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<blockquote data-quote="Insight" data-source="post: 852248" data-attributes="member: 11437">Issue #9 - &quot;Inferno&quot; (Continued)Scene 2: &quot;Final Piece to the Puzzle&quot;Harpy, Iron Dragon, and Pathfinder stood on the deck of the team hydrofoil, also known as the Harper.Harpy was suprised to see MorningStar emerge from the galley wearing a bikini.&nbsp; &quot;Um,&quot; she said.&nbsp; &quot;Aren't you a little... under-dressed for this mission?&quot;MorningStar, who was quite pleased with the attention given her, smiled.&nbsp; &quot;Harpy, we could be out here all day,&quot; she replied.&nbsp; &quot;Torp could be checking out that island until nightfall as far as I know.&nbsp; Why not catch some rays while we're out here?&quot;&quot;It was wise to send the Atlantean ahead to scout,&quot; Iron Dragon said.&nbsp; &quot;He can move around undetected, or certainly, more easily than can the rest of us.&quot;MorningStar sat down on a towel, put on her sunglasses, and laid down.&nbsp; &quot;Let me know if anything happens.&quot;&quot;Can you see anything over there?&quot; Harpy asked Pathfinder, whose gaze was focused on the island.&quot;Yes,&quot; the Native American hero replied.&nbsp; &quot;As you know, I can see quite far.&nbsp; It's a clear day, and thus my vision is unimpeded.&nbsp; I can see the beachfront, the castle, a mountain, and the entire northern half of the island.&nbsp; Granted, some details are beyond my vision...&quot;&quot;Well, with your eyes on the island, as well as Torpedo there checking it out, we should be fine,&quot; Harpy replied.&nbsp; &quot;I only hope Trickster can't complete the Chaos Engine before we can get our allies back from wherever they went.&quot;&quot;And if he does?&quot; Iron Dragon asked.&nbsp; &quot;What would you have us do then?&quot;{Harpy attempts to Sense Motive on Iron Dragon.&nbsp; The DC is 15 since he's not really hiding his feelings, and Harpy takes 10 to get 23 -- success.}Harpy sensed that Iron Dragon had misgivings about this mission.&nbsp; &quot;I don't know,&quot; she answered sarcastically.&nbsp; &quot;What do you think we should do?&quot;&quot;I am not the leader,&quot; Iron Dragon said emphatically.&quot;But you don't think I'm handling this right,&quot; Harpy countered.&quot;To be truthful,&quot; Iron Dragon replied.&nbsp; &quot;Yes, but that will bear itself out.&nbsp; I wish we had a stronger tactical leader, especially for this mission.&nbsp; You are a fine diplomat, and a good 'face' for the team, PR-wise.&nbsp; My concern is only for your inexperience as a tactician.&quot;This did not please Harpy, but Iron Dragon was right.&nbsp; Before she responded, Harpy wanted to 'poll' MorningStar and Pathfinder to see if they felt the same.&nbsp; She closed her eyes and concentrated on the thoughts of her allies.{Harpy is trying to read MorningStar's and Pathfinder's subconscious minds, a Telepathy check with a base DC of 15.&nbsp; The DC to read MorningStar's subconscious is 16, and Harpy gets a total of 18 -- success.&nbsp; The DC to read Pathfinder's subconscious is 25, and Harpy gets only 20 -- failure.}Harpy realized that MorningStar believes in her, but couldn't get a read on Pathfinder.The tracker turned to Harpy with a stern look.&nbsp; &quot;My mind is my own private place, Harpy,&quot; he said.&nbsp; With that, he turned back toward the island and re-focused his concentration there.&quot;Hmm,&quot; Harpy replied, demured.&nbsp; &quot;Well, I don't know what you all expect from me.&nbsp; I was voted the leader, and even if you really wanted Seraphim to lead us, he's not here right now, is he?&quot;Silence and small talk dominated the next few hours, until just before sundown.&quot;Harpy,&quot; Pathfinder announced.&nbsp; &quot;Someone has appeared on the island, on a grassy bluff near some cliffs.&quot;The heroes gathered, MorningStar now in a robe, as she had been in middle of changing back to her costume.&quot;Who is it?&quot; Harpy asked.&quot;The villains: Lodestone, Mana, the Duchess, and Fang,&quot; Pathfinder replied.&nbsp; &quot;It looks like one of them is carrying a large object.&quot;Iron Dragon soured.&nbsp; &quot;That must be the Paradigm Flux Generator,&quot; he said.&quot;Time is closing on us,&quot; Pathfinder said.&nbsp; &quot;We must act now.&quot;&quot;I agree,&quot; Harpy replied.&nbsp; &quot;Let's make for the island.&nbsp; I only hope Torpedo finds that Chaos Engine somewhere.&nbsp; Maybe we can still destroy it before Trickster is able to fully assemble everything.&quot;MorningStar took to the helm, and fired up the engines.&nbsp; Within moments, the Harper was speeding toward the island.&nbsp; ***********************************Sixty Atlantean soldiers stood watch, weapons at their shoulders, as Trickster, in disguise as the Atlantean general Klimordial, looked them over.&nbsp; What fools, he thought.&nbsp; So easily manipulated.&nbsp; Simple minds most often are.Cyber-Knight entered the courtyard where the soldiers were assembled, and took a double-take when he saw the Atlantean general standing there.&nbsp; &quot;Ho, intruder,&quot; Cyber-Knight yelled as he drew his weapon.&nbsp; &quot;Move no further, lest thou tastest my blade!&quot;In Atlantean, Klimordial/Trickster told the soldiers that he would need to depart for a moment.&nbsp; He then spoke to Cyber-Knight in English.&nbsp; &quot;How about we speak in that armory chamber?&quot;&quot;Fair enough,&quot; Cyber-Knight answered.&nbsp; &quot;But trickery shall not be allowed.&quot;They walked together into the chamber, where Trickster's illusion faded.&nbsp; &quot;You must learn to be more trusting, Cyber-Knight,&quot; Trickster said.&quot;Ah, thine ploy is most wise,&quot; Cyber-Knight replied.&nbsp; &quot;An illusion to fool the Atlanteans.&quot;&quot;Yes,&quot; Trickster responded.&nbsp; &quot;It is important that they believe they're being led by this Atlantean general named Klimordial.&nbsp; I will need to maintain this disguise for the time being.&nbsp; It won't be long, though...&quot;Just then, Surge screamed through the courtyard, paying little attention to the sixty soldiers standing in formation.&nbsp; He was seeking only his leader.&nbsp; On his third pass, Surge spotted Trickster and Cyber-Knight conversing in the armory.&quot;Trickster,&quot; Surge said excitedly.&nbsp; &quot;I believe the moment of truth is at hand.&quot;&quot;An ugly word, truth,&quot; Trickster replied.&nbsp; &quot;You refer to the arrival of our allies, I assume?&quot;&quot;Yes,&quot; Surge answered.&nbsp; &quot;They just got here, and they have the Paradigm Flux Generator.&quot;&quot;Excellent,&quot; Trickster said.&nbsp; &quot;Assemble everyone in the audience chamber.&quot;Most of the villains assembled in the large audience chamber.&nbsp; The Duchess, Cyber-Knight, Fang, and Surge stood on one side of the massive throne, while Bombardier and Mana stood on the other.Trickster and Lodestone arrived on a hover platform, and stepped off when it landed.&quot;Good to see you all together again,&quot; Trickster said as he made his way to the throne and sat down with a flourish.&nbsp; &quot;Almost everyone, that is.&nbsp; Where is Barracuda?&quot;The villains looked at one another.&nbsp; &quot;All right,&quot; Trickster said.&nbsp; &quot;It's obvious that he's not coming for whatever reason.&quot;&quot;Let's get on with this,&quot; the Duchess asserted.&nbsp; &quot;You and Lodestone made the final adjustments?&quot;&quot;Not quite,&quot; Trickster replied.&nbsp; &quot;In fact, Lodestone, why don't you head back with the tools and finish everything?&quot;&quot;Your wish is my command,&quot; Lodestone said and took flight out of the room.&quot;How much longer?&quot; the Duchess asked.&quot;Oh, not much longer,&quot; Trickster replied.&nbsp; &quot;Lodestone has everything under control.&quot;&quot;Mayhap Bombardier shouldst leave lest he foil our plans,&quot; Cyber-Knight&nbsp; suggested.&quot;I have had about enough of your accusations, Knight!&quot; Bombardier announced, producing a Nega-Bomb from his pouch.&quot;Likewise, fool,&quot; Cyber-Knight replied, drawing his Vibrosword.&nbsp; &quot;I will brook thy indignations no longer!&quot;Trickster stood.&nbsp; &quot;No more bickering, you two.&nbsp; I command you to stop fighting this instant!&quot;{Trickster is attempting to use Mind Control on Cyber-Knight first, and then on Bombardier.&nbsp; The base Mind Control DC is 10, since they aren't really opposed to 'doing nothing', but the DC is modified for Will Save bonuses and Mental Protection.&nbsp; The final DC to control Cyber-Knight is 15, while the DC to control Bombardier is 24.&nbsp; Trickster gets a Mind Control check of 16 on Cyber-Knight, which succeeds, but only 18 on Bombardier, not nearly enough to penetrate Bombardier's mental defenses.}Cyber-Knight froze in his tracks and stared at Trickster.&nbsp; &quot;Whatever thou sayest,&quot; he said.&quot;I am not your puppet, Trickster,&quot; Bombardier replied, and fingered his Nega-Bomb.&quot;Surely you realize the futility of continuing this,&quot; Trickster pointed out.&nbsp; &quot;Cyber-Knight is behaving himself.&nbsp; Perhaps you should do the same.&nbsp; In fact, I insist!&quot;{Trickster now tries to Intimidate Bombardier.&nbsp; The DC is 24, and Trickster gets a total of 26 on the check.&nbsp; The Intimidate check works to calm things down.}Bombardier realized that most of the villains in the room would support Trickster, and that he would likely not survive any reprisal.&nbsp; &quot;I am no traitor,&quot; Bombardier stated as he put the Nega-Bomb back into his pouch.&nbsp; &quot;I want that known right now.&nbsp; I have no idea where Cyber-Knight got that impression.&quot;Mana stepped forward.&nbsp; &quot;I understand where you're coming from, Bombardier,&quot; Mana said.&nbsp; &quot;We have all had misgivings about this enterprise.&nbsp; This is quite earth-shaking, pardon the pun.&quot;&quot;I appreciate your candor, Mana,&quot; Trickster replied, though suspicious of Mana's motives for stating her feelings in that way.&nbsp; Why did she admit that now?&nbsp; Is she planning to turn against me? he wondered.&quot;Perhaps we should check on Lodestone,&quot; Mana suggested.&quot;What for?&quot; Fang asked.&nbsp; &quot;He's a big boy.&quot;&quot;Do you sense something?&quot; Trickster asked of Mana.&quot;I... I just have a funny feeling our United Hero friends might come calling.&quot;&quot;It would be just like them, wouldn't it?&quot; Trickster asked.&quot;We ran into some of them in Pandemonium,&quot; the Duchess said.&nbsp; &quot;They will find a way back, perhaps before we can complete the Chaos Engine.&quot;&quot;But they didn't come back through your portal, right?&quot; Trickster asked.&quot;No,&quot; Mana replied.&nbsp; &quot;We made sure this time.&nbsp; But still, there are other ways.&quot;&quot;It don't matter,&quot; Fang said, baring his claws.&nbsp; &quot;I got a score to settle.&nbsp; Let me at 'em!&quot;&quot;Once the final piece to the puzzle is in place,&quot; Trickster replied, &quot;I have no doubt you'll have a chance for blood, Fang.&nbsp; We all will.&quot;***********************************Lodestone made the final adjustments to the Chaos Engine, fitting the Paradigm Flux Generator into place.&nbsp; When it was finally installed, the great machine hummed for a moment, as if coming alive.&quot;OK, big guy,&quot; he said to the mechanical marvel, &quot;I'll be back a little later to check on you.&quot;The magnetic villain took flight, his body enveloped in electromagnetic energy, and flew straight out of the cave temporarily housing the Chaos Engine.Torpedo saw Lodestone fly out of the cave, and, after ducking down to avoid detection, entered the cave to see what was hidden there.To his astonishment, there stood the Chaos Engine, a massive construct some four stories tall, buzzing with energy and emanating waves of chaotic energy.The Chaos Engine, he realized.&nbsp; It is a work of art, but something not meant for this world.&nbsp; These villains have no idea what they've got themselves into.&nbsp; I fear the whole world may suffer for their arrogance.&nbsp; The forces that the Chaos Engine manipulates are beyond the comprehension of Trickster and his minions.&nbsp; I just hope we're not too late.But Torpedo was not alone in the cave.&nbsp; A hulking figure stood in the shadows, watching and waiting.Torpedo, once he realized the magnitude of the situation, produced his radio.&nbsp; &quot;Harpy,&quot; he said.A voice on the other side of the radio conversation replied, &quot;Harpy here, Torpedo.&nbsp; What's up?&quot;&quot;I have found the Chaos Engine,&quot; the Atlantean hero replied.&nbsp; &quot;It's in a cave on the island.&quot;&quot;Well, we're on our way to the island,&quot; Harpy said.&nbsp; &quot;We should be there soon.&quot;&quot;I'll meet you at the beach,&quot; Torpedo said.&nbsp; &quot;Torpedo out.&quot;&nbsp; He put the radio back in his costume and turned to run out of the cave.&nbsp; As he did, he saw a familiar figure standing in his way.&quot;You're not going anywhere,&quot; Barracuda said defiantly.&nbsp; &quot;We're gonna finish this -- right now.&quot;***********************************Watch for Scene 3, Coming Soon!</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Insight, post: 852248, member: 11437"] [b]Issue #9 - "Inferno" (Continued)[/b] Scene 2: "Final Piece to the Puzzle" Harpy, Iron Dragon, and Pathfinder stood on the deck of the team hydrofoil, also known as the Harper. Harpy was suprised to see MorningStar emerge from the galley wearing a bikini. "Um," she said. "Aren't you a little... under-dressed for this mission?" MorningStar, who was quite pleased with the attention given her, smiled. "Harpy, we could be out here all day," she replied. "Torp could be checking out that island until nightfall as far as I know. Why not catch some rays while we're out here?" "It was wise to send the Atlantean ahead to scout," Iron Dragon said. "He can move around undetected, or certainly, more easily than can the rest of us." MorningStar sat down on a towel, put on her sunglasses, and laid down. "Let me know if anything happens." "Can you see anything over there?" Harpy asked Pathfinder, whose gaze was focused on the island. "Yes," the Native American hero replied. "As you know, I can see quite far. It's a clear day, and thus my vision is unimpeded. I can see the beachfront, the castle, a mountain, and the entire northern half of the island. Granted, some details are beyond my vision..." "Well, with your eyes on the island, as well as Torpedo there checking it out, we should be fine," Harpy replied. "I only hope Trickster can't complete the Chaos Engine before we can get our allies back from wherever they went." "And if he does?" Iron Dragon asked. "What would you have us do then?" [color=red]{Harpy attempts to Sense Motive on Iron Dragon. The DC is 15 since he's not really hiding his feelings, and Harpy takes 10 to get 23 -- success.}[/color] Harpy sensed that Iron Dragon had misgivings about this mission. "I don't know," she answered sarcastically. "What do you think we should do?" "I am not the leader," Iron Dragon said emphatically. "But you don't think I'm handling this right," Harpy countered. "To be truthful," Iron Dragon replied. "Yes, but that will bear itself out. I wish we had a stronger tactical leader, especially for this mission. You are a fine diplomat, and a good 'face' for the team, PR-wise. My concern is only for your inexperience as a tactician." This did not please Harpy, but Iron Dragon was right. Before she responded, Harpy wanted to 'poll' MorningStar and Pathfinder to see if they felt the same. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the thoughts of her allies. [color=red]{Harpy is trying to read MorningStar's and Pathfinder's subconscious minds, a Telepathy check with a base DC of 15. The DC to read MorningStar's subconscious is 16, and Harpy gets a total of 18 -- success. The DC to read Pathfinder's subconscious is 25, and Harpy gets only 20 -- failure.}[/color] Harpy realized that MorningStar believes in her, but couldn't get a read on Pathfinder. The tracker turned to Harpy with a stern look. "My mind is my own private place, Harpy," he said. With that, he turned back toward the island and re-focused his concentration there. "Hmm," Harpy replied, demured. "Well, I don't know what you all expect from me. I was voted the leader, and even if you really wanted Seraphim to lead us, he's not here right now, is he?" Silence and small talk dominated the next few hours, until just before sundown. "Harpy," Pathfinder announced. "Someone has appeared on the island, on a grassy bluff near some cliffs." The heroes gathered, MorningStar now in a robe, as she had been in middle of changing back to her costume. "Who is it?" Harpy asked. "The villains: Lodestone, Mana, the Duchess, and Fang," Pathfinder replied. "It looks like one of them is carrying a large object." Iron Dragon soured. "That must be the Paradigm Flux Generator," he said. "Time is closing on us," Pathfinder said. "We must act now." "I agree," Harpy replied. "Let's make for the island. I only hope Torpedo finds that Chaos Engine somewhere. Maybe we can still destroy it before Trickster is able to fully assemble everything." MorningStar took to the helm, and fired up the engines. Within moments, the Harper was speeding toward the island. [color=red]***********************************[/color] Sixty Atlantean soldiers stood watch, weapons at their shoulders, as Trickster, in disguise as the Atlantean general Klimordial, looked them over. [i]What fools,[/i] he thought. [i]So easily manipulated. Simple minds most often are.[/i] Cyber-Knight entered the courtyard where the soldiers were assembled, and took a double-take when he saw the Atlantean general standing there. "Ho, intruder," Cyber-Knight yelled as he drew his weapon. "Move no further, lest thou tastest my blade!" In Atlantean, Klimordial/Trickster told the soldiers that he would need to depart for a moment. He then spoke to Cyber-Knight in English. "How about we speak in that armory chamber?" "Fair enough," Cyber-Knight answered. "But trickery shall not be allowed." They walked together into the chamber, where Trickster's illusion faded. "You must learn to be more trusting, Cyber-Knight," Trickster said. "Ah, thine ploy is most wise," Cyber-Knight replied. "An illusion to fool the Atlanteans." "Yes," Trickster responded. "It is important that they believe they're being led by this Atlantean general named Klimordial. I will need to maintain this disguise for the time being. It won't be long, though..." Just then, Surge screamed through the courtyard, paying little attention to the sixty soldiers standing in formation. He was seeking only his leader. On his third pass, Surge spotted Trickster and Cyber-Knight conversing in the armory. "Trickster," Surge said excitedly. "I believe the moment of truth is at hand." "An ugly word, truth," Trickster replied. "You refer to the arrival of our allies, I assume?" "Yes," Surge answered. "They just got here, and they have the Paradigm Flux Generator." "Excellent," Trickster said. "Assemble everyone in the audience chamber." Most of the villains assembled in the large audience chamber. The Duchess, Cyber-Knight, Fang, and Surge stood on one side of the massive throne, while Bombardier and Mana stood on the other. Trickster and Lodestone arrived on a hover platform, and stepped off when it landed. "Good to see you all together again," Trickster said as he made his way to the throne and sat down with a flourish. "Almost everyone, that is. Where is Barracuda?" The villains looked at one another. "All right," Trickster said. "It's obvious that he's not coming for whatever reason." "Let's get on with this," the Duchess asserted. "You and Lodestone made the final adjustments?" "Not quite," Trickster replied. "In fact, Lodestone, why don't you head back with the tools and finish everything?" "Your wish is my command," Lodestone said and took flight out of the room. "How much longer?" the Duchess asked. "Oh, not much longer," Trickster replied. "Lodestone has everything under control." "Mayhap Bombardier shouldst leave lest he foil our plans," Cyber-Knight suggested. "I have had about enough of your accusations, Knight!" Bombardier announced, producing a Nega-Bomb from his pouch. "Likewise, fool," Cyber-Knight replied, drawing his Vibrosword. "I will brook thy indignations no longer!" Trickster stood. "No more bickering, you two. I command you to stop fighting this instant!" [color=red]{Trickster is attempting to use Mind Control on Cyber-Knight first, and then on Bombardier. The base Mind Control DC is 10, since they aren't really opposed to 'doing nothing', but the DC is modified for Will Save bonuses and Mental Protection. The final DC to control Cyber-Knight is 15, while the DC to control Bombardier is 24. Trickster gets a Mind Control check of 16 on Cyber-Knight, which succeeds, but only 18 on Bombardier, not nearly enough to penetrate Bombardier's mental defenses.}[/color] Cyber-Knight froze in his tracks and stared at Trickster. "Whatever thou sayest," he said. "I am not your puppet, Trickster," Bombardier replied, and fingered his Nega-Bomb. "Surely you realize the futility of continuing this," Trickster pointed out. "Cyber-Knight is behaving himself. Perhaps you should do the same. In fact, I insist!" [color=red]{Trickster now tries to Intimidate Bombardier. The DC is 24, and Trickster gets a total of 26 on the check. The Intimidate check works to calm things down.}[/color] Bombardier realized that most of the villains in the room would support Trickster, and that he would likely not survive any reprisal. "I am no traitor," Bombardier stated as he put the Nega-Bomb back into his pouch. "I want that known right now. I have no idea where Cyber-Knight got that impression." Mana stepped forward. "I understand where you're coming from, Bombardier," Mana said. "We have all had misgivings about this enterprise. This is quite earth-shaking, pardon the pun." "I appreciate your candor, Mana," Trickster replied, though suspicious of Mana's motives for stating her feelings in that way. [i]Why did she admit that now? Is she planning to turn against me?[/i] he wondered. "Perhaps we should check on Lodestone," Mana suggested. "What for?" Fang asked. "He's a big boy." "Do you sense something?" Trickster asked of Mana. "I... I just have a funny feeling our United Hero friends might come calling." "It would be just like them, wouldn't it?" Trickster asked. "We ran into some of them in Pandemonium," the Duchess said. "They will find a way back, perhaps before we can complete the Chaos Engine." "But they didn't come back through your portal, right?" Trickster asked. "No," Mana replied. "We made sure this time. But still, there are other ways." "It don't matter," Fang said, baring his claws. "I got a score to settle. Let me at 'em!" "Once the final piece to the puzzle is in place," Trickster replied, "I have no doubt you'll have a chance for blood, Fang. We all will." [color=red]***********************************[/color] Lodestone made the final adjustments to the Chaos Engine, fitting the Paradigm Flux Generator into place. When it was finally installed, the great machine hummed for a moment, as if coming alive. "OK, big guy," he said to the mechanical marvel, "I'll be back a little later to check on you." The magnetic villain took flight, his body enveloped in electromagnetic energy, and flew straight out of the cave temporarily housing the Chaos Engine. Torpedo saw Lodestone fly out of the cave, and, after ducking down to avoid detection, entered the cave to see what was hidden there. To his astonishment, there stood the Chaos Engine, a massive construct some four stories tall, buzzing with energy and emanating waves of chaotic energy. [i]The Chaos Engine,[/i] he realized. [i]It is a work of art, but something not meant for this world. These villains have no idea what they've got themselves into. I fear the whole world may suffer for their arrogance. The forces that the Chaos Engine manipulates are beyond the comprehension of Trickster and his minions. I just hope we're not too late.[/i] But Torpedo was not alone in the cave. A hulking figure stood in the shadows, watching and waiting. Torpedo, once he realized the magnitude of the situation, produced his radio. "Harpy," he said. A voice on the other side of the radio conversation replied, "Harpy here, Torpedo. What's up?" "I have found the Chaos Engine," the Atlantean hero replied. "It's in a cave on the island." "Well, we're on our way to the island," Harpy said. "We should be there soon." "I'll meet you at the beach," Torpedo said. "Torpedo out." He put the radio back in his costume and turned to run out of the cave. As he did, he saw a familiar figure standing in his way. "You're not going anywhere," Barracuda said defiantly. "We're gonna finish this -- right now." [color=red]***********************************[/color] [size=3][b]Watch for Scene 3, Coming Soon![/b][/size] [/QUOTE]

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