[IC] Garuda, The Ringed City: The Delvers

[Swami Monsoon]

Spoiler: Ember

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Labels:
Danger 0
Freak 0
Savior +3
Superior 0
Mundane +0

Potential: 1/5

Conditions: None

Ember glides down and propels Outlier to the spot he'd requested, dropping him gently and just out of reach of Lash's whips... When his teammate suddenly flickers into an attack, he dives in after him...

He still remembers when one of the Council elders, a lesser Ifrit like himself, explained how she dealt with especially unruly humans. The ones she saw as being of no further use to anyone. She described how she would dissolve into superheated smoke and literally fill the hapless victim's lungs. He cringed when she imitated the sound of a lung shriveling, then suddenly bursting... Others told him that kind of barbarism belonged in the past. Anwar certainly hopes that he will never find himself in a place where he would ever consider doing something like that. But he did learn similar, if much less extreme, ways to deal with a threat.

Once again Ember releases his human shape, becoming smoke and glowing ash. He descends on Lash and surrounds her. Instead of trying to cook her insides he sends more delicate tendrils of smoke through the crevices in her mask, searching for her tear ducts and the tender mucous membranes in her sinuses and throat. Unless Lash has truly inhuman anatomy or some unexpected trick ready, gagging, wheezing and trying to see through uncontrollably watering eyes will soon be a higher priority for her than fighting...

Spoiler: OOC

Show

(Discord) Directly Engage Lash 2d6 [10]
-Resist or avoid her blows
-Impress, surprise, or frighten the opposition (make her @#$& miserable)

[Finite State]

Spoiler: Backfire

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Labels:
Danger: -1
Freak: 0
Savior: +1
Superior: +3
Mundane: +0

Conditions:
Afraid:X
Angry: ◻
Guilty:◻
Insecure:◻
Hopeless:◻

Potential: X X ◻ ◻ ◻

"I'm screwing around!? Where were you!? I can't be expected to wrangle all of you! Especially when you don't even bother to show up! Then Outlier goes in without a plan and tosses the girl off the freaking bridge! Don't worry though, Gravitic's got her, she's smart... oh, wait, nooooo, she's just going to go and stick the girl directly back in danger, and is now on some revenge trip or something fighting Lash! Outlier couldn't even keep a hold on the girl enough to stop her from pushing him off a roof! The only one that's actually been helping me is Ember!"

Backfire pauses to take a deep breath.
With a mixing of Anima and Backfire's thought boxes.
Bottle, anger, put it inside. Focus on the battle.

"Also, put me down!" She angrily shouts, immediately breaking her attempt at calming down.

[Razade]

Pool: 2

Gravitic, Lash, Ember, Outlier: Bridge

It's a flurry of action shots as the three of you pounce on Lash. Smoke and fists and energy whips as Gravitic leads the villain further and further to The Vault. Her henchpeople are close behind, peppering the smoke with bullets to little avail and soon enough you're off the bridge. The Vault looms large around you now as you fight on its main platform, towering pillars weathering the brunt of Lash's whips as you cut her range down. Searing molten rock illuminates the fight. You have her where you need her now though the old gal still has fight in her. A cornered animal is at its most dangerous after all.

"Credit where it's due. It's no wonder a fool like Boom lost to you. I'm higher on the ladder though and I won't be done in by children. Men!" she shouts, her whips suddenly arching low as her henchpeople fill in behind you. In moments they're struck, falling in agony as Lash's magical energy works over their bodies and coursing back along her whips. "Fall." she screams, her whole form sparking with magical power before it releases in a single massive nova. She is, of course, at the epicenter. After an attack like this, it's unlikely she'll recover quickly.

Spoiler: Gravitic/Lash/Outlier

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Roll to take a powerful blow please.

[Captain Jak]

OUTLIER
Conditions: Angry, Guilty, Insecure
Potential: 2/5

Spoiler: Labels

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• Freak: +1
• Danger: +1
• Savior: +2
• Superior: +0
• Mundane: -1

Spoiler: Moves

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• Breaking Out: Whenever you break through an impediment placed upon you or subvert a Hero’s expectations of your Heroic Tradition, you may roll + Danger. On a miss, you escape but you leave something behind and mark a Condition. On a hit, choose one. On a 10+ choose two.
  • You may ask one question as if you’d rolled a hit on Pierce the Mask
  • Clear a Condition or Mark Potential.
  • Place your captor in chains
  • Create an opportunity for your teammates
  
  
• Like the Good Old Days: When you Directly Engage an opponent alongside a teammate, you may mark a Condition to provide them an additional option, even on a miss. If they are a member of a Heroic Tradition, add 1 Team to the Pool.

Once again, Outlier was shown just how far he had yet to go if he was going to restore the name of his Tradition. Lash’s willingness to sacrifice her own people for an advantage was a devastating tactic, and his split-second assessment of the probabilities showed there was no way he was going to be able to avoid the brunt of the explosive discharge.

So, he immediately dropped his own magics to avoid another catastrophic interaction of magics like before, and braced himself for--

Spoiler: OOC:

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Take a Powerful Blow: 13
Remove myself from the situation, passing out.

[Swami Monsoon]

Spoiler: Ember

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Labels:
Danger 0
Freak 0
Savior +3
Superior 0
Mundane +0

Potential: 1/5

Conditions: None

Ember feels a rush of hope as Lash writhes under his assault. Just a little more and we've got thi-- But she did in fact have a special trick prepared. He recoils as Lash charges herself with energy, but not quickly enough. The blast lifts him and carries him away, and for a long, terrifying moment it feels as if his misty form will be scattered irretrievably, like morning fog burning away at sunrise... then he snaps back together as some autonomic reaction triggers and suddenly finds himself back in human form, sliding across the pavement on the seat of his fancy harem pants...
.........
He tries to get back to his feet but staggers as the bridge seems to be spinning beneath him. Ember drops back to all fours, trying to shake away the ringing inside his head...

Spoiler: OOC

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(Discord) Take a Powerful Blow: 2d6 [8]
Give ground; the opposition gets an opportunity

[ChaoticHarmony]

Spoiler: Backfire

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Labels:
Danger: -1
Freak: 0
Savior: +1
Superior: +3
Mundane: +0

Conditions:
Afraid:X
Angry: ◻
Guilty:◻
Insecure:◻
Hopeless:◻

Potential: X X ◻ ◻ ◻

"I'm screwing around!? Where were you!? I can't be expected to wrangle all of you! Especially when you don't even bother to show up! Then Outlier goes in without a plan and tosses the girl off the freaking bridge! Don't worry though, Gravitic's got her, she's smart... oh, wait, nooooo, she's just going to go and stick the girl directly back in danger, and is now on some revenge trip or something fighting Lash! Outlier couldn't even keep a hold on the girl enough to stop her from pushing him off a roof! The only one that's actually been helping me is Ember!"

Backfire pauses to take a deep breath.
With a mixing of Anima and Backfire's thought boxes.
Bottle, anger, put it inside. Focus on the battle.

"Also, put me down!" She angrily shouts, immediately breaking her attempt at calming down.

Chameleon ignores her request, continuing to move as fast as possible towards the Bridge. "Where was I? WHERE THE HELL DO YOU THINK! In case you forgot, there were INJURED CIVILIANS! It's part of the JOB to tend to there needs. Given that ALL of you have a heroic background, I would have figured you KNEW THAT! Cameron huffs as he moves, his rage bringing him back to a time when he was younger, when all he had to worry about was surviving, getting through his Uncle's hard training and programming. He sighs, speaking a little softer to Backfire from this point. "The others really screw up as bad as you're saying? .....we seriously all need to talk after this.....Sorry I inconvenienced you guys."

[Kubular]

Spoiler: Gravitic

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Labels:

Danger: +2
Freak: +1
Savior: -2
Superior: +2
Mundane: +0

Conditions:

Afraid:◻
Angry: ◻
Guilty:◻
Insecure:◻
Hopeless:◻

Hold 2

Potential: ▣ ◻ ◻ ◻ ◻

"No! Get out of the way!” Gravitic's teammates surprised everyone, but now they would pay the price for her own hubris. She sees the desperate move coming and reacts immediately.

Gravitic is able to act quickly and fall back, using the pillars for cover. She rolls with the blast as the heat and force blow back her hair, her gravity 'armor' pushes against the explosion. She lands with two feet planted on the ground, spread apart in a grounded stance opposite her now vulnerable foe. She almost senses the aftermath before her eyes confirm it, smoke and dust parting away from the now unconscious Outlier.

"Ember!” She calls out, "Make sure Outlier's ok!”


She alters her inertia and flings herself directly at Lash, attempting to land on her and grab on to an arm or leg. The longer Gravitic can grapple Lash, the more easily her power can hold the woman down.

Spoiler: OOC

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Roll to take a powerful blow: 3
Mark potential
Directly Engage: 13
Take something from them (Pinning her down)
Resist or avoid their blows

[Finite State]

Spoiler: Backfire

Show

Labels:
Danger: -1
Freak: 0
Savior: +2
Superior: +2
Mundane: +0

Conditions:
Afraid:◻
Angry: X
Guilty:◻
Insecure: X
Hopeless:◻

Potential: X X X ◻ ◻

"Our JOB is to stop the villains! There are other people who can deal with the civilians." Backfire starts her retort angrily. Then takes a deep breath as he apologises.

"I'm sorry. I know you like to save people... It's just... this is the first chance I've gotten to prove to Anima that I'm a good leader since we got down here, and EVERYTHING is going wrong. I told Ember to protect Outlier and the girl, then the girl just pushes him off the roof, which I should have seen coming, and now I can't even get enough control over his spell to get anything that would let me even try to track her down!"

Spoiler: OOC

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Failed to reject influence (roll of 5 on discord).
Took 1 potential, Insecure, and shifted saviour up, Superior down

[ChaoticHarmony]

"Our JOB is to stop the villains! There are other people who can deal with the civilians." Backfire starts her retort angrily. Then takes a deep breath as he apologises.

"I'm sorry. I know you like to save people... It's just... this is the first chance I've gotten to prove to Anima that I'm a good leader since we got down here, and EVERYTHING is going wrong. I told Ember to protect Outlier and the girl, then the girl just pushes him off the roof, which I should have seen coming, and now I can't even get enough control over his spell to get anything that would let me even try to track her down!"

Chameleon rolls his eyes as Backfire goes on. Despite his aggravation, he knows that she's feeling a lot of pressure. And she is letting him crash at her Mentor's base. Dammit, why is being considerate so f-ing hard.

"Look.....no one is expecting you to do this stuff alone. Honestly, we all should have talked and had a real discussion after Coldsnap, figure out how to actually work together. You can't blame yourself for everyone's choices and mistakes, especially if you're gonna try to lead us.........Let's get to the others. We can figure out what to do about the girl after Lash is taken down."

Chameleon suddenly stops in his tracks as a loud explosion of some kind erupts from ahead. He can even see the smoke and dust rise into the air. His eyes widen as he realizes what that could mean. "No more playing around. We need to hustle."

[Razade]

Pool: 2

The smoke and rubble clear to reveal a fairly gruesome picture. Lash remains standing though it's probably on merit of her muscles locking up rather than brute strength. Most of her armor has been blown off and blood trickles from various cuts. The massive explosion has left her skin blackened, steam roiling off taut muscles and the sfx of heavy breathing fills the panel. Ember lays prone and Outlier has been blasted clear into a pillar. He's out of the fight, still breathing though.

The panels then split. On one half of the page, Gravitic leaps into the fray once more. Somehow spared the brunt of the damage from the massive explosive magical attack. Pinning Lash isn't hard considering how messed up she is and it's not like she's got a lot of strength to fight back after that last attack. The other side of the page shows Chameleon and Backfire running through the streets and across the bridge where smoke rises from the previous attack.

They both converge however on Ember, the barrel of a gun pressed suddenly to his head as one of Lash's henchmen staggers forward. "Stan..." they cough, having taken Lash's attack and the explosion has left them wounded as well. Loyal it would seem to the end however. Trying to convince them their lack of importance is unlikely going to work with that level of dedication. "Stand down!" he finally manages, menacing Ember with his weapon. "We'll trade you. Give us Lash and The Girl and we'll give your friend back."

[ChaoticHarmony]

Chameleon's eyes go wide, his skin going pale, as he watches the henchman grab onto Ember, and point a gun at his head. Ember, the one he trusts most, the person who listened to him as he bawled his eyes out, who learned about his dark secret, and didn't judge him, was looking death in the eyes. Almost without a thought, Chameleon drops Backfire, dashing forward as fast as he ever has.

"NOOOOO!" He bellows as he tackles the unwitting mook, knocking the gun from his hand as they drop to the ground. The bubble of anger that has been building up inside Chameleon all day burst, and in a fit of rage he begins pounding on the broken man's face, screaming at the top of his lungs as his knuckles bust into him with a wet thunk thunk thunk thunk

Spoiler: OOC

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Defend Roll: 8
Using There When it Matters to hold 1 instead of choosing from the list
Clearing Angry condition by hurting someone

[Swami Monsoon]

Spoiler: Ember

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Labels:
Danger 0
Freak 0
Savior +3
Superior 0
Mundane +0

Potential: 1/5

Conditions: None

Ember freezes when he feels the gun muzzle against his neck. Maybe he could dissolve back into smoke quickly enough, but as dizzy as he feels he isn't sure... While he can take on a convincing human appearance, he no longer has anything resembling a human anatomy under his skin. But that doesn't mean he is completely indestructible, and from the way it feels against his body, the gun's barrel is disturbingly wide...

He's still weighing his options when the physical weight suddenly disappears from above him, and Chameleon is all over the thug. Punching. And punching... Ember looks up to see his teammate's face a slit eyed mask of rage as batters the man. The sounds it makes as he hits him... Oh God. No. He calls out, weakly at first, then louder... "Stop. He's done. He's had enough... GODDAMNIT. CAM. STOP." He musters enough concentration to conjure a cloud of smoke around Chameleon and his victim, not hot or thick enough to burn or choke, but just enough to hide the object of his anger and maybe snap him out of his rage...

Spoiler: OOC

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(Discord) Provoke: 2d6+1 [7]
If they do it, add a Team to the pool

[Kubular]

Spoiler: Gravitic

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Labels:

Danger: +2
Freak: +1
Savior: -2
Superior: +2
Mundane: +0

Conditions:

Afraid:◻
Angry: ◻
Guilty:◻
Insecure:◻
Hopeless:◻

Hold 2

Potential: ▣ ▣ ◻ ◻ ◻

Gravitic's blood ran cold when she saw Ember under the barrel of the gun. He could change into smoke though, right? He looked bad, like he could barely stand up from the explosion. She cursed aloud, and held Lash on the ground with one hand and her power. Hard to move when gravity itself is keeping you down. She started to lift Lash up-

She breathed a sigh of relief when Chameleon burst on the scene. Mission accomplished, no casualties, minor injuries. Chameleon had the guy, easy. She began to drag Lash by one leg, when suddenly Ember screamed at Chameleon.

Whatever. Neither of them were in any danger anymore. She might have laughed a little bit watching the guy choke.

-Now-

She drags Lash in as undignified a manner as possible to stop next to Outlier. “Be good.” she says pointing down at Lash. Lash wouldn’t be able to move, this was close enough that Gravitic’s power could still hold her down.

Wiping some blood off her lips with her sleeve, Gravitic checks Outlier’s pulse. She gives a small smile and murmurs, "You frickin' moron.”

Now that she’s established he’s alive, she turns her full attention to Lash. She squats down and takes a cigarette out of her backpack, attempting to light it a few times while talking. “Now. What were you doing here? Hmm. This usually works. Why the Vault? Who’s the girl? What do you want with her? You're out of favor with The Court, but you didn't plan this out very well, doing this in... well not daylight, but still. Someone else hire you? What do you think is in there? Something wrong?” Meanwhile she clicks the lighter several more times without lighting it. We get various Click. Click. Click. sfx interspersed throughout the panels, appearing to interrupt the speech bubbles.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Pierce the Mask: 3
Spent 1 hold on a reroll (5 to a 3)
Mark potential

[Finite State]

Spoiler: Backfire

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Labels:
Danger: -1
Freak: 0
Savior: +2
Superior: +2
Mundane: +0

Conditions:
Afraid:◻
Angry: X
Guilty:◻
Insecure: X
Hopeless:◻

Potential: X X X X ◻

"Ow!" Backfire exclaims as she's unceremoniously dropped on the ground. Pushing herself back onto her feet a moment later, but everything has already happened, so she takes a moment to examine the scene.
Okay, Ember and Chameleon have that guy, Outlier's unconscious… but Lash is taken care of. Oh, Gravitic is attempting to question her.
Backfire walks over to Gravitic's side, looking at lash and trying to gauge her reactions to Gravitics admittedly terrible questioning.
Adding the question of "Who upgraded your suit?" and maybe undermining Gravitics attempt at an intimidating presence by having to brush some concrete dust out of her own hair.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Pierce the Mask
2d6-2(angry)+2 = 3 [Discord]

[Razade]

Pool: 2


Sound. Fury. The fight comes to what looks to be a close with all of you coming back together before The Vault. Chameleon turning the hostage taker is probably not the best turn, nor is Ember trying to protect him as the trio go up in smoke. Outlier doesn't look like he's going to be waking too soon though at least he's breathing and generally no worse for wear. All in all you could all look like Lash who leans on her newfound backing as steam continues to rise from her body.

The questions however do little to rouse her from the furious and defiant gaze. "So. Much. Talking." she sighs, a shaky hand moving to pull a cigarette from her suit, free hand up to show the fight is well and truly beat out of her. "If you're going to keep clicking that thing give me a light. So much noise for someone who doesn't have a clue." The arrival of Backfire does not summon a wellspring of answers either. "What would you do if I told you any of that? What could you do?" She snorts, hands falling back to her sides as whatever energy she's got left subsides. "As you are now, you're nothing more than chaff. To big headed to see what's coming, too weak to stop it. Can't even see the threat standing among you. Shouldn't you be helping your friend right now?"

The panels cut to Chameleon, Ember and the prone henchmen who is all but a ball of tears and weak flesh now. The smoke has ebbed but not for you, Chameleon. All that rage bubbling up inside you, the violent explosion of it on a person. The tingling on your skin as the adrenaline starts to wear off, that nervous energy like a lightning bolt is going to strike. You've felt it before, a hundred times, a thousand times. You hear the voice in your head more clearly than even Ember's words so close to you. "You did well, nephew." The smoke slowly clears around you but it's not Ember and the henchmen you see. "You've let your temper run loose, how can you be useful if you don't get that under control?"

A ringing fills your ears Chameleon, also a familiar sound. A conditioning tool your Uncle used when he had you under his thumb. "I guess we'll just have to do this the old fashioned way. Let loose as much as you want, punishment comes later." The ringing sound grows louder, the world wavers. This man is before you. In reach. You could take him down now. Ember's words only meant to stop beating the guard...where did he go anyway? Does it matter? What do you do?

The panels cut back to the rest of the team. Chameleon merely stands in place. For now.

Spoiler: Backfire and Gravitic

Show

Ol'Lash is Piercing your masks. She is asking what you intend to do with any information she gives you. You must answer honestly.

She is also telling you how the world works. Shift Superior up and Danger down if you agree. Roll to reject otherwise.

Spoiler: Chameleon

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You are the danger!! If you attack your "uncle" you are doing what Ember told you to do, so add a team. If you attack your "uncle" roll to Directly Engage as if your "uncle" were a PC. Because it is. It's Ember. Go Go.

[ChaoticHarmony]

Chameleon sits straight up as soon as he hears his Uncle. No.....it can't be.... He looks behind him, his pupils dilating as his programming takes over. "You dare try and tell me what to do?" The cybernetic punk stands up, and turns toward his Uncle. "I'll show you!

He charges at the man he believes is his Uncle, his anger and frustration boiling up again as he swings. Unfortunately he missed the bastard, his blow was too wide. A strange feeling hits his heart though, something telling him that this isn't right. He doesn't understand why, but he kinda feels bad about trying to strike his Uncle. He wonders why that could be as he prepares to attack again

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Rolled Engage Directly 5
Miss, marking Potential 2
Adding Guilty Condition
Failed to successfully strike Ember

[Kubular]

Flicking the lighter one more time, Gravitic finally lights her cigarette easily as Lash starts to finish speaking. As soon as she does, a sudden chill, like ice water and lightning runs fires down her spine. She looks over her shoulder to see Chameleon taking skilled but ineffective swings at Ember, he’s lost in a haze.

“What did you do?” She says coldly. Cold is the wrong adjective, her fists are balled and pulled back as if ready to strike. Rage, burbling just at the surface, would be more appropriate.

“You wanna know what I'd do? I'd come after your employers, and everyone else that helped you out along the way. Because you're my best lead to finding Him.”

She tries to hide her fear and anger, but the reality was they weren’t prepared. She made a risky call and it might have paid off, but they were still in over their heads. She could strike Lash, give her a bloody nose, but she had to keep from rising to the bait. Maintain whatever dignity she had in this situation. And she already has the villain in custody, going any farther might be crossing the line again. Still simmering, she gives a sideways glance to Backfire.

“I can’t move. She might break free.” She admits, defeated.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Rolled to reject influence: 4
Mark Potential
Mark Insecure
Shift labels: Danger down, Superior up.

[Swami Monsoon]

Spoiler: Ember

Show

Labels:
Danger 0
Freak 0
Savior +3
Superior 0
Mundane +0

Potential: 1/5

Conditions: None

Ember keeps talking, more gently now, in a quieter voice... "It's OK, Cam. I'm OK. We're OK now. Let's st--" Chameleon closes the distance in less than a syllable. Ember reacts barely in time, flickering back into smoke just long enough for the punch to pass through him. Then he bounds back into the air, only stopping his ascent when he is... probably... out of range of a super-powered leap. Hovering, he whisks away the curtain of smoke, hoping that it had something to do with Cam's confusion. Hoping, but not believing...

"Cam. Listen to me. Please. Something's wrong here. You're not acting like yourself. Maybe these people did something..." He looks around at the remnants of Lash's gang, now mostly consisting of a few weapons and pieces of discarded equipment left as they scattered. Maybe one of the stranger looking devices in the pile was loaded with something hallucinogenic rather than explosive. He sincerely, passionately hopes it was that and not... something else. Once again, believing is harder. But they have to get through these next moments before there's time to worry about anything else. "Step back. Breathe. Just focus on me. Don't worry about those jerks. We have them handled now. And by we, I mean we, and... uh... thanks for getting that guy off me..." As he speaks, he slowly descends, hoping a show of trust will calm his teammate.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

(Discord) Custom move +Superior 2d6+1 [10]
Clear his mental fog.

[Finite State]

Spoiler: Backfire

Show

Labels:
Danger: -1
Freak: 0
Savior: +2
Superior: +2
Mundane: +0

Conditions:
Afraid:◻
Angry: X
Guilty:◻
Insecure: X
Hopeless:◻

Potential: X X X X X

"I'll do what I always do. Investigate till we find something, then stop it."
It was an artefact! I thought it was. Lucky I didn't get the chance to try and absorb it. That would have sucked.

Backfire reaches down to take the artefact that allows Lash's powers to work. Taking Lash's strength for her own, symbolically at least.
"We'll be plenty strong enough. I mean, we took you down without being ready for you or our heavy hit- Chameleon!"
She whirls around mid sentence as chameleon lunges at Ember. Then looks over at Gravitic.
"We'll work on that... uh, for now... Ember looks like he has that under control."
Adding as an afterthought. "And why don't you just knock her out, then go help? Here."
And Backfire punches Lash to knock her out.

Stepping back, Backfire flips out her notebook and writes down "Add restraints to the gear list." then, a moment later, "And comms."

Spoiler: OOC

Show

Reject Influence: rolled 7
• clear a condition or mark potential by immediately acting to prove them wrong.
(If that works?)
Marking potential. Which would bring me to Advancement.

[Razade]

Pool: 2


It would seem the mission is over. Rousing success for all involved. Except Outlier. He's only just now getting consciousness back.

Of course now is the time sirens start to wail, ferries swarming from above and quite the commotion rushing the bridge as the Mama's finally make their appearance. Isn't it the way? Legitimate law enforcement so rarely gets to fights like this on time. At the head of the sudden of people is a familiar, if not always friendly face. Much like the heroes and villains in the city above, the Mamas have their own training and as one would expect trainees. You met Hummingbird in the aftermath of Boom's scuffle, and here she is once more.

Around your age, she takes a more modern approach to dress than many of the far older, more plump, shawl laden women struggling to keep up. Baseball hat, baggy pants, hoodie. She wouldn't be out of place in Garuda under the sun. "We'll take it from here!" are the first words out of her mouth, having reached the lot of you much sooner than the limited volunteer police and the Mamas, who more than eagerly try and take Lash from your possession once they catch up.

Mission End

- Defeat or drive off Lash and her followers: Cleared
- Protect the civilians of Noxport: Cleared
- Retrieve the hostage: Cleared?
- Keep collateral near the Vault to a minimum: Cleared

[Kubular]

Spoiler: Gravitic

Show

Labels:

Danger: +1
Freak: +1
Savior: -2
Superior: +3
Mundane: +0

Conditions:

Afraid:◻
Angry: ◻
Guilty:◻
Insecure: ▣
Hopeless:◻

Hold 1

Potential: ▣ ▣ ▣ ◻ ◻

Gravitic yelps in surprise, as the smaller heroine suckers the villain. “Hey!” she shouts. She then whispers and sneaks a quick elbow at Backfire, “There are civvies watching! What the hell, Backfire?”

Upon turning to greet Hummingbird, she tries to put on a smile, but it comes out awkward and strange. Wish I had my helmet... she thinks. She tosses her cigarette aside and stamps it out. “Hey!” this time an attempt at cheer. She’s not good at it. “Thanks. How are you Hummingbird?” Pleasantries over with, she lets the people gather up Lash.

Gravitic leans in for an aside with Hummingbird, “I need to speak with her after she wakes up. That's not going to be a problem is it?”

[Razade]

Pool: 1 -RESET


The Team, Lash, Hummingbird: The Vault

Hummingbird gives a mixed look, one of almost pity and almost amusement at the question. "No...I don't think that's going to fly. Top-siders want words with her first. Doubt there'll be anything left for you to question once they're done." All for pleasantries. "Think it's for the best, we'll keep your involvement out of this like last time...just in case the Court wants words with you. Anyone else too, what with you hitting people once they've got no fight in them." She gives a pointed look to Backfire as several Ferriers jostle into position to pull Lash onto one of their ferries.

"We appreciate the help though. No telling what they'd have done. You all better clear out, don't need anyone poking around The Vault. Might open it just by standing around." An obvious joke to lighten the mood though the other Mamas in their bright colorful shawls and swinging bellies looking all the world like overfed Macaw from the surface don't at all look pleased. "Second attack in only a few months. Top-siders really must be getting desperate. Hear they've got some new face from out of town stirring trouble up. Maybe it's not so bad they don't want you all up there. I said git though, so we all better git before Mama Sefina puts us all to work cleaning up. Where are you all headed?"

[Swami Monsoon]

Spoiler: Ember

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Labels:
Danger 0
Freak 0
Savior +3
Superior 0
Mundane +0

Potential: 1/5

Conditions: None

Anwar settles to the ground, but as he walks it's suddenly a struggle to keep his legs from trembling with each step. He shivers with a sudden chill as the adrenaline drains out of him. Or, at least, whatever magical reagent inside him that passes for adrenaline... He no longer has any of the biological and chemical processes of an ordinary human. In theory, he should have no more feelings or emotions than a computer. But that's why, back in the Before Time, Primordials first bonded with humans to make a new kind of creature. They wanted a new kind of perception and experience that beings made only of the elements could not comprehend. So now all of his kind can feel human emotions... and succumb to them, even though the Elders do their best to deny that. Emotional, however, is not a good look with so many people well above him on the pecking order suddenly on the scene. He stands still until the tremors subside, making a show of looking around in all directions as if taking stock of the scene.

"Is everybody all right? Oh..." Of course not. He sees Outlier stretched out on the pavement, with medics tending to him. Anwar walks over to him. There's not much he can contribute that the trained professionals can't. But at least he can be there...

[Captain Jak]

OUTLIER
Conditions: Angry, Guilty, Insecure
Potential: 2/5

Spoiler: Labels

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• Freak: +1
• Danger: +1
• Savior: +2
• Superior: +0
• Mundane: -1

Spoiler: Moves

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• Breaking Out: Whenever you break through an impediment placed upon you or subvert a Hero’s expectations of your Heroic Tradition, you may roll + Danger. On a miss, you escape but you leave something behind and mark a Condition. On a hit, choose one. On a 10+ choose two.
  • You may ask one question as if you’d rolled a hit on Pierce the Mask
  • Clear a Condition or Mark Potential.
  • Place your captor in chains
  • Create an opportunity for your teammates
  
  
• Like the Good Old Days: When you Directly Engage an opponent alongside a teammate, you may mark a Condition to provide them an additional option, even on a miss. If they are a member of a Heroic Tradition, add 1 Team to the Pool.

Outlier slowly returns to consciousness, his body one big ache and left with an odd-feeling head that has sounds too loud and lights too bright. Wonderful.

"Wha happen? Wewin?" he slurs, trying to look around to see if he can spot Lash; he does spot a great deal of additional people, however, and concludes that the fight is over.

Sure made a good showing of himself, didn’t he?

-= * * * =-

After a quick fill-in of what happened, he has to agree that it’s probably not the best of all possible plans for them to stick around in the aftermath of all this. He’s been urged to go get a more thorough checkup to ensure he doesn’t have any hidden internal injuries, but that’s hardly...heroic.

No, he’d be better off heading back to the Delver’s lair with anyone else who was heading back there and see if anyone has any bright ideas on how he can be less useless in a fight in the future – or, it occurs to him abruptly, he can push his magics into something he hasn’t tried before but in theory should work – wander the city randomly and bend the probabilities that he will bump into the Girl by chance. He’d like to make sure she is all right – and perhaps ask why she’d pushed him off a roof.

Other than, perhaps, the fact that he’d more or less done so to her first, that is....

[Finite State]

Spoiler: Backfire

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Labels:
Danger: -1
Freak: 0
Savior: +2
Superior: +2
Mundane: +0

Conditions:
Afraid:◻
Angry: X
Guilty:◻
Insecure: X
Hopeless:◻

Potential: O O O O O

She whispers under her breath towards Gravitic _{"Sorry, yell at me in the base."}
Then rolls her eyes at the accusation of Hummingbird and walks over to the boys.
"You guys alright? I'll meet you at the base in a bit, I have some things to do first."

As soon as she gets a response she turns and starts heading down a different street. Heading to Anima's base of operations.
There are too many threads, I need to know where to start with this investigation.

[Kubular]

Spoiler: Gravitic

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Labels:

Danger: +1
Freak: +1
Savior: -2
Superior: +3
Mundane: +0

Conditions:

Afraid:◻
Angry: ◻
Guilty:◻
Insecure: ▣
Hopeless:◻

Hold 0

Potential: ▣ ▣ ▣ ◻ ◻

She whispers under her breath towards Gravitic _{"Sorry, yell at me in the base."}

“Don’t think I’ll let that go. You’re supposed to be the level-headed one.”

Hummingbird gives a mixed look, one of almost pity and almost amusement at the question. "No...I don't think that's going to fly. Top-siders want words with her first. Doubt there'll be anything left for you to question once they're done." All for pleasantries.

Gravitic grabs Hummingbird by the hand, “No no no. You don't understand. It's personal. Listen, Hummingbird, it's important. I'll be discreet. Just… don't rat me out.” She releases Hummingbird just as quickly when she realizes what she's doing. That probably won't win her any points.

"We appreciate the help though. No telling what they'd have done. You all better clear out, don't need anyone poking around The Vault. Might open it just by standing around." An obvious joke to lighten the mood though the other Mamas in their bright colorful shawls and swinging bellies looking all the world like overfed Macaw from the surface don't at all look pleased. "Second attack in only a few months. Top-siders really must be getting desperate. Hear they've got some new face from out of town stirring trouble up. Maybe it's not so bad they don't want you all up there. I said git though, so we all better git before Mama Sefina puts us all to work cleaning up. Where are you all headed?"

“Yeah, we're going to head back to base. I just need to finish up some grocery shopping... I'll catch up later.” Gravitic says Very Honestly. She fires off a glance at Hummingbird, as if to say, We good?

She flies up and out of sight. As the procession hauls off Lash, we get a panel of Gravitic peering down from a rooftop, hidden in the dark half of the panel.

Spoiler: OOC

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I don’t want to speak for anyone else, but I think this would be a good opportunity for one of the others to tail Gravitic while she’s acting shifty. I would like to take this time to also say that the mission that Ember helped Gravitic with in the past was chasing another lead that suggested Orbital was still alive but turned cold.

Provoke Hummingbird: 6 9
Spent a hold for a reroll
Lost influence over luck

[Razade]

Pool: 1


Ember and Outlier: After some medical checkup

After some minor, if strenously requested, checkup at a local topside doctor for Outlier the rather unorthodox search is on. A few ferry rides and checkpoints brings you both topside to the glittering city of Garuda proper. Beryl Beach seems as good a place to look as any or at least that seems to be the general pulse and pull of your powers. A rather trendy and hip locale, Beryl Beach is the first top in most tourist's destinations. Beautiful beach bodies, street food and shops line white sand and glittering ocean waves. Anyone could get lost in the crowd.

Or as it seems bump into anyone. Moving from stall to stall the pair of you collide headlong into a familiar, if for a brief moment in time, face. It would seem having Outlier around is a lucky charm of sorts. Trouble finds you and he soaks it all up, eh Ember? The panels show recognition on the young woman's face before she shrieks. The crowd around you stop in their tracks as The Girl takes off running once more. The chase is on.


Backfire: Anima's HQ

Parting from your team at their last ferry ride, you take your last trip to the center of town. The Three Houses and the looming and largest of the city's Lamps tower above the city as it sprawls across the tropical island but none of that is your destination. On a quiet street among several high rises you slip in easily. An elevator ride and a flight of stairs brings you to Anima's private space, a rather spacious office lost among the floors. The hide out is so much like your mentor, tucked away and hidden from sight but ever present in the daily flow of life. Monitors line the walls, floor to ceiling length screens capturing the daily hustle and bustle of Garuda.

At its center is Anima. Tall, stocky in their heavy coat and face concealing and expression free mask, a mystery surrounded in mystery. A screen, smaller, near at had shows your own approach. They say nothing though slowly turn their seat to face you. You know the drill, you ask and they answer.


Gravitic, Hummingbird: The Vault

Hummingbird does not seem to appreciate the handling, even as you pull away from your rather brusque touch she's moving away herself with a slight scowl. "You know I can't." she almost snaps, glancing back to the street and the other Mama's in the area as they continue to process Lash and her people. "There are rules, Gravitic. Surface rules. Lash has to face her crimes there. I'll see what I can do here but you need to go."

She doesn't stop you as you fly off to your peering though there's not much to glean. The Ferrymen whisk Lash away to the surface, the destination you could well have guessed. Tracking Lash and her transport would be all but impossible at this point. Chameleon is certainly nearby, the rest of the team slipping away for personal things. That leaves you rather on the out, what are you to do? Where are you headed?

Spoiler: OOC

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Hummingbird is angry. Take Influence over her.

[Captain Jak]

OUTLIER
Conditions: Angry, Guilty, Insecure
Potential: 2/5

Spoiler: Labels

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• Freak: +1
• Danger: +1
• Savior: +2
• Superior: +0
• Mundane: -1

Spoiler: Moves

Show

• Breaking Out: Whenever you break through an impediment placed upon you or subvert a Hero’s expectations of your Heroic Tradition, you may roll + Danger. On a miss, you escape but you leave something behind and mark a Condition. On a hit, choose one. On a 10+ choose two.
  • You may ask one question as if you’d rolled a hit on Pierce the Mask
  • Clear a Condition or Mark Potential.
  • Place your captor in chains
  • Create an opportunity for your teammates
  
  
• Like the Good Old Days: When you Directly Engage an opponent alongside a teammate, you may mark a Condition to provide them an additional option, even on a miss. If they are a member of a Heroic Tradition, add 1 Team to the Pool.

Outlier sighs. Despite his protestations of being just fine, he does still ache from the aftermath of the encounter with Lash and her goons. Giving chase really isn’t something he’s keen on doing at this very moment.

"This is a common reaction when the ladies come face to face with you, isn’t it?" he asks Ember dryly as he gratefully releases his hold on the much more complicated than usual spell he had been maintaining. "Let’s try not to scare her too much," he suggests, then disappears as his fingers ripple through the familiar rote of his location magicks.

Appearing in the Girl’s path, he holds up his hands in an attempt to be placating.

"Hey, whoah, we don’t want to hurt you, miss," he says soothingly. "We just want to make sure you’re all right, maybe ask a couple of questions." ’Why did you push me off a roof?’ and such trivialities.

[Swami Monsoon]

Spoiler: Ember

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Labels:
Danger 0
Freak 0
Savior +3
Superior 0
Mundane 0

Potential: 1/5

Conditions: None

Anwar hurries to keep up with Aaron, but flip flops aren't really made for running. He hadn't had time to fetch his real clothes from where he'd stashed them in the cliffs, and prowling around a crowded beach, off of his home turf, in full costume seems like a bad idea. So now he's attired in what he could quickly buy from a souvenir stand, complete with flower-patterned board shorts and a BERYL BEACH SURF CLUB T-shirt, and his skin is back to its original light brown. As the girl bolts and Aaron flashes ahead, he lets his feet rise a few inches off the ground and summons a warm breeze to propel him forward. When he gets closer, he does his best to calm her down...

"Don't worry. We got Lash. She's headed off to jail. And I'm pretty sure none of us like her very much, so that means we're on the same side... right?"

Spoiler: OOC

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(Discord) Provoke to calm down the girl: 2d6 [6]

[Finite State]

Spoiler: Backfire

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Labels:
Danger: -1
Freak: 0
Savior: +2
Superior: +2
Mundane: +0

Conditions:
Afraid:O
Angry:O
Guilty:O
Insecure:X
Hopeless:O

Potential: X O O O O

Miranda walks forward and takes the seat on the other side of the desk. Falling into the pattern quickly.
"What lead should I follow first? Should I try and find the girl that has some sort of connection to the vault? Figure out who was pulling the strings for Lash and Boom? Try and track down what is actually in the vault? Everything leads back to the Vault, but I don't know why."
"Also about the team, I messed up in planning. We need some coms equipment, and how am I supposed to lead them when no one listens to me?"

Spoiler: OOC

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Rolled Fireside Chat: 6