arwink
Clockwork Golem
This is the beginning of a super's game our group is planning on running on the weeks when some of the group is working, or we just find ourselves with a free evening and no other game prepared. Initially, we were planning on starting in a few weeks from now, but getting the rules (Four Color to Fantasy) a few weeks early and having at least one player who'se really, really into comics led to a quick on-player session so we could could really get used to the rules.
The background leading up to this is coming soon. It mostly involves the subject, test # 3338734, AKA Jack, finding himself conscious and empowered in a military base with little memory of the outside world. He's gone through several training programs, developed super-strength, enhanced constitution, the ability to project a burst of fire a short distance and some minor immunity to flames. There are others in the facility with him, although he never sees the same faces for long, and the military is a somewhat restrictive home for a youngster. He takes an opportunity to escape, running ten miles cross country until he reaches the outskirts of the city and finds a sub-way station.
Jack leans against the wall of the station, staring out at the people that surround him. They dress in a wide variety of clothing, so many colors and styles. It's a little bewildering to him. He's seen such things on television, but never been so close to them before. Never seen them for real.
Jack's tired. The sprint took it out of him, and he knows he isn't safe yet. The jacket he lifted from a clothes-line keeps him warm, the jeans a size to big make him look less like a trained soldier, but he still wears the boots, still has the attitude. His eyes dart along the length of the station, catch site of two men descending on the escalator. Black suits, ear-peices and sun glasses. Jack can hear the sound of a train coming down the tunnel. If they don't see him, he may just make it.
The voice cuts throught he crowd "Everyone down, we've got an escaped criminal in the area."
One of the suits has a gun in hand, waving it to clear the crowd of bystanders. The other is running forward, trying to get between Jack and the edge of the platform. People scream, falling to the floor or from the guns path. Jack bursts into action, ducking under the first shots fired in his direction. He charges for the lip of the platform, fires a rolling burst of flame at the suit in his way. The fire ignites the suit, fuses the cheap plastic of the sunglasses to the agents face. The agents partner swears out loud, fires off another shot as he slowly moves along the platform towards Jack. Jack waits, shots off the occasional burst of flame to keep him at bay. The approaching train rattles the station. Eventually the suit comes to close. Jack leaps forward, drops him to the floor with a spinning kick. Government issue training comes in useful sometimes.
The train pulls in. Jack dives for the door and hunkers down into his seat. He's not seriously hurt, but there's a graze on his shoulder where he almost caught a bullet. The jacket's torn now, starting to look a little tatty. He's burnt the fingers off the woolen gloves he stole, rolls them up and discards them under the seat.
The carraige is half full, a small group of students at one end and a few elderly people travelling into the city for the early evening at the other. One of the students gives Jack a curious look, then shrugs and goes back to her conversation. Jack can feel the eyes of the old people on his back, tries hard to ignore them. He suddenly finds himself aware of how out of place he may seem. The lights and commercials outside the window flash by, a blur in the corner of his vision.
It's been about twenty minutes, maybe thirty, when the train grinds to a halt. A voice comes over the loudspeaker. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to experience a short delay. Please stay in your seats and don't panic, we'll be on our way again shortly."
At the end of the carriage, the students are rolling their eyes. Jack looks out the window, see's the beam of a flashlight moving along the passage. THat's all he needs. He runs to the doorway and forces it open, leaps into the tunnel and glances both ways. He can hear someone yelling, the flashlight beams swinging towards him. Jack runs for the gap between the cars, leaps over the join and tries to sprint down the other side. It's a tight squeeze, and he's not taken three steps before light is suddenly shined in his eyes. He blinks twice, sees someone in a dark suit behind the glare, and sends a rolling ball of fire at it. Screams erupt inside the train as the heat of the fireball warms the windows. Someone stares out the window long enough to see a suit suddenly detonate, falling unconscious to the ground with a scorched suit.
The agents swarm, four following Jack through the gap in the cars, two already stepping over the body of their comrade. Jack can hear the sound of someone scrambling fast over the carraige rooftops, followed by a meaty thump as though they'd tried to leap the gap between cars and failed.
Jack lashes out at the swarm of agents. Several fire at him, short range, but he manages to avoid the worst of the shots. Hear can hear a curse as someone's gun jams, aims small fireballs at anyone within range. Half of the agents go down when he can hear someone running up behind him. Jack swings a fist at the closest agent, then flattens himself against the wall, trying to keep an eye on both sides of the passage. He's managed to keep three agents on his right, but the running figure on his left causes some worry. He's dressed in the form-fitting plether the base uses for it's special forces, a uniform Jack's worn more than once in training. Jack curses, kicks back and disables another attacker as his new foe charges in.
The man in plether moves fast, launches a precision strike to Jack's adams apple. Jack chokes for a second, struggles for air, then panics. Another fireball rolls out, a close-range shot that almost immolates the special forces agent where he stands. The man sways for a moment, barely breathing, before collapsing to the ground. The remaining three agents look at one another, open up with another round of gunfire. Two bullets catch Jack, one in the arm and another in the leg. Their light wounds, shallow, but they hurt enough to make Jack mad. He lurches towards them, firing another fireball. One burns, one leaps to capture him in a bear hug and the last flees. Jack avoids the clumsy charge, disables the attacker with an elbow to the back of the head.
The tunnel goes silent. For the space of a few breaths, Jack doens't hear anything. Then he hears the sounds of more people coming down the passage, attracted by the screams and the sudden flashes of Jack's power. He starts to run in the opposite direction, spriting as fast as his wounded leg will let him.
--------------------
Next: Jack gets a job, an appartment, and finds a few people with which he has something in common...
The background leading up to this is coming soon. It mostly involves the subject, test # 3338734, AKA Jack, finding himself conscious and empowered in a military base with little memory of the outside world. He's gone through several training programs, developed super-strength, enhanced constitution, the ability to project a burst of fire a short distance and some minor immunity to flames. There are others in the facility with him, although he never sees the same faces for long, and the military is a somewhat restrictive home for a youngster. He takes an opportunity to escape, running ten miles cross country until he reaches the outskirts of the city and finds a sub-way station.
Jack leans against the wall of the station, staring out at the people that surround him. They dress in a wide variety of clothing, so many colors and styles. It's a little bewildering to him. He's seen such things on television, but never been so close to them before. Never seen them for real.
Jack's tired. The sprint took it out of him, and he knows he isn't safe yet. The jacket he lifted from a clothes-line keeps him warm, the jeans a size to big make him look less like a trained soldier, but he still wears the boots, still has the attitude. His eyes dart along the length of the station, catch site of two men descending on the escalator. Black suits, ear-peices and sun glasses. Jack can hear the sound of a train coming down the tunnel. If they don't see him, he may just make it.
The voice cuts throught he crowd "Everyone down, we've got an escaped criminal in the area."
One of the suits has a gun in hand, waving it to clear the crowd of bystanders. The other is running forward, trying to get between Jack and the edge of the platform. People scream, falling to the floor or from the guns path. Jack bursts into action, ducking under the first shots fired in his direction. He charges for the lip of the platform, fires a rolling burst of flame at the suit in his way. The fire ignites the suit, fuses the cheap plastic of the sunglasses to the agents face. The agents partner swears out loud, fires off another shot as he slowly moves along the platform towards Jack. Jack waits, shots off the occasional burst of flame to keep him at bay. The approaching train rattles the station. Eventually the suit comes to close. Jack leaps forward, drops him to the floor with a spinning kick. Government issue training comes in useful sometimes.
The train pulls in. Jack dives for the door and hunkers down into his seat. He's not seriously hurt, but there's a graze on his shoulder where he almost caught a bullet. The jacket's torn now, starting to look a little tatty. He's burnt the fingers off the woolen gloves he stole, rolls them up and discards them under the seat.
The carraige is half full, a small group of students at one end and a few elderly people travelling into the city for the early evening at the other. One of the students gives Jack a curious look, then shrugs and goes back to her conversation. Jack can feel the eyes of the old people on his back, tries hard to ignore them. He suddenly finds himself aware of how out of place he may seem. The lights and commercials outside the window flash by, a blur in the corner of his vision.
It's been about twenty minutes, maybe thirty, when the train grinds to a halt. A voice comes over the loudspeaker. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are going to experience a short delay. Please stay in your seats and don't panic, we'll be on our way again shortly."
At the end of the carriage, the students are rolling their eyes. Jack looks out the window, see's the beam of a flashlight moving along the passage. THat's all he needs. He runs to the doorway and forces it open, leaps into the tunnel and glances both ways. He can hear someone yelling, the flashlight beams swinging towards him. Jack runs for the gap between the cars, leaps over the join and tries to sprint down the other side. It's a tight squeeze, and he's not taken three steps before light is suddenly shined in his eyes. He blinks twice, sees someone in a dark suit behind the glare, and sends a rolling ball of fire at it. Screams erupt inside the train as the heat of the fireball warms the windows. Someone stares out the window long enough to see a suit suddenly detonate, falling unconscious to the ground with a scorched suit.
The agents swarm, four following Jack through the gap in the cars, two already stepping over the body of their comrade. Jack can hear the sound of someone scrambling fast over the carraige rooftops, followed by a meaty thump as though they'd tried to leap the gap between cars and failed.
Jack lashes out at the swarm of agents. Several fire at him, short range, but he manages to avoid the worst of the shots. Hear can hear a curse as someone's gun jams, aims small fireballs at anyone within range. Half of the agents go down when he can hear someone running up behind him. Jack swings a fist at the closest agent, then flattens himself against the wall, trying to keep an eye on both sides of the passage. He's managed to keep three agents on his right, but the running figure on his left causes some worry. He's dressed in the form-fitting plether the base uses for it's special forces, a uniform Jack's worn more than once in training. Jack curses, kicks back and disables another attacker as his new foe charges in.
The man in plether moves fast, launches a precision strike to Jack's adams apple. Jack chokes for a second, struggles for air, then panics. Another fireball rolls out, a close-range shot that almost immolates the special forces agent where he stands. The man sways for a moment, barely breathing, before collapsing to the ground. The remaining three agents look at one another, open up with another round of gunfire. Two bullets catch Jack, one in the arm and another in the leg. Their light wounds, shallow, but they hurt enough to make Jack mad. He lurches towards them, firing another fireball. One burns, one leaps to capture him in a bear hug and the last flees. Jack avoids the clumsy charge, disables the attacker with an elbow to the back of the head.
The tunnel goes silent. For the space of a few breaths, Jack doens't hear anything. Then he hears the sounds of more people coming down the passage, attracted by the screams and the sudden flashes of Jack's power. He starts to run in the opposite direction, spriting as fast as his wounded leg will let him.
--------------------
Next: Jack gets a job, an appartment, and finds a few people with which he has something in common...
