Sen Udo-Mal
First Post
This story is really good... please continue 
I love M&M
I love M&M
{Mutants & Masterminds} United Heroes Limited Series
Issue #2 - "Ignition" (Continued)
Scene 2: "Gathering"
The heroes were finally all in the same place. Harpy looked over the gathering, and was pleased to see her new friends and allies eager to piece together the clues that had so far baffled them.
While the group made small talk, Harpy wandered over to the coatroom that had been converted into a holding cell, where the villain Fang was now imprisoned. Fang was a nasty fellow, all fur and claws, and teeth. He seemed to have no redeeming social characteristics. Still, Fang was their only link to what might be going on around them.
The bestial villain awoke at Harpy's rousing scent. It was an artifical perfume, and it masked her true natural odor. Fang was partial to female odors, for they were strong in their own way, and much easier to follow than male ones. He looked up to take in Harpy's beauty. She was quite easy on the eyes. Something inside him made Fang want to taste her supple flesh, moreso than with normal females.
"I see you're awake," she commented, examining Fang from beyond the strong metal bars that separated them. "Maybe you'd like to answer a few questions for me."
Fang cocked his head a bit and sat up. "Come inside," he suggested. "We'll talk about it..."
"I don't think so," Harpy replied. "I like you just where you are."
The villain sniffed at the air. "Too bad," he said. "You smell... delicious."
Harpy stepped back, giving herself more distance from the bars. "You've got to be kidding," she said. "Now, listen to me, Fang. Behave yourself, or my friends are going to have to teach you a lesson."
Fang purred. He was still entranced by Harpy's aroma. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then reopened them. "I don't have to answer any of your questions."
"But you do want to cooperate," Harpy said, her eyes steely with conviction.
Fang's and Harpy's gazes met, and he was inexorably drawn to her. Not like before, where he was entranced by her physical charms. This time, Fang desired her, and desired to do anything to please her.
(Harpy is using her Mind Control ability on Fang. She must first attempt a Mind Control check, getting a result of 13. This is opposed by Fang's Will save of 8. Harpy now has Fang under her control.)
"Now then," Harpy said after it settled in. "Let's get down to business.
************************************************
"So how was Atlantis?" Electrostatic asked.
He and the Scoundrel were seated on one side of the oblong meeting room table, while Pathfinder and Torpedo were on the other. Seraphim, never one to sit, stood a good three paces from Torpedo. Iron Dragon and MorningStar had adjourned to a side chamber, but were now returning to the main meeting room.
"Beautiful as always," Torpedo replied. "I regret that I was unable to see more of my homeland. Duty calls, as they say."
"I still can't believe that it exists," the Scoundrel remarked. "I always thought it was a fairy tale."
"I can assure you that it is not," the Atlantean responded, perhaps a bit offended. "In any event, I did not really know where to start, so I visited my old friend Governor Wayed. He rules the city of Valmare, not far from Atlantis City."
"Did you swim all the way there?" Electrostatic asked with a shiver. The electric-powered hero did not like water at all, and made this perfectly clear whenever the subject came up.
"I did," Torpedo replied. "And yes, it took a long time. I am accustomed to the sea, and like most Atlanteans, I am a very good swimmer."
"Not to interrupt, friend," Seraphim said, "but can we get back to the matter of Klimordial?"
"Is he still imprisoned in Atlantis?" MorningStar asked.
"Governor Wayed assured me that Klimordial is still imprisoned within the Deep Vault, a place where we put our most violent and heinous criminals. He is never allowed visitors, so that shoots down the theory that he might have hired someone on the outside."
"Are you sure about that?" Pathfinder asked. "Perhaps he has some kind of telepathy, or maybe he bribed a guard to pass a message."
"Klimordial is cunning," Torpedo replied, "but never very smart, and I doubt he possesses any kind of psionic abilities. He is a grunt, as they say on the surface world. As far as the guards, all of the ones that work on his level of the prison are robotic, and thus unbribeable."
"Very well," Iron Dragon remarked. "So, now what?"
"I believe someone is impersonating Klimordial for some reason," Torpedo said.
"That would explain the rumors and sightings," Pathfinder said, "and also how an imprisoned villain would be able to hire the thugs to steal the cylinder."
"The next question is why would someone impersonate him?" Seraphim asked.
"Another thing I thought I should point out," Torpedo said, "Barracuda once worked in Klimordial's army. That is another possible connection."
"Barracuda -- the villain you tangled with in Atlantis?" the Scoundrel asked.
"The very same," Torpedo replied. "I suppose it's possible that Barracuda is impersonating Klimordial, but to what end, I have no clue."
"Perhaps we should discuss Bombardier and our new friend, Fang," Pathfinder suggested. "Just who were they meeting with?"
"Villains like Bombardier are not given to being under anyone's thumb," Electrostatic said. "He is a loner." Electrostatic was quite familiar with the grenade-lobbing villain. "It would take someone very powerful to employ him."
"OK," MorningStar said, "let's start talking about who that might be."
"I dare not suggest this," Seraphim began, "but what about Lord Bane? He is certainly powerful enough to gain Bombardier's respect."
"No, I don't think so," MorningStar responded. "He always uses his own minions. I've never heard of Lord Bane employing other supers."
"What about that mummy, Panepsis?" asked the Scoundrel. "He's been seen in lots of places. Who's to say he's not in San Fran?"
"I heard that he had been destroyed," Iron Dragon remarked.
"There are several possibilities," Pathfinder said. "Supernova, Technomancer, Bonemaster, among others. Any one of them could be involved."
Harpy entered the room. She looked at the gathered heroes, and realized they had been discussing who exactly was supposed to have been the 'employer' that Bombardier and Fang were going to meet.
"I got Fang to talk," she began, "but I don't know how much help it's going to be. All he knows is that some guy in a trenchcoat and a hat would meet him and Bombardier. Fang got the impression that Bombardier knew this guy, but never got a name."
"Trenchcoat and a hat, huh?" Electrostatic asked. "That's not much to go on."
"We may need to wait for more clues to arise," Pathfinder suggested. "At least we know the cylinder is safe in police custody. Perhaps they will attempt to steal it again. We could set a trap."
The house phone rang. Harpy moved to answer it. "That's a great idea, Johnny. You guys talk about it while I get this."
"I hate to admit this," the Scoundrel said, "I'm rather familiar with the SFPD property room. It's quite secure. Cops are there day and night."
"Those policemen are no match for supervillains," Seraphim remarked.
"Yeah," MorningStar said, "and they know it. No doubt in my mind those guys -- whomever they are -- will try something."
Harpy hung up the phone and came back to the group. "They already have."
Watch for Scene 3, coming soon!
Scene 2: "Gathering"
The heroes were finally all in the same place. Harpy looked over the gathering, and was pleased to see her new friends and allies eager to piece together the clues that had so far baffled them.
While the group made small talk, Harpy wandered over to the coatroom that had been converted into a holding cell, where the villain Fang was now imprisoned. Fang was a nasty fellow, all fur and claws, and teeth. He seemed to have no redeeming social characteristics. Still, Fang was their only link to what might be going on around them.
The bestial villain awoke at Harpy's rousing scent. It was an artifical perfume, and it masked her true natural odor. Fang was partial to female odors, for they were strong in their own way, and much easier to follow than male ones. He looked up to take in Harpy's beauty. She was quite easy on the eyes. Something inside him made Fang want to taste her supple flesh, moreso than with normal females.
"I see you're awake," she commented, examining Fang from beyond the strong metal bars that separated them. "Maybe you'd like to answer a few questions for me."
Fang cocked his head a bit and sat up. "Come inside," he suggested. "We'll talk about it..."
"I don't think so," Harpy replied. "I like you just where you are."
The villain sniffed at the air. "Too bad," he said. "You smell... delicious."
Harpy stepped back, giving herself more distance from the bars. "You've got to be kidding," she said. "Now, listen to me, Fang. Behave yourself, or my friends are going to have to teach you a lesson."
Fang purred. He was still entranced by Harpy's aroma. He closed his eyes for a moment, and then reopened them. "I don't have to answer any of your questions."
"But you do want to cooperate," Harpy said, her eyes steely with conviction.
Fang's and Harpy's gazes met, and he was inexorably drawn to her. Not like before, where he was entranced by her physical charms. This time, Fang desired her, and desired to do anything to please her.
(Harpy is using her Mind Control ability on Fang. She must first attempt a Mind Control check, getting a result of 13. This is opposed by Fang's Will save of 8. Harpy now has Fang under her control.)
"Now then," Harpy said after it settled in. "Let's get down to business.
************************************************
"So how was Atlantis?" Electrostatic asked.
He and the Scoundrel were seated on one side of the oblong meeting room table, while Pathfinder and Torpedo were on the other. Seraphim, never one to sit, stood a good three paces from Torpedo. Iron Dragon and MorningStar had adjourned to a side chamber, but were now returning to the main meeting room.
"Beautiful as always," Torpedo replied. "I regret that I was unable to see more of my homeland. Duty calls, as they say."
"I still can't believe that it exists," the Scoundrel remarked. "I always thought it was a fairy tale."
"I can assure you that it is not," the Atlantean responded, perhaps a bit offended. "In any event, I did not really know where to start, so I visited my old friend Governor Wayed. He rules the city of Valmare, not far from Atlantis City."
"Did you swim all the way there?" Electrostatic asked with a shiver. The electric-powered hero did not like water at all, and made this perfectly clear whenever the subject came up.
"I did," Torpedo replied. "And yes, it took a long time. I am accustomed to the sea, and like most Atlanteans, I am a very good swimmer."
"Not to interrupt, friend," Seraphim said, "but can we get back to the matter of Klimordial?"
"Is he still imprisoned in Atlantis?" MorningStar asked.
"Governor Wayed assured me that Klimordial is still imprisoned within the Deep Vault, a place where we put our most violent and heinous criminals. He is never allowed visitors, so that shoots down the theory that he might have hired someone on the outside."
"Are you sure about that?" Pathfinder asked. "Perhaps he has some kind of telepathy, or maybe he bribed a guard to pass a message."
"Klimordial is cunning," Torpedo replied, "but never very smart, and I doubt he possesses any kind of psionic abilities. He is a grunt, as they say on the surface world. As far as the guards, all of the ones that work on his level of the prison are robotic, and thus unbribeable."
"Very well," Iron Dragon remarked. "So, now what?"
"I believe someone is impersonating Klimordial for some reason," Torpedo said.
"That would explain the rumors and sightings," Pathfinder said, "and also how an imprisoned villain would be able to hire the thugs to steal the cylinder."
"The next question is why would someone impersonate him?" Seraphim asked.
"Another thing I thought I should point out," Torpedo said, "Barracuda once worked in Klimordial's army. That is another possible connection."
"Barracuda -- the villain you tangled with in Atlantis?" the Scoundrel asked.
"The very same," Torpedo replied. "I suppose it's possible that Barracuda is impersonating Klimordial, but to what end, I have no clue."
"Perhaps we should discuss Bombardier and our new friend, Fang," Pathfinder suggested. "Just who were they meeting with?"
"Villains like Bombardier are not given to being under anyone's thumb," Electrostatic said. "He is a loner." Electrostatic was quite familiar with the grenade-lobbing villain. "It would take someone very powerful to employ him."
"OK," MorningStar said, "let's start talking about who that might be."
"I dare not suggest this," Seraphim began, "but what about Lord Bane? He is certainly powerful enough to gain Bombardier's respect."
"No, I don't think so," MorningStar responded. "He always uses his own minions. I've never heard of Lord Bane employing other supers."
"What about that mummy, Panepsis?" asked the Scoundrel. "He's been seen in lots of places. Who's to say he's not in San Fran?"
"I heard that he had been destroyed," Iron Dragon remarked.
"There are several possibilities," Pathfinder said. "Supernova, Technomancer, Bonemaster, among others. Any one of them could be involved."
Harpy entered the room. She looked at the gathered heroes, and realized they had been discussing who exactly was supposed to have been the 'employer' that Bombardier and Fang were going to meet.
"I got Fang to talk," she began, "but I don't know how much help it's going to be. All he knows is that some guy in a trenchcoat and a hat would meet him and Bombardier. Fang got the impression that Bombardier knew this guy, but never got a name."
"Trenchcoat and a hat, huh?" Electrostatic asked. "That's not much to go on."
"We may need to wait for more clues to arise," Pathfinder suggested. "At least we know the cylinder is safe in police custody. Perhaps they will attempt to steal it again. We could set a trap."
The house phone rang. Harpy moved to answer it. "That's a great idea, Johnny. You guys talk about it while I get this."
"I hate to admit this," the Scoundrel said, "I'm rather familiar with the SFPD property room. It's quite secure. Cops are there day and night."
"Those policemen are no match for supervillains," Seraphim remarked.
"Yeah," MorningStar said, "and they know it. No doubt in my mind those guys -- whomever they are -- will try something."
Harpy hung up the phone and came back to the group. "They already have."
Watch for Scene 3, coming soon!
Issue #2 - "Ignition" (Continued)
Scene 3: "A Vision of the Past"
"All right, what now?" asked the Scoundrel.
"It's very simple," Harpy replied. "Someone broke into the property room and stole the cylinder."
"Wow," MorningStar commented. "Pretty brazen."
"The lieutenant I talked to said there was no evidence of a break in at all," Harpy said. "In fact, the cops guarding the place didn't see anyone enter or leave the room -- not even the cylinder itself."
"It could not have just disappeared," Seraphim claimed.
"I suppose not," Pathfinder said. "There must be some evidence left at the scene."
"Listen," the Scoundrel said, "that place is guarded like Fort Knox. There are at least four guards watching the place at all times. Now, there is a lot of traffic in and out of the room -- it's where they keep all the contraband the cops find. But I think they would see an eight-foot cylinder walking out of the room."
"We've got to do something," Electrostatic said.
This is why Harpy never wanted to be team leader. United Heroes was a new team and before their first mission together, the team was divided between having her or Seraphim lead the team. Seraphim was obviously a lot older and wiser, but was still somewhat unfamiliar with the ways of mortals. It was decided that Harpy would be the leader, but that democracy would rule most of the time. Harpy would be a great public representative for the team due to her fame and obvious knack for public relations. But decision-making was tough for the 19-year-old singer from Mississippi. This superhero stuff was new, and she was still learning her own powers, and was much less knowledgeable on everyone else's abilities.
"I hate to do this," she began, "but I think we're going to have to split the team for this. I can't see sending everyone to check out the property room. I would also like to have some of the team members here to respond to anything else that comes up."
"What do you suggest?" Seraphim asked.
"You, Electrostatic, Pathfinder, and the Scoundrel should go downtown to check out the property room and the surrounding area. Torpedo, I'd like you to check out the area near the docks. I have a feeling that cylinder might have found its way back there or possibly underwater. MorningStar, Iron Dragon, and I will remain here so that we can keep track of what's going on."
"I'm on my way," Torpedo said, and quickly made his way out of the meeting room. He was always happy to go back to the water, his native element.
"Maybe I should stay here with you guys," Electrostatic said. "I don't know anything about searching some dusty old property room."
Harpy gave Electrostatic a look reserved for special occasions. She knew that he had a crush on her, but never let him know that she knew, at least not for the time being. Harpy understood that Electrostatic wanted to be near her as much as possible, but his expertise would be useful, even if he couldn't see it.
"No, your skill with electronics and gadgets may come in handy," Harpy replied. "I'd really like you to go along."
"What about Fang?" Iron Dragon asked.
"Hmm. Good question," Harpy replied. "Let's keep him here. I may have some more questions for him."
Seraphim took off and flew on his own toward the city. He would arrive likely ten minutes to half an hour before the others, who would travel by car. Electrostatic insisted on driving, and, since they really didn't care, Pathfinder and the Scoundrel let him.
**************************************************
"I'm telling ya," Officer Wilson explained, "I didn't see nothin. And I was here all night. I worked the 10 pm to 6 am shift."
"That's when the cylinder likely disappeared," Seraphim concluded.
"Yeah, I guess," Wilson replied. "We've got cameras inside and out. There are tapes, but I don't know if anyone's look at them yet. Might be a place to start."
Electrostatic stepped inside the large property room, joining Pathfinder and the Scoundrel, who were already there, poking around for clues.
"Anything?" he asked of his two allies.
"Looks clean to me," the Scoundrel responded. "Of course, we could go over this place with a fine-toothed comb and not find anything if they used some kind of super-powers to get that cylinder out of here."
(Electrostatic attempts a Spot check against DC 15, getting a result of 17 - success!)
"Hmm," Electrostatic began, "these cameras appear to be turned off."
Pathfinder and the Scoundrel looked up at the four cameras in the room, one in each corner. The cameras, which would normally rotate 45 degrees, were not moving.
"When they're on, a red light would be blinking in the front," Electrostatic explained.
Officer Miller and Seraphim entered the room.
"Hey, Officer Miller," the Scoundrel asked, "why are these cameras turned off?"
A shocked look cross the policeman's face as he looked at the nearest camera. "What the --"
"Yeah," Electrostatic said. "Maybe we should take a look at those tapes."
Seraphim, Officer Miller, Electrostatic, and the Scoundrel began to walk out of the property room, but Pathfinder remained.
"Aren't you coming?" the Scoundrel asked of his Navajo ally.
"You should go look at the tapes from the cameras," Pathfinder replied. "I was sent along on this mission for one reason only. I will remain here and meditate. Hopefully, I will receive a vision about these events that will help us."
Pathfinder sat down in the very spot where the cylinder once was, and pulled out a few pouches from his belt.
*************************************************
"I guess Pathfinder is going to do his vision thing," the Scoundrel remarked as the group walked through the property area.
"That's a great idea," Electrostatic replied. "I hope he gets a picture of the guys that took the cylinder. It would make our jobs a lot easier."
"I admire his dedication to his beliefs," Seraphim said. "Even though we do not see eye-to-eye on matters of faith, I know that he strongly believes in his ways."
They made it to the room where the camera feeds are recorded. It was a small room, so Seraphim stayed outside to keep an eye on the area.
"Is it just me," the Scoundrel asked, "or is the big guy sometimes a little overbearing?"
"It's not just you," Electrostatic replied. "Now let's take a look at these tapes."
They found the tapes in question, and began to view them in fast-forward mode, looking for anything out of the ordinary.
A few moments later, Seraphim saw Pathfinder exit the property room and head in his direction. Perhaps he has learned something, Seraphim thought.
"I received a vision," Pathfinder announced. "I only hope it can lead to some clues. Are they looking at the tapes?"
"Yes," Seraphim replied. "Although I suspect it may take some time to review that much material."
The angelic hero knocked on the door, and Electrostatic poked his head out.
"Pathfinder has returned with a vision," Seraphim stated. "We would be best served to hear him out, for that would take far less time than looking at the videotapes."
"Good idea," Electrostatic replied, and then both he and the Scoundrel exited the room. They all gathered around to hear about Pathfinder's vision.
(Going back in time a little, Pathfinder, using his Postcognition ability, would have had to make a check. He gets a modified result of 20, indicating that Pathfinder is able to get a pretty good view of the events of the past 24 hours in that room.)
"It was quiet in the property room from 6 pm until around midnight. Some men opened the doors leading into the room and approached the cylinder. These men were dressed in costumes, but I do not recognize them. Just as they entered, one of the men raised his hand and a crackling noise could be heard in the room. The cameras in the four corners of the room went dead.
"Next, a man in a pinstriped trenchcoat entered the room and pointed at the cylinder. He then left. He walked right past some policemen that were standing near the doors. They did not seem surprised to see these men in the property room, almost as if they belonged there.
"Another man, dressed in a shiny grey bodysuit, raised his arms and the cylinder rose from the floor. It turned horizontal, and then followed the two remaining costumed men out of the room. Afterwards, some policemen came and closed and locked the doors to the room."
"Interesting," Seraphim said. "I wonder why the officer would lie about someone coming into the property room."
"Yeah," the Scoundrel added. "They said no one entered or left the room while they were on duty. These are the same guys, right?"
"I saw Officer Miller in the vision," Pathfinder replied. "He saw all three men."
(Electrostatic spends a Hero Point for inspiration. He gets the idea to ask Harpy about how mind control powers work.)
"Hey, I have an idea," Electrostatic said, pulling out his communicator.
He called Hadley Manor, and Harpy answered.
"It's Jeremy," he said.
"Can we go by our official superhero names while on duty?" Harpy asked.
"OK. Listen, I have a question about mind control. If you controlled someone, would they remember what happened?"
"I can't speak for all people," Harpy answered. "That's how my mind control power works. They don't remember anything."
"Well, I think we may have our first clue about who might be heading this operation," Electrostatic said. "Someone with mind control powers."
"Did you come up with anything else?" Harpy asked.
"I'll fill you in when we get back, Tabitha," Electrostatic replied. "We're going to look around a little more and then come back to base."
"Fine," Harpy said. She disconnected.
"Well, I was right," Electrostatic said. "One of those guys may have mind-controlled the cops guarding the room. Any thoughts on the guys Pathfinder saw in his vision?"
"One of them sounds like maybe Lodestone," the Scoundrel remarked. "I've tangled with him once. He wears a shiny grey bodysuit, and he has magnetic powers."
"What did the other man look like?" Seraphim asked.
"The man who knocked out the cameras? He was glowing with a yellow light, though it was not terribly bright. He wore a helmet and perhaps armor. He moved quickly."
"That could be Surge," Electrostatic responded. "I hate that guy."
"I'm going to go start the car," the Scoundrel replied. "You guys finish up whatever we need to do here."
The Scoundrel left his three companions and walked out of the building. On his way to the car, he spotted a policeman taking an unusual interest in him.
(The Scoundrel attempted a Spot check, and got a result of 16, indicating that he saw the 'cop'. Next, he attempted a Sense Motive check, with a result of a natural 20! He got a feeling that something about this 'cop' wasn't right.)
The Scoundrel approached the policeman. "Anything I can help you with, buddy?" he asked.
The cop said nothing and walked away, appearing a little nervous. The Scoundrel saw Seraphim, Electrostatic, and Pathfinder making their way toward the car.
"Hey guys," the Scoundrel called out. "Notice anything strange about that cop?"
The other three heroes peered in the direction the Scoundrel indicated.
"Nah, nothing," Electrostatic replied.
"He looks just like a policeman to me," remarked Pathfinder.
Seraphim was still looking. "I do not see a policeman. All I see is a tall man in a pin-striped trenchcoat and a hat."
"Tall man in a pin-striped trenchcoat?" Pathfinder asked. "That is the man I saw in my vision."
"It must be an illusion!" Electrostatic exclaimed. "Seraphim can see through illusions!"
"Let's get him!" the Scoundrel yelled as he took off after the 'cop'.
The erstwhile policeman turned and saw the heroes coming after him. Fools! If only they knew what I have in store for them! Let them chase me...
Watch for the pivotal Scene 4, coming soon!
Scene 3: "A Vision of the Past"
"All right, what now?" asked the Scoundrel.
"It's very simple," Harpy replied. "Someone broke into the property room and stole the cylinder."
"Wow," MorningStar commented. "Pretty brazen."
"The lieutenant I talked to said there was no evidence of a break in at all," Harpy said. "In fact, the cops guarding the place didn't see anyone enter or leave the room -- not even the cylinder itself."
"It could not have just disappeared," Seraphim claimed.
"I suppose not," Pathfinder said. "There must be some evidence left at the scene."
"Listen," the Scoundrel said, "that place is guarded like Fort Knox. There are at least four guards watching the place at all times. Now, there is a lot of traffic in and out of the room -- it's where they keep all the contraband the cops find. But I think they would see an eight-foot cylinder walking out of the room."
"We've got to do something," Electrostatic said.
This is why Harpy never wanted to be team leader. United Heroes was a new team and before their first mission together, the team was divided between having her or Seraphim lead the team. Seraphim was obviously a lot older and wiser, but was still somewhat unfamiliar with the ways of mortals. It was decided that Harpy would be the leader, but that democracy would rule most of the time. Harpy would be a great public representative for the team due to her fame and obvious knack for public relations. But decision-making was tough for the 19-year-old singer from Mississippi. This superhero stuff was new, and she was still learning her own powers, and was much less knowledgeable on everyone else's abilities.
"I hate to do this," she began, "but I think we're going to have to split the team for this. I can't see sending everyone to check out the property room. I would also like to have some of the team members here to respond to anything else that comes up."
"What do you suggest?" Seraphim asked.
"You, Electrostatic, Pathfinder, and the Scoundrel should go downtown to check out the property room and the surrounding area. Torpedo, I'd like you to check out the area near the docks. I have a feeling that cylinder might have found its way back there or possibly underwater. MorningStar, Iron Dragon, and I will remain here so that we can keep track of what's going on."
"I'm on my way," Torpedo said, and quickly made his way out of the meeting room. He was always happy to go back to the water, his native element.
"Maybe I should stay here with you guys," Electrostatic said. "I don't know anything about searching some dusty old property room."
Harpy gave Electrostatic a look reserved for special occasions. She knew that he had a crush on her, but never let him know that she knew, at least not for the time being. Harpy understood that Electrostatic wanted to be near her as much as possible, but his expertise would be useful, even if he couldn't see it.
"No, your skill with electronics and gadgets may come in handy," Harpy replied. "I'd really like you to go along."
"What about Fang?" Iron Dragon asked.
"Hmm. Good question," Harpy replied. "Let's keep him here. I may have some more questions for him."
Seraphim took off and flew on his own toward the city. He would arrive likely ten minutes to half an hour before the others, who would travel by car. Electrostatic insisted on driving, and, since they really didn't care, Pathfinder and the Scoundrel let him.
**************************************************
"I'm telling ya," Officer Wilson explained, "I didn't see nothin. And I was here all night. I worked the 10 pm to 6 am shift."
"That's when the cylinder likely disappeared," Seraphim concluded.
"Yeah, I guess," Wilson replied. "We've got cameras inside and out. There are tapes, but I don't know if anyone's look at them yet. Might be a place to start."
Electrostatic stepped inside the large property room, joining Pathfinder and the Scoundrel, who were already there, poking around for clues.
"Anything?" he asked of his two allies.
"Looks clean to me," the Scoundrel responded. "Of course, we could go over this place with a fine-toothed comb and not find anything if they used some kind of super-powers to get that cylinder out of here."
(Electrostatic attempts a Spot check against DC 15, getting a result of 17 - success!)
"Hmm," Electrostatic began, "these cameras appear to be turned off."
Pathfinder and the Scoundrel looked up at the four cameras in the room, one in each corner. The cameras, which would normally rotate 45 degrees, were not moving.
"When they're on, a red light would be blinking in the front," Electrostatic explained.
Officer Miller and Seraphim entered the room.
"Hey, Officer Miller," the Scoundrel asked, "why are these cameras turned off?"
A shocked look cross the policeman's face as he looked at the nearest camera. "What the --"
"Yeah," Electrostatic said. "Maybe we should take a look at those tapes."
Seraphim, Officer Miller, Electrostatic, and the Scoundrel began to walk out of the property room, but Pathfinder remained.
"Aren't you coming?" the Scoundrel asked of his Navajo ally.
"You should go look at the tapes from the cameras," Pathfinder replied. "I was sent along on this mission for one reason only. I will remain here and meditate. Hopefully, I will receive a vision about these events that will help us."
Pathfinder sat down in the very spot where the cylinder once was, and pulled out a few pouches from his belt.
*************************************************
"I guess Pathfinder is going to do his vision thing," the Scoundrel remarked as the group walked through the property area.
"That's a great idea," Electrostatic replied. "I hope he gets a picture of the guys that took the cylinder. It would make our jobs a lot easier."
"I admire his dedication to his beliefs," Seraphim said. "Even though we do not see eye-to-eye on matters of faith, I know that he strongly believes in his ways."
They made it to the room where the camera feeds are recorded. It was a small room, so Seraphim stayed outside to keep an eye on the area.
"Is it just me," the Scoundrel asked, "or is the big guy sometimes a little overbearing?"
"It's not just you," Electrostatic replied. "Now let's take a look at these tapes."
They found the tapes in question, and began to view them in fast-forward mode, looking for anything out of the ordinary.
A few moments later, Seraphim saw Pathfinder exit the property room and head in his direction. Perhaps he has learned something, Seraphim thought.
"I received a vision," Pathfinder announced. "I only hope it can lead to some clues. Are they looking at the tapes?"
"Yes," Seraphim replied. "Although I suspect it may take some time to review that much material."
The angelic hero knocked on the door, and Electrostatic poked his head out.
"Pathfinder has returned with a vision," Seraphim stated. "We would be best served to hear him out, for that would take far less time than looking at the videotapes."
"Good idea," Electrostatic replied, and then both he and the Scoundrel exited the room. They all gathered around to hear about Pathfinder's vision.
(Going back in time a little, Pathfinder, using his Postcognition ability, would have had to make a check. He gets a modified result of 20, indicating that Pathfinder is able to get a pretty good view of the events of the past 24 hours in that room.)
"It was quiet in the property room from 6 pm until around midnight. Some men opened the doors leading into the room and approached the cylinder. These men were dressed in costumes, but I do not recognize them. Just as they entered, one of the men raised his hand and a crackling noise could be heard in the room. The cameras in the four corners of the room went dead.
"Next, a man in a pinstriped trenchcoat entered the room and pointed at the cylinder. He then left. He walked right past some policemen that were standing near the doors. They did not seem surprised to see these men in the property room, almost as if they belonged there.
"Another man, dressed in a shiny grey bodysuit, raised his arms and the cylinder rose from the floor. It turned horizontal, and then followed the two remaining costumed men out of the room. Afterwards, some policemen came and closed and locked the doors to the room."
"Interesting," Seraphim said. "I wonder why the officer would lie about someone coming into the property room."
"Yeah," the Scoundrel added. "They said no one entered or left the room while they were on duty. These are the same guys, right?"
"I saw Officer Miller in the vision," Pathfinder replied. "He saw all three men."
(Electrostatic spends a Hero Point for inspiration. He gets the idea to ask Harpy about how mind control powers work.)
"Hey, I have an idea," Electrostatic said, pulling out his communicator.
He called Hadley Manor, and Harpy answered.
"It's Jeremy," he said.
"Can we go by our official superhero names while on duty?" Harpy asked.
"OK. Listen, I have a question about mind control. If you controlled someone, would they remember what happened?"
"I can't speak for all people," Harpy answered. "That's how my mind control power works. They don't remember anything."
"Well, I think we may have our first clue about who might be heading this operation," Electrostatic said. "Someone with mind control powers."
"Did you come up with anything else?" Harpy asked.
"I'll fill you in when we get back, Tabitha," Electrostatic replied. "We're going to look around a little more and then come back to base."
"Fine," Harpy said. She disconnected.
"Well, I was right," Electrostatic said. "One of those guys may have mind-controlled the cops guarding the room. Any thoughts on the guys Pathfinder saw in his vision?"
"One of them sounds like maybe Lodestone," the Scoundrel remarked. "I've tangled with him once. He wears a shiny grey bodysuit, and he has magnetic powers."
"What did the other man look like?" Seraphim asked.
"The man who knocked out the cameras? He was glowing with a yellow light, though it was not terribly bright. He wore a helmet and perhaps armor. He moved quickly."
"That could be Surge," Electrostatic responded. "I hate that guy."
"I'm going to go start the car," the Scoundrel replied. "You guys finish up whatever we need to do here."
The Scoundrel left his three companions and walked out of the building. On his way to the car, he spotted a policeman taking an unusual interest in him.
(The Scoundrel attempted a Spot check, and got a result of 16, indicating that he saw the 'cop'. Next, he attempted a Sense Motive check, with a result of a natural 20! He got a feeling that something about this 'cop' wasn't right.)
The Scoundrel approached the policeman. "Anything I can help you with, buddy?" he asked.
The cop said nothing and walked away, appearing a little nervous. The Scoundrel saw Seraphim, Electrostatic, and Pathfinder making their way toward the car.
"Hey guys," the Scoundrel called out. "Notice anything strange about that cop?"
The other three heroes peered in the direction the Scoundrel indicated.
"Nah, nothing," Electrostatic replied.
"He looks just like a policeman to me," remarked Pathfinder.
Seraphim was still looking. "I do not see a policeman. All I see is a tall man in a pin-striped trenchcoat and a hat."
"Tall man in a pin-striped trenchcoat?" Pathfinder asked. "That is the man I saw in my vision."
"It must be an illusion!" Electrostatic exclaimed. "Seraphim can see through illusions!"
"Let's get him!" the Scoundrel yelled as he took off after the 'cop'.
The erstwhile policeman turned and saw the heroes coming after him. Fools! If only they knew what I have in store for them! Let them chase me...
Watch for the pivotal Scene 4, coming soon!
Last edited:
Issue #2 - "Ignition" (Continued)
Scene 4: "Trickster"
The tall man in the pin-striped trenchcoat and fedora had a good lead on Pathfinder, Electrostatic, and the Scoundrel, though the Scoundrel and Electrostatic were gaining on their quarry due to their superhuman speed.
Seraphim, the only hero who could see through the villain's illusions, was airborne, and giving chase on the wing. While in flight, Seraphim was the fastest of the United Heroes on the scene, so he would no doubt catch the villain quickly -- the illusionist did not seem to possess above-normal footspeed.
The villain ran down the street from the police station and into a mall. It was noon, and the mall was crawling with business people on their lunch hour. While he ran, the villain created a new illusion, that of a man in a business suit carrying a briefcase. He stopped, hoping that this would fool his foes. It of course fooled all of the heroes except for Seraphim. The villain tried to mix with the rest of the people in the open area of the mall, but Seraphim was obviously locked on target. The villain realized that Seraphim must have somehow been able to penetrate his illusions, so he chose a new strategy.
As Seraphim hovered over the crowd, many of the people cheered and asked for the angelic hero's autograph. Electrostatic, Pathfinder, and the Scoundrel arrived at the square in due time.
"He got down that escalator," Seraphim called out, indicating the escalator in question, which led to an underground level of the mall.
"You won't be able to fly down there," the Scoundrel pointed out. "It's too narrow."
Seraphim landed. "There's no reason I can't walk."
"You're still able to see through his illusions then?" Pathfinder asked of Seraphim.
They walked toward the escalator, wary of any tricks this villain might perpetrate.
"Yes," Seraphim replied. "We should stay together for now since I'm the only one that can see him."
**************************************************
Halfway down the escalator, the heroes saw some kind of commotion going on down below. One of the stores was on fire, and the fire had spread out into the mall area.
Electrostatic picked up his communicator. "We'd better call the fire department."
"Do not bother," Seraphim said. "Another illusion."
"Yeah, but tell them that," the Scoundrel retorted, indicating the crowd of perhaps 250 shoppers clogging the exits and the main walkways.
"They're going to be tricky to get around," Electrostatic commented. "This guy is good."
"I hardly think -- " Seraphim began. "Oh. You mean clever, not a good person."
"Yeah," Electrostatic replied, realizing that Seraphim still had trouble with lingo.
They finally got to the bottom of the escalator. Someone pulled the fire alarms, so now the area was being sprinkled with water from above.
"Agh!" Electrostatic called out. He was deathly afraid of water, since it burned and shocked his skin, not unlike what electricity might do to a normal person. "I've got to get out of here!"
(Since he is exposed to water, and he has a Susceptible to Water Weakness, Electrostatic must attempt a Fortitude save (DC 15) to avoid becoming Fatigued. He gets a result of 14, so he will be Fatigued. When he gets to the top of the escalator, Electrostatic spends a Hero Point to remove the Fatigue.)
"Go back up top," the Scoundrel commanded. "We'll come get you later."
Electrostatic crawled over to the up escalator, which was clogged full of nervous shoppers attempting to escape the 'fire'.
"We are in a more open area now," Seraphim said. "I will take to the air and see if I can locate the villain." With that, he took off.
The villain, who had disguised himself as a security guard, watched the heroes from an alcove near the escalator. Divide and conquer, he thought. Seraphim is gone, so now I can play.
Electrostatic came back down the escalator. "Hey," he said, "let's catch that bad guy."
The Scoundrel and Pathfinder looked at one another, then at the water still descending from the sprinklers on the ceiling.
"OK," the Scoundrel said. "Let's go."
The heroes took three steps, then the Scoundrel swiped at Electrostatic. His hand went right through the illusion, and then he and Pathfinder realized that the illusionist must have been nearby.
(The Scoundrel decided to take a chance and try to attack the illusion of Electrostatic. He must attempt a Will save (DC 25), and gets a natural 20! - success. As soon as this happens, Pathfinder uses his Scent ability. This requires a Spot check (DC 10), and Pathfinder gets a result of 27, easily detecting that the illusion is not putting off the right odor.)
"Do you see anyone out of the ordinary?" the Scoundrel asked of his companion.
"No," Pathfinder replied. "But I wouldn't, would I?"
They saw Seraphim and waved him over.
"He's around here somewhere," the Scoundrel told Seraphim.
"If you see him," Pathfinder said, "maybe we can corner this guy."
I can't have any fun with that Seraphim around, the villain thought. I need to find a way to get rid of him.
He watched as the heroes fanned out, looking for him. The villain managed to keep out of Seraphim's line of sight; the angelic hero would be able to see right through the villain's security guard disguise.
The villain pulled out a cell phone and hit the speed dial button. "Are you in position?" he whispered.
"We are," the voice replied. "People are starting to get suspicious."
"Let them," the villain answered. "I will only be a moment then."
He hung up the phone and, when Seraphim was facing the other direction, came out of hiding and crept up the escalator.
(Pathfinder and the Scoundrel get Spot checks to notice the 'security guard' trying to go up the escalator. The heroes need a flat 15. Pathfinder gets a 22, and the Scoundrel gets a 12. Since Pathfinder succeeded, he now gets a Sense Motive against the villain's Bluff (DC 20), and Pathfinder gets a result of 20 - exactly what he needs to notice something's not right.)
"Hey you," Pathfinder called out to the 'security guard' ascending the escalator.
The guard did not respond, and kept hurrying up the conveyance.
The other heroes, including Seraphim, turned around, and the flying hero saw their quarry. "That's him!" Seraphim called out, pointing at the villain.
*************************************************
Three-quarters of the way up the escalator, the villain decided to drop his illusion, and all of the heroes saw his true appearance. "Catch me if you can, heroes!" he called out as he got to the top of the escalator.
Because the escalator was too narrow for Seraphim to fly through (his wingspan was too broad), he had to run up the escalator like the Scoundrel and Pathfinder. The Scoundrel got to the top first, and spotted Electrostatic nearby, talking on his communicator.
"That's him!" the Scoundrel yelled to Electrostatic, pointing at the pin-striped villain who was running down an alley.
Electrostatic and the Scoundrel were faster than the average person, and were faster than this villain. They would no doubt catch him before he got very far. Once Seraphim got into the open, however, he would be able to fly at double the pace of the running villain. Pathfinder, not having been blessed with above-average speed, would catch up eventually.
Once the villain passed through the alley, he was on a major street. From there, he turned left toward the waterfront. Electrostatic and the Scoundrel were gaining on him, and Seraphim took to the air, and was easily able to track him down from above.
The villain stopped in the middle of the street. "Greetings, heroes," he began. "Call me Trickster, master of illusions. I am here to cause you a lot of trouble."
"We're not interested in your games, Trickster," Seraphim said defiantly.
"Why don't you just give up now and save us all a lot of hassle?" Electrostatic asked.
"What would be the fun in that?" Trickster replied. "Besides, that would greatly disappoint my friends here."
Two villains appeared behind Trickster: Bombardier and an armored fellow sitting atop a metallic horse.
"I believe you've already met Bombardier," Trickster said. "This is Cyber-Knight. You'll find him simply smashing!"
This ends Issue #2, "Ignition"
Watch for Issue #3, "Embers", coming soon!
Scene 4: "Trickster"
The tall man in the pin-striped trenchcoat and fedora had a good lead on Pathfinder, Electrostatic, and the Scoundrel, though the Scoundrel and Electrostatic were gaining on their quarry due to their superhuman speed.
Seraphim, the only hero who could see through the villain's illusions, was airborne, and giving chase on the wing. While in flight, Seraphim was the fastest of the United Heroes on the scene, so he would no doubt catch the villain quickly -- the illusionist did not seem to possess above-normal footspeed.
The villain ran down the street from the police station and into a mall. It was noon, and the mall was crawling with business people on their lunch hour. While he ran, the villain created a new illusion, that of a man in a business suit carrying a briefcase. He stopped, hoping that this would fool his foes. It of course fooled all of the heroes except for Seraphim. The villain tried to mix with the rest of the people in the open area of the mall, but Seraphim was obviously locked on target. The villain realized that Seraphim must have somehow been able to penetrate his illusions, so he chose a new strategy.
As Seraphim hovered over the crowd, many of the people cheered and asked for the angelic hero's autograph. Electrostatic, Pathfinder, and the Scoundrel arrived at the square in due time.
"He got down that escalator," Seraphim called out, indicating the escalator in question, which led to an underground level of the mall.
"You won't be able to fly down there," the Scoundrel pointed out. "It's too narrow."
Seraphim landed. "There's no reason I can't walk."
"You're still able to see through his illusions then?" Pathfinder asked of Seraphim.
They walked toward the escalator, wary of any tricks this villain might perpetrate.
"Yes," Seraphim replied. "We should stay together for now since I'm the only one that can see him."
**************************************************
Halfway down the escalator, the heroes saw some kind of commotion going on down below. One of the stores was on fire, and the fire had spread out into the mall area.
Electrostatic picked up his communicator. "We'd better call the fire department."
"Do not bother," Seraphim said. "Another illusion."
"Yeah, but tell them that," the Scoundrel retorted, indicating the crowd of perhaps 250 shoppers clogging the exits and the main walkways.
"They're going to be tricky to get around," Electrostatic commented. "This guy is good."
"I hardly think -- " Seraphim began. "Oh. You mean clever, not a good person."
"Yeah," Electrostatic replied, realizing that Seraphim still had trouble with lingo.
They finally got to the bottom of the escalator. Someone pulled the fire alarms, so now the area was being sprinkled with water from above.
"Agh!" Electrostatic called out. He was deathly afraid of water, since it burned and shocked his skin, not unlike what electricity might do to a normal person. "I've got to get out of here!"
(Since he is exposed to water, and he has a Susceptible to Water Weakness, Electrostatic must attempt a Fortitude save (DC 15) to avoid becoming Fatigued. He gets a result of 14, so he will be Fatigued. When he gets to the top of the escalator, Electrostatic spends a Hero Point to remove the Fatigue.)
"Go back up top," the Scoundrel commanded. "We'll come get you later."
Electrostatic crawled over to the up escalator, which was clogged full of nervous shoppers attempting to escape the 'fire'.
"We are in a more open area now," Seraphim said. "I will take to the air and see if I can locate the villain." With that, he took off.
The villain, who had disguised himself as a security guard, watched the heroes from an alcove near the escalator. Divide and conquer, he thought. Seraphim is gone, so now I can play.
Electrostatic came back down the escalator. "Hey," he said, "let's catch that bad guy."
The Scoundrel and Pathfinder looked at one another, then at the water still descending from the sprinklers on the ceiling.
"OK," the Scoundrel said. "Let's go."
The heroes took three steps, then the Scoundrel swiped at Electrostatic. His hand went right through the illusion, and then he and Pathfinder realized that the illusionist must have been nearby.
(The Scoundrel decided to take a chance and try to attack the illusion of Electrostatic. He must attempt a Will save (DC 25), and gets a natural 20! - success. As soon as this happens, Pathfinder uses his Scent ability. This requires a Spot check (DC 10), and Pathfinder gets a result of 27, easily detecting that the illusion is not putting off the right odor.)
"Do you see anyone out of the ordinary?" the Scoundrel asked of his companion.
"No," Pathfinder replied. "But I wouldn't, would I?"
They saw Seraphim and waved him over.
"He's around here somewhere," the Scoundrel told Seraphim.
"If you see him," Pathfinder said, "maybe we can corner this guy."
I can't have any fun with that Seraphim around, the villain thought. I need to find a way to get rid of him.
He watched as the heroes fanned out, looking for him. The villain managed to keep out of Seraphim's line of sight; the angelic hero would be able to see right through the villain's security guard disguise.
The villain pulled out a cell phone and hit the speed dial button. "Are you in position?" he whispered.
"We are," the voice replied. "People are starting to get suspicious."
"Let them," the villain answered. "I will only be a moment then."
He hung up the phone and, when Seraphim was facing the other direction, came out of hiding and crept up the escalator.
(Pathfinder and the Scoundrel get Spot checks to notice the 'security guard' trying to go up the escalator. The heroes need a flat 15. Pathfinder gets a 22, and the Scoundrel gets a 12. Since Pathfinder succeeded, he now gets a Sense Motive against the villain's Bluff (DC 20), and Pathfinder gets a result of 20 - exactly what he needs to notice something's not right.)
"Hey you," Pathfinder called out to the 'security guard' ascending the escalator.
The guard did not respond, and kept hurrying up the conveyance.
The other heroes, including Seraphim, turned around, and the flying hero saw their quarry. "That's him!" Seraphim called out, pointing at the villain.
*************************************************
Three-quarters of the way up the escalator, the villain decided to drop his illusion, and all of the heroes saw his true appearance. "Catch me if you can, heroes!" he called out as he got to the top of the escalator.
Because the escalator was too narrow for Seraphim to fly through (his wingspan was too broad), he had to run up the escalator like the Scoundrel and Pathfinder. The Scoundrel got to the top first, and spotted Electrostatic nearby, talking on his communicator.
"That's him!" the Scoundrel yelled to Electrostatic, pointing at the pin-striped villain who was running down an alley.
Electrostatic and the Scoundrel were faster than the average person, and were faster than this villain. They would no doubt catch him before he got very far. Once Seraphim got into the open, however, he would be able to fly at double the pace of the running villain. Pathfinder, not having been blessed with above-average speed, would catch up eventually.
Once the villain passed through the alley, he was on a major street. From there, he turned left toward the waterfront. Electrostatic and the Scoundrel were gaining on him, and Seraphim took to the air, and was easily able to track him down from above.
The villain stopped in the middle of the street. "Greetings, heroes," he began. "Call me Trickster, master of illusions. I am here to cause you a lot of trouble."
"We're not interested in your games, Trickster," Seraphim said defiantly.
"Why don't you just give up now and save us all a lot of hassle?" Electrostatic asked.
"What would be the fun in that?" Trickster replied. "Besides, that would greatly disappoint my friends here."
Two villains appeared behind Trickster: Bombardier and an armored fellow sitting atop a metallic horse.
"I believe you've already met Bombardier," Trickster said. "This is Cyber-Knight. You'll find him simply smashing!"
This ends Issue #2, "Ignition"
Watch for Issue #3, "Embers", coming soon!
GreyShadow
Explorer
MnM_UH said:
Great story! I'm enjoying it all. Keep the game text I say, lets me understand the rules / reasons for the various actions happening.
Cheers
Sen Udo-Mal
First Post
I agree, while I have M&M and know the game (have run a couple of games and I am just about to start in a new game next week, plus a PbP here on this board also) I enjoy reading about the rules, just to LR in me I guess
Oh I really enjoy this story (this one and Billy's are the only two I read actually)
Oh I really enjoy this story (this one and Billy's are the only two I read actually)
Similar Threads
