Mental Bloc - IC

[Phoenix8008]

Lex laughs at first, chuckling to himself as Perdue continues. By the end of it, he's not laughing anymore and looks deadly serious. "Life is full of good and bad decisions. What's important is learning from them. Timidness could be mistaken for caution, and one person's caution is anothers paranoia. So me not drinking this beer and eating with you can be timid, or cautious, or stupidly paranoid. Take your pick of definitions, but I'm not a coward. Only a real coward reacts by doing the opposite thing just because he's accused of being afraid. So I'll continue to not drink this beer or eat with you today. Not because of fear or because you may have poisoned it, but because I don't trust you yet. Which isn't the same as distrust, just an absence of it. And I don't much care if I'm what anybody expects." Lex snarls in defiance.

"As for my...treasure. My talent? I know what it is I've got, yes indeed. And the ONLY time that I used it without tact was after it first appeared when I was already in jail. Since then I've been practicing where noone else can see and I've got it pretty well under wraps unless I need it." Lex says while reaching out for the salt shaker from the middle of the table. His hand nearly getting to it before the shaker jumps ever so slightly into his fingers. (One free use of Far Hand)

"And the worst of all is the threats. Bad enough that you can't just come out and say what you want, or offer me some job, or whatever. But you gotta threaten me?!" Lex says with quiet anger. "Ain't nobody gonna determine my 'ultimate disposition' but me. And before you go threatening with the whole 'We got you out of prison and we can put you back there' spiel, why don't you just save it. Cut to the chase and spill the deal 'cause I ain't too squeamish to hear it. What you want, what I get, and where we go from here. If you can't handle that, then I'm walking outta here Mr. Perdue and if ya wanna stop me at that point, you'll have to use a lot less tact than you want...and so will I."

 

[Shayuri]

Reed

Nothing looks out of place in front of the building. Everything is as it should be, but your intuition says otherwise. You ring the buzzer, but no one answers. This is not a high-security apartment block; you can enter the vestibule and take the elevator to his floor without a key.

Ash

Your cel vibrates again with another message.

Don't turn your back on a kindred soul, Ash. There are far too few of us to begin with.

There is a "reply" function to the message service.

Ash scowls. Kindred soul her hind end. Whoever this was talked like a Hallmark card.

She texts, -WHO R U???-

 

[Committed Hero]

Reed

There is a device in the room that registers with your power. Its on the floor somewhere inside the apartment.

Lex

"I can understand the trouble you have appreciating your situation. But your choices boil down to two: come with us willingly, or unwillingly. There's a car out front whenever you're ready."

You need to make a Fortitude save.

Ash

I am the Guru. I'm offering you a chance to save another's life today, and perhaps yours soon thereafter.

 

[Phoenix8008]

Coughing in the thick smoke, Lex trys to blink away the blurriness from his eyes and focus... 'Willingly or unwillingly!?' he thinks to himself as if just now hearing it. Shaking his head to clear it, Lex tries to stand quickly, shoving his chair out from under him where it tips over and clatters onto the floor. "Screw that man, you ain't gonna kidnap me!" he yells at Perdue, hoping that more attention will serve better now than no attention. 'I should double tap this dude, but being on parole and even carryin' this handcannon would get me thrown back inside so I better save that for last resort.' Holding out his left hand towards the nearest goon, he pushes hard with his power hoping to hit and daze the man for a moment so he can make his escape.

OOC: Fort save (1d20+4=21)
Assuming that this save keeps him active Lex does a 2nd free zero power use for day. Daze- DC13 Will save or take no actions for one round. And since it appears we might need this...Init (1d20+2=18)...just in case.

 

[A Crazy Fool]

Reed sidesteps into the open doorframe and points the pistol at any person (or if there are none, the source of the psionic aura)

If anyone is in the room: "Freeze and put your hands on your head," Reed says in a level indoor voice. (Intimidate)

(Reed's initiative is 15, and he cannot be surprised)

Spot
Spot (1d20+1=5)

Intimidadte
Intimidadte (1d20+10=25)
(excludes possible bonus from the gun)

Initiative
Initiative (1d20+6=15)

 

[Committed Hero]

Reed

There is a man's body lying on the floor, in front of a TV set. It looks as though he died from a gunshot wound. The psionic reading is coming from his left hand, which is jammed awkwardly underneath his body.

[giving Ash a chance to post]

 

[Shayuri]

I am the guru, koo koo kachoo, Ash thinks nonsensically, and can't help but snicker.

She starts to type something that probably would have been hardnosed and impressive...but before she's two letters and a random punctuation mark into it, things start happening.

The guy stands up fast enough to throw his chair to the floor, then shouts something about kidnapping.

Why she does what she does next, Ash will ask herself for no small amount of time. But the moment she realizes the guy needs some kind of distraction...fast...she acts without thinking, on instinct.

Ash scoots to get a tree between her and most of the patrons, and lifts a hand. The air around her hand shimmers and wavers...then erupts in a narrow jet of blue-yellow flame. It licks up to the ceiling and plays over the flower-like shape of a fire sprinkler.

All at once, the restaurant is bedlam, filled with shrieking alarms and drenching fans of water from above!

(Hoping to mess up the enemy actions/cover my approach next turn )

 

[A Crazy Fool]

Reed's eyes, hidden by silver sunglasses dart about the the room, still looking for a person or some other clues.

This has to be a trap, somebody's framing me.

If it seems clear, he cautiously aproaches the body, looking for any indications of the cause of death (is it Howard?). He then grabs whatever object the body held in it's left hand (and whatever is in it's pockets, wallet, keys, etc.) and leaves as quickly as he can without making too much noise. He will return to his car and park in an emoty lot somewhere and change his clothes. He will also manifest object reading on the item. Then he will find a payphone a safe distance away to call Howard's cell phone (If the body wasn't Howard's)

 

[Committed Hero]

Reed

It looks like Howard. There is a wallet in the pants pocket which confirms it. His concealed hand was holding a strange-looking crystal. When it touches your flesh a jolt of psychic energy courses through you.

I'm already dead - I see Bell's car outside, and he's got the BLIP with him. I'm using whatever energy I can spare to charge this thing. Let the guru know that he's on to us, somehow. If anyone gets to me, this is the guy I need to find -

- a picture of a thin young man, possibly just a teen, with blonde hair and blue eyes leaps into your brain -

his name is Lex. Seems like a good enough kid, just a bit of bad luck. But real potential, I could feel it. I was supposed to pick up the Emerson guy and meet them both at Desiderio's for lunch. But if Bell finds the mug shots that kid is toast. I was gonna bring him to the Russian at the Hamilton Hotel; he's expecting us.

And one other thing, tell Sherene I love her.

Lex & Ash

The big guy with no soul is Lex' target. He regrets the choice as soon as he tries. The power Lex expends drips into the man like oil down a sewer drain, and is gone forever. A buzzing has started up in the back of Lex' throat, like he's swallowed a hornet.

The man grins but remains seated. "You don't know who the hell you're messing with, buddy," he smiles like a shark.

Perdue looks at his Rolex. "You've got about 15 minutes until the convulsions start. Faint wherever you like; I'll make sure the paramedics bring you where you need to go. What the f-"

His question is cut off by the deluge from the fire sprinklers.

 

[A Crazy Fool]

Reed will first search the appartment for the mug shots mentioned in the message. If he finds them or after two minute, he will leave the building as originally planned. He will then call the guru's phone as he is driving. He will head for the general area of Desiderio's

If he picks up: "This is Reed. Howard's dead in his apartment. He told me to tell you that he's onto us. He also said something about a guy called Bell and a BLIP. What's going on?" Reed does his best to sound collected and calm.