Project Daedalus (Issue 3)

[Agamon]

Prologue

Washington, D.C.

0915 hours, EDT, Thursday, July 10th, 2014

“Jennifer, it’s nice to see you again.” A bespectacled man in his fifties, smiles. He wears a dark suit and carries a briefcase.

“Senator Haynes, how are you?” Screaming Eagle, wearing a business suit specially made to allow for her wings, reaches out to shake the senator’s hand.

He grasps her hand. “I’d be much better if you call me David.”

She smiles. “Of course, David. So, be straight with me,” she says as they begin to climb the steps of a nearby government building. “Am I here to be scolded for my choices for the new team?”

“Not from what I understand,” he answers. “I was talking with some of my colleagues, trying to gauge their thoughts on the matter, and maybe persuade them to go with your selections.”

“I appreciate that, David.”

“Well, now, you’re the one out there putting your ass on the line, you should know who else is best to do it, right? Anyway, it didn’t take much convincing, it seems the others agree with me. We’ve come to tentative decision.” Haynes says, opening the door to the building and holding it open for Jennifer.

“So you and the others have no reservations about my inclusion of BioGen victims to the list? Frankly, I thought it would have gotten pooh-poohed by the committee,” Jennifer says, arching an eyebrow as she stops and turns to the senator.

“You wouldn’t have put them on the list if you didn’t think they could do the job, though, right? But we’ll have a lot of time to discuss this with the other committee members soon,” Haynes says. He expression turns grim. “How were things in Mexico when you left?”

“I didn’t think we should have left, but we had no choice. With the U.S. withdrawing from the U.N., the higher-ups decided that it wasn’t our problem anymore,” she says, sighing.

“You don’t agree with the President’s decision?”

“No, I agree that we couldn’t stay in the U.N. They’re using a disaster as an excuse to exercise their muscle, enforcing rules that limit people’s freedom. But, there was a lot to be done there, I wish we could have stayed to help some more.” Jennifer shakes her head. “But I understand how this works. JEB seemed to have a handle on things, anyway, I suppose.”

Haynes looks at his watch. “We’re due for a meeting. Shall we?” he says, smiling and turning to continue into the lobby of the building. Jennifer nods and they move through another set of doors and on to their meeting.

 

[Agamon]

The meeting room

A number of formally dressed people sit around a large oak table in a well-lit, but windowless, room, Senator Haynes and Jennifer Borlund amongst them. They chat idly with each other before one of them, a hefty, middle-aged man with brown hair and a gray suit clears his throat. “Alright,” he says, “let’s get this underway.”

He stands and surveys the room before speaking. “As you know, Senator Mackey, Senator Weldon, and myself have decided upon the membership of America’s newest elite team, based upon Miss Borlund’s input, as well as discussions within this committee. As you are also aware, we’ve pushed this process to the front burner. America no longer has ties to the United Nations, and as such, will not be dictated policy by that organization. Because of this, many elite persons have entered the country under status of refugee, in order to flee UN subjugation. This influx of foreign elites has created a need for another organization, besides American Freedom, that can deal with elite-level problems. For this reason also, we’ve increased the roster size from the original four to eight members, and discussion of a possible third team has begun. We’re meeting this last time as a group to reveal the selections and discuss them. You’re input here, Miss Borlund, is sure to be invaluable to us,” he says with a smile to the winged woman.

“Thank you, Senator Clark. I’m happy to be of assistance,” Jennifer replies, nodding. “I’d just like to add that I’m pleased that you took my recommendations to heart. I’m sure any of those from my list would make great additions to the team.”

“Of course. Your first-hand knowledge of this nation’s elites is second-to-none. We’re pleased you accepted to help us.” Picking up a booklet in front of him, Clark continues. “Now, in front of each of you are the portfolios of each of those selected.” He turns to the first page, and everyone else in the room does the same.

“We’ll start with the one we’ve decided would be most fit to lead the team: Tyrone Carter, aka Tyroc. Mr. Carter has shown an aptitude for conducting the sort of business that American Freedom often handles. He is also quite charismatic, outspoken and popular, especially with the youth of the New York City, and the country.”

“He has, however, shown himself to be somewhat flippant and unpredictable at times,” Senator Janet Mackey adds. “But you believe this to be just a façade, Miss Borlund?”

“Yes, well, in a way,” Jennifer responds. “My recent interaction with him leads me to believe that while he is pompous and loud, that is just his way making himself stick out and be noticed. When it comes right down to it, he can be quite serious and focused on the task at hand. And I must say, I was happily surprised when I saw his record. He’s done quite well helping to keep the streets of New York safe.”

“Yes, he has. So there is no objection?” Clark asks.

“I’m still unsure if we should be adding the victims of the BioGen disaster to this team, Senator Clark,” one man sitting across from Jennifer says.

“And we’ve discussed this ad nauseum, Senator Richards. You are the only one that still disagrees with that,” Clark responds. “Anyone else? Good.”


Manhattan, New York City

0830 hours, EDT, Thursday, July 10th, 2014

Tyroc stands on a rooftop of an old apartment building, overlooking the street, wearing his dark blue uniform. The sun’s been up even longer than you have, though not much, and the morning summer air has begun to warm. A dog barks in the distance and people have thinned out some below, the morning commuters mostly having left the neighbourhood. Looking about, you think about how hectic the past few days have been. Getting your life back in order after having left it for more than two months has been a lot of work. And Mama’s been no help, trying to get you to take it easy after your ordeal. You know she’s concerned for your well being, but she also just misses you and wants you around as much as possible.

But you couldn’t resist the urge to head back out on the street to fight the good fight, though. Last night was interesting. You broke up a potentially lethal gang fight; though you weren’t sure how long that peace would last. A mugging, a couple attempted car thefts, a few drug busts, and you stopped a couple of lovebird kids from getting too carried away in a bus stop, if only because you were starting to feel guilty sitting there watching.

This morning has been quieter, but you don’t mind. You launch into the air and head towards a nearby commercial zone. People look up at you pointing, waving, and yelling their greetings. The quiet doesn’t last long though. Flying along, you suddenly hear a gunshot. People on the street are spooked and move away from the source of the noise, a bank that you figure must have just opened.

 

[Calinon]

"Good morning, New York," Tyrone says dropping low towards the street where he can be more mobile. Flight was great to grab the spotlight and please the crowds, but for sheer speed, ground travel was where he shone. Bringing his force field up around him, he heads towards the bank he thought the shots came from, planning possibilities in his head.

If it's a robbery, there'll be a getaway vehicle. First priority, he thinks to himself looking for a vehicle that would confirm his robbery thoughts. Maybe I'll get lucky and it'll just be some with a gun that went off accidentally. Yeah, right.

Actions
If he spots the vehicle, and is sure it's a get away vehicle, he'll be using telekenisis (12800 max; normal vehicle would be 2500-5000) to lift it and flip it onto its roof without hopefully damaging it too badly. He'll attempt to deflect and catch any bullets that might fly his way.

If there is no obvious get-away vehicle, and no obvious threats outside, he'll zip into the bank, ready to deflect and catch any bullets that might fly his way.

Since his force field works on bullets, he won't re-roll any deflection attempts, just saving throws according to my benchmarks.

Powers: Running (sustained), force field (sustained), readied deflection if needed.

 

[Agamon]

Washington

“Tyroc will make a acceptable leader, John, who else do we have?” Senator Haynes asks.

“If you’ll all turn the page,” Clark says, doing so himself, “Miss Sarah Edwards will make a fine addition to the team, I think we all agree.”

“The telepath, right?” Richards asks.

“Yes. She was a detective with NYPD before the incident. The skills she's learned as a policewoman will be useful as a member of the team,” Clark explains.

“She did seem somewhat reluctant to even consider joining the team, but she, along with the others that escaped BioGen, was more concerned with just getting home after being away so long,” Jennifer says. “I can hardly blame her.”

“We’re not forcing anyone to join, Miss Borlund, but we will extend an invitation. This list is tentative, we have a list of backups if some of these people reject our offer,” Senator Alex Weldon says.

“I understand. She seemed hopeful that she could rejoin the force, but barring that, I’m sure she would accept,” Jennifer says, nodding her head.


Brooklyn, New York City

0900 hours, EDT, Thursday, July 10th, 2014

“Wake up, sleepy head.”

Sarah opens her eyes, her vision blurred. As her eyes begin to focus, she can make out the smiling face of Tyler looking down on her. “Feeling better today?” he says, referring to the fact that Jaya’s power boost last week has knocked you for quite a loop these past few days. You do, however feel better this morning. And that’s good, because you’re meeting with Captain Willis this morning at a local coffee shop. You look over at the clock. It’s nine, you have an hour to get there, enough time so that you don’t need to hurry.

You look back up at Tyler, still smiling down at you. He was happy to see you again, and, at first anyway, didn’t seem to be bothered by your secret. He told you he understood why you wanted to keep it from him and was just happy you were okay. But you didn’t need to be a telepath to realize that something is bothering him, and he doesn’t want to talk about it, saying that nothing’s wrong and changing the subject as quickly as he can. You could always find out yourself what’s bothering him, but you’ve thus far allowed him his privacy. If it’s important, he’ll tell you.

“You’ve gotta meet with the Captain today, right? Thought I’d wake you up before heading to work. You want a ride?” he says, turning to open the curtains to let some light into the bedroom.

 

[Agamon]

Tyroc
As a matter of fact, you spot a white van, still running, on the avenue side of the bank. The wheelman hasn't spotted you, he taps his hand nervously on the windowsill of the van door, looking expectantly at the bank doors.

You grin as you concentrate on the van. Waves of force warp around it as it begins rising into the air. The wheelman's face is frozen in shock as the van flips upside down. "What the f--" *SMASH*

Damage is minimal for a van that is currently lying on it's roof, but the passenger wasn't strapped in. He's lying awkwardly inside the vehicle, unconscious.

No one appears to be exiting the bank yet. Some people have stopped running and stand to gawk at you. "Hey, look, it's Tyroc! Get 'em Tyroc!"

OOC: Thug failed his damage save, and is out like a light.

 

[Calinon]

Some people have stopped running and stand to gawk at you. "Hey, look, it's Tyroc! Get 'em Tyroc!"

"And this is why you should always wear your seatbelt," Tyroc quips. "Now clear off the street folks. I can stop people shooting me, but I'm not so good at stopping stray bullets," he calls out, as he speeds to the bank door.

So much for sneaking up on them, he thinks as he approaches the doors.

Preparing himself for a potential hail of gunfire, but hoping he can convince them to just give up before things get bad, he calmly walks into the bank, readying himself to catch any bullets that might come at him.

Actions
If the door is locked, which is highly unlikely, he'll simply blast the lock out and do what's listed below after walking in.

Otherwise, he'll walk in, forcefield going, deflection ready. Once he's inside, and they've either shot at him and failed (hopefully) or frozen in surprise (even more hopefully), he'll announce simply, "Yo, I think somethin is wrong with your ride. Might wanna reconsider this whole bank robbery idea before anyone gets hurt."

If he gets in and if a bystander has been shot, change that to, "Yo, I think somethin is wrong with your ride. But now, that's about the least of your problems." He'll focus on the nearest gunman and do his best to blast him clear through the nearest outer wall, forfeiting his deflection.

Powers: Running (sustained), force field (sustained), readied deflection if needed or energy blast (stun).

 

[Deva]

Sarah stretches with a yawn and sits up in bed. She pulls her knees up to her chest and wraps her arms around them, watching Tyler as he moves about the bedroom. She squints a little when he opens the curtains. "I'm feeling good enough to actually go out of the apartment today."

With another stretch she reluctantly gets out of bed. "And don't worry about the ride, it's only a few blocks. Besides, the walk will do me good." She walks over to him and gives him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'm going to hop into the shower. You better get going before you're late."

 

[Agamon]

Washington

“Our next selection was not part of the BioGen scandal, but he was recommended by Miss Borlund all the same,” Senator Clark says, turning the page. “And he is already a government employee, working in ACE; Misha Werner. Just as Miss Borlund was transferred from ACE to American Freedom eight years ago, Agent Werner will be moved to this new team.”

“Would he not make a better leader for the team than Tyroc?” Senator Richards asks.

“Misha…I’m not sure he’d make a good leader for the team, at least not at first. He’s never been much of a team player,” Jennifer says. “That said, I’ve worked with him in the past and I know him fairly well, he’ll be an excellent asset for the team, with his knowledge of government policy, plus he’ll be able to help Tyroc in leading the team.”


Chicago, an abandoned warehouse

0200 hours, EDT, Thursday, July 10th, 2014

Misha stands, back against the wall in a darkened building, the only light coming in the form of moonlight and what few streetlights there are in this warehouse district. He holds his pistol at ready, and breaths lightly, listening for movement in the building.

For a month you’ve been attempting to track down an elite serial killer, and have finally caught up with the suspect. The man, Richard Crawford, has killed nine people, all women in their twenties to mid-forties. Each of the victims’ bodies were not really bodies anymore, nothing left of them but a skeleton, the flesh having melted away from the bone. He’s committed two of the murders since you’ve gone on the case, and you’re determined to stop him now that you have him in your sights. Your partner, Jason Tellman, an empath, is currently in Des Moines. The two of you had split up to cover different leads, which suits you fine. You can deal with the murderer yourself.

You found him at a local bar, talking to a woman. When you moved on him, he ran, and you chased him to this warehouse.

Suddenly, you hear what sounds like pieces of wood falling to the floor, coming from on top of a mezzanine behind the wall you stand in front of…

 

[Agamon]

Tyroc
Tyroc opens the doors. Inside are 8 people lying face down on the floor, as well as 4 masked men carrying automatic rifles. All four of them turn towards the hero.

"Holy...Hammer! We got company!" one of the masked men shouts to the back. "Get down on the floor now, man, or you're Swiss cheese!" he shouts at Tyroc.

Initiative: Tyroc 12, Hammer 11, Thugs 9.

Whatcha do?

Sarah
"My first class isn't until twenty after eleven today," Tyler says. He's a lab assistant at Columbia University, working towards his Masters in botony. "Got lotsa time. I'm heading up there early though. Good luck, with Willis, honey. See you later," he says, leaving you alone in the bedroom.

 

[Tokiwong]

Looks like I am not alone... good.

Misha uses his Detect Elites power and thn attempts to Move Silently +11 to posibly get the drop on this creep.

With Pistol in hand, Misha slowly makes his way to the stairs unless he sees the suspect bolt then he is running full out and taking a shot if he has one. This one is not getting away if he can help it.