EPIC M&M: Issue 7 (IC)

[Velmont]

"Michelle is right on that one. There many way to abuse someone. I don't know how many military justice case I have read on abuse of prisoner, or even soldiers under responsabilities of an officier. Both mental and physical, and sometimes, the victim is not aware of that abuse, or even ask more of it.

For the trap, we could build something that will allow to assure us that he has all his duplicate already active and get them all at the same time... like forcing him to attack many target at once."

 

[Dalamar]

"I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree. With that," Johan says and gets up, "I'll request to be resigned from this mission as I won't be able to have an objective mind when devicing or executing such a plan, and could thus endanger its success. I will not disclose the contents of this discussion to Jennifer or anybody else that is not privy to such information."

 

[Calinon]

October 27, 2120

Mega-City of New York, Morgentaller District
X12
While disappointed Lynn wasn't coming in, you walk up to the door of Mark Jasman's office. You reach for the door knocker but the door swings quietly open as you do so. Standing in the doorway is a small, frail, albino girl. She stands only five feet tall at most, with an appearance that appears very unhealthy. Her hair is a stark white, and her skin lacks nearly all pigmentation, giving it a dusty white appearance. The coloration in her eyes is a stark red. It makes placing her age difficult.

She glances past you to Lynn, who is trying to make herself inconspicuous, then back at you. She looks at your uniform and her eyes widen slightly, her eyebrows arching up a bit. She ends up simply looking up at you, a questioning expression on her face.

Lynn
When X12 goes up the steps to the door, he doesn't get to knock before an albino, frail woman opens it. She glances briefly at you but afterwards her attention is on X12. She doesn't say a word.

As you lean back on the gate, that same tingling feeling lets you know that the gate probably has more than a few stories to tell. It may be a good way to pass the time.

EPIC Headquarters
The War Room
"Not bloody likely," Monica says to Johan, getting up. "You want to be on the team, you're on the team. All. The. Time. You don't get to choose not to go just because you don't agree with something." For the first time, most of you notice she's not dressed as she typically does. "You want to go, go, but you won't be allowed back on the team." She seems more than a little adamant about this little point. She walks over and kicks Cosmo's chair as she passes.

"Hey, watch it, b..." he starts before she continues.

"And I think you better decide now," she says, turning to Cosmo and growling, "Before we risk you popping through the wall to warn the little twerp."

"Heh," Cosmo says, head whipping from Monica to Johan.

Monica's 27 innuendo check beats the DC of 10. Cosmo catches the drift. Heck, even Sanjay caught the drift.

Johan gets a 19 on his will save against Cosmo's nullifcation powers, which fails.

"Hey, while I don't mind all this 'put my evil double on the spot stuff,' I think I can, being the duplication expert that I am, safely say that range will limit Split's ability to use doubles. I'm guessing a thousand yards at most? Maybe he's got a trick to base it off doubles, but I doubt it," the other Johan says.

"A thousand yards! Ho boy, we got the advantage now," Carl grumbles. "So, you want I should hit him with my bat and drop him in a holding cell?" Carl suggests, much more cheerfully, towards the smart Johan.

"I vote yes!" the other Johan says.

Anna slaps Johan on the back of the head again. "You have to remember, the choices are Jennifer going back to M-Tac or us capturing Split and her staying here. And you might go to M-Tac with her," she says.

"Yeah, mate. And I'm more for using Jennifer, the real Jennifer, as bait. We don't know if Split can see through illusions, but if we can prepare for him, I bet he can prepare for us. And he's real familiar with Loki's illusions," Rebound says.

 

[Velmont]

Jay starts to think aloud, speaking for himself, but anyone listening at him is easily understanding what he says.. "A thounsand yard... there can be a lot in a thousand yard. I doubt we can get him in the middle of a wheat field or something like that. So we have someone who can duplicate, teleport about a kilometers far, but it must be where a clone is standing. He can turn invisible too. My helmet can pass throught it, Randall should be able to see it too, and I think Speed Demon too. That makes three of us.

Now to lure him, we need Jennifer, but her cooperation will not easy to have. Randall have suggested an illusion, but he might be able to see through that. So, if we can arrange to attract him in an open space, where the true Jen is, we could easily spot his clones, and if the space is not populated, there would be almost no chance for any civilian to be hurt if things turn bad, and with Split, it is likely... but will he come to the middle of nowhere if Jen is there. Would smell too much the trap."

Coming back to reality Jay asks "And how about his droids? I think he has some robots that he can use. His number of duplicate must be limitated, but only money can limits his bots. Might be good to have something to disable them fast."

 

[Dalamar]

Johan wipes his hand over his face.
"Do you really think I would go and 'rat', as you put it, this to Jennifer -that's her name, not 'little twerp', 'brat', 'menace', or any other word most of you are fond of using of her when not talking about using her as a bait- after I have gone to such lengths to bring to everyone's attention that I do not wish to break a word given?"
While he just ignores Carl and his double's comments, Anna's words bring back some of Johan's composure. He takes a deep breath before continuing.
"I do know that. And there are very few things I would want less than being held in their confines. However, Jennifer wasn't too fond of coming here in the first place. If we initiate hostilities toward Split, she will undoubtedly not want to stay at the facilities of her own volition. That means that, to keep her from running away, we would have to keep her sedated or in a holding cell similar to the one M-Tac kept her in.
And what have we accomplished in regards to her, then? We have merely managed to give her a reason to never trust another person, and guilt over being used to capture her belover Mr. Split."
Johan starts walking towards the door. With a normal pace, to show that he is not running away.
"If a disabling injury is what it takes for me to skip this mission without leaving the team, then I'm sure that there's a defense system in the base that just happens to malfunction when I'm nearby."

 

[Mordane76]

"I need to speak to Mr. Jasman," X12 says. "I suspect he will know what this is about."

 

[Mimic]

"Johan stop," Michelle calls out, magnetically closing the door he is heading towards.

"You are not allowed to walk away from this, we are here because of your actions. This is a direct result in what you did." She tells him as she starts to walk around the table, her voice raising a little. "I will not allow you to dump this mess you made on the rest of us because you are suddenly getting a little squeamish about the consequences of your actions." She tells him as she walks up to him. "Yes, Jennifer might hate you for what your about to do, but in the long run this school is her best chance at giving her a normal life and if you care for her in the least you will do anything to give her that chance." she adds in glancing quickly at Tara, "even if it means she will hate you for it." She adds quietly.

"If you want to leave, then leave," she states openning the door. "I trust you not to say anything about this mission but if you leave Jennifer will end up going back to M-tac. Jennifer only trusts you, without your help this mission is over before it started"

 

[Velmont]

Discipline seems not to be the most research quality here. Thinks Jay. But Michelle looks like to know what she is doing. She has a good leadership. Thunder have made a wise choice to put her in charge.

 

[Dalamar]

"So what you are saying is that I should sacrifice her affection and trust towards me as well as her short-term emotional stability and freedom for her long-term well-being? Not to mention breaking a promise I've almost daily assured her I will be keeping?"
Johan lets out a long sigh and his shoulders slump.
"See, that is the reason Thunder made you the team leader instead of one of them. You have a good grasp of which strings to pull," Johan says with a weak smile and goes back to his seat. "I should be able to handle any droids Split has, and might possibly be able to negate some of his gadgets.
Unlike how I used to, Split doesn't seem to have total control over his duplicates. If that is the case, then we can be reasonably sure that he won't be using the one with New York-accent or the other with homicidal tendencies, at least not before he has confirmation that he is walking into a trap since they might needlessly endanger the trade.
And trade is what I suggest we disguise the plan as. He would be very suspicious if we just reported that we want to hand Jennifer over for no gain on our side. Is there something we know he has that we might demand?
Also, since we will want to demand he come alone, he will most likely demand that Jennifer likewise have only one escort. And since Jennifer believes this is me returning her to his care, it will have to be me. That means that whatever place we choose for the arrangements, the rest of you need some kind of place to hide nearby.
We also need contingency plans for Split not accepting to the trade at all, us failing to subdue one or both of Jennifer and Split and thus enabling an escape, Split bringing allies to the trade -we are going to do so, we should also prepare for the fact that he is doing likewise-, as well as some other cases."
The sound of defeat is clear in the young mutant's voice.

 

[Velmont]

"See, that is the reason Thunder made you the team leader instead of one of them. You have a good grasp of which strings to pull,"

That comment makes Jay smiles. As Johan finish to speak, he suggests

"Not the greatest idea of the world, but I might have an idea of a trade possible, but that mean an homicidal duplicate need to be present. Here the idea.

I have been given the task to find back New York. I know some things about my brother's duplicate, but having Split's duplicate with the same personality would be a good edge over New York, as he will think just like New York. My brother have always like to play alone to prove himself. Split never meet me, so I can suppose that if I ask him to help me in exchange of Jennifer, he will think I am just like my brother, which would have been true only a few year ago... So I meet him with Jennifer, and it will be at that moment you'll fall on him.

That's my idea. Any comments?"