IC: Avengers: HEROIC

[Felhammer]

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With the rest of the Avengers fighting Thanos off world, it is left to a select few to take up the mantle and protect the world from evil! Someone - or something - is utterly decimating military bases in third world countries. SHIELD has been tasked with investigating the attacks, however their efforts have come up short. Director Maria Hill has asked a newly formed team of Avengers to help solve the mystery and bring the perpetrator(s) to justice!
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You have been summoned to the Helicarrier. Originally designed by Tony Stark, Reed Richards and Forge, the Helicarrier serves as a massive aerial base of operations for SHIELD. The ship is bristling with weapons and always has a small army of active agents going to and fro. The Helicarrier boasts STATE-OF-THE-ART MONITORING FACILITIES that are used to track criminal actives anywhere across the globe.

You each arrived in separate Flying Cars, which are a mainstay of SHIELD's armory. You are escorted through the Helicarrier's corridors (some with more heavily armed and numerous escorts than others). You are brought before the recently promoted Director of SHIELD - Maria Hill. Her office is large in scope and comes with one heck of a view... Only it would be if her office were any where near the hull. You quickly realize that the "windows" are actually massive computer monitors that are simply projecting images from the clear blue skies above New York City.

The office is EERILY QUIET.

Director Hill sits with her feet propped up on her large, obsidian desk. A copy of the Daily Bugle encompass her entire body save for her feet and her fingers. The Headline reads, "SPIDER-MAN ABANDONS NEW YORK!" A picture of John Jonah Jameson is emblazoned beneath the headline. He's grinning ear to ear with a massive stogie stuck between his teeth.

From behind the newspaper you hear an authoritative voice command, "Sit down. We have business to discuss."

Conveniently there are six steel chairs laid out before her desk.

She pauses for a moment to allow you to sit (or not).

"Now, we all know the real Avengers and the X-Men and almost every other cape decided to jet off into space to fight Thanos. That leaves Earth pretty vulnerable, wouldn't you say?" Her finger tense up, crinkling her newspaper.

"Well, I aim to correct that. This world needs Avengers... Perhaps not the classic goodie-too-shoes Avengers but an Avengers team none the less. I have called each of you in because you are the best at what you do and, like Wolverine's catch phrase, what you do isn't very nice."

Maria taps an unseen button on her desk with her left foot. Suddenly the massive monitors switch displays, all four walls are covered with images of smoking ruins.

"Someone - or something - is attacking military bases in third world countries. From Indonesia to Nigeria, from Zimbabwe to Turkmenistan - all completely decimated. There's nothing linking these attacks other than they are located in the eastern hemisphere. There hasn't been any terrorist or super villain chatter on the net or through our (admittedly, disreputable) underworld contacts. Someone is pulling off a major attack against the governments of the world and no one knows whose behind it."

[thejoshie]

Natasha Romanov was still in her cocktail dress, her hair only recently undone from the stylish bun that it was in mere hours ago. She was pulled from her deep cover job in Croatia, sniffing down a Hydra Cell when the summons came. Escaping the party was a hairy encounter, but she was in worse spots in the past.

Through out the chopper ride (which then transferred to the Flying Car transport), she was escorted straight to Assistant Deputy Hill...

Correction: _DIRECTOR_ Hill. Seems like alot have changed, since she was on assignment.

She didn't take a seat, at least, not immediately. Taking the suit case from a nearby SHIELD Agent, she momentarily ignored the others in the room and walked to a conveniently placed partition that she walked behind. Some rustling and zipping was heard as Natasha began changing into her business attire. All the while, listening to Hill.

From behind the partition she would walk out, her body now in the iconic skin tight uniform. Her .45 strapped to one thigh, her Widow Bracelets around each wrists, and her hair now flowing with much more freedom then she was use too (she allowed the hair to grow long due to her assignment.

She was silent for now, studying the vid screens and the devastation. Hit and Run tactics? Maybe inside jobs, perhaps? With out more intel, the sky was the limit here...

[Theprettiestorc]

"This must be important...a room full of killers isn't a trifling matter." Leaning in her chair, boots on the edge of the desk, the young woman flicks her head to part the long hair from in front of her face. She's slightly-tanned, and the said boots are well-cared for, suited for combat. Being taken out of study hall, though, Laura Kinney, better known as X-23, is wearing black cargos and a white-and-black striped tank-top. Eyes of piercing green look over Maria Hill, the Director.

Best at what they do, huh? Logan was a bit apt, in that. She listens to the sounds as the other woman changes - Black Widow. They've been acquainted before...most notably when taking down the Iron Maniac. If she's here, and Laura herself is here, the nature of this is one of espionage. Secrecy. Elimination. Then there's Power Man. Luke Cage. Part of her wonders how well his famed resistance can withstand her claws - but she pushes this deep down.

She's not as familiar with the other men, but she's given as wide a berth in choice of seating as she can to be away from Emma. The woman still considers her dangerous, and perhaps she is. Maybe she would kill everyone in this room. But she's at least going to make the most of what S.H.I.E.L.D. needs her for. They actually considered her, out of all the other choices. Good thing? Maybe. Seeing as Logan, Wolverine, has already been mentioned...

...well. She's most likely just the alternative to the regenerating, adamantium-clawed hero they actually need. But he's off where she can't watch, which irks her. He's going to go off and get killed. And then she's nobody's clone. Just a failed experiment.

"...what kind of equipment will we be provided?"

[ManifestPR]

FALCON

Not Real Avengers who does she think we are? Me, Luke Cage, Black Widow we've definitely earned our right to be called Avengers. Falcon thought to himself. He would have spoken his mind if he wasn't in front of everyone else. The last thing he needed was to be perceived as a whinny child by all the newcomers. And he understood that team building started now.

Falcon sat in one of the steel chairs but not completely relaxed since his flight harness was impeding him from relaxing. Not like this chair is comfortable anyways. He was dressed in his typical red and white outfit his wings spread over the chair. His pet falcon Rewing zoomed over the helicarrier keeping an eye out for Falcon. Whatever Redwing could see Falcon could as well and so far no impending danger could be perceived. He didn't know how well he could trust his new team mates. Some he had already met and some he had only heard of. Additionally, he didn't really trust Maria Hill all that much, the woman always seemed and acted like somebody had just punched her in the face.

This seems like a very pressing matter. I have over six billion pairs of eyes in the United States alone since I'm able to link-up with other birds. If we can figure out the next area of attack I might be able to figure out who our attacker is. Has there been any intelligence uncovered? Are there any leads? Falcon spoke out loud.

[Felhammer]

Maria Hill still hides behind her Newspaper, unflinching and unmoving.

"Of course we have leads but none of them are reliable. The attacks take too long for them to be simple bombings. No, the terrorists are definitely looking for.... Something. Unfortunately, they have a habit of destroying the entire base after they've finished their search."

Maria flicks another button with her foot. The monitors change once more to show you a dark skinned man lying in a hospital bed. He is bloodied and bruised. Looks like he went through one heck of pounding. The man is attached to all sorts of machines, definitely not a good sign.

"One of the military bases attacked in Nigeria had a sole survivor. He apparently had the wherewithal to carve the word 'blue' into his left forearm, before something pounded him into a 10 inch thick concrete wall. The majority of his bones are broken. He's brain dead and in a coma. We were hoping Ms. Frost could use her powers to delve into his mind and retrieve any information. I'm sure they will just be fragments, at best, but any lead is a lead at this point."

The Director shifts her weight slightly before continuing, "As for equipment, you will be given a modified Quinjet," her voice turns a bit (perhaps only a tiny, miniscule amount) playful, "You wouldn't be Avengers without one me thinks."

[Dancing Owlbear]

Standing rather than sitting, the woman in white was a striking figure wherever she was. And this was no different even in the heart of a S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier. Stunning, physically flawless, and breathtaking in her cold beauty, she was a woman who commanded attention. So did her clothing, which as usual for the Xavier School Professor, left very little to the imagination. But, of course, she preferred it that way.

Emma crossed her arms, a mild smirk gracing her smooth and immaculate lips. Maria's comments were more amusing than anger inducing, and she was happy to play along for now. The only things worth worrying about so far were that the students didn't manage to blow up the school while she was gone, and, of course, the clone on the other side of the room. One Wolverine was bad enough. Two? That was just inviting disaster. Still, the girl knew her place and kept out of Emma's way, for which she was eternally grateful.

Turning her attention back to Maria Hill, her smile saccharine sweet, "So good of you to finally accept the help of your betters, at least, Maria. It's certainly nothing to be ashamed of. Everyone needs help sometimes. Well," A light chuckle danced free, "Almost everyone. What are you reading, if you don't mind my asking. It must be a very scintillating article."

[Felhammer]

Maria allows the paper to flop down, revealing her youthful, vibrant, passionate, pretty face. She smiles curtly at Emma as she replies, "Oh this? Just drivel from New York. The latest fashions and whatnot." Her eyes run up and down Emma's body, "Obviously something you wouldn't be interested in."

[Theprettiestorc]

"..." Stealing the show. Bitch. She looks over at Frost, talking down upon Miss Hill. They were both good-looking women.

Laura decides she'll ask the more important question, before things get out of hand. "I wasn't exactly thinking of transportation. S.H.I.E.L.D. is responsible for some very technologically-advanced weaponry - the least we could receive are some firearms. Infiltration equipment. Stealth and stopping power are both important, until we know what we're up against." She's practical about things - and she doesn't want to be unprepared for something taking down entire bases singlehandedly.

Blue...blue...what could it be?

[omnitricks]

Sitting at the back and watching the scene, Frank Castle was reminded why preferred to work alone. A teams like this made so poorly in response to the next big threat can blow up at anytime if it hasn't already by Frost and X-23. Something he could use in time. At least the girl reminded him why he didn't mind working together with certain individuals, most notably her predecessor.

But this was taking up too much of his time and Castle wanted it done with fast. He had real work to do than to play Avengers. "I'm surprised SHIELD doesn't already know what's going on." Fury would have already known by now, with reliable sources too because "I don't believe in mind reading nonsense" especially from a former criminal.

"Just send me and the ruskie out and we'll get solid intel in two weeks" he suggested, referring to the Black Widow. Following up on the leads may be quite liberating from dealing with this troublesome group. "After that with Logan's princess and some heavy ordinance, we'll make sure they won't be anyone's problem within the month."

And the sooner the better. This is taking him out of the work that really needed doing and for good reason. Forget about what SHIELD and Hill wanted from him, these events have made the mission a lot harder with the underworld and authorities spooked.

[thejoshie]

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.

It was a cartoon that always held a soft spot for Natasha. She liked Charlie Brown, so sue her.

The point, was that everyone may as well had been the adults in Charlie Brown's world, making the 'Warghn Warghn" sound. Her focus was stolen by the Shield agent who was on the screen. A vegetable. And one with a recognizable face.

There was a reason she was a loner a majority of the time. She hated sacrifices. She hated to see friends or even people she knew get churned up by the evils of this planet. People who knew Natasha... _really_ knew her, people like Matt Murdoch or Clint Barton, even Nick Fury, they respected her distance. They knew she couldn't handle close relationships for just this very reason.

Even Steve respected it, thus allowing her to relinquish her leadership of the Avengers back to him. She wasn't worthy of being on ANY Avengers team after her failiure of leadership. And she was so sure that she wouldn't ever be a part of another one...

But to see a teammate fighting for his life like that... clinging to a shred of living... it turned her stomach. She wanted to nail these scumbags. Now.

Frank's comments were the first words she registered since she zoned out and when her attention returned, the gravity and desperation of the situation hit her.

Frank Castle. The Punisher. The only reason SHIELD hadn't threw him in a cell was because he provided Fury with favors. Fury isn't here and Hill don't play well with Vigilantees. Were things that desperate?

It wasn't just him... Laura Kinney, X-23. Emma Frost, White Queen. Two more red flags. Laura made sense... Wolverine was probably with the strike force fighting Thanos.

But Emma... a Telepath who could be reading all of their minds right now. And then use the information for her own benefit to boot.

The only person that wasn't a wild card was Falcon. He actually has official SHIELD authorization. Nowhere near the level as her own, but it was something.

Her attention returned to the agent in the hospital and she thought back through her past operations and stings. Her clashes with Hydra, Aim, Al-Quida, anything that would cause the agent to carve 'Blue' into his forearm.

Maybe it wasn't an organization... a Villain? Blue... something? Blue Blazer? No, that was a corny wrestler...

After a few seconds of contemplation, she opened her eyes.

"...if it saves future lives, then we have no choice. We need to find intel, any means necessary. Castle is going to need access to the Armory. Amongst all of us, he knows weapons the best. Falcon is going to need his SHIELD Status bumped up if he's going to be working with me. Ms. Frost will need a psych profile of Agent Stevens so that she can easily enter his mind... Laura... will need to be deputized as a SHIELD Agent. In case things get... messy."

The Wolverine rule. If someone is a temporary Agent of SHIELD, then you can keep them at arms length and cut ties before their handiwork is dumped in SHIELD's lap.

"...Also, I'm going to need a complete inventory comparison of each base. What were they carrying and what do they have in common? By the time we finish in the hospital, is it possible to have the report by then, Director Fury..."

Then she trailed off. She was running on Auto Pilot and forgot that this wasn't Fury... it was Hill.

"...my Apologies. Director Hill."

[Dancing Owlbear]

Emma bit back a venomous comment, disinterested in trading barbs with Nick Fury's stand-in. Her attention drifted to the murderous vigilante and the master assassin, her eyes closing briefly as she realized that she realized the desperate circumstances that had brought together this 'team'. The telepath felt something akin to shame at being apparently being associated with such individuals. Being put on the same level with them was, by far, the harshest thing that Maria could have done, and Emma had no cunning response to that.

Instead, she composed her thoughts, maintaining her cool as she once more opened her eyes to look upon Director Hill, "Psych profile or not, we are wasting time. Take me to this 'survivor' so I can begin working. The sooner I do, the sooner we can deal with this 'Blue'. However, I make no promises. As talented as I am, with a man in his condition, I will be lucky to find any coherent thoughts left."

[Felhammer]

Maria flashes an icy glare at Frank, "Fury isn't here. You may have liked the cowboy mentality he took with the world of super spies but it got people killed. Look at what happened to New York City when his luck ran out. No, we need a plan of action and we need to stick to it."

Hill allows Romanov to speak her mind, her years of experience have obviously earned her that right. "Agreed. Agent Romanov's plan is sound." The Director puts her straightens her newspaper, leans back and continues her reading. "Get to it Avengers."

Emma heads down to the psych ward to retrieve the psych evaluations of Agent Stevens. The Curator of the records repository is more than helpful. His sideways glances and not-so-subtle gawking attest to Ms. Forst's beauty.

The evaluations and service records state that Mr. Stevens was a forthright, hardworking, ambitious agent. He graduated from Harvard with a degree in Criminology. He has a spotless record and was highly praised by his superiors. In fact come next month they were going to promote him and take him out of the field. Included in the evaluation are several pictures of his civilian life. Mr. Stevens' husband lives in Boston and is a locally renown sculptor of modern art. They have a daughter that they adopted from an orphanage in Madripoor. They also have two Scottish terriers and a Siamese cat.

After devouring the EVALUATIONS AND SERVICE RECORDS, Emma heads down to the medbay, where the mood is SOMBER. Few people talk or enjoy themselves because they know Agent Stevens is nearby, fighting for his life. The private room is spartan and clean. The man winces with each breathe forcibly taken by the life support machines.

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You will have to take an action vs. the Doom Pool to peer into the man's mind and retrieve any info.

The materials you have read allow you to push your dice pool with a d6. If you use any of the information from the evaluations in your description, you may upgrade it to a d8.

Frank and X-23 head down to the armory. They are escorted by seven agents, each armed with large caliber pistols. The journey to the armory is very, very quiet. The agents do not utter a word, even when prompted. You can easily tell that the SHIELD Agents do not like the Punisher. In fact they have BARELY HIDDEN CONTEMPT for the man. They do not pay much heed to Laura, save to give her a key card indicating her Temporary Field Agent status. The doors leading to the weapons locker are as thick as they are well defended. automated turrets line the narrow corridor leading to the entrance. It is an obvious kill zone.

The lead Agent swipes his card and has the computer scan both his retina and his finger prints. The massive circular lock wheels open, revealing a TREASURE TROVE of exotic weapons, equipment and vehicles. Every kind of firearm imaginable is housed with in, from Renaissance antiques to Kree blasters. The walls are nearly twenty feet tall and the room over fifty feet long and twenty five wide, all of it overflowing with gadgets.

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You may both make an asset if you so desire.

You will have to take an action vs. the Doom Pool to create the asset.

Meanwhile, the Black Widow and the Falcon head up to a secluded spot to sift through the mountain of data available. No escorts are needed for these two as they are SHIELD agents through and through. The conference room is HIGH TECH, filled with computers linked directly to the SHIELD MAINFRAME. With these powerful computers at their side, the work seems that much less daunting.

The attacks have all taken place in the Eastern Hemisphere and have each assaulted a military base. Most of the countries are in what used to be called the Third World, with a few that were inside what once part of the old USSR. None of the attacks have targeted particularly powerful nations. No attacks inside Europe or Oceania. It seems the terrorists have gone out of their way to avoid Western and Sino interests. Over half of the attacks are located Africa but not a single country bordering Wakanda has been targeted. The attacks lead in with bombings, eliminating fortifications, munitions and ordinance. Then, in the confusion, there is a ten minute lull in the bombings, before much larger and more powerful explosions destroy the remainder of the bases. No air traffic or troop movements have been spotted. No out-of-place bags or containers spotted before the assaults began.

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Take an action vs. the Doom pool to see if you can decipher where the next attack will occur.

The materials you have read allow you to push your dice pool with a d6. If you use any of the information from your studies in your description, you may upgrade it to a d8.

Additionally, the bases run the gamut from simple supply depots to coastal navy bases to large scale barracks, to air force bases to high tech military research labs. They don't appear to have anything in common.

[Dancing Owlbear]

Emma flips silently through Agent Steven's records, ignoring the leering curator. She has felt eyes upon her more times than she could hope to remember, despite a razor sharp intellect, and it had simply become second nature to be the focus of most men's attention.

Taking the files with her to the medbay, she strides imperiously into Agent Steven's room. Sitting down at the chair placed beside his bed, she wasted no time. Placing her hands to her temples, Emma closed her eyes and began the slow process of attempting to establish mental contact with the man. A part of her said that any such contact was impossible, his mind irreparably damaged, while another part whispered hope that there might be something left, maybe just enough to help.

Her voice traveled into his mind, soft and soothing, a rare occurence for the 'Ice Queen', Mr. Stevens, this is Emma Frost. Do not be afraid, I mean you no harm. What I require is your assistance. If you are still here, then let me in. Let me know what you know. You are strong. Be strong, think upon your husband, your daughter, your friends and family. Be strong for them, and tell me what you know, show me what you saw, so that the one who did this to you can be.. dealt with.

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Affiliation (Solo): (1d6)[5]
Distinction (No Secrets From Me): (1d8)[3]
Power Set/Power Trait (Omega-Class Telepath/Telepathy) (1d12)[7]
Specialties (Psych Master): (1d10)[5]
Bonus Die (Steven's File): (1d8)[6]

Total: 18 (Spending PP to add third die to the total)
Effect Die: d10

[Felhammer]

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Doom Pool(2d6)[9]

[Felhammer]

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Doom Pool (2d6)[9]

Success! With more than 5 above the roll! Well done!

Emma peers deeply into the man's mind. It is a patchwork of memories. They seem to dwell on his Husband... His confidant... His lover. You push beyond the veil and come across a tiny black box. Try though you might, you cannot lift the box, it is far too heavy. Half-heard noises echo around you... "Hu... SH! B... F! N... O!"

Emma notices a tiny lock on the top of the box. She conjures a skeleton key. It slips inside the hole with ease. With a flick of her wrist, the container opens...

You see explosions. Every where. You see people falling to the ground. You hear wailing, crying, begging... Someone is giving orders but... But... He's gone. THUD! You look around... You see a Colonel's body on the ground.... BAM! Another explosion. Very close to you. You are flung to the ground. You can't hear anything now. Just... Ringing. Blood and grit have coated your eyes. Everything is hazy. You think you have a concussion... Though you can't hear it, you are rocked by another explosion... Then you see it. A hazy image of... A behemoth of a man... 8, 9, 10 maybe even 12 feet tall. Muscular... Angry. Blue... His skin is blue. He sees that you're awake. You know you will die. You pull out your combat knife and carve the word blue into your arm... As you finish the "e" the behemoth grabs your torso, squeezes tightly crushing your ribs... You black out for a second... The next thing you know you're falling... Then a giant hand smashes into your face and upper torso. You are pelted backwards... Straight into a building... You feel the thud but then nothing else... You go limp... All you can see is the image of your Husband and daughter, out in your grassy, half-acre backyard... He's barbequing hotdogs... He loves Hotdogs... So does she... You feel content... Happy... Then... Black...

Emma yanks her hands off the man. Suddenly all of the machines start to screech and whine. Doctors rush in. They try their best to save the man but... It is all for not. After four minutes of trying the doctors note the time of death.

[Aquateenflayer]

Luke nodded his way through the meeting. His mammoth muscular frame glued to the seat while his mind set off wandering. First he thought about his friends fighting for their lives against god knows what at the far end of the galaxy. He wondered if staying out of the fight was the right thing to do. Maybe they’re already dead. He thought to himself before grinding his teeth and rearranging his thoughts.
His mind drifted closer to home. To Jessica and the baby. He mentally listed over a dozen names, none of which met with his approval. She probably already has a great one picked out and just want's to wait 'till the kid is born to tell me.
Seeing everyone get up to go jarred him out of his daydreaming. He tried following the group, but after seeing them split up Cage hung back for a moment. They’ll grab me if they need me he thought before cornering a random SHIELD agent passing by. “Man I’m starving, can you tell me where a fella can get a bite to eat on this bird?”

[Theprettiestorc]

LOGAN'S PRINCESS? Hah. Clipping her Temp Badge on, she goes along with Castle. Judging from all reactions, he was one kind of mother****er. Nonetheless, she figures they'll probably get along fine, if he's got as much faith in her as a heavy explosive. Which is pretty typical.

Looking over all the things, she gives a long stare at the objects. Eyes darting. There's almost too much to sift through - but something catches her eye exclusively. Is that an Ironman suit? No, it looks more...smooth.

Spoiler

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Asset Creation: Starktech Stealth Suit

Affiliation (Solo(only one person can use it)): (1d10)[4]
Scene Distinction (Treasure Trove): (1d8)[4]
Power Set/Power Trait (Feral Mutant/Superhuman Senses(to spot it behind everything else)): (1d8)[3]
Specialties (Combat Master(it enhances combat capability)): (1d6)[1]
(1d6)[4]
(1d6)[1]

Total: 12
Effect Die: d8
1 PP to add a 3rd die, and 1 PP to extend the effect.

(Discarded: (3d6)[11])

[thejoshie]

Natasha said nothing to Falcon. Her focus went straight to the mainframe.

She began simple and basic... Base profiles. Each base was located in areas where you could once call it the third world. It was here that they made a huge mistake: one base in particular was located in the old USSR.

She brought up a separate communication and inquired with some of her contacts over in Russia. Maybe they saw something from another angle?

She continued. Outside of Russia, no other attack on a prominent super power. Either the attacker or attackers were smart... or were politically connected maybe.

She began deep cross referencing, aiming to find a common thread to yank.

Africa... but none near Wakanda? Why avoid the Vibranium?

Natasha is silent and cold, lending no help towards Falcon at all. This wasn't like her, she was usually passionate in her job, not cold. She was known to be cold when the situation warrented, but this was very... uncharacteristic.

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POOL: D4, 2D8 (D10), 3D10

SOLO- [D10] (1d10)[2]
SHIELD MAINFRAME: [D8] (Used with Focus)
LEADER: [D4] (1d4)[4]
COVERT MASTER: [D10] (1d10)[2]
PUSH DIE [D8] (Use with Focus)
SFX (FOCUS): [2D8] => [D10] (1d10)[7]

TOTAL: 11; D10 effect

[Felhammer]

X-23 claws her way through a mountain of Junk to find an old Starktech Stealth Suit. Probably used by Fury back in the good old days when he gallivanted around like a Cowboy Super Spy (or at least that's how Director Hill remembers it). It appears to be battery powered but definitely out of date. Hopefully it still works.

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DOOM POOL!

(1d6)[2]
(1d6)[5]
(1d8)[2]

Total: 7!

Success!

Aha! The lights on the wristband control panel light up like a Christmas tree! It does work!

[ManifestPR]

FALCON

Black Widow's cold shoulder did throw Falcon off but he just assumed that she was very interested in finding the culprits. He quickly utilized the Shield Mainframe running various programs and calculations simultaneously. He was becoming very familiar with the Shield programs as well as the Helicarrier, a thought that scared him a little. Running various programs and calculations was no bother since his keen avian vision could easily pick up any clues or errors that the program might render.

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Solo (d8)[8]
Shield Mainframe (d8)[4]
Enhanced Senses (d8)[5]
Covert Expert (d8)[5]


Total= 13
Effect die = d8

[Theprettiestorc]

In fact...half of it lights up.

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Well, Stark is an egomaniac. It's bright right now, but she's learned enough of some of the "obselete" technology to know that a suit like this could really help cause some damage, if you're skilled enough. Disassembling it is a bit trickier, though...well, that's not a bad thing. She pulls it out, looking to the other guy.

"So, 'Castle'...Black Widow mentioned that you know your weaponry. Any suggestions on a decent rifle and sidearm?" She'll defer to him here. It's been a while since she's taken up either, but out of them, her and Natasha were likely to be doing some sniping work. In the meantime, Laura looks over everything, noting the sheer amount of anything they'd want or need.

It's the jackpot.

[Felhammer]

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This one is harder to RP without knowing the results...

Rolling against Black Widow: (1d6)[5], (1d6)[6], (1d8)[1]

Rolling against Falcon: (1d6)[2], (1d6)[2], (1d8)[3]

Meanwhile back at the cafeteria...

The cafeteria is BRIGHTLY LIT, with lots of panoramic windows encircling area. You can see Avengers Tower from here, including the enigmatic Watchtower that sits atop Stark's building. The Sentry is a complex individual and his personality is directly reflected in the ominous black coloring of his Watchtower...

The is CROWDED with off duty agents, most of whom are devouring their food while scrolling through datapads. All meals are free on the Helicarrier... At least for a well known Super Hero like Luke Cage. There's so much to choose from on the menu, from subs to soups to burgers to "Experimental Energy Drinks". The cashier looks at Luke and says in a nondescript tone, "What'll the big hero have today? Everything's free for my favorite Superhero!" The fiery latina has long raven hair, a buxom bosom and milky brown eyes. Her face is full of cheer, like a true fangirl. Several of the hard nosed agents standing behind Cage snicker at the sight of a SHIELD employee fawning over... Well anyone.

[Felhammer]

Black Widow realizes that there are three attacks a day. Each occurs 1 hour, 9 minutes and 13 seconds after the previous attack ended, with the first starting at 1:09:13 PM local time. Additionally, on days beginning with a "T" or an "S" the terrorists begin their assaults in Sub-Saharan Africa. On all other days, they start in the Middle-East or in Asia. The pattern... It feels like an Easter Egg... Romanov knows it is, she can feel it. Then it hits her! 1=A, 9=I, 13=M! AIM! A.I.M.!

The Falcon stares at the map. His eagle eyes are sharper, more keen than the average humans. He can deduce visual-based patterns far faster than even a trained professional.

Map of the Attacks:

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He stares at it for long periods of time, while the computer busily crunches numbers for him. Then he sees it! In the far east, the pattern almost looks like an... M... but tilted...? And the pattern in Saudi Arabia and Iran... A lower-case... i...? And in Africa.... A tilted A...? But then there are two outliers... Unless they are incomplete... Or... Periods...? Yes. Yes! They are periods!

He deduces the pattern - it spells A . I . M .!

Map:

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He plunges into the mainframe and discovers there are three military bases that could finish the pattern, or at least continue it.

- Lac Sele Air Force Base in Benin
- Boka Army Base in the Central African Republic
- Yala Research Facility, a secret facility in Sri Lanka

Map:

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The two compare notes.

Today is Saturday, so the attack will be start in Sub-Saharan Africa. That means there's a 50/50 shot of intercepting A.I.M. before the first attack begins.

The time in Benin is 11:50. The time in the CAR is 12:50. If the attack is going to occur at Boka, then it will start in 25 minutes and counting.

[thejoshie]

It made perfect sense, and despite the fact that she cracked the pattern through the times of attacks, she felt like a moron for not discovering what Falcon did. The fact that Wakanda was untouched was the key: It didn't fit the pattern of attack.

In the end, however, it didn't matter.

As Falcon finished showing her his notes, she leaned back in her chair... a mistake, as she now realized that she hadn't slept a decent amount since Croatia. "I'm tempted to suggest letting them attack the next base and then track them back to their source... but I refuse to allow AIM to shed anymore blood. It's time to take the fight to them."

She looked at Falcon. "...anything else to add?"

[omnitricks]

The Punisher grunted at Hill's response. She may be right that people will get killed but then at least they have a choice although he doubted that Fury would have gone down that easily. Frank understood the man. As long as the mission needed him, he wouldn't allow himself to die that easily.

But the rest of SHIELD by the looks of it shared Hill's sentiments. Not everyone has the stones to do what it takes to get the job done which speaks a lot about Fury's other people which are sidelined like Dugan. Still, as long as they stayed out of the Punisher's way in his war he didn't really care much.

Entering the armory, was kind of like Christmas only the group they were going to hunt now would take a lot more than the mundane weapons and Castle didn't want to risk using something he was not used to in the alien tech. But first thing's first he was going to look for something that has proven useful on more than one occasion. Laura was already getting to work looking for what she wanted but then it was completely different from what Castle was looking for now.

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Creating an asset called Pym Particles. Should be no problem since we found Stark Tech here right? XD

Affiliation: Solo (1d10)[1]
Distinction: Treasure Trove (1d8)[2]
War on Crime: Weapon (1d8)[1]
Specialty: Combat Master (1d8)[3] (1d8)[8]

Well that sucks. An 11 total with a d8 effect and 2 opportunities.

Before he could try looking for anything else Laura came back asking for some advice. "If its rifles and sidearms, I have plenty all over but wouldn't your pigstickers be better. I remember it sliced one of mine last time and that would be a lot better if we have to go against something which can hit military bases easily. We need something stronger and deadlier for the mission. Stop thinking like the spandex crowd playing their hero games."

"But lets just make sure we don't miss out on anything here first." he said thinking of taking another look around for other things they can use.

[ManifestPR]

She looked at Falcon. "...anything else to add?"

FALCON

He brings forth a print out of all his findings. Slightly it seems we both came to the same conclusion - AIM seems to behind all the attacks. And from what I deciphered the next probable locations are these three.

Falcon points out the Lac Sele Air Force Base in Benin, Boka Army Base in the Central African Republic, and Yala Research Facility the secret facility in Sri Lanka locations on the map. However, we must move quickly because the Boka Army Base will be attacked in about 25 minutes. I can go and prep the Quinjet while you gather the group.

[Dancing Owlbear]

Emma quietly left as the S.H.I.E.L.D. doctors noted the time of death, no cracks forming on the icy surface of her demeanor. She quickly began making her way toward the launchpad, even as she placed a hand to her temple and telepathically reached out to the rest of the 'team', "I know who's behind the attacks. It's the Hulk. Or something very much like him."

Able to pick up on the information that the others had found, and now realizing that they were running out of time, she hurried towards the Quinjets.

[Felhammer]

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Doom Pool roll against the Punisher: (1d8)[4] , (1d8)[3] , (1d6)[4], (1d6)[2]

SUCCESS!

You now have a Belt of Size Change d8 effect!

[Felhammer]

Director Hill is already waiting in the Hangar Bay as the Avengers slowly trickle in. Her foot pounds loudly on the concrete while she waits for Luke to arrive.

Once all of the Avengers are present she coolly states, "These aren't the puissant villains you are used to fighting. A.I.M. is the real deal people. They aren't messing around this time. Whatever technology they are using to carryout these attacks - and whatever monstrosities they are employing - are highly dangerous. You need to be as fast as Quicksilver, as smart as Tony Stark and as stalwart as Captain America. Steve Rogers may not have picked a few of you for this job," her eyes settle on Frank and Emma, "But I did. You are my Avengers. Now get out there and do your job!"

She salutes the group then marches off to the elevator.

The re-designed Quinnjet looks sleek, efficient and, most importantly, FAST. The loading ramp is sturdy, capable of bearing the weight of many very heavy people (like Logan and the Hulk). The cockpit is spacious, replete with all the essentials and toys one would expect of a Quinjet. There are enough seats behind the cockpit for everyone, plus an additional two. At the back of the jet, there is a supply locker that appears ready for anything, complete with eight portable oxygen masks, a standard issue supervillain manacle, eight pistols, a sniper rifle, fifty feet of rope, a high tech toolbox, rations and water.

The floor beneath the Quinjet slowly rises up towards the ceiling, which splits apart like Moses parting the Red Sea. The aircraft lift reaches the flight deck of the Helicarrier, locking into the deck with a decided "thud".

Maria Hill's voice comes over the intercom, "God speed Avengers."

With that said, the Avenger's jet scurries forth into the WILD BLUE YONDER!

[thejoshie]

When they reached proper altitude, Natasha griped the accelerater...

"Brace yourselves!"

*BOOM!*

Very few could make a quinjet dance like Widow could, and it showed by the way she was able to compute a travel trajectory, while maintaining proper control.

However, she was still... distant, not considering how the others were. She was distracted. With AIM, with being forced back with the Avengers, with, well... everything.

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Team [d6] (1d6)[3]
Leader [d4] +1pp (1d4)[4]
Covert Master [d10] (1d10)[3]

Total: 7; effect D10

Epic fail. XD