[M&M3]The Untouchables

[dream]

"THE UNTOUCHABLES!"

https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8040/8070281426_fe9a777e42_b.jpg

"First Light": (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZqloCNBSVA&index=2&list=PLGSSKuRY6AS6Jt-UPpdZ9Jb9pNkAn2p78)

After last night's snowstorm, the Big Apple looks more like the Big Cupcake. In just twelve hours greater New York got nearly four feet of snow, with more to come tonight. The snow-plows went to work well before sunrise and made most of the streets negotiable, but walking on sidewalks packed with snow and ice was still tricky. There was a low biting wind and traveling the city was accompanied by the sound of snow and salt crushed underfoot. The usual New York aroma was very poignant this morning; that hanging odor of garbage, engine exhaust, sewage, cooked meat, and chemicals. Storm or no, New Yorkers were undeterred, crowds of people mobbing the downtown streets,chatting and vehicles groaning forward at one mile an hour while the drivers sat on their horns. At least the delivery drivers were on time, streaking through traffic like madmen as cops yelled at them to "Watch it, right!?!"

The Upper Eastside of Manhattan had its charms on full display this morning; snow-capped skyscrapers that glowed in the rising sun, giant digitized billboards of any and every possible product, block after block of shops, grocers with fresh fruit, fish and flowers, the major players like McDonald's, Walgreens, Gap, and Citibank open for business. As you pass subway entrances, transients are huddled nearby and on stairwells, wrapped in putrid blankets and ripped newspapers. Occasionally a pedestrian slips and falls on the sidewalk, a victim of winter, as bystanders walk around or laugh. Everything is happening at an ever-quickening pace as frenetic momentum heats the streets.

New York City. Here, you better be sure.

@ Pioneer:
As sunlight begins cutting across the Burroughs, morning finds you. Near freezing outside, you're warm and cozy as you tool about working on what matters most. As you scuttle around, you notice people walking their dogs or jogging on the street. The snow has been plowed back to form small hills on the curbs, and neighborhood vehicles cruise by your windows headed into the city. As busy as you are though, you can't miss the two out-of-place large delivery vans parked almost directly-opposite your home. White with no markings, no visible drivers and they've been parked there since before sunrise.


As odd as the vans were, the truly unbelievable issue was this Chancellor Sorsius. UN leader and founder of the Brotherhood of National Dependence, which created lasting unity among Earth's governments. WW2 savior, technological mastermind, and seen as the Utopian messiah by billions. His image was everywhere. TV, print, internet. No one in this world's history was more revered, or more politically-powerful. The Problem: somewhere between last night and this morning this Sorsius seemed to have squeezed in decades of global transformation. Even the history text reflected the armored man and the sweeping changes that follow him. HOW and WHY had this happened?
Well-Informed/Intelligence check to identify the vans and DC20 Awareness check to get a hunch about them.

@ Evelyn Preydon:
The drive into the Upper East side was grueling, only made tolerable by Lars' daybreak diatribe on all things fashionable and delicious in the world. Highlight: UN Chancellor Sorsius was arriving in D.C. today for a conference with President Obama on Sorsius' plans for an international moon-station. Lars wouldn't shut-up about it, and you knew why: everyone in the world loved Chancellor Sorsius. He'd saved humanity from its worst enemies, including ourselves. You wished you could meet with him, get to know this great man among men, but the chances of landing front-row seats at the Oscars were better.

The sluggish traffic had stranded you at a familiar corner, crowds walking the streets, but the refreshing fragrance of coffee caught your attention. A Starbucks was just outside your limo door and the urge was too strong, so Lars cut sideways slowly and parked. He turned, awaiting your order, just as an older transient male dressed like the 'Ghost of Christmas Future' appears near your tinted window, brandishing a dirty rag with the unspoken promise of cleaning your windows for a charitable donation.
DC13 Insight check to evaluate the hobo and a DC13 Perception check to notice the dark-blue police cruiser parking outside Starbucks on the adjacent corner.

@ Quick Fix & Chloro:
After braving the morning cold, you've found your way inside a Starbucks packed tighter than a church during the Apocalypse. All the seats are filled and small crowds and couple hover around the walls, hot drinks in one hand, electronic device in the other. The echoing drone of conversation is only over-matched by the smell of specialty drinks and piping-hot coffee. Both of you have seats, and occasionally someone will ask if they can steal a chair or sit at your table. They follow up your response with an invitation to discuss the weather, where you're from, and what you're drinking. Chatter.

While at separate tables, you both ended up here as if you were drawn. By what, who knows? Everyone seems to be discussing UN Chancellor Sorsius' visit to the U.S. People adore him and all he's done for the world. The decades of technological innovation and global peace. Maybe he'll stop by New York once he finishes his conference with President Obama in D.C. They go on and on about the Chancellor as if he's the greatest person to ever exist.


WHO THE HELL IS CHANCELLOR SORSIUS?!?? And why does everyone know so much about him?!? Seems to have been around for decades, but you've just heard of him this morning! You remember now seeing images of him this morning, some character in white armor and a cape, but you thought it was some kind of new movie. But, no. This is no movie. What had you missed? Why was today so very different from yesterday? This Sorsius seems like a world leader, maybe THE world leader, yet he appears OVERNIGHT and no one seems concerned. This was crazy.
Both of you need to make DC13 Perception checks to notice the blue police cruiser that just pulled up outside.

@ Facade:
Behind the counter, facing a line going out the doors, you get a nudge from your co-worker, Michelle, "Wake up, babygirl! This 'aint the time for daydreaming. Lets go! If I had your station, I'd be making four drinks and you're standing there holding an empty cup like Hello Kitty!" Michelle slammed two more cups down on the counter in front of you, "Do you even remember the menu?" She exhaled rudely and turning to your multi-tasking manager, Danielle, Michelle yelled, "SHE'S LOST! Should I call Brandon?"

Danielle looked up from two smoking drinks and gave you a look that was part worry, part impatience. She was nicer than Michelle, but she was also your boss. Customers were crowding the bar, staring at you and the others. Some people even offered to help or asked what the hold-up was.
DC15 Insight check to feel if you're getting fired today:smalltongue: No Insight needed to know Michelle hates you. DC15 Perception to notice the blue police cruiser parking outside.

@ Hellhound:
The crowds outside walking by or trying to press into the Starbucks all seem to pause in unision as Hellhound appears. Many people gawk or point. Some go for their cellphones trying to key their cameras with gloves on. A few men laugh and taunt you calling you "Tin Man" and "Robocop"!

Maybe it was the weather. Maybe the crowds. Maybe it was Chancellor Sorsius' U.S. visit. Today was the day! The Chancellor wore the suit, just like you. He was a great man who had reshaped the world in his time, and so would you. After today, the world would know your name, provided that police cruiser you just passed isn't who you think it is.
The police cruiser is maybe ten feet behid you as you are a yard from the Starbucks entrance, with people everywhere, inside & out.

[moossabi]

Well, Craptastic. One post in and police are here. Good gosh this'll be fun.

Hot chocolate tasted good. That was really the only reason Chloro was here. Get a nice beverage (maybe even a muffin), not have to pay for it (Mind Control=Great) and then sit around at the table for another hour or so just to make people angry.

"Alright, I'll have a hot chocolate- actually stirred this time, the last time I was here I just had bitter chocolate slush covered in creamy milk. Oh! And throw in a blueberry muffin. Sound good?"

The waiter, having been bombarded by the mind control pheromones since Chloro sat down, nodded and awkwardly swayed back to the kitchen.

"OK, person that I don't know, what were you saying again... Uh huh, yeah... Who? Meh, whatever... thank you, and now politics is officially the most boring thing ever. Great."

[roll0] TN: 13

[HopeHubris]

Regardless of who is in that cruiser, they can do nothing before the might of... Hellhound! Yes, I quite like that name, very fear-inducing, before this day is done, there will be many people that tremble at that very name, probably almost as much as they venerate The Chancellor, maybe even more, if such a thing was possible, Sorsius is such a great man, it'll be hard to top... But not for someone like me, oh no, I can definitely do it, powerful supervillain like myself
All these thoughts and more run through the head of 'Hellhound' as he walks up to the Starbucks.

"Mock me if you will, foolish citizens, but before this day is through, you will rue the very thought!"
Hellhound booms, his ferocious dog-headed helm glaring, and doing a wonderful job of echoing his voice, he'll have to complement the craftsman, lovely work.
As if to punctuate his statement, Hellhound turns his head towards the sky, the mouth of the helm opens, and a stream of fire explodes upwards.

He opens the door

"I am Hellhound, and you will give me a quad grande six pump vanilla one inch steamed breve Americano and all of your money, if you wish to live!"



I have absolutely no idea what that is, I just googled "Long starbucks orders"

[moossabi]

Chloro raises an eyebrow, trying not to laugh, and asks:

"Ummm... Who the heck are you, and why are you trying to prioritize your ridiculous order over mine? I don't appreciate having to wait."

[HopeHubris]

"As I just said, I am Hellhound, soon to be known as the greatest super-villain to have ever lived, and if you do not quiet yourself, fool, you will be roasted by the flames of hell itself"

[dream]

There's immediate panic on the streets as people dart away from Hellhound's fiery display! Bystanders bump into each other, dash in-between vehicles stalled in traffic and dash across the vehicle-heavy street while looking back at the terrific villain! The entire corner clears as pedestrians shout reactions while moving away,

"What the f***!" You see dat!?!?"

"Run!"

"Oh my God! His head blew up!! I saw it!"

"What was that?!?!"

"Call the cops! Somebody!"

"He's one of them! A Beta!"

"Meta, man, not Beta! They crazy!"

Customers huddled inside Starbucks begin backing away quickly as Hellhound enters, clearing as far back in the shop as possible! There's a frantic murmur of fear mixed with anger,

"What the hell is that? A robot?!?! Call 911!"

"Oh my God! Please no! Please no! I have children!"

"Everybody get back! Ladies, back up!"

"He's robbing a Starbucks? Unbelievable!"

"Shut-up before he hears you!"

The four women behind the bar, excluding Facade, stare, frozen, mouths open, unsure how to act! Facade takes it all in as time seems to slow down and the armored figure stands defiantly before her!

As people rush to the restrooms or the back of the cafe, Quick Fix and Chloro get bumped, along with their tables, spilling their drinks across the floor!

Outside, Madame Preydon sees the homeless window-washer and the riot going on outside Starbucks! Lars looks at the ruckus, then back at 'Evie' for direction.

Previous checks from my 1st post are still necessary, if you haven't rolled them. Thanks.

[moossabi]

"Well, at least my drink wasn't here yet..."

Chloro gets up from the ground (Riots cause shoving) and turns to face Hellhound.

"So, I'm rather upset with your-"

"Here's your hot chocolate ma'm."

"Great! Now go sit in the corner and repeatedly smack yourself in the face."

"Yes, ma'm."

"Ah, that never gets old. anyways, I do not appreciate that you have decided to waltz in here and demand things. That's not subtle at all." *She takes a sip from her cup* "So, I'd appreciate it if you- Oh wait a second. Did you say 'greatest super-villain'? I've been looking for a career along those lines for a while now."

[EnglishLanguage]

Quick Fix scoots into the Starbucks and has a seat at a free table after getting his usual order. Plain coffee with 3 creams and 12 sugars. He spent most of the time deep in though, very confused about this Chancellor he's been hearing so much about.

It wasn't until a bunch of yelling and panicking started that Quick Fix remembered there were even other people there. Quickly standing up, he makes his way over to the commotion.

Heyheyhey, what the hell is going on here? Can't a fella enjoy some coffee without a freakin riot goin on here?"

[roll0] I probably see it.

[ChaosPerfected]

"The utter banality of the city scape." Madam Preydon said with a loud sigh which was more to interrupt Lars than anything else. But she watched the city go by anyway while she took small comfort in petting the head of Polar Bear on her shoulder from her new impressive fur coat.

"Oh shut up, Lars!" She snapped before rubbing one of her temples in annoyance. "Since when do you watch anything that isn't cartoons?" Evelyn continued, growing increasingly more tired of her newest lover.

"Uh, yes'um! So.. Uh anyway the president he tells this amazing joke it was something like a giraffe walks into a bar.. No, no, wait a minute you're not supposed to know he's a giraffe, uh, and Chancellor Sorsius was all like.."

"Why, why, why? Why me?" Evelyn said loudly before lighting up a cigarette on the end of her fancy long cigarette holder and filling the back of the limo with smoke. As the traffic sought to entrap them she sighed once more. "At the rate this traffic is going you may as well stop at this common Starbucks.."

She was surprised when they did park and considered firing him right there but the allure was stronger near the popular chain. "Fine Lars- pick me up a Grande Extra Hot Soy with Extra Foam, split shot with a half squirt of sugar-free vanilla and a half squirt of sugar-free cinnamon, a half packet of Splenda, oh and put that in a venti cup and fill up the 'room' with extra whipped cream with caramel and chocolate sauce drizzled on top. Well? What are you waiting for!?" She said in frustration as Lars hurried to exit the vehicle.

Then the unthinkable happened and a hobo approached the limo. "Uck!" The woman exclaimed in absolute disgust. "Lars? Lars! Oh where is that moron.." She fretted at the prospect of dirty hands all over the limo. "Away, away, shoo." Evelyn mouthed through the heavily tinted window trying to make him understand.

As the riot intensified outside Evelyn just hit the lock on the door and crossed her arms.

Insight: [roll0]
Perception: [roll1]

[Doggie_arf]

Façade spared a frown for Michelle as the latter turned away, before settling down to make drinks as quickly as she could. Of course she'd be slow - she'd only taken on this identity three weeks ago, after all.

Life in Manhattan had been more expensive than she had thought. Between monthly rentals, utility bills, and other expenses, the money she'd managed to bring along from her previous identity had soon begun to run out. And while food wasn't a necessity, she still needed a place to stay, especially in the middle of winter. Hence the barista job, one of the few she could take on without drawing too much attention to her legal identity, such as it was.

Doesn't mean I have to like the job, she thought, catching a customer's latte before it fell over. Or the people. Especially that Michelle - she had half a mind to drain the annoying girl dry. Bossy, odious, overbearing, just like that girl from her old school. No, that was 'her' memory, not yours. You never went to school. Don't get confused, now...

The screams and the flaming explosion interrupted her train of thought. Setting down the drink she was handling before it spilled, she looked up in time to see the customers crowding away from the armored man striding into the room, smoke still trailing from his hound-like helmet.

Now that's an interesting way of making an order, she thought. Façade had seen a few metahumans come for coffee - some of them literally driving or flying in - but none of them had actually threatened violence.

A quick glance around showed Michelle in a corner bashing her head repeatedly into a wall ( ...what?), and Danielle and the other baristas frozen in shock or fright.* Guess I should handle that, she thought, sighing as she got up from her station. I don't want to lose my job today...

"That gentleman is right, sir," she said as she reached the counter. "I think the little girl you just pushed aside was next in line."

Façade will speak like this and think like this.

If she's mimicking a particular person, she'll use that person's color in italicized and underlined text.

Took a bit of liberty to make the annoying Michelle Chloro's headbanging server for the lulz. :smalltongue:

Insight re: job prospects - [roll0]
Perception re: police car - [roll1]

[Mono Vertigo]

Two untrained checks!
Intelligence: [roll0]
Awareness: [roll1]

An hidden perk of imposing your will over the world is that you save a lot of money in central heating, air conditioning, etc.
What it does NOT help with, is technological issues. Vainly now, the fallen superhero Pioneer pushes repeatedly the F5 key; the screen doesn't change, hasn't for the last 5 minutes, merely telling her in vague terms about connection issues.
Come on. There are 30 minutes left. I need this gigamyothermic transformer. It's going to save me weeks of work. This guy is not going to sell dozens of them. C'mon, eBay. Come back on. Come baaack.
Not just that, but also that chancellor. Something clicked wrong. Of course, Wikipedia showed itself no more than eBay. Not that it would help. It felt like everything had started spinning the wrong way and only she noticed it.
Pioneer calls her Internet provider hotline. Better fix this issue quickly. Within 10 seconds of talking, she silently pulls out a list and writes down her Internet provider as the 34th entry, while continuing to explain her problem without interruption.
The rest of the list reads:
Things and humans to get rid of when we claim the planet called Earth:
1 - Tax officers
2 - Chihuahuas
3 - That Canadian singer
4 - Stephen Hawking
5 - That other Canadian singer (Do they do it because they're frustrated about their cold weather?)
6 - Canada [...]
Another look out the window. The vans are still here.
They haven't found her, have they?
Okay, focus on one issue at a time. First, Sorsius. Then, the vans. (Priority problem, mayhaps, but there's no confirmation they're out for her, and few things can wreck your control like fear.) Then, the auction. Might have to steal some wifi for that, what place around here provides that near her...?
Is there anything about that guy she knows that she didn't learn overnight from written sources?

[EnglishLanguage]

Quick Fix rubbed his temples. Someone please tell me I didn't wake up in a parallel world today, where people try to rob a Starbucks in broad daylight!? Al I needed was some thinking time away from home, and this..... he says, waving offhandedly in Hellhound's direction ...thing has to go and ruin it.

Honestly, Quick Fix didn't mind at all that someone was robbing the place, it certainly made for a nice change of pace. But how showy and public they are compounded with the world seemingly going mad overnight started to give him a migraine. Ugh...where did I leave my coffee?

[dream]

@ 'Evie' Preydon:
As chaos unfolds around the limo, you determine the transient at your window is harmless and he wanders off with the crowd of people rushing away from Starbucks! You turn to see Lars enter the cafe, looking down at his cell and oblivious to the unfolding events. Then you see a young man emerge from around the corner, turning sharply into the Starbucks behind Lars; he looks in his early 20's, tall and slender, brunette, wearing a Starbucks uniform and holding a small khaki satchel with the Starbucks logo on it!

Still parked at the far curb is the police cruiser, where the driver has opened the door and peaks over the tinted-window at the Starbucks while speaking into a communicator!

@ Hellhound:
Standing alone now near the bar, except for a few curious onlookers, you gaze at the employees waiting and a middle-aged woman with the nametag "Danielle" speaks, "Okay, take it easy! It's morning and we don't have much, but just take it and leave!" She walks to the registers, pushing past employees and begins nervously-tapping buttons until a drawer pops open, then she begins taking money out.

Among the murmurs and gasps of the 30+ stunned customers, you hear footsteps behind you! Looking you see a young man has walked in wearing a Starbucks uniform and carrying a small khaki satchel with a Starbucks logo on it! He stares at you with a confused expression, eyeing the startled customers, "Uhhhhh. Okay." 'Danielle' looks up with handfuls of cash to see the young man enter and stares, mouth open!

You also notice outside the wide window, the driver of the police cruiser is, out, peaking from behind the tinted-window while speaking into a communicator!

@ Facade:
Danielle makes her statement and bulls you and Renee', another employee, aside as she stalks to the cash register! When the young man enters with a Starbucks satchel, the room tenses! After the stunned man appears dumb-founded, Danielle freezes, as the sound of Michelle rhythmically-banging her head on a wall echoes across the room!
DC15 INT check to recognize the young man

@ Quick Fix & Chloro:
As you both attempt to make establish rapport with the armored invader, you also notice the policeman outside speaking on his communicator behind the cruiser door. You also see the young Starbucks employee enter and stop, confused. The khaki satchel he's holding in his hands stands out, for obvious reasons! An Asian male customer in a huge white bomber-jacket tries to whisper to you both, "Hey! No! Don't piss the guy off. Back up!" a taller African-American male wearing a heavy red "Rocawear" coat and saggy jeans is more forward, looking at Quick Fix and saying, "Man, STFU and siddown! You gone get erraybody killed wit dat BS!"

@ Pioneer:
As you puzzle this new mystery, you hear footsteps approaching from outside your door, and, you see at least ten human figures dressed in white tactical uniforms and wielding sub-machine guns dashing from the now-opened van doors in flanking directions to either side of your house!
You can either get your internet back now, or, take an extra Action point. Your choice.

[Doggie_arf]

"If you'd just wait in line, sir, we could get you anothe-"

Façade was cut off as her boss barged through to the cash register and began to thrust money at the armored man. "Hey, weren't we supposed to take money from customers?" she muttered, rubbing her side where it had hit the counter. Pain and bruises still hurt, even for her. "This seems very backward..."

Danielle had stopped emptying the cash register, and was staring at the entrance. Following her gaze, Façade spotted the man with the Starbucks uniform and satchel. Another employee?

Behind him on the street was the blue and white of a local police cruiser. Not good, she thought, sucking her lower lip in consternation. She didn't want to deal with police of any kind, in case they found out that her identity was stolen. The officer in the front seat was speaking into a device of some sort - probably calling for backup against Hound-helmet. Definitely not good...

Job or not, getting out of here was starting to look like a good idea. Things seemed about to get very chaotic...

Bad thing about having a custom font color is having to save the markup everywhere that you wish to use said color. :smallsigh:

Also, with that earlier Perception roll of 28 (3 degrees of success?), I guess I can see the cruiser and what its crew are doing.

Intellect check to recognize Starbucks employee with satchel: [roll0]

[moossabi]

Ummmm... OK then, this was new. For whatever reason, there was an employee with a weird satchel, but because things love to happen at once, there were police outside on their radio. Crap.

"Never mind. Offer's gone." Turning away from Hellhound, she moves to the counter and asks the nearest person (Facade maybe?) "Excuse me, is there a back exit? This guy is making me really scared." She starts to tear up and, in one of her better little kid impressions, sounded genuinely scared.

If the cops were here for her, this stupid overbearing Hellhound guy should keep them occupied. Oh! And the employee with the satchel... Probably just a guy who arrived late and went into shock. No biggie.

[HopeHubris]

Hah, kid is a mind-controller, or just aware that that woman enjoys beating her head against a wall, I'm gonna go with the former
Hellhound smiles under the helmet
"Keep taking the money out, and I asked for a coffee as well"
Hellhound turns to the still open door and breathes out one of his favourite gasses, the first he learned to use with his first alias, Basilisk.


Petrification Gas:
60 foot cone, hits satchel guy, and anyone between him and the cop (assuming within 60 feet, anyway)
DC 20 fort save
Hindered, Immobile, Transformed: Stone

Subtle 2, so the gas is invisible, so it's probably a surprise attack? Which makes it a lot harder to dodge
I think I'll ditch Insidious from this gas, I just realised that turning to stone is hard to miss

[Mono Vertigo]

Action point for me. Which I'm going to spend immediately.

Extra Effort for Power Stunt (Alternate Effect of Thunderbird Form, unless you consider it's a permanent power in spite of the activation, in which case I'll decide instead it's a subset of the Storm Control array), immediately paid off by the Action Point. Teleport 4 (so 500ft away), Medium (Electric Wires), Accurate; that'd cost 8PP so it's within the cost limit as an Alternate Effect in either case.

Move the vans to highest priority. Transformers and working for additional weeks are details that stop mattering once you're dead.
There might still be a way to put an end to this mess without resorting to violence. Well, slaughtering and frying these guys would be entertaining, even more so that she's been deprived of that opportunity for over six months, but it would blow what little cover she has left, hard. Better not provide civilians the proof she's worthy of notice.
Miss Guerra quickly puts on a warm coat and a woolly hat before grabbing her laptop. Nothing remarkable about her in that weather, as long as she walks quickly once outside as not to let anybody notice the snow melts around her.
She then kneels down, and sticks two fingers into an electric outlet.
The plan is to change to her natural form - but not all the way through; only the volatile, fragile electricity, and travel quickly inside the electric wires alongside normal current, in order to pop out farther in the neighbourhood. Preferably in a store or a cafe she's already visited; with a little luck, she'll emerge in the toilets when it's not occupied. Then, they can storm the house all they want, while she's busy running away.
It's not a trick she ever tried, though, in no small part because the Wengogs never invented electric wires. They merely surf along lightning for fun, at best. And Pioneer is no professional lightning surfer.

[EnglishLanguage]

Quick Fix gives a bit of a glare to the man. Oh please, I'll be fine. I'd just rather he stop to avoid attraction the wrong sort of attention, or worse, having a full-out supers fight in here. Then I'd have to find a new coffee shop to get my thinking done in.

Quick Fix then looks back at Hellhound. Perhaps you should consider relaxing a bit? You're already attracting....attention. He then motions his head, trying to subtly point out to him the police officer outside obviously calling for backup.

[Mono Vertigo]

~bzap
Nearby, a Starbucks' hand dryer starts coughing sparkles; it finally vomits a cascade of them, and a bright, unstable form that turns material immediately.
Unceremoniously thrown to the ground, Pioneer stands up, happy to have recovered a solid form and all her limbs. Traveling through electric current, she found out, feels a lot like taking a scalding hot shower while going 50m/h over the speed limit on a highway. Re-entering the atmosphere is just so much better in comparison.
But at least, she's safe(r), right? From there, it should be very easy to escape trouble.
A harmless-looking, if not perhaps very slightly nauseous, Victoria Guerra triumphantly leaves the bathroom, holding on to her computer case, wondering for a split second if she could maybe afford 5 minutes and an overpriced cappuccino to ensure she wasn't outbid...

[Doggie_arf]

Exit, Façade thought, her gaze meeting that of the flower girl across the counter. That sounds like a very good idea right now.

"There's another door to my left," she mouthed to Chloro, putting on her best friendly smile as she leaned over the counter. "You can sneak out while everyone else's distracted by Hound-head over there."

She gave the girl a conspiratorial wink, before turning back towards their belligerent, animal-themed 'customer'. "I'm very sorry, sir," she said quickly to Hellhound, trying to sound a bit flustered. "What did you want to order again?"

Too bad I can't take my own advice just yet. If I leave right now, I'll never hear the end of it...

[moossabi]

"Thank you very much."

As Chloro moves towards the exit, she noticed that the cops had, in fact turned to stone.

Huh. Well then, thank you Hellhound.

[ChaosPerfected]

"Yes and don't expect any money! They should simply exterminate the poor!" Evelyn yelled cruelly from her window having slightly lowered it as the hobo walked away. As she leaned out of her window she noticed the police car and ground her teeth together. The last thing she needed was to be recognized as an international fur smuggler. Not that an average every day cop would know but better safe than sorry.

Where was her soy latte?

"Oh for.." She grumbled under her breath as she noticed him on the phone in this this. With a heavy sigh, Evelyn Preydon unlocked her door and stepped outside to the common New York street. "Oh Lars, darling!" She called out in a mockingly nice voice before stomping over and grabbing his arm her nails digging in before she addressed him in a loud whisper, "You idiot! You can socialize on your own time but where exactly is my latte? Oh, why, why did I hire a hyperactive squirrel to attend to things? I don't look simply fabulous to be cooped up in the back of an extravagantly expensive limo all evening! Now go get my latte or I will skin you alive!"

And then the last few people that walked into the Starbucks turned to stone far too close to them. She gave Lars a simply exhausted look.

"Fine.. You got off lucky this time."

[EnglishLanguage]

Rubbing his temples, Quick Fix simply sighed and made his way to the restrooms. It wouldn't be long before the police arrived and found them, and he didn't want to be in his civilian clothes when the time eventually came. Speeding up his personal time, the world seeming to pause around him, Quick Fix opens his briefcase, lifts a false cover and takes out a laser gun and a costume. Quickly changing outfits, Quick Fix put on his costume in the time it took to blink for anyone else. A simple black full body costume, with racing stripes on his head, and a flame pattern down his sides. Those signs, plus the effects of his powers were typically enough to fool people into believing he had superspeed, just the way Quick Fix liked it. He then hid his regular clothes inside the briefcase.

Locking the stall, using the blaster pistol as a welding torch when possible, he hid the suitcase inside for retrieval later and slid under the stall door. Slowing down his personal time, he returned to normal speed, and awaited the inevitable ****storm after Hellhound's....display.

[HopeHubris]

Ahahahahaha, they fear me, first Starbucks, then the world!
Continuing to laugh maniacally in his head, Hellhound responds to the serving woman
"Quad grande six pump vanilla one inch steamed breve Americano "

He then turns to tell the man talking to him that the cop would not be a problem, but he had apparently left, oh well, who cares about one civilian.


Ooh, does Quick Fix have a costume?

[Doggie_arf]

"Y-yes, sir," she replied quickly, trying to sound cowed. She didn't want him opposing her eventual escape later. "One quad grande six pump vanilla one inch steamed breve Americano."

Grabbing a grande cup, Façade pushed past Danielle and the still-headbanging Michelle towards the dispensers. It was more to appear busy than anything else - she had no real plans to honor Hound-head's insane order. As soon as his back was turned, she'd be getting out of here.

I am not (and have never been) a a Starbucks barista, so please bear with me if I've gotten their terminology wrong.

[dream]

@ Hellhound:
You target the cop just outside the shop, but he's 90% hidden behind the car door, and that saves him from your attack! He remains in place, huddled behind the door, still peering into the shop. Don't these cops always travel in twos?

"NYPD, you're under arrest!" comes from your side and you catch the form of the young Starbucks worker shimmer like wind-blown waters as a new person stands in his place: Caucasian female, mid to late 20's, blonde hair tied back into a small bun, white dress shirt, blue skirt suit, expensive-looking athletic shoes, and a gold New York Police Department detective's badge hanging around her neck! She's pulling her handgun from its holster but you get the drop on her-
The Minion cop rolled awesome & survived. Super-Cop tries to Intimidate you, but you're Fearless AND FIRST.

@ Chloro:
Based on the barista's directions, you take the hallway past the restrooms, which leads to a back door that opens to the alley behind Starbucks. The alley takes you to the next street over (behind Starbucks) or further down the block (east of Starbucks). As you prepare to leave, a female cop confronts Hellhound! Probably one of those 'Super-Cops'.

@ Quick Fix:
You wait in the restroom for whatever's coming next. You hear "NYPD, you're under arrest!" come from inside the shop!

@ Pioneer:
As you exit the restroom, you see 30+ people crowded into the corners of the shop, all staring at a strangely-armored person near the bar! One of the employees is making a drink, while another is taking money from the registers and putting it into a paper bag! The other employees are behind the bar and frozen with fear! Then, the armored person turns to look out an open door and a NYPD officer appears almost from nowhere to arrest the armored person!

@ Facade:
You're going through the motions waiting for Hellhound to get distracted and the moment arrives! He turns to focus on the cop outside the open door, then, the unknown Starbucks guy turns into one of those Super-Cops! Hellhound is definitely too busy to enjoy his beverage.

@ Evie Preydon:
Lars looks at you. You look at him. The large crowd of people inside the Starbucks are staring at this new happening, as a NYPD officer has appeared to arrest the armored crook! Most people are holding up their phones now, recording the event, while others look for cover behind tables or sofas!

[Mono Vertigo]

The newly-arrived woman freezes, but there's no fear in her voice, only a mix of surprise and supreme annoyance.
"Oh, come ON. I don't have the time to deal with THAT."
Before acting though, Pioneer stays right next the door and observes the scene, trying to make some sense of it and figure out if anybody, and who, needs zapping.
The armored guy looks like a good candidate, if only because no sane person wears that kind of nonsense, but better wait a couple seconds still.

[Doggie_arf]

"Yep, time to go," Façade muttered, setting down the half-made drink. She'd added too much vanilla, anyway.

Looking up, she noticed the newcomer standing where the 'Starbucks employee' had been. A shapeshifter, here? And a police officer, too...I'll leave it to Mr. Hound to distract her.

As Façade passed by the register, she briefly considered taking the money that Danielle had conveniently bagged. More money would always be useful...No, she thought regretfully. I'm already in enough trouble as it is.

She glanced around quickly to check that no one was watching, before vaulting over the counter and heading to the side exit.

Façade is going to amscray via the same exit she showed Chloro earlier.

Stealth to avoid being spotted - [roll0]
Perception to spot people that spotted her - [roll1]

[HopeHubris]

"Ha! You couldn't arrest me with one hundred officers!"
His hound eyes flashing menacingly as the helm's mouth once again opens, more invisible gasses pouring out towards the super-powered police officer
I'd never really thought about it before, but I should probably try to learn how to control this stuff, instead of just gassing everything, oh well


Big fireball of death was vetoed, so I guess this will have to do: Petrification breath aimed at the super-cop
Subtle 2, DC20 fort save or Hindered, Immobile, Transformed (Stone)
It's also Cumulative and Progressive

60 Foot Cone, so it probably hits most of the starbucks.

[dream]

@ Everyone:
You hear sirens (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjqZL_tXy7c) in the distance and a large shadow flashes across the intersection outside, accompanied by the sound of helicopter blades (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TMTWAwktbc)! On the street, the crowds watch the Starbucks from a safe distance, while inside the cafe', people begin shouting (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZuH4_Zn6YM) and scrambling for the doors! The employees are huddled-down behind the bar, terrified!

Once everyone's posted, I'll update the map with my post. Any PCs looking/going outside will see the WNOW Action News helicopter swirling 100' over the Starbucks. I had all three sound effects going at once and it adds some flavor:smallbiggrin:

[EnglishLanguage]

Ah, there was the ruckus Quick Fix was expecting. Taking his cue, he zipped out of the bathroom, having a seat back where he left his coffee and continued drinking it, twirling his laser gun. Hey guys, this a private party, or is anyone invited?

d20+10

[ChaosPerfected]

It was pretty obvious that Evelyn wasn't getting her latte. This was bad enough but she had places to appear where people would appreciate her; not a random Starbucks on a dirty street!

What defined Evelyn Preydon?

It wasn't the fashion, it wasn't the beauty, it wasn't even the furs.. no, what defined Evelyn was her anger! And as Lars stared at his boss he knew it was probably best that he get out of her line of fire.

"Uh, I'll make sure the Limo is, uh.."

"Forget the limo! In this traffic I'll never make it to my party and this coat will be yesterday's fashion- this is unforgivable!" Evelyn screeched before giving Lars a solid backhand that sent him scampering away repeatedly apologizing. Her blood was boiling and these supercops were becoming quite a nuisance. The rage inside had dulled whatever care she may have had about being spotted here, it wasn't like she didn't appear in the tabloids already. Besides, her lawyers could probably handle it.

"Take it from a diva, Lars. If you can't be in the spotlight you can still make one hell of a scene!" She said to no one in particular before busting open the double-doors in a grand entrance into the store with her face a mask of anger.

Initiative: [roll0]

[moossabi]

Chloro heads east. Meh, that guy attacked a Starbucks in broad daylight with all the subtlety of the Hunger Games. It's a wonder that that cop took so long to get there in the first place.

Exiting onto the street, she notices the incredible number of sirens.

"Oh crap..."

She immediately turns around and heads back into the alleyway.

I don't think any cops saw me...

[Mono Vertigo]

A guy with a laser gun, too? Very unusual.
Crap, journalists are going to come, with all that mess. As for the owners of smartphones, heh, they're already present, probably busy making selfies in front of people being turned into stone or whatever. Knowing how it works, these morons will manage to catch her face on film somehow, and among the thousands other morons who will be watching the footing along with the news, there will be one, gigantic moron, the very worst moron of them all, who will remember Pioneer's face that was plastered all over during the Alien Spy Traitor debacle 6 months ago.
Like the armed men weren't enough today.
She's trying to work here, dammit!
Maybe she has one last chance to sneak away, out into the street, before this becomes worse. She hasn't done anything yet to attract any attention, after all. She heads off to the side exit as silently as possible...

Trying to sneak off: [roll0]

[dream]

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/eldritchword/Starbucks_zpsa2395faf.jpg

@ Hellhound:
As you attack, two groups of fleeing customers get caught in your horrific blast wave! Flesh and bone stiffen into solid stone, leaving two groups of statues, their faces petrified in twisted anguish!

The detective fares better, noticing your open mouth and diving to the side behind a small recliner! "That wasn't very nice, mister. Those people had families. Now you're looking at murder charges. What's wrong, buddy? Why all this?" She seems unusually-calm, given the situation.
Hellhound would notice more police cruisers arriving outside. Make a DC20 Will check & a DC24 Insight check. The detective is hiding behind a recliner for the moment.

@ Chloro & Facade:
You both hit the back alley from different points, but still see each other. You also see police cruisers zooming by the alley exits to the street! NYPD is popping-up like ants at a picnic! The alleyway is a snow-filled dump, making fast movement tricky. That and the choking smell of garbage and urine just adds to the fun. Officers appear at either alley entrance, directing pedestrians away from Starbucks. Luckily, their backs are to you and they didn't seem to notice you. Yet.
Both of you need to make Stealth checks & unless you have Sure-Footed, your movement is limited to 30' per round due to slippery conditions. The alley is in the shade, but well-lit, 20' wide, with 50' buildings on either side. There are fire escapes going up both buildings (DC5 Athletics to climb) and other alley-doors leading into either building. Of course, both PCs are very good at evading pursuit.

Facade & Chloro are both abandoned superhuman fugitives. Both female. And both with a kind of 'Emo-ish' look combined with a 'finding my way in the world' outlook. So that's connection! When these two work together/as a team, it's considered like the Inspire advantage; they get a +2 circumstance bonus to ALL checks (the PCs DO NOT KNOW THIS). While the two sense an 'unspoken bond', it doesn't mean they're friends.

@ Pioneer, Quick Fix & Evie:
You see seven people turned to stone instantly! You also see the cop avoid the same fate and she's now hiding behind a recliner. From her position to the south, Evie can see the cop has drawn her handgun and she doesn't seem to notice Preydon's entrance.

All of you notice the arrival of several police cruisers and a sudden flood of cops on the streets outside Starbucks! They push back the crowds, moving them out of the area. You can still hear the helicopter circling above as well.


Evie almost walks into Hellhound's attack wave. Almost. And luckily, Lars was sent outside.

If any of your trio attacks the detective, make a Stealth check first for Surprise, then include your attack check (if necessary).

Pioneer and Quick Fix are within close (touch) range of each other now; since they both have Temporal senses, they automatically experience a natural 'kinship' with each other. That doesn't mean 'friends', but more like a 'deja vu' sensation. This will translate as Inspire: as long as Quick Fix and Pioneer work as a team/together, they get a +2 circumstance bonus on ALL checks. But, the PCs DO NOT KNOW THIS.

Combat-wise, it's Pioneer, Quick Fix, then Evie, but you can post conversation (Free action) anytime.

[Doggie_arf]

Façade flinched as the shadow passed overhead, then relaxed as she saw the markings on the helicopter. Mr. Hound must be making all the headlines, she mused as she picked her way through the garbage on the ground. At least she didn't have to smell it - that was one advantage of not needing to breathe.

The news crew wasn't too worrying - she doubted they'd care about a random Starbucks employee with Horrific Mr. Hound on the scene. More troubling were the police officers standing at the mouth of the alleyway. They paid attention to everything.

Not getting out that way, she thought, looking around. The dumpsters were overflowing, and breaking down the doors would probably cause too much noise - that left one of the fire escapes.

The flower girl from earlier was standing a few metres away - oddly enough, she didn't look like she wanted to be seen either. Maybe she also has something to hide, she thought, stepping over to the nearest fire escape. She hoped it was more stable than it looked...

Stealth to avoid notice by police - [roll0]
Athletics to climb fire escape - [roll1]

[EnglishLanguage]

Who the.... Quick Fix gets this surprised and in thought look in his face. Something odd about this person, but he can't quite place his finger on it. Noticing the police officer hiding, Quick Fix prepares by setting his blaster to stun. Causing mass panic is one thing. Murder is something completely different, something Quick Fix would preferably have no part of.

[Mono Vertigo]

Pioneer finds herself staring at the blaster guy.
She doesn't know him... does she?
There's been enough weirdness today (and she's only been up for 3 hours!) that this gut feeling might mean something. Better ask now. She might not get the opportunity again. "Sir, what do you think about Sorsius?", she dares ask Quick Fix, seemingly out of the blue.
Waiting for his reply, she tries pushing open a window, or break it open if it doesn't work. If she gets access to the outside, then she'll zap all smartphones and cameras outside (but not their owners if possible), relying on a freak, spontaneous thunderstorm. No need to have her face on the Internet or TV channels now.

Storm Control - Localized Storm. Area covers, well, as much of the outside of the Starbucks as possible. I select smartphones and cameras as my only targets, and use Electricity as a descriptor for the attack. (For the reminder, it's Damage 7, and I have Precise Attack for all ranged attacks.)

[dream]

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/eldritchword/Starbucks-Copy_zpsed6ef7b9.jpg (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/eldritchword/media/Starbucks-Copy_zpsed6ef7b9.jpg.html)

@ Everyone inside Starbucks:
There's a sudden flash of brilliant white light that fills the entire shop, the sound of glass shattering, and an explosion of thunder (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZpgHrKXooc) that shakes the building! Lighting and Christmas music flickers, then goes out! More flashes of lightning from outside the cafe', more thunder, with people on the streets shouting and screaming as they flee a sudden storm from nowhere! The helicopter above the Starbucks seems to veer away as the growing police presence outside seeks shelter under nearby canopies.

@ Pioneer:
Electricity surges from your fingertips, turning a window into crystalline-dust as it explodes outward! Licks of lightning curl and lash along streets, lampposts, buildings, and digital billboards disabling power across the block! Bystanders filming the Starbucks see their phones pop, spark and smoke, dropping their fried devices in shocked anguish! All the while, electricity crackles behind Pioneer's extraterrestrial eyes as her tempest washes over the street.

@ Chloro & Facade: Slipping on the cold, icy fire escape railing, Facade drops to the ground with a yelp! No injury other than her pride, but, the cops at either end of the alley turn, hearing the commotion and begin walking in your direction!

"Ay! What's going on over there? You okay, ma'am?"


Mono Vertigo: as the power is designed, she can only affect a 15-foot radius. In order to cover the entire block, I power-stunted making the effect wider, but Pioneer is now Fatigued for 60 seconds. Fatigue lowers your Movement speed -1 rank. You can eliminate Fatigue by burning an Action point, if you want. Might want to edit that power, as well. Quick Fix is up! It's morning so visibility is still good without the lights.

[EnglishLanguage]

Quick Fix gives Pioneer a blank look of confusion, not really sure where that question came from, though he can tell there was some reason for her asking it, though not entirely sure what that reason would be. Noticing police inside the building and looking to avoid giving a straight answer to the question, he looked back at Pioneer I'll get right back to you on that.

Speeding his personal time up briefly, he hopped off and walked around behind the detective, fired a few stun shots from behind them, then over to a seat nearby Hellound, appearing as if he zipped over and blasted them instantaneously. Hey bud, not to be a buzzkill, but I don't suppose you got any kind of escape plan here?

Between Moments movement over to the table closest to Hellhound, then a Split Second Attack to Det. Primas with my blaster.
Assuming I'm doing this right, ranged attack skill, indirect to make it come from behind, I ignore cover and concealment, and get a +2 bonus from laser sight on gun?

Unless I missed something, d20+12+2 should be my check.

[moossabi]

Chloro had seen worse. A couple of cops? No major problem. However about a hundred more were on the street, so it couldn't be risked. Covertly, she tries the door nearest to her. Yes, unlocked! All that was needed was a distraction. Well, there is, in fact, a storm...

As the cops began to close distance, she loudly yells: "Oh my god! That plane just got struck by lightning!"

Without waiting for an answer or to see if it worked, she heads into the building.

I'm assuming that since you said that the first door is open, I can head in.

[Doggie_arf]

Façade hid her annoyance as she picked herself up from the garbage-strewn floor. Damn. First Mr Hound, and now this...

As the police officers came closer, she schooled her face into a frightened expression. She also stopped holding her breath, instead consciously attempting to breathe faster as though she was hyperventilating, making it seem as though she'd run away from the chaos in the mall, and fallen down in her panic.

"Help," she gasped. "There's a fire-breathing maniac in the mall!"

And with that, she attempted to scramble past them and into the nearby doorway.

Yep, Façade doesn't need to breathe. It's just a reflex for her.

Also, Deception - [roll0]

[dream]

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/eldritchword/Starbucks_zps5687714d.jpg (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/eldritchword/media/Starbucks_zps5687714d.jpg.html)

@ Facade & Chloro:
The cops look at the back entrance to Starbucks and rush towards it,

"You ladies need to clear this area! Go to the street and head east. This is for your safety. Head east!"

The police duo draw their weapons and enter the building!


@ Quick Fix:
Struck by your blast, the female detective spasms, gasps, and rolls across the floor several yards coming to a rest near the entrance! As you find your seat, amazingly, the cop pops up to a kneeling position and fires-off two shots, one hitting you in the left leg and another strikes your right shoulder!

She soaked your attack. Make two DC20 Toughness checks please.

@ Hellhound, Pioneer, and Evie Preydon:
You all see Quick Fix shoot the NYPD detective, then she returns fire almost immediately! As the action unfolds, the appearance of additional NYPD officers moving towards the Starbucks main entrance is obvious!

We're at the end of the 1st round. I'll post first for the 2nd, then Pioneer is up.

[EnglishLanguage]

Almost caught off-guard, Quick Fix panicked a bit and paused time briefly, hopping to the seat next to him. He failed to notice the second shot however.

Reaction to Temporal Sidestep and teleport away from the first shot.
Second shot roll
[roll0]

[Inspector Valin]

Meanwhile, in the still closed second police car, Portia Wakefield scowled down at her now dead smartphone, a gentle tuft of smoke still rising above the electrocuted device. Looking up outside the window, she saw a woman in a black and yellow costume, with sparks flying from her fingertips. The obvious culprit. Great. Wonderful. The quality of villains these days, I ask you Portia sighed slightly as she straightened her ponytail, adjusting her impeccably ironed white suit to correct for her earlier slouched position.

She'd be stuck in this car all day at this rate. Some band of young idiotic powers had decided to cause a fracas inside this 'Starbucks', and she was stuck here waiting for Primas to finally deal with the problem. Because she'd set up this meeting, and couldn't easily call it off, no matter what else had happened today. So far, Cassandra hadn't exactly been impressed by the NYPD's tactics either. They seemed mostly to consist of throwing more and more men at the situation until they won. How very Grecian of them.

Up until now, she'd been entirely content to wait out the situation. It wasn't her job to enforce the law of this tinpot country. She had bigger concerns, ones that only an immortal could truly appreciate the gravity of. The Prophetess of Troy had been using her smart-phone to try and establish more information about this strange temporal disturbance that'd cropped up this morning. But then this idiot of a vilainess had decided that her privacy was more important than Cassandra's investigation.

She glanced down at the silver owl-headed cane she held, and then to one side at her escort. The blond haired Corporal Kenzie had repeatedly warned her against going outside in the middle of this confrontation. It would be dangerous, he insisted, to anyone without superpowers. Portia would've listened to him, smiled politely, made some smalltalk

But Cassandra was not Portia. Not truly. And all she wanted right now was this whole affair over and done with, as soon as possible

[dream]

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/eldritchword/Starbucks_zpsd9d6adec.jpg (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/eldritchword/media/Starbucks_zpsd9d6adec.jpg.html)
MacCarthy is the speedster & Osvaldo is the winged-cop.


@ Lady Cassandra:
Before she can take action, the Lady notices a streak of a figure! It appears to be an African-American male, dressed in the blue suit of NYPD, but he's flying --- with what look like large wings of pure, radiant energy! He sails through the Starbucks's open doors at the north end and soars across the inner cafe' as if some remarkable raptor searching-out its prey!

A tall, well-built Caucasian male with dark hair, moustache, and what appear to be designer boots emerges from around the same corner, rushing into the Starbucks! He is dressed as a NYPD detective with gold badge dangling from a chain around his neck and looks very serious.

The growing group of uniformed police officers outside the establishment continues to grow, with more squad cars arriving! Currently, there are more than twelve policemen scattered across the block, most staying away from the Starbucks, but watching the action! Many are speaking into their head-set communicators, some inoperative, while others seem to function, and there is a level of chaos among the street cops.

The sound of a helicopter closing from above signals the arrival of NYPD air-support units! The aircraft comes to a hover merely fifty or so feet over the Starbucks! You also hear shouting from inside the shop!


@ Hellhound:
One moment you're watching that female cop trade shots with another hood with a gun, when an impossibly-fast flurry of double-handed blows comes raining down on you! Hellhound is struck on the head and torso so many times he can't count as the lighting-fast assault comes from nowhere! Then, as soon as it began, it ends and there's no one around him!

Your earlier opponent, Det. Primas, yells,

"Medusa upfront and two more in the the back! Use cover!!"

DC20 PER check to even see Ofc. MacCarthy, NYPD, attack. The Toughness check depends on your PER check. Next, a DC25 Will check vs. MacCarthy's Intimidation. You should see the flying super-cop streak in, followed by the big detective.


@ Quick Fix:
Just as Hellhound seems to fall under some super-fast attack by what looks like a blur, an African-American NYPD detective with glowing wings sails through the open doors and comes to hover just a few yards away from you! The female cop yells something to the incoming Super-Cops as a third officer seemingly appears from nowhere to kneel just behind the cash register, out of Hellhound's site! The crouching, younger male with dirty-blonde hair and shades on shouts,

"GET ON YOUR FACES, COCKROACHES! ONLY WAY YOU MAKE IT OUTTA HERE IS US CARRYING YOU OUT: IN CUFFS, OR BODYBAGS!!"

DC25 Will check vs. the younger cop's Intimidation.


@ Pioneer:
Seeing your storm was a perfect success, your keen attention is drawn to the three NYPD Super-Cops storming the Starbucks! One you can barely see assaults Hellhound, then appears a split-second later hiding behind the register! Another glowing-winged cop sails in and seems to target your new "friend", the shooter! A third larger cop rushes in the doorway, a tall, athletic type with a moustache, fancy boots, and mean looks! You hear a helicopter outside, but your position keeps you from seeing above the Starbucks. A small army of policemen is building outside on the street, though, with more than ten officers prowling the perimeter! The cops inside shout things, to include a deadly threat from the younger officer!

DC25 Will check vs. the Intimidating threat.


@ Chloro & Facade:
As your left to your own devices in the alley, you two hear renewed yelling from inside the Starbucks! Obviously, NYPD is dropping the hammer here! You see officers stalking past the alley exits on the street beyond, but none seem to take notice of you. Yet.

[moossabi]

"Meh, Mr Stupid-hound had it coming."

Chloro then turns to Facade and Says: "Sooooo... that was some fairly good work there. I'm in the market for a good lackey so that I can get my new evil plan on the go, would you maybe like to re-choose your line of work?"

She doesn't know why, but she likes Facade. Maybe it's the knack for lying and looking like a generic mook. If she was even a little profficient in fighting, this could be the best day Chloro has had in weeks.

[Doggie_arf]

Well, thought Façade as the two officers ran into the mall. That had worked a lot better than I'd expected.

With an effort, she forced her breathing to return to normal. Even though she didn't need it, her body still had the reflex to breathe, and she didn't want it to distract her while she was talking.

"I'd definitely like a new line of work," she replied to the flower girl, as she took off the rather rumpled Starbucks apron she'd been wearing and rolled it up. "I was hoping for something a little bit more...steady, though. Something that doesn't involve causing wild havoc in malls like Horrible Mr. Hound back there. Or getting screamed at while making crazy lattes and frappuccinos."

[HopeHubris]

"It's HELLHOUND not Medusa, I've said that quite a bit actually"
Hellhound shouts at Primas
Hmm, could I use Medusa? Nah, too feminine, and I've already got Basilisk for a stone-y name

He then turns to Quick Fix
"I was mostly planning on just turning anyone who opposed me to stone and walking out, didn't really expect so many super-cops, though I can't blame them for recognising how awesome and terrifying I am"

[Mono Vertigo]

Are those super-cops? Like regular ones weren't bad enough.
Pioneer tries to keep her cool, flexes her knuckles and unleashes a much freakier phenomenon: an electric storm inside a building. Zap!
If that doesn't blow her cover, nothing will, but the white van guys are not present, and there will be much fewer recordings to support this inconvenience.

Will against Intimidation: [roll0]
Using Localized Storm against the three super-cops. Cloud Area attack (so no need for an attack check), Damage 7, for reminder.

[Inspector Valin]

Well... this brightens things up a little.

Cassandra smiled at the arrival of the remaining NYPD supers. It had been a while since she witnessed a true titanic confrontation like this one. Her other worries could wait for the moment, this promised to be interesting match and fine spectator sport. She needed a better view.

With a flick of the wrist, the dark suited woman disembarked from the police cruiser, walking through the set of double doors closest to her, circumventing the stone people as though they were a minor inconvenience. She didn't seem interested in advancing far however, simply coming to a halt in the midst of the entryway, eyes circling the scene with a glint of wonder as she gently twirrled her silver tipped cane through the air. Hello, children of the New World. Let's see just what you can do.

[moossabi]

"Meh, suit yourself." Turning around and moving towards the door, Chloro then says: "I, for one am going to be heading into this nice good escape-door here. I generally don't like being followed by cops, so I'll also be blocking the door behind me. And considering the fact that you didn't look at me like I'm crazy makes me think that you may also want to get away from the police."

In the doorway, Chloro turns around again to face Facade, "And since the door's closing soon I'd recommend being smart on this one." She then opens the door and enters the building.

[Doggie_arf]

"Yes, I don't want to deal with the police," Façade replied ruefully, looking briefly at the doorway the two officers had just charged through. "As for the other thing, we can discuss that once we've put some distance between ourselves and them."

Tucking the rolled up apron under her arm - she didn't want to leave it nearby where it could be found - she followed Flower Girl into the doorway. "There had better be another door leading out. I do not want to get stuck here..."

[Belial_the_Leveler]

Elsewhere


The castle was dark. Massive towers of black stone rising out of the gloom and eternal mist of this place, ancient and cold, forever hidden from prying eyes. It was also full of terrors; chamber after chamber and corridor after corridor where shadows tread, with no source that cast them. Shaped vaguely like men, they acted out the roles of people but were more nightmare than human.

The only living person there at the moment didn't care; she was far too busy directing them and putting them to work. Not only did the keep need cleaning every so often, the rooms intended for people tidying and decoration, but the workshops and storage areas had to be carefully inventoried and watched to avoid mishaps. That was the downside of offering your services to international terrorists, arms-dealers and super-criminals every so often. The upside was they armed your private yacht with cruise missiles free of charge. The empty shadow of a person smiled at the aftermath of another successful operation. Nobody could see that smile any more than they had noticed her aiding several bomb-armed lunatics hit that embassy despite all the security protecting it. After all, what could guards do against bombs that didn't really exist and against bombers moving literally from shadow to shadow?

The living shade turned to the newsfeeds again. Perhaps there was another situation where an unseen hand could help tear down law and authority...

[dream]

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/eldritchword/Starbucks_zps810ed832.jpg (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/eldritchword/media/Starbucks_zps810ed832.jpg.html)

@ Pioneer, Quick Fix & Hellhound:
Pioneer's thunderstorm erupts inside the shop, but maybe due to fatigue, the effects are weak and limited in range. There's just enough lightning and thunder to draw everyone's attention, but not to threaten them.

That power's range is fifteen feet. Osvaldo and Quick Fix are a good thirty feet away from Pioneer.


@ Facade & Chloro:
You find yourself inside a shop, with a very long and narrow hallway extending through the store to the street ahead. Roughly 100 feet directly ahead is a door leading out to the street. The overwhelming odor of curry fills the space! An Indian woman in a small space to your right cooks a morning meal in an electric pan and the smell is intoxicating. A man and woman singing in Hindi pours from a small shelf-mounted radio. To your left is a large supply area filled with boxes of soda, snacks, coffee supplies, and wall-to-wall boxes of items you'd buy at a convenience. This back area is very dark, but the outside light from ahead provides some illumination. The linoleum flooring is somewhat slippery and besides the woman who doesn't seem to see you, you don't see anyone else. You can assume that ahead lies a convenience store is at the end of the hallway.

Quick Fix is up

[EnglishLanguage]

Quick Fix was a bit shocked at the appearance of the two new, shaking a little as the winged one yelled at him. Jeez, this is getting serious.. He looked over at Hellhound. Well, we should hurry up and finish up here, things are starting to get serious here.

Quickly running back to where he left his coffee, Quick fix fired a few shots at the newly arrived cops and zipped back to Hellhound. For what it's worth, the big lug made a good second target.

So run over between the two new cops. Pause move with Move-By Action.
Split-Second Attack to fire two shots, one at the winged guy, one at the speedster(in that order). -2 for two targets, -2 for failing the intimidate check. I ignore any cover or concealment they benefit from thanks to precise Shot.
[roll0]
[roll1]

After that, I pick my coffee up if possible. Whether I can or not, I move back to near Hellhound where my turn started.

[dream]

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/eldritchword/Starbucks_zps03024829.jpg (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/eldritchword/media/Starbucks_zps03024829.jpg.html)

@ Quick Fix:
You fire-off blasts at the cops while moving faster than the eye can follow! Distracted by Pioneer's startling storm, Quick Fix manages to tag the flying detective, who lets out a painful shout! The next lightning-fast shot misses the speedster cop, who evades maybe just as fast as you do! A smoking hole is left in the wall behind the do-gooder, while the winged-cop gathers himself,

"You think that toy's gonna stop me? You had your chance --- now you're going down!!"

The winged-cop comes to hover mid-air about twenty feet from Quick Fix and his eyes glow brilliant-white as twin rays of energy lance at you! Luckily, his aim is no match for your reflexes and you easily side-step the blazing beams that slice through the floor beside you! You're rattled by the cops' onslaught, but you're also holding your own!


@ Hellhound:
While your looking at all the new 'heat' around you and your new buddy begins starting his own ruckus, the big cop comes charging from the doorway, leaping right into you --- with a smile!

DC26 Toughness check & you're already -1. Failing this means Hellhound is at least Prone/knocked-down. Next, make a DC25 Grab resistance check vs. your Parry. You're up next!

Note to me: Big guy is -2 Defense until his next turn.


@ Pioneer & Lady Cassandra:
From your opposing views of the Starbucks, you can easily notice the cops closing in on two of the villains! Looks like four-on-two without your interference, but you also see more police cruisers approaching and the NYPD helo is still hovering over the building!

[Doggie_arf]

That reminds me - it's been two days since I've last fed...

Not that whatever the lady (the shopkeeper?) was cooking would do her any good. And getting real sustenance would probably have to wait until she'd put even more distance between herself and the police. I wonder if they've caught Mr. Hound yet...?

Holding her breath to quiet herself (and to tune out the pungent smells of cooking spices), Façade turned towards Flower Girl, briefly bringing a finger to her own lips as a reminder to keep silent. That done, she started carefully along the dimly-lit corridor. The Indian lady seemed thoroughly engrossed in the music and her cooking, but one could never be too certain that she would remain distracted. Or that there wasn't someone else in the shop.

Façade will sneak along at half her speed (Speed Rank 0).
Stealth: [roll0]

I'm guessing that trying to listen for anyone else is kinda spoiled by the loud music from the radio.

[HopeHubris]

The large man slams into Hellhound, the wind is knocked out of him for a second, but fortunately his armour takes the brunt of the attack.
Less fortunately, the armour is less able to resist being grabbed.
More fortunately, the large man had not managed to restrain him to the point he was unable to open his mask.
Which is what he did, releasing large amounts of combustible gas, then igniting it in the brute's face, as well as the faces of anyone in the general vicinity


DC 25 damage, fire/explosion descriptors, if they are relevant, Subtle 2 (no active they can be as defenceless as I was :smalltongue:). Secondary effect, they have to roll again for damage next turn as well, as they are on fire.
The cone shape I showed you earlier, should hit the most cops
This one is selective, so avoiding the statues, Lady Cassandra and any other innocents, but hitting 6 cops and 2 super cops

[dream]

@ Facade & Chloro:
As Facade creeps up on the woman, she looks down, then back and sees you! She's an older woman, maybe sixty, Indian, heavy-set, dressed in several colorful wraps and sandals. She looks surprised at first, then angry, pointing her wooden spoon at Facade,

"YOU! What are you doing here?!? You cannot be here! Get out! Now! I call Police!"

She doesn't speak english perfectly, but decent. She's loud, but maybe not loud enough to alarm anyone who might be in the store down the hallway. Make a PER check to detect any movement coming from down the hall, if you like. The woman is confrontational, but doesn't seem afraid.

[moossabi]

After flashing an angry glance at Facade, Chloro responds to the woman: "Easy now. We kinda got lost in the alleyway and were wondering where we were."

What a shame, I was hoping to keep this a secret. "So, Miss, I was wondering if you like flowers?" A small lump on Chloro's back begins shifting, and soon after a vine ending in a bright pink flower emerges from under her jacket. "Because I have one right here."

What seems like a transparent pink dust is spewed from the flower, heading for the woman.

I'm busting out the Powers here.

Mind Control
. . Affliction: Cumulative Progressive Affliction 10 (Alternate; 1st degree: Entranced, 2nd degree: Compelled, 3rd degree: Controlled, Resisted by: Will, DC 20; Cumulative, Increased Range 2: perception, Progressive)

[dream]

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/eldritchword/Starbucks_zps6b615053.jpg (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/eldritchword/media/Starbucks_zps6b615053.jpg.html)

@ Everyone inside or able to see inside Starbucks:

Hellhound twists and a raging blast of fire explodes (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouY_2SXtdP8) across the middle of the embattled cafe', setting fire to most of the furniture stationed in the middle! The mass of police officers on the streets outside freeze in terror as the immense fireball blasts-out doors and windows! There are cries outside and inside by officers calling for a "10-59", while others simply shouted for 'Fire and Rescue'! The big detective pinning Hellhound voices a low curse and struggles to gain better control of the villain, while Detective Primas dodges for her life across the room!

Primas fails miserably and is engulfed in flames before she can react! All inside officers respond with shocked cries, but Primas immediately falls from kneeling to prone and begins rolling wildly on the floor to hopefully extinguish the flames!

Then, there's a another burst of air in the Starbucks as something moving nearly as fast as a bullet rockets across the room! You all see the young speedster-cop scoop up Primas and dash out the flaming door frame to the street! Fire burns on the inner walls and ceiling as the sprinkler system engages, raining water down on all parties inside Starbucks!


@ Pioneer:
As you survey the rapidly deteriorating scene, you spy two street cops entering from doors directly across from you, weapons drawn! They wear the normal dark-blue police uniforms, with large winter coats and police hats. Spotting you, and after a quick glance at each other, aim their handguns at you!

"NYPD! Get down! Get on your face, lady!"

I'll spare Quick Fix a Dodge roll & say he's far enough from Hellhound to avoid the angle of attack. Primas & the speedster were up next and have burned (literally) their actions. Top of the next round: Pioneer & Quick Fix are up!


@ Chloro & Facade:
The old woman is startled by the cute flower and the sudden spray of pollen! She takes a step back, waves her hand in front of her face, then stumbles a step forward, staring blankly at the flower, her eyes glazed over!

She's Entranced, meaning all she knows in the world is Chloro's flower! You're up.

[EnglishLanguage]

Watching the speedster run off, Quick Fix briefly considers chasing after them, the thought of a superspeed chase flashing briefly through his head, but he realized being in a burning building wasn't quite the best thing right now. "Hey Stone Henge, should consider getting out of here. Too much heat......figuratively and literally." Quickly firing a couple shots at the remaining cops, Quick Fix sped to behind the counter to give himself a bit of extra cover.

Split Second Attack, 2 attacks against the 2 remaining supercops. 1st vs Priutt, 2nd vs Oswaldo.
[roll0]
[roll1]

Then Between Moments zoom behind the counter.

[Mono Vertigo]

"Rectification: you get down on your faces."
Electricity runs down her arm. As soon as Pioneer points at the cops, it leaves her hand to strike.
She doesn't wait quietly for the results, though; she runs toward the nearest table, trying to hide under it and get minimal cover.

First, Chain Lightning. Making this an Accurate Attack With a +/-2 penalty, so Damage drops to 6. [roll0] for the first cop, [roll1] for the second one.
After which I use my Move action to try and get some Cover.

[Doggie_arf]

Façade stared bemusedly at the woman who (up until a moment ago) had been threatening to sic the police on them, before tentatively waving a hand in front of her vacant-eyed gaze.

"Huh. Okay, that was well played," she muttered, turning towards Flower Girl and her, well, flower. "Hey, don't look at me like that," she added in a whisper upon noticing the latter's expression. "How was I supposed to know that she'd turn around at that moment?"

I just hope no one else in here is that attentive..., she thought, looking back at the hallway leading to the shop.

Perception (look/listen for other people in the shop) - [roll0]

[dream]

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/eldritchword/Starbucks_zpse9ace464.jpg (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/eldritchword/media/Starbucks_zpse9ace464.jpg.html)
The orange stuff is fire!


@ Quick Fix:
Your super-fast marksmanship zaps the big man pinning Hellhound! The second shot goes wide of the winged-cop who spins up towards the ceiling! In the nano-second it takes for you to find cover behind the counter, you now see four Starbucks workers, who've been hiding here since the stuff hit the fan! They look terrified when you appear and huddle together, moving away from you but staying low to the floor as water pours down from the ceiling! The winged-cop, "Osvaldo" it reads on his gold badge, comes to hover directly over you clapping his hands mockingly,

"Asombroso! Que los delincuentes son tan estúpidos!"

His eyes glow white again and twin light-beams blast you! You're enveloped in an explosion of light and PAIN, like your skin's on fire, but while the light subsides, pain wracks your body! The female quartet huddled nearby shriek and scatter, running for the rear refrigerator room!

Make a DC27 Toughness check with a -1 penalty from Primas' previous attack, please.


@ Pioneer:
You lightning-strikes spark wild and cut jagged, smoking lines across the Starbucks walls, missing the two NYPD officers! The water from the sprinklers must be interfering with your electrical power! You find cover between several chairs and consider your next move! The two cops squat and begin stalking in your direction!

Fire continues to rage inside the cafe, but the sprinklers are keeping flames from reaching the ceiling and spreading across the walls!

@ Lady Cassandra:
You see the chaos inside the Starbucks, with two Super-Cops exiting the burning building to seek medical attention! Sirens and helicopters blare around you and most of the policemen seem too preoccupied to bother with Lady Cassandra right now.

Looking inside the blasted-out window frames, you see the larger officer who wrestled the main villain down is raising a powerful fist over his head to deliver what will be a vicious blow to the villain's head!


Lady Cassandra tied with the big cop, so I'm giving her a chance to intervene & help Hellhound. Inspector Valin is up, then the big cop, and then HopeHubris can bring the house down:smallamused:

[Inspector Valin]

Cassandra finally brought her cane to the ground, standing upright once again from her perch between a stone couple. This fight had been fun to watch, worthy of the Colosseum, but her stake in this was minimal. And immortal or no, fire burned her like everybody else. With a final glance towards the two titans in the fire, the sorceress took her exit from the Starbucks, glancing about her at the chaotic street. What on earth could've caused this brawl? It was an excellent question: there was no sign of this being some kind of ideological attack. Just a bunch of super powered criminals, fighting super powered police officers. Otherwise known as "Tuesday in New York City"

Slowly, Cassandra started to walk down the street, cane still in hand, scanning the buildings behind this conflagration. There must have been a large number of people in that Starbucks, and not all of them would've been able to escape through the front entrance. There had to be a back way for employees or the like. Perhaps there'd be something interesting there, some hint of just what'd conspired to cause this mess? It was a pitiful lead, but short of venturing into the flames, it was more or less the best she had. Her ride with the NYPD seemed indefinetely postponed at the moment

Villains. Factor number one is always self preservation. Cassandra's gotten to watch both the NYPD and a bunch of local villains fight, and is now somewhat familiar with what they can do. She's come out ahead for the moment, and has nothing invested in either side of this fight. Plus as someone with low fortitude and toughness, a burning building is pretty significant for her. Sorry HopeHubris, but it's time to withdraw.

[dream]

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/eldritchword/Starbucks_zps34f7a90a.jpg (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/eldritchword/media/Starbucks_zps34f7a90a.jpg.html)

@ Hellhound & Pioneer:
The big cop drops a massive fist on Hellhound's head that echoes with the force of a shotgun! Then, he mutters something under his breath as water continues to wash over the Starbucks and dripping down his head,

"How'd that feel, tough guy?"

Well. My dice remain smoking: HH is Defenseless, so a successful roll to hit against him is an Auto-Crit. I rolled a nat 20, so I'll rule another +2 bonus there. Make a DC32 Toughness check & Hellhound is already -2 checks. If Hellhound is still conscious after that, he's no longer Bound, only Prone & it's your turn.

@ Facade & Chloro:
You hear someone whistling from the store at the far-end of the hallway, but no motion to indicate movement and no shadows moving from that direction. The old woman stares, eyes heavy-lidded, at Chloro as if she's in a daze.


@ Lady Cassandra:
As the ancient sorceress searches out an exit, two uniformed NYPD officers run up to you,

"Ma'am! This area is too dangerous! We've been ordered to escort you back to your vehicle. Please come with us."

[Inspector Valin]

Cassandra sighed: this was a distraction she didn't need. Cops blocking her from investigating the area. She didn't stop moving at the sight of the duo moving to intercept her; the sorceress' cane was still raised, and with it, she had power. With its tip, she gestured to the area seemingly behind the Starbucks, frowning slightly. "Officers, please. I'm a professional, and I know how to take care of myself. The situation in the building seems under control, I'm allowed to survey the area."

Pausing briefly, the Sorceress gave the two officers a radiant smile, nodding her head politely to them. Inwardly, the sorceress groaned at the necessity of this, but a little politeness and charm would do better than magic. "If something goes wrong, I'll shout. But I'm sure its fine. I can take care of myself."

[roll0] Persuade, with the hope that Attractive 2 applies. If not, knock 5 off of that. Also Dream, could you update the characters' table? Cassandra's entry still links to her sheet in the Vth Reich thread, rather than her more recent draft (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18629789&postcount=159)?

[Doggie_arf]

"Doesn't seem like he's coming towards us," Façade muttered. "Mr. Whistler's in the way, though..."

After some thinking, she turned back towards Flower Girl. "How long can you keep her like that?" she asked, gesturing to the drooling and hypnotized lady. "Can she hear us?"

[moossabi]

"I'm not entirely sure for both of those questions. However, should the whistler become a problem, I think I can pull of the same thing." She then looks at the woman, "This batch was a bit defective, but odds are the next burst will have a better effect."

[Belial_the_Leveler]

Faolan Casimir


A wraith roamed the city streets, unseen, unheard, searching whom she may devour. A city like New York was the most target-rich environment any terrorist could dream of, but also posed a unique challenge. The wraith frowned at all the people whose path she subtly shifted to avoid colisions, the countless souls adhering to insane schedules in their futile quest to find fulfillment in an orderly life, when it was chaos and conflict that brought contentment. Mindless sheep, all of them. Then she turned her gaze to the buildings. For all their size, the massive skyscrapers would quickly fall if explosive force was applied to their foundations, toppling and killing thousands. But however fulfilling that act might be, such destruction would make the wraith the center of all of the country's efforts to find and eradicate. No. It was not yet time for such direct approach.

As more targets were approached and examined, an opportunity presented itself when the wraith happened upon a scene of chaos. Dozens of police officers and a small number of superpowered pawns of the state had concentrated around a building violently broken into and burning merrily. News teams had flooded the area as well, and a good number of gawkers had momentarily forgotten the shackles of civilization and were thoroughly enjoying the spectacle. If you said that to their face, of course, they would guiltily deny it and either claim concern for the victims or turn against you in outrage. Idiotic, but true. But this situation presented both an excellent outlet for the wraith's current boredom and potential benefits that might far outlast it.


So without further ado, the wraith willed the apparent supervillains in the area to win... by having the most obvious supercop crushed by unseen force comparable to being run over by a locomotive.

[Doggie_arf]

"Remind me not to breathe around you," Façade deadpanned. "As for getting past Mr. Whistler...,"

Setting down the bundled apron in her hands, she stared at Flower Girl's dazed victim for a moment, before concentrating. To her senses, her own body seemed to roil and pulse with eldritch energies, flowing beneath her skin like molten lava. The effect was not quite as pronounced as it had been two nights ago, right after she had drained the random tramp who'd tried to rob her on her way back to her apartment. Left alone without any further infusions of stolen energy, that flow would slow down, and eventually stop...and so would she. Not that she intended to let that happen.

Façade had gotten used to the fact that her body was unstable. And thanks to that instability, it could - to a certain degree - be shaped.

Focusing her will, she stoked the flow of energy into a frenzy, letting it surge around her form and reshape it according to her mental image. Hair straightening, becoming streaked with white and grey. Skin darkening, becoming rough and leathery with age and wrinkles, before ballooning out to accommodate the old woman's extra girth. Internally, she felt her bones creak and snap as they rearranged themselves to support her new form's apparent mass.

Once the transformation was complete, Façade straightened up as much as she could (the old woman had a noticeable stoop), supporting herself against the countertop as she adapted to the changes to her body. "Too bad there isn't a good mirror here," she said, adjusting her voice to approximate that of the Indian lady. "How do I look?"

Standard Action - Using Façade's Changeling to take on the form of the old Indian woman.

[dream]

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/eldritchword/Starbucks_zps09880f9e.jpg (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/eldritchword/media/Starbucks_zps09880f9e.jpg.html)
The fire is mostly out.


@ Lady Cassandra:
The two cops look at each other, confused, then one says,

"Ma'am, we have our orders. We can't leave you unattended in the danger zone here."

They don't escort you away, but they aren't leaving either.

Standard operating procedure is cops protect people. While they don't want to interfere with you, they don't want you to get killed either. As far as their concerned, LC is just another civilian writer.


@ Pioneer:
The cops open fire on your position behind the chair, with one round catching you in the hip area!

DC20 Toughness check.


@ Quick Fix:
Your unbelievable reflexes helped you avoid more serious injury, but the winged blaster-eyes cop was still hovering over you! Just as he's about to speak, a gun barrel presses against your right temple and the speedster-cop spits at you,

"Give me a reason, you piece of crap! You got two seconds to get on your face or I'll blow your brains into that coffee cup!"

[Mono Vertigo]

Godammit that hurts!
The wound bleeds, not abundantly (which is better news than the opposite), but very painfully. Pioneer can't do anything but clench her teeth.

Haven't had to roll against Conditions in a good while, but against 2nd-level Conditions like Stunned, I get to roll resistance (so Toughness here) at the end of my turns to try and get better, right?
If so: [roll0]

[EnglishLanguage]

Quick Fix smiled at the speedster's return a bit, hidden under his mask. This could be bad...but on the other hand.....

"A reason you say? How about this?" Hoping the speedster can't keep up with time manipulation, he sped his personal time and dove out of the way, turning and taking potshots at the cops. "Because you're not quite fast enough." Giving a taunting wave, Quick Fix then zoomed out the front door of the Starbucks, running down a few blocks.

Move to get out from between them. Paused with Move-By
Split Second Attack on the the winged guy and speedster, in that order.
[roll0]
[roll1]

Finish Move to run out of Starbucks and just short of half a mile away.

[Doggie_arf]

"No comment?" Façade remarked softly as she loosened the collar of her Starbucks uniform - the old woman was more heavyset than Lya Stevens the barista had been. "Well, I probably don't look very good. But it might be easier to get past our whistling friend if I pretend to be someone from the shop."

Turning back towards the drooling lady, she added: "Help me with her clothes, please. After that, we'll need to find somewhere to hide her..."

[dream]

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/eldritchword/Starbucks_zps53936feb.jpg (http://s40.photobucket.com/user/eldritchword/media/Starbucks_zps53936feb.jpg.html)
Fire is out!


Chloro & Facade:
As you plot your next move, there's a sound of a bell jingling momentarily and motion coming from down the hall. Someone's entered or exited the store! You hear voices, one male, one female, both with Indian accents.

Both PCs notice a female NYPD officer has entered the shop! She's short, darker complexion, wearing a blue dress suit and a gold detective badge is pinned on her right lapel. She talking with a man, maybe the store manager, but he's out of sight around the corner. Both of you need to make DC13 Stealth checks, if you want to remain hidden.


Faolan:
The meta-terrorist sees cops running around the block, with a mob of NYPD around the Starbucks a block or so away. There's also a large crowd of people gathered on the sidewalks around Casimir watching the scene, with most of the bystanders on mobiles, either talking or filming the cops. The helicopter hovering over the Starbucks rises and does a slow 180 as it drifts out over the street, maintaining a height of around 100 feet. A local news media van pulls up at the end of the block to Faolan's right and the crew jumps out, headed for the cops! You hear more sirens in the distance.


Pioneer:
One of the cops, probably the one that shot Pioneer, closes in as his partner circles closer as well!

"Stay down, lady!"


Quick Fix:
Just as Quick Fix begins to move, the speedster's gun, positioned at the villain's head, goes off, the round striking him in the chest! Again, his time-shifted reflexes turn a fatal shot into a glancing wound! In hyper-speed, Quick Fix moves from behind the counter and gets off two shots at the Super-cops before bolting for the exit! The speedster almost nonchalantly avoids the blast, but his teammate isn't so lucky, and the winged cop, Osvaldo, is struck in the abdomen!

The speedster had a delayed action, waiting for you to respond to his threat. He's very fast, too, and had a Standard action to use. He also made his perception check to catch QF in action. Make a DC20 Toughness check with your -2 penalty factored in.

[moossabi]

Why is it that the coffee waitress is always a shapeshifter?

"Well, I guess that was... really freaking gross? I dunno. As for the clothes, I think you cou- Oh crap. Another one? Really? Shouldn't she be at Starbucks?" Taking a few steps away from the hall door, Chloro crouches down behind a box, leaving the flower in view so that the lady wouldn't look directly at the hiding place. You may want to change into a more... 'athletic' body. These guys have a bit of a habit of knowing where people are by some really stupid thing."

[roll0] If it fails, I'll do it in the IC.

[Belial_the_Leveler]

Faolan Casimir


Suddenly, what remains of the Starbucks windows and glass walls shatters as every piece of debris in the half-ruined building bursts outwards as if by an explosion. Objects as small as glass shards and pieces of smashed plates up to as large as ruined tables enter a whirling dance of death, scouring everything within a hundred and sixty yards with the speed and force of a sustained hail of bullets. Windows in every car and building shatter and add to the chaos, trees, traffic lights and signs are uprooted, even the outer walls and doors of buildings get enough holes to resemble swiss cheese.

The weird thing about this localized cyclone is not its sudden appearance or surprising force. It is the fact that not a single hurled object hits a civilian or one of the criminals, flowing around them like so much water and causing no damage. The supercops on the scene however, plus the normal cops, police and government vehicles, the chopper flying overhead and anyone or anything else with direct government affiliation is not spared; they all get the same bullet-like hail that hits inanimate objects.



For those hit, it's a DC 18 toughness check vs damage, roll again for secondary effect. The whirlwind is a cloud effect so it lingers for a second round after this one in the area, repeating its attack.

[Doggie_arf]

"Maybe they know each other...," Façade replied softly as she peered at the newcomer, her hands still full with the Indian woman's wraps. Relatives, perhaps?

"Anyway, you don't have to worry," she added, scanning the small kitchen for somewhere where one...well, two old ladies and a child could hide. "This form won't hinder my ability to move."

...after all, Façade is a shapeshifter. Just because she looks old doesn't mean she has to have creaky joints.

Anyway, rolls:
Stealth (avoid drawing attention): [roll0]
Perception (look for a hiding place): [roll1]
Insight (I guess) (are the officer and the old woman related?): [roll2]

[dream]

[No Map; Starbucks cleared]

After the unnatural wind-bursts in the area, the cops recover and begin securing the captured villains:

NYPD cuffs the unconscious Hellhound and Pioneer, then take them to a waiting vehicle. Pioneer gets medical attention for her bullet wound, while EMS tries to make sense of Hellhound's stone victims. The Starbucks sprinklers succeeded in dousing the flame and the workers hiding in the back are also attended to by EMS/NYPD. There's heavy chatter among the 'Super-Cops', both among each other and on their commlinks. The NYPD helicopter rises high above the street, performing a slow series of '360s', then comes to a stop about 500 feet in the air.


Hellhound is out for the duration. Pioneer will shake-off Stunned in less than a minute, but if she attempts to use her powers, make a DC23 Will check.

Next Round!

Quick Fix:
As the villain come to a rest nearly a mile from Starbucks battle, he hears a familiar rush of air approaching and Ofc. MacCarthy, the relentless NYPD speedster dives at Quick Fix, wrapping his arms around him in a twisting grapple! People on the streets shout and point, forming a wide circle around the two hyper-fast combatants!

"You aint as fast as me, and you will not escape, dirtbag!"


Quick Fix easily escapes the grab & he's up!


Chloro & Facade:
The cop makes chatter with the store owner, switching from English to what could be Hindi. She stops talking with him to speak to someone on her earpiece-commlink, then tells the owner something else in Hindi before walking towards the hallway cautiously! Again, the hallway is about 50' long and 10' wide, with no overhead lighting so it's partially-dark, but there's light coming from the front store area. The back area where the PCs are hiding is partially-lit by a few lamps, while the storage area across from them is dark. The 'kitchen' area is about 20' square, but the adjacent storage space is twice that size.


Faolan Casimir:
While her attack had limited effect on the cops, the crowds of bystanders are excited by the sudden rush of activity and mull around, with some frightened people walking away from the scene. The news reporters are held back from the Starbucks area and try to get statements from the uniformed officers blocking their path. As the helicopter rises, Faolan sees two handcuffed, costumed people carried from the Starbucks and put in police cruisers! EMS has arrived an rushes into the Starbucks as cops pace around the block.


disregard Perception check: target is too far away.

[EnglishLanguage]

Quick Fix was a little happy to finally have a full out speedster fight for once, but going to jail simply wasn't something he was ready for quite yet. Speeding up, he quickly zipped to the side of the cop and fired a few shots around in his direction. "Well, you're definitely pretty quick. I don't think the civilians that could get hit by a dodged shot are however." Quick Fix points out, referring to the crowd that seems to be gathering around them to watch their high speed fight. Wanting to keep the crowd as a possible liability, he avoid running through the crowd to escape and instead zooms around inside the circle.

Split Second Attack on the speedster cop. And the second roll is a persuasion check if it's needed for my "oops, hope those shots you're dodging aren't going to hit this crowd around us" thing.
[roll0]
[roll1]

[Doggie_arf]

Façade stiffened as the police officer made her way down the hallway. She wasn't sure if the officer had noticed them, or if she was just moving towards the alleyway and the Starbucks (And Horrible Mr. Hound - mustn't forget him.).

Either way, the woman would pass right by the kitchen, which didn't offer much in the way of hiding places for three people. The storeroom over there looks more spacious, but she's already looking this way...

Biting her lip in annoyance, she hunkered down as much as she could behind the stove counter, pulling the dazed old lady down and out of sight as much as she could. At the same time, she began to manipulate the 'flow' of energy in her body again, letting it stream and pool in her hands.

She had the feeling that the situation was going to get messy.

I am making this post with the assumption that the storage area is directly across the hallway from the kitchen - crossing over will probably not be feasible with the cop walking down said hallway.

The 'flow' thing is just fluff for Façade prepping her 'Essence Arcana' for use. Just a reminder - most of the powers in that array are Subtle 1 (Magical Awareness) - without that sense, there (normally) won't be any noticeable outward manifestation. Except for Essence Bolt - hiding a projectile made of magic and lifeforce is a bit hard...

Not sure if we could hear/sense Faolan's attack from inside the kitchen - I might have to modify this post to account for that.

Do we have to roll for Stealth again?

[dream]

Quick Fix:
With blinding grace, the speedster side-steps the villain's blast!

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?!?!"

A shadow passes over Quick Fix as he circles the super-cop! Detective Osvaldo, the winged energy-projector, rejoins the fray, firing concentrated beams of force at the crook! The blasts cause a mini-explosion of debris as they strike the ground, just missing Quick Fix!

"He's going to learn! NYPD, citizens! Please clear this area immediately! The suspect is armed and dangerous!"

The crowd begins to disperse, with some people running in the opposite direction, while others simply back away trying to watch how the scene plays out.


Facade & Chloro:
Still in a trance-like daze, the old woman remains transfixed on Chloro! The lady detective slowly approaches the hallway, peering at the semi-darkness and speaking with a rich Indian accent,

"Hello? Whoever's there come out! NYPD has the entire block surrounded! Make it easy on yourself"


The duo is far enough from Starbucks to not hear the commotion caused by Faolan. Moosabi & Doggie-Arf can still post at will.


Faolan:
Even with the crowds, gaggle of police officers, and news reporters, Casimir's trained eyes don't miss two NYPD detectives walking opposite sides of the street toward her location. One is a tall, dark-haired man with a moustache. He's very well-built and has a nasty look about him. The other is a red-headed, dark trenchcoat-wearing fellow. Both have a gold NYPD detective badge hanging from a chain and seem to be talking into their earpiece-commlinks. They look in your general direction, as if trying to find someone --- possibly Faolan!


Belial can post at will & the Secondary blast of debris comes at the end of the round.

[moossabi]

Totally called it. What gave us away, the speed of a dust particle? Being on the opposite side of the room as Captain Shapeshifter (I can finally have a nickname for her), Chloro has a clear path to the storage area. Moving towards it a little bit, she says: "Hello? Is someone there? There was this crazy person over at the Starbucks so I came in and hid. Are the police here?"

If I wasn't a kid, this would never work. She then has the flower retreat back under her coat, and continues moving toward the Storage area.

:smallamused: Deception: [roll0]

[Doggie_arf]

Well, there goes the plan of walking out the front door with a different face...

Hunkered down behind the counter, Façade spared a quick glance to confirm that the old woman was still out of it, before regretfully willing her own appearance back to that of the barista. She hadn't managed to take the lady's wraps (I think they were called 'saris' or something?) before the police officer had walked in, let alone figure out how to wear them. And that's before the issue of the language barrier, she thought, pushing herself up unsteadily as the transformation concluded. Changing two times in a row is disorientating... Should have thought this out better, but Mr. Hound-face and his shenanigans didn't leave many options on the table...

"Is that the cops?" she croaked, somewhat annoyed at how her voice had 'hiccuped' slightly - she hoped the changeover hadn't been noticeable. "H-have you caught the madman with the dog head yet? He was s-s-spewing f-fire everywhere. It was terrible..."



Façade will spend a Standard action to change back to "scared" barista mode. (Yes, that isn't her real identity, just her 'current' one.)

I guess it's been at least a round since the officer walked in (the officer did spend some time jabbering away with the shopkeeper someone else we didn't see in Hindi), so there (hopefully) shouldn't be an issue of me trying to cram two standard actions into one turn.

A round or three is probably not enough to filch the old woman's outfit and wear it, so Façade's still stuck with her Starbucks uniform (sans apron). I'd have gone with something more generic if she was in more casual attire.

Anyway, Deception - [roll0]

[Belial_the_Leveler]

Faolan Casimir



The terrorist wraith frowns at the policemen trying to track her down, the two supercops harrying the other criminal, and the two criminals already caught. She could easily escape herself - all it would take was a single shadow. But that would hardly inconvenience the authorities. Besides, the criminals outnumbered the supercops in the field - the only reason the supercops were winning was coordination. Maybe it was time to prove Napoleon wrong and win some time with a delaying action.

Since she was a wraith, she might as well honor her ancestors in spirit; Faolan brought to mind the veritable labyrinth of dungeons, corridors, cages, battlements and towers from all those descriptions of Sauron's fortress of Barad-Dur she'd read or seen as a child, a nightmarish maze with no real exit, with a wall or barred door between any two narrow spaces. Then, aiming at the ground, she fed as much power as she had available into the nightmare and made it real - but only as real as she desired and only when she desired; where the supercops would find every path and every line of fire blocked by unseen force, those of wicked persuasion would not be hindered at all.


Roll/explanation in the OOC thread. Brief version: this is an unseen construct of total toughness/size 20, that selectively blocks people in its area. I.e. if a supercop attacks, Faolan will have the construct take the hit. If a supercop moves, unseen walls can bar the movement. BUT, if a villain moves or attacks, the construct won't stop him/her/it.

[dream]

Chloro & Facade:
The sound of slow footsteps echoes down the hallway as the cop creeps into the corridor, but there's a sudden bell-jungle again as someone enters the store! Now, more footsteps and new conversation in the store, plus the chatter of police radio. Even from their hiding spots, the villains can hear the female cop talking in a low voice with another male.


DC15 Perception check to hear the conversation.


Faolan:
As the cops stalk closer, there's another explosion of debris in and around the Starbucks, as NYPD in that area begin shifting position! Two police cruisers speed away from the intersection and cops jog from the explosion wiping glass debris from their heads! The blast startles bystanders and more of them begin leaving the cordoned-off intersection a block from Starbucks.


Most of the cops had already began leaving the Starbucks area after the first blast. Plus, something seems to be affecting the second blast, suppressing it somehow. One of the squad cars that left contained the armored villain. EMS is still tending to the other female villain.


Quick Fix:
After badly-missing his grapple attempt, the speedster cop tries to drop the time-villain with a flurry of punches! A blur of fists strike Quick Fix's face and torso, interrupting his circular jog!

"You can't get away, idiot! Just give up!"


DC20 Toughness check with your -3 penalty & Quick Fix is next!

[Doggie_arf]

Another one? Façade thought, looking worriedly at the hallway leading to the front of the store. She wasn't sure if the officer had believed her, but it seemed as though the latter had reinforcements...

Perception (listen to conversation) - [roll0]

[EnglishLanguage]

Deftly dodging around the cop's punches, Quick Fix decided the angel winged cop was the least of his worries at the moment, in taking out the speedster, he could easily outpace any other supercop he was aware of in the area. "Not quite fast enough there slowpoke. Maybe you should try to catch something more your speed...like a tortoise, or a block of concrete." As he taunted the supercop, Quick Fix pulled back and fired off a few more shots, making sure to keep an eye on the winged cop in case he tried to assist his partner.

Split Second Attacking, focused on the speedster cop.
[roll0]

[dream]

Quick Fix:
The speedster cop runs right into the blast and hits the ground, rolls a bit, then comes to a rest near a wall! He isn't moving, which sets off his partner!

"MacCarthy! Damnit! You're going to pay for that, pal!"

As he circles above Quick Fix, the cop's eyes glow brilliantly and twin beams blast the villain square in the face!


DC27 Toughness check, -4


Facade & Chloro:
More footsteps coming down the hallway and a new male voice,

"Whoever's back there you need to identify yourselves. Mrs. Nagar, are you back there?"

A male officer in full uniform and gear arrives at the "kitchen" space, looking around the area. The female detective also appears, staring at Facade, then Chloro. They focus on Chloro,

"Ma'am, can you come with us up here, please. We need to see some I.D. What were you doing back there?"

[moossabi]

Well,it was worth a shot. Time for a bit of fun.

"If you were listening at all, you would know that we came from the Starbucks across the street. And I'm an 11 year old girl. Do you seriously expect me to carry around an I.D. card to Starbucks?" Chloro focuses on seeking some roots underground. Surprise, Surprise, there were. Time to piss off some cops. "Oh yeah! And in regards to who I am, my name is Penelope Hawthran. You probably know me as the 'little girl' who wrecked central park last year."

Snare on the nearest cop.
. . Snare: Affliction 10 (Alternate; 1st degree: Hindered, Vulnerable, 2nd degree: Immobile, Defenseless, 3rd degree: Paralyzed, Unaware, DC 20; Alternate Resistance (Dodge), Extra Condition, Increased Range: ranged)

And then move into the storage area.

[Doggie_arf]

Seems like Mr. Hound isn't the only one that needs a keeper, Façade thought resignedly as the flower girl - Penelope Hawthran - proceeded to do her thing. I guess subterfuge is now completely out of the question. Which leaves only one option...

"At this point, it doesn't really matter anymore, does it?" she said quietly, the apparent fear and panic from a few seconds ago now completely gone from her voice. "I had hoped to escape the conflict in the mall, but it seems to have followed me here..."

And with that, she launched herself at the two officers, energy surging within her frame as she reached towards them.


Combat Statistics:
- Initiative: 24
- Status: Normal
- Victory Points: 1
- Essence Bolt: 5/5 (Recharge Condtions Met? - No)

Move: Move past cops into storage area.
Standard (w/ Move-By Action): Attack female officer (Det. Pamel?) with Essence Strike.

- Alt: Essence Strike - Close Damage 8 [8], Multiattack [8], Accurate 1 [1], Subtle 1 [1], Affects Insubstantial 2 [2], Precise [1], Enhanced Advantage (Precise Attack - Melee Concealment) [1] (22/23)

Attack Roll: [roll0]
If attack hits, the detective must make a DC 23 Toughness check. DC 25 if I get two degrees of success, and DC 28 if I get three.

Also, I'd like to use my Assessment (http://www.d20herosrd.com/5-advantages#TOC-ASSESSMENT-GENERAL-) advantage to size them up. Façade's Insight modifier is +10.

[dream]

Pioneer:
The painkillers kick-in and the villainess can now move without excruciating pain, although her injured hip is heavily-bandaged. She is handcuffed in the back of a speeding police cruiser with two uniformed officers up front,

"Which one again? Presbyterian?"

"Nah nah nah. Um --- Mount Sinai. Drop her off and zip by Gunther's Fried Dogs. One of those'll hit the spot right now."

DC30 Will check to use her powers. She's being taken to a hospital instead of prison.


Chloro & Facade:
Catching Detective Pamel almost completely by surprise, Facade pounces, realizing the smaller woman lacked the combat skills to challenge the villainess! A few feet away, plant life explodes around Officer Watkins as Chloro goes into action!

Pamel is OUT:smallbiggrin: She had a Parry of 6 and low physical traits (for a cop). Since I'm not sure how 'Essence Strike' works, Doggie_Arf can describe the takedown with your next post. I need an attack roll from Moosabi vs. Dodge 8.


Quick Fix:
Detective Osvaldo calls for EMS and 'cuffs Quick Fix,

"Starbucks? PEW! People wander there like "Dawn of the Dead" and for what? Dirt juice. You ask me, Panera Bread is the best. I mean, of the big franchises. Joe's aint bad either. They gotta real nice veggie danish."

[Mono Vertigo]

Still a little drowsy after so much sudden pain, Pioneer lolls her head. Stupid, fragile human anatomy.
An alien spy such as her really deserves better than being stuck at the back of a cruiser while perfectly normal cops talk about junk food.
... truth be told, at this point, even a greasy snack made out of questionable sources of meat - and maybe even non-meat - would improve her day. If she could somehow escape now, she'd try and grab a hot dog on the way.


Will check: [roll0]

[dream]

Chloro & Facade:
As plant tendrils explode from the ground and walls snatching at Officer Watkins, he ducks away while moving back down the hallway to the store!

"Very nice! Telebotanical mastery. I thought I smelled a Vegan ---"

Watkins seems to focus on Chloro and more vines crash through the floor! The lashing vines whip around Chloro, then burst open, showering the entire rear "kitchen" room with a cloud of yellow-mist!

Chloro needs to make a DC20 Will check vs. Mind Control:smalltongue:


Pioneer:
While attempting to fully clear her mind and perhaps focus her power, Pioneer is suddenly weakened, almost to the point of passing out! She maintains consciousness, but something, probably the special handcuffs, are inhibiting her full willpower.

[moossabi]

"And of course I'm not the only hybrid around here. And seriously? Vines as an expulsion method? That's just... lame."

[roll0]

[Doggie_arf]

It took a simple thought for Façade to briefly channel energy to her legs as she rushed forward. Her enhanced movement would not have impressed a genuine speedster, but it was enough for her to reach the female officer before the latter could react.

As she closed the distance, she swung her arm towards her opponent, accompanying the movement with another surge of her essence. Her attack effortlessly broke through her opponent's guard, and she immediately followed up with a quick strike to the stomach and face (enhancing each blow as it landed) before letting her momentum carry her towards the adjacent storeroom.

Façade had learned that her abilities were related to the arcane arts, and someone sensitive to such phenomena (like herself) would probably have noticed a faint glow around her hands right before each strike connected. To everybody else, it merely seemed as though her attacks had landed with much more force and accuracy than they should have.

That was surprisingly easy, she thought, as her target collapsed with a gurgle. I wonder how Flower Girl is faring -

----

Façade jumped backwards as vines suddenly sprouted from the floor in a burst of yellow mist! "Hey, watch where you're aiming that...oh," she trailed off, as she realized that most of the vines were directed at her ally.

"Seriously. You jump the police, and you're not able to follow through? That's just...well, lame." She turned her gaze to the remaining officer, who appeared to be engaged in a plant-based showdown (A vine off?) with Flower Girl. "Not that his sense of humour is any better," she muttered, before rushing towards their other opponent.


Combat Statistics:
- Initiative: 24
- Status: Normal
- Victory Points: 1
- Essence Bolt: 5/5 (Recharge Condtions Met? - No)

(It should be Façade's turn now, since Chloro and Watkins have moved. Hope I'm not jumping the gun here.)

Move: Run towards Officer Watkins (she has Speed Rank 1, or 60 ft. movement).
Standard: Attack Officer Watkins with Essence Strike (see previous post).

Attack Roll: [roll0]
If attack hits, Officer Watkins must make a DC 23 Toughness check. DC 25 if I get two degrees of success, and DC 28 if I get three.

[moossabi]

"HEY! Nobody is allowed to imitate me, least of all you and this cop guy! And it's not my fault that he was able to dodge it!" The flower re-emerges, sprouting a few dozen thorns. Might as well, considering that I've already proven insanity.

"So, Mr Cop, I've got a few thorns here that might like to sink themselves into your friend and this civilian over here, So you may want to consider coming back in here and surrendering!"

[dream]

Chloro & Facade:
With his partner fallen, the male officer turns and tries to block Facade's attack with a counter-move using his arms! Facade feels a backlash of psychic energy when the cop counters her attack! Somehow, the officer used her own power against her!


Chloro's turn

[Mono Vertigo]

Nothing to do but wait, then. What's tampering with her powers?
Worst day ever.

[moossabi]

Aaaaannnddd he's ignoring me. "Well, since you have no intention of turning around, your partner's grandma is gonna have to take the hit." On cue, the thorns fire at the incapacitated cop, hurtling towards her with maximum velocity.

[roll0] directed at the lady.
. . Affliction: Progressive Affliction 10 (Linked; 1st degree: Vulnerable, 2nd degree: Disabled, 3rd degree: Incapacitated, Resisted by: Fortitude, DC 20; Increased Range: ranged, Progressive)

[Doggie_arf]

Façade's eyes widened as the police officer's hands also flared to life with familiar looking energies, repelling her own attack. To a casual onlooker, it would merely look as though she'd somehow bounced off her opponent's hasty defense.

"He's imitating me now," she muttered, staring at the police officer with disfavor. "Not very original, are you?"

"Don't waste your time on the old lady," she added to Flower Girl. "I doubt he can copy both of us at the same time..."

Watkins used a Reaction counter, so I think he still has his turn.

Btw, Essence Strike (and friends) are Magic based, not Psionic/Psychic/whatever. :smallwink:

[dream]

Facade & Chloro:
After blocking Facade's attack, the young multiracial cop sees Chloro attack the old woman,

"No! What the --- you just made a big !&^%!# mistake, girl!"

He lunges at Chloro and unleashes a vicious punch that connects with the villain's face!


DC20 Fortitude check for Chloro. Facade's up!


Quick Fix:
The villain is dragged into a police cruiser backseat and the vehicle speeds off into traffic! The two officers in the front of the vehicle occasionally look back at Quick Fix, then speak at a low volume to each other.


DC15 Perception check to hear their conversation.


Pioneer:
The car stops at a jammed-up intersection and the driver flips the siren on! While the officers complain and try to see what the hold-up is, Pioneer looks out the window and sees a little boy in the next vehicle playing with a doll that resembles Lord Sorsius!

[Mono Vertigo]

Sorsius.
Again!
She's never met him in person, but the alien was growing certain he was the cause of her problems. (The latest ones, at the very least.)
She furiously hits the window with her fists with newfound energy, grimacing in rage. "24 HOURS AGO, YOUR HERO WAS NOBODY, BOY! HE FOOLED YOU, AND YOUR PARENTS TOO, AND EVERYBODY ELSE! I KNOW YOU DON'T BELONG IN THIS TIMELINE! SORSIUUUUUS!"
Somebody (though not a wise man) once said something about people standing only one bad day's away from madness. Pioneer looks like a good example of that right now.

Would spending an Action Point help me recover from whatever is blocking my powers here?

[Doggie_arf]

"Oh, you were aiming at...I take that back," said Façade as the remaining officer bellowed with rage. "That works too."

Façade stepped to the side as the irate man in riot gear rushed past her. As he threw a punch towards the Flower Girl, she launched her attack, swinging her arm down towards the man's neck!


Combat Statistics:
- Initiative: 24
- Status: Normal
- Victory Points: 1
- Essence Bolt: 5/5 (Recharge Condtions Met? - No)

(Nice distraction, moossabi! Got a bit confused as to who you were targeting, though...)

Move: Go up behind the Officer as he attacks the .
Standard: Attack Officer Watkins with Essence Strike (see previous post). He's probably too busy to parry stuff at the moment.

Attack Roll: [roll0]
If attack hits, Officer Watkins must make a DC 23 Toughness check. DC 25 if I get two degrees of success, and DC 28 if I get three.

[Doggie_arf]

Façade stared at her opponent for a moment, before tentatively nudging him in the side with her foot. Her attack had landed square in the back of the officer's neck, but she wasn't certain if that had been sufficient. Good thing he decided to rush Flower Girl, she thought, kneeling down for a closer look. Won't have taken him down that easily if he hadn't been distracted...

"So, any ideas on how to distract the cops outside?" she asked her fellow criminal. "Other than dragging an unconscious hostage along, that is. Too heavy."

"Might as well 'eat' something too, while I'm at it," she added to herself, reaching towards the downed figure in riot gear.


Combat Statistics:
- Initiative: 24 (Combat's over, I guess?)
- Status: Normal
- Victory Points: 1
- Essence Bolt: 5/5 (Recharge Condtions Met? - No)

Because a giant tree never fails to draw attention.

No, lemme rephrase that. A giant TRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEE. :smallamused:

Since all the obvious opponents are down, Façade's going to Life Leech Officer Watkins. She doesn't want to put it off any longer, and he was being annoying. :smallyuk:

Well, now he's just being unconscious. :smalltongue:


- Life Leech - Weaken: Stamina 10 [10], Subtle 1 [1], Insidious [1], Incurable [1] w/ Linked Self Healing 9 [9], Subtle 1 [1]

Since he's nice and Incapacitated, she'll go for the attack roll and auto-crit, in order to boost the save DC. Barring other unknowns, Watkins will have to make a DC 20 25 Fort save, or lose the difference in Stamina (max -10).

Attack Roll on the downed officer - [roll0]

[moossabi]

"And of course, you appear to be a cannibal. Just don't 'feed' on me anytime soon- or at all." Chloro feels sick. The idiot had some kind of weird draining thingamabob, making her question why he was working with the police. Wiping away the blood from her injured nose, she begins to question if the police really have any hiring restrictions.

"However, that jerk deserves it. I'll be in the main shop once you're ready." She then turns and walks down the hallway into the shop itself.

I'm assuming that she has at least a bloody nose. :smalltongue:

[Doggie_arf]

(This post will be tweaked depending on how Officer Watkins fares on his save. Going to keep it as generic as possible for now.)

"Wouldn't dream of it," Façade replied as she laid a hand on the prone officer. "I don't do plants, especially not if they've been helpful." Her tone darkened as she added, "This guy, on the other hand..."

Concentrating, she let her senses quest into the unconscious man's body, spreading out in multiple directions as she attempted to siphon life and warmth from her victim and convert it into energy. Energy that she could use...

A moment later, Façade stood up, pulling away from the officer. She had wanted to drain more energy - the female detective and the old woman were still lying around nearby - but there wasn't enough time for that. Not with possible police reinforcements outside the building.

"I just hope she has something that can distract them," she muttered as she headed to the front of the shop. "Probably something flashy and flowery..."

[dream]

Pioneer:
The passenger-side cop tells Pioneer to shut-up! A few minutes later, the car arrives outside Mount Sinai Hospital. Two nurses and two armed security officers are waiting near the door with a gurney. They transport Pioneer with surprising care to the gurney without removing her handcuffs, but this forces her to lay on her uninjured side. She's covered and escorted via freight elevator to a 3rd floor holding room. The security men and cops leave the room as one of the two nurses looks at Pioneer's wound,

"Okay. That's unusual. Look, ma'am, we'd like to get an IV started. Get you some meds so this gunshot doesn't get infected. Is that okay? You have any allergies?"


Quick Fix:
The cops stop talking as the vehicle speeds through downtown New York city, sirens blaring! In the backseat, Quick Fix wrestles with his restraints.


Make a Stealth check to avoid detection & a DC30 Sleight of Hand check to get your hands in front of you.


Chloro & Facade:
Chloro nearly runs into the store owner! A tall Indian male, late 50's, dressed in khaki shirt and pants, socks and sandals, salt & pepper wavy hair. He has a wooden baseball bat and looks startled, raising the bat at Chloro!

"YOU! What did you get here? Where --- where is my wife?! You get out! I call more police!"

[moossabi]

"Sorry, but I don't have time for this. Your wife is in the back room, with some sort of... issue. By the way, in, say, about a minute, you should probably run for your life." She looks outside the window, and scopes out the perfect location. "Also, please no more police. My nose would not appreciate that."

I'm assuming that there are windows. :smalltongue:
Imma gonna summon Mr Tree outside next round. Might want to get any characters that you want to keep out of there, Dream.

[Doggie_arf]

"Ugh. Seriously - both husband and wife are equally noisy," Façade muttered as she entered the shop behind Flower Girl. "I haven't harmed the old lady, so you can stop shouting now, thank you very much." She decided not to mention her attempt to steal the woman's garments, or whatever it was that her current partner in crime had done with that flower mist. "And if you try to call the police, I will be forced to stop you. So please drop the bat, and save yourself the trouble."

Not taking her eyes off the aging shopkeeper, she added to Flower Girl: "So, what distraction do you have in store for us today?"

Ready an action to bonk him on the head with Essence Strike if he tries anything funny (i.e. attacking with the bat, or reaching for a alarm).

[Mono Vertigo]

"Yes. Canadian singers."
Even Pioneer can't muster changing her expression or thoughts to something non-bitchy to deliver that line.
"No, actually. Just get it over with."
Humans are weird. They almost killed her, yet they're trying to save her life now, so they can presumably throw her in a dark hole to be forgotten forever. Rational beings would just cut to the execution.
On the other hand... she's being taken care of, and if humans are stupid enough to heal an enemy, better take advantage of it. She'll wait until her wound is tended to before attempting escape.

[dream]

Quick Fix:
As the villain prepares to kick the door and possibly escape, the driver takes a quick look at Quick Fix,

"Don't even! You kick my door and we'll park, get out the tasers, then shock you until your eyes start smoking! Sit back and relax, buddy!"


Pioneer:
The nurse fiddles with the alien spy's uniform, then sighs while putting her hands on her hips,

"How can I get a needle in her with the handcuffs still on? I can't even roll up her sleeve. I'll go check with admin. Be right back."

She exits the room, while the two security guards, armed with Stun Guns, stand guard: one just inside the door and the other near the window. The NYPD officers make small talk with the guards, then exit a few seconds after the nurse. The second nurse goes digging through a closet at the far end of the room. This is a typical-looking hospital room, built with four beds and curtains to provide patient privacy. There's a large set of windows to Pioneer's right that probably look out on the neighborhood.


Facade & Chloro:
The man keeps his bat 'at the ready' as he moves past the criminal duo and rushes down the hallway, calling to his wife! Looking outside the front door of the 'Shop & Go' convenience store, a large white luxury sedan pulls to a sudden stop. There are also three NYPD officers walking the block: two walking together fifty feet away but coming in the shop's direction along the sidewalk, an another cop across the street watching the pedestrian crowds passing through the area. The store is the usual overpriced shop with tons of snacks, cold drinks, coffee station, lottery tickets, and cigarettes. The green tile flooring is stained and cracked, like the ceiling.


Hellhound:
The villain wakes up sitting in a chair with his hands cuffed behind him and an excruciating headache! He's in a small office: gray concrete walls, linoleum floors and tiled ceilings. Only about 30' x 30' x 10' with one old table in front of Hellhound. There's two more metal chairs on the opposite side of the table. The room lighting is dull white and there's a low hum coming from at least two of the light fixtures. Hellhound can smell coffee coming from behind the gray metal door fifteen feet to his right. He can also hear voices outside the door, most of them from people passing by the office.

[HopeHubris]

They DARE confine the great Hellhound! If that beast of a supercop had not got so lucky they would be begging for mercy
Hellhound thinks, in quite an irritable mood, between the headache and arrest.

Unfortunately he had not yet found a way to produce any sorts of acidic gas, or any other sort that would allow relatively easy escape from detainment.
So he would have to do what he could.

Hoping the police believed his powers tied to the helmet, as obviously magical as it was, he starts releasing his mind-control gas, allowing it to fill the room and seep out of the door, assuming it was not airtight.

Or at least, that was the plan.
Despite his best attempts to imply his helm was the source of his power, he was somehow being nullified anyway.

[Doggie_arf]

Façade merely watched as the shopkeeper edged towards the back to find his spouse, her attention divided behind the old man and the street outside the convenience store.

Two officers walking this way, and another one over there. Won't be surprised if there could be others, considering how quickly they reacted to Horrible Mr. Hound and his rampage...

She just hoped that Flower Girl could provide a flashy enough distraction to divert the police. Flashy wasn't Façade's style.

[Mono Vertigo]

While the nurse is figuring out what to do with the handcuffs (hopefully remove them), Pioneer fiddles a bit, just in case...

Sleight of Hand to try and wriggle at least one hand out of the handcuffs: [roll0]
(Hey, you gotta try.)

[dream]

Quick Fix:
The driver takes another look at you and in that instant he isn't watching the intersection --- his partner shouts,

"LOOK OUT!!!"

A large van bearing the "Dunkin' Donuts" logo slams into the police cruiser from the passenger side! The cruiser does a complete 360, its driver's side spinning around and crashing into the van as it screeches to a stop! Momentum causes the mangled police car to flip over and land on its hood, crushing the emergency lights as the vehicle spins slowly in the middle of the intersection! Inside the car, Quick Fix and the cops are flung around, with the unbelted villain being tossed about the backseat space! Fluids from the wrecked cruiser wash out over a street littered with pieces of plastic and metal debris and smoke hisses up from the car's crushed engine block! Crowds of babbling people begin either staring at the accident scene or moving towards the police sedan to check the occupants!

DC22 Dodge check for Quick Fix; success = DC21 Toughness check & failure = DC27 Toughness check. QF still has a -3 penalty to Toughness checks. Also, make a DC21 Perception check.


Pioneer:
Still experiencing pain from the hip-gunshot, you test the handcuffs, but they're too tight to escape. The security guards shift around, then the nurse re-enters the room moving quickly and snaps her fingers at the other nurse,

"C'mon! Admin wants her moved upstairs for a shotgun. ASAP!"

The nurses push your gurney out of the room and arrive at the elevator, where the nurse turns to the security escorts,

"NYPD is still --- '10-8'? I think that's what they said. Anyway, there's like three officers up there waiting for us. Thanks guys."

The elevator 'dings', the doors open and as people exit, the nurses push your gurney inside, with the lead nurse stopping anyone else from entering. Just as the doors are closing, a nurse rushes past the elevator!

DC10 INT check to know what a "shotgun" is & DC10 Perception check.

[moossabi]

Not taking her eyes off the aging shopkeeper, she added to Flower Girl: "So, what distraction do you have in store for us today?"

"A rather flashy and over-the-top one." Chloro sees an empty stretch of road (At least red lights are useful sometimes...), and concentrates her energy there.

...

As a car passes the targeted area, a loud Crack can be heard throughout the street. Those attentive enough would notice a tiny fissure erupt in the inside lane. As the crack (slowly) widens, a tiny tree sprouts in the street. In a matter of 27.5 seconds, a full-grown tree was sitting there, blocking traffic and creating a mass of chatter that sounded like:

"Woah..."

"How does that work?"

"Mommy, can I touch it?"

...

"But wait, there's more!"

...

With another resounding crack, the bottom of the trunk splits in two, and starts shifting into leg-like shapes. Two branches on opposite sides of the tree bend down to form arms. And with the loudest crack of all, a face carves itself into the wood. And then it moves. "DESTROY!!!"

And then begins the screaming.

Summon Mr Tree. He will not attack anyone, but here is his initiative:

Also intimidation (using Chloro's score): [roll]1d20

I'll also roll for Chloro. Because why not? [roll1]

[Doggie_arf]

"That...is rather spectacular," Façade murmured, not quite succeeding in hiding her shock at the chaos that had (literally) erupted from the ground. She'd expected flashy, but not a lumbering, rampaging Treebeard lookalike.

Well, the police outside are probably just as surprised about this, she thought, forcing her gaze away from the giant plant monstrosity. That thing just needs to draw their attention long enough for us to run past them...


Combat Statistics:
- Initiative: See below
- Status: Normal
- Victory Points: 1
- Essence Bolt: 5/5 (Recharge Condtions Met? - Yes [Fed on Watkins]?)

Going to reroll initiative, since moossabi did so - [roll0].
Also, a Perception check to scout out somewhere where we can run to - [roll1]

[dream]

Hellhound:
The door 'bangs' open and two people (http://wallpapers55.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/hd-wallpaper-csi-new-york-ny-cast-wallpaper.jpg) enter the room, slamming the door behind them! The male, around 6', medium build, blue-gray suit, blue tie, white dress shirt, dress shoes, short brunette haircut, 50's, cold expression, stops on the other side of the table opposite Hellhound and stares at the villain. The female, attractive long-haired brunette, blue business suit, purple blouse, heels, walks over to the corner of the room and leans against the wall, also staring at Hellhound. She's carrying your helmet, and looks down at it, turning it around in her hands.

After a few seconds, the male snorts,

"What's with the outfit? Too late for Halloween, too early for New Year's. Just decided to make your own little holiday, right? And I thought I was grumpy before I got my first cup. What's your story, pal? What set you off?"


Facade & Chloro:
Outside the Shop & Go, all hell breaks loose as Chloro's botanical beast (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnXy6i8AaWg) begins stalking the devastated street in front of the store! New Yorkers and tourists alike scream (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZuH4_Zn6YM) and run for their lives nearly getting hit by passing vehicles! The 3 cops in the area quickly key their radios, shouting for back-up as they draw their handguns! From the fancy convertible sedan (http://victorstuff.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/maybach_landaulet.jpg) that pulled-up outside the store, an older bearded male dressed in formal all-black attire (http://www.freeinfosociety.com/media/images/847.jpg) jogs into the Shop & Go,

"Whoa! What the hell is that thing?!?! Take a whole lotta weed-eater to calm him down! You're gettin' good at this, Penelope --- real good."

The stranger smiles and holds out his hands casually, as if to show he's no threat as he looks over at Facade. From the back of the hallway, the Indian man shouts,

"OH NO!! Nahbi?!? Nahbi!! Nonononono! Oooooooh!"

The suited man raises his eyebrows and shakes his head,

"Uh oh. Don't look good. Cops crawling over downtown like ants at a picnic and now this. What's the plan, ladies? How far you think you can make it on foot?"

Insight check for both villains to get a feel for the stranger.

[moossabi]

Ignoring the store owner (It wears off, she's fine. I think.), Chloro immediately turns to the new person. "Excuse me if don't feel like explaining my motivations to a random stranger that I just met, but I'd like to ask two quick little details: how on earth do you know my name, and why are you concerned as to how fast that I can walk?!" This was ridiculous! This guy is almost as pretentious as the Hound-guy at Starbucks!

Insight: [roll0]

[HopeHubris]

Hellhound glares at the police, and has his helmet nip at the woman, the magic in it wasn't strong, so it would do little more than be annoying, but fighting back in even a small way helped with the whole "being imprisoned" thing.
At least while his powers were still being blocked.

"It is not an 'outfit', it is a magical suit of armour"

[Doggie_arf]

"I'll have to agree with the 'random stranger' part," Façade added to the suited man, folding her arms. "And I think we both know that 'random strangers' have motives beyond giving out candy. What do you want from us?"


Combat Statistics:
- Initiative: Err...was it the old roll (24) or the new one (12)?
- Status: Normal
- Victory Points: 1
- Essence Bolt: 5/5 (Recharge Condtions Met? - Yes [Fed on Watkins]?)

Façade's Insight on our Al Capone/Robert Downey Jr. impersonator - [roll0]

(Any results on her attempt to scout out an escape route via Perception?)

[dream]

Hellhound:
When the helm 'nips' at the female detective, she gasps and drops it with a 'clang', then looks at her partner,

"Either I had too little sleep last night or that thing just barked at me. Weird."

The male detective looks at her then back at Hellhound,

"Magic, hunh? So was that why you killed four people and destroyed a Starbucks this morning? A magic trick? Well, it'll be your last trick, Houdini, or what did you call yourself --- Hellhound? Multiple counts of terrorism, attempted murder, murder, arson, resisting arrest, reckless endangerment, attempted robbery, conspiracy. Hell, Hellhound, we're throwing the book at you and for once, it fits. What I want to know is: Why? I want to know your name, where you're from, who your accomplices are --- everything! And don't try and be a smartass: that'll just piss me off and you don't wanna piss me off, magic man."

Obviously, he wants your identity and a full confession, including everything you know about the other super-crooks at Starbucks. I'm not using Intimidation (yet). Lying to them is a Deception check. Threats are Intimidation, but you get a -5 penalty because they know you're nullified. Trying to get them on your side is Persuasion, but with a -2 penalty. Because you're EEEEEEEVIIIIIIIL! You get another AP just listening to the charges!


Chloro & Facade:
The stranger looks outside as pedestrians scatter away from the block terrified by Chloro's rampaging monster,

"I know everything about you, Chloro. Well, maybe not everything, but enough. I know that right now, you're in over your head, whether you believe it or not. What I want from you is complicated. Too complicated for the Shop & Go and the whole of NYPD's Supers Division breathing down our necks. I mean, hey, you want to take your chances out there, by all means, go for it. You both are capable enough to walk away from this. Maybe. Maybe you'll be having dinner at Ryker's*. But, I'm out of here in 10 seconds, with or without you, because I didn't risk coming here to get shot by some rookie cop out to make a name for himself. Oh! I love these."

The stranger walks to a shelf and snags a pack of TwinkiesTM and while tearing open the plastic, looks at the duo. In the back hallway, you hear the Indian man sobbing. Then, shots erupt from outside as the cops attack the monster! The stranger doesn't flinch as he inhales his golden snack-cake.

Based on your checks, this guy seems on the level, despite the situation. He's obviously offering a way out of this fiasco. Facade notices with the street clearing quickly, she could slip out and away during the chaos, if the cops don't stop her. Ryker's is the local island-prison where super-villains are held pending transfer to a remote-island Super-Prison. Ryker's is a bad place to be.


Quick Fix:
As the upside-down cruiser stops spinning, Quick Fix sees stars and smells smoke. He bruised his forehead somewhat and his left shoulder was nearly dislocated in the crash, but he's still in one piece, laying on the roof of the car. In the front seat, the two cops are hanging from their seatbelts, unconscious! There's errand chatter coming across the police radio as a shadow passes by one of the rear windows! The glass shatters from a quick shotgun butt-strike and a bearded man dressed in a black suit and shirt (http://www.freeinfosociety.com/media/images/847.jpg) kneels down to peer inside the overturned vehicle,

"You picked one hellava day for a cup of Starbucks, Johnny. C'mon, play-time's over. Let's get the f* outta here!"

He reaches in with one arm and begins dragging Quick Fix from the cruiser!

Giving you a moment for interaction/decision, if you want it, then we move on. Make an Insight check.

[Mono Vertigo]

... shotgun? Like the firearm?
Nah, that seems off...

Int: [roll0]
Perception: [roll1]

[HopeHubris]

"Huh, it doesn't usually kill people, they tend to un-stone after a while, 20 minutes on average. And I have no accomplices. As for the rest, I demand a lawyer"


Fearless means he don't care about any intimidation checks they make
Assessment to size the guy up: [roll0]

If possible to continue making will saves to anti-null: [roll1]
On the off chance that does work, mind-control gas continuously (subtle 2)

[EnglishLanguage]

Getting up, Quick Fix followed the guy, eying him a bit suspiciously, but not wanting to risk causing a fight until he's out of these stupid cuffs. Not that I mind you getting me out of there, but who the hell are you? And more importantly, how the hell do you know who I am? Adding a tone of annoyance to his voice, to make it clear he's a bit reluctant about this. And why exactly should I trust you right now?....And at the very least can you get these stupid cuffs off? Or at least get me a mirror?.

Thinking for a second, Quick Fix then added Without breaking them if possible. As bad as the power nullification was, Quick Fix realized he didn't feel any of the usual energy buildup while these cuffs were on. Reverse engineering how these things worked could prove very useful for keeping his powers controlled until he could figure out how they worked. At worst, having some power nullifying cuffs on hand could be handy.

Insight
[1d20+14[/roll]

This guys knows my civilian identity, which I don't believe the cops did, so clearly he's either well connected or has ways of gaining information, and possibly might know about this Sorsius thing. Off-hand guessing anyways.

[dream]

Pioneer:
As the elevator doors snap shut, Pioneer notices the nurse passing by the closing doors looks just like the lead nurse that said you were being taken upstairs for a shotgun-something! This was strange. As you feel the elevator moving upward, you see the 'twin nurse' reach out with a small handheld device and poke the other nurse in the side! There's the sound of electricity, a crackle very familiar to Pioneer, the poked nurse emits a short scream, jumps backwards and drops in a heap! The 'twin nurse' holds up her stun gun, triggering another crackle of electricity clearly visible to Pioneer,

"You got the right idea, Pioneer: electricity is fun. How's your wound? I'm hoping your species heals faster than we do, becaaaauuuuuse we're on the move, darklin'. Next stop, parking garage. Oh yeah: no shotgun."

The 'nurse' inserts a small key into the elevator panel, pushes a button and the car comes to a sudden stop! She then pushes the 'garage' button and the elevator begins descending. She pockets the key and stun gun, then leans back on the wall, looking at Pioneer,

"You have questions. Now's a great time to ask. I'm not sure if NYPD cleared the garage or not."

Based on the Insight check, Pioneer has no clue what's going on here. Is she a nurse? A cop? An assassin? A Fed? Where is she taking you?

[Doggie_arf]

"Ok, that is creepy," Façade said, inwardly relieved that the mysterious man didn't seem to know about her.

The giant tree seemed to be drawing the attention of everyone in the vicinity - it probably would be trivial for her to sneak away undetected in the chaos. And then I'd have to find and steal someone else's identity, and live their life until something happens to draw the police again... Somehow, repeating that cycle over and over again didn't really appeal to Façade anymore.

And creepy or not, mysterious or not, the man didn't seem like he was going to turn them over to the police immediately.

"Is your offer open for one more? I'm not sure if I can trust you alone by yourself with Fl-Chloro over here."


Combat Statistics:
- Initiative: (Probably) 24
- Status: Normal
- Victory Points: 1
- Essence Bolt: 5/5 (Recharge Condtions Met? - Yes [Fed on Watkins]?)

Just chatting away...

Façade's getting tired of 'living' at the lowest rung of Maslow's Hierarchy.

Being on the run all the time is stressful, even if food and water is not a problem. And that's not including Façade's special needs for sustenance...

[moossabi]

"That didn't answer my question at all. All it did was make you seem like a weird stalker. I want to know how." However, the offer seemed fairly solid. There was just the matter of this person being a stalker and using the stupid 'no time to explain why I don't have time to explain' excuse. "So, actually answer my question, and I'll come along. If you don't, then I'll be leaving this chaos myself."

[dream]

Hellhound:
The interrogator leans on the table, getting in Hellhound's face,

"Lawyer? You'll be lucky to get a jury, pal! You keep giving me flack and I'll throw you to the Feds. They're in the next office over licking their chops! With them, you get the 'enemy of the state' jacket, a military tribunal and then you vanish off the face of the planet! You want that? Stop messing around and tell me what I want to know! It's the only play you got right now! I want names and I want them now! You're starting t---"

There's a loud 'bonk' as the other detective slams your helmet across the back of his head! The cop grunts, collapses onto the table and slides down to the floor! She looks at the helmet,

"Magic. God, he was pissing me off. Alright, double H, time to move."

She moves to escort Hellhound out of the office, but the hallway is crawling with cops!

DC20 Insight check. I'll give you room here to react to the situation before moving on.


Chloro & Facade:
The stranger begins walking for the door, pointing outside while finishing off a snack-cake,

"In eleven seconds your NYPD friends bust through that back door. Run if you want, but if you want answers, I got 'em."

A bullet shatters the glass within one of the doors and the stranger cusses. He draws a heavy gun from under his jacket and fires-off a few booming shots (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh0XEO3uYII) into the street! Then he skips out the door and gets into the driver's side of the ivory Maybach, starting it up!

Moment of truth.


Quick Fix:
The shotgun-wielding stranger quickly escorts Quick Fix to a waiting taxicab just a few yards away from the accident scene! Large crowds of people gawk at the situation, looking like the want to approach, but the shotgun keeps them away. You can hear sirens in the distance, still, and an older man steps from the cab driver's seat and walks away towards the crowd --- he doesn't even look at you or your new friend! The stranger opens the backseat door for Quick Fix,

"Can you feel it, Dr. Burlow? That ripple in the 'stream? Pretty sure you can. That's why I'm here: because of all the thousands of superhumans on Earth, you are one of two chronopaths that managed to find themselves together this morning. If that isn't serendipity, what would you call it? You know there's something wrong with the world and it's messing with your physiology. I can help you, if you help me. We're in the middle of the street, Doctor --- can we move on?"

Space for your reaction & you can make an Insight check to see if he's sincere, if you want.

[EnglishLanguage]

Quick Fix nodded and gets into the car, not quite seeing any reason to distrust him yet. "Ah, so you're also aware of this.....Sorsius character...wait, two?" Thinking back, Quick Fix remembered that off question the girl asked him earlier about Sorsius. "Ah, that woman from earlier. Well, if it'll help me control the energy I have, fine, I'll go with you......for now. But I'm expecting some answers once we get to wherever it is we're going."

Doesn't seem to be dishonest, but rolling just in case.
[roll0]

[Mono Vertigo]

This might be a horrible judgment, but Pioneer quickly decides being stuck with a shapeshifter(?) inside an elevator going god-knows-where is a huge improvement.
She'd grin widely, but she keeps her calm and composure.
"My first question is a practical one: do you have the means to get rid of my handcuffs, and do you have any intention to do so? Next questions: what do you know about Sorsius? How about the men who knocked at my door this morning? Oh, and what was up with that attack at Starbucks?"
Does she have any reason to trust the "nurse" so far? Beside the fact she probably could have killed her already if she'd wanted her dead, not much, but better work with incomplete or false data than no data at all.

[Doggie_arf]

"Hey, don't just talk over me like I don't exist," Façade called to the mystery man, a trace of irritation leaking into her voice. "You seem to know when we'd be here, right down to the exact moment. How did you manage that?"

Now that she thought of it, the man's sedan had stopped outside right before Flower Girl/Chloro/Penelope had made that Treebeard-monster appear. Definitely too much of a coincidence, there...


Combat Statistics:
- Initiative: (Probably) 24
- Status: Normal
- Victory Points: 1
- Essence Bolt: 5/5 (Recharge conditions met)

Façade is not too happy about being ignored.

[moossabi]

"Exactly my question, Miss cannibal." A bit of a grin spreads across her face. "I apologize, but, again, you did not answer my question. I would like to know how you know so much about me, and why you seem to know exactly where we are all of the time. Seeing as a confrontation with a copycat merely gave me a bloody nose, I think that we have some time." With a slight hand motion, vines erupt outside the driver-side door, trying to restrain the creepy stalker!

Snare on Mr. Stalker.
Snaring Vines
. . Snare: Affliction 10 (Alternate; 1st degree: Hindered, Vulnerable, 2nd degree: Immobile, Defenseless, 3rd degree: Paralyzed, Unaware, DC 20; Alternate Resistance (Dodge), Extra Condition, Increased Range: ranged)

Attack roll: [roll0]

[HopeHubris]

"Uhhh, thanks. Can I get the helmet back now?"
Hellhound says, not sure why this 'cop' is helping him.
"Then we could just fight our way out, or you could just pretend I'm still a prisoner, but I prefer the first option."
He continues, waiting to see how she would react
"And did some of the stoned people actually die? That really is pretty rare, usually only happens to things that are already sick or frail."


Still trying to throw off the dampening: [roll0]

[dream]

Quick Fix:
The man slams the door shut and slides into the driver's seat,

"You have my word, John, all will be explained sooner than you think. Regrettably, I can't remove the handcuffs at this moment. Next stop: JFK."

The wheels squeal as the cab stabs into traffic, swerving around vehicles and sometimes nearly going airborne through red traffic lights!

Based on the check, Quick Fix feels at ease with the stranger, despite the evasive answers.


Pioneer:
The nurse takes a quick look at what level you're on: the light flashes '1'. She digs her hands in the deep pockets of her scrubs,

"If I had my way, I'd take them off, but I can't. Sorry. Soon enough. Sorsius? Lord Sorsius is the reason I'm here, Pioneer, because there's a problem that only someone like you can appreciate. You can sense something's wrong, can't you? Like we woke-up with the world underwater? I'll give you all the details soon enough. And the Starbucks thing was all Armor Man, but you might end up thanking him when this is all over."

She pulls a heavy handgun from her right pocket and uses her free hand to make sure Pioneer is covered by the bed-sheets as the elevator 'dings' a welcome to the parking garage!


Facade & Chloro:
The man looks back at the store as the car starts to creep forward when Chloro's mutant vines lash out of cracks in the street, whipping at the sedan's driver! Immediately, the car accelerates with zero tire-squeal to speed away from the Shop & Go, taking the first corner like a smaller sports car!

The street, looking like a war-torn battlefield due to the tree-monster's rampage, was mostly empty, save the three policemen firing and reloading to resume firing at Chloro's creation! Suddenly, the back door of the store blasts open and you see a tall, well-built man dressed in a dark-blue suit walks into the building! He's dark-haired with a moustache and has an almost sinister look on his face! Behind him is another red-headed man wearing a long dark trenchcoat and dark clothing underneath. Both men are identifiable as NYPD detectives by the gold badges dangling from their necklaces! The Indian man stops crying and begins stammering,

"Y-Yes! Yes!! Those people! They are criminals! They hurt my wife!! Kill them! Get them now!!!"

The big cop, taking quick long strides directly towards Facade and Chloro, speaks, his deep voice booming from the hallway,

"NYPD! You're under arrest! Get down, or get put down!!"

DC13 Will or Insight check (the higher bonus)! Impaired (-2 all checks) & 4 degrees of failure = -5 all checks. Impaired last until the end of the next round.


Hellhound:
She turns from peeping out the door back to Hellhound,

"Mind if I keep it, at least until we get past the 50-something cops in this building? It's kind of sexy. Haha! Fight your way --- there's around 12 superhuman police officers out there just looking for an excuse to bounce you around a cell until you beg for it to stop. No, you don't fight these guys. Didn't you ever watch "Cops"? You run, 'hound. 'SIGH' --- you know your powers don't kill people. Mathis was just bluffing to see if you'd crack, and if that didn't work, I was supposed to knee-cap you."

She whips out a mean looking automatic handgun, grins and flings the door open as the precinct lights go out, throwing the entire building into perfect darkness!

DC15 perception check & DC12 Insight check. HH sees well enough not to trip or run into a wall trying to escapeHH realizes this 'cop' likes him!

[Doggie_arf]

"I'm not sure who I'm more annoyed with right now," Façade muttered to Chloro as the sedan slipped its leafy restraints and sped off into the distance. "You for being vine-happy, or Mr. Cryptic for being, well, cryptic."

Or myself for not knocking out that old man when I had the chance, she added mentally, as the shopkeeper returned - noisily - with two new police officers in tow.

"Ugh, do you both mind not shouting?" she said, her annoyance now evident. "I've had enough of shouty people today. As for the old lady, ask Flower Girl over here - I didn't do anything to her."


Combat Statistics:
- Initiative: (Probably) 24
- Status: Normal
- Victory Points: 1
- Essence Bolt: 5/5 (Recharge conditions met)

Insight/Will (both modifiers are the same) - [roll0]

Whose turn is it right now?

[HopeHubris]

"Well, I suppose we should get out of here while the lights are off, then? and I could take 'em, the one back at Starbucks got lucky "


Don't suppose the power-dampener was tech that went out with the lights? That'd be nice

[EnglishLanguage]

Quick Fix leaned back in the seat a bit, smiling a bit as the cab flew through traffic as if the driver was a complete maniac*. "Ah...the feeling of real speed." Quick Fix mused to no one in particular, a slight hint of jealousy at the mention of "real speed." "Maybe if I get over this whole supervillain thing, I'll go into racecar driving. Temporal acceleration is handy...but doesn't quite give you that feeling actually going at 120 miles an hour does."

*As if the driver was a maniac, or the average driver where I live :P......which isn't too far from NYC itself now that I think about it.

Anywho, Quick Fix is pretty much satisfied with things until we reach the destination.

[moossabi]

"Why are my vines not working today?!" Any sign of smugness was gone, replaced with pure rage. "So, because I know that you cops are jerks, I'm not gonna go with the whole 'but I'm only 11, you wouldn't shoot me' line, so I'll cut to the chase and just spray some flower gas at you." In the space of 3 seconds, the flower re-emerges and sprays mind control dust at the redhead.

Mind control on the smaller cop.
Mind Control
. . Affliction: Cumulative Progressive Affliction 10 (Alternate; 1st degree: Entranced, 2nd degree: Compelled, 3rd degree: Controlled, Resisted by: Will, DC 20; Cumulative, Increased Range 2: perception, Progressive)
Toxic Thorns

This didn't happen!

[Doggie_arf]

"You know, suspicious or not, that sedan was probably our fastest way out of here," Façade said exasperatedly as she rushed towards Big Moustache. "Now instead of one mysterious man, we're stuck with two hostile cops and a noisy old shopkeeper. I hope you're pleased with yourself."


Combat Statistics:
- Initiative: (Probably) 24
- Status: Normal
- Victory Points: 1
- Essence Bolt: 5/5 (Recharge conditions met)

I'm guessing that walking forward and attempting to scare the two ladies into submission was the big guy's turn, so hopefully this isn't jumping the gun. Besides, I'm busy today, so I should post now before I get swamped with...stuff.

Move - Meet Big Moustache halfway in the shop/corridor.
Standard - Essence Strike him in the "voonerables".

Attack Roll - [roll0]
If attack hits, Big Moustache must make a DC 23 Toughness check. DC 25 if I get two degrees of success, and DC 28 if I get three.

And before I forget - Assessment on the big guy, please.

[Mono Vertigo]

"Interesting. Very, very interesting."
And that is why you should trust your intuition, folks, particularly when your guts were time-displaced.
"I'll go back to you later when I'm done compiling a mental list of questions", replies calmly the villain, lying back and covering herself with the sheet.

[dream]

Facade & Chloro:

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/eldritchword/ShopampGo_zpsi8qgprca.jpg
Pruitt is the big cop, while Franks is the red-headed trenchcoat.

The big cop moves for the two villains, as his partner comes from around the other end of the shop nearest the window! The red-headed detective stares at Chloro and suddenly four identical copies of him appear out of nowhere and rush towards the botanical bad-girl!

Doggie-Arf is up! Then the big cop, Pruitt, and finally, Moosabi. Pruitt is closing on Facade.


Hellhound:
Led primarily by his benefactor's guiding hand, Hellhound sprints, jukes, spins, and slides in the darkness until a front door is kicked open by the female 'detective', who maintains a full sprint as sudden daylight forces a quick adjustment of the eyes! Just a few yards ahead is a black Corvette (http://resimli.net/wp-content/uploads/matte-black-2014-corvette-stingray-4.jpg) streaking towards you down the sidewalk in reverse! It slams on brakes with a heavy squeal of rubber, the driver's side door opens, and a man in a pink suit hops out leaving the sports car running! He produces a heavy handgun and kneeling, opens fire (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mh0XEO3uYII) on the precinct doorway!

The detective opens the passenger door, pushes Hellhound in, slams the door and streaks around behind the running car, before a a different Asian woman (http://www.beyondhollywood.com/uploads/2013/03/Maggie-Q.-in-NIKITA.jpg) jumps in the driver's seat, gunning the engine as she slams the door!

"We've got a plane to catch, Mr. Woodward. Until we're on it; no escapes, no fighting, and no coffee."

The Corvette soars off the sidewalk, sending pedestrians sprawling, and after performing a hard 270° spin, jets down the street veering in and out of traffic!

If you have questions or comments or actions, fire away.


Quick Fix:
In less than an hour, thanks to the wildest driving he's ever seen, Quick Fix arrives at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The taxi pulls almost completely around the facility, until the driver finds an open gate and zooms through, with uniformed staff yelling at the cab in defiance! The car sails across the cargo area and onto the tarmac, past the larger passenger jets, headed for a smaller aircraft (http://theluxurypad.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/luxury-jet.jpg) parked at the far end of the furthest runway. The cab stops, the stranger jumps out, grabs Quick Fix from the passenger seat and escorts the villain to the plane's inviting staircase. The biting-cold air cuts across the airport as Quick Fix hears plane engines roaring above and around him,

"Here we go, Doc. Watch your step! Oh yeah, and you own me $41.89."

RP here as you like


Pioneer:
Under the sheet, Pioneer faintly sees the elevator doors open and she's pushed out into the dimly-lit garage by the 'nurse'. Surprisingly, flashing red lights fill the area almost immediately as an ambulance waits a few yards from the elevator! The nurse opens the rear doors, maneuvers the gurney up and into the back with a few 'clicking' bumps (http://ambulance-photos.com.s3.amazonaws.com/1312.jpg) and then slams the doors shut! Another door is opened then closed up front, then the ambulance takes off through the winding garage, whipping around corners until its sirens begin to whine and the vehicle streaks into the city streets outside Mount Sinai! The gurney rattles and shakes and leans as the ambulance wheels through across Manhattan at high-speed! The nurse's voice comes across an internal PA system,

"Just relax, Pioneer. We'll reach a secure location soon and the 'cuffs come off."

You can RP or not, up to you. Transit wont take long.

[EnglishLanguage]

Quick Fix simply rolls his eyes a bit. "Gee, you know pal, I'd really love to, but uh...", he says, motioning towards his cuffs with his head, "...hands are a bit tied at the moment. Besides, I left my wallet with my suit...in my briefcase.....that..I left back a the coffee shop ****. Quick Fix nearly wanted to bang his head on the nearest hard surface. It was hidden in a bathroom stall, but eventually someone might find it. Such a stupid stupid mistake.

[HopeHubris]

"Fair enough, but can I have my helmet back now though?"
Hellhound asks, both glad to not be as arrested any more, as well as confused as to why these people broke him out.
"And, uh, who are you people?"

[Doggie_arf]

Copies, Façade thought, noting the duplicates of the officer in red as she dashed past them. I think I'll let Flower Girl deal with that.

Up close, Big Moustache looked even more obnoxious and overbearing - her current form wasn't particularly tall, and the police officer she was facing easily topped 6 feet. Can't let that stop me, she thought, letting her "essence" surge into her arm, before thrusting it towards Big Moustache's...well...moustache.


Combat Statistics:
- Initiative: (Probably) 24
- Status: Normal
- Victory Points: 1
- Essence Bolt: 5/5 (Recharge conditions met)

Going to stick to my previous action of going Leeroy Jenkins charging towards Pruitt.

As per my previous posts, my Will/Insight roll against Pruitt's Intimidation was 13 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18813323&postcount=140), while my attack roll was 18 (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18818312&postcount=144). I am not sure what's the result of a tie on the opposed check, so if it's a failure on my end, apply a -2 penalty to the latter for being impaired by his obnoxious moustache.

[dream]

Pioneer:
The ambulance speeds through the Manhattan streets, siren blaring and tires squealing! But, it's a longer ride than Pioneer expected, taking upwards of an hour. With her wound feeling a little less painful, but the medications also affecting her constitution, the villainess struggles to maintain consciousness during the ride. Finally, after several tunnels and expressways, the vehicle starts to slow and drives along at the reduced pace for minutes until coming to a sudden stop!

The front door opens & closed, then the rear double-doors open, with a different Asian female (http://www.thetvaddict.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/nikita-maggie-q.jpg) now standing before you! She pulls the gurney out of the vehicle, which is still running but the lights and siren turned off. Just a few yards away, Pioneer sees a private jet (http://theluxurypad.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/luxury-jet.jpg), staircase down and awaiting them(?)

"Touchdown. Can you walk?"

She assists the extraterrestrial super-agent from the gurney and onto the plane, which has a rather opulent interior (http://images.idiva.com/media/luxury/content/2013/Oct/jet_aviation2.jpg), not to mention two additional passengers: a beared man wearing a black suit and the 'speedster' from the Starbucks who fled the authorities!

You can RP with anyone here.


Quick Fix:
The suited man guides Quick Fix up and into what's obviously a luxury aircraft (http://images.idiva.com/media/luxury/content/2013/Oct/jet_aviation2.jpg), allowing the villain to pick his seat,

"Ah damn, Doc. All your personal effects, now probably in police custody. You didn't have anything confidential in there, did'ja?"

Quick Fix, while considering his suitcase situation, can feel the hear and feel the engines of the jet purring around him. He also notices the appearance of an attractive Asian woman, also dressed in black, who is escorting the costumed woman from Starbucks into the plane!

You can RP with anyone here.


Hellhound:
Whipping the wheel to nearly 'drift' through a right turn, the vivacious driver reaches between her legs to the floor, produces the helmet and slaps it into Hellhound's lap. Hard.

"That little nipping stunt you pulled back there was nice. You're welcome, and WE are the people who just saved your a** from what? Fifteen to life? WE have a situation, which means things just got very busy for Yu. That's me: Yu. Chelsea Yu. And you're Thomas Woodward, college drop-out and wanna-be power-broker."

She gives Hellhound a sharp look, then shifts the 'Vette into 6th gear and guns it through a recently-red light!


http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/eldritchword/ShopampGo_zpsrynr2xro.jpg
Facade & Chloro:
Lunging at the big cop, Facade goes for a bio-psychic strike, but the 6'5" detective is quicker than he looks, blocking the villainess' blow!

"Oh, gotta tough one here! Okay, sweetheart, however you want it!"


Pause for Moosabi.

[Mono Vertigo]

"I'll be fine."
Damn, that plane is better than her house is. (Or rather was, probably.)
She walks up to Quick Fix with a limp, her memory still fresh. "I remember you! If you had the same kind of conversation with our new 'friends' as I did, then we might owe each other some explanations."

[EnglishLanguage]

Thinking a bit, Quick Fix didn't think anything too serious was in the briefcase offhand. Confidential? Hmm....can't say I did offhand besides my wallet anyways, it's mostly a way to carry my suit and gun around without drawing suspicion. I mean come on, who notices a guy in a business suit at Starbucks?

He jumped a bit after Pioneer said something to him, not quite expecting to see her so soon. He leaned back in his seat a bit, still a bit obviously uncomfortable in the cuffs. Explanations?...Oh, you must mean the..what he called em, chronopath thing?...Yeah, I know Sorsius doesn't belong here, I remember history as it was before this morning, how this....this...thing suddenly appeared in history. Hell, I pretend to be a speedster just to avoid this EXACT situation! Quick Fix's eyes widened a bit when he realized he was yelling a bit. Sorry, this whole situation has me a bit on edge. This is the first time I've had this sort of situation since I got my time powers.

[HopeHubris]

"Yeah, thanks again for that, no matter who you are, I'm probably better off not in jail"
He says trying to hold the helmet despite the handcuffs, good to have you back, before continuing
"I'm not a drop out, I could go back, if the whole 'supervillain' thing fails, I was passing my courses"

He then tries to actually get the helmet on his head, wouldn't do to travel about in his villain suit without the helmet on.
"Do you have the keys for these? Hard to to put my helmet on and pretty much anything else, with handcuffs. If you don't have the key, do you mind if I burn them off? That might destroy the car though"

[moossabi]

"Ooooooohhhhh... five at once? You realize that your powers are pretty much useless. I have a flower growing out of my back. You are a squad of ordinary people. And I think that my flower helps quite a bit more." The flower expels some more mental pollen, sending it directly for the progenitor of the copies!

Mind control on the cop, if one of the copies charges then dodge is below.

Mind Control
. . Affliction: Cumulative Progressive Affliction 10 (Alternate; 1st degree: Entranced, 2nd degree: Compelled, 3rd degree: Controlled, Resisted by: Will, DC 20; Cumulative, Increased Range 2: perception, Progressive)

Dodge: [roll0]

[dream]

Pioneer & Quick-Fix:
Watching the villains from a few yards away, the woman and the man turn to each other, shake their heads while smiling, perform a quick 'fist bump' and the male instantly vanishes! The woman turns back to the duo,

"We can retrieve your case, if it's important to you. But, once you learn the truth, it probably wont be. There's a wet bar to your right, 3D-TV with world-wide channel access, a private bedroom with shower, fresh fruit in the refrigerator, chess board, and headset with global music or news access. There's a phone, but service is temporarily disconnected. I need to check with the pilot a moment."

Feel free to chat or question her before she exits the space. You can 'chat' with Hellhound, as well. You notice he's escorted by a twin for the Asian woman that appeared with Pioneer!


Hellhound:
Yu guns the 'Vette to nearly 100 mph,

"Later. Right now, we have a plane to catch."

Whoever Yu is, she's an unbelievable driver! Zooming the corvette at high speeds across the city, the couple arrive at JFK International in under an hour. She only had to ditch two patrol cars and clear sidewalks for several blocks in the process. Entering the airport perimeter, Yu cuts across the expansive parking lots and sails through an open gate, streaking at a slightly lower velocity for the tarmac!

Hellhound sees loaders, crew, and planes everywhere, but a single private jet in the distance seems to be the destination. Yu pulls up to the waiting jet (http://theluxurypad.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/luxury-jet.jpg), it's engines whining and parks the sports car. After exiting and escorting the still-bound Hellhound up into the aircraft, the villain sees the talkative fellow crook, and, the costumed weather-manipulating woman from Starbucks are already onboard!

"You can take or seat of stand until take-off, 'Hound. Can I get anyone a drink?"

She produces a small black & chrome device that resembles a car remote and seems to push a small trigger: the handcuffs 'pop' open, enabling the villains to move their arms separately, but the black bands with tiny blinking lights remain on their wrists!

Feel free to chat with the crew or question Yu. DC30 Will check to use powers, still.


Chloro & Facade:

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/eldritchword/ShopampGo_zpsjolatzzt.jpg

The detective blinks, shakes his head and steps back a step, clearly affected by Chloro's powerful pollen! He coughs and wipes his face with a swipe of his sleeve, then shoots Chloro an angry gaze,

"I don't know COUGH what that was, but you wont get another chance to use it!"

The detective's quintuplets dive at Chloro, but with a mix of instinct, agility, and sheer luck, she avoids their 'mob attack'! The duplicates end up surrounding the villainess, but none of them laid a hand on her! A few yards from the tussle, the red-headed cop again focuses on Chloro and four more duplicates appear, rushing at the chloroform criminal!

Her 1st attack blocked by detective Pruitt, Facade is up! She can tell this guy is strong! Pruitt is after Doggie-Arf, then Moosabi is last.

[EnglishLanguage]

Quick Fix thinks a bit, before simply nodding his head. "It's not too important, so I guess I can just retrieve it later." Seeing the villain from earlier being escorted onto the plane, Quick Fix drops the serious attitude. "Oh hey, look who's here, the guy who got us into this mess. It's like a criminal family reunion."

Stretching a bit once the cuffs unhook, Quick stretched a bit and started examining the parts still on his wrists. "Not completely off, bits still blinking.." he looked up at Yu, "..I assume our powers are still being nullified? No matter, let's see what I can find out about our little friends here." Quick Fix then started examining as much of the cuffs as he could. "So what are these things anyways? You average cop doesn't have access to gear THIS high tech."

Technology check to examine these things.
[roll0]

[Mono Vertigo]

Very strange people there. Still her best bet, nonetheless. (Also, there's nothing that could be done anyway, with no powers.)
"Okay, I get it. You see, my own brush with the forces of spacetime - mostly time - left me attuned to it in a measure that might be equal to yours. It's definitely nice, meeting someone else like me in that respect. That being said... do you know anything about me, and if you do, would you be crazy enough to call the authorities on me?"

[Doggie_arf]

"I'm not your sweetheart," Façade retorted to the tall officer as he parried her attack. "You're noisy, obnoxious, meat-headed, and your moustache looks and smells like a three day old walrus carcass. So I think I'll be getting away from you now."

Slapping aside the officer's hand, she launched another strike towards the big man's gut, before throwing herself backwards, converting her momentum into motion as she dashed down the aisle. As she did so, she mentally "stoked" the eldritch energies flowing within her body into temporary overdrive, boosting her movement even further as she ran past the candy bins and canned goods towards his companion.

"She doesn't have to," Façade added to the trench-coated policeman as she bore down on him. "And I can't have you creating any more copies - I don't think they'll make very good merchandise..."


Combat Statistics:
- Initiative: 24
- Status: Normal
- Victory Points: 1
- Essence Bolt: 5/5 (Recharge Condtions Met)

Free: Insult Pruitt.
Free: Use Extra Effort (http://www.d20herosrd.com/home#TOC-USING-EXTRA-EFFORT) for extra Standard Action!
Standard: Essence Strike Pruitt in his pudgy gut.
Move: Run down the aisle towards Franks (Judging by the map, it should be within Façade's Speed Rank 1 movement).
Extra Effort Standard: SNEAK ATTACK! Essence Strike Franks - he's wide open!

Attack Roll vs Pruitt: [roll0]
Attack Roll vs Franks: [roll1]
Toughness DC 23 if the attack hits (DC 25 for 2 successes, DC 28 for 3+ successes)

Façade is fatigued next turn.

[HopeHubris]

"Thanks, I'd prefer them off all the way, but this'll do... Wait, these cuffs are what's suppressing my powers? That does explain a thing or two. And you didn't have to fight the super-cops, if that guy didn't get lucky, I could've taken 'em. Or at least, the ones I did see, not gonna lie, I got taken out pretty early in that fight"
Hellhound admits, putting his helmet on properly now that his hands were free to move
"So, speedy (sorry, didn't catch your name), how'd the fight go after that? Seems like both of you got caught, and I don't even know who anyone else here is"
He says to Quick Fix (not that he knows that)


Another attempt to throw off the damn suppression: [roll0]

[EnglishLanguage]

"About you?" Quick Fix thought about the question a bit. Admittedly, he didn't really keep up on the who's who of supervillains. He simply shrugged. All I know about you right now is that we're both apparently chronopaths, and we're apparently caught up in some business with these people." He motioned to the people aboard the plane, except Hellhound. "Honestly, I don't know what's going on, and you......and him I guess, seem to be the only ones I can trust at the moment."

"As for the fight," Quick Fix proudly smiled a bit, "well, I managed to get out of the Starbucks, thought that speedster kept up with me, which I admit surprised me, but I managed to floor him before that laser beam jerk knocked me to the ground. After that...well, I'm sure even you can put 2 and 2 together." He held up his wrists, as if proving a point.

Quick Fix sighed a bit and rubbed his temples. "I swear, when all this is over, I'm going home and taking a LONG nap...well, after I learn about about my powers I guess.

[Mono Vertigo]

Pioneer shakes her head with a relieved smile. "Hahah, that is going to make things easier for me, a bit less so for you, then. Call me Pioneer. Short story, the government wants me dead or interrogated very thoroughly, preferably the latter, and I ended up at Starbucks while trying to escape what must have been government agents. You don't need the long story. It's not immensely relevant right now. And it is quite long indeed."
She eyes her own wound. That part is just embarrassing, let's forget it even happened as soon as possible. "I don't know what will happen to us, but I might have interesting career plans for the both of you. That is, if our hosts don't already have a proposition of their own."

[dream]

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/eldritchword/ShopampGo_zpsqpvrrcao.jpg
Chloro & Facade:
The lightning-quick Facade lands a solid blow into the big cop's midsection, and he coughs out a grunt of pain! Then as she dashes across the store to attack the unsuspecting red-headed detective, Facade delivers another punch which causes the surprised cop to take a step backwards and bump into the long shop window! While clearly feeling the force of Facade's attacks, neither officer is downed!

DC17 Perception check for Chloro before I can post for Pruitt.


Pioneer, Quick-Fix & Hellhound:
The woman leans against the wall and nods at Quick-Fix,

"They do now. With the rising population of superhumans, global law enforcement is upping the ante, getting billions in funding for new tech and armament to handle the threat. That would be you folks."

She grins and holds up the little remote that opened the handcuffs, pointing a finger at Hellhound,

"Yes. You wouldn't believe the level of electromechanics involved with them. 'Metametric-Biostasis', I think they call it? They can negate any form of superhuman ability, even what people call 'magic'. Part of my training was to get out of a pair of those."

She turned to smile at Quick-Fix,

"If you can do what needs to be done, I'll make sure you get that nap wherever and for as long as you like."

She looks at Pioneer, eyeing the wound,

"There's a Med-Kit in the cabinet under the chessboard. You can use the private restroom in the back, if you like. And yes, Pioneer, like I told 'Hound, we do have a proposition for you. I was waiting for the last two pieces of this puzzle, but they proved disobliging."

She walks over to a sofa and sits. She stares at the villains a few seconds, then sighs,

"What I'm about to reveal to you may seem ridiculous. It may seem impossible. You might laugh in my face. And you'd be right on all levels. So, let us begin with the basics: What do you know about Time-Travel?"

[Mono Vertigo]

"Well, for starters, that's something I've done", replies Pioneer smugly, "And the technology used on me only allows for one-way travels into the future, which, incidentally, makes it entirely paradox-free and very safe. We haven't stol-we haven't developed the technology for travels into the past, but there are ways of doing that. And humans haven't mastered any of that, although they have other very useful and interesting technologies."
She limps to the cabinet in order to try and fix her wound herself. Before disappearing in the restroom, she adds: "As an aside, let me note that human anatomy sucks, and I have yet to study how your species survived so long with such squishy meat for a body."

[EnglishLanguage]

"Time travel?" Quick Fix thought for a second. "Well, considering my...situation, I can't really say it's impossible, but the amount of tech and energy you'd need for that...." It WOULD explain, he thought, the oddity that had been going on today.

Quick Fix watched Pioneer walk away, and looked back at the others, saying a bit surprised. "Wait.....she's not human?"

[Doggie_arf]

Façade's vision blurred for a moment, and she stumbled as the temporary surge of energy faded away. It wasn't the tiredness that came with physical exertion - she just felt...drained. Can't do that too often, she thought muzzily as the dizzy spell passed, leaving her with a general sense of weakness. She hated the sensation - it reminded her too much of that night, when she'd first awakened...

More pressingly, the trenchcoated policeman and his copies were still active. D-did I mess up? she thought, forcing her attention back to the present. Or did I just not hit him hard enough?


Combat Statistics:
- Initiative: 24
- Status: Fatigued
- Victory Points: 1
- Essence Bolt: 5/5 (Recharge Condtions Met)

Fluff post while waiting for dream/moossabi.

[dream]

Chloro & Facade:
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/eldritchword/ShopampGo_zpsawpdunb8.jpg
Occupied by the attacking duplicates of Franks, Chloro doesn't see the large (and angry) detective Pruitt bound across several yards through the air and land right next to Chloro, swinging a monstrous two-handed blow into her body! Chloro sees nothing but stars and darkness as she sails backwards, propelled by the blow, smashing through the store window behind her and hurtling outside to land in the middle of the street!!

Facade looks at the red-head detective, who's still standing after taking a good shot that should have decked him! The cop blinks as a slender trickle of blood runs down his chin,

"Whoa. They said you were powerful, but --- okay, baby. My turn!"

Chloro must make a DC30 Toughness check. If she avoids Stun or worse, she's got the next action, then the dupes are up.


Quick-Fix & Hellhound:
Yu nods at Quick-Fix,

"That was the original and publicly-accepted ideology: "it takes way too much energy to even consider traveling across time". And that's exactly what T.T.R.P.G. wanted. The less people trying to pull back the curtain and 'swim', the better. But --- the ideology was misinformation. The truth is the time-stream is so fluid and so powerful, if you could devise a method to redirect it, manipulating the energy flow to 'ride' the Stream, rather than trying to 'swim against the current' --- well. It's all very advanced physics that I'm sure you understand much better than I, Quick-Fix. The process functions similar to the martial art, Aikido, which focuses on controlling the flow of force energy.

Simple fact of the matter: a group of scientists cracked the Time-Travel 'code', developed the technology, and working with politically-active industrialists, formed a covert organization to 'correct' temporal anomalies created by people who had also figured out the 'Stream'. That was 1952, and the organization was named the Time-Travel Reconnaissance & Protection Group, of which I'm an agent. I am Chelsea Yu, Field Operations Coordinator.

Staying with me so far? Questions?"

[HopeHubris]

"Uh... Sure..."
Hellhound says, clearly not following the majority of the time travel discussion

[moossabi]

Being caught almost completely by surprise with the big cop's attack, Chloro has only just enough time to channel all of her inbuilt plant 'armor' to the area of attack. The impact is felt, but no structural damage has been done. The same happens with impact on the street. And this is why I don't like cops...

Getting up, she takes a moment to brush herself off, before grinning and waving at the officer. The flower, having avoided the majority of the damage, rises into plain view. "Sorry, but I have other ideas." And with that, thorns begin to emerge from the vine...

Toxic Thorns
. . Affliction: Progressive Affliction 10 (Linked; 1st degree: Vulnerable, 2nd degree: Disabled, 3rd degree: Incapacitated, Resisted by: Fortitude, DC 20; Increased Range: ranged, Progressive)

Perception (if necessary to hit): [roll0]

[EnglishLanguage]

Quick Fix nodded a bit. "I get the basic gist of it, yeah. I definitely know about that whole energy thing, believe me." Quick Fix leaned back in his seat. "I take it this isn't the only time you're group's had to...'correct' things?"

[dream]

http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/eldritchword/ShopampGo_zpsrzglvhpf.jpg
Shop&Go: It was hard to convey, but Facade is being mobbed/dog-piled by the eight duplicates! Chloro is outside on the street 30' away from the store interior.


Facade & Chloro:
Momentarily doubting her capabilities, Facade makes a tactical error of taking her eyes off of her target's minions! The eight trench-coated minions dash at the psychic villainess and tackle her, one and two at a time, until Facade is literally buried alive under a hill of cops!

Yards away, Pruitt watches his partner's successful move, then turns his attention out to the street. The tree-monster stalks a group of policemen running down an adjacent street to escape Chloro's abomination! Moving to the huge fractured hole in the store window, the big detective gazes at Chloro standing alone in the street!

Facade has to make a DC24 STR or Parry check to avoid being overwhelmed by the dupes (they're STR 4, have Improved Hold & get a +5 bonus for their numeric advantage). I need an attack roll from Moosabi.


Quick-Fix, Hellhound & Pioneer:

Yu gives Quick-Fix a look, then nods,

"At first, it was the occasional 'jumper'. Some crackpot inventor got lucky and pierced the Stream. They do some damage, we track them down and set things right. That was before my time, but the Director --- well, he's seen it all. All those old stories of 'swimming' to the wrong spot and --- back then they didn't have it down to a complete science. Sometimes they'd corral the wrong people because they missed their landing zone. Haha! Wow. Even after years of service, it still blows my mind.

Anyway. As technology advanced, so did the number of people breaching the Stream and T.T.R.P.G. got busy. Very busy. Then there was the superhuman angle: occasionally we'd get a 'fish', someone who could Time-Travel naturally, without equipment. They were the worst, popping in and out of he Stream almost randomly."

Yu looked around the cabin, checked her watch, then sighed,

"The assassins were the worst. They'd make a mess of the world and we'd catch pure hell trying to hunt down professionals trained to cover their tracks. Just between us? We lost a few Presidents to them. As good as our recruitment and training processes are, we don't have the kinds of 'specialists' to handle certain criminals. Starting a few decades ago, we started losing agents. The opposition was getting better and our Wall Street connections began to question our capabilities. The Director had to make some tough decisions, some that cost agent lives, but in the end, billions more lives were saved."

A female voice similar to Yu's comes over the plane's speaker-system,

"Objective re-acquired. ETA eight minutes. ETD in nine."

Yu gives Hellhound a curious gaze, looks at the back of the plane as if waiting for Pioneer, then inhales,

"One of the new protocols was to begin integrating a new kind of agent into T.T.R.P.G. Agents with talents and skills beyond what we could ever offer. People who better fit the profile in terms of identifying and tracking down targets. Those with a mentality and specific set of experiences that denied them the luxury of doubt when taking action counted most ---"

Pausing unexpectedly, Yu grins somewhat at Quick-Fix and Hellhound,

"Still following?"

DC11 Insight check to pick-up something:
She isn't telling you everything.
She's lying, mostly.

[Doggie_arf]

"'Baby?' Really? Do all cops like hitting on people, or is it just the two of-"

Façade's reply was cut off as the trenchcoated detective's copies launched themselves at her! Tired as she was, she soon found herself contending with eight different sets of grasping arms and flailing limbs, crushing her against the beer cabinet. "Agh - hey, what are you- ," she exclaimed, panic leaking into her tone as she tried - and failed - to fend off the giant press of bodies. "No! Get off me!"


Combat Statistics:
- Initiative: 24
- Status: Fatigued, grabbed (immobile, vulnerable[?])
- Victory Points: 0 (Used on reroll (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18869504&postcount=580) - not that it helped.)
- Essence Bolt: 5/5 (Recharge Condtions Met)

It's 1 degree of failure even with the reroll, so Façade is probably immobile and vulnerable.

I'd like to ask about how that would restrict my possible actions (other than being rooted to the spot) before I post again, seeing as Hellhound had a similar issue earlier. That, and you didn't say it was Façade's turn yet.

[EnglishLanguage]

Quick Fix sat and glared a bit at Yu, then calmly leaned back in his seat. "....Miss..Yu you said? As a villain, I would totally understand if you weren't telling us the whole truth, time travel is a serious thing. One of the few things I don't appreciate though, is being lied to." Quick Fix leaned in a little. "As you probably know, I'm usually not a serious person, but this whole Sorsius situation is pretty serious, and I can't help you if you aren't being honest."

[Mono Vertigo]

Pioneer comes back, looking concerned; she manifestly caught a couple details of the on-going discussion before coming back. "Sounds like my predecessor has missed a lot. Better remember to write detailed memos to my successor. Hopefully I won't have one. Anyway, I could also do with, let's say, more details, and I'm not talking about the ones I missed about the specifics of human time-travel technology... my time-jumping colleague and I seem to be roughly on the same brainwave here."

[HopeHubris]

"What speedy, or Quick-whatsit, said, you wanna lie, don't expect help from me, do expect a bit of roasting though. I'll give you a fair shake though, since you guys did break me out of prison, that was nice"
Hellhound says, still struggling to reach his powers through the odd effect of the cuffs


Still trying to throw off the suppression: [roll0]

[dream]

Quick-Fix, Pioneer, & Hellhound:
Yu cuts her eyes and smiles,

"I can't tell you everything. At least, not what you really need to know. All I can truthfully communicate to you is I was assigned to bring you in. The five of you from Starbucks. The director will speak with you personally, to secure the terms of your commission. It's a very short trip to the house. Please excuse my dishonesty and if you need up-front assurances of our good faith, name it. I'm authorized to bring you in, by any means necessary. That would include bribes."

Yu looks again at her watch, then takes a bottled water from the fridge and opens it for a sip.


Chloro & Facade:
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/eldritchword/ShopampGo_zpsrzglvhpf.jpg
The horde of duplicates pin Facade against the refrigerator windows, her face mashed against the cold glass! Their hands lock onto her arms, legs and wrists, forcing her arms behind her!

"That's right, boys, hold here right there! Ready to give up now, smart a**?"

Outside the store, Chloro targeted the big cop with a volley of thorns, but detective Pruitt again proves quicker than he looks and sidesteps the barrage, the deadly spines nailing into the Shop&Go's far wall! Pruitt then looks through the broken window again smiling,

"Still resisting? Not sure how you're still upright, but we'll fix that, sweetheart."

As Pruitt starts to step through the broken window-hole, the sudden sound of a helicopter fills the street and the NYPD helo appears, drifting across the Shop&Go rooftop to hover over the street, almost 100' directly overhead Chloro! Small trash debris plus Chloro and Pruitt's hair and coats begins to whip around, and the big detective cues his earpiece commlink while watching Chloro!

Facade needs to make a DC19 Parry (parry = 5, because she's Vulnerable) check vs. being handcuffed & her powers being nullified! If she succeeds, it's her turn, but she's still being grappled by the mob of dupes & cannot move. DC20 Perception check for Chloro: You see the bearded stranger from earlier piloting the helicopter! Pruitt is next.

[HopeHubris]

"Well, I can only speak for myself, but personally I'm a huge fan of bribes"

[Mono Vertigo]

Sigh.
"Nevermind. If you won't say more, I won't say more about myself, either. Bribes do sound great, though, I'll have what he's having."

[EnglishLanguage]

Quick Fix shrugged a bit. "Yeah, bribes sound fine to me.....oh, and I also want to keep one of these." He said, pointing to the power dampeners on his wrist. "Preferably a pair that you guys wouldn't have an on/off switch to."

[Doggie_arf]

"I...said...get off...," Façade grunted, struggling against the multiple bodies that were restraining her. "How did a bully like you even get hire-"

The cuffs latched onto her wrists at that moment, cutting off her words, her resistance and her train of thought.

It was as though a raging bonfire had swept through her body, burning anything and everything in its path. She would have screamed - she wanted to scream - but she couldn't even gasp as the "fire" devoured her energy, sapped her strength, melted her flesh and form, burned, burned, burned...

The eternity of flames guttered and died out almost as soon as it started, leaving Façade dangling limply from the hands and arms that held her. It was...difficult to think. Or move. She was dimly aware that her clothes now hung loose; she had somehow reverted back to that form. And she could no longer "see" - or control - the energies flowing around her body. She felt drained. And empty. And drained.

"W-what did you...," she croaked, mustering her will to force the words out. It was all she could manage at the moment.


Combat Statistics:
- Initiative: 24
- Status: Fatigued, immobile, vulnerable, nullified.
- Victory Points: 0
- Essence Bolt: 5/5 (Recharge Condtions Met)

Since she failed the Parry (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18874710&postcount=587) (and Will (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=18878527&postcount=589) [?]) saves, all of Façade's non-innate powers are gone. Her Fortitude and Toughness saves are now tanked, and her attacks are now as weak as a kitten's (well, okay, a normal person's, but you get the idea). Also, her Morph has been nullified, so you'll get to see her "true" appearance. I'll have a description up in a bit.

More importantly, Façade has a Weakness Complication against Nullify/Weaken Magic on her sheet. Blanket effects like the cuffs probably work, too, hence the description above. I'll leave it up to your discretion as to how it applies here, dream - I can tweak this post if it wasn't what you had in mind.

[dream]

Facade & Chloro:
http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e235/eldritchword/SG2_zpsjevd2zcr.jpg
Figure each square as 5'. The helo takes is of course longer. No outside wind, but it's still very cold & sunny.

The NYPD helicopter (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOKeIDWL6x8) slowly begins to descend to the street next to Chloro! The big cop steps through the shattered store window onto the sidewalk, still communicating with someone via commlink, but his words can't be heard over the helicopter blades. He covers his mouth from flying debris, and then gives the helo pilot the 'thumbs-up' gesture and returns to the Shop&Go! As the black & white police helicopter lowers to the street, touching-down, Chloro can clearly see the pilot is the bearded stranger (https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSjOCKQ-Fv2bEsrLTBbvRpPoaZdpOGCm1rnPZd07LxyfddUotB5) from earlier! The hatch swings open and the stranger tosses a pair of weird black handcuffs with small flashing lights at Chloro's feet! He looks at her and shrugs,

"Gee whiz, that went well. You can't hide, Penelope. Remember the 'House-Pet Ransom' you tried awhile back? The government's been on to you ever since. I'm not the only person who knows who you are, but I might be the only one not looking to see you locked-down. You're officially outta options. You can put 'em on & go with me, or with them. I promise ya, the food's better where I'm goin'."

Inside the store, a smiling Pruitt approaches the mass of red-headed detectives,

"Nice work, red. I knew you had her. You get that 10-81 from dispatch?"

Franks wipes the stain of blood from his chin as his duplicates begin to vanish, one by one,

"Yeah. I'll get 'Super-Woman' here to the helo for transport. That's less paperwork for us, partner. The Feds can have these two b***."

The two remaining duplicates carry the debilitated Facade out to the helo, as the two detectives watch from the sidewalk. They load her in the back of the roaring aircraft and waving at the 'pilot', jog back towards Franks, but fade from sight before they reach the curb! The bearded pilot looks back at Facade,

"You're gonna make it. You have my word."

He turns back to gaze at Chloro, then flashes his eyes over at the detectives watching from outside Shop&Go. The Indian shop owner appears at the broken window shouting something you can't hear over the helicopter.

Facade is as helpless as Doggie-Arf wants and gets an AP for the complication. Chloro needs to make a decision.


Hellhound, Pioneer & Quick-Fix:
Yu downs the water and screws the cap back on the bottle,

"What will it be then? Money --- how much? Pardons? Equipment? You can have as many of those damned handcuffs as you like. And you mentioned 'details', Pioneer: what do you want to know exactly? Like I said, it's anything goes, as long as you're 'in the car'*."

The female voice again comes over the PA,

"Target acquired. ETA in seven. JFK is 10-8*."

The plane engines begin revving-up (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfuClmhSBVM) while Yu looks over the trio.

'in the car' means you're okay with what she wants. It's pretty common especially among crooks. Make a check using any skill relating to emergency services (or just use Intelligence) to understand 'JFK is 10-8'. Airport security is coming to investigate your plane. Yu is awaiting your responses & seems calm.

[Mono Vertigo]

The increasingly-obviously not-human woman smirks. "It is a long list, and I doubt you'll have answers to everything. Anyway, I need to know if there is anybody currently alive and present today who has done time travel, beside Sorsius, and if so, their names. Addresses and pictures would be useful as well. I also need to know the government's detailed plans concerning time travel, current or future. And most of all, I want as much as possible about the government's protective measures against time travelers, and any group or individual they have already identified as a possible threat. That's what I need. Any lie or major omission will be punished appropriately. Don't worry, if I'm not the one who will, my successors will do the job. But should these data help me toward my goal, you shall be rewarded handsomely."

[Doggie_arf]

The pressure holding her against the beer cabinet faded, and Façade felt herself being picked up and carried by the arms that had been holding her down. "Where-," she began, but stopped as a blast of cold air and sunlight hit her. Trenchcoat and his goons had brought her out onto the street, right in front of what appeared to be a helicopter with NYPD markings.

"...look...familiar...," she mumbled to the pilot as she was strapped into her...seat? bed? "...with the police? Then that offer..."


Combat Statistics:
- Initiative: 24 (Doesn't matter now)
- Status: Nullified, defenseless, disabled, immobile.
- Victory Points: 0 (+1?)
- Essence Bolt: 5/5

Huh. Didn't expect to get to Choose Your Own DebilitationTM.

Going for a trifecta of conditions - defenseless, disabled, immobile. Could have gone for straight incapacitated, but it'd have been a bit boring on my end to keep posting about Façade being unconscious (or not get to post at all). At least this way, she still gets to talk. :smalltongue:

[moossabi]

"But- I- Ummm..." Why did this stalker person show up again? Why was he in a police helicopter? And why the weird cuff-thingimabobs? There was no other option. The hot chocolate was gone, somewhere, pobably forgotten on some table in the back room. And her new friend (kinda) was in the helicopter, so there appears to be no other option... "Fine. I'll come along. Just... Just answer my questions. At least do that." She then stoops to pick up the handcuffs, putting them on* as she enters the vehicle.

The cuffs are loose. They're intentionally loose, still able to lock due to construction for adults, but she's a little kid. She honestly doesn't trust this guy, and has a plan for if things go south. :smallbiggrin:

[dream]

Pioneer, Quick-Fix & Hellhound:
Yu's eyes widen at Pioneer's request. She crosses her arms and responds,

"I don't know all the names and such. The Director has access to what you want. You'll meet him soon. As far as we know, there is no government plan concerning Time-Travel and the less they know, the better. 'Why' should be obvious. As far as counter-measures, you've met it. The Time-Travel Reconnaissance & Protection Group exists solely to identify and investigate any and all breaches of the 'Stream'. What details of our organization you want I may or may not be able to deliver. The Director can tell you everything, within reason. If it's a matter of cooperating with your overseers, perhaps something can be arranged. Are you acting as a political representative? Makes a difference, if I remember how all that works.

As you know, Lord Sorsius has been identified as breaching the Stream. The earmarks of his machinations are everywhere and only getting worse. If we aren't able to interview him soon, it may all fall apart. Anything else I might be able to answer?"


Facade & Chloro:
The pilot puts on dark shades, closes his hatch and guides the helicopter skyward! When you're above the buildings, the aircraft whips around and, tail up, streaks west! The pilot checks his gauges as he addresses Chloro,

"Keep an eye on your lady-friend. She must 'a taken one hell of a beating. Alright. Questions: fire away."

Chloro needs to make a Sleight of Hand check to conceal the loose 'cuffs.

[EnglishLanguage]

Quick Fix simply shrugs, thinking a bit. "Hmm, well, aside from the cuffs, all I ask is the funds and means to research my condition, and maybe assistance figuring out what that...thing was that got me my powers in the first place. I want to find it and get my hands on it, and figure out how it did this to me."

[moossabi]

"Well, continuing from the... car incident... I'd like to know how you know so much about me. How you know my name, my... past failure, and my powers. Explain it all."

[HopeHubris]

"I'll take enough money to get some better gear, so I can become a proper famous villain. Plus enough to retire on, that'd be great"
Hellhound says, already willing to do it for pretty much anything. He tried to rob a Starbucks in the middle of the city, in broad daylight. This is nothin'.

[Doggie_arf]

"...said...don't talk over me like I don't...exist."

Façade's voice was little more than a whisper, as she struggled to sit up and focus on the conversation through the, well, numbness that seemed to have spread through her entire body.

"What...why did you come back to find us? And why do I feel so weak...so empty?"

[Mono Vertigo]

"A political representative, yes."
Let's go with that.
"But those I represent are not able to talk with anybody right now, hence their need for a representative. And I don't have additional questions to submit. I can't wait to discuss this subject with your Director."

[dream]

Pioneer, Hellhound & Quick-Fix:

Agent Yu walks to the open hatch of the luxury aircraft, pauses a few seconds, then,

"Seems reasonable enough. If you haven't already, you will learn our resources are considerable. What you want is the easy part. Now if you like, you can get buckled and comfortable. We'll be departing soon."

She leans outside the hatch, then exits the plane. The cool winter air flows through the open door, but warm air vented through the plane counters most of the breeze.


Facade & Chloro:
Your helicopter sails over rooftops, eventually reaching more rural environments as the aircraft clears Manhattan and streaks high over crowded roadways. Without turning his head, the pilot responds to Facade,

"I told you: it's complicated. But, I don't come back if I didn't need you. The both of you. The initial shock of the handcuffs will pass, soon enough. What you're experiencing has to do with your genetic sequencing. You were born with a gift, but someone tampered with it, then played with your mind to boot. That's the problem with 'Big Government': for every successful program, there's hundreds of projects left unfulfilled. Like 'Morgana'. Too many good intentions, too little focus.

Chloro, you scuff your foot in front of a cop and you wake up the next day with a record. That information, your information, goes everywhere for anyone who can touch it, and we can touch anything we like. We've been following you longer than even I can say. It's our business, so to speak, to keep an eye on talents like yours. I work for a private organization that monitors the phenomenon most people refer to as 'Time'. We have corporate interests that support our mission due to a common political mindset, so while we have access to various government data, we don't fall under any jurisdictional control. Uncle Sam plays his game, we play ours. Superhumans are, as you've clearly seen today, heavily-recruited by federal, state and local law enforcement bodies to address the threat people like you and your friend pose to their system. Some become company men like those detectives, 'serving and protecting', right? Well. We draw from a different pool of individuals.

Now. If you don't mind, I need those 'cuffs seated properly.They're more expensive than this aircraft and my boss'' b*** if I lose 'em. A deal's a deal, right? When you're done with that, you two can tell me what you know about 'Time-Travel'?"

The helo veers across treetops and rises as it continues westward.

[Mono Vertigo]

Pioneer sits back and relaxes. She's not used to that level of comfort in vehicles; even back when she was working with the space program, she rarely used any other mean of transport than her own wings.
She could really get used to comfy seats. (Mental note: include quality furniture in her next secret lair. Make it actually secret, too, while we're there.)

[Doggie_arf]

"...cuffs?" Façade murmured, trying to move her bound wrists. "...that why I feel like this? And what does time travel have to do with anything? Think I read something about that once...something about degenerate humans in the far future...no, that wasn't me, that was-"

Her eyes narrowed as the other part of Mr. Mystery's words registered. "Wait," she said, straightening up as much as she could. "You said that someone tampered with my mind and body? Th-that would explain...what do you know?"

Interesting stuff we have here. Would an Insight check on what he said be apropos?

[moossabi]

"So, you've been following me for a long time? gee, you really are a stalker..." clearly ignoring the part about the handcuffs (I probably won't be losing them, these could be useful against cops...), she goes on to respond to the time travel part. "Isn't it a big ball of wibly wobly timey wimey stuff? That's what I can remember of what my... dad... was watching on TV one time. The person had the documentary accent,* so I'm assuming that it was true. Other than that, nope. The only other things that I'm aware of are paradoxes." She (quite obviously) pauses at the mention of her father, but after that resumes normal banter.

Apologies to British people everywhere!

[dream]

Chloro & Facade:
The stranger guides the helo over greater New York passing over houses and industrial sites, further from the city itself,

I know there was and still exists a covert program to swap-out superhumans for humans. Some kind of 'Sleeper Cell' mission that involved both private and government interests. It's a long-term operation with what seems to be ominous goals, but how it's done stays very much under the radar. Even my organization has had problems getting all the details. But, you were part of that program, or at least part of a part. Apparently, you went off the reservation, they tried to recover you and failed. It was around that time that we became aware of the initiative, but maintained surveillance without any real intervention. It wasn't something we needed to investigate. Not yet anyway. What I know of the program is personal; you see, I was one of their sleepers."

In the distance, Chloro and Facade can just make out John F. Kennedy International Airport coming into view. The helicopter cut a path directly towards that facility. The pilot looked over at Chloro,

"Not all stalkers are there for sinister purposes. Some have nobler intentions. Paradoxes? Right. The way 'temporal displacement' works, and there's a million terms for Time-Travel and maybe a million different ways to do it, the Stream, which is what we call the Time-Space Continuum, warps, normally creating a divergent reality whenever someone goes back and changes something. Our organization can detect these changes that are unnoticed by 99.9% of Earth's population. We then deploy agents to track down the people who warped the Stream and set things right. Traditionally, changing history was thought impossible, but it isn't. All it takes is the ability to swim the Stream. Which is what our Lord Sorsius has done.

My organization, the Time-Travel Reconnaissance and Protection Group recruits people like you to go back and handle these kinds of emergencies. It's why I needed you. It's dangerous as hell, but you get to make an impact on the world that's unimaginable and provided you survive it all, we reward you generously for the effort. You following me so far?"

The helicopter crosses over into JFK's air-space and flies past the terminal and jets towards a single private jet waiting in the distance, then it begins to lower and land.

[EnglishLanguage]

Quick Fix simply grabbed some coffee and took his seat and leaned back to think about what kind of mess he's getting himself into. Still, it was nice to sit back and relax for once without worrying about his powers for once.

[moossabi]

"Sooooo... time travel issues, it's extremely dangerous, and you 'recruit' an 17 year old girl. What does this say about your organization? I have the feeling that this doesn't fly very well with the general public..."

[Doggie_arf]

Façade sat - well, more like slumped - in her seat, the shock evident on her face as she tried to process what their pilot had just said.

"I...I didn't know...," she said quietly. "An entire government project, and there were others involved, tampered with...like me..." Façade mind immediately turned to her own situation, or what she remembered of it - waking up with another person's memories and appearance. Mr. Mystery had mentioned replacing superhumans with humans - was she one of those replacements? Did she use to have another face, another life? But that didn't explain the abilities she had...and that person hadn't seemed particularly superhuman. Gifted, perhaps, from what she "remembered", but not superhuman. And then there was their mysterious benefactor's own involvement...

"...really want to grill you right now about everything you know, but this might not be the best time or place to do so. More important right now would be why we're here." She paused for a while to marshal her thoughts through her current state, before continuing. "You need people to go back to stop one of the most famous world leaders from changing time, and you chose two people who were fighting police in a convenience store. Don't think it could have been chance - you came to find us twice. I would like to know why."

Façade fell back in her seat after that, as though it had been an effort to say that much, that clearly. Which, considering how drained she was, it had been.

Sorry for the slow post - I was out for most of today, and my smartphone dying in the afternoon stopped me from checking stuff.

Pardon my grasp of English/spy-speak, but I'm a bit confused by Mr. Mystery's/not!Al Pacino's use of the word "sleeper". Was he saying that he was a replacement, or one of those who was replaced?

[dream]

Facade & Chloro:
The pilot successfully lands the helo some thirty yards from the waiting jet (http://cdn.drawinterior.com/images/theluxurypad.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/luxury-jet.jpg), and the same distance from three vehicles parked next to the plane: an ambulance, a city taxi, and a new Chevy Corvette. Winds from the 'copter whip the area as the bearded man hops out of the aircraft, black hair waving, leaving the hatch open and goes to assist Facade with her exit. As Chloro opens the hatch, she notices the many large commercial airliners circling, parked and coasting over the airport. Busy morning. She also sees a police-like sedan cruising in their direction from the terminal area roughly 300 yards away and closing.

Escorting Facade to the jet, the stranger slows at the plane's staircase. Just then, another man, an identical twin for your escort, hops out of the Corvette! He produces a large handgun, holding it by his side,

"We're Changelings. They love what we can do, which justifies the hundreds of millions spent hunting us down and taking us from our families. The ultimate espionage assets, able to become anything, go anywhere, get close to anyone. Why? Ask the Secretary of Defense why. She'll tell you something similar to what you just heard, I'm sure."

Penelope, you aren't a little girl anymore. That ended when you learned how to turn a forest into acres of man-killing terror. You can't hide behind that '17-year old' guise any more than I can. No matter how many people I deceive, I can never risk lying to myself. That's suicide, and it's a discipline you could stand to learn. The one deadly serious piece of information you need right now is: my organization isn't to be trifled with. You can go with the others, or you can take your chances out there. But, now's your moment of truth. No games. You don't want to play by our rules, WALK."

He shifts his gaze to look at Chloro's hands, focusing on the handcuffs, and waits.

Facade is escorted up the stairs & into the jet, where she sees three of the people from Starbucks, even the armored robber!


Hellhound, Quick-Fix & Pioneer:
The sound of the jet engines covered the arrival of the helicopter and the group notices an almost new figure enter the plane: a young female. She looks like s** though and another bearded man twin/triplet is helping her get to a seat on the luxury aircraft. (http://focusyard.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/vip-luxury-private-tours.jpg) The man grasps Facade's wrists and seems to be inspecting the 'cuffs, then stands up,

"The effects aren't normally as intense, but they have killed before. Depends on the subject's physiology. Hmmf. You didn't really think you were the only one, did you? We'll talk."

He smiles and walks towards the cockpit and Facade's handcuffs 'pop' open, freeing her hands, but the metal bands remain on her wrists.

Waiting on Chloro to decide because at this point, the man doesn't seem to trust her. She has the option to play by his rules, or walk away. Players on the plane can chat, whatever you like.

[Doggie_arf]

"Changelings," Façade murmured as she was carefully escorted off the helicopter. "That's what I am...?" She - well, not her, but the person she'd replaced - had read about those stories, although they weren't that common in the folklore of her hometown.

Story or not, it seemed that the governments had found a way to make use of them - and she was one of the results.

Façade found that she could walk with some assistance - at least she didn't need to be carted to the private plane that appeared to be their destination like some invalid. Leaving Flower Girl and his twin (fellow Changeling?) outside, Mr. Mystery guided her to a seat in the plane's luxurious interior...next to a few familiar looking people. Horribly familiar, in one case...

"Guess they don't check for 'allergies' before using these," she said, briefly examining her freed wrists (Still can't sense anything...) before letting them drop. "...And I suppose that answers my other question," she added, turning her head to look at her fellow passengers. "Although I have to worry about their...hiring procedures, picking people who were in the same Starbucks. Especially you," she added, a false smile appearing on her lips as her gaze landed on a certain helmeted individual. "Good day, Mr. Hound. Did you enjoy your Americano?"

Without knowledge of Quick Fix's and Pioneer's circumstances, Façade can't really see the logic of conscripting the nearest non-government-affiliated metahumans for a mission to counter-time-hax a time-haxing government figure. Especially if one of them has proven to be a loose cannon. She's not going to not work (curse you, double negatives!) - she's just calling out Mr. Mystery on the seeming il-logic of such an assignment of personnel.

[Mono Vertigo]

Pioneer observes Facade. "From that Starbucks too? Damn. How many more guests should we be expecting? Do you often 'hire' at Starbucks, or may I expect to safely keep getting coffee from them in the foreseeable future?"

[Doggie_arf]

"...not sure - I'm not the one hiring. Ask Mr. Mystery over there..." Façade lifted her arm briefly to point towards the cockpit, and then let it drop. "Don't know about you, but these - " she gestured weakly at the bands she wore " - feel terrible."

Noticing the same bands on the woman's wrists, Façade added: "So what'd you do to make them catch you? I ran out the back with someone else once Mr. Hound over there started burning things. Not sure if she'll be joining us...think she and Mr. Mystery had a falling out..."

[Mono Vertigo]

"Treason against the government, more or less. Not that I think it's accurate, considering I at no moment intended to bring them down personally, but that's complicated. Anyway, they still seem to remember me. By the way, Mr. Hound, remind me to give you a talk on the tactical pros and cons of burning down cafes during daytime."
Pioneer shrugs. "I've had worse restraints. Didn't have to keep them for anywhere as long, though. I used to be very good at playing dead, but having to shock yourself to jump start your own heart is not a trick I'd like to pull ever again."

[EnglishLanguage]

Quick Fix eyed the new arrivals a bit and look back over at Yu. "Geez, when I mentioned a super villain reunion, I was being sarcastic." Sipping his coffee a bit. "Not that I mind of course. I've already been promised what I want out of this deal."

[Doggie_arf]

"...has to be a union, for there to be a reunion," Façade murmured, sinking back into her chair. "Don't think any of us planned to be here, if not for a certain horrible Hound's horrible lack of tactics."

She could definitely agree with the other woman on that point.

[HopeHubris]

"My tactics are fine, that guy just got lucky..."
Hound says, pouting
"and I was thirsty"

[Mono Vertigo]

"It's only a good strategy when you have sufficient firepower, excuse the pun. So, get more powerful or change strategies."

[Doggie_arf]

"Your 'tactics' brought New York's finest down on our heads, " Façade sniped back, an effect somewhat spoiled by the weakness in her tone of voice. "If you had just ordered your coffee like a normal person..."

Well, technically, if their horribly helmeted acquaintance hadn't started hawking up hellfire back then, she wouldn't have encounted Mr. Mystery and the information he had. She supposed she should be grateful for that - if it weren't for the fact that it also involved being manhandled by policemen that didn't deserve the title, and being forced to wear handcuffs that made her feel like death warmed over.

"So what did they tell you about their organization?" she asked, turning to the other woman instead of wasting her energy on scolding Mr. Hound. "Travelling to the past to stop a famous politician...it seems a bit hard to believe."

[dream]

Villains:
The bearded man and the Asian woman enter the leather-bound cabin area watching their "guests". The woman runs a hand up to caress the face of the bearded man and he vanishes with a sudden rush of air!

"Going for a quick visit to the little girls' room, then we'll talk about 'Our Lord Sorsius'. Funny situation, you'll learn."

She strides through the space towards the rear private room down a short hall.

You can question her about whatever you like. Again, there's food & drink & games & TV available.

[EnglishLanguage]

Quick Fix laughed a bit at Facade's remark about Sorsius. Famous politician? Haha, that's a good one. Think about it for a second. We're being drafted by a time travel agency to take out this guy...", rolling his eyes a bit, still adjusting to the fact that only him and this Pioneer....thing are the only two villains who know the truth. "...well, let's just say this Sorsius guy isn't quite who you think he is. Hell, I didn't hear about the guy until this morning when he was suddenly the biggest thing since sliced bread."

[Mono Vertigo]

"Same. And the timing of his 'appearance' and the raid at my home adds one more layer of suspicion. He probably wants to get rid of other time-travelers, or something like that." She snickers. "Heh, not that's what I wouldn't do in his place! 'cept I would personally challenge each and every single one of them to a duel instead, or kick them out the timeline. Not do something as cowardly as having agents showing up unannounced before I've even had my coffee. He might be famous, but I can guarantee he is not a brave man, and he has no integrity."

[Doggie_arf]

"...so what I - no, everyone - knows about Sorsius didn't exist before yesterday?" Façade shook her head tiredly. "And I thought I had issues with memories before today...guess I'll have to wait for Mr. Mystery - " she was going to keep calling him that, his/her actual gender notwithstanding " - to explain things."