor evening light and in a fluid movement grap a hold under lan'es blacony so he'll hang under when she can see wile extending the other to catch Mr Flammy. Even if it can't talk, Megan could try to read it's mind

Not sure what to roll for that ?

[ThiagoMartell]

OOC: An Acrobatics check DC 15 to grab the ledge (or stretching to do so) and a Stealth check at -5 (due to movement) will be enough

[smuchmuch]

Acroba.. and stealth....yes of course... sure...crap.
(was vaguely hopping being stretchy was enough for the grab the ledge part would be enough and it would be the 'grab the falling guy that would need a roll)

Acrobatics [roll0]
(
If you consider I have the time for a move action befoe falling to do so in this whole sequence of action, I'll shapeshift in:
[lots of agility and strength (+12 and 4), elongation (4) two rank in bouncing,]
thus giving me a +6 mod in both skill,

...Otherwise I'm staying on curent array that's one big +0 check. On both count.)

Stealth[roll1]

[ThiagoMartell]

OOC: Shapeshifting is fine here, let's consider you shifted in the last round
Plas grabs the edge and reaches for the creature. The thing burns when he touches it (another bruised condition).
The creature turns around and howls at Plas, stunning him. (you get 1 hero point to fail the save automatically) When his sight clears, Plas can't see the creature, but Lois Lane is in the balcony in her bathrobe, staring at him.

Lois Lane: "I think we could trade information, mister."

[smuchmuch]

"Alright" Plas extend a hand to the journalist window and propells himself in.
"Let's.. uh.." there's a small awkward loss of concentration as the teen boy find himslef in front of a rather atractive woman in a bathrobe who just got out of a shower recently and miserably fail not to let his eyes wanders on some strategic locations before focussing back into a 'totaly a harboiled professional' attitude.
"Yeah, Let's. Not sure how much I can tell you on my side, mind." he shrugs "Mind if I start first with the questions ? Since how long have you suspected you were being followed ?"

[ThiagoMartell]

Lane smirks and tries to be nonchallant to Plas' male gaze. Unfortunatelly for himself, he is too alert not to notice her noticing. (OOC: This sounded like Buffyspeak, didn't it?)

Lois Lane: "Well, I've had this weird impression of being followed ever since I came back from that piece on the orphans in Fawcett City. Do you have any idea what that thing was?"

[smuchmuch]

(OOC: heh, no worries. I'm pretty sure my english is more broken and my sentences even more convoluted.)

Sorry, don't know. I've heard of nothing in the street I've heard off looking like that."
Plas realize he's not being particulary informative but, it' s not like he really has much clues here. all he can say is from what he's seen int eh few seconds he was attacked. No ill in divulging any of that, though since most of it she could probaly see for herself even if not as close.

"The way it acted I think it was partly human. and I'm not sure the transformation was entirely controled either." The way it tried to talk but couldn't seedm to indicate that to him at least. "The heat was real" Plas look at this slightly burned hand "and it spitted flammes from it's mouth. If it's a product of pure technology, it'd have to be really advanced one so he was more leaning on some genuine occult here." Which was somewhat worrying, none of the titans in his knowlege knew much about the acane. They'd have to find a specialist "And that's about all I've seen sorry."

"So the 'orphans of Fawcett city' uh ?" Plas could simply catch up tot the storry in the paper (if he hadn't readed about it already, he did try to stay informaed after all) but he'd rather it from the woman herself, she might say stuff she wouldn't in the paper. "Had to be a good storry if it dragged all the way up to Winscosin. Do tell."

[ThiagoMartell]

Lois Lane: "I went to Fawcett to see these two orphan kids who became rich when they started a weblog of their lives, inserting mystical repherences all along. Kind of like a real life Harry Potter blog. They claim to base their stories on a supposed 'guardian angel' that helpes them whenever needed. I thought it was just a publicity stunt, but after seeing that thing... maybe there is something to it. I can try to get a hold of them. I'll let you know if I get anything. Do you have a cellphone?"

[smuchmuch]

"Hm mm" Plas nod. he does, though he, of course, generaly prefers much more secure means of comunication but here It'll do. "I think it'll be back, though"Plas look out the window where the thing disapeared "or another like that. you may have to arrange for some protection
"One last question, if you don' t mind, why the noticable interest in Venom and Gotham ? Do you think i some modified version might cause people to turn into this ?"
Plas doesn't sound very convinced. It did have a very muscular frame, true but the hoves and flames seemed way beyond anythign any kind of drug could do.

[ThiagoMartell]

Lois Lane: "I was working on a story about a drug dealer trying to bring Venom into Metropolis, but my source disappeared. Both cases are probably connected. I'll have to get to Fawcett and get some answers from the Batson orphans."

[smuchmuch]

"Hm. Others may come after you. I know you can defend yourself" Plas is trying no to sound condescending. Besides she did dodge that projectile, she probaly can get by. Against normal attackers, certainly "but these guy are stronger that we made it look." In fact it has been surprisngly easy so far. The demon lokking guy barely even tried to fight, he ran away directly, why ? Probably not a good sign
"You may want to arrange for protection and avoid Fawcett for a little while. I'm sure you have your arrangements" he shrugs while only glancing for a split second at the window and the Metropolis skyline where a mighty blue kryptonian is notoriously patroling

"I'll be in touch. Good night, Mrs Lane" Plastic boy steps out of the window and mightily... walk away. With his legs elongated as giant stilts. Okay so maybe not the most majestic exit ever.

As he walk among the building and trun out a corner (but no farhter than that yet, you never know) Plas search a bit before finding a fixed telphone cabin
"Hey Liv'. where are you guys ?
Robin is with you ? I need to talk to him."

So that's the end of that little solo thing or not. Depends of you, Thiago.
If yes, Plas will decide to join the others physicaly, else he'll keep talking by phone and go back on his merry way.
reason I choosed to have him use a cabin rather than a mobile phone is because Livewire could use her telportation power to get there eventuly (and bring someone else) if necessary that way.

[ThiagoMartell]

OOC: You can go the other thread, I think this spotlight arrengement actually worked out pretty well