A life of Crime [M&M 2nd ed]

[Blackbird]

It's a fairly ordinary afternoon at the central branch of the Eastern Seaboard Bank in downtown Fort Garth. Many people have stopped by to handle some routing banking, unaware that today will be anything but routine. Three security guards are working with the two bank guards to move a shipment of money the from bank's vault to the armored car waiting outside, while the fourth security guard is waiting by the armored car. No-one in the bank so much as suspects that they are about to witness multiple cases of bank robbery.

((Link (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=49727) to the recruitment-thread.
A layout (http://i47.photobucket.com/albums/f153/soldier_of_misfortune/random%20things/bank.gif) for the bank.
Link (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2929673#post2929673) to the OOC-thread.))

[Green Bean]

It's a quiet day at Eastern Seaboard Bank, but Doubletalk certainly has plans to make that change. He turns to his companions. Or, rather, companion.

"Are we ready to begin, my identical friends?" he said, glancing at them once again, making sure they were adequately disguised.

The last thing I need is to be traced back to this lowlife. I just hope they don't screw it up.

If he was unsure about his companions' disguise, he certainly had no reason to be unsure of his own. He had stayed up late the previous evening, making sure that the villain about to crash the bank looked nothing like Lionel Jefferson. He was clad in a long labcoat and black pants, and they looked as though they had not been washed in weeks. His face was covered with wrinkles, and sparse unwashed grey hairs seemed to stick out from his head as if they wanted to be as far away from his brain as they could. In his right hand, he carried a silvery device (A spraypainted calculator from Staples).

Doubletalk looked around one last time, and began marching towards the door.

((Doubletalk will wait for Cubit to give his readiness, then begin to head inside))

[PsyBlade]

The Cubit clones were wearing 'standard' thug outfits. Specifically the kind that you'd expect thugs who want to keep their identity a secret. There are two of them. The real one has just made a withdrawal from the bank.

Ready when you are boss. Said 'thug' #1 through a voice changer. Not a perfect solution, but cheap considering the real Cubit removed it from a child's toy. It should be noted that no Cubit has a weapon on them.

[Green Bean]

Doubletalk nods.

"Very well."

Doubletalk opens the door with more force then necessary, causing it to bang into the wall, hopefully drawing the customers' attention. A subtle plan this was not. Doubletalk pitches his voice in his best 'mad scientist' impression.

"Conformist peons! You have grown soft, and complacent! You cower beneath the shelter of your so-called 'rules' and 'laws', taking comfort in the mundane, unable to experiment! Well, I'll show you! I'll show you exactly what an 'unstable' man can do! Fear the wrath of Doctor Bedlam!!!" he shouts out to the general public, before pushing a random button on his 'device'. While doing so, his second vocal chords sing out a specially attuned note, capable of scambling a person's faculties, driving them to temporary insanity. However, he was careful to 'de-attune' his voice to the mind frequencies of his companion, both the ones with him, and the one already in the bank, as well as the most vulnerable looking bank teller. He turns to Cubit.

"Deal with the survivors, but no killing."

((Psyblade, your character is really giving the English language a workout :smallbiggrin: .))

[ravenkith]

Character:

Name: Miles Franklin Cavendish, AKA: 'Toxin'
Age: 21, Sex: Male, Height: 5'9, Weight: 140lbs
Ethnicity: Caucasian, Build: Toned

Details:

Crunch:

TOTAL POINTS AVAILABLE: 150+2
POINTS SPENT: 148
POINTS REMAINING: 2+2

ATTRIBUTES:[66]

STR: 10 (+0)
DEX: 16 (+3)
CON: 10 (+0)
INT: 10 (+0)
WIS: 16 (+3)
CHA: 16 (+3)

ATT: +5 [10]
DEF: +10 ([8]+6)

TOUGH: +10 (10 + 0)
FORT: +12 ([12] + 0)
REF: +12 ([9] + 3)
WILL: +12 ([9] + 3)



FEATS: [7]

Connected (Diplomacy)
Contacts (Gather Information)
Distract (Bluff)
Eidetic Memory
Jack Of All Trades
Well-Informed
Uncanny Dodge


SKILLS: [18]

10 (7 + 3) = Bluff [7]
10 (10 + 0) = Concentration [10]
10 (7 + 3) = Diplomacy [7]
10 (7 + 3) = Gather Information [7]
12 (10 + 3) = Notice [9]
10 (7 + 3) = Perform (Actor) [7]
5 (5 + 0) = Search [5]
8 (5 + 3) = Sense Motive [5]
18 (15 + 3) = Stealth [15]


POWERS: [61]


Power Array: Pheromones [25]

*Primary Power (Pheromones): Nullify: 10 Ranks
Original Statistics:

Cost:3/r
Effect: Trait
Range: Ranged (10ft/r)
Action: Standard
Duration: Instant
Saving Throw: Will

Modifications:

Feats (5): Subtle (1), Alternate Powers (4)
Extras (3): Area (Explosion) (1), Duration (Sustained) (2)
Flaws (4): Range (Touch) (1), Action (Full) (1), Sense Dependent: Smell (1) Limited: Machines Immune (1) Alternate Save: Fort


Modified Statistics:
Pheromones (Nullify): 10r
Cost: 2/r + 5 (25)
Effect: Trait
Range: Touch/Explosion (10ft/R)
Action: Standard
Duration: Sustained
Saving Throw: Fort

*Alternate Power (Pheromones): Corrode: 10r
Original Statistics:

Cost: 2/r
Effect: Attack
Range: Touch
Action: Standard
Duration: Instant
Saving Throw: Fort/Tough

Modifications:

Feats (1): Subtle
Extras (2): Area (Explosion) (1), Duration (Concentration) (1),
Flaws (2): Action (Full) (1), Tiring (1)


Modified Statistics:
Pheromones (Corrosive): 10r
Cost: 2/r + 1 = 21
Effect: Attack
Range: Touch/Explosion (10ft/r)
Action: Full
Duration: Concentration
Saving Throw: Fort/Tough

*Alternate Power (Pheromones): Emotion Control: 10r
Original Statistics:

Cost: 2/r
Effect: Mental
Range: Ranged
Action: Standard
Duration: Sustained (Lasting)
Save: Will

Modifications:

Feats (1): Subtle
Extras (2): Area (Explosion) (1), Selective Attack (1)
Flaws (4): Range (Touch) (1), Action (Full) (1), Sense Dependent: Smell (1) Limited: Machines Immune (1)

Modified Statistics:
Pheromones (Emotion): 10r
Cost: 1/2 + 3 = 8
Effect: Mental
Range: Touch/Explosion (10ft/r)
Action: Full
Duration: Sustained (Lasting)
Save: Will

*Alternate Power (Pheromones): Fatigue: 10r
Original Statistics:

Cost: 2/r
Effect: Attack
Range: Touch
Action: Standard
Duration: Instant
Saving Throw: Fort

Modifications:

Feats (1): Subtle
Extras (3): Area (Explosion) (1), Duration (Sustained) (2),
Flaws (3): Action (Full) (1), Sense Dependent: Smell (1) Limited: Machines Immune (1)

Modified Statistics:
Pheromones (Fatigue): 10r
Cost: 2/r + 1 = 21
Effect: Attack
Range: Touch/Explosion (10ft/r)
Action: Full
Duration: Sustained
Saving Throw: Fort


*Alternate Power (Pheromones): Nauseate: 10r
Original Statistics:

Cost: 2/r
Effect: Attack
Range: Touch
Action: Standard
Duration: Instant (Lasting)
Saving Throw: Fort

Modifications:

Feats (1): Subtle
Extras (3): Area (Explosion) (1), Duration (Sustained) (2)
Flaws (3): Action (Full) (1), Sense Dependent: Smell (1) Limited: Machines Immune (1)

Modified Statistics:
Pheromones (Nauseating): 10r
Cost: 2/r+1 = 21
Effect: Attack
Range: Touch/Explosion (10ft/r)
Duration: Sustained (Lasting)
Saving Throw: Fort


Device: Belt: Energy Sheath: 9r [36]

Original Statistics:

Cost: 4/r
Effect: General
Range: Personal
Action: Reaction
Duration: Permanent (Innate)


Modifications:

Feats:
Extras:
Flaws :


Modified Statistics:



Onboard Power Array: [14]

*Primary (Dynamic) Power: Flight: 10r [12]

Original Statistics:

Cost: 2/r
Effect: Movement
Range: Personal
Action: Move
Duration: Sustained


Modifications:

Feats:
Extras: Alternate (Dynamic) Power (2)
Flaws (1): Limited: Not useable underwater (1)


Modified Statistics:

Cost: 1/r+2 =12
Effect: Movement
Range: Personal
Action: Move
Duration: Sustained



*Alternate (Dynamic) Power: Blast: 10r [2]

Original Statistics:


Cost: 2/r
Effect: Attack
Range: Ranged
Action: Standard
Duration: Instant
Saving Throw: Tough


Modifications:

Feats (2): Alternate Power (1), Dynamic Power (1)
Extras:
Flaws (1): Limited: Not useable underwater (1)


Modified Statistics:
Cost: 1/r = 10
Effect: Attack
Range: Ranged
Action: Standard
Duration: Instant
Saving Throw: Tough




Forcefield : 10r [12]

Original Statistics:

Cost: 2/r
Effect: Defense
Range: Personal
Action: Free
Duration: Sustained


Modifications:

Feats (2): Selective (1), Subtle (1)
Extras (1): Impervious (1), Duration (Continuous) (1)
Flaws (3): Action (Full) (3)


Modified Statistics:
Cost: 1r + 2 = 12
Effect: Defense (Impervious)
Range: Personal
Action: Full
Duration: Continuous



Total Concealment: All Senses Except Touch: 10R: [6]


Original Statistics:

Cost: 2/r (All senses)
Effect: Sensory
Range: Personal
Action: Free
Duration: Sustained


Modifications:

Feats(1): Close Range (1)
Extras (1): Duration (Continuous) (1)
Flaws (3): Action (Full) (3)


Modified Statistics:

Cost: 1/2r + 1
Effect: Sensory
Range: Personal
Action: Full
Duration: Continuous



Immunity: 10R: [10]


Original Statistics:

Cost: 1/r
Effect: Defense
Range: Personal
Action: Reaction
Duration: Permanent


Modifications:

Feats (0):
Extras (0):
Flaws (0):


Modified Statistics:

Cost: 1r =10
Effect: Defense
Range: Personal
Action: Reaction
Duration: Permanent
Life Support (9), Own Powers (1)



Shield: 6R: [3]


Original Statistics:

Cost: 1/r
Effect: Defense
Range: Personal
Action: Free
Duration: Sustained


Modifications:

Feats (0):
Extras (1): Duration (Continuous) (1)
Flaws (1): Action (Standard) (2)


Modified Statistics:

Cost: 1/2r = 3
Effect: Defense
Range: Personal
Action: Move
Duration: Continuous






Fluff (WARNING: DARK):

Miles Franklin Cavendish III was born the only child in his upper-middle-class family. Shortly after his birth, his mother experienced severe problems with
her uterus, and as a result, was forced to have a hysterectomy.

There would be no more blood-children for Miles Jr. and his bride, Melissa. The two new parents lavished their attention on their son, giving him everything he could ever want or need. They made excuses for his bad behavior as he grew older, refusing to acknowledge his spoiled nature, and that their child was growing up with no knowledge of compromise or sacrifice.

Miles III was not an unhappy child, but always restless. With no boundaries in place, he was constantly in search of something, but not knowing what. He tested and pushed at what was allowed, and found no limits. From a young age, he learned that he could get away with anything, and aside from a passing interest in sports, everything else suffered.

Academically, Miles never did more than scrape by, doing just enough to continue on, but never enough to stand out, despite all the advantages he’d been given, chiefly, attending the best private schools from day one.

Socially, Miles III never really had any friends, and was more of a loner. An outsider looking in, he didn’t bother to learn much about others except how to manipulate them. Denied the physical size and strength to become a bully, he became proficient at lying and telling others what they wanted to hear.

By the age of thirteen, he was already a criminal case looking for a court to happen in. What happened next just amplified his anti-social outlook.

Miles Franklin Cavendish III, thirteen, was coming home after a hard day at school. He’d been trying to make the soccer team lately, just to see if he could. His natural reflexes and stamina should have made him a good player, and with his ability to turn on the charm, and the way the school treated jocks, he could have it made. He’d already been caching the eye of certain girls in his class, and a place as captain of the soccer team could have made him a god.

Dirty, tired, and disgruntled at a poor performance, compared to some of the other boys, Frankie, as he’d taken to calling himself, was lost in thought about exactly what he’d like to do to some of the cheerleaders that had been practicing on the next field over. He never saw it coming. His father, frothing at the mouth, had come in from the next room and tackled the boy to the ground, and was ripping the boy’s clothes off. Frankie fought back, screaming for help.

Melissa came in, and Frankie thought he’d been saved, but his mother just joined his father in stripping him. The two of them proceeded to do things that no parent should ever do to their child. Exhausted now, naked and bruised and bleeding from scratches and grabs, the sobbing boy was filled with a sense of rage and anger, at his parents, at himself. Confused, the bedrock of his world eroding from under him, all of a sudden, in the middle of what had been turning into a proper little orgy, his parents started ripping each other apart.

Frankie took advantage of the situation to crawl away. He made his way to the bathroom, and locked himself in, then turned on the shower, cowering in the corner, terrified. A few minutes later, the house went perfectly quiet.

When Frankie, much later, came out of the bathroom, all shriveled like a prune, and scraped raw from the repeated cleansing of his body, he came across a terrible scene. His mother lay dead, and his father was sitting in a corner, rocking back and forth in abject horror. The man had cracked utterly.

Frankie called his grandfather. After telling him, through tears, what had happened, Frankie was forced to listen to his only living relative, other than his father, die of a heart attack over the phone.

Frankie called the police.

The men in blue came, examined the scene, and asked Frankie if he had any relatives they could call to come for him. Frankie shook his head no.
“I called my grandfather and told him what happened. I think he’s dead,” was all he could get out.

The police called CPS, and Frankie went into a foster home. For the next five years, filled with a self-loathing that was echoed in the world around him, he shuffled from foster family to foster family, never getting along, always a source of friction, no matter where he went.

It was in this time that Frankie became an actor. When he was pretending to be someone else, he could start to believe he was, and get past his self-loathing…acting let him be happy again, for a time, and the audience always reveled in it, or so it seemed. The moment he stepped off the stage, and went back to being Frankie, the love always turned to hate.

It was while in the foster system that he learned the value of finding out other people’s secrets, and how to leverage those secrets to get what he wanted. The seventh family he lived with, he managed to get some dirt on the old man, who was shtupping one of the girls in his care. Frankie used it to stay in one place for a while. He worked hard, and graduated high school with a high enough GPA that he had a shot at going to college.

Frankie, a ward of the state, had little trouble getting funding from the government, and less getting accepted to a college out of state. Not even thinking twice, he took the money and got the hell out of there. From day one, he pretended he was someone else. He played a part, and made up a different past, and after a while, he even believed his own lies.

Whatever it was, the world loved him once again, and he came to accept that he had started over. He found a girl who liked the kind of rough sex that was the only way he could get it up. He stayed in the college dorms, and was a popular guy. He made a lot of friends, and got involved with a lot of campus groups, including a fraternity. He was invited to join the Freemasons, and accepted. He went out for sports, and got put on the college baseball side as a backup, first time out. Everybody wanted to be his friend.

Everything was going fine.

Right up until the bank robbery.

That day, Frankie went to deposit his government check, and go in line like anybody else. He was happy, and he was content. Everyone seemed like it was a sunshiney day for them, too.

Until the men in masks came. With guns. Big black guns, shotguns and pistols. One of them clubbed Frankie in the face. The boy went down, hard, fear overcoming him completely. One at a time, in a circle spreading out from him, everybody in the bank lost control of their bowels. Including the robbers.

Frankie saw it. He thought back, over the years, with his nigh perfect recall, to the very first day, he remembered weird stuff like that happening. In that instant, he figured out that everybody around him had been feeling what he was feeling.

It was a little exciting to know that the fear you felt, that you could barely handle, inspired pants-****ting terror in others. The novelty wore off as the smell hit him, even as everybody else in the bank cowered in fear. Frankie got up, and took the guns off the bank robbers, who didn’t even resist.

He was hailed as a hero. There was no reward, just his name in the paper.

Frankie decided he liked reading about himself, and knowing that other people were reading it, too.

Powered individuals had been springing up left and right. It wasn’t really new. At 19 years of age, Frankie began experimenting with what, he was sure, were his long-possessed, but newly-recognized, powers. He learned very quickly that he himself was not immune to the effects of his own powers, and figured out that his five-year journey of hatred, anger, and self-loathing had been primarily self-inflicted.

After using his powers to stop a couple of minor crimes, and scanning the papers for his name proved fruitless, Frankie came across an article in the paper about a new experimental belt being developed by a researcher at the university. Supposedly, this belt could theoretically revolutionize all sorts of industries, from police work to space exploration. Most interestingly, it provided a great deal of protection from harmful chemicals.

By this point, Frankie had figured out that his powers had something to do with the chemicals he was excreting from his skin; chemicals other people had, but not to as great a degree, or with as much control (now that he’d figured out there was something to control at all). From his point of view, having spent nearly a quarter of his life dealing with the fallout of not being immune to his own powers, these chemicals qualified as pretty harmful!

So he went to see the dean of the physics department, and thanks to his powers and natural charisma, managed to get a first-hand look at the thing, even to the point of trying it on and messing around with it.

After some experimentation, and some tinkering on his behalf by the inventor of the belt, again thanks to his powers, Frankie determined that he could indeed use the belt and be free from the effects of his own pheromones. Not only that, but the belt would give him some serious other advantages.

It was here that his powers failed him for the first time. Asking if he could keep the belt, the professor refused. Stunned, Frankie walked away.

That night, as he tossed and turned in his bed, Frankie came to a decision.

He had enough of this world screwing him over by handing him the powers that it had, and the lack of control, warning, or immunity that had come with them. He’d had enough of being the whipping boy, some kind of cosmic joke.

He went back to the lab to take the belt. He’d just put it on and activated it when he was interrupted by the professor. Angry, he roared at the man to just leave him alone, but the white coat came at him with a scalpel, probably fueled by Frankie’s own rage.

Rage which boiled to even greater heights at seeing this new, murderous attack, rage, which took physical form in a cloud of chemicals that literally exploded outwards from Frankie, utterly disintegrating everything it touched for a good 50 feet in every direction, and leaving heavy damage behind for a good fifty feet beyond that.

There was nothing left of the professor or his scalpel, and there would have been nothing left of Frankie, either, if he hadn’t been wearing the belt. In any case, there was nothing left of the floor, and Frankie, new at using the belt, having had only a couple of hours practice earlier, fell into the basement, even as part of the building caved in on top of him. Fortunately his surprise overrode his hatred, and the corrosive chemicals dissipated before he fell much more than three floors below the basement. He’d started out on the third.

Thanks to the force field, he was completely unhurt. At least, physically. He’d killed a man, something he’d never done before, and he’d stolen, and he was buried under tons of rubble. He cried tears of frustration, anger and sadness, all rolled into one, and railed at the world anew. When he finished crying, he was tired of being a plaything, of being fate’s bitch. He resolved that he was going to be the one pulling the strings from then on.

With much experimentation, he was finally able to use his corrosive pheromones and his flight, thanks to the belt, to tunnel his way out from under the physics building. When he got to the surface, he found that it was the next day, and he was wanted for questioning in connection with the explosion that had subsequently destroyed the physics lab. Mostly from him and his corrosive chemicals having passed through a store room in the basement on his way out.

Because of him, 103 people had died in less than two minutes.

Whatever else he would become, Frankie could never be a hero now.

Fortunately, no-one really knew about his powers, and while he might be a suspect, and his body had never been found, there was nothing to say that he had stolen the belt. He could, in theory, have died in that explosion. He might be able to use the belt to get together enough money to blow this pop stand and live a life of comfort in a place where no-one even knew him. To finally leave behind all the pain and horror.

He chose, at that moment, to recognize the poison his life had been up until that point, and took on a new part to play: that of Toxin. Toxin would be an amoral bastard, out to make money anyway he could, with no restraints whatsoever, until the day someone else could step out from behind that mask, and perhaps live a better life, once everything that had been lost was restored….

Maybe with a little interest. Damages, too, for the suffering.




In the vault, away from the blaring noise of Dr. Bedlam's weapon, Toxin's black-gloved hands are carefully bagging up the contents of fifteen safe-deposit boxes; boxes that were formerly full of high-dollar jewellry. Next to him on the floor lies a black backpack, stuffed with hundred dollar bills.

Clad in blue jeans and a black t-shirt with a neon-orange biohazard symbol on the front of it, Toxin's face is covered by a simple black woolen ski-mask, and his forcefield crackles occassionally as it interacts with the other items in the vault.

"Just a few more minutes, and then I can get out of here, with no one the wiser," he thinks to himself. "After all, I already corroded my way through the main trunk line for the phones in the area on my way in here, so any alarms they have to detect intruders in the vault should be thoroughly out of commission," While continuing to pack things into the red and white gym bag he brought with him, he glances back at the tunnel leading out of the bank, and coming out in a drainage culvert over a mile away.

"This is too easy," he says aloud, speaking for the first time since he entered the bank.

[Ghal Marak]

Valentin stood on the roof of a nearby building, looking down on the bank. "This is crazy." He turned and walked back far enough to get a running jump. "But damnit, I'm gonna do it!" He looked down at his clothing, just to double check himself. He was wearing a pair of jeans, a hoodie with the hood pulled up, and a watch. He had no shoes on, because he didn't need them.

He looked down at his hands feet and marveled again at how strange he must look. His skin was a dark grey, with trace flecks of a black substance all over him. His hair had fallen out, leaving him bald, and he found out that he could step on a nail barefoot and bend it with no injury to himself. His voice had taken deeper, gravel-on-gravel inflection to it, making him sound gruff and angry. And so, he decided to rob a bank.

Valentin, or rather, Dark Star as he now calls himself, looked up at a jet flying by. "Tom, you rat bastard." Angered by the sudden memory of Tom, Dark Star ran and leaped off the roof, trying to reach the bank.

((Do I need to roll a jump?))

[Blackbird]

Chaos erupts in the bank at the first maddening notes. Most of the people in the bank, the five guards among them, start immeaditely fighting one another as the strange sounds enter their minds, others falling to the floor instead, catatonic.

A rare five bystanders manage to resist the maddening dirge, turning to attack the two thugs accompanying the Doctor.

A bystander with a mad look in his eyes charges Doubletalk, an equally crazed guard drawing his baton and also fighting his way through the mob to get at 'Doctor Bedlam'.

Two guards flee with terror in their eyes, straight in the direction of the vault, the safe-deposit boxes and Toxin.

To add to the confusion, suddenly Dark Star comes crashing in through the roof, pulverizing the waiting area in the corner of the bank. The floor of the bank cracks under his bare feet but he seems to be miraculously unharmed.

Meanwhile, the guard outside by the armored car sees Dark Star's entrance, drawing his gun and running for the bank. Entering, he aims his pistol at the grey man, shouting "Freeze!" over the sounds of madness in the bank.

A paniced bank teller crawls into one of the bank's offices, moving to block the door with the chair.

((No need to roll, there's no jump-skill in MnM and you don't have any ranks in Acrobatics. Have you gotten the book yet?))

[Ghal Marak]

Dark Star

"Whoa, it worked." When he heard the guard yell at him, Dark Star started laughing. "Ahahahahahaha! Oh man, that's rich. Yeah, like I'm gonna freeze. You tell yourself that." Dark Star finaly looked around at all the madness going down. "Damn, what did I miss? Ah, forget it." Dark Star, ignoring the guard and everything else, enters the teller line and makes for the vault.

((Uh, funny story, but no I don't have the book yet. Apparently, books-a-million had to cancel the order, because they didn't have it. :smallfrown: SO, one of these days I'm heading to the mall, where the will more than likely have it.))

[ravenkith]

Toxin, fully concealed by his stealth field, and having just picked up both bags, nonetheless takes a moment to change the chemical makeup of his pheromones so that it inflicts nausea in those who fall under it's sway. (FORT DC 20, everything within 100ft (pretty much everything in the bank), decreasing dc by 1 for every ten feet).

"I'd rather not have one of these jokers get lucky," he thinks to himself. "It sounds like all hell is breaking loose out there...I'd better take a look,"

[Green Bean]

"You dare attack Doctor Bedlam!?! Bah! I have no time for this!"

Doubletalk ducks around his charging opponent with surprising agility for an 'old man', trusting his thugs to deal with him. He heads purposefully for the bank teller's office, weaving in and out of the fray. If anyone attacks him, he evades and moves on, trusting the mind-scrambling effect to keep too many opponents from focusing on him at once. Calibrating his voice to the appropriate freqency for his target, he uses his vibration blast on the door, simultaneously gesturing with his silvery device.

((Combat actions; move action towards bank office, avoiding foes. Standard action to Vibration Control (Blast) the door.))

[PsyBlade]

OOC: I'm posting my combat actions. I'll leave rolling up to you Blackbird.

Cubit 0[Original]: Babble incoherently.

Cubit 1['Thug' 1]: Roger! Attacks one of the wannabe heroes with his claw attack (Strike power).

Cubit 2['Thug' 2]:Roger! Attacks a different wannabe, pretty much same way.

I'd say that Cubit's inexperience in combat will have his copies attacking in similar style for a few battles. Once he has practiced a bit more his copies will be different actions that 'feel' more focused like they were trained for team combat (which really they aren't).

[Blackbird]

Initiative:
Doubletalk 21
Toxin 18
Guards 18
Cubit 17
Dark Star 14
Duplicates 10
Bystanders 2

The 'mad doctor' weaves his way through the fray, a gesture from his device and a sonic blast unheard by everyone else punches a hole in the office door, sending splinters flying in every direction.

Toxin releases his pheromones into the air, causing further chaos in the bank. Of the two guards running for him and the vault behind the tellers line, one falls to the ground clutching his stomach as he shames himself then and there. The other guard seems to be able to shake of the effects of the toxins, continuing his run.

The hulking grey-skinned behemoth seems to be unfazed by the potent toxins assaulting him. Half of the bystanders in the bank fall to the floor, helpless, while the other half were sickened by the pheromones assaulting them. One of the two thugs is nauseated by the attack, able to do little more than crawl away from the growing smell, while the other one is fine, as is their puppeteer hiding in the crowd while Doctor Bedlam seems to be too focused on his mad ravings to be affected by the pheromones.

The guard standing by the door aims at Dark Star and pulls the trigger, the shot going wide. Cursing under his breath, the guard starts fighting his way through the mess and to the tellers line and the vault. The enraged guard, screams like a madman as he swings his nightstick at Doubletalk, missing the man completely and cracking some unfortunate's skull. The guard at the vault scratches his head in confusement at the seemingly empty vault, moving inside to investigate further.

Dark Star finds a guard lieing on the floor behind the tellers line, too busy defecating to bother with him, while another guard is searching through the vault. The only duplicate still standing lashes out at the guard that took a swing at Doubletalk. The man lands in a heap on the floor, not getting back up.

[Green Bean]

Curses! The vault door was open the whole time! Guess I don't need the hostage in that office after all.

Easily evading the expected attack from the guard, Doubletalk was nevertheless shocked at the sudden feelings of nausea that threaten to overwhelm him. Shaking it off, he was once again surprised at the sudden appearance of an odd, grey-skinned man. He decides to 'clear the air', and give himself a little time to think

"Ahahaha! Your chaos amuses me, but I think it is time to finish this once and for all!" Doubletalk raves, gesturing once again with his device and attuning his voice to the mind controlling wavelength his specializes in.

"All who are not with me; SIT! STAY!"

((Standard action to Mind Control, move action to give orders))

[ravenkith]

Ignoring the commands of the would-be bank robber, Toxin, amused, steps invisibly into the Teller's area and parks himself up on one of the counters, so as to be out of the way of foot traffic, backpack on securely, and gym bag across his cross-legged lap.

Feeling the resonance in the voice, and seeing others obey the stranger's commands, he carefully plugs his ears with his fingers.

"This should be pretty funny," he thinks to himself. "I wonder what Mage-bane will make of all this...?"

Move action to step out of the vault and hop up on the counter on the right, getting situated with my back to the exterior wall, Standard Action to plug my ears, which theoretically, would render his powers useless, or simply give me a +4 on the saves (which I find more likely).

[Nyrath]

The construct humanoid known merely as Mage Bane, even to himself, had been sitting perched on a rooftop some distance from, but in sight of, the bank. His companion Toxin seemed to have a grudge of some sort, that was something that he himself could understand, but the skinny man was so much better to work with than his old master. Why, he'd even been offered compensation to provide cover in the event that it would be needed, that in his mind meant that Toxin clearly thought of him as more than just a weapon or a mere tool.

His swirling thoughts meant that it took a moment before his mind registered what his eyes had told him; that someone had gone through the roof of the bank. This likely meant that Toxin needed him, his companion had been wise to have assistance prepared. The construct sprung into action and leapt* towards the hole formed by the one whose entry had managed to push the blades-master out of his revery. Now as he was going through the air he noted the commotion audiable within the bank, likely he would need to be more vigilant in the future.

Touching down inside the bank the magical warrior takes but a split second to take in the action, then opts to knock out the clearly enraged guard first before more as yet unnecessary collateral damage is inflicted by that flailing nightstick.

((Move to enter the bank and get to the guard [tactical movement of 2.500ft should manage] then a non-lethal attack to try and take him out.))

*Even a standing jump with an average acrobatics roll ends up as a potential 900ft jump, I do think MB'll make the it.

[PsyBlade]

Cubit caught a small wiff of something that caused his stomach to lurch, but thankfully instinctive reflexes saved him from being truely effected. The same could not be said of one of his copies though. He was quite pleased when his remaining copy took out a guard though. Focus on any that attack us or the Client. You get out of here, it's in our best interest.

Nauseated Copy is trying to crawl away. If possible, he'll use his speed power. Fine Copy will attack greatest apparent threat to the Cubits or Doubletalk (they're all expecting the Guards to consider Doubletalk the greatest threat of the three). The our was referencing Cubit and Doubletalk, not Cubit and the copies (like he'd care about the copies since they're going bye-bye at some time).

ooc:
The enraged guard, screams like a madman as he swings his nightstick at Doubletalk, missing the man completely and cracking some unfortunate's skull. Did this guard roll a 1? Just checking, but I do admit it's amusing.

[Ghal Marak]

Dark Star

"...holy crap! It's a mad house in here. Man, I better get out of here. After I get the money, of course." Ignoring the desturbing sight of the man crapping his pants, Dark Star walked over to the entrance of the Vault. He looked at the guard in the vault for a sec, then he spoke. "You loose something buddy?"

((I'm going to say that since Dark Star is trying to ignore most of the chaos, he didn't see Mage Slayer drop down through the hole he made in the roof.))

[ravenkith]

"Dam(n)...are these all bad guys?" thinks Toxin, careful not to make any noise as the big grey guy goes right past him. "This many 'villains' in one place, shouldn't be too long before somekind of hero shows up...." he thinks, wincing as he does.

"I shoudln't've thought that," he remonstrates himself, silently, waiting for the inevitable arrival of 'The Good Guys' (TM).

[Blackbird]

Initiative:
Mage Bane 28
Doubletalk 21
Toxin 18
Guards 18
Cubit 17
Dark Star 14
Duplicates 10
Bystanders 2

The construct known as Mage Bane is a blur of movement as he descends into the bank through the hole in the roof, the flurry of blows unleashed by the swords appearing in his hands battering a guard to the floor.

The effects of Doubletalk's mind control spread out through the building. The bystanders not already on the ground fall flat on their rears on it, along with one of the only two guards still standing while the other manages to fight the command through sheer force of will. None of the Cubits or Mage Bane fall prey to the mental command. For that matter, neither does Dark Star.

Toxin, also unaffected by the potent mind control, gets out of the way, his concealment making hiding child's play. The only guard left standing in the bank is the one in the vault, drawing his gun and pointing it at the dark-skinned strongman. The man's aim is way of and the shot ricochets of the back of the wall. The grey giant lumbers to the guard who is now very much near to doing what his friend just did.

The nauseated thug suddenly accelerates, exiting the building at top speeds before stopping to lie low in the bushes outside the bank. With all bystanders and guards incapacitated, the other thug mearly positions himself between 'Doctor Bedlam' and the second humanoid to enter the bank via the roof.

[Green Bean]

By this point, Doubletalk was barely surprised when some sort of super fast robot crashed through the hole in the ceiling and started fighting the guards. He knew his plan was pretty much shot, but he prided himself on his ability to improvise. He faces the two visible newcomers

"Wait! Doctor Bedlam has a great deal of respect for those who create so much chaos. Perhaps we could talk before we need fight?"

[PsyBlade]

Stay put until you're feeling better. Cubit commands the nauseated thug. He makes certain to act like he is under Doubletalk's command.

I hope he doesn't think we already stole all the money in the bank, thinks the ok thug. He gets into a defensive stance. If attacked or if the 'Doctor' is attacked, he will use his Defensive Attack feat.

[Ghal Marak]

Dark Star glanced over at 'Doctor Bedlam', then back at the security guard holding him at gunpoint. "Hang on Doc, I'll be with you in a sec." Dark Star stepped into the vault and got in the guards face. "Don't mess with me punk, or I'll pull your arms off and toss you into the ocean." To back it up, Dark Star pulled his sleeves up and glared at him.


((Intimidation attempt. If it is successful, Dark Star then searches the vault for the money. If not, then he grapples the guard and tries to use the gun against the guard.))

[ravenkith]

"Ugh. Noobs." Toxin thinks to himself. "Then again, I haven't got a whole hell of a lot of experience myself..."

He shifts slightly in his seat as he studies the creature in front of him.

"Could be a very powerful ally. I've already gotten friendly with Mage-Bane, but a little extra muscle never hurts...mind you, he ain't gonna be pleased that someone already hit the vault...and got the best stuff. Must be a half a mill, easy, between the gems and the cash. Most of what's left is chump change, I reckon," he ponders for a moment.

"No, they're not going to be happy at all...and who wants to split the take this many ways...?"

[Blackbird]

The last guard quakes in his boots at the attention of the man who fell through the roof of the bank without a scrath. It's obvious he's got no intention of stopping Dark Star as the grey-skinned goliath moves to search the vault. Unfortunately the place seems to have already been ransacked, although not everything has been taken. The most valuable stuff is gone though.

[Axelgear]

And that is when the situation gets worse. Much worse. At least for those who get in the way of the newcomer...

There is an echo of what sounds like the roar of an aircraft engine outside the walls of the bank, near the drive-through area where it is structurally weaker, and it rapidly gets louder and louder, air rushing past the doors as if a great, raging inferno is building up and causing the floors of the building itself to shake. The ground quakes and rumbled, the air simmers, and the people are understandably terrified at the unusual sound. Then its origin is made clear.

With what can only be described as a tumultuous and ear-splitting explosion, a section of the wall of the bank is blown open by a great gout of flame, showering those behind it with rubble as the bricks turn to ash in the air and are scattered about the room like a fine, gritty dust picked up by an ill wind. In the new causeway opened up for the convenience of villains everywhere, a shadow steps forth, hidden a moment by the cloud of rubble. When it fades, there stands an immaculately dressed figure of black, red, and, on his face and hands, white.

"Morning Gents, just here to make a withdrawal."

It is a wickedly sly grin that spreads across his face and, with a callous abandon, he simply walks across the room, sniffing about for the likely direction of a bank vault. When he notices, through some unseen scent, people cowering by the vault door behind the tellers desk, he walks callously over to said desk, which still has a young lady teller sitting at it, and unleashes another gout of flame, consuming her and opening yet another path through which to walk. He doesn't even flinch or warn before turning her to a blackened skeleton. He then casts a discerning glance around the bank to any horrified faces.

"I would've asked her out for dinner, but she was in between me and what I wanted, you see."

He then simply walks in and crushes her skull underneath his boot while heading to the vault, his body periodically tossing off licks of flame that indicate some hidden defense and his stride dismissive of the other villains there, acting as if he doesn't even see them. That is, until he arrives at the vault and realizes it has already been picked apart...

How's THAT for an entrance? I hope it's allowed... A brick wall should not be beyond Mal's effort to take down, and if necessary consider I took a full-round action to power it up, making it an unbeatable attack. Then he strolled inside, took out a cashier, and is making his way to the vault. He discovered it because of being able to sense the souls of anyone hiding by it. His force-field is up.

[Ghal Marak]

Dark Star

"What tha- Damnit! Just my luck!!" Dark Star spun around and left the vault. Stopping just outside the vault he looked over all the various villians. "Okay, who has the damn money?!? I have things to do, and I need to get going." He crossed his arms and waited.

[PsyBlade]

Cubit

The only standing 'Thug' went slack-jawed. Of course, it would be hard to see it through his mask. To him, killing without a VERY GOOD REASON was one of the worst mistakes anyone could make. Reasonably, he starts trembling with that guy around.

The REAL Cubit, defecates. He was not ready for a such a blatant vile act.

Nauseated Cubit continues to hurl, and feels even more queasy for a reason he doesn't know yet.

[ravenkith]

"Well sheiB, as my mutti would have said," thinks the invisible Toxin.

"I don't think I want anything to do with him. Time to go," with that, he hops down from the counter where he was sitting, and heads over to the end of the row of counters, where the original door was.

"Chances are, with that big hole in the counter, no one's going to bother going down to the far end," Toxin reasons. "I've got to get over by Mage-bane and tell him it's time to split. The rest of these guys are frickin' crazy."

OOC: As a player, I'm deliberately leaving room for a listen check so that the rest of the party can catch on. As a character, I'd almost certainly proceed as stealthily as possible. I'll let the DM decide which is the case here, and whether to allow the listen check or not...if he can get the party back together again later, my character would definitely do all he could to avoid getting caught...as a player, I don't want to split the party up and cause trouble.

[Green Bean]

This is not good.

Doubletalk wasn't a killer. It wasn't because of squeamishness, or a moral code. Murder meant that you were playing on a whole new level. The police will go after you that much harder, the criminal underside won't protect you; you're a liability. And murderers attracted the more...serious brand of heroes. The money no longer mattered. When five different villains showed up for the same payoff, odds are that someone won't feel like sharing. He had no desire to start a super-powered brawl. Besides, there were other banks.

I guess you've got to know when to hold 'em...

He turns to the minion not vomiting outside.

"Let's go."

Just for kicks, he then faces the people who are still under his control.

"Give generously to charity, and support your local library."

Yeah, it would eventually wear off, but mind controllers could have pranks to.

((I will stop if I think there's someone invisible here. I have a +15 notice, for your convenience.))

[Axelgear]

((And Mal has another interesting trick))

Mal grins wickedly as he suddenly realizes what was going on. As Toxin rushes past him, his red-dotted pupils turn to face the other villain and he points his finger, opening a bolt of flame at the ground just before the door, it burning with an unnatural intensity. He then slowly walks towards him, eyes fixated on the invisible runner.

"Cute. Invisibility, heh heh... Hand over the valuables, please, before I claim your skull."

Mal isn't playing around, his eyes fixated sharply on Toxin. He sniffs the air gently, as if able to follow him over the brimstone scent cast into the air by the hellfire.

"You're not a murderer, no... You're just a thief. I am, however. You probably actually saw that, in fact. So please, just hand over the money or I will be forced to make sure you don't get a chance to spend it."

Mal ***** his head to the side, watching to see what he'll do, a ball of fire being carefully rolled about in his hand.

((Detect Souls, Accurate, Extended.))

[ravenkith]

OOC: I believe Axel's understanding of the rules is horribly flawed. However, in the interests of expediency, I am going to move on. I *would* like some clarification from the DM as to what should happen in this case, however. Hey, I could be wrong - but that's for the DM to determine. I would prefer to get a ruling, but I don't want to hold the game up any more than I already have.

Toxin simply ratchets up his flight power, and shoots away at top speed, exiting through the handy hole in the roof. Taking his & Mage Bane's money with him, but leaving at least some in the vault for the remaining villains to fight over.

"There is no way I'm sticking around with this *******" Toxin thinks to himself. "Mage-bane can take care of himself, and knows where to go."

[Axelgear]

((No need to be insulting. If Toxin exited the vault, he had to move past Mal at some point or Mal moved past him. I've expended two villain points, so you can assume Mal noticed him but in any case he is still undetectable. And as for the duration/action thing, I had always assumed that for a power that has an action requirement of more than free cannot be moved past sustained. The transition from 1st Ed to 2nd is still a little bumpy.))

Mal just stares for a moment, not quite sure what just happened but he has a distinct feeling he just let one get away. Ah well, can't be helped... With a sigh, he looks about with a bored expression, glances into the vault room once, and walks away back to the hole he has created. Using a quick line of flame, sets the ground near the remaining tellers aflame and steps on the neck of one as he walks out, looking quite annoyed.

"So... Uh... Who or what was that?" He asks the other villains once outside and points to the empty space that, at some point, was occupied by Toxin. He assumes, by the fact that they are still standing, that they know slightly more about the scenario then he does and his casual demeanor indicates a deep level of psychopathy that only a very long time of killing can bring.

[PsyBlade]

((OOC: Uh, Toxin was not in the vault when Mal entered.))

[Green Bean]

Doubletalk paused on his way out as the clearly unhinged newcomer began talking to the air. Apparently it owed him money.

As the odd man began to light the place on fire, Doubletalk sighed in his head. He could tell this latest newcomer was more than a little deranged, having no problems with outright murder, but the silver-tongued mastermind had his own standards. He ignores the psychopath and once again issues a command to those under his control.

"Please calmly evacuate the building. Assist anyone who cannot move under their own power."

He knew it was breaking character, but it hardly mattered at this point.

He was not afraid of a reprisal from the fiery man; even if the killer were a match for him, he doubted that the other three villains would just stand idly by. They seemed to have problems with killing too, judging by their tactics against the guards. He decides to respond.

"I would ask the same of you, whoever you are."

[Axelgear]

Mal just smirks at this, chuckles, laughs, and soon hoots and hollers until he is rolling on the ground laughing. When he does, eventually, calm himself, he smiles and wipes a tear of laughter from his eye.

"Oh... Man... What a great joke! Oh, but seriously... See you around. Have fun with the carnage."

And, in a puff of brimstone, Mal disappears and leaves naught but smoke to mark his passing.

I've mucked this up enough, I think I will just slip out quietly. This game is clearly interesting, which is exactly why I can't be in it. I'll just cause problems. You've all been accommodating.

[Ghal Marak]

Dark Star

Dark Star decided that he didn't like how things are going. Way too many other vilians were embroiled in this. It was probably high time to leave, before the goody types show up. Especially Tom. Anything but Tom. "Right, time to leave." But taking the closest rout out through the hole in the wall, Dark Star decided to jump the teller wall and walk across to the main entrance. If he tried hard enough to fit in, maybe he could slip out with the normal people.

[Blackbird]

As the bystanders and bank-personnel begin to evacuate the damaged building, a booming voice can be heard inside the bank.

"This is Major Valor! We've got the building surrounded! Surrender and come out with your hands out!" Any of you that have spent even two days in Fort Garth recognize the man as the meta-human known as Major Valor.

He's the local military-sponsored meta, his real, and publicly known, identity being that of Air Force major Tom Valor. Though there is no formal team of heroes in Fort Garth, Major Valor has been known to in the past work together with several metas in the area, so it's safe to say that he's got company out there.

Outside the bank, Valor is hailed through his communicator. "Monsiuer Valor, it would seem that my experimental mental-detection helm has found someone fleeing away from the bank through le ciel but I can't confirm it with a visual sighting." "I understand Professeur Primat, but we've got our hands full here. Can you handle the situation?" "Oui, bien sur mon ami. Primat over." "Valor over."

[Green Bean]

Doubletalk immediately backed away from the door, trying not to present a target to anyone outside.

Well, at least now the situation's a little more clear-cut.

"Look, would anyone be opposed to a team up right now? It doesn't look like we have much of a choice."

Doubletalk smiled slightly as the beginnings of a plan took form.

[PsyBlade]

The real Cubit was leaving with the civilians. After hearing Doubletalk's suggestion of giving to the less fortunate, he figured it would do him some good to do so. Though he had to first deal with police asking for witnesses.

As for the 'Thugs' Cubit leant to Doubletalk, they would most certainly help Doubletalk.


Tell me when the nauseated thug is able to fight.
Doubletalk has the 'Thugs' vote for leading the attack on the hero[es]. for obvious reasons.

[Ghal Marak]

Dark Star

Dark Star stood still as stone when he heard Tom's voice. For what seemed an eternity to Dark Star he stood and sifted through the sudden onrush of memories that the sound of his voice brought to mind. And then he started quivering. At first it looked like it was from fright, but it soon became obvious it was from sheer rage. "...Tom. Tom! TOM YOU SON OF A HORE!" Dark Star walked over to the inner set of double doors and kicked them open. "YOU’L GET NO SURRENDER FROM ME!!! I’LL HAVE MY REVENGE!!" Turning around, Dark Star spied the counters that held the deposit slips. Ripping one out of the floor, he turned and hurled it through the doors. The whole time ignoring the fact that people were in his way.

[RationalGoblin]

ACH-01: Zachariah Unit

ACH had been surveying the city, looking for crimes to commit and people to commit them on, when he noticed a disturbance at the Eastern Seaboard Bank. Quickly, he strode to the bank, hoping to take advantage of the situation.

Unfortunetly for ACH, he arrived too late, if the destruction in the bank meant anything as he walked through one of the various holes. He watched the grey-skinned human throw a tantrum, then announced himself in a slightly static monotone voice.

"Mockery: Is he making human-based salsa? I don't think that action was wise. Neither would be fighting this Major Valor without help. May I offer my assistance in this matter?"

[PsyBlade]

What do you think, boss?

[Green Bean]

"I say we need all the help we can get. Now, we'll let the grey guy out first; he looks like he can take their fire. We'll follow once their attention is on him."

[RationalGoblin]

"I say we need all the help we can get. Now, we'll let the grey guy out first; he looks like he can take their fire. We'll follow once their attention is on him."

"Agreement: I assume he was the one that made a hole in the roof? He can most likely take a beating or two."

[Blackbird]

The counter flies through the air fuelled by Dark Star's rage and impressive strength, sending the bystanders flying every which way. Few can get up or walk away as the improvised missile carries on it's course, smashing into Major Valor and shattering to pieces on impact. The hero rises up from the wreckage, seeming to have only sustained bruises from the attack.

Flying through the city with his stolen loot, Toxin is taken by surprise as he is hit by a deep red beam of energy. The energy quickly surrounds him completely and the pheromone-powered villain is bound and helpless within the glowing forcefield. "I think it would be best if you would come in quietly and return that money you stole, non, mon ami?"

From the corner of his eye Toxin can see a gorilla wearing a white labcoat holding what appears to be a high-tech ray gun from where the bands of energy ensnaring him seem to be coming from. "Allow me to introduce myself, monsieur. I am known as Professeur Primat, a genius and a hero, I suppose you might say. I am going to, how do you say, bring you in.

((Major Valor gets a Bruised condition. Thug's nauseated no more. Toxin gets a villain point. Also, ouch, really bad luck on rolls. Action!))

[ravenkith]

Toxin, he and his gear safe inside his field, winds up his fatigue powers.

(Subtle, rank 10, sustained duration.)

"Hope this creeps got some kind of protection...or it's going hurt when he passes out and hits the ground. When he falls asleep, he won't be able to keep the ray on me, and I'll be able to split. No need to hurt anybody if I don't have to," he thinks to himself.

"Sure, Prof, I'll come quietly," he says aloud. "I want you to know, I'm an independent, I'm not with the rest of those jokers; they're killing people in there!"

[PsyBlade]

Thug1: Boss, Operative 2 is back in action. What orders do you have for us?

Actions: Whatever Doubletalk asks of the Thugs, they'll do. Without orders, the outside Thug will delay Valor, while the inside will act to protect Doubletalk.

[Green Bean]

"We wait for the big guy to leave, then we take these guys as fast as possible. Go for whoever I attack."

((I lower my initiative so I go after Darkstar. Assuming he exits the building, I'll head for the front door and use Blast on whichever super looks like the biggest threat. I'm still using my spray-painted calculator.))

[Ghal Marak]

Dark Star

Scowling, Dark Star turned around and spoke to Doubletalk. "Hey Doc, I would stand back a little if I were you. It's about to get messy." He then faced the door and prepared himself for the counter-attack.

[RationalGoblin]

Dark Star

Scowling, Dark Star turned around and spoke to Doubletalk. "Hey Doc, I would stand back a little if I were you. It's about to get messy." He then faced the door and prepared himself for the counter-attack.

"I myself won't have a problem with that. Organic material breaks down quickly enough, and it does not impede my progress in any way. Also, I suscept I am as durable as you. However, you are still slightly human. I am not. They won't hesitate to destroy me, and I do nothing if not survive. So, I'm sticking a few meters behind you."

ACH advances foward, stopping a few meters behind Dark Star, and readies his tentacles for all out defense.

[Blackbird]

Primat raises an eyebrow at Toxin's words. "Really? That is tres terrible. The professor is casually perched on the top of a roof as he observes the red man-shaped energy-aura where he knows his quarry to be, the sun glinting of the metallic dome on his head, obviously the prototype the inventor used to detect Toxin in the first place.

Meanwhile at the bank, five heroes can be seen by the villains. Major Valor stands defiantly outside, a man dressed in dark blue spandex with a large white 'V' on his chest, a white cape and white gloves and boots.

Another hero rivalling the Major's fame in Fort Garth, namely the battlesuited Ultima, is also present. The operator of the bulky green and white battlesuit is unknown though his connection to the local mega corporation Ultratech is well known as he's the company's figurehead and protector as well as being on it's payroll.

Circling the building at amazing speeds is Blur, a slightly less well known hero. Crimson Bolt is a name that is whispered with fear by the criminal underworld of Fort Garth, the black crimson-fletched bolts of the vigilante being his calling-card. Few know much about the young new heroine, Gravity Girl, though her mastery over gravity is as obvious as it's powerful.

[Green Bean]

Doubletalk slips back into character.

"You fools! Doctor Bedlam will crush you!"

As Blur races by, he attunes his voice to the speedster's vibrational frequency, and hits it as hard as he can. A low, fog horn-like noise emanates from 'Bedlam's' general area. He gestures with his device as well.

He then looks at the few civillians he still controls. They'd be useless against anyone with a power, but not everyone here had a power...

"Get Crimson Bolt!"

((Standard action to blast Blur, move action to order all remaining mind controlees to try to grapple Crimson Bolt))

[ravenkith]

Toxin maintains his fatigue power.

(Primat's not obviously equipped with a gas mask or half mechanical is he? he should be feeling some effects by now...)

[PsyBlade]

"Get Crimson Bolt!"


Roger!
Misinterpreting the meaning, Thug 2 runs full speed at Crimson Bolt.
He attacks.
All of a sudden, Thug 1 attacks Crimson Bolt from behind, hopefully catching Crimson Bolt off-guard.
The two attacks strike one after the other.

Combined attack using the Thugs against Crimson Bolt. Also, Crimson Bolt may not be aware of Thug 2, so I'm hoping this gives a bonus to hit for the Thugs.

[Blackbird]

Initiative:
Blur
Mage Bane
Doubletalk
Crimson Bolt
Cubit
Zachariah
Gravity Girl
Professeur Primat
Dark Star
Toxin
Duplicates
Ultima
Major Valor
Mind Controlees

Blur smirks to Dark Star standing in the doorway before zipping through the hole in the backwall of the bank he found while circling it. Everybody in the bank is barely able to register the cheery "Heads up!" before the whirlwind of movement hits them. Doubletalk's remaining mind controlees all fly on their backsides, although the villains in the bank manage to keep their balance under the barrage. Just as fast as he entered the bank, Blur exits, leaving only confusion in his wake.

Doubletalk fires a sonic blast after the retreating speedster, but he simply can't hit his fast-moving target. Crimson Bolt wordlessly reaches for a bolt from his quiver, readying his crossbow and aiming it at Dark Star. The bolt flies true, discharging an electric current on contact into the grey-skinned man, but Dark Star is only slightly dazed by the attack.

Cubit lays low among the bystanders on the floor while Zacharias readies his tentacles for any attack coming his way. The two 'thugs' charge Crimson Bolt, though the grim avenger sees them coming from the corner of his eye, dodging under their blows effortlessly. Gravity Girl rises up into the air above the battle, releasing a concentrated blast of gravity at one of the two 'thugs'. She misses her mark, the hammer-blow of an attack demolishing the concrete next to the duplicate instead.

"Val? Valentin?! Is that you?! Ultima, stand down, we need to find some other way to handle this!" The Major's confusion is plain on his face. Hovering a few feet above the street, Ultima raises his hands as an electronically masked voice answers his ally. "I'm sorry Tom, but you saw what he just did. There's only one way to handle this." A charge builds up in the hands of the armored warrior before it's unleashed at Dark Star.

The blast leaves only what look like scorch-marks on Dark Star, leaving him otherwise unharmed. Hanging his head low in sadness, Major Valor never the less powers through the air, colliding with Dark Star and pinning his old friend to the ground. In the bank, the mind controlees slowly get to their feets, looking to their master for instructions.

Meanwhile elsewhere, Professeur Primat activates his device, reeling Toxin closer with it, but the cunning villain answers this by using his fatigue-inducing pheromone-aura. The subtle affects of the attack evoke a yawn from the mighty primate who finds himself inexplicably exhausted for some reason. At the same time the energy-bands enclosing Toxin within them begin to fade, freeing the villain.

((Ghal, boost density or healing?))

[Green Bean]

Doubletalk had been unprepared for the sheer speed Blur moved at. He wouldn't make that mistake twice. He readied himself for another attack run, hoping to catch the speedster this time.

Noticing his unwitting minions seemed to need further instructions, he obliged them, waving his silvery device in their general direction.

"Assist my minions against the archer!"

((Move action to order minions to use Aid Another actions on Crimson Bolt, Standard action to ready a Blast attack when the speedster comes into view))

[ravenkith]

"Are you alright, Professor?" Toxin asks, genuinely concerned. "You look very tired. I don't know how your powers work, do you need to land on a rooftop or something?" he asks kindly, slowly moving with the Professor to a nearby roof and coming to a halt.

"We can rest for a minute if you like," he continues, attempting to distract the man from what's really going on.

[roll0]

OOC: Yuck! crappy roll. Using my distract feat. He makes an opposed roll; a will save, bluff check, or sense motive, whichever is higher. If he fails, he's dazed for a round (giving my sleepy 'mones more time to work, as they are being sustained throughout all this). I wasn't sure; can I take 10 on this kind of use of bluff?

[PsyBlade]

Hearing Doubletalk order the mind controllees, Cubit makes a decision.

Work with the Mindless. They'll assist you with Crimson Bolt.

After receiving their orders from Cubit, the Thugs adjust their plans, while continuing to attack Crimson Bolt.


If they need to, the Thugs delay their actions so whichever Thug goes second can use their aid. Whichever Thug goes first will use Aid Another.

[Ghal Marak]

Dark Star

"Ha! Like you would remember me, the man you sent to his death!! Well, I've come back from the dead to take my REVENGE!!!" On the word revenge, Dark Star attempted to reverse the pin and get a hold on Major Valor.

[RationalGoblin]

ACH-01 "Zachariah"

ACH moves his tentacles out of a defensive position and gives a strange, metallic, monotone laugh as he turns his head to Ultima.

"Ultima, was it? Well then Ultima, let us fight to see which is stronger, a mere human, wrapped in a guise of metal, or the real "McCoy", an android of incalcuable potential?"

During his challenge to Ultima, ACH strides towards the battlesuited hero, ignoring everything else until he gets close enough and at the word "potential", his tentacles extend out to grab Ultima, as ACH laughs some more for kicks.

((Grapple FTW.))

[ravenkith]

Looking back at the bank, some distance away, and the ruckus rising from it, Toxin thinks; "God I'm glad I'm not caught up in that mess."

[Blackbird]

Blur blazed back in to the bank, aiming to engage the construct he'd seen in there earlier. He was no expert on magic but he didn't like the vibes he was getting from the thing, not one bit. Picking up some assorted debris from the bank, the red and gold speedster lets loose a barrage of improvised missiles, throwing various small objects faster than the eye can follow. The storm of shrapnel hits Mage Bane hard and scrapes and dents can be seen on the magic-powered creation. Stunned by the lethal attack, Mage Bane is unable to answer to the attack.

Doubletalk has no such problems however as he lets loose a sonic blast at Blur, knocking the super speeding hero of his feet and into the bank wall behind, leaving him crumpled against the wall, bruised and staggered. Meanwhile, Crimson Bolt turned fully to face the two thugs attacking him. A sneer that spoke of nothing but contempt for the two before him was all that showed of the face hidden by the hood and domino-mask he wore under it as the grim avenger attacks. Rolling under the defense of one of the thugs, Crimson Bolt leaps up like a tightly coiled spring but his blow misses it's mark, his elbow jabbing the air beside the criminal. As he rolled to his feet, Crimson Bolt grudgingly admitted to himself that these were opponents who would bare watching, instead of the usual gun-waving dregs running rampant on the streets these days.

Zacharias' metallic tentacles snake over the surface of Ultima's battlesuit, failing to grab ahold of the metallic green and white armor. Ultima, on the other hand, has no such problems, grabbing hold of the robot and pinning him against the ground. "I've dealt before with deus ex machinae with god-complexes. What makes you different, Sparky?"

"Stand still, damnit!" Gravity Girl curses as she misses her target, letting loose another hammer blow -like blast of gravitic force at one of the thugs, this time aiming more carefully. Her effort pays of as she hits her target, the blast stunning and bruising the thug badly.

Dark Stars dazed head is already clearing as he wrenches himself free from Major Valor's pin, getting to his feet. The two titans of might both struggle to overcome the other. "I'm sorry Val. I don't want to do this, just like I didn't want to bring you with me to that cargo hold. But there are some things more important than you and me, Val. Make it easier on yourself and turn in quietly." As he speaks, Major Valor tries to immobilise Dark Star again, but the grey-skinned man puts his considerable strength to good use and manages to resist the attempt.

The remaining mind controlees, eager to do their master's bidding, charge Crimson Bolt together with the two thugs. Though the mind controlees don't pose a real threat to the grim avenger, their interference none the less help out the thug going in for the kill. Still, help or no help, the wild slash of the thug misses Crimson Bolt, just as barely as he himself missed when he attacked the thug.

Dragging Toxin behind him with the energy bands, Professeur Primat moves to take the villain in, only being able to make it as far as the edge of the roof, before having to stop to catch his breath. Suddenly the mighty simian turns around, pointing at his captive with an accusing finger. He seems to have seen through Toxin's deception as well as somehow resisted his pheromones, althuogh only barely. "You! You're the one behind this, this... épuisement." The previously so confident professor seems positively winded, the smallest task requiring great effort from him.

((I would have to say no to that, Ravenkith, you can't take 10 on that.))

[Green Bean]

Doubletalk grins to himself.

Speedsters. Always so fragile.

Noticing the difficulty one of his thugs was having with the gravity manipulator and the archer, he decides to lend a hand. He focuses his voice on Gravity Girl, gesturing once again with his device.

"Crimson Bolt has betrayed you! I will help you fight him!"

((Standard action to use single target Mind Control on Gravity Girl, move action to order her to attack Crimson Bolt))

[PsyBlade]

Over here! One thug continues to assist the Thug the mindless are helping. The other Thug tries feinting the Archer, before attacking.


One Thug continues Aid Another. Other Thug takes a -5 penalty to Feint as a move action, then attack with his Strike power.

[RationalGoblin]

(OOC: He reversed the grapple, right? If so, I'm going to Extra Effort the Dazzle(visual) as alternate power off Electrical Control)

Zachariah gives a metallic groan as he is pinned against the ground. He barks his montone laugh at Ultima's speech.

"The others you fought were likely pretenders. I am the real thing, human, and you cannot stand against a perfect machine!"

ACH shoves his arm at Ultima's facepiece. Electricity arcs brightly from his pauldrons, down along his arm, and grows extremely bright as ACH blasts it at Ultima.

(OOC: 10 temp ranks of Dazzle (visual), then ACH uses Dazzle on Ultima.)

[ravenkith]

"Professor, whatever do you mean? is there something wrong?" he says a sympathetic look on his face, acting his part better than ever.

(Perform 20 - take 10)

Once again, his sincerity gives cause for the scientist to hesitate, distracting him.

[roll0]

:smallfurious: wow, that's some ****ty rolling.

Still maintaining my pheromones.

"Everything will be fine professor," Toxin thinks, meeting the man's eye. "Just go to sleep, and it'll be alright. You might be a little embarassed when your friends catch you napping, but I'm no killer, dammit. You'll be safe enough,"

[Ghal Marak]

Dark Star

"NEVER!!!" Locked in the titanic struggle, Dark Star tries to throw a punch at the Major.

[Blackbird]

Stirring in the rubble inside the badly battered bank, Blur groans in pain as he feels around to see how serious his injuries are. A look of confusion flashes over Gravity Girls face at Doubletalk's intrusion into her mind, but it's quickly replaced by a snarl as the brief battle of wills ends and she turns on Crimson Bolt. "I knew you couldn't be trusted, taking the law into your hands. Your only barely better than the thugs you hunt."

Surprise at her words registers on Crimson Bolts face, before he notices Doubletalk brandishing his 'mind control device'. Readying his crossbow, Crimson Bolt takes only a moment to steady his aim before firing. The bolt flies true and hits its target, but by some miracle Doubletalk manages to hold onto the device in his hand. Still resolute, Crimson Bolt pulls back from the thugs he's facing, readying for further attacks.

Ultima's answer to Zacharias is lost in a scream as the bright flash of light blinds him. Wildly flailing fists, regardless of the strength granted to them by the powered armor, fail to hit the robot. Gravity Girl seems to be ignoring everything going on around here in favor of focusing her power over gravity on Crimson Bolt. The grim avenger falls immeaditely to the ground as the pull of gravity on him increases greatly, leaving him lieing on the street, though still conscious.

As Dark Star and Major Valor struggle, the solemn hero gains the upper hand, hammering his fist into Dark Star jaw with no apparent result, leaving the patriotic hero to look in awe at his old friend now turned new enemy, uttering a single word: "How?"

The mind controlees and the two thugs pile up on the prone Crimson Bolt, the vigilante not flinching a bit at the torrent of blows and though his costume is torn and shredded at places, revealing nicks and scratches beneath, he seems to have suffered no serious damage from the landslide of attacks.

"Non, you insult me, monsieur Toxine. What do you confuse me with, une imbécile?" At the word imbécile, Professeur Primat lunges at Toxin, though his tired blow is mostly a slap against the force-field surrounding the villain, the huge hairy hand of the professor sliding of him. The professor still continues to stubbornly, and luckily, resist Toxin's fatigue-inducing pheromones.

((Doubletalk gets a VP. Dark Star, boost density or healing?))

[Green Bean]

Doubletalk knew that his control would only last for so long against the gravitational hero, especially when forcing her to do something so against her own nature. But getting rid of her would have to wait until Crimson Bolt was totally defeated.

Doubletalk grinned cheerily at Crimson Bolt, and began whistling a jaunty little tune. As he pushed a button on his device, the tune acquired a low undertone that was somehow damaging to the crushed hero.

((Using Blast on Crimson Bolt))

((Not that I'm complaining, but how'd I end up with a VP? Is it because I'm awesome? :smallbiggrin:))

[Blackbird]

((GM fiat on Blur. Even though you are awesome :smallwink: ))

[ravenkith]

Toxin looks down at the professor as the poor man sinks to the floor, but maintains his pheromones nonetheless.

"Professor, I'm just a thief. A thief with powers, to be sure, but a thief nonetheless. From the sounds of it, a massive battle at the bank is ensuing,"

He glances back in that direction.

"It doesn't sound too good for your friends. Nor does it look that great from here, either,"

He shrugs, as best as he can from within his restraints.

"You have two choices; either release me, and go and aid your friends, or else spend the next four hours or so up here sleeping it off," he concludes, once more attempting to distract the hero.

[roll0]

WTH? The dice roller really hates me in this thread. :smallfrown:

[RationalGoblin]

ACH-01

ACH is silent, merely snaking his tentacles around Ultima's battlesuit, trying once more to grab the armoured hero.

(OOC: As you can see, a grapple check. EDIT: Oh, and are there any cars around the battle that haven't been destroyed?)

[PsyBlade]

Thug 1 points, and Thug 2 looks. Thug 2's head returns to 1 and nods. He heads off towards Ultima. Thug 1 continues to work towards rendering the archer unconscious.

Upon arrival at the machines' spot, Thug 2 tries to assist the Villainous Machine with the Moronic one.

Thug 1 continues to hammer away at the Crimson Bolt.

Thug 2 uses Aid Another on Zach, or attacks Ultima, whichever would be more effective.

[Ghal Marak]

Dark Star

((Boost Density please. :smalltongue: ))

"HAHAHAHA!!! I would have thought it would be obvious to you!" Dark Star attemps to pick up Major Valor and throw him into any nearby wall or object.

[Blackbird]

Edit:

A wave of relief washes over Blur as he gets up shakily, leaning against the wall of the bank to catch his breath. He was bruised but not beaten. Crimson Bolt grits his teeth as Doubletalk's sonic blast hits him, the attack stunning the battered avenger. Zacharias and Ultima struggle in hand-to-hand, but the battlesuited hero seems to simply be stronger than his robotic opponent, slamming the villain into the concrete, though with little to no effect.

Gravity Girl seems to wake from a sleep as she manages to break Doubletalk's mind control on her. She looks around her with the air of someone who wakes up from a bad dream with blood on their hands, only dimly aware of how it got there. Seeing the battered Crimson Bolt on the ground, she screams in horror, turning to Doubletalk. Hovering over the villain like some angry goddess, she seems barely able to speak because of her rage and settles for just one word. "You!" Her rage-fuelled blast of gravitic energy misses Doubletalk only narrowly, though she seems to calm down after this. "What's wrong, you're not afraid of a girl, are you?" she taunts him while she floats a few feet above the street, though it doesn't seem to have much effect on the sonic villain.

Beads of sweat form on Major Valors brow as he struggles to hold Dark Star back. After what seems like a small eternity, Major Valor lands another titanic blow. This time it seems to have an affect, bruising Dark Star and stunning him. Now free from the crushing increased gravity, Crimson Bolt manages to roll clear from the attack of the mind controled bank-people and one of the thugs, while the other distracts Ultima long enough to give Zacharias an edge over his opponent.

"Non." Professeur Primat shakes his head, doing it again to try and wake himself up, with little success. "Non, le major can handle the situation, I am bringing you in." A blow from the simian professor manages to actually break through Toxin's forcefield, although it only bruises him lightly. The attack seems to have taken the hero's last strength, though as he falls unconscious on the roof, asleep atlast as the energy field that had bound Toxin finally dissipates, freeing him completely.

((There's the armored car near the bank the guards were loading up before the robbery as well as a few civilian cars.))

[RationalGoblin]

ACH

ACH's optical receptors glow green, as he turns his head towards the armoured car that was carelessly left unattended. The roar of the engine starting up again fills the ears of those nearby. The car accelerates quickly, moving towards Ultima while the armoured hero is distracted, seemly wanting to run the battlesuit over

((I'm going to run Ultima over with the armoured car using Machine Control!:smallbiggrin: Note, if that doesn't work, the next few rounds are going to be me trying to run random heros over. I do love Machine Control.))

[ravenkith]

Toxin looks around, and crouches down over the professor, still pumping out sleep pheromones.

He immediately checks his pulse, to make sure he's ok.

He then checks the superhero for useful items, and looks for the guys wallet, lifting everything of value, and adding it to his growing pile of stuff, including any technological devices the professor may have.

"Can't chance keeping these...they may have homing devices in them," he thinks. "But I can take them away from the prof and destroy them when I get further away...that way he'll be out of action for as long as it takes him to rebuild his arsenal,"

With that, he takes off into the night sky, still invisible, looking for a quiet place to set down long enough to dust the Professor's tech before heading to the rendezvous.

[Green Bean]

Despite the close shave with a blast of gravitational energy, Doubletalk was all smiles. Angry people got sloppy, his foe certainly looked the part.

"Please, young lady. I barely had to exert myself to get you to attack him. Deep down, you obviously wanted to do it. I'd let it out. Repressing things like that is enough to drive you...crazy"

At his last word, he presses a button on his control panel while emitting his brain scrambler sonics.

((Confusion area effect, excluding the villains and my various minions))

[Ghal Marak]

Dark Star

((Sorry for my lateness. I'll use the Villian Point to remove the stun, and I'll channel that damage into healing.))

Dark Star laughed when he felt the blow from Major Valor. "Congradulations! You have managed to wound me a little! Let me return the favor!!!!" Dark Star attempts another punch at the Major.

[PsyBlade]

OOC: There's little for me to post at the moment. The Thugs continue what they've been doing, and I'm frying my brain on how to type that up to sound good. Sigh, that's the problem with playing a 'Minion Man'.

[Blackbird]

Hurriedly gathering debris from the battered bank, Blur flings them at amazing speeds at Doubletalk, the barrage of deadly objects missing the sonic manipulator barely.

As Doubletalk speaks, his powers spread out around him, intruding the minds of his enemies around him. Gravity Girl, hovering so defiantly above the street just a moment ago, falls to the ground. "No. No, you lie, you lie..." Major Valor's grip on Dark Star slackens and quickly breaks as the paragon of Fort Garth is likewise overtaken by the effect. "Val. I'm sorry, I..."

Ultima and Blur manage to resist the creeping tendrils of madness in their minds, while Crimson Bolt faces the other extreme of the spectrum as a cold fury overcomes him. Still able to keep his cool, the grim avenger moves to feint his opponent before delivering a precisely aimed kick to the stomach but the skill of the thug wins out again.

The still-blinded Ultima fails to notice the armored car starting up behind him before it's too late. The speeding vehicle only clips the hero however and the battlesuit absorbs much of the impact. Still, the stunned armored hero can feel bruises along his sides.

Meanwhile, Dark Star shakes of the effects of Major Valor's last blow before returning the favor. Returning the favor, the dark titan lands a blow to match the one dealt to him, bruising the paragon of Justice. The thug aided by the mind controlees fails to catch the fleetfooted Crimson Bolt while his partner also fails in distracting the battered Ultima.

Toxin, meanwhile, is preoccupied with the unconscious form of Professeur Primat. The scientific simians pulse seems to be steady and he appears to be completely fine, apart from being unconscious. He has a French passport in his wallet, although there is very little money there.

The many, many pockets of the professor's white labcoat contain an endless seeming suply of all kinds of technological gadgets and parts you can barely begin to understand, though few of them seem to do much on their own. Add to that the prototype-helm and the energy-manipulating glove, both designed for the professors larger physique, and you've got a veritable treasuretrove of technological wonders with you. Now if you only knew how they all worked... You easily find a quiet rooftop to sort through your new belongings, though, with the police cruisers heading for the bank none the wiser to your presence thanks to your invisibility.

[Green Bean]

Doubletalk narrowly dodged the flying barrage of bank wreckage. Noting that his gravitational foe was distracted, he focused on the most immediate threat.

"Didn't we just do this?"

Doubletalk again presses the button of his disguised calculator, while matching a silent scream to Blur's exact resonance.

[PsyBlade]

Over here! The Thug attacking Crimson Bolt tries to feint the cape then attack him.

The Thug assisting against Ultima takes a step back and refocuses his attention.
Re: He refocuses to get a better position in the Initiative ranks.

[Ghal Marak]

Dark Star

"S-sorry? SORRY?!?! Sorry does not even begin to help what I went through! I had to free fall through the earth’s atmosphere! I then struck the bottom of the ocean! THE &($*^#@ BOTTOM OF THE OCEAN!!! You did this to me, and your going to pay for it." Dark Star grabbed Tom and lifted him over his head.

Okay, actions. Dark Star tries to grab and pick up Tom, and if successful he throws him at the closest hero to him.

[ravenkith]

Toxin takes a moment to destroy the professors equipment before flying to the rendezvous point.

[RationalGoblin]

ACH

ACH laughs as the car clips Ultima, and raises his arm as it is wreathed with crackling electric sparks once more, this time not as bright, though much more intense. He utters a single word as the electricity flies towards Ultima, "S-Suffer!"

(OOC: Since it seems like cheating, as I am immune to fatigue, this will be my last Extra Effort in this battle. Or is it okay to do more? Either way, 2 extra ranks of Electrical Control, to Blast Ultima. If I do not damage him, I use a VP to re-roll. If I miss, I instead use the VP for that. Is that okay?)

[Blackbird]

((New initiative:
Initiative:
Blur
Mage Bane
Duplicate 2
Doubletalk
Crimson Bolt
Cubit
Zachariah
Gravity Girl
Professeur Primat
Dark Star
Toxin
Duplicate 1
Ultima
Major Valor
Mind Controlees))

Blur suddenly points at something behind Doubletalk in apparent alarm. The hero shouts "Look out, a rabid wombat!" before unleashing another barrage of miscellanious items on Doubletalk. The sonic manipulator doesn't even blink at the obvious distraction as the debris hits everything in the area except him. Doubletalk's retaliation overloads the super-speeding heroes brain and he crumbles to the ground, unconscious.

Crimson Bolt seems to shake of the confusion in his mind. Without a word, the grim avenger raises his crossbow and takes aim at Doubletalk. The bolt flies true, its sharp tip digging into Doublethinks side, sending the villain staggering. The electricy arching from Zach dances around the armored form of Ultima, the cry of pain from the armored hero distorted by the armors systems.

Gravity Girl fails to drive away the voices in her head, mumbling to herself as Dark Star grapples with Major Valor. The paragon of Fort Garth shouts at his old friend, spittle flying, even as he overpowers him. "You serve your country and follow your orders Val! You do what you're told! I had my orders, the mission came first!" Despite the rage in the Major's voice he only manages to bruise the resilient Dark Star.

Toxin leaves the sabotaged devices he stole from the dozing simian before moving on. The thug fighting Crimson Bolt tries to feint his opponent, but the aid of the mind controlees is useless as the hero sees through the ruse and dodges the attack. Meanwhile the other thug takes a step back to re-evaluate the situation.

((Blur: unconscious
Doubletalk: staggered, bruised
Ultima: bruised, stunned
Dark Star: bruised, 7 points absorbed))

[Green Bean]

Doubletalk clutched at his side, reeling in pain. He turns to look at his tormentor. His eyes narrowed.

"You, my friend, are going to regret this."

Doubletalk called upon all of his vocal strength, focusing it in a single resonant sonic blast, concentrated fully on the masked archer. Still hurting from his injuries, he still managed to push a button on his device weakly.

((Sonic Blast on Crimson Bolt. I'll use Extra Effort to up its rank by 2))

[PsyBlade]

During his re-evaluation of the situation, Thug 2 notices Double-talk's plan. He decides to act as distraction for Double-Talk.

Once they've done their parts, Thug 1 decides pinning the cape might be easier.

Two move actions by Thug 2. One to move, the other to Aid Another, every plus counts.

Thug 1 initiates a grapple attempt on the cape if he isn't out. If he's taken out, then Thug 1 will also refocus.

[RationalGoblin]

ZACH

ZACH merely stares at the at the armoured hero, recalibrates his systems for maxium accuracy, at the expense of defense, and blasts Ultima once more with electricity.


ZACH uses All-Out Attack +4/-4 to easily hit Ultima with Electrical Control. I CAN do that, right?

[Blackbird]

((Yes, yes you definetly can. Um, were you intending to do something with the armored car?))

[RationalGoblin]

((Yes, yes you definetly can. Um, were you intending to do something with the armored car?))

((Would it be more effective then a Blast? If it is, I'll use it again next turn. EDIT: I'll just use it next turn. Ultima's bugging me, and I want to blast him with electricity.))

[Blackbird]

((Yes and yes. Post up some time tomorrow, trying to keep this moving.))

[Blackbird]

((New initiative:
Initiative:
Blur
Mage Bane
Duplicate 2
Duplicate 1
Doubletalk
Crimson Bolt
Cubit
Zachariah
Gravity Girl
Professeur Primat
Dark Star
Toxin
Ultima
Major Valor
Mind Controlees))

One of the duplicates moves to help his 'master', distracting Crimson Bolt before the grim avenger felt the effects of Doubletalk's attack. Gritting his teeth, the hero tries in vain to raise his crossbow for another shot before crumpling to the ground, unconscious.

The electricity once more arching from Zach easily finds its mark, but fails to penetrate Ultima's armor. Gravity Girl seems to slowly calm down as she manages to subdue the voices of confusion in her mind. Rising up into the air, she calmly turns around to face Doubletalk. With a smirk from Gravity Girl, a precisely aimed pulse of gravitic energy hammers into Doubletalk.

As his injuries once again heal seemingly miraculously, Dark Star manages to gain the upper hand against Major Valor. He lifts the hero up into the air above his head before sending him flying. Major Valor collides in midair with Ultima, the two heroes taking damage as they go down. The second thug also takes the time to re-evaluate the situation while the mind controlees mill about confusedly.

((Damage done this round:
Crimson Bolt: unconscious
Major Valor: bruised, stunned
Ultima: bruised, stunned
Doubletalk: bruised, stunned))

[Green Bean]

Despite suffering a direct hit from Gravity Girl, Doubletalk somehow holds on to consciousness. Realizing that he's still injured from the Crimson Bolt's attack, and and that another blast like that would likely finish him off, he switches to a new tactic.

"Wait! Wait! There is no need to attack me further. Doctor Bedlam surrenders."

To emphasize his point, he slides his device across the floor toward the gravitational hero. 'Somehow', it doesn't quite make it; Doubletalk's foe would have to move a little closer to him to pick it up.

((Villain Point to shake off the Stun, and Bluff check for my 'surrender'.))

[PsyBlade]

Huh! While getting a better perspective, Thug 1 sees Bolt go down, and the machine & Valor collide harshly. Now would be good time to defend the *boss.* Huh, is he giving up? No he has a different plan. Better get ready.

Actions: Thug 1 readies a move action to interpose himself between Doubletalk and Gravity Girl if she tries anything. I figure 4 Speed allows him that.

Thug 2 on the other hand, does nothing. The point is to not do anything that would counter-act the plan of his 'boss'. This also gives him time to figure out what his 'boss' is doing.

[RationalGoblin]

At the failure to injure Ultima, ACH's eyes glow green once more, and the armoured car rumbles again, moving towards the suited hero. This time however, ZACH has a plan. He shifts towards Ultima, and eletricity wreaths the arm yet again. The blast arcs towards the battlesuit hero, seemingly dead on, and hopefully (for ZACH) arcing around the car.


Since Machine Control is apparently a move action, I'll do that AND use All-Out Attack +3/-3 to easily hit Ultima with Electrical Control for my free action.

[Blackbird]

Gravity Girl swallows Doubletalk's lie hook, line and sinker. Using her control over gravity, she levitates the gadget through the air and into her waiting hand. "Call of your thugs, too!" Thinking the 'mad doctor' to be of no further danger she hurries to where Crimson Bolt lies unconscious, crouching over the fallen hero to see if he's alright.

The armored car and the electricity arching from Zach both hit Ultima dead-on, the battlesuited hero sent flying some ten feet by the impact of the car, though the electricity doesn't seem to penetrate the armor.

Dark Star follows after Major Valor with a bellow of rage, swinging with his left, then his right. Both times the dark titan hits only air, seemingly blinded by his rage. Getting up, the paragon of Fort Garth looks up defiantly at Dark Star before answering in kind. Dark Star only grins at his nemesis, the mighty blow not having achieved anything.

((Damage this round:
Ultima: staggered, stunned
Dark Star: fatigued [from extra effort]))

[RationalGoblin]

ZACH


"How many times must I kill you before you finally CEASE TO FUNCTION??!?"

ZACH gives an incoherent mechanical roar, and digs one of his tentacles in the nearest building's wall, pulling himself up. While he does that, his eyes glow green again, and the armoured car revs up one more time, except from the opposite side.

(OOC: ZACH is angry. Ultima's one of the toughest heros to beat, isn't he? Also, I assume I can do two move actions in a turn, can't I?)


I'll use Wall-Climbing, and soon will attempt to fall on Ultima, smashing him. I know it probably won't work, but hey, I can try, can't I? Plus, Ultima is trying to "test" people, remember? So if Ultima dies from this, he wasn't good enough. Also, once more Machine Control on the armoured car.

[Green Bean]

Doubletalk smiles to himself as his flying foe buys his deception.

"Very well, then. You two! Don't attack. It is no longer necessary."

He turns back to Gravity Girl.

"Now, since I was nice enough to surrender, how about doing me a favour?"

Doubletalk's tone was mild on the surface, but his second voice was anything but, pounding his opponents mind with sonic waves leaving her open to suggestion.

((Standard action to single-target Mind Control Gravity Girl))

[PsyBlade]

The two thugs hold off doing anything. Then upon hearing their orders, quickly move to their 'boss's' side. They take a non-threatening position.

Delayed their actions, upon hearing Doubletalk they then used a move action. They won't do anything else this round.

[Blackbird]

Thank goodness, he's alright, just out cold. Getting up, she turns to Doubletalk, smirking. "Sorry doc', it doesn't work that way. You and your goons come in quietly and I won't have to kick your butts all the way to the police station."

As Zach starts scaling the wall of the nearby building, the armored car comes alive again, gunning for Ultima again. The car hits Ultima dead-on and the hi-tech hero crumbles to the ground, unconscious.

"Alright, that's enough Sparky!" Firing of yet another hammer-like blast of gravitic energy, she hits the android dead on but fails to make him even flinch. Wow, he's tough.

Dark Star again hammers into Major Valor, but the stalwart hero takes the blow with ease. His counter-attack misses Dark Star by a clear margin.

((Yeah, Ultima was one of the toughest heroes. Impervious Protection is a real pain.))

[Green Bean]

Doubletalk sighed.

Well, I guess no one's lucky all the time

"Well then, in that case... Surprise!"

Doubletalk's voice boomed out, harmless to anyone but the floating heroine. If subtlety didn't work, then there's always brute force.

((Blast on Gravity Girl.))

[RationalGoblin]

((Uh, is Gravity Girl flying? Just curious. I do love my armoured car. If it doesn't blow up, I think I'll keep it. :smallbiggrin: Of course, this time, I won't use it. Also, I move the rest of the way up the building, right? Oh and one more thing, are there people in the building ZACH's climbing, or do I have to make a Notice check to look for any? Either way, I'm gonna have me some FUN.))

[Green Bean]

((Actually, could you try to avoid blowing it up? I'm down to one action per turn, so if I'm going to get away, I'd have to use a vehicle.))

[Blackbird]

((Yes, Gravity Girl can fly. She's been hovering a couple of feet above the ground for almost the entirety of the fight. And yea, a remote-controled armored car's a pretty sweet ride :smallcool: ))

The force-field around Gravity Girl shimmers momentarily as Doubletalk releases his sonic attack. The young heroine takes a half-step back, looking confused. "What the..? What was that?" One of the 'thugs' remains by his employers side, ready to step in at a moment's notice, while the other leaps at Gravity Girl. She backs out of the way however, leaving the criminal swinging at air.

The building Zach's climbing is an office-building. Although most people have had the common sense to get the heck away from the fight, some gawkers are pressed against the window, trying to see what's going on down below as the tentacled android reaches their floor. Needless to say, panic breaks out immeaditely.

Gravity Girl tries to grab a hold of the thug that attack her but the villain proves too slippery, evading the focus of her powers. Landing a solid blow on Major Valor, Dark Star slips his hands around his opponent in an attempt to grab ahold of him but fails. Gaining confidence, the Major returned the favor, slamming his fist into Dark Stars gut.

((Major Valor: 1 bruise
Dark Star: 1 bruise, stunned))

[Green Bean]

"What? I never said I needed the device. Remember what they say about assumptions..."

Doubletalk grins through his wounds, and continues his sonic barrage.

((Blast again on Gravity Girl))

[RationalGoblin]

((I assume that Zach reached the top of the building now, or does he require one more move action? Once I have that info, I will make my move.))

[PsyBlade]

Defensive Thug stays by Doubletalk's side. Attacking Thug continues attack, but is doing so to get GG's mind on him.

[Blackbird]

((Zach's one move-action away from the top of the building.))

[RationalGoblin]

((Okay then, time to get to work))

Zach climbs the rest of the way up the building, pushing himself onto the roof.

He then gives a mechanical screech, intending to get GG's attention.

"Gravity Girl! You know you cannot harm me, so listen to what I have to say. Unless you surrender to myself, the good doctor and his minions, and Mr. Dark Star, I will overload myself in order to destroy this building and everyone in it. I am willing to take that step, as quite frankly, you'd probably destroy me rather then merely power me down in a battle, am I right? So therefore, surrender or watch all these people DIE."


(( Move Action for climbing up and another Move Action for Intimidate check on Gravity Girl))

[PsyBlade]

Talking (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TalkingIsAFreeAction) is (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main.ChrisClaremont) a Free Action (http://www.segabastard.com/etc/badcomic.jpg).

I don't think it matters how much he has to say, he better be good at one turn monologues if he's gonna be a villain.

[Blackbird]

((Uh, cfg, you sure you want to use bluff? You know, with you not having any ranks in it, or a cha bonus for that matter. Just checking, because intimidating could apply to the situation as well and atleast you'd have ranks in that. Just checking, you can go with what ever you want.))

[RationalGoblin]

((Uh, cfg, you sure you want to use bluff? You know, with you not having any ranks in it, or a cha bonus for that matter. Just checking, because intimidating could apply to the situation as well and atleast you'd have ranks in that. Just checking, you can go with what ever you want.))

(( I will do Intimidation then. I'll change my post accordingly.)

[Blackbird]

The more aggressive thug attacks Gravity Girl again, failing to hit while his partner stays back to protect their employer. Gravity Girl's victorious expression turns to one of shock as Doubletalk blast her with another sonic attack which she only narrowly resists.

Everyone in the viscinity cover their ears as Zach lets out his metallic screech. Both Gravity Girl and Major Valor look up at the android. After a moment of silence that seems to stretch out into infinity, the Major nods grimly. "All right, you win. Just get your thugs and go." Looking in shock at the patriotic hero, Gravity Girl follows his example and lifts her hands into the air as a sign of surrender.

((Nice, nat 20 :smallwink: ))

[Green Bean]

Doubletalk bows elaborately to Gravity Girl, then heads for the armoured car.

"Well, this has certainly been fun, milady. The two of us will have to have another go when your friends aren't around."

Doubletalk takes the drivers seat, and motions for the others to get on.

((Hang on, is Magebane still with us? 'Cause I just realized, I have no idea where I'm supposed to be driving to))

[PsyBlade]

The two thugs get into the vehicle, one in the passenger side, the other in 'back', using their speed.

[RationalGoblin]

"Well, this has certainly been fun, milady. The two of us will have to have another go when your friends aren't around."


Zach bows also, though a short, efficent, and barely polite bow. "Agreed, I look foward to testing my power against you in the future, but with less variables in this test of strength."

He begins to climb back down the building, gesturing to his fellow villains that he's coming.

[Blackbird]

Casting a worried glance at Crimson Bolt and the other unconscious heroes, Gravity Girl shoots an angry look at the retreating villains, especially Doubletalk. "Don't push your luck buddy. Next time we.." She is quieted by a stern look from Major Valor.

The scattered rubble from the damaged bank is disturbed as Mage Bane gets up from amid the destruction. The construct is obviously damaged with numerous visible scrapes and dents on it. Mage Bane seems to take in it's surroundings for a moment before pointing to the gathered villains and the armored car. "I know a place where you can lie low for a while. Interested?"

[Green Bean]

Doubletalk nods. Any port in a storm...

"Hop in."

Once the construct is safely inside, Doubletalk guns the engine and takes off, heading out and away from the bank.

((Ready an action to drive away once Magebane's inside))

[RationalGoblin]

Zach scrambles to get in the car, climbing down the building swiftly, and walking quickly to the car. Once in the car (I suppose since it's a van, there's enough room), he powers down his battle systems. (I'm waiting until Doubletalk is driving to speak.)

[PsyBlade]

ooc: It's an Armored Car.

[RationalGoblin]

ooc: It's an Armored Car.

((Yes, but what kind of car IS an armoured car? A minivan? A semi-truck? Even a Jeep maybe?))

[Blackbird]

(( Something like this. (http://www.nebraskapolice.info/OtherAgencies/Vehicles/RochesterArmoredCar-00sInternationalArmoredCar.jpg) Edit: Made it a link as it was stretching the page.))

[Green Bean]

Doubletalk pulled up to the motel slowly, checking for signs of pursuit. He had discarded his disguise to evade pursuit, but there was still the problem of the rest of those with him; most weren't exactly...subtle. They had cleaned out the armoured car and switched to something a little more suitable; hopefully the police would have trouble finding it crushed and damaged beyond recognition.

He stepped out of the car, waited for the coast to be clear, and headed into the motel room, beckoning the others to follow him.

[Blackbird]

Switching your escape-vehicle seems to have thrown the police of your trail for now. Although it's only a matter of time until the remaining heroes and the police band together to try and find you, you're safe for the time being.

[RationalGoblin]

ZACH

ZACH tucks his tentacles into his coat and body as best he can, and uses his knowledge of human behavior to attempt to appear as a generic male teenage "hoodlum". He then follows Doubletalk into the motel silently.

((Disguise check when following Doubletalk, in case someone is watching. Zachs a paranoid metal man.))

[PsyBlade]

The two thugs get out of the vehicle. They have ditched their disguises. And briskly follow 'the boss'.

ooc: Spoiler for Blackbird.
I recommend a notice check to see if they notice a resemblance to one of the 'victims'.

[Blackbird]

Zach's disguise works perfectly and no-one even looks twice at him. The motel seems a little shady, but there seems to be almost no-one around. Either that or ayone else staying there is keeping to themselves.

Opening the door, Mage Bane leads the way into the motel room. The construct stops dead only a few feet into the room however, looking around. "Gone. Betrayed. Used. Again." His voice sounds hollow as he speaks before proceeding to slump to the floor just inside the room, nonresponsive.

[Green Bean]

Doubletalk keeps his face impassive. Inside, he's disappointed, but unsurprised. Not much for whoever it was to stick around. I'd have done the same thing. He walks over to the apparently comatose construct, kicking it a few times to see if it responds.

[RationalGoblin]

Zach is irritated by the construct's apparent departure from sentience, but outwardly is a blank slate.

"Would've been a useful "meat" shield, but it does not matter. *We* can find better "partners" to aid us in our work.

Zach then notes Doubletalk's kicking of the contrivedly comatose construct.

"If it becomes apparent that it is not "alive", I get to take it apart and study it. After all, I took down the armored human. He would've been an annoying antagonist that would've impeded us greatly. Any objections?"

Zach pulls his metal tentacles from out of his coat, itching to take a hold of Mage Bane, and take it apart.

[PsyBlade]

It doesn't feel right. Too bad for him.

There is an expression of sadness in the eyes of the two Thugs. Mage Bane felt really alive to them. They hope, no Cubit hopes, that something can be done for him.

[Green Bean]

Doubletalk shakes his head at the robot.

"No, leave it in one piece. Whatever it is, it's obviously quite magical. I'm sure there's plenty of sorcerous types who'd pay through the nose for it."

[RationalGoblin]

Doubletalk shakes his head at the robot.

"No, leave it in one piece. Whatever it is, it's obviously quite magical. I'm sure there's plenty of sorcerous types who'd pay through the nose for it."

"Good thinking. We have no use for it, and could get a large amount of money from selling it. Yes, that's the best course of action. So, what do we do now, ah, I didn't get your name, and I think it's not *Doctor Bedlam*. Am I right? Well, whatever moniker you have, you'd probably be the best leader of our merry little band if we ever decide to go on any more crime sprees. Very good social ability, ability to lead your duplicating friend, good analytical skills, and enough brute force to get the job done. I'd insist on becoming leader myself, but I prefer to do the "dirty" work, and I have no skill with leadership, merely a passable skill at frightening organics."

[Green Bean]

"Call me Doubletalk. And we seem to be getting ahead of ourselves; first we worry about selling this thing, then we can concern ourselves with further...activities."

Doubletalk motions to the collapsed golem. "In any case, load this in our vehicle, if you don't mind. You two need to earn your twenty-five percent."

[RationalGoblin]

"Call me Doubletalk. And we seem to be getting ahead of ourselves; first we worry about selling this thing, then we can concern ourselves with further...activities."

Doubletalk motions to the collapsed golem. "In any case, load this in our vehicle, if you don't mind. You two need to earn your twenty-five percent."

"That is true, I do seem to get ahead of myself a lot. I shall do as you say, Doubletalk."

Zach takes hold of Mage Bane carefully, using his tentacles to support his grasp, and gestures for Cubit to come help him.

[Green Bean]

While the others are stashing the golem, Doubletalk pulls out his cellphone, and makes a few calls to his network of contacts, trying to see who might be interested in a 'previously used' magical construct.

((Time isn't that much of an issue, so I'll take 20 on a Gather Information check.))

[Blackbird]

After making a few calls and calling in some old favors you find something useful. It seems someone's very interested indeed in buying a 'near mint-condition' construct. You get the address of a warehouse near the city's waterfront and are instructed to show up there in an hour.

[Green Bean]

((I'm assuming that since it took at least 20 minutes to make the check, Magebane's loaded in))

"We have a buyer. Let's go." Doubletalk gets in the vehicle, and when his two associates get in, he drives to the drop-off location.

[Blackbird]

It's quiet as you stop your 'borrowed' car outside the warehouse the meeting's to take place in. You can hear the sounds of ships being loaded and unloaded, but they're coming from a distance. This part of the docks seems much less frequently used, which is also apparent by the bad condition the buildings are in.

For Doubletalk:
On closer inspection, the warehouse you're meeting the buyer in seems to be only made to look shabby and weather-worn. Small details all over it give you the idea it's actually in better condition than newer, secure warehouses.

[Green Bean]

"This is the spot." Doubletalk gets out of the van, looking for any security cameras. If he sees one, he makes sure to get within its line of vision, trying to let the buyer know he was there.

[Blackbird]

You don't seem to notice any security cameras. Just as you note this to yourself, the large doors used to moving freight in and out of the building open up. An asian man, maybe from the eastern part of the continent, wearing a black business suit appears in the doorway. "You have the merchandise? Please enter." With that, he goes back into the warehouse, not waiting for any kind of response.

[PsyBlade]

If not given any other commands, the 'Thugs' move the 'merchandise' (with a pang of guilt).

[Green Bean]

"Of course." Doubletalk motions for the Cubits to bring the golem inside.

[Blackbird]

As you enter the warehouse you see it is half-filled with crates and various other containers of differing descriptions. Deeper in, the asian man is standing behind a table with two cases on it. The immeadite area surrounding the table is well-lit by bright lights as opposed to the darkness that seems to swallow the rest of the warehouse. "Please, bring him here and be careful. My employer is very interested in the construct."

[Green Bean]

As his henchmen bring the construct in, Doubletalk gets right down to business. "Now, I believe there is the matter of my payment."

[Blackbird]

The asian man bows. "Of course. You may call me Mr. Feng." He opens the case on the right to reveal it contains money, lots of it. "This case contains half-a-million dollars. I haven't been authorized to offer you more, so you'd have to talk to my employer if you wanted more." He smiles politely to you. "Personally I'd suggest you take it."

Moving soundlessly to the second case, Mr. Feng opens it to reveal it is in fact a state of the art laptop computer. "Regardless of your reply to the first offer, my employer has a second proposition for you. I trust you are familiar with the man known as Jack Frost?"

Jack Frost, a secretive crimeboss few have seen and lived to tell of it, is the leader of nearly all organized crime in Fort Garth.

[Green Bean]

Doubletalk takes the case, not bothering to count the money. If he was shortchanged, he could always revisit and acquire the money more...violently.

Doubletalk raises his eyebrows at the mention of the elusive crimeboss. "Of course. However, I must ask if Mr. Frost is our employer, or our job?"

[PsyBlade]

Cubit

The two copies of Cubit become interested in the offer, but stay silent. The original was quick to realize that Doubletalk may be on to something, something good. He has them listen intently.

[Blackbird]

Mr. Feng looks like he thinks you just made a bad joke. A few keystrokes on the laptop and an image appears on the screen. The silhouette of a high-backed, impressive-looking chair is visible. "Mr. Frost, your employer." After making the introduction Mr. Feng takes a step back to a respectful distance. The chair swivels around, though just who is sitting in it is practically impossible to tell due to the darkness of the image.

A hand extends from the shadows, human, and a very pale blue. "Greetings gentlemen, I trust Mr. Feng has filled you in on most things." You notice a small red light blinking on the laptop next to a lense. The hand retracts and the figure in the chair seems to be leaning back.

"Now then, lets get down to business. What I saw you do at the bank today was impressive, in a certain sense. Though you didn't make any money from the robbery as such, you did just turn a nice profit with your magical friend over there. Yes, my experts will be most interested in seeing him, he'll make a valuable asset to our little... Syndicate. However, more importantly, you held your own very well against those do-gooders. Muscle is easy to come by, but professional people who can get the job done are not."

There's a brief flicker of light on the other side of the screen as the figure in the chair lights up a cigar. "To be frank, I'm interested in hireing you for an indefinite amount of time. The pay will be good, although it'll vary depending on your jobs. You'll have a Syndicate safehouse to lay low in if things get too hot. If you need specialised equipment, you can contact HQ and we'll see what we can work out. So, questions? Interested?"

[PsyBlade]

One of the 'Thugs' dissappears.

My original is interested.

[Green Bean]

Doubletalk smiled pleasantly. "Very much so, Mr. Frost."

On the inside, though, Doubletalk was impressed with how well things had come together. He had shied away from dealing with Frost's network in the past; the man was too well established and he was too new to pose a threat. But now that he was on the inside...

"I think we can look forward to a bountiful future together."

[Blackbird]

Frost hardly seems fazed as one of Cubit's duplicates disappears. "Very well then. Mr. Feng, you know what to do." Mr. Feng nods, speaking into a commlink. Soon two men wearing dark, urban camo-clothing enter the warehouse and begin moving Mage Bane for transport.

Mr. Feng then goes to one of the crates and removes one side of the box, revealing a keyboard. He enters a code and steps back, replacing the cover as a staircase is revealed in the ground. "If you'll follow me, I'll show you the safehouse."

[Green Bean]

Doubletalk followed Mr. Feng down the stairs. If he caught a glimpse of the password, he committed it to memory.

"Tell me, Mr. Feng, how long have you worked for Mr. Frost?"

[PsyBlade]

The Cubit copy follows, and stays silent for the time being.

[Blackbird]

Mr. Feng glances over his shoulder at Doubletalk, raising an eyebrow as he leads the way down. "I've been working for him for years now, from almost the start, why?" The stairs continue spiralling some 20 feet directly downwards, before coming to a stop in a wide, open hall. "There are living quarters to the right and a workshop complete with a computer-system for monitoring information in the outside-world as well as the cameras located around the safe-house. The garage is down the hall, the tunnel comes out of a second building a couple of blocks away."

[Green Bean]

"Well, I was wondering about the sort of employer Mr. Frost is, and since you're obviously a very trusted member of his team, I thought you'd be the most knowledgeable"

Doubletalk turns on the charm. While Mr. Feng was obviously loyal, being on good terms with Jack's employees couldn't hurt.

((I'll use Diplomacy on Mr. Feng))

[RationalGoblin]

ZACH follows Doubletalk, and therefore Mr. Feng quietly, but soon pipes up with a question.

"I am interested as well, but I have a query. If I finish a job, instead of any kind of money, could Mr. Frost arrange to have technicians work on me, even upgrade me? Of course, if you try to dispose of me the same way you did the magical one, I am sorry to tell you, but you. Will. Fail. Indeed, what reason would you have to dispose of someone who would be loyal to your employer?"

At the end of his speech, ZACH falls silent once more, steadily clomping after Doubletalk again.

[Blackbird]

Feng simply nods to Doubletalk, with no apparent change in his demeanor. "I understand. Although this is a cutthroat business, Mr. Frost is a gracious employer who rewards well those who show him loyalty."

"I'm sure it can be arranged. The techies are itching to take you a part and see wether they can't improve you as is, it's mostly just a question of getting them to put their new toy back together." Mr. Feng seems incredulous for a moment, the first real crack in the polite face he's been presenting to during the meeting. "You think we carted the construct away to tear him apart? Though I admit there could be some money to be made from his more, exotic, components, having a capable enforcer like him outweighs any monetary gain by far."

[Blackbird]

"I suggest you lay low here for a couple of days until the heat dies down. Mr. Frost has a job for you and it wouldn't do to have you get caught by the authorities before you can even attempt your mission. If that is all then I will take my leave." Feng bows to the gathered villains before heading up the stairs.

((This is essentially the end of the first adventure or issue of the story. Villain points will be replenished when the next issue begins. If you have stuff you want to rp, feel free to go ahead, otherwise I'll skip ahead a couple of days of ingame time to move things along.))

[RationalGoblin]

"I suggest you lay low here for a couple of days until the heat dies down. Mr. Frost has a job for you and it wouldn't do to have you get caught by the authorities before you can even attempt your mission. If that is all then I will take my leave." Feng bows to the gathered villains before heading up the stairs.

((This is essentially the end of the first adventure or issue of the story. Villain points will be replenished when the next issue begins. If you have stuff you want to rp, feel free to go ahead, otherwise I'll skip ahead a couple of days of ingame time to move things along.))

(OOC: Alright, good. But don't we get extra power points as a reward? Oh, and h_v and I aren't nearly enough to play the game all by ourselves. I say you should start a new recruiting thread for some new blood to play our game. If we get power points, I'll do one little thing I want to rp, but if we don't, then we can just move on.)

[PsyBlade]

ooc: I'm still in.

[Blackbird]

((Getting one or two new people is probably a good idea, although three would probably be enough as well. 2 pps all around, I'll get to recruiting soonish.))